It's late at night.

"Why didn't you go after him? You believed him just because he said he had mental problems?"

Zhou Ze'an frowned, seemingly a little angry.

That expression startled Chen Qi a little, and she stammered an explanation.

"But the old lady seems to have some mental problems. She says she is a fairy descended from heaven, and the Queen Mother of the West and heavenly soldiers are coming to take her back."

Silence fell, and the glimmer of hope was extinguished.

The group strolled around the neighborhood again, chatting with elderly people who were loitering around.

However, they didn't get much useful information, and as time went by, the number of people dwindled.

They needed to return before dark, so they hailed a taxi early.

On the way back to the hotel, the taxi driver even chatted with them.

"Hey young man, isn't that scenic spot you went to not open yet? What are you doing there?"

Back then, the internet wasn't as developed, and many people didn't know about the small-scale trial operation.

"Brother, the scenic area has opened, but it's in a trial operation, only open to a small group of people. We were lucky enough to win a trial package, it's free, shouldn't we go check it out?"

Xia Yao answered casually.

"Wow, is that a good thing? Wouldn't it be great if I could draw one? Are there many people who get to draw one?"

The driver made conversation while turning the steering wheel.

Xia Yao recalled that the scenic area was also deserted during the day, with hardly anyone around. "Not many, not many people."

These words made Xia Yao realize something was wrong. During the day, everything in this world was relatively normal, and even the ghosts they encountered did not attack them.

But why are there so few people at the scenic area during its trial operation?

Even if it's only open to a lucky few tourists, it shouldn't be just them.

He initially thought it was just a weird game, but after interacting with these NPCs more, he realized that it was probably just the scenic area that was acting strangely.

So Xia Yao followed up by asking, "Brother, I noticed the scenic area isn't very popular. I wonder if it's because the people who were selected didn't come? Is there any special significance to Yaoshan in your area?"

The driver thought for a moment and replied, "I heard there was some trouble during the relocation, but I don't know the specifics."

"I've heard about it too. Apparently, the developer killed an old man and a reporter." Xia Yao casually chimed in.

"You can't just say that, there's no evidence, and the reports all say it was an accident."

After all that back and forth, it comes down to the same thing: there's no proof.

However, judging from hearsay from outsiders and the silence of the villagers, the original inhabitants and the developers do not seem to be on good terms.

It's unclear whether it was coercion or enticement that silenced them.

Finally back in the scenic area, the three headed towards the hotel.

Xia Yao observed the deserted scenic area, devoid of tourists, and tentatively asked a question.

"Isn't it a bit strange that there are only a few tourists like us in this scenic area?"

These words were a wake-up call; Zhou Ze'an also realized that something was amiss.

"Logically speaking, the daytime here is relatively normal and operates according to the logic of reality."

Zhou Zean paused slightly, "But, letting a few tourists in during the trial operation doesn't make sense."

"Is it possible that this trial operation has a purpose, but that purpose is clearly not aimed at improving visitor experience and satisfaction? Then what is the role of us, the visitors during this trial operation?"

I thought that finding the source of the ghost would be half the battle won, but now I realize that there are still many mysteries to be solved.

Back at the hotel, Xia Yao went straight to the front desk where she checked in.

The receptionist looked perfectly normal during the day, with a rosy complexion and bright, alert eyes.

"Hello sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Xia Yao cut straight to the point, "Hey beautiful, how many people won the scenic area package ticket? I haven't seen much of anyone."

Upon hearing this question, the receptionist's expression stiffened for a moment, then she continued to smile.

"I'm sorry, sir, this is a matter of tourist privacy and cannot be disclosed."

"Do we need to fill out a tourist experience questionnaire?" Xia Yao continued to ask.

"No need for now. Enjoy your trip and we're happy with what we have."

The silence was palpable; the trial operation was intended as a survey, but they weren't required to fill out questionnaires.

There's obviously no such thing as a free lunch; the free trip they received must have come at a higher price.

The two teams quickly met at the restaurant. To avoid being called out for another meal, they ate while reviewing the information they had gathered that day.

"The source ghost's identity has been identified. His name is Lin Shoushan, and he is a native of this area. He contracted thirty acres of hillside land to grow oranges, which is the Huahaipo area."

"The old man refused to move no matter what, and then the accident happened. The reporter, who spoke out for the indigenous people, went up the mountain in the rain to look for something after Lin Shoushan's accident, and then fell into the water."

"This is clearly related to the developer. I think what the reporter is looking for must be very important, which is why it caused him this accident. Perhaps if we find this thing, we'll be closer to ending the game."

Zhou Ze'an summarized the information, and Xia Yao added her own.

"This scenic area also has problems. The scenic area is so big, there should be at least several dozen tourists, if not hundreds, but in the past two days, it seems like there are no other tourists besides us."

Not only were there few tourists, but there were also very few staff members; it didn't look like it was in trial operation at all.

"We've discovered that too."

Liu Lili paused for a moment before speaking, "It's only now that we're certain."

"Have you found the man who can perform the ritual?"

Xia Yao raised an eyebrow, but Liu Lili shook her head. "Couldn't find it."

After a moment of disappointment, Lu Qifa said, "That person is already dead, of course we can't find him."

"What?" Xia Yao and Zhou Ze'an exclaimed in surprise.

Liu Lili sighed and then began to explain.

"We spent money to find out the most powerful man in the area who had worked with the hotel in this scenic area. We finally found out his name and address, but when we got there, we were told that Mr. Wang had already died."

"I spent two thousand dollars to get a few things from the apprentice. The apprentice said that he had only been with his master for two years and had only learned the basics. He hadn't even mastered the real skills when his master passed away."

"He wasn't here when my master went to the Yaoshan Scenic Area before, so he didn't know what it was about. But three months ago, someone from Jinsheng Group came to invite him again."

"Why are they looking for the master? Did they find that they can no longer subdue the vengeful spirits?" Chen Qi asked.

Liu Lili shook her head. "This apprentice doesn't know either. He wandered around the scenic area for a bit because his master didn't take him with him when they were discussing business."

"Then another month, my master got a lot of birth dates and times from somewhere and gave them to him to practice with. He was busy for a long time, but he didn't know what his master was doing, because he didn't see any customers coming to have their fortunes told."

"Then last month, Mr. Wang, who has an excellent reputation in the industry, was caught in a mudslide while driving and was buried. When he was dug out, his head was dented in."

"Another head? It seems the source ghost did it." Zhou Ze'an's eyes darkened.

"We guessed so. The apprentice said that before the incident, his master often had nightmares and couldn't sleep. He also said that he had helped evil people for money and didn't know if he would suffer karmic retribution."