Damn it! Let’s smash the darkness together!
Chapter 368 - 84: Self-Burning and Rejection Space (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

However, they discovered that the inn, which had provided excellent service the day before, not only failed to offer breakfast today, but didn’t even provide hot water.

Such a drastic change led everyone to complain loudly.

Little did they know that the entire Hong family, who ran the place, along with some of their relatives and close friends, all members of a small family-style cult, had died.

Because last night was their "Harvest Day," the entire family was annihilated, sparing Xu Shu the trouble of having to hunt them down one by one to silence them.

In the meantime, some asked, "Have you seen my wife?" or "Has anyone seen my husband?" while a few young people were looking for their parents or partners, starting to put out missing person notices.

The missing five or six people, who had been taken away as sacrificial victims, had been infested by parasitic creatures from the deep sea and were already killed and burned to ashes by Xu Shu. Naturally, they would not appear again.

But Xu Shu had cleaned up very neatly, and so far, no one had discovered anything unusual.

For the time being, there hadn’t been any crying or wailing.

Those related to the missing were either asking strangers quietly with no results or running out to search on their own. Xu Shu even saw a young man slapping his own face muttering, "Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have argued with her last night," before running out shouting her nickname loudly.

Thinking of the ashes scattered on the rooftops and the remaining fragments of bone, Xu Shu felt that this regret might haunt this man for the rest of his life.

Then there was a peculiar family, apparently refugees from somewhere nearby, consisting of five people, both men and women. They searched the inn inside and out for a while, unsure whether they discovered anything or not.

Eventually, after a brief discussion, they entered the front desk, and formally explained to the arriving guests, "The original owner of this inn has quit due to losses, and from now on, we’ll be running the place."

The guests, without a clue, suddenly understood, "No wonder they were so generous with their drinks last night."

The obviously false story was quickly accepted through their own reasoning.

These refugees became the new owners of the inn, their task now was to run the place well, especially when the next group of Patrol Soldiers arrived needing supplies and expecting good service.

This insight gave Xu Shu a deeper understanding of the lives of the common folk and refugees on the Wasteland.

The saying goes, "Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books." These experiences, never recorded in books, presented a myriad of human conditions and were truly eye-opening.

Disregarding the change of ownership at the inn, life was suffering for all. At this moment, Xu Shu had left the inn, headed south, and embarked on his journey.

[Checking current status...]

[Scan complete!]

[Your current situation is rather dire, standing in the harsh wind, knowingly heading towards the tiger’s den at coordinates (19,19), ready to confront the curvaceous and beautiful grotesque creature, Nie Qiba, for a battle. However, it’s uncertain if she is still there.]

[It is well known that the term "Qiba," originating from the scientific literature "Mountain and Sea Strange Stories" on categorizing monsters, describes strangely shaped mountains, and "Nie Qiba," this peculiar creature, originates from just this description. One glance at her bizarre mountainous form is enough to make anyone feel uneasy and spiritually wounded.]

[But this obviously won’t hold you back because you, the Heroic Hero, with previous intense combat experience against her, are confident and hold the winning cards, ready to evaluate her strength and challenge her abilities.]

[Move out, hero, and don’t stop.]

[Leaving the supply point at (19,18), you once again picked up twelve steel bars as weapons from the nearby ruins, carrying them on your back. Traveling northward, you recalled your past battles while navigating terrain and waters.]

[Since your thoughts were too inappropriate, depicting vivid but shallow images, the Tai Chu Scroll helped you censor them, leaving only useful and healthy content:—]

[Your current destination is Tailed Ksitigarbha’s domain. Upon entering his territory, you will encounter Corpse Valley Worms that mimic your exact physical appearance, appearing as rotting corpses. Yesterday, a Nie Qiba was hidden among the rotting corpses, today remains to be seen.]

["Territory?" You recall something crucial, beginning to consciously search for possible markers to determine the specific range of Tailed Ksitigarbha’s territory.]

[Until you reached your destination, the supply point at (19,19), where the flag representing Star Tower stood steadfast in the wind, you still hadn’t spotted any suspicious symbols.]

[You, not one to dwell on pointless conjectures, directly stride into Lighthouse Inn, which others avoid, kicking the door open to find a rotting corpse laying inside, dressed undistinguishably from you.]

["Nie Qiba, come out!" Already familiar with this routine, you immediately activated Narrow Sleeve Guanyin’s Life-taking Mantra without any surprise.]

[Accompanied by the enchanting woman’s voice singing, "Come on, let’s enjoy~", you advanced boldly, shattering her disguise. The real Nie Qiba jumped out.]

[She was three meters long with a bloated abdomen, resembling a bizarre pregnant Snake Woman. From the look of her, you recognized her as an old acquaintance.]