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The darkroom had already been retracted.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! (╰_╯)

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

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!”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 128: Demon

The situation was clear now: someone had impersonated the tour leader and sent messages to the young man. The source of the incident in the restaurant with the two girls wasn’t the tour leader’s two-timing, but someone revealing it.

The young man and the two girls were already dead. No matter how much they guessed, they could no longer confirm anything with them.

The sun had already set 4/5 of the way, and in a little while, it would be completely dark.

After returning the tour leader’s phone, Wu Sheng’s gaze swept over everyone—the two close male university friends and a female friend who were watching the tour leader being bandaged, the long-distance lover who still took the time to check his phone in the midst of the chaos, and the backpacker who was helping another female friend bandage the tour leader.

“Take out your phones. I need to check your messages.”

All five travelers refused. “Why should you check our phones?”

“Why am I still being investigated when I’m like this?!” The tour leader slapped the sofa, his bloodied bandage adding a lot of deterrence and persuasion to his words.

Six unlocked phones were reluctantly handed over, and Wu Sheng lined them up on the coffee table, checking them one by one.

His four companions gathered around, not necessarily expecting to find anything but showing support for their advisor.

The messages on the two male university students’ phones were mostly between themselves—

A: How about those two girls?

B: Vulgar.

A: Not vulgar at all. They smile so sweet.

B: I meant you’re vulgar.

A: …

A: I really want to be a bird.

B: To fly happy?

A: To be lightweight.

B: As a grown man, can’t you stop thinking about losing weight…

The messages on the two female friends’ phones were mostly to the tour leader—

Tour leader: Can you give me a chance?

C: You’re flirting is too cliché.

Tour leader: Your making me toss and turn, since you flirted with me first.

C: Me?

Tour leader: When we gathered, you smiled at me, and then my tooth started to ache.

C: What does that have to do with a toothache???

Tour leader: You look too sweet.

C: …

Tour leader: Do you have navigation on your phone? Help me find a place.

D: Where?

Tour leader: In your heart.

D: Please roll off smooth like a well-rounded ball.

Tour leader: I can roll away, but I’m afraid no one will be there to catch your tears.

D: I’m not paying the remaining amount for the tour.

Tour leader: ???

D: Consider it as compensation for emotional distress.

Tour leader: Miss, I was wrong [crying and hugging legs]

The backpacker’s phone had no messages.

The long-distance lover’s phone, naturally, was all mushy texts with his girlfriend—

Long-distance lover: Baby, I miss you so much that I is going crazy.

Girlfriend: Me too, sob sob.

Long-distance lover: Baby, people keep dying in this tour group. I’m scared.

Girlfriend: Don’t worry, which tour doesn’t have deaths? I’m here for you.

Long-distance lover: Baby…

Wu Sheng browsed too quickly. Except for Xu Wang, who always relied on his “language skills”, the others could barely read a few lines before he scrolled down, leaving them unable to follow a complete context.

Yet, it was the last long-distance lover’s chat record that shocked them. Just a few lines were enough to suffocate them with the stench of sappy romance.

Xu Wang always thought he was in a “pre-relationship” state, but after reading other people’s love chats, he suddenly felt he was still in the single dog phase!

But now was not the time for envy or jealousy.

The sun was about to set completely, and their only hope, checking the phones, had turned up nothing. At least from these people’s chat records, Xu Wang couldn’t discern any flaws or clues.

Wu Sheng put down the last phone, took out his own, and quickly typed something in his notes.

“What’s this?” Xu Wang asked as he watched him type strange dialogues in his notes.

Wu Sheng didn’t look up. “Chat records.”

Xu Wang asked, “Whose?”

Wu Sheng said, “The person who said the tour leader messaged him.”

The young man who had shown Wu Sheng the messages had died after falling down the elevator shaft. Except for Wu Sheng, no other companions had seen his messages.

From the typing speed alone, it was clear that Wu Sheng had firmly memorized those messages. He was thinking, and though he could have done it in his head, he typed out these chat records for Xu Wang to see.

There were two short conversations in the chat records—

Tour leader: Gather, handsome.

Young man: ?

Tour leader: Stop smiling foolishly. I’m talking about you.

Young man: Am I handsome?

Tour leader: Very handsome.

The second was at noon—

Young man: I think, I might have fallen for you.

Tour leader: Think about it again.

Young man: Really, I truly like you.

Tour leader: Sorry, but I really don’t.

As Wu Sheng finished typing the last word, Xu Wang’s eyes narrowed, catching some information at lightning speed.

He quickly picked up the row of phones on the coffee table, checking them a second time, comparing them with the messages in Wu Sheng’s notes.

“Do you have an idea now?” Wu Sheng waited until he had finished comparing all of them before asking.

Xu Wang put down the last phone of the long-distance lover, turned to Wu Sheng, and thoughtfully said, “You’ve already figured it out, haven’t you?”

Wu Sheng’s lips curled up in a confident smile, like always before an exam. “I need your confirmation, class representative.”

Xu Wang smiled and finally nodded solemnly. “The representative gives his stamp of approval.”

The three companions watched in confusion, while outside, the sun finally set behind the mountain, extinguishing the last ray of light.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Please identify one person as the demon within five minutes. You only have one chance to accuse. The countdown will begin now, and it will be announced whether the accusation is correct when the time is up.

Xu Wang looked steadily at Wu Sheng.

Their three companions also became serious.

The seven people from the tour group, sensing something was amiss, looked around in confusion. The injured tour leader, half lying on the sofa, directly asked, “What’s going on?”

Wu Sheng calmed himself, raised his head, and slowly scanned all the travelers, finally raising his hand and firmly pointing at one person. “You are the demon.”

The backpacker.

Qian Ai, Chi Yingxue, and Kuang Jinxin were stunned. This guy had been like a non-entity the whole time, not doing anything notable but also not showing any suspicious behavior.

The remaining six people from the tour group who were not accused were also baffled, completely not understanding what Wu Sheng was talking about.

The backpacker looked at Wu Sheng calmly. His tone remained even and orderly; even his confusion seemed well organized. “What demon?”

Wu Sheng had taken less than ten seconds to make his accusation, but the five-minute countdown was still ongoing.

Enough time for the backpacker, and everyone else, to understand.

“The demon who created all these accidents,” Wu Sheng said.

The tour leader, directly concerned, sped up his thinking. “So, it’s this bastard who capsized my boat?!”

Qian Ai, picking up his phone irritably, threw it back. “It’s because you flirted with four at once that it’s only natural for your boat to capsize!”

The backpacker tilted his head and smiled. “I caused the accidents? Do you have any proof?”

Everyone immediately looked at Wu Sheng, waiting for the suavely standing detective to slap the backpacker’s face with evidence.

Wu Sheng also smiled. “No.”

The group: “……”

His companions: “……”

Xu Wang leaned back in the armchair, leisurely waiting for their advisor to pin the demon to the ground.

“There’s no evidence to prove you’re the demon, but there’s also no evidence to prove you’re not,” Wu Sheng added.

The backpacker shrugged. “That’s a strange argument. Just because I can’t prove my innocence, you say I’m the culprit?”

The long-distance lover timidly interjected, “Yeah, if you asked me to prove the accidents weren’t my doing, I wouldn’t be able to either.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

There was no other explanation for how he survived until now and managed to maintain a sweet romance amidst dangerous situations other than sheer luck.

Without further nonsense, Wu Sheng opened the messages on the other six phones, along with the fake messages the tour leader supposedly sent to the young man that he had just typed in his notes. All the chat records were laid out on the coffee table, clear for everyone to see.

“I can’t find evidence that you’re the demon, but I can rule out the other six,” Wu Sheng said.

“Just spit it out.” Lao Qian couldn’t hold back anymore. He was anxious and agitated. “What did you see in those messages?”

Wu Sheng spread his hands. “I noticed the demon’s literacy skills are better than the six of them.”

Qian Ai: “Specifically, how?”

“The use of grammar*.” Kuang Jinxin, who had been quiet, fixed his gaze on the seven phones on the table and spoke up.

*Clarity: Referring to the use of ‘的’, ‘地’, and ‘得’‘. These are particles in Chinese that are often mixed up and used wrongly. If you noticed, the text messages that you read had grammatical issues. These are translated purposefully to highlight this. The breakdown of the particles:
(的) Used for possessive of descriptive particles, equivalent to “‘s” (ex: Wang Xu’s apple/my car/his book).
(地) Used before a verb or adjective, linking it to preceding modifying adverbial adjunct, equivalent to “-ly” (ex: happily, sweetly, merrily).
(得) Used after a verb or an adjective linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility, equivalent to “so” or “enough”.

Qian Ai and Chi Yingxue frowned simultaneously, the former immediately leaning in to re-read the messages, while the latter seemed indifferent but sneakily glanced at the lit phone screens.

Wu Sheng looked at the first male university student, reciting their message contents without needing the phone. “‘Not vulgar at all. They smile so sweet.’ It should be ‘sweetly’.”

His gaze moved to the second university student. “‘Fly happy.’ It should be ‘happily’.”

He then looked at the first female friend. “‘You’re flirting is too cliché.’ It should be ‘your’.”

Next was the tour leader. “’Your making me toss and turn, since you flirted with me first.’ It should be ‘you’re’.”

Then the second female friend. “Roll off smooth.’ It should be ‘smoothly’.”

Finally, he turned to the long-distance lover. “Actually, you were the most suspicious. You were holding your phone the whole time. Before checking the messages, I even imagined how you, under everyone’s watchful eyes, impersonated the tour leader to send messages to the young man and deliberately sent the wrong name in messages to the two girls in the restaurant…”

“You’re imagining too much…” The long-distance lover looked innocently aggrieved. “I was just in a relationship…”

Indeed, his relationship had attracted more animosity than the demon himself.

But now, Wu Sheng decided to forgive him. “‘I miss you so much that I is going crazy.’ It should be ‘am’.”

He picked up his own phone and deleted all irrelevant words from the note, leaving only three sentences—

Tour leader: “Stop smiling foolishly. I’m talking about you.”

Tour leader: “Very handsome.”

Tour leader: “Think about it again.”

Now everyone saw clearly: the text was all grammatically correct.

“I’ve ruled out everyone else. The only one I can’t rule out is you, who left no messages.” Wu Sheng gave the backpacker a gentle smile. “Holmes said, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Xu Wang stood up from the armchair and walked over to Wu Sheng, shaking his head regretfully at the backpacker. “You shouldn’t have chosen a straight-A student who crammed detective movies for three nights as your opponent.”

The five-minute countdown ended.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Accusation correct. Begin your fight.

The companions: “……”

Wasn’t identifying the demon enough? Nobody mentioned there would be a battle!

“Whoosh—”

The flames in the fireplace suddenly leaped out like a dragon, igniting everything around the hearth. The carpet, tables, walls—everything caught fire in an instant.

Amidst the blaze, the backpacker took off the backpack he had been carrying all along, lowered his head, and raised his eyes, his mouth curling into a creepy smile on both sides.

The tour leader stood up from the sofa along with the other five travelers, moving to both sides of the backpacker. Their movements were stiff, as if controlled by something. After positioning themselves, like the backpacker, they lowered their heads and raised their eyes to look at the five companions.

The difference was that they weren’t smiling. Their expressions were blank, and their eyes were lifeless. Only the color underneath their eyes was rapidly darkening, as if ink had spilled, quickly spreading darkness.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 127: Kitchen

The bus arrived at a railway crossing. The barrier was raised high, showing no sign of an approaching train.

The bus smoothly entered the crossing, and the driver slowed down. However, as the tires rolled over the tracks, the ride was inevitably a bit bumpy.

Unexpectedly, this jolt shook loose a phone from the hand of a girl who was extending her selfie stick out of the window to capture the scenery. There was a “snap” sound, and the selfie stick was still extended, but the phone that had been attached was now gone.

The girl quickly shouted, “Driver, stop. My phone fell out—”

As she shouted, she retracted the selfie stick and leaned out to look down, fearing the tires might have crushed her phone.

Xu Wang saw her leaning out and felt something was wrong. Just as he was about to warn her to be careful, a large truck also crossing the railway line approached at high speed. In the midst of the violent jostling, the truck brushed past the bus with a whoosh!

The girl didn’t have time to dodge, and her head was struck directly by the truck! The force of the impact flung her entire body out of the window, and she practically flew out!

It all happened in an instant.

The truck crossed the railway and sped away.

The girl landed several meters away on the ground with her head gone, leaving only her body. Blood surged from her neck, staining the tracks red.

The bus driver, terrified, slammed on the brakes and killed the engine.

Qian Ai was shocked. “Driver, don’t stop. This is a railway!”

But the bus driver couldn’t hear him. Trembling, he opened the window, his face pale as he stared at the body not far away, completely stunned.

“Ding—Ding—Ding—”

The railway signal light started flashing red.

In the distance, the sound of a train could be heard.

To run or not to run? That was the question! Running could mean falling right into the demon’s trap, as stepping off the bus might trigger an attack. Not running? Staying put would mean certain death when the train arrived!

Outside the window, the approaching train could already be seen!

“What are you waiting for? Get off the bus!” Wu Sheng quickly walked back and made a decisive call.

As soon as he spoke, the small team hadn’t yet moved, but the travelers in the bus panicked first. They got up, some climbing directly out of the windows; others ran to the front, banging on the door and shouting for the driver to open it.

Wu Sheng unbuckled Xu Wang’s seat belt and pulled him up. Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue also stood up.

The bus door was already opened by a traveler who had found the switch.

The five companions were heading forward, and two girls and another couple from the back of the bus also ran over. Annoyed at their slow pace, they rushed forward in a panic, pushing and pulling each other, which only slowed them down even more!

“One at a time, there’s enough time!” Xu Wang shouted.

But those few ignored him, acting as if possessed, more intent on dragging everyone down with them than escaping!

The companions didn’t hesitate anymore. Using all their wits and strength, they finally managed to push them behind!

They rushed forward, the exit just in sight.

But so was the train!

Just a few steps away!

[Owl: Someone has used [(Defense) A Clever Rabbit Has Three Burrows] on you~~]

Suddenly, the ground beneath the five companions gave way, and they fell into an underground space!

Above them was a transparent surface, through which they saw the train “thunder” past, hitting the bus and sending it flying, pressing against the transparent surface as it sped by.

The bus hit the ground, making another loud noise, nearly shaking the ground, and then rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

Xu Wang, relieved, looked around at his four companions inside the “Rabbit’s Burrow”.

Chi Yingxue raised his hand, taking credit for the action.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder with gratitude. “I’ll make sure to credit you for this when we get back—a big merit, for sure!”

Kuang Jinxin looked up at the transparent surface, still puzzled about how they had fallen in so suddenly. He had used the [A Clever Rabbit Has Three Burrows] stationery before, during the Red Eye Flight level. Back then, to enter the burrow, one had to climb down themselves.

After the train had completely passed, the red light at the crossing turned off.

The five climbed out of the burrow, finding the crossing in total disarray.

The surviving travelers were gathered outside the crossing, some limping, likely injured, and jumping out of the windows.

The man and three women who had been pulling at them at the last moment didn’t make it out. Along with the driver, they lay in the wreckage of the bus—now five corpses.

The sun was beginning to set.

Only seven survivors remained—five men and two women.

Among the five men—the tour leader, the backpacker, and the man in a long-distance relationship—were all suspects previously identified by Wu Sheng; the remaining two men were university classmates who had come together, and the two women, who were best friends, on vacation.

The tour leader, dusting off the dirt from the escape, sighed heavily. “The bus is gone. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way. Luckily, it’s not too far.” He pointed behind him. “See that red roof over there? That’s where we’re headed.”

The travelers grumbled but had no choice but to follow the tour leader, limping forward. The original plan to “enjoy the green mountains and rivers” had ended prematurely, moving into the “just wanting to get to the lodge to rest” phase.

Wu Sheng walked at the back of the group, able to see everyone’s condition.

The backpacker still followed the tour leader, walking alone and silently, occasionally lifting his camera to take a picture, like an artist lost in his own world.

The man in the long-distance relationship was constantly tapping on his phone, perhaps communicating with his girlfriend about the recent scare.

The tour leader’s face no longer held ease, and he no longer waved the small flag. He trudged forward, taking a few steps and then sighing heavily as if out of breath.

The pair of male classmates were playfully pushing and shoving each other, still full of energy; the pair of female friends were whispering and occasionally laughing lightly, radiating charm and vivacity.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, like cryptic codes waiting to be deciphered.

They finally reached the mountain villa.

It was a three-story countryside villa, built in an ancient style with a wild charm in its garden walls, but the companions had no time to appreciate it.

As they entered the courtyard, Qian Ai looked at the sky and reminded with concern, “Captain, the sun is about to set.”

“Mm.” Wu Sheng acknowledged, indicating he heard.

Qian Ai was anxious. “Don’t just ‘mm’. Do you have any idea who it is?”

The time was drawing near to make a choice. Though not many people were left, choosing one out of seven was still difficult. Even if they only considered the three remaining suspects Wu Sheng had in mind, the probability of being right was only 33.3%…

“Just ask directly,” Wu Sheng said.

Qian Ai was stunned. “Directly ask?”

Xu Wang, who had been waiting for their advisor to make a move, was also surprised and whispered, “Ask the tour leader?”

Wu Sheng nodded. “Since all suspicions point to him, asking him is the most direct way.”

Qian Ai was incredulous. “If he really is the demon, how could he possibly tell you the truth?”

Ahead, the tour leader had already used a key hidden under a windowsill to open the villa’s main door and led the team inside. Looking back to see them still at the entrance of the courtyard, he called out loudly, “Come in quickly. Why are you standing outside?”

Wu Sheng looked towards the tour leader and said indifferently, “Whether he tells the truth or not is his business. Finding inconsistencies is my job.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Xu Wang looked down, focusing on the ground, ready to protect their advisor from stepping on nails or any other danger. Behind a successful person, there always has to be a man working silently in the background.

When they entered the hall, Chi Yingxue unexpectedly asked, “What should we do?”

It was the first time he had taken the initiative to ask for a task, which made Xu Wang raise his eyebrows.

Wu Sheng was about to delegate, but upon hearing the question, he responded directly, “Don’t let anyone else die.”

Chi Yingxue tilted his head. Confusion flashed in his eyes, but he just reconfirmed verbally, “Everyone?”

Wu Sheng said, “Yes, everyone.”

Qian Ai couldn’t understand. It was obvious that they themselves couldn’t die, but why did they have to prevent the deaths of the tour group members? The more members of the tour group that died, the fewer were left, making the demon more obvious. In an extreme case, if only one person remained at sunset, there would be no need for deduction to identify the demon.

Before he could ask, Wu Sheng had already headed towards the tour leader in the living room.

Qian Ai, bewildered, turned to Xu Wang.

Xu Wang explained, “Haven’t you noticed? Whoever we suspect ends up dead.”

Qian Ai realized it was true. They suspected the cook, and he was chopped to death by a kitchen knife; they suspected the two people who splashed water in the restaurant, and then they fell down the elevator shaft; recently, during the train incident, the people who hindered their escape also seemed suspicious and ended up as a corpse.

“Any of the remaining survivors might hold crucial clues,” Xu Wang said. “We can’t afford to lose any more.”

With the captain’s explanation, Qian Ai understood completely, but he suddenly realized he hadn’t actually voiced his question.

“How did you know what I was going to ask?”

“If I don’t even know what you want to ask, how can I be the captain?”

Xu Wang smiled confidently, turned proudly, and went to support Wu Sheng, leaving Qian Ai alone, deeply impressed. “The captain is truly a captain.”

Kuang Jinxin, who had been listening to the entire conversation, hesitated whether to tell Qian Ai the truth. Why did the captain know what Qian Ai wanted to ask? Because the leaders had secretly discussed the next tactics a few minutes ago, and the captain had already asked the advisor. The answer the captain gave to Qian Ai was the same as the advisor’s response to the captain.

“Tonight, we’ll have a BBQ. Everyone, get busy. You, skewer the meat. You, wash the vegetables. You, start the charcoal. And you… what did you say you were good at again?”

“Fried chicken! I’m not bragging, but I’m a chef held back by academics!”

In the living room, the travelers were already getting excited, rolling up their sleeves to contribute to the evening’s barbecue feast.

The kitchen was at the end of the living room—an open-style kitchen. When Wu Sheng arrived, the tour leader was already busy with a few people. Only the backpacker, sitting at the bar stool near the counter, was flipping through photos on his DSLR camera, and the long-distance lover, for once putting down his phone, was helping the college student prepare fried chicken and searching the fridge.

“Oh, are you also planning to show off your skills?” The tour leader, stuffing kiwifruits into a blender to make a smoothie, saw Wu Sheng coming and teased him with a smile.

Wu Sheng, having no time to beat around the bush, got straight to the point. “How many people have you flirted with?”

The tour leader was taken aback, putting the kiwifruit piece he had just picked up back into the bowl, and looked at him bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

Wu Sheng said, “The young man who almost drowned at the bath center; he was distracted because you rejected him; the two girls who splashed water at each other in the restaurant, they quarreled because of you. Is your main job leading tours and your side job being a lover?”

“First, finish the fruit smoothie.” The tour leader handed the blending task to a female traveler next to him, wiped his hands, and then frowned at Wu Sheng. “Are you sick?”

Wu Sheng didn’t speak. He just silently looked at him, continuing to look until the tour leader felt uneasy.

“Alright.” The tour leader finally couldn’t stand it and admitted it. “I was two-timing, but only with girls—there were no guys. You can’t just blame me for everything because I’m a womanizer, can you?”

“Wasn’t it you who texted the young man?”

“Texted what?”

“Twice. Once, you reminded him, ‘Handsome, it’s time to gather,’ and the other time he confessed his love…”

“Tour leader—” A coquettish call from the side suddenly interrupted Wu Sheng’s words and instantly drew the tour leader’s attention.

“What’s the matter? What’s the matter?” The tour leader almost immediately rushed over, showing great eagerness.

The girl who called him was the one who had just taken over his juice-making task. She pouted and said, “The blender stopped working. I told you not to cut the pieces so big…”

“Kiwifruits are so soft. It doesn’t matter how big the pieces are. You could even put the whole fruit in and it wouldn’t get stuck. Let me see…” The tour leader said, about to lift the lid of the blender.

Wu Sheng suddenly felt uneasy. “Don’t move—”

But it was a step too late. The moment the blender lid was opened, the blades at the bottom suddenly started spinning at high speed again, splattering green smoothie all over the tour leader’s face!

“Fuck!” He cursed, about to wipe the green pulp off his face, but the blender blades spun faster and faster, and suddenly, out of control, they detached and flew straight towards his eye!

“Ahhhhh—”

The tour leader, covering his bloodied eyes, staggered backward. The guy frying chicken behind him was so frightened that he instinctively moved aside, revealing the bubbling, smoking hot oil in the deep fryer!

Wu Sheng wanted to go forward to help, but the startled travelers blocked his way!

Just as the tour leader was about to knock over the fryer, Wu Sheng could almost foresee the subsequent development—the fryer toppling over, bursting into flames, resulting in either the tour leader being scalded to death by hot oil or burnt alive, with no chance of survival!

In the nick of time, Chi Yingxue suddenly appeared.

Wu Sheng didn’t even see how he darted in from the other side.

He saw Chi Yingxue forcefully bump into the tour leader, who was falling backward. The impact sent the tour leader flying towards Wu Sheng, crashing heavily onto Wu Sheng and a group of travelers hiding there.

Then, he swiftly turned off the stove.

Kuang Jinxin, standing by, immediately put on heat-resistant gloves and took the entire fryer outside the villa, banishing it to the cool outside air.

Qian Ai unplugged all the kitchen appliances and also confiscated dangerous items like kitchen knives, can openers, and wine bottle openers.

“First aid kit. Find the first aid kit.” A girl finally reacted, supporting the screaming tour leader, as she anxiously said.

“Nobody move!” Xu Wang stopped everyone from running around, offering his own first aid kit.

The girl gave the tour leader’s injured eye a simple dressing, which was more for psychological comfort than any real treatment, at most stopping the bleeding.

Wu Sheng was unwilling to interrogate the man at this moment, but he was pressed for time, as outside, only half of the sun was visible over the mountain.

After a moment of hesitation, he gently searched the tour leader’s pocket.

The tour leader, in pain, didn’t notice.

Soon, Wu Sheng found the man’s phone and quickly unlocked it using the tour leader’s fingerprint.

Checking the message history, there were flirtatious texts to the two girls but none to the young man.

Aside from the unexpected line with the young man, the source of the restaurant water-splashing accident was undoubtedly the tour leader. According to the theory that “the first flap of the butterfly’s wings must be triggered by the demon”, the demon should be the tour leader. But the current scene, looking like an “attempted murder”, was enough to prove that the demon wasn’t the tour leader, which was contradictory…

“What are you doing with my phone!” the tour leader, realizing late, shouted from a distance.

Seeing that he still had the energy to yell at him, Wu Sheng was somewhat relieved and, thinking quickly, suddenly said, “I’m checking who leaked your two-timing.”

The tour leader became furious, forgetting the pain and struggling to get up. “I knew someone was out to get me! I was wondering why they both confronted me out of the blue, saying I sent messages meant for one to the other, even getting the names wrong. As the heavens is my witness, ever since I started two-timing, I’ve been careful never to use any names in messages!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Why are you so proud of that?!”

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 126: Elevator

Advisor Wu’s feeling of being admired was abruptly interrupted by Chi Yingxue’s simple and straightforward question.

Xu Wang quickly changed the subject to help maintain Wu Sheng’s image. “What should we do next?”

This brought the conversation back to Wu Sheng’s area of expertise, and his eyes immediately lit up with intelligence. “We need to find the source. Each accident, like the butterfly effect, developed step by step according to logical reasoning. But the initial flap of the butterfly’s wings, the start of it all, must have been caused by the demon.”

Qian Ai asked, “How do we find it?”

Wu Sheng looked up, his gaze falling on the young man who had pushed him near the Finnish bath door. “We start with the people.”

There were seven accident scenes with relevant people still around, but only the restaurant and the Finnish bath remained. The two girls who had quarreled in the restaurant, who also happened to be survivors of the car crash at the previous intersection, had now gone to the spa, leaving only the young man who pushed him as the breakthrough point.

Fortunately, Wu Sheng didn’t even need to think of a reason to approach him.

Normally, Xu Wang would handle “communication” tasks during the levels, but this one was different. Wu Sheng had to gather firsthand information, including the responder’s reactions and other details, which no one else could substitute.

Standing up, Wu Sheng walked directly towards the young man.

His four companions stayed back, not wanting to crowd the area and hinder the “conversation”, but they watched closely, ready to assist at any moment if needed.

Soon, Wu Sheng reached the young man’s lounge chair. The man was lying down watching TV and turned his head in confusion when he noticed Wu Sheng. “What’s up, man?”

Wu Sheng sat down on an adjacent empty lounge chair and politely said, “You bumped into me earlier.”

The young man frowned, took off his headphones, and asked again uncertainly, “What?”

“Just now in the bath area, you ran into me,” Wu Sheng repeated more specifically.

The young man remembered, quickly sat up, and apologized profusely, looking genuinely remorseful. His demeanor and tone showed no signs of deceit.

“Forget it.” Wu Sheng finally pretended to let go after the young man almost exhausted his apologies. “If he hadn’t fallen into the bath, you wouldn’t have bumped into me.”

The young man thought for a moment, then realized what had happened and quickly sat up, looking embarrassed. “Hey, at that time, I was just focused on rescuing people and didn’t notice. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Wu Sheng said. “But when you bumped into me, the bathroom door got stuck and couldn’t be opened. My friend almost suffocated inside.”

The more the young man listened, the more remorseful he became, apologizing incessantly. From his demeanor to his tone, there were no flaws to be seen.

“Forget it.” Wu Sheng finally appeared to let go when the other’s apologies seemed to run out. “If he hadn’t fallen into the bathtub, you wouldn’t have bumped into me.”

“You can’t say that. He didn’t fall in there on purpose.” The young man spoke quite honorably on behalf of the one who fell in.

Wu Sheng didn’t continue the topic. He just smiled at him and quickly found an excuse to leave. He turned around and went to the end of the row behind.

The man who fell into the water was there.

He was a young man with flowing hair, not one of the four suspects Wu Sheng had identified.

“Why did I fall in?” The young man was already confused by Wu Sheng’s sudden approach and was even more baffled by this opening remark. “What else could it be? I just missed my step.”

“Bathing is a dangerous activity. How can you be so careless?” Wu Sheng said heavily, trying to show some sincere concern.

But to the young man, it sounded odd, and he replied more aggressively, “I’m distraught over being dumped. What’s it to you!”

A flicker in Wu Sheng’s eyes showed he knew he was onto something. “A girl in the tour group?”

The young man hung his head, his flowing hair falling with it, and after a long while, he muttered quietly, “It’s not a girl.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He didn’t deny the tour group, just the gender.

Before Wu Sheng could ask further, the young man looked up mournfully, glancing in a certain direction.

Wu Sheng followed his gaze—the tour leader had risen from the lounge chair and was looking everywhere for his slippers.

“Are you dating him?” Wu Sheng looked at the young man’s hair and then at the tour leader’s vague features, unable to see any couple vibe.

“No…” The young man looked down, playing with his fingers somewhat shyly. “I have an unrequited love for him…”

Well, as long as he’s happy.

But “unrequited love” means they haven’t dated, so how could there be a dumping?

“I couldn’t help it. I sent him a message.” The young man knew what Wu Sheng was going to ask.

“And then?”

“Then he rejected me in the reply…”

The young man pouted. The circles under his eyes were truly red, a genuine display of love.

Wu Sheng was reminded of his own bitter memories. He sighed and said sincerely, “Can I see the message? Maybe there’s some misunderstanding…”

The word “misunderstanding” reignited hope in the young man, who quickly handed over his phone.

The messages were brief, with just two exchanges.

The first was in the morning—

Tour leader: Gather, handsome.

Young man: ?

Tour leader: Stop smiling foolishly. I’m talking about you.

Young man: Am I handsome?

Tour leader: Very handsome.

The second was at noon—

Young man: I think, I might have fallen for you.

Tour leader: Think about it again.

Young man: Really, I truly like you.

Tour leader: Sorry, but I really don’t.

The conversation was short and quickly read, but Wu Sheng took his time. The tour leader initiated the flirtation but ended up rejecting him, suspiciously straightforward, lacking a sense of reality. Like preparing for a difficult exam for a long time, only to find elementary questions—it was unsettling.

“Sheng Ge.” Kuang Jinxin ran over. “We’re gathering.”

Sixteen members of the travel group, plus Xu Wang’s small team, gathered at the entrance of the rest hall.

The tour leader checked his watch. “It’s 3:30 p.m. now. Half an hour to change clothes, and we’ll meet at the downstairs entrance at 4:00.”

Wu Sheng hadn’t had time to share the news he just heard with his teammates, now focusing intently on the tour leader, trying to detect some clues.

The elevator reached the top floor.

With so many people, they’d have to go down in two groups. The tour leader conscientiously moved to the back. Perhaps to avoid awkwardness, the young man with the flowing hair squeezed to the front of the elevator.

The elevator doors slowly opened.

A couple in the front center entered first, but as soon as they stepped in, they fell through!

The young man with the flowing hair and another girl, following right behind them, also fell in!

The muffled sounds of heavy objects falling echoed up the elevator shaft.

Right behind these four were Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin!

One clung to the door frame; the other was grabbed by the bathrobe by Chi Yingxue, narrowly escaping disaster.

Curious travelers peered down the shaft—the elevator hadn’t come to the top, still stopped on the first floor. The four people, stacked like logs on top of the elevator cabin, were twisted into bizarre angles—none survived.

The last to fall was the young man.

Just two minutes ago, he was chatting with Wu Sheng. Now, with a broken neck and his eyes wide open, he stared into the empty elevator shaft and at the onlookers above.

Owl time 16:00. The death toll rose to twenty, with only six men and six women remaining in the tour group.

While changing clothes, Wu Sheng quietly shared the information he gathered with a few companions.

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin felt the same as Wu Sheng, suspecting the tour leader but unable to fully trust that he was really the one.

However, Qian Ai, who didn’t follow the usual thought process, suggested while the tour leader was away changing clothes, “Is it possible that the demon is him, and the answer is that simple, but we overcomplicated the issue?”

“There is a possibility,” Wu Sheng said. “So we also need to follow up on the incident at the restaurant. If the source is still him…”

Qian Ai clenched his fist. “Then there’s no escape for him!”

Xu Wang looked at Wu Sheng and said just two words, “Be quick.”

Wu Sheng nodded. “I know.”

Just after Wu Sheng questioned the young man, the young man died. Who could guarantee the two girls would live much longer?

“Next, we will go to the suburbs to enjoy the green mountains and rivers…”

An old-fashioned bus, looking like a modified scrapped public bus, without air conditioning and with manually operated windows, was waiting outside the bathhouse.

The tour leader led the surviving twelve people and Xu Wang’s small team onto the bus.

The five companions looked left and right, naturally avoiding the front and back of the bus and choosing seats in the middle. Xu Wang and Wu Sheng sat together, and across the aisle were Chi Yingxue, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, squeezed into two seats.

Xu Wang looked at his teammates with an indescribable expression. “Isn’t it crowded?”

Qian Ai said, “It’s warm, feels safe.”

“……” Xu Wang looked at Chi Yingxue, who was sitting on the innermost seat with a very gloomy face, feeling that the word “safe” was on shaky ground.

The bus started slowly and merged onto the main road. The driver, a middle-aged man, drove steadily.

Wu Sheng slightly stood up and looked back. The two girls who had quarreled in the restaurant were sitting in the last row, now reconciled, and half-opening the window to enjoy the breeze and laughter.

“Be careful,” Xu Wang said.

Wu Sheng gripped his hand and smiled. “Facing me, that warning should be for the demon.”

Xu Wang rolled his eyes and shook off his hand. “Hurry up.”

“Why did we have a quarrel?” The two girls, faced with the uninvited Wu Sheng, were baffled. “What does this have to do with you?”

Wu Sheng said, “It’s related to the continuous deaths.”

The girls looked at him strangely. “Doesn’t traveling always involve deaths? What does our quarrel have to do with it?”

Traveling always involves deaths?

Wu Sheng frowned. Was this the default setting of these NPCs? If so, their calmness towards the continuous accidents made sense.

“Maybe traveling involves deaths, but my friend almost got hurt in the restaurant, and you can’t be absolved of that.”

Wu Sheng changed his approach, acknowledging the accidents of traveling but insisting that the two girls were entirely responsible for the near accident with Xu Wang in the restaurant.

As Wu Sheng expected, the girls, like the young man he talked to earlier, had simple personalities. Hearing Wu Sheng’s logical argument and admitting their part in causing the subsequent accident by quarreling and splashing water, they felt guilty and revealed the reason for their quarrel.

“Actually, we both fell for the same guy.”

Wu Sheng: “Let me guess. It’s not the tour leader, is it?”

The girls suddenly looked up. “How did you know?!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

“But later we both realized he’s a real scumbag!” one of the girls suddenly added.

Wu Sheng, sensing a clue, quickly asked, “How did you realize that?”

Both girls took out their phones. “In the restaurant, we both thought the other was the third party. Only after comparing messages did we realize that he had been two-timing from the start!”

Wu Sheng checked the phones at the back of the bus, while Xu Wang, in the middle, occasionally looked back, remaining highly vigilant.

The bus had left the city, and the scenery outside the window became pleasant, with blue skies, white clouds, and birds chirping among the flowers.

Almost all the members of the travel group opened their windows, enjoying the breeze and the scenery.

The four companions stubbornly kept their windows shut, fastened their seat belts, and remained unmoved by any scenery, firm like revolutionary soldiers.

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