I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 11

In the end, the three of them still lit incense in the ancestral hall as a gesture. Before leaving, Qi Yan noticed the old man slowly retreating into the backyard of the hall.

After visiting two attractions in a row, everything had gone smoothly aside from the brief fear and oppressive atmosphere brought on by the old caretaker of the ancestral hall.

“Now, all that’s left is the suspension bridge…” Tang Shanshan trailed behind Qi Yan, her voice laced with worry. “That place sounds dangerous just hearing about it.”

The hanging wooden bridge stood at the end of the folk street. From what Sister Hong had implied, it led straight into the cliffs of Zhongshan and just the name “Zhongshan” didn’t sound like a good place.

But no matter how frightening it was, they had to go. “We’ll just take a look at the bridge,” Qi Yan said. “We won’t step onto it, and we definitely won’t cross it.”

Sister Hong’s task only required them to visit these three locations, she hadn’t said they had to walk onto the bridge, let alone cross it to the other side. The meeting point afterward was also on this side of the folk street, so it was clear this mission didn’t require them to traverse the bridge.

They could worry about what came later when the time came. For now, they just had to get through today.

Following the signs, the three headed toward the hanging wooden bridge. Along the way, they didn’t encounter a single person. This village was truly strange, the folk street had been bustling, yet the attractions they visited were so deserted it was as if no living soul ever came here.

It was almost as if some kind of seal kept people away. Aside from them, no one else ventured into these areas not even the other tour groups they’d seen on the folk street.

“Are the places Sister Hong sent us to, problematic?” Tang Shanshan muttered. “It’s been so long, and none of the other tour groups have come here.” Though timid, she was quick-witted.

Qi Yan had been mulling over the same thing. There were too many inconsistencies. But remembering that this was a script world where they were gambling with their lives for survival, she figured nothing that happened here should come as a surprise.

“Judging by the old man’s attitude at the ancestral hall, these places probably aren’t meant for normal people to visit,” Huo Zheng remarked. “If this were a regular tourist route, he wouldn’t have treated us like that.”

He couldn’t shake off the oppressive feeling the old man had given him, the sensation that his organs were being crushed.

“Whether we’re supposed to be here or not, we have no choice,” Qi Yan said. “None of us can afford the consequences of not coming.”

The truth was never pleasant, but it was impossible to argue with.

They moved quickly, and soon the hanging wooden bridge came into view. It cut through the thick fog, suspended over sheer cliffs, serving as the only connection between the folk street and Zhongshan.

Surprisingly, when they reached the bridge, they actually saw other people, a small tour group wearing blue caps was gathered around, taking photos. Their guide stood nearby, scrolling on his phone and occasionally reminding them not to step onto the bridge.

“The fog hasn’t cleared yet, so no one can enter Zhongshan. Remember, don’t go onto the bridge,” the guide recited mechanically, not even looking up. “This suspension bridge is specifically for connecting Baishui Town to Zhongshan. Unless you’re crossing to Zhongshan, don’t step onto it.”

Qi Yan approached the edge of the bridge and peered across. The fog was still dense, but the bridge seemed to part it slightly, offering glimpses of the structure and the other side.

“There’s someone on the bridge,” Bai Qing’s voice came from the ring first.

Qi Yan was taken aback, then narrowed her eyes to look more carefully. As a homebody, she usually spent her time either in front of a drawing board or glued to her phone, computer, or tablet, which had left her with poor eyesight. She typically had to wear contact lenses to see clearly. This time, after being dragged into the story, although her clothes had been changed, no glasses had been provided. Her vision was just barely good enough to make things out.

A faint surge of energy emanated from the ring, gently seeping into Qi Yan’s spiritual core. Instantly, a clear and pure force welled up from within, soaking into her mind like a refreshing spring. Suddenly, the scene before her eyes became sharp and vivid, no longer blurred.

“You! What did you do?”

Bai Qing replied, “Just a little assistance. It’s no good for me if your eyes don’t work properly.”

Delighted, Qi Yan blinked her large eyes several times. “Is this a one-time thing, or is it permanent?”

Bai Qing scoffed. “Of course it’s permanent.”

This surprised Qi Yan. “I thought your spiritual power hadn’t recovered enough, and it would only be temporary.”

“Hmph, don’t underestimate me. This bit of spiritual power is nothing.”

The fox spirit was proud and arrogant, unwilling to let anyone look down on her.

Qi Yan didn’t argue further and focused on the figures on the bridge. With Bai Qing’s help, her vision was now better than ever. Not only could she see the figures on the bridge, but she could even make out who they were.

“It’s Cao Jian and Song Yu!”

Too shocked to lower her voice, her exclamation caught the attention of Huo Zheng and Tang Shanshan. Hearing the familiar names, the two hurried over.

“Who? What’s wrong with them?”

Qi Yan pointed at the suspension bridge. “Cao Jian and Song Yu are on the bridge!”

The bridge cut through the thick fog, but it hung suspended in midair, its sides still shrouded in mist. Only the path on the bridge itself was faintly visible.

Without Bai Qing’s assistance, Huo Zheng and Tang Shanshan’s eyesight was far inferior to Qi Yan’s at the moment. Squinting hard, they still couldn’t make out the figures on the bridge.

Huo Zheng rubbed his eyes. “The fog’s too thick, I can’t see. What are they doing on the bridge? Are they trying to cross to the other side?”

Qi Yan stared at the two figures for a while before shaking her head. “No, it looks like they’re trying to come back. Something’s happening on the bridge, they’re gripping the chains and struggling.”

Struggling? Against what? From Qi Yan’s perspective, there were only those two on the bridge, with no third person in sight. Yet the pair seemed to be held back by some invisible force, as if they had to cling tightly to the bridge’s chains just to stay upright.

The thought of helping flashed through her mind, but Bai Qing, sensing her intention from within the ring, quickly warned, “The bridge is shrouded in ghostly energy you can’t withstand. Don’t act recklessly.”

Before she could even take a step, Qi Yan froze in place, frowning as she watched the two on the bridge.

Fear and compassion warred within her. Qi Yan realized and admitted her helplessness. Even though she seemed to hold a trump card, it wasn’t under her control. In a way, she was the one who needed its protection.

As Qi Yan hesitated, the two on the bridge slowly inched their way back. The invisible force restraining them seemed to have vanished, and their movements noticeably quickened.

Huo Zheng and Tang Shanshan finally recognized the two and instinctively rushed to the bridge’s edge to help them.

Cao Jian reached them first, grabbing Huo Zheng’s outstretched hand and practically fleeing off the bridge.

Song Yu looked even worse off than him, her face filled with terror and panic. She didn’t even have the strength to hold Tang Shanshan’s outstretched hand, clinging to her arm instead like a drowning person gripping their last piece of driftwood, tears of fear streaming down her face.

Qi Yan observed their states, and the sense of foreboding in her heart grew stronger. She moved closer to Song Yu and asked in the gentlest tone she could muster to avoid startling her, “What happened on the bridge?”

It was unclear whether it was the mention of the word “bridge” that triggered her, but Song Yu began trembling uncontrollably, her eyes brimming with panic and confusion, her hands still gripping Tang Shanshan tightly.

Clearly, she wasn’t in any state to answer. Qi Yan had no choice but to shift her gaze to Cao Jian. His condition was slightly better than his girlfriend’s at least he could still speak, and he managed to answer all of Huo Zheng’s questions.

“W-when we got there, we saw the fog had lifted. The scenery on the other side was breathtaking, and the air was so fresh. It felt like every breath lifted our spirits. So, I don’t know what came over us, but we ended up stepping onto the bridge.” Cao Jian pounded his throbbing head in frustration. “We wanted to see what was on the other side because the view was truly stunning after the fog cleared. And we thought that since the fog had lifted, maybe there’d be an unexpected way out over there. When we first arrived, didn’t the [Introduction] say we needed to find the ‘eye’ of this script world to leave? Staying on this side might not give us any answers. Maybe that so-called ‘eye’ is on the other side of the bridge.”

This was the first time today that any of the players had mentioned the “eye” referenced in the [Introduction].

Perhaps because the sheer volume of information they’d been hit with upon entering this world was too overwhelming to process immediately, Qi Yan hadn’t had the time to think about the [Introduction]’s instructions on how to clear the scenario. Now that Cao Jian brought it up, she finally remembered either find the “eye” of the world to leave or defeat the “heart” of the world.

At first glance, the former option seemed far easier. After all, all they had to do was locate the “eye” to escape, whereas defeating the “heart” clearly wasn’t something an ordinary person could accomplish.

At the mention of the “eye,” the expressions of the group shifted. Qi Yan and Huo Zheng were the calmest among them, their minds still functioning clearly, allowing them to think more deeply than the others.

Qi Yan glanced at the thick fog shrouding the cliff and asked, “When you arrived, the fog had lifted completely? Could you see the entire cliff?”

Cao Jian nodded repeatedly. “Yes! If the fog hadn’t cleared, we’d never have dared to step onto that bridge! If we’d known the fog would roll back in halfway across, we would’ve never gone!”

The fog had only cleared for that brief moment. Qi Yan couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been deliberate as if something had lured Cao Jian and Song Yu onto that bridge.

Tang Shanshan checked the time and said, “We’re almost out of time. Should we head back to regroup?”

Sister Hong had set the regroup time for 4:30 p.m., and they had to return to the archway of the folk street to complete the task. No one knew what the consequences of being late might be, and none of them wanted to find out.

“Let’s head back and regroup first,” Qi Yan suggested. “We can discuss the rest later tonight if we have time.”

The walk back from the suspension bridge to the archway didn’t take long, and they arrived just in time to meet the deadline Red Sister had given. When the five of them got there, Red Sister was already waiting, though there was no sign of Baldie’s return.

Red Sister’s gaze swept over the five of them, and she flashed a meaningful smile, one that felt more genuine than any of her previous forced grins.

“Oh, someone’s missing,” she remarked, glancing at her wristwatch. “Late, huh?”

Qi Yan felt a chill run down his spine. Baldie hadn’t made it back on time, he must have broken some unbreakable rule.

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