After breaking free from the flesh idols, Shi Jingzhi’s constitution improved to the point of causing envy. Not only did he stop coughing blood, he could also run ten miles without panting. Sect Master Shi was overly pleased and started behaving recklessly, like jumping into streams and enjoying the chilly night air. Yin Ci couldn’t control him, and it seemed that fate intervened before anything dire could happen. Upon returning to the Northland, Shi Jingzhi sneezed more than a dozen times, nearly falling off the wooden carriage.
Both of them had medical knowledge and knew that Shi Jingzhi’s condition was minor. A bit of warm soup and rest would set him right.
Yin Ci understood but was unable to bear seeing Shi Jingzhi constantly sneezing. Without hesitation, he handed over his fox fur coat to Shi Jingzhi, who gratefully wrapped himself in it and used a handkerchief for his nose.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. Yin Ci kept glancing at Shi Jingzhi with a teasing look in his eyes. Soft yet mocking. Shi Jingzhi, feeling slightly embarrassed, buried his face deeper into the fox fur.
What happened? All Shi Jingzhi wanted was to catch some fatty fish in the Northland waters. Who could have predicted that even in the warm autumn, the Northland stream would be cold enough to give him a chill?
…But on the bright side, he managed to catch a basket full of fish. Since he had already caught a cold, it was a good reason to have some pepper fish soup.
It had been more than half a year since the war with Luojiu, and the Northland had already returned to calm. The disciples of the Mishan Sect lived scatteredly in remote areas. Despite the martial world being in chaos and the imperial court almost changing hands, they lived peacefully.
However, this trip wasn’t to visit the Mishan Sect.
The massive dogs pulling their cart were panting heavily as they arrived at their destination. A thick layer of snow covered the ground, hiding the ruins beneath. At first glance, it seemed no different from any other place.
In front of the ruins, five people were already standing.
Yin Ci stopped the wooden cart gracefully and patted the panting dogs. Shi Jingzhi, still wrapped in thick fur, put down a few fish.
“What’s the matter with Sect Master Shi…?” Jin Lan began but stopped mid-sentence.
Yin Ci: “He caught a cold, but it’s nothing serious.”
Jin Lan didn’t press further, knowing better than to engage in idle chatter with the two formidable men.
The impact of the Qu Duanyun incident was profound, putting tremendous pressure on Taiheng. Later, Qu Duanyun was abandoned by the Qu Clan and even had one of his legs disabled by the martial arts community. However, he refused to accept his fate and caused more chaos, which in turn relieved some of the pressure off Taiheng.
In the case of the “Twin Roots”, they had testimonies, but who would have expected that Qu Duanyun was so eloquent and persuasive? He firmly claimed that no one had witnessed the event firsthand and that there was no concrete physical evidence; only a few vague statements “heard days later”. As a result, he surprisingly managed to avoid a death sentence.
Jin Lan personally witnessed Taiheng being torn in half by this person. Later, with much effort and under Shi Zhongyu’s guidance, he managed to correct those “twisted thoughts”. He himself also became a candidate for elder, which could be seen as a blessing in disguise…
…What utter bullshit!
The Hanging Tree on the side of Luojiu needed handling, and as one of “Shi Zhongyu’s close confidants”, he naturally had to follow along. This trip would conservatively take about five to six years. Given this heavy responsibility, Jin Lan felt pride in his heart, but his stomach couldn’t bear to leave Great Yun. The conflict made his head dizzy.
“Elder Sister, is Sect Master Shi also going to Luojiu?” Jin Lan asked pitifully.
“No, just like me, they are only here to pay respects to the deceased.”
Shi Zhongyu had already become the sect leader of Taiheng. She wore plain-colored clothes and even changed her hairpin to the simplest style. She took several well-preserved peach blossoms and offered them in front of the remains of the small house.
Yin Ci seemed to anticipate that Shi Zhongyu would offer this. He took two jars of mild sweet rice wine and six packets of high-quality tea leaves and placed them at the entrance of the ruins.
The remaining three stood a little further away, silently waiting.
“May I ask Minister Shen, what is this…?”
“This is the combined grave of Chen Qianfan and Wei Chun, I suppose. Initially, Sect Master Shi forcefully lifted the ban of the Immortal Assembly with their help.” A cold wind brushed past, giving Shen Zhu a faint blush. She wasn’t one to be easily moved by emotions but witnessing such a scene still stirred feelings of melancholy within her.
“No.” Yan Zheng, after a brief struggle, began again. “I’ve heard of the deeds of the two elders. What I want to ask about is, um, this goose…”
Isn’t this Su Si’s goose?
As the former Patriarch of the Ling Sect, Yan Zheng had long desired to withdraw from the martial world. Unfortunately, remnants of the Ling Sect still sought its revival. Just as the Yueshui Pavilion was seeking someone to deal with the Luojiu Hanging Tree, Yan Zheng eagerly stepped forward.
Yan Zheng hoped to meet his brother Yan Qing, but instead, he encountered another “old acquaintance”—
Lord Bai was bound tightly and held by Shen Zhu. Having been overfed in the past six months, it was fat to the point of bursting, and its flesh threatened to spill from between the ropes. Perhaps sensing the kinship between Yan Zheng and Yan Qing, the goose let out a mournful cry as if seeking help.
“Ah? Oh, I borrowed it from Patriarch Su. He’s always looking for an opportunity to sneak out with the Alliance Leader. He clearly doesn’t plan on being buried. This goose is being wasted, almost literally dying of obesity. Why not use it against the Hanging Tree?”
Shen Zhu stared into the distance solemnly while speaking rapidly.
Yan Zheng: “…” Miss Shen, people tend to talk a lot faster when they’re feeling guilty.
Yu Zikuan patted Yan Zheng and shook his head. This was Shen Zhu’s arrangement. Although two prominent figures from the Kushan Sect had arrived, the Patriarch of the Demonic Sect and the Martial Alliance Leader weren’t invited. Wasn’t the reason obvious?
But the goose had grown so fat, it was almost unrecognizable from before. If they hadn’t seen this goose demon with long tentacles, they might have mistaken it for tonight’s dish. It was said that people from Luojiu enjoy eating fatty goose liver cooked over a fire—a unique delicacy.
Yan Zheng and Yu Zikuan exchanged glances, their eyes conveying deep meaning. Sensing their gaze, Lord Bai’s cries grew even more pitiful.
It had miscalculated! Grown complacent! Su Si, being selfish and impulsive, never bothered with “greater causes”, especially those concerning other countries. With Su Si, the Patriarch of the demonic sects around, it was pampered to no end, so the goose thought it would live out its days in luxury. Who would’ve expected it to be stolen for the second time by such cunning foes!
Shen Zhu was one to achieve her goals by any means necessary. Even more so than Su Si. While it hadn’t predicted the ominous signs and owed Shen Zhu a life-saving favor, its days of idleness and ease were clearly over.
Recalling the warm pond and tender fish, Lord Bai pea eyes grew moist amidst its lament.
Perhaps irritated by the goose’s noise, once the few finished paying their respects to the two elders of Mishan, Shi Jingzhi moved further away.
He stopped in an empty snowy area, back turned to the ruins. With clear skies and radiant sun, the reflection on the snow was blinding. Shi Jingzhi wore two thick fox furs and with pure white against his rounded figure, it made the scene look somewhat comical.
After pouring the last of the sweet rice wine, Yin Ci approached. “Feeling sad?”
“There’s one more person I haven’t paid respect to.”
Shi Jingzhi half-crouched, placing one hand on the snow.
“The ‘Arcane Arts’… The Queen of Milan, finally dispersed here.”
Yin Ci hesitated, unsure of what to say. Shi Jingzhi only looked at the snow, so Yin Ci couldn’t see his expression.
“Had I not met you, this might have been my best ending—discovering a secret, passionately passing it down, letting future generations harbor grudges and seek revenge on my behalf. Now that the Hanging Tree is destroyed and the Immortal Assembly is in decline, the lineage of the Imperial Preceptor has no chance of revival. She would surely want to know.”
Shi Jingzhi scooped up some snow, which quickly melted from his warmth. A piercing cold wind blew across the snow, stirring up icy particles.
Yin Ci remained silent for a moment before retrieving a jar of strong wine from the cart. Using a strand of vital qi, he broke the seal and handed the jar to Shi Jingzhi.
“Go talk to her.”
Shi Jingzhi struggled to turn his head, smiling weakly at Yin Ci. He then poured the wine onto the snow. When the golden flames met the alcohol, a bright blaze erupted, illuminating the pristine snow without producing any smoke.
Amidst the short burst of golden flames, Shi Jingzhi slowly stood up, ultimately saying nothing.
He gave a salute towards the empty space and then revealed the most brilliant smile. Yin Ci’s heart skipped a beat seeing that smile, and before Shi Jingzhi could turn around, Yin Ci slightly pulled him closer and bit his lip.
Shi Jingzhi slightly opened his eyes. Illuminated by the northern sunlight, they looked as clear as amber. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, suddenly—
“Achoo!”
Shi Jingzhi stepped back, turning his head to deliver a massive sneeze. He stepped back so hastily that he almost fell on his butt. Fortunately, Yin Ci was quick and grabbed the front of Shi Jingzhi’s clothes. From a distance, it looked like he was grabbing a big furball.
Demonic Lord Yin, with his hard-hearted nature, burst into laughter. Several people nearby saw this scene and couldn’t help but smile.
The rich aroma of wine spread out, and the last bit of sunlight extinguished under the sun’s rays. Perhaps it was just their imagination, but the chill in the air seemed to have diminished a bit. The cold wind gradually softened, brushing past the people.
It felt as if someone quietly left, gently flicking their robe.
At night, Shen Zhu led five people back to the main army.
Although it was referred to as the main army, there were only about twenty people. In addition to the representatives from various sects, even the imperial court sent a few masters. The Child of Desire, despite his thick skin, didn’t have the nerve to make small talk in public. Shi Jingzhi reluctantly contributed all the fish, and had Yin Ci personally cook a pot of creamy white pepper fish soup.
After the big unrest, these people came from all over the country, each having suffered in their own way. Now, as they prepared to leave the nation, they became sentimental, chatting nonstop. But once the fish soup was served, its spicy and aromatic scent dispelled the cold. Paired with a pot of good rice, people almost swallowed their tongues in delight, no longer in the mood to talk.
Of course, no one noticed Shi Jingzhi quickly finishing his fish soup and rice, secretly pulling Yin Ci into the darkness.
The next day, the group officially set off. The master and disciple of the Kushan Sect stayed behind with Shi Zhongyu, watching the group fade into the distance. Shi Zhongyu’s eyes turned red, and just as she was about to speak—
“Achoo!” Both the master and disciple sneezed at the same time.
Shi Zhongyu: “……”
Forget it. Her tears and sentiment were choked back in.
Miss Shi looked at the two for a moment, then laughed and shook her head. “It’s cold in the north. You two better return to the Central Plains soon. I’ve brought some arrow horses. How many shuttles do you need?”
The weather was fine, with clear blue skies stretching for miles.
The medium-sized minivan wound around the mountainous road in loop after loop. Throughout the journey, Zhou Qian leaned on Bai Zhou’s shoulder, appearing to nap, but his eyes were constantly observing the outside.
Ke Yun’s villa was situated at the mountain’s peak. Along the route, there was a desolate view, with no signs of surveillance cameras. This kind of place was perfect for nefarious deeds, where a body thrown into the water might not be discovered immediately.
Inside the virtual game hall, gamblers were discussing—
“Is Zhou Qian really asleep?”
“I don’t think so. He’s probably studying the terrain.”
“But those four guys from the ‘Invincible Legion’, after seeing Zhou Qian sleeping, also went to sleep.”
“Have you guys ever met people in school who claimed to always be playing around, even when they were obviously studying? Then, when others naively followed their lead and played instead of studying, they got poor grades, while the one who claimed to be playing topped the class?”
“Oh? So Zhou Qian’s planning to secretly prepare and then impress everyone?”
“Well, maybe not everyone, but for those four idiots who once threatened him, Zhou Qian might want to have a bit of fun. He loves playing with villains.”
“Yeah, I remember how he toyed with Zhu Qiang. If I were Zhu Qiang, I’d be infuriated.”
“So, based on Qian Ge’s previous implication, does he intend to recruit those four as his underlings?”
“But who knows what those four are really thinking? Wallflowers are the least trustworthy!”
“Right, Qian Ge will have to test them.”
“I’d advise them not to try any tricks. Otherwise, I’m looking forward to watching them seal their own fate.”
……
Starting from Ke Zheng’s house, the van drove for a full three hours before it brought the six players to their destination.
The villa was indeed built on top of a mountain, three stories high. It wasn’t luxurious in style but rather resembled the popular bed and breakfast of the time. The middle part of the first floor was suspended in the air, with the entire building supported by columns at its four corners, somewhat reminiscent of stilt houses.
Living here, one could enjoy the view of green mountains and clear waters at any time, making it a perfect vacation spot. According to the driver, Ke Yun built this house to relax on weekends and during vacations.
After the car stopped, the driver let the “children” choose their rooms freely. He helped everyone bring in their toys and clothes and mentioned that the cook would arrive shortly.
Zhou Qian was the first to get off the van, and he went into the house with Bai Zhou to explore the elegantly furnished residence.
There had been a murder at Ke Zheng’s home, and Ke Yun was very suspicious of Wang Mei. With the police frequently visiting Ke Zheng’s home for investigations, Ke Yun decided to bring the children to her own residence for some peace.
She didn’t dare to let Wang Mei, Ke Di, or anyone else visit. Only the children’s mother, Ruan Mei, was allowed to come and take care of them.
But what Ke Yun never expected was that Ruan Mei was the murderer. Nor did she expect that this vacation home she had purchased would become a prime murder scene.
By the time Zhou Qian had finished touring the entire building, the cook had arrived.
Catching a glimpse of the cook heading to the kitchen, Zhou Qian quickly followed her downstairs.
Bai Zhou joined Zhou Qian in the kitchen, while the remaining four members of the “Invincible Legion” cunningly stood by the door, listening to their conversation.
When they first arrived in this “instance” the day before, Ruan Mei was cooking, Ke Zheng and others hadn’t returned home yet, and the players had 20 minutes to explore.
At that time, Zhou Qian and the others looked everywhere but didn’t find any particularly significant clues. Zhou Qian’s only discovery was a photo album he had seen in Ruan Mei’s room.
The album contained photos of ten players, from their infant years to childhood.
Zhou Qian flipped through it from back to front, and when he saw Bai Zhou’s photos, he stared a bit longer, remarking on how Bai Zhou looked as a child.
The order of the photos in the album was strictly from “ten” to “one”.
However, pages before the section labeled “Ke Yi” were mysteriously empty.
Zhou Qian then wondered if the role Bai Zhou was playing as “Ke Yi” wasn’t actually the eldest. Perhaps there was an older brother or sister ahead of him.
The previous night, Zhou Qian had tried to inquire about this. While waiting in line for Ruan Mei to help everyone get washed up, Zhou Qian asked her.
Ruan Mei hesitated and said nothing, merely patting his head, which only fueled Zhou Qian’s suspicions further.
According to the driver, Ke Yun had invited her household cook.
This cook had been with Ke Yun for over a decade, so Zhou Qian thought she might know something. Hence, upon her arrival, Zhou Qian specifically approached her for information.
As Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou entered the kitchen, the cook smiled and asked, “Is there anything special you’d like to eat? If you don’t tell me, I’ll just whip up something on my own!”
Zhou Qian replied naturally, “I don’t eat onions, ginger, garlic, parsley, fennel, star anise, and the like. Please go light on salt and oil and make it bland overall. For fish, I prefer it boneless, and for shrimp, please peel them for me. Also—”
The cook looked taken aback. Then, from behind Zhou Qian, a player with the name “Ke Er” above his head said, “Maybe… just a touch of garlic could be okay?”
Ke San added, “Yeah, I saw scallops. How can you eat seafood without garlic?”
Zhou Qian turned around, looking surprised, and asked them, “Do you want to eat garlic, or do you want to stay alive?”
Ke Er and Ke San immediately responded, “Whatever pleases you, Qian Ge! Light and bland is good!”
After a moment, the cook said with a smile, “Alright, I got it. I’ll make sure you young masters are satisfied!”
Zhou Qian gave her a particularly sweet smile. “Thank you for your hard work!”
“It’s no trouble at all,” the cook replied. “It’s what I should do!”
Zhou Qian took a few steps forward and asked her, “Auntie, do you know what happened in our family before?”
“Previous events? You mean…” The cook looked a bit confused.
“I just can’t quite remember. Do I have an older sister or brother?” Zhou Qian asked.
“Ah? Oh, yes, you do. You have an older sister,” the cook replied, letting out a sigh. “When I was previously working at the young madam’s house… your parents brought you all over for a visit, and I saw her once. It’s such a pity.”
“What happened to my sister?” Zhou Qian inquired. “Auntie told me my sister became a star in the sky, but what does that mean? I count stars every night, and I can’t find her.”
With his emotive words, Zhou Qian was naturally persuasive.
As he asked this, his eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes shone brightly. The cook, clearly moved, with tears in her eyes, began, “Stars, stars mean…”
“Dad told us that children shouldn’t lie. So, adults shouldn’t lie either,” Zhou Qian continued. “What really happened to my sister?”
The cook sighed deeply and said, “Your sister, Ke Ling’er… She had a sudden epileptic seizure when she was young. They couldn’t save her in time, and she died. Your mother was devastated. I heard she fainted right there in the hospital. Afterward, the young madam came to your home and helped take care of all of you for quite a while. You were so young then, I thought you might not remember.”
“I see…” Zhou Qian, feigning innocence, looked at the cook for a while before asking, “Auntie, one more question. After already having so many children, why did my parents adopt others?”
“Oh, I heard the young madam talk about it,” the cook began. “Your mother is truly kind-hearted. Once, the Ke Corporation went to an orphanage for charity work. Your mother accompanied them and felt pity for two children, so she brought them home. It’s fate! Even without blood ties, they can still be family.”
“Did my dad fully support my mom’s decision to adopt children?” Zhou Qian asked.
“Your dad might have a bad temper and act like a young master, not liking house chores, but he truly loves your mother and is kind-hearted. When your mother brought it up, he agreed without objection. At least, that’s what the young madam told me,” the cook recalled with emotion. “That’s why the young madam always praises your mother in front of me. She often says that even though your mother might not have had the best upbringing or experiences, she’s a good person at heart.”
……
Ten minutes later, the cook continued preparing food in the kitchen, while the driver left again in the van, presumably to pick up Ruan Mei. Meanwhile, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou entered a bedroom on the third floor and stepped out onto its balcony, gazing at the scenery outside.
From their vantage point in the three-story villa, the main living spaces were spread across the second and third floors. Both floors had the same design, with a corridor splitting the living spaces into two sections: the west side facing the mountain and the east side facing the water.
Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou were on the water-facing side. At that moment, looking up, they could see distant mountains reflected in the shimmering lake, bathed in sunlight. Such a serene view seemed entirely out of place with the impending slaughter.
“Our eldest sister is named Ke Ling’er. Her name ‘Ling’ actually corresponds to the number ‘0’*. This is a small trap set by the game designers, trying to mislead players into not realizing that there is a number before ‘1’, hinting that there was another child in this family,” Zhou Qian started. “Moreover, the cook just mentioned that Ke Ling’er had an epileptic seizure. Therefore—”
*Clarity: Her name is Ke Ling’er (柯玲儿). The [ling] (玲) in her name is a homonym of zero [ling] (零).
He looked at Bai Zhou and continued, “In relation to the exhibition hall, she should be Ke Xue, the girl in Exhibit 2 who was foaming at the mouth.”
“Yes, Ke Xue had foam in her mouth, consistent with the symptoms of a childhood epileptic seizure,” Bai Zhou said. “Perhaps in reality, Ke Xue, who corresponds to Ke Ling’er in our game, wasn’t killed by Ruan Mei. If it were poisoning, it would easily be detected, and it doesn’t match the ‘accidental death’ pattern seen with the other victims.”
“So Ke Xue died from epilepsy, a natural death unrelated to the murders. In our game, she’s represented as Ke Ling’er. After her, Ruan Mei began her killing spree. Meaning…
“This ‘0’, besides hinting that there’s another child before ‘1’, likely has another meaning: after ‘0’ died from illness, Ruan Mei began her slaughter, targeting us players starting from ‘1’.”
“Corresponding to reality, after Ke Xue’s death, which seemed like opening Pandora’s box, Ruan Mei began to gradually kill all the remaining children. But why?”
In a flash, Zhou Qian grasped Ruan Mei’s motive for the murders. However, he narrowed his eyes and didn’t delve further into that topic.
Pointing to the distant lake, Zhou Qian shifted the topic. “Next, we should try to predict the possible ways players could die. The suffocation death in Exhibit 1 already occurred yesterday. But this method might repeat, given that there are pillows in the house.”
“Besides that, there are now multiple ways to die, such as drowning. If I remember correctly, drowning is in Exhibit 5, right?”
Bai Zhou nodded. “Yes. From Exhibits 1 to 7, the causes of death are: 1. Suffocation; 2. Epileptic seizure; 3. Blunt trauma to the back of the head; 4. A hole in the forehead, possibly caused by a sharp cylindrical object; 5. Swelling suggestive of drowning; as for the last two—”
As Bai Zhou spoke, Zhou Qian recalled the conditions of the child corpses in the last two exhibits.
They were a boy and a girl.
The girl had wet hair and numerous swollen lumps on her forehead. The most peculiar thing was the scratch marks all over her face, arms, and thighs, which seemed self-inflicted.
However, the exact cause of her death remained uncertain. As for the boy, his hair was slightly wet, his face was flushed, and he was sweating profusely. Fresh blood oozed from his nostrils, still warm to the touch.
Regarding the causes of death for these two children, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou were still somewhat unclear.
The exhibition didn’t provide further details, and players could only infer from what was presented. After all, they weren’t forensic experts, and even if they were, they couldn’t conduct autopsies under those circumstances to find deeper clues.
“It’s actually quite challenging to throw a child directly into the lake from this villa. After all, the lake is quite a distance away,” Zhou Qian remarked.
“Therefore, as long as we decline when Ruan Mei suggests taking us to play by the water, we should be able to avoid the risk of ‘drowning’. Instead of water, we should be more wary of the causes of death in Exhibits 3 and 4, namely protecting our foreheads and the backs of our heads, especially avoiding ‘falls from high places’.”
“However, the villa is situated on a mountaintop, unlike a pillow that can be hidden. This geographical condition is ever-present and cannot be avoided by the players. We’ll have to come up with strategies as situations arise. As for the last two methods of death… I haven’t figured them out yet.”
“We’ll see when the time comes. But for now, it seems safer to stay in rooms facing the water at night.”
This so-called idyllic vacation spot by the mountain and water was practically a slaughtering fest for Ruan Mei. The seven corpses in the exhibition hall correspond to seven causes of death.
Even if they excluded the epileptic seizure from Exhibit 2, there were still a whopping six potential causes of death that players are about to face.
What everyone needed to do was avoid these six deadly risks entirely, especially when they couldn’t use any skills or props.
……
On the other side, the two players labeled “Ke Er” and “Ke San” met in a room on the mountain-facing side.
Ke San said to Ke Er, “Brother, we were lucky to have listened to you last night. Ruan Mei came straight to our room after leaving Ma Luoluo’s. If you hadn’t told me to hide the pillow, we’d be dead!”
Unlike his previous subservient demeanor towards Zhou Qian, Ke Er now looked extremely cold.
Ke Er didn’t respond, prompting Ke San to ask, “So, what should we do today?”
Ke Er advised, “When choosing rooms, let’s stay on the water-facing side. The balconies there overlook trees, and the water is far away, making it relatively safe.”
“This side, however, if you look out from the balcony, has large rocks below. Falling would mean certain death.”
“Moreover, we saw several swings in the backyard earlier, right? I suspect Ruan Mei could use those for her schemes. If she suggests playing on the swings, we must decline.”
“Brother, you’re brilliant!” Ke San exclaimed, rubbing his hands. “I’ve always said that big brother is poor at judging character. This is the best proof. With Ma Luoluo dead, you can take his place.”
“The boss always looks down on me.” Ke Er narrowed his eyes. “I should show him what I’m capable of this time. I actually have an idea—”
Ke San curiously inquired, “What idea?”
Ke Er laid out his plan. “If we can kill Zhou Qian, we’ll do it and then present his death as a token of loyalty to the boss. If we can’t kill Zhou Qian… then, after we exit, in the next hall, we can use Zhou Qian to kill the boss. Once Zhou Qian takes out the boss, we can then kill Zhou Qian.”
“That’s brilliant!” Ke San exclaimed, clapping his hands. “This way, not only can you become the leader of our legion, but you’ll also gain fame and earn the rewards from the Peach Blossom Legion!”
Gazing out of the window, Ke Er added with an inscrutable expression, “With Ma Luoluo’s actions, it’s actually quite favorable for us. Zhou Qian and that Rank God player 137, must think our legion is filled with idiots. Their underestimation of me is the key to my victory!”
……
3 p.m., downtown. The backyard of the Ke family villa.
Ruan Mei was in a very bad state. Her eyes were red and swollen, looking as though she might faint at any moment. As Ke Yun was trying to usher her out, she tried to persuade, “I’ve already asked the cook to go over. If you’re still worried, I can hire another nanny. Given your condition, it’s best if you don’t go.”
At that moment, Ruan Mei staggered, and rushing to support her wasn’t Ke Yun but Ke Zheng, who was holding a thermos. Holding Ruan Mei’s arm with one hand and the thermos with the other, Ke Zheng frowned and said, “Yes, listen to elder sister. What’s the rush? You haven’t even drunk the soup I made!”
Ruan Mei, clutching her husband’s hand and looking at him with love-filled eyes, inquired, “Did mom and dad safely reach home?”
“They have. Don’t worry,” Ke Zheng replied.
Ruan Mei smiled weakly. “It’s such an inconvenience for them and Uncle to come all the way just for me…”
“What’s there to it? We’re family, and it’s only right for us to support each other. You don’t need to say all this; everyone knows you’re feeling distressed.” Ke Zheng advised, “Really, you should rest.”
Ruan Mei shook her head and said with red eyes, “I can’t. Such a major incident has occurred at home, and it’s good for the children to have a change of environment and stay there. I truly can’t be at ease…”
After much persuasion from Ke Yun and Ke Zheng, Ruan Mei finally managed to convince them to let her go and take care of the children herself. Despite that, Ke Yun still had her own driver personally take her.
As her husband Ke Zheng personally opened the car door for her and helped her in, then closed it, Ruan Mei waved to him and Ke Yun, and said “Thank you” to the driver. She then lowered her head, burying her face in her hands.
As the driver started the car, he glanced back at her, thinking she was crying.
Everyone actually thought Ruan Mei was crying.
But only she knew that she was smiling.
How wonderful.
Now, everyone’s attention… is all on me.
They all care about me.
Ruan Mei thought with a smile—What could be more satisfying and joyful than this?
In just about half a day, her in-laws, neighbors, her husband’s business partners, and the ladies from other wealthy families, all of whom usually looked down on her, came to visit her.
They spoke words of comfort to her that they had never uttered before, gave her many gifts, and showered her with care and consolation. Her heart felt profoundly fulfilled.
In her everyday life, Ruan Mei felt like an “invisible person.”
She tried her best to fulfill the role of a “wife”, vowing to be a good mother and a loving spouse.
In other affluent families, the ladies would indulge in flower arranging or appreciate famous paintings and writings. She wanted to learn these arts too, but she often couldn’t grasp them and was frequently mocked for it.
Later, she decided to focus on household matters and have many children, hoping to gain her husband’s affection and her in-laws’ respect. But for some reason, it seemed everyone looked down on her even more.
Her children took her sacrifices for granted, treating her as though she were merely their nanny. Every time Ke Yun saw her, she would say, “A woman shouldn’t just be stuck between her husband and children; you should have a life of your own.”
Why? Why was everything she did wrong?
She was genuinely trying!
Ruan Mei had once dreamt of becoming an actress as a child, wanting to stand in the spotlight and captivate everyone’s attention. But she didn’t become an actress and instead felt overlooked by everyone.
She couldn’t understand—
She carefully took care of her husband, children, and paid attention to every relative’s needs. She put in so much effort; why couldn’t anyone see it?
Then, half a year ago, Ruan Mei’s daughter Ke Ling’er died of juvenile epilepsy. After that tragic event, Ruan Mei unexpectedly received an outpour of care and affection from everyone.
Everyone perceived Ruan Mei as someone who put her children above all else. They believed that losing a child would be overwhelmingly painful for her, and she might succumb to depression or even consider suicide.
So, after Ke Ling’er’s death, they visited her, gave her gifts, and expressed concern and comfort. Her husband, Ke Zheng, also began to show unprecedented care and concern for her.
In the month following Ke Ling’er’s demise, Ke Zheng would make breakfast for her, brew her soup, and frequently console her, fearing she might fall into deep sorrow due to the loss.
However, people’s attention was fleeting.
It had been six months since Ke Ling’er passed away, and the care and concern that everyone showed began to wane. Ke Yun started being patronizing again, behaving as though she was above her.
Her husband, Ke Zheng, reverted to being cold and distant, showing more warmth towards his subordinates than to her.
And then there was Wang Mei, who continued to act haughtily and bully her.
No, this shouldn’t be happening.
They should treat me as they did before…
Should the “accidental death of Ke Ling’er” happen again?
I’ll be… very careful this time.
About half an hour into the drive, Ruan Mei lifted her face, her smile now gone. She looked at the driver and said, “There’s a supermarket ahead, right? Please wait, my sons like to play with mushroom tacks. I want to buy some of these toys.”
“Madam, you’re so thoughtful for your children,” the driver remarked.
“It’s my duty,” she responded, momentarily looking distant. “By the way, after dropping me off tonight, would you like to have dinner at the house in the mountains?”
“Thank you for the offer, Madam,” the driver replied.
Ruan Mei inquired, “After dinner, will you be driving back to the city?”
“Yes, I need to go home. I have family to look after. If you need the car tomorrow, I can pick you up early in the morning,” he responded.
Ruan Mei, with a deep gaze, said, “I fear I might need the car tonight. Can you arrange for a friend to bring another car? Both of you can have dinner at the house. After eating, you both can leave together in this car, leaving the other one behind.”
“I just want to have a car on standby there. My son had a medical episode last night… I’m terrified it might be too late next time.”
By the end of her sentence, tears flowed down Ruan Mei’s face. The driver quickly responded, “Don’t cry, Madam! I’ll take care of it. You go buy the toys, and I’ll make a call. I’ll definitely arrange a backup car for you!”
The author has something to say:
Some comments from the gamblers that I didn’t include in the main text.
“Have you guys noticed another issue?”
“What issue? Hmm?”
“What’s the deal with Bai Zhou? The relationship between him and Qian Ge seems a bit strange.”
“Oh, you mean… No way, no way. Didn’t Ke Yuxiao and the others joke about Qian Ge having a puppy love? Could it be true?!”
“Damn, is there really a gay scenario happening right beside me?”
“You’re missing the point. Regardless of whether his love interest is male or female… this is not acceptable! My idol Qian Ge should be focused on his career. How can he be dating?!”
“Exactly! If Qian Ge starts dating, I’m going to stop being a fan. This would definitely affect his leveling up speed!”
“You guys are so dramatic. You’ve invested so much into him; can you even pull away?”
“Do you think Qian Ge might be deceived by him? I’m kind of worried.”
“That’s impossible. I will always have faith in Qian Ge. He can only deceive and play with others; it can’t be the other way around!”
“No matter who he deceives, the bottom line is, he cannot be in a relationship!”
A faint glow reflected the horses’ hooves that tread upon the dew-covered grass leaves.
The knights battalion advanced towards the location where the meteor fell at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. The difference between the temporary knights and the regular knights gradually became apparent—
At first, the excited temporary knights whispered amongst themselves, discussing the miracle they had witnessed not long ago. After continuing on for three hours, no one was in the mood to talk anymore. As the horses moved up and down, they began to feel a dull pain in their loins and butts, and their legs grew increasingly stiff and sore from maintaining the same position for so long.
As a Lich, Nol naturally didn’t suffer from these physical details. He kept a calm facade, looking straight ahead without uttering a word the entire time.
His pale golden hair, golden pupils, fine features, and a relatively slender figure made “Drake” stand out among the temporary knights, like a porcelain idol mixed into a bunch of rough clay figurines.
What no one knew was that this seemingly quiet knight hadn’t shut his mouth since the early morning.
Nol leaned into Teest’s embrace, muttering madly in his heart as they went over the details of the battle with Lich Valdorlock. In the end, they began to organize the snippets of information revealed by the candle.
[You are the creator of the system. It’s only natural for it to want to protect you.]
Even though the gaze had vanished, Teest still held Nol tightly, hands resting on his waist.
[Think about it. If we hadn’t been cursed at that time, you would have become a real Lich—powerful, but not unique, with well-known attributes and weaknesses. Once targeted by a being skilled in light magic from the Temple of Life, you’d stand no chance.]
The Mad Monk speculated with interest.
Nol didn’t respond immediately.
Suppose the system’s actions were indeed out of goodwill. By cursing him, making him a unique entity… perhaps that was only part of the reason, Nol thought.
If he had taken the straightforward path to leveling up, he would have had many choices and wouldn’t have focused on the unorthodox method of “slowly increasing attributes”—wouldn’t it be faster to grab some rare equipment instead of spending time fighting powerful monsters?
In that case, he might not have acquired the [Fallen Death] mutation skill.
Nol had a vague premonition that, because of this skill, he would embark on a completely different future.
[…The system gave me the ‘God’s Forsaken’ skill, making the gods unable to watch over me and binding you and me together, perhaps also to protect you.] Seeing that Nol didn’t continue, Teest eagerly went on.
[No, that’s not it.] Nol immediately refuted.
[Hmm?]
[When we first met, we didn’t know each other, and there was no guarantee that we would get along. No one was forcing you to protect me.]
Nol stared at the seemingly endless green grassland ahead, analyzing carefully.
[Even if the curse prevents us from divorcing, we could still ignore the marriage contract and separate… There’s too much uncertainty in such things. I tend to believe that ‘God’s Forsaken’ is there to protect you personally.]
Nol was very serious in his thoughts. [This means that in the eyes of the system, you are special enough—special to the point of needing to be hidden from the sight of the gods.]
The only native with Player privileges. The “White Demon” who could use the system’s power even before the Players arrived.
To say the system merely picked up Teest as a tool was something Nol was the first to disbelieve.
[That’s one interpretation.]
Teest was far from modest. He rubbed his chin against Nol’s shoulder. [According to your idea, we are both very important to the system, and it doesn’t wish for us to fight each other.]
Nol nodded almost imperceptibly, continuing to analyze. [Kando said that if it speaks of certain things, it will immediately draw the attention of the ‘gods’.]
[I have a guess—at certain special moments, the ‘gods’ inspect the situation in the world. Like Eugene’s sacrifice, like Kando’s secret… like when a Player uses inconceivable methods to clear a high-level dungeon for a rare profession beyond their level.]
If there hadn’t been any curses at the beginning, they might have been targeted by some malicious “god” the moment they stepped out of the dungeon’s teleportation point.
But the system made two severe curses take immediate effect, so even if the “god” couldn’t pry, the curses would cause them to overlook the matter—”Physical Destruction” and “God’s Forsaken”. The targets of the curses were essentially useless accounts that wouldn’t affect the big picture.
Cold sweat broke out on Nol’s back belatedly.
From the beginning, the system was quietly protecting them under the “gods’” nose… It all made sense.
[Ah, how touching. Your system has had so much nonsense added to it, but it still tries hard to be on your side,] Teest murmured happily. [It seems that the so-called ‘gods’ can’t fully control the system. How interesting.]
[I’ll let that pass. I’m more concerned about why the system wants to protect you so much,] Nol muttered back.
[Because I am your lovely husband? Your reliable knight? Your venerable pope?]
Nol, unable to tolerate any more, turned his head slightly, glaring at him with the corner of his eye. […Or a detestable narcissist?]
[Adding that to the list is fine too,] Teest expressed generously.
……
After several days of traveling through the cold dew and the wilderness, they finally reached the foot of the Brick Mountains.
The mountain range was dark and steep, like black waves frozen in mid-air. The slopes were shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see clearly. By comparison, the knight’s procession seemed like a line of ants walking beneath a city wall.
They followed the mountain range for a long time, gradually feeling the illusion of not moving at all. The mist atop the mountain lingered, and the sides of the range were too similar, like a fixed loop in the background.
To find a specific location in this featureless wilderness was difficult enough, let alone return the way they came.
Fortunately, the Investigation Knights had noted the direction of the meteor. After half a day’s journey, the location indicated by the meteor was within reach.
“Halt. Make camp,” Eugene ordered.
For the past few days, Eugene had never allowed the troop to pitch camp. They wrapped up in sleeping bags to rest, and meals were dealt with in an hour’s stop or they simply nibbled on dry rations while mounted.
Such high-intensity progress made the Investigation Knights seem relaxed, but the temporary knights were somewhat unable to bear it.
Most of them collapsed on the ground like rotten meat. Even the decorous Sean couldn’t keep his footing, stumbling and kneeling after a few steps. Damori crawled off his horse, plopping onto the grass, then yelped and jumped up, clutching his backside.
Nol thought, without looking, that the kid’s legs and butt must be chafed raw.
The robust “Drake” naturally didn’t have this problem.
His expression was unfazed, as if stubbing his little toe on a table corner wouldn’t change his color. In fact, he was secretly refreshing his butt every day—Nol realized for the first time since coming to Tahe that the convenience of an undead wasn’t to be underestimated.
Teest, accustomed to exercise, cared even less about these things. Taking advantage of the fact that others didn’t notice him, he warmed up with one foot stretched on the horse or would stand on his head from time to time. If not for Nol’s gravity magic keeping him safe, the warhorse would have kicked him off long ago.
When Nol was tired, he just relaxed and leaned against Teest’s chest. After Teest had his fun, he would lie on Nol’s back, sleeping soundly.
These past few days, the two hadn’t missed any rest and could be said to be in excellent condition.
“These past few days have been hard on everyone.”
Eugene came to the temporary knights group to offer his consolations. His complexion was rosy and healthy and his tone sincere and friendly, showing no sign of his recent near-death experience from “summoning the miracle”.
“I’ve instructed the logistics knights. They will prepare a hearty dinner for you all. Someone will come to distribute diluted fruit wine and mint tea later. Please rest well.”
“Thank the Goddess for Her grace.” Sean crossed his fingers like heads of wheat, making a prayer gesture.
“Time is precious. We need to scout the area near our destination first,” Eugene said, shifting the tone of the conversation. He scanned the room with a smile, his gaze pausing briefly on “Drake” who was standing upright.
“According to the rules, I need to bring three temporary knights with me—those willing to go will immediately receive ten gold wheels, and I invite everyone to apply as they see fit.”
“It’s alright if we don’t have enough people. Even one is sufficient, as we need a fair witness. Don’t worry about safety. I will accompany you personally. The safety of the camp will be the responsibility of my two deputy commanders.”
As the only person present who could still stand upright, Nol nodded at Eugene. He stepped over his contorted comrades-in-arms and stood quietly by Eugene’s side. While Eugene wasn’t paying attention, Nol looked regretfully at the steaming mint tea.
Teest draped over Nol like a fur coat. [I’ll make some hot chocolate tonight. Let’s drink it together.]
Nol, with his indifferent expression, thought happily, [Great!]
Sean, watching Nol’s relaxed posture, also struggled to his feet and staggered in front of Eugene like a cripple. “Please allow me to contribute my strength for the Goddess.”
“The Goddess will reward your loyalty,” Eugene said, patting his shoulder as the glow of a healing spell passed over him. “Any more volunteers?”
Even after witnessing the healing spell, the temporary knights present still hesitated.
At that moment, Nol particularly understood their feelings—it wasn’t just about their physical condition—
It was like working overtime for three or four weeks straight, with everyone’s spirits at their limit. Just when a holiday was in sight, the boss announced voluntary overtime.
Even with overtime pay, not everyone would agree.
Sure enough, after a long while, only Damori struggled to come over—or perhaps “hopped over” would be more accurate—he held his backside with his face contorted. “Please take me… hiss!”
Eugene chuckled, patted Damori’s shoulder, and intentionally enhanced the healing effect. Damori let out a long sigh of relief, and his standing posture improved considerably.
“We’re already familiar with each other. It’s good to have someone to look out for one another,” Damori said in good spirits.
Nol suspected this was only half the reason. The other half was the ten shiny gold wheels of overtime pay. Thinking of his colleagues with families and mortgages, he looked at Damori with a bit more sympathy.
By Nol’s side, Eugene withdrew his observational gaze, his smile a few degrees more sincere.
Ten minutes passed, and Damori’s mood didn’t improve.
It was somewhat cold at the foot of the Brick Mountains, still within the range of “autumn cold”. Once they ascended the mountain, the temperature plummeted toward that of a freezing winter. Coupled with the thin oxygen, it felt as dry and brittle as frost, cold from the inside out.
The Investigation Knights were considerate, but they didn’t go so far as to conjure warm winds and oxygen for the three “temps”—everyone walked on snow and ice and melting it would be more dangerous.
Like the other knights, Nol was tied with a rope around his waist, quickly climbing up the cliff, keeping pace with the full-time Investigation Knights.
In this group, only he, “Drake”, looked steadfastly forward, never once looking back.
It wasn’t that the office warrior had suddenly become coordinated, but in the unseen corners, there was always a dark furry ball with paws reaching out from the shadows, providing Nol with footholds.
His determined gaze wasn’t that of the Creator’s aura—Nol was certain that if he dared to look down even once, he would scare himself stiff and slip down the mountain.
[Honey, your coordination is terrible, and your joints are a bit stiff.]
Three or four meters ahead of Nol, Teest perched on a rocky spire like a snow eagle, without dislodging a bit of snow.
[In my previous world, this kind of activity was called extreme sports—extreme sports!] Nol emphasized. [I haven’t even climbed stairs for this long…]
[I didn’t expect you to be afraid of heights.] His Holiness Pope Teest openly mocked his god.
[I’m not usually afraid.]
As they neared the summit, the chilling wind became fiercer, and Nol’s thoughts seemed to become discordant. [Damn, with Eugene here, I can’t freely use magic… There’s not even a railing here, and you’re not by my…]
Teest raised his eyebrows proudly. [Not by your what?]
Nol exhaled a large cloud of mist, ignoring him. Teest hopped down from the cliff and stopped beside Nol, his hand smoothing Nol’s back—before Teest, the slippery, icy rocks seemed to turn into a living room floor.
[Don’t be afraid. I’m right by your side,] he said with a chuckle.
The wind was too strong. Nol adjusted his stance and felt his back touch something. It was a layer of light yet tough netting, which, amid the wind and snow, subtly supported his back.
The Mad Monk’s golden thread.
Nol closed his eyes and took another step upward. The mountain rocks were still wet and slippery, but his fear had been swept away clean by the cold wind.
The other two temporary knights weren’t so lucky.
Damori, being more robust, managed to push forward. Sean, originally a mage, now resembled a cocoon wrapped in a blanket, being dragged upwards by an Investigation Knight.
When they reached the summit, the sunset dyed half of the sky red, and the clouds near the mountain were also tinged with gold.
But no one was there to appreciate this magnificent scene.
Apart from Damori, who was gasping for air on the ground, and Sean, whose consciousness was blurry, everyone noticed the anomaly not far away—
A string of gray-black castles suspended in the air.
It was described as “a string” because the castle seemed to have been brutally dismembered, its fragments falling from top to bottom. Yet, these fragments were connected by sinew-like links of black and red, reminiscent of rotting flesh, just hanging there in midair.
At the very top, in the largest piece of the castle ruins, all windows were lit, clearly indicating habitation. The clouds churned endlessly below the castle, like a stormy sea of gray and white.
This was the rumored “The Manor”.
Nol narrowed his eyes. He was 120,000 percent sure that Siren Fischer was in one of those ruins.
[Look below.] Teest tugged at Nol’s wrist, his voice serious again.
Surrounding them was a sea of clouds, black rocks, and snow, and what caught everyone’s attention first was the castle lights. But looking down was even more horrifying.
Directly below the castle was a hellish, long, narrow fissure.
It was deeply hidden in the shadows, parallel to the Brick Mountain Range, stretching far at both ends, its length and depth impossible to gauge.
In comparison, the castle in the air was like a drop of blood ejected from the massive fissure.
Nol hung his head, fascinated by the crevasse.
It was like the eyes of a dead person that hadn’t fully closed. Nol felt that something in the depths of the fissure was looking back at him.
Suddenly, an abnormal chill seeped into the cold wind.
Nol subtly moved forward a step, shielding Teest behind him. Eugene, making a quick decision, plunged his longsword deep into the snow. Golden light spread, and the twelve present were encased in a semi-transparent golden dome.
The White Night came, for the third time.
This time, Nol saw its source.
From the depths of the fissure came a heavy, chaotic, spine-chilling rumble. It was like the sighs, groans, and wails of thousands. A shadowy blackness surged up from the depths of the crevasse, the scene truly resembling blood oozing from a wound.
The darkness surged, branched off, crawled over the mountains, and raced in all directions. The Manor’s castle, situated higher up, remained unharmed in the rampaging White Night.
The darkness surged around the protective shield. Perhaps due to Eugene’s strong defense, this time it didn’t have the previous “thousand hands grasping” anomaly that occurred with Siren.
After several minutes, the darkness ceased, and the crevasse, like a wound, temporarily “healed.”
The booming became distant and the surging darkness vanished beyond the horizon. That darkness would become the White Night that corrupted the lands, took countless lives, and eventually dissipated in the wind.
Above the sky, the castle’s light remained as usual, as if this was just an ordinary moment on a mundane day.
[In your setting, there probably wouldn’t be this castle, let alone this fissure.] Teest sighed inwardly. [You wouldn’t create something so… despair-inducing, I guess.]
Nol instinctively reached out and firmly grasped Teest’s hand, which was within reach.
It was the closest and only source of warmth.
The author has something to say:
“How to Refresh Away Your Awkwardness and Fatigue” — Nol
Eugene led Nol all the way to the church’s parlor.
This place had been converted into Eugene’s temporary office. Nol noticed the incongruous desk and the excessive number of magic candles.
Besides Eugene, there was a young knight standing guard in the room. Nol recognized him at a glance—it was Manley, the knight they had rescued in Whitebird City. He had recovered well. One couldn’t tell he had been so gravely injured.
Seeing a familiar face lightened Nol’s mood.
If it were just Nol by himself, he might have been on high alert. But now, with Teest swaggering up to Eugene’s desk, taking liberties to sneak peeks at the documents, Nol couldn’t muster up any nervousness.
“Please.” Eugene gestured towards the sofa in the meeting area. A teapot floated by itself, pouring a cup of hot tea for Nol.
“No need. It’s late. Please speak directly,” Nol said dutifully, playing the role of the “Dragonblood Hero Drake” from his impression. He couldn’t deny there was a bit of joy in treating his temporary “superior” this way.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nol saw Teest plopping down in Eugene’s office chair, stretching his neck to look at the documents on the desk. There was a map with many letters and manuscripts on it. Teest was nearly reaching for a cup of tea to drink while he read.
“We have noticed your outings and are aware that you are volunteering to deal with the corrupted monsters,” Eugene began straightforwardly. “Your vigilance is also high. You neither go to the places where knights are stationed nor let our people witness the scene… We can only speculate that your method of dealing with corrupted monsters is very special.”
“I like to act alone,” Nol said. “I ran out on my own. If I involve others, precious time would be spent explaining.”
“As for special, I don’t know what you mean?”
Nol was genuinely puzzled. Teest dealt with the bodies entirely using the methods of the Temple of Life. Before this, Nol had only heard a few “last wishes” from the corrupted—nothing more.
The content of those last wishes was very similar—confused pleas for help, expressions of pain and despair, murmurs of wanting to see family. It was normal human sentiment—nothing out of the ordinary.
“The abandoned house in the east of the city, the space under Colt Tower, the cobblestone path in the city center, the mill on Fluorite Street… Tonight, you’ve dealt with four corrupted monsters, right?”
Eugene continued with a smile, “The corruption of the Demon King is very stubborn, and even after being thoroughly purified, that land will be somewhat colder than other places.”
“The places you’ve cleaned are as warm as normal land. Do you mind telling me how that is?”
Nol: “……”
He had been careless. Indeed, he hadn’t known this detail about the temperature difference.
A few steps away, Teest lifted his head, innocently looking towards Nol, his head shaking like a rattle. [Honey, do you think the former me would have been so kind as to help clean up corrupted monsters?]
At that moment, Teest was on tiptoes, peeking at scrolls on a shelf. As he turned his head, the stack of scrolls he was secretly fiddling with almost collapsed. Fortunately, the Mad Monk was quick and managed to steady them in time.
…Before Nol could pass this buck, his “only Pope” preemptively set up defenses, ready as if beating the drum to pass the blame. This relationship of faith was really too healthy.
Nol tried to discard the thought of “spouses are like birds of the same forest*” from his mind. Eugene wasn’t an easy man to deal with, so he decided to be a bit more honest. “I really don’t know how I did it.”
*The line following after is: When disaster strikes, they fly separately. It’s a proverb used to describe a situation where a couple may seem to be close and committed, but when a serious challenge arises, they may abandon each other and act selfishly.
“Don’t know, huh…”
There wasn’t much disappointment in Eugene’s voice. He casually changed the topic. “The background of all temporary knights has been checked except for yours. You and I are both children of God. It’s better not to keep too many secrets.”
He lifted the teacup, the moss-green color of his eyes floating at the edge of the cup.
The inevitable still arrived.
Nol launched the [Bloodline Suppression] that stemmed from the dragon without hesitation.
Merely affected by the aftermath, the young knight inside the room stumbled, almost falling in place. Eugene, being the target, didn’t even shake the hand that was holding the teacup. He lowered his gaze, set the cup down lightly, and clapped his hands twice.
“No wonder you are also called ‘Drake’.” Eugene’s tone was somewhat relieved. “Another person with dragon’s blood. That’s a good sign.”
“So that’s how it is.” Nol said, “Many people still have concerns about mixed bloodlines, which is why I hide my identity on normal days. I change my appearance every time I take on a task.”
“I understand your worries.” Eugene nodded, his posture relaxed. “Your bloodline is as outstanding as your appearance, but indeed, both can bring trouble.”
“You don’t mind? The duty of the Investigation Knights is clearly to eradicate monsters and the darkness.”
“As long as you are willing to exert effort for Lady Tilia, that’s enough. In the eyes of the Goddess, nobility and commonality are equal—there is no difference between monster mixed-blood and human pure-blood… Wasn’t the Dragonblood Hero from two hundred years ago also a hero among humans?”
Eugene cast a heating spell on Nol’s tea, causing the cool tea to steam once again.
Interesting. As devout believers, Knight Eugene and that Sean had completely different interpretations of the “rules”. Nol was somewhat surprised. Eugene wasn’t as difficult to communicate with as they had imagined.
“Then I’ll just say it—the anomaly in the purification might be due to my special bloodline. Dragon’s magical talent is stronger than humans. Perhaps my purification is more thorough.”
The timing was right. Nol gave the excuse he had prepared in advance.
“Perhaps.” Eugene said, “You may go back now, Mr. Drake. I look forward to your performance. May your life be full of vitality.”
“May the Goddess forever bless you and me.” Nol nodded, and Teest, having completed his snooping, hurried back to his side.
The young knight Manley moved to the door, politely opening it first.
Could the anomaly be related to that [Lost Last Wish] skill? Nol walked on, thinking to himself.
Those corrupted people had expressed their grievances fully before death, removing their resentment? …No, this line of thought was too reminiscent of ancient Country C style. Nol doubted it was that simple.
Teest curiously turned his head to spy on Eugene’s actions.
Whoosh!
A flash of sword light came from behind Nol.
It brushed past Teest’s temples, stopping within two fists’ distance of Nol’s shoulder. Teest dodged just in time, or else he would have lost a large tuft of hair.
Nol stopped but didn’t turn around. “Captain Eugene, what’s the meaning of this?”
“I just sensed hostility and surveillance near you,” Eugene answered nonchalantly, his expression revealing no ripples of emotion. “That feeling didn’t seem like you… Ah, perhaps it’s still too late. My judgment was flawed.”
“You didn’t dodge.” Seeing Nol continuing towards the door without a word, Eugene casually added.
‘That’s the reflex of an office warrior. Even if you were to stab at me head-on, I wouldn’t be able tododge,’ Nol muttered to himself internally but still didn’t turn back, nonchalantly responding—
“You are a knight favored by the Goddess. You wouldn’t attack someone from behind.”
“Hahaha, indeed!” Eugene swiftly sheathed his sword. “I hope we will have the chance to work together.”
No, my family likes to dump corpses in front of the Evergreen Church. I guess you wouldn’t accept this. Nol took heavy steps, walking towards the midnight corridor.
[We need to stay away from him,] Nol thought to himself after leaving the room.
[He really is a troublesome guy. Just now, I only cursed him in my mind.] Teest internally ranted nonstop. [Worthy of the renowned Chosen One.]
[Do you know his prophecy?] Nol became interested.
[Only the higher-ups of the Temple of Life know.] Teest snorted. [Next time you can inquire about it from that Annakin. I am also curious.]
[Mm…]
At the same time, inside Eugene’s office.
“The Chosen Ones and servants of the Temple have all had their identities confirmed,” Eugene muttered as he scrolled through the scroll. “In recent years, no new oracles have emerged…”
But that Drake was clearly not an ordinary person. Eugene prided himself on his intuition. The feeling he got when he faced Drake was no different from when he faced other powerful Chosen Ones… In fact, Drake seemed even more exceptional.
…Could it be that the Goddess didn’t favor him? Drake was evidently a decent pantheist.
…Or was it that Drake wasn’t as simple as he appeared on the surface?
Right, the hostility he sensed earlier was almost inexplicable… Standing there, Drake seemed like the mix of two extremes of good and evil, exuding a very inconsistent aura.
Eugene drew his longsword, and the firelight turned its blade into a mirror. Eugene gazed at his own puzzled eyes reflected in it.
…It should also not be a Supplement Demon. The Eternal Church didn’t have the capability to obtain a fresh, complete dragon corpse to make potions. If they dared to do so, the angry dragons would have flattened the Eternal Church long before.
Eugene thought hard but couldn’t come up with an answer.
In the end, he could only pull out the battle force arrangement chart, placing Drake under the close watch of the Investigation Knights.
“You should rest early,” Knight Manly reminded him. “After all, tomorrow you have to…”
“Thank you for the reminder. I remember.” Eugene cut him off.
……
The next day, outside the city.
After returning yesterday, Teest boasted about the intelligence he had gathered—
On the big shared bed, Nol pretended to be asleep with his eyes closed. Teest crawled under his blanket, chirping non-stop inside the bulging blanket.
Indeed, he had gathered quite a bit of information, such as the multiple conflicts between The Manor and Eternal Day City, and the rough battle plan of the Investigation Knights’ mission.
As Nol expected, Eugene’s arrangements didn’t include a “negotiation” phase. What they couldn’t understand was the absence of an “investigation” phase as well.
The Investigation Knights were unable to confirm the location of The Manor, only knowing that it was on the edge of “Brick Shadow”, and for some reason, divination magic had no effect on it.
Through the captured Siren Fischer, Nol knew the approximate location of The Manor. He had planned to find an opportunity to reveal it to the Investigation Knights, but who would have thought that Eugene would lead the team out of the city so directly, appearing exceptionally confident.
As a temporary knight, Nol was given a horse and was currently squeezed on it in tandem with Teest. To avoid the horses getting too dissatisfied, Nol even kindly used gravity magic. Aside from his back being entirely covered by Teest, warm enough to be irritating, the situation was still under control.
[Are the Investigation Knights always this confident?] Nol asked. [Or is it that they are just accustomed to acting first?]
[No, Eugene Malloy is a very cautious person.] Teest rested his chin on Nol’s shoulder, lazily hooking the reins with his fingers. [He would only make a move when he’s certain of the target. He probably got the news from some other channels.]
With the addition of temporary knights, the expedition force was a full two hundred and ten strong. Each member of the Investigation Knights troop was elite, and this force was equivalent to an elite combat group of a large guild.
Eugene led them to a stop on a vast grassland.
He galloped out of the formation, stopping before the crowd, ensuring that everyone could see him. Nol curiously leaned closer to Teest, their heads cocking as they observed intently.
“In the midst of last night, the Archbishop has returned with the results of the divine revelation,” Eugene said in a loud voice, as the rustling sound of the morning grass surrounded them. “Even the most powerful divination cannot pinpoint the exact location of The Manor.”
“Surely, you must have noticed something special about The Manor recently. Its members come and go without a trace, and with The Manor’s activity, the occurrence of the White Nights has increased more than tenfold… This is a very dangerous adversary. Listen well, everyone. Underestimating the enemy on the battlefield is a grave mistake.”
“Eh? No divination results?” Damori exclaimed in surprise. “Then where do we go?”
Confusion wasn’t exclusive to him. Aside from those like Sean who fully trusted in the Temple, the rest of the temporary knights were more or less puzzled, and whispers began to spread.
“To resolve the issue of The Manor as swiftly as possible, I have decided to request the Goddess’s mercy.”
After two minutes, Knight Eugene spoke again. “I will make a sacrifice here, to let the omnipotent God guide us and reveal the way to us.”
Nol clenched the reins in his hand, and behind him, Teest’s body tensed up slightly.
A direct request to God? What does that mean? A magic trick, or truly summoning a god?
Nol’s mind rapidly sifted through various divination spells, his gaze unflinchingly on Eugene. The rest of the temporary knights gradually fell silent, looking toward Captain Eugene with reverence.
Eugene smiled at everyone and waved to his own team. Two knights approached on horseback. They stopped, one on each side, flanking Eugene squarely in the middle.
With a swish, Eugene drew his longsword.
In the early morning, everything was dim and hazy, as if a thin veil of gray-blue was draped over all things.
The pale light of the sword pierced through this softness, and Eugene’s actions were decisive—he thrust the sword directly into his own chest.
Simultaneously, the knight to his left swiftly drew his sword. Two swords pierced through the armor, and Eugene’s upper body was marked with a cross made by the swords. His body was penetrated, and blood gushed out rapidly.
It soaked the armor and the horse’s fur and drizzled onto the grass. Eugene himself didn’t move; his face quickly turned pale, but his smile remained unchanged.
The scene fell into utter silence.
[There’s definitely no magic like this in my ‘Tahe’.]
[He avoided the vitals, but he will die from blood loss soon.]
Nol and Teest almost simultaneously voiced their thoughts internally.
[This is more like black magic that requires a sacrifice…] Nol was about to add something to his mind when suddenly both of them heard a rustling system noise.
[Attention….. Player Teest, please… hold the person next to you……]
[Attention…… Player Teest, please… hold the person next to you……]
[Attention…… Player Teest, please…… hold the person next to you……]
The system’s voice was distorted and stuttered, faint to almost non-existent. Teest hesitated for less than a second, then fiercely hugged Nol, with such force as if to embed him into his body.
Seeing the system’s abnormality for the first time, Nol didn’t dare act rashly, cooperating with Teest’s movements, pressing close to him.
In the next instant, he thought he knew the reason for the prompt’s trigger.
The air nearby suddenly became immensely heavy, and something… almost like a vision, surged from all directions. The feeling of being watched by a pride of lions on the grassland, amplified a million times, was probably close to what Nol was feeling now.
…Something, something extremely powerful, cast its gaze upon them.
The wind stopped, and all bird and insect noises vanished, the breathing of hundreds of people around was barely audible. In this terrifying silence, Eugene curled his lips upward. With his arms drenched in his own blood, he reached out to the void, as if yearning for an embrace.
“O beginning of the world, sovereign of all things, Supreme Goddess Tilia.”
He called out with a voice full of joy.
“Please guide the way for your devoted knight. Let your loyal sword slay the enemy… Please tell me the location of The Manor.”
The feeling of being watched persisted for a dozen seconds before gradually disappearing.
The next second, Demori, a few steps away, let out a suppressed cry of surprise. Sean dismounted and knelt to pray on the spot—
In the early morning sky, an emerald green meteor descended from the heavens. It trailed a long tail, slowly falling towards a certain location in the Brick Mountains.
Amidst the pool of blood, Eugene ignored the two swords in his chest and performed a proper knight’s salute. “Praise be to Your Grace.”
His complexion was paler than fresh snow, looking as if he might fall off his horse at any moment.
The knight to Eugene’s left quickly acted. With two puffing sounds, the blood-covered swords fell to the grass. The knight on his right immediately cast a prepared healing spell, dousing Eugene with a healing potion that soaked him through.
Knight Eugene then caught his breath. His face was still frightfully pale, but his breathing gradually returned to normal.
Meanwhile, the emerald meteor at the edge of the sky had just vanished.
“Rest for ten minutes, then advance towards The Manor,” Eugene instructed. “The Goddess watches over us. We will surely prevail!”
“Yes!!!” Dozens of temporary knights erupted in cheers. Even the nominally faithful Damori’s cheeks were flushed with excitement.
Passing through the forest-like raised arms, Eugene’s gaze fell on Nol’s direction. “Drake” responded to his look seriously and calmly.
At this moment, the tumult within “Mr. Drake”, or Nol’s heart, was perhaps only known to his templar knight.
[That location is absolutely fine.] Nol muttered frantically in his mind. [That was definitely not normal magic just now. I didn’t feel any magical fluctuations, but the location indicated by that meteor is indeed correct, matching exactly with where the siren is located… Teest, do you know this spell?]
This might have been their closest encounter with the so-called “God”.
Unexpectedly, Teest didn’t respond to him excitedly. The Mad Monk remained silent, both in body and spirit.
[Teest?]
[I was thinking about the system prompt just now.] Almost half a minute later, Teest finally responded. [It wanted me to stay as close to you as possible.]
Nol was stunned. The impact of the “divine” intervention was so great, he almost forgot this detail.
[I have an interesting hypothesis.] Teest stroked his chin, his tone a bit… peculiar. [Do you remember the curse on me? The one left by the Lich.]
[Of course, I remember.]
[Deceiving God with unworthy means, God will no longer watch over you. There’s a line in the system description of “God’s Forsaken” that says this. And that candle said, God must also absolutely obey the rules of the system.]
Teest took a deep breath, his tone losing its usual lightness.
[That is to say, “God’s Forsaken” isn’t only binding me. With this curse, God is equally unable to watch over me.]
[Nol, was the curse placed by the system really to “curse” you and me?]
The author has something to say:
Here it comes!!! The story is in the middle phase, gradually filling in the gaps~
Making an erratum. For those who have been reading along, note that God’s Abandonment is now changed to God’s Forsaken as I think that sounds better. Earlier chapters have been fixed to correct this change.
Zhou Qian was awakened by a loud knocking on the door.
Ke Yun’s voice rose—
“Kids, wake up! Something’s happened! Something’s happened!”
Zhou Qian yawned, rubbed his eyes, climbed down the ladder, and noticed the small wooden table had already been set with milk, bread, and even a plate of peeled shrimp.
He looked at Bai Zhou in surprise. “When did you wake up?”
Bai Zhou simply replied, “About an hour ago. I heard some noises and woke up earlier.”
“What’s the situation outside?” Zhou Qian asked.
“If nothing unexpected happened, probably four players are dead,” Bai Zhou said. “You go freshen up and eat something, and I’ll explain in detail afterward.”
Zhou Qian glanced at him and went out.
Outside, Ke Yun was knocking on everyone’s doors. Normally a well-dressed, graceful lady, she now looked quite disheveled. She had thrown a coat over her nightwear, and her socks were mismatched.
“Why is it so noisy so early in the morning?”
The words came from Wang Mei, who looked annoyed as she opened her door.
Seeing Ke Yun’s state, she seemed surprised. “Sister, what’s going on?”
“Stop pretending,” Ke Yun responded angrily. “The police will be here soon, and you won’t escape!”
“What are you talking about? What happened?” Wang Mei seemed genuinely confused and was also getting irritated. “You invited us here, and now you’re giving me attitude so early in the morning? Just because I respect you as my elder sister doesn’t mean—”
She was interrupted by Ke Di, who came out of his room.
After assessing the situation and noting his sister’s red eyes, Ke Di asked, “What’s going on? Where are my brother and his wife?”
Listening intently for a moment, Ke Di said, “Usually, at this time, my sister-in-law would be in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Why isn’t she…”
“I just received a message that said,” Ke Yun paused, tears streaming down her face. She took a deep breath. “Let’s talk about it downstairs in the study. I have questions for you.”
She shot Wang Mei a cold look, then said to the children, “Sorry for waking you up. Get ready and go to the kitchen for breakfast. Auntie… I… I’ll talk to you later.”
Upon seeing this, Zhou Qian deduced that Ke Yun had probably received a message via her pager, informing her that four children had encountered trouble. In her panic, she quickly woke everyone up.
But after awakening the children, she regained some composure and realized she didn’t know how to approach the subject with them.
So, she decided to first discuss the matter with Wang Mei and Ke Di. Evidently, from Ke Yun’s words, she harbored suspicions about Wang Mei.
Consequently, the three adults headed downstairs. The other four players, apart from Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, stood in the hallway, seemingly still unaware of what had transpired. Zhou Qian glanced at them but chose not to say much. He went to freshen up and returned to his room to eat his breakfast.
While Zhou Qian had breakfast, Bai Zhou narrated the events from an hour ago.
Ruan Mei woke up early, and when she left the master bedroom, her demeanor was calm, as if nothing had occurred the previous night.
She first went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and then proceeded to wake up the children.
After visiting two rooms and noticing something amiss, she rushed to the master bedroom to awaken her husband.
Subsequently, with tears in her eyes, Ruan Mei, accompanied by Ke Zheng, left the master bedroom and went to the two rooms where the incidents had occurred. She sobbed uncontrollably, nearly fainting, but didn’t make much noise.
After a while, when Ke Zheng emerged from one of the rooms, he carried one child and dashed downstairs. Ruan Mei did the same, but she was holding two children from another room. In this manner, the two of them, carrying four children in total, made their way from the living room to the garage. They placed the children in the car and drove away.
“They couldn’t believe the children had died, so they went to the hospital, thinking there was still hope,” Bai Zhou said. “Of course, Ke Zheng truly didn’t believe it. But Ruan Mei was pretending.”
“Hmm, your behavior as an older brother is also quite strange.” Zhou Qian teased while nibbling on a shrimp. “You watched as four of your younger siblings died, and you’re not sad. While the parents rushed the kids to the hospital, you calmly peeled shrimp for me in the kitchen?”
Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian for a moment before nodding. “Yes, we have limited ingredients. Make do.”
Hearing Bai Zhou’s response, Zhou Qian laughed and continued, “How did you wake up so early? I didn’t hear anything.”
Bai Zhou replied, “They were indeed very quiet. Ruan Mei’s portrayal of the perfect wife and mother was impeccable. Even when crying, she barely made any noise. When she and Ke Zheng went to check on the children, she quietly reminded him that the other kids were sleeping and not to disturb or scare them.”
“Hmm… so Ke Zheng never suspected that his own wife could be the murderer.” Zhou Qian observed. “But Ruan Mei’s mental strength is quite impressive.”
This story was designed as a game, so many details were altered, like the number and age of the children. But the general logic was consistent.
In the real-life story, Ruan Mei likely suffocated a child with a pillow during the night. Yet, the next morning, she pretended as if nothing happened, trying to wake the child. When she found the child unresponsive, she acted clueless and sought her husband.
She cried, shed tears, and was filled with panic and helplessness. She couldn’t believe the child had died and pleaded with her husband to take the child to the hospital. Even in the midst of this turmoil, she reminded her husband to be careful not to wake the other children.
Later, the already deceased child was rushed to the hospital by the couple. Ruan Mei might even have kneeled before the doctors and nurses, begging them to save her child, perhaps even kowtowing to them in desperation.
But in the end, when all resuscitation attempts failed and the child was pronounced dead, Ruan Mei collapsed in despair…
Under such circumstances, who would suspect Ruan Mei to be the murderer?
Yawning, Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou, narrowing his eyes slightly. “There’s still an issue—”
“What issue?” Bai Zhou asked.
“How could you hear such subtle movements from outside? Because of the enhanced senses of a Rank God player?” Zhou Qian probed further.
“Yes, correct. I’ve had training in this area,” Bai Zhou explained. “Our senses are much sharper.”
“I see… There’s Hidden Blade guarding He Xiaowei’s side, so he should be fine. I can’t contact him, probably due to some restrictions in the exhibition hall. Hearing you now, I feel a bit relieved,” Zhou Qian mused.
He glanced at Bai Zhou’s demeanor, wiped his hands, and walked over to him. With Bai Zhou seated, Zhou Qian adopted a dominant stance, looking down at him.
“What is it, Zhou Qian?” Bai Zhou inquired.
Zhou Qian approached and, leaning down, hooked a finger under Bai Zhou’s shirt hem, lifting it slightly to glance at his abdomen.
Before Bai Zhou could respond, Zhou Qian sat back down, nonchalantly remarking, “So, you don’t have scales on your body.”
Bai Zhou chuckled. “Do you want to see me with scales?”
Zhou Qian counter-questioned, “What was the scale you gave me for?”
Bai Zhou explained, “When we establish a one-to-one Shepherd relationship, it will come in handy.”
“I thought it was some powerful self-defense tool,” Zhou Qian replied with a hint of disappointment. He then questioned, “Giving it to me so early on, did you know I’d agree to be your Shepherd?”
“It didn’t matter whether you agreed or not,” Bai Zhou responded.
“And if I declined?” Zhou Qian probed further. “Would you have found someone else?”
Bai Zhou simply stated, “There’s no one else.”
After a brief silence, Zhou Qian, with a sincere tone, expressed, “Bai Zhou, the followers who consumed Epoh’s apple in an attempt to become gods went mad. The setting in that instance is a metaphor, right? The minds of Rank God players can also go out of control. Without a Shepherd to guide you, what would happen to you, Bai Zhou?”
Switching to a more serious tone, Zhou Qian said, “I’m not just saying this in anger. I’ve genuinely realized I don’t know you well enough. I’ve always thought you were a rational person, but now…”
“Zhou Qian,” Bai Zhou suddenly interrupted, emphasizing, “I live in Zone X of Spring Hill Mental Asylum.”
“I still don’t know what this game is truly about, but there’s one thing I’ve likely deduced.” Zhou Qian continued, “To the outside world, Zone X claims to house the most dangerous lunatics. But from my perspective, it’s a secret training ground for Rank God players.”
“Some people have died in reality, but their bodies are held in Zone X while their minds get trained within the game. There are no real lunatics in Zone X. It’s a diversion created by certain individuals.”
“Haven’t you ever doubted… maybe I am truly mad?”
As Bai Zhou said this, he fixed his gaze unblinkingly on Zhou Qian. His eyes were gentle like water, and his tone was soft. The breeze and sunlight streaming through the window softened his childlike features, but his words hinted at a hidden danger. It felt as if a trap was silently closing in from behind him.
Zhou Qian seemed stunned for a moment.
Noticing his expression, Bai Zhou continued, “Perhaps the Bai Zhou in your memories and I are two completely different people. How would you feel?”
Growing up, Zhou Qian lacked the love and care of his parents. Therefore, every act of kindness from Bai Zhou was magnified infinitely in his eyes. A separation of seven years only deepened Zhou Qian’s memories of Bai Zhou, with each recollection further amplifying Bai Zhou’s goodness.
If the thick layer of rosy memories were to shatter now, would Zhou Qian think that the real Bai Zhou beneath those memories had always been different from what he imagined?
“Bai Zhou, I have a sharp intuition about people. Saying I don’t know you well doesn’t mean my opinion of you will change,” Zhou Qian said with a definitive yet mysteriously alluring look.
“The more challenging the instance, the more I like it. The more complex the puzzle game, the more interested I am. So, this has become even more intriguing.”
“Zhou Ge,” Zhou Qian said, hinting at something. “You’ve truly never disappointed me.”
……
Five minutes later, Ke Yun gathered all the children in the corridor.
By now, she had changed into a dress, put on high heels, applied lipstick, and regained her elegant demeanor.
However, her tone of voice betrayed her unease. “There’s been an… incident at home. Some police officers will be coming over soon. For the next few days… you all will be staying at Auntie’s newly bought house, alright? Go grab some clothes and your favorite toys. In ten minutes, I’ll take you there!”
The one labeled “Ke Shi” asked, “Auntie, where are… Brother Five, Brother Six, Brother Two, and Brother Three…?”
At this, Ke Yun struggled to hold back her tears. Wiping them away, she replied, “Here’s the thing, Xiao Shi, siblings might start life together, but not everyone is fated to stay together. Some might leave us first and become… become little stars in the sky…”
If they were truly innocent children, someone would likely have asked, “Why did they become little stars?” But these children were fundamentally players, and they understood Ke Yun’s implication.
The remaining four underlings of Ma Luoluo, looking pale, instinctively turned their gaze to Zhou Qian. They seemed accusatory. However, when confronted with Zhou Qian’s intimidating gaze, they involuntarily backed up until they were against the wall.
Once Ke Yun went downstairs, Zhou Qian addressed them, initiating the conversation. “Did you ever expect that Ma Luoluo, who was hell-bent on killing me, would end up dead himself?”
“You bastard…” One of them stepped forward. “Was it you? Did you do it?”
Zhou Qian looked at him with pity. “I really wonder how someone with your intelligence managed to reach Rank S. If you just hung onto coattails or endlessly grinded to level up… then why didn’t you play it safe and progress slowly? Why would you dare enter such an instance? Isn’t that just seeking death?”
“Show some damn respect!”
As the person was about to shout further, Zhou Qian interrupted, “I genuinely pity you guys, being sold out and not even realizing it.”
The person paused, then demanded, “What the hell do you mean?”
Zhou Qian explained, “Why do you think Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping chose different surnames but made all of us adopt the surname ‘Ke’?”
The four of them exchanged glances, looking bewildered. Zhou Qian continued, “It’s because Ma Luoluo, based on some clues, believed the murderer was targeting only those with the surname ‘Ke’. But he only shared this with Meng Pingping and not with you. Why? Because he wanted you to be cannon fodder. Got it? He never cared about your lives!”
They were taken aback, their faces pale. Zhou Qian added, “He thought he was smart, especially after seeing Wang Mei spend a long time in my room; he became even more convinced she was the murderer… but you saw the outcome, right?”
“I think the game’s setting maintains for three days, so there might be a limit to the number of murders the real culprit can commit each time. Otherwise—you all would be dead.”
As Zhou Qian emphasized this point, the one named Ke Shi’s legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees.
With a cold smile, Zhou Qian continued, “To put it plainly, Ma Luoluo, that fool, lacks both intelligence and integrity. At a critical moment, he chose to betray you. Why follow someone like that?”
“Only I know who the real culprit is and how to clear this level.”
30 seconds later, once they had processed this revelation, the four directly knelt before Zhou Qian.
“Qian Ge, we were wrong before!”
“Please, show us mercy!”
“Please tell us, how can we escape?”
Zhou Qian showed no sympathy for these fair-weather* followers capable of killing for money.
*Wallflower that sways with every wind /fence sitter (墙头草) Metaphor describing someone who wavers between two sides without showing loyalty to either (AKA a flip-flopper).
After ridiculing them, he coldly said, “Alright, then let’s make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“When we get out of here, if you come across your other boss, that bald man… you must turn on him and help me deal with him.”
……
30 minutes later.
Six “children” got into a minivan.
The driver was arranged by Ke Yun and said he would take them to her house first.
Zhou Qian sat shoulder to shoulder with Bai Zhou in the front row. He looked at the driver and asked, “What are the adults doing?”
The driver replied, “The young madam didn’t specify, but they have some matters to handle. Was your house robbed? I just saw the police heading there.”
Zhou Qian didn’t respond to that but asked, “Do you know our schedule for today?”
The driver said, “The young madam only mentioned that I should take you there first. Someone will arrange lunch for you. Don’t worry. Later on, your parents will come to join you. Rest assured!”
Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou exchanged glances. Zhou Qian then asked, “Where is Auntie’s house?”
The driver replied, “It’s on the mountains. She bought it for vacation. The place is surrounded by mountains and rivers. The scenery is beautiful!”
Hearing this, a chill ran down Zhou Qian’s spine.
Surrounded by mountains and rivers, wouldn’t that make it easy for another “accident” to occur?
Ling Xiao, who had always remained outside the realm of history, was suddenly entrusted with such a heavy responsibility and was momentarily bewildered.
His tone was filled with uncertainty, and his eyes, which kept shifting downward, revealed his inner turmoil.
“To be honest, if it were me who had just completed the coming-of-age ceremony and traveled back in time, I might have given an answer without a second thought.”
“Back then, I harbored a deep hatred for this system. Death seemed like a release compared to living without dignity.”
“If I knew that the origin of inequality was a matter of choice, perhaps, as you said, I would have resented the person who made this choice, who decided the fate of everyone for their own selfish reasons, and wondered how many people would despair, truly feeling that it’s better to be dead than alive.”
But gradually, as he recalled more of his past, he grew more confident, and his troubled gaze began to show resolve.
“However, I must admit, this system has given us a possibility—a possibility for people in love to be together. Without this system, our future would be hopeless that not even despair would exist. What’s the point of having freedom and dignity in such a future where there’s nothing to look forward to?”
“I’ve seen many people suffer because of the existence of the blood pact, like Ping Zong and Lan Sheng, the Principal and Fei Jing, Tai Yin and Shang Yang… but I’ve also seen many more who have found happiness through it, like Doctor Yao and the Professor, Commander Fu Yao and Instructor Nie Yun, Bing Can and Red Head, and many others. If to avoid the misfortune of some, we must deprive many others of their happiness, where then is their freedom to pursue happiness?”
“When I was still naive, a health physician at the academy once said that in true love, there is no hierarchy, no winning or losing. Even though the Qizhu has strong controlling power, if it’s a pair of true lovers, this power will not come into play; their souls are equal, their statuses are equal.”
“In my youthful ignorance, I dismissed it as nonsense, but only after I experienced true love did I realize that this is actually the crystallization of wisdom that our people have striven for and pursued over four thousand years, pouring countless hearts and souls into it. Our ancestors, through lifetimes of self-destruction and lonely reincarnations, have only gained a small step forward, and your descendants will also continue step by step in your footsteps.”
Ling Qi and Ye Zheng held each other’s hands tighter in private, and everyone present yearned for the beautiful future he had outlined.
“Moreover,” Ling Xiao showed a smile on his face that he himself didn’t notice, due to the image of a certain person that appeared in his mind, “without the existence of the blood pact, Ying Feng and I would not have been able to fall in love with each other again without knowing that we were lovers in a past life.”
“We would have missed each other, perhaps separated by life and death at the coming-of-age ceremony, or perhaps we would never have crossed paths at all. With his low emotional intelligence, he might end up holding a peach pit and living in loneliness forever, or even dispersing his soul. How could I rest assured?”
“As a beneficiary, I am grateful for the birth of the blood pact. If I have to choose a prefix for living on, I hope it’s that no matter what, I can be with the one I love, because only such a life has meaning.”
Ling Qi and Ye Zheng both let out a sigh of relief, along with everyone present. The difficult choice became simple and pure because of the emergence of this mysterious person.
“What you said is right.” Ling Qi smiled. “If you die, you have nothing, but if you live, there’s always a chance for a turnaround.”
“Compared to real humans, we wake up with the knowledge of language, writing, and all the skills necessary for survival, so in our long lives, we have enough time to learn how to get along with each other.”
He picked up Ye Zheng’s hands, their foreheads touching, fingers interlocked. “From now on, our relationship will no longer be equal, which itself goes against the original intent of love. But I believe that our descendants will find a way to interact with equality within this unequal relationship, carrying on the intentions of our hearts, lifetime after lifetime.”
“Perhaps in the future, there will be better solutions. Maybe in another four thousand years, people will find the key to undoing the coming-of-age ceremony. But in this life, at this moment, in this place, I am willing to give up everything to be your Qizi, with no regrets.”
The crowd was immersed in this warm atmosphere for a long time before they belatedly realized that this must be the first wedding since the birth of the Republic. The delayed applause added a touch of liveliness to the simple ceremony, and people’s faces were filled with joy. Since they had learned how to smile, this was the first time they had shown such smiles after the coming-of-age ceremony.
“It’s just incredible,” Tai Shao said to Ling Xiao. “Do you really come from four thousand years in the future? Can I check your data?”
Ling Xiao stretched out his arms generously, allowing Tai Shao to connect the instrument to his wrist, and the data values for him and Ling Qi were listed side by side on two screens.
“I wasn’t quite convinced before, but seeing this data, I have to believe,” Tai Shao exclaimed. “You have undergone significant upgrades and evolution compared to the Tianxiu people of today. It must be that your kin have been working hard over these four thousand years to achieve such remarkable progress.”
“The only pity is that with my personal abilities, I cannot transplant your code directly, let alone the fact that the bodies of the modern Tianxiu people wouldn’t be able to handle it. High-end software can only run on high-end platforms, and too advanced code would only cause the system to crash. All I can do is make a simple modification to the base, and more than that will have to rely on your next life. Fortunately, you have already proven that you can do it.”
He typed on the keyboard. “‘Loyalty to the royal family’ is a core command that cannot be changed. In order to compensate as much as possible for the unequal relationship brought by the blood pact, I’ve supplemented it with ‘Always be loyal to one’s partner when the royal family does not exist’, and set it as the highest priority. Loyalty is already your primary attribute, so such a modification should be easily accepted. The coming-of-age ceremony is also impossible to abolish, but we can add a contradictory command to constrain it. For example, change the command from needing to kill the other to develop to…”
He couldn’t think of an alternative.
“Develop through a union of both parties?” Ling Xiao suggested casually.
Tai Shao snapped his fingers. “That’s a good idea! Let’s decide on that.”
Ling Xiao: …I feel like I’ve dug myself a big hole.
“No, actually, we could discuss this issue further…” Ling Xiao tried to interject.
Tai Shao ignored him and continued, “I will close your replication rights. From now on, you can only obtain souls through the Soul Tree. Newborn souls will no longer need genetic transplantation from real humans but will be born with humanoid intelligence directly.”
“Why is that?” Ling Xiao asked, puzzled.
“This is the agreement I made with the people of this country. In exchange for helping you modify your code, you will give up the right to replicate yourselves and only let the Soul Tree automatically control your population. If you abide by the agreement and live peacefully, the Soul Tree will continue to produce souls, making your population thrive. But if you continue to invade as before and harm the interests of other nations, the number of new souls will become fewer and fewer until completely cut off.”
Ling Xiao felt somewhat guilty, but luckily no one else noticed. They were still immersed in the joy of the changes in their current situation. As for the population crisis, it was too distant for them, not a concern of people in this era.
After sending Ling Qi back with Ye Zheng and instructing him on the matters to be aware of during the chaotic period—since he was the first in all of Tianxiu to go through the chaotic period without prior experience—Ling Xiao began to doubt whether his purpose for returning was to help his past life through this difficult time.
“I have safely gone through the coming-of-age ceremony. What about you? When will you leave here for the next time point?” Ling Qi asked after carefully noting down every word of Ling Xiao’s instructions.
“I don’t know.” Ling Xiao scratched his nose. “Maybe soon, or maybe I’ll be here for a long time. If you don’t see me one day, I’m probably gone.”
“Although I’m reluctant, I hope you can return to your world soon and reunite with Ye Zheng’s next life.”
“I will,” Ling Xiao waved at them, climbed out the window, and jumped onto a tree.
“Why does he live in a tree?” Ling Qi asked.
Ye Zheng shook his head. “Don’t know. Maybe it’s a habit of people from the future.”
From a distance, Ling Xiao spotted peaches on the tree. He grabbed the biggest one, wiped it, and was about to bring it to his mouth when he noticed his hand becoming transparent.
‘Let me have a bite before I go!’ he cried inwardly, but alas, the goddess of time didn’t hear his plea. He watched helplessly as the peach slipped through his hands, cheerfully tumbling towards the soil beneath the tree.
Thud—something hit the ground, rolled for a bit, and then came to a stop.
Ying Feng, who was loosening the soil in the flowerbed, heard the noise and looked up to see something round beneath the tree.
He walked over to investigate and found it was a wild peach from the tree, fallen because it had ripened unpicked and was now somewhat rotten.
Xiao Hui also came over for a symbolic sniff. Judging by its size, it could now be called Da* Hui. Having spent so much time with Ying Feng, the wolf had become very aloof, nothing like the lively creature it had been when it was with Ling Xiao.
*Big.
“Do you want to eat it?” Ying Feng asked.
Xiao Hui haughtily turned its head away in refusal.
Ying Feng looked up and saw many ripe peaches still on the tree. If a certain person were still here, they would probably be very happy.
He contemplated picking the peaches but, by accident, spotted a little sprout poking through the soil under the peach tree.
“What’s this?”
He approached for a closer look. Over the years, he had become familiar with many plants, but he had never seen a sprout like this one. It seemed to be some sort of woody plant, but it didn’t belong to any known category.
How could such an unidentified plant suddenly appear here?
Ying Feng took out the paper and pencil he always carried with him and quickly sketched the new sprout. As he closed his notebook, he realized that this environment seemed somewhat familiar.
I have always kept it because it is very important to me, but if it means making someone important to me unhappy, between things and people, I would of course choose the latter.
Ying Feng finally remembered—it was here, the place where he had decided to bury the keepsake, beneath the peach tree in the backyard of the church.
…Could it be?
In his bewilderment, Ying Feng noticed some disturbed soil in a corner nearby, as if someone had dug it up and then covered it again.
What now?
He walked over, and just as he squatted down, Xiao Hui nervously followed and sat conspicuously on the suspicious spot.
Ying Feng was almost certain it was Xiao Hui’s doing. Without further ado, he shooed the wolf away and dug up the soil with a shovel to reveal what lay beneath.
Gnawed bones, the desiccated corpse of a mouse, cicada shells, a lump of cloth too decayed to identify…
Ying Feng was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. “Did you collect all these?”
The aloof Da Hui’s secret stash was exposed, its head swiveling east and west, unsure of what expression to maintain its aloof demeanor.
“That sprout over there is your doing as well, isn’t it?” Probably not knowing where it found the seed, it buried it in the ground, where it just happened to sprout.
Xiao Hui looked confused, but to Ying Feng, who saw things from a different species’ perspective, that probably indicated a degree of guilt.
“Why are you like a monkey, liking to hoard all sorts of junk?”
Xiao Hui’s eyes brightened for a moment, then dimmed down, its head drooping listlessly.
After blurting out that remark, Ying Feng also fell silent. Man and wolf faced each other wordlessly. A gentle breeze passed by, and the little sprout in the distance swayed its tender young body with the wind.
After a while, Ying Feng reached out and rubbed Xiao Hui’s head.
“Let me help you bury these again.”
Xiao Hui lay dejectedly on the ground, emitting a low whine from deep in its throat.
After the Battle against Luojiu, the emperor’s health improved day by day. The ministers believed it was the protection of the heavens that spared the emperor from illness. Only a few knew the truth—that Xu Jingxing’s strange illness, which seemed to slowly stew him like cooking meat, was clearly the work of the Imperial Preceptor’s lineage. The Immortal Assembly, with its vast supernatural powers, might have already planted the Twin Roots in Xu Jingxing before he became the crown prince.
The Immortal Assembly was temporarily taken over by the Jianchen Temple, while Jiang Youyue and Qu Duanyun were imprisoned deep within the imperial prison. Xu Jingxing, wanting to torment the two, kept them under the pretext that the war wasn’t yet settled, neither interrogating them nor letting anyone see them. It was unknown how long they hadn’t seen daylight.
Compared to this Emperor Brother, the Prince of Rong’s condition was even worse.
Xu Jingming had weathered many storms. He would occasionally think of the time when he first entered the Ghost Tomb. Compared then to now, it seemed like another lifetime.
Many people knew Xu Jingming well and said that the Prince of Rong had changed. Before, Xu Jingming looked down on everyone and didn’t value the lives of commoners. But after experiencing the recent tribulations, his arrogant demeanor vanished.
The old servant brought Xu Jingming a calming soup at night. The prince was staring at the plants in his room. The night was silent, making the creaking sound of the door particularly sharp. Xu Jingming was startled and thanked the servant after the soup was set down.
The servant was surprised by this and almost spilled the soup, wondering if his master was possessed. However, seeing Xu Jingming’s actions, he dismissed the idea, thinking that the prince was still recovering from a recent shock.
Indeed, Xu Jingming hadn’t recovered. His mood fluctuated, and his pride as a royal had taken a hit. After learning about the True Immortal, his self-worth plummeted from “above all” to “just a larger ant”. His past cruelty now seemed like a joke.
The Prince of Rong was mentally unstable and couldn’t keep up his usual demeanor. Everyone was equal, so who was truly noble? But changing one’s attitude required saving face, and Xu Jingming had thin skin. With these conflicts, he hadn’t been able to sleep well.
Out of desperation, Xu Jingming sneaked out to see his Emperor Brother.
The world wasn’t settled yet, so the Prince of Rong stayed near the palace. The diligent and caring emperor, Xu Jingxing, wouldn’t sleep before the middle of the night, so Xu Jingming wasn’t worried about visiting.
Seeing his younger brother approaching, the emperor spoke first.
“Don’t worry. For this mission against Luojiu’s Hanging Tree, I’ve sent some people.”
Xu Jingming blinked and looked at his brother. Lu Fu, closely related to the Immortal Assembly, had been replaced. The emperor, draped in a robe, was reviewing documents. The light was dim, but the emperor looked much healthier than before.
“The Minister from the Ministry of Heaven is in charge, and I trust them. Shen Zhu is a remarkable woman with strong hatred and persistence. This time, many sects sent their best fighters with diverse skills, making their infiltration into Luojiu less suspicious.”
“Mm,” Xu Jingming responded absentmindedly.
He wasn’t too surprised about Shen Zhu’s mission into Luojiu. Only someone truly determined would challenge the Immortal Assembly as a commoner. And she actually succeeded in her revenge.
However, Xu Jingming’s main concern wasn’t the foreign Hanging Tree.
Noticing his distraction, the Emperor asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Brother, how do you plan to deal with the people from the Immortal Assembly?” Xu Jingming hesitated before asking.
“You’re pleading for your friend?”
“I’m not sure if Qu Duanyun considers me a friend,” Xu Jingming replied with a bitter smile. “It’s just… It’s just that few of us acted humanely. Since childhood, we’ve viewed Jingzhi as a monster. You’re a good Emperor, but I…”
He held himself in high regard, never valuing the lives of those beneath him. Compared to Qu Duanyun, he was no different, akin to the saying, “The pot calling the kettle black.” Before the exposure of the Hanging Tree, he too viewed everyone as if they were mere animals, only differing in that he lived comfortably and didn’t take extreme actions.
Now, Qu Duanyun was imprisoned, while he roamed freely outside. Although Xu Jingming didn’t think of himself as irredeemably guilty, he still felt a subtle mix of emotions inside. A blend of the relief of survival, overwhelming shame, and confusion made him genuinely uncertain about what to do next.
Xu Jingxing sighed deeply, giving Xu Jingming a profound glance before shifting the conversation.
“Jiang Youyue is deeply involved in this matter and cannot escape responsibility. However, the Immortal Assembly has a significant influence among the commoners, so I cannot publicly execute him. The most I can do is imprison him until his death.”
Jiang Youyue looked young, but he was old inside. In prison, there were no materials for performing magic and no books to relieve boredom. The prison guards prohibited any conversations with prisoners, and he couldn’t even see sunlight. Even without any mistreatment, he wouldn’t live long given his age.
Yet, compared to Yin Zizhu’s fate, this might be lenient.
“Qu Duanyun is problematic. Although there are witnesses from the martial world, there is a lack of physical evidence. Moreover, the Qu Clan has many relatives in the court. It’s a crucial time for employing talents. Hastily dealing with him might upset the Qu Clan.”
Xu Jingming looked at the emperor with confusion, not understanding why this was being said to him—he had no concerns about politics, and now his head was reeling from all this information.
“Qu Duanyun’s parents understand the bigger picture. I’ve discussed the matter with them. They’ve decided he should change his last name, sever ties with him, and expel him from the Qu Clan. The martial world disputes should be settled within the martial arts community. Now, as a common man, let the martial artists handle him. Whether he lives or dies will depend on his fate.”
Xu Jingming listened silently.
“When Qu Duanyun is released, you will escort him out. I’ve already informed the Yueshui Pavilion about it. Now, even Taiheng wouldn’t accept him. Since you are old friends, you should be the one to settle him.”
“…Alright.”
Xu Jingming agreed verbally, but he was still puzzled. He was dealing with significant life events, yet the Emperor entrusted him with such a baffling task. The Yueshui Pavilion would clearly be a better fit for settling a commoner.
By the time Qu Duanyun was released, it was midsummer.
Compared to when he was imprisoned in spring, Qu Duanyun looked much leaner. Now he appeared haggard, missing his former vigor and energy. In jail, with poor food and living conditions, his once robust physique had deteriorated. At a glance, he looked no different from an ordinary person walking the streets.
Although Qu Duanyun was persistent, he wasn’t foolish. The Hanging Tree had been destroyed, the lineage of the Imperial Preceptor had been firmly controlled by the Emperor, and it was impossible to reverse the Hundred-Year Project. Expelled by the Qu Clan, he couldn’t pursue a career or join the army. With his debt in the martial arts world, he was a pariah. Qu Duanyun might have preserved his life, but his eyes reflected only confusion.
The Emperor spared his life, but only just.
Without a great cause or any prospects and only enough money for a few days of sustenance, Qu Duanyun sat blankly in the carriage, unsure of his next steps. Outside, the curtain of the carriage window fluttered slightly as a porter passed by. The man’s skin was sunburnt and sweaty, yet he had a beaming smile, chatting away with the guards at the city gate.
Previously, Qu Duanyun would have disdained such a sight. Now, it evoked complex feelings. Compared to this ordinary porter, he seemed to be living a more miserable life.
“…You look worse than a corpse.”
Xu Jingming sighed from the other side of the carriage.
“When Jingzhi left the city, his situation was similar to yours. The emperor didn’t give him much money or a decent identity. The money he made afterward mostly came from treating people.”
Qu Duanyun looked at Xu Jingming silently, expecting him to say something about “victors and losers”, but Qu Duanyun remained silent.
Perhaps this was his first real taste of the burdens of the mortal world. Xu Jingming smiled wryly. After all, they had never truly experienced life from the bottom before.
“You… You should think of a way to make amends to the martial world. After all, being alive is better than being imprisoned until death. You have skills, and even if you can’t be part of the martial world, you won’t starve by doing physical labor.”
“Doing physical labor won’t make me starve.” Qu Duanyun finally spoke, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “Your Highness speaks lightly. Have you ever thought of doing physical labor yourself?”
Xu Jingming glanced at the heat outside the carriage and confidently retreated—after all, it was easy for him to talk without walking the walk.
“I, Qu… have seen the pinnacle of success. I wouldn’t stoop to scraping by in the mud.” Qu Duanyun’s voice wavered. “As long as the Hanging Tree exists in this world, it can be used by people…”
He didn’t sound as confident as before, and Xu Jingming didn’t point it out. Having once experienced the taste of looking down on the world, it was hard to lower one’s gaze again.
“Forget about the Hanging Tree. You should think of a new surname for yourself first.”
Qu Duanyun stared at Xu Jingming for a while, his gaze incredibly complex. Xu Jingming shrank back slightly, feeling goosebumps. Since their reunion, it seemed Qu Duanyun had never really looked at him so intently.
“You’re something else,” Qu Duanyun said softly, his tone somewhat absent-minded. “Whether starting over or persisting, you seem much more at ease.”
After saying this, he looked out the window again and didn’t say another word to Xu Jingming. The Prince of Rong stood frozen on the other side, pondering and seemingly having an epiphany.
The palanquin swayed as it left Yidu.
When they reached a pavilion in the suburbs, the palanquin slowly stopped. Xu Jingming picked up the food box and got out. At the same moment, a man flew out of the pavilion, stepping lightly on the breeze, his face full of smiles.
“You’re here, quite punctual. I smelled it from far away.” Shi Jingzhi grabbed the food box and winked at the bundle. “It’s rare for His Royal Highness of Rong to deliver things personally. Goodbye.”
Then, he rushed into the pavilion, exclaiming, “Zizhu, Zizhu, these are the snacks I ate when I was young! I especially requested them from the palace. Taste them while they’re hot!”
His words became muffled, likely due to him already eating.
Xu Jingming mentally prepared himself and clapped his fan. An artifact shot out, trying to catch the escaping master. Just as the fox let out a groan, a flash sword qi struck with a cold light and actually cut the artifact in two.
In an instant, Yin Ci descended from the sky, his presence chilling.
Xu Jingming sighed at the loss of his expensive artifact. “The bastard… Elder brother ran too fast. I just wanted him to stay.”
He tried to greet with a smile, but who would’ve thought Shi Jingzhi would run off, treating him with such indifference as one might treat a delivery boy.
“Oh, then stay,” Yin Ci said with a meaningful smile. “We’re just here to cool off. There’s nothing serious to discuss.”
“It’s… It’s not a big deal. The Emperor has handed Qu Duanyun over to me, and I’m not quite sure how to handle it. Elder… Brother Shi, you’ve been around and are well-established in the martial world. I thought you might have some suggestions.”
Xu Jingming rubbed his hands and hurriedly apologized.
“It so happens that I arranged to meet with you, so I thought…”
“Huh? Qu Duanyun?” Shi Jingzhi took a piece of snack and poked Yin Ci’s lips with it. “Just find any river and throw him in to feed the fish.”
Xu Jingming: “……”
He had overestimated the Child of Desire’s humanity. Shi Jingzhi’s words truly came from his heart, confirming that he indeed had no familial affection. If Xu Jingming were to hand over the hot potato that was Qu Duanyun to Shi Jingzhi, Qu Duanyun might actually end up as fish food the very next day.
Xu Jingming: “Elder Brother, enjoy your meal. I was just casually asking. Farewell.”
This time, it was the Prince of Rong who turned and fled. He rushed back to his palanquin and quickly instructed the driver to continue the journey.
Shi Jingzhi snorted at the swaying carriage and then turned to Yin Ci with a cheeky grin. “Is it tasty? Want me to feed you another piece?”
Yin Ci slightly lowered his head, one hand holding onto his slipping hair, carefully licking the crumbs from the other’s fingertips. “Sure.”
Xu Jingming glanced over—he had never seen such a soft expression on Shi Jingzhi’s face before. It was as if he was racking his brain to dig out all the sweetness from the past, breaking it piece by piece to share with his beloved.
It was almost blinding.
He yanked the curtain of the sedan chair, rolling his eyes upwards. After a long pause, he finally exhaled.
“That’s it. I’ve done my best. From now on… you go your way, and I’ll go mine.”
After saying this, he felt a sudden wave of relief.
Qu Duanyun didn’t respond but simply nodded.
In the years that followed, Xu Jingming didn’t achieve any significant accomplishments but was renowned for being extremely cautious. His mansion became a widely praised place among the servants. To some extent, he even gained a popular reputation. He also kept track of Qu Duanyun’s movements—the man, after all his efforts, mingled and maneuvered in the martial world, ultimately paying the price by sacrificing a limb to save his life. In the first two or three years, Xu Jingming heard rumors of the man trying to rise again. Years later, there were still tales of “Lord Duanyun” in the martial world.
However, twenty years passed, and he never heard of the man’s whereabouts again.
…But that’s a story for another time.
The author has something to say:
Sect Master Shi: Digging out all the cherished memories to offer.
Ever since the Hanging Tree disappeared and the flesh idols were completely destroyed, Shi Jingzhi never spat blood again. The diligence and restraint of Sect Master Shi seemed to disappear along with the Hanging Tree. He would still practice martial arts every day, but he no longer woke up early, as if he wanted to make up for all the past hardships. Today was no different. Shi Jingzhi’s long hair was scattered, his face nestled close to Yin Ci’s neck, and both hands wrapped tightly around Yin Ci.
Last night, Yin Ci specifically dispelled his doubts. Now, Sect Master Shi was completely buried under the soft blankets, sleeping soundly. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating him in a particularly flattering light. Thinking of the past, when Shi Jingzhi would frequently cough up blood, Yin Ci couldn’t help but feel sentimental.
While lost in his thoughts, he playfully pinched Shi Jingzhi’s nose.
The latter remained stubbornly asleep, continuing to snore loudly with his mouth wide open. Yin Ci chuckled and leaned over to plant a deep kiss. Shi Jingzhi woke up instantly, his eyes shining brightly.
“I have a place to go today; you can sleep in tomorrow.” Yin Ci pulled away. “I borrowed their kitchen this morning. Consider it a little compensation.”
Stretching lazily, Shi Jingzhi got up, looking utterly content. “Where are we going?”
The smile on Yin Ci’s face faded a bit, and he turned, letting the sunlight stream across his features. After a moment of silence, he whispered, “Lady Sun’s tomb.”
Shi Jingzhi didn’t ask further. He specifically chose simple clothes and left early with Yin Ci from Chigou. As Yin Ci had promised, he decided not to interfere with the affairs of the world, not even planning to listen to the details of the “Conference of Righteous and Evil”.
The two left Shafu, heading towards the northwest desert border.
“…Lady Sun wasn’t buried in the Sun family ancestral tomb.”
Riding a horse together, Yin Ci spoke first when he noticed Shi Jingzhi’s thoughtful silence.
“I asked Huaijin. Apparently, she didn’t wish to be. Sun Wang, the Marquis of Lie’an, was very famous, and this wasn’t a particularly honorable matter for the Sun Clan. It has been kept secret, and over the years, probably very few have even come to pay their respects.”
“How do you know where she’s buried?” Shi Jingzhi asked, holding onto Yin Ci from behind.
“They had an agreement.”
Yin Ci gripped the reins tightly.
[Brother Yin, I’ve spoken to your sister-in-law. If I end up too fragmented in death, remember to save some of me. When she passes, bury it with her, so we can be together.]
[…What if I die before you?]
[Nonsense, you have the aura of an immortal. You’ll surely outlive me.]
“The Northwest is remote with intense battles. If the enemy employs battle formations, one might not be left with a complete corpse… If she couldn’t wait for Sun Wang to return, she would be buried near the battlefield.”
If he couldn’t find his way home, she would come to fetch him.
The Northwest was their final battlefield. He and Sun Wang returned victorious. Lady Sun lived for a long time, praying daily, and lived to see her descendants thrive. But in the end, she couldn’t find her beloved.
The “Marquis of Lie’an” was still alive, but she left the luxurious mansion and her kin to be buried alone in the northwest wilderness. Perhaps, three hundred years ago, Lady Sun sensed, ahead of everyone else, that her true love was no longer here.
Yet, she still waited for him.
Yin Ci dismounted and walked to a vast wasteland. Several unidentified travelers were buried here, with simple stones as tombstones. Among them was an old, neat one, standing out among the others.
However, it was still simple, with only the character “Sun” carved on it.
Yin Ci opened the cloth bag he carried and offered incense. Then, with a swirl of his sword’s qi, he pushed away the thick soil of the grave.
Despite their disdain, the Sun Clan at least chose a high-quality coffin. This place was extremely dry, and after three hundred years, the coffin underground was still relatively intact. The bones inside the coffin had long dried up and scattered, tangled amidst the faded shroud. Against the backdrop of the desolate land and the whistling wind, it felt especially lonely.
Being a descendant of the Sun Clan, Shi Jingzhi, without waiting for Yin Ci’s signal, silently cleansed his hands and neatly arranged the bones.
“It’s ready, Zizhu.”
Yin Ci took out a small bag of the True Immortal ashes from his backpack. The ashes were wrapped in a plain silk cloth and accompanied by a large bag of round beads. It was placed on the chest of the skeleton. Yin Ci, without adding any additional gold or other offerings, closed the coffin and buried it once more. Fearing the grave might be robbed, he slightly renovated the tomb and left some fresh fruits in front.
“Sun Wang, I truly hated you once.”
Yin Ci opened a jar of fine wine and poured it over the tombstone.
“If the roles were reversed, I might have made the same choice. You and sister-in-law left behind the truth of that year, balancing the good with the bad, so I’ll forgive you.”
The fine wine poured over the coarse stone, leaving behind a moist dark trail, accompanied by waves of intoxicating fragrance.
“Now, I have a family and a career and live carefreely. A hundred years from now, I’ll come down to settle this score with you. Today, I want you to see that after all the twists and turns, I’ve gotten the one I’ve yearned for. You may have placed me in a coffin, but this person brought me back to the world of the living. You used to pester me about marriage every day, so take a good look now. Isn’t this the most beautiful woman in the world?”
The wind blew over the dead wood and stubborn stones, leaving behind a whimpering echo.
Shi Jingzhi placed one hand on Yin Ci’s shoulder, not in the mood for jest. Yin Ci, for once, seemed emotionally unstable—a mix of sorrow and joy. Not wanting to disturb Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi simply stood by his side.
Although not that helpful, he still has relatives like Xu Jingxing and Xu Jingming. Elder Sun, having recently grown closer to him, began to feel more like family. For over twenty years, he wandered the world alone. Now, he not only had family but also a loved one, fully enjoying the worldly ties.
However, Yin Ci didn’t have as much. Sun Wang’s sentiment towards him might be the last trace from three hundred years ago.
Yin Ci sat in front of the grave for a while, and Shi Jingzhi also held back for a long time. Eventually, unable to resist, he lit some incense and bowed to the tombstone.
“It’s a pity the two of you couldn’t grow old together. Now that your revenge has been avenged, I will cherish and stay with Zizhu for life.”
Yin Ci seemed to recover, jokingly saying, “Oh? So Your Highness accepted the title of the world’s most beautiful woman just like that?”
Shi Jingzhi cast a deep look at him, then bowed to the tombstone again. “Both of you are like my ancestors. I have one thing to clarify—it wasn’t him seducing me; it was my own willing heart. When we meet in the underworld, please don’t treat him like a cradle robber.”
Yin Ci: “……”
Fine, this kid is more ruthless. Shi Jingzhi really was a descendant of Sun Wang, so he truly had nothing to say. Their days were sweet, but for some reason, their playful teasing habits never changed.
“Let’s go back. I came to the Northwest this time to put an end to these matters.” Yin Ci played with the tips of Shi Jingzhi’s hair. “If we continue west for another two hours, we can still make it to the evening market over there… Who’s there?!”
In a flash, sensing a presence, Yin Ci swiftly drew Shi Jingzhi’s hairpin and threw it in the direction of the source. The newcomer was skilled at concealing their aura.
Seeing their cover blown, a man with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, dressed in the military uniform of the Western Ridge, stepped out from behind the rocks—clearly a spy from the Western Ridge.
Shi Jingzhi who lost his hairpin: “……”
The man was followed by a small squad, evidently surprised to encounter people from Great Yun in such a desolate place. The soldiers of the Western Ridge were skilled, and in no time, they surrounded the two. Yin Ci narrowed his eyes, instinctively shielding Shi Jingzhi behind him.
The soldiers from Western Ridge didn’t rashly advance but rapidly communicated in their native language.
“Are there Great Yun people here? Soldiers?”
“These graves are of the nameless; their identities probably aren’t high. They must be… wanderers. I recognize that flag. It belongs to wandering doctors.”
“Then let’s kill them. There are only two of them after all.”
“They both have good looks. Why not capture them to be slaves? They might fetch a good price.”
“You better be skilled then,” Yin Ci interjected in fluent Western Ridge language. After hundreds of years of boredom, he had even learned embroidery, let alone the language of a neighboring nation.
“Return my hairpin, and then we can talk,” Shi Jingzhi added in equally fluent Western Ridge. He was well-learned, and his true nature was evident.
My hairpin! Even if it was a cheap item he casually acquired from the Chigou Sect, it was the hairpin Zizhu personally inserted for him!
Sect Master Shi selectively ignored the fact that it was Yin Ci himself who had thrown it away.
The Western Ridge soldiers: “…”
The Western Ridge language was very different from the official language of Great Yun, and few understood it. These two were definitely not ordinary.
“Attack!” The soldiers decisively agreed.
Yin Ci sneered, reaching out with his bare hands. Even though he held no sword, the pressure from his swing felt as sharp as a fine weapon. Shi Jingzhi also swiftly summoned his golden flame, and in a flash, a towering fire blazed.
Shi Jingzhi’s inner force was still astonishing but not as inexhaustible as before; it now had a mortal taste. Yin Ci’s swordplay, in the midst of the confrontation, surprisingly emitted faint silver glows.
Shi Jingzhi slowed his movements, holding his breath.
Previously, when they were on the battlefield, Yin Ci wielded his usual sword qi. After all, this habit had been maintained for over a hundred years, and he was quite adept at it. Now, perhaps due to a change in his mood, Yin Ci’s sword intent began to show traces of inner force.
Yin Ci himself seemed quite surprised. He looked like someone who had been bedridden for years, now trying to walk again. Shi Jingzhi watched as the inner force evolved from unfamiliarity to being clumsily nascent and then integrated seamlessly.
Upon reflection, this wasn’t too surprising. Yin Ci had lost his inner force before because the Hanging Tree was too big. Once his meridian connected to it, the tiny amount of his inner force he cultivated vanished. Now, with their vital qi interconnected and circulating within their bodies, they mutually amplified each other, reminiscent of “dual cultivation” mentioned in tales.
The sword qi was spirited and unrestrained. Silver threads waved in the air, creating ripples like a sudden summer downpour hitting a river. Wherever the rain reached, the Western Ridge soldiers silently fell, with the silver glow reflecting off the red of their blood.
…This was how Yin Ci, or “Yin Zizhu”, looked a long time ago, before the Bone Sweeping Sword technique was born.
Perhaps this was the best farewell to Lord and Lady Sun.
Shi Jingzhi couldn’t help but smile, and the flames on his flag flared up a bit more.
Fire and water intertwined, illuminating the wilderness. The Western Ridge scouts all met their end in front of the graves. Yin Ci poured himself half a jug of wine and decapitated an enemy as an offering to Sun Wang.
Shi Jingzhi, on the other hand, retrieved his hairpin from a pool of blood and wiped it clean. The two exchanged smiles without uttering a word.
“Zizhu, help me put it on.”
“Wait a bit. My hands are covered in blood.” Yin Ci, standing amidst the pile of bodies, looked slightly troubled. “Stop using this cheap thing. Later in the night market, I’ll pick a good one for you.”
“This one is fine, even stained with blood.” Shi Jingzhi moved closer and lowered his head. “Come on.”
Yin Ci couldn’t refuse him and carefully tied up his smooth hair.
“But when we go to the night market later, we should still buy what’s needed.” Shi Jingzhi murmured.
Yin Ci chuckled. “Alright, as you wish.”
The sun blazed, with the smell of wine and blood mingling in the air. The gravestone stood silently, and on the surface of the stubborn stone, a tiny crack quietly appeared.
Like a hint of a smile.
The author has something to say:
Sect Master Shi: Mine, all mine! Mine! (Indulging in his desires)
Demonic Lord Yin: Spoiling him.jpg
I feel like their home will eventually have a huge warehouse, the “Child of Desire Museum”. (x
The supposed tranquility that night was shattered by the sounds of fighting.
No one came to investigate, as the residents here were all too accustomed to such noises. Devoid of any sympathy, pity, reluctance, or love, these were just two ruthless intelligences, each seeking to claim the right to survival by killing the other.
Ling Qi collapsed heavily, and immediately after, Ye Zheng’s dagger pierced into his chest. Judging merely by their positions, one might think it was simply one overpowering the other, but a cruel reality was unfolding.
A cold breeze awakened Ye Zheng, who came back to his senses from his moment of loss of control. Ling Qi lay motionless beneath him; the weapon that pierced his chest was in his own hand. Although only the tip of the dagger had entered, it was enough to reach Ling Qi’s heart. The words of that mysterious person during the day still echoed in his ears; he had once again killed his lover by his own hand. They had found each other life after life, yet every time, they met the same fate.
Was such a destiny truly unchangeable? In agony, Ye Zheng pulled out the dagger, and a gush of crimson liquid flowed out. He bent down to lick the wound on Ling Qi’s chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.
“Don’t leave me again.”
Such events had occurred too many times, and he could no longer bear to go through them again.
He kissed from the chest up to the lips. Ling Qi’s eyes were lifelessly open, the melanin within them fading gradually. When the color finally turned transparent, it marked the end of his life.
“I don’t want to lose you ever again.”
His tears dropped one by one, falling into Ling Qi’s lifeless eyes, as if causing ripples.
After a while, Ling Qi’s eyes moved slightly, the fading of the black halted, leaving behind a barely perceptible layer of gray.
This faint movement sent Ye Zheng into an ecstasy of joy.
“Ling Qi?” he called out tentatively.
The person beneath him took a moment to respond to this call. Focus returned to his vacant eyes, and Ye Zheng was sure that focus was on himself.
“Ling Qi,” he called out excitedly several times, finally eliciting a further response from the other.
“…Ye Zheng?”
Ling Qi’s voice was very weak. “What’s happened to us?”
“You’ve survived,” Ye Zheng said in disbelief, cradling his face. “You really survived.”
He held the regained person tightly in his arms, wishing to crush him into his marrow, not wanting to let go even if it were an illusion. After dreaming for so long, a moment finally came true.
Ling Xiao jumped down from the tree, facing Ling Qi’s light gray eyes. He was taken aback.
It was like seeing the past him, them, the color shared by all the Qizis’ eyes.
How long had it been since he had seen these gray eyes? Ever since returning to the past, the eyes of the Tianxiu people were only black and dark gray, more monotonous than in their era.
“What happened to us?” Ling Qi asked. “Is this the resolution you spoke of, the one that would satisfy most people?”
“I…”
Before Ling Xiao could speak, Ye Zheng eagerly interjected, “We can go to the Genetic Center. The expert the government has brought in is there. Perhaps this is the chance to change the coming-of-age ceremony.”
The expert mentioned by Ye Zheng was the very person who had added an active trigger condition to today’s coming-of-age ceremony. However, upon seeing this person, Ling Xiao realized that he wasn’t of the Tianxiu people—at least not of the contemporary Tianxiu.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“I come from Huoxiu,” the person answered. “My ancestors were Tianxiu, the race that you people annihilated. My great-great-great-grandfather was named Tai Duo, once a scientist of this nation. Our family migrated to Huoxiu a long time ago, and I grew up there. This is my first visit to this planet.”
The three of them were surprised to hear that he was from Tianxiu. The staff of the Genetic Center quickly explained, “Although Tai Shao is from Tianxiu, this time he has come to help us.”
“You? Come to help us?”
The Lone Star bore a genocidal grudge against the people of Tianxiu. It was unimaginable that there were still survivors among them in the world, but even so, they had only reasons for revenge, so how could they possibly lend a helping hand to the Lone Star.
Tai Shao saw their doubts. “It’s true that we are descendants of the Tianxiu people, but my ancestors were always against genetic transplantation. The fate that the people of Tianxiu had suffered was also predicted long ago.”
“My ancestor left a will saying that our brethren have only themselves to blame for ending up this way. They created you and gave you human intelligence, so they should have treated you as independent entities with equality. Before he left, he secretly copied the code of the Tianxiu people, but allowed only us to possess it, not to create, so that one day when it is needed, we could offer you some help.”
Seeing Ling Xiao and the others wanting to speak, he hurriedly continued, “You don’t need to feel too grateful or anything else. He ordered us to do this for our own sakes too. If you continue in the current mode, things will only become more and more terrible.”
“The Lone Star Project was also proposed by our ancestors, and we don’t want the artificial warriors we created to become a threat to the entire galaxy.”
“If possible, he still hopes that you can enjoy the emotions brought by human intelligence, and as long as you are willing to live as ordinary humans, I will do my best to help you perfect the code. Of course, for the core program that can only be modified by royal authority, I am helpless.”
After explaining his reason for coming here, Tai Shao turned to Ling Qi, who had miraculously survived the coming-of-age ceremony but was still seriously injured. After being brought here by Ye Zheng, he was always weakly half lying and half sitting, his pale face and light gray eyes achieving a startling unity in tone.
“You say you survived from the coming-of-age ceremony?” Tai Shao asked.
Ling Qi nodded with difficulty.
“How do you feel now?”
“I feel like the soul inside me is not my own.”
Ye Zheng clenched his hand; his eyes were now completely black, and even the slight gray that was distinguishable was imperceptible.
Tai Shao used an instrument to read Ling Qi’s data.
“How strange. Many of his codes are different from ordinary people’s. Can bio-humans also experience genetic mutations? Judging from the current reaction, I guess that the victor of the coming-of-age ceremony showed mercy, which conflicts with your instincts. It’s really rare to overcome your instincts.”
Tai Shao shook his head. Science couldn’t clearly explain everything, which was why there were religion and superstition.
But the people at the Genetic Center didn’t care how it came about; they were more concerned about whether this kind of case could be applied.
“So, this code that allows him to survive, can it be copied to others?”
“It’s possible.” Tai Shao stroked his chin. “But various signs indicate that the life he continues to live did not come out of nowhere but is entirely taken from another person.”
Tai Shao turned to Ye Zheng. “If I’m not mistaken, it is you who extended his life, and the price paid is your own lifespan.”
He pointed to the complex data on the instrument. “Even artificial life ages, and when the system determines that you can no longer bear more information, it will automatically recycle and clear, then cultivate anew. Of course, this process is relatively long, and many do not reach it before they die accidentally, so it seems like you have an infinite life.”
“If everyone were like him, giving part of their own lifespan to the other party who lost in the coming-of-age ceremony, then the lifespan of both parties would decrease, not just by half, but perhaps even more.”
“If just giving part of my lifespan can make him live, of course, I am willing to do so,” Ye Zheng interjected quickly.
“I haven’t finished speaking. The reality isn’t so simple.”
“Let me give you a simple example. Now, there are two computers in front of you. One’s CPU is damaged, but its memory, hard drive, graphics card, etc., are all normal. If you want it to continue to work, you can only plug these parts into the motherboard of the other computer, which is equivalent to one host connecting to two displays.”
Tai Shao pointed to two screens placed side by side. “On the surface, it seems to have two windows, but in reality, one window is controlled by the other. The second computer can control everything of the first one, even,” he paused, “the behavior.”
“That is to say, if you want to continue such a relationship, your identities will no longer be equal. One person will be able to control everything about the other person except for their thoughts. Their speech, their behavior, any action—they can easily dominate.”
“And the other person will become an accessory to this person, living in dependence on them forever. If they leave this person, they are likely to suffer the pain of being ripped away from their roots.”
“I cannot simplify such a complex program into a multiple-choice question that allows every pair participating in the coming-of-age ceremony to choose independently, and moreover, the mainframe cannot handle such lengthy code. So you only have one decision to make, and this decision will affect every one of your brethren. Either accept it together or reject it together.”
Tai Shao carefully checked Ling Qi’s condition. “You don’t have much time left. You have only temporarily extended his life. If it is not solidified now, he will be reincarnated just the same. The chance of such a mutation occurring is extremely small, and if it is not seized now, there may never be another opportunity.”
Ye Zheng was holding Ling Qi’s hand tightly, and from the end of the coming-of-age ceremony to now, he had never let go, as if letting go would allow the other to turn into a soul and fly away.
However, at this moment, he had to make a choice: whether to let this person’s hand continue to stay in his palm or to let him go.
They looked at each other for a long time. It was the love accumulated over seven lifetimes that allowed them to have a moment longer than others to be together.
“I used to think that losing you was the ultimate pain, until today I realized that giving up after regaining you is truly having nothing at all.”
Ye Zheng choked up. “I am willing to give all my life to bring you back, but I cannot bear to see you pay a price more important than life. I hope you are always free and happy and not a vassal of anyone, even if it’s me.”
“If it costs your freedom and dignity to live,” he paused for a long time, tears falling like rain, “I choose to let go.”
His grip became stronger, yet it was slowly slipping away. Ling Qi’s hand was gradually withdrawing from the palm of his hand.
This was the most difficult decision made for the longest of times. The two hands were holding each other tightly, yet slowly drifting apart.
“Wait!” Ling Qi suddenly grasped his hand in return.
“I can’t give an answer now because when one has nothing, they desperately desire to possess, but once they have everything, they will never be satisfied and always picky.”
“Now, we are the ones with nothing, happy to drink even a drop of water found in the desert. But when this drop of water turns into poison, will our descendants accept everything left by their ancestors?”
“They might resent and hate us because of our selfishness, which brewed the roots of their inequality.”
He turned to Ling Xiao. “Every one of us here is a stakeholder unable to make an objective decision. Only you come from a future where both parties of the coming-of-age ceremony will survive, and only you know best whether this decision will bring happiness or misfortune.”
“So please forgive me for irresponsibly passing this difficult choice on to you. Your decision today might affect the future of all of Tianxiu and might even rewrite the world where you exist, so please choose carefully…”
He gazed deeply at Ye Zheng. “…Whether to give up status, dignity, and everything to be with the one you love, or to live on alone and free forever.”
The author has something to say:
When this novel was first published, there were countless opponents of the Tianxiu spouse system. I wonder if you are still there now. There is a multiple-choice question at the end of this chapter. Everyone is welcome to participate in deciding the future of Tianxiu.
The distinct sound of high heels echoed through the corridor. Because of the vastness of the villa and the length of the corridor, coupled with the silence of the night, the sound even produced an echo.
Thus, each step, each echo, seemed to transmit a clear and forceful intent to kill in the darkness.
Inside the room, on a small wooden bed, the childlike Zhou Qian lay on his side, facing the child Bai Zhou.
The surrounding silence was almost palpable. After listening intently for a moment, Zhou Qian said to Bai Zhou, “Her footsteps lag half a second behind your heartbeat. It seems she walks with a consistent pace.”
It seemed that even Bai Zhou hadn’t expected Zhou Qian to be paying attention to his heartbeat at this moment. In the dim light, Bai Zhou’s gaze deepened.
However, he quickly sat up—the footsteps outside in the corridor had stopped. Three seconds later, there came a knock on their door. The knocks were heavy and frequent, as if the person outside was both impatient and angry.
Turning his head back, Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou lying on the bed. The moonlight from the window highlighted the clarity of his eyes. Contrasting this was a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
It was as if he wanted to give Bai Zhou a heads-up about his playful intent as he asked, “Should I go answer the door?”
Bai Zhou simply nodded. “Go ahead.”
Zhou Qian got out of bed and went to open the door.
What he didn’t know was that in the virtual game lounge, in booth A711, there were many gamblers betting on him. Having been upgraded to Rank S, he was no longer the subject of bets from only low-level gamblers; many high-level gamblers had placed their bets on him.
On screen, Zhou Qian was unaware that he was being watched by so many. He was deeply engrossed in the game and, unknowingly, seemed to have developed a certain understanding with Bai Zhou.
But the observing gamblers didn’t seem to get the gist of their conversation, sparking a fervent discussion among them.
“Wait, don’t talk! Did anyone close the booth’s door? Check it! We don’t want other players to see!”
“It’s closed, relax.”
“Good. The main hall is open to all players. Who knows if some player knows that greasy Ma Luoluo? We can’t afford any leaks.”
“I’ve checked many times. It’s fine. Everyone, discuss freely. The soundproofing here is excellent.”
“I’m still not at ease. I’ll stand guard at the door. You guys continue.”
“Why do you think Zhou Qian wants to open the door? Who’s outside?”
“Let me think… The young assistant Zhu Zhu left. It’s unlikely she’d come back in the middle of the night. This is a large villa, with a big courtyard and security at the door!”
“Right, Ruan Mei always wore flat shoes. Sister Ke Yun did wear high heels initially, but she changed later. Oh, that Wang Mei! She didn’t change her shoes after coming in!”
“No. Regardless if Ke Yun and Wang Mei changed shoes after coming in or not, I noticed when Ruan Mei took the kids to wash up before heading to their respective bedrooms; both Ke Yun and Wang Mei had indeed changed into slippers!”
“Haa… But come to think of it, isn’t it strange? Why would a murderer wear high heels?”
“Since all the women had changed out of their high heels before going to bed, it means that the person now walking in the corridor put them on afterward. Why?
“Why would the murderer purposely wear high heels? They need to be stealthy, right? This way, she’d disturb people!”
“Exactly! Not only the heels, but her knocking was also quite audacious and loud!”
“Wait—could it be that the person wearing high heels isn’t the murderer?”
“Possible! We all trust Qian Ge’s intelligence. He dares to open the door, probably because the person outside isn’t the murderer.”
“If the person outside isn’t the murderer, then who is she? Why is she knocking?”
“Let’s analyze each possibility. If she isn’t the murderer… Ke Yun is a traditional well-bred lady, educated and very capable. She genuinely likes these kids, bought many toys for them, and put in effort to assist Ruan Mei…”
“Did you notice that when she was eating at the dinner table, she always kept her mouth closed while chewing?
“Someone of her caliber wouldn’t disturb children’s sleep by clicking around in high heels in the middle of the night.”
“As for Ruan Mei, she’s always worn flat shoes, even when working outside. It’s conceivable that she’s not accustomed to wearing high heels. Regarding Wang Mei…”
“Hey… temporarily excluding the possibility of a creepy man in heels, among the women, Wang Mei is the most likely candidate!”
“But why would Wang Mei do this?”
…
Suddenly, a deep and magnetic voice interrupted the discussions—
“Wang Mei is doing it on purpose.”
The person who spoke was Priest. He gestured to his left wrist, where there was no watch.
This gesture indicated that he’s currently not a player but merely a gambler. Without a watch, he couldn’t communicate with other players via the system, like Ma Luoluo, who intended to kill Zhou Qian. That was why the gamblers dared to let him stay here.
Priest continued, “You’ve analyzed it well. Which murderer would draw attention to themselves by wearing noisy heels before committing the act? She’s not here to kill.”
A gambler immediately asked, “You think it’s Wang Mei too? Why do you say she’s doing it on purpose?”
“Start the analysis from the Ke siblings. Ke Yun, Ke Zheng, and Ke Di are siblings. The Ke family is probably in business, given that Ke Zheng’s young assistant addresses him as ‘Mr. Ke’.
“But Ruan Mei mentioned that Ke Yun is about to become a Bureau Director. So, Ke Yun is in politics. Her career is probably separate from the family business to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Otherwise, blending politics with business can easily lead to accusations of impropriety.”
“Given the lack of evidence, Ke Yun’s character is leaning towards an independent, strong woman. She likely doesn’t get involved in the family business or care about the inheritance.”
“Thus, inheritance disputes mainly involve the brothers, Ke Zheng and Ke Di. Their long-standing rivalry means they’ve always had a strained relationship.”
He paused and looked at the other gamblers, then said, “This villa belongs to Ke Zheng, not Ke Di and Wang Mei. Although we don’t yet know why they’re staying here tonight, it’s clear they came reluctantly.”
“Wang Mei is haughty and domineering, but she has her reasons. Ke Yun referred to her as a ‘Young Madam’. Given her status and Ke Di’s, she looks down on Ruan Mei, viewing her as a nobody who rose above her station.”
“Nevertheless, Wang Mei dares not cross Ke Yun. When Ke Yun reprimanded her, she didn’t dare talk back.”
“Now, with her high heels and knocking on Ke Yi’s door, it further corroborates my guess—she needs something from Ke Yun or is in some way under Ke Yun’s thumb. In any case, her appearance now is due to Ke Yun.”
He looked at the screen and concluded, “Wang Mei chastised Ke Yi at the dining table. Now she’s come to apologize. But it’s not voluntary. Ke Yun ordered her, so she had no choice.”
“She’s showing her displeasure by intentionally wearing heels. On one hand, she’s throwing a tantrum, wanting to wake everyone up; on the other hand, she’s subtly showing her anger towards Ke Yun—”
“You wanted me to apologize, right? Well, I did. What? Did I accidentally disturb everyone’s sleep? Sorry about that. I’m just doing what Miss Ke asked.”
Gambler A: “Damn, such a simple reason! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Gambler B: “It’s a mindset problem. Those exaggerated movies with femme fatales in heels have misled us!”
Gambler C: “That being said… who would kill multiple children? What’s the motive?”
Priest gave a mysterious smile, opting not to answer.
Another gambler chimed in, “What’s the deal with Ma Luoluo? Does anyone know his background?”
Priest’s eyes narrowed as he said, “Is there a need to delve into the background of a dead man?”
Gambler D: “Wait, what do you mean by…”
Priest said with a tone of disdain, “The current Rank S is too diluted. As the game matured, all sorts of people were elevated to Rank S. Such an idiot… daring to accept a bounty from the Peach Blossom Legion.”
……
Inside the game:
When Zhou Qian opened the door, he indeed saw Wang Mei outside, awkwardly wearing high heels along with her pajamas. Glancing at the other closed doors in the corridor, Zhou Qian intentionally raised his voice in a child-like tone. “Auntie, why are you here?!”
After this shout, the door to one of the rooms slightly opened.
That was Ma Luoluo’s room; he was probably watching what was happening outside Zhou Qian’s room.
Zhou Qian discreetly turned his attention back, tiptoed, and grabbed Wang Mei’s wrist with a very innocent smile. Wang Mei cleared her throat, reluctantly saying, “Is it Ke Qi? Is your brother Ke Yi asleep?”
“Not yet. I’ll call him.”
Zhou Qian smiled and turned his head to Bai Zhou, who had just sat up from the bed, sweetly calling out, “Brother, auntie is looking for you!”
Hearing this, Bai Zhou gave Zhou Qian a deep look before approaching Wang Mei. His gaze was cold, and he remained silent.
Only when Wang Mei saw him did she say, “Ke Yi, you scored well on your test, and I should congratulate you. I was wrong at dinner today, and I’ve come to apologize.”
Bai Zhou simply nodded, not uttering a word.
Zhou Qian, on the other hand, tightened his grip on Wang Mei’s wrist and exchanged a glance with Bai Zhou. In perfect coordination, the two pulled Wang Mei into the room and swiftly closed the door behind her. Their actions were so seamless that anyone in the corridor would have assumed Wang Mei had entered on her own accord.
Once inside, Wang Mei seemed a bit surprised.
“What are you guys up to?”
Zhou Qian questioned her, “Did Auntie send you?”
Wang Mei became uneasy and coldly replied, “I don’t know if she’s awake… anyway. Tomorrow morning, if she asks, remember to tell her I’ve apologized.”
Zhou Qian immediately retorted, “No. We won’t.”
“You—?!” Wang Mei frowned. “What’s wrong with you, kid?”
Zhou Qian replied, “We are a little scared and wanted you to tell us a story to put us to sleep.”
“I’ve never even told my own son a story; why would I tell you?” Wang Mei complained, turning to leave.
Zhou Qian quickly responded, “Then I’ll go complain to Auntie right now and tell her you bullied us!”
“You…!” Wang Mei glared at Zhou Qian.
Zhou Qian continued, “You clearly don’t like my dad, yet you come here for dinner and stay over… Why? Did Auntie ask you to?”
Wang Mei coldly retorted, “I think Ke Yun, used to being a leader at her workplace, loves controlling everyone. She’s got issues!
“After years of disputes with your dad, there’s finally a resolution. Now he manages the factory here, and we take over the one in the neighboring city. Everyone should go their separate ways! But what does Ke Yun want? She insists on us visiting every six months for three days, hoping to reconcile their brotherly bond. Isn’t she crazy? Damn it—”
“If it weren’t for my family’s company being under her jurisdiction… I wouldn’t… never mind.”
“Ugh, why am I telling all this to a kid like you? You wouldn’t understand,” Wang Mei grumbled, looking at Zhou Qian. “Don’t dare tell your aunt what I just said, or I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Zhou Qian simply responded, “Stay and tell me a story, and I won’t tell Auntie!”
……
One hour later.
Wang Mei, who had been having a petty quarrel with the two kids, had fallen asleep. Forced into submission, she had no choice but to stay. She half-heartedly told a story to Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, as they had asked.
Later, feeling sleepy, she took a small blanket to cover her knees and drifted off to sleep, leaning against a cushion by the wooden bed.
Suddenly, there was a noise outside.
The doorknob was turning.
They’re here.
Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou exchanged a glance, went to the wooden bed, and picked up two pillows. They hid them in the nearby children’s wardrobe.
Bai Zhou did the same with two quilts. After doing this, they sat side by side on the bed, waiting to see if the person arriving was who they suspected.
While Wang Mei was half-heartedly telling her story, the two listening were also distracted as they were communicating through the private chat.
Zhou Qian said, “From the motive of murder, only Wang Mei and Ke Di have a slight intent to kill. But if I were them, I wouldn’t choose to kill a child from a relative’s house with whom I have disputes during a visit. This would only draw suspicion. Also, this seems to be a serial murder case with a long time interval.”
Bai Zhou nodded. “If many children died at once, their cause of death would likely be similar, but that’s not the case here.”
In Exhibition Hall A, there were seven bodies.
Considering a single killer, there were two possibilities: First, the killer murdered all the children at once; second, this was a serial murder case with a significant interval between each death.
Visiting the exhibition hall revealed that the deaths of the seven children were varied. One child seemed to have suffocated, while a girl had foam in her mouth as if she had died from an epileptic seizure. The other five had various injuries, from head wounds to gaping holes…
If there was only one murderer, killing seven children at once wouldn’t be easy. They would most likely use poison. Hence, the children’s cause of death would be consistent, not varied like this.
Therefore, the possibility of the murderer killing a child after some intervals is quite high.
Their only target appears to be the children of the Ke family. There was no other ritualistic indication, no marks on the corpses, and they didn’t seem to be fixated on a particular method of killing.
It seemed more like the killer, upon wanting to commit a murder, simply used whatever was handy at the moment.
Bai Zhou then said to Zhou Qian, “Now, we are in a VR game where the Ke family has ten children because ten players have arrived. However, the number of players arriving is random. So, compared to the real story, the game must have made many modifications.
“We have to survive here for three days to clear the game. So, during these three days, the murderer will kill. But in reality, there should be a longer interval between each child’s death.”
“Additionally, did you notice that the corpses in the exhibition hall are much younger than us?”
“Mm. In Exhibition Hall A, out of the seven children, most were infants, with only a few who could walk. Considering that after designing it into a mini-game, it’s difficult for babies to pass the level, compared to the real case, the average age of our miniaturized characters in the game has been raised.”
Zhou Qian said, “Mm… For more accurate information on the murder case, we must look at the situation in Hall A.”
“First, the children who were killed are very young—many of them are infants who can’t even walk.”
“Second, there should be a significant time gap between their deaths, which means the real murderer has never been caught, because… no one ever suspected her as the culprit.”
Narrowing his eyes, Zhou Qian continued, “Why wasn’t she considered the prime suspect? Because most of these children’s deaths could be attributed to accidents. The child with a head injury died from accidentally falling from upstairs; the children with a hole in their foreheads fell and hit a stone while playing in the backyard… And now, looking at…”
He glanced at the wooden bed, which was now empty after the pillow and blanket were removed, and said, “A fragile infant turning over and not being able to turn back, accidentally suffocating themselves, is also a very likely scenario.”
“So, if there’s a murder tonight, based on the state in which the corpses are found in the hall, it would most likely be asphyxiation.”
Bai Zhou nodded. “By hiding the pillow and blanket, we should be safe. Moreover…”
Smiling slightly, Bai Zhou added, “You’ve kept an adult here. Seeing someone present, she’s less likely to take action.”
“Mm. Wang Mei can’t be the true culprit behind these serial murders. While she could suffocate a child with a pillow while they’re sleeping, creating other ‘accidents’ would be difficult for her. Especially considering her poor relationship with the children, her approach would make them wary. The same goes for her husband.”
“In fact, from this perspective, both Ke Yun and Ke Zheng can be ruled out. They aren’t directly involved in taking care of the children and wouldn’t know the potential accidents that could occur, let alone exploit these ‘accidents’.”
“So, the real culprit… is indeed only one person.”
Zhou Qian continued, “When I initially ruled out suspects based on motives, I dismissed her.”
“I thought, due to her lack of education, she believed that after marriage, a woman should take care of her husband. This deeply rooted conservative idea made her believe that there’s nothing wrong with her and Ke Zheng’s relationship. If Ke Zheng openly had an affair, she might treat the mistress like a family member.”
“So, I still believe she wouldn’t kill her children, especially not her own.”
Bai Zhou nodded. “Mm. It seems that she enjoys taking care of others. She wouldn’t kill out of fatigue.”
“Exactly,” Zhou Qian said. “Ke Yun suggested hiring a nanny, and they could afford it. Yet, she insisted on personally taking care of the children and cooking. She’s not killing children because she can’t afford them or feels too exhausted to care for them. It’s interesting…”
“I can’t even figure out her motive for murder.”
Hearing this, Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian, only to hear Zhou Qian say confidently, “This proves she’s even more disturbed than I am.”
……
Thus, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou unanimously determined that the murderer was these children’s biological mother, Ruan Mei.
Now was the moment to verify their speculations.
At this moment, the two of them were a few years older than the actual victims in the real case.
Judging by the real circumstances of the victims’ deaths, it would be too far-fetched to attribute a child’s death in a bedroom to something like “falling to death”. Therefore, the accidental suffocation of an infant or toddler seems most likely—for instance, accidentally suffocating oneself with a pillow due to failing to turn over properly.
This was why Zhou Qian had quickly hidden all the pillows and blankets.
Accompanied by the sound of the doorknob turning, Zhou Qian gave Bai Zhou a glance, and the two lay side by side on the bed, pretending to be sound asleep.
After a while, there was a creak as the door opened, and a silhouette entered.
Wind blew in from the window gap, rustling her long hair.
Moonlight illuminated her eyes, but it wasn’t bright enough to clearly reveal her features.
With another creak, the door closed.
The figure approached the middle of the room and then walked towards the bed.
“Ke Yi, Ke Qi, are you asleep?” she whispered softly.
As expected, it was Ruan Mei’s voice.
Hearing no response, she confidently approached them.
Reaching the side of the bed, she stretched out her hands, first placing them on Ke Yi, who was on the outer side, turning him over. Then she did the same to Ke Qi.
Finally, her hands searched around the head areas of the two for a while. Not finding what she was looking for, she exclaimed in surprise. Just then, Ke Qi suddenly sprang up and sweetly called out to her—
“Mom, why are you here? What are you looking for?”
Ruan Mei was taken aback, retreating several steps and falling to the ground.
To her horror, she saw another person lying on the other side of the bed!
That person was Wang Mei. She was awakened by Ruan Mei’s actions.
After yawning and standing up, she blinked in confusion, then approached Ruan Mei. Recognizing her, Wang Mei scoffed, “What are you here for? Worried I’d kill your son? Hah, so suspicious!”
Ruan Mei, trembling, struggled to her feet and, without saying a word, dashed out of the room.
Rolling her eyes, Wang Mei shouted at Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, “I get it! I scolded you at dinner, so you want to get back at me, huh? I’ve told my side of the story and apologized. You better remember what to say and what not in front of Ke Yun, or you’ll regret it!”
With that, Wang Mei also left.
The door opened and closed again.
Only Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou remained in the room.
Zhou Qian glanced at Bai Zhou, went to the door, and listened for a while.
After a moment, he said, “Wang Mei went straight back to her room. But Ruan Mei went downstairs and is now coming up again.”
“If what happened in this room had occurred in reality, Ruan Mei, having been caught in the act of murder, wouldn’t make another move so soon. But this is a game.”
“Unmasking her method and avoiding it is just our survival strategy this time. She failed in this room, and she might move on to the next.”
While Zhou Qian monitored the situation outside, Bai Zhou simply opened the closet and retrieved the pillows and blankets, neatly making the beds for both of them.
He then looked at Zhou Qian. “Mm, we should be safe tonight. Come to bed.”
Zhou Qian took a silent glance at the pillow and blanket on the upper bunk, then looked at Bai Zhou.
But in the end, he didn’t say anything, walked over quietly, climbed the ladder to the upper bunk, and laid down.
Ten minutes later.
Zhou Qian turned over, leaned out from the upper bunk, and looked down.
In the middle of the lower bunk, Bai Zhou lay with his eyes closed, appearing to be soundly asleep.
Feeling slightly irritated, Zhou Qian squinted and grabbed his pillow, reaching down to smack Bai Zhou on the head.
Bai Zhou, awakened by the pillow, looked up at Zhou Qian and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Qian: “……….”
Bai Zhou: “Hm?”
“Nothing.” Zhou Qian said, “I just suddenly recalled a doubt.”
Bai Zhou asked again, “What doubt?”
Opening his mouth, Zhou Qian actually answered, “Among the children who died in the exhibition hall, some did not have the surname ‘Ke’. Ma Luoluo and his underling chose to be adopted, probably naively believing that the killer would only target those with the surname ‘Ke’. They thought the killer must have a grudge against the Ke family.”
“Ma Luoluo’s assumption was terribly wrong. But does the information about the adopted children having different surnames have another purpose?”
……
Elsewhere.
With the sound of high heels fading, Ma Luoluo closed the door, gave Meng Pingping a look, and smirked. “The murderer is indeed Wang Mei. She stayed in Zhou Qian’s room for a whole hour and has only left now. What could she have done? Only handling a corpse and destroying evidence!”
Meng Pingping was also pleased. “Even though her primary target is Ke Yi, if Ke Qi is also there, he would definitely be killed too! In this kind of scenario, who lives and who dies is usually revealed the next day. It’s a pity we can’t immediately know the result—”
“But anyway… Zhou Qian is probably gone! We can claim the reward!”
“Even so, don’t get too excited too early!” Ma Luoluo warned. “Everyone says this scenario is sinister. So, it’s definitely not simple. Since the murderer was easy to find, there must be a bigger problem elsewhere! We need to be vigilant!”
“But we’ve managed to get through tonight, right? Wang Mei has returned to her room?” Meng Pingping asked.
“Yes,” Ma Luoluo replied. “The murderer is Wang Mei for sure. So, we can use the others to extract clues!”
Just as they were talking, the door opened.
Someone walked in—it was Ruan Mei.
Their room lights were still on, so Ruan Mei immediately saw the pillows on the beds.
She smiled at the two children. “Were you disturbed by Wang Mei? I was worried she might bully you, so I came to check on you. Come on, go to bed, and I’ll soothe you to sleep.”
Ma Luoluo laughed. “Haha, let’s stop pretending. I know you, as an NPC, are here to give us clues! You’re not the murderer!”
Ruan Mei just gazed at him mysteriously, then grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bed. “Come on, let mom put you to sleep.”
“Ah, you really want to get into character, huh? Fine, fine, I’ll call you ‘mom’, okay?”
Ma Luoluo then looked at Meng Pingping, and they exchanged an amused glance.
Meng Pingping also called out “mom”, attempting to extract information. “So, mom, why did Wang Mei come to our house? She seems quite reluctant. Does she have a backstory?”
But just at that moment, Ruan Mei had already reached the side of the wooden bed. Suddenly, she picked up a pillow and approached Ma Luoluo.
“What… What are you doing?”
Realizing something was amiss, Ma Luo Luo’s face turned pale.
Suddenly, the watches on their wrists vibrated, and both Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping received a message from the system.
[The key item determining NPC behavior this time: Pillow]
[The pillow is identified as a murder weapon. When stored in the room and seen by NPC Ruan Mei, it is determined that it can trigger a murder action.]
[Ruan Mei is about to kill “Liu Wu” and “Jiang Liu”]
[Warning: Players Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping are in a specific game scenario where they cannot use any skills or items to escape.]
Kinky Translations 