Thriller Paradise Chapter 207: Cangling Debate of Swords (Fifteen) - Novel Cool

Chapter 207: Cangling Debate of Swords (Fifteen)

Chapter 207: Cangling Debate of Swords (Fifteen)

The discussion about the poisoning plan was temporarily set aside as Feng Bu Jue and his companions quickly agreed on their next day’s course of action.

Ji Bu Xu Ye’s primary task today was intelligence gathering. He planned to start by discreetly inquiring with the inn staff about Mu Yong Ying’s room number before paying her a visit to seek her insights.

This seemed like a cushy assignment with minimal risk, but practical execution posed challenges. The immediate issue was how to extract information from the inn staff. The players had no currency recognized in this world—without offering a “tip,” getting answers would be difficult.

Feng Bu Jue wasn’t overly concerned about the silver problem, though it was admittedly tricky. Without Hua Ying’s Six Swords generously gifting them Suite A-03, Feng Bu Jue couldn’t have afforded the inn fees even if rooms were available. Truthfully, he hadn’t planned to settle the bill at all—after all, they’d vanish in two days. Let the innkeeper chase whoever they wanted for payment; players didn’t need to worry about their reputation in this world.

Moreover, even if Ji Bu successfully learned Mu Yong Ying’s room number, the tone and approach during their meeting required careful consideration.

The “cowherd” remark was naturally just a joke. Ji Bu understood that Feng Bu Jue, as their current leader, had already cultivated a reputation among the martial world crowd as someone who’d kill anyone daring to flirt with his wife. Thus, engaging in private conversations with beauties was off-limits for Feng Bu Jue. If he actually went through with it, it would either brand him a hypocrite or signal his readiness to face his wife’s wrath upon returning.

In short… it would neither advance their progress nor aid negotiations with Npcs.

As for Xiao Tan, while Ji Bu didn’t know him well, their recent interactions suggested he might lack depth, despite not being outright naive or kind. Such a person was ill-suited for intelligence work.

Thus, Ji Bu taking the lead was unavoidable. After all, he ran a studio—his operational skills and game-savviness might not rival experts like Xiao Wen Cang Tian, but they certainly exceeded the average player’s baseline.

From a game perspective, this was merely a test of the player’s ability to interact with Npcs. As long as they approached the situation politely and logically within the scenario’s worldbuilding, there was no reason to fail. Even 70-year-old TV games had Npcs repeating the same lines to players—how could an optical-brain-era game withhold all information?

As for the Hell Front’s four members, their plan split them into two groups.

Feng Bu Jue and Si Yu would head north from the town to investigate the “Ruined Temple” mentioned in the scenario’s introduction. Xiao Tan and Bei Ling would search the town’s abandoned houses for items and skills.

Feng Bu Jue proposed this grouping. His rationale wasn’t based on the cliché “mixing genders makes work easier,” but rather on optimizing safety and efficiency according to the scenario’s realities.

While listening to the scenario’s introduction, Feng Bu Jue had noticed a key detail—the introduction didn’t confirm whether ghosts existed, only using the vague term “rumors,” followed by a perplexing line: “What was the outcome of this duel? What is the truth behind Ghost Village? Is there a hidden conspiracy behind it all?”

This ambiguous introduction seemed to provide information but likely guided—or even misled—players’ thinking. Reading it thoroughly left them unable to confirm whether the town was truly haunted or if humans were behind everything.

Thus, Feng Bu Jue pragmatically treated the “rumors” as factual. Even if the mountain’s Ruined Temple harbored malevolent spirits, their duo could handle it. He had Death Poker, and Si Yu’s “Spirit Swordsmaster” title and skills were effective against spiritual entities. Their combined strength was formidable—clever and courageous. In broad daylight, exploring the temple for clues wouldn’t likely result in them vanishing forever.

Meanwhile, solo exploration in the town was clearly unwise. Encountering sudden incidents like last night’s would be dangerous alone.

Cangling Town had many abandoned houses. Beyond the inn’s occupied rooms, other houses might hide surprises. If a player stumbled upon hidden corpses, poisons, or weapons in a secluded corner, a violent confrontation might ensue.

Having Xiao Tan and Bei Ling search together was far safer. Both were armed players capable of defending themselves against humanoid Npcs if necessary. Their partnership complemented each other—Bei Ling handled puzzles, while Xiao Tan handled physical labor.

Even if outsiders noticed their suspicious movements, they’d likely assume the pair were seeking a place for illicit activities, not suspecting they were hunting game items.

In summary, the day’s plan split them into three groups: one for intelligence, one for item hunting, and one pursuing the only clue provided by the system. The five agreed to regroup at the inn before sunset. If anyone was missing, they’d reassess.

………

The morning passed swiftly. The Azure Spirit Inn’s lobby grew even more crowded.

First-Tier Sects’ elites typically only came downstairs for morning tea, handling the other two meals in their rooms.

Those dining or drinking tea in the lobby during the day were mostly martial artists staying outside the inn. Their numbers far exceeded the inn’s guests, making the lobby livelier than in the morning.

With limited seating, these martial artists were considerate. Those eating left after finishing meals; tea drinkers stayed only for a cup’s duration. The lobby bustled with constant comings and goings.

The rumors about the Broken Sword Tea House had spread, but most present hadn’t been there that morning and thus didn’t recognize Feng Bu Jue’s group. The noisy, crowded lobby further obscured their departure. When the four players descended in pairs and left the inn, few noticed. Only a handful recognized them, but they merely whispered and pointed without further action.

After exiting, Feng Bu Jue and Si Yu followed the main road north.

Approaching noon, the sun blazed overhead. After walking briskly, they felt slight heat, though the stamina drain was negligible.

Twenty minutes later, they reached the village’s northernmost edge. Houses thinned out, giving way to open fields. In the distance, abandoned farmlands lay fallow, their former farmhouses collapsed into piles of blackened wood and rubble.

Continuing north, the distant mountains loomed closer. The terrain sloped upward, the path narrowing until it vanished entirely.

At noon, they entered the mountains. Their feet crunched on dry earth and weeds, the forest thickening around them. Feng Bu Jue expected the dense woods to feel hotter, but instead, the temperature dropped.

“Strange… The terrain here is steep, but I don’t see any buildings,” Feng Bu Jue remarked.

“Let’s keep going a bit further,” Si Yu replied.

Feng Bu Jue nodded, leading the way. Though odd, there was no reason to stop exploring. They had ample stamina and time—another two or three hours posed no issue.

After another ten minutes, Feng Bu Jue suddenly halted. “Hey… Have you noticed?”

“Noticed what?” Si Yu asked.

“No animal tracks or droppings since we entered the mountain. Not even a bird or insect,” Feng Bu Jue said. “In fact, there’s no birdsong or cicada chirps. This forest is eerily silent.” He paused, frowning. “And it’s getting colder.”

Si Yu thought for a moment. “Paranormal setting?”

“Definitely not normal for a pure martial world,” Feng Bu Jue replied. “Could be horror, fantasy, or sci-fi. Either way, this forest is clearly unnatural.” Scanning the area, he added, “No life… and the deeper we go, the colder it gets…”

“Because this is the ‘Forest of No Return’,” a ghostly female voice suddenly whispered.

The eerie words made Si Yu shiver slightly, her Terror Value fluctuating.

Feng Bu Jue merely turned sharply toward the sound, joining Si Yu in staring at a massive tree to their left.

The tree’s trunk was thick, hiding the speaker completely. As their gazes shifted, a pale, yellowish face slowly emerged from behind the trunk…

(End of Chapter)

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