The fifteenth night was approaching, and the bright moon shone like a plate. The night sky was devoid of any dark clouds, adorned only by twinkling stars.
Su Si stood on the rooftop of the Sun Mansion, letting the breeze brush past him.
In his arms, he held Lord Bai, who was drifting in and out of sleep while gazing blankly at the sky. Even in this moment of distraction, Su Si retained his casual and carefree nature, not forgetting to bring along some melon seeds and sweet fruits from inside the house to snack on. After a while, he began to playfully tap Lord Bai’s mouth, annoying the latter to the point where it almost twisted Su Si’s wrist hard enough to draw blood.
As he was halfway through his snacks, there was a swift sound of someone approaching, and another person leaped onto the roof.
Yan Qing carried two jars of wine and sat down beside Su Si. He still radiated the warmth of having just finished martial arts training, making him seem especially intense.
“Your qinggong has improved,” Su Si commented as he took one of the wine jars and broke the seal. “Is this actually wine? I thought you hated such things?”
“Seeing you look so troubled,” Yan Qing wrinkled his nose in the aroma of alcohol, “I specifically got the mild wine that servants drink. It won’t cause any harm.”
Su Si merely snorted before taking a few big gulps. The two sat in silence for a while.
“We used to stargaze like this, and I taught you how to navigate by the stars in the mountains.” Su Si sighed after some time. “Since childhood, you’ve been so naive. I felt I had to protect you. But looking now, San Zi, you’ve become tougher than me.”
Yan Qing remained silent.
“I always enjoyed being tough on others, while you, you’re tough on yourself. In just a few months, you’ve trained relentlessly, matching my martial arts skills.”
“The sword is good, and so is the manual,” Yan Qing replied honestly. “Moreover, martial arts skills deteriorate with laziness. You, A’Si, are reluctant to practice, whereas I, pursuing you, have to be faster.”
Su Si threatened to hit him with the wine jar jokingly. “Are you trying to be sarcastic? You’re the fortunate one, with that demonic master-disciple duo watching over you. You can live a peaceful life as a servant, and yet you train till you’re half-dead every day. For whom?”
“I need to be worthy of this sword and Abbot Juefei’s care.”
“He’s dead; he’s not watching anymore,” Su Si murmured.
“What did you just say?”
Su Si feigned a yawn. “Nothing. I’ve seen many people from the martial world. Those from the Taiheng Sect live well and are naive. I met that red-eyed relative of yours recently. Even the Patriarch of the Ling Sect cares about not harming the innocent. It sounds laughable.”
After speaking, he drank half the jar of wine in one go, letting out a big sigh.
Su Si’s tone was deliberately scornful, making one feel uneasy. However, Yan Qing turned to him, only concern evident in his expression. “Feeling this down?”
“Me? Feeling down?”
This time, Su Si’s sarcasm was self-directed.
“Our sect leader may be cruel, but he saves people when necessary. Senior Yin is cold and indifferent, yet his heart is not entirely dark. As for you, a rare paragon of virtue, risking your life to practice martial arts for the sake of a deceased monk. All good people, very good people. If someone’s feeling down, it’s not heartless me.”
“You’re not malicious either…”
Su Si didn’t look at Yan Qing. “Do you know how many I’ve killed during my time with the Chigou Sect?”
Yan Qing responded indirectly, “I remember the rules of Chigou Sect’s Red Scorpion Feet were strict; they wouldn’t take on innocent targets.”
“Whether those I killed deserved it or not is one thing. Whether the killer cares is another. Yan Zheng… Yu Zheng, that young man, killed his enemy who murdered his parents, and it weighed on his heart for years. When I killed, I felt exhilarated, and I didn’t think much of it afterward.”
Su Si emptied the wine jar; his eyes were slightly red. The tear mole under his eye looked particularly dark in the night, like the deepest dot of ink.
“Previously, I followed you, thinking you were my brother, and protecting you was a righteous deed. With the demonic sect chasing us, I fled honorably and uprightly. Now you don’t need my protection, and those chasing me are gone, so… what can I use to continue pretending to be an honorable person?”
Yan Qing remained silent.
Su Si tightened his grip on the goose demon in his arms, causing Lord Bai to flap its wings madly, trying to escape. Su Si pretended not to notice and held it even tighter. “I can deceive the world, but not my own thoughts. If I force myself to act, I’ll be the first to feel disgusted.”
[I killed someone when I was nine!]
The echo of his own voice rang in Su Si’s ears. At such a young age, he knew how to provoke Matron Wuxue with this fact. The moment he spoke those words, he wasn’t boasting; he even sounded proud.
That was the first time Su Si witnessed a person’s last breath.
Back then, he was known as “Su Sigou”. Su Si had managed to kill a wild boar to feed Yan Qing, who was starving. However, after hearing some sage-like books, Yan Qing, filled with misguided filial piety, gave all the meat to his drunken father.
Then Yan Qing was beaten half to death by his inebriated father. The reason was absurd as usual: his father felt the meat was too little, not enough to accompany his drink, and he couldn’t enjoy himself. If it weren’t for Su Si saving Yan Qing in time, the Sword of Compassion would probably have no successor.
After treating the almost skeletal Yan Qing, Su Si, in anger, went to the Yan’s yard to confront Yan Qing’s father.
[I want to take him away.] Su Si bravely confronted the tall Yan Ziren. [If it weren’t for me, he’d have died because of your negligence. Even the lame have hands and feet. How can you make a child take care of you all the time? You shameless lazy dog!]
[Who is this, if not the unsold brat from the Su family?]
Yan Ziren, completely drunk, looked down on the nine-year-old Su Si.
[Being my son is a great honor. He should care for me in my old age. Unfilial piety is a great sin. My son isn’t ungrateful and unruly like you…]
[Take him away? With what right? I’m still alive. Ask him if he’s willing to go with you. He’ll cry and come back to serve me… I don’t know who he takes after, hiccup, probably his stupid mother.]
Yan Ziren, belching with alcohol, tried to push Su Si out. Su Si dodged, causing the drunk Yan Ziren to stumble and hit his head on the threshold, creating a gaping wound that bled profusely on his head.
Realizing his injury, Yan Ziren sobbed for help. This wasn’t the first time Su Si saw such blood, having hunted animals before. But witnessing a person injured like this was a first for him.
He was neither afraid nor panicked; he just watched the blood pool grow. Regaining his senses, he moved to the door.
[Yes, yes!] Yan Ziren thought Su Si was going to get help. [Quick… call someone! Where is that stupid bastard Yang Qing?]
But instead, Su Si locked the door. Leaning against it, he stared at Yan Ziren lying at the entrance.
A passerby outside, hearing Yan Ziren’s screams, knocked on the door. [What’s going on?]
Mimicking Yan Qing’s voice, Su Si replied, [Sorry, my father’s just drunk and acting up.]
The person outside muttered and left.
Yan Ziren, losing strength, tried cursing and pleading. But Su Si just smiled. With the reflection of the blood around, his innocent face seemed eerier.
[Uncle Yan, I will take him away,] Su Si cheerfully declared. [We’ll leave this village and never return.]
[You… you’re murdering me… I won’t spare you, even as a ghost… You’ll never sleep in peace…]
[So what? I’m not afraid of you. You’re useless alive, relying on your son, and useless dead.]
Su Si smiled even more brilliantly.
[Uncle Yan, I’m very happy.]
Looking back now, it was surprising that he was so naive and couldn’t differentiate between right and wrong back then. Yet, he had the audacity to tell Yan Qing about his ridiculous ambition of “wanting to become a hero”. He had never revealed this to Yan Qing. Now that all the people from Xizhuang were dead, Yan Qing would never know the truth.
Now, he was even sitting beside him, drinking.
Su Si placed the empty wine jug from his embrace down, without looking at Yan Qing. Even when reminiscing about the past at Huilian Mountain, this scene wasn’t among those memories.
He had never regretted it, and even now, he felt exhilarated.
“If I had died in the North back then, maybe it would have been a blessing in disguise,” Su Si murmured softly. “At least you could still consider me a hero.”
Suddenly, Yan Qing put down his wine jug and took something out of his pocket. “Give me your hand.”
Without much thought, Su Si extended his hand and felt a cold touch. On closer inspection, he broke into a cold sweat, and whatever intoxication he had vanished instantly.
It was the ghost coin that Yan Qing’s father had left behind. Yan Qing had taken good care of it, making it shine brilliantly, and even tied a red ribbon to it.
“…What do you mean by this?”
“It’s a gift for you.” Yan Qing smiled. “If you decide to leave someday, you’re not the type to say goodbye properly. We’re as close as family. You should have something to remember me by.”
With that, Yan Qing picked up the Sword of Compassion beside him. A cheap longevity lock hung where the sword pendant should be, looking out of place. It was unmistakably the one Su Si had bought from the market before they got separated.
Back when Xizhuang was attacked, in his desperation, Su Si had exchanged it for the ghost coin to warn Yan Qing. Unexpectedly, after the chaos in Yuanxian Village, Yan Qing had kept it safe all this time.
Su Si quickly looked away. “It was this trinket that caused our separation in the first place. Aren’t you superstitious?”
Yan Qing just smiled and didn’t respond.
“Fine. If you really want to gift something, let’s buy something else tomorrow. Using this ghost coin as a keepsake doesn’t feel right.” The ghost coin was Yan Qing’s father’s possession, and Su Si felt uneasy about it.
“This coin wards off evil spirits. It suits your butcher knife perfectly,” Yan Qing chuckled. “This is the most valuable thing I own.”
“It’s your father’s.”
“It’s mine,” Yan Qing replied calmly.
“I don’t want it.” Su Si tried to return it, but Yan Qing swiftly grabbed his wrist.
“By now, even someone as dull as me can see the limitations of pure-hearted individuals. If not for A’Si taking me away back then, I might have either died due to my father’s abuse or killed him first and then myself. I’m not as carefree as A’Si, so I have limited choices.”
Su Si was frozen.
“A’Si is different from me, but I think you’re more extraordinary. I don’t harm others because I can’t bear the guilt and regret afterwards. It would be immensely painful. A’Si has no such concerns, yet he chooses the righteous path. Isn’t that even more admirable?”
“…That’s a twisted way to see things,” Su Si whispered.
Ignoring him, Yan Qing continued, “In the future, when you hold this ghost coin, consider it a promise from me. Even if the whole world doesn’t believe you, I will. And if you ever hurt me, I won’t blame you.”
Su Si almost blurted out, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”, but then realized he couldn’t even utter the words. This person truly targeted his vulnerability. For a moment, he thought Yan Qing knew everything.
Su Si swiftly retracted his hand, clutching the silver coin tightly. “Alright, it does match my butcher knife.”
For some reason, the bloody taste that was stuck in his throat suddenly disappeared. Wasn’t it just the Kushan Sect? If he wanted to leave, he would. If he wanted to stay, he would. Who needed others’ approval?
Seeing Su Si’s smirk, Yan Qing’s expression brightened a bit. He opened his own wine jar and poured half of it into Su Si’s jar. “We’ve known each other since we were kids. If our bond loses to the Sect Master and Senior Yin, it would be quite a shame.”
Su Si: “…”
Su Si: “You think their bond is one of ‘friendship and companionship’?”
Yan Qing, still immersed in his feelings, said, “Yes, they eat and sleep together, as close as brothers. It’s wonderful.”
Su Si silently drank his wine and casually stroked the goose beside him. He must be overthinking; how could Yan Qing have such intricate thoughts? It would probably take Sect Master Shi and Senior Yin getting married in front of him for Yan Qing to realize something was off.
With such an oblivious guy around, he was somewhat worried. Maybe it was better to keep him here for now.
At this moment, Sect Master Shi wasn’t wearing wedding clothes. He was alone in his room, flipping through books related to Sun Wang. As a descendant of Sun Wang, every room in the Sun residence was filled with his biographies from various versions and eras. Shi Jingzhi casually picked up the oldest and rarest version, “The Biography of Sun Wang”, and waited for someone while reading.
He didn’t have much connection with Sun Huaijin, so it was better to leave this matter to “Su Zhi”. Since the secret was exposed, there was no need to hide anymore. No matter how awkward, they would have to sleep together tonight.
The biography was filled with boring praises and battle records. After reading a small portion, Shi Jingzhi yawned deeply. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He coughed up more blood than before. The cloth couldn’t absorb it all, and a large amount of blood soaked the book pages.
…This is an antique!
Sect Master Shi instantly woke up. He quickly got out of bed, diluted the blood with clear tea, and dried the pages by candlelight. As the pages dried, Shi Jingzhi’s brows furrowed—
Someone had tampered with this book. Specific words were altered with thin “paper patches”. Once wet, the obscured words faintly showed through.
This book initially got the date wrong of “The Battle of Shafu” before the founding of the nation—earlier by a month than what Shi Jingzhi remembered.
Shi Jingzhi had heard of this version in the “The Biography of Sun Wang”. It was a print from the founding era using a standard printing plate, so there shouldn’t be any errors. This version was limited in number, but was the date mistake so significant that they had to use precious “paper patches” to correct it?
After pondering, Shi Jingzhi wrapped up the dull book and put it in his luggage.
He would say some good words tomorrow and ask for this book.
Elder Sun was urgently assisted back to his room by the servant. After drinking half a bowl of watered-down soup that teetered between life and death, he gradually regained his breath. Sun Huaijin, clutching the quilt, was in a daze for a moment, sweat dripping from the back of his head. His mind was still a little numb.
He knew Shi Jingzhi’s condition.
Since Shi Jingzhi, his great-grandson, lost his mother at a young age and had a weak constitution, he had been clinging to life in the palace. Seeing that he had little time left, Shi Jingzhi left the palace in search of his kin, desperate for any cure. Sun Huaijin always cherished his bloodline. He had seen many poor and distant relatives come knocking but never had any royal relatives come back. When Shi Jingzhi specifically came to recognize his ancestry, the old man was deeply moved.
Shi Jingzhi didn’t even ask Sun Huaijin to pave the way for him, just leaving one request—to use Sun Huaijin’s connections to help him create a respectable background.
For Elder Sun, this was merely a small favor, more like a coquettish request.
Even when the notorious “Su Zhi” came to the door, seeking the truth about his own great-grandson, Sun Huaijin didn’t hesitate to lie. Su Zhi was suspicious by nature and disliked the royal family. If Shi Jingzhi’s identity was exposed, Su Zhi would surely distance himself.
…it was better to weave a lie and keep Su Zhi by Shi Jingzhi’s side, and also ensure the safety of his great-grandson.
Yet it seemed safety had extended to the bed!
Sun Huaijin’s schemes were deep, but he never expected to encounter such a situation. Back in the day, Su Zhi was known for his purity and abstinence from worldly desires. Knowing Su Zhi’s immortality, Sun Huaijin thought this man had long severed all passions and desires and had no doubt about him.
Lying on the soft bed, the old man felt lost. He figured he wouldn’t sleep tonight and sighed as he tried to get up. Before he could even put on his boots, Yin Ci came by himself.
Looking at the man who used to be his elder brother, Sun Huaijin almost fainted again. With great effort, he clung to his cane, trembling like a leaf in the wind. “Elder Brother, you, you…”
“I told him to sleep first. Let’s talk privately.” Yin Ci pinched his brow. “Don’t worry, I’m not capricious or toying with him.”
Sun Huaijin: “…”
Is that the main point? Even though Shi Jingzhi wasn’t an ignorant child, and by appearances, nothing seemed amiss between these two. But Elder Sun felt something was off, and his head couldn’t stop buzzing. Taking a deep breath, he took another sip of his soup.
Fortunately, Shi Jingzhi wasn’t present, and Yin Ci always knew how to handle situations. He waved his hand with a hint of irritation. “Fine, once this matter settles, should I send a luxurious sedan chair for you?”
“Elder brother, don’t joke like that!” Sun Huaijin felt like he had been doused with cold water, his voice shaky. He wasn’t sure if Yin Ci’s joke was terrifying or if the fact that “Su Zhi was joking” was more terrifying.
After taking that verbal hit from Yin Ci, Sun Huaijin was dazed for a while before he finally calmed down. “You didn’t come tonight just to reassure me, did you?”
Yin Ci nonchalantly hummed in agreement.
The firelight was dim, and moonlight poured in. Compared to the “Su Zhi” in Sun Huaijin’s memory, there was now a liveliness in Yin Ci’s eyes, making his charm even more apparent. No wonder Shi Jingzhi, despite knowing Yin Ci’s age, was still attracted to him.
“Since the Immortal Assembly is interested in Sun Wang, there must be some hidden truths. Over the years, you’ve met countless descendants of the Sun Clan. Surely, you’ve noticed something.”
Sun Huaijin sighed deeply. “Most of it is just household trifles.”
The Marquis of Lie’an, Sun Wang, was one of the founding Heroes. He fought wars for the empire and laid down territories. Unfortunately, the first emperor passed away early, leaving a young son amidst surrounding barbarians. Sun Wang took on the responsibilities of a reagent. Once the prince ascended the throne, he promptly returned to his hometown.
Throughout his life, Sun Wang fought for the country without any ambitions for power, renowned as a loyal minister and famous general in the annals of history.
Back then, before any rift emerged between the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor, Sun Wang was close with the Imperial Preceptor and frequently visited the Immortal Assembly. After leaving the palace, he “became an immortal” on his 100th birthday, leaving behind only his tomb.
Years ago, when Yin Ci investigated Sun Wang, he followed this legend. However, after 300 years, details became exaggerated to the point of absurdity, with even tales of 300 heavenly soldiers descending to fetch him. Finding no solid leads, Yin Ci had to abandon this clue.
“To my shame, back in the day, I knew very little and couldn’t help Elder Brother much. Now, even though I’ve heard all sorts of rumors… Sun Wang is, after all, a famous figure, so those rumors sound mysterious. They’d exaggerate as much as saying he could trade several cows.”
Sun Huaijin’s face twitched.
“But speaking of something ‘not so miraculous’, I’ve heard one thing… it was precisely from the descendant who offered me the small idol.”
Yin Ci slightly frowned. “Not so miraculous?”
“Yes, it’s said that General Sun loved his wife dearly and was very affectionate towards his children. But during the years when the Emperor was ill, Sun Wang seemed like a changed person—such a tall man, yet he’d curl up crying all day. He even took up reading and started writing like a scholar. After the death of the Emperor, he stopped inquiring about his family and went to wars year after year. Even when he returned home later, he was very cold to his relatives.”
Yin Ci’s expression changed unpredictably. In the end, he remained silent. His facial features were buried in deep shadows, and with Sun Huaijin’s aged eyes, he noticed nothing. Elder Sun continued speaking.
“Lady Sun couldn’t bear this change, so she turned to the gods and began making statues. That clay sculpture was the only idol she made, and it looked quite ugly. But that person’s statement was interesting, so I remembered it. As for other weird artifacts, I haven’t found any over these decades.”
“Perhaps Sun Wang got lost in his old age or had a gruesome death, so his family concealed it with tales of ‘becoming immortal’. There weren’t many personal belongings left by him. The search by the Immortal Assembly wasn’t very thorough. Maybe just…”
Yin Ci’s thoughts had drifted away.
[Isn’t this stone very beautiful? So translucent! When we return, I’ll have someone polish it into a round shape for Cuicui.]
A fragment of memory surfaced. The tall man in his memory was beaming, holding a semi-transparent stone in his hand. The man had a striking face, looking quite handsome. But his silly smile, paired with big white teeth, somehow made him less imposing.
Just by his eyebrows and eyes, he resembled one of the Door Gods painted by ordinary people.
Back then, the yellow sand hissed underfoot, surrounded by constant laughter and the neighing of horses. How did he respond at that time…?
Forget it, it was just one of his most painful illusions.
Yin Ci shook his head forcefully, suppressing that vague memory. He had checked before, and whether in official or unofficial histories, no legend contained his figure.
“Any clue is helpful,” Yin Ci said calmly. “Your friend…?”
“He’s long gone. Everything was donated to the Chigou Sect. Given its poor quality, it’s probably still in the sect’s warehouse.”
As Sun Huaijin spoke, he continued to observe Yin Ci.
“I originally intended to inform only Elder Brother about the turmoil in Chigou, certain that you would find a way to protect Chigou and might also check the clay statue of the Sun Clan… but Jingzhi, he…”
Elder Sun hesitated unusually. This old fox probably didn’t want Shi Jingzhi to take risks and thus chose to inform Yin Ci alone in the middle of the night.
“Huaijin, that boy is not some weak pushover*,” Yin Ci said with a slight smile. “You should just wait for the grand sedan chair.”
*Soft persimmon. Colloquialism referring to someone who is easily bullied or pushed around.
Sun Huaijin: “…” Well, his head started spinning again.
At this moment, someone else was also seeing stars.
“Why do you care about the commotion at Chigou? Aren’t righteous and evil forces mutually exclusive?” The Prince of Rong, Xu Jingming, looked pale. He quickly waved the fan in his hand, as if trying to dry his sweaty hands. “After much difficulty, we got the treasure map and Buddha beads from the Ling Sect. With the Shirou right before our eyes, why did you pull this stunt at such a crucial time?”
Across the stone table, Qu Duanyun said gently, “Chigou has experienced sudden changes. Now, their Young Patriarch has just returned, possessing only the Bone Sweeping Sword as evidence. By the code of the martial world, my Taiheng has to bear witness. Originally, someone from the Jianchen Temple should have done this, but circumstances have changed.”
Xu Jingming stopped his fan. “I thought after you became the sect leader, Taiheng would be more reasonable… Don’t forget who’s supporting your sect! This Shirou you seek for me, is ultimately for my Emperor Brother. Isn’t the Emperor’s matter more important than the code of the martial world?”
Qu Duanyun patiently said, “This matter is also of ‘the Emperor’s concern’. Your Highness, the border is now unstable, and that Luojiu’s ‘Divine Saint’ has caused His Majesty so much trouble. If the northwest becomes more chaotic, His Majesty will only become more troubled. It would be better to stabilize Chigou sooner, considering His Majesty’s concerns.”
Xu Jingming lazily waved his “Tranquility” fan and, after a while, said, “I can’t argue with you. Whatever you say goes. But about the Shirou, you must be the first to find it. I’ve heard rumors that Shi Jingzhi seems to have the ‘key’ to the Shirou. Be careful with your actions, lest you capsize in the gutter.”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will make haste and deal with the Chigou matter as soon as possible.”
“…Well, that’s more like it.”
Xu Jingming stretched lazily, then stood up. Whether due to bad weather or the chill of spring, he felt out of sorts. Xu Jingming had an ominous feeling that his comfortable and leisurely life was on shaky ground.
That new king of Luojiu, known as the “Divine Saint”, truly was unparalleled in bravery. Even though Great Yun had a solid foundation, they couldn’t achieve victory with fewer, but it was indeed true they could pacify with fewer. Regardless of how wise his Emperor Brother was, it was hard when the border generals were incompetent—not many defeats, but many had died. They were merely filling the frontline with manpower and resources, so a collapse is just a matter of time.
A breach in the border was like a stab wound—painful but not fatal. But as Qu Duanyun said, if the situation in Chigou worsened and the northwestern barbarians seized the opportunity to stir things up, things would turn ugly.
Not to mention Emperor Xu Jingxing’s recent pallor seemed unwell, possibly due to overwork and minor ailments…
Thinking of the already chaotic martial world, Xu Jingming shivered. Whether for his elder brother’s health or not, he had to secure the Shirou soon. If things went south and there were internal uprisings, even the martial artists who protected the citizens would be gone, making matters even worse.
Why did they let that troublemaker Shi Jingzhi go? Before his release, the Great Yun martial world was thriving, and the border was stable with no issues.
Xu Jingming watched Qu Duanyun leave. Amidst his anxiety, a thought struck him.
Since he wasn’t eating or sleeping well and had nothing better to do, why not go to Chigou and see for himself? With his prince’s status, he could stabilize the situation. With his righteous aura, he might even dispel some evil energy.
With this thought, he shouted to his servant, “Go, prepare the magic sedan chair for me!”
Outside the Prince’s Mansion.
Hearing the commotion inside, Qu Duanyun chuckled bitterly. Whether it was fortune or misfortune, one couldn’t escape it. As he had guessed, Xu Jingming truly had a sincere heart for the current Emperor—it wasn’t surprising that the Prince of Rong, who dared to venture into the Ghost Tomb to “earn merit”, would now venture to Chigou. Xu Jingming had more guts than brain; fearing Shi Jingzhi meant Shi Jingzhi possessed some skills.
No matter. It was just bringing him along. He was only going there to “witness” anyway.
…Witness how the Chigou Sect transformed from a stable sect that straddled both righteous and evil to the second orthodox demonic sect.
Just as he was about to leave, he felt a presence behind him. Qu Duanyun frowned and immediately shouted, “Who’s there?”
The person behind him was skilled, not revealing any more presence, and seemed to have fled. Qu Duanyun hesitated for a moment, then changed direction to head to the inn where he was staying.
It seemed he couldn’t go to the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence tonight.
Qu Duanyun touched the thin mask in his chest and sighed softly—for tonight’s contact, he would have to rely on the word cloth.
Ling Xiao deliberately waited for Ying Feng to go in first, then chose the same entrance, but quickly rushed ahead of him. He was determined to compete with Ying Feng, so there was no way he was going to fall behind here.
In the pitch-black mine, there was not a hint of light. Fortunately, the eyes of the Tianxiu people were specially constructed, allowing them to see clearly even in the dark. Along the way, there were many low-level wild beasts. Unless they were aggressive, Ying Feng didn’t bother with them. Seeing this, Ling Xiao did the same, leaving them for the students behind.
The mine’s internal terrain was complex, with many forks. At every crossroad, Ling Xiao intentionally slowed down, waiting for Ying Feng to choose a path, then quickly followed. In this way, the two kept the same pace and quickly left the others far behind.
“Why do you keep following me?” After the two of them each dealt with an attacking rodent with a punch, Ying Feng finally expressed his annoyance at Ling Xiao.
“Didn’t you hear what the instructor said? Occasionally, there are A-grade creatures here. We need to cooperate as a team to deal with them,” Ling Xiao said, unaware that the baboon they killed the day before was actually an S-grade creature surpassing A-grade. The instructor didn’t reveal this to prevent them from getting cocky.
“I don’t need to team up with anyone,” Ying Feng retorted coldly. “I can handle it by myself.”
“How about a competition then? Whoever gets it first, keeps it.” Ling Xiao challenged. “To be clear, the prey belongs to the one who strikes it first. No one else can interfere.”
Ying Feng said nothing, just kept moving forward, making Ling Xiao wonder if he had even listened.
Ling Xiao didn’t care about Ying Feng’s attitude; he just didn’t want to be outdone in points. He followed closely, seizing any wild beast he could, and quickly amassed a pile of soul stones.
The deeper they went into the mine, the higher the danger level of the residing creatures. Beasts that attacked them grew more frequent and were no longer easily defeated.
Although Ying Feng didn’t verbally agree to Ling Xiao’s proposal, he abided by it. If one of them attacked, the other wouldn’t interfere. In this way, they took turns fighting, and soon, the D- through E-grade creatures disappeared, with the B- through C-grade becoming more frequent, occasionally even appearing in groups.
After defeating a swarm of killer bees, Ling Xiao looked disdainfully at the wing fragments that clung to him. “The last one was attacking you, why did you just dodge and not strike?” In the end, Ling Xiao had to finish it off.
“Because you were the first to hit it,” Ying Feng replied indifferently.
Ling Xiao: “…”
Killer bees always moved in swarms. Ling Xiao’s earlier kick had hit several. He couldn’t even remember which ones he had struck, yet Ying Feng was so meticulous. It was almost frustratingly precise.
“So if I don’t strike, you’ll just let it attack you?”
“If you don’t hit it, I’ll hit you,” Ying Feng said matter-of-factly.
A low growl echoed from a distance, reverberating through the narrow mine. Recognizing the sound, the two immediately stopped their bickering and focused. They had learned about the characteristics of various common species in their biology class, and this deep and slightly prolonged sound belonged to the A-grade reptile known as the Giant-tailed Lizard.
The two exchanged glances, neither willing to back down, and rushed towards the source of the sound. An A-grade soul stone was worth 100 points, and neither wanted to miss out.
“Same rule: whoever hits it first keeps it,” Ling Xiao said, throwing a punch at the creature in front of him.
Almost simultaneously, Ying Feng’s powerful fist connected. From left and right, their blows landed on the unfortunate lizard’s head.
The Giant-tailed Lizard, in pain, let out a fierce roar. It had just woken up from a nap and was immediately attacked. It went berserk.
A creature that was classified as an A-grade in textbooks clearly possessed remarkable strength. Its large and heavy tail had immense destructive power, and its rough skin and thick flesh highlighted its strong defense. Even after taking two solid punches from its adversaries, it was only momentarily dazed.
The Giant-tailed Lizard shook its head and, with a powerful swing of its tail, shattered a stone pillar beside it. Ling Xiao, who was standing behind it, quickly leaped into midair to avoid the impact.
“It’s mine!” Ling Xiao declared his ownership even in such a moment.
“It was me who hit it first,” Ying Feng retorted without yielding.
The two began to argue over who the prey belonged to. Meanwhile, the Giant-tailed Lizard launched a fierce attack on them. Dodging and sidestepping, in a blink of an eye, they moved more than ten meters away.
“Ah ha!” Ling Xiao exclaimed joyfully. “No need to argue. There’s another one here.” He then abandoned the one he was facing, rushing toward the new target. “They must be a pair. That one is yours, I don’t want it. This one is bigger; it must be the Qizhu.”
“Idiot,” Ying Feng muttered, pivoting to counterattack the pursuing Giant-tailed Lizard. Dashing from its head to its tail, he landed with a dagger in his hand. The lizard roared in pain as the dagger slid from its neck to its tailbone. Its tail slapped the ground furiously, sending shards of rock flying everywhere. One shard cut Ling Xiao’s cheek.
Ling Xiao touched his wound. “Control your beast!”
“What’d you say?” Ying Feng leaped, dagger pointing downward, and ruthlessly pierced it into the creature’s tailbone. If not for the dagger’s length, the force of the blow could have pinned the signature tail to the ground.
The Giant-tailed Lizard howled in pain. Biology lessons had taught them that every species hides its most vulnerable area beneath its most potent weapon for protection. For the lizard, it was undoubtedly near its tailbone.
Seeing Ying Feng taking the initiative, Ling Xiao didn’t hold back. With a series of smooth and elegant moves, he forced the lizard to retreat continuously.
“Flashy, but lacks substance,” Ying Feng whispered.
While Ling Xiao was intently battling his opponent, he naturally didn’t hear the comment made about him. He performed a front flip, landing perfectly on the back of the Giant-tailed Lizard. Feeling the pressure, the lizard desperately twisted its body, trying to shake him off, but Ling Xiao sat on it as if he had rooted himself securely.
He reached out and patted the creature’s hindquarters, saying, “Behave.” He then drew his dagger and precisely pierced its vital point. After a piercing shriek, the Giant-tailed Lizard struggled for a moment and gradually fell still.
Both of them each collected a dark green soul stone, within which ripples could be seen.
“So easily gained 100 points?” Ling Xiao shrugged. “Totally unchallenging, not like that baboon from yesterday.”
The sound of falling rocks and the distinct crack of the stone wall refocused their attention. Their fight had cracked a nearby wall.
“I have a feeling it’s going to collapse,” Ling Xiao remarked. To prove him right, the entire wall crumbled, revealing an astonishing scene behind.
“My God…” Ling Xiao was stunned. “I was wrong. They’re not a pair. It’s a concentration camp.”
…..
Zhu Yue was nervously holding his dagger, slowly moving deeper into the mine. He chose the same entrance as Ying Feng but quickly lost sight of him. Unlike others, his vision in the dark was limited. Any slight beastly shriek from the unknown depths sent chills down his spine.
One fork in the path followed another, and he had no clue which direction Ying Feng took. Even his classmates had dashed ahead, leaving him, the “burden”, behind.
The further he went, the more afraid he became. He knew his teammates never expected him to score points from the start. Yet, a force compelled him to keep moving forward, even if just to be a little closer to Ying Feng. On the last day of their three-day internship, what he had spent all his savings on was still safely in his pocket.
Zhu Yue, with an ulterior motive, proceeded cautiously, only to be startled into a cold sweat by a sudden rustling noise. Gathering his courage, he looked in the direction of the sound. To his alarm, two glowing eyes suddenly emerged from the darkness, focusing intently on him, the intruder, nearly causing him to drop his weapon in fright.
The beast lurking in the shadows sensed his fear. With a low growl, it lunged at him. Zhu Yue, without any thought of fighting back, turned and fled, running blindly in the dark without the energy to pay attention to where he was heading.
Fear brought out his hidden potential. After an indeterminate amount of time running, Zhu Yue looked back to find that there was no trace of the beast. He remained on guard for a long while, but there were no further sounds from the surroundings.
Feeling utterly drained, Zhu Yue finally felt overwhelming fatigue. Panting, he slowly sat down against a wall, pondering how he could find his way out after losing his direction.
He rested for a long time, waiting for his heartbeat and breath to return to normal. Just as he was about to stand and find a way back, he was caught off guard and tripped over a stone underfoot.
As he fell, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a purple glow from a crack in the stone. If it had been a regular Tianxiu person with normal vision, they wouldn’t have noticed such a faint light. But Zhu Yue, with his flawed vision, was immediately drawn to the stark contrast.
He peered into the crevice and indeed saw something purple glowing within, but the gap was too small to identify what it was. Zhu Yue tried to wedge it open with his fingers, but to no avail. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost his dagger during his earlier escape. Using its sharp edge, he started chipping at the wall, the sound echoing throughout the cavern.
The stone wall was resilient, but the dagger of the Tianxiu people was both sharp and robust. After what felt like an eternity, Zhu Yue managed to pry out a whole piece of rock. Nearby fragments crumbled away, revealing the hidden object in full.
It was an irregularly shaped, pale purple ore, small enough to be held in one hand. Considering he was in a mine, Zhu Yue wasn’t surprised to find an ore.
The mysterious stone was tightly connected to the surrounding rock. Zhu Yue continued chiseling around it, carefully avoiding the ore itself. Extracting it intact was no easy task. By the time he was done, he was drenched in sweat.
Feeling the ore loosen, he returned his dagger to its sheath and carefully retrieved the glowing stone. Up close, one could see a pulsating glow emanating from the center of the ore, reminiscent of a heartbeat, radiating a purple light.
Should I go back and ask the instructor what this is?
Just as Zhu Yue took a step forward, the entire mine began to shake, intensifying until pebbles started rolling down the walls with a clattering sound.
An earthquake?!
That was Zhu Yue’s first thought. Then a deep, slow growl resonated from an unknown direction—an unsettling sound that made one’s skin crawl.
What’s happening? Zhu Yue had barely started to escape when the tremors knocked him off his feet. A massive rock landed heavily in front of him, scattering shards.
Not only Zhu Yue experienced the disturbances. Every individual in the mine felt varying levels of shaking. The most affected were Ling Xiao and Ying Feng, who had ventured the deepest.
After breaking an entire wall, they unexpectedly found a new world inhabited by dozens of A-grade dangerous creatures called Giant-tailed Lizards, presumably their nest. The disturbed lizards, lying on the ground, slowly waved their massive tails, glaring menacingly at the two unexpected intruders. Some emitted warning growls from deep within their throats, a sight enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
“I suspect our instructor gravely deceived us,” Ling Xiao whispered, twirling his dagger, causing it to spin sword flowers.
“Now the fun begins.”
“Hey, if you’re scared, press the alarm. I won’t mock you,” Ling Xiao said, fully focused ahead, teasing Ying Feng. In his eyes, there was no fear, only excitement at facing a powerful adversary.
“It should be you who’s scared,” Ying Feng coldly responded, also assuming a battle stance. “Run now if you wish. I won’t mock you either.”
That was when the unexpected happened. A particularly deep sound echoed, resonating throughout the narrow mine.
“Woo…”
Not just humans, even the Giant-tailed Lizards halted their advances.
“What was that sound?” Ling Xiao’s alertness surged.
A grave expression crossed Ying Feng’s face as he looked around, trying to determine the source. Another deep rumble, and the whole mine shook again. The Giant-tailed Lizards, disturbed, all began running away from the sound’s origin with an agility one wouldn’t expect from their massive size.
“What’s going on? Why is this happening?” Ling Xiao, stupefied by the lizards’ behavior, barely finished his sentence when an immense force hit him head-on, propelling him backward into a wall, smashing his personal terminal.
After the dust settled, the powerful entity revealed itself. Ying Feng, usually calm, was taken aback when he recognized the creature.
The dark, narrow, and eerie corridor was now filled with dense fog.
The thick fog severely impaired one’s vision and hearing, invoking involuntary feelings of trepidation and panic.
Contrastingly, when the “jingle” sound resonated, it was as if, amidst a mountainscape obscured by thick clouds, a trickling spring suddenly made itself heard, providing guidance and vitality to those lost.
The sound was crisp and pleasing, capable of making one forget all worries.
Yet at this moment, it was the most terrifying weapon of murder, foreshadowing the impending sweep of snow and ice upon this world.
At the crucial moment, Zhou Qian rapidly analyzed the current situation in his mind.
First was Yun Xiangrong’s side.
Just before Gao Shan’s death, Situ Qing had feigned a major move with her bell, intending to deceive him. At that time, she was far from Rooms 6 and 7, remotely controlling the situation as if she was just an observer.
At that moment, Lu Mengmeng was also far from there. After swapping two number plates, he quickly moved away to avoid suspicion.
He Xiaowei should’ve been following Zhou Qian towards Room 7. But Zhou Qian was delayed searching for evidence for quite some time, during which He Xiaowei probably moved on. From his subsequent comments, he wasn’t near Rooms 6 or 7, so he had no idea how Gao Shan died.
Thus, when Gao Shan took a bullet in room number 6 and ran out, only Yun Xiangrong was initially close to him.
But to hear Gao Shan’s dying words, Zhou Qian expended a lot of mana to freeze time and approached Gao Shan, becoming one of the closest people to him.
Before and after stopping time, Zhou Qian’s position changed.
As a result, from Yun Xiangrong’s perspective, Zhou Qian appeared to have teleported in front of her and Gao Shan.
Moreover, only Yun Xiangrong saw Zhou Qian’s teleportation due to the distance and the thick fog; none of the other players in the game noticed it.
During the time freeze, after learning everything that had happened from Gao Shan, considering the well-coordinated actions between Lu Mengmeng and Situ Qing, Zhou Qian wasn’t certain but began to suspect the gambler’s side.
Therefore, before Gao Shan’s last moments, his words, “Let Yun Xiangrong hate me”, were intended for the gambler, not Gao Shan.
What Zhou Qian meant by this was simple.
Facing a terrifying organization alone, Yun Xiangrong likely has only a path of death. So, let her hate and target me. I won’t truly harm her.
Time heals both love and hatred. After she vents her anger on me, perhaps she can calm down, and then I can persuade her to genuinely let go.
Zhou Qian purposely said this, both to test if the gambler would leak secrets and to prepare for subsequent plans. He never truly intended to oppose Yun Xiangrong. He was just putting on a show for everyone.
And without a doubt, Yun Xiangrong received his message.
Firstly, after witnessing Zhou Qian’s teleportation to Gao Shan, Yun Xiangrong could probably guess the skill he used.
Secondly, before dying, Gao Shan transferred a large amount of gold and items to Yun Xiangrong via the trade house.
Being astute, she understood the implications—Gao Shan, who should’ve died immediately, had the time to make such arrangements, possible only due to Zhou Qian freezing time, delaying his death.
Thus, trusting Yun Xiangrong’s intelligence, when she approached Gao Shan’s body and shoved him away, Zhou Qian whispered in her ear, “Gao Shan told me everything. I’ll avenge him.”
In essence, Zhou Qian and Yun Xiangrong never truly opposed each other. From the moment Yun Xiangrong pushed him, their coordinated act had begun.
By declaring in front of the gambler that Yun Xiangrong should hate him, Zhou Qian set the stage for their “fallout”.
Later, the so-called retrieval of the bullet from Gao Shan’s corpse, or claiming to have the Tick Tock Clock but not giving it to Yun Xiangrong, even making her kneel and cry until her eyes bled…
All of it was a performance by the two of them, aiming to avenge Gao Shan.
If the enemy didn’t believe that Zhou Qian truly faced universal abandonment and was at his weakest… How would they casually reveal their hand and decide to strike him down?
As expected, Situ Qing should have been just watching from the sidelines. Now that Yun Xiangrong had shown genuine intent to kill Zhou Qian, Situ Qing fully revealed her murderous intent.
Probably, it was Yun Xiangrong’s statement of “Reviving Gao Shan is more important than revenge”, that convinced Situ Qing—Yun Xiangrong was indeed out to kill Zhou Qian and definitely wanted to seize the Tick Tock clock.
From Situ Qing’s point of view, within these 30 seconds, He Xiaowei entered room 10 to find evidence. Yun Xiangrong truly stood against Zhou Qian. With Zhou Qian out of mana, it was the perfect time for her to act.
Situ Qing was indeed fooled. Not only was she fooled, but her vulnerability was also exposed.
Why did she wait for Yun Xiangrong to express her intent to kill Zhou Qian before acting? It could only be because she didn’t dare act rashly unless she was sure that Yun Xiangrong and Zhou Qian were indeed adversaries.
This could only mean one thing—her mana was also running low.
Previously, she and Lu Mengmeng set up a series of traps—lowering the corridor’s temperature to reveal fake clues on the door, deploying a powerful move to create the illusion of killing Zhou Qian, deceiving Gao Shan, and then using her ability to kill Lu Mengmeng…
She probably didn’t have much mana left—perhaps just enough for one ultimate. Given that Yun Xiangrong might heal Zhou Qian, and even He Xiaowei, who was somewhat of a healer, might assist, Situ Qing couldn’t ensure a kill on Zhou Qian with one blow, so she was still waiting and didn’t act directly. After all, she only had this 30-second window. If she missed it, the tide would completely turn against her.
Yun Xiangrong’s fake intent to kill Zhou Qian indeed increased her “confidence”, successfully deceiving her to act at this moment.
Speaking of which, there was a crucial element in this game—mana or skills. Regardless of how powerful a player’s skills were, they were limited by their mana, and no one could use their skills indefinitely.
This meant that in this game, especially in the early stages, no player would recklessly confront teammates using skills directly. Even if they wanted to kill a teammate, they were more likely to exploit the instance’s inherent traps and dangers rather than engage directly. After all, if they exhaust their mana competing against teammates, how would they fight the boss later?
Given this mechanic, mana recovery potions were almost nonexistent in this game. Health potions were already rare, and those available in the market might only recover 1% or 2% of the health. Mana potions were even rarer, basically legendary, even scarcer than resurrection tools.
During combat, predicting an opponent’s mana was crucial. Zhou Qian guessed right; Situ Qing probably had mana just for one ultimate. Situ Qing also saw Zhou Qian was out of mana and believed Yun Xiangrong wouldn’t heal him, so she dared to act.
What Situ Qing didn’t expect was—Zhou Qian actually had an extremely rare mana potion, given by someone named [Hidden Blade].
That day, while observing Zone X from a tree with binoculars, Zhou Qian received a message from someone wanting to take him as a disciple. The person was [Hidden Blade].
Zhou Qian neither accepted nor refused but replied, “You should show some sincerity if you want to take on a disciple, right?”
Soon, a trade request was sent.
[Player Zhou Qian, Hidden Blade has initiated a trade request.]
[Trade Item: “I Can Still Fight”; Potion; S+ grade; restores 400 mana.]
[Trade Price: 0]
Zhou Qian quickly accepted and asked, [Why do you want to take me as a disciple?]
The reply was, [Oh, I have many disciples. I have disciples everywhere*. If you agree, you can be a junior in my sect. I didn’t really want to take you. I prefer obedient disciples. Clearly, you’re not one.]
*Peaches and plums all over the world (桃李满天下) Idiom that refers to having many talents or students that could be found everywhere.
Zhou Qian’s eyes narrowed, and then he saw a message: [Ahem, well, someone asked me to. I’m just doing a favor for a friend.]
Who this “Hidden Blade” and his “friend” were wasn’t Zhou Qian’s current concern. But now, at least he could use this mana potion called “I Can Still Fight”.
This potion would restore 400 MP to Zhou Qian. Not enough for a big move, but enough for a small one. His small skill was “Bone Nightmare”, a control skill that could trap the target in an illusion.
So now, first and foremost, Zhou Qian had to ensure that Yun Xiangrong would help him and prevent himself from being instantly killed by Situ Qing.
Next, as long as he could hold out until He Xiaowei emerged from the adjacent Room 10, he could also get He Xiaowei’s assistance. Considering that Situ Qing had been trying to kill so many people, it was uncertain whether she would sacrifice her own teammates to pass the game. He Xiaowei wasn’t stupid; he had no reason not to help Zhou Qian.
Lastly, with the help of these two, as long as Zhou Qian could withstand one of Situ Qing’s ultimate attack, Zhou Qian, with his 400 mana, could even launch a minor attack that would be enough to control Situ Qing and then find a way to defeat her.
At this very moment, accompanied by the clear “jingling” sound, Situ Qing did launch an ultimate attack at Zhou Qian.
[Warning! Player Situ Qing has used the skill on you: Silver Blossom Ice Spike.]
[Rank attack, three rounds of continuous damage. Please dodge!]
With a gesture from Situ Qing, a bell floated into the air and began to sway violently. The “jingling” sound rapidly increased in frequency, becoming piercing. Suddenly, thousands of droplets appeared in the void, slowly condensing into sharp icicles, about to turn into the sharpest weapons.
However, this scene didn’t scare Zhou Qian at all.
Because he noticed that all of Situ Qing’s moves had a characteristic—they required a casting time.
That was, she couldn’t release her ultimate immediately. During this casting period, the temperature within the range of the skill decreased at a certain rate, providing the conditions for her moves.
Taking advantage of the time it took for her to channel her move, Zhou Qian acted quickly.
His first move was to take out a shimmering, deep blue scale from his bag. He threw the scale to the ground, and a little dragon burst out.
The little dragon was blue all over, about the height of Zhou Qian’s knee, and extremely cute. Its large, round eyes were also deep blue. Under the light, they shimmered like the sunlit sea. The dragon blinked at Zhou Qian, tilted its head, and smiled.
Although the dragon couldn’t speak, it stared at Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian gently patted its head and whispered something. The dragon then darted back into a room to gather evidence.
Zhou Qian’s second move was to take out the mana potion, restoring 400 MP. His third action was to pull out a pre-purchased defensive cloak to slightly shield him from damage.
Quickly putting on the cloak, Zhou Qian gripped a Rib of God in one hand and narrowed his eyes in the direction of Situ Qing.
The first round of ice spikes abruptly fell.
The Ice Queen’s long-range attack power was formidable. Zhou Qian was an entire level below her, not good at defense or offense, making the situation incredibly perilous.
Fortunately, the Ice Queen’s skill was an AOE attack. The floor, ceiling, and corridor walls were instantly encased in glistening ice and frost, which to some extent, absorbed some of the damage meant for Zhou Qian.
Still, this was only enough to prevent him from being instantly killed.
Countless ice spikes mercilessly struck down, first tearing Zhou Qian’s cloak. Then, he had to withstand the icicles with his body.
His hair, brows, and long black eyelashes were all frozen white. He felt a bone-chilling coldness, especially in his knees, making him feel like they were about to freeze off. Without even realizing, he was already on one knee. Simultaneously, his body was hit by numerous ice spikes, causing blood to pour out. He was in so much pain that he broke into a cold sweat, but the sweat immediately froze on his body.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 50%.]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 30%.]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 10%.]
There were three rounds of ice spike attacks. After withstanding just the first round, even with a shield to help him, Zhou Qian’s health was already down to 10%. At this rate, he definitely wouldn’t survive the third round.
In the distance, Yun Xiangrong was about to act with her flute when someone else acted first.
The door of Room 10 was suddenly pushed open, and He Xiaowei actually came out earlier than expected.
A flowing melody suddenly filled the air. The invisible soundwaves instantly clashed with the frost, turning them into flurries of snowflakes. The sound waves warmed like spring water, melting the ice and reviving everything…
However, the actual situation was: [Zhou Qian’s HP recovered to 13%.]
Zhou Qian: “…”
Yun Xiangrong in the distance: “…” It seems I still have to step in.
He Xiaowei, who rushed out of the room clutching his guqin: “……”
“Hey, my ability adds health at random. How much health I can restore depends on luck. This only proves that you, Zhou Qian, are unlucky!”
“What the hell is happening? Situ Qing, why did you kill so many people?”
“Damn it, I have to stay and help you, don’t I?”
“Hey, Yun Xiangrong, what are you staring at? Can you come and help? The dead are gone; shouldn’t we, the living, move forward?”
Before He Xiaowei could finish, he looked up.
Countless icy rains came from the void, once again about to form countless ice spikes.
In the brief moment before the ice spikes fell, He Xiaowei’s shoulder was gripped by the severely wounded Zhou Qian.
Turning around, he saw Zhou Qian spitting out blood from the corner of his mouth. His whole body was covered in wounds, and his blood even dyed his thick down jacket red. To He Xiaowei, Zhou Qian seemed on the verge of death.
However, Zhou Qian’s eyes looked no different than usual.
He simply asked He Xiaowei, “So, what’s your ultimate move? Can you still use it?”
“Ugh, my ultimate is a scam. It’s a sacrifice type! It consumes either health or mana!”
“I… Well, considering you’re about to die, I can share half of my health with you. But if I… never mind, I won’t overthink it. I’ll just share half of my health with you! Wait—”
He Xiaowei was about to lament and then reluctantly planned to unleash his ultimate, but Zhou Qian interrupted him.
In the mist, He Xiaowei felt Zhou Qian’s gaze turn somewhat mad for some reason.
Then Zhou Qian asked, “Can you share half of your mana with me?”
“Uh… huh? Look, Zhou Qian, I just used three of my minor skills to send the corpses and bullets to three different rooms. So I only have 1,600 MP left. Let me quickly explain my skills.”
He Xiaowei’s skills were unique.
He had a total of 2,000 HP and 2,000 MP, which was the same as an average Rank D player’s attributes.
With a cost of 1,000 MP, he could share half of his health with someone else. This move was called [Sacrifice Life].
He could also consume 1,000 HP to give half of his mana to someone else. This move was called [Sacrifice Soul].
“Brother Zhou Qian, based on my skill’s nature, if I share my remaining 1,600 MP with you, I won’t be able to heal you with my ultimate! Because my remaining mana isn’t enough for the healing ultimate, get it?”
“You know, my healing with minor skills depends on luck…”
“So, you get what I mean? It’s not that I don’t want to share my mana with you. It’s just, if I do, and those ice spikes fall, you might die instantly.”
“What use is the mana if you’re dead?
“So, I should just use [Sacrifice Life] to heal you!”
“No. I don’t need health. I need mana,” Zhou Qian said. “I’m preparing for my ultimate.”
“What do you mean…”
“Hurry!”
“Alright, alright, you’ll have it! Just don’t shout at me!” He Xiaowei quickly strummed his strings, sacrificing half of his health, then shared half of his mana with Zhou Qian.
The 400 MP he got from a small mana potion, combined with the 800 from He Xiaowei, made a total of 1,200 MP, just enough for Zhou Qian’s ultimate.
In the void, the ice spikes had taken form and were about to fall.
Before He Xiaowei’s eyes, Zhou Qian did something completely unexpected—he took off his down jacket, as well as the protective suit underneath, revealing his lean and scarred body. Because sweat and some of the blood had frozen, the protective suit was practically stuck to his wounds. But he took it off without a care, reopening many wounds in the process.
Zhou Qian only frowned slightly at the sight of the blood, then seemed to dismiss it. He then took out a dagger and stabbed it directly into his left shoulder.
In an instant, blood poured out, completely drenching Zhou Qian’s already bloodied body. When he pulled out the dagger, blood splattered across his pale and thin face, staining his lips. Yet he was smiling, appearing wildly insane but oddly charming.
While hurting himself, Zhou Qian saw Yun Xiangrong a few steps ahead, seemingly about to play her flute. He quickly shook his head at her, and she hesitated before putting the flute down.
At that moment, a system warning sounded.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 12%.]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 11%.]
…
[Player Zhou Qian’s health has dropped to 9%.]
Just a moment before the myriad of icicles thundered down—Zhou Qian unleashed his ultimate.
This action completely stunned He Xiaowei.
Holy shit, is this the legendary skill of unleashing your ultimate move while at low health?
[Player Zhou Qian released the skill: Bone Kill]
[Harnesses the power of a Rib of God to attract resentful energies nearby to attack enemies. The stronger the resentment, the stronger the attack. Triggered when the player’s health is below 10%. Consumes 1,200 MP.]
There were numerous corpses in this corridor, filled with countless resentful energies. And this resentment was exactly what Zhou Qian could control.
The bodies of Lu Mengmeng and a janitor, under the influence of this resentment, were controlled by Zhou Qian to fly upside down and appear instantly above Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei.
“Boom!”
The countless icicles finally fell, but the majority were blocked by the two corpses controlled by Zhou Qian.
Only a few icicles slipped through, stabbing into Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei’s thighs and arms. However, the damage was minimal, only slightly reducing both of their health.
Both Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei quickly adjusted their positions, curling up to protect their vital areas from the icicles. At the same time, He Xiaowei constantly monitored Zhou Qian’s health. At its most critical moment, when it dropped to 2%, He Xiaowei immediately boosted it to 8%. In this way, He Xiaowei both saved Zhou Qian from dying and ensured his health didn’t exceed 10%.
He Xiaowei had always complained about this basic skill of his; although it consumed minimal mana, the healing was too little. He never imagined that this skill would come in handy at this critical moment.
After withstanding the second wave of icicles, only one round remained. Moments later, the third wave of icicles began to form.
Zhou Qian summoned two more janitor corpses to block all the icicles.
In the end, He Xiaowei’s health was reduced to 13%, while player Zhou Qian’s health remained at 5%.
The terrifying three-wave attack was finally over, and Situ Qing’s ultimate move had come to an end. All the raindrops scattered, and the temperature in the corridor gradually rose.
Zhou Qian’s body was now covered in countless wounds. His limbs, neck, and even his cheeks were all filled with tiny cuts from the icicles. Most of his injuries were from the first wave of attacks. The subsequent waves were less intense due to the two corpses that shielded him.
At this moment, covered in wounds and blood, Zhou Qian clenched the Rib of God and walked step by step towards Situ Qing. He was bleeding so much that each step left a bloody footprint in the corridor.
Staring mercilessly at the pale-faced Situ Qing, Zhou Qian said in a deep, slow voice, “You’ve used your ultimate move. Now it’s my turn. Gao Shan—”
At this moment, Zhou Qian looked like a blood-soaked demon. Stepping over a sea of blood and mountains of corpses, he emerged from hell, full of murderous intent, seeking vengeance!
“Gao Shan, take your revenge personally.”
With a sinister tone, Zhou Qian said these words and pointed the Rib of God towards Room 6.
Immediately, the cold corpse on the ground eerily stood up. Influenced by the resentful energy, he quickly appeared beside Zhou Qian, then turned to face Situ Qing.
In that instant, Yun Xiangrong’s heart leaped into her throat. Her body trembled, but she didn’t move a step forward.
She watched from a distance as Zhou Qian, standing behind Gao Shan, gently patted his shoulder with his bloody hand and said, “Go on, Shan Ge. Seek your revenge.”
A faint mist emanated from the Rib of God, and when it merged with the corpse, it unleashed a tremendous force. The cold corpse seemed alive, and in one leap, he reached Situ Qing, catching her by the throat before she could react.
Situ Qing’s eyes widened in horror as she struggled to break free. Desperately, she drew a dagger and fiercely stabbed it into Gao Shan’s arm.
Yun Xiangrong, standing not far behind, immediately burst into tears. Holding back her emotions and not stepping forward, she even pinched her thigh so hard that she drew blood.
She was relieved to see that Situ Qing couldn’t move Gao Shan’s grip.
The current Gao Shan was, after all, a corpse and not a real living person. He didn’t feel pain and acted only under Zhou Qian’s control. Until the effect of [Bone Kill] expired, he would only obey Zhou Qian’s commands. The order was to kill Situ Qing, so at this moment, his arm was like it was welded with iron, leaving Situ Qing with no chance of escape.
[Player Situ Qing’s HP drops to 50%]
[Player Situ Qing’s HP drops to 10%]
[Player Situ Qing’s HP drops to 5%]
……
Zhou Qian’s body was riddled with injuries, and the pain near his knee was becoming unbearable. He had to lean against the corridor wall to stand. Yet, throughout, he remained indifferent, wanting to witness Situ Qing’s death personally.
However, Situ Qing didn’t die immediately. When her health dropped to 3%, a pair of golden, semi-transparent wings suddenly appeared behind her. The wings unfolded and then enveloped her, protecting her from all harm.
The next moment, the effect of the [Bone Kill] skill disappeared. The moment Gao Shan’s corpse fell, Yun Xiangrong rushed to embrace him. Situ Qing, under the protection of her wings, fell to the ground, barely alive.
It was clear that Situ Qing had an item that saved her life, which was probably why she dared to gamble. But it didn’t matter. In Zhou Qian’s eyes, she was already dead. Holding a dagger, he walks step by step to look down at Situ Qing. “Such an item won’t last long. Your death is certain. If Gao Shan couldn’t kill you, it doesn’t matter. I’ll finish you with my own hands.”
Lying on the ground, gasping for air, Situ Qing didn’t have the strength to reply. At this moment, Zhou Qian’s watch vibrated—a message from Qi Liuxing finally arrived.
Seeing this, Zhou Qian was relieved. He knew Qi Liuxing’s character. He wouldn’t let someone die. The lack of response earlier meant either he faced a massive threat and couldn’t check the system messages, or he was dead. Now it seemed he was safe.
Checking the system panel, Qi Liuxing traded the Tick Tock Clock and attached a message:
[Of course I’m willing to save Shan Ge. I was busy fighting the boss earlier and didn’t check the messages. I’m safe now and have left the instance.]
The moment Zhou Qian took out the Tick Tock Clock from his bag, Yun Xiangrong rushed over. Desperate, she snatched it and quickly ran to Gao Shan, attempting to use the clock to revive him.
At this moment, there were only 30 seconds left until the end of the challenge. Zhou Qian’s dragon returned, bringing with it nine bullets marked with the number “7”. Taking the nine bullets and combining them with the three he had, he now had twelve in total.
System prompt:
[Side Quest “Checks and Balance” completion: 100%]
[A cinematic is about to play. Players, do not panic; you will not be harmed.]
[Note: The corridor and 12 rooms will disappear. Please return to Room 701 within three minutes.]
Suddenly, a young man in a military uniform appeared in front of Zhou Qian. Zhou Qian realized he was the NPC and also the young man he saw in the photo illusion.
In the illusion, in front of candlelight, he wrote a love poem, burned it, and passed the challenge to Zhou Qian.
Now, in this foggy moment, he approached Zhou Qian, took the twelve bullets, and loaded them into a gun.
Then, the young officer turned and, over the course of one and a half minutes, entered each of the twelve rooms.
“Bang,” “Bang,” “Bang”…
Twelve gunshots rang out as the officer took out the twelve gunmen. Finally, he returned to Zhou Qian, thanked him, and started to fade away.
And throughout, whether it was the thick fog or something else, Zhou Qian couldn’t clearly see his face.
Watching the officer disappear before his eyes, Zhou Qian once again felt the sensation he had when he touched the photograph.
His heart started to beat rapidly, and at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of desolation. He reached out to touch the officer, but the officer had already disappeared.
Not only had the officer vanished, but the entire scene also began to turn transparent.
The mist was dispersing, but the corridor, ceiling, 12 doors—none of these objects became clear.
There was still a minute and a half left in the end animation. Everything in the corridor would completely disappear in a minute and a half.
And the players needed to return to Room 701 before then, or they might face danger.
Suddenly thinking of something, Zhou Qian’s heart sank, and he looked at the two nearest cleaner corpses.
They were also turning transparent.
Including Lu Mengmeng, his originally pale face had almost become completely transparent.
Seeing this, Zhou Qian immediately ran to Gao Shan’s side.
Yun Xiangrong was kneeling next to Gao Shan, adjusting the Tick Tock Clock.
Unlike regular clocks with minute and hour hands, this clock had one pointer. Adjusting the pointer to different frequencies would make it tick differently.
When the ticking could resonate with the heartbeat of the departed, it could travel to the heart of the deceased and make it beat.
When Yun Xiangrong began adjusting the clock, her hand was shaking. She forced herself to calm down so she could adjust the pointer’s frequency steadily.
The countdown was at 80 seconds.
Then 70 seconds.
60 seconds, 50 seconds… Yun Xiangrong had not succeeded and was sweating profusely.
Zhou Qian observed for a while, then turned his attention to other parts of the corridor—as the corridor continued to become transparent, the walls and floor began shaking rapidly. A wall lamp shattered on the ground, its light extinguishing immediately, and the shards also began turning transparent.
“He Xiaowei, Yun Xiangrong, take Gao Shan’s body back to 701,” Zhou Qian said, drawing his dagger. With some stumbling but determination, he walked step by step to Situ Qing, who was still lying on the ground.
The flash of the knife blade, cold and sharp, neared Situ Qing’s neck. Delicate beads of blood rolled down the blade. If Zhou Qian pressed on, Situ Qing would undoubtedly die.
But just in the nick of time, the melodious sound of a flute echoed, and willow catkins floated around, tightly wrapping around Situ Qing. They healed her wound, restored some of her health, and gave her the strength to stand.
Zhou Qian, taken aback, turned to see Yun Xiangrong holding the flute, looking at him in despair.
By her side, Gao Shan’s body was turning transparent like the cleaner NPCs.
He couldn’t be saved.
When time was up in this level, the dead truly die.
They would vanish along with the disappearing level.
On the ground, Situ Qing hadn’t fully managed to get up, seemingly not believing that she had been given another chance at life. In a place hidden from Situ Qing and her gambler, Yun Xiangrong stood behind her. As all the mist cleared, she mouthed to Zhou Qian, “Given the situation, let me continue this act.”
At first, in front of the gambler, Zhou Qian told Yun Xiangrong to resent him.
Later, in front of all the players, through various means, he successfully made everyone believe that he and Yun Xiangrong had truly cut ties.
However, his plan was only meant to last until the end of this level, once they had successfully killed Lu Mengmeng and Situ Qing.
But now, Yun Xiangrong implied—since Gao Shan couldn’t be saved, she might as well continue the act of their falling out.
For now, Gao Shan couldn’t be brought back.
However, after all, Situ Qing was just a gun.
If they killed Situ Qing now, they might lose the only lead they had, never knowing who was really behind her.
So, Yun Xiangrong wanted to spare Situ Qing’s life for now until they could draw out the person behind her.
She even wanted to use her “enemy of Zhou Qian” identity to get closer to that person. After all, an enemy of an enemy was a friend. Yun Xiangrong’s goal now was to form an “alliance” with the legion behind Situ Qing.
Yun Xiangrong not only wanted to know who the enemy was, but she also wanted to infiltrate their ranks, uncover the secrets of the organization behind Situ Qing, and completely destroy them.
Only then would she have truly avenged Gao Shan.
Walking step by step toward Zhou Qian, Yun Xiangrong did something that surprised everyone.
Situ Qing was disoriented; her ears were plugged and she was unable to hear anything.
But through the screen, her gambler saw everything unfold.
Upon accessing the system panel, Yun Xiangrong chose to reset all of her 150 skill points, only to get back a mere 30 in return.
To prevent players from frequently changing their skill directions, the system had rules. Once skill points were used, they couldn’t be easily reverted. If a player wanted to reset a certain skill and replace it with another, a significant number of skill points would be wasted.
Just like Yun Xiangrong, she had cleared numerous instances to earn those 150 points, investing all of them in healing-related skills. But now, after resetting her healing skills, she only had 30 points left.
Yun Xiangrong converted all these 30 skill points into offensive capabilities. She then turned to Zhou Qian, “Shan Ge is dead. There’s no one left for me to heal. From now on, I’ll only be an attacker.”
“Zhou Qian, I know… maybe it was unintentional on your part. But if it weren’t for you, Shan Ge wouldn’t have been shot; if you hadn’t been so reluctant to hand over the Tick Tock Clock, I wouldn’t have been too late to save him. Now Shan Ge has vanished before me… He had a chance to live, but you killed him, twice… exactly twice!”
Zhou Qian knew Yun Xiangrong was acting. But there might be a bit of real blame in that act, which made her speak with gritted teeth, her eyes red as if they were about to bleed.
Under the guise of this act, Zhou Qian also responded with what was on his mind. “Perhaps anything I say now is too late. But I really did want to save him. Although I’m not a good person and, in my opinion, most people in this world tend to do evil, Gao Shan is an exception, just like…”
Just like Bai Zhou was also an exception.
Gao Shan and Bai Zhou, in terms of personality, appearance, intelligence… were nothing alike. But to Zhou Qian, they were both good people. For that alone, he would’ve tried his best to save Gao Shan. But just as he could never find Bai Zhou again, Gao Shan had now vanished from his sight.
Considering himself smart and cunning all his life, Zhou Qian realized he had never been able to protect the ones he truly wanted to keep safe.
Leaning against the corridor, with a bleeding wound on his shoulder, Zhou Qian looked up at the completely transparent ceiling, as if seeing a god hidden in some void.
Then he solemnly declared, “If this game is orchestrated by some god, whether a god testing human hearts or a malicious god playing with mortals… I will confront him and force him to return all the people I wish to keep, whole and intact!”
…..
The level ended, and the four surviving players returned to Room 701.
Then something miraculous happened—everyone’s health was fully restored to 100%.
An hour later, Jiang Yuqing woke up. It felt as if the players had shared a dream with him.
Now that everyone was awake, all injuries vanished, their health was restored, and they were back in their caregiver uniforms. Only the complete disappearance of Gao Shan and Lu Mengmeng and the depleted MP, visible only to them, reminded them—everything wasn’t just a dream.
Upon waking up, Jiang Yuqing mumbled, “Where’s the osmanthus cake… Why isn’t it here yet?”
When Zhou Qian and the others first arrived at this building as caregivers, they took Elevator B up. They met two senior caregivers, Lao Tie and Lao Yu, outside Room 701, who were leaving the 7th floor to buy osmanthus cake for Jiang Yuqing.
They mentioned that if Jiang Yuqing didn’t get his osmanthus cake, he’d be upset. So, this [osmanthus cake] seemed pretty important. Moreover, an hour had passed, so why hadn’t they returned?
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Qian said to He Xiaowei, “Shall we go downstairs and check?”
“Yeah, let’s go.” He Xiaowei glanced at Yun Xiangrong, who was sitting on the floor in silence, and Situ Qing, who was sitting by the bookshelf with her eyes closed, nodded, and followed Zhou Qian out.
The room became completely silent. Situ Qing glanced at Yun Xiangrong, paused for a moment, and then looked at the system panel displayed on her watch, visible only to her. It was a message from her younger brother.
[Keep an eye on Yun Xiangrong; either win her over or find an opportunity to kill her, eliminating future threats.]
Situ Qing exhaled softly, ignoring the message, leaned her head against the bookshelf, and closed her eyes again. Even though the injuries on her body had disappeared after the side quest ended, she still felt extremely exhausted, to the point where her consciousness was still in a state of disarray.
Even when she closed her eyes, she couldn’t shake off that uncomfortable feeling.
She could only tightly wrap herself in the golden wings, the prop that had saved her life at a crucial moment—the [Guardian Wings].
This precious tool was given to her by her younger brother, who was also her gambler.
His name was Mu Sheng.
Perhaps it was because she had seen Jiang Yuqing’s sickbed that every time Situ Qing closed her eyes, she saw another one.
On that bed, the pale boy, Mu Sheng, just opened his pitch-black pupils, looking at a younger version of herself.
Situ Qing saw her younger self trembling, but her eyes were full of pity when she looked at the boy.
The young Mu Sheng said to the equally young Situ Qing at the bedside, “I can’t walk anymore, right?”
“I’m sorry!” The young Situ Qing held his hand. “A’Sheng*, I will take care of you for the rest of my life!”
*(阿) When used in front of a name, it is an affectionate way to call someone, signifying closeness.
“It’s your fault.” Mu Sheng looked at her with malicious eyes. “It’s all because of you and your mother. You pushed my mother to her death and caused my disability! I’ll hate you forever!”
Tears fell from the young Situ Qing’s eyes as she swore, “I will make it up to you. I definitely will!”
The scene shifted.
Many years had passed.
Mu Sheng had grown up. Sitting in a wheelchair, he smiled gently.
Situ Qing asked him, “What have you been up to recently? Where did you get your money? I know you’re smart, but please… Please don’t break the law! I’ll work hard to earn money! I’ve been working several jobs recently—”
Situ Qing noticed Mu Sheng was often busy with a phone and computer.
She knew her brother was smart and good with computers, but she feared he might venture into hacking.
However, she heard Mu Sheng laugh. “Sister, would you play a game for me? You don’t need to work so hard to earn money. Just finish the game, and we’ll have endless wealth. Also…”
Whispering into Situ Qing’s ear, Mu Sheng said, “Didn’t you promise to make it up to me for a lifetime? Now’s your chance. Would you be willing to get me a pair of legs? Sister, I want to stand.”
Since then, Situ Qing felt she was being drawn deeper into an abyss.
Reaching Rank S was her goal. Only at Rank S could she approach the so-called god and have the chance to let Mu Sheng stand.
But at the same time, she knew—several near-death experiences were caused by Mu Sheng.
Whether she was forced to kill or faced danger, it was all because of Mu Sheng’s coercion.
It was Mu Sheng who pushed her into the abyss, staining her hands with indelible blood.
But every time she was close to death, just like the protective wings she now wore, they were also gifts from Mu Sheng.
He wanted her dead, but he also kept her alive.
She couldn’t distinguish his good from his bad.
Perhaps some people were destined for lifelong tribulations.
……
On the other side.
Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei opened room 701. Outside was no longer the eerie hallway with 12 rooms, but back to its previous appearance.
They took the elevator down, and the receptionist was calculating bills while the security guard stood at the entrance.
“Hmm? Why are you two here?” The receptionist looked at Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei, holding up a box of osmanthus cakes. “Want some? I just bought them.”
Zhou Qian said, “Mr. Jiang wants some osmanthus cakes. Maybe he’ll get angry if he can’t have them. Can I give these to him?”
“Of course. We’re all supported by Mr. Jiang’s salary.” She smiled. “Our principle is to meet Mr. Jiang’s needs.”
After taking the osmanthus cakes, Zhou Qian asked, “Where are Lao Yu and Lao Tie? Did they go to buy osmanthus cakes too? Have you seen them?”
The receptionist shook her head in surprise. “No, they never came down.”
He Xiaowei asked the security guard, “Did you see Lao Yu and Lao Tie come down?”
The security guard shook his head. “No, only you two.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qian looked up to find a security camera facing the elevator’s direction.
Zhou Qian asked, “Can we see the hall’s surveillance footage?”
“Sure, you can use the computer at the front desk. Which part do you want to see?”
The security guard readily agreed.
A moment later, Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei were standing in front of the computer at the reception desk. Using fast-forward mode, they quickly checked the past hour’s surveillance.
At 3:15 in the afternoon, six players took Elevator B upstairs. During the playback, upon seeing Gao Shan and Lu Mengmeng, He Xiaowei couldn’t help but shake his head and sigh before continuing to watch.
Just two minutes later, Elevator B descended to the ground floor on its own. After the door remained open for 10 seconds, it closed automatically without anyone exiting.
The next movement of the elevator was an hour later. At 3:18 pm, when the elevator doors opened, Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei walked out.
This bizarre surveillance footage gave He Xiaowei goosebumps. Zhou Qian frowned slightly and rewound the video to 3:17 pm when Elevator B opened and then closed in the ground floor lobby.
As the elevator door opened, Zhou Qian pressed the pause button and zoomed in on the image. Inside, there was no one.
He Xiaowei exclaimed in horror, “That was when Lao Yu and Lao Tie took the elevator downstairs! We watched them from the seventh floor as they entered Elevator B. They pressed the button for the ground floor, so the elevator descended there. But when the elevator stopped and the doors opened on the ground floor, it was empty! It means that—”
“Somewhere between the seventh and ground floor, they disappeared into thin air!!!”
The stark light shone down, reflecting coldly off the marble floor. Under this light, the receptionist and security guard appeared unusually pale.
Walking away from the screen, Zhou Qian was the first to approach the elevator and press the button to go up. “Let’s quickly send up these snacks.”
He Xiaowei looked at him in disbelief. “Dude, you still dare to take the elevator?”
Zhou Qian replied, “There are no stairs here. We can only take the elevator.”
He Xiaowei hesitated. “What if we also disappear?”
Zhou Qian suggested, “Let’s take Elevator A then. After all, the incident occurred in Elevator B.”
“That sounds reasonable,” He Xiaowei agreed instantly.
Soon, the two entered Elevator A.
As the elevator moved smoothly upwards, He Xiaowei sighed with relief, “Seems we’re safe.”
Zhou Qian suddenly said, “Their sudden disappearance has nothing to do with the elevator’s number.”
He Xiaowei: “?”
Zhou Qian explained, “The disappearance of Lao Yu and Lao Tie is clearly part of the main storyline. In other words, it was an event destined to happen. But them taking Elevator B downstairs was just a random event.”
Zhou Qian’s point was clear. When the players went upstairs, both elevators were on the ground floor, and they randomly chose Elevator B. When they reached the seventh floor, Elevator B stayed there, and naturally, Lao Yu and Lao Tie took it to go down.
Thus, the two NPCs taking Elevator B were a result of the players’ random choice, but their disappearance was inevitable and had nothing to do with which elevator they chose. This implied their disappearance might not be related to the elevator itself.
“Wait, then why did you…” He Xiaowei was baffled.
“Just to rush you upstairs,” Zhou Qian said calmly. “Let’s deliver the snacks to Jiang Yuqing first.”
He Xiaowei exclaimed, “Damn bro, that’s too much! I saved you!”
“Thank you,” Zhou Qian responded unenthusiastically. As soon as the elevator reached the seventh floor, he immediately walked towards Room 701 with a box of osmanthus cake.
He Xiaowei followed Zhou Qian to the door of Room 701 and noticed he didn’t enter but was observing from outside.
“What are you looking at?” He Xiaowei whispered.
Zhou Qian replied, “I wanted to observe Jiang Yuqing to see if he’d become agitated without the snacks and act abnormally. But now I’ve noticed something else.”
“What?” He Xiaowei asked curiously.
Through the door’s window, Zhou Qian observed Jiang Yuqing standing in the room. He seemed to have dementia, appearing somewhat dazed. However, there were significant differences in his appearance.
His forehead, cheeks, and the corners of his eyes—the wrinkles there had lessened. His once-stunning youthful looks were starting to emerge.
Zhou Qian’s pupils shrank as he whispered, “He’s becoming younger.”
Zhou Qian claimed that his strategy for clearing the level required him to sequentially visit rooms 4, 7, and 8, where he would have three gunmen each fire a bullet. He would first try room number 4.
If he failed to use his time-slowing skill to dodge the bullet, he would undoubtedly die. At that point, he would need He Xiaowei to save him with the Tick Tock Clock and then completely abandon this sub-quest.
However, if he succeeded, he could consecutively use his time-slowing skill three times to clear the level.
Now, Zhu Qiang discovered that Zhou Qian was lying.
He doesn’t have enough mana to use the skill three times!
He hasn’t even successfully obtained the Tick Tock Clock from Qi Liuxing!
Furthermore, when players opened unsafe rooms, they were invariably shot at, and the gunman’s accuracy was 100%! This meant that Zhou Qian shouldn’t be able to dodge the bullet in Room 4…
All in all, Zhou Qian wouldn’t enter Room 4. All of this was his deception!
From the moment Zhou Qian was accused by Situ Qing of being the murderer who killed Gao Shan, he didn’t even defend himself. He kept emphasizing that the game’s time limit was nearing its end and that everyone should focus on clearing the level.
Pretending to be a fanatical lunatic only concerned about clearing the level, he appeared not to care about Gao Shan’s life, Yun Xiangrong’s hatred, being misidentified as the killer, or even potentially being shot…
He Xiaowei and Lu Mengmeng… were all deceived by him. Zhou Qian even took a long time explaining the principles of this level, trying to convince them of his method. To further appear genuine, he pretended that he needed He Xiaowei’s, and even Lu Mengmeng’s, cooperation and help.
But what if all this was just a ruse Zhou Qian put on?
Everyone believed he would enter Room 4, but in reality, he wouldn’t.
Since he wouldn’t actually walk into this dangerous room to face the bullet, what was his real purpose in slowing down time?
It could only be to commit murder.
Who would he kill?
It had to be Lu Mengmeng, who possessed extremely fast speed.
Thus, the real purpose of slowing down time wasn’t to decrease the bullet’s speed but to decrease Lu Mengmeng’s speed!
Zhou Qian’s range for slowing down time was limited to an area of 10 square meters. If he openly expressed his intention to kill Lu Mengmeng, he would be on guard and escape in advance.
But with Zhou Qian’s series of deceits, Lu Mengmeng thought that the time-slowing skill was only to dodge the bullets. He wouldn’t run away; instead, he’d approach Room 4 out of curiosity to see the outcome.
So… Lu Mengmeng was likely doomed.
In the bathroom of the luxury suite, realizing this, Zhu Qiang’s hand trembled, and his phone dropped to the floor. His face went pale, and his body started shaking.
He shouldn’t…
Shouldn’t have gone against Zhou Qian.
From the beginning, when Lu Mengmeng discussed this matter with him via video call, he should have persuaded him to cooperate with Zhou Qian. But he was afraid. He trusted Lu Mengmeng, Situ Qing, the mysterious man advising Situ Qing on the phone, and even himself.
He thought he knew Zhou Qian well enough after observing one of his games. With the information he got from Yu Xian and combined with Situ Qing and Lu Mengmeng’s input, he believed he could defeat Zhou Qian.
But he was terribly wrong.
In the game, Lu Mengmeng followed He Xiaowei to the front of Room 4, watching intently as Zhou Qian approached the door. The fog made it hard to see clearly, so he took another step forward, eager to understand Zhou Qian’s actions. He was incredibly curious—could Zhou Qian genuinely dodge the bullet by slowing down time?
At this moment, Yun Xiangrong was crying beside Lu Mengmeng, but he seemed oblivious. It seemed he had even forgotten that he was the one who killed her true love.
Lu Mengmeng was obsessed with clearing the level.
In this game, every time a player exited an instance, the system would restrict the time for their next entry—typically 7 to 10 days. If a player didn’t enter the instance within this time frame, they would instantly die.
However, Lu Mengmeng never cared about these time constraints. After each exit from an instance, he would rest for just one night and immediately enter the next one. Although he didn’t achieve any significant feats, at least he always managed to complete the dungeon with just a sliver of health left.
Due to the frequency of his instance runs, Lu Mengmeng, who was otherwise average in performance, managed to ascend to Rank D.
After clearing each level, Lu Mengmeng felt profound satisfaction. Clearing these levels touched a raw nerve in him, evoking an indescribable sensation.
It reminded him of something he did half a year ago.
About six months ago, Lu Mengmeng saw the list of graduate students selected for research in his department. Upon checking, he found his academic points were just one rank below his roommate’s, causing him to miss out. One night, in a fit of rage, he climbed onto his roommate’s bed with a knife and stabbed him in the chest…
Now that you’re dead, I can move up a rank and qualify for the department.
Blood spurted as he pulled out the knife, covering Lu Mengmeng’s face. Chaos erupted in the dormitory, with roommates screaming, calling the police, and trying to restrain him. But he didn’t react. Holding the knife, he felt an indescribable thrill. He believed he had cleared the “Research Qualification” level.
In the present, reminiscent of the night when he had suddenly awoken and reached for the knife in his drawer, Lu Mengmeng felt the excitement of nearing another level completion, so much so that his eyes turned red. He moved closer, watching as Zhou Qian was about to open Room 4.
To him, the scene of Zhou Qian pushing the door seemed infinitely slow because time around him had decelerated. Everything became distorted, and he anxiously waited. Suddenly, he was caught off guard by a piercing cold gaze. Zhou Qian had turned to look directly at him.
Sensing danger, Lu Mengmeng stepped back. But his feet felt heavy. He wanted to activate a skill to increase his speed but couldn’t. As Zhou Qian approached, the malice in his eyes intensified. At that moment, Zhou Qian seemed like a god about to punish a sinner.
Panicking, Lu Mengmeng activated a skill to boost his speed by 80% and tried to flee. Many times, this skill had saved him from monsters or bosses. He believed he could escape. He told himself it would definitely work; he must escape!
But suddenly, time slowed even further. The effect negated all his speed boosts, leaving him running only slightly faster than a jog.
At the same time, he felt that Zhou Qian behind him wasn’t affected by the slowing of time. He stood outside of time like a god, looking down on him with a mocking gaze, as if watching a clown, seeing him run hopelessly in a cage he couldn’t escape from.
In the next moment, Lu Mengmeng’s nape was forcefully gripped by a hand.
Soon after, he was flipped over by the person behind him, with his neck being held. As he was forcibly turned around, out of the corner of his eye, Lu Mengmeng noticed he was now at the location of Room 9.
Directly in front of him, Zhou Qian’s eyes, filled with murderous intent, magnified immensely.
A sharp pain emanated from his neck as Zhou Qian pressed a dagger against it. Lu Mengmeng’s heart trembled violently, and his pupils dilated rapidly in fear…
With one hand holding the pale and frail neck of Lu Mengmeng, Zhou Qian used the other hand to wield a common dagger he bought from the trading house, pinning him against the door. It seemed that with just a gentle push, Lu Mengmeng could be thrown directly into Room 9.
The blade of the dagger pierced the surface of Lu Mengmeng’s neck; tiny beads of blood rolled out, almost casting a dark red shade in the depths of Zhou Qian’s eyes.
With those deep red eyes, Zhou Qian coldly stared at Lu Mengmeng.
“You… You want to kill me…”
Due to the slowing of time, Lu Mengmeng’s voice sounded incredibly stretched, as if the playback speed was lowered. Even the tremors of his body and the fluttering of his eyelids were slowed down, making him look somewhat comical.
Zhou Qian’s mouth curled into a derisive smirk. “You swapped the number plates, leading to Gao Shan’s death, didn’t you?”
Lu Mengmeng immediately denied. “I… I didn’t! It was…”
Zhou Qian whispered, “Swapping plates multiple times, drawing misleading symbols on doors, and just now using your major skill to come here… Out of mana, are you? Otherwise, I’d have to be wary of your assassin abilities. Even if affected by time slow, your dagger would stab slowly, but I can’t be careless.”
Lu Mengmeng panicked. After using his skills so many times, he indeed had no mana left. His already pale face now looked utterly bloodless, trembling in front of Zhou Qian.
Zhou Qian pressed him further. “So there’s no point in denying it. It was you. But I want to know, did Situ Qing direct you?”
Lu Mengmeng murmured, “You… I don’t know…”
The dagger in Zhou Qian’s hand advanced mercilessly. The pain caused Lu Mengmeng to wince, tears streaming down instantly. He stared at Zhou Qian in horror. “What… What are you…”
“Killing a mere pawn like you would only dirty my hands. It’s not worth it,” Zhou Qian whispered seductively in his ear. “Tell me, what do you know? Who’s behind you and Situ Qing?”
Lu Mengmeng’s voice quivered uncontrollably. Yet the cold blade kept pressing deeper, forcing him to speak, “It… It’s a legion…”
Jingle, jingle, jingle.
The sound of bells approached from behind, accompanied by a chilling frosty aura. It felt as if an immense snowstorm was about to engulf the world. Though powerful, due to the slowed time, it hadn’t reached Zhou Qian yet.
Ignoring the creeping cold from behind, Zhou Qian moved the knife, lifting Lu Mengmeng’s pale chin, forcing him to look straight into his eyes.
From this superior stance, Zhou Qian demanded, “Tell me the name of that legion. Or I’ll give you two choices: have your throat slit by me or be thrown into Room 9 to face bullets.”
“I… I…” Tears streamed from Lu Mengmeng’s terrified eyes, his body shaking uncontrollably. He felt the encroaching cold. Whether he answered or not, death seemed inevitable.
Zhou Qian’s voice resonated close to his ear. “Speak. You’re merely a tool, controlled and ordered around. You’re not my real enemy. If you talk, I might spare you.”
But on the other side, the approaching snowy aura hinted that if he spoke, he might be silenced permanently.
“I’ll spare you.”
“Not just that, I’ll also help you clear the game.”
“The condition is, you need to tell me—what’s the name of that legion?”
The words “clear the game” seemed to stimulate Lu Mengmeng. At the mention, his eyes reddened. He opened his mouth, seemingly about to confess. But suddenly, a crystalline snowflake floated by, sealing his lips.
Then, the bell sound grew louder, as if time, slowed down earlier, was returning to its normal pace. Lu Mengmeng felt an immense blizzard approaching rapidly. Overwhelmed by fear, his pupils contracted. But it seemed like his entire body was immobilized by the frost, with no escape.
In the corridor, time indeed resumed. With Zhou Qian’s mana almost depleted, visible only to him and Yu Xian, his skill bar had dropped to 5%.
Using the last 4% of his mana, Zhou Qian slowed down time once more, stepping outside its bounds. He quickly retreated, escaping the blizzard. Lu Mengmeng, drained of mana and unable to use any skill to evade, was enveloped by the blizzard and harshly thrown into Room 9.
Three seconds later—”Bang!”
A gunshot echoed, and Lu Mengmeng died inside Room 9. He didn’t even make it back to the corridor like the others who were shot.
At this moment, only 7 minutes remained until the one-hour time limit to clear the level.
Turning around, through the thick fog, Zhou Qian saw the hazy figure of Situ Qing, who was known as the “Ice Queen”.
She stood far at the other end of the corridor with a cold and composed expression.
Time slowed down, and her movement speed was reduced to a crawl.
Yet, with her powerful long-range attack capability, even from that distance, she could kill Lu Mengmeng.
Expressionless, Zhou Qian said to Situ Qing, “Even under my time-slowing effect, you managed to come here to silence him. Did you guess what I was up to?”
“In this game, players can see each other’s health but not their mana. Also, no one should know what my skill’s special feature is. So, no one should know that my mana isn’t sufficient to slow down time thrice and guess that my real target was Lu Mengmeng.”
“So, you shouldn’t be here.”
His eyes filled with scorn, Zhou Qian disdainfully looked at Situ Qing. “So, even though you silenced Lu Mengmeng and prevented him from telling me who’s manipulating you all from behind, your actions now reveal one thing—the group backing you is powerful, so powerful that you fear them deeply.”
“Earlier, you did everything to protect Lu Mengmeng, not letting him spill your alliance’s secrets. But now, you’re scared. You fear revealing the group’s secrets and facing punishment, so you attack Lu Mengmeng. Moreover—”
“From your actions now, I’m sure that your group can identify my real identity and my gambler status, right? The secret of my skill should only be known to my fellow gambler. So how did it get leaked?”
Without looking at Situ Qing, Zhou Qian’s gaze shifted to a certain point in the void.
Coincidentally, through the phone screen, Yu Xian saw Zhou Qian’s cold gaze as if they were making eye contact. He shivered involuntarily.
“Yu Xian, is Qiang Ge next to you?”
“You have two choices: either kill him or hide so far away that you never see him again in this lifetime. Otherwise, once I leave this game and return to reality, the first thing I’ll do is deal with you. Got it?”
“Your Qiang Ge, in collusion with Lu Mengmeng, wants to kill me. Did you even realize that?”
“Forget it, I guess you can’t do it. So, listen to me and run. Now.”
At the phone screen, Yu Xian was stunned.
It took him a full ten seconds to come to his senses.
Grabbing his phone, he rushed to the bathroom of the suite, but he pulled back just before his hand touched the door.
Should I listen to Zhou Qian and leave immediately, or should I talk to Qiang Ge?
Yu Xian was truly torn because he couldn’t believe Zhu Qiang could betray him like this.
It was Zhu Qiang who brought him to this city when he didn’t know where to find work.
Finding jobs, renting a place… Zhu Qiang had always taken care of him.
When he first arrived and wasn’t accustomed to the new environment, falling sick often, it was always Zhu Qiang who took him to the hospital.
He couldn’t believe that Zhu Qiang would betray him so easily.
At that moment, inside the bathroom.
Zhu Qiang sat on the cold tiles, looking at the luxurious bathroom. The shower space alone was bigger than the rented room he used to live in.
Zhu Qiang laughed—a laugh filled with self-mockery and despair.
He realized he was crying when he felt the wetness on his face.
He didn’t yearn for wealth and luxury when he didn’t have them.
But once he experienced them, he couldn’t let go.
His phone kept vibrating.
It was messages from the System.
[Gambler Zhu Qiang, the player you bet on, Lu Mengmeng, is dead.]
[Lu Mengmeng failed the challenge. You are no longer qualified for the two million.]
[The System will deduct your bet amount of 1 million.]
[Gambler Zhu Qiang, your bank balance is insufficient. Please recharge within three days. If the debt exceeds ten days, you will die.]
[If you recharge within three days, you can choose another player to bet on.]
[We hope your choice of players gets better. If your player reaches Rank S, you can become an advanced gambler.]
[Advanced gamblers can enter the main game hall. Then, you will have a chance to approach the gods.]
I still have a chance…
As long as I get one million within three days… I have another shot…
I can repay all the money I lost outside!
If I win just once more… I can repay all the money.
After that, I’ll quit and never touch this game again!
But where can I get the money for these three days…?
In a moment of hesitation, Zhu Qiang heard the hoarse voice of Yu Xian from outside the door. “Qiang Ge, can I… Can I ask you a question? Are you… are you…”
He already knows.
Then there’s nothing I can do.
Zhu Qiang’s gaze finally rested on the razor at the washbasin. Rising from his seat and moving towards the washbasin, he said to the door, “It’s not what you think, Lao Yu. Listen to me… I’ll explain to you. I’ll be right out…”
…..
Three minutes later, Yu Xian lay in a pool of blood. He stared at Zhu Qiang, seemingly unable to believe what had happened.
Zhu Qiang’s hand holding the razor trembled. “I’m sorry, Lao Yu… I took the money I earned from this game to the casino, and I lost it all, racking up a lot of debt. Now that Lu Mengmeng is dead… I can’t repay it. I have to keep going…”
Extending his other hand, Zhu Qiang took a bank card from Yu Xian’s pocket. “I’m sorry. I just… just wanted to take the money when Zhou Qian wins, and the prize money arrives in your account. I just… just wanted money… Yu Xian, I… No, that’s not right!”
Suddenly, Zhu Qiang’s expression changed. He glared angrily at Yu Xian and said, “No, it’s not my fault! It’s yours! I warned you about this game. I told you not to start! But you insisted on continuing! I only continued because I saw you doing it!”
“It’s your fault! You forced me into this debt; you made me a murderer…”
“You used to always be less than me, why… Why is your player better than mine? Why can you win effortlessly…”
Yu Xian couldn’t answer any of Zhu Qiang’s words because he had stopped breathing.
After a while, Zhu Qiang stood in the pool of blood, closing his eyes exhaustedly. Suddenly, he heard the doorbell ring.
Zhu Qiang jumped up, panicked, glancing in the direction of the door, then hastily tried to clean the bloodstains. Just then, he received a text message.
[Gambler Zhu Qiang, I know what you did. Let’s talk.]
A minute later, Zhu Qiang opened the door to let in a refined and elegant-looking man. He had a gentle yet stern demeanor, giving off a somewhat old-fashioned vibe. He looked like a doctor, or perhaps a lawyer.
The man walked straight into the house and sat on the sofa. Passing by Yu Xian’s body, he didn’t even blink an eye, as if he were used to such sights.
When he sat down, Zhu Qiang immediately asked, “Who are you? You…”
The man replied, “I’m also a player in this game. You can call me the [Priest].”
“Priest? Game? What do you mean? What the hell is going on…”
Priest succinctly said, “You acted too impulsively. Killing is a crime. With such a crude method, I predict the police will arrest you within 48 hours. By then, you won’t be able to gamble anymore. Your phone will be confiscated.”
Stunned, Zhu Qiang’s back was drenched in cold sweat. “I…”
After watching the game for a long time, he seemed to believe he was a player in the game. Players often fought and killed with their skills. As a result, he forgot that he was in reality and that he shouldn’t have acted this way.
At this point, Zhu Qiang vaguely felt that somehow, while watching the game, he had been influenced. He wouldn’t have acted so impulsively, so recklessly, and so cruelly before. But now, his mental state was off. He seemed to have turned into a madman.
The Priest continued, “The police will arrest you within 48 hours. I can get you a lawyer, and even arrange for… a mental evaluation.”
“Mental evaluation? What does that mean?” Zhu Qiang clenched his hands together.
“I’ve already reserved a bed for you at Spring Hill Mental Asylum.” Priest stood up. “I met you today just to give you a heads-up, so you’re not too scared when the police arrest you. Don’t worry, you won’t go to prison. Farewell, see you at Spring Hill Mental Asylum.”
“Wait, what do you mean by mental asylum? Explain yourself!”
“You have two options now. First, wait to be arrested by the police, be unable to continue as a gambler, owe a huge debt, and be killed by the system in ten days. Second, come to Spring Hill Mental Hospital, become a game player, and earn coins to repay your debt. You’re smart; you should know which option to choose.”
Zhu Qiang collapsed to the ground, seemingly devoid of a soul. As Priest left, Zhu Qiang heard him say one last thing.
“Welcome, player, to the game. I hope you enjoy it.”
……
Inside the game.
The temperature in the corridor had dropped below zero.
The sustained cold temperature couldn’t decrease the health of living players, but it severely affected their condition.
Zhou Qian, sensitive to both summer heat and winter cold, immediately opened the trade house and bought a down jacket to wear. As he leisurely buttoned up his jacket, he looked at Situ Qing and said, “Earlier, you only threw Lu Mengmeng into Room 9, but you didn’t actually try to kill me. Why? Because you want me to help you clear this stage, right?”
“There are only 6 minutes left to clear the level. Now, perhaps you are thinking of pushing either me, He Xiaowei, or Yun Xiangrong, one by one, into two rooms. You want to sacrifice us to pass the level?”
Situ Qing replied indifferently, “You figured out my intention, yet you’re not planning to flee?”
Zhou Qian laughed. “Why should I? You aren’t attacking me now.”
Situ Qing frowned and stayed silent. Zhou Qian continued, “Killing us might be easy for you. But, to throw two living people into two specific rooms to trick the bullets and do all this within 6 minutes… That’s tough.”
Situ Qing remained silent.
Buttoning up, Zhou Qian said, “See, you just admitted something: you are interested in the side quests. So… the person behind you forbids you to play them, right? You should really consider breaking free from his control. I can help.”
Situ Qing simply said, “Don’t try to sow discord between us.”
Zhou Qian responded sarcastically, “Last time I told you, he doesn’t want you to get stronger because he wants to control you.”
“Now, let me tell you another harsh truth. Generally, when someone wants to control you, it’s because you’re useful to him. But have you ever thought about what happens when you’re no longer useful? Will he abandon you or… kill you?
“Just like… you had to kill Lu Mengmeng because he was no longer of any use.”
“Zhou Qian, let me tell you once again—” Situ Qing’s voice became colder. “You don’t understand our relationship. Don’t be so presumptuous!”
Zhou Qian just chuckled and walked towards a room.
Just then, He Xiaowei came running.
He was shivering from the cold and looked dazed. But when he saw the frost on the door of Room 9, he realized something. After a terrified glance at Situ Qing, he quickly distanced himself from her and found Zhou Qian.
“What the hell is going on?” He Xiaowei asked in surprise.
Zhou Qian replied, “Situ Qing pushed Lu Mengmeng into room 9. So, it’s clear who harmed Gao Shan, right?”
“Heck, that’s scary. Why did she kill Lu Mengmeng? Why didn’t she harm you?”
“If she hurt me, who would help her clear the side quest?”
“So, what do we do now? Fuck, Room 9’s gun is short of a bullet. How are we going to handle this?”
“It’s simple,” Zhou Qian said. “Now, the lowest rank is Room 6. Rooms 7 and 8, which were safe rooms, are no longer safe and need to be entered.”
“We will go into Rooms 7 and 8 in turn, making each lose one bullet. Finally, we return the ‘S’ bullet, which was found under Jiang Yuqing’s pillow, to Room 9.”
“You mean, you want to continue delaying and dodging bullets?” He Xiaowei asked uncertainly.
Zhou Qian sighed. “Ah, I ran out of mana.”
He Xiaowei exclaimed, “Fucking hell, what now?!”
Without speaking further, Zhou Qian quickly returned to the door of Room 12.
There were three dead bodies of the cleaners.
“You overlooked the NPCs provided by the game. Three NPCs began the game, and they can also end it. The only solution now is to manipulate these three bodies to enter the doors, using them to fire three bullets.”
“But, since Lu Mengmeng’s body already received one, we only need two now. So, Brother Xiaowei—”
Zhou Qian turned back to him. “Can your ability achieve this?”
There was one thing Zhou Qian was unsure about—whether the gunners would target bodies without vital signs.
If using bodies didn’t work, he would have to send his two dragons, both with his life signals, to cheat the bullets.
However, the actual situation showed that the bodies were indeed useful.
The game specifically set a scene where three cleaners ran back to the corridor before dying, instead of dying in their rooms directly, which seemed to have a hidden meaning.
Zhou Qian and He Xiaowei each carried a corpse and quickly ran to Rooms 7 and 8.
Immediately, He Xiaowei took out a guqin, raised his amusingly 八-shaped eyebrows at Zhou Qian, and then seriously looked towards the door of Room 7, saying, “Although my attack power isn’t high, I’m still a long-range attacker. Using the sound waves produced by the guqin, I can send corpses or bullets!”
He Xiaowei sat down cross-legged, holding up the instrument with one hand and plucking the strings with the other. As he played, the sound flowed, and an invisible soundwave instantly burst from the strings. A cleaner’s corpse was lifted by the sound wave and crashed straight into Room 7.
“Bang!” The corpse successfully drew a bullet.
Overjoyed, He Xiaowei used the same technique to send another corpse into room 8. In this way, rooms 7 and 8 each had one less bullet.
Up to now, on the entire abstract turntable, Rooms 12, 1, 2, 6, 9, 7, and 8 had each lost a bullet. Rooms 12 and 6, 1 and 7, 2 and 8 could, respectively, form three diameters. They were all lightened by the weight of one bullet, and their effects on the entire turntable canceled each other out. The only point that truly affected the imbalance of the turntable was now Room 9.
Room 9 was missing a bullet, making the center of gravity of the turntable at point 3. Just returning one bullet to point 9 will balance the turntable.
He Xiaowei took the bullet from Zhou Qian, plucked the string, and the bullet rose into the air, about to be sent into room 9.
Zhou Qian reminded him, “Remember the position I told you about? You must hit the shooter.”
Zhou Qian had already experimented; no matter what weight was added to the room, whether it was a corpse, a bullet, or even heavy weights, it didn’t affect the turntable. The only thing that could be abstracted into the turntable model, creating a “position” change, was the 12 gunmen themselves. Zhou Qian also found that anything that tried to stick or got added to the gunman’s body would fall off. Even strong adhesive didn’t work. According to the logic of this level, the only thing the gunman would accept is a bullet.
The difficulty of this level lay in finding an abstract model, analyzing from which rooms to cheat out bullets, and deciding which room should receive the bullet back. Without any additional information, the game shouldn’t make returning the bullet itself a new challenge. Therefore, as long as the bullet was shot back at the shooter, it should be enough.
The only premise was… He Xiaowei, who hadn’t entered the room, didn’t know the shooter’s location and was separated by a door panel. Could he accurately shoot the bullet based on Zhou Qian’s description and drawings?
“Come, He Xiaowei, look at my drawing again. You must aim accurately.”
When Zhou Qian’s voice came, He Xiaowei couldn’t help but glance at him, meeting his extremely serious gaze. He Xiaowei couldn’t help but complain, “Damn, you look like a teacher checking my homework! I graduated years ago. Stop it!”
Zhou Qian glared at him. “Hurry up, be quick and accurate!”
“Oh, I got it! Your gaze is murderous.”
He Xiaowei quickly plucked the strings, using the sound wave to send the bullet towards Room 9. The bullet, under the effect of the sound wave, pierced through the door, leaving a small hole, and continued into the room.
Then, without He Xiaowei needing to aim, the shooter inside opened his hands and directly caught the bullet.
[Side Quest ‘Checks and Balance’ Completion: 50%.]
[The 12 shooters’ ranks have been balanced. They cannot shoot to kill.]
[Hint: There are only three minutes left before the end of the level.]
Seeing the system’s message, He Xiaowei immediately started laughing, holding his guqin.
“Hahaha, great! We just need to quickly find the 12 pieces of evidence, and we can pass the level!”
“Yes. Remember what I said? The evidence is near the shooters. Once inside, don’t waste time elsewhere. Go straight to the shooter,” Zhou Qian said. “I’ll start from the left of room 9, you start from the right. We’ll split up.”
“Got it!” After saying this, He Xiaowei directly rushed into Room 10. The evidence from Rooms 7 and 8 had already been collected, which were two bullets marked with “7”, so Zhou Qian headed straight to Room 6.
At that moment, a girl suddenly appeared, blocking his path. It was Yun Xiangrong. Raising her flute, she said to Zhou Qian, “Give me the Tick Tock Clock. I need to save Gao Shan. If you don’t give it to me, I will temporarily join forces with Situ Qing and take it from your corpse. Right now, reviving Gao Shan is more important to me than revenge.”
Yun Xiangrong’s words had just fallen when an icy chill came over once again.
Approaching Zhou Qian step by step was Situ Qing.
Raising the bell in her hand, she said to Zhou Qian, “You were right earlier. When I killed Lu Mengmeng, I didn’t strike at you at the same time. There’s a reason for that. If I killed you, who would help me complete the side quest?”
“Whether or not I’m interested in the side quest, the opportunity to complete it is now right in front of me. Why wouldn’t I take it?”
“Zhou Qian, you’ve completed your task. You can die now.”
“I can kill you in just 30 seconds. The remaining two and a half minutes will be enough for me to gather all the clues.”
“Initially, I thought it would be better not to kill you directly in front of other teammates and instead quietly use the instance trap. But now… I think I should deal with you earlier, especially when you’re out of mana.”
“Perhaps you’re thinking of using that pill of yours to immobilize me? Fortunately, that gambler named Zhu Qiang informed me about it in advance. In fact, with such tools, as long as I’m prepared in advance and don’t hear your command, I can totally evade its effects.”
Taking out two items resembling earplugs, Situ Qing promptly plugged her ears. Then she raised her bell towards Zhou Qian.
“Pick one and both will die. The mushrooms here all grow in pairs, which means they can’t survive without each other. So the only way is to pick them both at once.”
“What’s so difficult about that?” Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao immediately changed his strategy. He tried to grab a pair of mushrooms with each hand but quickly let go due to the sharp pain.
“These mushrooms can bite?” he exclaimed in surprise.
Ying Feng noticed something amiss and said, “Your hand.”
“What’s wrong with my hand?” Ling Xiao looked down. “What is this? Why is there red powder?”
On his fingers, there was a faint layer of red luminescent powder, which would glow under the sunlight.
“I have it too.” Ying Feng checked his hand; only his was white.
“It might be related to the mushrooms we just picked?” Ling Xiao speculated.
Ying Feng lightly touched the red mushroom, feeling nothing, but upon touching the white one, a sharp pain shot through his fingertip, probably the “bite” Ling Xiao referred to.
The instructor, watching from the monitoring equipment, noticed that the two hadn’t moved for quite a while. Thinking that it was probably time, he generously sent a timely reminder via the communication device.
“Oh right, I forgot to tell you. These mushrooms have a memory function against their killers. Once you cause the death of a certain colored mushroom, it will leave a mark on you. For the next twelve hours, you cannot touch its kind again. Consider it their species protection mechanism.”
Ling Xiao was incredulous. “Instructor, why didn’t you mention such an important thing earlier?”
“I just forgot,” the instructor replied without any sign of remorse. “But if you two don’t make it back before the other students reach the top, I’ll regrettably have to cancel your scores for today.”
Ying Feng, always the calmer one, asked, “Instructor, is there any other essential information you ‘forgot’ to share?”
“Let me think… Oh, after picking the mushrooms, they must be placed in the box promptly. If you put them on the ground or anywhere else, they will die.”
“What kind of mushroom is this?” Ling Xiao complained. “It’s almost sentient.”
“This type of mushroom only grows by the lake where you are. It can’t survive away from its soil. So it resists being relocated, preferring to die in its homeland rather than be moved. The boxes I gave you are specially made for these mushrooms. They were designed by biologists to safely transfer them to labs for research.”
Ying Feng sorted out the known information. “Alright, I know what to do.”
After the communication ended, Ling Xiao excitedly said, “I know what to do too!”
“Tell me.”
“I’ll pick your mushrooms, and you’ll pick mine. We’ll pick them simultaneously, so they won’t die.”
That was also Ying Feng’s plan. “But be prepared. We can’t afford any mistakes. If any mishap causes the picked mushrooms to die, we’ll have no chances left.”
“Don’t worry,” Ling Xiao promised solemnly.
Under a certain tree, a pair of mushrooms suddenly shuddered, sensing two pairs of eyes glaring hungrily at them.
With one hand each, the two men carefully held the base of the mushrooms.
“Ready?” asked Ying Feng.
“Yes!” Ling Xiao nodded.
“On the count of one, move. Three, two, one!”
Together, they uprooted the mushrooms. Neither wilted nor exploded. They waited quietly for several seconds, but nothing happened.
“Did we… succeed?” Ling Xiao questioned. “Just like that?”
Ying Feng finally spoke. “Look at their roots.”
Ling Xiao did and noticed that the two mushrooms were connected at the base. “So they’re from the same root? No wonder they grow together.”
“We need to transfer them to the boxes quickly. They’ll die if they’re out of the soil for three minutes.”
This reminder made Ling Xiao realize that now wasn’t the time to study their ecology. Both took out the boxes provided by the instructor and paused. The box could only hold one mushroom, but if they separated the mushrooms, they’d likely die.
“Why do I feel like the instructor deceived us again?” Ling Xiao whispered.
“You’re not wrong,” Ying Feng said, examining the box for any hidden mechanisms.
“Did you hear something?” Ling Xiao suddenly asked from the side.
Ying Feng paused, listened intently, and his expression suddenly changed. “Duck!”
Ling Xiao instinctively ducked with him. In a split second, a gust of wind brushed past the back of his neck, whistling and hitting a tree ahead with such force that it snapped. The fallen tree made a loud noise, sending a chill down Ling Xiao’s spine. Only then did he realize the dire consequences had they not dodged.
What appeared in Ling Xiao’s view next was a pair of black, furry hands. He looked up, following the arm, and saw a baboon twice the size of a regular one roaring at them. At such close proximity, the roar was deafening.
“What is this?” Ling Xiao was perplexed. He was just picking mushrooms, and now they were in this predicament.
“It seems to be the guardian of this area,” Ying Feng calmly said, a usual demeanor when he was on high alert. “It doesn’t want you to take its mushrooms.”
The baboon roared again, swinging its two hands at them. Ling Xiao and Ying Feng, in perfect sync, jumped back, each still holding half of the mushroom.
“Hey bud, the instructor said once a mushroom is picked, it can’t be replanted. Just let us take it.”
Ling Xiao tried reasoning, but the creature didn’t understand.
“This won’t work.” Ying Feng quickly analyzed the situation. “We can’t always move in sync. If we get separated a little, the mushrooms will die.”
“So, what should we do?”
“One of us has to let go,” Ying Feng said, releasing his grip.
Ling Xiao, who was left holding the mushrooms alone: “……”
“Can I get a redo?”
“Don’t let go. If you drop it, it’ll die. Hand me your box,” Ying Feng commanded.
“Okay.” Ling Xiao obediently handed over his box. “What next?”
“Take the mushrooms and run!”
Ling Xiao bolted. Not because he was heeding Ying Feng’s words, but because the baboon was lunging at him. As he zigzagged through the woods, his voice echoed, “Ying Feng, you’re so treacherous!”
Ying Feng, engrossed in the two boxes, ignored him. “Don’t get too close to me, avoid collateral damage. Don’t get too far either, you won’t make it back. And don’t confront it head-on. Protect the mushrooms. The one in your hand can explode.”
“Ah!” Holding an unpredictable bomb, Ling Xiao sprinted through the woods, chased by an enraged baboon wanting to rip him and the mushrooms to shreds.
“Can you handle this or not?” Despite his agility in the forest, Ling Xiao was having a hard time escaping. With only one hand free, his movements were limited, leading to a few close calls.
“If I can’t find a solution in time,” Ying Feng continued to work on the boxes, “you’ll have to throw the mushroom at the creature chasing you. We can forgo this mission.”
“No way!” Even in dire straits, Ling Xiao wasn’t ready to give up. “If time runs out and you haven’t resolved the issue, I’ll throw it at you!”
Ying Feng was also rapidly dissecting the two boxes. The instructor mentioned that these boxes were custom-made for these mushrooms, so there must be a way to accommodate both without harming them.
Ling Xiao became increasingly adept at moving around. Even with just one hand, he could nimbly weave between the trees. From time to time, he would shout taunts. The baboon couldn’t catch up with him and, in frustration, continued to howl in anger.
As the time limit approached, Ying Feng had an epiphany—if the mushrooms couldn’t be separated, then join the boxes! He discarded the lids, joined the boxes mouth to mouth, creating a perfect seal.
He inspected the reassembled box, finally snapping one side open with only ten seconds left.
“Come back!” he shouted.
Ling Xiao, having awaited the command, made a feint, leading the baboon in another direction, and darted towards Ying Feng.
“Put it in!” Ying Feng held the opened box towards him.
Using a tree trunk, Ling Xiao propelled himself forward, placing the volatile mushrooms in the box just in the nick of time. Ying Feng swiftly secured the lid, ensuring the mushrooms’ safety.
“Take it down!” As soon as Ying Feng uttered these words, he had already rushed forward. Ling Xiao had been holding back for a long time. This was the first time he was chased without being able to fight back. Now, he wouldn’t miss this opportunity to confront the creature. He quickly turned around and launched a fierce attack on the baboon.
The giant baboon was much stronger than the previous creatures they encountered. Even working together took some effort. Ling Xiao finally understood the instructor’s meaning of real combat. This was probably the strongest opponent they had faced so far.
Unfortunately for the baboon, though it faced two fledglings, they were top-tier combatants among their kind. After an intense battle, the creature finally fell. From its corpse emerged a light brown, crystal-like object.
“What is this?” Ling Xiao picked it up from the ground.
“I don’t know.” Ying Feng had never seen such an object before. “Let’s ask the instructor.”
The two returned earlier than the instructor had expected and completed the task successfully. The instructor gave a nod of approval on the surface but was greatly surprised internally.
“Let’s eat this tonight.” Ling Xiao handed over the mushrooms they brought back to the instructor. Seeing Ying Feng’s disdainful look, he quickly explained, “I’m just joking.”
The instructor took it with satisfaction. “Well done.” If this had been an entrance examination, both would have already qualified for the Royal Sky Military Academy.
“The task you gave was so easy I almost fell asleep,” Ling Xiao boasted.
“Easy, huh?” The instructor knocked Ling Xiao’s head with the box. “Do you know how many excellent students applied for Royal Sky last year, passed various challenging tests, but failed at this simple stage?”
“Really?” Ling Xiao was puzzled. “I thought it was okay. Oh, what is this?”
He showed the instructor the item they got from the baboon.
“This is a life crystal. Some call it a soul stone. Every beast has one inside. It’s a very important material.”
“Material? For what?”
“A type of consumable in battle. It’s a secret weapon unique to our people. Only by mastering it can you truly understand our way of combat.”
Ling Xiao was eager. “How can I master it?”
“Fledglings can’t use this tool. Only when you become adults and enter higher education will you learn its usage.”
Ling Xiao was immediately disappointed.
Without any more words, the instructor said, “You have completed today’s task well. Don’t be arrogant. Go prepare. Tomorrow is the main event.”
The next day arrived quickly. Due to the instructor’s reminder, everyone was well prepared, carrying everything they might need. The training location was a mine area densely populated with wild beasts, a barren land with many dark cave entrances.
“The previous days were just to familiarize everyone with the environment. Today’s training is the main event,” the instructor began.
“We have detailed the danger levels of various wild creatures in biology class. This mine area is the main habitat for beasts ranked from E to B. Defeating a B-ranked beast alone is our minimum requirement for tenth graders. Outstanding individuals should aim to defeat A-ranked beasts.”
“Occasionally, formidable A-ranked creatures appear in this area. But based on what I know of you all, with good teamwork, they can be defeated.”
“Different beasts drop different grades of soul stones. We’ll score based on your hunt: E-grade for 2 points, D-grade for 10, C-grade for 25, B-grade for 50, and A-grade for 100. The team with the highest score wins. Whether you work alone or in groups is up to you.”
“Everyone has an alarm in their personal terminals. I assume you all know how to use it, meant for emergencies. We hope you won’t need it. The school hasn’t provided any armor; we don’t use such burdens. Did everyone bring their weapons?”
Everyone swung their right arms in unison, revealing gleaming daggers.
“Good!” The instructor waved his hand. “Let’s go!”
Dozens of figures scattered, disappearing into various caves.
“The quality of this year’s students seems better than last year,” the medic commented.
“That’s because two of them raised the average,” the instructor replied.
“Those two you sent for mushrooms yesterday?”
“Exactly. The average requirement is B-grade, and the excellent ones go up to A. But what they defeated yesterday was an S-grade guardian of the mushrooms. Not the toughest in its rank, but still a formidable opponent.”
“You let fledglings face an S-grade creature alone?” The team doctor was shocked by his boldness.
“With their abilities, defeating an S-grade creature together is no challenge. I knew their strengths, that’s why I let them.”
“That’s risky.”
“It depends on who you’re taking a risk with.” The instructor thought of a student who could hardly hold a dagger. “If every student were at that level, I’d keep them locked on campus. When I see such fledglings, I doubt they belong with us.”
“You’re sure no A-ranked or higher beasts are in the caves?”
“Of course,” the instructor said. “Even if the outdoor training is militarized, the academy won’t forget they are fledglings. There can’t be any accidents.”
“This area has been surveyed. For a century, no S-grade or higher creatures have been spotted. A few A-grades, at most. They might get some minor injuries or hardships, but life-threatening? Never.”
“Don’t underestimate these fledglings. We are known as the battle machines in the galaxy. If a few wild beasts can defeat them, it’s embarrassing. Remember, our current principal, at their age, could single-handedly defeat an S-grade creature. He’s a legend in Bikong.”
The author has something to say:
Tip: If A forcibly takes the heart’s blood from B, B can have four outcomes:
Enter the coming-of-age ceremony and succeed, they become the Qizhu; if they fail, they become the Qizi.
If B doesn’t enter the coming-of-age ceremony and succeeds, they defeat A and remain free; if they fail, they become the Qizi.
Unweakened fledglings cannot have their heart’s blood forcibly taken.
The master and disciple were both lost in their thoughts and didn’t notice the commotion outside. The two were pondering how to alleviate the awkward situation, but Sun Huaijin’s visit had pushed things to the edge of the cliff.
Shi Jingzhi hadn’t felt this anxious even when facing the Invitation to God Formation before. Although they hadn’t spent enough time together to develop deep familial ties, he didn’t want to frighten the old man to death. The usually composed Sect Master Shi froze for a moment, almost burying himself in despair under the covers.
Yin Ci calmly held down the corner of the blanket.
So Shi Jingzhi had no choice but to steady his emotions and tidy his clothes neatly. He then flew to a nearby chair, landing like a precision-guided cannonball. Shi Jingzhi’s pose was struck so quickly that, by the look of it, he seemed to be discussing important matters with his disciple.
Yin Ci: “…”
He had never seen Shi Jingzhi’s hands and feet coordinate so smoothly. Unfortunately, Sect Master Shi was still too naive—he was wearing only a sleeping robe and lying on the bed. In the dark, what proper business could they discuss?
Sun Huaijin respected and feared “Su Zhi” and didn’t rashly enter the room. The old man cleared his throat and repeated politely, “Elder brother?”
“Come in,” Yin Ci said, gathering his plain sleeping robe helplessly.
Sun Huaijin entered the room with a humble expression, only to see the feigned calmness of Sect Master Shi. Two foxes, one old and one young, were frozen in the room. No one spoke for a while. Sun Huaijin’s eyes scanned over Shi Jingzhi. It stopped on Yin Ci and his face slightly contorted.
Sun Huaijin was baffled. The Kushan Sect was scattered during the day, but at midnight, his great grandson appeared. He had already called “Elder Brother” outside the door so he needed to find a reasonable explanation. After all, why did Yin Ci let him in when there were people in the room? Otherwise, he could have explained it away as sleepwalking the next morning.
The three people faced each other in silence.
Finally, Yin Ci sighed. “It’s okay, Huaijin. He knows about my matter.”
“…I now also know about his matter.” Yin Ci paused meaningfully before adding the sentence.
Sun Huaijin’s old face trembled, and without hesitation, he let go of his deaf servant’s support and knelt on the ground. His head touched the floor as he shakily said, “I am old, and the only thing I care about is these blood relations. I did intentionally conceal it from Elder Brother initially; please punish me as you see fit.”
He spoke flawlessly, without any intention of excusing himself.
This old fox.
Yin Ci looked at Sun Huaijin, amused. Even if he revealed his identity to Shi Jingzhi, this “master-disciple relationship” couldn’t be all that bad. The old man was playing the sympathy card, banking on Shi Jingzhi being present.
However, Shi Jingzhi’s identity was delicate, and his family members who could converse with him were all in the palace. Now, stranded outside the palace, he could recognize a skilled relative like Sun Huaijin. Despite Elder Sun’s repeated deliberate offenses, Yin Ci indeed didn’t have the heart to embarrass Sun Huaijin in front of Shi Jingzhi.
“Get up,” Yin Ci calmly said. “It’s good to talk openly. This kid hasn’t caused me any trouble.”
In front of Sun Huaijin, Yin Ci wasn’t the “clumsy elder” familiar to Shi Jingzhi. The aura of a demonic sect leader returned, creating a subtle distance between him and Sun Huaijin. Shi Jingzhi touched his chest—recent inexplicable desires and joys often appeared together, throwing his heart into chaos.
Yin Ci took control of the conversation, and Sun Huaijin seemed to have completely forgotten the suspicious scene when he first entered the room. Now, Sun Huaijin shakily stood up, called his deaf servant to place a soft cushion on the chair, and then sat down.
“It’s good to talk openly, good to talk openly,” the old man repeated softly. “Brother Su… Patriarch, are you with my former grandson to investigate the Immortal Assembly?”
“‘That’s right.'” Yin Ci casually sat on the edge of the bed; his eyes fixed on Sun Huaijin with an intense aura constantly emanating from him. “Since you have chosen to visit in the dead of night, have you come to any conclusions?”
The Immortal Assembly wasn’t like the Ling Sect, and it wasn’t something that could be investigated with a simple infiltration.
Three hundred years after the establishment of Great Yun, the Immortal Assembly had become so honest that it couldn’t be more so. Usually, they only managed the shrines. The Immortal Assembly gathered influential people from among the populace every ten years. In the past century, what they had been able to provide was no more than rejuvenating immortal wine and connections. They resembled a leisure club for local talents, and the entire organization is very loose.
Shen Zhu had spent most of her life investigating them but hadn’t yet reached the core. But that was normal; if the Immortal Assembly were to monopolize the sweet benefits of the state religion and its cohesion were to strengthen further, the royal family would probably have eradicated it long ago.
Now, it was easier for idle rich men like Sun Huaijin to get in touch with the Immortal Assembly than it was for those in the martial world.
“When I was making my fortune, I was too old to join the Immortal Assembly. Fortunately, with my gold and silver donations, I made many contacts—those people are very courteous, charitable, and never forced the common folk to donate money. They are also very concerned about the renovation of Qizhou’s shrines and never spread rumors.”
Sun Huaijin leisurely sipped his tea, calming himself. A few more lamps had been lit in the room, their orange light flickering warmly.
“Of course, such trivial matters aren’t worth discussing late at night.”
The old man’s gaze brushed past Shi Jingzhi and quickly withdrew.
“But speaking of the Immortal Assembly, I was reminded of something strange. Even for an old man with some spare money like me, the Immortal Assembly never pressured me to donate, except once. Jingzhi was there too; I might as well start from the beginning.”
Sun Huaijin’s father was addicted to gambling, and after losing everything, he cleanly committed suicide by drowning. His mother took her own life, leaving behind the eleven- or so-year-old Sun Huaijin. Just when it seemed the boy would be enslaved by the creditors, “Su Zhi” stepped in, paying off the debts and adopting him in one stroke.
Regarding the motivation to save the boy, Su Zhi only answered once. “The blood is still in him; it won’t come to this—”
Sun Huaijin was a descendant of the founding hero, “the Marquis of Lie’an”, Sun Wang.
The Sun Clan was initially prosperous, and three hundred years later, there were thousands of relatives and associates. Being part of the clan didn’t mean much, and no one valued that small connection.
…Unless someone made a fortune.
Sun Huaijin valued kinship, and once he became successful, he lifted many others with him. Many brought tokens of “ancestral recognition”, hoping to climb the family tree and share in Sun Huaijin’s prosperity.
Three hundred years had passed, and the belongings of one of the “Twin Heroes” had long been divided. The Sun Clan’s relics were trivial things like a stool used by Sun Wang’s servant, a worn-out brush used by Sun Wang, and even Sun Wang’s cousin’s worn-out shoes.
Sun Huaijin welcomed all. However, he had no interest in those worthless things and stored them in a warehouse.
“Later, no one came to recognize their kin, and I thought it was over, but then the Immortal Assembly came again,” Sun Huaijin said gravely. “They said the founding heroes were divine beings, attendants of the Imperial Celestial. Having these divine objects scattered was demeaning. They were willing to pay to collect and properly handle them.”
“At the time, I thought I might as well sell them. In business, who would want to cross a god?”
Shi Jingzhi: “…Is this the ‘strange incident’?”
Sun Huaijin gave him a warning look and then threw an apologetic glance at Yin Ci as if to say, “Youngsters are ignorant”.
Yin Ci felt a faint stomachache and pinched his brow. “Huaijin, continue.”
“I have a friend who is interested in these relics from the founding period, and I had just picked out some nice ones to give him before the Immortal Assembly came. Later, the Immortal Assembly found out about it and started secretly investigating my friend’s whereabouts.”
“Were they so secretive just because they feared the divine objects losing their value? I simply ordered my servants to spread the news that I had given my friend a stool, and the Immortal Assembly backed off.”
It was just a trivial matter—nothing serious enough to be alarming—so Sun Huaijin has long since put it out of his mind. Now that it was brought up, it did feel somewhat oddly uncomfortable.
“What did you give back then?” Yin Ci asked, frowning.
“A well-preserved small idol, a bit crudely made, said to have been made by Lady Sun herself. It should still be at the main altar… As for why the Immortal Assembly cares about these things, I have no clue.”
The old man’s expression became solemn, and his voice was somewhat dry.
“I came late at night for another important matter. Patriarch, something big has happened in the Chigou Sect.”
Sun Huaijin had long left the sect, but his attachment to the Chigou Sect remained. Before, his tone was calm, but upon mentioning the Chigou Sect, Sun Huaijin sat up straight, speaking in a steady yet urgent tone, unlike an old man. In one breath, he detailed everything he knew to Yin Ci.
Shi Jingzhi hadn’t been seated long when he got the news—Sun Huaijin was old and weak, and he couldn’t handle such a long conversation. He had just finished speaking when he was overcome by shortness of breath and was helped out the door by his deaf servant to take his medication and catch his breath.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sect Master Shi moved back to the bedside, still digesting the information. “The Young Patriarch of Chigou just happened to be fortunate enough to be abroad, carrying the Bone Sweeping Sword as a token, planning to return to the sect soon? He also specially invited Taiheng and the Yueshui Pavilion to the ascension ceremony?”
The legitimate Young Patriarch was busy wrestling with a big goose in his arms, not looking like he was planning a grand return.
Yin Ci wasn’t surprised. “Losing just the sect leader, Chigou won’t collapse that easily. If they want to stir up Chigou, they’ll need to make a more aggressive move. The sudden appearance of an unknown Young Patriarch is likely related to the Immortal Assembly… Huaijin’s information is quite good.”
If Taiheng’s interior also contained members of the Immortal Assembly, they would likely take the opportunity to create chaos. As long as they targeted correctly, this was an excellent breakthrough.
In the northwest, the main branch of the Chigou Sect.
His earliest “clear memory” began in the northwest. Now, after all the twists and turns, it seemed he had returned to the starting point. Yin Ci involuntarily lowered his eyes to look at his own hands.
Through the flickering shadows, Yin Ci faintly saw them in a bloodied state—back when he clawed open the yellow sand with his fingers, the sand was mixed with blood, like sandpaper grinding over wounds… When did that happen?
Countless chaotic memories rolled into a ball, tumbling in his brain, making Yin Ci dizzy.
Shi Jingzhi sensed Yin Ci’s confusion, and his lips stealthily approached, kissing his disciple on the corner of his mouth. “If the two of us can’t succeed working together this time, then no one in this world can—and since no one in the world can do it, there will be no regrets if we fail.”
A set of twisted logic, forcibly expressing the righteous and bold attitude of Sect Master Shi. Yin Ci slowly retracted his fingers, turning his head to gently bite the other’s lower lip. “It’s a bit…”
The word “bit” had not yet fallen when a loud bang came from the doorway.
Sun Huaijin, in a hurry after taking his medicine, ignoring his deaf servant’s warning, returned to the room and came upon an ambiguous scene. The old man’s knees weakened, and he instinctively raised a trembling cane but did not know whom to hit.
One was his great-grandchild from the royal family, and the other was his elder brother, whose kindness was as heavy as a mountain. Who could he hit?
Considering Sun Huaijin’s life of ups and downs, through storms and riches, from orphanhood to wealth, from the martial world to the network of officials and businessmen, he had seen many strange and bizarre things in the world. Even in the face of the immortal “Su Zhi”, he could lie without changing his face.
…But he had never seen anything like this!
Sun Huaijin sighed for a moment, and his throat gradually choked. Eventually, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Yin Ci experienced a different kind of “object addiction”.
Different from when they first met, Sect Master Shi no longer treated his disciple as a precious object, attempting to strictly control him. But that sticky force hadn’t disappeared—now Shi Jingzhi himself had become a puddle of syrup, sticking to him from time to time, every move revealing a soft sense of satisfaction.
Demonic Lord Yin had eaten soft but not hard* for several hundred years, and he had eaten this way to the extreme. He not only didn’t stop it but indulged this person even more.
*(吃软不吃硬) Idiom referring to yielding to the soft approach but rejecting force.
When Shi Jingzhi’s paw reached out, Yin Ci grabbed it back, and contentedly felt the warmth.
With a table full of good food, Sect Master Shi’s butt seemed to be glued to the stool. He looked unusually calm and ordered a few more expensive pastries.
“Sect Master, what do we do next?” Su Si was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “Righteous people will still pursue the Kushan Sect. Qizhou has many eyes and ears. We should find a safe place to go.”
Shi Jingzhi picked a piece of pastry, cut it in half with his vital qi, and gave one half to Yin Ci. He didn’t directly answer Su Si’s question. “Based on what you’re saying, you intend to stay in the Kushan Sect?”
Su Si: “……”
“Not many in the Chigou Sect know your identity. According to the most widely circulated news, Matron Wuxue and the ‘Young Patriarch’ are gone. The Chigou Sect is preoccupied with its own affairs, and no one will order a search for you.”
Shi Jingzhi looked at Su Si steadily.
“Su Si, you are free now. You were originally my servant, so you can leave anytime. The muddy water we have to tread isn’t shallow; you should leave early, and you can still be a carefree lone warrior.”
Shi Jingzhi spoke very directly. Yin Ci chewed on the pastry, also watching the somewhat bewildered Su Si.
Su Si wasn’t like Yan Qing; along the way, he didn’t even have much desire to become stronger. Rather, this person had been pushed forward by fate all the time, choosing the path he had to take.
Previously, Su Si followed the Kushan Sect mainly because of the Chigou Sect’s pursuit. Now, not only would the Chigou Sect not bother him, but his friend Yan Qing had also progressed rapidly and didn’t need his special “protection”.
Investigating the Immortal Assembly, in a sense, was opposing the Imperial Preceptor, the imperial court, and even the nationals who believed in the Emperor. Su Si was smart, so he absolutely would know—to stay simply for “protecting Yan Qing”, this pressure would undoubtedly be transferred to Yan Qing, and might even have the opposite effect.
Su Si rarely showed a painful expression. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.”
Suddenly, without the force to make him choose, Su Si didn’t know how to move forward.
“I won’t leave the Kushan Sect,” Yan Qing said firmly. “I have benefited a lot here, and I can’t repay enough. A’Si, I won’t leave because of you. You choose the road you want to walk. It’s not like we won’t see each other if you leave the Kushan Sect.”
“…Let me think about it.” Su Si smiled bitterly. “How about this, you guys eat first. I’ll go out for some fresh air.”
“I will go with you.” Yan Qing hastily put down his chopsticks and followed him.
Shen Zhu saw the two servants leave and looked deeply at Shi Jingzhi. “You did it on purpose, right?”
“This matter had to be brought up sooner or later. The road ahead is tough, and I don’t want to have an unclear wallflower by my side.” Shi Jingzhi chewed on the pastry, mumbling. “But indeed, without them, some things are easier to clarify.”
The pavilion was on the street, with bustling pedestrians below, and the fragrance of cosmetics and wine entered the window, mixed with the sweet smell of pastries. Shi Jingzhi glanced at the scene outside the window for a while before saying, “The treasure map is almost complete, so it’s only a matter of time before Taiheng finds the Shirou. Our remaining opportunities are few; we must choose the breakthrough point carefully… Qizhou is Yan Budu’s birthplace, and I have something to entrust you to investigate while we stay here.”
“Please speak.”
“Yan Budu was born into the wealthy Yan Clan. He was the youngest child of the head of the Yan Clan, born to a concubine who died not long after joining. The concubine was weak and sickly, and after giving birth to Yan Budu, she passed away… This is the most certain statement.”
Shen Zhu had been investigating the Immortal Assembly and wasn’t very interested in these old matters. “Indeed. Before going down to the Ghost Tomb, the Yueshui Pavilion gave us relevant records.”
“Occasionally, the Yan Clan would have someone with ‘ghost eyes’. At that time, everyone didn’t call it ghost eyes but considered it an auspicious omen. The head of the Yan Clan had a beautiful and talented younger sister who was selected to enter the palace because of those red eyes. Unfortunately, she died young.”
Just like his biological mother, Shi Chongyu.
“I have always found this strange—the Yan Clan is prosperous, and the legitimate wife of the Yan Clan’s head had four sons. Yan Budu’s mother wasn’t favored before her death, and he, a child of a concubine, received treatment not inferior to the legitimate children, which seems implausible.”
Shen Zhu clicked her tongue. “Perhaps the boss of the Yan Clan raised him because of his appearance. Besides, Yan Budu’s intelligence and unique abilities are exceptional; the old man may have taken a liking to them. Such occurrences are not uncommon.”
“It indeed makes sense. But Yan Budu comes from a common background and yet is well-versed in the ‘fixed desire’ affair, which is quite strange.”
Shi Jingzhi took a sip of wine, calmly continuing.
“Taiheng has been hunting the Yan Clan’s descendants for a hundred years, to the point that even Taiheng’s own people feel it’s excessive. On the other hand, Taiheng has always had close ties with the imperial court. Isn’t that interesting?”
Shen Zhu instantly understood. “Are you saying—”
“The royal bloodline is leaking, so naturally, an excuse must be found to clean it up,” Yin Ci calmly added.
Due to the matter of Yan Zheng’s revenge, Yin Ci also had suspicions. Great Yun wanted Children of Desire from generations to generations, and there were formations in their blood. The Queen of Milan was connected with Shi Jingzhi by blood, but only Yan Budu was excluded, which didn’t make sense.
Even though they had their suspicions, they needed to thoroughly investigate the “Children of Desire” and the “Hundred-Year Project” and couldn’t act on guesses alone.
“Just as A’Ci said.” Seeing that his beloved was in sync with him, Shi Jingzhi’s lips never drooped. “The Yan Clan was pampered and knowledgeable about the fixed desire, and their descendants were executed. Each matter can be explained individually, but together… I suspect Yan Budu is also a member of the Great Yun royal family. Please investigate.”
“Understood.” Shen Zhu didn’t argue, responding crisply. “What Brother Su Si said earlier makes sense; I will investigate in Qizhou. You all should find a safe place to stay.”
Shi Jingzhi: “I have already found a suitable place that is absolutely safe. You can send a sparrow to find me when the time comes.”
A few hours later, the four members of the Kushan Sect stood in front of the “absolutely safe” place, each with different expressions.
Since leaving Taiheng, Yan Qing hadn’t seen such a grand courtyard. The shock on his face was undisguised. Su Si looked more relaxed than before but still seemed distracted, clearly undecided about staying or leaving. He absentmindedly held Lord Bai, staring at the back door of the courtyard.
Sect Master Shi looked dignified. “This place is the home of an old friend. While the aftermath of Zongwu Mountain hasn’t settled, we’ll stay here for a few days before deciding our next move.”
He then turned to Yin Ci and whispered. “A’Ci, rest assured, the master here is my great-grandfather. The first thing I did when I left the palace was to meet him. He loves me very much and will never reveal our whereabouts.”
Unfortunately, contrary to Shi Jingzhi’s expectations, Yin Ci’s face didn’t relax but gradually turned green.
It wasn’t just about not revealing their tracks. The master of this place had deceived his true old friend for his dear grandson—
Yin Ci stood stiffly at the doorway of Sun Huaijin’s home, feeling guilty for the first time.
Sun Huaijin’s deception to him about Shi Jingzhi was true, as was his close relationship with Shi Jingzhi. Having lived for three hundred years, Yin Ci had never experienced such an absurd situation, and he didn’t know how to face his former subordinate.
Seeing his lover’s unusual reaction, Shi Jingzhi hurriedly continued to mutter, “My great-grandfather comes from the martial world and has seen many storms. You don’t have to worry about him backing down at a critical moment. Interestingly, when he was young, he was even an Elder in Chigou and followed… followed…”
He suddenly realized a horrifying fact. His heart skipped a few beats, and his tongue tied in knots.
Sun Huaijin’s wrinkled face surfaced from the depths of his heart. The old man’s voice was proud yet filled with vicissitudes. [In my youth, I was adopted by an elder and have seen the most glorious period of the Chigou Sect. Back then, the only one who could call him ‘Elder Brother’ was me, your grandpa.]
Before entering the house, he had been thinking about how to be affectionate with A’Ci without alarming the old man. Now, Shi Jingzhi wished he could find another place, but the arrow was already on the string, and he had no choice but to shoot. He wanted to cry but had no tears.
Seeing Yin Ci’s face turn pale with a semblance of “calm”, Sect Master Shi could only try to maintain his facial features’ position, praying that Sun Huaijin knew nothing about Yin Ci’s “immortality”.
The Sun Clan’s courtyard was no longer a desolate winter scene. The spring breeze lightly brushed, and the yard was filled with lush greenery. Elder Sun was sitting in the yard, with his wrinkled peach kernel appearance. Having shed his fur coat for spring, he was now wrapped in silk. Knowing that Shi Jingzhi was coming, Sun Huaijin specially set up a long table in the yard and prepared the best tea.
When the Kushan Sect’s party entered the yard, Sun Huaijin’s eyes locked onto Shi Jingzhi, smiling, “Good child.”
Upon meeting, Sun Huaijin hardly looked at Yin Ci. The grandfather and grandson chatted casually, discussing trivial matters. Yin Ci breathed a sigh of relief on the side—Sun Huaijin was indeed a wise man, and perhaps the situation wouldn’t become too awkward.
Shi Jingzhi may have been indifferent to affection, but he had a way of making himself “likeable”. Now, as Sect Master Shi was busy escaping reality and highly focused, he was particularly eloquent. A few hours passed, and Elder Sun was delighted by Shi Jingzhi’s flattery—his finest wrinkles on his old face were stretched out.
Yin Ci had completely transformed into a tight-lipped gourd, silently drinking tea with Su Si and Yan Qing without uttering a word.
The Sun Clan was very attentive to their guests. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Sun Huaijin arranged four separate and excellent guest rooms for the four of them. Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci didn’t protest; they pretended to know nothing and complied with the arrangement.
But Sect Master Shi couldn’t keep his calm. In the middle of the night, he sneaked into Yin Ci’s room like a thief. Sitting solemnly on the edge of the bed, his questioning tone seemed soaked in bitterness.
“A’Ci, how much does my great-grandfather… um, know about your matter?” he asked.
The fearless “Su Zhi” slowly turned over, not looking at Shi Jingzhi. “He knows that I am Su Zhi.”
Shi Jingzhi: “…” While Yin Ci’s true identity hadn’t scared him, this time he was genuinely startled.
“When we first came to Qizhou, I even inquired about your background from him.”
Shi Jingzhi sat dumbfounded on the edge of the bed, unable to lie down or leave. Yin Ci sighed and turned around. “If we talk openly about it, Huaijin should be able to help us more.”
Sect Master Shi was dazed by the intimate name “Huaijin*”. He groggily lay on the bed, burying his face in Yin Ci’s neck. “I know. I’ll just need a moment to gather myself…”
*Clarity: Generally, in Chinese culture, you don’t call someone by just their first name unless you have a very close relationship with them.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Shi Jingzhi was still flustered, and before he could straighten out his thoughts, a voice came from outside the door.
“Elder Brother, are you still awake?”
The author has something to say:
Sun Huaijin: ? Help!
Kinky Thoughts:
LMAO, well now Shi Jingzhi can brag that no one beside him can call Yin Ci “my lover”.
On the first night of camping, Ling Xiao was always restless. He attributed this to hunger. Unable to sleep, he got up and decided to look around, hoping to find some mushrooms to fill his stomach in the wilderness.
Subconsciously, he headed towards the tent where Ying Feng was. It was deep into the night, and all the classmates were asleep. Ying Feng’s tent was as dark and silent as the others around it.
Pretending to be just passing by, Ling Xiao wandered around the vicinity until a small stone snapped and hit him in the chest. The thrower hadn’t used much force; it was clearly just to get his attention.
Following the direction from which the stone came, Ling Xiao unexpectedly spotted Ying Feng sitting under a tree. Ying Feng had noticed Ling Xiao from the moment he showed up, initially thinking he had just gotten up to relieve himself. Yet, Ling Xiao lingered, making Ying Feng wonder about his intentions.
“What are you sneaking around here for?” Ying Feng asked, showing no friendliness to Ling Xiao, who had approached him.
“Why are you here?” Ling Xiao countered. “Why aren’t you sleeping in your tent?”
“I’m not used to sharing with others.” Ying Feng made up an excuse, even though it was true.
The sullenness in Ling Xiao’s heart was immediately swept away. The outdoor air felt fresh, and the stars were bright. Ling Xiao felt that a weight had been lifted from his heart.
Feeling better, his stomach reminded him of its hunger with a growl.
Having seen Ling Xiao’s weakened state during their earlier interaction, Ying Feng understood. “Out of food again?”
Ling Xiao sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I came out to look for some mushrooms…”
Ying Feng gave him a look as if saying, ‘Are you an idiot?‘. “Are you sure the mushrooms you find with your intelligence are edible? Even if there are, are you planning to eat them raw?”
Ling Xiao felt insulted. “If not mushrooms, there are other things. I remember seeing a banana tree in the forest today.”
Ying Feng didn’t bother explaining that bananas don’t grow year-round. He opened his backpack, taking out half of his food to share.
Ying Feng had helped him out several times before, so Ling Xiao wasn’t polite and began to eat heartily. “I’ll get my living expenses next week and pay you back.”
“So you’ll be hungry again at the end of the next month?”
Ling Xiao was aggrieved. “My financial skills aren’t that bad, okay? I just don’t save money like you do.”
Ying Feng didn’t comment on the financial prowess of someone with no savings. Packing away his things, he failed to notice a bottle rolling out.
“What’s this? Healing medicine?” Ling Xiao asked as he picked it up. “Good, I haven’t treated my wound from today.”
Quickly, he sprayed the contents on his injured arm. By the time Ying Feng managed to retrieve the bottle, it was too late.
“Why were you so fast? Didn’t you check what it was?” Ying Feng was exasperated, but thankfully only a small amount had been sprayed.
“Isn’t it a wound healing spray? I’ve used it before.” Ling Xiao was puzzled, wondering why Ying Feng was generous with food but not his medicine.
“A lot of spray bottles look the same. Don’t you read labels?”
“…Oh.” Ling Xiao finally realized. “What is it then?”
Ying Feng thought, considering it was an inhibitor, it shouldn’t affect Ling Xiao, especially since he hadn’t awakened.
Ying Feng took the bottle back and said, “It’s none of your business. You wouldn’t need it anyway.”
Ling Xiao didn’t press further and quickly finished his meal. Full and at ease, he started feeling drowsy.
“Why aren’t you leaving?” Seeing Ling Xiao about to doze off, Ying Feng urged him to leave.
“Oh.” Ling Xiao got up, brushing dirt off his clothes. “I’ll go back to sleep then.”
Returning to his tent, he had another bizarre dream that night, as strange as the movie he’d watched a few nights ago.
Staying up late and dreaming resulted in Ling Xiao oversleeping the next morning. A tentmate had to drag him out of his sleeping bag.
“Ling Xiao, wake up! We’re about to gather!”
He reluctantly opened his eyes, then suddenly widened them in shock, startling his tentmate.
Half out of his sleeping bag, he quickly scrambled back in. “You go first. I’ll be right there.”
“Are you okay?” His tentmate was concerned, noting Ling Xiao’s sudden flushed face.
“I’m fine. Just go. Don’t be late.”
A person who hadn’t gotten out of bed was reminding another not to be late. The scene seemed completely illogical. The classmate mumbled and left. Once he was sure the classmate was gone and wouldn’t return, Ling Xiao finally sat up. He secretly pulled apart a small opening in his sleeping bag and, as expected, saw his overly enthusiastic lower half.
This was Ling Xiao’s first time dealing with such a situation. He had no idea what to do. Could he even put on pants like this? It would surely be noticeable. If discovered, he would definitely lose his field practice qualifications.
Frantically, he tried to recall how he had handled such a situation last time. He was taking a shower… Right, cold water!
There was no way he could take a cold shower in this environment. Holding his sleeping bag, he hopped over to his luggage, rummaging through it until he found an emergency ice pack. The ice pack was normally at room temperature, but once the seal was broken, the liquid inside would rapidly cool below freezing.
Without hesitation, Ling Xiao tore open the ice pack. As the surface quickly condensed with moisture, in his complete lack of knowledge and without considering the consequences, he placed the ice pack where it was needed most. The coldness was so intense that he let out a mournful scream.
Just at that moment, Ying Feng, who happened to be passing by, thought something terrible had happened inside the tent and opened the tent flap. “What happened?!”
“Don’t come in!” Startled, Ling Xiao quickly threw the ice pack at the intruder. In the ensuing chaos, he ended up tripping over his sleeping bag.
Luckily, Ying Feng was quick to catch the thrown ice pack, which gave him a jolt from its coldness. He then heard a thud. Setting down the ice pack, the scene before him was of Ling Xiao, wrapped tightly in his sleeping bag, sprawled on the ground in a very undignified manner, looking up at him with big eyes.
Ying Feng’s lips twitched. “What are you doing?”
The large caterpillar-like figure on the ground blinked innocently twice.
Forget it. Ying Feng threw the ice pack back, not wanting to get involved in the mess. However, just as he was about to close the tent, he heard Ling Xiao call out to him, “Wait!”
“What now?”
The tent flap was pulled open again, but Ling Xiao frantically gestured. “No, no, close it. Let me put on my pants first.”
After all the commotion, the once enthusiastic part of Ling Xiao finally calmed down. He managed to put on his pants, quickly threw on his shirt, grabbed a water bottle, and ran out to see Ying Feng waiting outside, evidently impatient.
“Done causing a scene?”
“There was a little accident,” Ling Xiao said sheepishly, holding up the water bottle. “I need to wash my hands.”
Ying Feng wasn’t amused. “Why?”
“Uh… I twisted my foot earlier and used the ice pack on it.”
Ying Feng really wanted to punch him at that moment.
The morning’s drama finally ended. Ling Xiao and Ying Feng both rushed to the assembly point, but they were still late.
The instructor was a straightforward person. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, “Run ten laps around the camp.”
Ling Xiao felt guilty. If not for him, Ying Feng wouldn’t have been late either. Seeing Ying Feng start without any explanation, Ling Xiao quickly followed, “Should I run for you?”
Without turning his head, Ying Feng retorted, “Didn’t you twist your foot?”
“…I recover fast.”
“No need.”
After completing the ten laps, they returned to find that all their classmates had disappeared, with only the instructor remaining.
The instructor had a plan in mind. He intended to recommend the two for the admission exam at the Royal Sky Military Academy. To do this, he needed to enhance their skills, and their tardiness that morning gave him an excellent excuse.
“Sir, where is everyone?” Ling Xiao looked around, puzzled. Both he and Ying Feng had maintained an even pace during the run, which impressed the instructor.
“Today is an endurance training day, mountain climbing with a load. The other students have already started.”
“Oh,” Ling Xiao replied, unfazed. “Can we still catch up?”
“Today, the two of you have a special training task,” the instructor interjected. “Endurance training isn’t enough for you. I hope you can take this opportunity to strengthen your combat training.”
“Combat?” Ling Xiao’s curiosity was piqued.
The instructor produced a chip similar to the one Zhen He had given them earlier. He threw it into the air, and it expanded into a map.
“This is the map of the entire mountain area. See the red dot? That’s our current location.”
“Mm,” Ling Xiao nodded.
The instructor pointed towards a faint blue area to their southwest. “There’s a lake here, and by its side grows a unique mushroom…”
Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao gave Ying Feng a triumphant look as if to say, “I told you there were mushrooms here.”
“…I want you to find that lake and bring back your assignment objectives. I have two sticks here. Whichever you draw, that’s your target,” the instructor finished, pulling out two boxes.
“I’ll go first.” Ling Xiao took one box, and Ying Feng took the other.
Upon opening his box, Ling Xiao saw a white glow, from which an image began to emerge.
“Mine’s a red mushroom,” he said before looking at Ying Feng’s. “Yours is a white one. Why does it look bigger than mine?”
The instructor replied cryptically, “Regardless of the type of mushroom, once it’s removed from its native soil, it’ll die within three minutes. The only solution is to transplant them, along with the soil, into the boxes I’ve given you. Remember, you must bring the mushroom back intact. It’s worth noting that this is the wild, and dangers you can’t anticipate may arise. So, both of you must stick together, understand?”
He displayed his tablet, showing the positions of every student marked by light points. “I’ll be monitoring your locations. If anyone acts alone without considering their partner, today’s grade will be annulled.”
Both ran towards their destination. The team doctor, who had listened to the entire exchange, appeared.
“The mushrooms they’re fetching, they’re Qi mushrooms, right?”
“Yes,” the instructor confirmed.
“You’re making one fetch the Zhu mushroom and the other the Zi mushroom*. Isn’t this just toying with them?”
*Clarity: The mushrooms are named after Qizhu and Qizi.
“This was also one of the questions for the entrance exam at the Royal Sky Military Academy last year. Those who apply for Royal Sky are strong, so the school has designed a question that’s neither too hard nor too easy, to test their on-the-spot teamwork.”
“When they’re on their own, both are competent. But those with strong individual skills can be very self-centered. I worry that this test of teamwork might be their biggest obstacle in the entrance exam.”
“So, you’re starting to nurture their synergy from now on?”
“I hope so. After all, for such mushrooms named after the unique partnership of the ‘Tianxiu’, they can’t be harvested by just one person.”
With the map’s guidance, they easily located the lake the instructor mentioned. In the woods by the lake, mushrooms of two colors grew everywhere.
Ling Xiao was right; the white mushrooms were indeed bigger than the red ones. Strangely, wherever they were, both types always grew together, never alone.
“There are so many mushrooms here,” Ling Xiao remarked in surprise. “Is it just as simple as taking them back?”
As he spoke, he pulled up a red mushroom. The moment it left the soil, it wilted rapidly, as if all its moisture had been forcibly drained.
“Watch out!” Before Ling Xiao could contemplate the mushroom’s rapid change, a powerful force pulled him backward.
Following Ying Feng’s warning, the white mushroom on the ground exploded. The blast was powerful, and Ling Xiao would’ve been injured had he remained there.
“What… What just happened?” Ling Xiao, shocked, stared at the red mushroom’s remains and the debris of the white one.
But before they could investigate further, a new enemy appeared. From the spot where the pair of mushrooms grew, a monstrous creature manifested, roaring and charging at them.
Ling Xiao reacted first, kicking the creature. Ying Feng moved behind it, targeting its neck with a knife-hand strike. The creature emitted a painful shriek and exhaled green smoke from its mouth.
“Be careful of its poison!” Ying Feng warned. Both leapt away. Ying Feng quickly drew a dagger from his waist and threw it, pinning the creature to a tree. Struck fatally, the creature howled and disappeared like smoke. If not for Ying Feng’s dagger embedded in the tree, the entire event would’ve seemed like an illusion.
After this lesson, they became more cautious. This time, Ying Feng carefully plucked a white mushroom. Seconds later, his face turned pale as he threw the mushroom, which exploded mid-air.
“Look!” Ling Xiao pointed to the ground. Without him mentioning it, Ying Feng noticed the red mushroom left in place had wilted just like before. After dealing with another mysterious creature, they realized that once one mushroom was pulled, both would die and summon a vengeful spirit-like entity. How could they possibly bring them back whole as the instructor requested?
In the corridor, in the thick fog, in front of Room 8.
Zhou Qian’s words seemed to completely baffle He Xiaowei. “What the hell does this mean? What do you mean by going to an unsafe room to find a gunman to shoot… No, Zhou Qian, explain yourself.”
[The lowest ranked cannot be kill!]
[Balance of power is the only solution!]
Zhou Qian took out the hints he got from the photos and showed them to everyone. “The keywords in these two hints are ‘ranked’ and ‘balance’… Do you remember the name of this side quest?”
He Xiaowei immediately replied. “I do! It’s called ‘Checks and Balances’!”
“Right, so when the rank of the gunman changes and their power becomes unbalanced, killing ensues. The key to cracking this mission is actually already given to us in the title—balance, to restore the rank of the 12 gunmen to equilibrium.”
Zhou Qian said, “I suspect that at the beginning, the rank of the 12 gunmen was balanced. Do you remember how the first cleaner died? She wore a military uniform with a ‘7’ on it. Why would the game designer intentionally design a plot point about stealing a military uniform? There must be a deeper purpose.”
He Xiaowei seemed to have an epiphany. “Let’s assume that the military unit where Jiang Yuqing belonged is called Unit 7; then these gunmen belong to the S Unit. So, 7 and S might be opposing forces? Therefore… seeing a uniform from Unit 7 triggered the gunfire?”
“Exactly,” Zhou Qian said. “I believe that’s the case. If we had randomly entered any of those 12 rooms at the beginning, probably no one would have been shot. The first cleaner was killed because she wore a uniform with ‘7’, which was an intentional plot point. That uniform triggered the hatred of Unit S and brought the first bullet. From then on, the ranks of the 12 gunmen became unbalanced, and the killings began. Hence—”
Zhou Qian concluded, “The 12 gunmen of Unit S were originally in some kind of balanced state. The first cleaner’s death, based on the hidden plot of S opposing 7, led to the shooting, disrupting the original balance. Subsequently, every time a gunman fires a bullet, the rank of the 12 gunmen changes.”
“After the third cleaner went into rooms 6 and 7 and found them safe, he was killed in room 2. After that, I went into room 7 without any issues, but Gao Shan was killed in room 6. This is because the bullet from room 2 that killed the third cleaner changed the rank of all the gunmen. Now, we need to restore the balance of the 12 gunmen. Only then will all 12 rooms be safe. We can freely enter all rooms and gather the so-called ‘evidence’.”
Beside them, Lu Mengmeng couldn’t help but ask in a whisper, “If shooting disrupts the balance, and S and 7 are opposing forces, can we infer that if a gunman from Unit S kills someone from Unit 7, they gain merit and improve their rank?”
Zhou Qian bluntly replied, “Absolutely not.”
Lu Mengmeng realized his mistake. “Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. After the first death, the shooter in room 12 should have gained the highest rank, making the shooters in rooms 1 to 11 the lowest in rank. Thus, they shouldn’t be able to shoot, and there shouldn’t be subsequent shootings. My hypothesis is flawed.”
Zhou Qian glanced at him and said, “Even so, your guess has its basis. It just doesn’t align with reality, so we have to rule it out. In fact, the game doesn’t provide us with any narrative clues as to why ‘shooting’ would change a gunman’s ‘rank’. From the narrative’s perspective, we have no way to find a solution.”
What exactly is Unit S? What is Unit 7? Who is Jiang Yuqing? What happened between Unit 7 and Unit S? The players were completely in the dark, with no clues to tell them regarding the story of that time.
He Xiaowei pondered over it, increasingly frustrated. “There’s no clue at all! How are we supposed to figure this out?!”
Zhou Qian replied, “If we can’t deduce from the plot, then we won’t. Because the solution is probably unrelated to the story itself.”
He Xiaowei sighed in despair. “I just don’t get it.”
Zhou Qian suddenly changed the subject and said, “After I entered Room 8 just now, I quickly found the evidence. Its location was almost identical to the evidence in Room 7, both near the gunman. The reason I took some time to come out was that I was conducting an experiment.”
“What experiment?” He Xiaowei asked.
“I teased the gunman,” Zhou Qian laughed.
He Xiaowei: ???
Wow, bro, you’re badass.
A moment ago, Zhou Qian entered Room 8.
No gunshots were heard within three seconds. Once again, Zhou Qian noticed that the gunman in front of him had lowered his gun. At that moment, Zhou Qian realized that the position of this gunman was exactly the same as the one in Room 7.
Zhou Qian stepped forward and looked closely at the gunman.
He had no facial features—just a shadowy figure blurred in the mist, and it was the same size as the one in Room 7.
“Can you see me?” Zhou Qian asked.
The shadowy gunman did not respond.
Crouching down and reaching out, Zhou Qian grasped the gunman’s gun.
Yet, the gunman remained unresponsive.
Then, Zhou Qian tried to pull the gun away but found he couldn’t.
Seems like the level has set it so that the gunman’s position can’t be changed and his gun can’t be taken by the player.
This setting undoubtedly reinforced Zhou Qian’s speculation about the “pattern”.
Zhou Qian took out his bone prop and placed it on the gunman’s shoulder. As soon as it touched the gunman, it fell off, and Zhou Qian caught it immediately.
After some thought, Zhou Qian opened the trade window, buying a universal adhesive and a weight. He then applied the adhesive to the weight and tried sticking it to the gunman’s shoulder. But the adhesive didn’t work, and both items instantly fell to the ground.
Having observed all this, Zhou Qian left Room 8 and returned to the corridor.
At this moment, He Xiaowei was utterly baffled by Zhou Qian’s account. “Bro, I don’t get it!”
Zhou Qian explained, “My experiment shows that in this level’s setup, we can’t increase the weight of the gunman but can increase the room’s weight. This indicates that the weight of the gunman is crucial to the game and cannot be altered, but the room doesn’t matter.
“Therefore, the change in ‘rank’ is related to the gunman and has nothing to do with the room.”
He Xiaowei: “So…”
Zhou Qian: “When playing a game, facing certain levels, if the plot doesn’t provide clues, we need to change our thinking. Shooting leads to a change in the rank of the 12 gunmen. Without plot clues, we’ll take another approach—abstract the 12 gunmen.”
He Xiaowei was utterly perplexed. “Abstract? What do you mean?”
Zhou Qian took out a blank piece of paper, drew a circle, and marked it with 12 numbers like a clock.
“The word ‘rank’ has been given too many meanings by us, such as power, merit, wealth… But sometimes, we often overlook the most basic meaning of the word.
“Have you ever thought that at this level, the meaning of ‘rank’ might be straightforward? For instance, whoever stands at the lowest point has the lowest rank.”
As he spoke, Zhou Qian suddenly asked He Xiaowei and Lu Mengmeng. “Have you ever played roulette?”
“Ah… Ah!” He Xiaowei seemed to have a vague realization but couldn’t grasp the key point yet.
Zhou Qian continued, “We abstract the 12 gunmen, imagining them as 12 bullet holes on a roulette turntable. Let’s assume each hole contains an equal number of bullets—let’s say 10 in each hole.
“At first, the turntable is horizontal, with the bullet holes evenly distributed. At this time, the turntable is ‘balanced’, meaning all gunmen are at the same level.
“The center of gravity of this turntable is Room 701, located right at the center.”
In the midst of He Xiaowei’s gaze, interwoven with shock and excitement, Zhou Qian uttered the idea that was slowly forming in He Xiaowei’s mind. “The balance of the horizontal turntable has been disrupted by the cleaner in military uniform. She attracted the shot from Gunman No. 12, causing one less bullet in the bullet hole at 12 o’clock. From then on, the horizontal turntable tilted and spun… When it finally stopped, which point would it be at the bottom?”
Lu Mengmeng took over. “6 o’clock! There are only 9 bullets left at 12 o’clock, it becomes lighter, but the other 11 points are equally heavy; all still have 10 bullets… So, if the turntable is viewed as a whole, its center of gravity will be at the 6 o’clock position! Turn this turntable… It will definitely fall to 6 o’clock in the end, so the position of 6 o’clock is the lowest!”
The sensation of cracking a tough problem excited him. At this moment, his voice was much louder than a mosquito’s, and he seemed to completely forget that he had killed someone not long ago.
Zhou Qian glanced at him and said calmly, “With one less bullet at 12 o’clock, the turntable’s center of gravity shifts to 6 o’clock. 6 o’clock becomes the lowest point, which is what is meant by the ‘lowest rank’ in the literal sense. At this point, the gunman at 6 o’clock should not fire, and room 6 is safe.
“Then, the second cleaner entered Room 1 and died. The bullet hole at the 1 o’clock position also lost a bullet. Thus, 12 and 1 both reduced the weight by a bullet, and the turntable’s center of gravity shifted again, falling between 6 and 7.
“As a result, at that time, both 6 and 7 had the lowest rank and were on the same horizontal line. So, rooms 6 and 7 are safe. The third cleaner entered these two rooms and was not killed. But he was killed when he entered room 2.”
For some reason, He Xiaowei felt a shudder down his soul, repeatedly murmuring, “Holy crap… Holy crap? Holy crap!!”
At this moment, the delicate footsteps of a girl approached from the distant corridor. Zhou Qian squinted slightly but continued talking. “After the third cleaner died, the 2 o’clock point was lightened by one bullet. Now, 12, 1, and 2 all reduce the weight of one bullet. The focal point of the turntable falls on point 7. Therefore, Room 6 is no longer safe. Only Room 7 is safe.”
As the footsteps grew closer, Zhou Qian’s narration did not pause. “For this reason, I entered Room 7 and was unharmed, while Gao Shan entered Room 6 and died.”
“With Gao Shan’s death, the bullet hole at the 6 o’clock point lost one bullet. The overall center of gravity of the turntable changed again.”
“At this moment, in this abstract turntable composed of 12 gunmen, the center of gravity is between 7 and 8. Both 7 and 8 have the lowest rank, so both rooms are safe.”
By now, He Xiaowei had fully grasped the situation. Currently, points 12, 1, 2, and 7 all had a reduced weight of one bullet, making them lighter than the other eight points, causing the turntable to be imbalanced. To make every room safe, players need to restore the center of gravity of the turntable to the center position—that was, room 701. Only then could all 12 points possibly return to the same level.
However, a new problem arose. How could the turntable’s center of gravity be restored to the center? With four rooms each missing a bullet, should they go to the remaining eight rooms one by one? If this was the case, probably no one except a nine-lived cat demon could pass this level.
Should they just give up on this side quest?
As he pondered, He Xiaowei took the pen and paper from Zhou Qian’s hand and began to deduce, but he remained puzzled. “I graduated from high school so many years ago… This is a physics mechanics problem, right? Isn’t it about torque balance? I can’t solve it! Besides letting eight more people die, I can’t find a way to clear the level.”
Lu Mengmeng seemed to understand something. “Actually, we don’t need to do specific calculations. We just need to find symmetry points. Look… currently, points 12, 1, 2, and 6 are light, right? Let’s look at it symmetrically. Points 12 and 6 are two points on the diameter of the circle and have a center-symmetry relationship. So…”
“Both of these points have one less bullet, so their effects on the turntable actually cancel each other out.
“In this case, we can temporarily ignore points 12 and 6 and just consider 1 and 2. With 1 and 2 reduced in weight, the overall center of gravity will shift to their center-symmetric points, 7 and 8, making 7 and 8 the safe rooms…”
Eyes shining slightly, Lu Mengmeng said, “So, to restore balance to the turntable, we just need to get the gunmen in rooms 7 and 8 to each fire a bullet, right? Then the whole turntable will be balanced!”
He Xiaowei shook his head emphatically. “That’s the contradiction! We can’t get these two gunmen to fire. They are at the lowest position now. How can they shoot? We can only run once in each of the other rooms… You’d need the nine lives of a cat to clear this!”
“If you can’t cheat a bullet out of the safe room… then this problem has no solution! Even if you had nine lives, you couldn’t solve it.” Lu Mengmeng took He Xiaowei’s draft paper, connected 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock, 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock… and so on, drawing a total of six diameters across the circle.
“Even if you won’t get shot and can keep going to the unsafe rooms to get the gunmen to fire and reduce bullets, there will always be one remaining at the center of gravity—the lowest safe point. To balance the turntable, you have to get the lowest-status safe room to lose a bullet. But at that moment, the gunman wouldn’t fire… This contradiction will always exist!”
Lu Mengmeng was out of ideas, and his brows furrowed in frustration. Beside him, He Xiaowei suddenly became excited. “No! I’ve got it! I’ve found a way!”
Looking at Zhou Qian, he said smugly, “Not long ago, you said your solution was to go to the unsafe rooms and get shot, right? You were wrong! I’ve thought of the real solution!”
He Xiaowei’s eyes were so red with excitement. “You all forgot something. Although the gunmen can’t shoot when they’re at their lowest rank… there’s an exception! The exception is that ‘7’ uniform! We’ve already figured out that as long as Rooms 7 and 8 each lose a bullet, we can clear the stage! But how can we get the gunmen to fire in a safe room? Hahaha, of course, by wearing that uniform!”
Contrasting with He Xiaowei’s excitement, Lu Mengmeng’s voice trembled slightly. “So… we just need to wear the uniform to enter these two rooms and lure the gunmen to fire to clear the level? But who will go? Does this mean… to clear the level, we have to sacrifice two players?”
Lu Mengmeng’s words, like a bucket of cold water, doused He Xiaowei’s enthusiasm.
He was stunned. Indeed, do they have to sacrifice two people to clear the level?
Beside them, a thickening fog slid past Zhou Qian’s cold, beautiful eyes. He quietly watched He Xiaowei without saying anything, waiting for his answer.
After a moment, He Xiaowei sat on the ground with a sigh. “That won’t work… Let’s give up this side quest. We’ve already lost one player. How can we let more die? This level is so hard; the rewards must be significant… but no matter what, we can’t sacrifice our teammates. I have principles…”
Hearing this answer, the corner of Zhou Qian’s mouth twitched. After a pause, he finally spoke, further disappointing the already disheartened He Xiaowei. He said, “You’re wrong. The uniform can no longer trick bullets out. The blood on the corpse has completely covered that ‘7’. This was deliberately done by the game designer to block that solution. I guess the bloodstains are also hard to wash off completely. Otherwise, the solution would be too simple. Try it if you don’t believe me.”
“Damn it, I’ll try.”
Feeling defeated by Zhou Qian’s rebuttal, He Xiaowei was a bit unconvinced. But as he got up from the ground to try and take the uniform from the body, he stopped.
“Damn, why would I try? If I really tried, I’d be the one sacrificed! Zhou Qian, you must be tricking me!”
“I’m not tricking you. That solution will absolutely not work, so you’re definitely safe. I found a bullet marked ‘S’ under Jiang Yuqing’s pillow, and that’s the real solution to clearing the level. Now, let me tell you the answer.”
Zhou Qian said, “The method you were thinking of was to trick the gunman in the lowest safe room to fire, reducing its weight to balance with other points. But there’s another way, and that’s to give the bullet back to the gunman across from it, who is one bullet heavier.”
“We assume that the last remaining safe point is 10, and its corresponding point is 4. In other words, points 4 and 10 are centrally symmetrical. Connecting these two points results in a diameter passing through the center of the circle.”
“At this moment, except for points 4 and 10, the other points are balanced. The remaining pairs of centrally symmetric points, when connected by their diameters, have their center of mass back at the circle’s center. So, we only need to balance points 4 and 10 to restore the equilibrium of the entire turntable.”
“Now, the lowest point on this turntable is point 10, because it has one more bullet than point 4. Therefore, if we return a bullet to point 4, the problem will be solved.”
“Of course, the bullet found on the corpse is not usable. I’ve checked. The cartridge has separated and is severely damaged; some small fragments are nowhere to be found. We can’t piece them together into a complete bullet and give it back to the gunmen. Fortunately, I found this intact S bullet under Jiang Yuqing’s pillow.” With a faint smile, Zhou Qian held up the bullet in his hand. “We just need to return it.”
Even though He Xiaowei was rugged, at this moment he looked into Zhou Qian’s eyes, almost sparkling.
For an instant, in his eyes, Zhou Qian’s figure seemed to grow immensely tall, shining brilliantly as if radiating a holy light.
But a few seconds later, the light in He Xiaowei’s eyes dimmed.
It was because Lu Mengmeng made another discouraging remark, “So, your method indeed works, but…”
“But now Rooms 7 and 8 are equally low! To balance them, we need to return a bullet each to their opposite points, Rooms 1 and 2! But we don’t have two bullets; we only have one S bullet!”
“We… We still need to make adjustments and go to other rooms to continuously dodge bullets until there’s only one room left as the center of mass. But this means… we still have to sacrifice many people!”
It seemed Zhou Qian didn’t hear Lu Mengmeng. He just said, “I’ve already calculated it.”
Taking back the paper he initially drew the turntable on, Zhou Qian quickly wrote down the solution.
[The first step is to enter Room 4, let the gunman in Room 4 shoot, decreasing the mass at point 4. The center of mass will then be between points 8 and 9, leaning towards 8, making Room 8 the only safe one.]
[The second step, enter Room 7, and the center of mass shifts to point 9.]
[The third step, enter Room 8, and the center of mass moves to point 10.]
Zhou Qian explained, “After these three steps, that is. After the gunmen in rooms 4, 7, and 8 each shoot a bullet, the remaining diameters will all be balanced, returning to the center, room 701, except for the diameter connecting points 4 and 10.”
“At this time, the turntable’s center of mass is at point 10. Returning the bullet to the gunman at point 4, opposite point 10, will allow us to pass.”
He smiled and concluded, “In summary, we just need to enter rooms 4, 7, and 8, have each of the three gunmen shoot once, and then return one bullet to the gunman in room 4. Of course, when returning the bullet, some skill is needed. Xiaowei, what’s your skill? Can you remotely return the bullet to the gunman without opening the door?”
He Xiaowei’s expression transitioned from confused to stunned to shocked.
He then said, “Wait, never mind my skill for a moment. Your method… doesn’t that still mean three people will die?! What the hell?!”
“Brother Zhou Qian… sacrificing me, Situ Qing, and Lu Mengmeng, so you can return the bullet to the gunman in room 4, right? We three are just stepping stones for your success, aren’t we? Look, Gao Shan is dead, and you win the beauty? Fuck, Zhou Qian, are you trying to be the biggest winner here?”
“Oh.” Zhou Qian seriously pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Good idea!”
He Xiaowei: “…”
Zhou Qian then shook his head. “But I won’t let you guys die. We still have the main quest ahead. I’ll need you.”
He Xiaowei: “…”
Giving He Xiaowei an up-and-down look, Zhou Qian said earnestly, “Also, I don’t seem to like girls.”
He Xiaowei took a step back. “Could it be that you…”
Zhou Qian quickly interjected, “Don’t get the wrong idea.”
He Xiaowei: “What do you mean? I think I look okay. I was once considered the most handsome guy in our department!”
Zhou Qian, surprised, said, “Really? You rated yourself that way?”
He Xiaowei: “………”
“Let’s get back to business. I want to clear this, but I don’t need to sacrifice any of you.”
Zhou Qian held up the [Rib of God] and approached Room 4. “My weapon has the power to slow down time.”
“The bullets are fatal in one shot because the shooter is accurate and ruthless. A bullet that directly hits the heart can’t be stopped by any defense, no matter how strong. Its speed is so fast that at our current level, no one can escape. But what if—I slow down time?”
Did Zhou Qian intend… to slow down time and thereby reduce the bullet’s speed to dodge its attack?
He Xiaowei was a bit stunned.
He immediately said, “But it’s still very risky! Even if you slow down time, there’s no guarantee you can dodge it. Didn’t the level description say the bullet has a 100% hit rate? What if it’s programmed to always hit you?”
“Moreover, even if you can successfully dodge, your powerful skill must have a cooldown and consume a lot of mana, right? Can you enter three rooms and use it three times?”
“That’s why, Brother Xiaowei, I need your help,” Zhou Qian began. “Regarding your first point, I’m not sure if it’ll work; I have to try.”
“Look at the trade box and remember to approve. My friend gave me the [Tick Tock Clock]. Then I’ll trade it to you. If I die, you can use it to revive me. Of course, this would mean my method isn’t viable. We might have to give up this side quest.”
“On the other hand, if my test is successful, then I can definitely dodge the bullets from the other two rooms in the same way. Don’t worry about my skill limitations. The Rib of God I have was awarded for an ultimate hidden achievement. It’s a rare gift from the gods and extremely powerful. It does consume mana, but just enough to use it three times in three rooms.”
Without wasting any more time, Zhou Qian walked towards Room 4.
Suddenly, a voice stopped him.
It was Yun Xiangrong, her voice shaky and tearful. “Zhou Qian, wait.”
Zhou Qian halted but didn’t turn around. In that moment, he seemed to guess what Yun Xiangrong would say. But with his back turned, no one could see his expression.
“If the ‘bullet hit rate is 100%’ is a compulsory setting for the level, then going into Room 4 now will be a waste of the Tick Tock Clock. This hidden achievement is optional. There are countless other levels waiting for you.”
“But Gao Shan only has one life!”
“I just tried contacting Qi Liuxing but couldn’t. Since he gave you the Tick Tock Clock…”
“I hope you use it to save Gao Shan. I beg you.”
As she spoke, Yun Xiangrong kneeled down, tears streaming down her youthful face. Her plea for her lost boyfriend touched everyone.
Especially He Xiaowei, who approached Zhou Qian. “Forget it. I can give up the hidden achievement. Just… save her boyfriend! And about that transaction, I haven’t—”
Zhou Qian cut him off, whispering in his ear, “Watch over Situ Qing and Yun Xiangrong for me.”
Without further delay, Zhou Qian was about to push the door open.
He Xiaowei reached out in a desperate attempt to stop him. “Wait, you—”
But his voice was drowned out by another piercing scream—
“Zhou Qian—!!!”
Yun Xiangrong, who had never raised her voice, shouted with all her might.
But it was in vain.
With tears in her eyes, she watched Zhou Qian, who seemed ready to push the door open. Her eyes, swollen from crying and filled with hope, hurt immensely. It seemed as if her vision was clouded by blood. As her anguish reached its peak, it appeared as though her eyes were bleeding.
The blood-red haze spread, painting everything in its hue, until her vision narrowed down to Zhou Qian’s resolute back.
He never looked back.
“Zhou Qian… I hate you. I’ll hate you for the rest of my life. You’d better kill me. Let me die with Shan Ge. Otherwise, I swear. I’ll never let you go in this life. I’ll kill you!”
“It’s a pity, Yun Xiangrong. You should know that in life, things often don’t go as planned.”
After Zhou Qian finished this sentence, in Yun Xiangrong’s eyes, his action of pushing the door became infinitely slow.
That was because he activated his skill, slowing down the flow of time.
At the same moment, outside the game, in front of a phone screen.
Yu Xian became very excited because Zhou Qian was incredibly strong. He found the sensation of effortlessly winning delightful.
However, Zhu Qiang’s face suddenly turned a bit pale.
His voice somewhat parched, he said, “Lao Yu… I can’t see the description of Qian Ge’s skill. What’s going on with that time skill of his?”
Yu Xian replied, “Ah, the mana consumption of his skill is related to how much power he wants to exert. The greater the power, the faster the mana is consumed. Like when Gao Shan died earlier, Qian Ge almost made time stop completely. At that level, his mana consumption was massive! But if he just slightly slows down time, then the mana consumed will be less.”
“This skill comes with his weapon and isn’t one of his personal skills, so there isn’t much of a cooldown limitation. But then again, if he wants to maximize the power of this skill, he’ll nearly deplete all his mana. Given that, there’s actually no need to limit the cooldown… After all, if he runs out of mana, he can’t use the skill… Oh shit—!!”
“Eh?!! I just checked, and Qian Ge only has 30% of his mana left. That’s not enough to use his time-slowing skill three more times! What is he trying to do?”
Zhou Qian only had 30% mana, and it was still decreasing. If he wanted to clear the game using his stated method, he would have to enter three rooms and slow down time three times.
But given the rate at which his skill consumed mana, he simply couldn’t achieve that.
Yu Xian was stunned. “What the hell is Qian Ge trying to do? Is he tricking everyone again and pulling some strange move? This is so weird…”
“Eh, Qiang Ge? Why aren’t you speaking? Hey, why are you running to the bathroom? Do you also have diarrhea?!”
Zhu Qiang, while rushing to the bathroom, shouted back, “There was something wrong with today’s hot pot! I feel terrible… I need to go for a bit!”
Upon reaching the bathroom, Zhu Qiang quickly took out his phone and, with a trembling voice, reported Zhou Qian’s current situation to a mysterious man on the other end.
A few seconds later, inside the game, Situ Qing glanced downward and saw a message from the gambler.
But due to the slowed-down time, every word on the system panel appeared extremely slow.
So she watched the message appear, word by word: [Beware of Zhou Qian. He might be planning to kill Lu Mengmeng.]
Kinky Translations 