They Are Very Hospitable (11)
“What kind of reward?” Chen Li asked nervously, holding his breath and slowly blinking.
Fu Moyang didn’t respond, only staring at him. More specifically, he was staring at Chen Li’s mouth.
His lips naturally formed a slight smile, with a faint pout. Even without trying, they seemed to be asking for a kiss, giving him a sweet appearance.
That feeling of being locked onto by a fierce beast returned, and Chen Li couldn’t help but shrink back. The confused prey finally realized something was off.
Before Chen Li could fully regret it, Fu Moyang withdrew his gaze. “I don’t have to take it now, I can wait for the right moment.”
It wasn’t the right time yet. The lamb hadn’t fully entered the den, and there was still a risk of it running away at any moment.
His tone suddenly became very serious, as if he hadn’t just been staring at Chen Li’s lips.
The right moment? Chen Li thought he probably wanted him to exchange points, since he had nothing of value at the moment.
Trading with NPCs seemed to be the top-ranked player’s unique way of doing things.
Just now, he had almost thought Fu Moyang wanted to bite him—how ridiculous. What good would that do him? Chen Li clumsily dismissed his own previous thought.
Meanwhile, the players on the side had begun a heated discussion, focused on the death conditions.
The female player who had been friendly with the two male players was crying as she covered her face. “How could they have triggered the death condition? We were together all day yesterday.”
Baldy grew impatient. “Are you sure?”
There was a terrible suspicion in his heart, one that he couldn’t bring himself to voice, wanting to escape the reality of it.
But, of course, if he didn’t speak, someone else would.
Cheng Jun spoke calmly. “They must have triggered another death condition. I’ve been thinking about one problem since last night.”
Yiyi asked, “What problem?”
She felt a bit embarrassed. Clearly, this player Ning, like her, was a newcomer, but his thinking and actions were far ahead of hers. To survive, she had no choice but to ask.
“The red-haired guy killed a sheep and he turned into a meat pig. But was that sheep really a sheep?” Cheng Jun pushed up his glasses. “It’s highly likely it was human. After all, our guide told us that no animals have been raised here for the past two years.”
“Maybe it was bought specifically for the festival!” the female player quickly retorted.
She quickly understood Cheng Jun’s point and turned pale.
Cheng Jun offered no hope. “When the villagers gave us the mutton, did any of you feel suspicious?”
The players fell silent. They hadn’t had any doubts. The act of distributing mutton felt off, but they couldn’t have missed it. Still, their minds had been clouded with the desire to eat meat.
Even though the earlier meals had been lighter, this situation shouldn’t have occurred. In hindsight, it felt like they had been cursed.
Cheng Jun continued, “So, besides killing, maybe even eating is forbidden. Has anyone eaten the mutton?”
Sister Huang shook her head. “I didn’t get a chance to eat. It was interrupted by Jiao Ye.”
The female player’s eyes filled with despair. “I… I already took a bite. Those two were already wolfing down a lot by then.”
Perhaps it was because they ate more that they died first.
Yiyi shook her head. “I didn’t eat either.”
At that time, she had wanted to take a bite but hesitated to avoid offending the veteran players, planning to wait until the last one was served. She hadn’t expected that this small gesture would save her life.
Baldy’s face turned green. “I ate several bites.”
Cheng Jun nodded and calmly said something that surprised everyone: “I did too.”
Now, even Chen Li couldn’t help but glance at him.
He had assumed the calmness of this newcomer was because he hadn’t eaten the mutton, but it turned out he had also triggered the death condition.
The female player’s expression immediately softened, this was a very realistic concern. At least, right now, there were still two people with her, so she wouldn’t be the next to die.
Yiyi quietly asked, “Aren’t you scared?”
Cheng Jun replied, “Yes, I’m scared. That’s why we need to find out the village’s secret quickly—why they stopped raising animals two years ago.”
Chen Li didn’t hear the rest of the conversation because he was taken away by Fu Moyang.
They didn’t stop until they reached the slaughterhouse.
Fu Moyang said, “Aren’t you curious about the secret I’ve prepared for you? Go in.”
The cunning hunter deliberately stood behind him, hoping that the frightened prey would instinctively seek his protection, so he could wrap his arms around the panicked little prey and slowly calm them down.
Unfortunately for him, Chen Li didn’t react the way he expected. Instead of being terrified to step into the slaughterhouse, he seemed eager.
Fu Moyang raised an eyebrow: ?
In truth, Chen Li was indeed scared, but his curiosity about the inspiration he might find here had temporarily suppressed that fear.
The slaughterhouse could offer him plenty of creative inspiration. He had been wanting to return for some time, and now that someone was with him, it was far better than coming alone.
So, he clenched his fist and stepped inside.
Not getting the reaction he hoped for, Fu Moyang’s silver-gray eyes flashed with disappointment, but he followed him in.
The slaughterhouse looked the same as ever, the only difference being that three animals were hung on the giant hooks: a pig, a sheep, and a chicken. Their bellies had been split open, their organs removed, and their fur and feathers stripped and left to dry under the sun.
Fu Moyang said, “Actually, understanding the truth of this place is simple. Do you know the ancient method for identifying ghosts, the one where you look from under your legs?”
To seek inspiration, Chen Li, though timid and afraid, had learned quite a bit about ghosts. He nodded in response, “Yes, you bend down and look backward through your legs to tell whether it’s a human or a ghost.”
After saying this, he suddenly covered his mouth. “Are there ghosts here?”
“No,” Fu Moyang said, watching him with amusement. “But this is an inverted world. You can use this method to see the essence of things.”
This was the key clue to this place.
His rational mind screamed at him to stop here, but the curiosity he shouldn’t have let take over was finally victorious.
Just one quick look… he would only glance for a moment.
After a long hesitation, Chen Li slowly bent down. He struggled in his mind for a few seconds before opening his eyes to look at the butchered animals hanging from the hooks.
The bodies of the slaughtered animals, hung upside down with their heads facing downward, were aligned with his line of sight as he bent down.
So, when his vision passed between his legs, he was confronted with the ghastly sight of a human head, staring at him with empty eyes, seemingly “locking eyes” with him.
There were no internal organs. Their bellies had been torn open, ribs and raw flesh clearly visible. Their arms and legs hung limply, and their bodies were not only naked but also devoid of any body hair. The bloody hooks cruelly pierced their bodies.
Chen Li let out a small scream and quickly stood up.
Though he had prepared himself, seeing three human corpses hanging like livestock on hooks still unsettled him.
The shock was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine, let alone someone as timid as him. His rationality finally returned.
“I… I don’t want to look anymore…”
He turned to leave, but the man blocked his path.
Chen Li looked slightly aggrieved. “I don’t want to stay here.”
Fu Moyang acted as though he hadn’t heard and, after pushing him into a corner, lowered his voice. “Guess why I said this is an inverted world?”
It was completely natural and effortless that he revealed a domineering side typical of someone in a position of power.
Because that was exactly what made him a dangerous presence—one moment he’s laughing and chatting with you, and the next, he could drive a knife straight into your chest. A ruthless, unpredictable man was a fitting description of him.
Only those who were too naive would believe he wouldn’t hurt them.
Unfortunately, Chen Li realized this too late. He found himself trapped between the man and the wall, almost unable to move. His legs were forced apart by the man’s knee, and his entire field of vision was taken up by him.
Fu Moyang didn’t plan to let him go just like that. He pulled the young man close by the waist, spun around, and positioned himself with his back against the wall, while the boy was held in his arms.
Forced to lean against this dangerous figure, Chen Li’s hair stood on end. His eyes began to tear up slightly as he said, “Let me go…”
He realized the disparity in their strength. With just one hand, the man had him completely under control.
Even without seeing his face, Fu Moyang could imagine how the boy’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes would shine once they were drenched in tears. With a curious smile, he reached out with his other hand and gently pressed the corner of his eye, lowering his voice: “Shh, look.”
At that moment, Chen Li dared not move. A few villagers suddenly entered from outside, heading straight for the three animals hanging by hooks, none of them noticing the tall figure in the corner, holding the slender boy in a way that looked like bullying.
Chen Li’s eye was gently pressed, and though little force was used, it reddened immediately, adding a touch of color to his originally delicate and innocent face. His breathing became slightly quick and uneven, and tears almost spilled.
The little lamb in his arms trembled, clearly still scared.
Yet Fu Moyang was in a very good mood. “Here, I’ll give you a tool to help you see clearly what this game is about.”
Of course, he wasn’t just intimidating his prey for fun. This was an extremely effective way of growing—confronting the abyss directly.
Undeniably, he chose this brutal method because he wanted to see the boy’s fearful expression. The sight of him bleating in fear was simply irresistible.
Using methods like determining from between his legs was too much trouble, so he casually flicked his fingers, summoning a willow leaf.
It was a high-level tool designed specifically to break any illusions.
A tool that others would eagerly seek was handed over with a casual gesture, even though the recipient wasn’t exactly willing.
Chen Li made a faint sound of resistance from his throat: “No.”
He couldn’t hear the rest of the sentence clearly, but his guard was up against the man, and with his clear distinctions of like and dislike, he refused to accept anything from him.
He’s a bad person, the kind who deliberately tricked himself into coming here to bully him.
So, anything that bad person gives should be avoided—who knows, it might just be something to scare people.
Unfortunately, he had no way to refuse, because if he made any noise, that group of villagers would notice them.
By then, he’d become like a little pig, hung up for display.
Fu Moyang pretended not to hear, gently brushing the tip of a willow leaf between his fingers, sweeping it past his eyes.
Chen Li didn’t know what had happened, he only felt a flash of green before everything in front of him changed.
The three naked human corpses were hanging from hooks, and the villagers standing in front of the bodies… had turned into beasts.
Author’s note:
Scaring Li Bao, someone is really bad.