The landlady was very considerate and followed Qi Jiu's request, raising her voice a few degrees and explaining the precautions in front of everyone: "Remember, don't let the bamboo lanterns go out on the road, otherwise..."

The meaningful smile on her face coupled with her hesitant words are enough to make all players on tenterhooks.

Not long after the boss lady left, the players gathered together to discuss.

Qi Zhu didn't deliberately get closer to listen, and he knew without thinking that the travelers had already begun to use their brains for him and were actively studying ways to keep the bamboo lanterns burning on the road without using open flames without permission.

At 6:50 p.m., trainee masseur Qi Jiu led 10 players from the hotel carrying a slender bamboo lantern.

Due to the rules, this was the first time they left the hotel since they checked in.

As the landlady said, the bamboo lanterns spontaneously ignited the moment they left the hotel. The wicks were like fireflies fluttering their wings at night, dimly lighting up the bamboo lampshades.

But the fire was never very bright, and the flame as big as a soybean grain burned tremblingly. The weak light swayed left and right with Qi Qiu's footsteps, flickering on and off, and could only illuminate a small area near the lantern.

By the faint light of the fire, Qi Ku led everyone to the open-air hot spring "Yu no Yu" according to the diagram.

The days are short in winter and night has fallen.

Different from the brightly lit street scene when we first arrived last night, tonight all the shops and offices in the hot spring street have turned off the lights, and the paper lanterns on both sides of the street have also been extinguished. In addition, there is no falling snow tonight, making the entire hot spring street completely invisible.

of darkness.

A cold wind blew in his face, and Qi Jiu, who was only wearing a bathrobe, shivered from the cold. The flame of the bamboo lantern in his hand also flickered, and the light gradually dimmed.

In such a cold and dark night, a small bamboo lantern is too insignificant. It seems that it will not be long before the lantern is swallowed up by the thick night.

The people following Qi Kui began to discuss in lowered voices. The travelers had already regarded Qi Kui as an easy-to-handle NPC. They discussed plans in front of him and used props without any taboos.

Qi Qiu also cooperated very well, showing a focused attitude of not listening to what was going on outside the window and walking at night with a lantern.

The first person to come forward to "contribute" props was the small union leader. He seemed a little reluctant as he was assigned by the witch to lead the charge, but in the end he had no choice but to step forward.

The little boss dug around and took out a transparent object similar to a windshield. He came close to Qi Qiu and carefully tested it: "It's windy tonight. I don't think your lantern can last long. I happen to have one here that can."

Windproof lampshade, if you don’t mind, can I put it on the outside of the lantern for you to try?”

In previous dungeons, unless necessary for the plot, he was very reluctant to take the initiative to "chalk up" with NPCs, because in his earliest experience in this dungeon, he had suffered from NPCs, and he had some doubts about talking to NPCs and giving them props.

In his impression, most NPCs are difficult to get along with, but the young man wearing a mask in front of him seems to be an exception.

"Really? This is great," Qi Jiu not only did not refuse his props, but also nodded slightly to him, "Thank you."

"No, no, don't be so polite."

Seeing the NPC's willingness to agree, the union leader breathed a sigh of relief and quickly installed the windproof props on the bamboo lantern.

The road was dark and quiet at night, so quiet that I could barely hear my own footsteps.

At this moment, everyone's attention was on the slender bamboo lantern in Qi Qiu's hand.

But the effect of the windproof props still disappointed everyone.

Half a minute later, although the bamboo lantern was no longer swaying in the wind, the trend of the fire becoming weaker and weaker has not been alleviated.

The little union leader's expression was not good-looking, and everyone began to wonder and reflect. Wasn't the weakening of the fire due to the wind?

The windproof route didn't work, so everyone changed their mind again.

A girl with blue hair and twin tails in the team came forward. She didn't hesitate like a union leader, and handed a bottle of green potion to Qi Qiu straight to the point: "Try this."

Qi Jiu was stunned for a moment at the right time, but did not take the medicine bottle immediately. He pretended to be hesitant and said, "Can you tell me what's in here?"

Twin Ponytails scratched his head: "Some kind of... chemical agent that can keep the flame burning."

She swallowed the word "props" hard.

"Sounds awesome, let me give it a try." Qi Jiu refused to accept anyone who came.

After all, everyone is racking their brains to help him complete his mission.

With the permission of the "NPC", the girl with twin ponytails put two drops of the prop "fire oil" on the wick of the bamboo lantern.

Qi Qiu has not seen these props from vendors selling second-hand props, so he guesses that they are most likely some rare props that are special and difficult to buy.

The moment the "refilling oil" dripped from the wick, the weak flame obviously became a little brighter.

The ten pairs of eyes staring at the small flames also lit up for an instant, but within three seconds, the flames dimmed again.

The dying flames did not become stronger because of the props, and even showed signs of getting weaker.

Everyone's expressions also dimmed following the firelight.

Qi Jiu: "It doesn't seem to be a good fit."

Judging from the above prop tests, windproof props and combustion-supporting props are ineffective on this bamboo lantern.

This shows that the factors that affect its combustion are not the above two.

This hot spring street is obviously very short, but at this moment it gives people the illusion that it will last forever.

The night got deeper and the darkness became thicker. Everyone dragged their feet and moved forward fearfully.

The thick night seemed to be able to stretch out black tentacles at any time and invisibly extinguish the candlelight in the cage in an instant.

Seeing that the situation is becoming more and more critical, it is finally the elder witch's turn to bring out her own tools.

In her hand was a blood-red cone-shaped pendulum. She didn't ask much about the "NPC" holding the lantern, and used her fingers wrapped around the pendulum to adjust the energy above the bamboo lantern. She muttered words, but her brows became more and more wrinkled.

The tighter.

Then she waved her hand slightly above the wick, and then tightened her fingers suddenly.

The pendulum was tightly grasped in her hand. Five seconds later, she opened her fingers again. The original cone-shaped pendulum had been shattered into powder and dispersed in the night breeze.

The bamboo lantern held by Qi Jiu also became very bright.

"It's amazing..." someone in the team exclaimed.

Seeing that the lantern flames had stabilized, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The witch explained calmly: "Judging from the use of props just now, I think the lights will be extinguished because the spirit activity in this street is too strong, and the negative magnetic field generated by the evil spirits is not conducive to the burning of fire. Just now I will

Please leave the nearby resentful spirits. Without the interference of the spirits, the lights should be able to keep burning normally, and they will not be extinguished for a while - "

Before she could finish her words, the expression on her face froze instantly, and her pupils suddenly shrank when she looked at the bamboo lantern!

At the same time, low screams came from the crowd: "How, how could this happen?! It was clear just now..."

I saw the flame of the bamboo lantern in Qi Jiu's hand flickering, then completely extinguished without any warning!

Thick darkness surged in from all directions, and the surrounding area instantly fell into deathly silence.

After repeatedly experimenting with various props to no avail, everyone was at a loss, including the witch who had just spent a lot of energy to drive away the resentful spirits.

Ten seconds, they only have ten seconds to light up the bamboo lantern again, otherwise they will be "lost" in the vast night.

Just when everyone was hurriedly opening their respective toolbars and planning to treat a dead horse as a living doctor, they suddenly heard the "NPC" leading the team sigh softly.

This "NPC" was holding an extinguished lantern in one hand and took out a palm-sized object from his yukata with the other hand. However, because the light was too dark at the time, no one could see the object he took out clearly even if he was close.

What is.

He put the object into the bamboo lantern and shook it slightly. The originally extinguished bamboo lantern suddenly burst into bright blue flames.

The sudden light made everyone unable to open their eyes for a moment. While they subconsciously raised their hands to cover the light, they were also wondering in their hearts - what on earth happened?

The bright and dazzling blue light gradually became gentle, and finally turned into a faint burning blue flame.

Under everyone's surprised gaze, Qi Jiu said with a smile: "Don't be afraid, it won't be a problem if it goes out. The hotel has prepared backup lights for you."

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief, complaining in their hearts that if they had known that the hotel had saved something, they wouldn't have spent so much effort trying out the props just now.

Little did he know that Qi Qiu, who was behind the mask, was also relieved. At the critical moment when the lights went out, he suddenly remembered that there was a cheap treasure lying in his tool list: "Ghost Lamp Detector"

The witch also mentioned just now that the reason why the bamboo lantern will go out is because the yin energy of the surrounding resentful spirits is too heavy, and the wind-blocking and combustion-supporting props are not effective, and the exorcism of the spirits will be counterattacked by the resentful spirits, so it is better to think of another way.

.

When I purchased this "Ghost Light Detector", my boss told me that it has no attack power against evil spirits and has no defensive effect. It can only simply measure the number of ghost spirits around. The greater the number of ghost spirits, the stronger the Yin Qi.

The heavier it is, the more the will-o'-the-wisp ignited from the ghost lantern will become, similar to the existence of a "yin spirit concentration tester".

Aren't there too many ghosts on this street that make it impossible to light a fire? Then use the "Ghost Light Detector" to convert the energy of the ghosts into light energy.

After all, what could be more suitable as a lighting tool for places where evil spirits gather than will-o’-the-wisps?

The heavier the yin energy, the brighter the fire.

Originally, he had made good plans and tried to use the help of others to help him complete side tasks, but he didn't expect that he would have to rely on himself in the end.

Just like that, Qi Qiu was walking on the dead stone pavement, carrying a skull bamboo lantern burning with will-o'-the-wisps, wearing a yukata and a neng mask.

"Knock, knock."

The darkness that swallowed up all sounds seemed to have receded slightly, and everyone finally heard the sound of their own footsteps and the beating of their heartbeats, which had long been out of rhythm.

"Have you ever felt that the fire in the hands of the NPC who led the team seemed like a dark fire..."

"Shh! Don't let him hear it! I feel like this NPC is not simple."

"This scene now reminds me of the legendary Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts."

"It's really true when you say that..."

The players in the team began to discuss in low voices. Qi Jiu pretended that he was deaf and could not hear anything, and walked forward with the little skeleton in his hands.

Only the witch cast a suspicious look at Qi Qiu.

Why did this masseur NPC take the initiative to change the lighting equipment for them? Was the object he stuffed into the bamboo lantern just now really not a prop?

Is he really an NPC?

Although she was confused, the witch quickly denied her suspicion.

Because she is very sensitive to the energy field, the massage therapist has a strong energy connection with the hotel and this hot spring street. This is not something that a player pretending to be an NPC can do, or even an ordinary NPC.

.

...Is he a boss-like existence?

The witch did not dare to make a conclusion for the time being, but she believed that this young masseur must be the one who needed to be closely observed.

The will-o'-the-wisp's light is enough to illuminate the buildings on both sides of the street.

The deeper Qi Qiu walked into the hot spring street, the more he felt that the direction of the streets and the buildings along the streets were similar to the bustling market in his afternoon dream.

It's just that the life of luxury and wealth at that time has turned into the spooky and decadent appearance now.

What is actually happening?

Qi Jiu no longer wanted to listen to what the people behind him were discussing. He frowned slightly and repeatedly recalled the dream fragments in the afternoon.

Could it be that this place used to be a flower street, but later times changed and the flower street became a hot spring tourist resort?

If this is the case, what is the connection between the story line "Flower Street" and the main line "Explosion Accident"?

What role did that guy play in the abandoned storyline?

——The courtesan who chews a long pipe, looks lazy and decadent, and has a little gray cat?

Thinking of this, Qi Jiu almost laughed unconsciously.

It was so interesting, he really wanted to go on an appointment with this sultry male oiran again.

After all, he is already an adult, so it shouldn't be illegal to visit the oiran's room.

About half a minute later, Qi Jiu walked to a two-story red building.

He remembered that this was the place where he met the guy in his dream, but the absurd thing was that the old place of pleasure had been transformed into a shrine.

Like the entire hot spring street, this small shrine seems to have been abandoned for a long time, and even the gold paint on the window panes has become mottled.

The two stone lions in front of the shrine are missing arms and legs. The shrine door is closed tightly, and even the chain links are rusty. Only a single paper lantern with the word "marriage" written on it is fluttering in the wind.

The patterns painted on the lanterns of the shrine are similar to the patterns used by the night watchers of peace. This almost makes Qi Gu certain that there is an intersection between the plot line of "Old Flower Street" and the "Accident Hotel" storyline.

As for what kind of intersection it is and how deeply connected the two story lines are, the answer can only be found through subsequent plot exploration.

In an instant, a shadow suddenly flashed across the roof of the shrine.

Qi Ku paused slightly and looked at the roof of the shrine in ecstasy. In a daze, he even thought he saw the little gray cat. But when he looked again, there was nothing on the roof except the dark night.

Just when Qi Qiu was stunned, the red paper lanterns next to the shrine suddenly lit up, startling most of the people walking in the night.

"Good evening everyone, welcome to Yu Zhi Tang." An old voice sounded in the night.

Qi Jiu held up a will-o'-the-wisp lantern to attract everyone's attention. A woman who was also wearing a yukata and wearing an "old woman" neng mask was sitting under the red paper lantern.

Tickets.

The old woman's cloudy eyes rolled, and her sharp gaze looked at everyone in turn through the holes in the mask.

Finally, her eyes fell on the mask of the guide Qi Jiu: "Young man, are you the hotel staff who leads the way?"

Qi Jiu nodded to her politely: "Yes, but I also came here tonight to experience the hot spring bathing."

"Well, then you are lucky. We have just enough people for the opening of the hot spring. The "Yu no Yu" bathing experience is charged per person, 30 coins per person. You can enter by buying a ticket from me," the old woman trembled.

Shaking the paper ticket in his hand, his voice suddenly became stern, "The hotel staff must have told you the rules in advance. Remember, you must abide by the rules during the bathing process."

"There are always some annoying guests who don't behave themselves," the old woman muttered.

[Congratulations on successfully completing the free side mission "Successfully leading hotel guests to the open-air hot spring "Yu no Yu"" and unlocking survival coins*150]

[Congratulations on getting the item upgrade: "Ghost Lamp Detector" and "Ghost Lamp Converter"]

[Instructions for "Ghost Lantern Converter": A permanently bound prop, an (accidental) combination of a hot spring hotel bamboo lantern and a ghost lantern; Instructions for use: When lit, it can convert the surrounding Yin Qi into its own pleasure value (the initial effect is weak

)]

This prop upgrade caught Qi Qiu a little off guard. The small skull lamp that he bought cheaply can be modified and upgraded with the props in the dungeon. What a surprise.

[Because you performed well at work, the boss lady’s satisfaction with you continues to increase]

While everyone was buying tickets, the old woman suddenly asked Qi Qiu with interest: "Young man, are you a new employee of the hotel? I remember that the little girl at the front desk used to come to guide the guests."

Qi Jiu: "Yes, I just joined the hotel as an intern yesterday."

The old woman said with emotion: "It's been a long time since I saw new employees joining the hotel. It's really rare."

Qi Jiu suddenly thought of something and replied: "Yes, the economy is in a recession now, and the hotel business is not very good. My brother and I spent a lot of effort to win this job opportunity with the landlady."

As he spoke, he took out the promotional card for his massage business again and handed it to the old woman with both hands, "Because my grandparents were traveling massage artists, my brother and I have also been influenced by the family culture since we were young.

I learned the lost professional massage techniques from my grandparents. Grandma, if you have any discomfort in your body, you can come to our two brothers for massage at any time to relieve it. You and the proprietress have been neighbors for many years, and we will not charge you."

Due to hotel rules, players cannot leave the hotel at will, and the hot spring opening days are relatively random, so players do not have the freedom to explore maps outside the hotel.

Now he must use his identity and skills to gain more opportunities to leave the hotel, and the old woman in front of him is the best entry point.

As a massage artist, it is only natural and reasonable to promote your services and skills.

"It's amazing to have a skill at such a young age." The old woman seemed to admire young people who relied on their own labor for a living. She took the massage promotion card handed over by Qi Qiu and looked at it with interest for a long time.

, and finally squinted his eyes and said with a smile, "My body needs a good massage, but I have to guard the soup pool tonight, which is not convenient. After the open day is over, I will definitely patronize your business when I am free."

"You are welcome at any time," Qi Qiu added, "You can contact the hotel directly to make an appointment, and we will come over to provide you with services in person, saving you the trouble of having to walk such a long way."

The old woman smiled with satisfaction: "Great, I'll trouble you then."

"You're welcome," Qi Qiu said, turning to the nearby shrine and asking, "By the way, I have something to ask you. Is the shrine next door closed now?"

The old woman shook her head with emotion: "It has been closed for many years. Now that the economy is in such a slump, there are almost no tourists visiting the hot spring street, and no one is willing to spend spare money to repair this dilapidated shrine. Besides, there is not enough incense and faith. The shrine

It cannot be enshrined either, and now only "Yu no Yu" is still open."

Qi Ku: "Is that so...were the "Yu no Yu" and the shrine together in the past?"

In Qi Qiu's dream, the men who came out of "Yu Zhiwu" would go to "Yu Zhiyu" to experience the hot spring service, which was probably an after-show.

The old woman nodded and said: "There used to be many young guests who came to the hot springs, and they all liked to drop by the shrine to see and pay their respects."
Chapter completed!