“Boss, this thing is amazing! Where did you get it? Did it drop from a dungeon? It feels even more effective than the Spring of Life!” The teammates fired questions one after another.
The [Spring of Life] sold in the system mall had the power to revive the dead, but it was extremely expensive and required the highest level to purchase. So far, no player had qualified to buy it—not even the guild leaders of the three major guilds were eligible.
Qian Ming’s wounds gradually healed, and he felt as if he had been reborn. Moving his body, he exclaimed in delight, “I’m healed!” He looked up at Pu Yunfeng and asked excitedly, “Boss, did you use a talisman on me?”
Seeing his recovery, Pu Yunfeng’s face broke into a smile again. “I was just about to tell you all about this. I entered an Incense Shop…”
He recounted his experience at the Incense Shop and distributed a Cleansing Talisman to each teammate. He also set a rule: everyone must stick together in the dungeon, no one should go off alone, and the talismans were not to be used unless absolutely necessary.
Having witnessed the effects of the Cleansing Talisman firsthand, the teammates were overjoyed to each receive one. It was a treasure comparable to the [Spring of Life]—something that could save their lives!
Originally, when they entered the dungeon with the deputy leader, they had mentally prepared themselves for not making it out alive. Now, learning there was hope for survival, they were all elated.
“Boss, you’re so lucky! We’re saved!”
Pu Yunfeng also felt fortunate. Otherwise, how could he have encountered the Incense Shop at such a critical moment?
“Can we go buy talismans too?” a teammate asked eagerly, looking at Pu Yunfeng. The talismans were so effective and only required trading a skill or item—it was like manna from heaven. They wanted to stock up for future use.
Pu Yunfeng turned and pointed at the open door of the Waxwork Museum. “Can you see the Incense Shop outside?”
The teammates strained their eyes but eventually shook their heads in disappointment.
Pu Yunfeng sighed. “I can’t see it anymore either.”
This had been a unique encounter for him. He couldn’t help but wonder: Could the Incense Shop be the hope for players like them, trapped in the Infinite Flow World with no way home?
Thinking of the two strikingly handsome shop owners, a vague thought crossed his mind: Perhaps… those two could rival the master of the Infinite Flow World…
The teammates were somewhat disheartened but quickly rallied. At least the boss had obtained the talismans, and they could survive this ordeal!
Qian Ming noticed something else in Pu Yunfeng’s hand and asked curiously, “Boss, what’s that?”
Pu Yunfeng glanced down at the Incense Paper Money. “It’s also from the Incense Shop. I don’t know what it does yet.”
Even if it had no effect, it didn’t matter—he had already obtained the life-saving talismans.
Just as they were basking in their joy, a teammate suddenly shouted, “Someone’s coming!”
Instantly, everyone tensed up and assumed combat stances.
The plot of this instance is quite straightforward: a waxwork museum has opened, attracting many ‘people’ to visit, and the players are among them. The instance has no rules and requires no deduction; players simply need to stay for seven full days before they can leave. However, all the visiting ‘people’ are NPCs, and players must always be wary of them turning into wax figures. The problem is, the exhibition-viewing NPCs are so numerous that they nearly fill the entire waxwork museum, leaving players with nowhere to hide.
Earlier, Qian Ming had hidden in the restroom but was still found and surrounded by NPCs, resulting in injuries.
“Don’t move yet!” Pu Yunfeng ordered.
These NPCs don’t immediately turn into wax figures upon seeing players. Sometimes, they act like real people, engaging in conversation and sharing information with players. If the conversation goes well, they might even reward players with items. But at other times, they might attack players directly or suddenly transform into wax figures during a conversation. The trigger conditions remain unknown, which is a major source of fear for the players.
Regardless, staying still was better than acting rashly. It was wiser to observe first—what if the NPCs across from them didn’t turn into wax figures?
“What are you doing here? This is the back door of the waxwork museum, far from the front exhibition hall. You’re not planning to steal anything, are you?” The group opposite consisted of about a dozen people, led by a middle-aged man in a black suit who looked formidable. If he were to turn into a wax figure, his combat power would surely be terrifying.
As the deputy leader of the third-largest guild, Pu Yunfeng was not only high-leveled and powerful but also highly responsible. He immediately stepped to the front, shielding the others, and cautiously replied, “The waxwork museum is too large; we got lost. We’ll leave right away.”
The middle-aged man stared at him gloomily without saying a word.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense, and the team members were already preparing to use their items and skills for a fight.
Just then, the middle-aged man’s gaze suddenly fell on the Incense Paper Money in Pu Yunfeng’s left hand: “What is that? It smells so good, so good…”
Pu Yunfeng: ?
Team members: ?
They exchanged puzzled glances, unable to understand why the NPCs had suddenly shifted their attention. The previously tense atmosphere now felt strangely eerie.
The middle-aged man continued to stare greedily at the Incense Paper Money: “So fragrant…”
The NPCs behind him also began to drool: “So fragrant, so fragrant…”
Hesitating for a moment, Pu Yunfeng took out a stick of incense and tentatively threw it over.
The middle-aged man immediately caught it, bringing it to his nose to sniff repeatedly, then took a deep breath as if trying to inhale the scent completely.
The NPCs behind him stared fixedly at the remaining Incense Paper Money in Pu Yunfeng’s hand, their throats making faint swallowing sounds, clearly wanting some too.
However, with a single glare from the middle-aged man, the other NPCs no longer dared to show their greed.
Pu Yunfeng: “…”
It seemed this middle-aged man held absolute authority, likely a very powerful NPC—perhaps even one of the instance’s bosses.
As he pondered this, the middle-aged man spoke again: “Give it all to me.”
Pu Yunfeng was momentarily stunned but quickly understood that the man wanted the remaining Incense Paper Money. Without delay, he threw all of it over.
The middle-aged man was clearly delighted, continuously sniffing the items.
“Let’s go.” After he had his fill, the man waved his hand and prepared to leave with his subordinates.
Pu Yunfeng: !
So, the Incense Paper Money had a fatal attraction for NPCs, enough to make them spare the players?
This was completely an unexpected delight; neither Pu Yunfeng nor his teammates reacted immediately.
Just as the middle-aged man turned around, another group of NPCs approached.
Pu Yunfeng immediately became alert. Without any Incense Paper Money left, if this new group of NPCs attacked them, they would have a tough battle ahead.
Surprisingly, the middle-aged man actually stopped the newcomers with his subordinates: “They’re under my protection.”
Without another word, the other group turned around and left immediately.
Pu Yunfeng: ?
Teammates: ?
So the middle-aged man was protecting them, and other NPCs didn’t dare to target them?
…Was the Incense Paper Money they’d just given considered protection money?
Soon the middle-aged man left as well, giving Pu Yunfeng a meaningful look before departing, as if saying ‘You’re a good subordinate, the offering was excellent.’
Pu Yunfeng: “…”
“Boss, this Incense Paper Money is amazing!” Only after all the NPCs had left and the area became safe did the teammates exclaim in astonishment.
Pu Yunfeng was equally amazed.
The effect of this Incense Paper Money seemed even more powerful than Fu Paper—it could actually make NPCs protect them!
He suddenly remembered how the female owner of the Incense Shop had deliberately asked if he wanted to buy Incense Paper Money… Did she already know that it could control these wax figure NPCs?
For a moment, he grew even more curious and awed about the identities of the two shop owners. Could they truly be hidden saviors?