Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 175: Meeting Again

00:001, Beijing Time.

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

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

12/23: Elf

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

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

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

Qian Ai: “……”

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

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

A minute later, in the living room.

Wu Sheng: “Xiao Xue, cut the power!”

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

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

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

“Whoosh—”

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

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

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

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

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

Light enveloped the two ghosts and quickly vanished.

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

Wu Sheng: “…”

Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Garden?” Wu Sheng paused.

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

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

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

All five sets of eyes turned in that direction.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big… Windmill?

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

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

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

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

“Xiao Rui.” He signaled with a glance.

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

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

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

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

Qin Rui was startled. It was a defense stationery.

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

Qin Rui: “……”

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

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

The four scattered instantly.

The thermos fell to the ground with a crash.

“Bang—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chi Yingxue grabbed his shoulder.

Kuang Jinxin supported his arm.

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang: “Understood.”

Chi Yingxue: “Mm.”

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

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

Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

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

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

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

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

Inside, it was pitch black and silent as death.

“Click—”

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

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

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

Xu Wang: “What do we do now?”

Wu Sheng: “What do you think?”

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

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

Chi Yingxue enjoyed this part.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Sorry!”

“I was wrong!”

“I shouldn’t have attacked you!”

“I was too unkind!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

He looked back at Kuang Jinxin.

Kuang Jinxin nodded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A beautiful woman made her entrance.

“Crackle—”

Another volley of meteorites shattered.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Boom!”

“Clang—”

“Ugh…”

“Crack!”

“Clang—”

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang was missing.

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 174: Good Morning

“Can we talk now?” Fu Wenqing approached Xu Wang, still clear-eyed and composed. If it weren’t for the big tear in his clothes, one might doubt he had just escaped the “Deer Demon Massacre”.

“Are you sure you want to talk?” Xu Wang’s gaze went past him, landing on a group under the streetlight, radiating anger and in a sorry state. He didn’t think these adversaries were in the mood for a chat.

“Anger and impulsiveness won’t solve anything. If there’s a win-win solution to a problem, why resort to mutual destruction?” Fu Wenqing didn’t turn around, making it clear he was the one calling the shots on this matter.

After pondering for a few seconds, Xu Wang understood. “You’ve saved your progress.”

Fu Wenqing replied, “So have you.”

It was worth discussing because they would meet again tomorrow.

But the Owl couldn’t save progress consecutively, so Xu Wang couldn’t see any room for negotiation. “Tomorrow, whether it’s you or us, there’s only one option for us to ‘submit our papers’.”

“No.” Fu Wenqing offered a second option. “You can also drop out.”

He said it so calmly, not as a provocation or a show of force, just like a casual chat, making it hard for Xu Wang to get angry. It felt like they were on different wavelengths. “Why should we drop out?”

“We wouldn’t ask you to step back for nothing,” Fu Wenqing continued. “In exchange, I can give you information more critical than just handing in a single assignment.”

“Oh?” This piqued Xu Wang’s interest, who asked for more details, “About what?”

Fu Wenqing pondered and didn’t answer.

Xu Wang frowned. “If you want to talk, you need to show some sincerity. You can keep the information to yourself for now, but at least let us know what it can bring us and whether it’s worth retreating three levels for it.”

“You have a point.” Fu Wenqing nodded in acknowledgment and revealed his trump card. “A way to leave the Owl for good, that is, to leave completely and forever.” Under the streetlight, his eyes were calm yet confident. “Is it worth three levels?”

Xu Wang fell silent, turning back after a long while with mixed feelings.

The friends behind him had similarly complicated expressions on their faces.

“It’s pretty worth it…” Xu Wang turned his gaze back to Fu Wenqing, feeling rather helpless, “but we’ve also paid.”

Fu Wenqing was taken aback by the unexpected answer that finally caused a ripple in his otherwise tranquil demeanor. “A million?”

Xu Wang expressed genuine regret. “We should have met earlier.” Even though the information was bought in a group purchase, it still cost them about three hundred thousand. Trading three levels for three hundred thousand wasn’t out of the question!

A negotiation that seemed promising crumbled in less than three minutes. Fu Wenqing quickly collected his emotions, so quickly that Xu Wang thought he might naturally lack deep feelings.

“See you tomorrow.” With these simple words, the man led his team out of the alley.

“I thought they were going to bury us with money,” Qian Ai murmured as he watched their figures disappear around the corner, feeling a sense of unfulfilled wishes.

Xu Wang knew another tough battle awaited them tomorrow. But for now, the priority was to rest and heal.

……

This time, President Chi got the “tourist destination” information early from his brother and arranged the hotel rooms in advance: two presidential suites, one with two bedrooms and the other with three bedrooms.

Nobody likes to be a third wheel, so naturally, the two-bedroom suite went to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng.

“Our save point is in the house of the Electric Ghost. We’ll take it down first thing tomorrow,” Wu Sheng sat on the couch, letting Xu Wang handle his injured arm, his mind never resting. “We need to find a way to lock down the ownership of the two ghosts, or we’ll be easy targets later on.”

“How do we lock it down? We don’t have any ‘anti-theft stationery’ right now,” Xu Wang said as he carefully disinfected the wound with iodine-soaked cotton balls.

“I have an idea…” Wu Sheng’s gaze landed on the smooth neck exposed by the other’s bowed head. His throat suddenly tightened, and his thoughts momentarily halted.

Unaware, Xu Wang changed the cotton ball and continued cleaning. “What’s the idea?”

“Cough,” Wu Sheng cleared his throat, trying to mask the awkwardness in his voice. “I’m not sure yet. I need to think more.”

Xu Wang didn’t press further. Usually, when Wu Sheng said he “had an idea”, it was almost a done deal. His “need to think more” was just to make it foolproof.

“The other side will also secure their two ghosts tomorrow,” Wu Sheng said, “no matter where their save point is.”

Xu Wang tossed the cotton ball away, took a clean bandage, and cut a length of it to match the wound. “That’s for sure. It’s clear no matter how you paint it.”

Wu Sheng watched him soak the bandage strip in iodine, saturating it. “So, the situation tomorrow might be the same as today. Each of us with our two ghosts, meeting in that house.”

Xu Wang gently placed the bandage strip over the wound and asked, “Does it hurt?”. After receiving a negative reply, he continued, “The goal is to intercept them before entering the house, deal with them first, then the female ghost.”

The dry new bandage was wrapped around the arm, and Wu Sheng, feeling pain with each beat of his heart, actually found it comforting and peaceful. “Yeah, I think so too.”

“Done.” Xu Wang finished tying the bandage, feeling quite satisfied with his work.

Wu Sheng lifted his arm, appreciatively inspected it for a while, and nodded. “You’ve improved over the past ten years.”

Xu Wang paused, then realized what he was referring to and laughed without amusement. “Are you complimenting me?”

“Of course,” Wu Sheng seriously reminisced, gesturing as he remembered. “Back then, I fell, and if I’m not mistaken, only scraped my elbow, right? Then you wrapped it as if I’d broken my entire arm…”

“That’s because you insisted I do it!” Xu Wang protested against the misrepresentation. “I told you to go to the infirmary, but you absolutely refused.”

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “And say what? That we were just walking on the playground, you suddenly decided to jump on my back for a piggyback ride, and then I fell because I couldn’t hold you?”

Xu Wang despaired. “Couldn’t you just say you tripped while walking?”

“That wouldn’t do,” Wu Sheng asserted righteously. “The class monitor can’t lie.”

Xu Wang gritted his teeth, not understanding the foolishness back then, but now he did. “You were just tormenting me, seeking revenge.”

Wu Sheng rested his bandaged arm on the sofa back and suddenly leaned in close to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang jumped. “What, what are you doing?”

“Did you like me back then?” The flood of memories surged, hitting the rock named “realization of love” in Advisor Wu’s mind.

Xu Wang stretched out his hand to touch the head that was getting closer and mercilessly pushed it away. “You’re overthinking it.”

Wu Sheng dodged the half-hearted resistance, pressed forward, and trapped Xu Wang between the sofa back and his arm, firmly kissing him.

Xu Wang didn’t dodge, calmly accepting the kiss.

After the kiss, Wu Sheng didn’t move away but kissed his eyes, nose, chin…

He kissed gently and meticulously down to Xu Wang’s chest, through the thin shirt, nibbling and sucking joyfully.

Xu Wang, tickled and trembling, couldn’t bear it any longer and laughed. “Are you a dog or something…”

“Fortunately…” Wu Sheng stopped, his head resting on Xu Wang’s chest, his words muffled.

Xu Wang didn’t hear clearly. He vaguely heard something like, “Fortunately… after ten years…” but that seemed illogical. To waste ten years, what’s there to be fortunate about, if not deep regrets?

Wu Sheng said no more, contentedly holding the person that belonged to him, listening to each other’s heartbeats, gradually syncing up.

If ten years ago, he and Xu Wang had expressed their feelings for each other, could they have stayed together until now? Two kids, unclear about the future, would their hearts and feelings remain unchanged after all the bumps and bruises along the way to adulthood?

Fortunately, it was ten years later.

Fortunately, when he was capable of protecting a relationship, he found the person he loved the most.

Fortunately, that person still loved him.

These “fortunately” might have used up all his luck for a lifetime, but it was worth it.

……

In the other presidential suite, Qian Ai had fallen asleep, dreaming of the splendid Tang Dynasty Chang’an, enjoying a Qing Dynasty Manchu Han Imperial Feast, with court officials seated on both sides, occasionally giving his live stream double taps of 666*.

*Term meaning smooth now takes on the meaning of good luck or job well done. In a gaming context, it can mean smooth killing (impressive skills).

Next door, in a state of dreamy bliss, Chi Yingxue obediently lay on the bed, having taken off his shirt to reveal his entire back.

Kuang Jinxin was applying burn ointment on him, eliciting complaints of itchiness when lightly applied and cries of pain when too heavily applied, proving to be quite the difficult patient.

However, Kuang Jinxin wasn’t angry about the fussiness; what upset him was that, despite the severity of the injuries, the team captain didn’t allow them to use their healing stationery!

The dim light in the Owl, coupled with Chi Yingxue’s cool response, led him to believe the injuries were minor. But once the clothes came off, his entire back was a swath of red.

Having applied almost a whole tube of burn ointment, Kuang Jinxin’s irritation hadn’t subsided, and he couldn’t bring himself to scold Chi Yingxue, especially since the injuries were sustained while saving him. So, all he could do was grumble under his breath.

Chi Yingxue initially ignored him, but eventually got tired of hearing it and came up with an excuse. “Healing stationeries are rare. We shouldn’t waste them carelessly.”

Kuang Jinxin, used to talking to himself, didn’t expect a response. It took him a few seconds to retort with a glare at the back of Chi Yingxue’s head, “Right, frugality is a virtue.”

Sarcasm wasn’t Kuang Jinxin’s strong suit, but the occasional jest proved effective.

Chi Yingxue turned to look at him, causing his back to move.

Kuang Jinxin frowned. “Don’t move.”

Chi Yingxue stopped but continued to watch him.

Kuang Jinxin paused his actions, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.

[How do you want others to treat you so that you feel comfortable?]

[Be honest, I suppose. Say what’s on your mind…]

With a slight twist of his mouth, Chi Yingxue sulkily replied, “I wanted you to remember my favor, and it’d be better if you felt sorry for me.”

“Lie down.” Kuang Jinxin pressed the disobedient head back down and continued applying the ointment. “Even if you healed immediately after getting hurt, I’d still remember you saved me. And even if the injuries weren’t for my sake, I’d still feel sorry.”

The cool sensation on his back made Chi Yingxue involuntarily relax, and his eyelids grew heavy. “Why…”

Kuang Jinxin, hearing the sleepiness in his voice, softened his tone. “We’re friends.”

Chi Yingxue laid his head on the pillow, seemingly asleep, and made no more movements.

Kuang Jinxin moved gently, finishing the last bit of ointment application, then quietly turned to get off the bed.

Without warning, Chi Yingxue extended an arm, pulling him back.

Unprepared, Kuang Jinxin lost his balance and fell onto the bed. By the time he realized what was happening, Chi Yingxue was already on top of him, his head forcefully burrowing into his neck, rubbing aggressively with a hint of impatience.

Kuang Jinxin’s breath hitched, wanting to push him away but afraid of touching the freshly medicated back, resorting to pushing at the shoulders instead. But Chi Yingxue stubbornly applied all his weight, leaving no room for movement.

The wound Kuang Jinxin received from the female ghost was hurt by this friction. Yet, aside from the pain, there was a peculiar, unusual feeling.

After a standoff, Chi Yingxue seemed to have satisfied his need, calming down.

“I don’t want to be just friends.”

Kuang Jinxin heard this declaration that wasn’t coquettishly stated but more like an announcement.

Chi Yingxue slightly propped himself up. The room was brightly lit, clearly showing the panic in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes.

The more Chi Yingxue looked, the more he liked what he saw, pressing down once again.

Kuang Jinxin turned his head away.

Chi Yingxue’s lips landed on his face—not a kiss, but a bite—with enough force to hurt but not break the skin, earnestly biting him.

Kuang Jinxin blinked in confusion, momentarily forgetting the pain.

Chi Yingxue lay down relaxed, snuggling back into his neck. His slightly raised tone revealed his joyful mood. “Just as I thought.”

Kuang Jinxin asked dully, “What?”

“You taste like oranges,” the person buried in his neck murmured proudly.

Chi Yingxue fell asleep.

Listening to the steady breathing beside his ear, Kuang Jinxin’s heart raced.

He had never met someone who could so easily make him happy, sad, want to get closer, yet fear the closeness. These emotions weren’t under his control but were held in the hands of the other.

Yet, this person was as unpredictable as the wind.

Kuang Jinxin could imagine the future for the captain and the advisor, with the captain finding another job, the advisor perhaps restarting a company, and then living together, growing old together. He could also picture Qian Ai’s future—maybe continuing as a streamer or finding a new job, then settling down with someone suitable.

But he couldn’t picture Chi Yingxue’s future.

Of course, Chi Yingxue didn’t need anyone else to plan his future. With the freedom to live as he pleased, that was enough.

The wind can’t be caught, and Kuang Jinxin didn’t intend to try.

His fear was that he couldn’t even keep up.

Quietly slipping out of bed, Kuang Jinxin covered Chi Yingxue’s back with a blanket and turned up the air conditioning a few degrees.

Dawn was breaking outside, sunlight sneaking through the curtain gaps, casting a bright sliver inside.

Kuang Jinxin turned off all the lights, and before leaving, after much hesitation, he still stole a kiss on Chi Yingxue’s hair.

Good morning.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 173: Escape

Neither team expected their third ghost to make an entrance in such a manner.

She didn’t seem to reside within the house but rather seemed to be blocked by some mysterious force outside, wandering every night, waiting for the right moment to gracefully descend.

It was through the first window to break.

Wu Sheng was frustrated. Upon entering the house, he sensed that the black plastics were somehow related to the ghost. Drawing from their experiences in the previous two houses, he had assumed that the ghost would use these plastics for some unusual attack, never considering the reverse—that these plastics might have been the original homeowners’ defense against the ghost!

The woman slowly lifted her gaze, her captivating eyes quietly scanning all the men in the room.

She was elegant, beautiful, sexy, and mysterious, yet exuding extreme danger. The ancient prophecies she chanted were like a siren in the legends, seducing sailors to their doom, and the subtle trace of blood on her pale lips reminded them of the eternal, nocturnal vampires.

Finally, her gaze settled on the corner of the room.

Not looking at the four ghosts, but at Qian Ai and Qin Rui.

The two men, huddled in the corner, wishing to be invisible to the world, simultaneously let out a desperate sigh. “Fuck…”

The woman’s skirt lightly rustled as she silently approached.

First, she went to Qin Rui but quickly turned towards Qian Ai, leaning slightly towards his neck to take a gentle sniff.

Qin Rui let out a huge sigh of relief, daring not to make a sound for fear of attracting the woman back, yet he couldn’t resist shooting Qian Ai a look—congratulations!

Qian Ai wanted to explode in anger—fuck off.

The woman carried a faint scent of roses, subtle yet intoxicating. Her lips, in the act of sniffing, unintentionally brushed against the skin, tickling like a feather and stirring desires.

But Qian Ai resisted all these.

Despite this being his first close encounter with a woman, especially such a beautiful one, the realization that this was just a level, and this was a ghost boss. Out of the ten people, he was the one chosen to trigger the massacre. How the hell could he feel “stirred” with such a thought?

Thinking of all the others who couldn’t even roll a 6 or 10, why was he so attractive to ghosts?

In his despair, Qian Ai watched the woman sniffing him and slowly raised his head.

In the serene moonlight, their eyes met.

The woman smiled, gentle as water, but her pupils slowly darkened amidst the tenderness. Then, she slightly opened her beautiful lips, in a gesture of seduction, of temptation…

But all Qian Ai saw were her sharp fangs closing in on his neck.

Qian Ai panicked, his voice breaking. “Miss, miss, calm down a second! Would you consider someone else—”

Perhaps his voice was too loud, causing the woman to pause momentarily.

“Look how beautiful you are. It’s a waste to pair with me!” Qian Ai was earnest; his words were filled with blood and tears.

The four companions watching Qian Ai with concern were momentarily lost in a moment of confusion.

Fu Wenqing, He Lanshan, Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen, who were waiting for their opponent to be defeated: “……”

Qin Rui, closest to the action, couldn’t hold back any longer. “Brother, please respect the setting of the level. This is clearly a Western erotic horror film; can we not turn this into a dating show?”

“Then you match her!” Qian Ai, annoyed at Qin Rui’s lack of empathy, retorted, “I’m just being natural!”

No, that’s not right.

Xu Wang felt something was off the moment Qin Rui spoke.

When the woman first approached, Qin Rui was as nervous as Qian Ai, but now, his nervousness had completely vanished. He was even mocking Qian Ai, despite the woman seemingly choosing Qian Ai but still being close enough that she could switch to him at any time.

Yet, Qin Rui seemed utterly fearless.

Since then, the scene, atmosphere, and female ghost hadn’t changed, and they, immobilized, couldn’t have done anything. So what gave Qin Rui sudden confidence…

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh—”

A piercing scream interrupted Xu Wang’s thoughts.

In the corner, the woman’s sharp teeth had sunk into Qian Ai’s neck!

The fear of death and the pain of the teeth piercing his skin made Qian Ai howl to the heavens.

After howling for two seconds, it abruptly stopped.

“Huh? It doesn’t hurt much…” Qian Ai, letting the woman drain his blood, looked bewildered at his teammates and dutifully explained, “I’m just a bit dizzy…”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin: “…No need for live commentary now!”

Seeing a teammate being harmed right in front of them was definitely not a good experience, but their currently active stationery, [Nowhere to Hide], could do nothing. They couldn’t even save themselves, let alone a teammate!

Amidst their frantic concern, an SUV crashed into the house.

“Bang—”

The wall was smashed open, and wood and concrete flew everywhere, filling the air with dust.

With a harsh braking sound, the SUV stopped next to Fu Wenqing.

Xu Wang and the others immediately understood; this was the other team still using their stationery. Just like they used the pumpkin carriage to get here, the other team had also arrived by vehicle.

But now, when they couldn’t move, what use was a vehicle?

As if understanding Xu Wang’s thoughts, Fu Wenqing turned his head, smiled slightly, and said, “We’ll meet again.”

That was the smirk of someone with a plan!

Just then, the SUV door opened, and a familiar figure jumped out, swiftly stuffing the stiff Fu Wenqing into the car, then methodically did the same with He Lanshan, Zhao Muchen, and Wu Yanchao.

When he ran to Qian Ai to pick up Qin Rui, the dizzied Qian Ai finally recognized him. “Xiao San?!”

This abrupt visitor, crashing through the wall, was none other than the speedster summoned by Qian Ai in 3/23 during the “Zombie Amusement Park”.

Qian Ai: “Don’t you remember me? The amusement park! The viaduct!”

The young man, already holding Qin Rui, paused and glanced at Qian Ai. Then he picked up Qin Rui and ran back to the SUV, leaving Qian Ai with an indifferent figure.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “…”

Clearly, he didn’t remember.

After stuffing the last Qin Rui into the SUV, Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring swiftly got into the driver’s seat, not looking back.

Qian Ai felt hurt—more than being drained of blood. “Xiao San! Remember this! We’re done! Over! No more friendship! If I get a few more of you in the future, I won’t use them—”

“……” Xu Wang wanted to advise his teammate, rare determination shouldn’t be wasted on this inexplicable affection, but seeing the SUV start and looking at the increasingly pale Qian Ai, he couldn’t bring himself to tease.

Failing a level wasn’t a big deal; they had a save point and could try again tomorrow. But losing so miserably was hard to accept!

The SUV burst out of the house through the hole it came from, and the woman didn’t stop it—not even sparing it a glance. She continued gently holding Qian Ai’s flailing head with tenderness laced with an undeniable force.

Qian Ai’s vision blurred, still asserting his stance. “With you being so hard to maintain, we wouldn’t have worked out anyway…”

The sound of the SUV faded into the distance. Even Kuang Jinxin, usually good-natured, felt stifled. “We should’ve activated a few more stationery in advance…”

At least not let those guys leave so triumphantly.

“It’s easy to say in hindsight.” Xu Wang could only comfort his teammates.

Wu Sheng felt the most remorseful. If he had been more thorough in his planning and strategy, their team wouldn’t have been both bullied by the boss and played by their peers.

But it was useless to say these now. Instead, he agreed with the other side’s “We’ll meet again.”

“Ten years is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge*.” Staring into the night outside the broken wall at the shadows, Wu Sheng said each word deliberately.

*(君子报仇，十年不晚) Saying referring to people with lofty ideals don’t have to be impatient in seeking revenge.

Chi Yingxue followed his gaze into the distant night. “Why wait?”

“Bang—”

Just before Qian Ai completely lost consciousness, he vaguely heard a collision sound from the night sky afar.

……

04:01, Beijing time, in a remote street in Jiangxi.

Qian Ai woke up dizzy and took a few seconds to realize he was back in reality, lying on the cold ground.

His neck was still aching faintly, and he weakly raised his hand to touch it, feeling a slight sting.

The wound probably wasn’t as deep as it was in the level, but the blood lost was definitely not coming back.

He consoled himself that it was as if he had donated blood for free.

While comforting himself, Qian Ai struggled to get up, only to see two vague figures under the streetlamp at the end of the road, also getting up from the ground.

“Xu Wang? Wu Sheng? Xiao Xue? Xiao Kuang—”

It was too far to see clearly. Qian Ai called out his teammates’ names as he hastened towards them.

Upon approaching, he was stunned.

The two disheveled figures under the streetlamp weren’t his teammates, but Qin Rui and He Lanshan.

“Why is it you guys?” Qian Ai was first astonished, then remembered the “bang” sound before returning to reality and couldn’t help but gloat. “Crashed into a tree? You got what you deserved, hahahaha!”

He Lanshan leaned against the lamppost. Before he could recover from the “shadow of death”, he was hit by the “mockery of death” and coughed up blood for the second time.

Qin Rui, too irritated for words, simply lifted his shirt to reveal his stomach.

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “I know you’re fit. No need to show off.”

Qin Rui wanted to bang his head. “What are you looking at? I’m showing you the wound!”

“Wound?” Qian Ai bent down for a closer look, only then noticing several coin-sized bruises on Qin Rui’s flat abdomen, varying in depth, some even broken and bleeding.

Qian Ai was genuinely curious. “What the hell did you guys crash into?”

Qin Rui gritted his teeth. “A deer.”

Qian Ai froze. “Could it be…”

“Yes, the one Xiao Xue revived.” Their team captain’s voice came from behind.

Qian Ai turned around to find Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin had also arrived.

At this point, who cared about the fate of their opponents? Qian Ai immediately abandoned Qin Rui to check on his own teammates. “Are you guys okay?”

Each of his teammates had two puncture marks on their necks, just like Qian Ai.

“We’re okay.” Xu Wang thought openly. “Just need to soak some goji berries and eat some dates to replenish the blood.”

Relieved about his teammates, Qian Ai remembered the previous topic. “Is Xiao Xue’s deer still around?”

Wu Sheng nodded. “Yeah, it should still be under the effect of the illusory stationery.”

Kuang Jinxin added, “Xiao Xue said, since it’s been revived, might as well make full use of it.”

So, they used the illusory stationery to control the deer and block the road, causing a crash?

But if it was a fatal crash, what were those strange wounds on Qin Rui’s abdomen?

Qian Ai had many questions, but one thing became clear—never offend Xiao Xue. This teammate wouldn’t wait ten years for revenge; even ten seconds would be too slow for him.

Two meters away in mid-air, a purple vortex suddenly opened without warning, and Fu Wenqing, Zhao Muchen, Wu Yanchao fell out one after another.

Qin Rui and He Lanshan’s eyes widened, not expecting their teammates to be returned this way.

Seeing their own team regrouped, Xu Wang’s group looked around, and as expected, Chi Yingxue was also approaching.

Both teams met again under the streetlamp.

Chi Yingxue didn’t even glance at the opponents. He just frowned and touched his neck, seriously complaining to his teammates. “I hate vampires.”

Qian Ai was curious. “How did you send them all back?”

“Oh.” Chi Yingxue shrugged. “It was the little deer I revived earlier with the [Easter Egg].”

“Little deer?!” Wu Yanchao, the last to die and return, couldn’t hold back. “It smashed the windshield, continued to ram into us even after its body was destroyed, leaving only its head, and still attacked. That’s a deer? It’s more like an immortal deer demon!”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Deer are no joke. I once almost ran into one but luckily braked just in the nick of time… Then the deer actually rammed my car before running away, leaving a nice gash for me to fix. Needless to say, fuck deer.

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 172: Moonlight

A faint glimmer flashed above their heads. It was extremely shallow and fast, easily overlooked under the moonlit night. Yet in this abyss-like darkness, the five companions subconsciously looked up.

Simultaneously, Wu Sheng’s flashlight was also raised.

The ceiling was calm. The flash from half a second ago seemed like an illusion.

Qian Ai felt somewhat disappointed, but from the corner of his eye, he suddenly sensed a shadow moving and immediately turned his head towards the corner of the wall.

Then, cold sweat began to trickle down.

The ghost dolls were there.

The ghostly shapes were there.

But beside them, there were two more.

One was a burly man as tall as a mountain, his body pierced with steel spikes, including his face, with blood seeping out of every wound. From afar, he looked like a bloody hedgehog; the other was a pale-faced boy, slightly bowing his head. His eyes looked up at people with a sinister gaze, yet his mouth carried a faint smile.

“Wu Sheng…” At this moment, only the advisor known for encountering and slaying ghosts could give Qian Ai, who felt his scalp about to explode, a sliver of courage. “It seems like we have two more companions…”

Wu Sheng looked over, not at the ghosts’ appearances, but first fixed his gaze on the crosses over their hearts.

A bad premonition struck—no, it was no longer just a premonition. Wu Sheng, at the very first moment of judgment, loudly warned, “There are other teams!”

But it was already too late.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Forget-me-nots] on you~]

The moment they heard the prompt, the five companions’ thoughts became light and airy, turning into a soft, dreamy cloud with a faint sense of comfort and relaxation.

They saw a light flash again near the chandelier on the ceiling, saw the coffee table tremble, and then the badge didn’t flash again.

Wu Sheng clenched his fists, letting the pain in his joints force him to stay awake, but he still couldn’t move, couldn’t raise his arm to point the flashlight, and didn’t even have the desire to attack. He could only try hard to concentrate, calling upon the still-effective [Nowhere to Hide].

The invisible team suddenly became visible.

One was on the coffee table, having taken the badge but not yet had the chance to jump down, while four stood beside the coffee table, one of them raising his arm, looking like he was about to deliver a devastating second strike.

Wu Sheng was desperately trying to stop them, but the effect of the [Forget-me-nots] was too strong, almost impossible to resist with willpower alone…

“I’m sorry!” The companion who was about to click the flashlight suddenly lowered his arm and abruptly performed a ninety-degree bow in apology.

Wu Sheng was startled.

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, still under the influence of [Forget-me-nots], were also puzzled.

It wasn’t over yet. The other four people also performed a uniform ninety-degree bow.

“We’re sorry! We shouldn’t have ambushed you!”

“Not sincere enough.” Chi Yingxue slowly walked forward.

“We’re sorry! Big brother, please forgive us! We really know we were wrong! Ambushing is the least kind thing in this world!”

The five people apologized earnestly and vigorously, but if you looked closely at their faces, they were all twisted in anger, ready to bite at any moment.

Even the slowest among Xu Wang and his companions could tell something was off.

“If I’d known it was this effective, I would have saved it.” Chi Yingxue’s words were directed back at his own four companions, regretting that using it on these five was a waste.

The companions had a stroke of fortune.

Chi Yingxue’s [(Illusory) I Urge You to Be Kind].

When the effect of [Forget-me-nots] wore off, the apologies from the attackers finally stopped.

These two illusory stationeries had similar effects, and even their durations were nearly the same.

However, on Xu Wang’s side, “quietly forgetting worries” didn’t drain their physical strength, but on the attackers’ side, their old backs were almost bent from bowing.

Xu Wang truly didn’t expect to encounter fellow competitors in this challenge.

The [Leaderboard] was opened five days ago, at that time, their score was 11/23, ranking second. The first place score was 12/23, and the third place team’s score was 8/23. Whether it was the teams ahead falling back three levels or the ones behind continuing to advance, they all felt the chances of encountering each other were slim.

So, was this No. 3, who had continuously passed three challenges and was proceeding to the fourth, or No. 1, who had fallen back three challenges and then advanced two?

Regardless of which, the situation wasn’t optimistic.

This was a team that exuded a “keep out” vibe. To put it plainly, each member looked unfriendly, and this “unfriendliness” came in many varieties: “the elite cold boss you least want to encounter at work”, “the brother wearing gold chains you least want to brush past on the street”, “the delinquent teenager you least want to meet at school”, “the type you hate to encounter in a movie theater kicking the back of your chair”, and “the icy model that doesn’t spare you a glance”.

After a moment of mutual assessment, the leading “cold boss” fixed his gaze on Chi Yingxue, who had caused them a great loss. “You can break free from [Forget-me-nots]?”

Chi Yingxue shrugged. “I have too many worries to forget.”

Nodding, the opponent readily accepted this explanation, then surveyed the entire squad, finally resting on Xu Wang. “Team captain?”

Xu Wang felt he needed to adjust his “first impression” of this man; he wasn’t cold, but calm. In the moment Chi Yingxue’s stationery lost effect, this man’s eyes regained that extreme composure and rationality.

“Yes,” Xu Wang admitted openly.

“We two teams can talk,” the opponent said calmly.

Xu Wang scoffed with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “After you’ve stolen our badge?”

The opponent smiled. “Strictly speaking, before a badge is obtained, it doesn’t belong to anyone specifically.”

Xu Wang: “So you can ambush?”

Opponent: “I think we’ve already deeply apologized for our actions.”

Xu Wang: “……”

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Picking Leaves and Flying Petals] on you~~]

The prompt notification disrupted the “friendly” conversation atmosphere.

In an instant, thin as cicada wings yet extremely sharp leaves flew towards Xu Wang’s team.

“Qin Rui.” The captain of the other party, who had always been calm, frowned in displeasure, accurately calling out the perpetrator’s name.

The called-out young man had hair that was a deep grape purple, but his temper didn’t match that deepness. “Quit talking shit and just send them home!”

[Owl: Someone has used [(Defense) Impenetrable Safety Island] on you~~]

The defense stationery was used by Xu Wang, and immediately a safety island with a thickness of ten centimeters and a diameter of about one and a half meters rose under the small team’s feet. None of the sharp leaves could breach the safety island’s defense.

This was essentially the start of the fight.

Xu Wang’s team welcomed this outcome. The other side’s desire to talk was merely to exchange some conditions for them to go easy and avoid a mutually detrimental conflict, but they hadn’t even settled the score for the stolen badge yet. Dreaming of peace after theft? Quite a beautiful thought.

Their will to fight was strong, but the odds of victory were uncertain.

Qin Rui. With just this name, Wu Sheng was already pulling up a profile—Fu Wenqing, He Lanshan, Qin Rui, Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen.

When they first entered the Owl, and saw the [Leaderboard] being opened, this team was at No. 4 with a score of 9/23; and the last time the leaderboard opened, this team was at No. 3 with a score of 8/23.

Although it was unclear why, after such a long time, they hadn’t advanced beyond the thirteenth level, their strength was definitely not to be underestimated.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Earthquake] on you~~]

The prompt that sounded again interrupted Wu Sheng’s thoughts.

The opponent really wasn’t planning to give them a breather.

The ground shook violently, causing the safety island’s occupants to sway and stumble, and within a few moments, they were thrown off the island!

“Xiao Kuang, deploy large-scale defense!” Wu Sheng leapt up as quickly as possible, orchestrating their strategy. “Xiao Xue, pick one you fancy for a duel! Xu Wang and I will be mobile. Lao Qian…” His peripheral vision caught someone running towards the corner. Wu Sheng had a bad feeling and immediately changed Qian Ai’s task on the fly. “Lao Qian, guard the ghosts!”

“What?!” Qian Ai was bewildered, instinctively looking towards the corner, only to see that Grape Purple had already plunged his cross into the heart of a ghost doll.

The moment the cross was inserted, Wu Sheng’s cross coincidentally fell to the ground.

“Fuck!” Qian Ai cursed, dashing forward in a beeline to deliver a deadly charge at the Grape Purple’s back.

Grape Purple sensed the attack and sidestepped, underestimating the attacker’s “width” and still getting scraped by Qian Ai’s shoulder. This scrape sent him reeling backward, causing his head to bang against the wall.

Qian Ai used his hands against the wall to brake the inertia, steadying himself before immediately bending down to pick up Wu Sheng’s cross to stab it back in.

Just as he reached out, a foot came over and kicked the cross away.

The next second, a knee slammed into Qian Ai’s jaw.

Qian Ai felt numb, skipping past the pain to go straight to being dazed, for a moment completely unable to feel his jaw.

Fury took over, and he fiercely wrapped his arms around the opponent’s waist, flipping him over onto the ground.

Grape Purple hit the ground with a thud, gnashing his teeth as he said, “You motherf…”

Qian Ai didn’t let him finish, pouncing like a cannonball to smash down on him.

In the center of the living room, the light from various stationeries never stopped, making even the corner wall brightly illuminated.

Grape Purple watched as a mountain bore down on him. No matter how stubborn he was, he didn’t dare to just take it; doing so would have flattened him into a pancake in minutes.

“Bang—”

Qian Ai heavily landed on the floor, and Grape Purple, having rolled to the side in the nick of time, felt like he had narrowly escaped death, even though the way he rolled over made him look like a tumbling purple eggplant.

Qian Ai rarely lost his temper, but when he did, it was full-on physical confrontation. However, his anger came quickly and dissipated just as fast. Feeling his jaw return and the pain from hitting the floor himself, his anger gradually subsided, and rationality reclaimed its ground.

Both got up from the ground at the same time, panting heavily, but despite their disheveled states, they didn’t miss glaring at each other, engaging in a battle of stares.

Qin Rui: “Why, why not use your stationery?”

Qian Ai: “That-that would be letting you off too easy. I have-I have to return that knee of yours!”

Qin Rui: “It’s useless to say words. If you have the guts, try and take back the ghost doll.”

Qian Ai: “Take back? I’ll direct-directly wipe your team out.”

“Qin Rui, what are you doing?! Chatting it up?!” The youth in the center of the living room, categorized by Captain Xu as the type to continuously kick your seatback in a movie theater, glanced towards the corner during a lull in the team fight to check on his teammate’s progress. That glance nearly made him spit blood.

Qin Rui was having a “showdown” with Qian Ai. Being poked by his teammate like that immediately deflated him, sinking his mood. Just as he was about to retort, he realized his body had suddenly stiffened.

His sharp gaze shot towards Qian Ai, suspecting the latter had used stationery, but noticed his opponent’s complexion wasn’t great either.

Qin Rui: “Frozen?”

Qian Ai: “You too?”

Qin Rui: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

They could move their necks and above, but everything below felt as if it had been frozen solid, completely immobile.

Even more terrifying was that it wasn’t just them; the other eight people felt the same.

The entire house quieted down, with no more sounds and no   from stationery. Only the flashlight left on the floor emitted a limited glow.

A cold breeze blew in through the window damaged by the stationery.

A chilling cold.

“What’s going on…” Xu Wang looked towards their advisor.

Wu Sheng vaguely guessed it was related to the ghosts in this house, but for more specific details, perhaps asking the more experienced team would be more reliable…

“Don’t look at me. This is our first time on this level.” Fu Wenqing remained calm at that moment.

Wu Sheng was surprised. “You’ve never been to this challenge?”

Fu Wenqing: “No.”

Wu Sheng: “Skipped it?”

Fu Wenqing: “No.”

Not skipping meant that until today, their best achievement was also only up to the eleventh level?

Wu Sheng: “Weren’t you already through 9/23?”

Fu Wenqing: “You know?”

Wu Sheng: “You just called out Qin Rui.”

Fu Wenqing thought for a moment, then understood. “You’re quick to react, with a good memory.”

Wu Sheng: “Rather than compliments, I’d prefer answers.”

Fu Wenqing went silent. Then… remained silent.

Along with him, the other four teammates also remained quiet.

Wu Sheng: “……”

If not for the slightly complex look in Fu Wenqing’s eyes, Wu Sheng would doubt he had even asked a question.

Qian Ai couldn’t see the others clearly but could see Qin Rui. However, combining Grape Purple’s deeply aggrieved face, the silence behind him, and what Wu Sheng said about “already reaching 9/23″…

Qian Ai’s brain, at that moment, was possessed by his advisor. “10/23 is Aeroplane Chess. This challenge is your stumbling block, right? You always fail to roll a 6 or a 10, right?”

Fu Wenqing, Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen, He Lanshan: “…”

Grape Purple’s face turned utterly purple.

A series of light chants floated in from the broken window, like some ancient language, sung by a lilting female voice, enticingly melodious.

Yet, the ten people inside the house felt their bodies stiffen even more.

A graceful figure landed in the center of the living room.

No one saw how she entered. All they could see was the intricate, gorgeous hem of her dress, her slender waist, full bosom, and that pale yet captivating face.

The moment her dress touched the ground, a fierce wind blew.

All the windows were flung open, and the black plastic was blown away without a trace.

The wind stopped.

Moonlight poured in from all directions, filling the room with its bright glow.

The woman stood in the moonlight, slowly smiling, holy and enchanting. For a moment, it inspired an incredible urge in everyone, as if they would be willing to offer their lives for her.

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 171: Pumpkin

“No badge. We need to keep searching.” Xu Wang’s voice arrived in the kitchen before he did. “Any issues with the electrical switch?”

Kuang Jinxin paused, then shook his head. “No, no movement.”

Wu Sheng followed into the kitchen, pondering aloud, “I just thought of a method that might catch it in its electrical state, all at once.”

“But even if we catch it all at once, how are we going to insert the cross?” Qian Ai, the last to enter, was initially pleased to hear Wu Sheng had a plan but quickly became concerned about the feasibility.

Wu Sheng responded, “We’ll adapt when the time comes. If all else fails, we can just switch off the power again.”

Hearing this, Qian Ai agreed, considering their control over the electrical switch as akin to having unlimited lives in a game. If one attempt fails, simply restart by cutting the power. This thought brightened the prospects considerably.

While listening to Wu Sheng and Qian Ai, Xu Wang’s gaze was on Kuang Jinxin. “Xiao Kuang, what’s wrong with you?”

Kuang Jinxin appeared dazed. When called upon, he responded cluelessly, “Huh?”

Xu Wang grew concerned, fearing his teammate was unwell. He checked Kuang Jinxin’s forehead, finding it slightly warm and sweaty, typical of a feverish cold, and quickly asked, “Do you have a cold?”

Kuang Jinxin felt awkward, unsure how to explain, and dryly said, “No.”

Xu Wang, skeptical, moved his hand to check if Kuang Jinxin’s face was also hot. Just then, Chi Yingxue pulled Kuang Jinxin away.

Chi Yingxue wrapped his arms around Kuang Jinxin from behind and took over the diagnosis.

“He’s a bit warm.” He felt Kuang Jinxin’s cheek with the back of his fingers. Noticing the unusual heat, he grew concerned. “You’re not really sick, are you?”

Kuang Jinxin, feeling the warmth of another body against his back, dared not move, his face burning. He was suddenly grateful for the darkness caused by the power cut.

The words Chi Yingxue just said had thrown him into turmoil—his mind was in chaos, his heart was in disarray, his face felt hot, and so did his heart. He couldn’t even tell if he was more happy or afraid. Because Chi Yingxue was unpredictable and followed no rules; when he’s angry today, he might throw knives, and when he’s happy tomorrow, he might hand out sweets. Kuang Jinxin feared that eating the sweets would only make it hurt more when it was time to collect the knives.

Qian Ai noticed Kuang Jinxin’s awkward expression and quickly deduced the cause. “Xiao Xue, loosen up a bit. You’ll make him overheat from the hug.”

Chi Yingxue frowned but heeded the advice, loosening his grip, worried he might indeed be causing discomfort.

Kuang Jinxin took the opportunity to escape Chi Yingxue’s embrace and stood at attention in front of Xu Wang, dismissing his chaotic thoughts to focus on the task at hand. He straightened his back and said in a loud voice, “Captain, I’m not sick. I’m healthy, ready to fight and bear burdens.”

Xu Wang was relieved to see that Kuang Jinxin still had his youthful vitality. He was a bit more at ease but still reminded all his teammates, “If you really feel unwell, just speak up. Don’t try to be a hero. We haven’t even used our healing illusory stationery yet. And, if worst comes to worst, even if we don’t make it through today, it’s not a big deal. We have our save point.”

Returning to the living room, Wu Sheng instructed Xu Wang and Qian Ai to retreat to the corner where the hallway meets the living room, where they could both see the living room and have the corner walls for cover, maximizing their protection from any potential harm from the living room.

Then, he positioned himself in a corner of the living room, diagonally opposite Xu Wang and Qian Ai, putting the maximum distance between them.

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Wu Sheng turned his head towards the kitchen and shouted loudly, “Xiao Xue, Xiao Kuang, turn on the switch—”

As his words fell, the small lights lit up.

The living room, which had been dark for so long, was once again bathed in a mysterious light.

Wu Sheng held his breath and focused, activating [Nowhere to Hide]. Soon, the room was filled with light particles again.

Xu Wang and Qian Ai peeked from behind the corner wall, eyes fixed on the living room. No one was sure if the plan would work, but they had their [Stationary Box] open on their arms, ready to assist at any moment.

When the light particles completely filled the house and the scattered electronic parts on the floor seemed ready to move again, Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes and without hesitation activated the [(Offense) Bolt from the Blue].

A bolt of lightning struck down in the center of the living room, suddenly making it as bright as day.

In the deafening sound of thunder, the glowing charges near the lightning, under the effect of high voltage, all converged on the lightning!

Then, more bolts of lightning struck down in the center of the living room, increasing the voltage severalfold. The range of attracted charges expanded accordingly.

Qian Ai’s high school physics was long forgotten, so when Wu Sheng explained this method, he only half understood. But now, he could clearly see those charges being sucked into the center of the lightning, slowly forming a human shape with arms, legs, and a head made of glowing particles!

Qian Ai and Xu Wang exchanged looks, both faces filled with the same surprise.

But just as the ghostly figure began to take shape, the “previously attacking objects” scattered on the living room floor rose into the air again.

Xu Wang and Qian Ai didn’t expect that even after being forced into appearance and struck by lightning, the ghost could still launch an attack. They immediately equipped Wu Sheng with new defense stationery.

Wu Sheng wasn’t disturbed at all, trusting all defense to his teammates, and focused on pulling the ghostly figure made of light particles closer to him.

He held Xu Wang’s cross in his hand, ready to plunge it into the ghost’s heart if it got close enough.

After a standoff of about two minutes, Wu Sheng knew that he couldn’t keep up the [Bolt from the Blue] much longer; he could only last a few more seconds at this intensity. But the particle person was still at least three steps away from him.

If he stopped [Bolt from the Blue], all the charges would be free again, making all his previous efforts in vain. If he charged forward to stab with the cross, the [Bolt from the Blue] would also be interrupted because he’d be concentrating all his power on the cross, and he wasn’t confident he could cover those three steps and accurately stab the ghost before the charges dispersed.

So, he needed the ghostly figure to come close enough to have a chance of winning, but at the moment, they had to resort to plan B.

“Lao Qian!” Wu Sheng called out decisively.

Qian Ai, already prepared, charged out like a tiger descending the mountain, diving straight into the lightning area towards the ghostly figure, unaffected by the lightning striking around him, as if entering an uninhabited territory.

From the corner, Xu Wang focused, maintaining the [(Defense) Super Insulator] he had equipped his teammate with.

Qian Ai rushed up to the ghostly figure, raised the cross, and stabbed.

The ghostly figure, as if sensing the fatal danger, suddenly soared.

Qian Ai’s stab missed. He looked at Wu Sheng in astonishment. Initially, he didn’t understand why the ghostly figure could still move. But seeing Wu Sheng gritting his teeth, sweat covering his forehead, and noticing the lightning, though not obviously, was indeed weakening, he understood immediately.

Wu Sheng couldn’t restrain the ghostly figure much longer. This was their last chance.

The ghostly figure struggled close to the ceiling.

Qian Ai looked up, narrowed his eyes, and locked onto the target. He slowly raised his arm, holding the cross, then threw it with all his might!

The cross flew out swiftly, like a whirlwind of a flying dagger. Its sharp tip hit right at the ghostly figure’s heart.

At that moment, the ghostly figure seemed to have a physical body, firmly blocking the cross, preventing it from piercing through, aiming towards the ceiling.

The room’s lightning and thunder instantly vanished, and Wu Sheng staggered, barely stabilizing himself while panting heavily.

The ghostly figure, impaled with the cross, slowly floated down, landing right in front of Qian Ai, much shorter than him, resembling a young boy.

Qian Ai looked down at this second ghost. The joy of victory diminished his fear. He began to “communicate” with the ghost, in a manner like schooling a younger brother. “You see, my [Swish Swish Hidden Blade] wasn’t practiced for nothing. Running away? Where could you go that I couldn’t stab you down with a flying dagger? Don’t doubt it. I’ve got the arm strength from [Invincible Hot Wheels] you know…”

The ghostly figure had no choice but to listen, as it was destined to follow “Qian Ge” since the cross was planted by Qian Ai.

Xu Wang, initially wanting to give Qian Ai a big hug for the victory, saw him getting along so well with his new “little brother” and decided to focus on caring for their own advisor instead.

Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin, hearing the commotion, knew it was a success and immediately rushed back to the living room.

Wu Sheng wiped off his sweat and unfolded the map. “Let’s hurry to the next location.”

Xu Wang leaned over the map and saw that the remaining three locations were all in the eastern part of the town, the closest one still quite a distance from where they were.

“Let’s take a break before we go. It’s not a short journey,” Xu Wang suggested, taking out a bottle of water from his backpack and handing it to Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng didn’t hesitate, unscrewing the cap and drinking half the bottle in gulps.

Kuang Jinxin raised his hand. “Captain, there’s no need to walk. I have a car.”

……

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Pumpkin Carriage] on you~~]

With the prompt sounding in their ears, two brown horses pulling a giant pumpkin carriage descended from the sky.

The horses were truly majestic, and the pumpkin was indeed real, just with four additional wheels.

“……” The five companions looked up at the giant pumpkin over two meters high, and the air suddenly fell silent.

Kuang Jinxin felt particularly awkward, having not expected a real pumpkin carriage, fresh as if it was just picked from the field. Its inside was still intact, even if it was made into a Halloween decoration.

“Well, it’s actually quite appropriate for the occasion.” Qian Ai patted the pumpkin shell, hoping to offer some comfort to Classmate Kuang.

“Aren’t you coming up?” A voice called from above.

Qian Ai looked up, startled. “When did you get up there!”

Chi Yingxue was sitting on top of the giant pumpkin, leaning against the whimsically curled pumpkin vines, swinging his long legs comfortably. “It’s quite comfortable sitting here.”

With a role model, the four companions immediately followed suit, using hands and feet to climb onto the pumpkin, while the ghost doll and ghost figure floated up.

Once everyone was aboard, Kuang Jinxin communicated with the stationery, and the two majestic horses neighed and galloped away like the wind.

Holding onto the pumpkin vines and smelling the faint scent of pumpkin, the companions felt a bit of the pleasure of a midnight drive.

A journey that would have taken at least forty minutes on foot was completed in a moment by the pumpkin carriage. This time, the house wasn’t by the street but at the very end of a side road, surrounded by grass and trees. In the quiet of the night, it appeared lonely and eerie.

It was still a two-story house with an attic. All the windows were dark, with no light inside.

The five companions were calm by now; a haunted house equals darkness. They would actually panic if they encountered one with all lights on.

Approaching the door, Wu Sheng noticed that this house had a door with the upper half made of glass and the lower half of a door panel. The white door with translucent glass would have looked beautiful in bright sunlight.

But now, the glass showed only darkness.

Wu Sheng didn’t rush to open the door but leaned slightly towards the glass to look inside, seeing nothing but darkness.

Xu Wang asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s too dark.” Wu Sheng felt something was off. “Even without lights, there should be moonlight.”

Especially since this house had unusually many windows. The moonlight should enter and reflect inside, and it shouldn’t be as pitch black as ink.

“Squeak—”

Without anyone touching it, the door opened by itself.

Wu Sheng dodged backward in time, avoiding being hit by the door.

The wide-open door revealed its inside to the visitors.

The five companions finally understood the source of the “darkness”—thick black plastic covered the door’s glass from the inside, sealed tightly, not letting a single ray of light through.

Walking cautiously into the entryway, the door silently closed behind them.

The group passed through the hallway into the living room, with Wu Sheng leading the way with a flashlight. The light illuminated the red floor, the slightly cold furnishings inside, and each window.

All the windows were covered with black plastic.

Blocks of black, like ghosts, completely isolated the entire house from “light”.

The five companions felt oppressed and suffocated, enveloped in this darkness.

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