The murmurs inside the temple were scattered and tense. Now and then, someone would have a breakdown from the pressure of the game.
They hadn’t truly experienced the terror yet—but just the sense of having their lives dangling on a knife’s edge was horrifying enough.
Not long after, Erhu and Swift Step returned from scouting with someone in tow. The three veterans outside came in right after and shut the temple doors behind them.
“This guy was still wandering around outside even though it’s almost nightfall,” Erhu said casually. “So I figured I’d just bring him back. Let’s ask a few questions, see what he knows.”
Fu Changxun squinted—and to his dismay, recognized the unlucky man as none other than Cheng En, the scholar he’d questioned not long ago.
Fu Changxun: “……”
Dong Zi: “……”
They exchanged a look and, with unspoken understanding, lowered their heads simultaneously to avoid being noticed.
Cheng En’s mouth had been gagged. He’d thrashed and struggled when first caught, but the moment he saw a room full of people, he froze—there were over a dozen of them. How could a frail scholar like him fight that?
Better to stall for time and figure out another way to escape.
Zhao-jie questioned him bluntly, “What’s your name? Where are you from? How much do you know about the secrets of the capital?”
Cheng En had planned to lie, but then his gaze swept the room—and he spotted Fu Changxun and Dong Zi in the corner.
There went that plan. Any lie would get exposed instantly. But wait—why was Fu-ge mixed in with these people?
Cheng En froze, confused. But Fu Changxun had already noticed his blunder and met Cheng En’s eyes with a warning look, subtly motioning for him to keep quiet.
Fu-ge must’ve been threatened by these people!
Cheng En had an epiphany. His imagination ran wild, instantly picturing a gallant rescue. Bolstered by his self-created hero fantasy, he raised his voice and declared, “What are you all planning? Once I get out of here and report you to the authorities, none of you will get away! The court will round you all up!”
Fu Changxun: “……”
He told him not to speak… This guy was too dumb to save.
Before Zhao-jie could even move, Erhu—always the most hot-headed—stepped forward and kicked Cheng En squarely in the chest. Caught off guard, Cheng En crumpled to the floor with a cry of pain, unable to get up.
“Leave him for now,” Zhao-jie said wearily, rubbing her forehead. “We don’t think like people from ancient times—especially not these bookworms who’ve studied themselves stupid.”
She didn’t go too far, just told Erhu to tie him up and dump him in the woods behind the temple to fend for himself.
Erhu frowned. “He’s just an NPC. Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill him?”
Zhao-jie replied, “The more you do, the more you risk. Just do as I say.”
Erhu still seemed disgruntled but didn’t argue. He dragged Cheng En out. When he returned, though, there was a faint trace of blood on him.
Fu Changxun caught a whiff and his expression darkened.
Zhao-jie handed out silver coins to the newbies who didn’t have any Points yet, then told everyone to split up and regroup here tomorrow.
“Moving as one group makes us a bigger target, and we won’t get much information that way. I suggest you break into teams of three. Don’t go off alone. Try to make contact with the NPCs as much as you can.”
The newcomers were clearly nervous, but they all agreed.
With three-person teams, each one would have at least one veteran player.
“Meow.”
Just then, the black cat returned.
It let out a soft sound, slipped through everyone’s blind spot, and perched atop the temple wall.
Even while seated, Dong Zi was tall enough to see it. He leaned over to whisper something into Fu Changxun’s ear on his way out.
A moment later, Fu Changxun put on an exaggerated smile and called out, “Whoa, a kitty!”
Everyone glanced his way, confused by how relaxed he seemed in the middle of the game.
Fu Changxun kept up his dumb-pretty-boy act and reached out to pet the cat with a cheerful grin.
At the same time, he whispered, “Xiao Hei, run around to the back of the temple and draw me over.”
“…Meow—ow.”
Got it. But why the theatrics…
With two chirps, it darted out from under Fu Changxun’s hand, ran a short distance, then paused and looked back with another soft meow.
Come, human.
Among the newcomers, the more lively girl clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise. “This little cat’s too good at baiting! If this weren’t a game, I’d totally have gone over to pet it. Are the cats in this instance really that smart?”
Her companion sighed in regret. “Why does this have to be a game? I’ve always wanted a cat.”
A nearby guy quickly stepped in front of them. “Don’t even think about it. What if it’s some kind of cat demon…”
“He went after it!”
The players watched Fu Changxun chase the black cat. Some of them looked like they wanted to stop him, but Dong Zi was already one step ahead, sprinting after him. Xu Zhengyi followed close behind, carrying Xiao Xiao in his arms. In the blink of an eye, the four of them had vanished.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances—no one dared follow.
Zhao-jie frowned deeply but ultimately let out a heavy sigh. “Leave it. Life or death, that’s their own business.”
***
Fu Changxun followed the black cat into the woods, the playful curiosity on his face fading fast.
The cat stopped beside a pile of fallen leaves, meowing sharply at him and pawing at the ground as if trying to dig.
Dong Zi stepped forward and helped brush the leaves aside.
The moment the scene beneath was revealed, Xu Zhengyi cursed loudly and instantly covered Xiao Xiao’s eyes to block her view. “Fuck—what the hell?!”
It was Cheng En’s corpse.
His expression was frozen in terror, as if he didn’t even understand how he’d died. Clearly, “Erhu” hadn’t left him in the woods to fend for himself like Zhao-jie had ordered. He’d simply killed him. To him, this NPC had been a destabilizing factor.
Fu Changxun stared silently for a while before saying in a low voice, “Let’s bury him properly.”
He hadn’t thought Cheng En would actually die. He’d planned to rescue him, maybe squeeze a few more details out of him…
But now the man was dead.
Dong Zi stepped beside him and murmured gently, “It’s not your fault, Ah Xun. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“…Mm. Thanks.”
The three adults dug a shallow pit and buried the body.
Xiao Xiao had watched the whole thing. She picked a few small flowers from the grass and placed them carefully on the little mound of earth, then whispered seriously, “Gege, next time don’t go out alone at night, okay?”
The adults thought she didn’t understand—but she understood everything.
The black cat meowed softly, circling around Xu Xiao a few times before brushing gently against her ankle.
Although everyone had been told to explore and gather clues from NPCs, Fu Changxun had already completed that leg of the task. So unlike the others, the four of them simply returned to the inn to eat and rest.
That night, only Xu Zhengyi tossed and turned, haunted by the sight of a corpse. The other three slept soundly.
The next morning, Xu Zhengyi woke up with dark circles under his eyes, looking like some rare nocturnal creature.
The four regrouped and discussed their plans—what they needed to accomplish today, and what they needed to avoid—before heading back to the ruined temple to rejoin the other players.
But the moment they reached the entrance, they saw everyone standing outside.
“Why isn’t anyone going in?” Xu Zhengyi asked, stepping forward to part the crowd and check for himself—when a sudden scream rang out, sharp and shrill.
“AHHH!!”
Swift Step came stumbling out of the temple in a panic, scrambling backward on hands and feet.
Everyone turned toward him as his face turned pale. “Erhu…”
“H-He’s dead!”
