Xiao Lou didn't notice anything wrong with the kitchen until Yu Hanjiang whispered in his ear, "Look, the chimney on the kitchen roof doesn't show any signs of smoke."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lou looked up and indeed found the chimney on the roof to be perfectly clean. Most people cook in their kitchens every day, and their chimneys would definitely be blackened by smoke, but the chimney of Grandma Qin's house looked like it had just been built, without any trace of blackening—Grandma Qin obviously never cooked in the kitchen, so there must be some secret hidden there.
Noticing that Yu Hanjiang was walking forward, Xiao Lou immediately followed.
The two entered the kitchen wearing invisibility cloaks. The stove was clean, and the cutting board and knives were new. There were bundles of firewood neatly arranged in the corner of the kitchen, but there was no soot under the stove, indicating that it hadn't been used for a long time.
Yu Hanjiang's gaze quickly swept across the kitchen. Apart from the pile of firewood, the rest of the place was empty and there was nothing suspicious. However, in the corner of the stove, there was a jar about 50cm high with a red paper pasted on it. The words "rice wine" were written on it in black calligraphy. It seemed to be a jar of rice wine that the old lady had stored in the kitchen.
This is the most common rice wine jar in rural households, but Xiao Lou suddenly sensed something was wrong. He leaned over and smelled it, whispering, " Captain Yu, this smells strange; it doesn't smell like wine."
Yu Hanjiang walked over quickly and gently opened the seal of the jar.
A strong, strange smell wafted over, making both of them feel nauseous. Yu Hanjiang quickly covered his mouth and nose, frowning as he looked into the jar—he saw several white human bones soaking in the murky water.
Having seen many human specimens in the lab, Xiao Lou felt no discomfort upon seeing these. He lowered his voice and calmly said, "This is the smell of Formalin. Old Mrs. Qin made human bone specimens in wine jars."
Formalin is a drug commonly used in medical schools to preserve corpses, ensuring they don't decompose. Various pathological specimens in the laboratory are also soaked in Formalin, which explains why Xiao Lou found the smell somewhat familiar.
Yu Hanjiang's face was grim: "This old lady Qin not only keeps a ferocious Tibetan Mastiff, but also soaks human bones in the kitchen. She's definitely up to something. We need to search her house as soon as possible."
No gems were found in the kitchen, but the human bones that had been soaking in the wine jar for years were an important clue.
The two left the kitchen and went into the room on the east side.
There are two bedrooms in Grandma Qin's house. One of the bedrooms is decorated very strangely, with white curtains, a white bed, and white curtains hanging from the ceiling... Almost everything you see is white.
Yu Hanjiang said in a low voice, "This doesn't look like a bedroom, it looks more like a funeral hall."
Xiao Lou nodded in agreement, his gaze quickly sweeping across the room, but he didn't find any memorial tablets or portraits. He asked with some doubt, "Old Mrs. Qin arranged the house like this; she must be commemorating some relative, right? Could it be her husband?"
Given her age, the most likely reason for setting up the mourning hall was to commemorate her deceased husband. However, there were no other clues about the deceased in the room. The two quickly searched the room and found an exquisite wooden box under the table. Xiao Lou opened it and saw that there was a groove inside that looked like it was for holding gemstones, but the box was empty.
Just then, he heard the voice of the stranger from before ring out in the hall: "We've taken the gems. You two should search elsewhere as soon as possible."
The sound quickly faded into the distance. Clearly, the other two Challengers who searched Old Madam Qin's house at the same time had searched the mourning hall first and found the gem. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were a step behind, but they didn't come away empty-handed.
The two continued searching the old lady's master bedroom.
Unlike the second bedroom, which was decorated in a "funeral hall" style, the master bedroom was furnished normally. The sheets and duvet covers were all in the light blue color that the elderly person preferred, and they were very clean. They found a comb and a mirror on the table.
Wait... a mirror?!
Why would a blind person need a mirror?
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were both taken aback.
Just then, they saw an old face suddenly appear in the mirror.
—It's Old Mrs. Qin!
The old lady returned without anyone noticing; her footsteps were extremely light, like a ghost, and Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were completely unaware.
She held the majestic Tibetan Mastiff by the hand, her eyes fixed on the mirror like those of a sinister viper. Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang, though invisible, were startled when they suddenly saw an aged face appear in the mirror.
Fortunately, they were used to seeing all kinds of corpses in the heart room and had excellent mental fortitude, so they didn't scream.
Grandma Qin spoke coldly to the air, "Someone broke into the house to steal things."
The Tibetan Mastiff barked twice angrily at the air.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang stood silently in the corner. They watched as Old Mrs. Qin, leaning on her cane, slowly walked to the bedside, reached out and groped for the mirror, wiped it with her sleeve, and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't think this old woman is blind. My heart is very clear. I've always known that those who bully the blind will get their comeuppance sooner or later, hehehe..."
Her laughter was like that of a demon from the depths of hell.
Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang held their breath, not daring to make a sound that might disturb the old woman. They tacitly stayed behind, both wanting to see what the old woman would do next. They watched as she shakily pulled a purse from her pocket, smelled it, as if reminiscing about something, and then called out, "Little Black."
.
Hearing its owner's call, the Tibetan Mastiff immediately came to its feet and rubbed against them. The old woman bent down and stroked its head, then sneered, "This village is isolated from the world; they can't have gone far." She placed the purse between the Tibetan Mastiff's noses, let it smell it, and said softly, "The things they stole also have this special fragrance. Follow the scent and find them; you must bring them back to me."
The Tibetan Mastiff sniffed it, then wagged its tail, and a black shadow darted away.
Xiao Lou sensed something was wrong and activated The Peach Blossom Spring skill, instantly teleporting Yu Hanjiang into Peach Blossom Spring.
The two removed their invisibility cloaks and were finally able to see each other clearly.
Xiao Lou noticed that Yu Hanjiang looked terrible, and he figured he must look pretty bad too, because this secret room had left a big trap for the Challenger —to pass the level, he had to find a gem, but the gem had a special fragrance.
Dogs have a keen sense of smell, and many families in this village keep dogs. Once Grandma Qin mobilizes the entire village to search for it, Challenger, even if it hides in the mountains, will not escape being found.
Yu Hanjiang frowned and said, "I didn't expect that the gemstone would have a special smell."
Xiao Lou's expression turned serious: " The Ace of Spades is such a rip-off. There are a total of 7 gems in Liuxi Village. Everyone will be rushing to find them in order to clear the level. But finding a gem is like putting a special scent tag on yourself, which will easily attract the Villagers ' pursuit." Thinking of the danger in the village, he quickly used the Telepathic Connection to ask, "Xiao Ye, CEO Shao, how's the situation on your end?"
Ye Qi's voice came through my ear: "Don't worry, I've already placed three eavesdropping devices at the village chief's house, Niu Niu's house, and Granny Sun's house, according to the map Captain Yu drew."
With the teleportation card, Ye Qi and Shao Qingge could move around very easily, and the eavesdropping device could be placed remotely within a 100-meter range. All they needed to do was hide behind a tree and place the eavesdropping device on the wall of Villager's house.
The next moment, Ye Qi suddenly blurted out a curse: "Damn! A lot of dogs have run out of the village, and they keep sniffing around like they're looking for someone?"
Xiao Lou's expression changed: "Come back quickly, the village is in danger!"
Ye Qi and Shao Qingge didn't want to stay any longer either. Fortunately, they were both wearing invisibility cloaks, and with the help of their teleportation cards, they ran all the way back to the dilapidated temple on the mountain in no time.
Xiao Lou pulled them into Peach Blossom Spring.
Peach Blossom Spring is a private space where people can chat loudly inside without being heard by those outside.
Xiao Lou recounted the clues found at Old Mrs. Qin's house, and Ye Qi's face paled slightly: "This old woman is too perverted, she actually soaked human bones in a jar! Could she be the murderer of the village massacre back then?"
Xiao Lou said, "It's not certain yet. Her house has been set up like a mourning hall, and there's a jar of dead people's bones soaking in the kitchen. At present, she is indeed a strong suspect."
Yu Hanjiang added, "There's another problem. None of the old lady's relatives are around, and she lives alone. There are no signs of cooking in her kitchen, so she obviously doesn't cook for herself. How does she manage to eat?"
Ye Qi thought about it carefully and said, "By the way, when CEO Shao and I were investigating in the village just now, we found that Grandma Qin went out to walk her dog and stopped by the village chief's house. She stayed at the village chief's house for ten minutes and even tied up Tibetan Mastiff at the door. Maybe she went to eat?"
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Have you seen the village chief?"
Ye Qi shook his head: "I didn't see him. Judging from his voice, he should be a young man."
Yesterday, Grandma Qin sent someone to inform the village chief, and Yu Hanjiang took the opportunity to note down that person's route. When he was investigating in the village that night, he located the village chief's house, which was very obvious because there were two big willow trees in front of the door.
The elderly Mrs. Qin, who lives alone, seems to have a good relationship with the village chief, and it's possible that she goes to his house for a meal.
Xiao Lou followed up with, " Is there anything unusual about Granny Sun's family, the village doctor?"
Ye Qi said, "When I went to put the eavesdropping device in, Granny Sun was cooking in the kitchen and there was nothing unusual."
He turned on the eavesdropping device, and just then, some conversations came through it—
The young woman said worriedly, " Granny Sun, my Niu Niu got caught in the rain a few days ago and has had a low-grade fever ever since. Today she suddenly developed a high fever and is talking nonsense. Do you think she's in serious condition?"
An old voice said, "Put Niu Niu on the bed, let me check on her."
After a rustling sound, the old man's voice continued, " Niu Niu, this is wind-heat attacking the lungs, causing disharmony of the defensive qi, which is why you have fever, chills, and a sore throat. I'll prescribe a medicine for you. Go back and brew it for your daughter to drink three times a day... Add an extra blanket for her to sleep at night, so she doesn't catch a cold and worsen her condition."
The woman said gratefully, "Thank you, Granny Sun. "
Granny Sun asked with concern, "Is your second sister-in-law about to give birth?"
The woman smiled and said, "Yes, my second brother told me that my sister-in-law's due date is in the next few days."
Granny Sun nodded: "Yes, then we'll have to prepare in advance."
The woman said, "I'll have to trouble my mother-in-law to help my sister-in-law deliver the baby. You're the only doctor in our village, so you've really gone to a lot of trouble."
Granny Sun laughed and said, "It's alright, I'm old now and my hands and feet aren't as nimble as they used to be. My little apprentice is almost done with her training, so from now on, if anyone in the village gets sick, they can go to her for treatment."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a clear, crisp voice came from beside her: "Grandma, Sister-in-law Yun's medicine is ready." She walked over lightly and handed the medicine to the woman. Sister-in-law Yun smiled and said, "Thank you, Xiao Qing. I won't bother you any longer."
The girl said, " Sister-in-law Yun, take care."
After the woman left with the child, there was a sudden clattering sound in the house, followed by the sound of an earthenware pot shattering. Granny Sun said helplessly, " Xiao Qing, you're good at everything, except for your clumsy movements. This is the fifth medicine pot you've knocked over."
Xiao Qing smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, Grandma, I can't see them. You have so many bottles and jars for brewing medicine, I always forget where they are..."
Granny Sun said, "You'd better remember this quickly. After Grandma dies, the village will depend on you. There are over a hundred households here. If someone gets sick with a headache or fever and there's no doctor around, they'll just be waiting to die."
The girl said earnestly, "I know, I will study hard."
Granny Sun began teaching the girl how to judge various pulse patterns and identify the smells of some medicines. The girl studied diligently. Xiao Lou listened for a while but didn't notice anything amiss. He looked at Yu Hanjiang and said, "This Granny Sun sounds quite kind-hearted. He doesn't seem like the kind of murderer who could slaughter dozens of people and bury their bodies in the backyard of a dilapidated temple. This girl named Xiao Qing sounds about seventeen or eighteen years old. She wasn't even born when the village was massacred."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Let's hear what the village chief has to say."
The wiretapping channel switched to the village chief's house. Old Mrs. Qin, leaning on her cane, came to the door. The young village chief asked in a low voice, " Aunt Qin, are you saying that your things were also stolen?"
Yu Hanjiang keenly noticed the word "also" and perked up his ears.
Sure enough, the old lady Qin said, "Little Liu, someone broke into your house last night, didn't you notice at all?"
The village chief said helplessly, "I slept very soundly. When I woke up this morning, I found that the contents of the box were gone. My dog, Ah Huang, didn't bark either. I don't know if he was drugged. He usually barks when someone comes to the door, and he even barks a few times to let me know when familiar people from the village come."
Grandma Qin's voice was hoarse: "These things are very important, we must find them as soon as possible."
The village chief asked in confusion, "You've always told us to guard these seven stones, saying it's a rule passed down from generation to generation. Aunt Qin, could you tell me what the purpose of these stones is?"
Grandma Qin coughed a few times and said slowly, "You must have heard that our village was cursed a long time ago. The mountain god temple was destroyed, which is why our ancestors have been blind for generations. Those gems were placed in seven locations in the village, as instructed by a master. They can form an array to break the curse and allow us to regain our sight after seven generations..."
Xiao Lou and the other three looked at each other in bewilderment.
Did Old Lady Qin genuinely believe in this method of breaking the curse, or was she just spouting nonsense to deceive the village chief? If it was the former, then she might just be an ignorant old woman; if it was the latter… she was highly suspicious.
Just then, Old Mrs. Qin suddenly stopped speaking and shouted sternly, "Who's outside? Come out here, you sneaky little thing!"
After a series of clanging and clattering sounds, hurried footsteps could be heard fleeing.
Xiao Lou said, "It's likely that a Challenger noticed something was wrong and went to the village chief's house to eavesdrop. Challengers who can reach Spade 4 are all quite capable. We have Ye Qi's secret weapon, so they must have different ways of eavesdropping."
Yu Hanjiang nodded, his expression serious: "According to the information we have so far, the seven gems are scattered throughout the village in a formation. The old lady said that in order to break the curse of blindness, the gems were scattered and arranged in a formation for Villager to guard. This undoubtedly gives us an important clue to find the gems."
He found the Liuxi Village layout map he had drawn yesterday, quickly marked a few points, and said, "If the deduction is correct, the first gem is in the backyard of the ruined temple, and it was taken away by the girl who first found the human bone pit last night."
He pointed to the village chief's house: "The second gem was stolen last night by a bold and clever Challenger who sneaked into the village chief's house and somehow managed to control the village chief's big yellow dog and steal the gem overnight."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The third one is the one from Grandma Qin's house. When we were looking for it while wearing Invisibility Cloaks, two Challengers were also wearing Invisibility Cloaks and found the gem before us."
The four of them looked down at the floor plan.
The three locations that have been marked—the dilapidated temple on the west mountain, the village chief's house, and Old Lady Qin's house—form a triangle.
Xiao Lou felt something was off, so he turned around and looked at it from a different angle, taking the one on the west side as the starting point. Then he stretched out his hand and tried to connect the positions of the three gems with lines.
He discovered that he had written the character "人" (person), and the star on the western hill was the apex of the character "人".
Xiao Lou's eyes lit up: "Looking down from the air, the distribution of the stones should form a simplified human anatomy diagram. The one on the west mountain is the head, and the two stones at the village chief's house and Old Lady Qin's house, which are symmetrically positioned, are the two hands. To draw a human figure, there are still the neck, abdomen, and two legs left. All the vertices together make up seven stones."
Yu Hanjiang said, "The neck, that is, the intersection of the Three of a Kind lines where the two hands extend upwards and the head extends downwards— " He pointed precisely to a location on the map: "It's the pond."
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "The lower abdomen is the house on the far east side of the village, and the two feet are in the farmland to the southeast." After drawing these locations on the map, he looked at it carefully again and it was indeed a human-shaped figure.
Shao Qingge and Ye Qi looked at each other in bewilderment.
Two amazing Hearts geniuses have solved the secret of the gem's location so quickly!
Indeed, eavesdropping on the NPCs' conversations to find key information is essential in the Spade Secret Room. Otherwise, blindly searching in such a large village—who would know where the gems are?
The seven gems are distributed such that their heads are in the western mountains, their feet are in the farmland, and they lie horizontally across the entire river.
A huge diagram of human anatomy from Xicun.
Shao Qingge said cheerfully, "Then if we just find two gems, wouldn't that at least guarantee us a pass?"
Xiao Lou said, "The easy way to pass the level is indeed to find the gems. Three gems have already been taken by other Challengers, and there aren't many left. We need to find two more to pass the level, so we need to hurry."
Yu Hanjiang said, " The Villagers have started a large-scale search. The scent of the gems will lead the Villagers to the western hills, where it is no longer safe. Why don't we go the other way and search in the farmland to the east?"
Xiao Lou smiled slightly: "That's what I think too."
Yu Hanjiang promptly put away the map: "Let's go."
Shao Qingge followed behind the two with a smile, thinking to himself—it feels so good to win without lifting a finger!