[You have arrived at the western part of Zhenyu village.]
[You see a three-story wooden structure at the end of the village. It’s a crooked, pointed-roofed building, situated in a flower bed. Clearly distinguished in the flower bed are two types of flowers, one black and the other red. They are as dark as ink and as red as blood, respectively.]
[Devil’s Flower: It can be used to prepare some wicked potions. The flower isn’t quite practical, but due to its peculiar colors, it is favored by many solitary witches, often using it to decorate their homes.]
In short, it’s a flower used to highlight one’s identity.
Mu You found the text somewhat familiar. The first time he found Vivian’s witch’s house, he remembered seeing a similar building. Indeed, do all witches prefer to live in such remote places?
[You walk up and knock on the door, hearing faint sounds from inside.]
[A few minutes later, the door opens, and an old witch with snow-white hair steps out. The old witch’s face is full of wrinkles. She leans on a cane, her stooped figure emanating age. The wizard robe tied around her waist hardly conceals her sizable body.]
[However, you notice something different about the old witch: she is connected to a shadow behind her.]
[What surprises you even more is the shape of this shadow, which looks like a slender long-haired girl, strikingly unlike the staggering old woman in front of you.]
The shadow is different from the person? What does that mean?
["A foreigner? What brings you here?" Granny Tang looks at you critically.]
[You choose to answer...]
[You tell her you want to join the Undead Society!]
[Clearly surprised by your response, Granny Tang stares at you, then suddenly breaks into a chilling laugh.]
["The Undead Society does not allow outsiders in! But if you have a child, I can help your child join. I’ll even name a good price. Remember, the child must be below ten years old and must be innocent, both in body and spirit. It should be a child, not an adult in a child’s skin," Granny Tang says, looking at you meaningfully.]
Mu You frowns. Her words have given him away. She is warning him not to try and trick her by swapping a child’s skin.
["If you don’t have a child, don’t bother me, I’m busy!" Granny Tang finishes, ready to turn around and enter the house.]
Mu You checks Granny Tang’s information with the Omniscient Crystal and finds she is only at level sixteen, with average attributes.
After some thought, he decides to make a move.
She surely knows a lot about the Undead Society. If he can capture her alive, he could take her back for interrogation. He doesn’t have much choice, the Undead Society is hidden too deeply, even risking a surprise definitely beats not advancing.
[You lift your magic wand, choosing to attack Granny Tang.]
[Granny Tang is hit by your magic. Her life force rapidly diminishes, entering a state of magic stagnation, temporarily incapable of using magic or items.]
[Granny Tang looks at you angrily, murder filling her eyes.]
[Suddenly, you see Granny Tang’s exterior rapidly transforming into a long-haired young woman, her eyes a blazing red, sharp claws growing from her fingers. You suddenly realize that Granny Tang has turned into a Shadow Ghost.]
[The Shadow Ghost lunges at you, and you are killed by the Shadow Ghost...]
This development startled Mu You, who pressed the pocket watch in haste to return to a time before he made his move.
[Time rewinds, and you return to the moment before you attacked. After witnessing Granny Tang’s power, this time, you decide...]
"It’s not worth it, let’s go."
After this incident, Mu You was certain that everyone here was not normal. The Undead Society wouldn’t have used Granny Tang as a front without reason. Granny Tang actually controls a Shadow Ghost!
From what he gathered before, this Shadow Ghost seems to be inhabiting her shadow, which explains why her shadow doesn’t match her actual form.
[You quietly leave Granny Tang’s court. Now you choose to go to...]
Granny Tang is too tough, leaving the Undead Society’s trail fragmented.
Of course, the Shadow Ghost may be powerful, but it has its limits. He wonders whether to bring back the Shadow Wolf for help and give it another try.
The problem with the Shadow Ghost is that it’s not controllable. Once it appears, it will not stop fighting until it is sealed or killed. It’s unlikely he could capture it alive, especially as Granny Tang might not talk even if he could capture her.
For a time, Mu You can’t think of a good solution, so he continues exploring the village in hopes of finding another clue.
[You exit from the west of Zhenyu Village to loiter the village streets.]
[Suddenly, you see an old woman with white hair by the roadside. She waves at you, apparently wanting to talk about something. You choose to...]
Not long after leaving did he get another pop-up message.
Mu You didn’t care at first, assuming it was a scrounger or a con, and selected ’ignore’ directly.
Unexpectedly, just after his selection, a new paragraph appeared.
[The old woman, noticing your dismissiveness, approaches you: "Young man, you’re looking for the Undead Society, aren’t you?"]
[You turn your head in surprise and ask how she knows that?]
[The old woman tells you that she overheard your conversation with Granny Tang.]
Eavesdropped? Does that mean this old lady has had her eye on Granny Tang?
Mu You gets the feeling this might lead somewhere, and continues to make selections.