Chapter 21

They were all strangers with no shared history, and would likely never meet again, so there was no harm in telling the truth. Miss Zhao said, “The truth is, I knew Xiao Song and Little Yan—back when they were alive. I’m in that group photo.”

The room had been booked by Xiao Song before the participants even entered the dungeon. He’d known all along that Miss Zhao would be taking part.

Initially, the four sheets of paper in the basement were intact. There were no bloodstains, no smudges, and no photoshopped sentence. The group photo was in the basement too.

The original game was meant to have ten people find the ghost. Their task was to identify the one non-participant and send them to complete the formation. The night of the knocking, Xiao Song told Miss Zhao that she not only matched the butler ghost, but her face was also visible in the group photo. He threatened that if he couldn’t achieve his goal, he would expose her connection to him to the others, forcing them to sacrifice her as a team. It was pure bad luck that the ghost turned out to be a former acquaintance. Terrified, Miss Zhao had no choice but to believe him and, in turn, help him frame another female player as the ghost.

Xiao Song had prepared meticulously. In Room 1001, the butler’s room, he’d even installed a fake window to make it look like a guest room. He’d placed a red swimsuit in Yun Zouchuan’s room as planted evidence.

The reason he didn’t just announce the formation’s purpose and instead couched it in such a roundabout way was simple: anyone with a shred of conscience wouldn’t want to sacrifice an innocent female player. A direct approach might make people think too hard and discover the alternative escape route. But sending a ghost to its death was a cause everyone could easily accept. It felt righteous and justified, which meant no one would feel the need to search for other clues.

Who could have predicted that when Xiao Song knocked on the door of Room 2007, the woman inside would say, “Hello, before I leave, I have a few things to say. One: I will not appear before anyone for the next few days. Two: I will destroy the disguise in your room during the night.”

Xiao Song: “…”

Damn it all, his entire plan was crumbling!

If Room 2007 didn’t show herself during the day, the nine people present would perfectly match the nine participants. The moment someone suggested there was a ghost among them, and Room 2007 destroyed the disguise in the butler’s room, the ghost’s identity would be exposed instantly!

That would have made everything meaningless. Left with no other choice, Xiao Song was forced to change the plan on the fly, which set everything else in motion. At the same time, he removed the fake window, switched the sign back to “Butler’s Room,” and pretended he’d been staying in Room 2007 all along.

Bound by the rules, the ghost couldn’t destroy the prepared clues outright; it could only apply limited disguises to them.

As for this so-called “Virtuous Maiden” business? That was just him trying to put a more positive spin on the formation, making it easier for the group to swallow. Time was too short, his movements were restricted, Xiao Song had no other options.

And the group photo? Ugh, they needed a Virtuous Maiden now, not a female ghost. Leaving it out would only inspire unwanted questions. Better to hide it, hide it fast.

Of course, a clever person might still deduce that the formation required a female ghost, not a Virtuous Maiden. Xiao Song had a contingency for that, too: he’d first planted the seed that Yun Zouchuan was suspicious, ready to improvise from there.

But who could have known that on the first morning, Zhu Ming would oversleep!

She was the only outlier. He had no choice but to steer suspicion towards her. At least she was a woman.

That damned Room 2007! That damned Zhu Ming! Those two had wrecked his perfect plan from the very start!

…

A wave of understanding washed over Zhu Ming. No wonder the clues in this game had felt so bizarre and disjointed. She’d just assumed the ghost was brainless, never imagining there was a deeper history at play.

The person staying in Room 2007 was a truly remarkable character.

Zhu Ming said, “You helped him quite a bit along the way, didn’t you, Miss Zhao?”

Miss Zhao retorted, “At least that formation wasn’t fatal. If it had succeeded on the first day, no one would have died. You could argue that your interference caused more deaths.”

Zhu Ming spat. “Pah. You’re an idiot. I’m done here.”

Miss Zhao was livid. “How can you be so utterly lacking in decency?!”

“Decency is for people,” Zhu Ming shot back. “Not for a ghost’s lapdog. If you knew the formation wouldn’t kill anyone, why didn’t you do a good deed and step up yourself? It’s pathetic.”

Miss Zhao was left speechless.

Zhu Ming dragged a dining chair over and sat guard, gripping the metal skewer.

A short while later, the door to the butler’s room creaked open reluctantly. Unlike at night, Xiao Song during the day was visible and tangible. While his ghostly identity was hidden, he was indistinguishable from a living person. Now exposed, he could no longer slip through things like he could in the dark.

He could only be killed if he could be touched, and he could only die during the day.

Pushing a small cart, he walked cautiously toward Room 1004. No matter how unwilling, he was forced into the role of a cleaner. Once his identity was revealed and he returned to the butler’s room, he was immediately bound by the rules of both the butler and the cleaner. A guest had requested cleaning, so he had to go immediately. Procrastination would only buy him so much time.

Yun Zouchuan, Xiao Cheng who had slipped in unnoticed at some point, Old Man Xu, and Xiao Xue all silently watched Zhu Ming and the skewer in her hand.

As Xiao Song reached the door of Room 1004, Zhu Ming slowly stood. “I said I’d skin you alive… but I’m a kind person. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting someone at work.” Heh.

So she took a step back, clearing the doorway. Her gentle, considerate demeanor was so touching it nearly brought the ghost to tears.

Behind the door, Miss Zhao was consumed by bitter hatred. She threatened, “Zhu Ming! If I live through this day, I will never let you get away with this!”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes so hard they practically did a full lap. “Plenty of people want to kill me. Get in line.”

Xiao Song shot a venomous glare at Zhu Ming, then lunged, slamming open the door to Room 1004 and charging inside. If reincarnation was out of reach this time, he’d just take as many with him as he could. The more people who died, the more power he could absorb!

Miss Zhao wasn’t about to take this lying down. As a veteran, she had her own tools, just like Old Man Xu. Besides, Xiao Song was far less powerful during the day. The sunlight severely weakened him.

In each hand, Miss Zhao held a small gray protective charm. Before Xiao Song could even strike, she landed a punch square on his face. Xiao Song cried out in pain, raising his broom and sweeping her legs out from under her. As she hit the ground, a metal skewer materialized in his hand, and he stabbed viciously down at her.

Thankfully, the protective charm activated, blocking the skewer, though the talisman shattered in the process.

A fierce chase ensued between Miss Zhao and Xiao Song. Zhu Ming leaned in the doorway, watching the show.

Finally, when all her protective charms were shattered, Miss Zhao took a sharp turn, tricking Xiao Song out of the room, and slammed the door shut with a bang. She was covered in wounds, looking both pathetic and ridiculous. Though she was lucky to escape with her life, her losses were heavy.

Behind the door, Miss Zhao gnashed her teeth. “You’re ruthless, Zhu Ming, I’ll remember this!”

Zhu Ming couldn’t be bothered with her. With a single stride, she planted herself in front of Xiao Song, who was trying to flee with his little cart. She twirled the metal skewer in her hand. Coated in rust, dirty and old, it was blunt and ineffective as a weapon—except against Xiao Song. To him, it was a mortal threat. The moment his eyes fell on the skewer, he recoiled involuntarily.

Zhu Ming advanced a step. Xiao Song pressed himself back against the door of Room 1004, trapped. He raised his voice, desperate. “If you have the upper hand, show mercy—AH!”

Zhu Ming clamped a hand over his mouth and gestured with the skewer. Yun Zouchuan understood immediately, stepping forward and taking the skewer, plunging it deep into Xiao Song’s left eye.

“Skinning seems like too much work. Let’s keep it simple.”

The skewer acted like a Sea-Calming Needle, pinning Xiao Song firmly in place. No matter how he struggled or screamed, it wouldn’t dislodge. His strength rapidly drained away. Starting from his eye socket, his nose, his face, his neck, his limbs… his entire body began to rapidly decay.

Zhu Ming raised a finger to her lips, smiling. “Shh… Remember this for next time: don’t disturb people’s sleep in the middle of the night.”

Unfortunately, it seemed there wouldn’t be a next time. Xiao Song’s physical form collapsed into a heap of sludge, which then dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling, putrid blood.

The metal skewer clattered to the ground, lying in the muck, filthy beyond belief.

Having exacted a fierce revenge, Yun Zouchuan felt refreshed and clear-headed. A smile broke across her face. “Boss, we should get going.”

“No. Before we leave, there’s someone I need to see.”

…

Time ticked away. At precisely noon, the deity statue shattered, and the barrier vanished.

Xiao Cheng came to find her. “Want to head down the mountain together? Even though Xiao Song and the water ghost seem dead, there’s no guarantee there aren’t other monsters here. After the task ends, the rules will disappear, and it could get dangerous.”

Zhu Ming was delighted to see him. She said quickly, “Perfect timing. Time to pay your tuition. When the barrier breaks, you are not to go down the mountain. You’ll wait until the others have left and the task is complete, then use your ability to trap one person for me.”

She was truly, deeply curious about the person staying in Room 2007.

Xiao Cheng: “…” I should have never come looking for you.

Worried the path down the mountain wasn’t safe, Xiao Xue, Old Man Xu, and Yun Zouchuan set off together. If anything unexpected happened, Yun Zouchuan would return to alert them.

Zhu Ming and Xiao Cheng stayed in the villa area. Unlike Zhu Ming, Xiao Cheng wasn’t as eager to meet the mystery person. He was more concerned about potential danger, like Miss Zhao stirring up more trouble. So, after enveloping the villa area with his barrier technique, Xiao Cheng kept a strict watch on Room 1004 and didn’t join Zhu Ming in her search.

Passing by the door of Room 2007, Zhu Ming didn’t stop. She headed straight for the terrace.

She had a hunch: the other person wasn’t inside but waiting for her on the rooftop.

The weather here was the same sweltering heat every day. Come noon, the sun was so piercingly bright the entire world seemed softened by a blinding light filter.

Zhu Ming walked step by step up the staircase to the rooftop. The lush bougainvillea and clematis showed no sign of wilting, wrapping around the safety railing in full bloom. The profusion of flowers and foliage made the rooftop scenery rival any garden, especially considering who was sitting here, bathed in sunlight.

Yin Yu.

She was seated behind the small white round table, surrounded by a riot of flowers, a teacup in her hand. She wore a simple white French-style shirt and a mist-blue midi skirt. Her soft, flowing hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall of black ink. Beneath her delicate bangs, her refined features were every bit as exquisite and unchanged as in Zhu Ming’s memory. Sunlight fell upon her, making her seem less like a living person and more like a beauty meticulously carved from white jade.

Standing at the stairway landing, Zhu Ming didn’t take another step. The longer she stared at this beautiful tableau, the tighter her fists clenched.

Another illusion.

After the task was completed, the rules had fallen into chaos. Participants could use their abilities, and the ghosts and monsters could likely exert their powers to the fullest.

It seemed that even shattered, the deity statue could still wreak havoc.

Ridiculous.

This was the third time. As the saying goes, “once, twice, but never thrice.” She could take down a butler and a water ghost; she refused to believe she couldn’t take down one lousy statue!

But…

For an illusion to be this realistic, the BOSS must have put in considerable effort. If she didn’t properly enjoy this experience, wouldn’t she be insulting the dungeon’s hospitality?

Just then, Yin Yu spotted Zhu Ming. She set down her teacup in greeting and smiled. “It’s been a long time, Mingming.”

Cracking her knuckles, Zhu Ming approached and swept the teacup off the table, hopping up to sit on the small round table directly in front of Yin Yu. She narrowed her eyes, studying her.

Seeing this, Yin Yu couldn’t resist a teasing remark. “Staring at me like that, you might make me think you’re still not over me.”

Zhu Ming let out a cold laugh. “Behave yourself, and who knows, maybe I am.”

Yin Yu: “…”

She seemed slightly taken aback. Recovering, she tucked her long hair behind her ear, revealing the delicate, elegant curve of her cheek. Her pale pink lips, the color of early spring cherry blossoms, curved into a smile. “You weren’t like this back when you pushed me away.”

Zhu Ming commanded, “Come on, come on, seduce me.”

Yin Yu: “?”

Zhu Ming’s expression was scornful. “What’s the matter? Not as proactive as last time? Or are you trying a new tactic this time—want to have a heartfelt chat?”

Yin Yu: “…”

Zhu Ming grabbed Yin Yu by the collar, yanking the pristine fabric out of shape. “I want to see what other tricks you can pull. Show me something new.”

Yin Yu fell into a long, profound silence. Finally, she sighed softly and pulled away from Zhu Ming’s grip.

Oh, switching to the subtle, demure approach this time, are we?

Zhu Ming let out a mocking laugh and pinched Yin Yu’s cheek, commenting, “You’re nothing special after all.”