Chapter 68

As Zhu Ming was tied up tightly, she was still thinking: this wasn’t right.

Under the rules, participants couldn’t use Supernatural Abilities, and NPCs couldn’t harm the Great King’s bride. This person was clearly violating the rules—but reality made Zhu Ming realize that a so-called ‘guest’ could ignore the rules.

She was neither an NPC nor a participant; she was an observer, drifting outside the Game.

This was a disaster. If Dungeon Bosses could all invite others as dungeon ‘guests’, and then have those guests lure, mislead, or even directly harm participants outside the rules, the participants would certainly suffer heavy losses.

She had to bring this news out. They absolutely couldn’t be kept in the dark.

But at this very moment, Zhu Ming had no power to fight back.

The guest hooked the rope and easily dragged Zhu Ming back under the lantern. Demons gathered around to enjoy the spectacle, their chattering and cackling loud enough to make Zhu Ming’s head feel like it would burst.

“You aren’t a demon, you’re human…” Zhu Ming panted in short, thin gasps, enduring the vertigo as she looked at this mysterious, gorgeous guest.

The guest nodded, confirming it. “You have some good eyes. Miss Zhu, guess how long it will take you to be assimilated?”

The longer she bathed in the lantern light, the more charming Zhu Ming found the Fox King. Whether it was his glossy, sleek fur or his plump, round belly, everything radiated an enchanting brilliance. Zhu Ming knew she couldn’t go on like this. If this continued, she would end up a total fool, just like Tang Qiaoqi.

Zhu Ming flexed her ankles. Her heart hardened. She launched herself forward with her bound legs, crashing headfirst toward the fox statue.

She had some guesses about this guest’s identity. Right now, Zhu Ming thought unconsciousness was a better choice than staying awake.

Clearly, she couldn’t fight against this bug-like guest. And since she was about to be brainwashed, she might as well faint and buy some time. After all, this dungeon’s mission time wasn’t long. In less than thirty more hours, she would naturally be able to leave the dungeon.

Although leaving the dungeon still meant being inside the Demon Market, without the Red Lanterns’ influence and with her Supernatural Abilities restored, it would be more favorable for her.

As for this bug-like guest, Zhu Ming felt she wouldn’t easily kill her.

After all… if she was that Grand Witch, Zhu Ming alive was more useful.

And Zhu Ming hadn’t bet wrong. After she knocked herself out by ramming her head, the Grand Witch frowned, nudged the woman collapsed on the ground like a dead fish with her toe, and crooked her finger. Light as a feather, she carried both Zhu Ming and the unconscious Tang Qiaoqi from the corner into the Fox King’s residence.

The excitement over, the demons scattered.

Only Bai Lianxue remained, dusting off her crumpled sleeve before following them inside.

The interior of the Fox King’s residence was unlike its eerie, archaic exterior. Inside the house, it wasn’t just tiled but also had a crystal chandelier hanging overhead. It was decorated magnificently, completely in the style of a small European-style standalone villa.

Wu Wang tossed Zhu Ming and Tang Qiaoqi onto the floor. Crossing her long legs, she sat down right in the center of the sofa. She narrowed her eyes at Zhu Ming, her intentions unclear.

The mighty Dungeon Boss, the Fox King, wagged his tail as he shuffled over to Wu Wang. Though he had sharp, pointed fox eyes, they somehow conveyed an utterly infatuated, bootlicking expression.

Although foxes are indeed canines, this was still beneath his status.

The Fox King said, “Do you want to go rest first? During the dungeon, I can’t pull any more outsiders in. We must wait until the dungeon ends to bring Yin Qingjia in.”

Wu Wang sneered. “Whether she dares to come or not is another matter.”

Bai Lianxue spoke up. “I contacted Yin Qingjia. She indeed didn’t dare to come in person. She said she wants to make a video call first to confirm things.”

Wu Wang: “…That woman is cautious to a fault. Tsk. Tell me, Yin Yu seems to care quite a bit about Zhu Ming. If I directly threaten her with Zhu Ming, what would happen?”

Bai Lianxue shook her head. “I don’t know. Sister, do you plan to turn them into puppets?”

The Fox King crouched by Wu Wang’s leg, his tail wagging frantically, his face looking so infatuated he was practically drooling. Wu Wang kicked him away impatiently. “That’s the way to maximize the benefits. Right now, we still don’t know how to control the Vermilion Bird Blood, and Yin Qingjia’s reliability is uncertain. Naturally, Zhu Ming has to stay alive for now.”

But a living person is easy to lose control of. Turning her into a puppet was the most reassuring method.

After several investigations, Wu Wang learned that after the host’s death, Vermilion Bird Blood would automatically separate from the body. So getting the Vermilion Bird Blood was very simple: just kill Zhu Ming. But using it was the hard part.

According to records of those who used Vermilion Bird Blood, except for Zhu Fengyu and Zhu Ming, everyone else went mad and died horribly the same day. The hosts not only spontaneously combusted and exploded but also Fell to the Devil, causing indiscriminate harm to those around them. That was why this powerful yang-extreme substance was considered a forbidden drug, not to be used lightly. Once used, the host had to be ready to die.

Zhu Fengyu consumed Vermilion Bird Blood and slew the evil with a single arrow. She didn’t go mad or die because the Vermilion Bird Blood entered her fetus’s body. Zhu Ming absorbed Vermilion Bird Blood while still in the fetal stage; that she didn’t die was a miracle.

But if they killed Zhu Ming to extract the Vermilion Bird Blood, whether the next user could control it was unknown.

Besides, Zhu Ming was already very powerful, a noble lady of a righteous sect. Naturally, making her one of their own and controlling her was by far the most amusing outcome. As a bonus, it would infuriate that group of moralizers to death.

Just thinking about it made Wu Wang happy. Her radiant smile bloomed on her gorgeous face like a spring flower, stunning the Fox King into a dumbfounded stupor.

Wu Wang caught his infatuated stare and grew irritated again.

This Fox King hadn’t been turned into her puppet. She needed him for the experiment and also needed him to provide a hiding place. But she didn’t want the consequences of a failed experiment to implicate herself.

Therefore, Wu Wang had simply used her natural charm to make him fall in love with her. The allure born of a Wu Clan woman was even stronger than a demon’s. This wasn’t even a Supernatural Ability, but their inborn charisma.

Utterly bored, Wu Wang waved her hand. “I’m going to rest. Watch them closely.”

…

When Zhu Ming woke up, she was lying on a bed, still bound up tightly.

How could they do this? Her dear family! How could they be so cold-hearted, so unreasonable, so utterly unreasonable? Let her go right now! She was going to eradicate the cancer of Earth!

Some blurry concepts surfaced in her mind. This seemed to be the dungeon’s third night, and also the very last night… What did that mean? Was it important?

Zhu Ming rolled over and tumbled off the bed, thumping her head on the way down.

No one could stop her, this little guardian of Earth! Not even these bindings!

Wriggling, Zhu Ming got to her feet and hopped towards the door, bumping it open and bounding out. Just at that moment, the door to the adjacent room creaked open.

Zhu Ming looked back and met Tang Qiaoqi’s staring eyes directly.

In that instant, four giant words simultaneously rose in both their minds: Cancer of Earth!

Words were needless. Zhu Ming and Tang Qiaoqi launched themselves at each other. BAM! They collided and crashed to the ground. In an instant, heavenly thunder provoked earthly fire, a meteor smashed into Earth. One was a tyrant skilled in combat but tied up; the other was a pampered lady, physically weak but freer in movement. You were weak, and I was also weak—for a moment, neither could gain the upper hand.

Tang Qiaoqi shrieked wildly, tangling herself around Zhu Ming. Zhu Ming screamed, arching her back and thrashing her legs.

“Overthrow human imperialist hegemony, eradicate the cancer of Earth!”

Zhu Ming ducked her head down, just about to land a vicious headbutt on Tang Qiaoqi, when suddenly someone grabbed the back of her collar and hoisted her off the ground.

Who was so blind? Didn’t they see she was teaching the cancer of Earth a lesson?!

Zhu Ming whipped her head around fiercely to look. Seeing the person was Bai Lianxue, her expression softened somewhat. She said happily, “Good sister, let me loose! I’m going to smash her to death with my head!”

Bai Lianxue sighed. “With your strength, you really could smash her to death. Better not.”

Seizing the chance, Tang Qiaoqi scrambled to her feet. Hanging in the air, Zhu Ming couldn’t fight back, so Tang Qiaoqi chomped down savagely on her arm, leaving a deep bite-mark.

Zhu Ming yelped in pain and struggled madly, launching herself out of Bai Lianxue’s grip like a torpedo. She crashed back down with Tang Qiaoqi, the two rolling another circle across the floorboards.

Bai Lianxue: “…”

How were they even more troublesome after being brainwashed?

Wu Wang’s impatient voice rang out from the room at the end of the hall. “So noisy! Bai Lianxue, what are you doing?!”

Bai Lianxue had no choice but to try and separate these two women, who now saw each other as mortal enemies. Tang Qiaoqi: thrown back into her room, door shut. Zhu Ming: dragged toward Wu Wang’s room.

“Sister, Zhu Ming is awake. Do you want to see her?”

“Let her in.”

Thus, Zhu Ming was pulled into the fanciest room. Her eyes, aimed at the doorway, held an unquenched fire. “Don’t stop me! I must eradicate her!”

Wu Wang rested her chin on her hand, looking down at the woman dumped at her feet, still squirming. She planted a foot on her back, the sharp stiletto heel grinding down hard. “Look up. At me.”

Following the command, Zhu Ming turned her head and saw the woman reclining languidly in a chair, exuding boundless sensuality and charm.

In an instant, Zhu Ming felt a strange, blood-pumping sensation. Wu Wang’s lips curved, a mesmerizing vortex swirling in her eyes. “Zhu Ming, I appreciate you greatly…”

Zhu Ming felt something deep in her brain about to burst. But then it collided with a clumsy, dull, heavy layer, leaving her somewhat confused.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was… the Cancer of Earth!

An astonishing light burst from Zhu Ming’s eyes. She rolled on the ground, shaking off Wu Wang’s heel, then coiled her body and launched herself right at Wu Wang’s shocked face, smashing into her along with the chair. “Overthrow human imperialist hegemony! Eradicate the cancer of Earth!!”

THUD.

Wu Wang clutched the back of her head where it had smacked the floor. Feeling the weight pressing down on her relentlessly, that beautiful face twisted completely.

How dare she!

But Zhu Ming not only dared to tackle her, she even took an ‘awoo’ bite on her cheek, leaving a set of teeth marks. Wu Wang screamed in fury and sent her flying with a single palm strike.

SPLAT. Zhu Ming hit the wall, then bounced to the floor.

The bewitching beauty stood up trembling, furiously covering the saliva and bite mark on her face. Her gaze at Zhu Ming was sharp as a blade, as if she wished she could slice her into a thousand pieces.

In years, she had never been so utterly humiliated!

She wanted her dead. Now. Immediately!

Zhu Ming lay on the ground, groaning weakly. “Overthrow all paper tigers… sweep away evil humans…”

Wu Wang stretched out her hand. The whip wrapped around Zhu Ming began to tighten continuously. Zhu Ming coughed, feeling suffocation and dizziness.

Bai Lianxue stepped forward, urging, “Sister, killing her now would make all our efforts go to waste. She’s not immune to charm; it’s just the dungeon’s influence. She’ll be fine once the dungeon ends.”

Wu Wang shot her a cold glance. “But I’m very angry right now.”

Bai Lianxue silently looked at Zhu Ming without speaking. But Wu Wang crooked her finger, and the whip flew off Zhu Ming, snapping her unconscious with a single strike before returning to Wu Wang’s hand.

The haughty woman smoothed her dress, rumpled from Zhu Ming’s scuffle. Her expression eased slightly. “Since you want her to live, then you can take her place and let me vent my anger.”

Inside the brightly lit room, a scented candle burned quietly. Bai Lianxue sighed softly. “Alright.”

She was used to it by now, anyway.

Thus, she slowly unbuttoned her collar, revealing a back covered in old scars.