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Published at 25th of October 2023 11:17:24 AM


Chapter 283.2

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The moment the black mist vanished into the statue, all the bronze bells around fell silent.

Simultaneously, the braziers hanging in the four corners of the room extinguished.

In that instant of the braziers being extinguished, everyone suddenly surged forward, scrambling to reach the braziers and tipping the contents into their mouths with utmost haste.

The papers inside the braziers had already burnt into black ashes. The braziers were still hot from the recent flames, yet these people seemed utterly unaware, grabbing handfuls of black ash as if they were starving ghosts and stuffing them into their mouths.

These things should be the “fushui water” that Square-Face mentioned before.

But it looked like just ordinary yellow paper.

The wood and plant ash had been sterilized by the high temperatures so eating them shouldn’t be an issue, at most, it might give one a stomachache.

To confirm his suspicion, Bai Lixin glanced at Young Yama.

Just as Young Yama was about to explain, Shen Mo took the earplugs out of Bai Lixin’s ears and explained, “It’s just regular paper, there’s no impact, at most, it might give them a stomachache.”

“Since a certain someone let the thing escape, there’s no need for us to stay here. Shall we go back?”

Just as Shen Mo spoke, the air around them suddenly distorted.

The next moment, they felt the ground shake, and everything before their eyes transformed, looking like reflections on water.

The stone statue swayed like ripples before disappearing like a mirage the next second.

In the mist, everyone halted their actions.

They wiped the ash from the corners of their mouths, their expressions numb as they stood up from the ground and dispersed in all directions.

Bai Lixin quickly found Square-Face and Long-Face in the crowd. Concerned that they might lose their way in the mist, the group wasted no time and promptly followed behind them.

After following behind them for a while, the mist gradually dispersed and the familiar scene reemerged before them.

Unknowingly, they had returned to the front of the car.

Square-Face and Long-Face had regained consciousness at some point, and upon seeing the four people walking towards them, Square-Face eagerly came forward. He licked his lips with satisfaction and asked, “So, how was it? Was the fushui water tasty?”

Everyone: “…”

‘Uh…’

Long-Face had a completely satisfied expression, “ I feel refreshed and invigorated after leaving Lady Yuexian’s Temple, the fushui water is truly divine. If possible, I could drink a basin of it.”

Bai Lixin: “…”

‘It’s probably better not to.

Though it only causes a stomach ache, having too much is unhealthy.’

“What did you guys see and hear in the temple just now?” After contemplating for a couple of seconds, Bai Lixin looked at Square-Face and asked.

Square-Face: “What did we see? Of course, we saw the manifestation of the Lady Yuexian.”

Bai Lixin: “Did you hear the sound of bells?”

“Bells?” Square-Face pondered for a while before suddenly realizing, “You mean the Sanskrit hymn? Yes, I heard it, it sounded so beautiful.”

“What Sanskrit hymn? It was clearly the sound of a guzheng.” Long-Face countered.

Square-Face: “How could it be the sound of a guzheng? It was so ethereal and profound, it was clearly Sanskrit.”

Long-Face: “I mean the musical instrument, the guzheng.”

Seeing the unceasing debate between the two, the group exchanged glances, bid their farewells, and returned to the car.

The driver yawned with one hand supporting his cheek, “Where did you guys go? They were fine just a moment ago. Why are they arguing now?”

Xia Chi: “Don’t ask, just drive. This isn’t something we can meddle in.”

The driver suddenly looked at the arguing pair with meaningful eyes, then turned the car around and sped away.

—————————-

Livestream chat.

[A sentence from Xia Chi is enough to bring tears to others.]

[The driver totally got the wrong idea.]

[Haha, the driver’s expression is priceless.]

——————————

“They heard different sounds, so it seems those bells might have hallucinogenic effects.” On the way back, Xia Chi turned his head to look at Bai Lixin and asked, “Brother, what exactly is that mass of black mist?”

“I don’t know either.” Bai Lixin shook his head regretfully.

“If I’m not mistaken, it should be an ancient god.” Young Yama rubbed his forehead and whispered.

Bai Lixin: “An ancient god?”

Young Yama: “In ancient times, people worshiped deities. Many places had their own deities, and many temples were built. However, with the development of modern technology, the domains of these deities have been increasingly restricted. At the same time, fewer and fewer people worship them.”

“Many deities are actually born from human beliefs. They thrive on human faith, fulfilling humans’ wishes. If the last belief disappears, these deities will die.”

“That temple seems quite dilapidated. The building is in a state of ruin, evident from the spiderwebs on the ceiling and the ashes on the ground. I speculate that it’s probably an unwilling deity that lures humans there and survives by intermittently absorbing their faith.”

“While they are referred to as deities, ‘divine spirits’ is a more accurate term. They are born to cater to humans in specific environments. They don’t have a divine origin; they can’t venture far from their own temple or enter the divine realm. Their purpose is to serve humanity. When humans need them, they worship them. When humans don’t need them, they ignore them.”

“I’ve witnessed the death of too many deities while in the Underworld. This time, we didn’t catch it and it has become wary. If we want to find it, we must first locate the true geographical position of this temple.”

Bai Lixin: “I understand. Thank you.”

The driver continued driving with the navigation, occasionally glancing through the rearview mirror with a contorted face, deeply puzzled and conflicted.

‘What’s going on?

Deities?

Worship?

Underworld?

Oh, I see, they must be talking about a play.’

Young Yama continued, “I’ll check in the Underworld and see if I can find the actual location of this temple.”

Bai Lixin: “When will you go back?”

Young Yama: “There’s no time to waste, I’ll go right now. I’ll be quick.”

Bai Lixin nodded, “Alright, take your time on the road.”

The next moment, Young Yama vanished from the car.

The driver suddenly slammed the brakes, causing the car to sway on the road. It swerved and twisted for a few meters before regaining stability.

‘What, what’s going on!

Was that a ghost?!’

————————————–

In the live broadcast room

[Driver: You rascal, did you want to scare me to death?]

[Uncle Driver takes the credit for today’s laughter.]

[Ah, what a pity. I was looking forward to the showdown between stepson and stepfather fighting for God Xin. I didn’t expect Master Tuanzi to leave so soon.]

[Didn’t you hear Master Tuanzi say he’ll be right back? He might already be on his way back.]

As this barrage message floated by, Tuanzi, who had disappeared earlier, suddenly reappeared in his seat.

His pale cheeks had a touch of redness, and he panted as he sat down, “I didn’t find it, but I’ve asked White Wuchang to look into it. He’ll inform us when he finds out.”

Shen Mo cast an indifferent glance at Tuanzi.

Tuanzi frowned and defiantly looked back.

‘Trying to hog my papa?

Not a chance.’

Although this person looked exactly like his cheap old Father Yama, through testing, it was clear that he had no knowledge of the underworld’s affairs.

Plus, his cheap Father Yama was at least a minor deity, while this one was a serpent.

So they clearly weren’t the same person, okay?

Xin Xin allowed this person to be around because he resembled his cheap Father.

So he’s just a substitute.

‘Xin Xin is such a perfect person, there’s simply no one in the world who can match him.

I won’t let this smelly snake take advantage of Bai Lixin.’

The driver drifted again.

His arms trembled as he gripped the steering wheel, his pupils constricting as he stared behind.

Xia Chi glanced at the driver sympathetically, “Uncle, he used to be a magician. What he just performed was a grand vanishing act.”

The driver swallowed hard, his face turning even paler.

‘Though I might not be educated, I’m no fool.

Today’s really been a day of ghosts. And what’s up with this road? The scenery wasn’t like this when we came, okay?’

—————————–

[Driver: It’s just a few short minutes, but I’ll need a lifetime to recover from this.]

[The driver’s reaction is probably how a normal person would react to something supernatural.]

[I thought Master Tuanzi had gone offline, but he came back in seconds. He really doesn’t want to miss any chance to bond with his papa.]

[The big boss has praise his “ filial child.”]

[”Filial Piety Until Death”]

——————————–

[Ding! Player death x1, current remaining players: 9. All players must complete their profession tasks diligently.]

On the way back, the system’s prompt suddenly echoed simultaneously in the players’ minds.

A stone cast a thousand ripples, and the group chat exploded.

Mohawk: [! Someone died? Who was it?!]

Checkered Shirt: [If the person is dead, can someone still come out and tell you who they are?]

Business Suit Man: [Don’t panic, everyone just calm down. Let’s all report in the group to confirm who’s here.]

Bangs: [The nanny player hasn’t spoken since yesterday. Could it be…?]

Quickly, players started reporting their safety one after another in the group chat.

By the time the last person sent their message, the baby-faced nanny player still hadn’t spoken.

In the group chat, a moment of silence ensued.

A few seconds later, Business Suit Man said: [There are only nine of us in the group. Someone left at the beginning of the game. So, the one who died might not necessarily be the baby-faced player; it could also be the female player.]

Mohawk: [But why did they die?!]

Bangs: [We’re in a horror copy. Isn’t death normal? I think the most probable cause of death is not performing the profession tasks well. I bumped into her at the supermarket a couple of days ago. She looked quite worn out. She mentioned working day and night.]

Another brief silence followed.

Business Suit Man: [Since we know how she died, let’s take it as a lesson. I’m currently doing door-to-door sales, so I’ll be busy.]

Checkered Shirt: [I’m busy too, sorry.]

Death was nothing new to players on the higher floors.

When a player dies, other players’ greater shock doesn’t stem from concern for that player but rather the reminder of the lesson that player provides.

Humans never truly share feelings through empathy.

Just as everyone was starting to breathe easier, the system’s voice chimed again.

[Ding! Player death x1, current remaining players: 8. All players must complete their profession tasks diligently.]

The recently pacified group chat erupted again!

Business Suit Man: [!!! Another one died? Who is it this time?!]

Mohawk: [This time, we can be sure. It’s likely the female player who left at the beginning and the baby-faced nanny. We were all talking just now, so it’s probably her.]

Checkered Shirt: [Let’s report the headcount again; someone might have died in that split second just now.]

Checkered Shirt’s words had just fallen when the system’s prompt rang out again!

[Ding! Player revived x1, current remaining players: 9. All players must complete their profession tasks diligently.]

Checkered Shirt: [??? Could this system be malfunctioning?]

Business Suit Man: […]

Bangs: [Forget it. Let whoever dies die. They didn’t do their tasks properly. I still have work to do. Sorry, I don’t want chatting to cost me my job.]

The roller-coaster-like system messages made the group chat tense, and the players stopped sending messages.

Xia Chi sneakily looked back at Bai Lixin and opened a private chat: [Brother, the person who died might be the nanny.]

Bai Lixin: [How do you know?]

Xia Chi: [The nanny player also works at Golden Sea Luxury Apartments. Sometimes, I encounter her during my shifts. I wasn’t working yesterday afternoon; I was strolling around the neighborhood and bumped into her. She was crying heavily at the time and when I asked her what happened, she hesitated and said she got fired by her employer.]

Xia Chi: [When the nanny player wasn’t speaking last night, I got worried that she might have received a system punishment. But I never received a system notification, so I didn’t mention it. After all, saying something like that would sound like cursing someone to death, which isn’t good.]

[I’m quite certain about her, but what about the one who died and came back to life? Is it Sun Ning?]

Sun Ning was the female player who initially left to explore alone. They encountered her once while searching for the landmark. She belonged to the Furious Flame Guild, the second ranked guild. She used to be the vice-president, but during a power shift within the guild, she became an elder.

Among the ten people who entered this copy, Sun Ning was one of them.

However, Sun Ning left the moment they entered the copy, and she never collaborated with them throughout.

Thus, in the group chat for the ten-player copy, there were only nine participants.

After pondering for two seconds, Bai Lixin replied to Xia Chi: [I don’t know.]

Even though they agreed to share their progress in the group chat every night at 7 PM, it didn’t necessarily mean he fully trusted the other players.

Just as he didn’t fully trust the other players, the other players might not completely trust him either.

After so many floors, many players had become sly foxes over time.

If face-to-face interactions could still contain lies, what more could be expected from a group chat?

While the heart should never harbor malicious intent, the cautious mind should never disappear either.

Bai Lixin: [Did the female player who drew the nanny task tell you why she was fired?]

Xia Chi: [She didn’t say, but…]

Bai Lixin: [But what?]

Xia Chi: [But I saw what seemed to be burn marks on her arm. I don’t know if she did it to herself or… anyway, I consoled her for a long time then. When we parted, she said she would go back to apologize and seek understanding.]

[Brother, I want to visit the place where that player works. Is that alright?]

[…] Bai Lixin checked the time on his phone, then responded, [Alright. Do you know the address? I’ll go with you.]

Xia Chi: [I don’t know, but I can find out.]

As the vehicle was nearing the city area, Shen Mo received a call from the production crew, instructing him to return for filming.

They happened to pass by Golden Sea Luxury Apartments, and Bai Lixin and Xia Chi got out of the car.

Young Yama also got out of the car.

Seeing the triumphant expression on Young Yama’s face, Shen Mo’s expression darkened.





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