Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 23

Time resumed its flow, and the lingering frost in the air brought a cold chill.

Zhou Qian felt the fog in front of him thicken. He could see a silhouette weaving through the fog. Pushing him aside, it rushed directly towards the body on the ground.

It was Yun Xiangrong, tightly hugging Gao Shan’s body. She must be in utter despair and sadness now, but due to the fog, Zhou Qian couldn’t discern her expression.

Putting away the bone in his hand, Zhou Qian stood up and said to Yun Xiangrong in a very indifferent tone, “Time is of the essence. You can cry for five minutes. After that, please move aside. I need to extract the bullet from his body to see if there’s an ‘S’ engraved on it.”

He Xiaowei, standing nearby, found this comment utterly absurd. He couldn’t help but rush over and say, “Dude, are you out of your mind?”

“He’s already dead. The body is of no use now,” Zhou Qian responded. “For the smooth progress of our mission, I need to verify the bullet in his body.”

“It’s impossible.” Yun Xiangrong’s voice trembled. Crouching down, holding Gao Shan’s hand, she didn’t even look at Zhou Qian. “If you dare touch Shan Ge, I swear I’ll go all out against you. I’m contacting Qi Liuxing right now. He… He will bring the clock. Shan Ge will be revived; he’s not dead… He’ll wake up soon! Stay away from him! I won’t allow you to touch him!”

“Actually, you should be more rational. In this game, you can use gold coins to exchange for what you want, right? So you can totally revive him. Now that he’s dead and useless, if you clear the level faster, you can revive him sooner. You should make full use of his body.” Zhou Qian crouched next to Yun Xiangrong, unexpectedly pulling out a small knife and attempting to make an incision on Gao Shan’s body.

Yun Xiangrong swiftly pushed him away, angrily slapped him across the face, and then grabbed him by the collar, glaring fiercely. From this close proximity, Zhou Qian could clearly see the redness and bloodshot eyes. Her hands were shaking, and her voice was trembling to the extreme. “If you dare harm a hair on his body, I swear, I’ll make your life a living hell!”

The fog thickened so much that Zhou Qian couldn’t even clearly see Yun Xiangrong’s reddened eyes anymore. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly. Room 6, which had witnessed Gao Shan’s death, was slowly drifting away from him.

At this moment, facing Yun Xiangrong, Zhou Qian turned his head slightly, constantly glancing behind. A swift shadow moved through the fog without making a sound. After being pushed away by Yun Xiangrong, Zhou Qian stepped back several paces, stopping only when his back hit the wall beside Room 6.

Pretending to glance unintentionally, he noticed that the room number had changed back to “6”.

Everything he said to provoke Yun Xiangrong was deliberate. Their argument, combined with He Xiaowei’s intervention, provided the perfect opportunity for Lu Mengmeng to switch back the room number.

Zhou Qian quickly looked away, acting as if he knew nothing, his attention seemingly still on Gao Shan’s body. His tone was cold and mocking. “Honestly, Yun Xiangrong, there’s no need for you to be so upset. Why did Gao Shan go to Room 6? The game’s clues clearly indicated one thing—the safe room isn’t constant. If he couldn’t figure that out, it’s his own foolishness to blame.”

As Zhou Qian continued, He Xiaowei couldn’t bear it any longer. “Dude, are you messed up? It’s a life we’re talking about. Why are you saying such things, especially in front of his girlfriend—”

Interrupting Zhou Qian, Situ Qing stepped forward, her voice raised due to the fog, “Interesting. I think you’re the one who got Gao Shan killed. And now you even want to touch his body.”

This statement made He Xiaowei recoil in fear. He immediately stepped back, distancing himself from Zhou Qian. “What do you mean? Why is Zhou Qian responsible for Gao Shan’s death?”

Situ Qing said, “Because Zhou Qian came out of room 7 very early, but he has been hiding and not making any sound. I guess he indeed found some patterns, confirming that room 7 is safe. However, he’s not sure if his pattern is valid, so he needed someone to test it.”

“After he came out of Room 7… No, we don’t even know if he ever went into Room 7. He might have pretended to enter Room 7, but he never did. We can’t confirm this. This thick fog makes it really convenient for him to hide.”

“Anyway, when we called him, we didn’t hear his voice. We thought he was in Room 7, but he wasn’t. He was hiding in the corridor, watching us like a lurking killer. But he couldn’t escape my sight. So I used my skill on him.”

He Xiaowei immediately said, “Hiss! No wonder I felt like it was snowing.”

Situ Qing continued, “When I found out he wasn’t in Room 7 but in the corridor, I guessed his malicious intentions.”

“That’s why I used my skill on him—to force him out of hiding. Once he ran, he would definitely be exposed, and he couldn’t continue lying in front of everyone.”

“I used my skill only to expose him, but… I don’t know why Gao Shan ran into Room 6. Anyway… He might have been influenced by Zhou Qian, thinking that if 7 is safe, then 6 is definitely too.”

What Situ Qing said didn’t deceive Yun Xiangrong. She probably didn’t intend to deceive her.

She revealed her murderous intent early on, even deliberately attracting Yun Xiangrong’s attention. From the beginning, her plan was to attract all the guards and hatred, letting Lu Mengmeng deceive them in the dark.

They just didn’t succeed and changed their strategy halfway through.

Since Situ Qing couldn’t deceive Yun Xiangrong, she had two main reasons for saying such things:

First, she wanted He Xiaowei to doubt Zhou Qian and not form an alliance with him.

Second, she bore all the hatred, not exposing Lu Mengmeng and letting Zhou Qian believe that she was his only enemy.

So, on one side were Situ Qing, Lu Mengmeng, and He Xiaowei; on the other side were Zhou Qian and Yun Xiangrong.

In her eyes, it was at least a three against two situation.

Of course, through Zhou Qian’s deliberate creation of conflicts, Situ Qing now believed that Zhou Qian and Yun Xiangrong probably wouldn’t form an alliance.

Zhou Qian was happy to let her continue thinking this way, hoping she would think even Yun Xiangrong would turn against her, making it four against one.

Zhou Qian pretended not to know that Lu Mengmeng had exchanged the numbers. He didn’t seem to mind being accused by Situ Qing at all. He didn’t even bother to defend himself and just stood there arrogantly.

He walked up to Situ Qing and looked at her contemptuously. “There are only 35 minutes left for this level. Do you want to waste time playing murder mystery, pointing fingers at each other over who killed Gao Shan, or focus on clearing the level?”

“I’ve said it, I’m not interested in the side quests.” Situ Qing replied coldly.

“Really? But I don’t believe…” Zhou Qian stared into her eyes, trying to peer into her soul. “Everyone here has a wish, but who could fulfill it? Have you ever doubted that a god created this game? Have you thought that only by digging through the hidden achievements of each instance can you get closer to him? For instance…”

Lifting his hand, Zhou Qian showed off the Rib of God he had.

Flaunting the bone, Zhou Qian said, “Even if we don’t talk about such mysterious things. You shouldn’t ignore side quests and hidden achievements. Just for the experience points, what you can get from hidden achievements is not comparable to quickly completing the main quest. You might not match one hidden achievement even after completing 20 normal instances. Not to mention the special rare skills, items, and lots of gold that can be obtained through side quests. So, if someone suggests you only play the main quest…”

With malicious intent in his eyes, Zhou Qian sneered at Situ Qing, “Have you ever thought that the person giving you this advice might just not want you to become stronger?”

“I once raised a cat. I wanted it to be smarter—even learn to use the toilet. But I didn’t want it to be too smart. Because if it was too smart, it might have its own thoughts, become disobedient, and not be controlled by me.”

When Zhou Qian finished saying this, Situ Qing’s face turned pale.

Seeing her expression, Zhou Qian laughed. He knew he had probably guessed right.

From the moment they entered Room 701, when they tried to talk to Jiang Yuqing, Situ Qing stood by the window without speaking, just occasionally glancing at her watch. When they tried to find clues from the photos, Situ Qing stood outside the door, still occasionally glancing at her watch, then suddenly said she didn’t care about the side quest at all…

Furthermore, looking at her personal situation, she had a strong ability to act, but her intelligence and strategies were clearly average. Under these circumstances, if she wanted to kill and took the smart approach, it could only be because she was being instructed by someone. She was like a gun, firing whenever she was pointed at.

Lastly, her seamless coordination with Lu Mengmeng was so perfect that even if they communicated privately through the system, it would be hard to achieve this effect. Because communication and discussion actually take time.

Judging from the incident of trying to kill Gao Shan, when their initial plan failed, they immediately switched strategies and collaborated on a second plan. One immediately used a bell to interfere with Gao Shan’s judgment of distance and pretended to target Zhou Qian, while the other stealthily swapped the room signs at the perfect moment…

It seemed more like they were both under the command of a third party, executing the orders without hesitation.

Since there were gamblers in this game who could send messages to the players, the one directing Situ Qing was likely her gambler.

Through probing, Zhou Qian realized that, unlike his relationship with Yu Xian, the relationship between Situ Qing and her gambler seemed unusual. The only thing Zhou Qian didn’t know was why Situ Qing’s gambler could also direct Lu Mengmeng simultaneously.

Due to the thick fog, Zhou Qian bent down, getting closer to Situ Qing. As she looked up, she saw his mesmerizing eyes. Zhou Qian whispered, “Birds in cages usually don’t end up well. He doesn’t want you to get stronger; why don’t you resist? Don’t you want to know what rewards we could get if we solve this side quest?”

Situ Qing took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, her expression was back to normal. “Zhou Qian, you might be too full of yourself and have misunderstood something. Things aren’t what you think.”

“Is that so?” Without saying anything more, Zhou Qian walked away, passing He Xiaowei and Lu Mengmeng.

Pretending to be oblivious to Lu Mengmeng’s actions, Zhou Qian said, “I don’t accept Situ Qing’s accusations. I also think she has no reason to kill Gao Shan or me. Perhaps the fog blurred her vision, causing her to mistake someone else’s shadow for mine and creating a misunderstanding. But I don’t have time to clear my name right now. I’ll prove it with my actions.”

“I wanted to examine the bullet in Gao Shan’s chest to understand the story behind this level and prepare for future ones. But that has nothing to do with the current puzzle. I’ve already found the solution and have the evidence from Room 7. I don’t need others to test it for me. So next, I’ll personally open another safe door.”

“It’s not easy to get into an instance with hidden achievements. So even if you have many judgments against me, why not wait until the end of the side quest?”

“Hey you…. You…” He Xiaowei pointed at Zhou Qian speechlessly. To him, both Situ Qing and Zhou Qian seemed to have valid points. Even if Zhou Qian was wrong and intentionally or unintentionally harmed Gao Shan, currently, only he knew how to clear the level.

He asked Situ Qing, “Do you know the pattern?”

Situ Qing didn’t answer. It seemed she didn’t know.

With a mocking tone, Zhou Qian laughed. “See, Situ Qing. Your clever gambler didn’t tell you the solution. He truly doesn’t want to see you grow stronger.”

Having said that, Zhou Qian headed towards a corridor. He Xiaowei quickly followed but kept his distance, as if fearing Zhou Qian might push him into a room.

However, Zhou Qian didn’t. He Xiaowei followed him to Room 8, watching as he swiftly entered. The door opened and closed, and Zhou Qian’s figure vanished. Three seconds later, no gunshot was heard.

At that moment, He Xiaowei, who had been nervously waiting outside, almost jumped in excitement. Zhou Qian seemed to have really found the pattern. With such a difficult level, there seemed to be hope, making He Xiaowei quite thrilled.

About three minutes later, Zhou Qian came out.

He said, “Both Room 7 and Room 8 hide a bullet with the number ‘7’ on it. This is the evidence we are looking for.”

“If I’ve guessed correctly, there are 12 rooms and 12 bullets with the number ‘7’ on them. If we gather them all, we’ll pass this level.”

“Which room should we go to next?” He Xiaowei couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Mengmeng followed closely behind, and his constant innocent act apparently didn’t arouse He Xiaowei’s suspicion.

He Xiaowei pulled Lu Mengmeng closer and said to Zhou Qian, “Bro, I now fully believe that you have figured out the pattern. We can help you. If we all search for the evidence together, it will be easier!”

“Do you really want to help me?” Zhou Qian looked at He Xiaowei and Lu Mengmeng as if he wanted confirmation.

“Of course!” He Xiaowei nodded emphatically.

Lu Mengmeng also nodded. “Who doesn’t want to clear the level? I’m willing.”

“Good. Because this level requires cooperation to complete. I can’t do it alone,” Zhou Qian said.

“How can we help? Which room is safe now?” He Xiaowei asked.

“At the moment, except for rooms 7 and 8, no room is safe,” Zhou Qian said. “But we’ve already found the bullets marked ‘7’ in these two rooms.”

He Xiaowei was taken aback. “What…?”

Zhou Qian suddenly said something that stunned He Xiaowei. “If we want to find other safe rooms, someone must first enter an unsafe room and let the gunman shoot.”

On the other side.

After watching the three men leave, Situ Qing remained still for a long time. A moment later, her gaze landed on Yun Xiangrong.

With a cold and ruthless expression, Situ Qing seemed to feel no remorse and wasn’t afraid of Yun Xiangrong seeking revenge.

However, Yun Xiangrong’s next move intrigued her.

In Situ Qing’s eyes, Yun Xiangrong was a gentle girl. She chose to practice healing arts for her boyfriend without considering any backup plan. In a situation like this, where she had lost her boyfriend, she should have been devastated, probably crying beside Gao Shan’s body until she passed out…

But to Situ Qing’s surprise, Yun Xiangrong stood up and headed in the direction Zhou Qian and the others had left.

As she watched Yun Xiangrong’s figure disappear into the fog, Situ Qing received another message from that person.

[Sister, don’t trust Zhou Qian’s divisive words.]

[You can’t handle this side quest. To clear it, you need to sacrifice players—at least three of them.]

[I’m stopping you for the sake of your main quest later.]

[Be careful and don’t fall for Zhou Qian’s tricks.]

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>