[Please note, each person can only draw one card, and each person has only one chance. If you are not satisfied with the card result, you are not allowed to return the card to the black box and draw another one.]
[Violators will die instantly.]
These two lines of messages blinked for a few seconds before disappearing.
Because of this, Zhou Qian, who was skilled in gambling and good at playing cards, had to temporarily abandon his plan to hide the cards.
Zhou Qian was now standing by a desk, the closest to the black box. He walked up directly and became the first person to draw a card.
After drawing and looking at the card, in the center was a simple number—”24″.
But this number wasn’t directly printed on it; it seemed to be some kind of electronic display.
According to the system, this would be his life points. But what these points meant, Zhou Qian didn’t know yet, so he quickly put the card into his bag.
The other six players exchanged glances and then approached to draw cards in turn.
After this, the system didn’t give any new instructions, and for a moment, the players seemed unsure of what to do.
The first to make a move was the average faced Li Buhui. He went straight to the door, put his hand on the doorknob, and tried to open it.
“I think you all are being too cautious. Unless it’s an instance where you have to fight monsters right away, in decryption-related games, no matter how hard, players need information to play. So, there is no risk of unexplained death at the beginning.”
“Even if this instance has something to do with witches, it’s not a big deal. The finger and hair we saw just now are probably related to witchcraft, right? But both Jiujiu and I touched them, and we’re fine!”
After saying this, Li Buhui tried to turn the doorknob.
But he obviously couldn’t.
“Sss… It doesn’t seem to be stuck, nor does it look locked.”
“It’s strange. Why can’t it be opened…”
The next moment, Li Buhui found the reason.
When he tried to turn the doorknob, another force was turning it in the opposite direction.
So he couldn’t turn the doorknob at all!
“This… This door is very strange.”
Just as Li Buhui said this, he heard Yin Jiujiu’s deep, warning-filled voice. “Watch out, above you—”
Above?
What’s above me?
Before Li Buhui could ask, he saw a strand of wavy brown hair dangling in front of him.
With a shiver in his heart, he suddenly looked up and saw a pale face.
Li Buhui wasn’t easily scared, but he was taken aback by this, letting go of the doorknob and sitting down on the ground.
A semi-transparent figure in a skirt appeared before him. It was clearly the ghost of a little girl. She had a pale face, green eyes, and obvious freckles on her cheeks. Her legs were suspended in mid-air, and she hung upside down, looking at Li Buhui.
Seeing his reaction, the little girl smiled and then hugged his neck, whispering in his ear, “You can’t leave yet. Unless… you find the one who killed me.”
As her words faded, the little girl disappeared.
At this moment, everyone received a notification—
[Player Li Buhui was touched by “?”, losing 2 life points.]
[Players can discover the identity of “?” through exploration.]
Seeing this, Qi Liuxing took Ke Yuxiao to Zhou Qian’s side, giving him a sincere thumbs-up, and whispered, “I initially wanted to ask you if there would be unexplained death risks at the start of the game, which has always been your viewpoint. I didn’t expect… luckily, you stopped me.”
Zhou Qian whispered back, “Whether having more life points is better or having fewer is still uncertain. After all, we don’t know what they really mean. Sometimes… having more isn’t necessarily a good thing.”
Zhou Qian didn’t expect his words to be proven so quickly.
The system soon released new rules.
[Main Quest Triggered: Find a way out of this room.]
[Hint: Please explore as much as possible; clues from the study room are crucial for subsequent progress.]
[Announcing rules related to life points. Please listen carefully.]
[One life point corresponds to one hour of survival in the instance; the countdown starts now.]
In a place where no one could see, Zhou Qian took out his card to check.
The display no longer showed just “24”.
Below the number “24”, a countdown display appeared, showing [59:59].
It seemed that this countdown was calculated by the hour. Meaning, after 59 minutes and 59 seconds, the “24” in the middle of Zhou Qian’s card would turn into “23”.
The system continued to send rules.
[Skills and items related to copying, stealing, and robbing are ineffective on the cards that record life points.]
[The only way to snatch someone’s card is to kill the corresponding player.]
Upon reading this, a chill went down everyone’s spine.
The system messages continued—
[The highest life points one can have is 24, corresponding to 24 hours of survival.]
[The current ranking of seven players by life points, from highest to lowest, is as follows: 1st Zhou Qian; 2nd Li Buhui; 3rd Qi Liuxing; 4th Yin Jiujiu; 5th Ke Yuxiao; 6th Situ Qing; 7th Wu Ren.]
[The system loves peace; to prevent players from killing each other, there are restrictions on player behavior.]
[Players with higher points killing those with lower points will not get the corresponding card. For example, Zhou Qian, you’re already so fortunate to have so many points. Why would you still want to kill? The system does not allow this behavior.]
Lucky? Lucky my ass.
Having a high number of points indeed allowed Zhou Qian to survive for a longer time, but it also made him the target of everyone else!
If one considered players with lower points as hunters, Zhou Qian was now like a sheep, out in the open, ready to be hunted down!
Qi Liuxing and Ke Yuxiao exchanged glances, and both took out a sword and a flute, respectively, standing guard in front of Zhou Qian.
The system rules continued—
[Players with lower points can kill those with higher points to obtain their card and life points. However, doing so will result in a penalty: your mana will be completely drained for an hour, and all mana recovery items will be ineffective during this time.]
[Lastly, cards can be gifted. But if you only have one card and you gift it, your life points will be drained, resulting in immediate death.]
[Tips: 1. There are many hidden plots within the dungeon map. Exploring can not only find ways to complete the dungeon but also increase your life points.]
[2. It’s not recommended to kill teammates at the start of the game. It’s better to work together. After all, having too many points may not be a good thing—]
[The mayor of the town enjoys playing 24-point games, and the last survivors whose points add up to 24 may win the ultimate victory!]
Zhou Qian stood by the desk, glancing at the other players. Most were looking at their wristwatches, probably reviewing the system’s messages to better understand the game rules.
Just then, Zhou Qian sensed something and turned his gaze. He locked eyes with Wu Ren, the player currently ranked last in life points. Known as the Rain Man, Wu Ren specialized in assassination with hidden weapons. Zhou Qian couldn’t let his guard down.
The atmosphere became tense as Wu Ren looked at Zhou Qian with dark, narrow eyes.
Zhou Qian smiled. “You’re not thinking of attacking me, are you?”
Wu Ren didn’t speak but continued to glare at Zhou Qian.
Zhou Qian added, “According to the rules, if I kill you, I won’t gain anything—no card, no benefits. So, it would be pointless for me to attack you. Likewise, it would be pointless for you to kill me. If you do, you won’t be able to use your skills for an hour, making you vulnerable to others.”
“Wu Ren, in your eyes, I may be the ‘lamb’ waiting to be slaughtered right now, but my mana is still full. I can still put up a fight with you. So, in reality, you might not be able to kill me.”
“Even if you do manage to kill me by chance and get my card, your life points will increase, making you the number one lamb to be slaughtered. By then, you will lose an hour of mana. You, as the ‘lamb’, will truly be at the mercy of others.”
“Besides, don’t forget, our primary task now is to explore the storyline and leave this room.”
“You’re a smart person; there’s no need for you to kill me, right?”
The next moment, Rain Man Wu Ren narrowed his eyes.
His eyes were already small, making it look like they were almost invisible.
But the gloomy aura in his eyes showed through, sending shivers down the spine.
He said, “Indeed, I don’t need to kill you right now. Let’s explore first. But—”
He smirked, staring into Zhou Qian’s eyes. “What you just said wasn’t explaining the rules. Me killing you, losing my mana, becoming number one, getting into danger… anyone with half a brain can figure that out.”
“So of course, I won’t kill you. But…”
“The system didn’t mention what happens if we kill you at the same time, did it?
“If all of us kill you simultaneously, maybe we can split your life points. If all of us are involved and our mana is depleted, then no one will have to fear anyone else. Right?”
Zhou Qian smirked. “Ooo… You make it sound like I should be terrified. But—”
“The system didn’t announce such a rule. So you can’t guarantee that teaming up means you can split my life points. Even if multiple people kill one, only the person who deals the killing blow might get the card. Firstly, you’ll just be free labor. Secondly—”
“I led the team in. At most, you can team up with two others. It’s a four vs three situation. Worst case scenario, it’s a mutual loss.”
“The game just started. Do you really want to play it this way? Do you think with only two or three people left, you can get out of this instance? Remember, the ultimate goal is to total 24 points. The specific ‘combination method’ hasn’t been announced by the system. Thirdly—”
Wu Ren seemed taken aback, not expecting a “thirdly”.
He then saw Zhou Qian, smiling pleasantly, walk right up to the doorknob. “Thirdly, how do you know I won’t ask that little girl to hold onto me more?”
With a genuinely happy, even somewhat naive look, Zhou Qian said to Wu Ren, “Maybe if she holds onto me a bit more, I won’t be number one anymore. Is it meaningful for you to make an enemy out of me now? Maybe we’ll be allies soon!”
Wu Ren: “…………”
“The rankings can change at any time, and alliances might be unstable. Instead of harboring resentment against each other now… how about we explore? What do you think?”
Zhou Qian smiled faintly and turned towards the bookshelves.
At that moment, his watch vibrated.
When he checked, it was a message from his gambler and his primary doctor, Li Xuehai—
[Be especially wary of those ranked in even positions, like Yin Jiujiu, Situ Qing, and Li Buhui.]
Inside Spring Hill Mental Asylum, Zhou Qian was making final preparations to enter the game with Qi Liuxing.
This time, Zhou Qian was unable to bring He Xiaowei along.
Firstly, He Xiaowei needed to revisit the normal instances to earn more skill points. He was planning to become a dedicated healer, enhancing his skills even more.
Secondly, when Zhou Qian chose to be the team leader and created the preparation room, ready to select teammates for matching, the system prompt appeared:
[When players enter a special instance as a team, there’s a limit to the number of members to maintain game balance. Only three teammates can be taken this time.]
Zhou Qian clearly understood the system’s intentions: even in future instances, he couldn’t bring all of his ideal teammates into the game. If everyone was too coordinated, it would indirectly reduce the difficulty of the instance, affecting the game’s balance, as the system warned. Due to the crafty system, Zhou Qian had to leave behind his healer, only taking with him the “Sword and Heart” duo and Situ Qing.
At that moment, He Xiaowei called. “Qian’er, I’m worried! What if Situ Qing messes things up? Who knows if she’s genuinely trying to make amends?”
Zhou Qian responded, “Do you think I can’t see through her?”
He Xiaowei: “…I’m just worried! What if she joins some legion and aligns with a powerful gambler? Or even if she doesn’t change and stays as she was before—”
Zhou Qian: “We can test her in the next Level 3 instance. If she dares to act out, I won’t show mercy.”
“That makes sense. Testing now is better than waiting for a higher difficulty level, which would probably bring more trouble.” He Xiaowei seemed to understand. “But I’m still worried about you guys. Haa… How can a team not have a healer?”
Zhou Qian sincerely said, “So, you need to work hard on leveling up in the normal skill instance. Next time, we’ll have a great healer. We’ll rely on you for future high-difficulty instances.”
“Ah, I am indeed very important.” He Xiaowei seemed suddenly full of energy. “Alright Qian’er, I’ll go!”
Zhou Qian smiled. “Good luck.”
While Zhou Qian was on the phone, Qi Liuxing was taking a shower. Qi Liuxing was a very ritualistic person. Before entering an instance, he would shower and change his clothes, nearly to the point of lighting incense.
After his shower, Qi Liuxing noticed Zhou Qian was off the phone. With only the bedside lamp on, half of Zhou Qian’s face was in shadow, looking somewhat gloomy. Qi Liuxing glanced at the urn on Zhou Qian’s nightstand, hesitated, and then asked, “Do you think… under these circumstances, if he knows from the other side, would your classmate bless us?”
Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully, “Why don’t you pray to him in the game?”
“What do you mean?” Qi Liuxing was confused.
“Nothing.” Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes. “Well… I’m not entirely sure yet. Let’s keep observing.”
Qi Liuxing noticed Zhou Qian looked quite upset, almost as if he was angry. But with Zhou Qian’s acting skills, Qi Liuxing couldn’t tell if he was genuinely mad or just joking.
“Eh? Are you upset?” Qi Liuxing asked.
“…I’m okay.” Zhou Qian still looked somber.
“Oh.” Qi Liuxing continued, “Didn’t you mention someone took you as a disciple? Where is he?”
“I don’t know where he went,” Zhou Qian replied with a somewhat clenched tone. He quickly accessed the game interface, seemingly searching for something with great intensity.
“What are you doing? Checking the trading hall? Looking for equipment or items?” Qi Liuxing asked.
Zhou Qian: “No. Doesn’t the system have a player feedback function? I’m giving the system some feedback.”
Qi Liuxing: “What kind of feedback?”
Zhou Qian: “I hope they introduce a blocking feature.”
“Ah? Who are you going to block? Not me, right?”
“Of course not, Sword God brother. I’m relying on your damage output.”
“…………”
Then, Qi Liuxing heard Zhou Qian say, “Yes. I should… extort a large sum, then block him.”
……
On the other side, in an instance setting reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic zombie world.
A figure, once sleek, was now covered in wounds and blood. He had been fighting a seemingly indestructible zombie for seven days and nights.
At this moment, he was dizzy, his body merely breathing in and out instinctively. He could distinctly feel that the way he wielded his sword was now purely based on muscle memory and instinct. He couldn’t control his body logically, let alone think of a combat strategy. This person was Hidden Blade.
Hidden Blade felt like he couldn’t get past this obstacle. Amidst his dizziness, he was somewhat concerned about Bai Zhou, wondering how he was faring. In this instance, there were no mysteries to solve, just straightforward monster-fighting to level up and enhance their combat skills.
However, almost no one came to this dungeon. The reason was simple—the boss here was extremely powerful. There were two bosses inside: one strong and one weaker. Hidden Blade was fighting the weaker one; he didn’t dare to approach the stronger one and left it to Bai Zhou.
During this time, one thing Hidden Blade couldn’t help but wonder about was—why hadn’t Bai Zhou summoned his dragon form?
In his dragon form, Bai Zhou’s attack and defense would multiply, reducing their risk and speeding up the dungeon clearing process. It wouldn’t have dragged on for seven days and nights.
These god-level players in the game could transform between human and animal forms. It was said that once they reached the peak and truly “become gods”, they could switch between these forms at will. But they couldn’t do it yet.
Bai Zhou transformation into a dragon and Hidden Blade into a fox were equivalent to using an ability, and the cooldown was quite long.
Hidden Blade had already transformed into his fox form three days ago, so he couldn’t do it again now. But when did Bai Zhou ever become a dragon?
Lost in his thoughts, Hidden Blade suddenly found himself struggling. After a powerful blow to his chest, he was sent flying into the air, crashing hard into the ground. The impact injured his spine, and there was a dull sound from the back of his head hitting the ground, dropping his health to just 5%.
His pupils shrank in fear as he saw the zombie’s fist coming for his head.
He was out of options. Overwhelmed by the pain, his sword fell to the ground with a clang. Just as he was about to give up and await his fate, a faint light approached.
In this dark world, compared to the fierce zombie, the light was easy to miss. But anyone who saw it was completely drawn to it. It was a thin but sharp light, carrying a deadly intent, as if the God of Death had raised his scythe!
Bai Zhou was here!
The zombie’s punch weakened just inches from Hidden Blade’s face. This was because that faint blade of light had decapitated the zombie!
Witnessing this, Hidden Blade was momentarily dazed. He had chosen his name because of his affinity for blades, aspiring to excel in swordsmanship. He had always believed himself to be an excellent swordsman… until he met Bai Zhou.
When would he ever be as formidable as Bai Zhou?
Suddenly snapping back to reality, Hidden Blade turned his head and saw Bai Zhou walking towards him, his back facing the endless blaze.
Bai Zhou’s silhouette was tall and slender, and his facial features were obscured by the backlight of the fire, making it hard to discern his expression.
As Bai Zhou walked closer, a faint, shimmering light danced on the ground. It emanated from the weapon in his hand—a simple, ancient, yet ferocious tang sword.
Just moments ago, Bai Zhou had gripped this sword and swung it at the zombie from a distance…
With just a single swing, he eliminated the creature that Hidden Blade had been battling for seven days and nights!
Unexpectedly, there was a sudden movement on the ground. It was the head of the zombie, which started to shake.
Indeed, it was a formidable creature. Its head was cut off, and yet it could revive once again!
Following that, Hidden Blade watched as Bai Zhou stepped forward, snapped his fingers at the zombie, and its entire body burst into flames.
In no time, it felt as if the entire world was ablaze—there were only two zombies in this instance, and their bodies were quite massive. At this moment, as both were being incinerated, it seemed as if the entire world was set ablaze.
The pale face, drained of blood, was painted red by the flames. Facing the grand blaze, Hidden Blade gradually regained his composure. He took a deep breath and looked towards Bai Zhou. “Thank you! Thank you so much, God! I’m deeply grateful. Did you defeat the main boss long ago and was just testing me, so you only intervened at the last moment?”
However, Bai Zhou remained expressionless and replied succinctly. “No. I’m short on time.”
“Short… short on time? Oh…” Hidden Blade realized. “Are you going to log into another NPC? Wait… you can’t. Logging into NPCs consumes a lot of mental energy. You should rest. You’re… you’re also low on HP!”
Bai Zhou didn’t utter a word but simply looked down to open his system panel.
“Hey, listen, and please don’t get mad at me for being chatty. I’ve heard… your body is undergoing a severe rejection reaction.”
“You should return to reality, get treated, and then rest properly. You can’t go on like this…”
“In recent times… you want to keep leveling up and also act as an NPC… Well… how about I help you log into the NPC? I swear, I’ll protect Zhou—”
Suddenly, all of Hidden Blade’s ramblings stopped. In front of him, Bai Zhou raised a finger, signaling him to remain silent.
With the deaths of the two zombies, this apocalyptic world began to crumble and disintegrate. The daylight vanished entirely, and darkness engulfed everything.
Standing in front of the collapsing world, amidst the flames and the dark, Bai Zhou’s tall figure stood as straight as the tang sword in his hand. The blade of his white tang sword was smeared with a trace of blood, probably left from when he killed the biggest boss.
Blood also stained half of his face and one black pupil. Holding the sword in his right hand and raising a finger with his left, the sight of him looking over was truly terrifying.
In that moment, facing Bai Zhou’s gaze, Hidden Blade involuntarily shivered, a coldness stemming from deep fear crawling up from his spine. It seemed as though the person standing in front of him wasn’t a hero who had slain zombies, but a monster that brought about the world’s destruction.
He suddenly recalled the questions he asked when he agreed to be transformed.
“Will I die?”
“Can you truly create a god?”
“Are you creating gods or… a monster?”
Wait, no, that’s not right.
Bai Zhou just saved him.
Taking a fearful breath, Hidden Blade tried to muster a smile towards him. “Well…” But he couldn’t finish his sentence. Bai Zhou had already logged out of the instance, completely vanishing from his sight.
……
“10, 9, 8…” This was the countdown on Zhou Qian’s system panel.
Once the ten-second countdown ended, he received a notification from the system.
[Player Zhou Qian has entered the instance: “Flower of Evil”]
[Instance Difficulty: Level 3; Clear Rate: 50%]
[Hidden Achievement Completion Rate: 6%]
[Number of Players: 7]
With the system’s notification, Zhou Qian found himself in a study room. The room was styled like a medieval Western aristocratic chamber. Paintings hung on the walls, brown carpets lay on wooden floors, bookshelves lined the walls densely packed with books, and the desk was expansive but messy, with pens spilling out of a fallen holder, one of which teetered on the edge of the table.
The room’s tones were gloomy, with a faint sense of dampness and cold permeating. In contrast, flames crackled in the fireplace, providing a touch of warmth.
Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing, Ke Yuxiao, and Situ Qing loaded into this instance and appeared near the room’s entrance wall. The positions of the other three players were relatively scattered.
The first person Zhou Qian noticed was a girl. She had a ponytail, no makeup, wore jeans and a white t-shirt, looking very capable.
[Name: Yin Jiujiu]
[Rank: A]
[Strengths: Primary Tank; Secondary Melee Damage]
[Gambler System Evaluation: A powerful tank-type female warrior; her weapon is a peculiar wine gourd, drinking from it boosts her strength. I’m debating whether to call her “Wine Goddess*”.]
*Referring to Dionysus/Bacchus. The god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre.
Not far to the left of the female warrior Yin Jiujiu, a short, thin man with a buzz cut sat crouched. His appearance was very nondescript, the kind that would easily blend into a crowd without notice.
Through the watch, Zhou Qian also accessed information about him.
[Name: Li Buhui]
[Rank: C]
[Strengths: Team Buff, Status Recovery for teammates]
[Gambler System Evaluation: A mediocre player with ordinary skills and an average growth rate. Probably relies on hugging the thigh of the female warrior to level up.]
Hugging the thigh of the female warrior?
Looks like he was brought in by Yin Jiujui.
But why would the gambler system… belittle him like this, openly revealing his secret to other players?
Zhou Qian pondered briefly before turning his attention to his last unfamiliar teammate.
[Name: Wu Ren]
[Rank: A]
[Strengths: Ranged Assassin; Skilled with concealed weapons]
[Gambler System Evaluation: An extremely powerful assassin. The needle is his most potent weapon. When it rains needles, it means he has come with killing intent. I call him ‘Rain Man’.]
[Rain Man]… the title sounded a bit off.
Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow. At that moment, he noticed a box mysteriously appearing on the carpet in front of the desk.
The box was sealed on all sides, with only a round hole on top, just large enough for a hand to reach into.
He wondered if the system required players to reach in and draw something out.
Zhou Qian took a step forward and looked at the box, but only observed it. He took no additional action until further instructions from the system.
Suddenly, a startled sound came from a player nearby.
Turning his head, Zhou Qian saw that it was Li Buhui, the average-looking male player.
He had been squatting against a bookshelf with cabinets below. He had carelessly opened one, saw something inside, and immediately let out a yelp.
“What’s wrong?”
The question came from Yin Jiujui, the female warrior standing close to him.
Swishing her ponytail, Yin Jiujui walked over with determination. Unlike Li Buhui’s timid demeanor, she opened the cabinet boldly and took something out.
It was a human finger. The finger appeared quite “fresh”, with red nail polish still on the nail.
Yin Jiujui didn’t seem scared, but her eyebrows furrowed tighter.
She then pulled out another item from the cabinet—a strand of long, curly brown hair.
“What the hell is this?” [Rain Man] Wu Ren exclaimed.
“I don’t know,” Yin Jiujui replied, glancing at the other players. “What do you guys think? Should we search the room together? Also… can the door be opened?”
She looked at Qi Liuxing, who was closest to the door, as she asked the last question.
“I’m not sure. I’ll try.” Just as Qi Liuxing was about to touch the door handle, he was stopped by a voice.
It was Zhou Qian.
Qi Liuxing quickly retracted his hand and looked at him. “What’s up?”
Zhou Qian now approached the desk. Bending down, he easily saw a photo—a scene of a woman tied to a stake being burned. She held a long, straight, black object.
It was easily recognizable as something like a magic wand.
Zhou Qian said, “Before we receive the next plot clue, let’s not touch anything haphazardly. This instance seems to be related to witches. If we are in a witch’s house, we should tread carefully.”
After saying this, Zhou Qian moved to the front of the desk. Spread open on the table was a diary.
On that page, two strange lines were written in red ink:
The first read: [Evil is a flower, its color vibrant yet cold, its scent strong yet distant, its appearance charming yet eerie, its stature lofty yet hidden. It blooms on the edge of hell. (Note)]
The second read: [That night was so beautiful. The most magnificent fireworks I’ve ever seen… Fireworks bursting, falling like meteor showers. We chased and played under the meteor showers… That night, I made a secret wish. I so hope it comes true…]
These words gave an eerily cold feeling.
Before Zhou Qian could ponder further, he and the other players received the same message—
[Welcome to “Beautiful Flower Town”. You are all visitors here.]
[Ordinary visitors cannot survive here… Perhaps you’ll undergo some changes to adapt to the environment.]
[Please draw a card from the “black box” in the center of the room.]
[Each card has a number, which is your survival point. It’s especially crucial in the latter part of the game.]
[Please keep your card safe. Friendly tip: Do not easily show your points to teammates. Because, survival points can be stolen.]
The gentle breeze rustled, causing the tree shadows to sway.
After noticing Zhou Qian remaining still for a long while, Qi Liuxing played with his phone for a bit, then asked him, “By the way, I accompanied you to meet someone at noon. Will you accompany me to meet someone tonight?”
“Who?” asked Zhou Qian.
“The one who is in my group,” Qi Liuxing replied. “His name is Ke Yuxiao.”
“Which ‘Yu’?” Zhou Qian questioned.
Qi Liuxing responded, “The ‘Yu’ from the universe*.”
*Clarity: [Yu] (宇) from universe [Yuzhou] (宇宙).
Zhou Qian pondered for a moment and said, “Hmm. Nice name. ‘The heavens and earth were mysterious and yellow, and the universe was vast and primitive.'”
“You memorized the ‘Thousand Character Classic*’?” Qi Liuxing asked. “So, will you meet him? I want to introduce you to him. If you think it’s fine, we three can team up for the next instance. He’s a really good person. When you guys were looking for me for the [Tick Tock Clock], I was almost beaten to unconsciousness by a monster. If he hadn’t risked his life to save me, I’d have died!”
*A Chinese poem that has been used as a primer for teaching Chinese characters to children from the sixth century onward. It contains exactly one thousand characters, each used only once, arranged into 250 lines of four characters apiece and grouped into four line rhyming stanzas to make it easy to memorize. || What Zhou Qian said is the first two lines from it.
“Alright, I’ll meet him. But—” Seeing the person in the room in Zone X not moving and not receiving any system notifications, Zhou Qian jumped off the tree, squinted, and stepped closer, locking eyes with Qi Liuxing. “Why do I feel like you’ve turned so quickly? You miss one instance, and you’re already swayed by someone else?”
Qi Liuxing: “……”
Zhou Qian continued, “If I go to one instance and him to another, who would you team up with in the end?”
Qi Liuxing paused for a moment, then retorted, “You’re so childish. Why not ask, if Ke Yuxiao and you both fell into the water at the same time, who would I save?”
“Oh. So if both of us fell into the water at the same time, who would you save?” Zhou Qian pressed on.
Qi Liuxing blinked several times and finally responded sternly, “Boring!”
That afternoon, Zhou Qian and Qi Liuxing didn’t manage to leave the hospital.
Ke Yuxiao came to visit them, posing as a visitor, and brought a bouquet of fresh flowers.
He also brought a lot of exquisite snacks.
These treats were from a famous local handmade pastry shop known for their limited daily inventory and high prices. Recognizing the quality of the treats, Zhou Qian looked at Ke Yuxiao with a pleasant expression.
Ke Yuxiao looked about 25, much older than Qi Liuxing.
Ke Yuxiao’s flute was for long-range attacks. According to Qi Liuxing, one was melee and the other ranged—a perfect combination.
Moreover, Ke Yuxiao’s skills were very unique, having a buffing effect. For instance, if Qi Liuxing’s sword move could only scratch, Ke Yuxiao’s flute could enhance its power, causing real damage.
Ke Yuxiao had a gentle demeanor, appearing very approachable, radiating a homely vibe.
But he was definitely not weak; he seemed innately strong. He gave off the impression of someone who might cook meals and water plants in his daily life, but when the situation called for it, he’d immediately take up arms and head into battle.
While Zhou Qian was snacking, Ke Yuxiao and Qi Liuxing chatted on a bench.
Zhou Qian noticed that Qi Liuxing, who always acted cool in front of him, was talkative around Ke Yuxiao. In contrast, Ke Yuxiao seemed like an older brother, always ready to listen.
Overhearing their conversation, Zhou Qian chimed in, “Ke Yuxiao, so you’re a veteran player? Do you have mental health issues?”
“Yes, I was discharged not long ago. I was a bit depressed due to family and work issues,” Ke Yuxiao replied.
“How long have you been playing?” Zhou Qian inquired.
Ke Yuxiao said, ” Two months. But I’ve not been to many instances, and my achievements are average. I focus on instances that can enhance skill values. I’ve never been to the ones with hidden achievements like you guys.”
“Oh, then you can join me next time. I’ve unlocked an instance with hidden achievements. As long as you team up with me, you can enter. Also, you mentioned earlier—” Zhou Qian looked at him, “the Rank God player? What’s that about?”
“There are two types of players in this game: Rank God players and regular players. Their training methods are completely different,” Ke Yuxiao explained. “We, the regular players, might end up as shepherds in the end.”
“I know that. But you mentioned that Rank God players… can become NPCs? How does that work?” Zhou Qian inquired.
“Players below Rank S typically engage in regular instances with difficulty levels around four or below. Rank God players can’t just become NPCs in any instance; they can only make guest appearances in instances of level four or below by channeling their consciousness into an NPC,” Ke Yuxiao explained. “Moreover, once they’re in an NPC, they can’t betray the NPC’s established character or reduce the instance’s difficulty. Often, they might even increase the game’s challenge, as they aim to select and guide players.”
After a short pause, he continued, “However, I’ve heard that few Rank God players do this. Firstly, it takes time away from their own progression and leveling in the game. Secondly, many NPCs have quite challenging roles. Why would they put themselves through that? The game instances are already designed by the system, so it’s better to let the system screen the players directly.”
Zhou Qian’s eyes lit up. “So… if a Rank God player becomes an NPC, we can’t contact them in the system. Meaning, they would be in an [offline] state?”
Ke Yuxiao replied, “Perhaps. But I’ve never witnessed it. Most of what I know about it is from hearsay.”
Every time [137] “came online” was when Jiang Yuqing was conscious.
[137] says that due to the rules, he couldn’t disclose anything.
So… the so-called [offline] was when their consciousness entered an NPC?
Moreover…
When the dragon appeared, Jiang Yuqing “fainted”. In He Xiaowei’s words, he looked as if he had died. In a way, could it be interpreted that Jiang Yuqing’s spirit left his body? Something similar to astral projection?
And also, why did the dragon appear?
Or to rephrase, why was there a creature, clearly not in line with the instance’s supposed difficulty and design logic, made up of S Army corpses?
After leaving “Last Wish”, Zhou Qian naturally contacted He Xiaowei to ask about what happened after he fainted. According to him, Situ Qing uncharacteristically charged at the creature, which only angered it more…
At this moment, Qi Liuxing continued chatting with Ke Yuxiao.
Zhou Qian stepped out onto the balcony and contacted Situ Qing. “What do you know about that creature?”
“I can only speculate,” Situ Qing replied. “My brother Mu Sheng mentioned he could adjust the difficulty of the instances. He once joked…”
Situ Qing chuckled wryly, “He told me to confidently attempt any instance and if I ran into a section I couldn’t pass, he’d use a rare item to directly change the settings and lower the difficulty. Now it seems he never spoke a truthful word.”
“Where is your brother now?” Zhou Qian inquired. “Can you talk about it?”
“I don’t know. He left the game. When I returned to the rental, he was gone,” Situ Qing said. “Maybe… seeing everything in the game, he thought I betrayed him. He might think I’ve sided with you.”
Zhou Qian caught on to something. “Rental? You weren’t hospitalized? You don’t have a mental illness?”
“No, I… wait.” Situ Qing shook her head. “Maybe I do. Why else would Mu Sheng have brainwashed me? You’ve reminded me. I might get it checked.”
“Did you notice… a lot of players in this game are from mental hospitals?” Zhou Qian asked.
“Yes,” Situ Qing replied. “But I thought it was normal. They’ve experienced trauma, which drove them mad. Why did they suffer trauma? Probably because they underwent major life changes, giving them desires and wishes to fulfill. Hence, the game found them. It seemed logical. As for me…”
“I was lured into the game by Mu Sheng. However, I don’t know how he initially came into contact with the game. He’s a gambler, not a player.”
What Situ Qing said sounded plausible at first glance.
However, Zhou Qian didn’t entirely agree with her.
After all, many people become mentally ill not due to external events but because of inherent neurological issues, which are pathological damages.
But Zhou Qian gleaned a lot from Situ Qing’s words.
Now, his understanding of the game has fundamentally shifted.
First, the game had come to this world a long time ago.
Second, while most players were chosen from mental hospitals, some didn’t belong there, like the employee from his father’s company and Situ Qing. Also, Ke Yuxiao, who was currently chatting with Qi Liuxing in his room, was quite special. He was fully cured and left the mental hospital, but he was still a player.
When he thought of this, Zhou Qian heard a sigh from Situ Qing on the phone.
“Influenced by Mu Sheng, I entered this game, originally to help him get a new leg. However, as soon as I started the first mission, the game imposed a deadline for our next entry. If we exceed the time and don’t enter the mission… I will die. So even though I am no longer bound by Mu Sheng, I have to keep playing.”
“In fact, I have no wishes now. I just want to live a peaceful life. But obviously, I can’t. No, wait, I do have a wish. If possible, I want to make amends.”
“Zhou Qian, I don’t know… if you would trust me. I… I want to make it up to you, to Yun Xiangrong, and to Gao Shan. Trading for a life is not easy. The system might demand a fortune. But count me in.”
“I hope we can team up for the next mission. I promise you, whatever gold coins I earn, I don’t want anything. I just want to use them to bring back Gao Shan’s life.”
A minute later, Zhou Qian hung up the phone.
Many players were willing to join the game because they had wishes. However, once they joined, whether or not their wishes could be fulfilled, they couldn’t leave. Because once they did, they would die.
Players entered the game, cultivated, and gained more and more powerful strength… trying to approach the gods, asking the gods for power to fulfill their wishes.
But could they really get what they want?
Was the story of Epoh in Apple Paradise some kind of… highly suggestive metaphor?
……
Thus, three more days passed.
During these three days, Zhou Qian hadn’t received any messages from [137]. He also couldn’t contact [Hidden Blade].
In the end, Zhou Qian simply decided to ignore it.
Preparing for the next mission, Zhou Qian considered his teammates: himself, He Xiaowei, Qi Liuxing, Ke Yuxiao, and Situ Qing, making five in total. The next mission was for seven people, and he wondered what kind of two teammates they would be paired with.
Additionally, now that Yu Xian was dead, would the system assign him another gambler?
Zhou Qian didn’t know the answer for now.
Four more days passed.
In the early morning, Zhou Qian and Qi Liuxing welcomed Dr. Li Xuehai for a round of checks.
After a detailed progress check on their conditions and adjusting the medication, Li Xuehai packed up his notes, looking like he was about to leave.
Zhou Qian looked at him, noticing his scholarly appearance, and couldn’t help but say, “Hey, your tie is crooked!”
Li Xuehai, always expressionless, simply said, “In an hour, come to my office. There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
“Oh?” Zhou Qian was slightly surprised but nodded, “Alright.”
An hour later, Zhou Qian indeed went to Li Xuehai’s office.
Currently, there were no other doctors present.
It seemed he arranged his schedule to ensure that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.
So, upon entering the office, Zhou Qian naturally closed the door.
Sitting down in front of Li Xuehai, he asked, “Dr. Li, what’s the matter?”
Li Xuehai, although having a refined demeanor, was usually very serious.
His expression now was even more so, making him look sterner.
Looking at Zhou Qian, he said, “It’s strange… I saw you playing some game.”
Hearing this, the smile on Zhou Qian’s face also disappeared.
In a flash, he realized something.
Indeed, he heard Li Xuehai say, “Now… it seems I’ve become your gambler.”
Zhou Qian and Chen Yangzhou arranged to have lunch together at noon and, incidentally, discussed various questions Zhou Qian wanted to ask.
At 11, Chen Yangzhou drove over, picked up Zhou Qian and Qi Liuxing, and left. Of course, he also returned the urn to Zhou Qian.
Spring Hill Mental Asylum implemented zone management. Both Zone 2 and Zone X had a prison-like nature, and the patients inside were under strict supervision. Especially in Zone X, entry and exit were strictly prohibited for anyone other than medical staff.
However, the management of Zone 1 was much more relaxed.
For someone with mild symptoms like Zhou Qian, with the doctor’s evaluation and the occasional leniency of the nurse, he could apply for the chance to leave.
This time the police came to take him away, making things even easier.
On the way to the restaurant, inside an SUV.
Zhou Qian and Qi Liuxing sat side by side in the back seat. Zhou Qian held an urn, occasionally glancing inside. The scene seemed eerily familiar.
The only difference was that this time, the driver wasn’t a rideshare driver, but the policeman Chen Yangzhou.
Before Zhou Qian could ask Chen Yangzhou in detail, he received a call.
Yun Xiangrong said directly, “[Tick Tock Clock], I’ve returned it to Qi Liuxing. Also… Gao Shan passed away not long after last night. Car accident. He didn’t make it.”
Without responding, Yun Xiangrong continued, “I’m just letting you know. I know you’re not the type to genuinely console others. I didn’t expect you to say anything comforting.”
She then became more serious. “A man named ‘Priest’ came to see me, asking me to join the ‘Peach Blossom Legion’. Perhaps he’s the mastermind behind Gao Shan’s death.”
Zhou Qian’s tone also became serious. “Yun Xiangrong, I need to remind you. When we were in the instance, I didn’t have time to chat with you. Moreover, with the gambler watching, it wasn’t convenient. But now I have time, and I can tell you that I don’t agree with your choice. Do you know what you’re facing? Do you think they’d rashly trust you and really sever ties with me?”
Yun Xiangrong replied calmly, “But this is the only way I can get closer to them faster.”
Zhou Qian frowned. “Actually, Situ Qing isn’t inherently wicked. The reason she would kill…”
Glancing at Chen Yangzhou in front of him, Zhou Qian continued, “She killed that young boy in the game because she feared the group behind her. She’s afraid of terrible punishment. She’s terrified of revealing secrets about that group. A group that could force someone as inherently not bad as her to commit such acts—”
“Given this, [Priest] coming to you and even revealing the group’s name… What do you think his intentions are?”
“I know. He wants to use me. Maybe they think I’ve betrayed you and see me as someone malleable, someone they can use against you using my resentment for you.”
“But of course, there’s also the possibility that they guess I’m pretending, that I haven’t truly betrayed you. In this case, they can still use me. Use the fact that I can still contact you, use me against you. But regardless…”
Yun Xiangrong smirked. “I can use them back. I will get close to them. Whatever happens afterward, we’ll just adapt.”
“Before Shan Ge closed his eyes, he told me he wished you wouldn’t seek revenge,” Zhou Qian said. “I told him I couldn’t persuade you.”
Hearing this, Yun Xiangrong didn’t say anything. After a moment of silence, she hung up.
Zhou Qian slowly lowered the phone, watching it lock itself, but didn’t do anything else.
At that moment, sensing something, he looked forward and saw, through the rearview mirror, Chen Yangzhou’s questioning gaze.
Zhou Qian quickly adjusted his expression, then patted Qi Liuxing on the shoulder, gesturing for both of them to give Chen Yangzhou a goofy, rich-kid smile.
Then he said to the driver, “Officer Chen, don’t mind us. We were just talking about a game!”
“Well, your game sounds quite adolescent and seems pretty dramatic. What’s it called?”
Chen Yangzhou, nearing forty, seemed to have a grasp on younger generation lingo from the way he asked.
“Ugh, staying in the ward every day is so boring. Just playing around for fun.” Zhou Qian asked him, “What do you plan to treat us to?”
“We’re almost there. How about a roast duck restaurant?” Chen Yangzhou asked.
Zhou Qian’s face immediately showed distaste. “It better not be one of those fly-infested little diners. I won’t go.”
Chen Yangzhou shrugged. “I don’t earn much. Don’t expect me to live up to the lifestyle standards you’re used to.”
“We can treat you then!” Zhou Qian offered.
“I’m much older than you both. You could practically call me ‘uncle’,” Chen Yangzhou said, pressing on the accelerator. “Why would kids like you pay for the meal?”
“Uncle? Well, that might be a stretch.” Zhou Qian laughed. “You’re not even 40 yet.”
“Still, I’m sort of friends with your father. We are of the same generation.” Chen Yangzhou glanced at Zhou Qian through the rearview mirror. “What game were you guys talking about earlier?”
“Just some online games, mostly about cultivation and stuff. Why?” Zhou Qian inquired.
Chen Yangzhou shook his head, speaking with a hint of nostalgia. “It’s just that… I remember your dad being quite addicted to games. He would often hide with his phone for hours.”
“I’ve always wondered if his bankruptcy had anything to do with gaming. I hope he wasn’t involved in gambling games. Zhou Qian, learn from his mistakes. Don’t gamble.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian was genuinely surprised. His expression grew stern, and his eyes became deep and thoughtful.
After a while, Zhou Qian interrupted Chen Yangzhou’s words of caution, “How did you get to know my dad?”
Chen Yangzhou signaled a turn and drove to another lane. “An employee at your dad’s company committed suicide. It didn’t seem like the guy had any reason to kill himself. I was suspicious and often visited your dad’s company to interview the employees. This is how I got close to your father.”
“Your dad is a good person, very cooperative, and he didn’t blame me for interrupting his work. Later on… he would occasionally invite me for meals and such. We’re not very close, but you could say we’re friends. So, treating you to a meal is really the least I can do. Hmm, let me think… Oh right, we were talking about games—”
“Didn’t your dad frequently invite me for meals? But I noticed that many times he would take his phone and lock himself in the bathroom, staying in there for several hours without coming out. When I asked him what was going on, he said he was playing a game… See, games can be harmful. One shouldn’t get addicted!”
In Zhou Qian’s view, the people his father associated with weren’t trustworthy. He had never taken an interest in his father’s social circle, let alone knowing his connection with Chen Yangzhou.
From Chen Yangzhou’s words, Zhou Qian started to have strong suspicions. Could it be possible that his father, Zhou Chongshan, was involved in this game?
Chen Yangzhou mentioned his dad hiding in the restroom with his phone. It seemed that if Zhou Chongshan was really connected to this game, he was more of a gambler than a player.
At least from what Chen Yangzhou had observed, Zhou Chongshan seemed to take on the role of a gambler.
If Zhou Chongshan indeed had deep ties to the game, then his association with a police officer like Chen Yangzhou makes sense.
Police investigate cases, and players who lose in the game die in real life. If Zhou Chongshan was close to Chen Yangzhou, he could glean a lot of information.
Zhou Qian didn’t doubt that the so-called “suicidal” employee from Zhou Chongshan’s company might have had ties to the game and possibly even to Zhou Chongshan himself. Zhou Chongshan’s motive for getting close to Chen Yangzhou now seemed apparent—he was afraid Chen Yangzhou would uncover the true secret behind the employee’s death.
Externally, Zhou Qian kept his composure, just holding the urn tighter and looking down at it. Every day, many people die. But which of these deaths were natural and which involved some supernatural force?
Now, Zhou Qian realized that his father’s death might not have been so simple.
A certain intuition, whose origin even he was unaware of, could it be true?
After all, if there was someone in this world who would help him unconditionally…
In Zhou Qian’s view, that person could only be Bai Zhou.
Zhou Qian shook his head and continued, “So, what was the final verdict on that suicidal employee?”
“No choice. All evidence pointed to suicide. At the time of the incident, he was locked inside his own house with windows shut tight. Elevator surveillance even showed no one visited his floor when it happened.” Chen Yangzhou sighed. “I had to close the case as a suicide.”
“So… did he have a mental illness?” Zhou Qian asked.
Chen Yangzhou countered, “Why do you ask?”
Zhou Qian replied, “Based on what you just said, he must have committed suicide. Could he possibly have had depression or something similar?”
“He doesn’t have depression. As far as I know, he doesn’t have any other mental health issues either,” Chen Yangzhou said. “That’s why I said he shouldn’t have any possibility of committing suicide. But the fact is… all the evidence points to suicide. Haa, who knows what really happened.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian exchanged a glance with Qi Liuxing, both of them falling into a brief silence. What Zhou Qian was pondering was: his father was likely a gambler, and the employee who “committed suicide” was probably a player who failed to clear a level in a game and consequently died in real life. From the information Zhou Qian had gathered, whether genuinely ill or not, players seem to have some association with mental hospitals.
So why did this particular employee have no mental issues?
To avoid arousing Chen Yangzhou’s suspicions, Zhou Qian didn’t probe further but used his phone to search for more information about Yu Xian.
Yu Xian was murdered in the presidential suite of a five-star hotel, and the killer was Zhu Qiang.
Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang, Zhou Qian had just met them both through the game interface not long ago. By game time, this incident took place three days ago, but in real-time, it happened yesterday. In such a short span…
Yu Xian was indeed killed by Zhu Qiang. It seemed he didn’t heed Zhou Qian’s warning to flee.
But what awaited Zhu Qiang?
Would he be simply arrested as the murderer… or did he have a way to escape?
Zhou Qian’s gaze temporarily left his phone, taking a brief glance ahead. Despite a murder occurring yesterday, Chen Yangzhou could still dine with him, indicating that the incident probably wasn’t within his jurisdiction.
Thus, Zhou Qian decided not to ask further.
If the game involved supernatural entities and if Zhou Chongshan and his employee died because of it, then the game’s arrival in this world was earlier than Zhou Qian had imagined.
After all these years, the game’s secrets had remained hidden. Thus, the system behind the game, or its designers, likely didn’t want humans to uncover its truths.
Given Chen Yangzhou’s sensitive position, he might be a target closely monitored by the game system.
He was a decent man, and Zhou Qian didn’t want to cause him unwarranted trouble. So, he decided not to bring up the subject again.
Aside from inquiring about Bai Zhou, Zhou Qian resolved not to ask Chen Yangzhou anything further. It wasn’t necessary to involve him.
……
On the way to the restaurant, Zhou Qian managed to glean some unexpected information from Chen Yangzhou. As for Bai Zhou, he’d have to wait until they were seated to properly inquire.
Zhou Qian realized the place Chen Yangzhou brought him to was quite shabby. The restaurant was tiny, with only five tables. Cleanliness and ambiance would score zero, and even the furniture appeared greasy.
But Qi Liuxing, who wasn’t on the same page as Zhou Qian, commented upon entering, “The aroma of the roast duck is wonderful! I’d love to taste how good it is.”
“Yes,” Chen Yangzhou agreed. “These ducks are free-range from the countryside and have absolutely no hormones. The chef here has excellent technique. There’s no other place like this in our city. Ah, my wife…”
“Ahem, she never lets me eat this. Today is finally a chance to feast on duck.”
Considering Chen Yangzhou’s statements, Zhou Qian, although uneasy, sat down. With a requesting demeanor, he looked earnestly at Chen Yangzhou. “So, Officer Chen—”
Before Zhou Qian could finish, Qi Liuxing interrupted. “Are you sure… you want to eat while holding an urn?”
Zhou Qian’s fierce gaze darted over. “My friend has been lying underground for years. Can’t I let him experience the… the unique aroma of this city’s roast duck?”
The restaurant owner, serving appetizers, paused upon hearing this, then pretending not to hear, quickly placed the dishes and scurried away.
However, Chen Yangzhou, being an experienced detective, had weathered many storms over the years. Given that he knew about Zhou Qian’s mental issues, his expression remained unchanged, and he was extremely calm, showing not a hint of surprise.
When Zhou Qian turned his head back to look at Chen Yangzhou, his face immediately softened. “So, what exactly is going on with my classmate, Bai Zhou?”
Chen Yangzhou was worried about triggering Zhou Qian’s emotions, so he said in a very gentle tone, “Based on some bone residues that were not completely burned, it seems they are human bones for sure, but other details can’t be discerned. After all, DNA is organic, and once it’s burnt, it’s impossible to conduct further tests.”
Zhou Qian frowned.
Chen Yangzhou then asked him, “Why do you think these aren’t Bai Zhou’s ashes?”
“He appeared in my dream, telling me he wasn’t dead.” Zhou Qian’s gaze was pure and innocent. At this moment, his expression clearly indicated one thing: he’s asking these questions because he suffers from a mental disorder.
So, Chen Yangzhou just sighed deeply.
Zhou Qian quickly asked, “Did you find out anything else for me? Like how he died?”
“Oh. I did ask around for you. He died of illness,” said Chen Yangzhou.
“ALS*,” Chen Yangzhou replied. “You might have heard of it, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neuron disease.”
*Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. Motor neuron loss continues until the abilities to eat, speak, move, or, lastly, breathe are lost. There is no known cure.
“I’ve heard of it. Stephen Hawking had it, right?” Zhou Qian was momentarily stunned.
Chen Yangzhou continued, “Yes. It’s said that the disease often strikes those older than 30. For your classmate to get it at 16 or 17 is quite rare.”
Zhou Qian, slightly taken aback, didn’t respond.
He immediately pulled out his phone to search for the symptoms of the disease.
From what Zhou Qian found, those with the disease initially feel easily fatigued, experience sudden weakness, or have uncoordinated movements. But in its later stages, the whole body’s muscles atrophy, swallowing becomes difficult… until they die in endless pain.
At that moment, the restaurant’s owner brought over the roast duck, loudly announcing something about giving them some duck liver as a treat.
Qi Liuxing seemed to notice something was amiss and gently called Zhou Qian’s name.
Chen Yangzhou began to elaborate on how to eat different parts of the duck…
Voices overlapped, and the clear sound of chopping from the kitchen echoed. But Zhou Qian paid no attention. Before his eyes, the memory of a high school ping pong match emerged.
During the finals, surrounded by cheering classmates, Zhou Qian gripped his paddle, looking intently at Bai Zhou across the table. This match meant a lot to him. He felt he had to best Bai Zhou in some way.
It was Bai Zhou’s turn to serve. His serving technique was always impeccable, making it extremely difficult to return. But that time, as Bai Zhou tossed the ball with his left hand, preparing to hit it with his right, his right hand suddenly dropped, missing the ball… a service error.
Then, Zhou Qian slammed the ball, and Bai Zhou had to return it with a backhand. Zhou Qian’s shot was a bit off, not landing in a tricky position. Bai Zhou should’ve been able to hit it, but Zhou Qian clearly saw Bai Zhou’s hand tremble, and the ball missed the table and fell to the ground.
Zhou Qian couldn’t hear the cheers or questions from the surrounding students. All he heard was the diminishing “thump, thump” of the ball hitting the ground. And what he missed at that time but recalled now was Bai Zhou’s momentary daze and lost expression while holding the paddle.
The scene changed, taking Zhou Qian to a pathway on the way home from school. Yellow leaves were falling, and the sound of the ping pong ball echoed.
Zhou Qian saw himself gripping Bai Zhou’s collar, asking fiercely, “Why did you let me win on purpose?”
In that moment, was Bai Zhou’s gaze as calm as Zhou Qian thought? In the dim light, in the corners not lit by streetlights… Did his eyes reveal something Zhou Qian missed?
“Zhou Qian, are you okay?!”
Following that loud shout, Zhou Qian felt two strong pats on his shoulders.
He looked up to see two worried faces—Qi Liuxing and Chen Yangzhou.
“I’m fine.” Zhou Qian’s voice was slightly dry. He asked Chen Yangzhou, “Bai Zhou fell ill. And then?”
“Oh… Bai Zhou…” Chen Yangzhou took a few more looks at Zhou Qian. After sitting down again, he picked up a duck leg and began to gnaw on it, continuing, “Bai Zhou was in the Municipal People’s Hospital at the time. My cousin is a doctor there. He said he remembered Bai Zhou. Because the kid was exceptionally handsome and reportedly excelled both in character and learning. My cousin still feels it’s such a pity; he remembers him vividly. He said Bai Zhou did die, although…”
Zhou Qian picked up on something. “Although what? Tell me the exact words of the doctor.”
Chen Yangzhou replied, “Although his condition worsened faster than expected, he indeed died in the end.”
……
That afternoon. Spring Hill Mental Asylum, Zone 1, Public Rest Area.
Qi Liuxing began his lookout duties again.
Because Zhou Qian was sitting in a tree with the ashes in one hand and binoculars in the other.
“Aren’t we supposed to go and bury him? Why are you still holding onto his ashes?” Qi Liuxing, sitting under the tree, couldn’t help but ask. “I paid for that tombstone too! We can’t waste it!”
Zhou Qian just looked at the opposite Zone X and said lightly, “I thought about it. There’s no need to bury. The graveyard management is so messy.”
Qi Liuxing: “So…?”
Zhou Qian: “Just keep it in our ward. You won’t mind, right?”
Qi Liuxing: “How do you know I won’t mind?”
Zhou Qian: “Your brother is staying with us, and I don’t mind.”
Qi Liuxing: “…………”
“So, what are you doing now? Where are we going next?”
“I’m waiting… for [137] to take me as a disciple.”
In the narrow and gloomy environment, even the oxygen seemed to be gradually disappearing. As Zhou Qian felt difficulty in breathing, an overwhelming intent to kill suddenly attacked him head-on.
Just in the nick of time, Zhou Qian pinched a pill between his fingers and said to the person in front of him, “Dalang, it’s medicine time.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuqing’s actions were abruptly halted. Then, with a blank expression, he took the pill from Zhou Qian’s palm and swallowed it.
Instantly, Jiang Yuqing was immobilized in his place. Zhou Qian then took out two things from his bag: one was the celadon bottle given to him by Jiang Yuqing in the photo illusion; the other was the box of osmanthus cake he had taken from the receptionist.
Upon opening the box, only one piece of osmanthus cake was left.
Zhou Qian stared at it for a while, then opened the celadon bottle and sprinkled its contents over the cake. A blood-red powder swiftly covered the cake, seeped into its surface, and then vanished.
The agitated, irrational Jiang Yuqing could always be pacified by osmanthus cake. Probably because every time Bei He made him angry in the past, he would placate him with osmanthus cake.
Jiang Yuqing originally didn’t like sweets, but because of Bei He, he grew fond of osmanthus cakes. To this day, even if he slowly forgot everything else, the fact that osmanthus cake pacified his anger seemed to have become an instinct.
So, just when the effects of the paralyzing pill were about to wear off, Jiang Yuqing was about to attack Zhou Qian. But upon seeing the osmanthus cake offered by Zhou Qian, all his restlessness and murderous intent were immediately soothed.
Jiang Yuqing then took the cake from Zhou Qian and lovingly started to eat it.
Little by little, slowly, he ate the osmanthus cake with a look of delight on his face. Blood then seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed.
Jiang Yuqing was the master of the consciousness world. He could become immensely powerful and create countless deadly weapons or scenarios, such as the 12 gunmen in “Checks and Balance” or the vast S Army in “West Pier”.
No one could kill him in this world except himself.
The poison in the celadon bottle was a creation of his own, capable of ending his life.
In this instance, all player skills would be ineffective against the aged Jiang Yuqing. Only the poison he created could end his life.
That was the solution. The challenge for the player was to find the poison through the photo illusion and then coax Jiang Yuqing into consuming it under such perilous circumstances.
Notably, observing the transformation from [Irritable Jiang Yuqing] to [Jiang Yuqing with Dementia] using osmanthus cake and managing to save a piece of [Wang’s Osmanthus Cake] was the key to passing this level.
Before the aged body hit the ground, Zhou Qian stepped forward to catch him. Then, Zhou Qian half-squatted and let Jiang Yuqing lie in his arms.
With his last breath, Jiang Yuqing opened his eyes in Zhou Qian’s embrace, and at that moment, his cloudy eyes regained clarity.
The elderly Jiang Yuqing in the consciousness world symbolized disease, representing its embodiment.
Now that the embodiment was dead, the disease was gone, and this narrow conscious space would no longer shrink and consume everything. Bei He managed to survive here. And countless versions of young, middle-aged… Jiang Yuqing from different times overlapped at this moment.
The ground shook violently.
This conscious space was about to collapse completely with the approach of death.
In the final moment, Jiang Yuqing lay in Zhou Qian’s arms, holding his hand. His eyes were clear and his smile bright, just like when he was young.
“Bei He… You didn’t lie to me. You really came to pick me up. Thank you.”
“Thank you for taking me away before the disease and old age could kill me, just as I was starting to remember everything, and just before the disease wanted me to forget it all again.”
“Now I die with my memories intact.”
“Thank you. I have no regrets.”
[Jiang Yuqing passed away by Bei He’s side. “Night Rain Addressed to the North” Completion: 100%.]
[Player Zhou Qian achieved the ultimate hidden achievement. Rewards will be redeemed after the end credits plays…]
……
The ground trembled endlessly as countless rocks rained down. The surroundings began to spin, distort, separate, and crumble, and then everything fell into silence.
Zhou Qian opened his eyes and found himself wearing a special device on his head, dressed in a blue uniform, sitting in some workspace.
Beside him on a hospital bed, an old man had closed his eyes forever. A nurse came over to cover him with a white cloth and pushed him away from the room that was almost submerged in countless flowers and gifts.
In the corridor outside the room, many people were holding obituary banners. As they approached, wiping their tears, most of the banners read “In Memory of Dr. Jiang” and so on.
Zhou Qian touched his forehead, and a doctor walked up to him, extending one hand. “Thank you. Your task is now complete. You can leave.”
Zhou Qian noticed the badge on his clothes, which read: [Past Times Nursing Home, Memory Department, Director Li Huai.]
Zhou Qian asked him, “So, my consciousness, under external influence, entered the world of Jiang Yuqing’s consciousness. In his world, I transformed into Bei He. So the Bei He in his consciousness isn’t a figment of his imagination. In a way…”
“Yes. In a way, Jiang Yuqing died next to Bei He. In the last moments of his life, he finally lived for himself. In his eyes, Bei He came to take him to the underworld. He passed away peacefully and contentedly. Thank you.”
The display on his watch lit up with a message:
[Player Zhou Qian’s Rank: D → B]
[HP: 2000 → 8000]
[MP: 2000 → 8000]
[Skill Points: 200]
[Unlock “Rib of God” Feature: Cultivate Bone Spirits; Bone Spirits can become a powerful ally in the future.]
After closing the system panel, Zhou Qian was escorted by Dr. Li Huai to the entrance of the nursing home.
Outside, the sun was shining brilliantly with flowers in full bloom. Just by stepping out there, Zhou Qian could return to his real world. But before that, Dr. Li handed him an item: an empty bottle.
The last hidden achievement reward was a matchbox, whose purpose remains unknown. This time, the hidden reward was equally mysterious.
Receiving the empty bottle from Dr. Li, Zhou Qian asked, “It’s empty?”
Li Huai shook his head. “It’s full.”
Zhou Qian: “?”
Li Huai: “It contains air.”
Zhou Qian: “…”
Li Huai, with a mysterious tone, said, “God said, ‘Let there be air to separate the waters’, and thus the world had [air].”
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the man before him. Tall and stern, with a somewhat icy demeanor, he wore a mask that obscured his face; only his eyes were bright and inscrutable.
“The way you said that…” Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow. “Reminds me of Epoh. Do you know him? This kind of miraculous nursing home, perhaps, isn’t a technology that should exist in this world?”
The doctor named Li Huai didn’t answer but turned away. Then, the surroundings started to fade, except for two treasure chests that fell down, which Zhou Qian caught. One was a regular reward, the other was for an ultimate achievement.
Before the nursing home disappeared completely, Zhou Qian finally left the hall and stepped into the sunlight. The next moment, he opened his eyes and found himself back in Zone 1 of Spring Hill Mental Asylum.
At that moment, Zhou Qian received another notification.
[Player Zhou Qian, please wait for your gambler’s evaluation; your gambler can award you a title based on your performance.]
[Unfortunately, due to the unexpected death of your gambler, you have temporarily not received a title or evaluation.]
His gambler was dead?
Zhou Qian frowned, took out the phone from the bedside table, looked up some information, and tried to make a call. However, realizing it was already midnight, he withdrew his hand.
……
In Room 302, inside the shower room, Qi Liuxing had just finished showering. Hearing some noise outside and guessing that Zhou Qian had returned, he hurriedly dried himself and put on some clothes.
When Qi Liuxing returned to the ward, he saw Zhou Qian pouring himself a glass of water. Zhou Qian then sat on the bed, engrossed on his phone.
Qi Liuxing ran over, clearly worried and eager to ask Zhou Qian something, like if he had encountered any danger. But at the last moment, he restrained himself and walked over calmly, whispering, “Ah, you’re back.”
Zhou Qian lifted his eyes and glanced at him, unceremoniously saying, “You’re trying too hard with that act.”
Qi Liuxing: “…”
“There’s no need for that, Xiao Qi. Act your age. You trying to seem all mature makes you look out of place!” Zhou Qian yawned, continuing to look at his phone.
Unable to resist, Qi Liuxing approached him and asked, “What are you reading?”
*Consists of many distinct books by various authors produced over a period of centuries. There are 39 books common to essentially all Christian canons.
Qi Liuxing: “What happened during that instance? Are you becoming religious?”
“Of course not.” Zhou Qian asked Qi Liuxing, “Do you remember the [Seed of Fire] we got from the last instance?”
Qi Liuxing sat back on his bed. “I remember. Why?”
“God said let there be light, and there was light. He separated the waters and created the air,” Zhou Qian said. “I visited two instances with hidden achievements and obtained the Seed of Fire that brings light and air… I vaguely remembered hearing something similar somewhere, so I searched online.”
“So you found the Old Testament?” Qi Liuxing asked.
“Yes,” Zhou Qian nodded. “It records the story of Jehovah creating the world in seven days. In five days, He created light, air, land, stars, and animals. On the sixth day, He created man. On the seventh day, He rested.”
“So… if we collect all the hidden achievements in the instances, we could acquire seven treasures related to creation?” Qi Liuxing pondered, looking thoughtful.
“Exactly,” Zhou Qian confirmed.
“But what does this mean? Can we, like God, create a world?” Qi Liuxing wondered aloud. “If it’s about creation, it can’t be in reality. So maybe we can create a world inside the game?”
Zhou Qian mused, “I’m not sure. Whether it’s Eastern or Western mythology… stories about ancient creation and creator deities have similarities. So…”
Seeing Zhou Qian hesitate, Qi Liuxing hesitantly asked, “Do you think there’s really a God in this world?”
Zhou Qian looked surprised. “Don’t you see ghosts? I thought you weren’t a materialist.”
“I’ve told you, it’s not a ghost. I don’t know… I don’t know what my brother really is. But he’s not a ghost.”
Qi Liuxing confidently nodded, then, looking mature beyond his years, said, “As for the existence of God, I can’t say.”
Zhou Qian added, “The term ‘God’ is just a title. From a scientific standpoint, it’s entirely possible that extraterrestrial beings visited Earth in ancient times, sharing technology with humans. Their appearance and power made humans consider them ‘gods’.”
“That sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel,” Qi Liuxing scoffed.
“People always say this game is related to God, right? Whether or not He exists, we’ll know as we progress. I’m genuinely curious about what will happen when I become a Rank S player,” Zhou Qian said. “At this rate, I should reach Rank S after the next instance.”
Hearing this, Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’re progressing so fast! I’m still at Rank B. But I…”
He seemed saddened by something, but his sadness soon turned to admiration.
Zhou Qian glanced at him, seemingly having an idea. “Oh, didn’t you want to find members for the ‘Sword and Heart’ group? I found someone for you—”
He was cut off by Qi Liuxing.
He said, “Zhou Qian, I want to introduce you to someone! He’s an excellent teammate I met recently. His weapon is a flute! We decided to form the ‘Sword and Heart’ combo!”
After a brief pause, Zhou Qian sincerely replied, “As long as you’re happy.”
……
The next morning, as soon as Zhou Qian woke up, he contacted someone—Chen Yangzhou.
Chen Yangzhou was the police officer investigating his parents’ death and was also the one Zhou Qian asked to help investigate Bai Zhou’s body.
Zhou Qian had clear objectives this time: first, inquire about Bai Zhou’s skeletal remains; second, ask if someone named Yu Xian died and how he died; third, check if someone named Gao Shan died.
Moreover, as the game encompassed more, it would stand to reason that more people would die in reality. Had these incidents caught the police’s attention?
Elsewhere, outside a hospital emergency room, Yun Xiangrong sat quietly on a bench, her face pale under the hospital lights. A man in white, resembling a doctor, approached and handed her a black note.
Yun Xiangrong looked up and saw the words “Pass” written on it. At the bottom right, there was a bright red peach blossom.
“What’s this?” Yun Xiangrong looked up into the face of a refined-looking man.
“A pass. I think you might want to join the Peach Blossom Legion, right?” The man smiled. “Hello, my name is Priest.”
Zhou Qian’s current environment was incredibly stifling.
The pitch-black corridor was narrow and cramped. The path ahead was blocked by a thick solid wall, and the path behind was endless. However, at the end of that road, there is still another solid wall.
But wait… After traveling this long distance, would everything behind him change?
In many games involving mazes, there was a common routine—when you wander around, get lost, find that you can’t get out anywhere, and don’t know what to do, it might be a good idea to go back to the starting point. You may find a new exit there. The beginning might also be the end.
But this wasn’t the case now. As Zhou Qian turned his head, even before he had a chance to walk back, he found another thick wall behind him.
Zhou Qian clenched his fist and knocked; the wall was solid.
This only made the atmosphere in the tunnel even more oppressive. Zhou Qian was now trapped in a small, square space. Solid walls surrounded him on all sides, even the ceiling. On his left and right were two glass doors.
On one side, the young Jiang Yuqing pressed his hand against the glass door, gazing at him with desperate eyes. On the other side, an older Jiang Yuqing’s eyes were murky, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. The distant rumbling noises and the occasional shaking further intensified the tense atmosphere.
Ten minutes to make a choice was relatively ample time.
Zhou Qian first looked at the young officer on his left. This figure slowly overlapped with the officer writing poetry in the photo illusion.
But Zhou Qian clearly knew one thing: in a way, all the young officers that appeared in this memory world weren’t entirely the same individual.
The first time Zhou Qian encountered the officer in the photo illusion, the officer was writing poetry. After finishing the poem, he burned it because he clearly remembered that Bei He had died.
Moreover, upon seeing Zhou Qian and other players behind him, he expressed great astonishment and said, “In my lifetime, I can actually see you again?”
When Zhou Qian entered the illusion earlier, the officer he met was still him. He didn’t believe Bei He would appear, thinking all of it was just his hallucination.
Because he still knew that Bei He had long been dead.
Thus, the young officer in the photo illusion was indeed the same person from beginning to end. His emotions were consistent—he was deeply saddened because he clearly remembered that every member of the Falcon Squadron had died.
However, thinking back, the Jiang Yuqing in the main plot of the “West Pier”, although young, didn’t initially have similar memories or understanding.
He was immersed in the Cypress City storyline, waiting for Bai He and the other Falcon Squadron members to save him. It was only on the pier, when he saw Bei He and everyone turn into ghosts and unable to leave Cypress City, that he realized or recalled that they had all died.
Hence, Jiang Yuqing in that level, though youthful in appearance, actually corresponds to the older Jiang Yuqing with dementia.
The elderly Jiang Yuqing revisited old grounds in a young shell, reliving similar past events and recalling everything.
It was evident that many young Jiang Yuqings appeared in this game. But this didn’t mean these young Jiang Yuqings were the same entity. They weren’t all on the side that would help the player survive.
Only the young officer in the photo illusion remembered everything. He would guide players to survive, reminding his older self of the past.
But the young Jiang Yuqing in the illusion, or in a specific level, might not be the same.
So, Zhou Qian knew deep down that the Jiang Yuqing on both sides, one old and one young, might not offer any lifelines.
Through the glass door on the left, looking at the handsome face of the young Jiang Yuqing, Zhou Qian thought of the cruel question he asked Jiang Yuqing by the dim candlelight in the illusion not long ago.
“Do you feel guilty? If you were to live the rest of your life alone, what would your truest wish be?”
Jiang Yuqing’s answer was crystal clear and still echoed in his ears.
“Countless times in my dreams, I always dream of the same scene.”
“In the tunnel where Bei He and I made our last escape, it’s endlessly long. This way, we can hold hands and keep running…”
“But even in my dreams, I was still lucid. I knew very well that the moment when the shells would drop, or the bullets would fly, was inevitable.”
“So, the end of the dream was simple—”
“I walked with Bei He to an exit of the tunnel, climbed out together, and then I died alongside him.”
“We would never betray the oath we made when we joined the Seventh Army, nor would we betray our faith. But at least, we could die together.”
Then, abruptly changing the topic, Jiang Yuqing in the photograph illusion said, “But dreams are just dreams. If history could repeat itself, I would make the same choice. I couldn’t turn back and leave the tunnel to die with Bei He. Because my life… was not my own. The times bestowed upon me a mission; I had my duty, so I had to survive.”
“Everyone… Everyone wanted me to survive. They wouldn’t let me die.”
“Even Bei He said… With great power comes great responsibility. I indeed had to survive.”
“They called me a hero, a great man, saying I was crucial.”
“They said the nation needed me, the people needed me, and I had to continue my research…”
“But maybe… when I’m old, losing my memory, and can’t do research anymore, I can finally belong to myself. By then, I want to live for myself, even if it’s just for a moment.”
“I don’t know how long I will live. But if I can live to an old age… I’m afraid by then, everyone I know will be dead. Bei He, Dong Shui, Nan Hu, Xi Jiang… all gone. And the rest of the Seventh Army, perhaps all have passed away one after another—”
“The Falcon Squadron’s tasks were all confidential, and their records have been gradually destroyed.”
“See, they made such sacrifices, but no one in the world will know or remember.”
“No one remembers they were heroes… except for me.”
“In this world, only I remember their efforts, the blood they shed, and their sacrifices…”
“So, I cannot forget them.”
“Perhaps old age, brain degradation, and atrophy will uncontrollably make me forget everything.”
“If that’s the case, I hope to die before I forget completely.”
“I want to die holding onto the memories of them.”
Walking along this long tunnel, Zhou Qian realized that everything in front of him was actually in line with Jiang Yuqing’s words in the photograph illusion. This seemingly endless tunnel, which eventually would have an end, was the recurring dream of Jiang Yuqing.
In the dream, he finally let go of his identity and mission and impulsively lived for himself. Even in the dream, he wouldn’t desert, nor would he betray the Seventh Army to join the S Army. He just wanted to die with Bei He.
Now, the young Jiang Yuqing stood to Zhou Qian’s left.
From his perspective, Bei He, so close yet untouchable, was right there. This was the end of the tunnel. All he had to do was grab Bei He’s hand, turn around, escape through an exit, and they could die together under gunfire…
So, he couldn’t choose the left path.
Opening that door, the next thing would be gunfire and explosions. Zhou Qian was certain that he might be blown to pieces.
What about the right side?
The older Jiang Yuqing on the right was very close to the real Jiang Yuqing at this moment in time. He was old, forgetful, and continuously erasing memories.
Moreover, this Jiang Yuqing has manic episodes and once became a Rank B “monster”.
Zhou Qian didn’t even need to think about it; he knew that once he entered that room, the older Jiang Yuqing would become murderous again. Representing the disease of “dementia”, he would surely kill himself. Now that Jiang Yuqing’s life was in its last day, the condition of dementia was likely worsening. Therefore, the “monster” in this conscious world might become stronger, not just Rank B.
There was no resentment for Zhou Qian to utilize here, and no one to help boost his vitality. His ultimate ability was basically useless. In this situation, he was really weak. So, for him, entering the room on the right also meant certain death.
Both paths led to death.
The only difference was whether he would be killed by gunfire or killed by Jiang Yuqing himself.
Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow slightly, checked the time on his wristwatch, and once again looked around the narrow tunnel.
He suddenly realized that if he looked at it from a different perspective… Perhaps the situation of this tunnel was different from that of the “West Pier”.
If the former nursing home and Room 701 that the players entered represented the first layer of Jiang Yuqing’s consciousness world, then the Checks and Balance level and the West Pier level were deeper layers within that consciousness world, namely the second layer.
At first, Zhou Qian thought that this tunnel, just like the West Pier and Check and Balance, was also the second layer of consciousness.
But as he saw the tunnel becoming narrower and narrower until he was completely blocked by walls on both sides, Zhou Qian realized something was wrong.
Perhaps the tunnel did start as the second layer of consciousness.
But it was possible that the outer first layer had already collapsed.
Today was the third day Zhou Qian had been in the nursing home. It was also the last day of Jiang Yuqing’s life.
Jiang Yuqing’s life was coming to an end, with his condition at its worst. Before, only the caregivers, vases, security guards, and the front desk had disappeared, but now it seems that the entire former nursing home might have vanished.
The first layer of consciousness irreversibly collapsed, with this second layer merging with it and then replacing it, becoming the primary layer of consciousness.
And this was the only consciousness world that the elderly Jiang Yuqing could sustain.
Every tunnel has its end.
This was a dream that Jiang Yuqing had, letting go of all external responsibilities.
Now the space of consciousness was further reduced to a cube.
The last memory point in Jiang Yuqing’s mind was also here.
……
Zhou Qian was just pondering this when suddenly, a massive cannon sound rang out again.
The ground shook violently before him.
Once he steadied himself, he found that the walls had moved closer.
It wouldn’t be long before Jiang Yuqing in the real world passed away. He wouldn’t even be able to maintain this last bit of tunnel memory space.
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qian turned to the left and approached the young Jiang Yuqing.
The young Jiang Yuqing immediately showed a joyful expression. He spread his arms as if wanting to embrace Zhou Qian, welcoming him to come and take him out of the tunnel towards a shared fate in death.
Zhou Qian walked to the glass door, even pressing his palm against it.
But he didn’t open the door; he just looked at Jiang Yuqing and said, “Actually, once a person dies, it’s all over. Death isn’t scary. Living is the hardest. So I think… in a way, you are braver than Bei He.”
“Jiang Yuqing, you’re a brave and determined person. Even in dreams, you’ve never betrayed anyone.”
“Such a person as you is a true hero.”
“And because of this, this dream is just that—a dream. You wouldn’t want to die alongside Bei He in a past story. If you die, no one in the world will remember those heroes whose names aren’t even mentioned in the archives.”
“So, dying with Bei He under the bombardment of Cypress City is not your final wish.”
“And me… I’ll find you. Bei He promised to meet you. I’m here to fulfill that promise on his behalf.”
“I will, in the name of Bei He, go to the end of your life to greet you.”
With that said, Zhou Qian waved to the young Jiang Yuqing and turned to walk to the other end of the tunnel.
On both sides of the narrow tunnel was the same Jiang Yuqing, but they existed in different times and scenarios.
Now, Zhou Qian was like walking from one side of his life to the symbolic endpoint on the other side.
He stood quietly in front of the glass door on the right side for a moment, gently pushing the door open.
The moment the glass door opened, the ground shook again.
Looking back, Zhou Qian saw the glass door close by itself.
Through the door, the young Jiang Yuqing was pounding on his side, but he couldn’t open it or run out.
……
After a violent shake, another door vanished, replaced by another wall.
Then, with a series of loud “clangs,” three walls kept closing in.
In no time, the spot where Zhou Qian stood for the multiple-choice question was occupied by a solid wall.
The consciousness world further collapsed and converged, leaving just a small space.
And in this tiny space, only Zhou Qian and the elderly Jiang Yuqing remained.
Before leaving the photo illusion, after answering Zhou Qian’s cruel question, Jiang Yuqing had handed him a celadon bottle.
Now, Zhou Qian finally understood what was inside that bottle.
“Come on, Jiang Yuqing.” Looking at the elderly man with cloudy eyes, Zhou Qian spoke up. “Either you kill me, or I kill you.”
[Target: Jiang Yuqing]
[Rank: S]
[Specialty: ???]
[Warning: The target’s attack is extremely strong! Player Zhou Qian cannot resist his attack at all!]
[Warning: The target’s defense is super high! Player Zhou Qian cannot harm him at all!]
The target was the incarnation of the master of the conscious world.
Indeed, how could one defeat the master of this world while in the conscious world?
[Player Zhou Qian, the system has recently launched new tombstones. You’re welcome to purchase—]
The agitated form of Jiang Yuqing indeed appeared again.
His attack power had clearly increased, and his eyes had turned bright red.
He raised his palm, showing no mercy, and slapped Zhou Qian.
Killing Bei He and erasing memories associated with him was the only directive given by this diseased brain!
Amidst the intense killing intent, Zhou Qian looked up at Jiang Yuqing calmly.
Surprisingly, Zhou Qian’s eyes were rather gentle. Speaking in Bei He’s tone, he softly said, “Mr. Jiang, I love you. That’s why I’ll… gently kill you.”
Zhou Qian saw a line pop up in the message bar: [My body is trapped, but my spirit can enter the games. Hidden Blade is my teammate.]
Zhou Qian: [Oh.]
[137]: [So… um? Just click ‘Agree’.]
Zhou Qian: [Ah, this situation makes it very difficult for me.]
[137]: [?]
Zhou Qian: [It seemed that Hidden Blade was very sincere. Although you said you asked him to take me as a disciple, when I chatted with him, he said he admired me very much, thought I was formidable, and wanted to accept me as his disciple.]
[137]: […From what I know, that doesn’t seem to be the case.]
Zhou Qian: [What do you mean? Oh, you think I’m not formidable or qualified enough. You’re looking down on me.]
[137]: [Of course not.]
Zhou Qian: “No? Oh, if you’re not looking down on me, then it’s Hidden Blade who is. Did he badmouth me?”
[137]: [He didn’t either.]
Seeing the reply, Zhou Qian grinned mischievously.
A moment later, [137] messaged: [Zhou Qian, click ‘Agree’. I need to log off soon.]
Zhou Qian replied: [Oh, then you can log off. I have something else to do.]
[137]: […What are you up to?]
Zhou Qian: “Going to find Jiang Yuqing. I’m going to brush up on our relationship line. Bye.”
[137]: “……”
Ignoring the system panel, Zhou Qian reached out and took out a scale from his bag.
Can this scale bring the little dragon back?
Zhou Qian wasn’t sure. He tried aligning the scale to his watch but couldn’t access its function through the system.
He put the scale away and walked out to room 701 across the hall. Through the glass, Zhou Qian saw Jiang Yuqing turn over, get out of bed, walk to a bookshelf, and start reading. He looked more awake than before.
Perhaps because the players completed the mission, Jiang Yuqing began recalling some past events.
In fact, his current behavior was completely in line with the preset settings. Zhou Qian remembered the front desk mentioning that Jiang Yuqing is quiet at night, implying that players didn’t need to attend to him during the evening. During the day, players challenge levels, and at night, they rest. This was the routine for players in this particular instance.
Lost in thought, Zhou Qian glanced at the man on the bed. He tried messaging [137] again.
The system indicated [137] was offline.
Zhou Qian stared at the notification for a while, then browsed through recent chat records. He intended to bother Qi Liuxing or He Xiaowei, get updates on their situations, and introduce them. But his plan was interrupted when he noticed [Hidden Blade] was online.
Seeing this, Zhou Qian quickly messaged: [Hey, isn’t this my master?]
[Hidden Blade]: [???]
[Hidden Blade]: [We’re definitely not that kind of relationship! Stop spreading nonsense!]
Hidden Blade sent two messages consecutively. Zhou Qian calmly replied, [Weren’t you going to accept me as your disciple? Why the sudden change?]
[Hidden Blade]: [What? I clearly told you it was for a friend! I never wanted you!]
Zhou Qian: [Why does your friend go by ‘137’?]
[Hidden Blade]: [How would I know?]
Zhou Qian mischievously replied: [By the way, 137 said you’re mediocre.]
He Xiaowei has praised Hidden Blade to the skies, even swearing to take him as a master. So, wouldn’t anyone with real skill be upset upon hearing such words about themselves? How would Hidden Blade react? Were he and 137 truly good teammates and friends?
Zhou Qian didn’t expect [Hidden Blade] to reply: [What? He actually praised me as ‘mediocre’? That’s amazing! Thanks, Zhou Qian. I’ve always dreamed of his praise!]
Zhou Qian: [………]
[Now I’m going to run an instance. Let’s chat later. Please, stop calling me ‘Master’. I wouldn’t dare compete with his choice.]
After leaving that message, Hidden Blade stopped responding, probably entering the instance.
Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow and glanced at Jiang Yuqing through the glass, then returned to his room.
……
The next morning, due to having had a good rest, Zhou Qian woke up very early. While washing up, he looked in the mirror. The reflection he saw was someone he no longer recognized. For now, he completely resembled [Bei He].
Jiang Yuqing’s life had only three days left. Despite his dementia, he was reluctant to forget himself or his teammates.
After passing through two levels, his memory had been restored to the point where he could recall himself and his teammates. As a result, in the world of memories, the appearances of those teammates, including Jiang Yuqing himself, became clear. Moreover, having cleared a high difficulty level, the players even achieved a hidden achievement—making Jiang Yuqing remember that all his teammates had sacrificed themselves in Cypress City.
So… what could Jiang Yuqing’s third wish be?
Could it be a desire for Bei He to be resurrected? Even if it’s just a false resurrection in the memory world?
While pondering all of this, Zhou Qian didn’t immediately go to Room 701 to find Jiang Yuqing. Instead, he headed to the elevator and went to the ground floor lobby. The hall was empty. The security, receptionists, and other caretakers were all gone.
It seemed that only Zhou Qian and the elderly Jiang Yuqing remained in this entire building.
The main door was wide open, and the sunlight and green lawn outside seemed to be beckoning Zhou Qian to leave this false world, abandon the side mission, and return to reality.
Zhou Qian slowly walked to the door, looking at the enticing green grass. However, after a deep breath towards the sunlight, he resolutely turned around and headed for the elevator.
Inside the elevator, the buttons for the other floors still seemed fake, unable to be pressed. Zhou Qian tried a few and then returned to the seventh floor. This time, he went straight to room 701.
Inside room 701, the elderly Jiang Yuqing was reading. As Zhou Qian knocked and entered, Jiang Yuqing looked up and smiled at him.
Zhou Qian glanced at the table, which was empty. He wondered if Jiang Yuqing had eaten the osmanthus cake from yesterday or simply forgotten about it.
After a few steps into the room, Zhou Qian asked Jiang Yuqing, “Do you still remember me?”
At first, Jiang Yuqing nodded, but then his gaze became a bit distant, and he shook his head.
Suddenly, something caught Zhou Qian’s peripheral vision. He noticed that the blue and white porcelain vase on the bedside table had disappeared right before his eyes.
So, the elderly Jiang Yuqing was still “killing” objects in the memory world.
As Zhou Qian looked back at Jiang Yuqing, he saw him yawn, put down his book, and head towards the bed. He was about to go to sleep, indicating that the next level was about to begin.
Zhou Qian quickly called out, “Mr. Jiang, wait.”
He took out a piece of the osmanthus cake he had taken from the lobby two days ago and handed it to Jiang Yuqing. As expected, Jiang Yuqing was still very interested in it and began to eat.
After temporarily preventing Jiang Yuqing from sleeping, Zhou Qian turned to the photos on the wall. The images of the four people were clearer now—they were the players who successfully completed the main quest and survived. His gaze passed over each one, finally settling on the young officer in the photo.
Touching the photo, a familiar sensation came over him. Through that cold, damp touch, Zhou Qian was transported again to that dreamlike scene—Jiang Yuqing writing poetry by candlelight. The first time Zhou Qian touched this photo, he felt an uncommon surge of emotion—a deep-seated sadness that nearly took his breath away.
At this moment, Zhou Qian finally understood where this sadness came from. In the dream, Jiang Yuqing was sad while writing the letter. Bei He was dead, and no one would receive his letter. Jiang Yuqing’s heartfelt letter could only be sent by burning it, a way to express his sorrow.
“Jiang Yuqing, do you remember me? I’m Bei He.” In the dream, Zhou Qian spoke to the man bathed in soft light.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqing immediately looked up, his eyes filled with joy. “Bei He! You’re here? How… why are you here…”
Unlike previous dreams where the handsome officer’s features were always vague, this time the light illuminated his handsome face, which was a sight to behold. After a moment, he looked down, finished writing the letter, folded it, and placed it near the candle flame.
But this time, before he could burn the letter, Zhou Qian promptly spoke up to stop him, saying, “Were you writing to me? ‘Night Rain Addressed to the North’… is the ‘North’ referring to me?”
Jiang Yuqing seemed to be caught off guard by the question, his ears reddening. He quickly hid the letter. “You’re talking nonsense,” he stammered.
Zhou Qian extended his hand with a smile. “Don’t burn it. Give it to me. I’m right here.”
“You… You…”
Was there an opportunity for the unspoken words to be voiced? Those covert and ambiguous feelings—would he ever understand?
Jiang Yuqing hesitated but eventually handed over the letter as Zhou Qian had asked.
In this illusory environment, the scene was always bathed in a dim yellow glow of antiquity. It seemed to be raining outside, and the room was filled with dampness.
Zhou Qian felt as though he was standing under warm, hazy candlelight while Jiang Yuqing was slowly approaching him, ready to hand over the letter. But just as Jiang Yuqing was within reach, just when Zhou Qian felt the touch of his fingertips—
Jiang Yuqing suddenly withdrew his hand. Tears appeared to form in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Zhou Qian asked.
Jiang Yuqing shook his head in sadness and despair. “It’s not real. It’s my fantasy. You… you died… in Cypress City… I’m dreaming again.”
Zhou Qian squinted, not pressing him to hand over the letter but instead asking, “How did I die?”
“Bei He, you—” Jiang Yuqing choked back tears and seemed to recall some painful memories. Taking a seat, he covered his heart, his shoulders trembling.
The current Jiang Yuqing looked genuinely pitiable. But Zhou Qian, without mercy, pressed, “Jiang Yuqing, you must tell me. I’m trapped in hell and can’t remember how I died. If this continues, I fear I won’t be able to be reborn!”
“You—! You were a hero. How could this happen?” Jiang Yuqing looked at Zhou Qian in horror.
Zhou Qian responded, “Then tell me the truth.”
After a moment, Jiang Yuqing gave Zhou Qian the answer he sought. Observing his surroundings, Zhou Qian noted that with the restoration of some of his memories, the environment seemed clearer.
He could now see the details of the room, like the kettle, cups, trinkets, and paintings, all of which showed signs of an older era.
Turning to Jiang Yuqing, Zhou Qian asked, “What era is this? Have we won?”
Jiang Yuqing clenched his fist and nodded. “We won! Everything is fine now. There’s no war. I… I’ve aged.”
Zhou Qian laughed. “No, you haven’t aged a bit, still as dashing as ever.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuqing’s eyes turned dazed again. “Are you just a figment of my imagination, or have you really come from the underworld to see me?”
At that moment, Zhou Qian heard a sound from outside this illusory world. It was the older Jiang Yuqing getting up to go to bed.
Seizing the last moments, Zhou Qian looked at the man in the illusion. “I want to ask you one last question.”
Jiang Yuqing nodded. “Ask.”
Zhou Qian’s question was brutal. “All of your trusted comrades, including me, died. They all died protecting you. Do you feel guilty?”
“If you were to live the rest of your life alone, what would your truest wish be?”
Five minutes later, Zhou Qian was outside room 701. Behind him, he could hear Jiang Yuqing’s deep breathing, indicating he was asleep. Zhou Qian took one last glance at him and then turned the doorknob, stepping into a new scene.
It was a dark, narrow corridor that barely allowed one person to pass through. Zhou Qian could only judge this because of the light seeping through the slightly ajar door of room 701.
But as the door closed, the corridor plunged into complete darkness. Unsure of any lurking dangers, Zhou Qian didn’t turn on the light but lifted his left wrist to access the system panel.
In this game, all NPCs could only act according to the predetermined plot. One noticeable thing was that the system seemed to have set it up so that the NPCs wouldn’t react to the player’s watch or system panel.
Furthermore, only the player could see their own system panel and couldn’t view those of others. But when the system interface popped up from the watch into the air, there was a faint glow visible only to the player’s eyes, though this light was very dim.
Therefore, at this moment, Zhou Qian was using the extremely faint light from the system panel to explore the corridor.
Zhou Qian didn’t immediately move forward. Instead, he turned around to look behind him.
The door to Room 701, which was originally here, had disappeared. Zhou Qian cautiously moved forward in the pitch-black environment and unexpectedly touched a wall with his outstretched hand.
He knocked on it and found it solid. This meant there was no way forward in this direction, and he would have to turn and go another way.
However, Zhou Qian didn’t turn around immediately. He stood still, raised his watch, looked up, and tried to push upwards. But above him, there was also a solid wall. So, at least from where he stood, there was no way out.
Naturally, there was a reason why Zhuo Qian tried to push upwards.
From the current information, the elder Jiang Yuqing was the one intending to kill the players, while the younger Jiang Yuqing was the opposite.
In the side mission “Checks and Balance”, Room 701 always existed, and players could return to the room at any time to view the photo. The photo triggered illusions that allowed the young Jiang Yuqing to provide clues.
But from the “West Pier” mission onward, Room 701 disappeared.
Therefore, if the young Jiang Yuqing from the illusions could still provide clues to help the players, it would most likely only be before the official start of the mission.
At that time, Zhou Qian would use the osmanthus cake to distract the elder Jiang Yuqing, preventing him from falling asleep, and then enter the illusion to seek out the younger Jiang Yuqing for clues.
The current side mission was called “Night Rain Addressed to the North”. It was undoubtedly a story that revolved around the two main characters, Bei He and Jiang Yuqing.
So, most of Zhou Qian’s questions in the illusion were related to Bei He. One of the critical questions was about Bei He’s real cause of death.
In West Pier, the young Jiang Yuqing witnessed his comrades turning into ghosts, realizing that they had all died. He should also have remembered the true cause of Bei He’s death.
Indeed, in the illusion, Jiang Yuqing recounted the story with profound sadness. It was during the invasion of Cypress City that the Falcon Squadron risked everything to find him and then tried to break out with him. However, during their escape, all five comrades died, leaving only Bei He to flee with Jiang Yuqing.
The two managed to escape into underground tunnels under grave danger, aiming to get to the city’s outskirts. But halfway through, they were discovered by a squad of more than ten soldiers from the S Army.
Some of the vanguard soldiers of that squad opened a household’s stove, intending to pursue Jiang Yuqing through the tunnels.
Bei He, after shooting a few of them, prevented them from entering the tunnel. He hid Jiang Yuqing and jumped out of the stove to single-handedly confront the squad.
Bei He, being a member of the Falcon Squad, fought valiantly against ten, showcasing unparalleled bravery.
After a fierce battle, Bei He was severely injured, but the enemy soldiers suffered even worse losses, with more than half of them dead. In the end, only four of them were left, and they didn’t dare confront Bei He, whose eyes were bloodshot from rage. Under his intense gaze, they turned and fled.
Worried, Jiang Yuqing came out, intending to drag the injured Bei He back into the tunnel.
But Bei He decisively sent Jiang Yuqing back into the tunnel and turned to leave.
Jiang Yuqing grabbed Bei He’s hand, pleading, “This is the last stretch. Once we escape from here, we can leave from the dock. Bei He… Come with me!”
But Bei He firmly shook his head. “Some of those soldiers escaped. They already know the tunnel’s location. If they report to their superiors, you might be doomed. Yuqing…”
“Wait for me in Nancheng. If I survive, I’ll find you.”
After saying this, he pushed Jiang Yuqing into the tunnel, rearranged the stove equipment, and left to chase the remaining S soldiers.
In the end, Jiang Yuqing escaped safely.
But for the rest of his life, he never saw Bei He again.
Jiang Yuqing didn’t witness what happened to Bei He after he entered the tunnel alone.
But he could guess—Bei He and those S Army soldiers must have perished together. To prevent them from leaking the tunnel’s location, Bei He gave up his life.
At this moment, Zhou Qian slowly walked in a narrow, lightless corridor, continuously reaching out above and around him, attempting to find an exit.
He guessed that he might be in Cypress City again.
However, this Cypress City seemed more real than the illusory, allegorical ghost city he’d experienced before.
Regarding this corridor… perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a tunnel.
This tunnel, in real history, should correspond to the final route Bei He and Jiang Yuqing took when they fled together.
As expected, a loud noise emanated from below, and Zhou Qian felt the surrounding walls and the ground shaking violently.
He was in a tunnel, and the entire city outside was probably under the bombardment of shells and gunfire.
Zhou Qian had another thought—Why wasn’t Jiang Yuqing with him now?
In Jiang Yuqing’s conscious world… how would he construct this route?
Did he wish to escape the tragic city with Bei He?
Did he hope that for the rest of his life, Bei He would always be by his side?
Or… did he just hope to confess the hidden, unspoken love to Bei He before his death?
There were so many unresolved regrets in this world.
What did Jiang Yuqing truly desire?
Having walked a considerable distance without hearing any noise or encountering any danger, Zhou Qian no longer cautiously used the dim light from his system panel but finally turned on his flashlight.
Shining the flashlight forward, its long beam was immediately swallowed by the endless darkness.
Looking at the unfathomable blackness ahead, Zhou Qian slightly raised his eyebrows. Could it be that this endless tunnel was another of Jiang Yuqing’s desires?
After all, in this way, he could keep walking with Bei He. As long as they didn’t reach the tunnel entrance where they were discovered by the S army, Bei He wouldn’t die.
But this route eventually had an end.
After walking for about two hours, Zhou Qian shone his flashlight forward, only to find a wall.
When he tried to push it, the wall was solid and immovable.
Moreover, on his way here, Zhou Qian had been continuously tapping the ceiling and walls, but he never found an exit.
So now the only unexplored areas were to the left and right of this wall.
Zhou Qian first shone his flashlight to his left.
Surprisingly, there was a glass door there. When his flashlight illuminated it, a light inside suddenly turned on.
Under the light stood a young and handsome man—it was Jiang Yuqing.
Upon seeing Zhou Qian, the young Jiang Yuqing immediately approached.
He pressed his hands against the glass door, seemingly desperate to get out, but he couldn’t open it. He just gazed at Zhou Qian with increasing urgency.
This scene was indeed a bit unexpected.
Zhou Qian then shone the flashlight to his right.
There was another glass door to the right.
Similarly, as soon as the flashlight illuminated it, the light inside the door turned on. This time, an elderly Jiang Yuqing stood inside.
Unlike the anxious young Jiang Yuqing, the elderly Jiang Yuqing stood still, his expression numb, eyes dull and lifeless, resembling his previous dementia-like state.
At this moment, the system sent a message.
[Among the two glass doors, only one can be opened; the glass door can only be opened by the player, not NPCs.]
[Please choose one of the glass doors to open. Once opened, the next plot will be triggered. The player may pass or may die.]
[Player Zhou Qian, please make a choice within ten minutes.]
Zhou Qian’s words always had a mix of truth and deceit, making it difficult to discern how much of it was an act and how much was genuine. But the look in the eyes of the person listening to him at this moment was undoubtedly very serious.
His gaze was as deep as the ocean and as gentle as the softest wave on the sea surface.
Hearing him speak with the same gentleness, Zhou Qian said, “Bei He, I will never blame you. As long as you’re alive, I am happier than anything else.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Qian gave Jiang Yuqing a thoughtful look and then heard He Xiaowei’s voice. “Alright! We’ve found the boat! Do we just need to get Jiang Yuqing on board and consider our mission accomplished?”
Yun Xiangrong chimed in, “Let’s try.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qian stood up and looked at Jiang Yuqing. “Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Jiang Yuqing nodded, and with Zhou Qian’s support, they headed towards the boat.
Moments later, Zhou Qian, assisting Jiang Yuqing, was the first to board. But as Jiang Yuqing got on board, Zhou Qian, for some unknown reason, slipped and fell back to the shore. He Xiaowei, who was right behind him, tried to catch him and board the ship, but he too slipped off.
Sensing something was wrong, Situ Qing and Yun Xiangrong tried to get on, but they couldn’t either.
Facing the sea breeze, Zhou Qian stood by the sea, his feet stepping on the rough sand. He looked up at Jiang Yuqing on the boat.
The sea breeze carried mist, blurring Jiang Yuqing’s features. Through the mist, Zhou Qian could see a very puzzled expression on Jiang’s face, seemingly clueless about the situation. But Zhou Qian quickly waved at him and said, “After a long journey together, it’s time to say goodbye.”
“Goodbye? Aren’t you coming aboard?” Jiang Yuqing asked with a hint of urgency. “When will I see you again?”
Hearing this, Zhou Qian remembered the poem Jiang Yuqing had written in the dim candlelight. At this moment, the images of Jiang Yuqing against the vast ocean and that in the candlelight overlapped and then separated. Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and waved to the man on the boat.
With a smile, he whispered, “When it rains in Bashan at night.”
A system message appeared at this moment.
[Players have cleared the main level “West Pier”]
[A cutscene will play next. Rewards will be given after the cutscene. Please wait…]
“Holy crap, Qian’er! Your face!”
He Xiaowei exclaimed next to Zhou Qian, followed by, “Oh damn, your feet!”
Zhou Qian turned to He Xiaowei, and as expected, He Xiaowei’s face had turned pale and his feet were gone—he had become a ghost.
Suddenly recalling something, Zhou Qian took out a box of Wangji osmanthus cakes that he had picked up earlier. The unique fragrance of the cakes was gone, replaced by a foul odor. Opening the box, Zhou Qian found the cakes had turned moldy.
“What… What’s going on?” He Xiaowei asked.
Zhou Qian frowned and replied, “The S Army massacred Cypress City and brought Jiang Yuqing here. The Falcon Squadron risked their lives to rescue him, enabling him to take the vital technology out and save countless lives. The Falcon Squadron fulfilled their mission, but at the same time, they all perished.”
“This is probably… a real historical event.”
In the real timeline of Jiang Yuqing’s life, he hadn’t written the poem “Night Rain Addressed to the North” at this point in time. Maybe during his time in Cypress City, he hadn’t realized his true feelings until Bei He was forever lost in Cypress City.
For countless days and nights afterward, Jiang Yuqing spent his time missing Bei He. He repeatedly wrote that poem in his letters. But none could be sent because Bei He was dead.
Every time after writing, Jiang Yuqing would burn the letter.
Zhou Qian wondered if Bei He in the afterlife would understand his deep longing and unspoken love.
……
[After the player cleared the side quest “Checks and Balance”, Jiang Yuqing remembered himself. He remembered the vague figures in his memories and who they were, as well as the enemy, the S army. However, he couldn’t remember why those people left.]
[In order for the players to help him recall everything, the nursing home loaded the player into the main mission “West Pier”.]
[The players brought Jiang Yuqing to the west pier to board a ship, but everyone couldn’t leave Cypress City except for Jiang Yuqing himself. This successfully made Jiang Yuqing recall that to protect him, all his comrades had sacrificed themselves. Therefore, now the players in his memory world have also suddenly turned into ghostly figures.]
[Before Jiang Yuqing’s death, he had two wishes. The nursing home will do its best to help him fulfill them.]
[Jiang Yuqing’s first wish is to remember who he is.]
[Jiang Yuqing’s second wish is to remember those comrades who sacrificed themselves for him.]
[The first wish has been achieved. As for the second wish, from the perspective of each player, ensuring their survival in the memory world means they haven’t been forgotten. So, from the individual player’s perspective, the mission has been achieved.]
[Also, although each player has completed the mission, due to varying levels of completion, the rewards will differ.]
[Among them, Zhou Qian, He Xiaowei, and Yun Xiangrong have a conversion rate of 100% and a completion rate of 100%. Situ Qing has a conversion rate of 80% and a completion rate of 80%.]
[Players He Xiaowei, Yun Xiangrong, and Situ Qing can leave through the nursing home. You have completed the mission and successfully achieved the hidden achievement.]
[Player Zhou Qian was the first to trigger Jiang Yuqing’s vision of writing poetry and presented Jiang Yuqing with Wangji Osmanthus Cake in the “West Pier” main storyline, initiating the side mission “Night Rain Addressed to the North” and triggering Jiang Yuqing’s latent third wish. Current progress is at 50% completion.]
[Player Zhou Qian can choose to stay in the nursing home to complete the side mission or leave with the other players.]
[Once the side mission is completed, player Zhou Qian can achieve the ultimate hidden achievement.]
Messages from the system came one after another on the panel above the wristwatch.
As the players read the messages, it seemed like their memories were also being restored at the same time.
Six joined the Seventh Army, coming from all over the country, each with a distinct appearance and character. After rigorous selection and testing, they became members of the Falcon Squadron.
From then on, they abandoned their original names and identities, dedicating themselves entirely to their homeland.
Based on their hometown’s geographical direction, they named themselves Bei He, Dong Shui, Xi Jiang, Nan Hu, Zhong Liu1, and Xi Xi2.
1Middle Steam 2West Creek
They dreamt of eliminating the enemies and returning to their hometowns one day.
Unfortunately, they all stayed in Cypress City.
At this moment, on the vast ocean, a ship carrying Jiang Yuqing gradually moved away, disappearing over the horizon.
The blazing sun finally rose, illuminating the entire sea and the city on the east.
Witnessing this, the players thought—
May the members of the Falcon Squadron be blessed in their next life, with tranquil seas, peaceful rivers, and a world without wars.
……
The ocean vanished, the sun disappeared, the ruins faded…
The players returned to Room 701. Jiang Yuqing was still sleeping, but there seemed to be a sign that he was about to wake up.
They had been in the peculiar level for an entire night.
But returning to the nursing home, it was only just noon.
The system prompted the players who cleared the game to leave, so the four temporarily left 701 and took the elevator to the lobby.
There was no security guard in the lobby now, and the main door was wide open, allowing players to leave at any time.
Watching He Xiaowei, Situ Qing, and Yun Xiangrong head for the door, Zhou Qian just leaned against the front desk, standing casually with crossed legs.
He Xiaowei couldn’t help looking back at him repeatedly. “Qian’er, why not just leave it be?”
Zhou Qian replied seriously, “I can’t. I’m staying to level up the relationship.”
He Xiaowei frowned deeper. “Man, you’re weird. Why are you leveling up a relationship with a man?”
Zhou Qian smiled without answering. He Xiaowei continued, “I get it; it’s for the ultimate reward. But what if the level is too hard?”
Zhou Qian replied, “It should be fine. Jiang Yuqing likes Bei He. Why would he hurt him?”
He Xiaowei quickly reminded him, “Hey, did you forget? There are two Jiang Yuqings. The young one won’t hurt him, but the older one, representing dementia, wants to kill him!”
“It’s okay. I can rest for a whole day.”
Zhou Qian yawned and stretched. “Jiang Yuqing has only three days to live. A wish for each day… now, there’s only the last day remaining. I want to stay here and accompany him on his last journey. You all go ahead.”
Watching his teammates leave, Zhou Qian returned to the empty seventh floor.
When he reached the door of Room 701, he peeped inside through the window.
Jiang Yuqing had fallen into a deep sleep again.
Looking at him, Zhou Qian couldn’t help but think that this ‘instance’ wasn’t exactly as he had previously imagined.
Perhaps in the real world of this instance, the nursing home was a very special one, capable of restoring certain memories. According to the system’s messages, the so-called “caregivers” seemed like tools used by the system to help the elderly restore their memories.
Now, what Zhou Qian and his team were responsible for was the memory exclusive to Jiang Yuqing.
In the memory world, the elderly Jiang Yuqing fell asleep again.
After silently watching him for a while, Zhou Qian entered the room, left a piece of osmanthus cake on the table, and then returned to his room across the hallway to rest.
Zhou Qian purchased some food from the system’s official trading hall and ate it. After taking a shower, he slept all afternoon.
Zhou Qian’s condition was pretty good. Ever since he had the dream about stars, his vitality had been fully restored. However, after battling in the instance all night, he was mentally exhausted.
In the evening, Zhou Qian woke up. The first thing he did was access the trading section, listing items he wanted to purchase. He then started browsing the trading hall, trying to find useful items.
At that moment, he received another disciple invitation message, surprisingly from the quirky [137].
Zhou Qian stared at the number for a moment and simply sent back a question mark: [?]
After a while, the reply came: [Click ‘Agree’.]
[I won’t,] Zhou Qian quickly replied. [I was considering accepting [Hidden Blade’s] invitation. He asked first. Maybe I should accept him as my master.”
[137] replied, [He’s my friend. Due to some limitations, I can’t be online often. I wanted [Hidden Blade] to take you as his disciple so that when I’m not around, if you need anything, he can help. His skills also have to do with crowd control. I think he could be of help. But now I’ve reconsidered. I’ll do it myself.”
Zhou Qian responded promptly, [Hidden Blade… does his skill have to do with blades? This time, when I faced danger, someone saved me. Based on my teammates’ descriptions, this person seemed to gather wind or something to form a blade. When he slashed with that blade, it was terrifying. Was it Hidden Blade who saved me? He seems quite skilled; maybe I should take him as my master.]
About a minute later, when Zhou Qian thought the person had gone offline again, [137] finally sent another message.
[He’s not that impressive. Just average.]
Zhou Qian: [If he’s not impressive, are you?]
Before [137] could reply, Zhou Qian asked, [Wait, how old are you? If I’m older than you and have to call you ‘Master’, it wouldn’t be fair!]
30 seconds later, [137] replied, [I’m older than you.]
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Zhou Qian retorted, [Oh? In what way are you older?]
There was a moment of silence on the other end before the question was thrown back, [What do you think?]
Zhou Qian replied swiftly, [How would I know? I don’t know you.]
Before the other could reply, Zhou Qian quickly added, [How about you? Do you know me?]
[137] replied immediately, [Yes.]
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and typed, [Can we meet in real life?]
[137]: [No.]
Zhou Qian: [Why?]
[137]: [I’m temporarily trapped.]
Zhou Qian didn’t respond but stared thoughtfully at the words sent by [137].
After a while, he saw [137] type: [Due to certain rules, I can’t reveal too much to you right now, as it would be detrimental to you. But this restriction won’t last for long. Just click ‘Agree’ for now.]
Zhou Qian took a deep breath, the tension in his face relaxing. [[Hidden Blade] gave me a lot of things when he wanted to take me as his disciple.]
[137]: [Open the trade hall now. I’ve sent you some items. What else do you need?]
Zhou Qian indeed went to the trade hall and accepted the items happily.
Afterward, tapping a few more times with his index finger on the dial, he asked, [What kind of friend is that Hidden Blade to you? You’re trapped and limited by so many rules… How do you have time to make friends?]
The author has something to say:
Zhou Qian, the relentless interrogator.
Hidden Blade: ??? (Hey, why is this concerning me?)
In the midst of a ruined wall, thousands of enemy soldiers lay defeated. They had once ravaged this land, and now they repaid it with their own flesh and blood. The resentment of countless ghosts was appeased, and the dark clouds that had lingered dispersed. Above the sky, stars and the moon reappeared. Beneath this starry canopy, Jiang Yuqing stood tall, revealing an exceptionally handsome and pleasing face.
After a while, Jiang Yuqing felt warmth in his palm. He quickly let go, then swiftly grabbed Zhou Qian’s hand, finding the bandage on his wrist soaked red with blood.
Indeed, Zhou Qian was suffering. Having stormed his way here, his stamina was completely drained. Moreover, intentionally dropping his health to below 10%, the excessive blood loss made his head spin.
At this moment, he had a deeper realization about his ultimate ability—he was literally burning his own life force to summon the power of vengeful spirits.
With the support of his ultimate ability, Zhou Qian could still walk and shoot. But now, its effect had ended, and he was struggling. Feeling drowsy, Zhou Qian unconsciously leaned forward, but Jiang Yuqing took a step and steadied him, allowing Zhou Qian’s head to rest on his shoulder.
As Zhou Qian’s consciousness faded amidst a haze of red, he still managed to ask with a smile, “Hey, you could barely stand, and yet you’re supporting me?”
Elsewhere. Inside a gaming room booth. In front of a flat screen.
Mu Sheng watched everything unfold with a nearly malicious grin on his lips. “Ha, as I expected! Sacrificing one’s own health for power… Foolish. Do you think it’s over?”
Hearing this, Priest, who was next to him, raised an eyebrow and calmly responded, “If it followed the original settings of this level, it would have ended.”
“It’s different now that I’m here! It’s not over! I’ve been waiting for this moment! Zhou Qian… your health is at 9%, and your teammate’s mana is almost depleted! I want to see how you can win now!”
“No one can take away my sister. I want you dead! You’re going to die!!!”
With that, Mu Sheng quickly pressed a button on the screen, accessing the system menu with the privileges of a high-level gambler, and opened the item bar.
[Advanced Gambler Mu Sheng used the item: Joyful Modifier]
[Effect: Can forcibly change the storyline; an extremely rare item.]
[Note: Please follow system instructions and input your desired changes within a minute.]
[Advanced Gambler Mu Sheng used the item: NPC Loader.]
[Effect: Can load your consciousness into any NPC; an extremely rare item.]
[Note: NPCs have a hard life. Choose wisely; you have 30 seconds to change your mind.]
……
Seeing Mu Sheng’s actions, Priest frowned. “I advise you to consider carefully. After all, you’ve never been a player, never been to the real game world. Do you really think… you can adapt?”
Mu Sheng replied, “Now is the perfect chance to kill Zhou Qian. I can’t miss it! Zhou Qian, I will repay you in your own coin!”
Before loading into the game, Mu Sheng turned to Priest with manic eyes. “I’ve gone mad, just as you’d like, right?”
……
Inside the game.
The entire playground had turned to ruins.
In the center of this destruction, two figures leaned on each other, resembling the most trusting of comrades or the most intimate of lovers.
Zhou Qian felt more and more dizzy.
After a while, he heard He Xiaowei’s voice. “Qian’er, hey, I’m here. Are you okay? I have a tiny bit of mana left, enough for a basic healing skill. It doesn’t heal much, but it’s better than nothing. Let me try! Wait… Oh my god! What… What is that?!”
Yun Xiangrong’s voice deepened. “My God…”
Situ Qing, usually composed, exclaimed in shock, “How can this be?!”
The voices of his teammates filled with extreme surprise and profound fear echoed around. Zhou Qian blinked tiredly, and then a deep rumbling noise surrounded him, reminiscent of distant thunder. This thunderous sound carried a dangerous aura, like the deep roaring from the sea before a terrifying tsunami.
Raising his head with difficulty, Zhou Qian looked over Jiang Yuqing’s shoulder and gazed ahead.
The situation had indeed changed.
Countless corpses of the S Army, whether intact, twisted, or fragmented, surprisingly stood up under the influence of some invisible force.
The scene was incredibly bizarre because it didn’t conform to the settings and logic of the instance.
In a reasonable game, hints for passing the level would be discreetly embedded in advance. Players could find ways to pass by searching for clues and understanding the storyline. It shouldn’t suddenly introduce a life-threatening monster without any prior clues or methods to defeat it.
So… What on earth was happening?
The next moment, an even stranger event unfolded before the four players.
After countless S Army skeletons stood up, they rapidly converged mid-air, forming a tremendously large humanoid monster.
This creature was made of a pile of corpses, so immense that it seemed to step on the ground and touch the sky. Surrounding it was a gray mist-like substance—the spirits of the deceased S Army!
He Xiaowei couldn’t help but exclaim, “What the… What the hell is this?!”
Yun Xiangrong was almost holding her breath. “This skill looks like Zhou Qian’s! It’s as if… someone copied Zhou Qian’s skills and power?!”
“But that’s impossible. I’ve cleared so many instances and never encountered this,” Situ Qing began, her face turning pale as she seemed to recall something, clenching her fists tightly.
Soon, the giant monster began to move. It twisted its grotesque and incredibly heavy head from side to side, then fixed its gaze on the players. With a menacing intent, it took heavy steps toward them. Each step was accompanied by a loud rumbling sound, shaking the ground as if the entire city would be destroyed beneath its feet!
“This isn’t logical!”
“What’s happening?”
“It’s raising its hand!”
“It seems to be targeting Zhou Qian! It’s going to attack him!!”
Amidst the cries of his teammates, Zhou Qian seemed somewhat indifferent.
He looked ahead, his eyes cold as ice, but he didn’t move.
He truly had no strength left.
Zhou Qian had no ability to counter such a monster. All he could do was think quickly and consider any possible means of survival.
But he couldn’t think of any.
Before the game started, he had observed the trading hall for a long time and hadn’t bought items like the [Universe Teleportation Mirror] that could allow him to teleport instantly. Even if he had, it wouldn’t be of much use against such a gigantic beast.
The teleportation range usually didn’t exceed a thousand meters, which was a distance that the giant monster could catch up with within a few steps.
He Xiaowei was always loyal. He quickly ran to Zhou Qian’s side, holding his guqin. Despite his fear, he said, “Qian’er, I’ll try to heal you. I also have protective items like cloaks and arm guards. Hold on, I’m giving them to you now.”
Yun Xiangrong, standing behind He Xiaowei, turned completely pale.
It’s useless. Zhou Qian’s ultimate skill is limited. With only 9% health left, if he can’t kill the monster instantly, he’ll be killed by it.
He Xiaowei knew this too. As he looked at Zhou Qian’s pale face, tears welled up in his eyes. With a swift pluck of the guqin’s strings, he used up the last of his mana.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP restored to 13%]
It’s over.
Zhou Qian is finished.
All of us are probably done for.
Suddenly, He Xiaowei noticed a figure with a rifle rushing to the front from behind him.
It was Situ Qing!
Compared to the gigantic monster formed from thousands of spirits and corpses, Situ Qing seemed utterly insignificant, as tiny as an ant or even a speck of dust. Yet her advancing figure seemed fearless and determined, as if she was ready to fight this immensely powerful creature to the death!
This act clearly enraged the giant creature.
It roared, causing the entire ground to shake violently.
The monster then raised its palm, and a whirlwind formed in its grasp, striking fiercely towards Zhou Qian.
In that moment, it seemed as if the gods, in order to punish the criminal who committed a heinous crime, unleashed a wrathful force from the heavens, intending to obliterate him with a single strike.
Under such divine might, no one could find redemption.
He Xiaowei’s heart thudded wildly, as if about to burst. Realizing something, he quickly turned his gaze to Zhou Qian, wanting to assist him in his last moments. After all, it was thanks to Zhou Qian that he had come this far.
But then, an unexpected event occurred!
At a glance, He Xiaowei saw Jiang Yuqing, seemingly dead, devoid of any life force, collapsing backward unexpectedly.
Ignoring Jiang Yuqing’s situation, He Xiaowei rushed to support Zhou Qian by the shoulder, trying to prevent further damage from a potential fall.
Suddenly, the earth trembled even more violently!
Weak and exhausted, Zhou Qian could no longer withstand the shaking and passed out. Seeing this, He Xiaowei instinctively shielded the unconscious Zhou Qian with his body. As the palm formed by the vast grudge force brutally descended, he couldn’t help but let out a desperate scream, which was immediately swallowed by a terrifying storm.
However, moments later, the anticipated divine-like destructive power didn’t arrive.
Surprised, He Xiaowei quickly straightened up and looked up. Along with the shocked cries of Yun Xiangrong and Situ Qing, he saw a dragon!
Its origin was unknown.
Hovering high in the sky, it resembled a deep blue lonely moon, casting a faint blue veil over the entire sky and land, fluctuating with the wind.
The dragon’s tail was incredibly long, covered in deep blue scales, reminiscent of a flowing galaxy or the most beautiful ribbon floating in the air.
With a slight movement of its tail, a strong gust formed into the shape of a blade. This blade faced the storm created by the monster and split the black whirlwind in half, vanishing it in an instant; the next moment, the blade whirled forward and hung over the creature’s head for a split second before slashing down—
The monster was literally bisected alive!
“Roar—!”
The severed beast howled and, under the resentment, quickly reformed. It leapt towards the dragon in the sky.
The dragon, still hovering high, simply swished its tail again, creating another blade of wind. This time, the sharp blade struck the monster head-on. In an instant, the massive creature, formed by countless corpses and spirits, as well as the many buildings and trees behind it, were all turned into dust! Large sections of the city’s ground were lifted, inch by inch!
Even the vast ocean in the far west was affected by the wind blade, as giant waves surged and countless ships were caught in the waves, on the verge of sinking…
This was the true thunderous force—a nearly world-ending power!
In the nick of time, staring at the rising waves in the far west, the dumbfounded He Xiaowei realized something and shouted at the dragon in the sky, “Stop! We still need the ships to clear the level!”
The wind ceased.
The monster vanished, and all the corpses of the S Army turned to dust. Most of the city was completely leveled.
The world fell into silence.
After a while, the dragon in mid-air lowered its gaze, seemingly looking at the center of the playground.
Sensing something, He Xiaowei quickly embraced Zhou Qian again, guarding him closely. Feeling the responsibility of being the only “healer” on the team, he watched the massive dragon warily.
Although it seemed to have helped them earlier, who knows the real intention behind such a terrifying creature?
Suddenly, the dragon vanished from the sky, only to reappear right in front of He Xiaowei. The luminous tail swiped towards him, but without any force, simply nudging He Xiaowei’s hand away.
The moment He Xiaowei touched the frosty dragon tail, his whole body shivered, and he was immediately repelled by an invisible force, landing on his ass in a nearby pit.
Brushing off the dirt as he stood up, just as He Xiaowei was about to question the dragon’s intentions, he saw it coil its tail on the ground of the playground, then wrap Zhou Qian entirely within its lengthy tail.
It was at this moment, due to the close proximity, that He Xiaowei realized it wasn’t entirely a dragon. Its body and tail resembled a dragon, but its ears didn’t. Instead, the ears looked like those of elves from Western fairy tales.
The horns on its head didn’t seem to be those of dragons either. Those twin horns were incredibly sharp, shining coldly in the night, as sharp as knives.
So, it’s not a dragon but rather a dragon-like… monster?
At this moment, Zhou Qian seemed both awake and sleepwalking.
He unconsciously raised both hands, continuously sliding them over the dragon’s scales, occasionally pinching one and flicking it as if intending to rip it out. After playing with the scales in one area, he moved on to another, seeming to enjoy himself immensely.
Zhou Qian’s actions made He Xiaowei’s heart race.
The dragon would feel pain if played with like this, right?
What if it gets angry? Wouldn’t it annihilate us in seconds?!
Yet, the dragon seemed very patient. Regardless of how Zhou Qian toyed with it, its icy-blue eyes merely gazed at Zhou Qian with a gentle expression.
After a moment, its tail wrapped tighter, bringing Zhou Qian up to the area around its neck. In his drowsy state, Zhou Qian naturally leaned in and hugged its neck tightly.
Then the dragon did something that almost made He Xiaowei’s jaw drop.
It bowed its head, gently pressing its lips to Zhou Qian’s forehead, as if tenderly kissing him.
He Xiaowei immediately exclaimed, “Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?! Zhou Qian! Qian’er, wake up! You’re being taken advantage of—”
Suddenly, a cold gaze from the dragon swept over. He Xiaowei found himself unable to speak. The next moment, a chunk of wall flew from somewhere, embedding itself into the ground before him, blocking his view completely.
He Xiaowei: “…………”
……
Zhou Qian felt as if, in a daze, he had fallen into a sweet dream.
It was as if he were sinking deep into the sea or floating among the stars.
He was surrounded by deep blue. The blue should have been cold, but Zhou Qian felt safe.
Zhou Qian often felt exhausted.
Always having to think, always being on guard against others. But now, he felt relaxed. There were no schemes, no guards up; he just needed to sleep peacefully. He wasn’t sure where this sense of safety came from, but he instinctively let down all his guards.
It seemed Zhou Qian dreamt of playing with stars. After some time, a cool yet gentle sensation touched his forehead, and all his pain was healed in that instant.
……
In the virtual game hall.
Mu Sheng was ejected from the system, collapsing on the ground, bleeding from all his orifices. However, only his spirit had entered the game hall, so he wasn’t dead yet, giving Priest a chance to temporarily save him.
Priest gave Mu Sheng a pill and sighed. “You could have been a talent if you weren’t so obsessed. Such a pity…”
As Mu Sheng coughed up blood, he grabbed Priest’s wrist. “What… What power is that?”
“It’s the power of a God Rank player,” Priest said. “A God Rank player entered the instance as Jiang Yuqing. He’s selecting his shepherd.”
Priest sighed again. “There’s a game rule. To select a qualified shepherd, a God Rank player can create some challenges for players without violating the original character design, game plot, rules, and settings. However, they are not allowed to help the players or go out of character.”
“In other words, they can only increase the game’s difficulty, but not reduce it. But there’s an exception—”
“That exception is, when someone outside the game uses an item to forcefully change the game’s plot and significantly increase the difficulty, God Rank players can help the players with their own power. That’s why I said… you really brought it on yourself.”
Priest laughed, glancing mockingly at Mu Sheng. “But I should thank you. Thanks to your actions, I now know who the God Rank player interested in Zhou Qian is.”
Mu Sheng, who had fallen to the ground, coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. He clutched Priest’s calf with both hands. “I promise you. I’m willing to go to Zone X. I’ll accept the transformation! Let me… let me become a God Rank player! I can’t stand being just a gambler hiding behind the scenes! I want to be a player!”
……
Inside the game.
When Zhou Qian woke up, the sky was already tinged with the rosy hues of dawn, marking the end of this lengthy night.
As he stood up from the playground, he felt slightly dazed and somewhat lost. Frowning, he opened his palm and saw a deep blue, shiny scale.
Hmm, so that dragon… wasn’t just an illusion.
It saved him again.
After staring at the scale for a while, Zhou Qian put it away. Looking up, he saw He Xiaowei treating Jiang Yuqing’s leg wound nearby.
The bullet hadn’t hit the bone but had passed through the calf, making it relatively easier to deal with.
Not too far on the other side, Situ Qing and Yun Xiangrong were both lying on the ground, asleep. They must’ve been exhausted, not minding the fact they were resting amidst piles of corpses.
Zhou Qian looked to the west and noticed that a significant portion of the city had been destroyed. Tall buildings that once stood tall were now reduced to mere rubble.
The battlefield was in disarray, but at least the enemy was completely wiped out.
The city awaited the people who could breathe life back into it.
Zhou Qian then approached He Xiaowei and Jiang Yuqing. On seeing him, He Xiaowei exclaimed, “Qian’er! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Zhou Qian replied, then asked, “What happened… while I was unconscious?”
At that moment, He Xiaowei really wanted to blurt out something he had been holding back.
“Qian’er, it seems you were molested by a dragon… ah, no, rather, a monster! It’s weird; there were two beautiful ladies there, but the creature didn’t even glance at them. Why did it go after you, a man? I must tell you, that was no ordinary dragon…”
But recalling the look the dragon gave before it disappeared, he refrained.
So, He Xiaowei simply said, “A dragon appeared and saved us! What the hell is this instance? Or what’s going on in Jiang Yuqing’s consciousness? In any case, the strange monster made up of thousands of S Army corpses was defeated by the dragon. None of us were harmed… Maybe it was some cutscene in the game? Anyway, it doesn’t matter to us clearing the game, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense!”
Thinking of the scale in his hand, Zhou Qian didn’t say much but cast a thoughtful glance at Jiang Yuqing. Then he asked, “Mr. Jiang, are you alright?”
Jiang Yuqing nodded. His pale face still showed signs of weakness. He whispered, “Thank you, Bei He. I’m fine now.”
Zhou Qian smiled at him. “I’m glad we managed to save you. Let’s rest a bit and then take you to the west pier.”
An hour later, He Xiaowei, Situ Qing, and Yun Xiangrong were walking ahead while Zhou Qian, supporting the injured Jiang Yuqing, followed.
After another two hours, they reached the sea.
The clouds over the sea had completely dissipated. The dawn was glowing red, and the vast sky and boundless sea were painted in layers of red and blue, blending into different shades of purple, ultimately merging with the horizon in a distant gray ribbon.
While the other teammates went in search of an intact boat, Zhou Qian and Jiang Yuqing sat on a rock by the sea.
Zhou Qian turned to him. “He Xiaowei told me that when the dragon appeared, you passed out. He was scared and thought you died.”
Jiang Yuqing seemed to not understand, lost in the game’s character setting. He replied, “Thank you, Bei He, and the Falcon Squadron, for everything you’ve done for me and our people.”
Zhou Qian added, “After looking into your eyes, I’m even more convinced that you resemble someone I know.”
Jiang Yuqing blinked as if he still didn’t comprehend.
Turning his gaze back to the vast sea, Zhou Qian said, “This dungeon was really dangerous. But I vowed to get out alive. I dug up his ashes and even took down his tombstone. So, I must live to see if the tombstone I ordered has been prepared, so I can give him a proper burial. Otherwise, if I meet him in hell—”
Zhou Qian turned back, looking deeply into Jiang Yuqing’s eyes. “What if he blames me?”
The streetlight cast a sinister silhouette of the high-ranking officer from the S Army, making him appear like a viper slithering in the darkness.
Inside a nearby single-story house, the four players could only hold their breath, waiting for him to leave the alley. They refrained from taking any shots, not wanting to raise an alarm prematurely.
The area could be full of ambushes. With the assistance of the ghosts, they had cautiously made their way here, and they couldn’t afford to act recklessly now.
Only after the man was out of sight did the four emerge, one by one, jumping from the windows. They then circled back to the rear gate of the school.
The vast playground was brightly lit, and countless skeletal remains, glaring eerily under the illumination, seemed restless in death, as if yearning for revenge. Regrettably, their restless spirits were sealed by numerous talisman papers, rendering them unable to escape.
In the middle of the playground, there were about thirty wooden stakes with dark, dried blood visible on them. It was clear that many had been tied there and lost their lives. At the moment, 27 people were being herded under gunpoint and subsequently tied to the stakes. Through binoculars, Zhou Qian could see Jiang Yuqing prominently positioned at the center.
Once everyone was tied, a soldier approached Jiang Yuqing and spoke to him. Due to the distance, Zhou Qian and his team couldn’t hear the conversation, but they could guess that they were threatening him for some formulas or something similar.
About half a minute later, a series of explosions reverberated. The outskirts of the city’s core were under attack, with buildings being destroyed as the S Army advanced.
Now that Jiang Yuqing had been located, they didn’t hold back. Their intent was clear: destroy every possible hideout of the Falcon Squadron and, ideally, annihilate them.
Zhou Qian looked back to see half of the city ablaze.
However, upon closer inspection, the S Army had spared parts of the city. They probably didn’t want to damage the talismans and dog’s blood set up in haunted areas to avoid unleashing hordes of ghosts.
Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, then waved at his teammates, leading them back into the single-story house.
“Damn it! So frustrating!” He Xiaowei couldn’t help but whisper angrily, then quickly added, “Wait, how did Jiang Yuqing attend the wedding at the venue earlier?”
“I had thought that he might have slipped through the city’s smaller streets because there were fewer people. But now that doesn’t seem… possible.”
Yun Xiangrong pondered for a moment and replied, “Didn’t the officer mention that Jiang Yuqing was hiding in a basement? Maybe there are tunnels in this city? He could’ve used a tunnel to get to the wedding venue and then returned?”
Recalling the bizarre scene at the wedding where he had seen Jiang Yuqing, Zhou Qian nodded. “That’s very likely. Given that Jiang Yuqing and the others were found in the basement of the school cafeteria, maybe compared to other parts of the tunnels, the school offered better ventilation, ample food, and water supplies, making it their base.”
“The trapped scholars, with no combat experience, stayed hidden, unsure of potential ambushes in the city. Attending the wedding was an exception for Jiang Yuqing, given that he wanted to celebrate his comrade’s big day; hence, he took the risk.”
Zhou Qian lowered his voice. “No wonder he hurriedly gave the gift at the wedding, didn’t stay for the ceremony, and left without even entering the main hall. He needed to return to the city center urgently, concerned about his compatriots.”
“If the S Army found his compatriots while Jiang Yuqing was there, there might’ve been room for negotiation. Jiang Yuqing could’ve bartered his knowledge of the formulas with the S Army in exchange for their lives. But if they found out he wasn’t present, they might’ve simply executed them.”
Thinking of the bones on the playground, the two children forced into complicity, the bride in her fiery red dress, and the clear eyes of the girl from the photograph…
He Xiaowei’s anger bubbled, his chest heaving with rage.
Soon after, he heard Yun Xiangrong say, “Our mission is to take Jiang Yuqing to the west pier to catch a boat. So, if we follow the normal approach, we openly seize Jiang Yuqing, then take him through the heavy encirclement to the west pier… This is obviously impossible. It’s already hard for us to deal with the elite forces on the playground, not to mention the many more outside.”
“So, should we find a way to contact Jiang Yuqing and ask him for the location of the tunnels? Then we can use the tunnels to employ guerrilla tactics, moving outwards and escaping to the west pier?”
He Xiaowei said, “That’s also tough! How can we approach Jiang Yuqing and ask him where the tunnel is? How can we remember the complicated tunnel routes in such a short time?
“This world is actually constructed from Jiang Yuqing’s consciousness. In the real historical process, he might indeed have escaped through the tunnels. But for us, in this scenario, this task seems impossible!”
Walking to the window, He Xiaowei looked at the tower of the school from a distance and sighed deeply. “I heard Qian’er talk about his plan before, and it sounded so inspiring! I originally thought that we would rush to the tower and overlook the entire city center. We would take that highest ground, and whoever dared to approach would eat our bullets!”
Once the players captured the highest ground, when the S Army found Jiang Yuqing, whether they brought him to the playground or elsewhere, the city center was so small, and besides the tower, there were no other tall buildings. So, players could see every move of the S Army.
If things went smoothly, they could take down the enemies one by one. After that, they could take Jiang Yuqing and escape, shooting and throwing explosives and grenades along the way, with the four of them cooperating seamlessly until they brought Jiang Yuqing to the west pier…
However, all of this was just a fantasy in He Xiaowei’s mind.
He never expected the city center to be so brightly lit, and he never expected so many elite S Army troops, let alone… Jiang Yuqing and so many of his compatriots were now tied to the stakes on the playground.
“If we can’t come up with a solution… If Jiang Yuqing and those compatriots die. Our mission fails, right?” He Xiaowei said angrily, “I don’t care about the mission now; I just want to kill those S Army troops!”
For quite some time after this, only He Xiaowei and Yun Xiangrong spoke.
Situ Qing, always a woman of few words, remained silent, which was normal. Although she was a strong fighter, she rarely offered constructive suggestions when wisdom was required.
But now even Zhou Qian had been silent for a long time, which seemed unusual.
He Xiaowei turned to look for Zhou Qian. He saw Zhou Qian standing in the shadows of the building, in a spot the streetlight outside didn’t reach. All his expressions were hidden in the darkness, making him hard to read.
He Xiaowei walked over and asked, “Qian’er, don’t scare me. If you’re out of ideas… Wait, didn’t you say you had a real plan?”
After a moment, Zhou Qian’s deep yet confident voice came. “Don’t worry. I led you through the side quests, and I brought you into this main quest of this difficulty level. So I will definitely get you out.”
He Xiaowei uncertainly asked, “So, what now?”
Zhou Qian succinctly replied, “Wait.”
He Xiaowei: “Wait… for what?”
“For the two little dragons I sent out,” Zhou Qian said. “I can sense they are still alive. Now the external S Army has accelerated their sweep, moving quickly towards the city center. This might actually work in favor of my plan.”
“So your plan is—” He Xiaowei’s heart began to beat fast in excitement.
“When the time is right, you all follow my instructions.” As Zhou Qian said this, his eyes gleamed in the darkness.
Zhou Qian quickly stepped out of the shadows and opened the window. The depths of his eyes lit up brightly when hit by the lamp’s light.
“The S Army outside is heading towards the city while bombing houses on their way. They might bomb this place soon, so we need to leave this single-story house quickly.”
“By the end, a large number of the S Army will probably gather at the playground. It will be even more challenging for us to enter at that time. So, while there are only about ten people there, we should find a way in.”
Glancing in the direction of the school’s back playground, Zhou Qian continued, “There are a few big trees near the edge of the playground, close to the back door. Their canopies are dense and away from the light source. Let’s hide there for now.”
After issuing instructions to his team, the four of them quietly returned to the back door.
Through the iron gate, everyone attentively watched the movements on the playground.
The dozen or so S Army soldiers seemed to be waiting for their officer and the rest of the troops. Although the main forces were not present, they remained alert, each holding a gun, vigilantly monitoring their surroundings.
After observing for a while, Zhou Qian noticed a consistent and apparent pattern in their movements.
They all faced west uniformly, turned right to the north after two minutes, and then turned right again to the east two minutes later, and so on.
So, when they all turned their backs, Zhou Qian quickly signaled Situ Qing and He Xiaowei.
The two promptly drew their weapons and used their abilities, minimizing the noise.
After a moment, very soft bell and string plucking sounds emerged, fading quickly as if carried away by the night wind, almost like an illusion.
But this wasn’t an illusion. The sound was real.
The sound waves, together with a slight snowy breeze, swept across the ground. Two minutes later, from the alley behind the single-story house to a part of the back door of the playground, the talisman paper and dog blood vanished.
Time was limited, and the area they cleared was small. But for now, it was enough.
After clearing the ground, Zhou Qian threw a few pebbles he had picked up earlier onto the road behind.
The rhythmic “tap-tap-tap” of the pebbles was a pre-agreed signal with the hidden ghosts.
At that moment, upon hearing Zhou Qian’s signal, a dozen ghosts appeared.
At Zhou Qian’s gesture, they quickly passed through the school’s back door, heading straight to the playground.
A significant part of the playground was still covered with talisman paper. If the spirits rashly entered the covered area, they would be sealed.
But the S Army soldiers stationed at the playground didn’t know that the talisman paper near the back door had been cleared. When they looked at the back door and saw a group of ghosts rushing at them, they initially believed that the talisman paper was ineffective against them.
The soldiers of the S Army were thrown into a momentary panic. Their formation quickly disintegrated, and they hurriedly discussed countermeasures. Two even ran off with their guns, perhaps to seek advice from an officer.
However, their confusion didn’t last long.
Firstly, these soldiers were well-trained elites from the S Army and would not flee easily when faced with danger. Secondly, they soon realized that the ghosts only hovered near the back door and couldn’t approach them.
After a while, they noticed the ghosts had retreated.
No matter how powerful those two kids were or how many ghosts they sealed, there must be some that slipped through the cracks in the city.
Regardless, with the talisman paper and dog blood covering the playground, it seemed the ghosts couldn’t get in.
This was what the soldiers thought.
They were unaware that during their brief moment of chaos and negligence, four people had sneaked into the playground using the ghosts as a distraction. These individuals then climbed up two tall trees and concealed themselves among the dense canopies.
After the four players successfully sneaked into the playground and hid in the trees, they waited, just as Zhou Qian had suggested.
About fifteen minutes later, the main forces of the S Army arrived.
The school’s back door faced a residential area, with long streets on the other three sides.
From their vantage point in the trees, the players could vaguely see that the three streets were packed with people, giving a sense of the scale of the S Army’s numbers. It was indeed not a situation where players should confront them head-on.
The three wide streets were packed with people. Not only that, but in no time, the back field was occupied by countless soldiers from the S Army. Looking around, the entire field had been divided into squares, with only the central area left empty. That was where our 27 compatriots were tied up.
Soon after, the interrogation of Jiang Yuqing officially began.
The officer that the players had seen before walked out, and he started to loudly berate and threaten Jiang Yuqing.
As befitting someone of a general’s stature, his voice was intimidating, making one’s blood run cold upon hearing it. Even the soldiers from the S Army standing next to him straightened up, not uttering a word or even daring to blink.
Hidden in a tall tree, Zhou Qian remained as still as a mountain, staring intently at the bound Jiang Yuqing.
Though he held a military rank, Jiang Yuqing was always a scholar, having never held a gun. His demeanor was still scholarly and refined. Yet, at this moment, he showed no sign of fear.
Zhou Qian couldn’t see his facial features clearly, but he could see Jiang’s head held high, never once bowing down.
The officer from the S Army approached Jiang Yuqing and whispered something, then suddenly fired his gun.
The target wasn’t Jiang Yuqing, but a compatriot to his left. After a loud gunshot, blood sprayed out, staining half of Jiang Yuqing’s face red. However, he still looked straight ahead, displaying unwavering determination.
Only his clenched fists subtly revealed his inner rage and injustice.
Raising his pistol, the officer blew into the muzzle of the gun. He then had someone untie Jiang Yuqing.
After being freed, Jiang Yuqing was held at gunpoint by two people. Soon, a table was placed in front of him, and a pen was forcibly shoved into his hand.
The officer shouted, “Write down what we want, and we’ll treat you well! But if you’re stubborn, just like how your compatriot just died… the others will suffer the same fate. Every ten minutes, one will die!”
As soon as the officer finished speaking, someone among the compatriots shouted, “Dr. Jiang! Don’t tell them! Once we develop that weapon, we can annihilate all of them! Then, our country will never be in this situation again!”
Another person chimed in, “Yes, Dr. Jiang! Our lives don’t matter! You must never reveal the secret of the weapon to the enemy!”
Two gunshots rang out, and the two individuals were immediately killed.
Jiang Yuqing’s shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably.
The officer pointed his gun at Jiang Yuqing’s face, tapping him with it and said, “You’ve just lost twenty minutes.”
Jiang Yuqing looked at him almost calmly and said, “The experimental data and formula have already been handed over to the Seventh Army’s experimental base. You can kill us all. Consider it as us giving our lives for the people of Cyress City. But don’t expect to hear a word out of me—”
Jiang Yuqing’s words were interrupted by a gunshot, hitting him in the shin.
He stumbled, almost kneeling, but even with the excruciating pain, he managed to hold onto the table and stand.
He’d sworn never to kneel before the enemy!
“You have ten minutes left. After ten minutes, another one dies,” the officer declared. “If I kill six of you, that would take an hour… We don’t have that much time to waste on you. The first six are lucky; I’ll shoot them in the head. The rest… will be tortured. An hour later, I’ll start with their eyes and ears, use electric torture, waterboarding, one by one. When all of them are dead, it’ll be your turn, Dr. Jiang.”
At this moment, near the back door and up a tree, Zhou Qian could feel that He Xiaowei, who was very close to him, was trembling with rage to the point that the treetop started to sway. Pressing down on his shoulder, Zhou Qian said, “Hold on.”
He Xiaowei whispered, “I can’t stand it anymore. I’m so angry! Qian’er, what are you waiting for?”
Even though the situation was dire, Zhou Qian still said, “Wait a little longer. Stay calm.”
Ten minutes later, there was another gunshot as the S Army’s officer executed another person.
He Xiaowei, drenched in sweat, turned to Zhou Qian, but Zhou Qian just sat quietly on the tree trunk, lips pursed tightly together, not saying a word.
Another ten minutes later.
The third compatriot was killed.
This time, he didn’t die from a gunshot. Instead, two people simultaneously stabbed him with their knives.
Out of what seemed like sheer fury, they repeatedly stabbed him, causing blood to instantly flood the floor. Even the white paper placed on the table in front of Jiang Yuqing by the enemy was completely stained red.
The red color seemed to further excite the commander of the S Army.
He chuckled softly, picked up the paper to smell it, seemingly enjoying its scent, and then instructed his subordinates to replace it with a new sheet for Jiang Yuqing to write data and formulas.
The scene was too much for He Xiaowei to bear. He turned to Zhou Qian, almost growling, “Qian’er, you—”
Suddenly, Zhou Qian interrupted in a deep voice, “They’re here!”
Who’s here? What’s here?
Following Zhou Qian’s gaze, He Xiaowei looked towards the bungalows behind them. He saw two little dragons, escorted by ghosts, moving through the darkness and lamplight from the deep alleyways.
The two little dragons hopped around adorably. One held a uniform from the Seventh Army, and the other held a peculiar brush. It was unclear what its purpose was.
The scene was eerily humorous—two frolicking little dragons followed by countless pale, footless spirits.
But He Xiaowei didn’t find it amusing. Sensing what Zhou Qian planned to do, his blood began to boil.
“What’s that brush?” He Xiaowei asked with uncertainty.
Zhou Qian replied, “It’s the [Bling Bling Brush] we got from the last instance. Blood, mud, sweat stains, dust… everything can be cleaned by it. That’s what the skill description says.”
He Xiaowei exhaled a hot breath. “So…”
“So, imagine how powerful the resentment energy would be from the countless spirits in this city, and from all the corpses?”
Zhou Qian drew a knife and made a cut on his wrist.
He spoke softly yet firmly. “I’m amplifying my power.”
Zhou Qian’s abilities were limited. Without the power of resentment, his ultimate skill would be harmless. But the damage from this ability had no limit. With the entire city’s population massacred, Zhou Qian could now channel the city’s anger and injustice to avenge all of them!
As the blood dripped from Zhou Qian’s wrist, He Xiaowei gasped in horror, “Those two little dragons—!!! Oh my god!”
Before He Xiaowei could elaborate, Zhou Qian saw it—the two little dragons had fallen. The city center had been heavily surrounded by the S army. It wasn’t easy for them to get this far under the protection of the ghosts. They probably got shot earlier but forced themselves to run here to show Zhou Qian.
The S Army used two children to seal the ghosts.
Earlier, Zhou Qian had the two dragons discreetly clean up all the dog’s blood and talisman papers in the city to unseal all of them. Using the uniform of the Seventh Army as a signal, he summoned all the spirits to the city’s center. The little dragons, having accomplished their task, turned into dull scales as they collapsed.
Glancing at them, Zhou Qian’s eyes reddened with anger. He then looked back at the center of the playground. Gripping his knife tighter, his health began to drop rapidly.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 70%]
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 40%]
……
“He Xiaowei, you have two tasks. First, in the chaos, work with Situ Qing to clean up the dog’s blood and talisman papers on the playground; second, keep my health stable at 9%!”
At this moment, spirits surged from all directions, forming an overwhelming tide about to engulf the playground. Cries of sorrow, anger, and hatred echoed as they all targeted the S Army.
In the past, they were ruthlessly slaughtered, but their attachment to their homeland kept them lingering.
Today, as powerful spirits, they would seek revenge for themselves, their loved ones, and their violated lands!
Dark clouds loomed abruptly, and the radiance of the stars and moon in the sky was completely devoured. A chilly wind swiftly swept across the entire playground. With the sudden drop in temperature in this region, it was as if the gates of hell had flung wide open, letting out an icy wave tinged with the scent of death. Every member of the S Army shivered, nearly wounded without even battling.
Meanwhile, up in the tree branches.
[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 9%]
Ignoring his pain, Zhou Qian quickly wrapped his injured left wrist with a bandage from his toolkit. He then raised the Rib of God with his right hand, standing tall atop a tree.
“Being the villain that I am, driven by circumstances, if this instance demands me to play the hero, then I shall honor that role.”
“Those who invade our land and massacre our brethren—all must die!”
As his words faded, Zhou Qian leapt down from the tree.
“Bang, bang, bang”, several bullets shot towards him.
Yet, astonishingly, several skeletons appeared rapidly in front of him, blocking all the bullets before falling apart onto the ground.
Seeing this, the officer nearest to Jiang Yuqing was taken aback. He lifted his gun and fired another bullet at Zhou Qian. Yet Zhou Qian, unfazed, continued forward, waving the bone in his right hand. The shattered bones at his feet swiftly reassembled into humanoid forms. Within moments, they surged up again, blocking another bullet for him!
From 300 meters away, that officer panicked, his gun-holding hand trembling. Suddenly, the temperature on the playground dropped further. Thousands of ice and snowflakes solidified from thin air and descended layer by layer, followed by a massive sound wave that flattened the snow and wiped away every talisman and drop of dog blood on the ground.
Beneath the playground lay the corpses of hundreds of teachers and students. At this moment, the seals were suddenly lifted, and hundreds of ghosts appeared. Driven by their own hatred and the Rib of God in Zhou Qian’s hand, they headed towards every soldier on the field.
Simultaneously, as Zhou Qian waved the bone, hundreds of skeletons also rose to their feet. At his command, they charged at the soldiers!
The well-arranged squads on the playground became chaotic. No matter how advanced their weapons, they were no match for the spirits or the fury and thirst for vengeance. Even their elite training didn’t help, as they ran around like headless chickens.
The skeletons feared no bullets; even if blown apart, they could instantly reassemble. The ghosts were impervious to weapons, attacking the myriad of soldiers as if meeting no resistance!
In no time, over a thousand soldiers on the school’s back playground were killed by the skeletons or ghosts. A few who managed to escape the chaos and run out of the school gates found themselves facing hordes of spirits coming in like a tide from the city’s outskirts, consuming them in an instant.
And to their horror, they realized that the main forces on the three streets were entirely disarmed, decimated by the pervasive yin qi, collapsing to the ground in agony.
The situation was more favorable than expected.
The S Army feared ghosts, making children seal them; if they found a way to lift the seals, the ghosts would deal with the S Army. It was a straightforward logic to clear the level.
The most challenging part was dispersing the dense talismans and dog blood in the heavily guarded city core. Without resolving this, spirits from other places couldn’t advance, even if their seals were lifted. But Zhou Qian’s unique skill could forcibly summon spirits from kilometers away under the effect of the Rib of God skill, assembling them into an unstoppable army.
Amidst the overwhelming victory, Zhou Qian stepped forward until he reached the once arrogant officer, now trembling in fear on his knees.
Pulling out a gun he had previously acquired, Zhou Qian pressed it against the officer’s forehead. Without hesitation, he blew the man’s head off.
Blood splattered, and Zhou Qian, with a look of displeasure, stepped aside to avoid the mess. Once the blood had settled, he continued walking. With countless spirits behind him and surrounded by skeletons, amidst the triumphant cheers of the spirits, he approached Jiang Yuqing.
Jiang Yuqing seemed a bit stunned. Due to a gunshot wound in his leg, he couldn’t stand firmly and still clutched the table for support.
Seeing this, Zhou Qian walked over and gently grasped Jiang Yuqing’s wrist, helping him to stand.
Zhou Qian then smiled at him and said softly, “Mr. Jiang, I’ve come to save you.”
Jiang Yuqing turned his head to meet Zhou Qian’s gaze. In that moment, it was as if an invisible dark cloud had dispersed. Zhou Qian could finally see his true appearance.
Kinky Translations 