After that, the suite submerged into long-lasting silence.
It was just as he said. Choosing to help Class 9 was merely because he had given his word.
As for why he avenged index 99 and index 15, it was mostly due to Zong Jiu being royally pissed from not being able to fulfil the vow he set out to do at the start.
Even if he stepped in to help, it wasn’t motivated by anything more than that he just so happened to be in a good mood at the moment, and so lent a hand in passing. The difference between him and the Devil was the method with which they derived entertainment. This type of compassion, on the contrary, was filled with self-exaltation. He wasn’t moved by suffering per se, but he simply felt that it was unnecessary.
AD
As for others’ joys and sorrows—he was born with a film between him and the world. He couldn’t even understand it, much less sympathize.
The dark-haired man gave a start, his ever-indifferent countenance easing marginally.
“Sometimes the distinction between good and evil is not obvious. The process isn’t important. As long as it ends up well, you are a good person.”
Having just showcased his ruthless side, Zong Jiu had no clue how to respond to this.
In the course of his lifetime, the first person to issue him a good man card was Zhuge An. This guy was usually extremely astute, which added a lot of invisible weight to this good man card he issued.
The white-haired young man was silent for a long time. When he spoke, there was an imperceptible falter in his tone.
“…If you say so.”
Zhuge An regarded him, in a rare moment, with a trace of an indescribable emotion surfacing from the depths of his heart.
If it must be put to words, it could be inspired by pity.
AD
Emotions were not all bad, but it was truly rather pitiable if a person faced difficulty in understanding them.
It would be difficult for him to experience friendship, affection, and even love. He would be unable to reciprocate the same amount of sentiment to his loved ones, nor would he shed a tear at a funeral. He would be alone, for he could not have friends, much less passions. The joys and sorrows of the world were irrelevant to him, a phantom wandering in a world of mortals.
Zhuge An didn’t know if No. 1 was also like the Magician, with a natural emotional barrier. It was undeniable in the end that it wasn’t strange for such people to do anything. After all, for them, all of creation on earth was lacking in flavour, and so they could only seek their own entertainment.
To the Devil, he found amusement in others’ pains and pleasure.
Then, to the Magician…
At this point, Zhuge An suddenly understood.
He remembered what Zong Jiu said in the first instance.
A great magician whose hands were once crippled, losing him the ability to ever again hold cards, had learned despair in the world
If he wanted to do evil, he should have broken free from the fetters and turned into an existence like the Devil long ago, back when his fate had tumbled to the lowest point in life.
But Zong Jiu didn’t.
This not only reinforced Zhuge An’s earlier conclusion that Zong Jiu set the fetters around himself, but also illuminated the meaning behind it.
At this, Zhuge An shut his eyes, his heart struck by a pang of ruefulness.
No wonder he was the Saviour foretold by the Taiji Eight Trigrams.
Qjr atfgf jcsbcf wbgf ojafv ab yf fcfwlfr atjc atfw, ktb kfgf rb qbijg lc atflg ilxfcfrr?
Zjsyf la kjr yfmjerf bo atflg lcaglcrlm jaagjmalbc ab fjmt batfg, atja atfs mbeiv bcis wffa fjmt batfg klat vjuufgr vgjkc.
Ktfgf kjrc’a fnfc j cffv ab afra atlr, Iteuf Cc atbeuta. Lf rtbeivc’a tjnf yffc rb rxfqalmji.
Silence held in the room, the only sound being the young man taking small sips of soy milk.
The fireplace was still crackling, flames dancing and flickering brightly.
“Did he extend an invitation to you?”
Zong Jiu indifferently replied, “Yeah.”
One of the more comfortable things about talking to smart people was it wasn’t necessary to expound on every word, because they could extrapolate and work out the conclusion themselves.
Right now, for example, Zhuge An discerned the Devil to still be waiting for the Magician’s response to his invitation, and what consequences awaited Zong Jiu after his refusal.
“If you refuse, then you will truly be enemies.” Zhuge An said indifferently, “His goal is to control all S-ranks, which you will rise to sooner or later, so conflict and contention are inevitable between the two of you. You should be clear about this.”
“Yeah.” The white-haired young man nodded and put the emptied glass of soy milk back on the table. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Congratulations, while I don’t plan to join you on your venture of dubious merit, at least at this stage we have the same goal.”
“I trust you haven’t come to reminisce with me.” Zong Jiu smiled. “I have already expressed my sincerity. If you, good sir, have no intent to prove yourself, then please return.”
“No hurry.”
Zhuge An brushed his lapels, taking a seat on the sofa once more, looking like he had finally resolved to have a long talk with him.
“Truth be told, I have a plan.”
Zong Jiu, “…?”
Snapping into military-advisor-offering-counsel mode just like that?
…
Zhuge An and Zong Jiu had a long talk from sunrise to sundown.
Zong Jiu’s attitude to Zhuge An was naturally, as before, in equal measures believing and distrustful—because he still remembered the tarot reading that told him Zhuge An was deceiving him somewhere. However, when he used the excuse of using the bathroom to use the Tarot Deck, he was stunned to find this guy was being very sincere this time, no tricks at all.
After sending Zhuge An off, Zong Jiu spent a long time in thought.
Now, this was weird. Can a single conversation really mean so much? Zhuge An’s attitude was adamantly suspicious before, yet now took a drastic 180-degree turnaround.
He shook his head, went into the bathroom to change, and then slowly walked out of his suite.
It was only eight in the evening, still a few hours to midnight when Rainbow Amusement Park opened.
Zong Jiu came out because he received messages from a few B-rank trainees.
This collective instance really fostered friendships, such as between the ninety-seven trainees of Class 9.
Everyone agreed to go to the rooftop bar for drinks after returning to the trainee dormitories, so it was set for tonight.
When Zong Jiu arrived at the rooftop, everyone else was already present.
After the special event, its ambience now resembled a regular bar, with laser lights and an in-house DJ spinning grooves. The tables previously used for the King’s Game had now become a performance stage.
Further off, ninety-six people were seated around a large table, notably with two full glasses of alcohol placed in the centre.
“Jiu-ge‘s here!”
“Hi, Jiu-ge. Have a drink!”
Everyone was a little tipsy by now, the rims of their eyes red. Whatever it was that they were talking about, the atmosphere was warm.
Seeing them like this, Zong Jiu casually took a glass of wine from a waiter standing to the side, toasting. “Still and all, it’s good to have survived.”
Yet the words seemed to flick a switch. Their eyes turned even redder.
After the First High School instance, they were mostly still at B-rank, with only a small handful among them rising to A-rank. Yet harking back to the hundred and twenty days in that instance now, they still couldn’t help but feel sad.
After three rounds of drinks, someone suddenly asked, “Jiu-ge, are you planning to set up your own organisation?”
At this question, everyone at the table instantly looked over, all eyes burning as they waited for his answer.
Zong Jiu paused, prevaricating slightly, “I am considering it.”
With that, the few trainees who had risen to A-rank cottoned on.
Zong Jiu had always avoided troublesome matters such as setting up an organisation.
This time, however, he did have his reasons for being so active.
Everyone knew that high-ranking trainees were able to get clues about the next instance in advance.
A-rank trainees were already at the top of the entire Thriller Trainee programme, so it went without saying that they received a fair amount of clues.
Zhuge An too, with his identity as No. 3, would naturally have access to even more.
Such a long discussion would not have been chit-chat but a preliminary plan for the future based on the present situation.
In the next instance, the hint left by the system for high-ranking trainees was that it was a collective instance.
A-ranks would know a bit more, so Zong Jiu also knew the next instance wasn’t randomly assigned but one that trainees could choose to enter.
Since it was possible to enter as a group, then there was much more room to play with. Rather than being assigned to a sloppy team, why not form a team with people that could be trusted?
It was also because of this team-based collective instance that Zhuge An shared a plan with him.
No. 3 wasn’t optimistic about the whole S-rank situation now, because nearly half of them were already under the Devil’s manipulations. Zong Jiu, thinking of No. 8, the Holy Son, and Black-Robed Azan, understood deeply.
Since future conflict was inevitable, then it was better to make the first move.
After yesterday’s evaluation, Zhuge An contacted Tsuchimikado and the Exorcist. He believed these two were less likely to be controlled by the Devil.
In other words, Zhuge An had already paved the way for Zong Jiu. It was up to Zong Jiu to decide whether or not to join this ‘insurgence’ against No. 1. Even if he didn’t, Zhuge An would still fight back to stop the Devil’s unbridled behaviour.
But Zong Jiu didn’t give it excessive thought.
He had long prepared himself for the situation he was in today.
The Devil had always been poised at the helm. This time, Zong Jiu jumped at the chance to be the first to plunge a knife into his back.
He had never been afraid of anyone. Besides, antagonising the Devil was much more entertaining than working with him, one of the most entertaining things Zong Jiu could find at this stage.
So, Zong Jiu and Zhuge An had discussed it and agreed to put on a grand show at the amusement park this time.
Not only in the amusement park, but also in the upcoming collective instance. He intended to deliver a surprise beyond anything the Devil could imagine.
Of course, the first step of the plan was to pretend to agree to the Devil’s offer of cooperation.
The trainees at the table were jubilant to hear that Zong Jiu was considering setting up an organisation.
“Jiu-ge, if you do, all of us are willing to follow you.”
“Yeah, even though it’s just an instance, we sincerely take you as our ‘big brother’. Jiu-ge, it’s amazing that you’ve made it to A-rank so quickly when you’re just a newcomer.”
“Exactly, let us ride on Jiu-ge‘s coattails.”
Contenders were heartless, purportedly. But they were still human, so how was it possible for them to really have no heart?
The more perilous the situation, the more one’s ability manifested. The Magician had indeed won over their hearts.
“We’ll see. The opportunity might come sooner than you think.”
Zong Jiu smiled. “Don’t worry about the next instance first. Do any of you plan to enter the Halloween Massacre Escape? Shall we team up?”
After that, the suite submerged into long-lasting silence.
It was just as he said. Choosing to help Class 9 was merely because he had given his word.
As for why he avenged index 99 and index 15, it was mostly due to Zong Jiu being royally pissed from not being able to fulfil the vow he set out to do at the start.
Even if he stepped in to help, it wasn’t motivated by anything more than that he just so happened to be in a good mood at the moment, and so lent a hand in passing. The difference between him and the Devil was the method with which they derived entertainment. This type of compassion, on the contrary, was filled with self-exaltation. He wasn’t moved by suffering per se, but he simply felt that it was unnecessary.
AD
As for others’ joys and sorrows—he was born with a film between him and the world. He couldn’t even understand it, much less sympathize.
The dark-haired man gave a start, his ever-indifferent countenance easing marginally.
“Sometimes the distinction between good and evil is not obvious. The process isn’t important. As long as it ends up well, you are a good person.”
Having just showcased his ruthless side, Zong Jiu had no clue how to respond to this.
In the course of his lifetime, the first person to issue him a good man card was Zhuge An. This guy was usually extremely astute, which added a lot of invisible weight to this good man card he issued.
The white-haired young man was silent for a long time. When he spoke, there was an imperceptible falter in his tone.
“…If you say so.”
Zhuge An regarded him, in a rare moment, with a trace of an indescribable emotion surfacing from the depths of his heart.
If it must be put to words, it could be inspired by pity.
AD
Emotions were not all bad, but it was truly rather pitiable if a person faced difficulty in understanding them.
It would be difficult for him to experience friendship, affection, and even love. He would be unable to reciprocate the same amount of sentiment to his loved ones, nor would he shed a tear at a funeral. He would be alone, for he could not have friends, much less passions. The joys and sorrows of the world were irrelevant to him, a phantom wandering in a world of mortals.
Zhuge An didn’t know if No. 1 was also like the Magician, with a natural emotional barrier. It was undeniable in the end that it wasn’t strange for such people to do anything. After all, for them, all of creation on earth was lacking in flavour, and so they could only seek their own entertainment.
To the Devil, he found amusement in others’ pains and pleasure.
Then, to the Magician…
At this point, Zhuge An suddenly understood.
He remembered what Zong Jiu said in the first instance.
A great magician whose hands were once crippled, losing him the ability to ever again hold cards, had learned despair in the world
If he wanted to do evil, he should have broken free from the fetters and turned into an existence like the Devil long ago, back when his fate had tumbled to the lowest point in life.
But Zong Jiu didn’t.
This not only reinforced Zhuge An’s earlier conclusion that Zong Jiu set the fetters around himself, but also illuminated the meaning behind it.
At this, Zhuge An shut his eyes, his heart struck by a pang of ruefulness.
No wonder he was the Saviour foretold by the Taiji Eight Trigrams.
Qjr atfgf jcsbcf wbgf ojafv ab yf fcfwlfr atjc atfw, ktb kfgf rb qbijg lc atflg ilxfcfrr?
Zjsyf la kjr yfmjerf bo atflg lcaglcrlm jaagjmalbc ab fjmt batfg, atja atfs mbeiv bcis wffa fjmt batfg klat vjuufgr vgjkc.
Ktfgf kjrc’a fnfc j cffv ab afra atlr, Iteuf Cc atbeuta. Lf rtbeivc’a tjnf yffc rb rxfqalmji.
Silence held in the room, the only sound being the young man taking small sips of soy milk.
The fireplace was still crackling, flames dancing and flickering brightly.
“Did he extend an invitation to you?”
Zong Jiu indifferently replied, “Yeah.”
One of the more comfortable things about talking to smart people was it wasn’t necessary to expound on every word, because they could extrapolate and work out the conclusion themselves.
Right now, for example, Zhuge An discerned the Devil to still be waiting for the Magician’s response to his invitation, and what consequences awaited Zong Jiu after his refusal.
“If you refuse, then you will truly be enemies.” Zhuge An said indifferently, “His goal is to control all S-ranks, which you will rise to sooner or later, so conflict and contention are inevitable between the two of you. You should be clear about this.”
“Yeah.” The white-haired young man nodded and put the emptied glass of soy milk back on the table. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Congratulations, while I don’t plan to join you on your venture of dubious merit, at least at this stage we have the same goal.”
“I trust you haven’t come to reminisce with me.” Zong Jiu smiled. “I have already expressed my sincerity. If you, good sir, have no intent to prove yourself, then please return.”
“No hurry.”
Zhuge An brushed his lapels, taking a seat on the sofa once more, looking like he had finally resolved to have a long talk with him.
“Truth be told, I have a plan.”
Zong Jiu, “…?”
Snapping into military-advisor-offering-counsel mode just like that?
…
Zhuge An and Zong Jiu had a long talk from sunrise to sundown.
Zong Jiu’s attitude to Zhuge An was naturally, as before, in equal measures believing and distrustful—because he still remembered the tarot reading that told him Zhuge An was deceiving him somewhere. However, when he used the excuse of using the bathroom to use the Tarot Deck, he was stunned to find this guy was being very sincere this time, no tricks at all.
After sending Zhuge An off, Zong Jiu spent a long time in thought.
Now, this was weird. Can a single conversation really mean so much? Zhuge An’s attitude was adamantly suspicious before, yet now took a drastic 180-degree turnaround.
He shook his head, went into the bathroom to change, and then slowly walked out of his suite.
It was only eight in the evening, still a few hours to midnight when Rainbow Amusement Park opened.
Zong Jiu came out because he received messages from a few B-rank trainees.
This collective instance really fostered friendships, such as between the ninety-seven trainees of Class 9.
Everyone agreed to go to the rooftop bar for drinks after returning to the trainee dormitories, so it was set for tonight.
When Zong Jiu arrived at the rooftop, everyone else was already present.
After the special event, its ambience now resembled a regular bar, with laser lights and an in-house DJ spinning grooves. The tables previously used for the King’s Game had now become a performance stage.
Further off, ninety-six people were seated around a large table, notably with two full glasses of alcohol placed in the centre.
“Jiu-ge‘s here!”
“Hi, Jiu-ge. Have a drink!”
Everyone was a little tipsy by now, the rims of their eyes red. Whatever it was that they were talking about, the atmosphere was warm.
Seeing them like this, Zong Jiu casually took a glass of wine from a waiter standing to the side, toasting. “Still and all, it’s good to have survived.”
Yet the words seemed to flick a switch. Their eyes turned even redder.
After the First High School instance, they were mostly still at B-rank, with only a small handful among them rising to A-rank. Yet harking back to the hundred and twenty days in that instance now, they still couldn’t help but feel sad.
After three rounds of drinks, someone suddenly asked, “Jiu-ge, are you planning to set up your own organisation?”
At this question, everyone at the table instantly looked over, all eyes burning as they waited for his answer.
Zong Jiu paused, prevaricating slightly, “I am considering it.”
With that, the few trainees who had risen to A-rank cottoned on.
Zong Jiu had always avoided troublesome matters such as setting up an organisation.
This time, however, he did have his reasons for being so active.
Everyone knew that high-ranking trainees were able to get clues about the next instance in advance.
A-rank trainees were already at the top of the entire Thriller Trainee programme, so it went without saying that they received a fair amount of clues.
Zhuge An too, with his identity as No. 3, would naturally have access to even more.
Such a long discussion would not have been chit-chat but a preliminary plan for the future based on the present situation.
In the next instance, the hint left by the system for high-ranking trainees was that it was a collective instance.
A-ranks would know a bit more, so Zong Jiu also knew the next instance wasn’t randomly assigned but one that trainees could choose to enter.
Since it was possible to enter as a group, then there was much more room to play with. Rather than being assigned to a sloppy team, why not form a team with people that could be trusted?
It was also because of this team-based collective instance that Zhuge An shared a plan with him.
No. 3 wasn’t optimistic about the whole S-rank situation now, because nearly half of them were already under the Devil’s manipulations. Zong Jiu, thinking of No. 8, the Holy Son, and Black-Robed Azan, understood deeply.
Since future conflict was inevitable, then it was better to make the first move.
After yesterday’s evaluation, Zhuge An contacted Tsuchimikado and the Exorcist. He believed these two were less likely to be controlled by the Devil.
In other words, Zhuge An had already paved the way for Zong Jiu. It was up to Zong Jiu to decide whether or not to join this ‘insurgence’ against No. 1. Even if he didn’t, Zhuge An would still fight back to stop the Devil’s unbridled behaviour.
But Zong Jiu didn’t give it excessive thought.
He had long prepared himself for the situation he was in today.
The Devil had always been poised at the helm. This time, Zong Jiu jumped at the chance to be the first to plunge a knife into his back.
He had never been afraid of anyone. Besides, antagonising the Devil was much more entertaining than working with him, one of the most entertaining things Zong Jiu could find at this stage.
So, Zong Jiu and Zhuge An had discussed it and agreed to put on a grand show at the amusement park this time.
Not only in the amusement park, but also in the upcoming collective instance. He intended to deliver a surprise beyond anything the Devil could imagine.
Of course, the first step of the plan was to pretend to agree to the Devil’s offer of cooperation.
The trainees at the table were jubilant to hear that Zong Jiu was considering setting up an organisation.
“Jiu-ge, if you do, all of us are willing to follow you.”
“Yeah, even though it’s just an instance, we sincerely take you as our ‘big brother’. Jiu-ge, it’s amazing that you’ve made it to A-rank so quickly when you’re just a newcomer.”
“Exactly, let us ride on Jiu-ge‘s coattails.”
Contenders were heartless, purportedly. But they were still human, so how was it possible for them to really have no heart?
The more perilous the situation, the more one’s ability manifested. The Magician had indeed won over their hearts.
“We’ll see. The opportunity might come sooner than you think.”
Zong Jiu smiled. “Don’t worry about the next instance first. Do any of you plan to enter the Halloween Massacre Escape? Shall we team up?”
