Chapter 23: Bloodstained Footprints

“Bang!” A loud crash shattered the stillness of the night.

Luxi, hair disheveled and barefoot, rushed out immediately.

She had just grabbed a quilt to cover the monster opposite her, and without even putting on shoes, she leapt from the bed and dashed outside.

The man standing in the shadows narrowed his eyes sharply.

He had waited beneath the tree for a long time—long enough to believe the girl would not come out.

Luxi was inherently timid and cowardly, fundamentally not belonging to this world.

By nature, she should have held no sense of belonging here.

True to her lazy, indifferent nature, she would have chosen to survive quietly until the end.

Yet here she was, stepping out.

It was obvious—Luxi came for him.

Ji Chenling clenched his fists, paused briefly, then carefully set the rabbit’s head back in place.

The rabbit, wearing overalls, blinked silently.

Uh... you’ve put my head on backwards.

The poor rabbit dared not protest.

After all, when the Lord of Death went mad, it was terrifying; rumor had it he had once wiped out every old-timer in the game world.

From player to overlord, he was the nightmare of all the monsters in this world.

The rabbit thought his personality was downright terrible, but he couldn’t deny the face was disarmingly handsome.

Such a face...

Simply breathtaking!

The rabbit worshipped him.

So handsome.

Beneath that strikingly handsome visage, even his wicked nature seemed to possess a unique charm.

After Luxi hurried outside, she glanced back.

The monster did not follow.

Leaning against the dilapidated, crumbling wall, she gasped for breath.

Under the moonlight, she suddenly noticed the ground was stained red—bloody footprints.

Dense and chaotic.

Her heart sank. Could it be that Ji Chenling had been devoured?

At that moment, a clear, crisp voice rang out around her.

“Sister.”

She turned with joy to see a young man approaching slowly under the moonlight.

Moonbeams draped his shoulders, and in the hazy glow, his face appeared exceptionally gentle, his gaze soft as water, with tiny sparks of laughter hidden deep within his eyes.

Luxi could not find words to describe the shock that struck her heart—a moment when all sounds around vanished, and only the scene before her remained.

“What’s wrong, sister?” Ji Chenling came over with a playful smile, reaching out his hand.

Luxi stared blankly at him, frozen.

He ran his fingers gently through her tangled hair, carefully threading them through as if tending to a precious treasure, softly tying her hair back.

Luxi sniffed, lowered her head, and remained silent.

“What’s wrong?” A trace of worry surfaced in Ji Chenling’s eyes. “Were you scared?”

“I thought something happened to you,” the girl murmured.

Used to his company, accustomed to his teasing smile, the thought that he might die made a thousand needles prick her heart—an unbearable pain.

“You worried about me?” Ji Chenling smiled, his dark eyes shining brightly, his beautiful peach blossom eyes glimmering with faint joy.

For a long time, he had encountered many women who “cared” for him—all without exception women who had crossed over with ulterior motives.

Ji Chenling had no faith in such ridiculous things as sincerity and grew to despise these crossing-over women even more.

Luxi was the first to appear by his side without any hidden agenda, purely out of genuine concern.

Her care and worry were heartfelt and sincere.

That feeling was wondrous; whether in life or death, Ji Chenling had never encountered it before.

“Don’t be unhappy, sister. I’m fine.” He smiled and grasped Luxi’s wrist. “Really, I’m safe. If you don’t believe me, you can touch and check.”

Luxi slapped his hand away. “Where did you go just now? A ghost impersonated you earlier. Luckily, it couldn’t get on the bed and apparently couldn’t see me.”

“And what about all these bloody footprints?”

Ji Chenling took her hand and said, “I’ll take you somewhere.”

With that, he led her toward the back door.

Approaching the rear of the cabin, Luxi noticed there was another small hut there.

Chains thick as a baby’s arm, a bowl cracked and filled with spoiled food scraps, blood splattered in the corner...

The clock had just struck midnight; the moon was veiled by clouds, dimming the earth slightly.

Luxi looked up at the clouds and suddenly understood everything.

This was the former home of the vengeful spirits of Muguan Village.

More terrifying than ghosts was human nature.

“Shall we go in?” Ji Chenling asked.

Luxi took a deep breath and said firmly, “Yes.”

This was the clue Granny Cuicui had given—the only chance to open that door.

Even a lazy soul like her had to muster courage now.

As they neared, the wooden door swung open on its own.

Luxi clenched her fists and walked inside.

The scene was too bleak and desolate for words—four raggedly dressed women gathered together.

She finally understood why there were so many bloody footprints on the ground.

Every one of these girls had a disability in their legs.

One girl, about her age, had half her sole hacked off.

The cut was clean, likely made with a cleaver or other sharp tools.

Left untreated for so long, the wounds were severely infected.

Each scene made Luxi’s heart pound.

Unsurprisingly, these poor girls had all been trafficked.

The vast Muguan Village was, in truth, a village of sin.

Sympathy and sorrow outweighed any fear of wandering spirits, and Luxi stepped forward half a pace.

“Hello, may I ask how I can leave here?”

Her voice was clear and pleasant. The four women with long hair and tattered clothes all turned to stare at Luxi.

Their eyes were terrifying.

“Why have you come here?” they asked in unison.

[Attention lucky player: You are about to face a critical response phase. This phase requires a specific correct answer format. Any incorrect response will result in an unexpected surprise.]

The words “unexpected surprise” were emphasized by the game system.

Luxi instinctively glanced aside. “Can you hear that?”

With Ji Chenling’s nod, her heart sank.

This meant every player had heard the notification.

Including the infiltratorI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.