Immortal in Horror Game: She is the Fortune Teller!-Chapter 327 - 321: Nightingale and Rose 23

The Flower Selling Ghost was shocked, only to see a blur before her eyes. The axe that was supposed to strike Josh had already landed on the old woman’s head.

Blood splattered instantly from the old woman’s head, and blood flowed down her cheeks.

"How dare you!!" The old woman was so furious that her features scrunched together, her mouth heaving with rage.

Unlike other old women, her mouth not only had teeth but they were pitch black, oozing with crimson saliva, looking disgusting and grotesque.

Josh instinctively covered his nose and mouth, taking a step back: "Even if she’s an NPC, she should at least have some hygiene, right?"

"I see you’re tired of living!" The old woman somehow conjured several knives in her hand, their blades gleaming coldly, all aimed at Josh.

The Flower Selling Ghost once again saw a blur before her eyes, and all the knives stabbed back into the old woman.

Josh pulled out the knife from her shoulder, and the old woman’s arm fell to the ground in response.

She chuckled, wiped the blood off the knife with the old woman’s clothes, and then asked, "I’m just here to ask you a few questions, are you willing to tell me?"

After a moment, the old woman finally relented, her brow pressed against the knife in Josh’s hand, letting him in.

Josh gave her a gentle look: "If you had been this obedient earlier, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much, right?"

The Flower Selling Ghost swallowed nearby, thinking her obedient behavior over the past few days was quite sensible.

The old woman looked even more aged, leading them into the house, "What exactly do you want to ask?"

Josh looked at her: "Do you know the story of the Rose and Nightingale?"

The old woman’s face stiffened, turning ugly in an instant: "I don’t know!"

Josh took out a knife from her and played with it in her hand: "I see..."

The old woman screamed, clutching her wound as blood gushed out.

Josh asked again: "Then do you know the story of the Rose and Nightingale?"

The old woman was initially defiant, but after being repeatedly stabbed, with bloodied holes all over her body, she finally relented: "I’ll tell you... I’ll tell you, alright?"

Josh smiled and nodded: "You see, if you had told me from the start, there wouldn’t have been so much trouble, right? I’m actually quite a friendly person."

The old woman, turned into a porcupine with knives all over her body: "..."

The Flower Selling Ghost, chilled to the bone with a talisman stuck on her chest: "..."

The old woman: "The Nightingale and Rose is a story everyone in town knows, yet you insisted on asking me."

Josh pulled out a fruit knife from somewhere.

The old woman awkwardly got straight to the point: "The Nightingale is the best singing bird in town, transforming into a beautiful maiden whenever she sings, residing outside the Rose Garden year-round. One day, the Nightingale fell in love with a rose in the Rose Garden. To transform the rose into a human for a mutual romance, the Nightingale sought the help of a witch, who told her that only by sincerely singing to the rose for seven days could the rose transform into a human and fall in love with the Nightingale."

"The Nightingale sang to the rose every day, and each day the rose grew more human body parts. But in those seven days, the Nightingale fell in love with a philosophical man, who asked her to bring a rose to express her love."

"To make the man believe in her love, the Nightingale deceived the rose, breaking the rose in its sleep and bringing it to the man. The man, however, gave the rose to a princess, abandoning the Nightingale. The Nightingale failed to fulfill the witch’s instructions, and the rose died tragically at the hands of her beloved."

"Henceforth, the town fell under a curse. All who betray love shall be cursed, becoming fertilizer for flower vines, and their souls will never find peace."

Josh nodded in understanding: "So that’s the way it is."

Her assigned role was the Nightingale, and the man she saw in the Illusion Realm was likely the rose from the story.

So her role should have been the Nightingale who betrayed the rose.

According to this interpretation, to lift the town’s curse, it must be approached through the rose.

She recalled what the man said last night, asking her to love him?

The rose pathway must hold some special significance.

Josh looked at her: "I have one last question."

The old woman looked at her.

Josh: "Did you suddenly age because of the curse, Ma’am?"

The Flower Selling Ghost blinked blankly.

The old woman suddenly changed her expression and lunged to strangle Josh’s neck.

She deftly sidestepped, stabbing several knives into the old woman, settling her down.

"How do you know my identity..." The old woman, clutching her bloodied wounds, looked pale and no longer imposing.

The Flower Selling Ghost couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards the old woman, once bossy and intimidating in the town, almost played to death today.

She couldn’t help but glance at Josh beside her again.

Who exactly is this woman?

At times as strong as an ox, yet fainting like a chick upon smelling roses.

Seeing her admit so quickly, Josh regretfully withdrew the remaining knives in her hand, "You and the innkeeper are a couple, aren’t you? Why are you not together with him?"

"Her with the innkeeper? She looks almost coffin-ready, the innkeeper is only in his forties..." The Flower Selling Ghost was dumbfounded.

Barrage: [Said what I wanted to say.]

[Three years older, hug a gold bar; ten years older, hug an empire; thirty years older, join the celestial ranks, don’t you know?]

[The innkeeper understands hard work.]

[Shopkeeper: Age doesn’t matter, I just like maturity.]

[If you don’t get it, just ask, don’t men all like younger women?] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

[As if women don’t like younger men.]

[Seems reasonable...]

[You’re off-topic, people!]

Josh looked at the old woman: "Your complexion looks very strange, you shouldn’t be even 50, right?"

The Flower Selling Ghost: "??"

The old woman sighed: "Hmm..."

Josh looked at her: "Is it the curse?"

The old woman gave her a deep look, neither nodding nor denying: "In this town, no one can betray love."

Josh: "Since that’s the case, why don’t you go back to him?"

The old woman snorted coldly, her eyes flashing with malice: "Why should I find him? Does he deserve it?!"

Ultimately, Josh couldn’t persuade the old woman to return to the inn, but it wasn’t entirely in vain.

The old woman’s example indirectly confirmed that betraying love doesn’t necessarily lead to death, but can result in the curse’s punishment.

But the forms of punishment vary, not limited to just accelerated aging.

Josh discreetly observed the old woman.

Her hair was well-maintained and smooth, her scent clean, her nails painted, and her dress was very pretty, indicating she was a woman who loved beauty.

But she was cursed, aged rapidly, and lost her beauty.

So...

The curse might very well strip away the NPC’s most valued inner possessions, which is why they fear the curse.

Josh shared the information with the group.

The three met at the tavern.

Yuze took out his identity card.

Josh glanced at it: "Philosophy Traveler?"

Yuze looked at her: "You’re the Nightingale?"

Josh nodded, looking at him, suddenly realizing: "You’re the philosopher who made the Nightingale change her affection?"

Yuze smirked.

Yushi, slow on the uptake, finally understood: "So this was your method, finding clues from the innkeeper!"

Josh nodded.

Yuze looked at her: "So you’re the key to lifting the town’s curse."

"I think so too." Josh nodded: "I already entered the Illusion Realm last night, so if nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to enter again tonight."