Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 134: The Floral-Pendant Gate

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Seeing the situation, Mrs. Chen, almost in tears, hurriedly stepped in front of the four companions and spoke softly to the gardener. “Master Peng, they are all young master’s friends. Let’s talk this out…”

The gardener’s temper flared, and he swept his pruning shears towards Mrs. Chen’s shoulder. Although he didn’t really “cut”, the force was enough to push Mrs. Chen aside.

Mrs. Chen staggered a few steps, nearly falling over.

The companions tensed up, and Xu Wang immediately said, “What skill is there in bullying Mrs. Chen? Come at us!”

Mrs. Chen saw that the situation was escalating instead of calming down. Just as she was about to speak again, a heavy hand pressed down on her shoulder.

It was Driver Zhang.

He didn’t make any excessive gestures; he just patted her shoulder, silently exerting an invisible pressure. “Mrs. Chen, don’t forget, you are paid by Mr. Chi.”

His voice was deep, even emitting a hint of coldness—a stark contrast to the warm and hospitable Driver Zhang from before.

Mrs. Chen’s lips trembled slightly, but she couldn’t utter another word.

Eventually, she left silently. The look she gave as she left contained apologies and a sense of helplessness.

Driver Zhang watched Mrs. Chen leave, then turned around, leaning against the door frame, quietly watching the room, as if certain that the gardener alone could handle the four of them.

“The nagging one is finally gone.” Gardener Peng comfortably sighed, digging his ear with his free hand.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin, hidden behind the sofa, secretly readied their stationeries—[(Offense) Money Dart] and [(Offense) Dangerous Slingshot]!

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were still observing. They were ready for battle, but how to fight this battle depended on the other party making the first move.

Suddenly, Driver Zhang stepped back from leaning against the door frame to standing outside the door. The next second, the pruning shears Gardener Peng was carrying on his shoulder began to grow.

The shears, already much larger than ordinary ones, swelled to the size of a person, standing as tall as Gardener Peng himself!

Gardener Peng shifted from carrying them with one hand to holding them with both, swiftly opening the blades and viciously cutting towards the four companions!

The enormous pruning shears didn’t need Gardener Peng to move forward; their length was enough to cut all four of them in one go!

The four companions split up, two to the left and two to the right, all diving to the ground as the blade swept over their heads, cutting the air with a “snap”!

Qian Ai was the first to get up, throwing his arm with flair like a master of hidden weapons from a martial arts novel!

In an instant, he threw a brand new hundred-yuan note from his palm. The thin, nearly sharp bill charged towards Gardener Peng’s face with murderous intent!

Gardener Peng was momentarily stunned but quickly raised the pruning shears to block!

Qian Ai was bewildered from the moment he threw the [Money Dart]. He thought it would be the conventional kind made from coins, not actual hundred-yuan notes! Throwing these bills was like attacking the enemy while stabbing his own heart!

The bill collided with the pruning shears, producing a crisp metallic “clang”!

The obstructed [Money Dart] gracefully landed on the ground, still looking like a thin paper note in mid-air.

After defending, Gardener Peng immediately went on the offensive, targeting Qian Ai with his gigantic shears!

Qian Ai, repeating his earlier move, dove to the ground and rolled towards the corner where the fish tank was!

Gardener Peng tried to follow but suddenly couldn’t move. Looking down, he found his shoe stuck in a puddle of glue, so strong that it couldn’t be pulled free no matter how hard he tried!

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Immovable*] on you~~]

*(寸步难行) Idiom referring to being unable to move even a single step. Metaphorically, it could refer to a difficult situation.

Qian Ai caught his breath and gratefully glanced at his tactician, who had come to his aid.

At the same time, Kuang Jinxin, who had been aiming with his [Dangerous Slingshot] for a while, took advantage of Gardener Peng’s distraction to let loose the stretched slingshot!

A sharp pebble whizzed through the air but missed by an inch, grazing Gardener Peng’s leg and hitting the door frame.

Kuang Jinxin was deeply annoyed. If Chi Yingxue had used this weapon, he would have hit the target every time!

“It seems I underestimated you.” Driver Zhang, who had been watching from outside, took off his coat to reveal his muscular physique. He slowly entered the room, approaching the single sofa, bent down, and lifted it with both hands. Without hesitation, he hurled it towards Wu Sheng and Xu Wang!

The two instinctively ran to the side!

The sofa crashed down heavily, breaking many floorboards!

At the same time, Gardener Peng opened the pruning shears, placed them at the sticky spot where his shoe and the glue were stuck, and forcefully cut through the glue, freeing himself!

His first move was to lunge at Qian Ai, aiming for his neck with the shears!

Qian Ai dodged quickly, and the blade instead hit the fish tank behind him, shattering it with a loud “bang”!

Broken glass, murky water, along with the tadpoles and the frog in the tank, all spilled onto the floor, creating a scene of tadpoles struggling on their hind legs around Qian Ai’s feet!

Qian Ai felt nauseous.

In the next moment, those tadpoles began to grow forelimbs! Right on the wet floor, they developed front legs, their tails shrank, and they turned into small frogs! Several of them hopped directly onto Qian Ai’s foot!

Seeing this, the other three companions fighting with the driver also felt a chill.

Qian Ai felt like he was going crazy. He shook his legs, trying to fling them off!

Wu Sheng, who had just dodged a punch from the driver, flashed the thought of using [(Offense) Bolt from the Blue] from his [Stationary Box] but decided against it.

This weapon, unlike the dart or slingshot, was difficult to control in terms of its lethality and range.

If everything happening now had some “feeling resonance” with Chi Yingxue in the darkroom, what if the weapon’s effects were too broad and the lethality went out of control, causing actual harm to Chi Yingxue?

Even with only a one in ten thousand chance, he couldn’t risk it on his own team members.

“Squeak—”

In the midst of the chaos, the sound of the door opening was still distinctly heard by everyone.

The sound came from the courtyard outside the door, which only had one entrance, the floral-pendant gate* leading to the inner house.

*It’s a type of door inside the courtyard of ancient Chinese buildings where the eaves column doesn’t touch the ground and hangs under the eaves. It’s usually painted in the form of petals, so it’s called the “hanging flower gate”.

The four companions were startled, unsure what this new development meant.

Then, they heard that mocking voice again, excited for the drama—

[Owl: The person is in the inner house. You only have one chance. The gate will close in fifteen seconds. Don’t miss it~~]

The four exchanged looks and, without words, saw the same decision in each other’s eyes—go!

They had to enter the inner house; Chi Yingxue was there, and the “east wing room” indicated by the badge manual was there too!

Wu Sheng, avoiding the incoming pruning shears, decisively activated [(Defense) Light as a Feather*]!

*Flying over grass (草上飞) It’s a phrase originally refers to skill in running where one moves so fast that it looks as if they’re flying over the grass. Later, it was exaggerated and misunderstood, and it became something like “feet not touching the ground”.

As the prompt sounded, he felt lighter, as if he was on a magnetic levitation!

But soon he frowned—this defense stationery could only be used by him alone!

With no time to waste, he quickly grabbed Xu Wang, the closest to him, and carried him on his shoulder, speeding out of the house towards the floral-pendant gate, so fast that the driver and the gardener couldn’t react!

Xu Wang felt dizzy, thinking he was being pulled back to reality, but realizing he was being carried by Wu Sheng, the next second he landed on the ground. Wu Sheng pushed him into the open gate. “Hold the door. I’ll get the others!”

Twelve seconds left.

The open floral-pendant gate was slowly closing.

Xu Wang immediately braced it with both hands, trying to resist the gate’s closing force, but it was futile. He used all his strength, yet the door kept closing at its own pace.

Wu Sheng turned back to get the others, only to see Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin already rushing out!

He quickly picked up Kuang Jinxin and returned!

Eight seconds left.

After delivering Kuang Jinxin inside, he turned to get Qian Ai but collided with Driver Zhang!

Driver Zhang threw a punch with force!

Wu Sheng leaned back, dodging the attack!

He hadn’t noticed when the driver got behind him!

Qian Ai had already been pinned down by the gardener, who was straddling him and trying to stab downward with pruning shears. Qian Ai, however, was firmly grasping the gardener’s wrist, preventing him from succeeding!

Qian Ai’s face turned bright red from exerting all his strength, knowing well that time was running out. Yet, when he glanced out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Wu Sheng was still outside the door.

“Don’t worry about me. Get inside quickly—” Qian Ai shouted this with the last bit of his energy.

As he shouted, he lost some of his strength, and the tip of the pruning shears got even closer to his eyeball.

Five seconds left.

Wu Sheng gathered his energy, pushed off the ground like a bullet, and knocked the gardener off Qian Ai, grabbing… Well, he grabbed his teammate and ran towards the floral-pendant gate!

Qian Ai couldn’t keep up with his speed, almost losing his shoes!

Three seconds left.

Only enough space for one person to squeeze through remained in the gate!

Driver Zhang suddenly blocked the entrance!

Wu Sheng cursed inwardly. Inside, Kuang Jinxin and Xu Wang spontaneously kicked the driver’s backside!

Driver Zhang stumbled forward, and in a split second, Wu Sheng maneuvered around him with Qian Ai!

Finally, they reached the gate.

Wu Sheng entered, trying to pull Qian Ai in, but couldn’t.

Turning back, he saw only a narrow gap in the door, outside which Qian Ai was held back by Driver Zhang.

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to rejoin you.”

Through the gap, Qian Ai assured his teammates with determination.

In the last moment, he forcefully grabbed Wu Sheng’s hand on him, pushing it inside!

Time’s up.

The floral-pendant gate closed tightly; not even a sliver of wind passed through.

A punch flew at him from behind.

Qian Ai, without looking, threw a heavy punch back at his attacker!

Driver Zhang stumbled backward, sitting on the ground. Qian Ai was about to pounce when he felt an itch on his leg.

Looking down, he rolled up his trouser leg to find a young frog clinging to his calf, which croaked softly upon being discovered.

Qian Ai felt dizzy, then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

……

Inside the floral-pendant gate, the three companions tried everything to break it open—brute force, stationery, all to no avail. They couldn’t climb the wall to look back, as there seemed to be an invisible ceiling blocking them, just like the Moonlight Maze in 4/23.

Exhausted, they leaned against the door.

Before them lay the inner house’s garden, with flowers, grass, and trees—all lifeless.

The grass had yellowed, the flowers wilted, and the trees had dried up.

But everything remained in that moment of withering: the yellow grass lay flat, colorless flowers drooped, and dry leaves hung densely on the branches, obscuring the gloomy sky.

Xu Wang looked at everything before him with an indescribable feeling.

No household’s yard would be like this.

Just as no household would have no lights, keep tadpoles in a fish tank, or have a gardener whose pruning shears could enlarge.

This wasn’t a recreation of memories.

Like Kuang Jinxin’s dream in the dark room, this place was Chi Yingxue’s imagination, or rather, his consciousness world, blending reality with fantasy.

The hell of the mind.

They were in Chi Yingxue’s mind.

They were facing the hell constructed for them by Chi Yingxue’s memories and pain.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 133: Waiting

Chi Yingxue’s deepest nightmare lies in his home.

The four companions suddenly hesitated.

Here lay Xiao Xue’s greatest fear, perhaps also the secret he least wanted others to touch.

The man holding the car keys recovered first from his daze and asked further, “You’re here to see the young master?”

His prolonged tone of doubt brought Xu Wang’s attention back. He quickly conjured up a harmless smile. “We’re his friends, here to… hang out with him.”

Giving a vague answer, almost perfunctory, the man, now overly enthusiastic and happy, invited them into the house behind the chessboard table. “No friends of the young master have ever come over to play. Please come in and sit…”

“Hey.” The man with the pruning shears objected, his thin face drooping even longer. “We haven’t finished this game yet.”

Wu Sheng glanced at the chessboard and understood why the other was unhappy; the game was already one-sided, with the pruning shears brother sure to win.

“You, what’s more important, the game or the young master’s friends? Can’t you see what matters?” The driver scolded him, then turned back to the four, overflowing with enthusiasm. “I am Mr. Chi’s driver, surname Zhang. That’s Lao Peng, who messes with the plants*.”

*Double entendre. He’s using the idiom literally meaning to lust after flowers and grasses (拈花惹草) referring to chasing after women (a womanizer), but also referring to his occupation as a landscaper/gardener.

“Gardener,” the thin-faced man corrected, gritting his teeth.

The companions weren’t interested in their occupations; they were more concerned about the ‘Mr. Chi’ the driver mentioned.

Was it Chi Zhuolin or… Chi Yingxue’s father?

They had no way of determining this, as Chi Yingxue never mentioned his family. Their understanding of his social relations only included Chi Zhuolin. As for the family structure and the situation of his parents, they were completely clueless.

Driver Zhang didn’t listen to the gardener’s protest and directly opened the door, inviting the four inside.

Though it was a north-facing servant room, the inside was very tidy and spacious, furnished with a comfortable-looking sofa set and fresh fruits on the coffee table.

This was a guest room, which should look quite bright and spacious during the day.

But now, the lighting was as dark as outside—no, even darker. The faint moonlight seeping through the window reduced the brightness even further, forcing one to strain their eyes to see the floor and furniture without stumbling.

“Uh, Zhang Ge.” Qian Ai smiled politely at him, not sure if he could see clearly. “Can we turn on the lights in this room?”

“Oh.” Zhang Ge also smiled back apologetically. “I’m afraid not. There are no lights here.”

Qian Ai was stunned, doubting his ears. “No lights?”

Zhang Ge nodded, looking very natural as if it wasn’t an issue. “Yes, no lights.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who had just sat down on the sofa, exchanged glances, then Xu Wang leaned forward and asked politely, “Zhang Ge, is it just this room that has no lights, or is it everywhere…”

“The entire house has no lights.” Gardener Peng entered, sounding impatient, as if annoyed by the question.

The driver glared at him. “What’s wrong with you? When will you change your unpleasant temperament?”

Gardener Peng, instantly rebuffed upon opening his mouth, gave up on entering and turned back to the chess table outside, playing against himself!

The driver, having dealt with the gardener, sat down on the sofa opposite the four companions, putting on a hospitable smile. “Our house doesn’t have lights. At night, it should be dark.”

Xu Wang stared at him but couldn’t spot any flaws.

It wasn’t about being quirky or scaring people; he genuinely seemed to believe it, smiling like a friendly neighbor, every crow’s foot around his eyes radiating kindness.

But the more he acted like this, the chillier it felt.

In this world, which household doesn’t have lights? Even if there were such households, facing guests, one would know it’s not in line with social norms. It was unnatural to say it so casually, as if it was as ordinary as eating and drinking.

“A guest?” A woman’s voice came from the doorway.

The four companions looked up to see a middle-aged auntie who was dressed simply. She was slightly plump but appeared more approachable.

“Mrs. Chen, you’re just in time.” The driver immediately stood up, saying, “They are the young master’s friends. Please take care of them. I’ll go inform the young master.”

“Alright, you go ahead,” Mrs. Chen replied warmly, looking honest and sounding comforting.

As the driver left, Mrs. Chen got busy. “Please wait. I’ll go make some tea.”

Xu Wang wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but before he could speak, Mrs. Chen had already disappeared.

In the large, pitch-dark room, only the four of them remained, along with Gardener Peng outside, playing chess alone.

“Captain, can he really bring Chi Yingxue here?” Kuang Jinxin asked worriedly, keeping his voice very low to avoid alarming those outside.

Xu Wang shook his head. The answer was almost predictable. “Impossible. Have you ever seen a level where you just sit, eat some fruit, and finish the task?”

Wu Sheng had already stood up and started “exploring” the room, examining everything from the furniture to the decorations, not missing any corner.

Qian Ai, more carefree, reached for some fruit from the platter. He wasn’t really daring enough to eat it. He just thought to smell it to wake up his mind. Surely it couldn’t be a trap.

But as he squeezed, the fruit deformed, leaving his hand sticky.

“Fuck!” Qian Ai exclaimed softly. “What the hell is this?”

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin leaned over, the latter touching some of the “fruit remnants” on his hand and smelling it. “Seems like… cake.”

“Lao Qian.” Xu Wang looked at the fruit plate. “Squeeze another one.”

Lao Qian froze. “Why?”

Xu Wang replied, “To verify if it’s a coincidence or the whole lot.”

Lao Qian: “Why me?”

Xu Wang: “The first to initiate bears all responsibility.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Resigned, Classmate Qian squeezed all the fruits on the plate. Without exception, all turned out to be cream cakes, made very realistically. If not squeezed, they looked and smelled just like real fruits.

Fortunately, there were napkins nearby. Qian Ai pulled out several, wiping his hands while muttering in confusion, “These rich people, even their food is so bizarre…”

“Come here.” Suddenly, Wu Sheng’s low voice called from a corner of the room.

The three hurried over.

Wu Sheng stood in front of an automatic fish tank, gazing intently at the murky water and the dark shadows swimming within.

“Aren’t those just a few little fish?” Qian Ai didn’t understand.

A bright light shone on the glass of the fish tank—Wu Sheng had turned on his phone’s flashlight.

“Damn…” Qian Ai let out an indescribable exclamation.

The murky water wasn’t swarming with fish, but with many tadpoles that had just grown hind legs, thrashing about in the muddy water, like headless flies.

Suddenly, something pressed against the glass of the fish tank where the bright light was shining.

The four companions jumped. Even Wu Sheng’s hand shook for a moment until the light stabilized, and they saw it was a frog.

Before they could recover from the bizarre sight of “a fish tank with frogs,” the frog suddenly opened its mouth wide, swallowing a string of tadpoles swimming by!

“What are you doing—” Apparently noticing the light from the phone, Gardener Peng, sitting at the door, called out rudely.

Wu Sheng hurriedly turned off the phone.

Xu Wang cooperated, responding, “Nothing. We just dropped something on the floor, but we found it.”

The four companions tiptoed back to the sofa, looking at each other, speechless, for a long time.

Strange.

There didn’t seem to be any major problems here, but it was just weird. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but on closer inspection, everything was peculiar.

“Captain,” Kuang Jinxin glanced at the fruit plate with the squashed “fruits” and hesitated before speaking. “Xiao Xue likes to eat cake.”

“Yeah.” Xu Wang patted his head, both to comfort his teammate and to calm himself. “I know.”

The cakes on the fruit plate confirmed at least one thing: this place was indeed related to Chi Yingxue’s world.

But why were they disguised as fruits…

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Mrs. Chen came in with tea, politely placing a cup in front of each person. Her movements were gentle, like her whole demeanor, making people relax just by looking at her.

After serving the tea, she stood by the sofa, her posture proper, ready to attend to any requests.

Xu Wang quickly said, “Please, have a seat.”

Mrs. Chen waved her hand, smiling. “No need. I’m fine standing.”

Xu Wang, half-jokingly, half-coaxingly said, “If you stand, how can we drink in peace?”

After some persuasion, Mrs. Chen finally sat down. Like the driver, her demeanor and attitude were simple and hospitable. However, when looking at them, her eyes showed more uncertainty than the driver’s—not malicious, just… unsettled.

Xu Wang, sensitive to people’s emotions, quickly caught this and was wondering why, when Mrs. Chen spoke first. “Are you really the young master’s friends?”

“Of course.” Xu Wang smiled, trying to appear honest and harmless.

Mrs. Chen hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but the young master never had friends…” She looked at the four, her voice getting lighter, seemingly realizing her next request was a bit much. “You say you’re the young master’s friends. Do you have any proof?”

Xu Wang was stumped by her question.

How do you prove friendship? They couldn’t just drag Chi Yingxue out of the darkroom and tell this auntie to confirm their friendship.

“We have proof,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai, all surprised, turned to him simultaneously.

Kuang Jinxin quickly took out his phone, opened a photo, and handed it to Mrs. Chen.

Phones couldn’t be used in the Owl, but viewing the photo gallery wasn’t a problem.

It was a photo that Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai had never seen before. It was a selfie of Classmate Kuang at a restaurant in Jiangsu. Half of the photo was his face, and behind him, the four companions shared the remaining 50%.

At that moment, the companions were unaware they had become the background of someone else’s selfie. Wu Sheng was engrossed in solving a “survival formula”, Xu Wang was holding several pages of a “death formula” with a worried face, Qian Ai was arranging the tableware for a better live broadcast view, and Chi Yingxue, while he wasn’t looking, stole a Suzhou-style pastry, ruining the nicely arranged pastry tower by taking off its top, smugly putting it in his mouth.

At that time, they hadn’t really started level eight yet. Although aware of the dangers ahead, they still stole a moment of leisure.

In the photo, Kuang Jinxin was smiling brightly, just like the weather outside the window that day.

The middle-aged woman stared at the photo for a long time, then suddenly sobbed. She quickly wiped her eyes; her voice was filled with relief and joy. “It’s good to have friends. It’s good to have friends…”

These words, heard by the companions, somehow made their hearts sour.

Driver Zhang returned.

Mrs. Chen immediately stood up to meet him, and Kuang Jinxin quickly pocketed his phone.

As the driver entered, the four companions tensed up.

The driver’s demeanor had changed from warmth to severity. “The young master is sick and cannot receive guests. You should leave.”

Before Xu Wang and the others could respond, Mrs. Chen panicked, “Sick? How is he sick? I’ll go check on him—”

As she spoke and started to leave, the driver grabbed her arm. “What’s there to see? You’ll just cause more trouble.”

The four companions were taken aback; they had anticipated it wouldn’t be easy, but the driver’s sudden change was unsettling.

The gardener, who had been playing chess with himself at the door, stood up, ignoring the struggling driver and Mrs. Chen. He entered and gestured for them to leave. “Take care. There’s no need to see you out.”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes, and in the corner of his eye, he saw his three companions discreetly reaching for their [Stationery Box]. He calmed down and asked the gardener in a slightly raised voice. “What if we don’t leave?”

The gardener clenched the pruning shears in his hand, snapping them twice, the blades cutting through the air sharply.

“Then don’t blame me for being impolite.”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 132: Siheyuan

The frenzied memories finally shattered. Xu Wang saw the face of his deceased mother. It was the only clear image in the whole process.

His mother was smiling. Time had captured her at her most beautiful moment.

Xu Wang woke up.

The darkroom had already been retracted. All he could see was the pure white ceiling.

He sat up somewhat blankly, took off his helmet, and suddenly felt his cheeks were cool. Touching them, they were wet.

Had he… cried?

“Did you have a nightmare too?” Qian Ai’s voice came from the next compartment.

Xu Wang turned his head. His teammate, like himself, had also sat up from the darkroom and was now resting his hands on the edge of it, as if he had been “waiting for a long time”.

“I didn’t have a nightmare,” Xu Wang said truthfully, not wanting to startle with his first words. His voice was hoarse.

“Come on, your eyes are so red. What’s there to be embarrassed to admit?” Qian Ai wiped his face and sighed. “I dreamed too.”

Xu Wang asked, “What did you dream about?”

Qian Ai said, “About when my dad’s business failed, and we lost everything. Creditors came to our house every day. I didn’t dare to go home after school and just wandered the streets aimlessly.”

Xu Wang knew Qian Ai feared poverty and was stingy. His reputation for “loving money” had been established since high school. But whether in the past or now, Qian Ai never mentioned these underlying issues.

“And you?” As if eager to end his own story, Qian Ai quickly asked, “What did you dream about?”

Xu Wang didn’t hide it and confessed. “My mom.”

Qian Ai was stunned, cursing himself in his heart, regretting asking the question.

Xu Wang didn’t know about his family’s situation because, when it happened, he was still in elementary school. By the time he was in high school, things had changed. But he was aware of Xu Wang’s mother’s death.

Seeing the expression on Qian Ai’s face, as if he wanted to slap himself, Xu Wang knew what he was thinking and quickly reassured his teammate. “I’m fine, really. I’m not lying to you. It wasn’t a nightmare. I just saw my mom.”

Although Xu Wang believed he was telling the truth, his red eyes and hoarse voice significantly weakened his persuasiveness.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward, but fortunately, Wu Sheng’s darkroom on the opposite wall opened.

Like Xu Wang and Qian Ai, he also sat up blankly and slowly took off his helmet, but soon his gaze became clear again.

Facing two pairs of questioning eyes, Wu Sheng frowned and said uncertainly, “I think… I had a dream.”

Xu Wang and Qian Ai nodded in agreement, affirming his statement. “We all had dreams.”

It was said to be a dream, but it felt more like memories being violently invaded and destroyed. The pain of the brain being violated was even more intense than what the dream brought.

“Is it deliberately making us dream about the most painful things?” Having learned from his recent experience, Qian Ai didn’t continue to inquire about Wu Sheng’s dream but speculated in a murmur. “Is this the content of this level?”

“Hard to say.” Wu Sheng raised his arm. There were no new prompt messages in the owl head.

Xu Wang looked towards the wall next to Wu Sheng. There were two darkrooms with Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue inside, but at this moment, no one had come out.

Doubts slowly rose in his heart.

If it was, as Qian Ai said, that the darkroom made people dream of their most painful past, it could explain why Chi Yingxue hadn’t come out for a long time. His past might be too complicated and his wounds too numerous, unlike them who could easily wake up. But what about Kuang Jinxin? Xu Wang couldn’t imagine what kind of painful memories the sunny Kuang Jinxin could have that would keep him trapped.

“Buzz—”

In the low-frequency vibration, Kuang Jinxin’s compartment popped open.

He slowly sat up but didn’t take off his helmet immediately. He sat there blankly, as if his body had woken up, but his soul was still in the dream.

“Xiao Kuang?” Xu Wang called out worriedly.

No response.

Wu Sheng, in the compartment next to Kuang Jinxin, reached out, gently placed his hand on his shoulder, and just left it there.

Kuang Jinxin’s body trembled slightly, and finally, he took off his helmet.

“I dreamed of my parents.” Without anyone asking, he spoke, his voice even hoarser than Xu Wang’s. His eyelashes were wet with tears, and a tear still hung on his chin.

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Wu Sheng were stunned, not knowing how to continue the conversation.

“I never told you guys; my parents died when I was very young.” He lowered his head, seemingly a bit apologetic about these “secrets”. “It was a car accident, my grandparents told me…”

“But just now, I dreamed of the accident scene.” He suddenly raised his head, his eyes still holding the sadness of the past but more focused on the present confusion. “It wasn’t the real accident scene, but what I had always imagined.”

“Imagined?” Wu Sheng felt like he was onto something.

“Yes.” Kuang Jinxin nodded. “In the few years after I learned about my parents, I often couldn’t help but imagine the scene. What I dreamed of just now was those imaginations.”

Wu Sheng thought for a moment. “Could it be that these are actually your memories…” He chose his words carefully, trying not to mention the event itself. “You were just too young at the time and forgot?”

“Impossible.” Kuang Jinxin shook his head without any hesitation. “My parents had the accident out of town. By the time our relatives got there, it was two days later. And no one took me there. I stayed at home with my grandparents.”

“See, just like I said. Whether it’s true or false, it just grabs the most painful part of your heart!” Qian Ai angrily slammed his fist on the edge of the compartment, making a loud pounding sound.

[Owl: Builder, confirmed!]

Suddenly, a prompt sounded in the ears of the four companions, almost seamlessly connected to Qian Ai’s slam.

Qian Ai reflexively looked down at the edge of the compartment, wondering if he had accidentally pressed some voice button.

Wu Sheng, Xu Wang, and Kuang Jinxin, however, simultaneously looked towards the only compartment that hadn’t opened yet—Chi Yingxue.

What builder? How was it confirmed?

[Owl: In everyone’s heart, there is a darkroom…]

The voice in their ears suddenly softened, as if it wanted to coax them and tell them a sweet bedtime story.

[Owl: That’s where the most feared things of a person are hidden—their deepest fears. After being filtered through the helmet, the person with the most exciting, splendid, and fun darkroom automatically becomes the builder. Everything you encounter next will be the amusement park they built for you…]

[Owl: Dears, welcome to the hell of the mind.]

The prompt sound disappeared, and the world suddenly darkened, as if all the lights were turned off at once.

The air also quieted down—so quiet that they could hear the breathing of their teammates.

The hell of the mind.

Xu Wang rolled these words in his mind, finally picking up the lost fragment—the last image in his mind was of his mother smiling, but beneath her was a hospital bed.

Suddenly, the support beneath him disappeared, and Xu Wang, caught off guard, fell to the ground.

There were three more “thuds” by his ear, evident his companions had met the same fate.

Light gradually seeped into his field of vision.

Faint, bright, with a slight chill.

Xu Wang raised his head. It was the moon, obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a narrow edge, struggling to cast a faint light.

What space capsule, what secret compartment—all were gone. Now they were under a gloomy night sky.

Qian Ai, not as poetic as the captain, first looked around as soon as there was a bit of light. Upon looking, he was stunned. “Is this… Xiao Xue’s mind?”

A red courtyard with high walls stood quietly in front of the four companions, in the midst of this wilderness.

There were no alleys, no streets, no paths, no flowers or willows planted; the courtyard seemed to have been moved from the busiest part of Beijing right into this wilderness, like an illusion created by a ghostly woman for a scholar.

The courtyard gate was new, with red paint shining under the weak moonlight.

In front of the gate were a pair of stone drums, too dark to see the carvings, but the drums showed no signs of weathering, still with clear patterns and clean colors.

Wu Sheng was the first to approach the gate, intending to take a closer look. Accidentally looking up, he was stunned. “There’s a surveillance camera…”

The three immediately gathered around. Indeed, a highly defensive camera was installed in a corner of the eaves, facing the gate, leaving no visitor unseen.

A courtyard with a camera?

“What on earth is Xiao Xue thinking about every day…” Qian Ai was completely baffled.

Wu Sheng pursed his lips, contemplating whether to knock or break in, when the gate opened by itself.

Qian Ai decisively shut up, and the others also held their breath, making no sound.

Inside the gate, a brick-carved shadow wall came into view, depicting cranes standing on pine branches—symbolizing longevity.

In old Beijing courtyards, one first encounters a screen wall upon entering, for feng shui purposes and to block spirits, as it’s said that ghosts can’t turn corners and only travel straight.

Past the left-hand side of the gate was the real front courtyard.

Entering the front courtyard, the anachronistic feeling finally disappeared.

This was a modern, renovated siheyuan*. The front yard was clean and simply decorated, maintaining the old courtyard’s original look, but the doors, windows, and details were modern.

*A historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing and rural Shanxi. Throughout Chinese history, the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used for residences, palaces, temples, monasteries, family businesses, and government offices.

Despite everything looking new and clean under the night, the entire courtyard still felt eerie.

In the front yard, there was a row of servant rooms facing north. Two middle-aged men were playing chess in front of the rooms. One was jangling his car keys, while the other was holding pruning shears, using their free hands to play chess.

The companions tiptoed into the courtyard, not daring to move forward, and stood still about six or seven meters away, quietly observing the two men.

As if feeling their gaze, both men turned their heads simultaneously.

The man with the pruning shears frowned first, asking unpleasantly, “Who are you?”

As soon as he spoke, all four companions simultaneously received a “ding”.

[Cheat Sheet]: Find Chi Yingxue.

The companions, whose hearts were scattered in all directions, finally caught a direction.

Although still confused, they at least knew what their task was.

Seeing the men getting more impatient, Xu Wang quickly said, “We’re here to find someone.”

“Find someone?” The other also stood up, the car keys on his finger still spinning. “Who?”

Not knowing what the situation was or how to proceed, Xu Wang decided to get straight to the point. Maybe he could blast out some clues. “Chi Yingxue. We’re looking for Chi Yingxue.”

The car keys and pruning shears both paused. “Looking for the young master?”

The companions, caught off guard, were also stunned.

Young master?

Is this… Chi Yingxue’s home?!

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 131: Darkroom

“Say that again? How do you identify the demon?” Yue Shuai almost couldn’t hold his chopsticks upon hearing the truth. It wasn’t because he was scared, but because he found it… absurd.

“Grammar.” Xu Wang understood his feelings.

“To be precise, it’s about identifying and distinguishing based on habits of text usage.” Wu Sheng gave a very meticulous macro definition.

Whether macro or micro, Yue Shuai couldn’t accept it. “This level is too inhumane, right? Dying all the way, and at the end, it’s a Chinese language test? Apart from high school seniors at the peak of their knowledge, who still remembers such grammar usage?”

Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, and Wei Tianhang, on the left, naturally raised their hands. “We remember.”

Yue Shuai: “……”

“How to find the demon is only one part.” Xu Wang picked up a chopstick full of fish, skillfully removed the bones, and put it in his mouth. The fish meat was soaked in grilled fish sauce, making it delicious and flavorful. “Besides, by the time you go through the level, the clues might not be a language question anymore.”

Yue Shuai had lost his appetite, focusing entirely on the level. “Only one part? Isn’t the task just to find the demon? From what you’re saying, there’s a second part?”

“The second part is after finding the demon, you have to deal with him.” Chi Yingxue rarely interjected, mainly because his juice was almost finished and the freshly squeezed one hadn’t arrived yet, so he was really idle.

Holding onto the last bit of hope, Yue Shuai asked Xu Wang, “Is this a fixed segment?”

Xu Wang nodded. “It should be.”

Yue Shuai despaired. “……”

Ji Yiming on the right, who had been interested up until now, was excited. “Fighting demons? That’s cool!”

Xu Wang looked at Su, Tao, and Wei, who still accurately remembered their grammar lessons, and then at Classmate Ji, who was eager to fight, confirming that this side was responsible for literature and the other side for martial arts.

Only Captain Yue, who didn’t know what he was responsible for, was supporting his chin, looking dejected.

Since they were all so familiar, Xu Wang spoke bluntly, leaning close to Yue Shuai and asking quietly, “Did you guys choose your captain based on who looks most festive?”

It took a while for Captain Yue to digest this, then he immediately got angry. “This is called a lucky face!”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yes, indeed, chosen by the standards of a mascot.

This “Skewer Party” continued until eight in the evening, after which the two teams went back to rest. At midnight, they gathered again at the designated point.

The weightless purple vortex brought them back to the open-air coffee shop.

It was still just the two teams.

This level was like a watershed, both a separation for whether one could make it onto the overall leaderboard and a division between lively and quiet.

Upon entering, Xu Wang’s team received the reward of “Magical Defense Stationery Set of Three” and the coordinates of the next level.

While checking the reward, Yue Shuai’s small team stood far away, like avoiding suspicion while queuing at an ATM, not crossing the line.

As their friends looked up again, Yue Shuai and the other five were all ready to go.

“Pray for us.” Yue Shuai smiled at Xu Wang, his teeth gleaming in the bright sunlight.

Xu Wang slowly and solemnly said, “Be careful at all times.”

The tour group came over again.

From the leader to the travelers, everyone was replaced, with all new faces.

“Are you interested in joining our all-inclusive city day tour?” The new leader, holding a little flag and leaning on the short fence, warmly invited, in tone and demeanor, just like yesterday’s leader.

Xu Wang suddenly had a chilling illusion.

It was as if it was yesterday’s leader, just with a different face.

Captain Yue’s small team walked out of the fence, blending into the tour group, following the new leader, and gradually walked away.

Watching their backs, the slight shiver that had just risen in Xu Wang’s heart was diluted again.

Victims of the Evil Owl Association, as of now, two teams have joined.

On the path of passing levels, they were no longer alone.

……

At 5:00 a.m.

The first thing Xu Wang’s team did upon returning to reality was to let the only official liaison officer—Advisor Wu—send a condolence message to Captain Yue.

Advisor Wu was very succinct in his wording.

Sheng Ge: [Passed?]

After a while, the other side replied.

Marshal Yue: Passed [DoubtingLife.jpg]

Seeing it was good news, Xu Wang let Wu Sheng send a video call invitation.

Unexpectedly, it was rejected as soon as it was sent, and then the other party sent back an audio call invitation.

Wu Sheng showed the screen to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang pressed to accept the call and immediately turned on the speaker, so the friends wouldn’t freeze in the cold wind and miss any information.

“Congratulations on submitting your papers,” Xu Wang first congratulated.

But from Captain Yue’s side came a heavy sigh. “This is the most difficult level I’ve ever gone through… Damn, heartless, fucking crazy.” The last words almost popped out from between his teeth.

Xu Wang originally wanted to ask about the specifics, but hearing this tone, he immediately switched topics. “9/23 in Guangdong. I have the coordinates. Shall we go together?”

“No, thank you.” Yue Shuai didn’t hesitate. “You go ahead.”

Xu Wang laughed. “What, you want us to pave the way for you?”

“That’s really not it. Our team just wants to rest for a couple of days.” Yue Shuai was sincere in every word. “Or you go first and don’t rush. We’ll come later and help you pave the way, returning the favor for this level, okay?”

Xu Wang was just joking, not expecting the other party to take it seriously. “I was just kidding with you.”

But from these words, he sensed a captain whose worldview had been overturned and a partner they could support in the future.

“Are you guys okay?” As someone who had been through it, no, who hadn’t yet come out of the shadows, Xu Wang really wanted to hug his companions.

“We’re fine.” Yue Shuai’s voice sounded forcibly spirited. “It’s just that, for a short while, I can’t trust this world anymore.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “Alright, let’s not talk anymore, in case the phone explodes if we talk too long. Contact me if there’s anything.”

The audio call ended.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Advisor, you better put away your phone too. The longer it’s on, the more dangerous it is.”

……

The shadow of 8/23 was deep and lasting, but when dim sum like har gow, siu mai, black bean spare ribs, steamed chicken feet, pork tripe, pineapple buns, Malay sponge cake, custard buns, salted egg yolk buns, char siu bao, rice noodle rolls, durian cakes, roast meats platter, and claypot rice were placed in front of them… What shadow? Can you eat it?

“Lao Qian Eats All Over China” restarted in the most authentic Cantonese teahouse in Guangdong.

Arriving in Guangdong for 9/23, it wasn’t just the mood that warmed up, but also the temperature.

Although the weather in Jiangsu wasn’t as cold as in the north, it had still dropped below zero degrees this month. In contrast, Guangdong remained above zero, which was more than friendly for the “midnight travelers”.

As usual, the companions planned to eat and drink their fill, staying in the safe zone of the level for two or three days, both for rest and recuperation and to gather some peripheral intelligence.

This was their first time at this level, and everything inside the level was unknown to them.

Midnight arrived as expected.

The call from the Owl came from the desolate distance, and under the night sky, a purple vortex opened a portal to another world.

For caution’s sake, this time the five companions didn’t stand right on the coordinate point but hid 200 meters away behind a building. Whether other teams were also hiding nearby, they weren’t sure. They stepped into the vortex and entered 9/23.

What greeted them was a closed space resembling a space capsule.

Pure white floor, pure white walls, pure white ceiling—the material seemed like some kind of plastic product, seamless, with everything molded into one. On the wall in front, there was a circular pattern, like the door of a spaceship.

There were no other teams.

Were those teams elsewhere, or like with 8/23, were they the only ones challenging this level? Just as the companions were wondering, a low-frequency vibration suddenly came from the left and right walls.

Amidst the vibration, five pod-like objects slowly pushed out from the walls. It was as if there were five invisible drawers there all along, waiting for their arrival to automatically pop out.

Two on the left, three on the right, all neatly arranged in the middle of the walls.

The companions looked at each other, and the next moment, they cautiously moved forward to inspect.

The “pods” were chest-high, and upon bending down, everything inside was visible.

Each pod was big enough for one person, about two meters long, eighty centimeters wide, and sixty centimeters deep, and made of the same pure white material as the surrounding walls, giving the pods a clean and tidy appearance. A helmet lay quietly inside each, and nothing else.

The helmet didn’t fill up the pod, still leaving it looking empty.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: All team members put on the helmets and lie down in the darkroom, and the level will start.

Is it starting just like that?

The unexpected prompt took the companions by surprise.

“Captain?” Kuang Jinxin looked at Xu Wang for guidance.

Xu Wang said, “Don’t rush. Let’s observe some more.”

Before he could finish, Chi Yingxue had already picked up a helmet.

“Hey, don’t be so quick to put it on!” Qian Ai panicked.

Chi Yingxue balanced the helmet on one hand, spinning it like a basketball on his fingertip. “Just looking.”

Qian Ai clutched his chest. “I’m done for. My heart is already pounding.” He looked towards Wu Sheng and Xu Wang. “I have a bad feeling. This level is definitely going to be tough.”

It was just a helmet that made it hard to make out anything special, even though it had a futuristic feel. Xu Wang observed without success and turned to look at Wu Sheng, finding him narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, touching his lips.

This typical aura of a sage gave Xu Wang a glimmer of hope. “You found something?”

Wu Sheng subconsciously nodded and pondered. “Why call it a darkroom with such a bright cabin?”

Xu Wang was frustrated. “Can your focus be a bit more down-to-earth…”

“When we lie down in it and it closes, of course, it’ll be dark.” Chi Yingxue shrugged, interrupting, not understanding what there was to fuss about. “But it’s best to think it through before we start,” he added, his voice light but his attitude firm. “I’m not lying in something like this a second time.”

Ultimately, the companions didn’t start the level.

Firstly, they were exhausted from the journey and needed to adjust; secondly, they had no idea about this unknown level and needed more time to make up their minds to lie down in it.

However, that night, the overall leaderboard was activated.

They didn’t make it to the list.

The scores of the first and fifth places were 9/23.

They hadn’t yet passed the ninth level—their score was 8/23.

This fact had a moderate impact on the team. They had thought that their score would be good enough to be on the list, and they were ready to receive their rewards, but then they were hit with a cold reality.

The next day, they entered the Owl again, and it was the same as before: no other teams, just one sealed space capsule, and five helmet darkrooms. Unlike the previous level, where spending a day in the coffee shop could help them gather more survival strategies, the information available in this level was null unless the level was started, no matter how many times they entered.

After discussing, the team decided not to waste more time. To find out how deep the water was, they had to lie down in it!

“Cough, I’ll go first.” As the captain, Xu Wang naturally led the way.

He adjusted his breathing lightly and climbed into one of the protruding darkrooms—although he still thought it looked like a big drawer—then put on the helmet and carefully lay down.

It’s just like a holographic game adventure. Xu Wang relaxed himself, trying not to think about the weird sensation of his brain being connected to some port, and took it as an early experience of future technology.

More than ten seconds had passed since he laid flat.

Nothing happened.

Xu Wang opened his eyes to see four heads peering over the edge of the dark room at him.

“It seems it doesn’t work with just me.” Xu Wang sighed at the four heads. “Stop admiring me and hurry up.”

The four companions stopped watching and each found a dark room to lie in.

Chi Yingxue was the slowest to act. He put on the helmet, sat inside in a daze for a moment, then frowned, closed his eyes, and lay still.

As he lay flat, the five dark rooms slowly retracted into the wall.

It indeed became dark around them.

An unprecedented darkness swallowed up everyone’s senses.

Xu Wang continued to adjust his breathing in the darkness, preparing for the upcoming battlefield. The next second, a sudden piercing pain shot through his brain!

It wasn’t a physical pain, but a mental one.

It felt like an electric current zipped through his brain, and his entire world of thought was suddenly flooded with overwhelming energy. All his memories were jumbled, as if an uninvited guest entered the memory supermarket, randomly picking memories arranged by time and category, dumping them into a basket, and then smashing the basket!

Recent memories, distant ones, happy ones, sad ones—layers of memories stacked on each other resembling smashed fruit, juices splashing, emitting dazzling, lurid glows. No longer clear, they were unable to distinguish between reality and fiction.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 130: Experience

The warm water flowed from the shower head. Kuang Jinxin, who had been tense all night, finally relaxed at this moment. It was then that he remembered that he had forgotten to ask Chi Yingxue about his hand.

He had been so scared before that his mind was numb. Now that he had come to his senses, he felt somewhat guilty.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened the bathroom door after his shower, he saw Chi Yingxue waiting outside; his brows furrowed like little hills, and his eyes were full of impatience.

“Did you take a nap in there?” Grumbling, he grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s bathrobe and moved him aside before leisurely entering the bathroom.

“Isn’t there another bathroom inside?” The suite had two bathrooms, and Kuang Jinxin felt unjustly blamed.

“That bathtub isn’t as big as this one,” Chi Yingxue casually replied, starting to undress.

Kuang Jinxin, distracted, didn’t notice that Chi Yingxue was down to his undershirt in no time!

He was about to take a bath, likely to enjoy a soak in the tub, and he didn’t even care if the door was closed?!

The undressing didn’t embarrass Chi Yingxue, but Kuang Jinxin, watching from behind, felt extremely awkward. He hurriedly asked what he had been thinking about for a long time. “That hand of yours, is it okay?”

Chi Yingxue paused while taking off his undershirt, then finished removing it and casually tossed it aside.

“I almost forgot.” He turned around, reaching into his pants pocket. His bare upper body, broad shoulders, and narrow waist were now clearly visible. His skin was still pale, but now had a few more patches of red than when he was changing clothes at the bathing center in the level. The scattered red marks on his shoulders and abdomen were likely bumps from during the fight.

Kuang Jinxin knew those bruises would soon turn purple and take days to fade.

In a daze, something was pushed towards him by Chi Yingxue, pressing against his chest, stinging a bit.

Kuang Jinxin quickly took it.

It was a lighter.

Not the one confiscated in the level, but one from the hotel, with a logo on its body.

“You owe me one,” Chi Yingxue said.

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if you didn’t give me a souvenir, I couldn’t forget.”

Since the lighter from the game couldn’t be brought out, Chi Yingxue simply asked the hotel for one. No wonder he saw him whispering mysteriously at the front desk when they came back.

Chi Yingxue shrugged, posing as the life-saving hero.

As Kuang Jinxin looked on, he didn’t feel like letting Chi Yingxue have his way. “If that’s the case, including the time you pushed me on the Ferris wheel, we’re even now.”

Chi Yingxue paused as memories flooded back, a hint of regret unconsciously crossing his eyes. He almost forgot about that incident.

He lowered his eyes, seriously contemplating whether it was too late to push that incident to Yan Wang.

Taking the rare opportunity to talk about it, Kuang Jinxin, despite the inappropriate location, just went ahead and asked, “I always wondered, aren’t you afraid of pain? Why did you jump then?”

Chi Yingxue was silent for a moment, then looked up and smiled at Kuang Jinxin. “I’ve told you, I wanted you to see the cruelty of this world.”

“But you could’ve just pushed me. Why did you jump with me?” Kuang Jinxin seriously questioned, not easily fooled.

Chi Yingxue became troubled, the smile fading, and after a long gaze at Kuang Jinxin, he sighed. “Haven’t you ever had that kind of moment?”

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled. “What kind?”

Chi Yingxue leaned against the sink, not looking at Kuang Jinxin, but at a vague, unfocused point, his eyes slowly filling with longing. “Standing on a high place, looking down, and just wanting to leap…”

“Never.” Kuang Jinxin’s firm reply cut off Chi Yingxue’s “daydream”.

Chi Yingxue’s gaze refocused, falling on Kuang Jinxin’s unwavering face. After looking at the round little face for a while, he unhappily tugged at the corner of his mouth, reached out, and pinched it. “Boring.”

Kuang Jinxin winced in pain and was about to resist, but Chi Yingxue let go first.

The next second, he was pushed out, the bathroom door slamming shut in front of him.

Kuang Jinxin touched his nose, unclear whether the conversation had been clarified or not.

Inside, Chi Yingxue quickly stripped, humming an unknown English song, and started filling the bathtub.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t use the tub, staying under the shower the whole time, leaving the tub clean and dry. The spotlight made the tub glaringly white, but Chi Yingxue liked it.

Brightness and white were both things that relaxed him.

The tub was filled to eight-tenths.

Steam filled the bathroom.

Turning off the faucet, Chi Yingxue stepped into the tub, the heat spreading from his calves to his entire body and making him shiver unconsciously.

He lay down, slowly sliding until his whole body was submerged in the hot water, not stopping there.

The hot water covered his entire body, his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, eventually enveloping him like a blanket, warm and safe.

……

“It’s set for three in the afternoon.”

Just as Kuang Jinxin, with his wet hair, entered the living room, he saw the advisor shaking his phone at the captain, who was writing furiously at the desk.

Curiously, he asked, “Sheng Ge, what’s at three in the afternoon?”

“Yue Shuai is treating us,” Qian Ai replied. He was staring listlessly at the dark circles under his eyes as he slumped on the sofa, his face pale and voice weak.

Kuang Jinxin was startled. “Qian Ge, didn’t you go to sleep in the room?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Qian Ai said weakly, his voice full of sorrow. “Every time I close my eyes, it’s either knives falling from the sky or poison spikes growing from the ground…”

Kuang Jinxin’s dark memories, washed away by the hot shower, came flooding back at the mention, but seeing Qian Ai’s condition, he couldn’t blame him and could only comfort him. “We’ve already submitted our papers. Don’t think about that anymore. Think about something happy.”

Qian Ai raised his head pitifully. “Happy things? Do I have any in my life?”

“……” This question was too heart-wrenching, and Kuang Jinxin couldn’t answer immediately.

The doorbell rang.

All three in the room were startled. Qian Ai leaped up energetically, bursting with enthusiasm as he opened the door.

A hotel waiter pushed in a dining cart, smiling politely. “Room service.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin looked bewildered, while Qian Ai eagerly claimed, “I ordered it. I ordered it.”

After sending the waiter away, Qian Ai practically skipped back to the cart, his face bereft of any clouds of melancholy, and even his fatigue was gone. His radiant appearance seemed ready for another five hundred years of battle.

“We have a meal appointment with Yue Shuai at three,” Wu Sheng kindly reminded.

“I know,” Qian Ai naturally responded. “That’s why I only ordered one set meal.”

Wu Sheng, Xu Wang, and Kuang Jinxin: “……”

They swore they saw regret in Qian Ai’s eyes.

The hotel set meal was a Western-style meal: appetizer, soup, main course, and dessert—nothing missing, with two dishes each for the main course and dessert. The presentation was beautiful, and the utensils were meticulously arranged, with knives and forks neatly lined up and the plates shining like new.

The only discordant note was a pair of intruding chopsticks, attempting to blend in next to the forks, seemingly trying to pass unnoticed.

“This level taught me a lesson: you never know when danger will come, so eat a meal whenever you can.”

As Qian Ai spoke, he took out the chopsticks, gripping them tightly, and then used his other hand to shove all the knives and forks to the edge of the cart until they were as far away as possible. Not satisfied, he then used an appetizer plate to press them down, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Only then, with a sense of security, did he begin to eat heartily with the chopsticks.

Salad, grilled steak, tiramisu—in front of the mighty Chinese chopsticks, all had to bow down.

The three teammates watching felt a pang in their hearts.

For a short time, not just Qian Ai, their entire team would probably say goodbye to knives and forks.

Turning away, Wu Sheng walked over to Xu Wang, who was fervently writing at the desk, curious to see what the captain had concluded after so long. But Xu Wang’s handwriting was too elegant, and after scrutinizing the densely packed notebook, Wu Sheng couldn’t understand a thing and had to ask, “Any insights?”

Xu Wang looked up and said in a solemn and emotional tone, “Knowledge determines fate.”

Wu Sheng chuckled. “So should we have everyone self-study for two hours a day from now on? There’s no limit to the subject.”

Xu Wang: “…Do you believe they would revolt?”

Wu Sheng laughed out loud.

Xu Wang put down his pen, asking, “How’s your foot?”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “It’s fine.”

Xu Wang said, “Let’s get a tetanus shot as soon as it’s light out.”

Wu Sheng said, “No need.”

Xu Wang looked at him without much enthusiasm. “It’s too late if something happens!”

Wu Sheng grabbed a chair and sat down next to him. “Are you worried about me?”

Xu Wang said, “Of course.”

Wu Sheng frowned, finding the response too straightforward, and felt like there was a trap ahead…

Xu Wang: “If you fall, who will lead the troops into battle?”

He knew it.

Wu Sheng sighed inwardly. He wasn’t one to say sweet nothings, and Xu Wang could say them but chose not to…

“Hey.” His captain suddenly leaned in.

The sudden closeness made Wu Sheng’s breath tighten. “Huh?”

Xu Wang looked at him with a smile. “I haven’t finished speaking yet. Don’t get distracted.”

Wu Sheng quickly nodded. “Oh, go on.”

Xu Wang blinked. “If you fall, who will pursue me?”

Wu Sheng was stunned.

Xu Wang tilted his head to look at him.

Suddenly, Wu Sheng said, “Could you help me wash something?”

Xu Wang was baffled by this unrelated question. “Wash what?”

Wu Sheng quickly pecked him on the lips. “You like you.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Did this person memorize all the cheesy lines from the tour leader’s guide to flirting?!

For the rest of the time, except for sleeping, Captain Xu was dedicated to correcting the skewed romantic tastes of his advisor, even when going to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

Wu Sheng’s foot injury wasn’t minor, but fortunately, it was just flesh and skin—no tendons or bones were damaged. After getting the shot, the doctor professionally bandaged the wound, and by the time everything was done, it was already afternoon.

The five friends took a taxi to the agreed-upon restaurant, only to find out it was a skewer shop. The storefront was quite luxurious; although it was a skewer shop, it was of a high scale.

At three in the afternoon, there were only a few customers in the shop. As soon as the five friends entered, they were warmly greeted by Yue Shuai, who was waiting at the door. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”

Captain Yue enthusiastically led them to a private room.

Inside the private room sat four other members of the Yue Family Army: the handsome Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, who always wore a fisherman’s hat and outdoor gear, Wei Tianhang, who usually had his hair trimmed short on the sides with a small braid in the middle, and the robust Ji Yiming.

As they arrived, the four stood up politely. Xu Wang hurriedly said, “Please sit. We’re all friends here. No need for formalities.”

Captain Yue immediately chimed in. “Exactly. Everyone here is like brothers. No need for pretense.” Then he shouted to the entrance, “Waiter, bring the dishes—”

Soon, dishes like stir-fried clams and grilled fish were served, followed by a variety of fragrant skewers: lamb, beef, raw and cooked tendons, palm treasures, rib skewers… The variety and quantity made it seem like Captain Yue had ordered everything on the menu.

“Let’s talk while we eat.” Seeing the table half full, Yue Shuai hurriedly invited them.

Eating skewers is a great way to chat, but after the incident in 8/23, there might be some changes in the way of eating.

The Yue Family Army waited for Xu Wang’s small team to start eating first, as they were the guests.

And indeed, Xu Wang’s team did start—each of the five, without exception, first picked up several skewers, removed the meat onto the plate with chopsticks, then laid the metal skewers flat on the table and placed them in a reasonable position before beginning to eat.

Yue Shuai watched them eat the meat from their plates with chopsticks, eating methodically and swallowing hard. “Is this… the sophisticated way to eat skewers now?”

Xu Wang put down his chopsticks and sighed, getting straight to the point. “I know you want to ask about the incident on 8/23. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly how our team got through it from the beginning…”

Ten minutes later.

Captain Xu had only told half of the story.

But the members of the Yue Family Army had silently put down their metal skewers, sincerely adopting their “predecessor’s” way of eating.

The author has something to say:

I solemnly declare that the content in the text does not represent my position. Skewers without metal skewers are soulless! (╰_╯)

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 129: The Backpacker

In a daze, it felt like a return to the doomsday city of 3/23. The difference was that there, zombies were driven by a virus, while here, six travelers were manipulated by the demon.

Flames had engulfed the entire living room, scorching the faces, necks, hands, and all exposed skin of the companions, causing a painful burning sensation.

Under everyone’s gaze, the travelers suddenly turned into a ghostly shadow, vanishing without a trace.

At the same time, the six travelers lunged towards the small team!

The five friends, unprepared for battle, scattered, each dodging the attack in their own way.

As the team dispersed, the travelers also split up, each pursuing one person, displaying eerie coordination without bunching up.

The one chasing Qian Ai was in pairs.

Qian Ai was used to it.

The one attacking Xu Wang was the tour leader. Xu Wang swiftly moved behind a sofa, ready for the leader to leap over and engage in a tussle, but the leader didn’t move and instead looked up strangely.

Xu Wang also instinctively looked up.

There was nothing on the ceiling but a chandelier.

Chandelier?

Xu Wang jolted to the side.

At almost the same moment, the chandelier crashed down, landing precisely where Xu Wang had just been standing. The crystal lamp shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the floor.

A large shard flew straight at the leader’s face!

The leader agilely dodged, the shard grazing his cheek, leaving a trail of blood—the lightest injury possible.

Xu Wang was surprised that the leader could control the chandelier, and even more so by his instinct to avoid pain! Did this mean they retained some consciousness?

A gust of wind rose, bringing a hint of moisture to the scorching air.

The next moment, a torrential downpour ensued.

The friends immediately recognized it—[(Defense) Let the Storm Come in All its Fury]!

This was a stationery Wu Sheng used in 6/23, later obtained by Kuang Jinxin.

At this moment, the latter was looking up at the ceiling, allowing the rain to sting his eyes but still concentrating on controlling the stationery!

Dark clouds gathered above, pouring cold rain like an open fire hydrant, drenching both the small team and the demon-possessed travelers, extinguishing the raging flames.

As the temperature dropped with the rain, by the time the downpour stopped, the last spark had been extinguished.

With the rain ceased, the small team could finally move freely and see the world clearly again, but so could the backpackers.

Behind Kuang Jinxin, a male student was stealthily approaching!

“Xiao Kuang—”

Xu Wang could only shout a warning as the tour leader lunged at him again. He stepped back to keep distance, activating a stationery—[(Defense) Bravely Climb the Summit]!

The stationery effects enveloped the leader, making every step heavy as if climbing a mountain—his feet were heavy, his breathing labored, the cold biting, and the scarce oxygen.

Kuang Jinxin, hearing the warning, turned back sharply. The male traveler behind him had already squeezed a plastic flat bottle, spraying him in the face.

Kuang Jinxin was bewildered by the sudden attack until he smelled the pungent odor—it was kerosene, used to aid burning charcoal!

Xu Wang had temporarily controlled the leader and thought to help Kuang Jinxin, but it was too late. The male traveler had already discarded the bottle and was now lighting a match!

Kuang Jinxin shuddered, almost feeling the horror of being engulfed in flames.

The backpacker didn’t give him time to escape and mercilessly threw the lit match forward!

Kuang Jinxin instinctively dodged, knowing that even if he avoided it, the match falling to the floor could ignite the kerosene and burn him. But at that moment, dodging was instinctual!

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind.

As he dodged, the hand stretched from behind, brushing his cheek and catching the burning match firmly in front, snuffing out the flame in its grasp.

The match was crushed just like that.

Chi Yingxue retracted his arm, pocketing the match, and casually said to the traveler, “Confiscated.”

Then, without giving the traveler a chance to react, he delivered a flying kick!

The traveler was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a loud thud, and slumped to the ground, temporarily incapacitated.

The other traveler, who had initially attacked Chi Yingxue, had been similarly dealt with before the rain ceased.

Chi Yingxue turned to Kuang Jinxin and said with undisguised disdain, “It’s unreasonable that you’ve made it this far.”

Kuang Jinxin grinned, unbothered. “I may not be strong, but I know how to pick teammates.”

Chi Yingxue frowned, disliking his carefree attitude, as if he had no worries in the world.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t notice his teammate’s expression. He was looking at the two male travelers, both incapacitated by Chi Yingxue’s kick, but neither seriously harmed.

He had always known Chi Yingxue was as efficient as Yan Wang, but this was the first time he realized how different their combat styles were.

Yan Wang was reckless, not caring about his own life or his opponent’s, acting wildly. Chi Yingxue wasn’t particularly fond of life either, but he was lazy, choosing the easiest route. So if a kick could subdue an enemy, he definitely wouldn’t bother with an extra strike.

The girl chasing Wu Sheng had also been subdued. The travelers pursuing Qian Ai, under the effects of [(Defense) Slippery Feet] and [(Defense) Slow Running Shoes], either kept slipping or took an incredibly long time to move a single step, as slow as a sloth.

The situation was temporarily stable, but the backpacker was still missing.

The living was in shambles—the walls scorched, the floors soaked, the chandelier shattered, and the fireplace collapsed.

Wu Sheng suddenly felt a chill at his ankle.

Looking down, he saw two hands emerging from the floor, gripping his ankles tightly!

A sudden cold wind swept from behind, and his companions shouted in unison. “Be careful—”

Unable to move his feet, Wu Sheng quickly crouched to dodge the most likely attack direction, then turned back to see a sharp knife flying towards him!

The knife, originally aimed at his head, suddenly changed direction as he ducked, still targeting his face!

Wu Sheng realized something was wrong.

The knife wasn’t moving with inertia but seemed to be held by an invisible hand, approaching him at an uneven pace!

In an instant, the knife was upon him, stabbing fiercely at his eyes!

Wu Sheng dodged agilely, confirming his guess, and was about to call out a tactic to his teammates when Xu Wang’s voice preempted him. “Invisible Man’s Weapon Confiscation Plan—”

That was what he was going to say, word for word.

As Xu Wang shouted, he executed the first step of the plan—activating [(Defense) Slippery Hands]!

The stationery’s effect instantly enveloped the sharp knife. As it attempted a second stab, it suddenly made a “plop” sound and fell onto the water-soaked floor, splashing water droplets around.

Next was Qian Ai’s move—[(Illusory) Nowhere to Hide]!

The backpacker, still in the stance of holding the knife, suddenly appeared in front of Wu Sheng, his face still showing surprise from the unexpected slip of the knife!

Eye to eye, the backpacker realized that he was now visible to his opponent. He furrowed his brows and was about to turn into a ghostly shadow again.

Wu Sheng wasn’t going to give him the chance.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Wu Sheng now had a large hammer in his hand. He swung it backward and then fiercely slammed it onto the backpacker!

The backpacker was sent flying, crashing into the wall and creating a hole before continuing his trajectory, eventually turning into a speck in the distant night sky.

The final step of the “Invisible Man’s Weapon Confiscation Plan”—Wu Sheng, with [(Offense) Travel Hammer], sent all the demons, monsters, and spirits on a journey without a known destination.

P.S. In this plan, Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue were responsible for spectating.

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 8/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

The in-ear notification sounded, and the four friends all breathed a sigh of relief, except for Wu Sheng, who seemed reminded of something. He suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and forcefully threw it at the closest traveler, still struggling under the effects of [Bravely Climb the Summit].

Qian Ai thought it was some kind of lethal blow and instinctively said, “We’ve submitted our papers. There’s no need for overkill…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

What Wu Sheng threw at the backpacker was a fluttering stack of small cards.

As the world spun and the team returned to reality, Qian Ai stood in the cold wind at four in the morning, speechless.

His realization, insight, and foresight meant he was destined to be just a foot soldier in this lifetime.

At five in the morning, having returned to the hotel, Wu Sheng received a message from the WeChat ID “Marshall Yue”—[Did you successfully submit?]

At this time, the small team was lying exhausted in the presidential suite. The bathroom was given to Kuang Jinxin to wash off the kerosene; Qian Ai immediately found a bedroom and fell asleep; Chi Yingxue lay on the sofa, waiting for his turn in the bathroom; Xu Wang sat at the desk, summarizing the lessons and experiences of the battle—the advisor’s summary was in his mind, but the team captain’s had to be on paper, to avoid forgetting details during the debriefing.

The message arrived at this moment. The “ding dong” rang clearly in the quiet room.

“Yue Shuai?” Across half the room, Xu Wang guessed correctly.

Wu Sheng glanced at the screen to confirm the sender, then looked at Xu Wang, not as cheerful as before. “You two seem to have a telepathic connection.”

Xu Wang speechlessly retorted, “Who else would message you at five in the morning, other than Team Yue just out of Owl?”

Submitting the papers only sends teams currently in the level back to reality. Those in the safe zone not participating in the challenge are unaffected, so Yue Shuai and his team had to wait until five to come out, ignorant of the submission status.

Xu Wang’s explanation made Wu Sheng feel a bit better, and he found Yue Shuai’s profile picture less annoying.

Sheng Ge: [Submitted.]

Marshal* Yue: Really?

*Clarity: His nickname is Yue Dashuai. This is a play on his first name, [Shuai] (帅). Adding the [da] (大) makes his nickname Marshall/Commander Yue.

Sheng Ge: [Got the badge too.]

Marshal Yue sent a voice message. “Damn! You guys are awesome!”

Wu Sheng smiled, typing more slowly. [Not bad.]

Marshal Yue, unable to type anymore, continued with voice messages. “Go to sleep quickly and come out for a meal when you wake up. It’s on us!”

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