Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 165

In the collapsed version of the instance, there were three locations related to the word “Fly” that Bai Zhou had seen.

The mole hidden within the Peach Blossom Legion used such a word that was common for places in Blue Harbor City, but it wasn’t unique either, for a deliberate reason.

If the chosen word was too common and appeared in too many street names, the reference would be unclear, and it would be hard to connect with Zhou Qian’s side.

But if the word pointed to only one location, that would also be a problem. If other Peach Blossom Legion members saw it and then guarded that place, the traitor could be exposed.

Ultimately, the mole probably didn’t fully trust Zhou Qian either.

By leaving three possible routes and not setting a specific meeting time, he gained a lot more opportunity to observe from the shadows, change plans, and retreat if needed.

After all, someone who could be a spy within the Peach Blossom Legion had to be quite meticulous.

Bai Zhou understood this clearly and moved with caution. He went to Feiyun Road and Feixia Road* first but saw no one.

*Clarity: The word is [fei] (飞) which means fly.

The last place didn’t explicitly have the word “Fly”, but there was a fountain sculpture featuring a great bird spreading its wings, about to take flight.

Bai Zhou waited there a while, and with the sharp senses of a god-level player, he picked up on some movement a hundred meters away in a school building. He began walking in that direction.

For someone to know he had arrived from afar, to not fear being seen by gamblers, and to have infiltrated the Peach Blossom Legion to such a high-ranking position with access to core secrets…

All of it suggested he was also a god-level player.

Many thoughts flashed through Bai Zhou’s mind as he made various guesses about the person’s identity.

Moments later, he saw the man inside the school auditorium.

Inside the auditorium.

The man was seated before an old pedal-operated piano. He wore tight black clothing that was suitable for combat. With his side profile facing Bai Zhou, his figure was lean, sharp, and cold.

When he saw Bai Zhou enter, he picked up a hollow spoon-like object.

He blew into the hollow section, and a transparent membrane spread out instantly, enveloping the entire space…

This ensured their conversation couldn’t be overheard.

Next, he stepped on the pedals, placed his ten fingers on the keys, and began to play.

The melody was full of sorrow and loneliness. The sound of this piano was much heavier than a standard one, giving the tune a deeper gloom.

It was Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”.

Bai Zhou looked at him and asked lightly, “Do you like classical music?”

The man stopped playing and looked up at Bai Zhou. “Embarrassingly, this is the only piece I know. Otherwise, I’d offer you the seat. Want to try?”

The two exchanged a silent glance. Both of them: “……”

The code phrase Shao Chuan gave them was really hard to describe.

Bai Zhou’s system identified his name: Shan Sheng.

Shan Sheng stood up and grumbled, “Shao Chuan is a complete literary nutcase. When he gave me this contact code, I asked him, what if I can’t play the piano? He actually told me it’s a beginner’s piece, super easy, and that if I really couldn’t manage, or if the instance didn’t support it, I could just hum it instead. Ridiculous!

“Ahem, anyway… That Zhou Qian’s not bad. If it were him, he probably wouldn’t trust me so easily. Us meeting like this is much more efficient.”

Bai Zhou asked directly, “You have a plan? How do you want us to cooperate?”

Shan Sheng replied, “All the team leaders took part in this instance switch task. Of the group, only one other named Yu Huang is a god-level player. If they suspect anyone, it’ll only be the two of us to choose from.”

Bai Zhou: “And you still dared to come out?”

Shan Sheng: “They sent us out on separate tasks. Right now, Ke Yuxiao is in charge of everything. According to him, the game’s already been going for over 5 hours. Before the 10-hour limit hits, the murderers on the map need to be found. I confirmed that Yu Huang’s been stalled, so I came here.”

Bai Zhou asked again, “Priest came too. He’s not interfering with all this?”

Shan Sheng’s expression turned serious: “Yes, he’s completely uninvolved. Don’t tell me… he’s testing Ke Yuxiao’s ability? That guy’s been promoted really fast lately. Could Priest be handing this whole instance over to him?”

“What has Priest been doing since entering the instance?” Bai Zhou asked.

“Nothing. That’s what’s strange. He acts like he’s a bystander, just watching from the sidelines,” Shan Sheng said. “Actually, ever since I joined Peach Blossom, I rarely saw him. He hardly ever appeared openly to handle things. That Xie Huaying or whatever, I’ve never seen them either.”

At this point, Shan Sheng looked toward Bai Zhou. “Let’s put aside everything else. Just based on how calm Priest is acting in this instance… don’t you think there’s something going on behind it?

“If you ask me, while you and Zhou Qian’s side look to be in serious danger and I’m in some trouble too, there’s still hope. We can win. But for Priest to stay hands-off… Is it because… No matter what we do, we can’t disrupt his real plan? Has he already secured the win?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhou’s expression didn’t change. He only asked, “What you’re doing this time—it’s a big risk of exposure. So why? Was it under Shao Chuan’s orders?”

“Turtle Fairy sensed massive negative energy from the Feidu Legion. If it’s allowed to grow, it’ll become a disaster. Xu Yang is a brutal man. If he continues to lead Feidu, they’ll be the second Peach Blossom Legion. So Shao Chuan wants to pit the two against each other. Also—”

Shan Sheng looked at Bai Zhou. “Shao Chuan told me to protect Zhou Qian. It doesn’t matter if I’m exposed or in danger. He ordered me to ensure Zhou Qian’s safety and to help you both.”

Bai Zhou said nothing.

When he had risked everything to become a dragon among humans to save Zhou Qian or entered the instance as an NPC to accompany Zhou Qian, Shao Chuan had known and didn’t stop him.

So this had all been intentional. He had known that the Peach Blossom people would kill Zhou Qian.

If Shao Chuan had foreseen all of this…

Then the reason he had chosen Bai Zhou to become a god-level player… Was that worth reexamining?

Noticing Bai Zhou’s silence, Shan Sheng waited a moment before asking, “If my guess turns out to be true, should we still go on? Think about it: didn’t he set this whole thing up as a game? He treats strategy as an art exhibit. He came here just to watch the final act! He’s here to witness the ending!”

After a pause, Bai Zhou said, “We have no choice but to continue. Otherwise, everyone will die.”

“And Zhou Qian?”

“I’ll protect him,” Bai Zhou said simply. “Tell me the details of your plan.”

……

An hour later, Zhou Qian returned to the church.

He had successfully met with the Feidu Legion, specifically with Xu Yang.

As expected, Xu Yang proposed a collaboration. Zhou Qian agreed, but didn’t reveal his own theories about the instance. He only confirmed how they would contact each other later, made one condition, and then returned without delay.

Bai Zhou hadn’t returned yet, so Zhou Qian directed the other 18 players to move toward Purple Mist Mountain.

The condition he made was for his people to be allowed to pass through the Feidu Legion’s encirclement and return to Purple Mist Mountain.

Both sides of Liuguang Street were surrounded by the Peach Blossom and Feidu Legions. If Zhou Qian’s group did anything, countless eyes would be watching them.

Purple Mist Mountain was different. It had no murder-related buildings or clues, so the legions had no reason to waste manpower occupying it. Plus, the terrain there was much more complex, with many abnormally tall trees for cover. Operating from there would be much easier.

After his teammates left, Zhou Qian stayed behind, alone in the empty church, waiting for Bai Zhou.

He suddenly found it a little amusing…

In this clearly countdown-based instance where they should be racing against time, he had spent the last moments on Purple Mist Mountain waiting alone, and now in the church, he was once again waiting alone.

He seemed to have become quite free, to the point where he had time to stare at the shattered glass on the ground, caused by Bai Zhou, and count the pieces.

Back in Ward 1 of the asylum, after being sedated, Zhou Qian would often space out like this, bored enough to stare out the window and count the leaves.

He had never realized that, beyond those leaves, farther out…

Lay Bai Zhou.

Some time passed before Zhou Qian heard footsteps.

He looked up and saw Bai Zhou.

He immediately stood and walked toward him. “Was it smooth?”

“Smooth,” Bai Zhou nodded, stepped into the church, glanced around, and seemed to guess what Zhou Qian had done. “Sent them to Purple Mist Mountain?”

“Yeah. I wanted to wait for you.” Zhou Qian naturally reached out to hold his hand.

But he couldn’t pull Bai Zhou out.

Just before they were about to leave the church, Bai Zhou yanked him back. Zhou Qian was pulled inside instead.

Bai Zhou raised his other hand and shut the door. Then he leaned in.

Zhou Qian felt the cold iron door against his back with no escape.

In all this time since they’d reunited and practically lived together, Bai Zhou had never initiated any kind of intimacy.

Even last time, when Bai Zhou lost control from reaching his mental threshold and they were so close, he hadn’t kissed him. Even when Zhou Qian had an episode in their shared villa and things had gotten very intimate, they never took that final step.

So Zhou Qian had already ruled out the possibility of anything intimate now.

Which only made him more curious about what Bai Zhou was doing.

He tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes at Bai Zhou, his gaze sly and teasing.

From his angle, looking at Bai Zhou was a strange experience.

Bai Zhou often wore a blank expression and gave off an ascetic seriousness.

At this moment, the cross in the church behind him only amplified that holy aura.

Right now, he looked like a saint: pure and untouchable. Which only made Zhou Qian want to corrupt him.

After staring at him for a while, Bai Zhou lifted his hand, gently touched Zhou Qian’s face, then leaned in and whispered in his ear, “No rush to regroup.”

“Okay, no rush,” Zhou Qian agreed easily. “So you want to stay here. What do you want to do?”

Bai Zhou didn’t respond.

He simply let his lips slide from Zhou Qian’s ear toward his mouth, slowly…

But still didn’t kiss him, as if he was still unsure.

Candy metaphors, trials, the night when he ultimately did nothing…

What was Bai Zhou still worrying about?

Zhou Qian looked at him for a while and asked softly, “Zhou Ge, us doing this in a church… is it appropriate?”

So cunning.

Bai Zhou hadn’t even kissed him yet. But this sentence already defined what they were doing.

Whatever Bai Zhou had been hesitating about, now he was the one backed against the door with no way out…

But it was Bai Zhou who was truly cornered.

Zhou Qian glanced downward and saw Bai Zhou’s Adam’s apple bob. Then he heard him ask: “So… do you mind?”

“Me?” Zhou Qian smiled. Leaned in close, whispered in his ear with a deep and loaded tone, “I find it very exciting.”

Bai Zhou said no more.

With one arm around Zhou Qian’s waist and the other hand cupping his face, Bai Zhou finally kissed him. Deeply.

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The author has something to say:

Hahaha, Qian Qian and I haven’t forgotten about the doctor~

As for him, I think there is a hidden setup. Hmmm~

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