Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 47: Room Assignments

“Holy shit, they’re selling human meat?!” Blondie was shocked.

While he gasped, he tore off the chip and stuffed it into his pocket. The chip was kind of gross-looking, but what if this was the only free one they got? Better safe than sorry.

After surviving the fratricidal Mid-Autumn ritual, Guan He was a bit traumatized. He leaned toward Fang Xiu and whispered, “Fang Ge, with stuff like human meat and knives showing up again, are we about to start killing each other?”

Fang Xiu shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it for now. The meat’s for sale to us… It doesn’t mention buybacks.”

Everything else on the menu was normal, including meal options. The “human meat” was likely for some special scenario. As for what that “special scenario” was, there wasn’t enough information yet.

As Fang Xiu thought, he casually used his room card to swipe the same door Blondie had opened first.

When the scene inside was revealed, Blondie inhaled sharply with envy. It clearly hadn’t looked like this when he opened it!

If Blondie’s room was like a 200-yuan-a-night motel, then Fang Xiu’s was a 2000 yuan+ mountain-view luxury suite…

Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a stunning view of golden green autumn foliage, birds chirped cheerfully, and the room came with an oversized bed and a bathtub by the window.

Fang Xiu closed the door, then randomly picked another to test. It was another scenic mountain suite, with the same angle of sunlight streaming in.

A menu lay on the bed in the mountain-view room too, and beneath it was a wiggling chip, exactly the same as Blondie’s.

Fang Xiu: “Looks like the room follows the card.”

“This isn’t fair!” Blondie fumed. Now he felt like his crappy room was worthless.

He shoved Guan He, who also had a white envelope. “Kid, you try it.”

When Guan He’s room appeared, Blondie instantly felt better.

It was like a college dorm with four bunks, desks underneath and beds on top. Three of the beds were empty, and one had simple bedding with the same menu on the pillow.

High schooler Guan He: “Better than our school dorm. We had eight per room.”

He didn’t think it was unfair. Instead, he curiously looked around.

The three with white envelopes were done opening their rooms. Now it was the red envelope holders’ turn.

Cheng Songyun rubbed her prayer beads and swiped the door next to Guan He’s. The door creaked open, and her expression instantly changed.

Inside was a standard residential apartment, roughly 70 square meters, two bedrooms and a living room.

The decor was soft wood style, with healthy green plants by the window. The place was tidy and clean. The table was empty, but fruit bowls and other containers had been left behind.

On the entryway shoe cabinet sat a photo of a happy family of three.

The husband was upright-looking, holding a chubby-cheeked little girl with eyes full of love. The wife leaned into him as the two encircled their daughter, smiling with happiness and contentment.

Fang Xiu recognized the woman at a glance. It was a younger Cheng Songyun.

Cheng Songyun’s breathing grew rapid. She slammed the door shut and took a long time to recover. “…This is my house.”

Recalling how that “harmonious family” ended, Fang Xiu sighed inwardly.

Jia Xu mused, “So that’s what ‘karmic tie’ means.”

He swiped the door closest to him and laughed. “Well, what a coincidence. This one’s my house too.”

He flung the door wide open so everyone could see inside.

Jia Xu’s home had a dark metal theme. It was clear that a lot of money was spent on decoration. The place was split into two levels, with a cityscape view outside.

He even had a self-portrait on the wall in a contemplative pose, full of artistic flair.

Blondie clicked his tongue, looking around. “Damn, how many square meters is this?”

Jia Xu waved him off. “Just under 200 usable.”

“Not many decorations… It feels kinda empty,” Blondie commented regretfully, clearly not someone who appreciated minimalism.

Jia Xu: “…It’s called minimalist style.”

He left the door open and entered the bedroom. After a while, he came back with a chip-labeled menu. “Mine has a menu too. But my liquor cabinet and fridge are empty. There’s no food left in the house.”

The last to open a door was Mei Lan.

Her situation was slightly different. She said it was her ex-boyfriend’s place. The decor was also fancy, but a bit inferior to Jia Xu’s.

After everyone had seen each other’s rooms, Jia Xu cheerfully said, “Nice setup from the Underworld. Being in your own place is definitely the most comfortable. Xiao Guan, want to come stay with me? I’ve got a guest room upstairs, private bath included.”

Guan He mumbled, “I think the dorm’s fine.”

“Alright, let’s get down to business.” Jia Xu leaned against the wall, playing with the creepy chip with a confident smile on his face.

“Chips, the phrase ‘must win’—it’s obvious the theme of this ritual is staking¹,” he enunciated.

Cheng Songyun’s face darkened. She rarely snapped at people, but now she did. “If it’s gambling, just call it gambling. Don’t get all euphemistic¹.”

¹Clarity: Jia Xu uses the term [bocai] (博彩) while Cheng Songyun uses the term [dubo] (赌博). While they both mean gambling, the latter term has a negative connotation, while the former has a more neutral and sometimes even positive connotation.

Jia Xu said indifferently, “These days it’s mostly entertainment. Even national lotteries are gambling. A little wager is good for fun… It’s understandable if you can’t accept it at your age.”

Seeing how unsettled she looked, Fang Xiu placed a hand on her shoulder and gently applied pressure. Cheng Songyun took a deep breath and went back to counting her beads.

“Anyway, those three taboos seem trustworthy. With ruthless groups around, it wouldn’t take long to test them. There’s no need for empty threats.”

Jia Xu continued, “If we assume those taboos are real, they all revolve around one idea: ‘win’. We have to use this ritual-issued chip to win our way forward, using luck and brains.”

He looked around, his gaze lingering on Fang Xiu. “Right now, our priority is to find where the chips are used, and figure out what ‘stakes must be exchanged with life’ really means… How about we meet at my place? I’ve got a meeting room.”

Fang Xiu smiled politely: “Better to gather more intel first.”

Jia Xu clicked his tongue. “Fair. Anyway, we’ve got food and shelter. There’s no rush.”

As they spoke, the door next to Jia Xu’s suddenly opened a crack.

A chain lock held it in place. The room inside was pitch black… Only a single bloodshot eye moved rapidly, scanning them up and down.

No one screamed. After so much horror, they were mostly desensitized.

Jia Xu: “You—”

Before he could say “good”, the door slammed shut. The other party clearly didn’t want to chat.

Fang Xiu turned his head just as Bai Shuangying remarked, “Not an evil spirit.”

Fang Xiu nodded slightly.

So this ritual included other participants. But the hallway was so quiet, and the doors all identical, they couldn’t tell who was in which room, or how many there were.

Even though the three taboos were spelled out, there were still many puzzles…

As Fang Xiu was sorting his thoughts, Bai Shuangying leaned close, his cool long hair brushing Fang Xiu’s cheek.

“Eight hundred and eighty-eight people,” Bai Shuangying said. “Including you six, there are 888* sacrifices.”

*Clarity: In Chinese culture, the number 8 is considered lucky (since it sounds similar to the word  [fa] (發) which means to prosper), so 888 symbolizes triple fortune, further amplifying it. Given the context of gambling, it’s similar to how 7 is considered lucky in American culture, and casino slots often have 777 as the jackpot.

Fang Xiu’s eyes widened slightly at the outrageous number. Bai Shuangying added quietly, “The Peach Bone Evil is quite useful.”

Fang Xiu smiled with satisfaction. “Glad you like it.”

Last time, they had to manually count heads. Bai Shuangying’s sudden boost in power was clearly thanks to the staff.

Fang Xiu leaned slightly toward him and whispered, “Can you sense any evil spirits?”

Bai Shuangying: “I was just about to tell you, something’s off here… There’s nearly a thousand participants, but only one vengeful spirit.”

“And it’s not a normal one. I can sense its aura but can’t pinpoint its location.”

Only one evil spirit?!

Fang Xiu was shocked as he asked, “Wasn’t Li Shuo like that last time? Could this one also be a half-step ghost immortal?”

Bai Shuangying shook his head; Fang Xiu tilted his in confusion.

Instincts were hard to explain. Bai Shuangying thought for a few seconds and offered a metaphor Fang Xiu would understand. “Finding an evil spirit is like a person searching for other humans in a forest.”

“Li Shuo used the power of the E to craft a camouflage outfit. He blended in perfectly with the surroundings, making him hard to detect. But this evil spirit is more like a monkey. It’s not quite human, so I can’t track it with ‘human-finding’ methods.”

Fang Xiu: “That makes it sound kind of… low-level.”

To his surprise, Bai Shuangying nodded. “It is low-level. With me here, you don’t need to worry about the evil spirit. Just focus on breaking the E.”

Fang Xiu was stunned for two seconds.

Then he pinched Bai Shuangying’s sleeve and awkwardly said, “…Okay. I’ll leave it to you.”

……

There was still time, so they pocketed their cards and explored the building.

Good news: Huanxi Xin Apartments did have stairwells.

Bad news: No matter whether they went up or down, the floors seemed endless.

Worse news: Every floor looked exactly the same with identical doors, carpets, paintings… and dead silence.

There were no windows in the stairwells, and the floors weren’t labeled. Lose track for a second, and you couldn’t even find your way back to the starting floor. It felt like a horror game built around endless loops.

They never found the place where the “win a game daily” taboo was supposed to occur.

Fang Xiu hated climbing stairs. Exhausted, he eventually pulled out a can of Wangzai and tossed it down the stairwell.

The red can slipped between the narrow gaps by the railing, plummeting into the darkness. And then… nothing.

No sound of impact. It was as if the building extended straight to hell.

Blondie rubbed his goosebumps. “Let’s just head back. I hate this kind of weird nonsense the most.”

Seeing Fang Xiu about to speak, Jia Xu jumped in. “Right, let’s all go back for now. We can check things out again tonight. Switching from day to night always changes things, just like the last two rituals.”

Fang Xiu hummed and said no more. Jia Xu cleared his throat with satisfaction and led the way.

They returned to the original floor and picked six adjacent rooms to rest. Fang Xiu called everyone into his place to hand out food, as usual.

“Anyone unhappy with their room can come crash at my place. The mattress is five-star hotel-quality, super comfy,” Jia Xu said. “Hey Fang Xiu, give me some extra food. I just checked an my fridge still works.”

Fang Xiu was happy to oblige and handed over more food and drink. Jia Xu stashed it with satisfaction and sighed, “Don’t you think our luck’s finally turning around?”

Blondie: “Turning around? In this hellhole?”

Jia Xu: “Think about it. The only free thing here is rice soup. A bowl of veggie rice costs 1 chip, and a good meal 10. But with Fang Xiu on our team, we don’t need to worry about food.”

“Fair point.” Blondie stuffed a piece of pig head meat in his mouth.

Jia Xu twirled his chip. “This time it’s gambling, and the taboos don’t encourage in-fighting… If it’s about brains and luck, I won’t lose.”

Blondie choked. “What am I supposed to do? I’d rather fight.”

Jia Xu leaned in mysteriously. “Just follow my bets when the time comes. I guarantee you’ll win.”

Then he shot a side glance at Fang Xiu, who was sipping his drink, looking totally uninterested.

…Forget it, Jia Xu thought. Fang Xiu would eventually cave.

He himself had the best luck. His choice of the “Luck-Borrowing Dice” as his ritual magic weapon was brilliant. With both smarts and luck, Round 3 would be his playground!

Imagining Fang Xiu bowing his head, Jia Xu smirked.

Watching Jia Xu switch between brooding and grinning like an idiot, Fang Xiu became mildly concerned. “Bai Shuangying, are there any mind-altering spells in this place?”

“No.”

“Oh…”

After food was distributed, Cheng Songyun turned to Mei Lan. “Xiao Mei, do you have extra space? Could I stay with you?”

Mei Lan looked awkward. “Sister, don’t you have your own place? Mine’s… uh, not too convenient.”

Cheng Songyun smiled apologetically and didn’t explain.

She turned to Guan He and whispered, “Xiao Guan, can Auntie stay with you? You’ve got three spare beds… If you mind, just say so.”

Guan He didn’t understand why she didn’t want to stay in her own home, but he could see the fear and sorrow on her face.

Clearly, she didn’t want to room with Jia Xu or Blondie, and Fang Xiu’s room had only one large bed, not suitable. He was likely her last option.

“I don’t mind,” Guan He said.

Since his room only had bare boards, Fang Xiu helped move bedding and daily necessities from Cheng Songyun’s place.

But when they reached her door, they hit an invisible barrier, stuff spilled everywhere. The family photo at the entrance nearly fell, but Cheng Songyun caught it just in time.

Guan He stepped back and forth at the doorway. “Looks like stuff can’t be taken out of the room. Maybe you should ask Mei Lan again?”

Cheng Songyun lowered her gaze. “I’ll just sleep on the boards. Firm beds are good for the back.”

A warm, familiar home, but Cheng Songyun refused to stay in it.

She had said her husband died falling down the stairs, but this place didn’t even have stairs, no thresholds, either. Fang Xiu could understand if she was emotionally affected, but this level of rejection was hard to grasp.

Fang Xiu offered to swap rooms. He’d stay in hers, and she could have the scenic suite. But the cards didn’t work for others.

Even if Fang Xiu opened the door first and Cheng Songyun entered alone, once he closed the door, she’d be teleported out.

Fang Xiu raised an eyebrow at the card in his hand.

Items couldn’t be taken out, and rooms couldn’t be seized.

Combined with the second taboo, “theft of chips is forbidden”, this ritual seemed designed to prevent rule-breaking conflicts.

…Interesting.

In the end, Cheng Songyun went to Guan He’s dorm room, and Fang Xiu returned to his suite.

After a long day, it was nearing dusk.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sunlight bathed the golden leaves, lifting one’s spirits.

Even better, an artistic light fixture hung over the bed, meaning Bai Shuangying couldn’t lie directly above him on the ceiling.

Then a worrying thought hit him: the bathtub was across from the bed. What if Bai Shuangying returned to his true form and lay in the tub? Or worse, choose some dark corner of the ceiling?

These thoughts made Fang Xiu’s mood dipped.

He watched as Bai Shuangying eyed the ceiling, pacing slowly around the bed like he was stepping on Fang Xiu’s nerves. Just as Bai Shuangying opened his mouth…

Fang Xiu blurted out, “This bed’s two meters wide. It’d be a waste for me to sleep alone. Wanna join me?”

Bai Shuangying simultaneously, “I want to sleep in the bed.”

Fang Xiu: “…”

Bai Shuangying: “…”

Fang Xiu: “Okay.”

His heart skipped again. Fang Xiu pressed his chest, savoring the flutter.

For once, he agreed with Jia Xu. His luck really had turned around!

To hide his twisted grin, Fang Xiu flopped onto the bed and tore the chip off the menu. The chip was warm and quivered slightly in his hand, just gross enough.

He grimaced and stuffed it into the qiankun bag.

It slid in smoothly, proving it wasn’t a spirit or living thing. Fang Xiu felt a bit better but had no intention of taking it back out.

Third taboo: You must always carry a chip. Lose it and die.

…He had no desire to test a death taboo.

The TV didn’t work, nor did the bathtub faucet, but the mountain view more than made up for it. From sunset to nightfall, the landscape was breathtaking.

Bai Shuangying had no interest in the scenery. He lay on the bed, switching between human and true form like he was testing the mattress. He finally settled in human form, black hair spreading across the sheets.

Fang Xiu sat on the edge of the bed, playing with a lock of hair, passing time contentedly.

At 6 PM, a strange phenomenon appeared.

There was no power in the room, only bright moonlight. So the golden light at the door stood out starkly.

Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying exchanged glances, then cautiously approached. The moment his fingers touched the light, Fang Xiu was yanked forward, like an invisible hand had grabbed him.

If Bai Shuangying hadn’t caught him by the collar, he would’ve faceplanted.

When he raised his head, he was stunned.

Even knowing there were 888 people, seeing them all at once was overwhelming…

They were now standing in a vast, gilded lobby.

The floor was covered in gold-and-red carpeting, and the dazzling lights made his eyes ache. On the wall opposite the main door, two characters glowed: “Huanxi World”.

Below that was a grand, double-doored theater entrance. 

On either side stood a man and woman with perfect, almost inhuman beauty.

They smiled and gestured toward a sign, which read: “Open Hours: 18:30–23:30”

Perhaps due to room proximity, Fang Xiu’s companions stood right beside him.

Blondie gawked, “Holy crap, so many people?! All of them alive?!”

Jia Xu frowned. “The door opens at 18:30, but it’s only 18:00. What does that mean?”

The next moment, they got their answer.

The surrounding crowd noticed the six newcomers and all turned to look. Cheng Songyun stiffened, ready to defend herself…

But then, everyone’s expressions changed.

They all broke into flattering smiles.

“New arrivals!”

“Damn, they’re new—!”

“They haven’t exchanged their chips yet!”

“Wanna trade for a better room?”

“Bro, sis, need a companion for the night?”

“…Just lend me your chip and I’ll do whatever you want!”

Countless hands reached toward them.

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The author has something to say:

Jia Xu: Thank you, ritual 🙏

Fang Xiu: Thank you, ritual (meaningfully)

And so the world where only Cheng Jie gets hurt… has been achieved…

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