Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 47

Ke Yuxiao’s words seemed quite reasonable. After hearing his explanation, Li Buhui immediately stopped what he was doing.

He said, “But this is strange. If the little girl who trapped us is an evil spirit, without helping her, we can’t leave. But if we do help her… it might lead to other problems. What should we do?”

Upon hearing this, Yin Jiujui responded, “Guessing now is useless. Let’s not blindly open doors. Let’s look for clues first.”

……

Five minutes later.

Zhou Qian hadn’t found any clues and was instead chatting away in a corner near the window with Wu Ren.

He eventually said, “So, do you understand? Those of us in odd-numbered positions should actually unite.”

“You’re just spouting bullshit. I don’t understand a thing you’re saying,” Wu Ren replied. “Unite odd-numbered positions 1, 3, 5, and 7? But numbers 3 and 5 are already your people. And among 2, 4, 6, that Situ Qing at position 2 seems to be someone you brought too.”

“Time will pass, and everyone’s score will decrease. If we get to that last step, what I’m suggesting is the most likely scenario. Firstly, when it really comes down to it, everyone will probably not cooperate but fight on their own. That’s the first point.”

“Secondly, and more importantly, when the strong ones run out of resources, they are more likely to be killed by the weaker ones because their motive to acquire points is stronger. So, the people in even-numbered positions will probably target me first.”

Wu Ren narrowed his eyes and asked, “What does it have to do with me if they target you?”

Zhou Qian whispered, “If you kill me, you’ll likely be killed in turn. How is that unrelated to you? In this ranking system, both of us, at opposite ends, are equally unlucky.”

Wu Ren didn’t even want to think about Zhou Qian’s logic. He felt his head was about to explode. But after glancing at his watch, he saw a message from his gambler.

[What he said is right, but it’s based on excluding various special cases and simplifying the complicated situation. There are still huge variables. Your main goal is to acquire life points. You might as well just listen to what Zhou Qian really wants.]

Clearing his throat, Wu Ren said to Zhou Qian, “Alright. What do you want me to do after all this talk?”

Zhou Qian smiled and said, “For all the problems I just mentioned, there’s a solution. You are the strongest… so you should lead us.”

Wu Ren looked at Zhou Qian with astonishment. Zhou Qian continued, “If everyone fights on their own, no one can protect themselves. But teaming up can break the logic I just mentioned. When all seven of us form a team, we can break the game.”

Pausing for effect, Zhou Qian, with his dark eyes fixed on Wu Ren, said, “Consider this realm as a kingdom. Now, my people and I are willing to crown you as the king. We will act as your guards. Anyone who resists us will be eliminated.

“As the king, you need to declare—’Whoever dares to harm another, you’ll kill them.'”

“Wu Ge, only someone as strong as you can be a king, and only you saying this will have real deterrent power.”

“Afterwards, you can order your guards, like me, to collect all the life points hidden in this instance. We’ll all be running errands for you…”

Zhou Qian concluded seductively, “Think about it, Wu Ge. As long as you say those words, the world will be yours.”

Wu Ren glanced at his watch again, then said to Zhou Qian, “The world will be mine? Huh, but I’ll be controlled by you, right? I’ll be just a bullshit king—a puppet controlled by you.”

“You’re wrong. Our relationship is mutually restrictive,” Zhou Qian stated seriously. “Among everyone, you’re the one who can kill me the easiest. But I’m also the one you’d least dare to kill. Therefore, the cooperation between the two of us is actually the most reliable and stable. We can fully trust each other.”

Wu Ren, as well as his gambler, couldn’t find any logical flaws in Zhou Qian’s words for the moment.

Zhou Qian was indeed the one he least dared to kill.

If he killed Situ Qing, the second strongest, he might not be afraid. The rest of the people were weaker than her. After leaving this room, everyone might act separately. Even if he ran out of mana, encountering someone with weak attack power, relying on some protective gear and health potions, he might just survive.

On the contrary, if he killed the weakest, Zhou Qian, the probability of encountering someone with strong attack power without mana would be much higher. In the worst case, he might run into Situ Qing, and perhaps there would be no way out.

But after all this thinking, from this perspective, the person Wu Ren should kill the most wasn’t Zhou Qian but the biggest threat to him, Situ Qing. But Situ Qing’s life points probably weren’t much more than his, so rashly killing her might not be a good deal.

What should he do?

Should he really do as Zhou Qian suggested?

After thinking for a while, Wu Ren decided to stand up and temporarily stay away from Zhou Qian, as if he felt that Zhou Qian was some kind of terrifying, bewildering poison. “I’ll look for clues first.”

Watching Wu Ren’s back, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes and smiled, then finally began to get up and explore.

Zhou Qian first glanced at the people busying themselves in the not-so-large study, then turned around to look at the windowsill. The windowsill was covered by thick curtains, and no light from outside could penetrate in. There were no clocks in the study, so no one knew what time it was in the game.

As he approached the curtains, Zhou Qian heard a private message from Qi Liuxing in his headset. “What were you talking to Wu Ren about?”

After listening to Zhou Qian’s reply, Qi Liuxing asked with some surprise, “Do you really support him being the ‘king’?”

“Of course.”

“?”

“I think he could be useful.”

“…”

“But—” Zhou Qian’s pupils darkened in a place where others couldn’t see, “I mainly want to test him.”

“What do you mean?” Qi Liuxing didn’t understand.

Zhou Qian explained, “Someone wanted to target me last time but didn’t succeed. Will they do nothing this time?”

Qi Liuxing became serious. “Do you suspect that among Rain Man Wu Ren, Female Warrior Yin Jiujiu, and Ordinary Faced Li Buhui, one of them might be from the Peach Blossom Legion?”

“Of course,” Zhou Qian said. “And you’re wrong. What if all three of them are?”

Qi Liuxing: “This…”

“But even if someone is from the Peach Blossom Legion, their primary goal is to survive. So, no hurry. Let’s support Wu Ren as the ‘king’ for now. It’s beneficial from a game perspective. Plus, whether or not he’s from the Peach Blossom Legion, it’s a move worth playing.”

As Zhou Qian said this, he pulled the curtains open. Dust accumulated over the years immediately rose into the air. He stepped back, covering his mouth and nose. As the dust settled, he looked at the window.

It was boarded up from the outside, and the view was completely obscured. However, there was a circular hole in the glass, surrounded by numerous cracks. He wasn’t sure what caused the hole.

He tried to push the window but couldn’t. He then took out a hammer from his bag, seemingly planning to force the window open. At this moment, he received a message from Li Xuehai: [Since it’s an escape room, they won’t allow such a simple way out. Be careful of traps.]

“You, being such a traditional person, know about escape rooms?”

Zhou Qian said to thin air and then swung the hammer down. He then received a string of [……] from Li Xuehai.

“I have a reason for smashing the window. There’s a blurry spot on the glass, which makes it hard to see, but I think there’s something between the cracks of the wooden bars outside. I need to take it out and see. Also—”

While Zhou Qian was speaking, he was also simultaneously explaining it to Qi Liuxing through the hidden earpiece.

“Weren’t we just debating several issues? Whether the little girl is an evil spirit? Should we tell her who killed her? Which side should we stand on? Who killed her?”

“Let’s set aside these currently undetermined issues. One fact is almost certain. The little girl and her witch mother are on opposing sides. The little girl is likely trapped by her mother.”

“When Li Buhui went to open the door, he didn’t feel that the door was jammed or sealed. He just felt that when he was opening the door, the little girl was holding onto the doorknob, preventing him from opening it.”

“So we can infer… the witch mother didn’t seal the study door. Otherwise, the little girl wouldn’t need to stop him herself.”

“Therefore, the witch mother might have sealed the little girl, but her target isn’t the study. It’s the entire house, like the main door and all the windows and balconies. But the door from the study to the living room, or to the corridor, wasn’t sealed by the witch mother. It’s just the little girl who doesn’t want us to go out.”

With a “clang”, Zhou Qian had already smashed the glass and began to move the broken pieces one by one.

At the same time, he said, “If you do something that displeases the little girl, your life points will drop. But what if… you try to break the seal set by the witch mother who is opposed to her?”

After clearing the debris, Zhou Qian put on a protective glove to avoid risk and to avoid touching things like blood, which he disliked. He then grabbed the hammer and tried to hit the place where the wooden bar was.

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Qian managed to break the wooden bar with just two hits.

But beyond the wooden bar, there was something else—a large piece of metal. When the hammer hit the metal, it made a loud noise.

However, the thick and sturdy metal seemed to be welded firmly onto the window.

Outside the glass window, there was a wooden bar, and outside the wooden bar was metal. No one knew what might be beyond the metal. At this moment, Qi Liuxing came over, looking thoughtful. “This is like a matryoshka doll. Layer upon layer. It’s weird. Why not just weld the metal directly? The wooden bar inside is meaningless.”

“It’s not strange at all,” Zhou Qian said to him. “Take a wild guess. Why is this happening?”

Qi Liuxing frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ke Yuxiao also approaching. Meeting Qi Liuxing’s gaze, Ke Yuxiao gave him a gentle smile. The look was full of wisdom, as if he had seen through everything.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Qi Liuxing tried to keep a straight face. “Both of you know the answer but won’t tell me, and you both look like you’re testing me? That’s not fair.”

Zhou Qian and Ke Yuxiao exchanged smiles. Zhou Qian then extended his gloved hand.

He had suspected that something was hidden between the wooden bar and the glass. As he was breaking the glass and wooden bar, that thing fell and landed in the gap beneath the window. Now, with the help of the gloves, Zhou Qian retrieved it.

Everyone saw what it was.

It seemed to be a hand, but an extremely bizarre one. The hand had only four fingers; the index finger was missing. The middle, ring, and pinky fingers were all fused together, with green wrinkled skin covered in red spots. Some parts even sprouted gray-white hair, which was quite disgusting.

Nonchalantly lifting up this strange hand, Zhou Qian waved it in front of Qi Liuxing. Not afraid of ghosts, Qi Liuxing was nevertheless disgusted and turned pale.

Seeing this, Ke Yuxiao stepped forward, pulling Qi Liuxing back a step and giving Zhou Qian a disapproving look.

Zhou Qian gazed thoughtfully at him and then raised an eyebrow, asking Qi Liuxing, “Why do you think this hand was stuck between the glass and the wooden bar? Care to use your imagination?”

After a moment, Qi Liuxing got it. No longer just trying to act mature, he truly frowned in concern. “The witch locked up the little girl. Initially, she only sealed the window with wooden bars. But the little girl managed to smash the glass with her bare hands, breaking the wooden bar and reaching out…”

“Her hand, protruding from the window, might have attacked someone, so it was probably cut off by someone, or even her own mother.”

“After that… her witch mother re-sealed the window with new wooden bars. Not only that… she added a layer of metal, welding the window shut completely! That’s the real reason for the presence of both metal and wood.”

“Exactly. And she wasn’t just mindlessly smashing the window. She used force very cleverly,” Zhou Qian added. “Before I smashed the window, I saw there was a hole in the glass. Now, it seems that hole was exactly the size of her fist.”

“Could it be that the little girl is really an evil spirit? Judging by this hand, her body has been eroded by an evil spirit, and she has become some kind of monster,” Qi Liuxing said. “Is her mother the benevolent party?”

At this moment, everyone received a system notification.

[The player attempted to break the glass, triggering the “Guardian’s Seal” protection. Everyone’s life points have increased by 1. At the same time, surveillance of this house will become stricter.]

Zhou Qian glanced at his card, noticing the number “24” remained unchanged. However, the countdown below it had reset to [59:59].

After looking at each other for a while, the one who spoke up was Female Warrior Yin Jiujiu. She first pointed to several places in the room. “A large mirror is shattered, a smaller one is painted black, and the compact mirror has also been broken… We didn’t know the reason then, but now I think I have some idea.”

Lifting a photo album, Yin Jiujiu said, “If you come closer, you’ll see that the little girl was very cute when she was younger. She was probably human at that time. But there’s a photo later on… her face is smeared with ink. I tried using a tool to clean the ink and saw her face. She indeed… looked like a monster.”

“Everyone guessed back then, wondering if her evil spirit is similar to that of a vampire, afraid to see its reflection. But I’ve come across another possibility—”

“From the photos and from the mirrors, the little girl realized she had turned into a monster. Unable to accept it, she destroyed all the mirrors in the room and blackened her own image in the recent photos.”

---

The author has something to say:

Li Xuehai: Can’t you be less rebellious?

Zhou Qian: Can’t you be less conservative?

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 46

The room suddenly became silent.

When no one spoke, the crackling sound of wood burning from the fireplace became especially pronounced.

Casually walking up to the fireplace, Zhou Qian, with half of his face illuminated by the firelight, gave Qi Liuxing a knowing look. Qi Liuxing quickly took out something resembling a Bluetooth earpiece from his bag. This pair of earpieces was called [Secret Call], a small tool given to Zhou Qian by [137] in the previous instance, which allowed two people to chat privately without being overheard.

Now, Qi Liuxing approached the bookshelf, pretending to look at book titles but was actually speaking quietly with his back turned to the others. “Hmm? What’s the situation? I think your third point was spot-on and critical. There are many hidden plot points in this instance. By triggering these plots, we can either increase or decrease our life points. So the rankings earlier really aren’t important—at least not now.”

After some thought, Qi Liuxing added, “I think the early stages are primarily for exploration. Once all areas are explored and everyone’s life points rankings are solidified, some will start killing based on the situation.”

However, Zhou Qian decisively responded, “You’re wrong.”

Qi Liuxing turned his head to glance back and noticed Zhou Qian standing by the fireplace. Facing the flames and his back to the crowd, nobody would suspect that he was discussing anything. The rest of the teammates began exploring the room, seemingly not noticing Zhou Qian’s actions. Qi Liuxing then asked, “What do you mean?”

“Currently, I rank first, Li Buhui is second… and Wu Ren is last.” Zhou Qian queried, “Did you notice that the rankings might have a hidden pattern when viewed from another angle?”

After mentally reviewing the rankings, Qi Liuxing exclaimed, “Oh, I see… If we rank by combat capabilities or killing abilities… Wu Ren would be first!”

Without considering the cunning use of skills or rare items to counter-kill or escape, purely based on combat capability, it was easy to see that the combat rankings of players were inversely related to their life points. Zhou Qian, having the highest life points, also had the lowest combat capability under normal circumstances.

Zhou Qian added, “Furthermore, the system mentioned that players with higher points can’t obtain cards and points from players with lower points after killing them. But this doesn’t mean that high-point players can’t kill those with fewer points. So, in this game, players can freely kill each other. The significance of points is only relevant to whether one can obtain cards after killing.”

Qi Liuxing, taken aback, realized the implications.

Zhou Qian continued, “The life point rankings are merely a smokescreen. As you mentioned earlier, the ranking can change drastically as we uncover the story. But our combat capabilities won’t change, which is the real deciding factor in this game.”

Based on combat capability, the player rankings were: 1. Wu Ren; 2. Situ Qing; 3. Ke Yuxiao; 4. Yin Jiujiu; 5. Qi Liuxing; 6. Li Buhui; 7. Zhou Qian.

People with relatively lower combat capabilities were actually the ones with more points right now.

Wu Ren, who was ranked first, could target everyone ranked below him.

As for Situ Qing, she wouldn’t target Wu Ren. In extreme situations where she needed to kill for points, she would be inclined to target those ranked 3 to 7.

The same logic could be applied to others.

Zhou Qian mused, “Players with higher combat capabilities will target those with lower capabilities. How will the ones with lower capabilities respond?”

Qi Liuxing quickly replied, “If it were me, I’d be wary of those ranked higher in combat. Perhaps… take the initiative and strike first.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “Exactly. Assuming a ‘kill or be killed’ situation, disregarding teaming up, morals, friendships, and the like, and just focusing on maximizing personal benefits and minimizing risks…”

“If you see Yin Jiujiu, ranked ahead of you, running out of mana, knowing that she might try to kill you when her mana recovers in an hour, you’d strike first and kill her.”

“From the perspective of my own survival, I need to analyze the choices of others. So, based on the analysis above, temporarily excluding all special cases, I can abstract the predicament I’m facing into a simple problem—”

“First, everyone wants to kill me. I am the ‘lamb to the slaughter’, and the remaining six of you are hunters.”

“Second, if the top-ranked hunter kills me and loses their mana for an hour, they will surely be killed by the second-ranked person, taking the initiative of striking first. The same logic applies to others.”

Qi Liuxing frowned. “So, we have to analyze the choices of each person? Hmm… If I think in sequence from the beginning, it’s hard for me to analyze.”

Zhou Qian said, “Right, so we should deduce from the back to the front.”

“Ranked 6^th is Li Buhui. Firstly, he can kill me.”

“For those of you ranked in the top five, you can kill him anytime, whether his mana is depleted or not, it doesn’t affect you much. So even if he kills me and drains his mana, he doesn’t care, because even at full energy, he can’t beat any of you.”

“Secondly, as per our previous analysis, if you kill me and lose your mana, Li Buhui will surely kill you. He still doesn’t fear losing his mana because the person who might’ve preemptively targeted him, me, would have already been killed by you.”

“So, what would you do at this time?”

Qi Liuxing quickly replied, “Li Buhui can freely kill without hesitation. If I guess his choice, then to avoid being killed by him, I certainly won’t kill you.”

“Then we can make predictions for two people—Li Buhui might kill me; you won’t kill me.”

With that said, Zhou Qian continued, “Let’s deduce from the back to the front again. The one ranked before you is Yin Jiujiu, in fourth place. Assuming she’s smart and can analyze everything we’ve said…”

“That means she knows you’d be wary of Li Buhui and won’t kill me, her, or anyone else. In other words, she has anticipated your prediction. Under such circumstances, she’d dare to make a move on others!”

Zhou Qian’s voice deepened. “By this logic, the Rank 3^rd Ke Yuxiao won’t make a move, but the Rank 2^nd Situ Qing will.”

“So, to simplify things, in extreme cases, those ranked in even numbers are most likely to target me.”

After a silence of thirty seconds, Qi Liuxing finally comprehended everything and exclaimed, “Impressive…”

“I think my doctor is even more impressive. He sent me a message a few seconds before I figured it out.” Zhou Qian looked up and smiled silently towards a certain direction in the void, then turned his gaze back to the flames in the fireplace.

“Of course, this is a simplified analysis, excluding many special cases. The real situation might be different. However, the three people in even rankings, excluding Situ Qing for now, Yin Jiujiu and Li Buhui are still the ones I need to be cautious of.”

After a pause of three seconds, Qi Liuxing said, “So now we have anticipated their predictions. You’ve explained all this to me… You actually want me to help guard against them, right? Speaking of which—”

At this point, without relying on a private chat earpiece, Qi Liuxing walked to the fireplace. “You’ve been staring at this for so long. What’s in here?”

Beside the coat rack was a cane.

Zhou Qian took the cane, stirred the logs, and pulled out a charred object—shockingly, it was a burned human head.

“What the hell is this?” Qi Liuxing frowned.

“When Li Buhui went to open the door, a ghostly figure of a little girl appeared, preventing him from doing so and asking him to find her murderer,” Zhou Qian said. “Perhaps this little girl was killed in this room.”

After a pause, Zhou Qian added, “Not only was she killed, but she might’ve also been dismembered. We’ve found fingers, some hair, and a skull… There should be other body parts to find.”

Qi Liuxing wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but hearing about a murder or words like “dismemberment” instinctively made him uncomfortable. He said to Zhou Qian, “Let’s look together then. Since we’ve already discovered it, the exploration itself isn’t dangerous. We might lose some points at most. But given that we only have so many hours to survive, it’s better to leave the study sooner.”

While discussing the situation related to the little girl’s body, the two openly conversed aloud, and the rest, hearing it, began to search for related items.

They boldly opened all the cabinets and took down each book from the shelves to inspect.

Qi Liuxing pulled open the large cabinet near the fireplace. The cabinet was mostly empty, with hardly anything inside. But strangely, there was a frame inside.

He took out the frame and noticed some glass fragments on the inner side of the wooden frame.

“This…This is…”

Qi Liuxing began, but Zhou Qian finished his sentence for him. “It’s a mirror frame. Look over there—”

Following the direction of Zhou Qian’s finger, Qi Liuxing saw a trash can.

Setting one end of the frame on the ground so that it leaned against the tall cabinet, Qi Liuxing walked over to the trash can. He quickly realized that it contained many shards of a mirror.

Returning to the wooden frame, he noticed a brown rope attached to one side. He looked around and saw Zhou Qian heading somewhere.

Following Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing saw two nails on the wall. It appeared Zhou Qian had the same realization—there used to be a mirror hanging on the wall in this study. For some reason, someone shattered the mirror, threw the fragments into the trash, and placed the frame back in the cabinet.

Why was the mirror shattered?

Zhou Qian, too, couldn’t figure out the reason. He then began searching the desk for clues.

Ignoring the many details on the tabletop, he opened a drawer. Inside were some hair bands, hair clips, and, surprisingly, another mirror. This one was much smaller, about the size of a palm, and oval-shaped. It was weird, though—someone had painted it black, rendering it useless as a mirror.

A large mirror had been shattered, and a small one had been painted over.

Was someone avoiding looking in mirrors?

What happened next seemed to confirm Zhou Qian’s suspicion. Yin Jiujiu suddenly produced something resembling a makeup compact. The mirror inside it was also broken; its fragments mixed with the powder, creating a chaotic mess.

The group gathered and briefly discussed.

“Why doesn’t she dare to look in the mirror? Is she a vampire?”

“We shouldn’t make wild guesses without new evidence.”

“I agree. We only know she might be an evil spirit. Whether or not she fears mirrors, we can’t say.”

“Hold on. Look at this,” Yin Jiujiu’s voice called from the desk. She held up a photo that Zhou Qian had noticed earlier but hadn’t examined closely.

The photo depicted what seemed to be a witch’s execution. Yin Jiujiu read aloud from the back of the photo—

“Evil witches… are the flowers of evil spreading like a disease in this town! They grow in power, harming the innocent. They will be punished! My mother is also a terrifying witch! She claims I am an evil spirit… and says she will kill and seal me!”

“Damn it, I am just a living human being. I am not an evil spirit! My mother has gone mad… She’s insane!”

“I’ll report her to the town leader! Before she kills me… I’ll have her reported! Then she’ll end up like the woman in this photo, burned alive by flames. Then I won’t die!”

After reading this, Yin Jiujiu commented, “It seems that the little girl was probably killed by her mother. I think her mother wasn’t caught. At least not before her daughter’s death.”

Li Buhui, who had the second-highest number of life points, immediately responded, “What are we waiting for? Let me try opening the door. Maybe if we tell her this, she’ll let us out. And then we can explore other places. Perhaps opening the door will cost me some life points, but maybe solving the little girl’s problem will earn me some. Either way, I think it’s worth the risk!”

It was Ke Yuxiao who stopped him this time.

“No, wait.”

Normally mild-mannered, Ke Yuxiao’s tone was now firm, almost reprimanding, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

Ke Yuxiao was a very mild-mannered person. Zhou Qian’s impression of him was that he was the type to leisurely water plants and play with birds, living a quiet and peaceful life. However, his tone at this moment was quite stern, almost bordering on reprimand. It was clear he considered the situation very serious.

Li Buhui, taken aback by his shout, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ke Yuxiao said, “Assuming our conjecture is correct, the owner of this room is a witch. She believed her daughter to be an evil spirit, so she killed her. She then hid different parts of her daughter’s body in various locations within this room to seal this ‘evil spirit’. Based on this theory, the entity that has trapped us now is the ‘daughter’s’ soul. But should we really help her?”

“She claims she’s not an evil spirit, but what if she really is one…”

“If we hastily release her, what might happen?”

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 45

[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: 1^st Zhou Qian; 2^nd Li Buhui; 3^rd Qi Liuxing; 4^th Yin Jiujiu; 5^th Ke Yuxiao; 6^th Situ Qing; 7^th 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.]

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 44

9:30 in the evening.

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.]

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 43

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.”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 42

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.

He answered and heard the voice of Yun Xiangrong.

Guessing what news Yun Xiangrong might bring, Zhou Qian fell silent, frowning.

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.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Yangzhou asked, noticing Zhou Qian’s silence. “Are you okay?”

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.

“Illness?” Zhou Qian’s brows furrowed. “What illness?”

“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.”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 41

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?”

Zhou Qian: “The Old Testament*.”

*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.”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 40

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.”

---

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

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

---

Chapter 39

On the system panel, time dripped away slowly.

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.]

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Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

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Chapter 38

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?]

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The author has something to say:

Zhou Qian, the relentless interrogator.

Hidden Blade: ??? (Hey, why is this concerning me?)

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