The Mystery of Nanling Village seems to be different from the previous Black Wind Stronghold.

Wang Linchi discovered that this time the instance would not inherit the progress of the previous one. Regardless of whether it was cleared or failed, the instance would be reset and unaffected by the actions of previous Players.

This was a good thing, as it allowed Players to farm Abyss Crystals. Otherwise, if a previous Player had failed and released the Evil Demon, it would have spelled disaster.

Through indirect questioning of the villagers, he found out that he was the only person to have visited their South Ridge Village recently.

"Mage, are you sure it's this location?" The village Hunter was somewhat confused. He had been on this path a few times and didn't recall any life piles or anything else out of the ordinary.

"It's right here," Wang Linchi casually replied.

As for what had happened to the Mage who had helped suppress the Evil Demon back then, there was a lot of speculation on the forums. Actually, there should not have been any issues with the Sealing Demon Formation.

Following the instructions from the guide, Wang Linchi quickly found the entrance: an ancient monument that had long collapsed and been buried. After digging it out, the inscriptions were no longer legible. However, the words 'Underground Palace' could faintly be seen.

"Underground Palace? There's such a thing in the South Ridge Mountain Range?" The Hunter looked horrified; he had never realized this in all those years.

"Yes, it's normal that you don't know. What, you want to go down and look for treasures now? You should first see what is sealed inside," Wang Linchi teased.

These words left the Hunter slightly embarrassed, as he did indeed have such thoughts. An 'Underground Palace' usually signifies a tomb, though it could also be a place of worship. Regardless, there would likely be numerous valuables stored inside.

"Mage, how are we going down then?" The Hunter awkwardly changed the topic.

"The entrance is right here, and since you're here, start digging." Wang Linchi ignored the Hunter's thoughts, directly instructing the young men from the village who had followed him to start digging.

Actually, there were records of the Underground Palace in the village; although only scattered information, they were still discovered by the Players.

Seeing this, the others exchanged glances for a moment. Eventually, the village chief's eldest son took the lead with his tools, and then the rest began.

"I will make this clear beforehand," Wang Linchi said. "Although I found this Underground Palace, I have no idea what condition it is in. Never mind the ferocious Evil Demon sealed with life piles inside; even the Mage who could suppress that Evil Demon died in there."

"So, whether you see mountains of gold or silver, don't reach for them. Otherwise, you might get the treasure but lose your life."

"I can listen to your tales of hardship and possibly even help you out. As for whether the Evil Demon will let you choose your own method of death—whether to be swallowed whole, flayed alive, or crushed instantly—that's up to your own abilities."

What Wang Linchi said sounded humorous, but nobody dared to respond. Others might be joking, but Wang Linchi did not look like he was.

"Don't worry, Mage. I'll keep an eye on these little rascals. If they dare to reach out their hands, I guarantee I'll break their legs," the Hunter, being older, quickly chimed in.

"There's no need to go through the trouble of breaking their legs. If the Evil Demon stirs, none of us can escape. It's not just them who would die; the whole of South Ridge Village would be feeding the Evil Demon," Wang Linchi said, glancing at the young men digging.

This caused the Hunter's smile to freeze. "Mage, are you serious?"

"Didn't the village chief tell you?" Wang Linchi chuckled; he hadn't expected the village chief to keep this from them.

"We were only told that you came to adjust the feng shui of the life piles, and to..." The Hunter was somewhat at a loss.

"Hahaha, your village chief is really interesting, keeping something that concerns the entire village a secret from you. Continue digging; I'll tell you the full story." Wang Linchi found the village chief amusing; he had given him a chance to win the villagers over. After Wang Linchi added some artistic touches to the story, everyone was increasingly horrified as they listened.

His embellishments were a bit overdone, all to spur on this cannon fodder.

"How... how come we haven't heard anything about this?" The Hunter's composure shattered. There was a Demon King buried practically at his doorstep, and this Demon King was preparing to take the lives of their entire village within three days! Who could possibly withstand that?

"How would I know? Ask your ancestors," Wang Linchi shrugged, pushing the blame onto their ancestors.

"Alright, let's not dwell on this. I've traveled a thousand miles to die here and have no complaints, so why are you all suddenly getting scared?"

With this spurring them on, the crowd's excavation speed increased notably. The Hunter, on the other hand, wished to press him further but eventually decided against it.

In no time at all, half an hour had passed.

"We're through, we've dug through!" a young man's excited voice called out.

Wang Linchi stood up and looked over. A dark hole now lay exposed in the ground. Peering inside, he saw a long passageway stretching out.

"Don't rush in just yet," Wang Linchi suggested. "Let's have a rat check for any poisons first."

The Hunter then retrieved a birdcage with a rat inside, lowering it into the passageway with a string.

"Mage, this tunnel is so narrow and long. It's unlikely a person could go down, right?" the Hunter asked, noticeably concerned.

This passageway was like a well shaft; its depth was unknown, there were no stairs, and it would be too dangerous to climb down using only a rope. Furthermore, it was pitch black inside.

"True, that's a problem. But if a rat can go down, can't you?" Wang Linchi had already decided to use these people as cannon fodder, even if it meant lowering them down with ropes.

Although the Hunter didn't think of himself as cannon fodder, he knew full well the dangers that lay in wait below and was reluctant to descend.

"We can, we can." Upon hearing Wang Linchi's candid declaration, the Hunter felt cornered and could only muster a reluctant chuckle.

"It's reached the bottom!" The echo of the birdcage hitting the ground rang out from below. The Hunter let out a sigh of relief; thankfully, it wasn't too deep.

Approximately ten to fifteen meters, but I'm not sure if it's a platform or the actual bottom. Wang Linchi pondered.

The ropes were long enough; he had specifically asked the village chief to gather plenty beforehand.

"Three of you stay up here and keep watch. The rest, follow me down," Wang Linchi instructed after scrutinizing the rat. It had spent around fifteen minutes in the shaft and was unharmed, indicating it was most likely free of toxins or oxygen deprivation.

"Alright, I'll stay here and make sure nothing goes wrong," the Hunter was the first to volunteer, securing a spot for himself.

This didn't sit well with the others. The village chief's son was about to voice his intentions too, but he swallowed his words after receiving a look from Wang Linchi. Anyone else could stay behind, but the village chief's son had to go with Wang Linchi; his presence was necessary to reassure the others.

"The poorest among you who is also an only child may stay behind," Wang Linchi arbitrarily set the conditions.

Two people were quickly chosen. Wang Linchi didn't care who the lucky ones were; he then led the others down the passageway. The good news was that this wasn't a platform but indeed the entrance to the underground palace.

The forum guide was missing some information. It seems like it was deliberately withheld. Wang Linchi thought. Withholding information was simple enough; numerous gaming studios and clubs aiming to be the first to clear the Mystery of Nanling Village instance wouldn't release such details. As for those focused on farming Abyss Crystals, they didn't care much for such investigations, prioritizing efficiency and speed above all else.

The pitch-black darkness within the palace had no effect on Wang Linchi's vision. However, the first sight that greeted him was a group of grotesque stone statues. Fortunately, Wang Linchi was no longer so easily startled; otherwise, he might have reflexively unleashed Fanciful and Fickle.

Wang Linchi examined these stone statues carefully; they appeared strangely familiar.

Demonized humans?

They resembled the three chieftains of Black Wind Stronghold he had encountered earlier, though these were different because their Degree of Demonic Transformation was much higher. They were essentially Half Human, Half Demon.

"Are these... Demon Men?" The village chief's son, the first to descend, was startled by the sight of these stone statues. However, he sighed in relief when he realized they were made of stone.

"Seems like you know. Tell me, what are Demon Men?" Wang Linchi asked with slight interest. He felt this might be part of some lore or setting, so it was worth asking.

"This is a Legend from the South Ridge Mountain Range," the village chief's son began, casting fearful glances at the stone statues as he relayed the story. "It's said that a woman had an... interaction with some kind of mountain demon. After ten months, she gave birth to Demon Men. These Demon Men are intrinsically cruel, resembling neither human nor beast, and they have a particular fondness for devouring humans."

"Later, a Young Hero happened to pass by..." To Wang Linchi, the tale came across as rather clichéd.