43: Chapter 43: The Mystery of the Old House (Part 17)

No matter how he argued, no other players dared to get close to him.

"Look! The white mist seems to be thinning."

A female player's face lit up with excitement.

The mist all around was slowly receding.

Clearly, those monsters had noticed it too, and their attack speed increased.

"Hehehe... Hehehe..."

"Hehehe... Hehehe..."

With rhythmic cries, those monsters instantly turned their focus toward Qianye and rapidly gathered around her.

"Heehee~ It's finally my turn in this game." Qianye curled her lips into a grin. She loved the feeling of them targeting her specifically; it was time to show them the harsh lessons of society.

She handed the flower pot to Hu Tao with practiced ease, grabbed the hong ling umbrella with her other hand, and charged straight into the white mist. The mist hadn't completely dissipated yet, so they couldn't see what was happening inside, only hearing the continuous wails that made their hearts tremble.

Time ticked by, and the white mist had mostly scattered. They saw dense piles of corpses all around them; it was a scene of utter devastation, with severed limbs everywhere, making their scalps tingle.

Qianye's face still held the excitement of the slaughter. When the white mist cleared and no monsters were left standing, she looked quite disappointed.

"Ah, that's it? They aren't very tough!" Her tone was filled with regret.

Hu Tao's mouth twitched as he looked at the flower pot in his hands. Help, this flower had become a spirit; the little green sprout in the pot was swaying left and right, as if celebrating her triumphant return.

"Whew, the mist has finally cleared."

"Their corpses are gone!"

Shao Yang pointed at the ground. Zheng Wei's corpse had been right in front of them before, even while the mist was still there, so how could it have suddenly disappeared?

He shouldn't have spoken; the moment he brought it up, it reminded everyone else of his actions, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Shao Yang's expression turned ugly.

"What was up with that mist?"

"It was too sudden. We were looking for clues when the white mist suddenly swept in." The female player was clearly speaking to Hu Tao, slowly moving closer to him, wanting to stand by his side.

After what happened with Shao Yang, the remaining female players dared not stay with him anymore.

Instead, they turned to Hu Tao, who had blocked for his companions at the critical moment. It was all because Shao Yang had insisted on alienating him earlier.

Thinking of this, the few female players exchanged glances, all silently harboring hatred for Shao Yang.

Seeing the female players gathering around Hu Tao, Shao Yang gritted his teeth so hard he almost broke them, staring at Hu Tao with a dark expression.

Damn it, it was all because he had been impulsive today.

"You must be very smug right now." Shao Yang sneered at Hu Tao.

Hu Tao: "..." Is he sick in the head?

What did he have to be smug about? Smug that a big shot was charging in front of him?

Now that he thought about it, he was actually quite proud; the big shot hadn't abandoned him this time.

"Finally, I've finally found you all!"

"Why are you all here? I've been looking for you for so long, but I couldn't find you anywhere!"

A familiar voice came over, and a figure was seen running toward Shao Yang.

"Zheng Wei!"

The two surviving female players instantly gasped and instinctively stepped back.

Wang Xiaoxiao gripped the sleeve of the female player beside her. "Y-you, don't move. Are you human or a ghost?"

She had clearly just...

Now, another Zheng Wei had appeared. After what just happened, no one dared to approach her easily.

"Xiaoxiao, w-what's wrong with you guys?"

"Why are you all so guarded when you see me?"

"What just happened?"

Zheng Wei looked bewildered, her face filled with anxiety.

"Brother Shao Yang~"

"Do you not recognize me either?" Zheng Wei's eyes turned slightly red.

Shao Yang looked at the people distancing themselves from him, then back at Zheng Wei. A thought crossed his mind. "Weiwei, of course I recognize you."

"Those two were bewitched by Chen Ming. Don't pay them any mind, let's go." Before leaving, Shao Yang glared viciously at Hu Tao.

Hu Tao: "..." This blame came out of nowhere.

Qianye watched the two figures leave, a playful look in her eyes, before she turned and left as well.

Back at the dormitory, Qianye went straight to sleep. She had to rest while it was still daytime; she couldn't miss the game time at night.

The little green sprout was swaying freely by the window, its body exuding a pale red aura. It was diligently performing its protective duty, excited because there was a bit too much fertilizer today, and it felt a bit full.

--

Qianye slept until she woke up naturally. The sky outside had already turned dark. Ever since she learned that not eating on time would lead to attacks by monsters, she had given up on going to the dining hall. Heehee, between the monsters and her, it wasn't clear who the prey was.

She pushed the door open. The night was as dark as ink, and the surroundings were deathly silent, without a single sound. It was unsettlingly quiet.

Qianye glanced at the row of rooms next to hers. Tsk tsk, she wondered who the lucky one would be tomorrow.

Looking forward to it.

The next moment, there was the sound of another door opening.

Qianye turned her head to see a familiar face.

It was Hu Tao who appeared.

Seeing him, Qianye wasn't surprised at all; she just raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected that he only looked timid, and that it was all just an act.

Hu Tao scratched his head. "Big shot, can you take me with you? I... I'm still quite useful." His eyes were full of anticipation.

Qianye didn't answer him. She elegantly adjusted her clothes, picked up the flower pot, and left.

Seeing this, Hu Tao quickly followed. He understood the big shot's temperament somewhat; she didn't refuse him following her, but as for his life or death, that depended on her mood.

Late at night, under the pitch-black night sky, Qianye's jet-black little dress made her blend perfectly into the night, with only the red umbrella standing out.

Those with better eyesight might even mistake it for a ghost umbrella floating in the void.

--

Dining Hall,

Qianye arrived there with practiced ease. Hu Tao had doubts in his heart but was too embarrassed to ask, so he just followed her silently.

There were two faint lights at the entrance of the dining hall, deathly pale, looking quite creepy.

The dining hall was currently closed. To enter, one would need a key.

Then, Hu Tao saw Qianye pull a key out from somewhere.

!!!

Why did it feel like she was omnipotent?

Qianye saw Hu Tao staring at the key in her hand and shook it. "What, is there a problem?"

"...No." Just curious.

Heehee, this was something she had swiped from the person serving food in the dining hall last time.

She had a hunch that she would be able to use it. Heehee, and look, she was using it tonight.

Hu Tao hadn't obtained many clues, and the background of the entire Ancient Mansion was blurry. Now, looking at the big shot in front of him...

Why did he have the illusion that she was about to clear the level?

It was no wonder he thought that; it seemed she knew many clues and understood a lot.

While his thoughts were drifting, the door had already opened.

Looking inside from the outside, the entire dining hall looked like a giant abyss, pitch black and bottomless.

"Come on, light a little flame." Qianye's words pulled Hu Tao back from his fear, and he hurriedly summoned his skill.

He had never felt his skill was so useful before; it turned out it could also be used as a lightbulb.

Under the illumination of the faint little flame, the feeling of being in an abyss vanished. Hu Tao obediently stayed on the side, serving as a moving lightbulb.

"What clues could there be here?"

He had dutifully come here every time but hadn't found any clues.

"Heehee, guess whether there will be clues or not."

Walking inside, Qianye headed straight for the kitchen, and Hu Tao, looking confused, hurriedly followed.

The kitchen was behind the side of the dining hall, with another door. Hu Tao stared at Qianye expectantly, waiting for her to pull out a key.

Qianye gave him a faint look. Did he really think she was a treasure chest?

She had only swiped one key from that NPC.