Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 129: The Backpacker

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

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

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

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

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

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

The one chasing Qian Ai was in pairs.

Qian Ai was used to it.

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

Xu Wang also instinctively looked up.

There was nothing on the ceiling but a chandelier.

Chandelier?

Xu Wang jolted to the side.

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

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

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

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

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

The next moment, a torrential downpour ensued.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behind Kuang Jinxin, a male student was stealthily approaching!

“Xiao Kuang—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind.

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

The match was crushed just like that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng suddenly felt a chill at his ankle.

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng realized something was wrong.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He stopped mid-sentence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheng Ge: [Submitted.]

Marshal* Yue: Really?

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

Sheng Ge: [Got the badge too.]

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

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

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 128: Demon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A: How about those two girls?

B: Vulgar.

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

B: I meant you’re vulgar.

A: …

A: I really want to be a bird.

B: To fly happy?

A: To be lightweight.

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

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

Tour leader: Can you give me a chance?

C: You’re flirting is too cliché.

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

C: Me?

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

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

Tour leader: You look too sweet.

C: …

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

D: Where?

Tour leader: In your heart.

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

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

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

Tour leader: ???

D: Consider it as compensation for emotional distress.

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

The backpacker’s phone had no messages.

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

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

Girlfriend: Me too, sob sob.

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

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

Long-distance lover: Baby…

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

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

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

But now was not the time for envy or jealousy.

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang asked, “Whose?”

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

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

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

There were two short conversations in the chat records—

Tour leader: Gather, handsome.

Young man: ?

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

Young man: Am I handsome?

Tour leader: Very handsome.

The second was at noon—

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

Tour leader: Think about it again.

Young man: Really, I truly like you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ding—”

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

Xu Wang looked steadily at Wu Sheng.

Their three companions also became serious.

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

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

The backpacker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng also smiled. “No.”

The group: “……”

His companions: “……”

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai: “Specifically, how?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tour leader: “Very handsome.”

Tour leader: “Think about it again.”

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

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

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

The five-minute countdown ended.

“Ding—”

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

The companions: “……”

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

“Whoosh—”

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

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

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

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 127: Kitchen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It all happened in an instant.

The truck crossed the railway and sped away.

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

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

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

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

“Ding—Ding—Ding—”

The railway signal light started flashing red.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They rushed forward, the exit just in sight.

But so was the train!

Just a few steps away!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The sun was beginning to set.

Only seven survivors remained—five men and two women.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They finally reached the mountain villa.

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

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

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

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

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

“Just ask directly,” Wu Sheng said.

Qian Ai was stunned. “Directly ask?”

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng said, “Yes, everyone.”

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

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

Qian Ai, bewildered, turned to Xu Wang.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Texted what?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ahhhhh—”

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

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

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

In the nick of time, Chi Yingxue suddenly appeared.

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

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

Then, he swiftly turned off the stove.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 126: Elevator

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

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

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

Qian Ai asked, “How do we find it?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The man who fell into the water was there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

Well, as long as he’s happy.

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

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

“And then?”

“Then he rejected me in the reply…”

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

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

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

The messages were brief, with just two exchanges.

The first was in the morning—

Tour leader: Gather, handsome.

Young man: ?

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

Young man: Am I handsome?

Tour leader: Very handsome.

The second was at noon—

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

Tour leader: Think about it again.

Young man: Really, I truly like you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The elevator reached the top floor.

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

The elevator doors slowly opened.

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

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

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

Right behind these four were Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin!

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

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

The last to fall was the young man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng nodded. “I know.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Be careful,” Xu Wang said.

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

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

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

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

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

Traveling always involves deaths?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 125: Locked In

Taking the elevator to the top floor lounge, all sixteen travelers had already gathered there to rest. The lounge, with over a hundred lounge chairs, was sparsely occupied, allowing the group of five to find a secluded corner to talk.

During their conversation, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue finally understood the full story behind the “door closing” incident.

The sequence of events was simple yet abrupt: first, someone accidentally fell into the bath, and second, others rushed to check, crowding past Wu Sheng. In the chaos, someone bumped into him, causing the door to slip from his grasp.

But Wu Sheng, prepared for such “high probabilities”, had already initiated tactical plan F when he heard someone fall. Xu Wang, using stationery to levitate, oversaw the whole scene and clearly saw how the “helpful person” ran with the crowd and bumped into Wu Sheng.

“Who was it?” Qian Ai, still feeling the aftereffects of the near-steaming incident, was eager for some retribution.

Xu Wang looked towards the lounge’s entrance. “The guy next to the team leader now.”

Qian Ai followed his gaze to see a young male traveler, about twenty, speaking beside the team leader. The young man was part of a couple who had been openly affectionate throughout their journey.

“Him? A demon?” Qian Ai was incredulous.

“He pushed me,” Wu Sheng clarified. “But whether he’s the demon, we don’t know yet.”

“Regardless, we got the badge, and that means we’ve achieved our goal for this challenge. If we can also submit our papers, it’s a bonus.” Xu Wang patted his three companions on the shoulders. “Well done.”

The mention of the badge reminded them of the cabin, and Qian Ai felt aggrieved. “I thought we were done for when we couldn’t open the door. You should have briefed us on the plan beforehand.”

“We couldn’t be sure if the demon has eavesdropping abilities,” Wu Sheng explained. “If it does and can change the plan of accidents at will, all our strategies would be wasted.”

Kuang Jinxin added, “The tactics Sheng Ge gave us were very covert.”

“Us?” Qian Ai was certain he heard the plural.

“Controlling the indiscriminate attack of the flying hot stones was my responsibility.”

“……” Qian Ai looked at Wu Sheng, feeling sidelined. “So, I had no role? You don’t trust me?”

Wu Sheng glanced at Xu Wang.

Xu Wang sighed and said earnestly, “He trusts you, but your stationery…”

Qian Ai had an epiphany and quickly stopped his captain from continuing. “No need to say more. I was shortsighted.”

His stationery, despite its grand names, often had unreliable side effects and was indeed not suitable for saving teammates from danger. Better to leave it for the enemies.

As the lounge quieted down, the traveler who bumped into Wu Sheng also finished chatting with the team leader and laid down on a nearby lounge chair. In the dim light, the lounge felt eerily quiet.

Finding the badge was a good thing, but the constant threat of accidental death and the still-unseen demon weighed heavily on them, preventing any moment of relaxation.

Wu Sheng, deep in thought, suddenly looked up. “Something’s not right.”

“What’s wrong?” Xu Wang asked immediately.

“The Finnish bath incident,” Wu Sheng replied.

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and even Chi Yingxue, who had been half-asleep, were now fully attentive.

“The door,” Wu Sheng continued without wasting a second. “The door of the Finnish bath had no lock, not even a latch. Yet once it closed, it couldn’t be opened. That’s illogical.”

Qian Ai, puzzled, said, “In a level like this, does logic even matter?”

“On the contrary.” Wu Sheng shook his head. “This level is actually the most logical.”

“There are no accidents without reason,” Xu Wang added.

“Exactly.” Wu Sheng focused on the reflection on the floor tiles as if revisiting past events. “Every accident before had a logical sequence. Even if it was too coincidental, it was still reasonable.” He looked at each teammate. “But a door without a lock suddenly becomes unopenable? That’s illogical.”

“I also found something strange about the door closing.” Qian Ai scratched his head, hesitating.

“You too?” Xu Wang was surprised.

“Not exactly.” Qian Ai clarified. “When the door closed, I had this eerie feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?” Wu Sheng asked seriously.

“Like… chilling… sinister…” Qian Ai struggled to describe it more precisely. “As if something entered the cabin, invisible and intangible…”

“What kind of entity?” Wu Sheng gave him options.

 “Sunlight? Evil? Heat? Cold…”

Before Wu Sheng could finish listening, Qian Ai interrupted, “Definitely evil!”

“What about your [Righteous Energy Shield]?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Qian Ai paused, instinctively sensing his defense stationery, then his expression changed. “It’s gone.”

“The stationery is gone?” Xu Wang frowned. “Did it expire?”

Qian Ai shook his head. “No, I’m sure it hadn’t expired.”

“It’s clear now.” Wu Sheng nodded knowingly. “At the moment the door closed, the demon was using his power, an evil manipulation force that can affect everything in this level.”

Xu Wang realized. “Opposite of righteousness, it dissolved Lao Qian’s [Righteous Qi Shield]!”

“But I didn’t feel this before.” Qian Ai was confused.

Wu Sheng explained, “Before, it just needed to push a bit. The rest was the inertia of the affected objects, like falling flowerpots and collapsing floors. Once ‘fall’ and ‘collapse’ were initiated, its power could withdraw. It’s an instant effect, too quick to notice.”

“But the Finnish bath door was different.” Qian Ai finally understood. “It had to keep the door closed with its power!”

Kuang Jinxin also caught on but had another question. “Why did it need to close a lockless door this time?”

“Because the Finnish bath wasn’t its predetermined point of accidental death,” Xu Wang answered.

He wasn’t proficient at logic, but at this point, he had to understand as a team captain.

Finding the badge was their team’s own task. Whether to find it, where to find it, was random. Even assuming the demon knew they were heading to the Finnish bath as soon as they entered this challenge and added the bath center to the predetermined route, the Finnish bath’s death trap was still hastily set up compared to the fixed-route traps that had claimed many lives before.

Hastiness leads to flaws.

“This was the first time it exposed a weakness, letting us feel its presence.” Wu Sheng’s gaze grew steadier. “But it definitely won’t be the last.”

Xu Wang perked up. “You have a plan?”

Wu Sheng looked at him. “Considering all the NPCs we’ve encountered in various levels, their power usage has distance and range limitations.”

“Of course,” Xu Wang said, “If he could attack us from ten thousand miles away, there’d be no point in trying to clear this level.”

Wu Sheng added, “For this level, there’s an additional condition.”

Xu Wang asked, “What?”

Wu Sheng explained, “It must be able to see the accident scene and closely monitor the entire process.”

Indeed, to ensure such tightly linked accidents, being on the scene wasn’t enough. One must be close enough and attentive enough to time each event precisely.

“That’s great. We can eliminate half of the suspects!” Qian Ai finally saw a ray of hope. Since the Finnish bath incident occurred in the men’s area, all surviving female travelers weren’t at the scene.

“But that still leaves eight,” Chi Yingxue noted, glancing at the clock in the lounge. “It’s almost three o’clock.”

Wu Sheng corrected, “Not eight.”

Chi Yingxue looked at him, puzzled.

Wu Sheng remained silent, resting his hand on his forehead with his eyes closed. He replayed all the accidents that had occurred in this level in his mind. After a quick run-through, he focused on the moment each accident happened—freezing the scene!

The near-miss with the flowerpot and knife attack, gas explosion, car hitting a person, subway door malfunction, restaurant fork incident, ground collapse and billboard fall, Finnish bath… Each accident site was like a slide in a slideshow. Seven scenes, seven slides, stacking them up, filtering out the absentees, and locking in on those who were present at all scenes…

Chi Yingxue couldn’t see the mental palace inside Wu Sheng’s head. He only saw Wu Sheng sitting upright, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, murmuring to himself, his eyelids fluttering rapidly as if possessed by some ominous spirit…

Chi Yingxue pursed his lips and turned to look at Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin, who appeared quite natural.

Catching his gaze, Kuang Jinxin helpfully explained, “Sheng Ge is in his ‘strongest brain’ mode.”

“……” Chi Yingxue understood each word but was clueless about the combined meaning.

“Don’t worry about understanding.” Qian Ai patted him. “Just follow me and look up to him with reverence.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

As they spoke, Wu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes.

Xu Wang immediately asked, “What did you find?”

Wu Sheng declared, “There are four suspects who meet the requirements.”

Qian Ai asked, “Who?”

Wu Sheng listed, “The team leader, the guy who pushed me, the backpacker, and the long-distance couple.”

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

Xu Wang: “Can you be more specific? We’re just ordinary people…”

Following Wu Sheng’s guidance, the four teammates finally identified the suspects.

The team leader was obvious, as was the young man who had pushed Wu Sheng. The remaining suspects were the backpacker and the couple in a long-distance relationship.

Wu Sheng: “The fourth lounge chair in the second row is the backpacker. He wore a cowboy hat, leather jacket, and carried a hiking backpack. He’s a loner, doesn’t talk much, and only had brief interactions with the team leader…”

“The eleventh lounge chair in the third row belongs to the guy in a long-distance relationship. He wore a hoodie and jeans, used an XX phone with a 5.5-inch screen, spent 30% of his time video-calling his girlfriend, who’s studying abroad and will return within the year, and 40% texting.”

The four teammates: “……”

Wu Sheng asked, “Any questions?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Sheng Ge, they’re all wearing bathrobes now…”

Qian Ai: “They all look the same.”

Xu Wang: “I thought you just had a good memory, but your voyeuristic abilities are quite frightening.”

Wu Sheng: “…Observation skills, thank you.”

Wu Sheng, trying to maintain composure despite feeling a bit elated, turned to Chi Yingxue, who had been quiet, signaling with his eyes, “You can start praising me now.”

Chi Yingxue stared at him for a while, a rare hint of envy flashing in his eyes. “You’re so distracted when walking, and you still managed to avoid all these accidents?”

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 124: The Bath

As soon as they came in, the male travelers who started changing clothes had already entered the bathing area one after another, leaving fewer and fewer people in the changing room.

Xu Wang opened the medical kit and treated Wu Sheng’s wound. On the side, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue, unable to help, began to change their clothes themselves.

Qian Ai really enjoyed the leisure activity of bathing. Before he was sucked into the Owl, he used to visit the bath center near his residence every few days. It wasn’t an expensive place; a combined ticket would allow a comfortable soak for just ten or twenty yuan.

He always thought about splurging one day on a high-end, luxurious bathhouse. Today, his wish was fulfilled with this bath center inside the owl, certainly luxurious enough, but Qian Ai couldn’t feel any joy.

Bathing was supposed to be relaxing, but his mind was on the verge of collapse now, constantly fearing that what would come out of the shower head next might be steel needles!

In a state of despair, Qian Ai finished changing and wrapped a bath towel around his waist. When he looked up, he saw that Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin were also in a similar state.

As the team captain and advisor were still not done, the three of them waited on the spot, the atmosphere cold and silent.

Qian Ai’s mind was already filled with “a hundred ways to die while bathing”, so to divert his attention, he decided to strike up a conversation with his two companions.

“Xiao Xue, I didn’t realize you had some muscles,” he commented. It wasn’t really small talk; Chi Yingxue’s physique, surprisingly muscular once he took off his clothes, was quite unexpected for Qian Ai. He was typically slim when clothed but revealed a well-toned body underneath.

After his rare compliment for Chi Yingxue, Qian Ai turned to Kuang Jinxin and immediately frowned, pulling him over, patting his shoulder blades and chest, and growing more concerned. “Xiao Kuang, you’re too thin!”

Kuang Jinxin, a bit embarrassed, quickly retorted, “I’m young and still growing!”

Qian Ai laughed, pinching his face. “Come on. You’re already twenty-three. You’re just drinking too much tea. I’ve told you so many times, you can’t drink it like water; it’s diuretic and doesn’t help you absorb nutrients!”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

As Qian Ai was about to continue his lecture, Chi Yingxue suddenly pulled the person under his arm away.

Chi Yingxue didn’t pat or hit like Qian Ai did, but just calmly observed Kuang Jinxin from head to toe, and then, in turn, pinched his face. “You’re fine as you are. No need to develop further.” Glancing at Qian Ai, he added lightly, “If you become like him, it wouldn’t be cute.”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai, not pleased, retorted, “Don’t twist Xiao Kuang’s healthy aesthetic of masculinity.”

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow and asked Kuang Jinxin, “Do you like his physique?”

Qian Ai answered quickly, “Of course, what else? Yours?”

Chi Yingxue ignored Qian Ai and kept his gaze on Kuang Jinxin, waiting for his response.

Qian Ai also turned his expectant gaze to Kuang Jinxin.

Kuang Jinxin, silent the whole way, now felt immense pressure.

Two seconds later.

“Captain, I think Sheng Ge can use a disposable shower cap to waterproof his foot…” Kuang Jinxin turned left and headed towards the leaders without hesitation.

Qian Ai glanced at Chi Yingxue disapprovingly. “Mixing with you every day, he’s learning bad habits.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

When the five of them truly entered the bathing area, Xu Wang’s floating stationery had reached its limit. The short-lived joy of floating, indeed, was very fleeting. He initially wanted to use new stationery to make Wu Sheng “float”, but Wu Sheng stopped him.

Because the wooden Finnish bathhouse, colored in a light yellow hue, was clearly visible.

“From now on, we must be 100% focused. Any slightest distraction is unacceptable,” Wu Sheng said. “Don’t waste your mental energy on manipulating stationery on me.”

The Finnish bathhouse at the end of the bathing area, a cozy wooden cabin, now looked like a monster’s mouth from afar.

Wu Sheng surveyed the surroundings; excluding them, there were sixteen survivors left, eight men and eight women. In the men’s bath, the leader and four male travelers were soaking in the pool, while the other three were nowhere to be seen.

He looked over the floor tiles under his feet, the ceiling above, and the visible pipeline routing of the entire bathing area. After memorizing everything, he then walked towards the Finnish bath cabin.

His steps were steady, showing no sign of injury, if one ignored the plastic shower cap on his foot.

His four companions followed closely, and in a blink, they were in front of the Finnish bath cabin.

The Finnish bath didn’t have the dense steam of a sauna. Through the glass on the door, the inside of the cabin was clearly visible—the three missing male travelers were all sitting inside, steaming in uniform postures, leaning back, heads tilted back, with wet towels covering their faces.

The wet towels make the inhaled air cooler and more comfortable. Qian Ai used to do this, but at this moment, the sight made him uneasy. “They are still… alive, right?”

Chi Yingxue said, “Dead people don’t breathe.”

Qian Ai observed closely and confirmed that the chests of the three friends inside were moving regularly, finally heaving a sigh of relief.

Xu Wang: “……”

Fortunately, they were separated by the door; otherwise, those three travelers might come over and beat them.

After confirming there were no abnormalities around, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng jointly opened the door of the cabin, one holding the handle tightly and the other bracing the edge of the door to keep it half-open. Then, they stood still by the side of the door.

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue, following the previously arranged plan, entered the Finnish bath cabin one after the other.

The task of finding the badge seemed most dangerous for those entering the cabin, but it was precisely for this reason that those waiting outside were even more crucial. They had already divided their roles tactically before entering the bath center.

The entry of the three people into the cabin caused quite a stir. The three travelers, resting under towels inside, lifted their heads as Qian Ai approached the hot stone and poured a ladle of water over it. The water instantly evaporated due to the extreme heat, abruptly raising the cabin’s temperature. The intense heat was palpable, but the half-open door allowed cool air to seep in, creating a sudden temperature contrast.

Unable to bear the fluctuating temperatures, the three travelers soon left the cabin.

Now, only the three remained inside the Finnish bath cabin. Sweat beaded on their heads and bodies from the heat, but none of them paid it any attention. Their six eyes were busy searching every wooden plank, every crack, and every hidden corner inside the cabin.

Suddenly, Kuang Jinxin, who had been looking up, exclaimed with surprise, “Qian Ge, Xiao Xue, look up there!”

Following his direction, they saw a small light flickering steadily near the central light on the ceiling.

Qian Ai stretched his arms upward and jumped, but his fingertips were still a few centimeters away from the ceiling, even after several attempts.

Helplessly, he turned to Kuang Jinxin. “Climb on my neck.”

Kuang Jinxin nodded and promptly stepped forward without hesitation. Badges were the priority at that moment.

As Qian Ai bent his knees to lower himself, Kuang Jinxin was about to climb on his back when a voice announced in their ears—

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 8/23 Death Badge!]

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin froze and turned around to see Chi Yingxue still in the posture of taking down the badge, raising an eyebrow at Qian Ai. “I’m taller than you.”

Qian Ai, at 1.9 meters, looked at his 1.87-meter-tall teammate and said with frustration, “You’re making me feel bad, aren’t you?”

Chi Yingxue replied, “Jump higher.”

Qian Ai: “…You win.”

“Bang——”

The door of the cabin suddenly closed behind them, coinciding with Qian Ai’s words.

Qian Ai’s breath hitched as he swiftly turned around to see the wooden door tightly shut, with only Wu Sheng outside, trying to pull it open. After two unsuccessful attempts, he gave up.

Gave up?!

Qian Ai panicked, rushed over, and kicked the door with all his might, but it didn’t budge.

The sauna bath doors, not equipped with locks during construction, were now tightly closed as if an evil force was preventing them from opening. The air inside became hotter, the temperature rising at an abnormally fast rate.

“Wu Sheng!” Qian Ai shouted through the glass in the door, trying to appeal to his conscience.

Wu Sheng finally looked up, giving him a reassuring look, and then silently retreated.

Qian Ai: “……”

Was there a discrepancy between what he saw in Wu Sheng’s eyes and what Wu Sheng intended?

Breathing became difficult; every inhale scorched their nostrils.

“Qian Ge.” Kuang Jinxin’s firm voice came from beside him. “Leave it to me.”

Before Qian Ai could see his teammate’s face, the entire cabin began to shake violently!

The intense shaking lasted less than three seconds, and the Finnish bath cabin disintegrated, collapsing entirely!

Strangely, each steamy wooden plank seemed to avoid them deliberately, leaving the cabin a pile of scattered wood.

The three stood amidst the rubble, unharmed.

Wu Sheng, outside the wreckage, smiled approvingly at Kuang Jinxin.

Qian Ai looked back at his teammate.

Kuang Jinxin, without waiting to be asked, said, “[(Offense) House Collapse].”

Qian Ai: “You controlled the direction of each plank’s fall?!”

Kuang Jinxin: “With a strong enough connection to the stationery, more detailed control is possible.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Are they even using the same stationery system?

Kuang Jinxin stepped out of the wooden debris, panting and looking admiringly at the advisor. “Sheng Ge, you’re awesome.”

Wu Sheng modestly shook his head. “Just a high probability.”

Qian Ai, piecing together the events, started to understand, yet found it hard to believe. Could Wu Sheng have accurately predicted the crisis and instructed Xiao Kuang on which stationery to use? That would make him almost godlike!

“Fortunately, it was only closing the door and increasing the temperature,” Kuang Jinxin added. “If there were other factors, it would have been more difficult.”

Qian Ai was confused. “Other factors?”

“Yes.” Kuang Jinxin explained, “Sheng Ge predicted a chain of accidents. The door getting locked and the heating stones increasing in temperature was just the beginning.”

Qian Ai: “What about the intermediate and advanced levels?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Electrical leakage from the lights, wooden planks burning, uncontrollable flying hot stones… Basically, the more layers of accidents, the more difficult it gets.”

Qian Ai turned to Wu Sheng, completely convinced. “God.”

Advisor Wu modestly smiled. “Just a high probability.”

Qian Ai: “……”

“Done with the admiration? If so, hurry up to the lounge. The team leader has already taken everyone there.” A voice came from above.

Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue looked up to see their team captain sitting cross-legged in the air, supported by [(Defense) Flying Trapeze Artist], seemingly overseeing everything for quite some time.

Wu Sheng asked, “Did you lock on the target?”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. “Definitely.”

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