Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 175: Meeting Again

00:001, Beijing Time.

The house where the Electric Ghost resided remained as before, with furniture and appliances scattered everywhere, and the deer head on the wall was gone without a trace. The save point seamlessly connected last night with tonight. The only difference was the absence of the save-point NPC.

The first thing Xu Wang’s team did was cut the power, and the second was to check the badge manual—

12/23: Elf

In the dark kitchen, the five friends looked at the updated badge hint, at a loss for words.

Qian Ai: “There’s an elf among the five ghosts?”

Xu Wang: “Doll, Electric, Vampire, Nail Guy, Gloomy Youth—which one seems likely to you?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Could it be that there are ghosts in houses not marked on the map?”

Wu Sheng: “Regardless, let’s capture this one first.”

A minute later, in the living room.

Wu Sheng: “Xiao Xue, cut the power!”

[(Illusory) Nowhere to Hide]. The room was filled with light particles.

[(Offense) Bolt from the Blue]. Light particles coalesce into a ghostly form.

[(Defense) Super Insulator]. Qian Ai steps up.

“Whoosh—”

With Qian Ai’s self-made sound effect, a cross-shaped whirlwind launches, hitting the ghost form directly in the heart.

The key moments of the entire battle were virtually the same as the previous day, but the process was significantly shortened, even saving the two pieces of defense stationery used the day before, [Iron Slab] and [Invisible Iron Barrel Formation].

They got on the [Pumpkin Carriage] and rushed back to the black plastic house where they had failed the day before. At this point, only ten minutes had passed since they entered the Owl.

“We’re quick, but they won’t be slow either.” Wu Sheng sat atop the giant pumpkin, glancing at the doll and the ghost figure. “Lao Qian, they’re your responsibility now.”

Qian Ai, already on standby, immediately acted upon hearing the instructions, clicking a stationery.

Light enveloped the two ghosts and quickly vanished.

Qian Ai felt reassured, turning to Wu Sheng and patting his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep them safe. As long as I’m here, the ghosts stay; if I lose the ghost, all my money is gone!”

Wu Sheng: “…”

Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “…”

Xu Wang: “Uh, you don’t have to swear such a vicious oath…”

The streets of the town were just as lively as the day before, with jack-o-lanterns decorating each house’s yard, and residents that were dressed up in pairs or groups could be seen occasionally.

As they approached the house, the surroundings became silent, with open fields and quiet forests casting a deep gloom.

To avoid leaving traces of the [Pumpkin Carriage] in the grass, the five of them got off the road, and Kuang Jinxin retracted the carriage. They then stepped onto the grass, moving silently, and when they were about seven or eight meters from the door, they stopped and quietly hid in the shadows of the trees.

This was an excellent hiding spot, providing a view in all directions. The five friends lay in wait for their opponents to arrive—taking out their peers first before entering the house to capture the ghost wasn’t necessarily the most efficient strategy, but it was certainly the safest.

The air was silent, and the house, made of “black glass”, stood quietly under the night sky, as if asleep.

After waiting for about ten minutes without any sign of their peers, Xu Wang, out of boredom, focused on the courtyard in front of the house.

This house’s courtyard didn’t have any jack-o-lanterns. At first glance, it appeared pitch-black. Only after staring for a while could one make out some flowers, plants, and… ornaments?

Xu Wang’s eyes widened as he looked more closely into the yard, spotting several small, dark shapes among the flowers and plants.

“Huh?” Wu Sheng noticed him peering around and became curious.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Wang turned to his advisor. “Do you think the elf could refer to… garden gnomes?”

“Garden?” Wu Sheng paused.

“Yes.” Xu Wang became more convinced. “Like those decorative garden gnomes people put in their yards!”

Wu Sheng had indeed seen such yard decorations in the United States, where it’s believed that little gnomes can protect gardens, so many people like to place gnomes or elf figurines in their yards. However, he hadn’t connected this with the badge hint…

“A flash!” Kuang Jinxin suddenly grabbed Xu Wang’s arm. His voice was low but excited. “Captain, I saw a flash.”

All five sets of eyes turned in that direction.

Under the moonlight, in a dark courtyard, a spark of light flashed.

The five friends exchanged glances with no one speaking, but their actions were unified—they crouched low and rushed towards the courtyard at high speed!

It was a gnome figurine, not even knee-high, with a plump face and a playful nightcap.

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 12/23 Ghost Badge!]

As the prompt notification sounded, the badge was stored in the hidden item slot, and a clear “ding—” echoed through their arms.

In the quiet night, this sound was somewhat piercing, making everyone involuntarily tense up.

As if foreboding something, the five friends, about to hide back in the shadows, found themselves lifted off the ground uncontrollably before they could move.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Big Windmill] on you~~]

Big… Windmill?

Before the five friends could grasp the absurdity of the item’s name, their lifted bodies began spinning chaotically with the wind, like an out-of-control windmill.

Losing the ability to fight was one thing, but the dizziness and nausea were another. This was more vicious than the most insane 360° ride at an amusement park!

“You’re sneak attacking us again—” Xu Wang accused through gritted teeth while spinning rapidly, completely forgetting his team had just been hiding in the shadows.

Fu Wenqing, leading his team, approached leisurely. “Rule one of the battlefield. Never show your back to the enemy.”

“Xiao Rui.” He signaled with a glance.

Qin Rui, understanding the cue, immediately went towards the courtyard fence, holding two crosses tightly in his hands.

At the fence, the doll and the ghost figure stood obediently.

Qin Rui approached, wasting no time, and raised the crosses towards the doll’s heart, just like the day before.

However, the crosses didn’t penetrate as smoothly as they had yesterday. The moment the tip touched the doll’s clothes, it was repelled by a burst of pale golden light.

Qin Rui was startled. It was a defense stationery.

“I’ve already equipped [Stingy]!” Qian Ai, dizzy from spinning, couldn’t see clearly who was at the fence, but it didn’t affect his pride. “Thinking of taking something from me? You should have inquired how poor I am!”

Qin Rui: “……”

His declaration was so righteous that it seemed logical at first, but upon closer thought… something was off.

The four, still standing in place, were unexpectedly covered by a shadow. Looking up, a giant thermos appeared out of nowhere, four times the size of a regular one but with a one-to-one appearance, made of thin, cheap-looking plastic that seemed very fragile.

The four scattered instantly.

The thermos fell to the ground with a crash.

“Bang—”

Both the inner container and the shell shattered, spraying fragments and hot water everywhere.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Explosive Thermos Bottle] on you~~]

The four instinctively fell to the ground, covering their heads and faces.

The [Big Windmill] stopped abruptly due to the user’s distraction.

Xu Wang’s team, nearly vomited from spinning, finally landed. Struggling, Xu Wang managed to drop four more thermoses, three for Fu Wenqing’s side and one for Qin Rui, forcing the five to dodge passively.

Xu Wang didn’t expect to completely defeat them with this but wanted to make a statement: “The world doesn’t revolve around you!”

Chi Yingxue grabbed his shoulder.

Kuang Jinxin supported his arm.

Qian Ai tugged at his clothes. “Don’t, don’t say that word…”

Xu Wang looked at his teammates’ pale faces and got it. “Mm, won’t say it.”

For the entire night, “spin” was a banned word.

Fu Wenqing’s team, protected by some unknown defense stationery, remained unaffected by the thermos bottles. Wu Sheng, observing the barely visible Nail Guy and Gloomy Youth from the shadows, was determined. “Xu Wang, Xiao Xue, stick to the original plan. We’ll hold them off, while you grab the ghosts.”

Xu Wang: “Understood.”

Chi Yingxue: “Mm.”

The two dashed towards the trees, while Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai positioned themselves in front of the approaching Fu Wenqing and his four teammates.

Contrary to Wu Sheng’s expectations, Fu Wenqing didn’t rush them or send anyone to stop Xu Wang and Chi Yingxue, as if he was certain they wouldn’t succeed in capturing the ghosts.

Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

Fu Wenqing smiled. “It’s cold outside. Let’s go inside.”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Housewarming Wishes*] on you~~]

*Congratulations on moving to a new home (乔迁之喜) It’s a saying used to send warm wishes to someone who has just moved.

In an instant, Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai, as well as Xu Wang and Chi Yingxue, who were only a few steps away from the ghostly shadows under the trees, were all teleported inside the black plastic house!

Inside, it was pitch black and silent as death.

“Click—”

A rock flew from outside, smashing the black plastic-covered glass.

Wu Sheng, looking at the moonlight through the hole, suddenly realized. “They want to use the female ghost.”

Using the female ghost to eliminate them was efficient and effortless. Why not?

Xu Wang: “What do we do now?”

Wu Sheng: “What do you think?”

Captain Xu Wang smiled. “Of course, it’s happier when we’re all together.”

“Xiao Xue.” Taking advantage of the less demonic aura in the wind, Xu Wang said solemnly, “Get out as fast as you can and make them kind.”

Chi Yingxue enjoyed this part.

He dashed to the door, kicked it open with a “bang”, and clicked a stationery.

Fu Wenqing’s team, stationed not too far from the door and expecting the opponents to rush out, had laid invisible stationery in ambush. However, when the door was kicked open, the kicker didn’t move and instead just stood inside the doorway, lightly lifting his eyelids to scan over them.

Fu Wenqing sensed something was wrong, but it was already too late.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) I Urge You to Be Kind] on you~~]

“……” They got tricked by the same stationery item twice!

The experience of being tricked yesterday wasn’t too harsh, and the item didn’t cause them much harm beyond their “dignity”, so they didn’t pay much attention to it during their strategy planning. But today, when they fell for it again and the five of them uncontrollably moved towards the house, Fu Wenqing realized he had been careless.

This item wasn’t just about “apologizing”; it required apologizing directly to the user.

After using the item, Chi Yingxue went back inside, and the five of them had no choice but to follow.

Inside, the vampire hadn’t arrived yet, but there was already a faint scent of roses.

With only a sliver of moonlight, the living room remained dark.

The Nail Guy and Gloomy Youth silently moved to the wall, standing in line with their other two teammates.

Both teams, unable to see each other, could only hear the teeth-gritting “sorry”, echoing back and forth.

“Sorry!”

“I was wrong!”

“I shouldn’t have attacked you!”

“I was too unkind!”

Wu Sheng turned on a flashlight, dispelling the darkness in the living room.

Xu Wang immediately activated [(Offense) Meteor Shower], targeting Fu Wenqing’s team, who were still bowing continuously, hoping to send the opponents home in one fell swoop.

Under the [I Urge You to Be Kind] state, the opponents couldn’t attack.

The sky filled with incendiary rocks soon fell, but just above the heads of the five peers, they hit an invisible wall, shattering prematurely. The sparks followed the transparent curvature, sprinkling onto the ground.

The opponents had equipped their team with defense stationery before entering the house.

Xu Wang frowned but wasn’t too surprised; if it were that easy to be swept away, Fu Wenqing and his team wouldn’t have made it through twelve levels.

He looked back at Kuang Jinxin.

Kuang Jinxin nodded.

The next moment, more and denser “Burning Meteorites” appeared above Fu Wenqing and his team, simultaneously, countless arrows appeared in front of them.

That was Kuang Jinxin’s [(Offense) A Thousand Arrows Released].

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Chi Yingxue retreated to the wall, away from the battlefield.

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin focused, with thermoses and arrows attacking from above and in front, towards the transparent defense stationery surrounding Fu Wenqing and his team!

The sounds of impact and explosion, one after another, shook the house.

Both sides could feel the defense stationery gradually weakening under the assault.

Now it was a race to see whether the defense stationery would collapse first or the apology would end. If the effect of Chi Yingxue’s illusory stationery ended first, Fu Wenqing and his team could counterattack.

As both sides were at a standoff, a rich scent of roses blew in through the window.

Then, a violent wind arose, blowing out all the black plastic-covered glass, allowing moonlight to pour in, filling the room with silvery frost.

A beautiful woman made her entrance.

“Crackle—”

Another volley of meteorites shattered.

The defense stationery vanished, but so did the effect of Chi Yingxue’s illusory stationery.

Both sides turned to look at the woman gracefully landing. Xu Wang took a deep breath and gently pointed.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Raging Storm*] on you~~]

*(风起云涌) Idiom describing a rapid development of things with great momentum.

Fu Wenqing frowned, not expecting the opponents to still focus on attacking them at this time. Didn’t they fear the ghost taking advantage?

The violent wind, carrying thick clouds, roared in, instantly plunging the entire house into a chaotic sea of clouds. The visibility was blurred, and the sounds were muffled. Although the stationery was used on them, it affected everyone.

“Boom!”

“Clang—”

“Ugh…”

“Crack!”

“Clang—”

In the midst of the wind and thick clouds, various noises were intermittently heard, too muddled for Fu Wenqing to discern what they were. He wanted to warn his teammates to be careful, but he feared revealing their positions.

Finally, the clouds dispersed, and clarity returned to the room.

In the bright moonlight, the woman still stood where she had landed. Her hair was disheveled, and her expression wasn’t very pleasant, but apparently, her lethality remained undiminished.

Fu Wenqing immediately checked on his teammates; He Lanshan, Qin Rui, Wu Yanchao, and Zhao Muchen were all unharmed.

Wu Sheng also immediately checked on his friends; Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai were all there.

Xu Wang was missing.

The four ghosts in the corner silently watched the living room, as if the turmoil inside had nothing to do with them.

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