Chapter 22.2
The current number of health bars on her head indeed showed only two remaining.
Lao Yu murmured, “It seems that there is still a cultist among us…”
Yang Ming, on the other hand, didn’t care at all. He burst into laughter.
He didn’t care whether there was a cultist among them or not. Now was the time, and Zhong Yirou had only two health bars left. He needed to finish this quickly.
“Shen Ti!” he signaled to Shen Ti, who was leaning against the wall. “It’s time to go.”
At this moment, Yang Ming didn’t want to initiate the duel himself because if he did, Shen Ti might suddenly turn against him. With only one health bar left, he had to act cautiously.
Following their contract, Shen Ti didn’t resist and said, “I challenge Zhong Yirou.”
The holy voice immediately responded, “Player Shen Ti challenges Player Zhong Yirou.”
“Please accept the challenge as soon as possible. A five-minute countdown has started.”
As Zhong Yirou entered the crimson light curtain, she looked very anxious. She kept glancing at the others, hoping that anyone present would help her since she couldn’t refuse the duel.
The first to step up was An Wujiu.
His steps were deliberate, and he entered the duel threshold, standing behind Zhong Yirou.
Shen Ti stared at An Wujiu’s face, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Outside the duel threshold, Yang Ming started to mock shamelessly, “Shen Ti has eight health bars, and you only have one. What are you doing, offering yourself up for death willingly?”
An Wujiu remained silent.
Yang Ming felt uneasy, but he continued to calculate.
With An Wujiu siding with Zhong Yirou, Lao Yu, who had a crush on An Wujiu, would undoubtedly stand up to prevent An Wujiu from dying. In this way, their side would have a total of eight health bars.
On Shen Ti’s side, he could let Wu You also participate, including his one health bar, which would make a total of thirteen.
A crushing victory.
But just as Yang Ming was beginning to relax, the second person walked up.
It was Wu You, who had been waiting in ambush in Yang Ming’s camp.
Yang Ming realized that something was wrong.
“Wu You! What are you doing?”
Under his hat, Wu You’s expression showed little emotion as he said quietly, “Zhong Yirou’s red thread connects to me.”
“Are you insane or just plain stupid? She’s connected to you, and you’re helping her?”
“She helped me.” Wu You continued to give raseons without changing his expression.
“You are unreasonable! I was too blind to help you.” Yang Ming couldn’t contain his anger, but he tried to calm himself down and think about the situation.
Shen Ti’s side had 8 health bars, and with Lao Yu on the opposite side, they also had 8.
Time was running out. They had to eliminate Zhong Yirou.
Before Lao Yu could act, Yang Ming took the initiative and stepped up to Shen Ti.
“This is your choice, and once you enter the duel threshold, there’s no turning back.” Yang Ming warned.
The holy voice appeared and asked, “Is there any other player joining this duel?”
At this point, only Lao Yu remained outside the duel threshold. An Wujiu turned his face to look at him, and his expression seemed different, as if he deliberately avoided making eye contact.
Similarly, he also evaded the holy voice’s question.
“Team selection is complete. Duel threshold closed.”
At this moment, Yang Ming felt as though he had already won. He laughed, “Even your red thread doesn’t want to help you, An Wujiu! This is your fate!”
An Wujiu was also wondering about Lao Yu’s reason for this action. Although he never thought he could come up with a flawless plan, Lao Yu’s surrender was unexpected.
“Why?” In the pause between the system choosing weapons, he looked at Lao Yu with clear and distinct eyes that stood out in this arena.
“You ask me why?” Lao Yu also looked at him, his eyes revealing a hint of revenge. “Why did you change my line?”
In an instant, An Wujiu understood.
He turned his head and looked at Shen Ti.
Yang Ming was eagerly anticipating An Wujiu’s inevitable death.
“What are you still babbling about? Hurry up and say your last words!”
The scrolling weapon selection finally stopped.
“Both sides will use katana for this duel. Countdown, begin.”
When the countdown ended, Shen Ti launched the first attack.
The blade flashed across An Wujiu’s fair face.
An Wujiu was conflicted. Inside the duel threshold, he had only one health bar left, and he didn’t want to die.
On the other hand, he seemed to trust the person before him, regardless of their current state or whether they were kind or evil. At this moment, An Wujiu, who stood on the opposing side, wouldn’t easily give up his own life.
He didn’t attack An Wujiu but rather launched attacks that seemed half-hearted.
An Wujiu was also puzzled. Despite being in a normal state now, he didn’t react as strongly to the stress of the duel as he had the first time.
Even so, An Wujiu still didn’t initiate an attack. Instead, he protected Wu You and Zhong Yirou.
When the tip of the blade was about to reach An Wujiu’s eyes, Shen Ti spoke softly. His voice was as close as a cold wind, almost within arm’s reach, yet he stopped instantly.
“What are you thinking?”
An Wujiu used his blade to block Shen Ti’s attack, fending it off.
A very faint and elusive sentence reached Shen Ti’s ears.
The words hung in the air, and An Wujiu’s voice was as gentle as a breeze, which seemed to carry a mysterious undertone.
“You’ll find out soon.”
Soon was a rather complex and highly subjective concept of time.
The unbalanced duel was rapidly coming to an end, with the health bars on the weaker side quickly diminishing.
As An Wujiu tried to protect Zhong Yirou, Yang Ming launched a sneak attack from behind, his katana gleaming with cold light as it thrust into An Wujiu’s back, piercing through his body.
As he withdrew the long blade, blood sprayed out, splattering on Shen Ti’s overcoat.
Almost instinctively, Shen Ti reached out his arm, embracing An Wujiu, who was about to collapse to the ground with his back to them. He clearly saw An Wujiu’s health bar rapidly depleting.
“You only have one health bar. If you die, it’s over!” Yang Ming released his grip, letting the bloodied sword fall to the ground with a metallic clang. He laughed maniacally as if he had gone insane, shouting, “I won! I finally won!”
Wu You stared coldly at Yang Ming, following the method that Professor An Wujiu had taught him and calculating the time in his mind.
Suddenly, the entire bunker resounded with a choir’s hymn, and the holy music reached everyone’s ears, but what they could smell was the indelible scent of blood, like a baptism in crimson.
An Wujiu’s health bar was about to reach zero.
“It’s nine o’clock! I won! I really won!” Yang Ming grew even more frantic, shouting to the ceiling as he tried to claim victory more quickly.
His clamor clashed horribly with the sacred music filling the bunker.
The holy voice’s emotionless voice announced the results.
“This round of the duel is over. Shen Ti’s camp wins.”
“Player An Wujiu’s health bar has re…”
As if malfunctioning, the holy voice suddenly stopped speaking.
“Not so fast.”
A familiar voice emerged from behind, sending a shiver down Yang Ming’s spine.
How…?
Every muscle in his body stiffened, and he turned around, his shock almost consuming his reason.
An Wujiu, who had just “died,” had come back to life.
Indeed, the health bar that had reached zero disappeared, replaced by a completely intact, new health bar.
Yang Ming immediately realized what had happened. He pointed at Zhong Yirou, his voice filled with rage, “It was you! You tricked me!”
“All’s fair in war,” Zhong Yirou said with a charming smile, her previous panic clearly just an act. Now, the elegance and charming look on her face was the real her.
“It makes things more interesting this way. Would you watch a movie without any plot twists?”
Yang Ming was furious. He suddenly relaxed his brows and sneered, “Even if you didn’t die, the holy music has already finished, and it’s past nine o’clock! You still lost!”
An Wujiu who was in Shen Ti’s arms, smiled with the bright red blood between his teeth.
Just a smile allowed others to recognize his “mutation”. The blade that Yang Ming pierced forced An Wuhiu into his dark state again.
“It f*cking hurts.” An Wujiu covered his stomach, stood up, wiped the corners of his mouth with his fingers, then smiled and raised his chin.
“Wu You.”
After hearing An Wujiu’s, Wu You spoke in a deep voice.
“Holy voice, I want to duel with Yang Ming.”
Yang Ming frowned and subconsciously moved his legs, retreating away from this terrifying duel threshold.
“What…”
But An Wujiu’s bloody smile and emotionless holy voice shattered his illusion.
“Player Wu You challenges player Yang Ming for a duel.”
“Please accept the challenge as soon as possible. A five-minute countdown has started.”
Yang Ming couldn’t even accept this, let alone accept the challenge.
His eyes were full of shock, and he yelled, “How is it possible? It’s impossible; it’s already time! It’s already past nine o’clock!”
Lao Yu, who was beyond the threshold of the duel, didn’t understand what happened.
Originally, An Wu Jiu died, and he thought he could at least get his survival points, which was almost a surprise.
The game is obviously over; why is there still a reversal?
“It’s nine o’clock…” Yang Ming’s voice grew hoarse as he knelt on the ground. Suddenly, a pair of legs appeared before him, and a hand forced him to lift his face, locking gazes with him.
Before him was An Wujiu, his smile oozing elegance, but with blood smeared all over his mouth, making him appear like a horrifying ogre. He licked the blood off his lips and sneered, “Do you remember what I told you about horror movie techniques?”
He applied great force, and the skin under his fingertips turned pale.
“In return for you stabbing me and bringing me back to normal, I’ll teach you a little trick.” An Wujiu leaned in close to Yang Ming’s ear and whispered two words.
“Deception.”
He smiled and, after having fun, released Yang Ming. Patting his dazed face, he said with a hint of regret, “Your brain isn’t suited for being the antagonist.”
“It’s better if I do it.”
“Do you still remember the quartz clock in the living room?” An Wujiu stood up, put his hands behind his back, turned playfully, extended his hand, and made a twisting motion while speaking softly.
“This morning, I set it forward by twenty minutes.”
“Don’t you find…” An Wujiu raised his eyebrows, and the smile disappeared from his face, “last night’s beautiful evening a bit too short? Fool.”
Yang Ming, who had experienced a brief moment of success followed by a colossal failure, had his sanity shattered. He stood there, stunned, and when he heard Shen Ti’s soft laughter, it felt like grabbing a lifeline.
He anxiously reached out, grabbing Shen Ti’s leg this time.
This time, there were no commanding, dictatorial orders. Instead, there was a plea filled with anguish, “Shen Ti, Shen Ti… Please, help me kill them! I’m begging you, help me kill them!”
Shen Ti, his handsome face revealing a hint of apology and a trace of cuteness among the gentleness:
“I’m sorry, but you get what you pay for.”
“The music has already finished, so our cooperation is over.”
He pulled his hand away from Yang Ming’s numb grasp and stepped over to An Wujiu’s side, step by step.
“Why are you helping him?” Yang Ming followed Shen Ti’s footsteps slowly, his voice dull as he murmured the question.
“Why?” Shen Ti smiled, embracing An Wujiu’s shoulders. “That’s a good question. If you didn’t ask, I would be too embarrassed to bring it up myself.”
He clapped his hands and said, “Holy voice, I want to publicly reveal my red line.”
Then he bumped An Wujiu’s shoulder. “You do it too.”
“Are we going to have the Easter egg so soon? The order seems a bit off.” Looking at Yang Ming’s pitiful appearance, An Wujiu acted as if he was doing him a favor. “Alright, since time is running out, let’s do it.”
This was the first time someone had voluntarily requested to publicly reveal their lines.
The holy voice echoed, “Players’ red line will now be publicly revealed.”
In an instant, numerous red dots appeared around both of them, like fireflies, floating and gradually converging into two slender red strings.
One luminous red string circled around Shen Ti’s wrist, then extended, connecting to An Wujiu’s wrist, looping around and tightly intertwining.
The other string followed the opposite path, encircling the same individuals.
Shen Ti raised his wrist, showing it off like he had displayed the handcuffs previously.
“Do you see it? We’re in a two-way secret love relationship.”
Yang Ming’s gaze turned vacant as he finally understood.
Shen Ti had copied An Wujiu’s ability to switch red lines.
The red and black lines that had previously appeared on Lao Yu weren’t switched by An Wujiu but by Shen Ti.
It was his long-planned secret love.
Yang Ming knew he had lost, but he couldn’t fathom how thoroughly and embarrassingly he had lost.
But that was what An Wujiu wanted.
He didn’t just want to win; he wanted to utterly destroy his opponent’s will to resist.
The crimson duel threshold above displayed a white countdown timer.
3—
2—
1.
“Player Yang Ming did not respond. This round of the duel is judged in favor of Player Wu You.”
“Yang Ming’s health points have been reduced to zero. Death.”
Chapter 22.2
The current number of health bars on her head indeed showed only two remaining.
Lao Yu murmured, “It seems that there is still a cultist among us…”
Yang Ming, on the other hand, didn’t care at all. He burst into laughter.
He didn’t care whether there was a cultist among them or not. Now was the time, and Zhong Yirou had only two health bars left. He needed to finish this quickly.
“Shen Ti!” he signaled to Shen Ti, who was leaning against the wall. “It’s time to go.”
At this moment, Yang Ming didn’t want to initiate the duel himself because if he did, Shen Ti might suddenly turn against him. With only one health bar left, he had to act cautiously.
Following their contract, Shen Ti didn’t resist and said, “I challenge Zhong Yirou.”
The holy voice immediately responded, “Player Shen Ti challenges Player Zhong Yirou.”
“Please accept the challenge as soon as possible. A five-minute countdown has started.”
As Zhong Yirou entered the crimson light curtain, she looked very anxious. She kept glancing at the others, hoping that anyone present would help her since she couldn’t refuse the duel.
The first to step up was An Wujiu.
His steps were deliberate, and he entered the duel threshold, standing behind Zhong Yirou.
Shen Ti stared at An Wujiu’s face, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
Outside the duel threshold, Yang Ming started to mock shamelessly, “Shen Ti has eight health bars, and you only have one. What are you doing, offering yourself up for death willingly?”
An Wujiu remained silent.
Yang Ming felt uneasy, but he continued to calculate.
With An Wujiu siding with Zhong Yirou, Lao Yu, who had a crush on An Wujiu, would undoubtedly stand up to prevent An Wujiu from dying. In this way, their side would have a total of eight health bars.
On Shen Ti’s side, he could let Wu You also participate, including his one health bar, which would make a total of thirteen.
A crushing victory.
But just as Yang Ming was beginning to relax, the second person walked up.
It was Wu You, who had been waiting in ambush in Yang Ming’s camp.
Yang Ming realized that something was wrong.
“Wu You! What are you doing?”
Under his hat, Wu You’s expression showed little emotion as he said quietly, “Zhong Yirou’s red thread connects to me.”
“Are you insane or just plain stupid? She’s connected to you, and you’re helping her?”
“She helped me.” Wu You continued to give raseons without changing his expression.
“You are unreasonable! I was too blind to help you.” Yang Ming couldn’t contain his anger, but he tried to calm himself down and think about the situation.
Shen Ti’s side had 8 health bars, and with Lao Yu on the opposite side, they also had 8.
Time was running out. They had to eliminate Zhong Yirou.
Before Lao Yu could act, Yang Ming took the initiative and stepped up to Shen Ti.
“This is your choice, and once you enter the duel threshold, there’s no turning back.” Yang Ming warned.
The holy voice appeared and asked, “Is there any other player joining this duel?”
At this point, only Lao Yu remained outside the duel threshold. An Wujiu turned his face to look at him, and his expression seemed different, as if he deliberately avoided making eye contact.
Similarly, he also evaded the holy voice’s question.
“Team selection is complete. Duel threshold closed.”
At this moment, Yang Ming felt as though he had already won. He laughed, “Even your red thread doesn’t want to help you, An Wujiu! This is your fate!”
An Wujiu was also wondering about Lao Yu’s reason for this action. Although he never thought he could come up with a flawless plan, Lao Yu’s surrender was unexpected.
“Why?” In the pause between the system choosing weapons, he looked at Lao Yu with clear and distinct eyes that stood out in this arena.
“You ask me why?” Lao Yu also looked at him, his eyes revealing a hint of revenge. “Why did you change my line?”
In an instant, An Wujiu understood.
He turned his head and looked at Shen Ti.
Yang Ming was eagerly anticipating An Wujiu’s inevitable death.
“What are you still babbling about? Hurry up and say your last words!”
The scrolling weapon selection finally stopped.
“Both sides will use katana for this duel. Countdown, begin.”
When the countdown ended, Shen Ti launched the first attack.
The blade flashed across An Wujiu’s fair face.
An Wujiu was conflicted. Inside the duel threshold, he had only one health bar left, and he didn’t want to die.
On the other hand, he seemed to trust the person before him, regardless of their current state or whether they were kind or evil. At this moment, An Wujiu, who stood on the opposing side, wouldn’t easily give up his own life.
He didn’t attack An Wujiu but rather launched attacks that seemed half-hearted.
An Wujiu was also puzzled. Despite being in a normal state now, he didn’t react as strongly to the stress of the duel as he had the first time.
Even so, An Wujiu still didn’t initiate an attack. Instead, he protected Wu You and Zhong Yirou.
When the tip of the blade was about to reach An Wujiu’s eyes, Shen Ti spoke softly. His voice was as close as a cold wind, almost within arm’s reach, yet he stopped instantly.
“What are you thinking?”
An Wujiu used his blade to block Shen Ti’s attack, fending it off.
A very faint and elusive sentence reached Shen Ti’s ears.
The words hung in the air, and An Wujiu’s voice was as gentle as a breeze, which seemed to carry a mysterious undertone.
“You’ll find out soon.”
Soon was a rather complex and highly subjective concept of time.
The unbalanced duel was rapidly coming to an end, with the health bars on the weaker side quickly diminishing.
As An Wujiu tried to protect Zhong Yirou, Yang Ming launched a sneak attack from behind, his katana gleaming with cold light as it thrust into An Wujiu’s back, piercing through his body.
As he withdrew the long blade, blood sprayed out, splattering on Shen Ti’s overcoat.
Almost instinctively, Shen Ti reached out his arm, embracing An Wujiu, who was about to collapse to the ground with his back to them. He clearly saw An Wujiu’s health bar rapidly depleting.
“You only have one health bar. If you die, it’s over!” Yang Ming released his grip, letting the bloodied sword fall to the ground with a metallic clang. He laughed maniacally as if he had gone insane, shouting, “I won! I finally won!”
Wu You stared coldly at Yang Ming, following the method that Professor An Wujiu had taught him and calculating the time in his mind.
Suddenly, the entire bunker resounded with a choir’s hymn, and the holy music reached everyone’s ears, but what they could smell was the indelible scent of blood, like a baptism in crimson.
An Wujiu’s health bar was about to reach zero.
“It’s nine o’clock! I won! I really won!” Yang Ming grew even more frantic, shouting to the ceiling as he tried to claim victory more quickly.
His clamor clashed horribly with the sacred music filling the bunker.
The holy voice’s emotionless voice announced the results.
“This round of the duel is over. Shen Ti’s camp wins.”
“Player An Wujiu’s health bar has re…”
As if malfunctioning, the holy voice suddenly stopped speaking.
“Not so fast.”
A familiar voice emerged from behind, sending a shiver down Yang Ming’s spine.
How…?
Every muscle in his body stiffened, and he turned around, his shock almost consuming his reason.
An Wujiu, who had just “died,” had come back to life.
Indeed, the health bar that had reached zero disappeared, replaced by a completely intact, new health bar.
Yang Ming immediately realized what had happened. He pointed at Zhong Yirou, his voice filled with rage, “It was you! You tricked me!”
“All’s fair in war,” Zhong Yirou said with a charming smile, her previous panic clearly just an act. Now, the elegance and charming look on her face was the real her.
“It makes things more interesting this way. Would you watch a movie without any plot twists?”
Yang Ming was furious. He suddenly relaxed his brows and sneered, “Even if you didn’t die, the holy music has already finished, and it’s past nine o’clock! You still lost!”
An Wujiu who was in Shen Ti’s arms, smiled with the bright red blood between his teeth.
Just a smile allowed others to recognize his “mutation”. The blade that Yang Ming pierced forced An Wuhiu into his dark state again.
“It f*cking hurts.” An Wujiu covered his stomach, stood up, wiped the corners of his mouth with his fingers, then smiled and raised his chin.
“Wu You.”
After hearing An Wujiu’s, Wu You spoke in a deep voice.
“Holy voice, I want to duel with Yang Ming.”
Yang Ming frowned and subconsciously moved his legs, retreating away from this terrifying duel threshold.
“What…”
But An Wujiu’s bloody smile and emotionless holy voice shattered his illusion.
“Player Wu You challenges player Yang Ming for a duel.”
“Please accept the challenge as soon as possible. A five-minute countdown has started.”
Yang Ming couldn’t even accept this, let alone accept the challenge.
His eyes were full of shock, and he yelled, “How is it possible? It’s impossible; it’s already time! It’s already past nine o’clock!”
Lao Yu, who was beyond the threshold of the duel, didn’t understand what happened.
Originally, An Wu Jiu died, and he thought he could at least get his survival points, which was almost a surprise.
The game is obviously over; why is there still a reversal?
“It’s nine o’clock…” Yang Ming’s voice grew hoarse as he knelt on the ground. Suddenly, a pair of legs appeared before him, and a hand forced him to lift his face, locking gazes with him.
Before him was An Wujiu, his smile oozing elegance, but with blood smeared all over his mouth, making him appear like a horrifying ogre. He licked the blood off his lips and sneered, “Do you remember what I told you about horror movie techniques?”
He applied great force, and the skin under his fingertips turned pale.
“In return for you stabbing me and bringing me back to normal, I’ll teach you a little trick.” An Wujiu leaned in close to Yang Ming’s ear and whispered two words.
“Deception.”
He smiled and, after having fun, released Yang Ming. Patting his dazed face, he said with a hint of regret, “Your brain isn’t suited for being the antagonist.”
“It’s better if I do it.”
“Do you still remember the quartz clock in the living room?” An Wujiu stood up, put his hands behind his back, turned playfully, extended his hand, and made a twisting motion while speaking softly.
“This morning, I set it forward by twenty minutes.”
“Don’t you find…” An Wujiu raised his eyebrows, and the smile disappeared from his face, “last night’s beautiful evening a bit too short? Fool.”
Yang Ming, who had experienced a brief moment of success followed by a colossal failure, had his sanity shattered. He stood there, stunned, and when he heard Shen Ti’s soft laughter, it felt like grabbing a lifeline.
He anxiously reached out, grabbing Shen Ti’s leg this time.
This time, there were no commanding, dictatorial orders. Instead, there was a plea filled with anguish, “Shen Ti, Shen Ti… Please, help me kill them! I’m begging you, help me kill them!”
Shen Ti, his handsome face revealing a hint of apology and a trace of cuteness among the gentleness:
“I’m sorry, but you get what you pay for.”
“The music has already finished, so our cooperation is over.”
He pulled his hand away from Yang Ming’s numb grasp and stepped over to An Wujiu’s side, step by step.
“Why are you helping him?” Yang Ming followed Shen Ti’s footsteps slowly, his voice dull as he murmured the question.
“Why?” Shen Ti smiled, embracing An Wujiu’s shoulders. “That’s a good question. If you didn’t ask, I would be too embarrassed to bring it up myself.”
He clapped his hands and said, “Holy voice, I want to publicly reveal my red line.”
Then he bumped An Wujiu’s shoulder. “You do it too.”
“Are we going to have the Easter egg so soon? The order seems a bit off.” Looking at Yang Ming’s pitiful appearance, An Wujiu acted as if he was doing him a favor. “Alright, since time is running out, let’s do it.”
This was the first time someone had voluntarily requested to publicly reveal their lines.
The holy voice echoed, “Players’ red line will now be publicly revealed.”
In an instant, numerous red dots appeared around both of them, like fireflies, floating and gradually converging into two slender red strings.
One luminous red string circled around Shen Ti’s wrist, then extended, connecting to An Wujiu’s wrist, looping around and tightly intertwining.
The other string followed the opposite path, encircling the same individuals.
Shen Ti raised his wrist, showing it off like he had displayed the handcuffs previously.
“Do you see it? We’re in a two-way secret love relationship.”
Yang Ming’s gaze turned vacant as he finally understood.
Shen Ti had copied An Wujiu’s ability to switch red lines.
The red and black lines that had previously appeared on Lao Yu weren’t switched by An Wujiu but by Shen Ti.
It was his long-planned secret love.
Yang Ming knew he had lost, but he couldn’t fathom how thoroughly and embarrassingly he had lost.
But that was what An Wujiu wanted.
He didn’t just want to win; he wanted to utterly destroy his opponent’s will to resist.
The crimson duel threshold above displayed a white countdown timer.
3—
2—
1.
“Player Yang Ming did not respond. This round of the duel is judged in favor of Player Wu You.”
“Yang Ming’s health points have been reduced to zero. Death.”
