Ding Li shivered all over, keeping her head down as she walked forward while raising a hand to rub her temple. She groaned, “Ah my head hurts so much I am poisoned.”
The cold voice drew closer, “I thought about it and decided to follow Sister Ding. Since Sister Ding is so confident we do not need to rush.”
Ding Li forced a bitter smile and said to Lin Ziyuan, “Junior Brother we have been wandering in this forest for a long time. If we keep going like this, even if we find a way out it will be too late. If we end up with the lowest ranking, will the Senior Sister be upset?”
Lin Ziyuan responded awkwardly, “Yes yes.”
Xiao Wenjing said, “Then Sister, please quickly find a solution so we can get a good ranking.”
Is that right? Now you are the big shot right? How can you expect a bottom-tier student to figure this out for you? You copied the wrong person’s homework. Be careful or you might end up last.
Ding Li looked at Xiao Wenjing, but seeing the scowling junior sisters on either side gave her another headache.
Ding Li said, “Senior Brother Xiao, do you remember the time we went down the mountain three years ago?”
Xiao Wenjing looked at her.
Ding Li said, “What I mean is this is completely not…”
Before she could finish, in the next second Ding Li was pulled into an invisible space.
No light no color, total darkness.
As expected Ding Li sighed silently.
Even if she might reveal a hint of the system or expose any possibility of its existence, the system would erase such behavior at all costs.
Sure enough, in the next second the long-absent mechanical voice of the system echoed in her mind, “Please host, follow the game rules and complete all tasks set by the system.”
Fine.
Ding Li walked forward through the dark space. After a short distance, a miserable scream reached her ears.
Which unfortunate soul is this?
It sounded like someone being attacked.
How tragic.
Ding Li walked calmly forward and soon saw the scene ahead.
It was extremely eerie.
Half of her body hidden in the darkness, she stared straight ahead.
It was as if a stage curtain had opened, a beam of light shining on the center of the area, and in the center, there were two people.
The one lying on the ground had half of their face destroyed, flesh and blood mangled. The remaining half face was unmistakable to Ding Li.
It was her own face.
Ding Li froze.
Even though she knew the person on the ground was Su Xiangqing, seeing a face identical to hers on someone else, the face she had looked at in mirrors for over twenty years, made her shiver.
And the person crouched in front of her had a face she also knew well.
It was Xiao Wenjing.
Of course Ding Li had always known her eventual death was tied to Xiao Wenjing, and she knew she would die painfully.
But seeing the scene with her own eyes, a deep fear buried in her soul surged out.
Her entire heart felt like it was being gripped, making it hard to breathe.
Su Xiangqing’s clothes were torn in many places, exposing flesh that was rotting in large patches. The ground beneath her was stained with a thin layer of blood.
She looked extremely pained, her blood nearly drained.
Her throat could barely make a sound as she gasped for air, reaching out in vain to touch Xiao Wenjing’s robe.
She was trying to plead for Xiao Wenjing to spare her.
But Xiao Wenjing crouched in front of her with only a cold and eerie smile.
They were close but Su Xiangqing could not reach him.
Xiao Wenjing spoke slowly, voice low and cruel, “This is your end Su Xiangqing. Soon your blood will attract the Soul-Eating Ants. They will burrow into your skin, drink your blood, gnaw your flesh and bite your bones. Piece by piece they will consume your organs in a process that will seem endless. You will recall your life before you die in despair.”
He tilted his head and said slowly, “I did not want you to die this quickly. There are still many fun things I have not had a chance to try with you.”
“Such a pity. If I had known I would have turned you into a human pig. Then I would not have to worry about you escaping. I could have taken my time and you could have played with me for a long while. Do you agree?”
His expression was sinister and inhuman. Ding Li froze in fear and stepped back instinctively.
On the ground Su Xiangqing closed her eyes in pain, blood tears flowing from the corners, giving a bitter laugh of mockery and despair.
Xiao Wenjing squinted slightly, his face showing extreme disgust as he stood and took a step back.
Ding Li thought he was leaving the scene, but he did not.
He only stepped a few paces back leaning against a stone wall, his gaze cold on Su Xiangqing struggling on the ground.
He looked indifferent as if it was none of his business but he persisted in standing there as if he had to see some ritual complete.
That is Su Xiangqing. That is not me, Ding Li reminded herself repeatedly.
This is just an illusion. This is not real. Ding Li thought. As long as I kill Xiao Wenjing I can exit this illusion.
Ding Li drew her sword and stepped out from the shadows.
Xiao Wenjing’s gaze remained on Su Xiangqing. He could not perceive her approach in the illusion.
She realized this.
She walked slowly to Xiao Wenjing and raised her sword.
If she struck now he would die. Without him the illusion would vanish.
Ding Li gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and used all her strength to swing the sword.
In the next second her hand was tightly grabbed.
Ding Li’s eyes shot open.
Before her was Xiao Wenjing’s cold face.
Reality and illusion overlapped. Ding Li’s pupils were constricted. How could this be?
Xiao Wenjing spoke, his voice icy as ever, “What did you see?”
Huh?
Ding Li frowned as her mind raced. She realized this was reality not an illusion.
Xiao Wenjing asked again, “Who did you see?”
Seeing his face now she felt only endless exhaustion and disgust. Fear was secondary.
She did not want to speak or even look at him.
She sincerely wished Xiao Wenjing would disappear mysteriously. She wished this anti-social character never existed in Crossing Over the Green Tea to Love You.
She never wanted to see that face again.