novelbin Chapter 816 - 507: Groups and Lone Wolves
Chapter 816 - 507: Groups and Lone Wolves
Under the guidance of the little boy, Wang Zhifan followed the path into the dark mountains, winding through the rugged mountain roads for half an hour until they reached the destination, Xiaohe Village.
Xiaohe Village is a small village built on a hilltop, with houses ranging from brick and tile to thatched huts. There are about fifty households in total, and the overall appearance is small and shabby, exuding a dark and desolate atmosphere.
As Wang Zhifan stepped into the muddy and rocky entrance of Xiaohe Village, he noticed several villagers standing at their doorsteps casting indifferent yet somewhat curious glances at him.
It was a rather contradictory feeling. Although these villagers seemed surprised by his arrival, there was undisguised resistance or hostility in their eyes.
"Xiaoqiang, are there only elderly and children in your village? Where have the younger people gone?"
At this moment, Wang Zhifan noticed that most of the villagers within his view appeared to be over sixty years old, with no sight of any able-bodied or young people, prompting him to inquire of the little boy in somewhat rustic attire beside him.
"Uncle, are you asking about my brothers, sisters, parents? Grandma said they all went to work outside the village and won’t be back for a few years."
Xiaoqiang blinked and answered, his tone somewhat forlorn.
"Alright, they’ll surely come back to visit you and bring lots of gifts."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan realized Xiaoqiang is likely a left-behind child, so he immediately offered words of comfort to avoid making the little boy sad.
As the two conversed, they soon reached the end of the small village, stopping before a thatched hut nearest the cliff for descending from the mountain.
This was where the boy, Xiaoqiang, lived, and as they arrived, they saw an elderly woman with wrinkled face and white hair coming out to look around.
The elderly woman was holding a lit incense stick, and upon seeing her grandson return, she dropped the incense in surprise onto the muddy ground and approached with relatively steady steps.
"Ah Qiang! My precious Ah Qiang! Grandma knew you were blessed, you wouldn’t come to harm!"
The white-haired, wrinkled-faced old woman then bent over excitedly and hugged Xiaoqiang tightly, her face full of joy at her grandson’s return.
Standing by, Wang Zhifan did not interrupt their reunion but suddenly turned to look at the cliff over ten meters away, sensing there were more than ten people quickly approaching from below.
"Players? They indeed come here."
Without needing to look at them, Wang Zhifan knew the ones coming up must be players.
On one hand, only players could effortlessly climb up the cliffs, something the NPCs he currently saw definitely couldn’t do.
On the other hand, he was already familiar with the dungeon’s routine, always converging other players with him at certain points.
However, Xiaoqiang’s grandmother apparently hadn’t noticed the imminent outsiders. After hugging her grandson, she promptly turned to Wang Zhifan and expressed gratitude:
"Young man! Thank you for bringing my grandson back! If there’s anything you need help with, please don’t hesitate to ask this old woman..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan immediately returned the elderly woman a polite smile and said:
"No need to thank me, old lady. Your grandson’s return largely depends on the protective Jade Pendant you gave him; rescuing him was merely a small exertion on my part.
Currently, the only thing I want to know is where the Land of the Dead Soul is. I might need to stay there for a month."
As he said these words, Wang Zhifan discreetly observed the elderly woman’s subtle facial expressions, attempting to deduce something from them.
Because he was indeed lacking in information, requiring precise and genuine data to plan his next move.
The primary question is, he must figure out which area exactly the Land of the Dead Soul is, whether it’s the place they are currently standing upon.
Otherwise, assuming that the initial landing spot is the Land of the Dead Soul could easily cause many subsequent issues.
Sure enough, as Wang Zhifan mentioned the "Land of the Dead Soul," he keenly noticed the elderly woman’s slightly cloudy eyes contract, clearly revealing great fear of the place.
Moreover, the elderly woman then sighed deeply and advised Wang Zhifan:
"Ah... young man... the Land of the Dead Soul is not a good place; I strongly advise you not to go there. The foul entities are abundant and fierce, far beyond the comparison of the wandering souls and wild ghosts around here, even outsiders with profound knowledge have suffered greatly inside..."
As the elderly woman was advising Wang Zhifan, a succession of more than ten people climbed up from the cliff not far from them.
Most of these individuals were relatively young, wearing various attire, both male and female, including three white people and two black people, evidently a group of players.
The players’ perception undoubtedly surpassed common people. Upon hearing the elderly woman speak of the Land of the Dead Soul to the player-like Wang Zhifan, they all approached.
Wang Zhifan paid no mind to the players nearing him, nor did he mind sharing his intel with them, thus he replied to the elderly woman:
"Old lady, I know the Land of the Dead Soul is dangerous, but I truly have reasons that compel me to go there; even if I die inside, I won’t regret it.
Could you please tell me where the Land of the Dead Soul is, and if possible, talk about which spots inside are somewhat safer..."
At this moment, he brought up another rather critical matter, which is the safety zones within the Land of the Dead Soul since it’s a survival-type dungeon, thus finding a place where he can rest assured is quite important.