Chapter 219: The Sea God Can’t Be Killed
With three pairs of eyes on him, Zhou Shiqing took a bite of rice and quickly gave his evaluation: “Same!”
“Same as what?” Shi Mei asked, her face full of curiosity.
“Same as the lunch we had today—equally delicious,” Xuan Xia answered for him.
Shi Mei’s attention shifted to Xuan Xia, her eyes wide round, her tone even more surprised. “Your lunch today? Whose house hosted you?”
If she explained truthfully, it would take too long to tell. If she made something up on the spot, it would be too tiring.
So Xuan Xia decided to change the topic directly.
She thought of the Program Group staff they still hadn’t found, and simply asked Shi Mei if she had seen any strangers besides them today.
She also briefly described the approximate heights and builds of several staff members.
Shi Mei shook her head quickly and said very affirmatively: “Haven’t seen any.”
She explained further: “Our place here is so small—if strangers came, everyone would know.”
She said it so affirmatively, but what Xuan Xia and the others were thinking was that the other people in the town had treated them like they were invisible—could Shi Mei really ensure that “everyone” knew?
However, Xuan Xia didn’t dwell further on the staff. It was best if Shi Mei hadn’t seen them—at least it meant those staff members, unlike Zhou Shiqing, hadn’t seen the three-headed snake, reducing their risk of being eaten by it.
Moreover, she had just asked Shi Mei if they still worshiped other deities here, and Shi Mei had said there were no other deities, so the safety factor for those staff members had increased quite a bit.
They had circled this small town several times already and still hadn’t seen anyone, so those few people must really not be in the town—maybe they were elsewhere.
Xuan Xia felt that obtaining this information was enough.
But Zhou Shiqing was different. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Xuan Xia carried more probing.
Xuan Xia noticed but ignored it, continuing to talk to Shi Mei and asking about her neighbors.
The topic was gradually linking those neighbors and the people participating in the sacrifice in the beach cave.
Just when it was one step away from making the connection, Shi Mei suddenly fired off questions rapidly: “How did you get here? By boat? Where is your boat docked? Can you take me away with you?”
There were too many questions, so Xuan Xia picked the last one to answer: “You want to leave?”
Shi Mei nodded repeatedly.
Xuan Xia continued: “Why do you want to leave? Isn’t this your home? If you leave here, where do you want to go? Also, you trust us so much, willing to go with us just like that?”
Shi Mei was stumped by Xuan Xia’s string of questions.
She stared fixedly at Xuan Xia for a good while before speaking seriously: “I believe you are good people.”
At the end of her answer, Shi Mei’s line of sight shifted back to Zhou Shiqing’s face. This answer seemed like it was specifically for Zhou Shiqing alone.
Zhou Shiqing: “…” It really wasn’t necessary to look at him every time.
Because of Shi Mei’s line of sight, Xuan Xia and Chang Xi also looked at Zhou Shiqing.
Chang Xi chuckled, looking like they were enjoying the spectacle.
Xuan Xia also curved the corner of her mouth, reasking the question she had just posed: “Then tell me, why do you want to leave here? If your answer satisfies us, we’ll take you with us.”
Shi Mei quickly looked back at Xuan Xia and then began to ponder.
After a long while, she softly uttered a few words: “If I don’t leave, I’ll die.”
Xuan Xia raised an eyebrow, as if asking what she meant by that.
Shi Mei furrowed her brows, her face full of conflict.
Xuan Xia watched her patiently.
This time, Shi Mei didn’t stay silent for long before explaining the reason: “The Sea God cannot be killed, and believers blessed by the Sea God cannot be killed either.”
“Only the Sea God can kill believers. But the Sea God cannot be killed.”
“Tomorrow when the sun rises, the Sea God will revive too.”
Shi Mei’s words came out one by one. Though she didn’t say much, Xuan Xia understood.
Xuan Xia hadn’t expected such a situation. Was this why she couldn’t leave this Illusionary Scenery?
“So the people who greeted you tonight were indeed the ones participating in the sacrifice in the cave?”
Shi Mei nodded.
“Dead and revived? The people trying to kill you one second are chatting casually with you the next, and you can converse so freely?” Chang Xi propped their cheek on one hand, looking at Shi Mei with great interest.
Shi Mei gave a wry smile and answered softly: “Because I’m used to it. Everyone forgets what happens during the sacrifice.”
This answer made sense.
But Chang Xi had a new question: “Only that snake… the Sea God can kill believers. It must kill at least three believers at a time, right? How has your place not been eaten clean by it yet?”
Chang Xi’s question was also what Xuan Xia was thinking. She was very curious too.
Soon Shi Mei explained to both of them.
“Sacrifices don’t happen every day,” Shi Mei said. “They only happen when strangers arrive here.”
Then Shi Mei added: “Not every sacrifice requires offering three people. Usually one is enough. I don’t know why it was three this time.”
Xuan Xia felt this information was very worth pondering.
The next second, Chang Xi said in a joking tone: “Maybe because of us? We’re exactly three people.”
Xuan Xia gave her a glance.
Say what you will, Chang Xi was still counting themselves among the “people.”
Chang Xi read Xuan Xia’s look and immediately wrinkled their nose at her.
Xuan Xia withdrew her gaze and continued sorting through what Shi Mei had said.
Sacrifices only when strangers come—the fewer people who come, the fewer offered; the more who come, the more offered?
It sounded like a means to maintain balance.
Thinking this, Xuan Xia asked again: “What happens in the end to the strangers who come here? Do they stay or leave?”
Shi Mei said: “Of course they all stay. They have nowhere else to go.”
“You too?” Xuan Xia suddenly asked.
Shi Mei was stunned, caught off guard by Xuan Xia’s question.
After thinking for a moment, she stammered: “I-I was b-born here.”
Xuan Xia said “oh” and then set down her chopsticks. “I’m done eating.”
Because she was talking to Shi Mei, she had eaten this meal very slowly. Unlike Chang Xi and Zhou Shiqing, she had finished all the rice in her bowl.
It was her words that made Shi Mei and Zhou Shiqing realize she had actually finished a whole bowl of rice.
Chang Xi immediately gave her a look of strong disapproval.
What a big heart—daring to finish the rice in Illusionary Scenery, not afraid that finishing it meant staying here for good.
Shi Mei looked at her empty bowl and stammered: “Do you w-want more?”
“No need, I’m full.”
“Oh, oh.”
After that, Xuan Xia asked no more questions. Shi Mei cleared the bowl and chopsticks and retreated to the kitchen to wash them.
Confirming Shi Mei was busy in the kitchen, Zhou Shiqing tapped the table twice with two bent fingers, drawing Xuan Xia and Chang Xi’s attention.
“Which of you will summarize the current situation with me?”
