You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 519 Must escape immediately!

Seeing the horrified expression on Tang Yin's face, the strange old man suddenly grinned, a smile that looked particularly strange on his wrinkled face. His eyes flashed with a cunning light, as if he had just completed a prank.

"The wolf is coming, the wolf is coming, hehehehehe..." The old man's voice was like the snoring of an old bellows, with a creepy joy.

His body began to tremble, like a dead leaf swaying in the wind. It wasn't from the cold or fear, but from a kind of excitement bordering on insanity. Before Tang Yin could react, the old man suddenly turned and staggered away. His hunched back cast a long shadow in the moonlight, like a stalking beast.

Tang Yin stood there, silent. His mind seemed frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The night breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness that made him shiver involuntarily.

At this moment, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the silence of the night. Wang Lina came trotting back, her long hair gleaming softly in the moonlight, and a look of apology on her face.

"Is it too late?" Wang Lina asked breathlessly, with a hint of worry in her voice.

Tang Yin came back to his senses and looked at her blankly: "What do you mean too late?"

Wang Lina looked at Tang Yin's expression and seemed to understand something. She said softly, "Don't take it to heart. This grandfather likes to tease strangers like this."

Tang Yin frowned slightly and asked, "Hey? Is he your grandfather?"

Wang Lina shook her head and explained with a wry smile: "Of course not, no one knows his name. He has lived in the Hidden Mist Village for a long time and has always looked like this."

Tang Yin nodded thoughtfully: "Dementia?... How should I put it, he's a little strange."

Wang Lina sighed softly. "Well, everyone in the village calls him 'Master Wolf' because he's always saying things like 'Wolf, wolf, wolf,'"

Tang Yin fell into deep thought. As far as he knew, there were no wild wolves in the area; they had been hunted to extinction decades ago. For the people of this city today, the image of the wolf came primarily from Western mythology, rather than from the reality of culture and life.

For example, "The Wolf Boy" is a European fairy tale. Tang Yin couldn't help but wonder why the old man repeated the lines from the fairy tale. Besides dementia, was there any other possibility?

After thinking about it, Tang Yin smiled and shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the issue. "Never mind, let's get on with repairing the car," he muttered to himself.

Under the moonlight, Tang Yin returned to his work repairing the car. He carefully removed the inner tubes and found that both were punctured by rusty nails. He picked up the kettle, wet the inner tubes, and carefully applied tire sealant while pumping air into them.

"It will be fine as long as we fill it until no bubbles appear." Tang Yin muttered to himself, observing the inner tube intently.

Time ticked by, and the moon quietly climbed to the highest point in the night sky. Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Tang Yin breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Done," he said softly, a satisfied smile on his face.

……

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Lina, standing beside him, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.

The surrounding clamor gradually dissipated. The students left school, and the villagers who had been watching also left one after another. Only Tang Yin and Wang Lina were left in the square. A subtle atmosphere hung in the air. Tang Yin glanced at Wang Lina, thinking that she must be very bored, staying here with a stranger to repair a car.

"It seems to be almost repaired." Tang Yin broke the silence, with a hint of fatigue in his voice.

Wang Lina's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she said in disbelief, "Oh, no way, I thought it was hopeless."

Tang Yin smiled slightly and pointed at the car: "Okay, just put the tire back on."

"Can we set off then?" Wang Lina asked, with a barely perceptible complex emotion in her tone.

Tang Yin nodded, his voice calm: "Well, I will leave the village as soon as possible."

"Well, that's good." Wang Lina replied lightly, without any sense of nostalgia in her voice.

When Tang Yin heard this answer, he sighed inwardly.

It seems there is no hope, he thought.

This mysterious girl seemed unconcerned about his departure.

The night breeze blew gently, bringing with it the faint chirping of insects in the distance. Wang Lina suddenly spoke, breaking the silence: "You've been repairing it for several hours now, right? Are you okay? Are you tired?"

Tang Yin looked up at her and couldn't help but complain: "Have you forgotten who took my lunch?"

Wang Lina was slightly stunned, then retorted: "Didn't I give you cookies?"

Tang Yin secretly complained in his heart, how could that kind of thing possibly satisfy a young person's appetite? But he didn't say it out loud, just sighed: "Don't worry, I'm fine, I'll fix it soon, you can go back first, everyone should know me by now."

Wang Lina shook her head, her long hair shimmering softly in the moonlight: "There are two other people in the village whom you haven't met."

Tang Yin was a little confused: "Really? But there's no need to meet everyone."

"Should I stay here?" Wang Lina didn't answer Tang Yin, but smiled slightly. "Anyway, I came back to kill time. It would be boring even if I go back."

Tang Yin raised his eyebrows and said half-jokingly, "Don't you have fifty-two boyfriends?"

Wang Lina was stunned for a moment, then gave a slightly awkward smile. "Well, actually, I came back to enjoy my isolated life. It's really troublesome to have fifty-two boyfriends emailing me at the same time."

"Really?" There was obvious doubt in Tang Yin's tone.

Wang Lina was silent for a while, and suddenly said: "Sorry, I lied."

Tang Yin felt helpless: "Why do you have to tell such a lie?"

"How should I put it, restrain?" Wang Lina's answer was ambiguous, and a hint of subtle hesitation flashed in her eyes.

Tang Yin was completely confused about this girl.

Since you have decided to keep your distance, why suddenly confess when you are about to say goodbye?
He looked at Wang Lina's face, trying to read some information from her expression, but there was only a thin veil of mystery on that delicate face.

Under the moonlight, the atmosphere between the two grew more subtle. Tang Yin felt as if he had touched the edge of a puzzle, yet he couldn't fully grasp the whole picture. Wang Lina's behavior confused him, yet inexplicably attracted him.

A long, drawn-out cry of a wild beast pierced the night's silence. Tang Yin couldn't help but glance in the direction of the sound. Mist shrouded the area, as if hiding countless secrets. He suddenly realized that perhaps Wang Lina was just like this Hidden Mist Village: calm on the surface, yet turbulent within.

"You know what," Tang Yin said slowly, his gaze still fixed on the distant mist, "sometimes lies can better reflect a person's true nature than the truth."

When Wang Lina heard this, a flash of surprise flashed in her eyes, but then she regained her composure. She said softly, "So, what kind of person do you think I am?"

Tang Yin turned his head and looked directly into Wang Lina's eyes: "A person full of mysteries, just like this village."

……

Wang Lina suddenly asked back: "Um, did you really break up with your girlfriend?"

Tang Yin was stunned for a moment, then answered firmly: "Really."

"Well...is that so?" A hint of cunning flashed in Wang Lina's eyes, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

Tang Yin's heart moved, and he thought to himself, the other party has already said so, if I don't take the initiative, it would be too unromantic.

He took a deep breath, pointed at his motorcycle, and said nonchalantly, "How about getting on and trying it out?" Wang Lina blinked and asked in surprise, "Hey? Can it seat two people?"

"Of course," Tang Yin replied with a smile, "but the spare helmet hasn't dried yet."

The night breeze blew gently, bringing with it the faint chirping of insects in the distance. Tang Yin suddenly became serious, looking directly into Wang Lina's eyes: "I'm leaving, Miss Wang Lina, would you like to ride on my motorcycle and come with me?"

Wang Lina was slightly startled, and Tang Yin struck while the iron was hot and continued, "By the way, why not go on a long road trip with me? As long as we have time, we can go wherever we want."

As Tang Yin spoke, he exuded a wild charm and tactfully proposed a date. He felt that his performance was perfect and was full of confidence.

In the moonlight, Wang Lina's face looked particularly mysterious. A subtle glint of depth flashed in her eyes. "...Yeah, it seems like a lot of fun."

Tang Yin let out an excited "Oh" and his heart beat faster.

"Okay, I'll go pack my bags." Wang Lina smiled and turned away, heading towards the dormitory. Her long hair shone softly in the moonlight, and her steps were as light as a dance.

After a few steps, she suddenly turned back with a hint of mischief in her eyes: "Better hurry up, before I change my mind."

Tang Yin quickly responded: "Okay, okay, of course."

Watching Wang Lina's receding figure, Tang Yin thought to himself, "Okay, just hold on a little longer." He had never imagined that this journey, which had been launched to heal his sorrow, would unexpectedly yield such sweet rewards.

If I travel with her, I can definitely let go of those painful memories. And, maybe there will be a chance to develop further with this smart girl.

Tang Yin continued to install the tire while dreaming of a bright future. The repair work proceeded smoothly. The sky was slowly dyed red by the setting sun, as if the whole world was shrouded in a warm halo.

……

However, as time went on, Tang Yin's mood began to become complicated.

It was almost dark, and he definitely wouldn't have time to leave today. Tang Yin wondered if Wang Lina would change her mind. His life had been quite a bumpy one.

The square, which was bustling with people just now, was now empty without anyone noticing.

The wind, the croaking of frogs, and the creaking of repairs—other than that, there was no other sound, as if the space were empty. This sudden silence made Tang Yin feel a little uneasy.

As the night deepened, the surrounding scenery began to blur. The distant woods seemed like a giant black beast, silently looking down at the lonely mechanic. Tang Yin's hands began to tremble slightly, and sweat dripped from his forehead.

Suddenly, a strange thought came into his mind:

"We must escape immediately. If we don't escape now, we'll never be able to escape again!"

This inexplicable feeling made Tang Yin's heart tighten.

He stopped what he was doing and looked around warily.

The square was deserted, with only the rustling of leaves in the breeze.

What the hell is this sixth sense? Is there a monster here?

He shook his head, trying to dispel these absurd thoughts. "Don't let your imagination run wild," Tang Yin muttered to himself, "It's just an ordinary village."

But that uneasy feeling lingered.

Tang Yin took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on repairing the motorcycle. The motorcycle's tire was already mostly installed, and only needed to be adjusted a little.

However, whenever he lowered his head to focus on repairing the car, he always felt that something was watching him from behind. Tang Yin couldn't help but look back again and again, but each time he could only see the empty square and the vague shadows of trees in the distance.

"Calm down, Tang Yin," he said to himself, "You are just too tired and hallucinating."

But deep down, a faint voice kept reminding him that something was wrong here. Wang Lina's mysterious attitude, the villagers' strange behavior, and the suddenly quiet and deserted square...all of these made him feel uneasy.

Tang Yin's hands unconsciously quickened their pace, hoping to repair the motorcycle as soon as possible. For some reason, he felt that as long as he could ride this motorcycle, he could escape this unsettling place.

……

Suddenly, a faint sound came from afar, breaking the silence of the night.

That's singing.

The singing of a girl.

Soft and ethereal, as if from another world.

Tang Yin subconsciously stopped what he was doing, put down his tools, and looked in the direction of the sound. An inexplicable attraction pulled him, as if an invisible thread was calling him.

Was he drawn in by the human presence? Or had he sensed some fatal incongruity, or perhaps a sense of crisis? Alarm bells rang in Tang Yin's heart, but his feet kept moving forward uncontrollably.

He walked through the lush grass and down the winding mountain road. The singing became clearer and clearer, as if guiding him to some unknown destination. Tang Yin's heartbeat quickened, his breathing became rapid, but he could not stop.

Finally, after passing through the last bush, a spectacular sight came into view.

God's Guardian Beast

It was a wasteland covered in weeds, with countless standing rocks protruding from the cracks in the grass. Unlike the standing rocks that dotted the Hidden Mist Village, these were only about half a person's height, standing silently in the wilderness like tombstones.

"A whale carries fish in its mouth, looking east and west."

As far as the eye could see, this graveyard-like wasteland stretched endlessly toward the horizon, stained red by the setting sun, until it was cut off by a cliff. Below the cliff lay the lowest level of the Hidden Mist Village, the dividing line known as the Divine River. At the edge of the cliff stood a large pine tree, standing alone between heaven and earth.

"The salt miners return from the wild waves"

In the setting sun, the shadows of the standing rock and pine trees swayed in the wind along with the wild grass, creating a strange yet beautiful scene. Tang Yin felt dazed, as if he were in another world.

At that moment, a little girl ran toward Tang Yin. She staggered, as if fleeing from something terrifying. At that moment, this space became another world. Like a painting, it formed a perfect, otherworldly spectacle.

Tang Yin suddenly had a feeling that this was a very special place.

This is a holy place where outsiders are forbidden to enter, or in other words, a magical realm.

The girl fell down, and Tang Yin hurried forward and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"

He decisively approached the little girl and reached out his hand to help her up. Only then did Tang Yin see the girl's appearance clearly.

It was a purple-haired little girl, about seven or eight years old. She had long, smooth purple hair with slightly curled ends, which shimmered softly in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The little girl raised her head, looked at Tang Yin with her big watery eyes, and said softly, "Me?"

(End of this chapter)