As the time drew near, the six pioneering players finally arrived at the Xilou Script Shop. They were Wang Bokao, Zhao Wen, Gu Qing, Wan Niang, Li Tiechui, and the mysterious buyer of the invitation, Jiang Liang.
“Hmm? Why haven’t I seen this guy before?”
The crowd whispered among themselves, pointing at Jiang Liang.
“Yeah, he’s never been to the script shop before. And now he’s jumping straight into a new script?”
“Did you see that scar on his face? Looks terrifying!”
Su Li also studied Jiang Liang carefully. She was sure she had never seen him before, and his sharp, sinister gaze gave her the feeling he was here to cause trouble.
But after a moment of thought, she dismissed her concerns. She had invested heavily in this script and hired numerous NPCs. Even if Jiang Liang was here to stir up trouble, she was confident she could handle it.
With that in mind, she stepped forward to officially start the game.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Xilou Script Shop’s latest murder mystery experience—The Haunted Village!”
“Let me briefly introduce the story’s background.”
“All of us here were born and raised in the capital. Even if we’ve traveled, it’s only been to other big cities. However, I’ve always had a taste for the strange and unusual. I wanted to seek out the kind of places you read about in supernatural records.”
“One day, I came across an old record about a mysterious village. It was located deep in the southwest, surrounded by mountains, and at the foot of an unknown peak. The village was called Shan Shi Village.”
“This village is isolated from the outside world. Very few people have ever been there—except for one traveling merchant.”
“This merchant traveled far and wide, carrying goods between villages, selling things that were otherwise unavailable. I happened to meet him by chance and heard about Shan Shi Village from him.”
“I wanted him to take me there, but he refused, no matter how much I offered. Even if I gave him everything valuable I had, he still wouldn’t agree.”
“In the end, he was finally moved by my sincerity. He said that if I could find him an apprentice to inherit his trade—someone who would be willing to live as a traveling merchant in the mountains for life—then he would take me there.”
“Now, isn’t that a ridiculous request? Who would be willing to spend their entire life as a simple peddler?”
The spectators nodded in agreement. Who wouldn’t want more? A farmer with land wants more land. A street vendor with a stall wants a shop and then dreams of expanding. Even a traveling merchant would want to move up in the world, not remain stuck forever. This merchant was just looking for an excuse to refuse.
Su Li sighed dramatically. “That’s what I thought too, but I wanted to go! So I spent a long time searching and eventually found an honest and kind-hearted young man. He grew up receiving charity from the village and wanted nothing more than to repay the kindness he had received. He had no desire for wealth—only to help improve the lives of the people around him. So he was willing to inherit the merchant’s trade.”
“With that, the merchant had no excuse left. He told me to wait three days and meet him with the young man at a designated mountain foot.”
“Three days later, we arrived. But guess what? When the merchant arrived, he had brought four other people with him.”
“I was furious! He had refused to take me, but he was willing to bring four strangers?”
“And guess what the merchant said?”
The crowd leaned in, eager to hear.
“He said…” Su Li lowered her voice dramatically. “He said that the village was haunted. If we stepped foot inside, we would never be able to leave.”
A collective gasp filled the air.
A haunted village? Was this some kind of bandit hideout?
The six players exchanged uneasy glances. Even just hearing the setup felt like a ghost story, and soon they would be stepping inside that dark iron gate, the one with “Shan Shi Village” engraved above it.
Once inside, if that gate shut behind them… would they be able to leave?
Wang Bokao shivered. Normally, he would rely on the fearless Liu Butcher, the cunning Wang Qingmu, or his good buddy Han Yueyi. But today, he was stuck with a bunch of weaklings. Scrawny arms, twig-like legs… No one here looked like they could protect him!
For the first time, he regretted inviting Zhao Wen and Gu Qing. He should have clung tightly to Han Yueyi instead! Now, he was doomed.
The calmest among them were Wan Niang and Jiang Liang.
Wan Niang wasn’t scared at all—she was thrilled! This meant more terrifying stories to use when scaring kids into doing their homework!
Su Li, pleased by the players’ nervous expressions, handed each of them a small bundle.
“Take these. Each of you gets one. Inside, you’ll find your character background, some paper and ink, and a bit of steamed bread.”
Wait—steamed bread?
The six players exchanged puzzled looks.
Su Li ignored them. She approached the massive iron gate. Unlike an ordinary door, this one had a giant locking mechanism. She strained her muscles, twisting the mechanism—three turns left, two turns right, one more left—CLANK! The lock disengaged.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Damn, this gate was heavy.
With a creak, the door cracked open slightly, revealing a sliver of darkness beyond.
She gestured for the players to enter.
“Alright, Shan Shi Village is open. The merchant is waiting inside for you. Go on in.”
Silence.
For a moment, not just the six players, but even the crowd watching, fell completely still.
That massive black iron gate, heavier than a national treasury vault, had taken all that effort just to open. And now, looking through the crack… inside was nothing but pitch-black darkness. Faint wisps of eerie mist curled out from within.
It looked terrifying.
The six players exchanged glances. Finally, Jiang Liang sneered and took a step forward.
“Cowards.”
“What did you say?!” Wang Bokao snapped back to reality, immediately latching onto the insult. His competitive nature kicked in.
“I said you’re a coward.” Jiang Liang didn’t even look at him, striding straight through the gate into the village.
Wang Bokao was fuming. He grabbed Zhao Wen with one hand and Gu Qing with the other, forcing them into a formation—one in front, one behind—before stepping forward.
“Just you wait, you little punk! I’ll show you who’s boss in there!”
Wan Niang rolled her eyes and followed alongside Li Tiechui.
Once everyone was inside, Su Li wasted no time. She swung the iron gate shut, twisting the lock back into place—CLANK! The doors were now sealed.
She turned to the spectators with a wicked grin.
“Good luck surviving, everyone! Mwahaha!”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152