Chapter 16

[Green Shade Inn] Due to years of neglect and lack of management, the entire inn has only one resident: Yi Chen. However, Yi Chen doesn’t mind the dirt and disarray. He’s stayed in worse places back in the orphanage... Even if the damp bedding carries a musty odor, it doesn’t disrupt his sleep. Yet, his sleep on the first night was anything but smooth. It wasn’t due to any issues with his own sleep but rather because of a faint noise outside. The plants within his body became active, stimulating his brain and pulling him out of deep sleep. Opening his eyes, he noticed small green sprouts appearing on his arm. "Are the plants in my body sensing danger?" Just then— A soft scraping sound came from outside the door, clearly not from the innkeeper. 'I’m the only guest staying in this entire inn. There are two possibilities for the source of that sound: either it's the 'Sister' confined in the end room, or an unexpected visitor from outside.' He briefly considered the incident of pushing the sheriff into the lake, thinking it might’ve drawn trouble his way. But Yi Chen didn’t move. Instead, he hid his silver axe under the bedding and continued pretending to sleep. Rushing out recklessly could lead to him being trapped in the inn. In contrast, his small, familiar guest room, with its window always accessible, was an advantage. The noise in the corridor was faint, but in the silence of the night, he could clearly make it out—a sharp scraping sound against the wooden floor. Soon, the sound stopped in front of his door, replaced by a metallic click, as if someone were picking the lock. Click. The old lock was easily opened. A shadow with a feminine silhouette stood at the door. She slipped her slender fingers into her mouth, coated them in thick saliva from her tongue, and applied it to the rusty door hinges. The saliva dripped down, pooling onto the floor. Once the hinges were fully lubricated, she pushed the door open without a sound. As she stepped inside, the figure leaped and climbed the ceiling like a lizard… The mucus coating her body seemed to enable her to cling effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, she had crawled from the door to the head of Yi Chen’s bed, her black crystal-like eyes fixed on the stranger staying in the inn. Her long black hair hung beside his face, motionless. Perhaps it was a liking for his handsome face, or maybe she was just hungry… Drip. A droplet of saliva fell onto the blanket covering Yi Chen’s neck. The staring lasted for five whole minutes. She seemed convinced the young man in bed was sound asleep. The shadow continued her descent, climbing down the wall and inching closer to the sleeping man. When only a meter remained between them, a tongue—longer than that of any normal human—extended from her mouth, lightly licking the young man’s face. At the same time, Yi Chen gripped his silver axe tightly, calming his mind. 'Wait! It’s not the right moment yet.' He planned to strike the instant she moved closer or showed any sign of aggression, ready to open his eyes and sever her head in a single blow. After a few more licks, the shadow seemed inclined to continue her descent. Yi Chen’s moment was almost upon him. The sudden sound of footsteps in leather shoes broke the tension, followed by the innkeeper’s voice, lowered in an attempt at a scolding whisper. “Kadacy, stop it! This is one of our rare guests. Don’t disturb his rest… Just live as you normally would unless instructed otherwise. If you’re hungry, I’ll bring you a fish later.” The scolding brought the shadow to a halt. She hesitated, then slowly began to retreat, like a child caught misbehaving, crawling back toward the door with her head bowed. Once his "sister" had fully left the room… The boss continued to stand at the doorway, staring intently at the sleeping Yi Chen, as if trying to confirm something. About a minute later, he gently closed the door. Click The sound of the door locking was audible. Yi Chen exhaled the breath he had been holding, his palm, gripping the axe handle, was soaked with sweat. “What on earth is going on…” Just then, he felt an itch on the cheek that had been licked earlier. When he reached up to touch it, he found a few small, scaly patches starting to grow. Yi Chen wasn’t in a rush. He waited a while before quietly heading to the bathroom. In the mirror, tiny, shiny scales appeared on both sides of his cheeks, with signs they would continue growing and spreading. As Yi Chen pondered how to handle it, whether to forcibly remove the scales, small plant sprouts began growing from within his cheeks, pushing out the fish-like scales rooted in his skin, which subsequently fell off. “Hm? Is the infected trait within me rejecting an external infection?” Just then, a small creature on his shoulder, Little Grape, poked its head out and commented on what had just happened in the room: “Strange, huh? It just left without attacking you. With this type of ‘parasitic disease,’ it's rare for it to have any ‘self-awareness,’ let alone for it to hold back with its target right in front of it… it was able to suppress the urge to infect a living being. The brother and sister running this inn seem to be quite unique. Perhaps their ‘grape’ will taste rather good.” Yi Chen didn’t say much, and after ensuring all the scales on his face had fallen off, he returned to bed. Reflecting on the events that had just occurred, he fell asleep once again. … Knock knock knock! A knocking sound woke Yi Chen. By then, it was the next morning, with sunlight streaming through the window onto him. Dragging his weary mind, he opened the door. It was the innkeeper, holding a whole roasted fish. Despite its poor presentation, it emitted a rich, appetizing aroma. seaʀᴄh thё Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “This is your complimentary lunch. A reminder—the time is almost noon. If you’re here for an investigation, you’d better get to it.” “Mm.” Yi Chen accepted the meal, plucking out the fish’s eyes to feed Little Grape first. “This fish is ‘clean,’ safe to eat.” With Little Grape’s assurance, he finally ate it without worry. After eating, he changed into a sharp-looking outfit. By then, it was afternoon. In the Green Lake area, there was a free boating event being offered to tourists. When Yi Chen arrived at the lakeshore, it was already packed with townsfolk and tourists. “So lively… seems like everyone is actively investigating the town’s mysteries.” There was a long line at the boat rental point. Yi Chen could only wait at the end of the line. Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind him, “Oh dear, are we late? There’s already such a crowd… huh? What a coincidence!” Blonde-haired Edmund and his two teammates had arrived just then. “Mm.” Yi Chen responded briefly, without even turning around. Edmund didn’t push further or make trouble. While they waited in line, he casually chatted with his companions. Another detail caught Yi Chen’s attention. Edmund went up to some returning tourists from the lake, engaging them in small talk and shaking hands or patting shoulders in friendly contact. These casual gestures were, in fact, a way to check whether the tourists were infected, assessing the safety of the lake activity. When he returned to the line, he spoke in a low voice, loud enough for Yi Chen to overhear, “The lake outing doesn’t seem to be dangerous. Just enjoy yourself.” Coincidentally, The boat’s capacity was four, and it was finally their turn. Yi Chen was forced to board a small pedal boat with the group. The boat was simply painted white. A man wearing a green work uniform, rubber boots, and a blank expression was on the boat—different from the one Yi Chen had seen the previous night. “Before setting off, remember these four rules: 1. Everyone must participate in pedaling the boat. 2. If you hear any calls that aren’t from people on the boat, do not respond. 3. Absolutely do not touch the lake water. 4. In the event of someone falling overboard, the boat will not perform any rescue and will immediately leave the area.”