Chapter 21: The Truth of the Instance

Ning Jun’s heart sank. This was clearly a scrap of clothing, shredded by something unknown.

Could it be?

She quickened her pace, gripping her crossbow tightly, bracing herself against the sudden appearance of an unknown creature.

Little White had also lost its playful demeanor, its ears standing tall.

"Little White, listen closely. If anything approaches, growl," Ning Jun reminded it to stay alert.

After all, Little White was a tiger; its hearing was far superior to her own.

Yet, as they ventured deep into the stone forest, the surroundings were terrifyingly silent.

Fortunately, this stone forest was not large. According to Da He, it was a place only children liked to use for hide-and-seek. Before the strange events began, the village had paid almost no attention to it.

Soon, Ning Jun made another discovery.

It was more bloodstained cloth. The blood had already dried, clinging to the fabric and turning it stiff.

Xiao Xiao, had something truly happened to you?

Thinking of Yan Yan’s hopeful expression, Ning Jun felt an even heavier weight in her heart.

Suddenly, Little White smelled something. With a sharp "Awooo," it bolted forward!

"Little White!"

Ning Jun followed closely. After rounding several boulders, she finally witnessed a horrifying scene.

A small rock was splattered with blood, now turned to a dark, dried red. Torn pieces of clothing lay scattered on the ground. Merely looking at these remnants was enough to imagine the gruesome struggle that had taken place.

The strange thing was, Xiao Xiao’s body was missing.

Little White kept barking, as if it could still sense danger.

Ning Jun stepped forward and gathered the scraps of clothing one by one, tucking them into her pack. Among them was a bracelet, woven from colorful string with a small bell attached. She remembered that Yan Yan wore one almost identical to this one; even the bell looked exactly the same.

Ning Jun circled the stone forest twice more, but found nothing else.

Where had Xiao Xiao gone? Had she been dragged somewhere else?

But there were no drag marks near the scene in front of the large rock, nor was there any trail of blood. It was as if the person had simply vanished into thin air.

Unable to make sense of it, Ning Jun ultimately decided to return to Chang Le Village.

Yan Yan was still crouching before the stone tablet, waiting expectantly.

When Ning Jun appeared in her field of vision, the little girl jumped up and ran toward her at full speed.

"Big sister, did you find my sister?"

She stared up with wide, round eyes, her face filled with anticipation. She was far too young, and her thinking remained simple. Had she been an older child, seeing Ning Jun return alone would have told her everything she needed to know.

Ning Jun felt her throat go dry, but she reached into her bag and took out the bracelet. "I found this."

Tears instantly welled up in Yan Yan’s eyes. "This is... my sister's..."

A soft sob escaped her lips. She held the bracelet in both hands, trembling slightly, causing the little bell to chime.

Ning Jun’s task had changed.

[Let the girl rest in peace.]

This meant she had to bury Xiao Xiao, she supposed. This game instance was strange; it only provided task names without specific requirements. Fortunately, the titles were straightforward enough that one could guess the objective with reasonable accuracy.

Yan Yan continued to cry, but Ning Jun had to press on. The instance had a three-hour time limit, and she only had one hour left before she had to depart.

She had to harden her heart and interrupt the girl.

"Yan Yan, your sister cannot come back, but we can help her find peace."

Yan Yan’s face was covered in tears, her eyes filled with confusion. "What does that mean?"

Ning Jun crouched down and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders.

"It means we need to give your sister a home so she can have a good, long sleep."

Yan Yan seemed to understand. "Like Mommy and Daddy? They went to sleep forever and couldn't wake up?"

Back then, her parents had been the same—they went to sleep and never woke up. The uncles and aunts had put them in a very large box and laid them in the dirt. They said that would help them sleep comfortably. But Yan Yan didn't like it. She liked the little windmills her father made and the bracelets her mother crafted. But she would never see them again.

Now, would she never see her sister again either?

"Waaa—" Yan Yan could no longer control her wailing. Ning Jun almost lost her own composure. She had been that same age when her own parents left. Back then, she hadn't understood what death meant.

But the sympathetic gazes of those around her would often appear in her nightmares.

Being a child, Yan Yan could not handle the arrangements. Ning Jun sought out Da He and told him the news. Seeing the bloodstained clothes, Da He’s face was filled with disbelief.

"Xiao Xiao... how could this be?"

For as many years as he could remember, no wild beasts had appeared near the village. How could a child encounter such a tragedy? Da He could clearly see the marks of a beast’s clawing on the fabric.

"Don't worry. I'll go find the village chief and get a proper coffin." He hesitated for a moment. "It’s just... according to village custom, a child who passes away so young cannot have a proper funeral."

Ning Jun nodded, understanding. After all, this was a game instance; if a real funeral were held, it would take days, and the players could not afford the time.

"Just get a coffin for Xiao Xiao and bury her beside her parents."

Da He’s lips moved, but in the end, he only sighed.

There were not many families in the village. The village chief was an elderly man who quickly provided a coffin. However, there were very few people to see Xiao Xiao off. Da He was one of them; he explained awkwardly, "Xiao Xiao’s parents were outsiders. They had no relatives or friends in the village, and because of certain conflicts, they weren't well-liked, so..."

Ning Jun nodded, saying nothing more. Yan Yan remained by her side, having fallen into a long, profound silence.

The burial site of Xiao Xiao’s parents was not far from the village. Da He and another man carried the small coffin, the journey marked by silence. Inside the coffin lay only the torn red clothes and the bloodstained bracelet; it was not heavy.

Because the coffin was small, the grave did not need to be deep, and the two men finished quickly. The other young man looked at the two graves, at a loss for words.

Ning Jun took several cans of yellow peaches, a few apples, and a bunch of bananas from her pack and placed them quietly before the graves.

"I don't know if you like these, but this is all I have." She looked down and spoke softly, "I hope the three of you can be a family again in your next life."

Ning Jun bowed her head in silence. Then, she looked at the quiet Yan Yan beside her. "Go and reunite with your mom and dad in heaven."

Da He stood to the side, looking curious. "Who are you talking to? Is there anyone there?"