After Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin entered the door, they saw that the guesthouse was modestly decorated. In the hall, apart from the two of them, there was another table with occupants.

The table was occupied by two daoists, a martial artist, and a sleeping monk.

Chen Yi looked closely. One glance was fine, but upon closer inspection, he recognized someone familiar.

Wasn't that the Mad Scripture Master?

The Mad Scripture Master's monk staff was casually tossed to the ground. His head was tilted back against the wall, mouth opening and closing as he snored loudly.

After his initial surprise, Chen Yi was unimpressed.

It was natural for the Mad Scripture Master to appear in the underworld. From what the "strategy guide" mentioned during his previous playthrough, the Mad Scripture Master's quest line was deeply tied to the underworld.

His former self found it troublesome and therefore chose not to get involved this time around.

After all, the entire storyline didn't have a single female character involved.

It was at this moment that a warm voice interrupted his thoughts.

"The two esteemed guests, why are you standing there? Sit, sit, sit!"

A man who looked like a waiter walked out, calling to them eagerly. He appeared normal, except his face was as pale as a sheet of blank paper.

What's more... he was walking backward!

The waiter shuffled backward step by step, his heels leading the way, his back turned to Chen Yi and Yin Weiyin.

"Are you here for a bite or to stay overnight?"

The waiter drew out his voice in inquiry.

Chen Yi pondered briefly before responding:

"Just grabbing a bite, what do you have?"

"We have lamb, good wine, and a variety of fruits and vegetables."

Chen Yi listened, then glanced at the other table. Keeping his voice low, he asked:

"What did they order over there?"

"Roast lamb leg, Nan'er Hong (Men's Red), some vegetarian dishes, and..."

"And what else?"

"Roast lamb testicles." Seeing there were women present, the waiter lowered his voice, as if not wanting to taint anyone's ears.

Chen Yi heard this and caught onto something. Puzzled, he asked:

"Did you just say... Nan'er Hong?"

"That's right."

"Not Nu'er Hong (Daughter's Red)?" Chen Yi wondered if he had misheard.

The waiter chuckled. "This place is full of men. Where'd you expect women? Naturally no Nu'er Hong."

Chen Yi let out an enlightened "Oh," saying, "Wine made by men is called Nan'er Hong. Didn't expect you all to be so honest and straightforward."

It seemed if this guesthouse sold "wife cakes," they'd probably have real wives inside.

"Just bring some vegetarian dishes, no wine or meat," Chen Yi said calmly.

"Sure thing."

The waiter responded repeatedly, turned around, and walked backward into the kitchen.

After the waiter left, Yin Weiyin muttered softly, "That person's soul is missing."

"Missing what soul?" Chen Yi asked naturally.

"The spirit of vitality, the second soul."

The human body possesses three souls and seven spirits. If someone walks backward, it's a sign their orientation is disordered, which points to the absence of the spirit of vitality among the three souls and seven spirits.

As they waited for the food, Chen Yi once again scrutinized the surroundings.

The inside of the guesthouse wasn't as dark as its exterior suggested. Instead, it was surprisingly bright. Everything was visible—dust-covered beams, cobwebbed corners, cracked wooden tables, and… the wall murals.

Depicted on the mural was the Four Heavenly Kings.

Chen Yi had glanced at it initially but stopped upon noticing a peculiar detail.

…Why are they women?!

The Four Heavenly Kings, each holding a magic artifact, were either long-haired down to their waists or styled with feminine hairdos. Their faces were serene and composed, resembling the feminine features of Guanyin. Two of them had white hair, while the other two were youthful and charming.

Yin Weiyin followed Chen Yi's gaze, also staring dumbfounded.

"Your dish is ready!"

The waiter hollered, stepping out of the kitchen, intending to serve the Mad Scripture Master's table.

Chen Yi turned his head and saw the Mad Scripture Master scratching his nose, oblivious to everything as he continued to snore away.

The other three at the table, however, were evidently starving. As soon as the roast lamb leg, lamb testicles, and Nan'er Hong were served, the aroma of the food and drink filled the air, making even Chen Yi's mouth water.

Throughout their journey to the underworld, they had been surviving on dry rations from Square Land.

Chen Yi, who cared about taste, could only munch on flatbreads, pickled vegetables, dried meat, and the like. But none of those things could compare to hot, fresh dishes.

Soon enough, the waiter brought a plate of vegetarian dishes and placed it in front of them. Just as he was about to leave, Chen Yi grabbed his wrist.

"Waiter, why don't you join us? Let's chat a bit."

Chen Yi pulled out the chair next to him and offered.

"Sure thing, boss. Nobody around to stop me anyway."

The waiter sat backward in the chair.

The female crown couldn't fathom Chen Yi's intentions but refrained from commenting. Responding to his subtle signal, she didn't touch the vegetarian plate in front of her.

Chen Yi glanced around before pointing outside the guesthouse and asking:

"This town… where did it come from?"

"Oh, it's something from a few hundred years ago," the waiter replied rapidly.

Chen Yi silently contemplated. One day above equaled one year below. A few hundred years underground translated to a few hundred days above ground.

"I heard it has something to do with a man named Li?"

"Also ties in with someone named Song," the waiter added.

"Named Song?"

"That's right, but names mustn't be uttered out of respect for the esteemed," the waiter said, his face filled with reverence.

Seeing this reaction, Chen Yi pointed at the wall mural featuring the female versions of the Four Heavenly Kings and asked:

"Why are the Heavenly Kings depicted as women?"

The waiter answered succinctly, "Because they've always been women."

"Always?"

Even Yin Weiyin, listening in, widened his eyes in shock, not to mention Chen Yi.

Before the waiter could elaborate further, a commotion erupted at the other table.

"This smells awful! What the hell is this?!"

"Waiter, what's wrong with this wine?!"

Two voices clamored. When Chen Yi turned to look, he saw the martial artist abruptly stand up, his body reeking of a nasty smell.

The waiter quickly got to his feet, shuffling backward toward the source.

The martial artist slammed his fists on the table and roared, "What is this wine? Why am I stinking of urine?!"

"That's… perfectly normal," the waiter replied.

"Normal?!" The martial artist's fury boiled over.

"Nan'er Hong. It's brewed with virgin boy urine," the waiter explained matter-of-factly.

The martial artist's face turned deathly pale, shifting rapidly between shades of green and white.

While drinking it, the wine had tasted no different from typical Nu'er Hong.

Yet after it entered his system, a foul stench of urine permeated his body!

Not just the martial artist, but the other three at the table—except for the still-snoring Mad Scripture Master—had their expressions twist in horror.

They had divined beforehand, yet the evil in the meal had gone undetected!

A daoist cloaked in blue robe was about to respond, but as he stood, he suddenly lost his balance and collapsed to the ground.

Looking down, he discovered a new leg had grown under his pants!

"This... this..." The daoist gasped in terror, fumbling with the unfamiliar limb.

The waiter hurriedly steadied him and explained urgently:

"This is also normal. Sow seeds, reap seeds. Eat lamb leg, grow human leg."

Before his words finished settling, the purple-robed daoist suddenly lowered his head, staring at his trousers. His expression transformed drastically.

"I-I..."

The waiter turned his attention. "Guest, what's the matter?"

The purple-robed daoist's face turned ashen, terror overtaking him. "I've grown an extra one!"

"Eating to replenish like-for-like—it's perfectly natural," the waiter remarked casually, peering closer. "Oh! Still stiffened up too?"

Eat lamb leg, grow human leg; eat lamb testicles, grow human testicles...

The martial artist dismissed this as nonsense, further enraged, roaring:

"You demon, I'll kill you!"

With that, the martial artist threw a punch.

The attack was fierce, honed through powerful physical training. His flesh-and-bone physique sent his force barreling forward, poised to split the waiter's head like a melon.

However, the waiter's body contorted grotesquely, twisting as though boneless. In a blink, he enveloped the martial artist's fist, then counteracted with a burst of energy.

The martial artist's body was sent reeling backward, struggling to regain footing before retaliating.

But the waiter's fingers suddenly shot forward, pressing against his eyes. In an instant, the martial artist's eyeballs exploded.

Blood sprayed everywhere as the man let out a bone-chilling scream.

He dropped to his knees, tilted his head to the side, and slowly perished.

It all happened too quickly for the two daoists to react. The daoist with the newly-grown leg barely managed to rise, visibly trembling.

Before he could speak, a voice boomed from upstairs in the guesthouse: "Why is it so noisy downstairs? Disturbing my peace!"

The waiter's complexion changed immediately. He responded hurriedly, "Nothing to worry about, Shopkeeper, just someone dying."

"Settle it quickly."

"Understood."

The daoists turned their heads to the waiter, who had a servile smile plastered on his face. The blood from the martial artist seeped into the fissures of the floorboards.

"Guests, don't ask too many questions. There's nothing to be gained, but if the Shopkeeper is disturbed, that'll be trouble," the waiter said indifferently, his tone calm.

The two daoists hastily nodded.

Though the martial artist had been impulsive and easily angered, he nevertheless possessed the seventh rank in martial arts. Yet he had been so effortlessly killed?

If the waiter was this formidable, what horror might the unseen Shopkeeper upstairs possess? They dared not imagine.

The two daoists returned to their seats in silence.

"Why pick fights out of nowhere? Just eat and drink normally," the waiter grumbled under his breath while dragging the martial artist's corpse across the ground, pulling it backward into the kitchen.

From afar, Chen Yi absorbed the bizarre, surreal, and thoroughly grotesque scene.

A daoist with an extra leg, a martial artist emanating the stench of urine, and the blissfully snoring Mad Scripture Master...

No wonder Deng Ai had said, "This place is baffling and strange."

The two daoists, shaken by the display, exchanged nervous glances with the slumbering Mad Scripture Master but refrained from waking him.

Chen Yi attentively observed the movements of everyone around him. When Yin Weiyin glanced his way, she noticed his furrowed brow, as if he were deep in thought.

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