15. The Tour Bus in the Desolate Wilderness

As long as he was inside the game, Chen Sheng feared nothing, no matter what he did! Even though the name “Skeleton Temple” sounded sinister and he knew the journey would be fraught with obstacles, wasn’t that how main quests always went? They were inevitably accompanied by a tangle of side missions and a constant stream of minor enemies.

Chen Sheng remained composed, merely curious as he asked, “Why are we going to Skeleton Temple? Are we supposed to invite someone?”

The mention of the dismemberment case followed immediately by the trip to Skeleton Temple suggested a direct connection between the two.

“We’re supposed to borrow something. I’m not exactly sure what—it wasn’t made clear to me. My uncle only said that the abbot of Skeleton Temple was originally from Upper Sanjiang City, and out of respect for that old connection, as long as we speak honestly, he’ll agree to lend it. With this item, Upper Sanjiang City will enjoy a period of peace,” Yan Shidong replied, holding nothing back.

Chen Sheng nodded, then asked, “Where’s Skeleton Temple?”

“Here’s the map. Just follow the route. Take a look—I’ll get someone to prepare supplies for you and arrange a ride.”

…

Before long, Chen Sheng left the city, riding in a bus. He couldn’t help but complain about the perverse sense of humor the healing game’s designers seemed to possess. The city’s police department, strapped for funds, had simply put him on a passing tour bus for part of the journey.

To Chen Sheng, this was proof the designers had stopped acting like humans and turned into dogs. How else could there be such a setting?

The bus moved slowly, especially after it left the asphalt and entered a mountain road. Though the road was wide enough for a bus, it undulated sharply, jostling Chen Sheng all the way.

“Everyone get off and take a break,” called the driver, who had stopped because the engine seemed to have malfunctioned.

The tourists hurried out to stretch their legs, and Chen Sheng followed. He looked around: everywhere was dense forest, save for a few severely damaged graves by the roadside. There was no sign of habitation, only wild, desolate hills.

Staring at this scene, Chen Sheng thought, unless something unexpected happened, this was the perfect spot for a “side quest” to appear, or perhaps a few minor enemies to let him practice his skills. In any case, the game would surely give him a new ability to help him reach the next dungeon.

He was familiar with these game tropes.

---

Chen Sheng’s gaze fell on those damaged graves. They were the most likely place for minor enemies to pop up—nothing could fit the mood better.

As he examined them closely, he suddenly frowned. The broken sections of the graves were free of dust or moss; the fractures looked suspiciously fresh.

“These were damaged recently!” Chen Sheng immediately guessed. Just then, a scream pierced the air.

Soon, several cries of alarm followed, both men and women.

“There’s a dead body—someone’s dead here!” a man called out in a trembling voice.

Chen Sheng hurried over to look and saw a large pit by the roadside, thick with vegetation that concealed it, making it appear at first glance to be flat ground.

Inside the pit lay a badly damaged motorcycle and three mangled corpses. Judging by their clothing, two were children and one was a woman. It was likely a family.

“How tragic!” murmured someone, unable to bear the sight.

Chen Sheng nodded instinctively, then noticed a teenager beside him. This boy was dressed all in black, wore sunglasses, and carried a black case.

The boy, who seemed to favor the color black, glanced at Chen Sheng, then suddenly asked, “Don’t you feel like something’s missing here?”

“Missing?” Chen Sheng was puzzled, but looked again.

With the question in mind, he examined the scene twice more, and then his thoughts stirred. He turned to the boy. “Is it missing a man?”

The boy nodded, his youthful face suddenly grim. “That motorcycle is an off-road model, famous for its rugged, masculine style. Almost all fans of that kind of bike are men; very few women like it. And certainly, a woman who does wouldn’t ride it with two children. At least, not while driving.”

Hearing the boy’s analysis, Chen Sheng looked him over again. By the usual game logic, this boy was probably about to become his companion.

---

“So, after all I’ve said, what do you think?” the boy suddenly asked.

“If we follow your reasoning, it means a man was driving his wife and children on this off-road motorcycle when something happened. But only the woman and children’s bodies are here, and there’s no sign of the man. That means, most likely, this was no accident—it was murder!”

“There’s another possibility.” The boy nodded and glanced at the damaged graves, then pointed to an inconspicuous patch of grass by the roadside.

Chen Sheng hadn’t noticed anything before, but when the boy gestured, he saw a dark, rough clay jar hidden among the grass. It was crudely made, but the surface was carefully painted with designs.

“This jar is suspicious,” the boy said.

“What’s wrong with it?” Chen Sheng asked. But at that moment someone suggested that leaving the bodies exposed would be unlucky; they should bury them instead.

Chen Sheng thought no one would agree to such a foolish idea, but, contrary to his expectations, many supported it.

“Almost forgot this is a game…”

Chen Sheng’s mouth twitched, and then he was called over to help with the burial, as he was one of the few men in the tour group.

He’d meant to refuse, but then wondered if this was part of the main quest, so he agreed.

Afterward, drenched in sweat, Chen Sheng looked at the three fresh graves and felt something was missing.

He pondered for a moment, then produced three sticks of incense—prepared for him by Yan Shidong. Clearly, this linked back to earlier events, indirectly confirming this as a side quest.

With that realization, Chen Sheng’s spirits lifted. He lit the incense, bowed, and placed them before the graves.