Zhou Qi’an stood by the old robe for a full half minute, finally carefully picking it up. He originally intended to check for bloodstains, but when he tried to put it back down, his elbow seemed to stiffen in mid-air, refusing to bend.
The clothes were like they were covered in super glue, stuck firmly to his palm, with a chilling aura seeping into his palm lines and clinging to the deeper bones. To pull it off, it felt like he’d have to tear off flesh and bone.
Miss Qi, at some point, craned her neck over, her smile deepening as she said, “It seems you’ve made your choice. The fitting room is over there.”
She considerately pointed towards the fitting room.
A section hidden behind the clothes racks was out of the light, with dense stacks of cardboard boxes filled with clothes and scattered display mannequins in the shadows. Miss Qi’s voice was bright, like her smile, but if listened closely, it carried a sense of urgency.
Currently, it seemed impossible to get rid of this clothing unless he chopped off his arm. Zhou Qi’an’s experience served as a warning to others; no one dared to casually touch anything before making a decision.
“May I ask a question?”
Zhou Qi’an glanced at the bloodstains on the cuff. “What is the person who last wore this doing now?”
“Him…”
Miss Qi seemed to recall, “He pretended to be a fortune-teller, was exposed, had his four limbs chopped off, his eyes dug out, and is currently pickled in some pickle jar.” After saying that, she waved her hand, “I’m just kidding. Mr. Zhou, please go change quickly.”
Just then, Shen Zhiyi had also made his choice and walked towards the fitting room with Zhou Qi’an. The teacher’s uniform and ruler were taken by the twin-tailed girl, so Shen Zhiyi had to give up that profession and casually picked a magician’s costume. The designer seemed afraid people wouldn’t know the purpose of this outfit, so “Magician” was embroidered on the chest. The matching top hat was embedded with glass-fabricated jewels, and dark red viscous liquid was injected inside, looking ominous.
Zhou Qi’an: “You’re wearing this?”
Shen Zhiyi nodded, lightly saying, “Professions have no high or low, only certain people do.”
As he spoke, he seemingly inadvertently swept his gaze over the surrounding people. The players who felt implicitly criticized frowned, but focused on choosing their clothes, they didn’t argue with him.
Zhou Qi’an thoughtfully concluded that, according to Shen Zhiyi, no matter what profession they chose, it didn’t matter, or rather, wearing anything carried danger.
Miss Qi: “Please…”
Mother Zhou helped her urge, “Don’t dawdle, everyone pick quickly. There are only twenty-four hours in a day, every minute wasted is delaying work time.”
Miss Qi, who was about to pressure the crowd, paused.
“Can I go to work first later?”
Miss Qi took a deep breath, forcing out a few words: “I know you’re in a hurry.”
But not this hurried.
The fitting rooms were lined up, four in total. Because the space was very cramped, Zhou Qi’an had to turn sideways to enter. Shen Zhiyi went into the adjacent one.
Changing in such a confined space would normally leave one sweating profusely, but the inherent coolness of the robe kept Zhou Qi’an from trembling until he buttoned up the collar. Once fully dressed, the moment the sunglasses settled on his nose, the coldness completely disappeared.
“Doesn’t feel good.”
For a moment, it felt like he had become one with the clothes.
Zhou Qi’an and Shen Zhiyi walked out almost simultaneously. Some players who chose loose clothing didn’t even need to go to the fitting room, just putting it on over their existing clothes. Hearing footsteps, someone instinctively looked over.
Shen Zhiyi wore a black suit, the patterns on it obscured by the heavy color. A light top hat sat high on his head. The intellectual aura he projected was mixed with a hint of evil, giving him a twisted handsomeness. This chaotic feeling made people avoid looking too closely, so the players’ gazes mostly lingered on Zhou Qi’an.
A long green robe, with blood-stained cuffs. Zhou Qi’an’s previous glasses had been removed, replaced by small, vintage black round lenses, and a pale hand held a slender cane.
Shen Zhiyi’s cold voice interrupted some of the hidden glances: “It seems everyone has chosen.”
Fearing Miss Qi would close the door and rush them, everyone quickly chose their clothes without lingering on Zhou Qi’an.
Zhou Qi’an lowered his head, revealing one playful eye: “How is it?”
He was referring to the cane. A major reason for choosing this outfit was to have the cane as an accessory, allowing him to act promptly in danger.
Shen Zhiyi suddenly reached out, moving closer. Zhou Qi’an instinctively wanted to dodge, then suddenly noticed that in those gray-white eyeballs, his pupils seemed to be blood-red. But it was only for an instant before they were covered again by the hazy gray feeling, as if it were just his imagination. Shen Zhiyi merely helped him straighten his black round sunglasses.
“This color is really festive.”
Just as Shen Zhiyi lowered his hand, Mother Zhou walked out, her wriggling hair hidden beneath a gray wig, making her look quite benevolent. Near Mother Zhou was the university student, who chose the simplest white lab coat, its stark white color contrasting sharply with Mother Zhou.
Everyone gradually finished changing. Miss Qi pushed the empty mobile clothes rack aside, revealing the fitting mirrors in the back row. The fitting mirrors reflected the appearance of most of the players at once.
The foreigner was dressed as an exorcist, the short-haired woman wore a mechanic’s uniform, and the muscular man wore boxing gloves. In the four-person team, besides the twin-tailed girl choosing a teacher, the steady man wore regular work clothes, and the crew cut and another teammate both chose lion dancing.
This was an activity that naturally required cooperation, so even if their professions were similar, there was no need to worry about violating rules. As for the most timid player who came in at the last minute, it wasn’t really clothes he chose, but rather a pair of shoes: roller skates.
The dirty mirror reflected blurry faces. Staring at them for too long gave one a sense of self-doubt.
“Congratulations to everyone for choosing your favorite attire!”
Miss Qi genuinely rejoiced for them. “Next is free activity time. Everyone can immerse yourselves in half a day of life in the ancient city.”
[Side Quest One: Choosing Clothes, completed.]
[New Side Quest: Immerse Yourself, triggered.]
[Side Quest Two: Immerse Yourself]
[Quest Content: Life is like a play, and a play is like life. A new life is unfolding. Please engage in the profession corresponding to your currently chosen attire and act within the ancient city.]
Although not explicitly stated, Miss Qi hinted at making money. Without more clues, they could only try their best to follow the NPC’s requirements. The university student was close by and heard Zhou Qi’an curse, “As expected, my fate in this life is to work.”
The university student thought it wasn’t a big deal; most NPCs who had seen him work were dead.
Miss Qi turned off the lights in the shop. The players promptly left the suddenly dark space. After Miss Qi locked the main door, she no longer spoke to the players. As soon as she exited the alley, she directly turned into the dense flow of people, disappearing in a few seconds.
The crew-cut man immediately chased a few steps, then returned, saying in a deep voice, “She’s gone.”
They were like headless flies now. Even if Miss Qi was strange, at least following her would gradually give them some clues.
Zhou Qi’an: “She’s gone, we can call her.”
Hearing this, it wasn’t just the crew-cut man who fell silent. Zhou Qi’an opened his phone, brought up his contacts, and Miss Qi’s number was already saved there. He generously told the others, “If you haven’t saved it, save it quickly.”
The crew-cut man’s face was like a palette; he felt no normal person would immediately add a contact after receiving an unknown call in the morning.
The steady man sighed. The crew-cut man had only joined their organization recently. If it weren’t for the current need for his abilities, he wouldn’t have brought him into this instance. Everyone eventually added Miss Qi’s phone number.
Zhou Qi’an didn’t immediately put away his phone. While other players were adding the number, he visibly transformed from being shrewd to being dispirited. The twin-tailed girl noticed this and whispered, “Could this clothing regularly make us weaker?”
The familiar faces looked at each other, not yet feeling any similar buffs.
University student: “…”
No, I guess he just doesn’t want to work.
Different professions meant different ways of employment. As a fortune teller, Zhou Qi’an was clearly very convenient. He directly sat on a nearby curb and played a looping recording on his phone:
“Fortune telling, divine will. One divination per day, Qi’an Fortune Telling, honest dealings.”
The twin-tailed girl asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to go further inside?”
As soon as he started “work,” Zhou Qi’an’s entire demeanor changed, radiating a feeling of having his essence drained. He waved his hand, “No.”
Not wanting to go too far was one reason; the second was… he glanced out of the corner of his eye at his old mother staring at the young men and women on the street. He was worried that a bloody incident might occur later and involve him.
The whole city was full of living Bodhisattvas. The matchmaker profession could at least help distract his mother, making things much easier for him. The twin-tailed girl just asked casually, then walked into the city. Other players naturally did similarly, some even planning to look for job postings directly for convenience.
Shen Zhiyi and the university student, a magician and a doctor respectively, certainly couldn’t stay at the ancient city entrance to make money. Zhou Qi’an waved at them, specifically emphasizing to the university student, “Write a review when you come back.”
“?”
Zhou Qi’an: “I’m too lazy to wander around.”
The mission center was Huagu Bus Station. Although the ancient city was large, he didn’t think it was a place they had to explore thoroughly. A general understanding would suffice.
In a short while, Zhou Qi’an was the only one left. His phone battery was sufficient, and Zhou Qi’an, basking in the warm sun, felt quite sleepy.
“Hey, fortune teller.”
The voice sounded like a child’s.
Zhou Qi’an waved his hand, “I don’t take business from minors.”
“Really not going to tell my fortune?”
The pleasant childish voice suddenly turned chilling. If Zhou Qi’an looked up now, he would see a slightly chubby face with black spots covering its cheeks: “Why won’t you tell my fortune? I ask you…”
He almost poked Zhou Qi’an’s face, “Why won’t you tell my fortune?”
“One divination per day, starting from 9,000, capped at 9,900. Highest bidder wins.”
Since the constable died in the line of duty, the selection of clients was relatively safe. Before formally divining, Zhou Qi’an spoke without much worry: “Do you have that much money?”
As expected, after a burst of cold air, the child, seeing Zhou Qi’an unmoved, was both angry and annoyed but did not act. Finally, he asked dryly, “9,900?”
“10,000 constitutes fraud.”
“…”
Zhou Qi’an suddenly opened his eyes and was startled by the black spots on the child’s face. He tried his best to control his expression and said, “If you can bring me a big client, why wouldn’t I give you nine yuan?”
After speaking, he leaned back slightly to get a clear view of his surroundings.
The camera of a tourist taking selfies silently moved towards him a bit. Not far away, a couple hugging, the woman’s chin resting on the man’s shoulder, her dark eyes staring straight at them…
They were all watching, especially when the child happily agreed and ran off to “pull clients,” more and more people gathered, as if waiting to watch a good show.
As these people approached, not only did the air become cold, but Zhou Qi’an felt like a monkey being observed in a zoo. He no longer had the mood to sunbathe.
A few minutes later, the child returned, followed by a wealthy businessman with ten thick fingers adorned with exaggerated rings. This businessman was very fat, but unlike typical fat people, he didn’t have good skin. Under the sun, he exuded a mixed odor of decay and pickled vegetables. “So you’re the one who tells fortunes?”
Zhou Qi’an nodded unassumingly.
“Then tell my fortune.”
The businessman’s eyes were surprisingly pale white under the sun, revealing a greasy, smiling face. “But I hate liars the most. The last person who tried to lie to me is already working off their debt in my shop.”
Zhou Qi’an remembered Miss Qi saying something about being chopped up and put in a pickling jar, and slightly frowned. He noticed the businessman was wearing custom-made clothes, with a logo in the middle that spelled out a vegetarian restaurant.
The businessman was very proud of his business: “My chain restaurant’s vegetarian dishes can taste like meat.”
Then, changing his tone, he said menacingly, “But recently, valuable ingredients are often stolen from my home at night. I want to know who the thief is.”
Zhou Qi’an made a gesture of fortune-telling, but what he was actually thinking was about his brain. Good news: this wasn’t an immediately fatal task, giving players some time. Bad news: things were stolen at night, meaning the thief only operated at night.
To catch him, he would have to stay up. This meant triggering the death rule of not being able to return to the bus station before midnight. Unless he genuinely had some fortune-telling abilities and could figure out the thief’s identity in advance.
The young couple walked over at some point. The man cheerfully said, “I say, didn’t you say you could tell fortunes? Why are you just sitting there?”
The businessman showed a strange smile, the unnatural greenish tint on his face deepening.
Zhou Qi’an politely said, “Please wait.”
The next second, he skillfully pulled out his Holy Artifact. The moment the golden light appeared, the surrounding onlookers instinctively took a step back.
The cane was temporarily placed by his knee. Zhou Qi’an didn’t use the Holy Artifact to harm anyone. He took out another item. Soon, with his left hand holding the [Prophet Warlock] and his right hand the Holy Artifact, the tip of the fishing fork pressed against the warlock’s throat: “I hope you’re sensible.”
Prophet Warlock: “…”
As usual, feeding him 200 points, Zhou Qi’an showed a genuinely infectious smile: “Please predict the auspiciousness of catching the thief for me.”
The surrounding people seemed very interested in this Prophet Warlock, but appeared to be bound by some rule, only able to observe from a distance. The Prophet Warlock couldn’t utter an auspicious word, delivering a great omen of ill fortune instead. The tip of the fishing fork moved forward a bit. Zhou Qi’an smiled, “You know what I want to hear?”
The true value of the Prophet Warlock lay in the advice he could offer.
The warlock’s robe sparkled with starlight, and even a slight movement of his throat could press against the cold tip. After a moment, he squeezed out a few difficult words: “Not the son.”
The businessman had a large family, so even if his son was excluded, there were still many suspects. It seemed like a fortune was told, but in reality, it wasn’t.
The businessman, who had initially been stunned when the warlock appeared, now looked at Zhou Qi’an as if he were the next raw material for a pickling jar. Zhou Qi’an lowered his head slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips: “Are you trying to say that the thief isn’t the businessman’s biological son?”
The warlock, about to enter dormancy, twitched an eyelid.
When Zhou Qi’an asked the question, his soft fingertips seemingly brushed the warlock’s neck inadvertently. The skin on the warlock’s high cheekbones also began to tremble, giving him a chilling sensation as if his head was about to be twisted off.
Although seemingly the same sentence, when Zhou Qi’an repeated it, emphasizing “biological son,” the expressions of the onlookers became subtle. The trace of malevolence hidden beneath the Prophet Warlock’s wise eyes hadn’t dissipated, but instead turned into terror. Zhou Qi’an’s comprehension skills had always been remarkable:
“The thief is a son, but not a biological son.”
The male of the young couple was the first to look at the businessman. “Could this brother have been cuckolded?”
The businessman flew into a rage, almost wanting to overturn the stall, but then realized there was no stall for his free business. “How about this. You only pay me five thousand for this business, and you catch the thief yourself.”
Zhou Qi’an stood up, his tone carrying a hint of unclear meaning: “Or perhaps, it’s still early, and I’ll accompany you to the hospital first.”
To verify if it was his biological child.
The businessman’s face changed repeatedly, looking at Zhou Qi’an as if he wanted to devour him whole. Finally, he threw down several large bills and left, flicking his sleeves. Zhou Qi’an quickly picked them up, gave a few to the child who brought him business, and then turned to leave.
[Obtained Blood-Stained Ghost Money].
The Prophet Warlock was put away. Strictly speaking, the warlock did not lie and even provided the truth, but it was highly misleading. Pushing through the crowd, the smile was gone from Zhou Qi’an’s face. This thing definitely couldn’t be used frequently, otherwise, he wouldn’t know how he was screwed over.
As he walked, he sent messages to his mother and Shen Zhiyi: [Come out as soon as possible].
He specifically sent two messages to Mother Zhou: [Have you finished the mission? Leave the ancient city as soon as possible.]
Zhou Qi’an didn’t call; making random calls during a mission could lead to unknown dangers.
The earlier setting of the midnight thief gave him a bad feeling. The people here seemed to be trying every possible way to prevent players from returning to the bus station before midnight.
Outside the ancient city, an old bus stood alone. Zhou Qi’an visibly relaxed a little at the sight. The front door of the bus was open. The moment he stepped on, the relief in his eyes vanished. Half the seats were already taken.
“How’s this photo I took?”
It was the nauseating couple. “You took it, of course it’s beautiful.”
In the back row, the familiar black-spotted child maliciously said, “Thank you, big brother, for the bus fare.”
“Excuse me.”
Another traveler got on, and as this person plopped down, one more seat on the bus was taken. Zhou Qi’an’s expression gradually darkened. There was no second bus around. Once the driver started the vehicle, it would be difficult for players to get back in time. Even if he drove the Rabbit Bus over to pick them up, it wouldn’t solve the problem; he still hadn’t figured out how to find the bus station.
“How many buses go to the ancient city each day?”
Zhou Qi’an walked near the driver. The driver didn’t answer, smoking, a strange eyeball on his square face creating a strong sense of incongruity.
“One.”
A familiar voice made Zhou Qi’an look up. Miss Qi’s pale pink face suddenly appeared from the last row, giving him a standard, bright smile. At this moment, only Zhou Qi’an was standing in the bus compartment. He could clearly see every passenger, and the different expressions on their faces, yet each person seemed to have only that one expression, as if wearing a hard, unyielding mask. After a while, they just seemed like a collection of false faces.
Buzz. A vibration from his phone.
The passengers on the bus simultaneously looked up, as if any slight movement from Zhou Qi’an was worth their observation. Being stared at by over a dozen pairs of eyes, Zhou Qi’an didn’t immediately look at his phone, afraid that if he lowered his head, a monster might reveal its true form and pounce.
A pungent, bloody smell suddenly drifted into the indescribable bus compartment. A new passenger stiffly walked onto the bus. The flesh on his neck was curled, as if it had been cut by something, the muscle tendons connected loosely, his lips pale and opening and closing.
The driver left the driver’s seat and came over to sell tickets. The new passenger was the first to speak: “No, no more money. Can I buy one get one free?”
The person seemed to have lost his mind, clutching a rice cooker tightly to his chest with hands that usually only killed and burned. “Give me one for my wife, one for my wife…”
Zhou Qi’an was so overwhelmed by the strong smell of blood that he turned his head, and seeing the blurred, bloody neck of the passenger behind him, he was startled.
New passenger: “Ahhhhhhh!”
Zhou Qi’an: “…”
You’re screaming, why am I screaming? He didn’t even know the shock his face had given the man behind him. The similar features made the new passenger think of the terrifying matchmaker he had encountered in the city just now, and he immediately wailed. He shielded himself with the rice cooker, a ring on the electrical cord dangling precariously.
“I listened to you and got married, don’t chop me, don’t chop me!” He regretted it so much, so much that he had made so many demands of that matchmaker and even threatened to drown her if she couldn’t find him a spouse.
The driver, annoyed by the noise, yelled, “The rest of you, come to the front to pay your fare.”
Taking advantage of the driver’s absence and the new passenger’s frenzy, Zhou Qi’an finally had time to check his phone, which had just vibrated. The message was from Mother Zhou, with only four words: [Mom is busy.]
Zhou Qi’an’s mouth twitched. He counted the remaining seats to see if there were enough for the players. Just as he counted halfway, the metal plate under his feet suddenly began to vibrate. The next second, he swayed, then froze—the bus had departed.
He was the only player who had successfully boarded the entire bus.
Author’s note:
Facing a bus full of strange passengers, Zhou Qi’an: Sometimes, one person’s success can be quite terrifying.
