The town appeared to be thriving, and at that moment, Zhang Nu began to doubt Lin Xiao’s earlier warning.
Maybe Lin Xiao had simply overreacted. After all, he had completely forgotten about his own statement right after saying it. Perhaps, this time, his instincts had been wrong.
“Zhang Nu, I didn’t expect Apricot Spring Town to be this lively,” Liu Hai said. “It’s just that we arrived at the wrong time. If we had come during the apricot blossom season, the view would have been even better.”
Zhang Nu nodded in agreement. If they had arrived earlier or later in the year, they might have seen Apricot Spring Town at its most beautiful.
But Lin Xiao frowned, deep in thought. This place didn’t feel right to him. It was completely different from what he had sensed before, almost as if something had changed drastically. It felt like they had stepped into a different place altogether, leaving Lin Xiao deeply unsettled.
“Lin Xiao, I told you not to jump to conclusions so quickly,” Liu Hai said with a smirk. “Look around, Apricot Spring Town is perfectly fine. There’s nothing unusual about it.”
But Lin Xiao remained silent, his brow furrowed. Seeing this, Zhang Nu sighed. Liu Hai was being too harsh—everyone made mistakes, and Lin Xiao’s instincts, while sharp, weren’t infallible.
“Alright, let’s not dwell on this,” Zhang Nu said. “Let’s go in and take a look around. We can see for ourselves if there’s anything unusual.”
Liu Hai, realizing there was no point in teasing Lin Xiao further, dropped the subject and followed Zhang Nu into the town.
As they walked through the streets, the town’s warmth and vibrancy became even more apparent. People moved about with cheerful smiles, their expressions full of contentment as if they had no worries in the world.
Zhang Nu and Liu Hai couldn’t help but relax at the sight, even smiling themselves.
But Lin Xiao… he was different. His expression remained tense, his brow furrowed as if he was struggling to make sense of something.
“Lin Xiao, can you lighten up a little?” Liu Hai asked, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you walking around like you’re mourning someone? No one here is your enemy.”
But Lin Xiao didn’t react. Something about Apricot Spring Town felt… off.
It looked full of life, but beneath that vibrancy, there was an eerie stillness—a presence of death lingering in the air.
“You really don’t feel it?” Lin Xiao finally spoke, his voice low. “This town is too lively. It looks full of life, but underneath, the stink of death lingers.”
His words were firm, but Zhang Nu and Liu Hai were unconvinced. They had learned to trust Lin Xiao’s instincts, but this time, it was hard to believe him. Everything they could see told them that this place was alive and thriving.
“Lin Xiao, look around you,” Liu Hai said, exasperated. “Everything is right in front of you—people are walking, talking, smiling. How can there be ‘death’ in a place like this?”
Liu Hai was losing patience. If Lin Xiao had sensed something, why couldn’t he just say it outright instead of making vague, cryptic statements?
Lin Xiao sighed, lowering his gaze. It was clear that Zhang Nu and Liu Hai didn’t believe him. So how could he make them see what he saw?
Zhang Nu, noticing the tension, chose not to intervene. Instead, he remained silent, letting the conversation settle.
Lin Xiao also stopped pressing the issue. There was no point in arguing if they didn’t believe him.
“Let’s just find a place to stay for the night,” Zhang Nu finally said. “The sun will set soon, and we don’t want to be wandering around when it’s dark.”
They searched the town for nearly half an hour, but something was strange—there wasn’t a single inn in sight. Zhang Nu frowned. A town this beautiful should have been filled with inns and guesthouses. It was a prime stop for travelers.
So why were there none?
“Why doesn’t this town have a single inn?” Zhang Nu muttered. “Shouldn’t a place like this have plenty of them?”
Liu Hai shook his head, equally puzzled.
Meanwhile, as nightfall approached, Lin Xiao’s unease deepened. His body was visibly tense, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings as if expecting something to happen.
“Lin Xiao, what’s wrong?” Zhang Nu asked, noticing his anxiety.
“You’re getting more nervous by the second.”
Zhang Nu had always been observant, and he could tell something was seriously bothering Lin Xiao. But what? Even when they had entered Ghost Cry Forest, Lin Xiao had never seemed this unsettled.
Lin Xiao knew Zhang Nu and Liu Hai wouldn’t believe him, so he remained silent. There was no point in explaining. They would find out soon enough.