Chapter 54

The one who screamed was Sun Ningning. Wang Ziwei had been gone from the dorm for too long; she wanted to know what was going on, so she opened the door and came out as well.

What she found was Wang Ziwei in this state. When she checked his pulse, he was already cold.

For some reason, every time something like this happened, suspicion tended to fall heavily on Zhu Ming.

After all, she was sitting behind the exam table in the dead of night, clearly having been there for a long time. Sun Ningning looked at her fearfully, suspecting that Zhu Ming was behind all of this.

Zhu Ming glanced at the various doors cracked open and said impatiently, “I can’t use my ability, and I can’t fight anyone. What could I possibly do?”

That was true enough.

A nasty suspicion suddenly bubbled up in Sun Ningning’s heart. She quickly stammered, “I’m not blaming you, I was just startled. It must have been ghosts or phantoms. Forget it, forget it. Everyone should just go back to sleep quickly, to avoid danger.”

“Wait a minute.” Zhu Ming, however, wasn’t willing to let it go so easily. She crossed her legs and rested them on the exam table, smiling. “After all, you’re in the same group. Don’t you want to know how he died? I was watching the whole time from right here.”

She had watched the whole process and survived?

Wenren Tu stuck her head out and urged, “It’s late, don’t keep us in suspense. Spit it out, quick.”

Zhu Ming had wanted to build up some spooky atmosphere to scare Sun Ningning, but A-Tu wasn’t cooperating at all. Left with no choice, Zhu Ming spread her hands and said directly, “This unfortunate Mister Wang, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, decided to sabotage another group’s craft project to reduce competition. And then he died. It’s as simple as that.”

Sun Ningning was left speechless, not knowing what to say.

Zhu Ming slowly stood up and stretched her bones. “If I’d known I didn’t need to stand guard, I would’ve just gone back to sleep.”

Wenren Tu yawned heavily. “Which group was so unlucky?”

Zhu Ming cast a meaningful smile towards the Harp Group’s door crack. “Who else could it be? Thanks to my incredible foresight, I was guarding here ahead of time. He couldn’t fight me, so he could only go after some unguarded group’s stuff.”

The Harp Group’s unfortunate crystal statuette had been shattered. Xiao Lang nearly passed out seeing the pile of fragments on the ground.

It was over, finished! Now his group was going to be dead last!

Xiao Lang said angrily, “You just watched it happen? Why didn’t you stop him?!”

“On what grounds?” Zhu Ming tilted her head, looking innocent. “We’re competitors. Not sabotaging you guys myself is already me having a conscience. Why should I guard your stuff? And if we had fought and angered the god, would you take responsibility?”

Xiao Lang was speechless.

Before taking action, Wang Ziwei had asked Zhu Ming to pretend she saw nothing, so that she could reap the benefits too without lifting a finger. Zhu Ming had agreed; she could always go back on her word if needed. As it turned out, Wang Ziwei died quite efficiently. The very second he destroyed that crystal deity statue, his whole body twisted uncontrollably. He knelt prostrate on the ground and died.

Zhu Ming raised her arms, stretching her bones as she walked away, saying, “Oh dear, it seems the examiner’s words really should be heeded carefully. Certain people with heads full of crooked schemes, be careful. Don’t casually commit actions like fighting, destroying offerings, or desecrating deity statues—it’s all Blasphemy. I’m dead tired. Going to sleep. Goodnight, everyone.”

Zhu Ming briskly shut the dorm door and rolled back into bed, leaving those who had been harboring intentions of sabotage full of lingering fear.

After closing the door tightly, Second Brother Zhao said fearfully, “Good thing we didn’t go out tonight.”

Third Brother Zhao glanced fearfully through the window at the blue fluorescence seeping in from outside. “Who knew the consequences would be so severe.”

From the very beginning, the instance had informed the participants: you are believers, exceptionally devout believers participating in this exam for the god. Yet, in reality, not a single participant had truly taken on the identity assigned by the game.

Examiner Crowcrow had stated three rules.

The first rule told everyone that the results of the first three exams would impact the capital for the final exam, so they were very important and must be fought for.

The third rule provided everyone with a safety tip.

But the second rule, which had always been understood superficially: Do not commit disrespectful acts such as fighting in front of the god! It was only now that the hidden rules within were revealed. That word “such as” had caused immense harm.

Only at this moment did everyone understand that the identity of “believer” wasn’t given for nothing. Understanding the rules from this perspective might make things safer.

…

Day five of the instance, 7 AM. Right on time, Examiner Crowcrow roused everyone with its coarse, cawing voice, summoning them outside to the giant Goddess Statue.

“Caw caw caw! All groups, please bring your offerings and line up at the corresponding side of the deity statue. Grading of the test papers is about to begin. Move it, move it! Caw!”

The Moon Group, Harp Group, Ruler Group, and Sword and Shield Group—with varying numbers of members—stood ready with their respective group offerings: the flower pot containing the planted vanilla, a wooden frame inlaid with their craft project that could only be removed this morning, and a single answer sheet.

As it happened, except for the Harp Group, which had been sabotaged early on, the other three groups had, coincidentally, all filled in the poetry question right at the final deadline:

“【The Great Goddess descends upon the mortal realm.

On the first day, (1) arrogant (Frog) bled, paying the price for its pride.

On the second day, (1) vicious (Snake) was crushed to pieces, paying the price for its arrogance.

On the third day, (0) disrespectful (Owl) threw itself into the flames, paying the price for its insolence.

On the fourth day, (1) foolish (Human) prostrated in repentance, offering up a loyal soul and heart.

On the fifth day, the Goddess illuminates the darkness, peace descends upon the earth, and all things submit to her.】”

BOOM—

Without any visible action from Examiner Crowcrow, on the four sides of the square stone platform beneath the giant Goddess Statue, four black holes, each as tall as a person, appeared simultaneously. These black holes seemed covered by a layer of psychedelic color, making one dizzy if they looked for too long.

Examiner Crowcrow said, “Now, all examinee groups can offer their sacrifices to the Goddess, caw caw. Toss them in, and the Goddess will give the judgment of your scores, caw caw!”

“Wait a moment!”

Before Examiner Crowcrow’s words were finished, a loud, earth-shattering voice rang out: “Our group accidentally mixed up our vanilla with the Moon Group’s! We’re applying to swap them back!”

“Caw?” Examiner Crowcrow flew in a circle, flapping its wings with clear malice, and chuckled, “Is that so?”

“Impossible.” Yun Zouchuan looked at the flower pot she held in her hands. “This is our seed. There’s no mistake.”

The Sword and Shield Group was just to the right of the Moon Group. Third Brother Zhao directly took a step over, chuckling. “Beauty, what’s whose is whose. The test paper already warned us not to mix things up.”

But Yun Zouchuan was very insistent. This pot of vanilla was definitely not wrong.

Zhu Ming said unhurriedly, “Why argue? Let Examiner Crowcrow judge. Then we’ll know which pot of vanilla belongs to which group.”

Examiner Crowcrow fluttered closer, grabbed a monocle with its little claw, and observed carefully for a moment.

“Ack, caw caw! The pot of vanilla in the Moon Group’s hands—is actually—”

Third Brother Zhao looked over smugly.

Examiner Crowcrow said in a cheap, wicked tone, “Actually the Moon Group’s, caw!”

Third Brother Zhao: “Hahahaha! See, I told you… Huh?”

“Pffhahahahahahaha!” This time, it was Zhu Ming laughing, along with Wenren Tu. The two women, one clutching her stomach and the other slapping her thigh, leaned on each other, doubled over in mirth.

Zhu Ming’s voice was thick with malice and the glee of a successful prank. “A-Zou, today your boss is going to teach you a new lesson: Unearned kindness is either treachery or theft. Especially from men you don’t know well, be extra careful.”

Yun Zouchuan remained completely calm. The moment she touched the seed, she knew it was the same one as before, so the vanilla was definitely her group’s.

Second Brother Zhao looked at his younger brother in utter confusion. “What’s going on? Didn’t you swap the seeds?”

Third Brother Zhao scratched his head, racking his brains. “Damn it, I definitely swapped the seeds, I swear!”

“…Hahahahaha.” Wenren Tu was laughing so hard she was about to run out of breath. She held her two little fists near her chest and wriggled exaggeratedly. “You didn’t really think we girls are all little dummies who trip and fall all the time, did you? Ehehe-hahaha!”

“Idiots.” Zhu Ming raised a middle finger, her face full of undisguised contempt. “Did you think only you could come up with that trick, and I couldn’t? Stupid enough to die. Before you even made the swap, I had already switched the seeds.”

“When?” Third Brother Zhao jumped up in rage. “…I get it! It was when you guys looked at our table. So all that friendliness was just a scheme with ulterior motives!”

Zhu Ming gave a scornful laugh, too lazy to even remind Third Brother Zhao not to keep shooting himself in the foot with his boomerangs.

“If you hadn’t had the intention to swap them in the first place, things wouldn’t have come to this. Please, A-Tu and I aren’t like you. Even knowing the seeds from the two groups had been switched, as long as you meant no harm, we would have taken good care of this pot of vanilla. But now? You’ve reaped what you sowed. Don’t blame anyone else. Nyeh nyeh nyeh.”

Second Brother Zhao was so furious he almost started throwing punches. Examiner Crowcrow smacked him back with a wing. “Do not commit disrespectful acts in front of the Goddess!”

Second Brother Zhao had no choice. He turned to his brother with an aggrieved expression. “Bro, you’re so smart, how did you not notice something was wrong?”

Third Brother Zhao’s face flushed red. He argued, “How was I supposed to know when they hatched their plot? Bro, you can’t blame me for this! You all agreed to this plan.”

The same question also occurred to Yun Zouchuan. While she was certain the seed was her group’s, she truly didn’t know when Wenren Tu and Zhu Ming had made this plan behind her back.

“Boss, you guys never include me in your fun. I want to be a bad guy too.” Yun Zouchuan was angry. Her lips subconsciously pouted into a pout. Hmph, Boss and Sister A-Tu always treat her like a child. Not happy.

Zhu Ming laughed and ruffled Yun Zouchuan’s hair. “This time, you’re really being unfair. I originally intended to do the swap all by myself, but A-Tu figured it out.”

Wenren Tu giggled and hugged Zhu Ming’s arm. “Alright, A-Zou, don’t be jealous. With your boss’s personality, once she smiles, I know exactly what she’s scheming in that belly. This time it really wasn’t that we didn’t want to include you; we just didn’t have time to tell you.”

She understood Zhu Ming too well. The moment she saw her looking at the Sword and Shield Group’s seeds with that innocent and curious attitude, she knew what she intended to do. And Wenren Tu was always very good at cooperating with her. Even though the two of them hadn’t exchanged a single word about it, Wenren Tu had conveniently stumbled at the right moment, diverting onlookers’ attention and providing cover for Zhu Ming’s swap.

Two swaps in total. As Third Brother Zhao had said, what’s whose is whose.

Examiner Crowcrow had seen enough of the drama. It flapped its wings and flew up high. “Caw! Enough nonsense. Hurry up and throw your offerings into the hole!”

The Moon Group, Harp Group, and Ruler Group all did so. After they tossed their offerings in, a beam of dazzling, colorful light shot out from the black hole, continuously shifting in shape.

Examiner Crowcrow urged the Sword and Shield Group: “You’re the only ones left! Hurry up, caw!”

Second Brother Zhao was on the verge of tears. He could only cast a pleading look at Wei Yuan. Anxiously, he said, “Didn’t you say you had a way to make our group first? Do something, quick!”