◎ Outsmarting Him ◎
The walls of the corridor were covered in countless bloody handprints, as if something were trapped within them. Through the filthy glass, one could see the abyss like darkness of the outside world.
The wall clock ticked steadily, its markings long since faded into illegibility. He Yupu glanced at it and then back at the handprints. “It seems to be approaching 2:30 AM. Get downstairs, quickly!”
While an ordinary person might not notice anything, He Yupu was skilled in metaphysics and possessed heightened senses. He could keenly perceive that the resentment trapped behind the wall with the red handprints was about to break free.
Shen Weiran tilted his head in confusion, about to ask why. However, as his body accidentally brushed against a bloody handprint, a chill crawled slowly up his ankle. Every cell in his body screamed at him to flee.
As he gripped the handle to turn and head downstairs, he stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet. Since entering the game, Shen Weiran had never experienced such an intense sense of crisis.
The fluorescent lights on the second floor were blindingly bright. A few newcomers were huddled together, crying. When they saw the others return alive, they were initially in disbelief, only calming down once they were pulled into a room and hidden away.
The newcomers had assumed their deaths were inevitable. Seeing the others return not only alive but also able to deal with the situation with composure gave them a sense of security. Tearfully, one asked, “Are we still going to die?”
Xie Jingyan dragged in the bespectacled man, whose body had temporarily become a corpse, and used a cabinet to block the door. His tone was flat. “Possibly. We have already angered the landlady and the little ghost.”
The newcomers were desperate but pressed on. “What happened up there?”
Xie Jingyan curled his lips. “Found some clues, but now is not the time to chat.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than eerie laughter echoed from outside the door. Dry, long fingernails scratched against the translucent glass, creating a chilling sound that made one’s skin crawl.
“Come out. What are you doing in there? Come out and play with us, hehehe!”
The next moment, a blood soaked, mangled face pressed against the glass. Its black eyeballs rolled around, eventually locking onto He Yupu, its expression bordering on obsessive.
He Yupu’s expression remained unchanged. He picked up a cup of water from the table and splashed it onto the glass without hesitation, then plastered a newspaper over it, blocking the landlady’s prying gaze.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
Xie Jingyan looked at He Yupu’s slender back and said hesitantly, “Xiao Pu, have you had conflicts with them before? I keep feeling that they are specifically targeting you.”
Shen Weiran sat in a chair, wiping the blood off his gun with a tissue. “That is because He Yupu has a god tier item.”
Xie Jingyan did not give He Yupu a chance to speak.
He walked up to He Yupu, reached out to touch his head, and asked gently, “Does Xiao Pu have a god tier item?”
Warning bells rang in He Yupu’s heart. He vaguely felt that Xie Jingyan was acting strange.
“What is that?”
Xie Jingyan replied, “Just a few pieces of broken parchment.”
He Yupu tilted his head, looking at him with clear, lively eyes like a cat. He looked troubled. “I have it, but it is a very important item. I cannot just give it to you.”
“To us? Why did you categorize me as an outsider?”
Xie Jingyan stroked his face, his voice sounding bewitching. “Xiao Pu, if it is what I want, is that also not allowed?”
Just as He Yupu was about to find an excuse to refuse, a white light flashed before his eyes. Subtitles appeared without warning, tinged with malice.
[Ah! Even my patron has times when he needs me. This is simply wonderful!]
[But what should I do? My patron actually wants this item. Someone told me it is very important.]
[Who told me that? I cannot quite remember.]
[Never mind. Since my patron wants it, I will give it to him. My patron will surely love me even more!]
He Yupu did not want to give it up. His blue eyes held a clear, gentle quality, and his red lips and white teeth caught the light as he looked at the man with eyes that seemed veiled in mist.
[System appraisal initiated: Skill points 5, Random dice roll 6 (6 > 5).]
[Beginner charm failed. The player will suffer 30 seconds of electric shock punishment. Please prepare yourself.]
A faint current crawled slowly up his spine. Every fiber of He Yupu’s being felt the pain of a thousand needles. His face turned deathly pale, and blood spilled from his lips, making him look fragile and pitiable.
Xie Jingyan acted as if he did not see his suffering. The air pressure around him dropped, and his smiling voice sounded like a blade. “If Xiao Pu is this guarded against me and unwilling to bring it out, then we have nothing more to say. Let us part ways here.”
Before He Yupu could react, the system flashed wildly, followed by sharp, piercing warnings.
[Warning!]
[Warning!]
[Player is about to act out of character. Character enters the elimination phase.]
[10 second countdown starting now.]
As the system shocked him, He Yupu’s entire body cried out in pain. A wave of dizziness hit his brain. Forcing himself to stay conscious, he handed over the parchment fragments hidden in his pocket.
Xie Jingyan’s lips curled into a smile. He took the parchment and raised a hand, looking down to wipe away the tears of pain from the corner of the other man’s eyes.
The other man seemed to be whispering something, so Xie Jingyan leaned down to his lips.
He Yupu squeezed his eyes shut and said in a small, tearful voice, “You cannot stop liking me.”
The countdown stopped at 1, and the system ceased its red flashing.
[Player has resolved the OOC crisis. Please maintain this state.]
Xie Jingyan looked surprised, half lowering his gaze at him. Deep in his eyes, turbulent shadows churned. It was as if he had discovered something novel, and a frantic joy spread through his heart.
“Of course not, my little lover. Anything you want, I will do for you.”
No sooner had he spoken than a heavy banging sound came from outside the door, one beat at a time. The hearts of the players inside felt as if they were about to leap out.
Xie Jingyan gripped his triangular bayonet and thrust it in the direction of the door. He Yupu closed his eyes at the same time, until the faint smell of blood permeated the air.
He Yupu looked up to see Xie Jingyan strangling a frantically struggling shadow with one hand, while his left thumb wiped away the blood from his own lips with a cold laugh.
Xie Jingyan walked to the far end of the room, smashed the window glass with one hand, and pulled himself up. He hung outside the inn, his body half submerged in the endless darkness.
He Yupu asked, “Where are you going?”
“To help you lure the enemies away.”
Lure them away?
The moment Xie Jingyan shattered the window, He Yupu was essentially certain that there was something wrong with him.
“Brother Xie, can you help me solve all these bad people? You once promised me that you would protect me unconditionally.”
He Yupu raised a hypocritical smile, his beautiful eyes reflecting the man’s figure. “If you are willing to protect me, I will give you a little reward.”
[NPC He Yupu has issued a task.]
Xie Jingyan froze, forced to accept the system task.
He had been outsmarted by He Yupu.
Chapter 13: The Dilapidated Inn
◎ Backstabbing ◎
The fluorescent light overhead hummed. The window was covered in a thick layer of condensation, and ghosts drifted past the door from time to time, but all of them were gathering in the direction Xie Jingyan had left.
The woman in white looked at the translucent window, worried. “Why is there such a thick mist outside? The landlady and the little ghost will both become very strong. Is Xie Jingyan really fine on his own?”
He Yupu cleared the items off the table with his bare hands and sat weakly on the old furniture, his back leaning against the cold wall.
He lifted his swan like neck and breathed through parted lips, looking fragile and slender, like a moth with broken wings.
He Yupu appeared saddened by Xie Jingyan’s departure. Even Shen Weiran, with his fiery temper, could not help but walk over and sit quietly by his side.
[What is the meaning of that guy named Xie? If you do not want your wife, give her to me! Such a beautiful wife!] +8 points awarded.
[Sob, even my wife’s sadness is so beautiful.] +21 points awarded.
In truth, He Yupu was simply exhausted. He leaned his full weight against the wall, taking a long time to let his overtaxed heart stabilize.
He was not worried about Xie Jingyan; his intuition told him that Xie Jingyan was likely more powerful than all the other players combined.