Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 87: Pretending

The collapse of the sky and the earth shrouded the entire Castle Hotel in deep darkness.

A few hotel rooms with their lights on became the only faint glimmers of light in this inky darkness.

In room 1024, Han Buting and Li Xia stood at the window, while Li Zijin stuck his head out to look around, but the battlefield was so dark they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces.

For Han Buting’s team, their luck was really bad today. Coupled with their own coordination issues, they lost two teammates early and entered the “retirement phase” prematurely. They thought the rest of their time would be spent summarizing lessons and passing time, but unexpectedly, the outside world had turned dark.

“What exactly does that team want to find? And, has the stationery battle escalated this much?” Li Zijin, who usually used stationery recklessly, even wanted to rush over and ask them to calm down.

Such destructive stationery—was it just used without blinking an eye?

Did they not consider the feelings of those who were poor in stationery resources?!

“It’s not exactly a ‘battle’.” Li Xia corrected, speaking in his usual gloomy and indifferent tone. “Both times were instant kills.”

Li Zijin was used to it; he would be scared if Li Xia ever became enthusiastic.

“Yeah.” He sighed with some deflation. “There’s always someone better than you.”

Chi Yingxue’s team had instantly killed the excavator team, and then they were instantly killed by the disc team.

If he connected this with the amusement park battle and yesterday’s oil painting incident, he should be applauding the disc team, but he just couldn’t feel happy, even feeling a bit down.

The team that was annihilated had once defeated his own team. Ignoring their clever maneuvers and just based on sheer strength, they weren’t weak, yet they were easily taken down in one move.

If his team had encountered the disc team, would the outcome be any different?

No.

“Captain.” Li Zijin looked towards Han Buting, who had been silent. “Do you remember the question you asked me when I first joined the team? You asked what’s the difference between a gaming enthusiast who plays day and night and a professional player?”

“You glared at me and said you didn’t want to explain.” Han Buting not only remembered but also probably guessed what Li Zijin was about to say.

The sky that had collapsed outside slowly rose again. The dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight returned.

The four people on the disc were calm and composed, while the one on the tree branch was leisurely and comfortable.

The pit in the front yard deepened, bottomless, like an eternal black hole.

Li Zijin looked at the deep pit devoid of any figures and quietly said, “This is the difference between amateurs and professionals.”

At the same time, in room 1639.

Also having lost the chance to submit their papers early and also gathered at the window, Wei Menghan, Zou Jun, Feng Rang, and Zhu Mo had one more surviving teammate than Han Buting’s team.

“No chance. They’re not at the same level.” Zou Jun fiddled with the flowers in the vase on the windowsill, arranging them into a fan shape and then into a staggered height pattern, but was never quite satisfied.

Feng Rang was annoyed by his fussing. “Come on, with just those few stems, can you make Cleopatra?”

Wei Menghan stroked his chin and stared unblinkingly at the battlefield that had regained sunlight, muttering in confusion, “If they were instantly killed, why hasn’t the badge’s flash appeared yet?”

From the moment that team appeared, not directly taking action but negotiating with Xu Wang’s team, Wei Menghan guessed their goal wasn’t to submit papers but for the badge.

Zhu Mo opened the window completely, widening his view.

In the cool breeze, his voice carried a light smile. “Teacher Wei, I’m looking forward to the next part of the story.”

By the tree, on the disc.

Messy Haired Chen Guan yawned and closed his [Stationery Box]. He knew there must be eyes watching the battlefield from the surrounding windows, but it didn’t matter. The more people who watch, the better. It was best if they clearly remembered the faces of their five-member team, so in the future, they would walk around them from afar and not end up like the team underground, who took a perfectly good chance to submit their papers and lost it through their own doing.

Wang Duanran vigorously scratched his curly hair, to no avail, and yawned along with Chen Guan, extremely annoyed. “Can’t you sleep properly during the day? Yawning is contagious.”

“You could have let me take action earlier, and it would have been over.” Chen Guan wiped the moisture from the corner of his eye from the yawn, grumbling, “The longer it takes, the sleepier I get.”

“At first glance, they look like rookies. Our goals don’t conflict, so there’s no fun in bullying them too harshly,” Wang Duanran said.

Chen Guan lazily raised his eyebrows. “Then why did you change your mind?”

Wang Duanran tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Cute rookies are those who know their place.”

Kong Lizhe, who had been lying down and playing on his phone, laughed at this. He continued tapping on his phone while saying, “You only act tough with rookies. When we met Fan Peiyang last time, why didn’t you let us fight?”

Wang Duanran narrowed his eyes, glancing over lightly. “You don’t want a new phone anymore, right?”

Kong Lizhe immediately shut up, as quiet as a passerby.

“Money is the root of all evil.” Gu Nian picked up the book he had been forced to put down due to the darkness and started reading again.

Kong Lizhe’s hand slipped, causing the character on his phone screen to lose all its health. Just as he was about to take his anger out on Gu Nian, something suddenly flashed through his mind.

He maintained the posture of holding his phone and closed his eyes in confusion, probing for a certain sensation…

A few seconds later.

“The pause button is still effective,” Kong Lizhe opened his eyes and said solemnly.

Jiang Dachuan, who had just stood up to start searching for the flash again, stopped in his tracks, leaning on his sore back, and looked over in disbelief. “What did you say?”

Chen Guan and Wang Duanran also looked towards Kong Lizhe.

The illusory stationery still affecting the other party indicated that the affected party hadn’t been ejected back to reality.

Everyone understood this logic, and that’s why it was incredible.

Kong Lizhe was also surprised, but as the user of [(Offense) The Collapse of Heaven and Earth], the sensation transmitted by the stationery was irrefutable. “They are still here.”

Chen Guan narrowed his eyes, his drowsy pupils shining brightly for the first time that night. “Where?”

Kong Lizhe said, “Inside the ‘earth collapse’.”

Plop.

Sounds like bubbles echoed from the bottomless pit.

At first, it was a distant, faint sound.

Then—

Plop plop.

Plop Plop Plop.

Splash.

Plop plop plop…

The five people watched as water slowly rose from the bottom of the pit, turning the deep hole into a small puddle, then a larger one, until the water level was even with the edge of the huge pit!

All this happened in an instant. The hotel’s front hall turned into a vast ocean!

“Splash, splash, splash—”

The sound of water breaking approached from a distance, like a small motorboat was moving through water.

The five people looked towards the sound and saw a familiar group of people wading through the water!

The two teams at the window were equally stunned—

1024, Han Buting: “Turning the pit into a sea and then surfacing. That’s a neat trick.”

1639, Wei Menghan: “To choose the right tool for escape in the midst of [The Collapse of Heaven and Earth] shows remarkable calmness.”

1024: “……”

1639: “……”

1024 and 1639: “Can’t they just use a rowboat properly?!”

On the “sea level”, Xu Wang’s small team made a triumphant return, walking on water with different tools!

Xu Wang, using a gourd as a boat and an iron staff as a paddle—simple and reliable!

Wu Sheng, using a long sword as a boat, glided on the water surface—as graceful as an immortal!

Kuang Jinxin, sitting in a flower basket, bravely moved forward—full of childlike innocence!

Chi Yingxue, standing on a flute, was gracefully floating. As the water entered the flute, it created ancient melodies!

Qian Ai, riding a donkey backwards, content, occasionally splashing as the waves rose!

The group stopped about ten meters away from the tree. The sea surface instantly became calm, reflecting the ancient castle.

“Thankfully, [The Collapse of Heaven and Earth] is a one-time use tool.” Xu Wang hugged his gourd, looking up with lingering fear. “And thank you for underestimating us and not using a second move.”

Chen Guan brushed his messy hair from his forehead, as if to clear his vision, and after observing for two seconds, he slightly raised his voice. “[(Offense) The Sea is Full of Water]?”

Xu Wang nodded. “Worthy of a team that has been on the leaderboard.”

This remark surprised the four on the disc and the one on the tree.

Even Gu Nian put down his book to glance down at the “newbies”, and upon seeing their “nautical tools”, he was so thunderstruck that he forgot the shock of his identity being recognized a second ago.

“Chen Guan, Gu Nian, Jiang Dachuan, Kong Lizhe, Wang Duanran.” Wu Sheng stood on the long sword, repeating a string of names from his memory. “I hope you haven’t changed members recently in the past fifty days. It’s still the strongest lineup,” Xu Wang sincerely said. “Otherwise, our victory wouldn’t be honorable.”

Wang Duanran laughed at this, feeling a particularly comical sense, and just as he was about to instruct Chen Guan, the latter preempted him. “Leave it to me.”

Wang Duanran said, “I know, what I meant was…”

“No need to pay extra,” Chen Guan interrupted again, his gaze fixed on Xu Wang, no longer lazy. “Not only no extra charge, I’ll give you a free pass for tonight’s work.”

Wang Duanran frowned. “Conditions?”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Chen Guan repeated. “Leave them to me. No one else gets involved.”

Wang Duanran: “……”

There’s no free lunch in this world, unless Chen Guan is angry.

“Is the ‘Pause Button’ yours?” Xu Wang asked, but discreetly deactivated a stationery.

Kong Lizhe glanced down at him. “Mine, any objections?”

Xu Wang looked at him earnestly. “Then you must protect yourself well. Don’t let the illusory stationery lose its effect.”

Kong Lizhe: “……”

“At least, until we get the badge.” Xu Wang smiled and nodded sincerely. “Please!”

Kong Lizhe took a deep breath, restraining the urge to crush his phone, and slowly looked towards Chen Guan. “If you don’t act now, we can’t be friends anymore.”

Chen Guan was already itching to jump into a physical fight, but he asked one last question. “What stationery?”

With those words, Captain Xu understood immediately. “[(Defense) Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea*].”

*Ground of legendary immortals in Chinese mythology. One of the tales about time, which has art depicting this, is about them crossing the sea to attend the Conference of the Magical Peach.

Chen Guan: “……”

Xu Wang: “Surprised? Sadly, we only have five people, so we couldn’t use all the crossing tools…”

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Wrath of Poseidon] on you~~]

That was Chen Guan’s response.

On the mirror-like sea surface, suddenly huge waves arose!

All five companions, regardless of their tools, were equally thrown into the sea!

The salty sea water blocked their senses, and after struggling for nearly ten seconds, they were lifted out of the sea by their tools!

But another giant wave was fast approaching!

The tool Xu Wang had deactivated earlier finally found the perfect moment to activate—

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Frozen for Thousands of Miles] on you~~]

He knew the open sea wasn’t safe!

In an instant, extreme cold spread throughout the entire water area, and the approaching giant wave instantly froze in mid-air. The water surface below the five, along with their impressive watercraft, was also frozen in ice!

“Xiao Kuang—” Amidst the frozen expanse, Xu Wang called out loudly.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t hesitate and immediately activated a defense stationery!

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Balloon House] on you~~]

The moment the alert sounded, a small wooden house tied to a giant hydrogen balloon appeared above the heads of the five companions. They jumped up, climbed onto the house, and the balloon swiftly rose, lifting them to the same height as the disc, transitioning from “naval battle” to “aerial combat” seamlessly!

However, in room 1639, Zou Jun and Feng Rang were slapping the windowsill in frustration, as if they had made the blunder themselves. “Damn, isn’t this just asking for trouble!”

At least [Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea] allows for flexible movement and quick dispersal, but gathering in a fragile balloon house and flying so high? They’re just waiting to be easy targets, ready to be wiped out in one fell swoop!

The moment the balloon house appeared, Chen Guan couldn’t help but laugh, leisurely waiting until the balloon house reached a fatal height before unleashing his deadly stationery.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) A Thousand Arrows Released] on you~~]

Just as Xu Wang and his team breathed a sigh of relief, countless arrows flew towards them from the sky!

“Quick, dodge!” Qian Ai shouted.

Kuang Jinxin was even more anxious. “I know!”

He closed his eyes, concentrating hard, and moved the balloon house as quickly as possible.

In the nick of time, the hydrogen balloon barely moved away, with the closest arrowheads almost grazing its edge!

But before the companions could relax, they suddenly heard a noise from behind.

Turning around, they found that the missed arrows had circled back towards them!

This time, there was no escape.

All the arrows pierced the hydrogen balloon, and some even thunked into the wooden house!

The hydrogen balloon exploded with a “bang”, and the wooden house plummeted at a high speed!

Qian Ai panicked. “Below us is ice!!!”

Xu Wang, of course, knew, and at the last moment, he deactivated [(Offense) Frozen for Thousands of Miles]!

“Splash—”

The balloon house fell heavily into the water, causing a huge splash!

But before the first wave could settle, the entire surface of the water froze again into thick ice!

The world was suddenly silent.

“It’s not only you who have [Frozen for Thousands of Miles],'” Chen Guan sighed towards the bright ice surface, turned to look at the mere spectators, Kong Lizhe and Gu Nian, and frowned slightly. “I think I overestimated them.”

Gu Nian remained non-committal.

Kong Lizhe closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. “Sorry, the pause button is still active.”

Chen Guan was stunned. “……”

Kong Lizhe closed and then reopened his eyes. “I now understand the magic mirror’s feelings in ‘Snow White’.”

Gu Nian sighed softly. “Repeatedly telling the queen that she’s not the most beautiful—it is indeed quite cruel.”

Chen Guan’s face darkened on one side. “Hey—”

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Mirage] on you~~]

The sudden prompt in their ears made the four on the disc freeze, instinctively turning around.

Jiang Dachuan, who was watching the battle from the tree, was also astonished, obviously hearing the prompt too.

This illusory tool affected all five of them.

But why [Mirage]?

When Kong Lizhe mentioned that “Pause Button” was still effective, Chen Guan immediately prepared to face those guys breaking out of the ice.

Can [Mirage] break the ice?

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Scuttle the Boats*] on you~~]

*(破釜沉舟) Idiom referring to leaving no escape route and acting decisively. This comes from the Battle of Julu, where Xiang Yu ordered his men to sink their boats and destroy all but three days’ worth of rations in order to force his men to choose between prevailing against overwhelming odds within three days, or die trapped before the walls of the city with no supplies or any hope of escape.

Wang Duanran and the rest looked at each other in confusion. Like [Mirage], [Scuttle the Boats] was a stationery they had never possessed. Predicting the exact use of new stationery wasn’t easy, especially since some stationery’s names were misleading!

Another important question was, where exactly were those guys hiding!

Before they could clear their doubts, Chen Guan suddenly slapped the disc hard! The sound of his hand hitting the porcelain was deafening, obviously hitting with full force!

“What are you doing?” Wang Duanran was baffled.

Before Chen Guan could answer, Kong Lizhe also slammed his phone onto the disc!

The porcelain cracked, and the phone screen shattered!

“Damn, I just bought it a week ago!” Kong Lizhe was breathless with distress.

Wang Duanran was about to explode with anger when their disc suddenly plummeted at high speed!

“Gu Nian?!” Wang Duanran was shocked. The disc was controlled by Gu Nian, who never joked around.

“The illusory stationery is controlling my mind…” Gu Nian furrowed his brow, calmly stating, “It wants the disc to crash.”

Wang Duanran: “……”

Chen Guan: “……”

Kong Lizhe: “……”

Jiang Dachuan: “……”

[Scuttle the Boats]—destroying the caldrons and sinking the boats*, leaving no way out, a do-or-die battle.

*Note: This is reflecting Xiang Yu’s action of destroying their food supply and the boats (as explained above).

But they didn’t intend to smash the disc for a do-or-die battle. Was there a misunderstanding in the stationery’s interpretation of its own meaning?

At this moment, no one cared about Chen Guan’s statement of “leaving it to himself”. Jiang Dachuan immediately took action—[(Defense) Soft Landing]!

The defense stationery finally activated just before the disc hit the ground.

The disc landed on a cushioned layer, wobbling and then stabilizing.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Resurrection Cycle*] on you~~]

*(周而复生) Idiom referring to going around and around in an endless cycle.

The timing of the stationery’s prompt was impeccable.

If they couldn’t recognize by now that those guys were hiding in the dark, then they were indeed naive.

But the immediate concern was, first, where were they? Second, what exactly was [Resurrection Cycle]?

Why were all their stationery named after four-character idioms?

“Slap—”

“Bang—”

Chen Guan slapped the disc hard again!

Kong Lizhe picked up the remnants of his phone, mercilessly smashing it a second time. The cracks in the disc were becoming significantly more apparent!

Gu Nian realized. “This illusory stationery makes a person repeat their previous action.”

Wang Duanran immediately looked up at the tree. “Dachuan, break the illusion!”

Jiang Dachuan couldn’t leave the tree in case they were ambushed, but he was ready to act decisively—

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Awakening from a Dream*] on you~~]

*One sentence awakens you from a dream (一语惊醒梦中人) Idiom referring to a simple or brief remark can provide enlightenment, especially if one was confused or unaware before.

The effects of [Scuttle the Boats] and [Resurrection Cycle] disappeared simultaneously. Chen Guan’s palm was already bruised, and Kong Lizhe’s phone was now just debris, painful to even look at.

In mid-air, behind the original position of the hovering disc, a perfectly intact balloon house slowly appeared.

The mirage also broke.

Chen Guan finally understood. The one bombarded with arrows, plunged into the deep sea, trapped in miles of ice, were all but illusions.

“Sorry.” Captain Xu’s head finally popped out of the crack in the door of the small wooden house, where no one could be seen. “For wasting your [A Thousand Arrows Released] and [Frozen for Thousands of Miles].”

Chen Guan hadn’t been this angry in a long time.

And his anger was something Wang Duan, Gu Nian, and Kong Lizhe could clearly feel—when the usually talkative Chen Guan became quiet, he was unhappy. If he fell completely silent, he was thoroughly enraged.

As teammates, they didn’t really want to provoke Chen Guan at this time.

However, those in the balloon house continued to pour fuel on the fire beautifully—

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Misery and Destruction*] on you~~]

*(生灵涂炭) Idiom referring to a situation where people are suffering immensely.

The ground beneath the four on the ice turned into a swamp in an instant. The mud bound their feet like chains. At the same time, flames erupted on the ice surface!

Chen Guan deactivated [Frozen for Thousands of Miles], and in the moment the swamp and flames were swallowed by the sea, he activated [(Defense) Paper Airplane]. A huge origami airplane swept across the sky, picking up the four and taking them back to high altitude.

So high that the little wooden house below was just a speck.

“They want to delay time.” Kong Lizhe hit the nail on the head. “Delay until the ‘pause button’ expires, and they win.”

Wang Duan: “They still want to get the badge.”

Kong Lizhe: “Hah, you believe them? How will they get it? Just blindly stacking up stationery?”

Gu Nian: “Quite an interesting team.”

Chen Guan: “What do you mean?”

Gu Nian: “What were the last three stationery items they used?”

“[Scuttle the Boats], [Resurrection Cycle], [Misery and Destruction]?” Wang Duan replied uncertainly, then suddenly understood—every curly hair on his head turned into a black line. “They must be crazy…”

Facing a team that plays idiom charades with stationery, their feelings were complex that it was difficult to describe.

……

Room 1639, by the window.

Zhu Mo: “What exactly are they waiting for?”

Zou Jun: “Ah? Aren’t they struggling hard?”

Zhu Mo: “Those stationery items can’t truly be decisive in victory. They should be clear about that.”

Feng Rang: “They want to drag it out until the illusory stationery expires. An illusory stationery that can pause the submission won’t last too long.”

Zhu Mo: “I always feel there’s something else…”

Wei Menghan: “Hasn’t anyone reflected on the [Mirage]?”

Zou Jun: “They used the [Mirage] to make the balloon house disappear?”

Wei Menghan: “Isn’t it obvious?”

Note 1: Mirage, illusory. Can hide oneself and create visual illusions in front of the enemy. However, all contents of the illusion are live broadcasts of the actual situation hidden in the dark.

Note 2: Teacher Wei’s team once used this stationery in a certain level. Due to their poor acting skills, they were seen through by the opponent.

Teacher Wei’s rhetorical question made the atmosphere in Room 1639 subtly heavy.

The four people replayed the scene of Xu Wang’s small team using [Mirage] in their minds—

As the arrows flew, Qian Ai shouted desperately to dodge, his voice strained and changed.

Kuang Jinxin, controlling the [Balloon House], responded eagerly, “I know,” every drop of sweat on his forehead seething with anxiety.

The balloon house was pierced and started falling. Qian Ai, terrified, shouted that below was ice.

The wooden house hit the water, and the last frame had five faces of despair.

End of review.

Four companions: “……”

A drama king is indeed a form of strength, so yesterday they also acted against each other, deceiving each other on the task line.

But—they didn’t need to burn their lives for their acting skills!

---

The author has something to say:

There’s actually three choices left for [Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea].

[Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea], they actually left three choices for Qian, which were the Lotus (He Xiangu), the Jade Tablet (Cao Guojiu), and the Donkey (Zhang Guolao). Then, I chose the one that best suited Qian’s temperament… (～￣▽￣)～

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Kinky Thoughts:

And Best Actor(s) goes to…

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 86: Disc

As the tree leaves rustled gently again, Xu Wang knew that the love line had reached a satisfying conclusion.

Sure enough, a playful congratulation rode on the light breeze—

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 6/23 test!]

Among the five companions, Xu Wang anticipated this, and Qian Ai was pleasantly surprised by the notification. But no matter who, they all let out a sigh of relief in unison. However, their relief was cut short by the abrupt end of the message.

Successfully submitted?

What about the paper? And the usual “See you tomorrow~~”?

Everyone instinctively looked at their teammates, then realized that they were not alone in their confusion.

Had they really submitted? They shouldn’t have. Otherwise, they would be back in reality by now. But why wouldn’t it count as having been submitted? They had clearly completed the task line!

“Stationery.” Chi Yingxue, or rather, his sharp combat intuition, was the first to react.

As if to confirm his words, a belated attack notification lazily arrived—

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Pause Button] on you~~]

A huge shadow, along with the notification, descended.

The five took a few steps back and looked up to see a flying disc hovering above the tree, carrying five people.

The disc resembled a shallow white porcelain plate used for serving dishes but was enlarged dozens of times. The five co-travelers on it were either sitting cross-legged or half-lying, treating it as their own sofa, relaxed and comfortable.

The moment Xu Wang saw the disc, he naturally concluded that the illusory stationery was theirs. But seeing the lazy postures of the people on the disc, he hesitated. This wasn’t a posture preparing for battle.

“We’re not here to interfere with your task or submission, so don’t be so tense.” The first to speak from the disc was the most relaxed looking among them, a man in his late twenties with messy hair, looking as if he had just woken up. He yawned while speaking, half-lying there, not at all looking like the one in charge of communication.

Xu Wang thought that perhaps this person was just pulled in to fill in last minute. Otherwise, it was hard to explain such an antagonistic opening.

At least he, the “communicated party”, felt no respect at all.

“You’re thinking too much. We’re not tense.” Xu Wang looked at him calmly, his face unflinching. “As for whether we’ll be angry, that depends on your explanation.”

This response was somewhat confrontational, but the people in the disc seemed not to notice, casually glanced at their companions, and then back at them, offering an even more casual explanation. “Looking for something.”

Combining this with the previous “We’re not doing tasks or submitting,” Xu Wang guessed they meant, “We’re looking for something, and once we find it, we’ll cancel the illusory stationery, and you can continue with your submission.” But the way it was delivered was minimalistic, both in expression and tone, utterly perfunctory.

The disc suddenly descended to a position just touching the treetop.

The teammate, who was just casually glanced at, instantly switched from lazy to active, picking a thicker branch to land on, and then began to search the branches with focused attention.

They were indeed searching for something.

Xu Wang pursed his lips, realizing that they weren’t looking for trouble with them—no, more accurately, they were too lazy to bother with them.

From beginning to end, the other party remained as relaxed as if they were on a spring outing, not because their goals didn’t conflict. In fact, even if their goals didn’t conflict, they might still cause trouble that harms others without benefiting themselves. The root of their composure and ease was that their own team wasn’t even worth the attention of the others; the others didn’t even bother to lie or be on guard.

“Please tell me that the humiliation of being looked down upon just now was an illusion,” Qian Ai said, looking at the five uninvited guests above, his chest heaving slightly.

Xu Wang sighed. “I can’t promise that as captain.”

“What exactly are they looking for?” Kuang Jinxin was puzzled. “There’s only the epiphyte flower on the tree, but they don’t even seem to look at it.”

“It’s definitely unrelated to the task line.” Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning sharp. “Otherwise, such a big move would have triggered a plot by now.”

“Maybe they’re just looking in the wrong place, or the plot is about peacefully searching.” With one foot over the finish line but the other being firmly held back, Qian Ai was in agony.

“Badges.” Chi Yingxue spoke in a low voice, not out of fear of being overheard but as if deliberately suppressing some emotion. “They are looking for badges.”

The four companions were stunned. Xu Wang was the first to reveal his hidden stationery box, showing the [Moonlight Labyrinth Badge] to Chi Yingxue. “This one?”

“Yes,” Chi Yingxue responded softly, then noticed that Xu Wang’s hidden item column had only one icon.

He immediately understood the information progression of the new team from this empty interface. Without waiting to be asked, he explained, “Each level has several hidden badges scattered in different corners. Finding one is enough.”

“Find?” Xu Wang was surprised. “Aren’t badges rewards for breaking records in a single level?”

Chi Yingxue explained, “That’s just relying on luck. Generally, teams search for them within the levels.”

Xu Wang: “How do you find them?”

Chi Yingxue: “Places with badges will emit a faint light at irregular intervals. Teams focused on finding them can spot it.”

Wu Sheng asked, “What happens if all are found?”

“Not sure.” Chi Yingxue tilted his head, finally fishing out some information from his intermittent memories. “Seems to be related to the levels after 13/23.”

After 13/23?! 

For Xu Wang and the others, this was a huge shock.

Mao Qiping had mentioned that the best-performing team had only reached the thirteenth level, and the only time the speed of submission leaderboard was opened, the record was 12/23. This implied that no one had submitted past 13/23, corroborating Mao Qiping’s statement.

So how could these people, who had never broken through 13/23, claim that badges were related to later levels?

Or did they receive secret hints from the [Cheat Sheet]?

Four pairs of eyes focused intently on Chi Yingxue.

Chi Yingxue, uncomfortable with such intense scrutiny, clarified immediately, “That’s all I know. If you don’t believe me, you can interrogate me with an illusory stationery.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Interrogating a priest, torturing oneself for answers… Why does every suggestion from the new teammate sound like a villain’s plan?!

“Do you want them?” Chi Yingxue suddenly asked.

The four companions were stunned, not understanding at first.

“Although I’m not sure of the exact use of the badges, they must be useful.” Chi Yingxue leaned slightly forward, closer to his four teammates. His voice and the corners of his mouth rose slightly. The suppressed emotion in his eyes showed a dark, expectant light. “If you want them, I can help you snatch them.”

His voice was very gentle, like a devil luring the good.

Xu Wang asked, “Do you have the badge for this level?”

Chi Yingxue paused, then shook his head. “No.”

Qian Ai was speechless. “Then this is called ‘let’s rob them together’, understand?”

“……” Chi Yingxue didn’t understand why these people were so fixated on “us” versus “them”. Was it important?

“You just want an excuse to fight, right?” Xu Wang raised his eyebrows at him. “You want to flip that disc and wipe out those people.”

Chi Yingxue was taken aback, genuinely surprised this time.

Kuang Jinxin looked at him, sighed, and shook his head. “Your murderous intent is too recognizable.”

Qian Ai glanced at him. “You get excited at the thought of a fight. I’ve figured out the pattern.”

Xu Wang patted his shoulder, showing a trusting smile. “Your request is approved.”

Turning around, Xu Wang asked Wu Sheng, “How much longer can you hold on?”

Advisor Wu shrugged. “Until you win.”

Chi Yingxue saw a clue in this “everything is under control” demeanor. “Are you using stationery?”

No wonder the other party has found nothing so far.

In fact, once the range was locked, the badge wouldn’t be too difficult to find. Just now, when they were eager to fight, he was worried that the other party would succeed before they even started.

“They want to find something, so they use illusory stationery against us to stop us from submitting our papers.” Wu Sheng looked up at the busy figure in the tree. “A defense stationery in return is not too much.”

Chi Yingxue was puzzled. “Didn’t he hear the alert for the defense stationery?”

Wu Sheng said, “Of course, it’s for the one in the tree, [(Defense) Nothing At All*].”

*(一无所有) Idiom referring to having nothing (assets, money, achievements, knowledge).

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Tactics should be left to the meticulous.

“Have you guys finally decided how to fight?” Messy Hair was lying at the edge of the plate with his hands propping up his face which was full of impatience. “You’ve thrown away a defense stationery. What else is there to dawdle about?”

The five companions were momentarily stunned.

There was both a horizontal distance and a vertical height between them, and such low whispering, like a mosquito’s buzz, could not possibly have been heard. How did Messy Hair know about the defense stationery?

While they were confused, a green sticky note suddenly flew up from the grass under the feet of the five, completely blending with the green of the grass, fluttering back into the plate, into the hands of a the curly-haired youth.

“[(Defense) Eavesdropping Sticky Notes],” Messy Hair announced the answer, sitting up leisurely and smiling. “One must always be wary of others.”

“Dachuan, stop searching.” Curly Hair had just collected the sticky note, reminded his teammate in the treetop. “They’re wearing defense stationery.”

Jiang Dachuan, tired and sore, became angry when he heard this. “Who the hell is making trouble for no reason!”

Wang Duanran—Curly Hair—nodded towards the opposite side. “The most handsome one.”

Jiang Dachuan looked down angrily, locking eyes with Wu Sheng. “Are you full and idle? In a hurry to go home?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, Chi Yingxue, and Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “This way of recognizing people…”

“Is there a problem?” Curly Hair looked unhappy at being questioned, pointing at Wu Sheng “The most handsome”, pointing at Chi Yingxue, “The most beautiful”, pointing at Kuang Jinxin, “The cutest”, pointing at Xu Wang, “The most cunning”, pointing at Qian Ai, “The strongest”.

“Very convenient,” he concluded.

“…” Five silent companions had two completely different moods.

Jiang Dachuan sat on the tree branch and stopped working, urging his teammate on the disc. “Quick battle, quick victory.”

Chen Guan—Messy Hair—stretched lazily and sat up straight. Wang Duanran didn’t move, but his gaze was on Xu Wang and his group. As for the other two, they looked at the sky and enjoyed the breeze, not lifting an eyelid.

Xu Wang swallowed and tensed up subconsciously, feeling the “difference in level” for the first time.

It was an intuition honed from dealing with danger in nearly fifty days of battling in the “Owl”.

“Boom!”

A sound like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting open exploded above their heads!

In an instant, the whole sky turned black at a visible speed, accompanied by huge falling rocks!

The only lawn under their feet also started to shake violently and cracked!

Chi Yingxue summoned the magic bean, and its leaves quickly lifted all five of them into the air!

Just as they took off, the only lawn collapsed, leaving only a small circle as thick as a tree trunk, barely keeping the tree!

This series of events happened in just a few seconds that Xu Wang and the others didn’t even see who used the stationery!

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) The Collapse of Heaven and Earth] on you~~]

The announcement finally came.

The familiar name made the five of them stunned; they had just used this stationery to get rid of a team, and now the retribution came so fast!

The last bit of light disappeared, and the sky turned completely dark, as if dyed with ink.

In the darkness, where no one could see each other, Chi Yingxue’s voice suddenly rang out. “Not right.”

Xu Wang quickly asked, “What’s not right?”

Chi Yingxue: “With [The Collapse of Heaven and Earth] how can the [Magic Bean] take root?”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

The leaves under their feet suddenly lost their support, and the five companions, along with the [Magic Bean], fell into the dark abyss!

---

The author has something to say:

Every time I write about a battle, I get excited. Am I possessed by Chi Yingxue?…_(:з」∠)_

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 85: Perfect

On one side, there was a sudden enlightenment, while on the other, three faces were utterly baffled.

After a long, silent exchange of looks, Qian Ai sighed, as if exhaling a non-existent ring of melancholy smoke.

“We, perhaps, need an explanation,” he said on behalf of the other two teammates, raising a white flag of surrender to love.

Xu Wang put away the letter, realizing there was no point in analyzing the emotional differences between the poems to this trio. It was like playing the lute to a cow. Giving them the direct answer was faster. “This is a love story between a tree and a flower—a botanical romance.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Qian Ai was both exhausted in body and soul. “Can we pretend I never asked for this explanation…”

“The real substitute was the tree.” Kuang Jinxin felt a bit sorry for his teammates and further explained, “It was using its own branches to protect the epiphytic flower. So every time after the hellfire passed, what got burned were the branches.”

“This matches with the last sentence of the epiphytic flower—’I have never truly been burned by the flames of hell’.” Wu Sheng finally connected the first link of the logical chain.

Xu Wang looked at him approvingly.

“The tree is the real substitute—that’s logical and reasonable. I agree with that.” Advisor Wu, once involved, could grasp the essence and identify the doubts. “But how can we be sure that it loves the epiphytic flower, not Cornina?”

“This…” Kuang Jinxin was stumped by the question, looking at Xu Wang somewhat helplessly.

He had just felt that the captain’s explanation was entirely correct, but now he also found the advisor’s point reasonable.

If the tree loved Cornina and was willing to be a substitute, wouldn’t that also make sense?

Xu Wang bypassed the confused Classmate Kuang and directly asked Wu Sheng, “What did the tree do when we picked the flower?”

Wu Sheng certainly remembered. “It thrashed its branches and launched a brutal attack on us, mainly whipping you.”

“…That’s because I was standing on your shoulders, deeper into enemy territory!” Xu Wang quickly ended the recollection and got back to the point. “If the tree loved Cornina, why would it stop us from picking the flower?”

“It would have been happy for us to take the flower away. Then it and the epiphytic flower could protect Cornina together—double insurance.” Wu Sheng joined in, finally aligning all the pieces. “It was the epiphytic flower itself that fell down in the end. The tree could stop us, but not the flower.”

Advisor Wu might not understand love, but give him a blade of grass, and he could deduce the entire meadow.

“I get it.” Qian Ai clapped his hands, summarizing, “Cornina and Amy liked York, but York is a scumbag and is irrelevant. The epiphytic flower saved Cornina from execution, indirectly causing Amy’s tragic death. Amy turned into an evil spirit to kill Cornina. The epiphytic flower willingly became a substitute, but the tree loved the epiphytic flower, so it became the substitute for the epiphytic flower’s substitute.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Qian Ge…”

Xu Wang: “Worthy of a man who’s been through the 2/23 red-eye flight first-class Shura field*.”

*Metaphor referring to a chaotic, intense, or fierce situation, typically involving conflicts or struggles.

“My only question now is…” Qian Ai wasn’t dazzled by the praise, looking doubtfully at Xiao Kuang. “You weren’t attacked by the branches like the captain. Why did you think of the branches?”

“It was strange that it was always the flower that was burned, but each time it turned into branches,” Kuang Jinxin said matter-of-factly. “I was always curious about that.”

Qian Ai: “But couldn’t it have been the epiphyte flower’s trickery? No one ever said how a substitute works. Maybe it was deceiving the evil spirit with illusions?”

Kuang Jinxin’s little face scrunched up, seriously contemplating for a long while. “That’s also possible…”

Qian Ai facepalmed.

So you just didn’t really think that much!

“However.” Kuang Jinxin touched his chest. “The first time I saw the charred branches, I felt a sourness here. It was a bit sad, but I don’t know why.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Wu Sheng comfortingly patted his teammate’s shoulder. “Intuition is a luxurious thing. Like wealth, it can’t be forced.”

Qian Ai: “…The second half of your sentence hurts even more.”

“Can I ask a question?” Chi Yingxue, who had been listening quietly, furrowed his brows, not waiting for the others to respond, and threw out his doubts. “Isn’t it weird for a tree to fall in love with the flower it bears? Would you fall in love with your hand?”

Qian Ai, already battered, looked at his own cute fist, then at Chi Yingxue. “What kind of analogy is that…”

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin remained quietly in sync, well aware that this was a moment for a scientific explanation.

“The epiphyte flower is not a flower born from the tree. It just happens to be attached to the tree. It brings more moisture to the tree, while the tree provides it a place to live.” Advisor Wu pointed out, emphasizing to the new teammate, “They are two different plants, free to fall in love.”

Chi Yingxue: “…Thank you.”

The subtle, indescribable feelings that had been present since joining the team were climbing up one level after another.

“Captain, we’ve clarified the love line, but how do we ‘submit our answer’?” Kuang Jinxin’s brows, which just relaxed, knotted again.

“I’m not sure.” Xu Wang glanced at the epiphyte flower on the ground. “But at least we should return it, right?”

Qian Ai didn’t catch on. “Return it where?”

“To the tree.” Xu Wang said, righteously, “This is a love story between a tree and a flower. If we keep the flower and force them apart, wouldn’t we be like Fahai*?”

*Fictional Buddhist monk and a major character in the Legend of the White Snake. In the story, he’s determined to destroy the marriage between the two main characters and eventually seals the White Snake under Leifeng Pagoda.

“……” With precise examples and vivid analogies, Qian Ai wanted to argue but was powerless to refute.

Returning the flower to the tree naturally meant re-entering the painting.

The group hurriedly returned to room 1310, but there was no next step.

The room, which used to catch fire at the drop of a hat, had become as cold and deserted as if it had been long uninhabited.

The painting on the wall was still there, but its colors were dull and ordinary, no longer vividly and eerily lifelike.

Qian Ai looked at his captain with difficulty. “Force our way in?”

Xu Wang swallowed, imagining the pain of hitting a solid wall. “It’s just a challenge. No need to risk our lives…”

“Is there any other way to return the flower to the tree than by going back into the painting?” Kuang Jinxin asked.

Xu Wang could only think of this approach, but it was obviously not the right one.

“Not necessarily.” Wu Sheng, who had been silent, spoke up.

All four companions turned to look at him.

He, however, suddenly walked to the window, looking down at the chaotic lawn below, and said, “Come here and take a look.”

The four gathered around, puzzled, crowding at the window.

Wu Sheng pointed to a patch of intact lawn, which the excavator was slowly approaching, and asked, “Does this look familiar?”

The surviving patch of lawn, about the size of a basketball court, had a large tree on it. The tree was lush, providing cool shade below. Compared to the rest of the lawn, which was riddled with holes and fallen grass, it looked like an oasis.

Such an obvious hint made it clear to the four that they had to understand Wu Sheng’s meaning. Otherwise, they might as well be clueless.

But—

Qian Ai: “Isn’t this a bit far-fetched?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Sheng Ge, you can’t just see a tree and say it’s the one from the painting.”

Chi Yingxue, recalling the sense of intellectual superiority Wu Sheng exuded earlier in their discussion, curled his lips and imitated him. “Evidence.”

Wu Sheng: “First, this area was the village before the castle was built; second, this tree and the design of the entire front lawn don’t blend, it stands out suspiciously; third, look closely at its branches, several spots are clearly sparse, showing signs of being broken by external forces; fourth, I remember what it looks like.”

From the moment it swung its branches to attack Xu Wang, Wu Sheng had deeply imprinted this tree in his mind, recognizing it even if it turned to ash.

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “You should’ve just said the fourth point.”

Kuang Jinxin was eager to try. “Shall we go down now?”

Xu Wang, holding back his urge to praise profusely, solemnly patted his advisor on the shoulder. “Not bad.”

“……” Chi Yingxue looked at the four people in front of him, feeling a chill up his spine for the first time.

This blind trust without logic—is this some kind of cult?

“Boom—”

An explosion erupted unexpectedly!

The blast was from the last piece of the lawn. Due to the close proximity of the explosion, the shockwave shattered the glass right in front of the five!

The upturned grass and soil flew in the smoke, and the five tensed up.

The key point plot point to their line may just be a passerby to someone else’s task line. Those digging and blasting didn’t care about which tree was significant to them!

The friends hurriedly opened the window, but the smoke and dust made it impossible to see anything clearly. They could only faintly hear fighting and shouting… Fighting?

[Owl: Someone used a [(Defense) Magic Bean] on you~~]

The notification of being targeted by equipment caught the puzzled companions off guard. Before they could react, a giant green beanstalk sprouted outside the window and quickly grew to their window height. Its large leaves stretched out flat and smooth, as if inviting them.

At the same time, the smoke cleared significantly.

The remaining piece of lawn was also blasted into a pit, but oddly, only the tree remained, along with a square meter of grass around it, like an island in the ocean.

Its branches crazily swayed in the sunlight, repelling challengers trying to approach.

The five people below had given up on blasting and sent four people to fight it, while one person, driving an excavator, was secretly approaching the tree from the side!

Chi Yingxue was the first to jump onto a leaf, and seeing his teammates not moving, he raised an eyebrow lightly. “Aren’t you coming down?”

Xu Wang then understood. “Your stationery?”

Of course, they had to go down, but their new teammate’s action was too fast!

Chi Yingxue gave a leisurely smile, skipping the obvious question and moving to the next step: “Leave the excavator to me.”

Just these simple words were spoken lightly, but full of anticipation and deep happiness.

As the last companion stood firm on the leaf, the [Magic Bean’s] tall stem suddenly changed direction. Its branches and leaves grew crazily towards the battlefield!

In the blink of an eye, Xu Wang and the other three were delivered right under the tree, even closer to the trunk than the four who were besieging it!

Meanwhile, Chi Yingxue had already jumped onto another leaf and was now approaching the excavator from another direction!

The moment Chi Yingxue landed, he leaped up, not caring whether the excavator’s tracks might crush him, and jumped directly onto the back of the excavator!

The four companions under the tree didn’t even see his movement clearly when they heard a “crash” of shattering glass.

The other team of four, still confused about the sudden arrival of the four from the sky, were further perplexed by the noise behind them. The driver of the excavator was already controlled by the person who had broken through the shattered window.

Chi Yingxue held the driver’s neck with one arm, not using any weapon, nor threatening, just lightly uttered the word, “Stop.”

From under the tree, Chi Yingxue looked as gentle as if he was playfully interacting with the other person.

But at the moment he broke into the window, the excavator indeed stopped.

“What are you doing—” The four under the tree were anxious. From their perspective, their teammate didn’t even struggle before surrendering, which was utterly baffling!

Xu Wang and his companions didn’t quite understand either, but they were pleased with the result.

Only the person in the excavator knew he was already struggling to breathe. The ghostly attacker used minimal force to precisely press the most vital spot on his neck, putting him in a terrifying state of gradually decreasing oxygen, but not to the point of death.

That light command to “stop” was even more chilling.

Because the attacker’s eyes were smiling.

Not the satisfaction of defeating an enemy, but a pure, bone-chilling joy.

The four under the tree didn’t wait for their excavator teammate’s response. Frustrated, they decided to deal directly with Xu Wang and his team. “Are you guys bored, so you’re meddling in our task line?”

“It’s not meddling. Sorry, but this is also our task line.” Xu Wang gently patted the tree trunk, as if telling it they had arrived.

The leader of the four, clearly quick-tempered, was furious. “We’ve been working hard all night, and you come to reap the benefits?!”

“Reaping the benefits? Did you dig all these holes?” Xu Wang was almost tortured by curiosity. “What exactly is your line?”

“Career line.” The quick-tempered one gasped. “To dig up the lawn and turn it into a lake.”

Xu Wang: “Turning the hotel front lawn into a lake?!”

Quick-Tempered: “After we’re done here, it’ll be called the Swan Lake Castle Hotel!”

Xu Wang: “…What kind of bizarre career line is that?!”

Quick-Tempered: “You ask me, but who the hell do I ask?!”

“Whoosh—”

The sound of a sharp weapon slicing through the air interrupted the communication between the two teams.

However, the sound originated from under the tree and was aimed at the excavator!

Xu Wang only saw a flash of cold light and had no time to catch the assailant. He shouted towards Chi Yingxue. “Be careful—”

But his warning wasn’t as fast as the weapon!

Before his words could finish, the cold light had already pierced through the front glass of the driver’s cabin with a “thud” and stabbed directly into the arm that Chi Yingxue was using to hold the driver!

A long nail!

This long nail was even more ferocious than the ones they first encountered at the Endless Sea lighthouse!

Nearly 4/5 of it had pierced Chi Yingxue’s arm!

Despite this, Chi Yingxue didn’t move at all.

The person being restrained had the most say in this. The nail, right before his eyes, was firmly lodged in the arm holding him, yet the grip on his neck didn’t loosen even slightly.

There was just an instinctive tremor—extremely slight—so slight that it sent chills down one’s spine.

The restrained man suddenly dared not look at his captor. He even instinctively wanted to warn his teammates not to attack blindly anymore. This person was dangerous, more than anyone they had encountered before.

However, his firsthand information couldn’t reach those under the tree.

“Your teammates want to save you,” Chi Yingxue whispered into his ear, word by word. “Then you should die.”

The grip on his neck gradually tightened.

Desperately, the restrained man grabbed at the arm holding him and, at the end, even pressed the long nail deeper!

But in the end, it was all in vain.

At the brink of death, the restrained man finally heard a heavenly voice—

[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending you home.]

The eight people under the tree only saw the struggle of the one being sent home, but they didn’t see the violence of the sender. There was no intense action, no ferocious expression. It was calm from start to end. After sending the person home, he even put down his arm pierced by the nail and smiled through the small hole in the glass.

Quick-Tempered’s team were shocked, especially the one who had sneakily attacked with the nail, feeling a chill creeping up from his feet.

In this silent moment, a muffled sound suddenly came from the bottom of the big pit in front of the tree, and the entire front lawn of the hotel, full of pits, started to shake!

Xu Wang and the other three instinctively stepped back, leaning against the tree trunk, seeking a sense of security.

Quick-Tempered’s team had already been pushed to the edge of the big pit during the recent scuffle. This shake made them lose their balance and tumble down!

The soil was soft, so falling in wasn’t a big deal, but before they could get up, the bottom of the pit suddenly collapsed rapidly, swallowing the four into a bottomless abyss!

It didn’t stop there. Like a contagion, all the pits began to collapse endlessly, one after another, eventually turning the entire front lawn of the hotel into a gigantic, bottomless pit. The only two places that survived were where Xu Wang and the tree stood and a small patch of ground where the [Magic Bean] was rooted, right below the window of room 1310!

The excavator had long fallen in and disappeared.

The dust settled.

Chi Yingxue had somehow escaped and stood on a Magic Bean leaf, pulling the nails from his arm and casually throwing them into the pit.

His natural demeanor and casual action were like peeling off a band-aid.

After removing the bothersome nail, Chi Yingxue rode the leaf down to join his teammates under the tree.

The four companions under the tree: “……”

In those few minutes, they questioned: who were they, where were they, what had they gone through…

Wu Sheng was the first to react. He took off his backpack, pulled out the medical kit, and handed it to the new teammate, without the need to ask if he needed help.

With his combat skills, Wu Sheng was confident he could handle it himself.

Sure enough, Chi Yingxue skillfully stopped the bleeding and bandaged himself in one go, even meticulously cleaning the blood stains around the wound with an alcohol swab.

“You’ll still need to go to the hospital when we get out.” Xu Wang couldn’t help but worry.

Chi Yingxue nodded, but his expression showed he wasn’t taking it too seriously.

“What did you use just now?” Qian Ai finally recovered a bit from the shock of wiping out the opponents.

Chi Yingxue: “[(Offense) The Collapse of Heaven and Earth*].”

*(天塌地陷) Idiom referring to the sky falling and the earth cracking and collapsing. It’s a metaphor for major changes or serious situations.

Qian Ai looked at the huge pit on the ground. Indeed, the earth collapsed. Then he looked up at the blue sky and clouds. “Where’s the heaven collapsing?”

Chi Yingxue tilted his head. “Do you want to experience it?”

Qian Ai felt a chill on his back. “No need!”

Chi Yingxue smiled slightly. “It’s a one-time stationery. Since it didn’t bring down the heavens when I used it, if you want to experience it, you’ll have to wait until next time.”

Qian Ai: “……”

It was evident the new teammate was in a good mood, good enough to start joking.

But Xu Wang still felt sorry, not just for the teammate’s injury but for the stationery. “We didn’t need such a destructive weapon to deal with them.”

Chi Yingxue looked at him and smiled knowingly. “Okay, next time, I’ll save the powerful stationery for the right moment.”

“……” Xu Wang didn’t know what to say. Difficult-to-communicate teammates were troublesome, but why was this transparent teammate also unsettling?

In the now peaceful front lawn of the hotel, a breeze blew, rustling the tree leaves.

Xu Wang followed the sound and looked up. The tree cast a mottled shadow.

He calmed his heart and carefully took out the epiphyte flower. He held it in both hands, presenting it to the tree as if returning something precious.

The tree remained still.

Even the rustling of the leaves stopped at this moment, like an anxious person holding their breath, waiting for hope or disillusionment.

Finally, the epiphyte flower slowly emitted a faint blue light in the sunlit gaps of the tree branches and disappeared from Xu Wang’s hands. In front of the tree, a person with blue hair appeared.

It gently walked under the tree and opened its arms, slowly embracing the trunk.

The sun outlined a beautiful profile on its face.

The five companions watched its figure fade and eventually disappear.

On the tall tree trunk, a cluster of light blue flowers quietly attached itself. The lush branches and leaves sheltered it, fully protecting it.

[I once loved you… But may God bless you, that someone else will love you like I did.]

The first letter of this love line was the tree’s heart for the flower.

Deep affection, despair, yet still hoping the other could be happy.

But probably, there’s no need for that “someone else who loves you like I did” anymore.

Xu Wang quietly looked at the tree.

Your heart, it has understood.

---

The author has something to say:

So, this is a love line of a tree loving a flower. Also, Wu Sheng, a man who chose the love line, is destined to embark on a path of solving mysteries. (～￣▽￣)～

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 84: Love

When Chi Yingxue dissipated the stationery effect, the epiphyte flower fell back to the ground and got squashed, suddenly turning into a charged twig.

All five of them saw this magical transformation and looked at each other in disbelief. Chi Yingxue, being the closest, stepped forward and bent down to pick it up.

His translucent fingers passed through the twig, catching nothing.

To this world, they seemed to have become intangible.

But their voices could still be heard, as Kuang Jinxin soon weakly reminded them, “Captain, the flowers are over there…”

Everyone turned to look. Cornina, who had fainted at some point, was sitting in a corner of the kitchen, with the epiphyte flowers lying quietly next to her on the ground.

They looked as if they had never been part of the battle, as pristine as if they had just been plucked from the tree, dew still clinging to their fragrant petals.

Xu Wang looked at the flowers, then back at the charred twig by the wall. Something suddenly flashed through his mind but eluded his grasp.

At that moment, the epiphyte flower emitted a faint blue light.

The light, no longer dim, grew stronger and brighter, illuminating the entire kitchen.

In the psychedelic colors, the epiphyte flower slowly transformed into a human figure.

He or she appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features, clear eyes, skin so pale it was almost transparent, and a body lightly draped in cloth. The face was a mix of a boy’s and a girl’s, like an elf stepping out of a forest.

Bending down, it gently kissed Cornina on the forehead.

Its eyes were brimming with emotion, freely pouring out.

In the quiet blue light, everyone heard the whispering words of love—

“I remember that wonderful moment,

As before my eyes you appeared,

Like a vision, fleeting, momentary,

Like a spirit of the purest beauty,

…

Then to my soul an awakening came,

And there again your face appeared,

…

And my heart beat with a rapture new,

And for its sake arose again,

A godlike face, an inspiration,

And life, and tears, and love, and you.”

As the whisper faded, everyone left the illusion of the oil painting and returned to 1310.

The room was so quiet that it seemed as if the whispers were still echoing in their ears.

The secret door in the wall remained but was now silent, as Teacher Wei’s team had probably already moved on to the next part of the escape line, struggling somewhere in the Castle Hotel.

There was no more noise from Han Buting’s team in the hallway, and even the traces of the fight had faded, with only the charred black marks on the walls remaining distinct.

The luxurious canopy bed, with its dark green silk sheets, now held a cluster of light blue flowers.

Dark green and light blue, complementing each other beautifully.

“Those last words spoken by the epiphyte flower…” Xu Wang looked at Wu Sheng, asking out of curiosity, “Is it still a love poem?”

Wu Sheng nodded cleanly. “Still a love poem, still by Pushkin, 1825, ‘To Kern’*.”

*This poem was written by Pushkin for Anna Kern. There are various translations of it online.

Xu Wang: “You answered too quickly…”

Knowing some classic love poems was one thing, and he believed in Wu Sheng’s photographic memory, but this speed of retrieval without even a search…

“I spent some time specifically reading books on this topic,” Wu Sheng said, pausing for a few seconds. His gaze moved from Xu Wang’s face back to the epiphyte flower in the middle of the bed, finishing the sentence softly. “It left a deep impression.”

Xu Wang wondered if it was just his imagination, but in those few seconds of silent eye contact, it seemed like Wu Sheng was waiting for him to say something or give some sort of reaction.

But…

The only reaction he could think of was to complain about why on earth you would read love poems.

Does our advisor really want this?

“Whoosh—”

The dark green silk sheets suddenly ignited with a translucent flame, which quickly engulfed the epiphyte flower.

The fire was focused, not harming the sheets or the canopy, just burning the light blue flower.

The change happened too quickly for anyone to react, and the epiphyte flower was charred. The flame disappeared in an instant, like a claw hurrying back to its master.

But as it left, the remnants of the epiphyte flower turned into a small, charred twig, and the intact epiphyte flower reappeared next to it.

Just like the scene in the painting not long ago.

Even Qian Ai, slow as he was, understood. “The epiphyte flower was the substitute, and the 1829 braided girl was Cornina.’

Kuang Jinxin agreed. “The epiphyte flower used itself to deceive the evil spirit. Unable to escape, it could only confess through letters.’

‘It probably didn’t expect Cornina to come looking for it following the address.” Wu Sheng analyzed calmly. “Because once Cornina entered the Castle Hotel, she risked being discovered by the evil spirit.”

Xu Wang agreed with Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Wu Sheng’s outline of the love story. From the experiences inside the painting and various clues, there couldn’t be a second script. But he felt something was missing…

Chi Yingxue listened quietly, without any disturbance in his heart. Compared to the NPC’s deep emotions, he was more concerned about: “What’s the mission?”

There should always be an endpoint to a mission line.

“Back to 1829.” Xu Wang gave up on pursuing those elusive feelings. He carefully picked up the epiphyte flower and looked at his companions. “We promised to help her find the person who wrote the love letter, and now we have the answer.”

The hallway was empty. They didn’t know where the other teams were fighting, but the five companions’ return journey was smooth. Before reaching their destination, they took a detour to check room 1825.

1825, the year of the love poem the epiphyte flower recited to Cornina—the beginning of this phase, when they followed the 1829 “I Once Loved You” to find the braided girl, thus truly starting the love story.

But the same trick didn’t work twice. There was nothing in 1825.

Just as they were about to leave, a loud “boom” came from outside the window, shaking it.

Startled, the five rushed to the window to see what was happening.

They saw a huge pit blasted open on the lawn of the Castle Hotel. The turf flew everywhere, revealing dark soil. Not far from the pit, three challengers were busily setting up new explosives, their faces glinting in the sun with the sheen of hard work.

On the other side, one person operated an excavator while another directed from outside. Under their skilled cooperation, the northeast corner of the lawn was also being destroyed, seemingly about to connect with the other pit.

Kuang Jinxin: “Are these five people a team?”

Wu Sheng: “Judging by their objectives, definitely a team.”

Qian Ai: “Working together to destroy the lawn, what kind of mission is this?”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Xu Wang couldn’t figure it out either but was glad their team didn’t choose such a physically demanding task.

Ignoring all that, the five, carrying the epiphyte flower, quickly returned to 1829.

Cornina opened the door, but as they entered to tell her the truth, they found a familiar old man with gentle eyes sitting in a chair.

“Are you… here to save our progress?” Xu Wang couldn’t think of any other reason.

The polite elderly writer stood up but was no less surprised than them. “You know Nancy?”

Nancy, the name of the girl with the braids in this life.

“You know each other?” The girl with the braids looked at the five friends and then at the elderly writer, also startled.

The three parties exchanged glances, and the air suddenly became quiet.

Xu Wang and his team hadn’t mentioned the love story to the elderly writer at all, only asking about finding inspiration based on his identity as a writer, leading to legends and a save point. With just these, there was no reason for the writer to appear here.

Seeing that neither side spoke, the girl with the braids took on the role of a communicator, explaining to Xu Wang and his team. “I met Mr. Dokken in the banquet hall on my first day here. I’m his loyal fan!”

Then, to the elderly writer, she said, “Mr. Dokken, these are the people who kindly helped me find the letter sender.”

The elderly writer suddenly realized, returning to his kind smile. “So it was you who helped Nancy. How is the progress? Any clues?”

The five companions: “……”

Not just clues, they had the answer.

But just before reaching the end, suddenly having an audience, it all seemed like a conspiracy!

After a moment of silence, Captain Xu confirmed for the last time with the elderly writer—

“Can we save?”

“No.”

“Thank you.”

The five quickly gathered in a corner of the room.

Qian Ai decisively suggested, “Just tell the truth.”

Kuang Jinxin agreed, “Yeah, face the challenge as it comes!”

Wu Sheng shrugged. “I’ve always said, just go for it.”

Chi Yingxue smiled. “Don’t worry, we can always clear the field if needed.”

Xu Wang: “……”

If it weren’t for that last sentence, he would have been reassured!

Refusing to ponder over the meaning of “clearing the field”, Xu Wang, holding the epiphyte flower, approached the girl with the braids.

Taking a deep breath, he didn’t bother with any preambles and simply revealed the truth. “The letters are written by it.”

The girl with the braids and the elderly writer beside her were both stunned.

Just as Xu Wang was about to explain everything, a dark red shadow suddenly appeared on the wall behind the girl and the elderly writer.

Xu Wang’s heart sank. He had anticipated a final battle with the evil spirit, but he didn’t expect that a few words of truth would trigger the revenge of the evil spirit!

The epiphyte flower in his hand emitted a strong, blinding blue light.

“I finally… found you…”

The shadow turned into the evil spirit, howling and fiercely pouncing towards the girl’s back!

But the epiphyte flower transformed into a human figure, embracing the girl from behind at a faster speed!

The evil spirit hit the epiphyte flower, but a faint golden light suddenly emerged from the slender, frail back!

The evil spirit was forcefully repelled, letting out a painful, shrill scream.

The epiphyte flower, ready to be scorched by the flames of hell, was momentarily confused.

But the five onlookers saw clearly that the golden light came from the elderly writer’s cane!

Now, the cane in the writer’s hand had turned into a cross, and he held it up to the evil spirit. His entire demeanor changed, as if two figures were superimposed on one another, both like the original writer and like another person.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng glanced at each other.

There was no mistake.

It was the priest they had heard about in the village, who Amy had confessed to.

“Amy, let go,” the writer said, still in the elderly man’s voice but now with the calmness and peace of a priest. “Cornina is not a witch, but the moment you harbored malicious intent, you became an evil spirit.”

“She used witchcraft to control those petals… I wanted to save the entire village…”

The elderly writer shook his head, saying no more and only repeating, “Let go.”

The evil spirit laughed wickedly. It sounded so evil that it sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

In the next instant, the walls of the entire room burst into flames!

In just a few seconds, the five friends could barely hold on!

The elderly writer sighed almost inaudibly, and the cross he held suddenly emitted an extremely bright golden light.

The flames were extinguished instantly.

The evil spirit twisted in agony, but in just a few seconds, it completely turned to ashes in the light.

The cross turned back into a cane, and the elderly writer now truly resembled a priest. He turned around, looking at the epiphyte flower still protecting the girl with the braids, then at the five friends, apologetically smiling. “I’m sorry, I should have done this back then.”

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, Chi Yingxue: “……”

Xu Wang: “Cough, better late than never.”

Turns out, the boss was here.

The girl with the braids finally saw the person protecting her.

As she began to speak in confusion, the epiphyte flower gently placed its palm on her forehead.

The girl with the braids peacefully fell asleep.

The epiphyte flower carried her to the bed and gently covered her with a blanket.

Xu Wang watched, baffled. After all the hardships, just when the moment to confess arrived, why pause now?

“I only said the letter was written by you, nothing else,” he hurriedly reminded, as a participant in this love story.

The epiphyte flower gently shook its head. “When she wakes up, she will forget what you said too.”

Xu Wang was stunned for a moment before understanding the implication, incredulously asking, “You erased her memory?!”

The epiphyte flower looked down at the sleeping girl with a tender gaze. “The evil spirit has dispersed, and she should return to her own life. There’s no need for her to remember the letter, nor me.”

Xu Wang: “…Are you content with this?”

A hint of confusion appeared in the eyes of the epiphyte flower, but soon, it was replaced by a clear resignation. “She doesn’t even know who I am. Her love was not for me, but for the illusion woven by those letters… just like me.”

Xu Wang: “……”

What realization is this? That it also didn’t love Cornina, but an illusion in its heart?

Is the ending of the love story to tell them that there is no such thing as love and fairy tales are all lies?

Then what is true love?!

The epiphyte flower quietly watched him for a long while.

Xu Wang almost thought the flower had heard his inner roar.

But in the end, the flower left him with an ambiguous statement—

“I have never truly been burned by the flames of hell.”

Before Xu Wang could ask further, the epiphyte flower returned to its original form, falling back into his palm.

Five people, one flower, two NPCs.

The world was quiet again.

There was no joyous “ding—”

Only the persistent “bang bang bang” of the excavator outside on the lawn.

Xu Wang, holding on to the last bit of hope, looked at the priest. “Can we submit our answer now?”

Priest: “No.”

Xu Wang: “Thank you.”

The five friends looked at each other, completely lost for direction.

Kuang Jinxin: “Haven’t we reached the end of the love story line?”

Qian Ai: “This is a bit awkward…”

Chi Yingxue: “Do I need to interrogate this priest?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “Xiao Chi, stay away from the old man’s cane. I’m afraid he might hit you.”

Finding a corner away from the noise of the window, Xu Wang sat on the carpet, lost in thought.

Qian Ai, seeing he was untangling the events of the past two days, asked Wu Sheng, “Aren’t you going to help think?”

Wu Sheng looked at him and suddenly asked, “Why did the epiphyte flower give up?”

Qian Ai scratched his head. “Didn’t it say the girl didn’t love it, but an illusion?”

Wu Sheng: “How did it come to that conclusion?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Wu Sheng: “Did the epiphyte flower truly love her?”

Qian Ai: “It should, right? Otherwise, how could it endure being a substitute and burned for life after life?”

Wu Sheng: “Then why did it say, ‘I have never truly been burned by the flames of hell’?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai understood Wu Sheng’s mood. “It’s better to leave it to the captain to figure out such a confusing storyline.”

Wu Sheng: “Mm.”

Qian Ai: “Why did you choose this line in the first place?”

Wu Sheng: “Young and naive.”

Qian Ai: “…I forgive you on behalf of the moon.”

A few minutes later, the priest turned back into the elderly writer. Although confused about the situation, he decisively said goodbye, just as abruptly as last time, as if in a hurry to go back to collect his salary.

In the corner, Captain Xu took out a letter.

Not the ones given to them by the girl with the braids later, but the letter that guided them at the very beginning of the love line, with only one poem on it—”I Once Loved You”.

The love poem was not long but filled with sadness from beginning to end.

Especially the last two lines, “But may God bless you, and may someone else love you as I did,” were heart-wrenching.

For a while, Xu Wang thought this was the tone of the love story line—that they were about to experience a story of unrequited love and hopeless resignation.

But looking back now, the epiphyte flower indeed gave up, but without heartbreak. Instead, it was more open-minded and clear than when in love.

Even when in love, the letters it wrote to the girl with the braids were filled with passionate emotions, never showing a hint of discouragement or despair!

Xu Wang suddenly looked up. A few steps away, Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue sat quietly, not sure how long they had been watching him.

“Any discoveries?” Kuang Jinxin, seeing the “epiphany” in his captain’s eyes, immediately asked with anticipation.

Xu Wang confidently said, “There’s another person.”

Kuang Jinxin was astonished.

Chi Yingxue, leaning on his hand, was initially indifferent, but Xu Wang’s conclusion suddenly piqued his interest.

“Another person?” His voice rose slightly, carrying a subtle anticipation. “Someone more difficult to deal with than the evil spirit?”

Xu Wang: “…There’s another heartbroken person who loved but couldn’t have it.”

Chi Yingxue paused, then smiled at Xu Wang. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“……” Xu Wang swore he just received a 😏 emoji.

Seeing that he seemed to have really figured something out, Advisor Wu and Classmate Qian, who were distant from love, immediately gathered around.

Wu Sheng asked the most practical question, “Evidence?”

Xu Wang lifted the letter in his hand. “This poem isn’t about the epiphyte flower. Its silent love for Cornina brought it happiness, not sorrow.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “Think about the poem it recited to Cornina in the painting. It said, ‘And my heart beat with a rapture new.’ Just being able to silently love her was enough to make it happy.”

Wu Sheng: “…Mm.”

Qian Ai: “Captain, actually, the advisor doesn’t understand, nor do I, but it’s okay. Continue.”

“Never truly burned by the flames of hell…” Kuang Jinxin muttered to himself, then suddenly, his eyes widened in realization, looking at Xu Wang. “There’s someone else protecting the epiphyte flower. That person is the real substitute!”

Xu Wang almost despaired in the bewildered gazes of Qian Ai, Wu Sheng, and Chi Yingxue, but now he almost wanted to hug Classmate Kuang and kiss him. “Exactly! Only those who can feel sadness, heartbreak, jealousy, and despair experience true love!”

Kuang Jinxin: “That’s why the epiphyte flower didn’t confess and also erased the girl’s memory!”

Xu Wang: “This whole ordeal wasn’t about their love story!”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Together, they had an epiphany. “The twig!”

Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Chi Yingxue listening in silence: “……”

They might be more suited to digging holes in the lawn outside. 

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The author has something to say:

Ah, love, the little demon that grinds people down~~(～￣▽￣)～

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 83: Epiphytic Flower

Five people, one NPC, and a cluster of epiphytic flowers.

The night was deep like water, and the evil spirit could arrive at any time, leaving the companions with little time to plan their tactics.

“We’ve searched the entire village and found no other main storyline items. It’s almost certain that this epiphytic flower is the love line’s prop,” Xu Wang said as he pulled out paper and pen from his backpack and handed them to his advisor. “But how to use it, we can only guess.”

Taking the paper and pen, Wu Sheng quickly listed four possibilities. “Active attack, passive defense, direct entry into the main storyline, or delayed activation—these are the four directions I can think of right now.”

“Direct entry into the main storyline would be great.” Kuang Jinxin fantasized about an easy and effortless future.

“It’s not very feasible.” Xu Wang didn’t want to discourage him, but this was based on the experience of their companions. “Li Zijin and his team still had to manually exorcize ghosts even with their yellow talismans.”

“Active attack and passive defense are fine, as long as they protect against fire. I don’t want to be burned again…” Qian Ai’s requirements were simple—just a bit of safety.

“What does delayed activation mean?” Chi Yingxue pointed to the fourth item on the paper.

“It will take effect after a delay,” Wu Sheng explained.

“……” Chi Yingxue frowned slightly, confused, not quite sure if he had heard an explanation or not.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin sympathetically looked at their new teammate.

“We’ll use our abilities to resist the evil spirit first. The prop will activate only if we endure for a certain period,” Xu Wang interjected, explaining for his advisor.

Chi Yingxue suddenly understood. The joy in his heart dispelled the faint shadow of “Wu-style explanation”. “I like this direction.”

Direct entry into the main storyline? Too boring.

His barely concealed anticipation caused a crack in his usually warm and gentle demeanor.

Xu Wang caught a glimpse of a combative spirit in that crack.

In a competitive world, was it better or worse to have a fighter on the team? Xu Wang couldn’t be sure. But on second thought, their team seemed to have come this far not by seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages but by feeling—if it felt right, whether they suffered together or were happy together, it all seemed okay.

Not good. They seemed to be managing their team spirit as if they were in a relationship—Captain Xu frowned and fell into deep worry.

Meanwhile, Advisor Wu continued mapping out on the paper. “Based on the four possible ways the epiphytic flower could work, we’ll set up four plans: A, B, C, and D…”

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin. “Yeah.”

Advisor Wu drew arrows and branches under each plan. “Each plan might have unexpected outcomes, so I’ve also prepared four contingency patches: E, H, G, and S…”

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin: “Okay.”

After a few rounds, the paper was filled with a complete mind map by Advisor Wu, with boxes, arrows, guiding lines, and key symbols.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin took the tactical map, studied it seriously, and memorized it in detail, occasionally asking questions like, “How exactly should we position ourselves for Plan Gamma?” or “Do these four patches need to correspond exactly to the plans?”

Chi Yingxue silently listened to the entire process: “……”

Kuang Jinxin, having grasped the tactics, realized their new teammate hadn’t participated in the learning. He looked up to find him leaning by the window, admiring the moonlight again.

Enjoying the moon wasn’t a problem, but the moon couldn’t help defeat the evil spirit.

Kuang Jinxin looked on for a while, then stood up, leaving Qian Ai still memorizing diligently, and quietly approached Chi Yingxue.

Feeling someone near, Chi Yingxue turned around. Half his face was basked in the indoor light while the other half in the moonlight, creating a strangely beautiful fusion.

Kuang Jinxin was momentarily stunned, then regained his composure and asked, “Aren’t you going to memorize the tactics?”

Chi Yingxue didn’t expect him to approach so directly, but his lips still curled into a gentle smile. “It’s too troublesome.”

Kuang Jinxin shook his head in disagreement. “If you try to save effort now, it’ll be more troublesome during the fight.”

“Don’t you think a battle where every move is calculated is boring?” Chi Yingxue’s voice was light, like a whisper or a sigh.

Kuang Jinxin looked at him quietly for a long time before saying, “This isn’t a game.”

Chi Yingxue laughed softly, countering, “Isn’t it a game if no one dies no matter how we fight?”

Kuang Jinxin fell silent.

In fact, when he approached to ask, he didn’t intend to force Chi Yingxue to study; he was just curious about his thoughts. Now, he understood.

“Don’t worry.” Chi Yingxue gave him a reassuring look. “I won’t hold you back.”

Kuang Jinxin shook his head almost reflexively. “We are teammates. There’s no holding back or not—only good or bad performance.”

Chi Yingxue paused for a moment. A strange feeling crossed his heart, and he was unable to discern what it was or even if it was related to Kuang Jinxin’s attitude or words.

After a while, he remembered to respond. “I will perform well.”

Kuang Jinxin believed him. “You are very capable. I know.”

It seemed like the conversation should end there, but the young man in front of him didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow in curiosity, waiting for what was next.

“I’m going to say something, but don’t be upset,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said.

Chi Yingxue’s interest peaked. “Go ahead, say it.”

“You haven’t stayed long in your previous teams, and I don’t think it’s necessarily because of Yan Wang,” Kuang Jinxin stated his judgment without any criticism.

Chi Yingxue’s smile gradually faded, but he inexplicably wanted to hear more.

“They want to escape from here, to be free,” Kuang Jinxin said. “But you want to play.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent, his eyes darkening. The air pressure around his body dropped significantly. “He even skimped on the play. At least, I want to see the scenery at the end.”

“Can you talk to Yan Wang?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Chi Yingxue’s brewing storm of low pressure halted midway.

“It’s like…” Kuang Jinxin struggled to find a suitable analogy. “Imagine closing your eyes and meditating. Can you connect with Yan Wang in your mind, like making a phone call, sending a WeChat message, or a voice or video call.”

“Sometimes… I can voice chat.” Chi Yingxue wasn’t even sure why he blurted out those last three words.

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting a real connection, and immediately said, “Then tell him, he can’t always be so capricious, tricking teammates, opponents, and even himself. It’s too foolish.”

“……” Chi Yingxue took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I’ll try to convey your message.”

Kuang Jinxin sincerely said, “Thank you.”

Chi Yingxue, as if compelled by a ghost, asked, “Don’t you have anything you want to ‘educate’ me about?”

Kuang Jinxin really didn’t. This new teammate had attitude, confidence, a firm entertainment orientation, and goals. Someone who knew what they were doing and enjoyed it seemed more mature than the one on the Ferris wheel. He might not agree with some of his views, but he felt it wasn’t his place to offer “education” or “advice”.

In the quiet eye contact, Chi Yingxue’s eyes slowly narrowed, not liking this reality for no reason. “Really, not even a little?”

Kuang Jinxin was troubled, not understanding why mentioning the reason for leaving the team didn’t anger him, but now he seemed unhappy.

“Light colors.” Kuang Jinxin scrambled for a suggestion, sincerely. “You look good in light colors.”

Chi Yingxue was stunned for a moment, then responded with mixed feelings. “Oh.”

Kuang Jinxin turned and went back without Chi Yingxue noticing. Lost in thought for who knows how long, when he refocused, Xu Wang’s face was in front of him.

Chi Yingxue was startled, managing not to move, but his eyes flickered noticeably.

“I’m not as cute as Xiao Kuang, but you don’t have to show such obvious terror,” Xu Wang said dryly, handing the epiphytic flower to Chi Yingxue. “Take care of this. It’s up to you now.”

“Me?” The damp bark connected to the flower’s roots felt cool against his palm.

“You want to improvise, right?” Xu Wang said, “Perfect, we also don’t know how to use this flower, so you adapt as necessary.”

“This is the most crucial prop.” Chi Yingxue didn’t like tactics, but that didn’t mean he didn’t understand the situation.

“So it should be given to the person with the strongest fighting ability,” Xu Wang stated matter-of-factly.

Chi Yingxue stared at him, trying to find calculation in his face or eyes. “Xiao Kuang said I don’t fit in.”

But he failed because Xu Wang straightforwardly nodded. “Yeah.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

“But being unsociable has its advantages,” Xu Wang said slyly. “Less politeness and face-saving, more direct communication.”

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

Xu Wang patted his shoulder solemnly. “Your only strengths are your looks and fighting ability. Protect the former and utilize the latter. Even if you annoy others, you’ll still be considered a treasure of the team.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

“Oh right, you don’t need to worry about other tactics, but there’s one you must remember, willing or not.” Xu Wang suddenly turned serious. “Plan P.”

P?

Perhaps still dwelling on Kuang Jinxin’s comment about “you want to play”, Chi Yingxue’s first thought was, “P-L-A-Y? Play?”

Xu Wang was somewhat disappointed in their lack of understanding. “P-A-O*, run.”

*This is the pinyin for (跑) which means to run away/escape.

Chi Yingxue: “……”

For a while after seeing his new captain leave, Chi Yingxue thought of nothing and just stared blankly at the wall.

By chance, he was the first to notice a shadow moving across the corner of the wall.

“It’s here,” he warned immediately.

All companions sprang to action, on high alert.

The shadow disappeared into the kitchen.

The five, protecting Cornina, entered the kitchen together.

Against the wall where the shelf was placed, it was as red as burning coal.

The wooden shelf started to emit a charred smell, its edges blackening.

Xu Wang turned to signal Chi Yingxue but found him already holding up the epiphytic flower towards the shelf.

Chi Yingxue was quicker than he expected.

Unfortunately, nothing was triggered.

The burning red on the wall slowly formed a ghostly figure, and from a distant, unknown place, a hellish wail sounded—

“The witch… must… be burned…”

The ghostly figure separated from the wall, flew to the ceiling, then dived down, heading straight for Cornina, who was protected by the five!

The epiphytic flower still showed no reaction, clearly indicating the fourth scenario, delayed activation of the prop, automatically initiating “Plan Delta”.

Without needing Wu Sheng’s shout, Kuang Jinxin was already on it—[(Offense) Ferocious Spirit*]!

*(凶神恶煞) Idiom referring to a ferocious god/demon/evil spirit but now later used to describe a very ferocious person.

Just as Amy’s ghost swooped down, a blue-faced, fanged ghost appeared above the five, confronting Amy’s ghost!

One fiery red, one dark blue—the two fierce spirits instantly entangled in an East-West showdown, ghost against ghost.

As they fought, Amy’s ghost figure grew fiercer, and the temperature in the kitchen soared, scorching hot!

Chi Yingxue held the epiphytic flower like a model, not knowing when it would react. He was already bored, and now he couldn’t even calm down to keep his cool.

Suddenly, a cold breeze began to blow.

Chi Yingxue froze, hearing the notification in his ear—

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Ice Age] on you~~]

The walls, which were baked red, were slowly covered with a layer of frost, which quickly melted under the heat, only to be replaced by new frost.

Chi Yingxue looked at his new teammates.

Kuang Jinxin was concentrating on controlling the blue-faced ghost in the air.

Xu Wang was focusing on the wall, sweat already forming on his forehead.

The [Ice Age] slowed down the heating of the kitchen but couldn’t cool it down.

The [Ferocious Spirit] was visibly losing ground.

The power of their stationery was significantly weakened in the mission line.

Chi Yingxue looked at the flower in his hand, intuitively feeling it would be key in the end, but how? Who knows.

The petals had already wilted in the heat.

Chi Yingxue sighed, relieving his sore arm and switching the flower to the other hand, continuing to elegantly hold it, waiting for the mission line’s call.

“Patch S!” Wu Sheng shouted, bringing Chi Yingxue back from his reverie.

The blue-faced ghost had vanished, and Amy’s ghost was now more fiercely ablaze, with flames starting in the corner of the wall causing the [Ice Age] to rapidly fade.

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Strong Wind Blows] on you~~]

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Shelter From the Storm] on you~~]

The first notification was for the evil spirit.

The second was for the five companions.

Chi Yingxue couldn’t hear the first one but felt a sudden gust of wind, nearly getting lifted off the ground, but it stopped almost instantly around the five of them.

The real windstorm was for the evil spirit.

The wind acted like a barrier, preventing the evil spirit from getting close.

Chi Yingxue, standing next to Qian Ai, clearly saw him activate another stationery: [(Offense) Mass’s Gospel]!

A glowing bible suddenly appeared in mid-air, floating in front of the evil spirit, which was surrounded by the fierce wind, rendering it unable to escape, almost as if it was being forced to listen!

The next moment, the whispers of the gospel filled the kitchen.

The evil spirit howled in pain amidst the gospel’s sound, its fiery form twisting and contorting!

Ghost against ghost, ice against fire, gospel purifying the evil spirit… Chi Yingxue didn’t like formulaic battles, but objectively speaking, Wu Sheng’s highly targeted deployment greatly enhanced the use of their stationery and their collective fighting power.

Chi Yingxue had been part of teams that freely improvised, usually lacking in strength and overconfident. Sometimes, he even wanted to send them home on behalf of the NPCs.

The light of the bible, at some point, dimmed.

Chi Yingxue looked up, frowning slightly in the glaring firelight.

Not good.

Stationery could harm the evil spirit, but only to a limited extent. No matter how long the stalemate lasted, the evil spirit always gained the upper hand.

Plan D was about delaying until the key prop activated.

So the stalemate itself was the purpose of this battle.

But when would the prop activate?

The four fighting companions didn’t rush him, not even casting an anxious glance, but Chi Yingxue was growing impatient himself.

He regretted taking on this task.

Without the flower, he could do whatever he wanted, but now he was completely stuck.

“Xiao Kuang—!” Qian Ai suddenly shouted.

Chi Yingxue stumbled backward after being bumped, and when he looked up, the formation had already broken. Kuang Jinxin was tackled by the evil spirit, protecting Cornina beneath him, while the evil spirit burned his back!

Qian Ai used some stationery, producing a chalice in his hand, and swung it at the evil spirit!

The evil spirit momentarily left, and the chalice whizzed over Kuang Jinxin’s back, missing its target!

But it did rescue Kuang Jinxin from the burning.

The four were out of formation, using their stationery to the fullest in a struggle against the evil spirit!

Chi Yingxue was the most relaxed.

He didn’t know if it was because he was holding the epiphytic flower, but the evil spirit never came for him.

Wait? If the evil spirit was afraid of the epiphytic flower itself, why not give it directly to Cornina and let it protect its actual target?

Chi Yingxue glanced at Xu Wang, fighting fiercely, unable to believe he would make such a basic mistake.

Approaching the corner, the girl was shivering in fear.

Chi Yingxue offered her the pale blue flower, commanding, “Hold this.”

Cornina’s already scared face turned more terrified as she almost shook her head off. “No—take it away—”

Chi Yingxue was stunned by this reaction.

Xu Wang, noticing his new teammate’s actions, said in frustration, “We would have given it earlier if we could. She’s afraid of everything related to magic!”

A cluster of flowers beloved by humans—does that count as related to magic?

Chi Yingxue didn’t know.

All he knew was that this was the first piece of communication he had received since the battle began.

[“You wanted to improvise, right? Well, we don’t know how to use this flower either, so just adapt as you see fit…”]

[“That’s why we need to hand it over to the person with the strongest combat ability…”]

It sounded good in theory.

But what about in practice? Now, the epiphytic flower was completely inert, just sitting there with him, like a piece of decoration.

Chi Yingxue sneered internally, but as he watched the four people in front of him retreating step by step and the epiphytic flower in his hand remaining silent, he felt increasingly frustrated.

He could tolerate a boring fight, but if this went on, those four would just be sent home!

His eyes, reflecting the light of the fire, gradually darkened, becoming as black as the night.

Chi Yingxue slowly turned around, positioning himself in front of Cornina, and softly called out, “Hey, Amy.”

In the roaring heatwave, his voice was very soft.

The evil spirit, chasing after Qian Ai, seemed to hear him, pausing ever so slightly.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Defense) Treading the Clouds*] on you~~]

*(腾云驾雾) Idiom referring to riding on the clouds and fog, like how immortals do. It also describes the behavior of a person who’s in an abnormal physical or mental state or describes supernatural abilities or skills.

Chi Yingxue listened quietly to his defense stationery taking effect, holding his breath and concentrating as a swirling white mist slowly gathered at his feet.

Suddenly, without warning, he soared into the air like an arrow released from its bow, charging straight towards the evil spirit!

The evil spirit sensed the danger and tried to dodge, but its speed suddenly slowed, as if surrounded by a faint silhouette of silk threads!

Chi Yingxue didn’t know which teammate’s stationery produced these threads, but he was very satisfied with the effect.

In an instant, he reached the evil spirit, and without hesitation, he slammed the epiphyte flower, which he had been holding in his palm for a long time, right into the face of the evil spirit!

If that hollow space could be considered a face!

The four teammates below held their breath.

The moment the evil spirit was hit by the epiphyte flower, it suddenly turned into a physical form—the burnt Amy!

The evil spirit, with its arm already charred and shrunken, crashed into the wall with a “bang” under Chi Yingxue’s palm!

The golden threads around it faintly glowed, restraining her resistance!

Chi Yingxue withdrew his hand, causing the epiphyte flower to fall softly to the ground, its buds and petals completely smashed.

The teammates, including Chi Yingxue, were stunned, but he quickly recovered, clicked on his arm, and the next second, he held a cross gleaming with a cold light!

Before the four below could react, the sharp end of the cross was already plunged into the heart of the charred corpse by Chi Yingxue!

Amy struggled fiercely, but Chi Yingxue’s wrist, gripping the cross, was immovable, almost nailing her to the wall!

No one paid attention to the epiphyte flower on the ground anymore.

But at this moment, it emitted a faint blue light and then slowly floated up, regaining its previous appearance. The opened buds emitted a faint fragrance, and the buds yet to bloom were slowly unfolding!

Amy stopped struggling. Her empty eye sockets were fixated on the floating epiphyte flower, and in her eerie, hoarse voice, filled with unwilling resentment and curses, she said—

“You can protect her for a moment… but not for eternity… Next time, I will find her first…”

The evil spirit slowly vanished in the increasingly strong pale blue light. It wasn’t destroyed, but merely lying dormant, waiting for the day to return.

Chi Yingxue realized his body was becoming transparent.

He instinctively looked down, and the four new teammates below were also becoming transparent.

Were they leaving the oil painting?

Chi Yingxue couldn’t be sure, but he knew the four below were all looking up at him, their eyes filled with various “explicit emotions”, which made him uncomfortable.

Qian Ai, the conflicted type—I acknowledge your strength, but I still don’t think highly of you.

Kuang Jinxin, the enthusiastic type—You’re even more impressive than I imagined.

Wu Sheng, the pleasant surprise type—This classmate, I think you can play a smart strategy.

Xu Wang, the old and comforting type—I knew I was right about you.

This was a team overflowing with emotions, incredibly so.

In the silent exchange of glances, Captain Xu turned his back, quietly exited his [Stationery Box], as if he never used a stationery called [(Defense) Awe-Inspiring* Golden Silk], hiding his contribution.

*(浩然正气) Idiom referring to upright and awe-inspiring.

……

Two hours earlier, on the way back to Cornina’s cabin.

Wu Sheng: “You’re giving the epiphyte flower to Chi Yingxue?”

Xu Wang: “We don’t know how to use it anyway.”

Wu Sheng: “It’d be fine if it activates on its own, but what if it requires the user to figure out a way?”

Xu Wang: “That would be ideal.”

Wu Sheng: “You have that much confidence in him?”

Xu Wang: “Not at all.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “He’s even more aloof than the Chi Yingxue from the amusement park. Such a person finds it hard to truly see others as teammates.”

Wu Sheng: “Then why agree to add him to the team?”

Xu Wang: “I can’t give up on his combat ability… and his face.”

Wu Sheng: “Could you repeat the part, but louder?”

Xu Wang: “So I still want to try and see if I can inspire some camaraderie in him.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “Someone has to trust first. When the team is fully assembled, if I can do this, maybe he won’t leave.”

Wu Sheng: “Impossible. He’s obsessed with Li Zijin.”

Xu Wang: “……”

“If it fails,” Xu Wang looked at his advisor with a suddenly pitiful expression, “You can’t blame me.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Where does this “you” come from? It’s only him being emotionally manipulated here!

Not wanting to see another pitiful face, Wu Sheng led his team captain to imagine a bright future. “What if it works?”

“If it works…” Xu Wang looked up at the starry sky, suddenly afraid to think further.

If Chi Yingxue really had enough combat power to decisively defeat Li Zijin’s entire team and truly considered his teammates as partners, then maybe, they would be invincible.

Combat power needs to be supported by belief.

No matter how much fun they have, it can’t compare to the desire to march forward alongside your companions.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Speaking of ferocious spirit (凶神恶煞), you can check out another project by my favorite author called Evil As Humans, which is named after the idiom. I highly recommend it.

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 82: Malice

Cornina’s cabin.

“…So, that’s all your dark history.” Qian Ai took the thermos from Kuang Jinxin, drained the warm tea inside to soothe his throat after talking for so long, and then advised his teammate, “Next time, could you add some goji berries?”

Chi Yingxue slightly frowned. “Did I really push Xiao Qian?”

“No, you and I perished together,” Kuang Jinxin corrected, putting the thermos back into his backpack.

Chi Yingxue’s disapproval deepened, and after a moment, he nodded as if sighing. “That’s Yan Wang’s style.”

“Don’t think it’s over just by saying you don’t remember.” Qian Ai felt compelled to remind his teammate. “You and Yan Wang are essentially using the same account. If he kills someone, you are just as culpable.”

Split personalities or whatever, Qian Ai didn’t understand. He believed one should be responsible for their actions. At the very least, he needed to make Chi Yingxue aware of what his other self had done. If he joined the team without any psychological burden, Kuang Jinxin might tolerate it, but Qian Ai couldn’t.

“I apologize on behalf of Yan Wang.” Chi Yingxue looked at Kuang Jinxin, losing his casual demeanor, and spoke earnestly.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai thought differently. He didn’t know why, but he naturally treated Yan Wang and Chi Yingxue as two different people. “It’s not your fault.”

Chi Yingxue thought it was a retort, but upon closer inspection, he realized Kuang Jinxin’s eyes held no resentment or anger, only hidden confusion.

All along the way, his eyes were filled with these question marks.

Unusually, Chi Yingxue felt a hint of curiosity. “Is there something you want to ask?”

Kuang Jinxin had many questions, but since they were talking about the Ferris wheel, he asked, “Do you know why Yan Wang jumped with me? Do you understand his reasoning?”

Chi Yingxue paused. Something flashed in his eyes, but it was too quick to discern.

“I don’t know,” he said with a resigned smile. “Yan Wang’s personality has always been unstable. No one knows what goes on in his mind.”

“Not even you?” Qian Ai was surprised.

Chi Yingxue sighed softly. “All I know is that whenever he appears, no matter how well a team works together, he can ruin everything.”

“That’s for sure. Who would dare accept someone like that?” Qian Ai felt a sense of kinship, but then remembered the subject of their mockery was right there, agreeing with them, which added a weird twist.

“Do you… hate Yan Wang?” Kuang Jinxin asked softly, as if worried that speaking too loudly would let Yan Wang hear.

Chi Yingxue quietly looked at him for a while, then suddenly raised his hand, gently touching his cheek, his thumb tracing his brow bone, whispering, “Would you like someone if you had to fight with them for the right to live?”

Kuang Jinxin was stunned, motionless, even forgetting to breathe.

He suddenly felt that Chi Yingxue wasn’t looking at him but rather at the reflection of another Chi Yingxue in his pupils.

“What are you doing!” Qian Ai slapped Chi Yingxue’s hand away and pulled Kuang Jinxin over. His face scrunched up in disgust. “Talk if you have something to say. Don’t be creepy and touchy!”

Chi Yingxue looked at his suddenly reddened hand, his gaze becoming somewhat vacant, as if he had lost part of his spirit.

“Come on, I just hit you once. You don’t have to overact like that…” The sudden silence made Qian Ai uneasy.

Chi Yingxue suddenly opened the [Roster], tilting his head to look at it for a few seconds.

Then, he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sliding past him to fall on Kuang Jinxin’s face.

“Kuang… Jinxin?” His tone was very light, with a rising inflection at the end, casually enticing.

Qian Ai swallowed, pulling Kuang Jinxin back with him. “Stop this trickery or I’ll kick you out—”

Chi Yingxue curled his mouth, his eyes flashing mischievously, like a child thinking of a clever prank.

“Xiao Sijin.” He cheerfully declared Kuang Jinxin’s new nickname without any intention of seeking his approval.

Kuang Jinxin stared at him, stunned. More than getting a nickname, he was more concerned about Chi Yingxue, feeling that the person in front of him had changed.

“Are you… Yan Wang?” he asked cautiously.

For a moment, Chi Yingxue’s smile froze in his eyes.

The next instant, a whirlwind of emotions surged in his beautiful eyes—joy, anger, confusion, and realization—all unrelated and crudely mixed together, creating a bewildering blend of colors.

“Get away—” Chi Yingxue suddenly yelled, his face clouded with fury.

It was unclear whether he was yelling at others or at the other self within him.

In any case, Qian Ai immediately scooped up Kuang Jinxin, transforming into “Raging Lightning Qian”, and zipped to the corner of the room. If the crack in the wall was wide enough, he would have squeezed in.

“This fucking transformation…” At that moment, Qian Ai found himself missing the evil spirit. At least their target was clear, their methods direct, and the little flames they carried dispelled the darkness!

Chi Yingxue abruptly stood up, looking around like a cornered beast, his movements frantic but his eyes dark and threatening.

“A wardrobe,” he said in a terrifying, deep voice, as if struggling fiercely with an internal force. “Is there a wardrobe?”

“Upstairs bedroom!” If he wanted gold bars right now, Qian Ai would have melted them for him.

Chi Yingxue sprinted upstairs.

Soon, there was a commotion above, followed by a sound like a wardrobe door closing with a “bang—”

The world became peaceful.

Qian Ai held Kuang Jinxin in his arms for a long time, not letting go.

Kuang Jinxin struggled to lift his head, asking, “Are you trying to protect me, or are you scared and need to hold onto something?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Reluctantly releasing his teammate, Qian Ai skipped the question and issued an order. “From now on, don’t go within a meter of Chi Yingxue!”

Kuang Jinxin knew Qian Ai was worried but still found it difficult. “What about during battles?”

“Even more so,” Qian Ai answered without hesitation. “Let the opponents go near him. It’s guaranteed to scare one to death or drive a pair insane.”

Kuang Jinxin imagined the scenario and laughed. “If Yan Wang knew you thought of him like that, he would definitely be angry.”

Qian Ai took a moment to digest and catch up with Kuang Jinxin’s separate perceptions of Chi Yingxue and Yan Wang, curiously asking, “So Chi Yingxue wouldn’t get angry?”

“He wouldn’t,” Kuang Jinxin said, then thought for a moment before shaking his head. “He doesn’t care about these things.”

Footsteps came from the stairway.

Qian Ai stood in front of Kuang Jinxin, fully alert.

Chi Yingxue walked down slowly, looking pale with slightly white lips, but had calmed down. Seeing their guarded expressions, he smiled sheepishly, half apologizing and half explaining. “I talked too much about his bad side, and he got upset.”

“We can be overheard?” Qian Ai was shocked, momentarily forgetting the scare he just had. His curiosity piqued again.

Chi Yingxue nodded slightly. “Whenever he wants, he can hear.”

Kuang Jinxin asked, “And then, does he remember?”

Chi Yingxue looked at him leisurely, as if he knew what he was going to ask. “Yes. But when we switch, when he comes forward and I recede, I can’t hear, see, and, of course, have no memory of it.”

Having his thoughts seen through didn’t make Kuang Jinxin uncomfortable. He earnestly asked, “Why?”

Chi Yingxue shrugged. “He’s more domineering than I am.”

Kuang Jinxin stated, “But you are the main personality.”

“Exactly because the main personality is weak, avoiding, and afraid to face pain, a secondary personality is born,” Chi Yingxue said with a smile, but his eyes were cold. “The main personality is the most useless.”

“The mushroom soup is ready—” Cornina came in with the same pot as yesterday, brimming with enthusiasm.

Qian Ai pulled Kuang Jinxin back a step, feeling queasy just from the smell, as if seeing little figures dancing in the steam rising from the pot.

Chi Yingxue, who had been briefed on the mushroom soup by his new teammates, had no interest in taking risks and helped Cornina set the soup down before gently saying, “We’ll handle it. You can do something else.”

Cornina insisted, “I’ll serve it for you.”

Chi Yingxue didn’t mind, and, seeing her persistence, let her be.

After serving the soup, Cornina returned to the kitchen.

The aroma filled the living room. This was a huge test for Qian Ai, who was prepared, pulling out a tiny glass bottle with a green liquid from his pocket.

The brain-awakening artifact—menthol oil.

With the little green bottle in hand, all smell and temptation were gone. One sniff can dispel poison and revitalize the spirit.

While Kuang Jinxin indulged in the fragrance of the menthol oil, Kuang Jinxin noticed the bloodstain on Chi Yingxue’s cuff.

It wasn’t there when he had run upstairs just before.

“What method did you use to stop him?” Kuang Jinxin could confirm that the person in front of him was still Chi Yingxue. The Yan Wang that briefly emerged was pushed back again.

Chi Yingxue frowned at the smell of the oil, then became lost in thought for a moment.

“Is he afraid of the wardrobe?” Kuang Jinxin asked more specifically.

“No.” Chi Yingxue lifted his head, smiling a bit. “He’s afraid of the dark.”

“Afraid of the dark?” Kuang Jinxin didn’t expect such an answer, murmuring to himself. “Sounds like a child.”

“A naughty child,” Chi Yingxue said, like a worn-out adult admonishing a naïve young man. “You wouldn’t like him.”

Kuang Jinxin suddenly became quiet, staring at Chi Yingxue’s cuff.

Chi Yingxue followed his gaze and saw the red stain.

After a long silence, he pulled up his sleeve, revealing a fresh wound on the inside of his forearm, as if scratched with a nail or something else not very sharp. The wound was rough.

“Darkness is for him, pain is for me.” Chi Yingxue looked up, his eyes gentle and smiling. “That’s my method.”

Kuang Jinxin had no more questions and settled back into the corner.

Qian Ai, sniffing the menthol oil and listening to this esoteric conversation, was reluctantly calm amidst his irritation.

Chi Yingxue sat at the table, guarding the pot of poisonous mushroom soup, resting his cheek on his hand, gazing at the moonlight outside the window.

When Xu Wang and Wu Sheng returned, this was the scene they encountered.

The three teammates looked towards the door as they heard the noise. Kuang Jinxin, like an eager puppy, was the first to get up and rush over, his eyes shining brightly, full of expectation. “Captain, Sheng Ge, did you find anything?”

“We found a lot.” Xu Wang walked into the living room with a joyous expression, sat down on the floor, and carefully presented a small bunch of pale blue flowers.

The bunch had seven or eight stems, each bearing five or six pale blue flowers. Some were fully bloomed, while others were still buds. The stems were entwined, sharing a single root, but instead of soil, there was a small piece of bark.

Wu Sheng called Cornina out of the kitchen and joined their teammates in a circle.

“It was this flower that put out the fire and saved you,” Xu Wang said to Cornina.

Cornina looked at the flowers, still clueless. “Where does this flower grow? I really don’t remember ever seeing it.”

“You haven’t seen it,” Xu Wang replied. “It grows on the tree in the small square.”

“On the tree?” Cornina asked.

“Yes, on a very high part of the trunk, hidden by leaves and branches. It took us a long time to find it,” Xu Wang explained.

“He climbed on my shoulders to find it.” Advisor Wu, who had been silent since entering, spoke for the first time to add a detail.

Xu Wang ignored him, but this didn’t prevent him from utilizing his knowledge. “This is an epiphytic flower, living on rocks or tree trunks. It doesn’t need soil, surviving on dew and rainwater.”

Advisor Wu insisted on making his presence felt. “When we tried to pluck it from the tree, we were attacked by the branches.”

Finally, their efforts paid off. Cornina looked at him fearfully, her voice trembling. “The tree… attacked you?”

“Yes, like it was alive, swinging branches at us,” Wu Sheng confirmed.

Cornina was both shocked and frightened. “The tree by the square has been there since I was born. It never did anything strange…”

“But when we were attacked and fell to the ground, the flowers fell by themselves,” Xu Wang said. “I think it wanted us to bring it to you.”

Cornina couldn’t absorb anymore, completely stunned.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged a look of disappointment, having hoped that bringing the flower would trigger some storyline. Now, it seemed too optimistic.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were still digesting the “epiphytic flower” and “tree attacking people” information, while Chi Yingxue asked, “Is that all the clues?”

Xu Wang said, “There’s more.”

“What else?” Chi Yingxue asked.

Xu Wang didn’t rush to respond.

Chi Yingxue patiently waited, his eyes focused, as if at that moment, his world only contained clues and the answer.

Xu Wang felt confident in his ability to read people and saw no malice or anything else in Chi Yingxue.

“There are two more things,” Xu Wang began, sharing the findings with the team. “We went to find York…”

The three teammates listened attentively, and even Cornina raised her head abruptly.

Xu Wang looked at her. “York said he actually likes you too, but Amy told him you didn’t like him.”

“That’s impossible. I even asked Amy to confess for me…” Cornina suddenly covered her mouth. Realizing the truth, her eyes incredulously welled up.

“Yes, Amy didn’t confess for you. Instead, she told York you rejected him,” Xu Wang continued. “And on the night Amy lied to York, she was attacked by the petals…”

Cornina looked at the flowers on the floor.

“Yes, these flowers,” Xu Wang sighed. “I don’t know if it’s male or female, or maybe it doesn’t have a gender, but obviously, it likes you. After attacking Amy, it floated away, finally landing on the roof of your house.”

“My house?”

“And unfortunately, Amy secretly followed, so she concluded that you could do magic—that you were a witch.”

Cornina trembled suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself, and after a while, the shaking lessened.

Xu Wang knew what the girl was thinking. “Amy accused you to the villagers.”

In that era, being associated with magic or witchcraft was a mortal sin, inciting fear in the ignorant.

“Did York know all this?” Chi Yingxue, who hadn’t experienced yesterday, caught up with the story quickly. His reaction was fast and logical, surprising Xu Wang.

“York didn’t know, but a priest in the village did,” Xu Wang said. “That’s the second thing I wanted to tell you. After accusing you, Amy went to confess to the priest, telling him everything.”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t understand. “If Amy thought accusing a witch was right, why confess?”

“Because she lied to York,” Qian Ai suspected that Kuang Jinxin hadn’t listened to the first half of the class.

Xu Wang added, “The priest said that her fear was born out of jealousy. Her accusations, apart from fear, were also selfish. She was well aware of her own sins.”

Wu Sheng remained silent. This domain wasn’t his field of study.

Chi Yingxue laughed out loud for the first time since joining the team, unreservedly. His mouth curved up wildly, along with his bent eyebrows, creating a brilliant smile.

After laughing, he looked at them with eyes like those of someone observing a group of naïve and ignorant children. “Evil people will never repent for their evil deeds. Their prayers and confessions are only to justify continuing their wrongdoing.”

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