134: Chapter 134 Tickets

Yes.

This was the starting point of that special Mentalist inheritance.

The reason it was called a starting point was because the trial here didn't provide the inheritance itself, but rather a "ticket" to the true inheritance trial.

Of course, even though it was just a "ticket," obtaining it was no simple feat.

"Let's go." Gu Changming tilted his chin, signaling for the other party to lead the way.

The other party's figure seemed to pause very slightly, appearing somewhat surprised.

The other party was far too calm and indifferent. It had expected its appearance to cause vigilance or panic, but it hadn't expected such direct, almost command-like indifference.

A brief silence permeated the gloomy atmosphere.

But soon, his thin, withered head gave a barely perceptible nod.

Then he turned around and, with a dragging gait, led Gu Changming toward the interior of the Residential Complex.

...

They reached the final stage of the trial.

The Withered Figure sat opposite Gu Changming.

A dilapidated wooden table stood between them, with three opaque Clay Cups placed upside down on it.

The other party looked up, a playful curve tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"The final stage," he said in a raspy voice. "Three cups. One of them hides a Small Ball. Choose the one with the ball, and you win."

Looking at the three identical Clay Cups before him, Gu Changming's Adam's apple bobbed.

His gaze was locked onto the three cups, his fingers tightening unconsciously on the edge of the table.

He couldn't tell.

Yes, the speed at which the other party had moved the cups was too fast, and the movements were laced with subtle mental interference.

The Mental Power he had sent out earlier to investigate felt like it had crashed into a fog; disrupted, it failed to capture any useful information...

Now, he could only rely on luck.

The fellow with sunken eye sockets watched his tense expression and seemed to find it amusing, the smile on his face deepening.

"Pick correctly, and you get the trial ticket," he added slowly, as if teasing. "Pick wrong... and you'll have nothing."

Gu Changming held his breath, his eyes moving back and forth between the three cups.

For now, he could only rule out the one on the far left, which he had been staring at.

But as for the remaining two, he was completely unable to distinguish between them.

A one-in-two choice.

A fifty percent probability.

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Gu Changming's hands.

Time ticked by. The other party didn't rush him, watching him with the posture of a superior.

Finally, Gu Changming slowly reached out, his fingertip pointing to the cup on the far right.

"This one?" the figure raised an eyebrow.

Gu Changming's finger stopped in mid-air, trembling slightly.

Then, he quickly pulled it back.

"Wait... let me think again."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his chaotic mind.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again, his gaze landing on the middle cup.

"This one..." Gu Changming tried to make his voice sound less panicked.

The other party looked at him again and asked once more, "Are you sure?"

Gu Changming gritted his teeth and nodded. "Just this one."

The other party's withered fingers rested on the middle cup, but he didn't lift it immediately. As if deliberately applying pressure, he waited a moment before slowly raising it.

The moment the bottom of the cup left the table, a small orange-yellow ball rolled out.

Gu Changming froze for a second, then his entire body relaxed. He leaned back against the chair and let out a long breath.

"Congratulations," came the smiling voice from across the table. "You succeeded."

Then, the other party pushed the Small Ball toward him. "This is the reward you deserve for this trial."

Gu Changming grasped the small orange-yellow ball. Then, the ball began to change in his hand, quickly transforming into a Shiny Silver Hard Card.

He looked down; the front of the card was printed with several lines of incomprehensible, twisted runes.

This must be the ticket.

Stuffing the card into the inner pocket of his clothes, he patted it to make sure it was secure. Gu Changming stood up and looked at the Withered Figure.

The other party remained leaning back in the wooden chair, showing no intention of moving. He just slightly tilted his chin toward him, signaling that he could leave.

Gu Changming didn't say much, turning around and walking back the way he came.

As he stepped out of the area shrouded in dim, murky light, the surrounding air seemed to ripple like water, and the scene of the abandoned Residential Complex reappeared.

Gu Changming walked back along the path he had come, his pace unconsciously slowing down a bit.

As he neared the rusted gates of the complex, he adjusted his expression, suppressing the excitement of having obtained the ticket.

Then he took a deep breath and stepped out.

Outside the gate, three figures were looking around anxiously.

As soon as they saw him emerge, the three of them hurried forward almost simultaneously.

"How was it, Xiao Gu? Did you pass?" Leading the way was a burly man in a sleeveless vest. His voice was loud, and his face was full of anxiety.

He behind him followed a refined middle-aged man wearing glasses. Though he didn't speak, his concerned gaze was fixed on him as well.

Beside them was a young man in his mid-twenties. He didn't speak but first checked Gu Changming's expression.

Seeing that Gu Changming wasn't smiling and even had a somewhat calm expression,

his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly began to speak.

"It's okay, it's fine if you didn't pass! This kind of trial depends on luck anyway. We'll look into other options for you..."

Seeing the tension they couldn't hide on their faces, a faint smile flickered in the depths of Gu Changming's eyes.

He reached into his clothes, pinched the Shiny Silver Hard Card between two fingers, and waved it in front of them.

"I passed. I got the ticket," Gu Changming said with a smile.

"Whoa!" The burly man's eyes lit up.

"You rascal," the young man muttered as he approached. He naturally took the card and held it up to the sunlight to examine it closely.

"It's truly exquisite," he praised softly.

The burly man didn't look at the card. Instead, he leaned in next to Gu Changming and gave his shoulder a powerful squeeze, as if he were going to crush him with that force.

"Xiao Gu's doing well now, even learned how to tease us."

But soon, the refined man stepped forward, slapped away the burly man's arm, adjusted his glasses, and looked at Gu Changming. "What is this card for?"

"It's a ticket," Gu Changming explained. "With this, one can participate in a Mentalist inheritance trial."

"I see, I see." The refined man nodded.

"So there's another round of trials?" The young man also looked over, tossing the card back to Gu Changming.

Gu Changming nodded. Then, the four of them walked back toward the direction they had come from, discussing as they headed back to the Stronghold.

...

"Are you sure you want to choose this one? If you choose wrong..."

The Withered Figure was only halfway through his sentence when he was interrupted by a flat voice.

"Cut the useless chatter and just open it."

The other party's outstretched finger froze in mid-air, and the mysterious expression he had put on solidified for a moment.

He paused, seemingly trying to put back on that mysterious smile, and was about to continue moving his hand.

Gu Changming's voice rang out again.

"If you dare to pull any tricks," Gu Changming glanced at the hand hovering over the cup, his voice flat, "I'll break your fingers one by one."

"..."

The air was silent for a few seconds.

The Withered Figure ultimately said nothing. Silently and obediently, he reached out and covered the Clay Cup Gu Changming had selected.

On the table now, a total of thirteen cups were placed upside down in a messy row.

Gu Changming had chosen the third one from the left.

The cup was slowly lifted...