Chapter 410: Blowing the Horns and Beating the Kapalas |
"A deeper collaboration? Sharing clues?" Lin Chen was a little taken aback when he heard Fu Jue's proposal on his way downstairs.
He knew, of course, that this was the best strategy for tackling this instance. He also knew that, as the nominal president of the Unnamed Guild, he was the one who should be negotiating with Fu Jue.
The problem was... he wasn't in the right state of mind. Though he still remembered his identity and the basic mechanics of the Weird Game, there was no telling if he might let something slip during their conversation.
More seriously, he couldn't be sure if his thoughts right now were the product of adult reasoning or a child's simplistic whims.
"Alright," Lin Chen said, adhering to the principle of "the less said, the fewer mistakes." He gave a slight nod and turned toward the door.
Behind him, the players from the Kyushu and Listening Wind guilds were each taking out a sheet of blank paper and writing something. It was hard to tell if they were trying to consolidate information or using the old method to see who else had "reverted to a child."
Lin Chen was secretly curious and subtly slowed his pace. He then heard Say Dream's voice exclaim, "This doesn't mean I'm affected, does it? A guy can't be eighteen forever? Okay, fine, but I really don't think I did anything out of the ordinary..."
It seemed the situation was far more severe than he had imagined. He wasn't the only one affected. For players who relied on their intelligence and experience, getting hit by this was like being shackled.
Lin Chen had never been overconfident in his own mental faculties, but he couldn't help but feel a profound sense of sorrow—for the players who had been affected, and for the fate of all players.
Lin Chen gathered his thoughts and quickened his pace, stepping out from the inn's shadow and into a world drenched in light.
In Shangri-La, there was no distinction between dawn and noon. The light pouring from the dome of the sky was at its full brilliance, casting a golden hue over every corner and tracing the sharp outlines of the wooden buildings and their windows.
A web of colorful prayer flags crisscrossed overhead. A wind laced with ice crystals swept down from the snow mountain, causing the flags to snap and flutter wildly, the bone tablets tied to their ends clattering noisily against one another.
The day was just as bustling as the one before. Pilgrims and lamas moved through the streets, the former chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Mani Padme Hum," the latter murmuring their own sutras.
The two sounds mingled, becoming harmonious and gentle, like an embryo floating in the warmth of its mother's womb.
Lin Chen relaxed slightly, his eyes scanning the shops lining both sides of the street.
Every shop was housed in a two-story wooden building, each with prayer flags hanging from its roof and flowers spilling from its second-floor windows. Only the signs above the doors were different.
The shop closest to the inn had a sign with five words written in Sanskrit: [Mountaineering Preparation Point].
It was a language that was all but dead in this era, yet Lin Chen found he could understand it. It wasn't that the Weird Game was providing a translation; he simply grasped its meaning as naturally as if he were reading his native tongue.
It was as if, in this place, all distinctions of ethnicity, nation, and culture had ceased to exist. All barriers had dissolved, and the entire world shared a single, common mother...
Lin Chen did some quick mental math and asked, "Qi-ge, are we going to visit every single shop today? There are so many, we might not have enough time."
Qi Si sighed. "Obviously, my original plan was to split up and gather clues. But considering your current state, I think it's better if we stick together to avoid any premature casualties."
As he spoke, he started walking toward the shop with the [Mountaineering Preparation Point] sign.
This had been Lin Chen's first thought as well. Whether proceeding from nearest to farthest or by order of priority, this shop was the logical place to start gathering information.
Lin Chen followed close behind Qi Si, stepping over the threshold. The slight breeze from his movement caused the wind chime above the door to tinkle brightly.
The shop's interior wasn't small, but it was crammed with oxygen tanks, trekking poles, climbing ropes, and all manner of equipment, creating a sense of crowded disarray.
Since it was daytime, the central ceiling light was off. The amber light from outside filtered in, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. They hung suspended, casting tiny, stippled shadows on the tables and floor, as if time itself had come to a standstill.
Lin Chen held his breath without realizing it. A series of tranquil memories surfaced: sitting on the steps of his old house as a child, watching crickets; taking a nap in the classroom during middle school, helping to draw the curtains on every window.
He had been the class president in both middle and high school, always willing to do a little extra. The ten minutes or so after lunch and before the nap bell were often his busiest, sometimes helping the class representatives hand out workbooks, other times taking the trash downstairs.
Life had been so simple then. He knew his family wasn't well-off and that many things were out of his reach, so he worked even harder at everything he did. He didn't indulge in self-pity or blame the world for his circumstances. He had never thought of death, nor had he ever feared life.
"Are you two planning to climb the snow mountain?" a gentle, beautiful voice emerged from the shadows, interrupting Lin Chen's thoughts.
Only then did Lin Chen notice a young woman sitting in the corner of the shop.
The woman wore a red and blue Tibetan robe, her neck adorned with colorful strings of beads. Her features were well-defined and striking against her sun-darkened skin. In this place filled with strangeness, her presence was inexplicably reassuring.
Seeing Lin Chen look her way, the woman smiled and introduced herself. "I'm one of the guides here. You can call me Bai Ma. If you want to climb the snow mountain, I can take you up."
"Bai Ma" meant "lotus" in Tibetan, a symbol of purity. Lin Chen had crammed on this knowledge before entering the instance, and the information immediately surfaced in his mind.
Of course, this detail seemed to be of little help in clearing the instance, so it was gone as quickly as it came.
Mindful of his resolve not to be a burden, Lin Chen spoke calmly and rationally. "Hello, Bai Ma. We're not sure if we're climbing the mountain yet, we're just looking around. By the way, if we do decide to climb, do we have to hire a guide?"
Bai Ma nodded, then shook her head. "The snow mountain is the body of the Mother God. The Mother is sleeping, and if she is awakened, she will become angry, with dire consequences. Only we locals know how to climb the mountain without offending the Mother God.
"There have been travelers who tried to climb alone in the past. They offended the Mother God and still haven't come out of the mountains."
Lin Chen caught the key point. "So, a lot of people come to climb the mountain? But it doesn't seem like there are that many tourists here."
"That's true. But all travelers who come here, no matter how reluctant they are at first, eventually climb the snow mountain," Bai Ma said, her eyes shining with a reverent light. "It is said that wishes made sincerely on the mountain are especially potent. Many people wish for their friends and family to be resurrected, and then they all live here happily together."
Live... happily together?
Lin Chen thought of his gray-haired parents, of Qi Si, of the other players he'd met in past instances, and of the many classmates he'd once been close to...
A heartwarming scene inexplicably formed in his mind. Everyone was dressed in simple robes, living in the inn in Shangri-La, their faces beaming with joy. They held hands, singing, and said to him, "Let's stay here forever..."
Stay here... forever...?
Lin Chen subconsciously followed this train of thought, but a bloodstained human skin thangka suddenly flashed before his eyes. The face was hollowed out, leaving five bloody holes that stared back like a vengeful specter. He jolted in horror as the sense of strangeness he had previously ignored washed over him in waves. He finally realized how wrong this scene was, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
That was close. If he hadn't remembered that human skin thangka in time, he would have been completely mesmerized. Was this Sang Ji's intention in showing it to the players?
Lin Chen's mind raced with speculation, his guard raised even higher. He asked, trying to sound casual, "Bai Ma, can I ask how many travelers have stayed here over the years?"
Bai Ma, seemingly oblivious to what Lin Chen had just experienced, began to count on her fingers, her expression unchanged. "Eleven years ago, there were twenty-two. Twenty-two years ago, there were also twenty-two..."
Twenty-two. The number matched the current number of players in the inn, which meant the previous travelers were most likely players as well.
Before their group, there had been two others: one eleven years ago, and another twenty-two years ago. This corresponded to Xiao Fengchao and Lin Jue on the broken stele...
The more Lin Chen heard, the more certain he became that climbing the snow mountain was a trap.
"Are you going to climb the snow mountain?" Bai Ma asked again.
"We're still thinking about it," Lin Chen replied.
Qi Si, who had remained silent until now, gave a slight nod. "Maybe tonight, maybe not."
Bai Ma nodded and said softly, "The wind and snow are harsh at night, making it difficult to ascend. But different people have different destinies, and the right time to climb is different for everyone. Perhaps you are meant to climb at night."
"Time?" Qi Si asked. "I noticed Sang Ji seems to avoid talking about time. He even said there is no time in Shangri-La. You don't follow that rule here?"
Lin Chen mentally added that it wasn't just Bai Ma; the messenger who had guided them also hadn't shied away from mentioning time, directly telling him about the "seven-day" limit yesterday.
He just didn't know what the difference was.
Bai Ma smiled. "I am different from them. They are still atoning for their sins. I have already finished my atonement, so I no longer fear time..."
She rose from the corner and walked slowly to the counter. Lin Chen saw that her lower body was bare—no skirt, no pants, not even skin. It was just raw, scabbed-over muscle.
Lin Chen pressed his lips together tightly to keep from crying out, silently chanting in his head, *Just imagine it's sausage.* But that... only made it more horrifying.
Qi Si, seemingly unfazed by Bai Ma's grotesque lower half, calmly asked, "What happens if someone who hasn't finished atoning speaks of time?"
"They will grow old, like some among you," Bai Ma said, her head bowed low. "None of you have finished your atonement. Please remember, do not speak of time, and do not let others speak of time."
"Some among us? Who?" Qi Si's eyes narrowed.
Lin Chen also perked up his ears, waiting for the answer.
He couldn't recall any of the players growing old. If anything, some—including himself—had mentally grown younger.
Could it be... that this instance's definition of "growing old" was the opposite of reality?
"I cannot say more. Revealing too many secrets to the guilty will stain me with sin once more," Bai Ma said, shaking her head. She retrieved a bronze mirror from under the counter and placed it on the table. "Before you go up the mountain, first look at your destiny."
Lin Chen looked down into the mirror. The clear glass revealed a heartwarming scene.
He was sitting at a massive table with Qi Si, his parents, and many friends. The table was laden with a sumptuous feast, and everyone was smiling, raising their glasses in toasts.
It looked like a welcome-home banquet after a long adventure, free of troubles and hatred, fear and anxiety. Was this a victory feast for clearing the Final Instance? Did this mean they would succeed?
Lin Chen glanced at Qi Si beside him but saw no joy on his face.
Qi Si's gaze was lowered, his scarlet eyes reflecting nothing, his expression completely indifferent.
Bai Ma explained at the right moment, "Everyone's destiny is tied to their desires. You will see your heart's truest desire."
So what the mirror showed was desire? Did that mean everyone saw something different?
Lin Chen averted his gaze, unwilling to pry into Qi Si's privacy. It was not only impolite, but he also feared he might see something he couldn't accept.
Qi Si seemed oblivious to his small gesture, studying the mirror with great interest.
A young man with black hair and red eyes smiled back at him—his own reflection. A thick, white mist swirled around him, filling the entire background like a roiling sea.
Something seemed to be hidden within it. He tried his best to see it, to think, to remember, but his vision only grew murkier. The mirror, once clear enough to show a perfect reflection, became fogged and indistinct.
Gradually, a scene akin to an explosion unfolded before his eyes. Splashes and dots of vibrant color scattered across the surface, like an impressionist painting...
Qi Si smiled. "I saw nothing."
Bai Ma let out a soft sigh and took back the bronze mirror, a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at him. "You have no heart. You cannot leave the snow mountain. To leave the snow mountain, you must first grow a heart."
"No heart"? Another one of these cryptic pronouncements. Was it a well-intentioned warning or a malicious attempt to mislead? He couldn't rule out the possibility that the Ancestral God was deliberately applying psychological pressure...
"Alright, I'll do my best," Qi Si replied perfunctorily, pulling Lin Chen out of the shop.
Behind them, Bai Ma's voice drifted out like a ghost. "You will be back again."
It sounded like a prophecy, and a curse.
Lin Chen felt a vague sense of unease. After walking a short distance with Qi Si, he asked hesitantly, "Qi-ge, what does 'no heart' mean? I remember the story of Bi Gan having his heart cut out in *Investiture of the Gods*. Could it be related to that?"
"I don't know. Maybe," Qi Si said, the words clipped. Then, as if he'd thought of something, he stopped and turned to Lin Chen. "Lin Chen, how old are you right now? Don't think, just answer with your gut."
After what had happened with Yu Su "reverting to a child," everyone knew the subtext behind such a question.
Lin Chen fell silent for a long moment before whispering, "My first thought was... I'll be fourteen after my birthday. Qi-ge, I think I've gotten a little younger again..."