novellhall Chapter 15 [The Painted Skin Inn]
Chapter 15 [The Painted Skin Inn]
[Soul Weakness (Stacked): 0 hours 01 minutes remaining]
As the last trace of cold, stagnant feeling receded from the depths of his bones like a tide, Lu Qingfeng suddenly opened his eyes in the rattan chair.
I took a deep breath, and an unprecedented feeling of ease spread through my limbs and bones.
It was no longer the heaviness or weakness of being hollowed out, but rather as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
My body felt light and clear again, full of power.
The accumulated weakness has finally ended!
He clenched his fists instinctively, his knuckles cracking louder and more forceful than before.
"call……"
Lu Qingfeng exhaled a long breath of stale air, the white vapor condensing into a straight line in the slightly chilly air.
The relief of surviving the ordeal was fleeting; what mattered more was the sense of control that came with regained strength and the ability to plan for the future.
The torment of double weakness left him with lingering fear, but it also made his desire for power even more urgent.
He immediately brought up the integrated network panel.
The "Daily Challenge" option is still flashing, but the instance name has changed:
[Daily Challenge: Painted Skin Inn]
[Instance Type: Supernatural/Survival]
[Instance Description: In the desolate wilderness, a lone lamp flickers. An inn, its air thick with the aroma of meat, a few waiters with enigmatic smiles, and the proprietress whose voice is always heard but never seen. It's late, sir. Would you like a room?]
[Dungeon Monster: Painted Skin Demon (Human Form/Skinned Form)]
[Instance Mission: Survive until dawn, or uncover the truth behind the inn.]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Medium (Dynamically adjusted based on player level)]
[Dungeon Rewards: 150 Disaster Coins, 300 Universal Experience (depending on quest completion), 1 Random Item (Green-Blue)]
[Warning: Illusions abound; guard your mind. Beneath the skin lies a demon.]
[Teleportation in progress 10...9...8...]
"Painted Skin Inn..."
Lu Qingfeng murmured the name, his brows slightly furrowed.
The name itself exudes an eerie aura.
Based on the description and warnings, it is clearly a copy that leans towards the supernatural, illusions, and mind effects.
This is completely different from the head-on clashes he had experienced before with the "Goblin Scourge" and the "Goblin Horde".
Strength, physique, and close-combat skills are his current strengths, but his mental resistance and ability to counter illusions...
Aside from the newly acquired [Unyielding Will] feat, which provides +1 to Mental Resistance and Willpower Checks, there don't seem to be any particularly relevant skills.
"This is a bit troublesome."
Lu Qingfeng quickly assessed the situation.
He recalled a post he had seen on the forum about a response to a question about a weak soul.
And the necromancer's warning about "the Red Moon being a mark of high-ranking power."
The secret passage in the Red Moon instance is temporarily unexplorable, but the [Painted Skin Inn] in front of us is clearly not a safe place either.
He needs every means to increase his chances of winning.
According to a fellow member of the [Multiverse Players Forum] who is also from the Eastern side, Lu Qingfeng began his preliminary preparations.
"Jolyne!"
He shouted.
"Hey! Boss, what's up?"
Jolyne poked her head out from the front hall.
Go buy me something, and hurry.
Lu Qingfeng quickly recited a string of names:
"Vermilion, the higher the purity the better! Realgar powder! If you have any black dog blood on hand, get some too... Oh, and bring a few bundles of sturdy red rope!"
Jolyne was stunned: "Boss, are you... going to perform a ritual?"
He recalled the inhuman power he had experienced that morning, and looking at the list again, he felt even more that his boss was mysterious and unpredictable.
"Don't ask, just go!"
Lu Qingfeng's tone left no room for argument.
While Xu Lun was away, Lu Qingfeng was not idle either.
He rummaged through his tactical backpack and found several empty small glass bottles, some gasoline, and strips of cloth.
Molotov cocktail 2.0 is a great helper for physical exorcism, and it may have miraculous effects on dealing with all kinds of demons and monsters.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the dark and heavy [Chongyue].
Physical attacks may not be effective against spirits?
However, the [Collapse] effect of [Chongyue] ignores armor, provides armor penetration by shattering, and has a tearing effect that can cause true damage by shattering.
Perhaps, a sufficiently powerful force inherently possesses the attribute of dispelling evil?
At least, it's more than enough to deal with physical monsters that need to disguise themselves with a disguise.
"With a weapon in hand, I feel calm."
He gripped Chongyue's cold hilt tightly, its heavy weight bringing a sense of security.
With a thought, the heavy sword was put into his backpack.
Soon, Jolyne came running back, panting, carrying a large bag of things.
"Boss, cinnabar and realgar powder are easy to find, but black dog blood is really hard to find on the spot. I went to several pet stores and vegetable markets but couldn't find any live ones... So I bought a lot of rooster blood, because the boss said it has strong yang energy! I also bought a mirror and red string."
"Rooster blood is fine too, thank you for your hard work."
"Go open the door again. I'm going to the backyard to prepare something. I'll be back in a bit."
Lu Qingfeng took the items and walked towards the backyard to begin processing the props.
He used a knife to scrape the cinnabar block into a fine powder, mixed it with realgar powder, carefully poured it into several small glass bottles, added the viscous rooster blood, and finally sealed the bottle openings with a strip of cloth soaked in gasoline.
Several simple firecrackers for warding off evil spirits were made.
Then, he quickly wove the red rope into a simple net.
After doing all that, he casually clicked the portal button for the instance.
[Teleportation in progress 10...9...8...]
[Teleportation complete]
The damp, chilly air instantly replaced the dust and smell of old books in the bookstore's backyard.
Lu Qingfeng stood at the end of a muddy path, with a solitary two-story wooden building in front of him.
The night was as thick as ink, with only a dim yellow lantern hanging on the crooked lintel of the inn, swaying in the night wind and casting eerie shadows.
The light barely illuminated the faded signboard—[Yuelai Inn].
The stench of decaying wooden buildings mingled with an indescribable, cloyingly sweet aroma of meat, seeping into our nostrils.
"Waaah...waaah..."
The mournful cry of an owl echoed from the distant, withered woods, adding to the eeriness of the scene.
Lu Qingfeng took a deep breath, and a scorching aura rose from his dantian, like a furnace being ignited, instantly dispelling the chill of the environment.
His body was filled with powerful blood and energy, which surged through his meridians. A faint blush appeared under his skin, pushing away the surrounding evil energy.
Although the concept of Qi and Blood seems to have been forgotten and doesn't even appear on the attribute panel, there is no doubt that Lu Qingfeng's Qi and Blood are absolutely powerful.
He didn't step forward immediately, but quickly scanned his surroundings:
The muddy path stretched into the darkness, with waist-high weeds on both sides, and the shadowy backyard could be vaguely seen behind the inn.
He tightened his grip on the tactical pouch containing his homemade "evil-repelling Molotov cocktail" (a mixture of cinnabar, realgar, rooster blood, and gasoline) and a red rope net bag.
The Chongyue Sword was not taken out, but kept in a state where it could be accessed from the backpack at any time.
"Sir/Madam~ It's late and the dew is heavy, please come in and rest your feet~"
A high-pitched, slick voice suddenly rang out, carrying an inhuman seductive charm.