Chapter 51

“Zhu Ming, how did you end up looking like this? Are you alright?” Sun Ningning reacted very quickly, putting on an expression of concern as she asked.

“Alright, you can drop the act,” Zhu Ming waved her hand impatiently, her gaze toward Sun Ningning filled with danger. “Sun Ningning, there’s no past grudge between us. Do you not realize that picking a fight for no reason is asking for a beating?”

Sun Ningning gave an awkward laugh. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. I was walking perfectly fine in the labyrinth, and you two suddenly pulled me here. What exactly do you want?”

Zhu Ming turned her head to glance at Yin Yu. Yin Yu had the appearance of someone simply enjoying a good show. Only when Zhu Ming directed her gaze at her did she speak: “If Miss Sun is unwilling to confess, I can take out your props for you.”

At this point, Sun Ningning’s heart jumped. Although she didn’t know how Yin Yu was so clear on that point, she already realized she could no longer keep up the pretense.

Sun Ningning clenched her teeth, her expression shifting. “Fine, fine! So what do you two want?”

Yin Yu’s finger tilted sideways, pointing at Zhu Ming. She smiled. “Naturally, to listen to my boss’s commands.”

The instant that form of address—boss—entered her ears, Zhu Ming felt goosebumps erupt all over her body. She rubbed her arms vigorously. The look she directed at Sun Ningning was exceptionally hostile. “What do you think? You’ve made me this miserable, and you think I’ll just let you off easy?”

At that moment, Zhu Ming looked utterly pitiful. Covered in blood and filth, without even a proper set of clothes. Yet Sun Ningning didn’t recall destroying her clothes.

Sun Ningning had a flash of inspiration. She suddenly captured a point of contradiction. She knew how to get out of this!

Sowing discord.

The reason she had chosen to attack Zhu Ming disguised as Yin Yu was precisely because she had already discovered the conflicts existing between these two. Thus, she only needed to add a tiny spark, and Yin Yu and Zhu Ming would start fighting among themselves. At that time, she could sit and reap the spoils.

Sun Ningning decided to continue using this tactic. So she said, “Zhu Ming, this matter isn’t entirely my fault. I only lightly poked you. Fine, I admit it—sneak-attacking you was wrong. But your clothes really have nothing to do with me. It must be her…”

Sun Ningning’s gaze drifted toward Yin Yu. The meaning in her words was self-evident.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Ming simply rolled her dead-fish eyes and said, “What are you looking at? I burned my own clothes.”

Sun Ningning: “…”

Zhu Ming slammed the wall in fury. “That was still caused by you angering me first! It’s all your fault, so give me your clothes!”

Sun Ningning nearly choked up a mouthful of old blood. What kind of person was this?! She burned her own clothes, and now she was going to rob someone else’s… detestable! No way was she giving her clothes!

Since childhood, Sun Ningning had been the little princess of her household. No one had ever dared treat her like this. Her expression immediately darkened. She coldly stepped back two paces and said, “Don’t push people too far.”

Zhu Ming felt as speechless as if she had eaten a pound of rotten fish. “Who exactly bullied who first? You’re getting off easy if all I want is your clothes. Keep jabbering, and it won’t be just your clothes I take!”

It seemed a fight was unavoidable, Sun Ningning thought. She truly did fear Yin Yu. But as Zhu Ming was right now, she would only be a burden. If she could seize the initiative and take Zhu Ming as a hostage first, there was still a chance of victory.

Thus, she kept her eyes on Zhu Ming, preventing their attention from shifting to her hands, while covertly pulling her hand backward… her fingers flexing and curling.

Sun Ningning was a little puzzled.

“Are you looking for these two items, Miss Sun?”

Yin Yu, who had been leisurely watching the show, slowly raised her hand. Between her fingers were two bizarre shadow puppets. She shook the puppets slightly and laughed. “They’re with me.”

In a flash, Sun Ningning’s face turned ghostly pale. Cold sweat streamed down in rivulets. What Yin Yu was holding… was her trump card! The very vessels of her supernatural ability!

“What are those? Let me take a look?”

Zhu Ming looked over curiously.

“They are two finely crafted shadow puppets, likely worth a substantial sum,” Yin Yu placed the puppets into Zhu Ming’s hand with a beaming smile. “Does Boss like them?”

The corner of Zhu Ming’s eye twitched violently. She pretended not to hear the last two words. She scrutinized the puppets closely and discovered that, compared to ordinary shadow puppets, these two had a completely realistic artistic style, resembling two tiny, shrunken sheets of human skin.

A nauseating chill of horror crept up over her. Zhu Ming instinctively ignited her flames to incinerate them.

Sun Ningning shrieked and involuntarily rushed forward. Yet no matter how she ran, she couldn’t leave the spot she was in, as if she were trapped in an invisible box. She could only watch helplessly as those two shadow puppets twisted and deformed in the high heat, ultimately turning into a pile of flying ash.

“Worth a lot, you said. Indeed, they were worth quite a lot,” Zhu Ming sneered at Sun Ningning. “Must’ve been worth about two human lives, I’d wager!”

“Bastard!” Sun Ningning hammered her fists against the empty air, her gaze toward the two filled with terror. “What do you want, in the end?!”

“I told you, hand over your clothes,” Zhu Ming stretched her hand forward and lifted her chin. “I hope you’ll do it voluntarily. Don’t make someone else help.”

“If Boss needs my assistance, it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question either,” Yin Yu added.

Zhu Ming nearly rolled her eyes out of her head.

In just this short span of time ever since this woman had been exposed, she had been calling her “Boss” nonstop, as if she were indeed her obedient little sidekick. But Zhu Ming knew better—she wasn’t a robot. Flipping a switch wouldn’t instantly change her entire mindset. She was only doing this because she found it amusing.

Fine. If Yin Yu thought it was fun, Zhu Ming also found it quite amusing.

Wasn’t it just playing around? Zhu Ming had already made up her mind: she was going to squeeze every last drop of value out of Yin Yu in this game!

Across from them,

Sun Ningning’s hateful gaze locked tightly onto Zhu Ming. She had also discovered the change in the dynamic between these two. She swiftly realized that her own fate rested entirely in Zhu Ming’s hands.

She hated her! She loathed her!

But knowing when to yield to circumstances… Sun Ningning endured it!

Sun Ningning put on a pitiful expression, and her attitude instantly softened. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean it. I was just momentarily obsessed out of desperation. I truly won’t target you two again.”

Zhu Ming scratched her hair, let out a light sigh, and asked with a slightly troubled look, “Do you know when people most often say lines like that?”

Sun Ningning didn’t respond. She didn’t know how to.

Zhu Ming said, softly and darkly, “Just before they die.”

Sun Ningning: “…”

Zhu Ming said impatiently, “Hurry up!”

Sun Ningning asked weakly, “Then… will you kill me?”

“…” Zhu Ming frowned.

Sun Ningning’s heart pounded wildly. What did no answer mean?! She asked urgently, “My life has more value than my death! I can help sabotage the Ruler Group’s exam!”

At these words, Zhu Ming had to look at Sun Ningning with newfound respect. She couldn’t help but reveal an amused expression and said, “Such strong resolve. But I don’t need you to go that far. After all, I’m not you, right? However… I do have a place where I need your help.”

The disheveled woman’s smile was crooked and suspicious no matter how one looked at it. But Sun Ningning knew she had no other choice. Her ability could turn those two shadow puppets into people—place someone’s hair on them and they could become anyone. But now the puppets were destroyed. She had no means of resistance. Facing these two, aside from death, only submission remained.

Sun Ningning clenched her fists in humiliation, though her face still wore that pitiful, fragile expression. “Just say it. I will definitely cooperate.”

Just wait… she would absolutely not let them off!

Zhu Ming couldn’t care less what little schemes she was harboring. She said, “You and Bai Lianxue are friends. Tell me everything you know about Bai Lianxue.”

Who would have thought that upon merely being asked for some intel on Bai Lianxue, Sun Ningning would reveal a flustered look. Without even thinking, she instinctively refused. “No!”

“Why?” Zhu Ming couldn’t help but grow curious.

For some inexplicable reason, Sun Ningning just felt incredibly unwilling in her heart. “I haven’t known her for that long either. I really don’t know much.”

Zhu Ming directly turned her head to look at Yin Yu and issued her command: “Aren’t you my little sister? Then figure out a way to make her confess honestly.”

“As you command, Boss.” Yin Yu kindly advised Sun Ningning, “I’ll give you three seconds. If you don’t speak, I’ll have to take action. I can’t help it. Right now, Mingming has me under duress, and I can’t defy her.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but spread her hands, as if she too were quite helpless. Only her expression clearly informed the two of them that the truth was anything but that.

Sun Ningning was between a rock and a hard place.

Three seconds was very short. Yin Yu counted beat by beat: “One. Two. Three… Time’s up.”

Zhu Ming didn’t see Yin Yu make any superfluous movement at all. Even Sun Ningning, her face a mask of terror, felt a brief moment of bewilderment, as if nothing at all had happened. But it wasn’t that simple. Some things… required time to react, to be accepted.

A few more seconds passed. Zhu Ming witnessed with her own eyes exactly how Yin Yu interrogated Sun Ningning. She watched Sun Ningning’s breathing grow more and more rapid, her face flushing redder and redder. Sun Ningning was trapped in place and involuntarily reached up to scratch at her neck and mouth.

It was a slow-burning, bone-chilling terror. When the air around her vanished in a single instant, perhaps the first second held no sensation. But very quickly, she would experience just how unbelievably horrifying this was.

Sun Ningning suffocated in the empty space. Her mouth gaped wide as she gasped rapidly and in utter futility. Her skin flushed crimson across her entire body. The corners of her eyes were relentlessly forced to tears.

Nothing was more terrifying than death. Sun Ningning unconsciously collapsed onto her knees, struggling. The moment her breathing was restored, the joy of having survived a disaster made her burst out sobbing even harder.

Zhu Ming silently watched all of this, gripping her own hand with unusual force.

This was intimidation.

Yin Yu said, her voice gentle and soft, “Miss Sun, you may speak now.”

Prostrate on the ground, Sun Ningning wept loudly. “I’ll talk! But…” But there really wasn’t much to say!

Was her own life more important, or was her friend Bai Lianxue? Sun Ningning still chose the former. In a few rapid sentences, she spilled the entire story of their connection cleanly and completely. After that, there was nothing left she could add.

Because Sun Ningning knew practically nothing about Bai Lianxue.

This was Sun Ningning’s first time entering a dungeon. After triggering the invitation letter, she felt puzzled. By chance, she encountered the more experienced Bai Lianxue at a certain underground bar frequented by Awakened, and the two became friends.

To be precise, the amount of time they had been friends, in the outside world, was merely two days.

After hearing her account, Zhu Ming found it somewhat unbelievable. “Only two days, and you’re this close?”

She was even willing to struggle and hesitate before giving up information for Bai Lianxue. If it were a kind-hearted girl, maybe, out of a sense of morality and responsibility, she would act this way. But Sun Ningning… Zhu Ming felt this wasn’t rational.

Sun Ningning sobbed, “I really don’t know anything else.”

Zhu Ming thought for a moment and ordered her to strip off her outer clothes and give them to her. She also added, “It’s fine. Things you didn’t know before, you can find out later. Go back to Bai Lianxue’s side and properly probe her for information. Otherwise, you know the consequences.”

Sun Ningning agreed immediately. Whatever the consequences were, she had absolutely no desire to find out.

A short while later, Sun Ningning left wearing only her undergarments. Zhu Ming put on her clothes—a little short, a little small, but they’d barely do.

During this entire process, Yin Yu had been very quiet. She only spoke when needed. While Sun Ningning was there, Zhu Ming had been able to temporarily ignore her. But now that Sun Ningning was gone, Zhu Ming looked at her and felt a headache forming.

“What exactly is Sun Ningning’s ability? How did you know?”

In the face of Zhu Ming’s interrogation, Yin Yu still answered with perfect pleasantness. “Her ability is turning shadow puppets into puppet people. As for how I knew… I sensed it.”

“Sensed?”

Yin Yu said innocently, “Within a certain range, since I was able to locate her and bring her here, naturally, I could also see what was happening within that region.”

Zhu Ming took in a deep breath. “Good. Very good.”

So from start to finish, Yin Yu had simply been toying with her, hadn’t she?! Fck your ancestors! No! She couldn’t get angry. In the face of Yin Yu, this cunning and vicious woman, she needed to stay calm.

“Fine. Very fine,” Zhu Ming pinched the bridge of her nose, so furious she laughed instead. “So what exactly can you do? Why don’t you spell it out for me to hear?”

I, your motherfcking, piece of fcking…

She couldn’t shake her off. Zhu Ming realized this, turned her head around, and snapped irritably, “Shut up! Crouch down!”

Yin Yu: “?”

Zhu Ming said coldly, “Because I’m tired.”

Yin Yu smiled and actually bent her knees and crouched down in front of Zhu Ming. Zhu Ming flopped onto her back without the slightest hint of politeness, directly turning Yin Yu into her beast of burden.

She had realized it now. As long as she didn’t try to directly cheat her way through the dungeon by using Yin Yu, other requests, Yin Yu would mostly obey. The degree of obedience just varied—from negative one hundred to positive one hundred, all depending on her mood.

Since that was the case, she wouldn’t stand on ceremony.

Zhu Ming slumped on Yin Yu’s back, which carried a faint, subtle fragrance, and proceeded to ruffle Yin Yu’s hair into a complete bird’s nest.

Hmph. She’d never seen a boss this wretched while the little sister remained pristine and elegant.