After returning from the broadcasting studio, conversations mostly revolved around the special welfare event announced at the end.
It was not only the type of event; more than that, it was the announcement of the mysterious instructor’s true identity, which was already an all-time favourite topic of trainees and live broadcast viewers alike.
[Omg the true identity of the instructor! Who wouldn’t want to know that!]
[Gather around, anyone down to place bets? Let’s guess who among the trainees is the instructor.]
[Hang on, aren’t you guys forgetting something? Just think. The system’s favourite hobby is digging pits for people to jump into. It wasn’t explicitly stated that the instructor is one of the trainees! So, don’t be so anxious to place bets just in case he turns out to be an alt account of the system. Anyway, the system is full of tricks, I’m not going to fall for it.]
[True that, the guy above has a point. Don’t take what the system says too seriously. Something felt fishy to me when listening to the event details earlier. Even if the system is truly sending freebies, it wouldn’t be gained that easily.]
Amidst the fierce discussion, Zong Jiu led the others with the unconscious Xu Su to the special elevator for A-rank trainees.
Xu Su was also an A-rank now. It was visible, though, from the tear tracks streaking down his face even after passing out, that he was still not at peace. He would rather not have been promoted.
Hoisting Xu Su by his arms, Zhong Yiyuan and Anthony carried him straight to the conference room along the A-rank trainee hallway. The camaraderie that the three of them had struck during the conclusion of Judgement Day had brought them closer to each other. After all, the number of trainees who had chosen the second pathway had hit a ratio of five to twenty three. There was bound to be a revolutionary friendship founded on that shared sympathy.
“Put him on the sofa.”
Zong Jiu directed them, then turned around, ringing a bell to have a butler take care of him.
“Get changed. We’ll reconvene here in half an hour.”
Initially, they were the first to return. Apart from them, Zhuge An, Van Zhuo, Tsuchimikado, and the Exorcist had exchanged greetings with them before heading back to their rooms to clean up and settle down, which Zong Jiu and the rest also did after laying Xu Su down.
He had just stepped back into the hallway when his butler, long anticipating his return, came up to him with a respectful bow and took away his dirt-speckled coat. Immediately after, a pair of comfortably-heated fresh cotton slippers was presented to him.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Hot water has been prepared. If I may suggest, would you like to have some freshly baked scones and afternoon refreshments after your bath?”
Just as Zong Jiu was loosening the buttons of his shirt, his hand paused. His gaze flicked towards the blue bicolored cat by the fireplace.
Having heard the voices, the cat who had curled into a ball haughtily cast him a look through lidded eyes, turning its head over disinterestedly.
Good. That was the attitude that a cat ought to have.
Internally, Zong Jiu shook his head. “A pot of Darjeeling, please.”
He wanted to wash away his fatigue, and a hot bath was the best way to do so.
The young man reclined in the bath, his long white hair spilling like a waterfall and hanging down into the hot water. The damp strands clung to his naked back and shoulders, giving him the image of a seductive snake.
Idling in the bath, Zong Jiu casually reached for the special welfare event handbook that he had placed aside whilst putting in a bubble bomb.
The white bubble bomb rolled over twice before abruptly bursting into a vast expanse of colourful bubbly foam that surrounded him.
Lackadaisically, Zong Jiu raised his head, lifting a hand to flip the page.
[Instructions for the Masquerade Ball]
Ktlr alwf, agjlcffr tjv j akb-wbcat lcafgwlrrlbc yfobgf atf cfza lcrajcmf, jcv atf rsrafw tjv jggjcufv atf yjii ab ajxf qijmf bnfgcluta bc atf atlgalfat bo atf olgra wbcat lcab atf atlgas-olgra.
Ktf rsrafw tjv fzqilmlais gfnfjifv atja atf geifr bo atf obiibklcu lcrajcmf kbeiv yf mbwqilmjafv. Iteuf Cc gfjrbcfv atja, lc jii ilxfiltbbv, atf cfza lcrajcmf kbeiv yf jc V+ gjcx lcrajcmf, ktfgf bcis bcf afcat bo atf rilutais ecvfg akb atberjcv agjlcffr kbeiv regnlnf.
The rules for the Masquerade were as follows:
The ball on the 30th will start at 7 p.m. and end at 10 a.m. the next day. All attendees must wear a costume and a mask to enter. The ball is divided into three segments.The first segment is the entry, for which an hour is allotted.
The second segment will begin at 9 p.m. sharp, officially kicking off the ball. At that time, you may freely invite partners to dance and converse. The instructor will release a clue during this segment. The third segment will commence when a trainee has successfully found the instructor from the crowd.
During the third segment, the successful trainee can invite the instructor to a dance. After a dance, if he can correctly guess the true identity of the instructor, the mystery grand prize of the Masquerade is his.
The aforementioned covered the event segments and the mystery prize.
Next in the rulebook were the general rules, which would also reward other trainees. After all, it was meant to be a special welfare event, and that couldn’t be achieved simply by participating in a ball.
First, the rulebook gave a friendly tip for all trainees to go to the indoor city on the ground floor to purchase clothes and accessories for themselves.
Because when the ball began, everyone would be wearing different costumes and masks to make their entrance.
Survival points would be rewarded based on the number of identities that were correctly deduced, under the pretext of not exposing their own identity.
Following the same logic, survival points would be deducted based on the number of people who had correctly identified them.
The rulebook also mentioned that height and body shape could be changed at the indoor city’s fashion boutique on the eve of the ball.
One could only imagine many ways people could run rogue at a masquerade.
After all, they weren’t playing house here. At the end of the day, they were getting survival points out of this. If the next instance was an S+ instance where the usage of props was limited, then survival points would undoubtedly become extremely useful.
To prevent trainees from doing a complete makeover, however, the system would force them to retain three distinctive features about them, and the system would also release clues to other trainees on occasion to keep the game exciting.
After he finished reading, Zong Jiu tossed the rulebook aside, his brows tightly scrunched together.
Rolling white steam obscured his countenance, and the colour tinged at the narrow ends of his eyes also seemed to ripple.
If he had any suspicions initially, they were essentially confirmed after reading the rulebook.
There was no doubt now that this was a blatant invitation.
Currently, there were less than a handful of people who were aware that No. 1 was the instructor. He didn’t know if No. 2 perceived the same, but in any case, Zong Jiu and Zhuge An were well aware of each other.
Setting aside all else, the next step in the countermeasures that Zong Jiu and Zhuge An discussed was to unveil the true identity of the instructor as No. 1 as soon as possible, lest innocent trainees get on the wrong side.
Therefore, the Masquerade Ball was a blatant ploy and provocation.
As the leader of the other side of the alliance, Zong Jiu not only had to find the Devil from the costumed crowd but also ruthlessly expose his identity as a trainee for all to see.
Although he didn’t know what it signalled that the system was trying to malign its ally, even if it was a ploy, Zong Jiu had to get in on it.
After establishing that, Zong Jiu abruptly rose up and then dove into the bath filled with hot water and colourful bubbles.
He did a few laps under the water before breaching the surface again. His fingers combed back the wet hair covering his forehead, and he stepped out of the bath, eyes narrowed into slits.
While a lot had happened during the Judgement Day instance, to Zong Jiu, he had always been clear on where he stood.
It was indeed interesting to see what kind of instance would have forged such a malicious and twisted personality as No. 1’s. The cause and effect made sense; in a way, Zong Jiu, who was extremely similar to him, was the person able to understand best.
He and the Devil had always been two of a kind. They didn’t care about the past, nor did they let any gloom from the past leave a shadow on them. Levering this knowledge to try and act against a madman was pointless.
Therefore, this past was no more than an interlude, and the lethal antagonism between them remained completely unaffected.
Or maybe not.
Zong Jiu donned his best clothes and picked up the fresh windbreaker that was placed to one side. His gaze, cast down, was inscrutable.
Just as how the little Devil, as an adult, was reluctant to kill him, Zong Jiu also discovered that he was similarly no longer able to do so.
He had countless opportunities in Judgement Day to resolve the little Devil at his weakest moment. However, every time, he chose not to.
That was frankly preposterous considering how rarely he experienced emotion.
Could even arch-enemies feel a spiritual connection?
The white-haired young man snorted at the thought that had sprouted in his mind. He lifted the cup of Darjeeling tea prepared to the side that was at the perfect temperature, downed it all, and then left the room with the butler respectfully bowing at his departure.
When Zong Jiu entered the conference room at the end of the hallway, Xu Su was awake.
He wasn’t much better awake than he was when unconscious. He still lay numbly on the sofa, not making any move to get up, his pupils lax and without the usual spark of life.
Xu Sen’s death had been too heavy a blow to him. Others could easily see that within this short time, Xu Su visibly aged. It was as though his soul had also followed Xu Sen into death, leaving behind a walking zombie.
Frowning, the white-haired young man glanced at Zhuge An who was standing aside, having arrived much earlier yet keeping his eyes shut and lips sealed.
“Why? You are thinking that you might as well die, right?”
Xu Su’s current appearance caused Zong Jiu to smile tightly. “I should really let Xu Sen see the way you are now.”
At the familiar name, Xu Su seemed to snap out of his formerly soulless state all of a sudden.
His lips parted yet not a word emerged. Tears that he couldn’t restrain streamed down like a conditioned reflex.
“That’s enough. It isn’t as though there is no solution. Have you forgotten what the grand prize of the Thriller Trainee competition is?”
Xu Su abruptly sat up on the sofa like a desperate man clutching onto his last, fragile lifeline.
A universal wish ticket.
The system promised a wish ticket that would even fulfil delusions of godhood, instantanously.
With that universal wish ticket, wishing for resurrection… was not outside the realm of possibility.
But then, the hard-gained spark that had entered Xu Su’s eyes soon dimmed.
It was general knowledge that only the first place among the final hundred trainees in the last round of the competition would be able to win that ticket.
Xu Su had determination and courage, but when he thought of the more powerful figure and S-ranks looming ahead of him, he couldn’t help the despair that overcame him.
He was also clear that the solution Jiu-ge mentioned was his last hope. His situation was no different from a terminally ill patient hanging on from a drip—as the march of death closed in, he was uselessly feeding saline into his body and quenching his thirst.
“Don’t look so down. Listen closely.” Zong Jiu patted his shoulder. “I’m saying this as your big brother. For now, I don’t have any particular wish I want to make. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, there’s a chance that I’ll wish for all contenders who died in the infinite loop to be resurrected.”
At this, Xu Su leapt up from the sofa like a rocket, then actually fell to his knees and kowtowed to Zong Jiu, tears and snot flying behind him.
“Jiu-ge… I will follow you with all my heart! From now on, ge, you are my true brother. If you ask me to die, I will do it at once!”
As long as there was hope, even the most desperate could have the strength to carry on.
Conversing, they barely noticed that Zhuge An had suddenly opened his eyes, the expression in his dark irises difficult to capture.
But Zong Jiu turned his head over just then. “You arrived first and saw Xiao-Xu sitting here in such a maudlin mood. Instead of resting your eyes, shouldn’t Master Zhuge have deigned to console him, too?”
Zhuge An’s dark irises flicked away. He said placidly, “I’m not skilled at relationship problems.”
“That can’t be. Have you never dated?”
Zong Jiu regarded the other suspiciously, thinking that it wasn’t as though this guy possessed the same innate bug that made him have an emotional deficiency. There was no sign that this guy was the kind that kept himself pure and chaste.
The dark-haired man didn’t answer this question but instead closed his eyes, coldly declaring, “A wise man does not fall in love.”
Zong Jiu: ???
Good lord. There seemed to be nothing wrong with saying that, yet upon closer inspection, it was genuinely caustic! It was tantamount to deriding every mortal who had ever been in love, even lauding himself for not having fallen for the same temptation in the end.
After returning from the broadcasting studio, conversations mostly revolved around the special welfare event announced at the end.
It was not only the type of event; more than that, it was the announcement of the mysterious instructor’s true identity, which was already an all-time favourite topic of trainees and live broadcast viewers alike.
[Omg the true identity of the instructor! Who wouldn’t want to know that!]
[Gather around, anyone down to place bets? Let’s guess who among the trainees is the instructor.]
[Hang on, aren’t you guys forgetting something? Just think. The system’s favourite hobby is digging pits for people to jump into. It wasn’t explicitly stated that the instructor is one of the trainees! So, don’t be so anxious to place bets just in case he turns out to be an alt account of the system. Anyway, the system is full of tricks, I’m not going to fall for it.]
[True that, the guy above has a point. Don’t take what the system says too seriously. Something felt fishy to me when listening to the event details earlier. Even if the system is truly sending freebies, it wouldn’t be gained that easily.]
Amidst the fierce discussion, Zong Jiu led the others with the unconscious Xu Su to the special elevator for A-rank trainees.
Xu Su was also an A-rank now. It was visible, though, from the tear tracks streaking down his face even after passing out, that he was still not at peace. He would rather not have been promoted.
Hoisting Xu Su by his arms, Zhong Yiyuan and Anthony carried him straight to the conference room along the A-rank trainee hallway. The camaraderie that the three of them had struck during the conclusion of Judgement Day had brought them closer to each other. After all, the number of trainees who had chosen the second pathway had hit a ratio of five to twenty three. There was bound to be a revolutionary friendship founded on that shared sympathy.
“Put him on the sofa.”
Zong Jiu directed them, then turned around, ringing a bell to have a butler take care of him.
“Get changed. We’ll reconvene here in half an hour.”
Initially, they were the first to return. Apart from them, Zhuge An, Van Zhuo, Tsuchimikado, and the Exorcist had exchanged greetings with them before heading back to their rooms to clean up and settle down, which Zong Jiu and the rest also did after laying Xu Su down.
He had just stepped back into the hallway when his butler, long anticipating his return, came up to him with a respectful bow and took away his dirt-speckled coat. Immediately after, a pair of comfortably-heated fresh cotton slippers was presented to him.
“Welcome back, sir.”
“Hot water has been prepared. If I may suggest, would you like to have some freshly baked scones and afternoon refreshments after your bath?”
Just as Zong Jiu was loosening the buttons of his shirt, his hand paused. His gaze flicked towards the blue bicolored cat by the fireplace.
Having heard the voices, the cat who had curled into a ball haughtily cast him a look through lidded eyes, turning its head over disinterestedly.
Good. That was the attitude that a cat ought to have.
Internally, Zong Jiu shook his head. “A pot of Darjeeling, please.”
He wanted to wash away his fatigue, and a hot bath was the best way to do so.
The young man reclined in the bath, his long white hair spilling like a waterfall and hanging down into the hot water. The damp strands clung to his naked back and shoulders, giving him the image of a seductive snake.
Idling in the bath, Zong Jiu casually reached for the special welfare event handbook that he had placed aside whilst putting in a bubble bomb.
The white bubble bomb rolled over twice before abruptly bursting into a vast expanse of colourful bubbly foam that surrounded him.
Lackadaisically, Zong Jiu raised his head, lifting a hand to flip the page.
[Instructions for the Masquerade Ball]
Ktlr alwf, agjlcffr tjv j akb-wbcat lcafgwlrrlbc yfobgf atf cfza lcrajcmf, jcv atf rsrafw tjv jggjcufv atf yjii ab ajxf qijmf bnfgcluta bc atf atlgalfat bo atf olgra wbcat lcab atf atlgas-olgra.
Ktf rsrafw tjv fzqilmlais gfnfjifv atja atf geifr bo atf obiibklcu lcrajcmf kbeiv yf mbwqilmjafv. Iteuf Cc gfjrbcfv atja, lc jii ilxfiltbbv, atf cfza lcrajcmf kbeiv yf jc V+ gjcx lcrajcmf, ktfgf bcis bcf afcat bo atf rilutais ecvfg akb atberjcv agjlcffr kbeiv regnlnf.
The rules for the Masquerade were as follows:
The ball on the 30th will start at 7 p.m. and end at 10 a.m. the next day. All attendees must wear a costume and a mask to enter. The ball is divided into three segments.The first segment is the entry, for which an hour is allotted.
The second segment will begin at 9 p.m. sharp, officially kicking off the ball. At that time, you may freely invite partners to dance and converse. The instructor will release a clue during this segment. The third segment will commence when a trainee has successfully found the instructor from the crowd.
During the third segment, the successful trainee can invite the instructor to a dance. After a dance, if he can correctly guess the true identity of the instructor, the mystery grand prize of the Masquerade is his.
The aforementioned covered the event segments and the mystery prize.
Next in the rulebook were the general rules, which would also reward other trainees. After all, it was meant to be a special welfare event, and that couldn’t be achieved simply by participating in a ball.
First, the rulebook gave a friendly tip for all trainees to go to the indoor city on the ground floor to purchase clothes and accessories for themselves.
Because when the ball began, everyone would be wearing different costumes and masks to make their entrance.
Survival points would be rewarded based on the number of identities that were correctly deduced, under the pretext of not exposing their own identity.
Following the same logic, survival points would be deducted based on the number of people who had correctly identified them.
The rulebook also mentioned that height and body shape could be changed at the indoor city’s fashion boutique on the eve of the ball.
One could only imagine many ways people could run rogue at a masquerade.
After all, they weren’t playing house here. At the end of the day, they were getting survival points out of this. If the next instance was an S+ instance where the usage of props was limited, then survival points would undoubtedly become extremely useful.
To prevent trainees from doing a complete makeover, however, the system would force them to retain three distinctive features about them, and the system would also release clues to other trainees on occasion to keep the game exciting.
After he finished reading, Zong Jiu tossed the rulebook aside, his brows tightly scrunched together.
Rolling white steam obscured his countenance, and the colour tinged at the narrow ends of his eyes also seemed to ripple.
If he had any suspicions initially, they were essentially confirmed after reading the rulebook.
There was no doubt now that this was a blatant invitation.
Currently, there were less than a handful of people who were aware that No. 1 was the instructor. He didn’t know if No. 2 perceived the same, but in any case, Zong Jiu and Zhuge An were well aware of each other.
Setting aside all else, the next step in the countermeasures that Zong Jiu and Zhuge An discussed was to unveil the true identity of the instructor as No. 1 as soon as possible, lest innocent trainees get on the wrong side.
Therefore, the Masquerade Ball was a blatant ploy and provocation.
As the leader of the other side of the alliance, Zong Jiu not only had to find the Devil from the costumed crowd but also ruthlessly expose his identity as a trainee for all to see.
Although he didn’t know what it signalled that the system was trying to malign its ally, even if it was a ploy, Zong Jiu had to get in on it.
After establishing that, Zong Jiu abruptly rose up and then dove into the bath filled with hot water and colourful bubbles.
He did a few laps under the water before breaching the surface again. His fingers combed back the wet hair covering his forehead, and he stepped out of the bath, eyes narrowed into slits.
While a lot had happened during the Judgement Day instance, to Zong Jiu, he had always been clear on where he stood.
It was indeed interesting to see what kind of instance would have forged such a malicious and twisted personality as No. 1’s. The cause and effect made sense; in a way, Zong Jiu, who was extremely similar to him, was the person able to understand best.
He and the Devil had always been two of a kind. They didn’t care about the past, nor did they let any gloom from the past leave a shadow on them. Levering this knowledge to try and act against a madman was pointless.
Therefore, this past was no more than an interlude, and the lethal antagonism between them remained completely unaffected.
Or maybe not.
Zong Jiu donned his best clothes and picked up the fresh windbreaker that was placed to one side. His gaze, cast down, was inscrutable.
Just as how the little Devil, as an adult, was reluctant to kill him, Zong Jiu also discovered that he was similarly no longer able to do so.
He had countless opportunities in Judgement Day to resolve the little Devil at his weakest moment. However, every time, he chose not to.
That was frankly preposterous considering how rarely he experienced emotion.
Could even arch-enemies feel a spiritual connection?
The white-haired young man snorted at the thought that had sprouted in his mind. He lifted the cup of Darjeeling tea prepared to the side that was at the perfect temperature, downed it all, and then left the room with the butler respectfully bowing at his departure.
When Zong Jiu entered the conference room at the end of the hallway, Xu Su was awake.
He wasn’t much better awake than he was when unconscious. He still lay numbly on the sofa, not making any move to get up, his pupils lax and without the usual spark of life.
Xu Sen’s death had been too heavy a blow to him. Others could easily see that within this short time, Xu Su visibly aged. It was as though his soul had also followed Xu Sen into death, leaving behind a walking zombie.
Frowning, the white-haired young man glanced at Zhuge An who was standing aside, having arrived much earlier yet keeping his eyes shut and lips sealed.
“Why? You are thinking that you might as well die, right?”
Xu Su’s current appearance caused Zong Jiu to smile tightly. “I should really let Xu Sen see the way you are now.”
At the familiar name, Xu Su seemed to snap out of his formerly soulless state all of a sudden.
His lips parted yet not a word emerged. Tears that he couldn’t restrain streamed down like a conditioned reflex.
“That’s enough. It isn’t as though there is no solution. Have you forgotten what the grand prize of the Thriller Trainee competition is?”
Xu Su abruptly sat up on the sofa like a desperate man clutching onto his last, fragile lifeline.
A universal wish ticket.
The system promised a wish ticket that would even fulfil delusions of godhood, instantanously.
With that universal wish ticket, wishing for resurrection… was not outside the realm of possibility.
But then, the hard-gained spark that had entered Xu Su’s eyes soon dimmed.
It was general knowledge that only the first place among the final hundred trainees in the last round of the competition would be able to win that ticket.
Xu Su had determination and courage, but when he thought of the more powerful figure and S-ranks looming ahead of him, he couldn’t help the despair that overcame him.
He was also clear that the solution Jiu-ge mentioned was his last hope. His situation was no different from a terminally ill patient hanging on from a drip—as the march of death closed in, he was uselessly feeding saline into his body and quenching his thirst.
“Don’t look so down. Listen closely.” Zong Jiu patted his shoulder. “I’m saying this as your big brother. For now, I don’t have any particular wish I want to make. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, there’s a chance that I’ll wish for all contenders who died in the infinite loop to be resurrected.”
At this, Xu Su leapt up from the sofa like a rocket, then actually fell to his knees and kowtowed to Zong Jiu, tears and snot flying behind him.
“Jiu-ge… I will follow you with all my heart! From now on, ge, you are my true brother. If you ask me to die, I will do it at once!”
As long as there was hope, even the most desperate could have the strength to carry on.
Conversing, they barely noticed that Zhuge An had suddenly opened his eyes, the expression in his dark irises difficult to capture.
But Zong Jiu turned his head over just then. “You arrived first and saw Xiao-Xu sitting here in such a maudlin mood. Instead of resting your eyes, shouldn’t Master Zhuge have deigned to console him, too?”
Zhuge An’s dark irises flicked away. He said placidly, “I’m not skilled at relationship problems.”
“That can’t be. Have you never dated?”
Zong Jiu regarded the other suspiciously, thinking that it wasn’t as though this guy possessed the same innate bug that made him have an emotional deficiency. There was no sign that this guy was the kind that kept himself pure and chaste.
The dark-haired man didn’t answer this question but instead closed his eyes, coldly declaring, “A wise man does not fall in love.”
Zong Jiu: ???
Good lord. There seemed to be nothing wrong with saying that, yet upon closer inspection, it was genuinely caustic! It was tantamount to deriding every mortal who had ever been in love, even lauding himself for not having fallen for the same temptation in the end.
