I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 8

The folk street was unusually lively. After all, Qi Yan and the others hadn’t seen a single other person since arriving here. This small town was supposedly a tourist hub nestled on the slopes of the Final Mountain, yet apart from Cuilan and the shuttle bus driver, they hadn’t encountered anyone else.

Now, it was as if everyone had gathered in this one folk street, which felt like an entirely different world compared to the thick fog outside.

Sister Hong, waving a small flag, led the way as they navigated through the bustling commercial street. Unlike the tour guides Qi Yan was familiar with, Sister Hong barely introduced any sights or even acknowledged them, simply walking ahead on her own, occasionally greeting familiar vendors along the way.

The six of them followed closely behind Sister Hong, afraid that if they lost sight of her for even a moment, they might end up in some unforeseen danger.

As they walked, Qi Yan suddenly noticed there were only four people left beside her one of them, the bald man, was missing. She turned sharply and saw him walking some distance behind them, his expression eerily unsettling. It was chilling though he was clearly the bald man, something about him felt off.

In a place like this, Qi Yan knew better than to meddle. She averted her gaze and quickened her pace to catch up with Sister Hong, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

After about ten minutes, Sister Hong stopped in front of a ceremonial archway and checked her watch. “Ahead is today’s main attraction. Further on, you’ll find the Drum Music Altar and the Lu Family Ancestral Hall. Beyond that, there’s a suspension bridge connecting this side to the mountain opposite that’s the Drooping Wood Suspension Bridge.”

“Today’s tour is self-guided. You have three hours. After that, return to this archway to regroup. We won’t wait for anyone who’s late.” Sister Hong waved her flag again and took a few steps before suddenly adding, “Oh, and if you come back early, feel free to browse the folk street and see if there’s anything you’d like to buy as souvenirs.”

The fact that Sister Hong specifically mentioned shopping made Qi Yan suspect it might be another crucial part of the experience. She wasn’t the only one who felt this way, the others did too but everyone kept their thoughts to themselves.

Thanks to the bald man’s earlier provocation, the already unfamiliar group had developed a rift between them. Though they maintained a facade of cooperation, when it came to life-or-death situations, everyone knew they’d prioritize their own survival.

After Sister Hong left, the five of them excluding the bald man stayed together. Huo Zheng was the first to speak. “What’s the plan? Stick together or split up?”

The young couple exchanged a glance before the man, Cao Jian, answered, “No, we’d like to explore on our own.”

Song Yu nodded in agreement. “The scenery here is actually quite nice. We’d like some time alone. Ever since we arrived, it’s felt like we haven’t had a moment to breathe.”

With that said, Huo Zheng didn’t press further and instead looked to Tang Shanshan and Qi Yan for their responses.

Qi Yan was inclined toward sticking together. After all, they were newcomers to this world, barely grasping its rules. Having a few people to discuss things with would at least provide some safety net, certainly better than going it alone.

With Bai Qing as her cheat code, she knew the other five people besides the bald guy were all fine, so she wasn’t afraid.

Tang Shanshan was too young and lacked any real-life experience, making her too scared to go alone. She had no choice but to rely on the most trustworthy “adult” in the group, and Huo Zheng was undoubtedly that person.

“Then, I’ll go with big brother.”

Huo Zheng nodded and glanced at Qi Yan.

Qi Yan also said, “I’ll come too. The three of us can stick together and watch out for each other.”

This worked out well, a small team of three, traveling together for a bit of reassurance.

Truthfully, Qi Yan was quite perceptive. Though the three of them were supposedly traveling as a group, she could tell that even Tang Shanshan, a child, knew to hide her true self in such an extreme environment.

They were all players, meaning each of them had heard the same [Introduction] that everyone had a chance to draw a beginner’s lot. Yet, not a single one of them brought it up.

Not that it mattered. In a survival game like this, everyone had to look out for themselves.

Qi Yan didn’t think Huo Zheng and Tang Shanshan were bad people just because of this. After all, she wouldn’t reveal the lot she’d drawn either, let alone show her hand.

Judging by the fact that she had drawn the [Nine-Tailed Fox King] on her first try, the beginner’s pool probably wasn’t bad at all likely filled with top-tier lots that could save lives in critical moments.

Following Sister Hong’s directions, the three walked a short distance and soon came across a fork in the road, with a signpost in the middle indicating where each path led.

“Left goes to the Lu Family Ancestral Hall, right to the Drum Music Altar, and straight ahead is the Hanging Wooden Bridge.” Qi Yan muttered before asking the other two, “Which way should we go?”

Tang Shanshan had no strong opinions in front of adults and simply said, “I’m fine with anything. I’ll follow you guys.”

Naturally, the decision fell to Huo Zheng, the oldest and most experienced among them.

After a brief consideration, he said, “Sister Hong mentioned these three places twice, both times in the same order, Drum Music Altar, Lu Family Ancestral Hall, Hanging Wooden Bridge. It might not mean anything, but we could take her sequence as a reference. Maybe following that order is the safest and most optimal way to explore.”

Huo Zheng’s reasoning was undeniably sound. Both Qi Yan and Tang Shanshan agreed, so the three of them decided to take the right path first, heading toward the Drum Music Altar.

Huo Zheng, likely feeling responsible as the oldest and the only man in the group, took the lead, keeping an eye on the two younger women. Especially Tang Shanshan, a high schooler who wasn’t even an adult yet she must have been terrified to suddenly find herself in such a horrifying place.

As for Qi Yan, Huo Zheng found himself paying extra attention to her. She wasn’t much older than Tang Shanshan just a few years yet she remained remarkably composed, far calmer than some of the older members.

Huo Zheng wondered if she had some kind of ace up her sleeve like the beginner’s lot no one had mentioned. Maybe she had drawn some incredibly powerful weapon?

The three quickly made their way into the drum and music altar. At first glance, it resembled a small square plaza, with a massive bronze deer standing right in the center. Roughly estimated, it was several stories tall.

As Qi Yan approached and looked up, she couldn’t even see the entirety of the bronze deer. All she could discern was that it seemed to have a golden, gleaming base, beneath which were three long, long stone steps.

Wanting a closer look, Qi Yan cautiously stepped onto the stairs. She moved carefully, pausing briefly after each step to carefully assess for any potential dangers.

Huo Zheng hadn’t expected her to be so bold, just charging up without hesitation. He reached out to stop her but was too late, leaving him hesitantly standing at the foot of the steps, watching.

Tang Shanshan stood close to Huo Zheng, her eyes filled with worry as she watched Qi Yan’s retreating figure. She whispered, “Is it really okay to let Sister Qi go up alone? Should we follow her?”

Huo Zheng frowned slightly, also torn. This place had been directed by the guide NPC, Red Sister, so it definitely wasn’t entirely safe. If possible, he didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. But letting Qi Yan go alone, if something happened, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

Yet, given his own abilities, he could barely protect himself, let alone guarantee Qi Yan’s safety at a critical moment. It was pure arrogance to even think about it.

As he hesitated, Qi Yan, who had already climbed the first set of steps, suddenly stopped and turned to look back at them. Raising her voice, she called out, “Wait for me down there. I’ll go check things out first.”

“Hey, you!” Huo Zheng’s attempt to stop her was futile, the girl had already resumed climbing, this time with even larger, quicker strides, shedding her earlier caution.

The two below exchanged uneasy glances, but Qi Yan paid them no mind because Bai Qing had woken up.

Just as Qi Yan stepped onto the stairs, the voice from the ring spoke again.

“Little one, something smells very wrong here.”

Qi Yan’s nerves were already on edge, and she had no energy to correct Bai Qing’s choice of address. Trembling, she asked, “What is it? Ghosts?”

Bai Qing paused before answering, “I don’t know what it is, but this place gives me a very bad feeling.”

Qi Yan was disappointed. “Aren’t you the Demon King? Can’t you even sense whether there are ghosts here?”

Another silence. Then Bai Qing murmured, “This lord was sealed inside that wretched bamboo slip for over a hundred years. Though I’ve just regained freedom, some of my powers have not fully recovered.”

Alright, Qi Yan understood, she wasn’t at full strength yet.

“So when will you reach your full power?”

Bai Qing replied, “This lord does not know.”

“…”

Qi Yan was infuriated by how calmly those words were spoken. She wanted to throw the ring again, but she couldn’t take it off.

“Though I am not at my peak, protecting you here is well within my abilities.” As if sensing Qi Yan’s frustration, Bai Qing added, “I need you to provide me with everything I require in this script. And you, in turn, need my power, even more urgently than I need you. Isn’t that so?”

Qi Yan answered with silence. Bai Qing wasn’t wrong she had no means to defend herself against danger, at least not yet.

“We should cooperate properly.”

“True.”

Bai Qing had a good nap and was in high spirits. “Let’s keep going up,” he said. “I have a feeling this place is special. Let’s take a look.”

Qi Yan didn’t stop walking, nor did he stop talking. “If you’re so curious, why don’t you go up yourself? Come out of the ring and float up there. Always ordering me around.”

Bai Qing showed no intention of appearing, lazily staying inside the ring and cheerfully replied, “This venerable one is in recovery right now. The less I come out, the better. I’ll have to trouble you.”

“You say that so shamelessly, ordering people around without a hint of embarrassment.”

“We’re married now. Being polite with you would just create distance.”

Qi Yan: “Listen to that. How brazen. I really don’t understand how this old fox can be so shameless.”

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