The game becomes reality: Black Myth invades the real world.

Chapter 71 The Past and Present of Lobster Village

"The straw sandals woven by the descendants of the ancient Heavenly Mandate (rare), with the steps of Yu, three feet without falling. These shoes are made from the sinews of vines from the deep mountains and forests, softened by the first dew after the first frost, and hand-rubbed by an old woman. The soles are infused with powder made from seven different kinds of mountain stones. With each step, the soles resonate with the ground, making it feel like clouds and mist are rising underfoot. It is said that when you walk on mountain paths in straw sandals, it is not the person who walks, but the path that walks the person. You can trek through mountains and rivers as if walking on flat ground. Three days' worth of mountain paths can be completed in half a day."

"The remnant soul of the ancient chosen one (special status): The ancient chosen one built this village, using his own body to protect future generations for a hundred years. With this status, every action and every challenge will be known to the ancient chosen one. He will weigh things in the present moment. If you do well, you will be rewarded when you meet again in the future. If you do poorly, he will turn away and never look back. This is because the eyes of the dead are bright, and the scale is in their hearts."

In reality, Chen Fu took out the straw sandals and discovered they were actually a pair of white sneakers with gold trim, not the straw sandals he had imagined. This was actually quite good, saving him a lot of trouble.

He tried them on, and they felt soft and light under his feet. Walking on them was effortless, like walking on air, and he could quickly get to where he wanted to go. It truly reflected the description: it's not people walking, but the road walking on people.

This is the second thing he got from the game that is both unnoticed and extremely useful in real life.

With the patchwork merit robe, even if you can't beat someone in a fight, you'll be able to get a few steps ahead of others and won't die on the front lines when facing supernatural or intrusive events.

As for "the attention of the remnant soul," that's easy to understand. It's a pie in the sky drawn by the ancient chosen one. If you do this well, you'll get more rewards; if you don't, you'll only get the most basic ones.

Chen Fu felt that this state wouldn't last long and would likely disappear after returning from Lobster Village. What he needed to do was to complete this mission as well as possible to obtain as much as possible.

Originally, Chen Fu only thought he would get a map and such, but he didn't expect to gain two more unexpected rewards. He immediately bid farewell to the old woman, left the ancient village of the Chosen Ones, and continued to head north towards Lobster Village.

After a long and winding journey, crossing mountains, passing through valleys, and reaching plains, we were finally not far from our destination.

During his journey, Chen Fu also discovered a stone tablet that could be used to enter the instance of the Lords of the Heavens. There was also a small earth god temple standing nearby. He casually lit the earth god temple to save his progress before continuing forward.

This week, Chen Fu hasn't entered any dungeons yet, mainly because the game's storyline keeps coming one after another, keeping him busy.

Now, Chen Fu is ahead of all the players in terms of progress, and his perspective on things has changed. Anyway, he has a week to get in, so there's no rush.

He planned to go to Lobster Village first. If all went well, he would go straight into the dungeon after returning and complete this week's dungeon. If things didn't go so smoothly, he would just go straight in to maximize his gains.

"After a long journey, you have arrived at Lobster Village."

"Longxia Village is located at the border of Hubei and Henan provinces. The village is small, with only seventy or eighty households. The houses have earthen walls and thatched roofs, and look no different from ordinary mountain villages. But if you get closer, you will find that the villagers do not look where they are going. They walk straight ahead with their heads up, and even if they bump into a wall, they do not make a sound. They just touch it and continue walking."

"The main livelihood of Lobster Village is farming. There are wild animals in the mountains and mountain products in the forest, but no one goes in to take them. The mountain path that has not been traversed for generations is overgrown with weeds. At the entrance of the village stands a square stone tablet with the words 'Those who leave the village will die' engraved on it. It has been eroded by wind and rain and is now only an outline."

"There's a tradition passed down from our ancestors in the village: when a child is born, you have to fumigate their eyes with dried mugwort and pierce their ears with wild boar fat rendered in the twelfth lunar month. It's said that this can save their lives. There are too many ghosts in the mountains outside the village. There are mountain goblins that mimic human voices and call out names, and one-legged ghosts that squat on tree branches and look down. These are collectively called demons and monsters. The people in the village are deaf and blind, so they can't see or hear anything. No matter how powerful the things in the mountains are, they can't lure people away."

"I heard that in the old days, this place wasn't called Lobster Village, and there wasn't the custom of smoking into people's ears. Back then, it was called Mute Village. The custom was that a child's tongue had to be cut off after birth. The explanation at the time was that there were demons and monsters in the mountains that would entice people to speak. Without a tongue, the ghosts couldn't steal the soul."

"In fact, no matter what kind of rules there are, there is another truth hidden behind them."

"In Lobster Village, there is a person of worship named Deaf and Blind Man."

"This deaf and blind old man lived for an extremely long time. He managed this mountain since the time when the Lord of the Mortal World was still alive. Later, when the Lord of the Mortal World fell, all sorts of demons and monsters began to purge the old lords and gods everywhere. As for those rules? Those demons and monsters spouted nonsense about these bullshit rules. They were all fake. They were just some wicked people who wanted to nail people to the ground so they would never move for the rest of their lives."

"When the demons and monsters came to arrest people, some were beheaded, some were shot. In the nearby villages, all the officials were dragged out and shot, but only this deaf and blind man survived."

"Why? Because this deaf-blind old man is smarter than anyone else. He changed the rules that shouldn't have been there long ago. He stopped cutting off tongues and started using smoke to fill ears. When the monsters and demons who came saw him, they thought, 'Well, the whole village is full of old, weak, sick and disabled people.' They were too lazy to investigate further, so they kicked him and left."

"But no one expected that strange things would start happening in the village at this time."

"Those deaf and blind villagers, because they can't see or hear, can sense 'things' in the mountains, making things even more mysterious."

"At first, there was a young man who encountered an evil spirit at the foot of the mountain. When he came back, he was like a lost soul. In the middle of the night, he squatted under the stove and laughed. The villagers thought he had gone crazy. But the next morning, he got up and went to work in the fields as usual, just like nothing had happened."

"But ever since then, every time he squats down, a bulge appears on his back, and something moves inside the bulge."

"Later people realized that the demons and monsters in the mountains couldn't take their souls away, so they changed their methods and entered their bodies. Deaf and blind people are like empty jars without lids; once those things enter, they don't come out and stay there."

"Once you settle in, you have to eat. They eat the host's flesh and blood, bit by bit, slowly gnawing away. That's why the people of Lobster Village don't live long. Forty years old is considered a long life. When they die, they're skin and bones, and you can still see pieces of something moving under their bellies. That's what they haven't finished eating and don't want to leave yet."

"But once they've settled in, they can be commanded. When the host has a thought, whether actively or passively, these things will emerge from the body, turn into a wisp of black mist, and rush over. Later, the villagers called this 'borrowing power.' Borrowing the power of these things, but what you have to pay back is your own life."

The problem is, there aren't enough lives to repay.

"Over the years, the village population has not increased, and the land harvest has not increased. The number of 'residents' has increased, and they have become more and more ruthless in their consumption of flesh and blood. The deaf and blind old man did the math and concluded that if this continues, there will be no one left in the village in a few years. At that time, the dead will become him."

"So the deaf and blind man changed the rules again. Leaving the village was no longer a capital offense. Not only would you not die, you had to go out, go north, go south, go to places where there were people, take over the land, seize people, grow more grain, raise more people, and feed those who couldn't get enough to eat."

"Anyway, they are deaf and blind, so they can't see what they're doing or hear what others are saying about them."

"Chosen One, when you arrived at Lobster Village, it was dusk. The entire village was squatting in the corner of the wall, all facing the same direction, their eyes fixed on something."

"Upon hearing your footsteps, they all turned their heads and stared at you, but not to look, but to sniff, like a pack of starving wild dogs smelling meat."

"You see several people's backs moving, and something is burrowing under their clothes, sticking out a point, and then shrinking back in."

"What do you plan to do now that you've witnessed this? Leave before dark, try to communicate with them, or take action and confront that deaf-blind man who's changed the rules three times?"

Chen Fu just arrived, how could he possibly leave? Communication? Can they even hear what I'm saying? Tell me how we're supposed to communicate.

He was there to solve the problem, so of course he had to meet this deaf and blind old man. He raised his hand and chose the third option.

"You took out a frying pan and danced around at the entrance of Lobster Village, trying to attract the villagers' attention and make them attack you first. That way, you would have a reason to negotiate with the deaf and blind old man."

"The villagers can't see or hear, but they sensed your thoughts and readily agreed to your request."

"Several villagers carrying wooden sticks walked towards you. The power of your vows within the patchwork robe was exhausted, and you were knocked unconscious by the people of Lobster Village."

"When you open your eyes again, you have become a villager of Lobster Village. You feel something wriggling in your stomach, as if something is trying to crawl out. You try to summon Xi, but you find that you can't do it no matter what you do. Only then do you belatedly realize that this is where demons and monsters have moved into their new house."

"You watch as the belly grows bigger and bigger until it bursts into a bloody mist."

"You are dead."

"The mountains are silent, activate."

"You've come back to life!" The villagers were all puzzled. How could you reappear when your life force had clearly dissipated?

"But it doesn't matter, the new demons and monsters will have a place to stay."

"You're dead again."

"Ah~ Fated one, your usual methods seem to be ineffective here. Your soul begins to wander aimlessly, and you have returned to the local earth god temple deep in the mountains and forests."

"This failure may give you some inspiration. Sometimes, relying solely on brute force is not a good choice; it will only lead you into an unimaginable abyss."

Chen Fu thought to himself, "You really know how to play this game. A bunch of deaf and blind people actually managed to kill me, the chosen one, in this way. Did this trigger some kind of 'must-die' mechanism? What kind of brain-dead feudal village is this? It's true that bad people come from poor and remote places. They've become local tyrants here. I wonder if anyone will come and do anything if I report this to the police department."

But there was nothing he could do; he was indeed dead. He didn't plan to use the Spirit Essence Cicada. It was too late now, so he decided to get some sleep and deal with it tomorrow.

The next morning, after the physical punishment was over, Chen Fu set off for Lobster Village for the second time. This time, he planned to summon Xi directly and raze the village to the ground, along with all the demons and monsters.

Demons and monsters? Are they as powerful as the supernatural beings? Why don't you come and test your skills?

Initially, the "囍" (double happiness) wasn't used because Chen Fu was arrested as soon as he arrived, leaving no time or corresponding options. This time, he called out "囍" in advance to see what other tricks they had up their sleeves.

Actually, long before Chen Fu, many players from Henan Province had visited Lobster Village. After all, the two provinces are adjacent to each other. Players from Henan Province couldn't get rewards in other places, so they tried to expand the map and found Lobster Village.

However, like Chen Fu, they would die as soon as they arrived, their bodies becoming the dwelling place of demons and monsters, their flesh and bones being devoured without leaving a trace. They didn't have Chen Fu's detailed introduction to Lobster Village, and after dying several times inexplicably, they stopped exploring, finding no need to fight to the death in one place.

Only one person, defying all superstition, insisted on treating Lobster Village as an easy target, and that remains true to this day.

Chen Fu came with a mission, and no matter how difficult it was, he had to grit his teeth and carry it out.

His plan was to see if he could kill a villager along with Xi, trigger a supernatural event, and then there would be new options and new developments. If that happened, everything would be fine, and he could make a judgment based on the actual situation.

If not, he would try another method. In any case, he had to get the deaf and blind man out, settle the matter, and then return to the village of the ancient chosen one to collect his reward.

Chen Fu thought this way and did this way. As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Lobster Village, he launched a strong attack. Xi stood behind him, operating the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles and shooting out Soul-Binding Silk to assist from the side and prevent any accidents from happening.

"You smashed the skull of a villager from Lobster Village with a frying pan. He fell to the ground without a sound and fell into a deep sleep, never to wake up again."

"You wielded the frying pan, used the ancient well at the village entrance to manipulate the water flow, and set up defensive measures around yourself, successfully resisting the villagers' counterattack."

"Xi started unleashing a barrage of attacks from the side. The two of you worked together to inflict heavy casualties on the villagers of Lobster Village."

"Your advantage is slowly growing. The villagers of Lobster Village are helpless against you. Just when they are at a loss, they discover through your aura that you can leave the water on your own. They are overjoyed and think that if they take this opportunity to sacrifice you to the Deaf and Blind Man, they will surely gain more benefits."

"You activated your Vajra Arhat form and crashed into them. The villagers of Lobster Village paid the price for their stupidity. They were twisted and turned by your impact and suffered severe backlash."

"You have gained a total of 10% experience."

"You've leveled up to level 5."

"Your class skills have been enhanced, with a small chance to expose the sins of enemies with divine or Buddha attributes when attacking them. Other class traits remain unchanged."

When Chen Fu was trapped in the land temple in the city of weddings and funerals, he killed many of the loan shark's followers and also killed Granny Sewing Skin, which made his experience points rise rapidly.

Now that I've killed a villager from Lobster Village, I've successfully leveled up to level 5. The Three Realms Coroner's abilities have improved. Although I'm not entirely sure what the exact probability of uncovering a crime is, it's definitely stronger than before.

Chen Fu planned to test it on the deaf-blind man, knocking him with a frying pan, and then he would understand the probability.

In reality, Chen Fu also felt his body begin to change. A warm current rose from his spine to his tailbone, and his limbs felt like they were soaking in a hot spring in winter, feeling warm and cozy. His overall physical condition was developing in a better and more excellent direction.

The strange sensation ended quickly, as if only a second had passed. When Chen Fu opened his eyes, a surge of power coursed through his body. He clenched his fist, quite certain that he could kill five bulls this time.

"You are destined for greatness. I must say, sometimes recklessness can indeed pave a way out, and you are proving it with your actions."

Hmph~ You said before that my usual methods didn't work, and now you're flattering me. Your sycophantic face really disgusts me... After experiencing the changes in his body, Chen Fu waited for the follow-up results.

That should force the deaf and blind man to show himself, right?

Furthermore, he just discovered through the game text that his previous death was actually a sacrifice to the deaf and blind man.

Does this mean that the deaf-blind man has colluded with the evil spirits in the mountains?

Considering the background of Lobster Village, this deaf-blind man who changed the rules three times is indeed very likely to do such a disgusting thing.

Since that's the case, Chen Fu felt relieved and prepared to wait for the deaf-blind man to appear so he could kill him along with Xi. He thought, "Let this disgusting thing of yours cause trouble for people. I, the righteous one, have come from heaven!"

"The deaf and blind old man hiding in the shadows sensed something was wrong. If too many people in the village died, he would become food for demons and monsters."

"To prevent this from happening, he revealed his true form, looked up at you, and said, 'You arrogant and ignorant person, this is not a place for you to cause trouble.'"

Looking up at me? Just how short are you? Chen Fu curled his lip. He was here to cause trouble and was going to beat the culprit to death.

"You remain silent, only waving the frying pan, trying to harm the deaf and blind man."

"Xi is doing her best to assist you, using the Rain of Pear Blossom Needles and the Soul-Tethering Silk to restrict the deaf and blind man's movements."

"The deaf and blind old man jumped and dodged the attack, continuing to verbally curse you, saying that your behavior would only bring more serious consequences, that you would lose everything you have now, that you would become a walking corpse, and that you would plunge this land under your feet back into conflict."

"And everything he did was to maintain the status quo as much as possible, appease the demons and monsters, and protect the evil spirits. As long as he was there, this place would remain the same as before. Although people died, the status quo would not be changed."

"So, you, the chosen one who disrupts the balance, should stop your attacks now, or this place will truly descend into terrible trouble and chaos."

Oh ho, you're good at putting on airs, huh? Your pretentious act is disgusting... Putting aside the matter of the ancient village of the Chosen Ones, Chen Fu himself also loathed this kind of behavior.

Whether they are selfish demons and monsters or deaf-blind men who collude with evil spirits, none of them are good people.

He created all this trouble himself, yet he won't let anyone talk about it or correct him. This Lobster Village is doomed.

Are you deaf and blind? Come on, let's see if your mouth is tougher, or my frying pan is tougher.

……

The Jiangcheng headquarters office building of the Bureau of Investigation.

As the person in charge of Jiangcheng, Zhou Jianbang was unusually relaxed today, with no supernatural events occurring.

He was sipping tea, leisurely browsing posts on the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation forum.

Suddenly, a newly posted thread caught his attention.

Someone has deleted the map of a village called Lobster Village, located at the border of Hubei and southern Henan!

Huh? The map is gone? Can something like this really happen in a game?

Zhou Jianbang's curiosity was piqued, and he even stopped drinking his tea to open the post and browse it carefully.

As time passed, shock gradually crept onto his face, replacing his previous serious expression. Deep within him, a turbulent storm raged, one that lingered for a long time.

Which player could possibly do something like this?

Chen Fu previously said he wanted to advance the plot northward and explore the map. Going north is on the way to southern Henan, right? Could it be that he was behind this?

Zhou Jianbang was eager to know the whole story, so he kept clicking the mouse to refresh the post, trying to get the truth through this method.

……