Npc 71

Ling Kang seemed to have gone mad, pointing frantically at Jiang Yan. It was clear that Fang Rui’s death had hit him hard.

If Ling Kang wasn’t lying, then he had seen the former mountain god on that mountain, and that former mountain god had specifically mentioned knowing Jiang Yan. With that in mind, the possibility that Jiang Yan was the mountain god seemed to be the most likely.

But...

"This is absolutely impossible! The god is dead!" Jiang Yan’s mother, who had been silently leaning against Ding Wanyu, suddenly exclaimed with agitation.

All eyes turned to Jiang Yan’s mother.

She murmured, "The god is dead... When he died, he sent Xiao Xiu to the town’s chief’s wife."

The crowd’s gaze shifted to Yu Xiu, who was holding Jiang Yan in his arms, nonchalantly playing with Jiang Yan’s fingers.

"Hmm?" Yu Xiu lazily glanced at everyone before casually replying, "Hmm, that’s right! That guy really died. "

With that, he returned his attention to Jiang Yan’s hand, sometimes rubbing it, sometimes intertwining their fingers, occasionally leaning down to kiss Jiang Yan’s hand.

It seemed as though nothing else mattered to him, like a young wife waiting for her husband to finish his meeting so she could go home.

At this moment, Jiang Yan, with his eyes lowered, was nestled in Yu Xiu’s arms, not thinking about anything in particular, letting Yu Xiu manipulate his hand as he pleased.

"It’s impossible! Fang Rui and I saw it with our own eyes!" Ling Kang vehemently rebutted.

It had to be him! It had to be him, the ghost!

With that, he swung the knife in his hand, madly charging at Jiang Yan.

"Jiang Yan, watch out!" Jian Hou shouted.

Just as the gleaming blade was about to reach Jiang Yan’s nose, it suddenly stopped.

A thin strand of hair was severed by the edge of the knife.

Jiang Yan’s icy blue eyes stared coldly at the man before him, his eyes bloodshot in a crazed frenzy, and he didn’t even flinch.

Everyone held their breath, only to see a long, slender hand grasping Ling Kang’s wrist, stopping him from swinging the knife any further.

Yu Xiu smiled, his green eyes curving, but his voice was filled with a chilling undertone: "As you can see, my wife is as fragile as a porcelain doll."

"Please, stop trying to get so close to him, alright?"

His words fell lightly, and then he released his grip on Ling Kang’s wrist.

Crack.

In an instant, Ling Kang’s wrist, still holding the dagger, twisted into a grotesque shape under everyone’s gaze.

The next second, Ling Kang let out a blood-curdling scream, as though he were being butchered.

[Wait... Ling Kang is an A-level player, right? That dagger should be A-grade at least!]

[What exactly is Yu Xiu? How can such a strong NPC feel like there’s no presence at all?]

[Jiang Yan is unbelievable, his eyes don’t even blink.]

[Suddenly, I feel like they’re strangely compatible... What’s going on? Am I going crazy?]

The scene before them changed so quickly that the crowd didn't have time to process it.

At that moment, Jiang Yan seemed to snap out of his daze. He slowly raised his head from Yu Xiu's embrace and looked at Ling Kang, who was rolling on the ground in agony from the intense pain. "You just said there are two kinds of flowers, red and blue. Fang Rui died because he ate the wrong flower."

"Then why did he eat the flower midway, instead of bringing it back to show everyone?"

Ling Kang, lying on the ground, was drenched in cold sweat from the pain. He closed his eyes, slowly recalling what had just happened: "Because... because when we were returning and about to meet with you and Tao Shi's group, there was no light, only the massive god, whose eyes were like two full moons, illuminating the overgrown path between bushes and thorns."

"And that god kept tempting us."

"Is this it? You’re just going back?"

"Aren’t you going to take a look?"

"Don’t you want to see what’s inside that grave?"

"There might be a surprise!"

Fang Rui remained silent, only pulling him forward without saying a word.

From the god's tone, it seemed like there was something in the grave that might excite the players. Whether it was a special clue or a unique item, it was unclear.

Ling Kang, listening to the god’s tempting voice and watching Fang Rui quietly pulling him forward without saying anything, didn’t speak either.

This was the game rule that Xiao Rui had followed after entering the game.

After entering the game, Xiao Rui had constantly emphasized this rule to him:

"We’re just two ordinary people. In situations where we have no certainty, we must never touch any clues or mechanisms in the game out of curiosity or by gambling our luck!"

Yes! He had always agreed with Xiao Rui’s game rule. Because along their journey to this point, countless players had died simply out of curiosity.

They were just two ordinary people. They didn’t have the luck of luck players, nor the strength to face mistakes like high-level players did.

They couldn’t afford to make mistakes!

It was better to be mediocre than to make a mistake.

One wrong step, and it could mean death.

It was with this "rule" that he and Xiao Rui had made it this far. Both of them were average in all aspects, but they had managed to become "decent" A-level players.

What decent progress?

It was simply cautious and careful every step of the way.

If they hadn’t entered this instance again and met Jiang Yan, he and Xiao Rui wouldn’t have had such a strong emotional reaction.

If it weren’t for Yu Jia using [Puppet Strings] to control them, he and Xiao Rui would have faced Jiang Yan head-on!

Thinking of this, he silently clenched Fang Rui’s hand.

They had made it this far, cautiously and carefully, and yet still couldn’t escape being controlled by high-level players and having their luck exploited by luck players.

At that moment, the god above them suddenly spoke again:

"You don’t think bringing the flower back will lift the curse on you, do you?"

"Think about it! Even if you bring the flower back, do you think your companions will be able to accurately identify which flower is the real antidote to the curse?"

"There’s no doubt, they definitely won’t."

"So if they can’t identify it, what will they use to determine which flower is the antidote?"

Fang Rui suddenly stopped in his tracks.

How would they identify it?

He had already investigated the items and abilities of the players and NPCs in this instance. None of them had any items that could distinguish herbs.

If that’s the case, then the only way to identify it... was to try it.

The flower that killed someone would be the poisonous one, and the one that didn’t kill anyone would be the antidote.

Who would be the one to try?

Who would eat the flower?

Ling Kang was starting to panic. He spoke quickly, "Xiao Rui... Jian Hou is Jiang Yan's friend. Even if they’re having problems now, they’re still friends, just like you and I."

Yes, Jian Hou was Jiang Yan’s friend, and also Tao Shi's mentor in the guqin. He obviously couldn't be the one to try the antidote.

Tao Shi, Cao Youfeng, and Yu Jia—these three powerful figures—without a doubt, would never risk trying the antidote.

As for Cang Rou and Ding Wanyu, the NPCs, both had their own factions and guilds behind them. The [Dawn Guild] and [Puppet Workshop] wouldn’t want to get involved with this easily.

And as for Jiang Yan… Ha!

He was the main system’s precious darling, the one everyone in the entire instance adored, players and NPCs alike!

Tao Shi and Cao Youfeng had chased after two instances for him. He had an S-rank item and two S-rank NPCs by his side, and it appeared he might even be the boss of this instance. How could he possibly be the one to try the antidote?

So, who would be the one to try it?

Ling Kang grew afraid, trembling as he looked at Fang Rui and said, "Xiao Rui... You wouldn’t make us try the antidote, would you? You’re going to... capture us and force one of us to eat the flower, then wait for the effect to take place...?"

As he spoke, his body began to shake uncontrollably.

He regretted it. He had regretted it a long time ago.

He shouldn’t have entered this game. He shouldn’t have signed a contract with that system!

Fang Rui turned around, seeing Ling Kang’s eyes red. He quickly tried to reassure him, "It won’t happen! Don’t listen to what it says."

The god above them let out an intense laugh, "Bullsht?! You should know deep down whether it’s bullsht or not."

"So, are you sure you don’t want to go back and take a look? See what’s really in that grave?"

Fang Rui angrily shouted at the sky, "Shut up!"

The god chuckled lightly, "Oh, my! Such a temper!"

The god above them didn’t seem divine at all, more like a serpent tempting Adam to eat the forbidden fruit.

Fang Rui chose not to respond anymore. Instead, he focused on comforting Ling Kang, who was starting to lose his composure.

They were just two A-level players, but they had been thrust into an S-level dungeon. Even if it was the lowest-tier S-level scenario, for them, the enemies were too powerful…

"Xiao Rui... I feel like we won’t make it out of here..." In the ancestral hall, Ling Kang, remembering everything, couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

"Just like this... just like this...?"

"So, Xiao Rui decided to take poison and end his life?" Jiang Yan asked, confused.

"No!" Ling Kang struggled to rise from the ground, yelling at Jiang Yan, "Xiao Rui... Xiao Rui wanted us both to eat one flower each, so at least one of us would survive!"

"The one who survives would bring the antidote back to you... so you’ll remember our sacrifice. And no matter how you fight or turn against each other afterward, you won’t drag us into it anymore..."

Ling Kang lowered his gaze, his tears falling silently.

Hearing this, no one spoke a word.

[It's really not easy being an ordinary player, especially when encountering powerful figures battling it out like gods. One wrong move and you could easily end up being cannon fodder for the big shots! Just think about Jiang Yan’s ex husband in the last instance.]

[Yeah! Especially since they were both controlled by Yu Jia’s, used as tools to deal with Jiang Yan. And this is Jiang Yan! What kind of good outcome could they have when facing off against him?]

[Really feeling for them! Ordinary players in the game are so helpless!]

[When you meet a big shot, you think about just riding the wave, but one mistake and you end up as their stepping stone! Is this really how it works...]

[It’s tough being ordinary everywhere! In the real world, aren’t we all just stepping stones?]

[I came to this game because I didn’t want to be a stepping stone in the real world, but I never thought I’d end up as cannon fodder here too!]

[It’s like reading those infinite-flow novels and thinking that when you enter the game, you’ll be the protagonist!]

"Fang Rui really had good intentions." Tao Shi sighed.

Indeed, now that Ling Kang had brought the "antidote" back and sacrificed Xiao Rui, it seemed like Yu Jia wouldn’t control him anymore.

They were lucky— If they had met someone else, it might not have gone so smoothly.

After hearing Tao Shi’s words, Jiang Yan smiled but didn’t speak.

Jian Hou sighed and asked Tao Shi, "How old are you this year?"

Tao Shi and Cao Youfeng were confused.

[Huh? Why is Jian Hou suddenly asking this?]

[Heh! You’ll find out soon.]

[This Ling Kang is really disgusting and makes me speechless!]

[Just now, I was so mad! Why did I have to switch to Fang Rui’s perspective? It’s really frustrating!]

[What happened? Why is the bullet screen full of cryptic remarks?]

At this moment, Ling Kang went berserk again!

He glared at Jiang Yan and furiously pointed at him, "It’s you! If it weren’t for you, Xiao Rui wouldn’t have died!! You killed him!"

"It’s you!!"

Jiang Yan’s face remained expressionless, and not even his brows furrowed.

[What’s going on?! How is this Jiang Yan’s fault?]

[Looks like Ling Kang really hates Jiang Yan. Is this how it is?]

[Actually, I can understand! Being an ordinary player with mediocre talent, Jiang Yan is still an NPC whose actions are limited in the game, but he plays through the S-level instance like it’s a travel guide! Who wouldn’t be upset?]

[What? Jiang Yan is mediocre? Do you even know what you’re talking about?]

[What’s wrong? Since when Jiang Yan’s talent is mediocre? His physical strength and mental power rank in the top of the server!]

[No one seems to remember that Jiang Yan’s stats were at the bottom of the server before. Didn’t everyone mock him for it? Did you forget that so quickly?]

[Yeah! It’s just that he’s been lucky! Every time he gets a crucial role! Last time he got a BOSS card, and since when did real NPCs get BOSS cards in the game?]

[And this time, isn’t it the same?]

[This time, it shouldn’t be, right? Jiang Yan keeps saying that he’s not.]

[If it’s not him, then who else could it be? Tao Shi? Cao Youfeng? Yu Jia? If they were the mountain gods, the game would have ended already!]

[Jian Hou? Fang Rui? Ling Kang? If Fang Rui was dead, and Ling Kang was the mountain god, he would have torn Jiang Yan apart by now. Could it be Jian Hou?]

At this moment, Ling Kang struggled on the ground, his arm in pain, unable to say a word, but his eyes were still fixed on Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was truly confused. Did Lin Kang have some deep grudge with him?

Why?

Or had there been something in the past that he had forgotten?

At this moment, he instinctively looked toward Jian Hou.

Jian Hou met his gaze, and years of understanding told him that Jiang Yan was seeking answers from him.

He shrugged and raised an eyebrow.

Honestly, when Jian Hou first heard about the grudge between Fang Rui, Ling Kang, and Jiang Yan from Fang Rui’s side, he was shocked!

He had been spending time with Wu Tian and Wang Yan, watching how comfortable this guy was! So, a little jealousy seemed understandable to him, and he didn’t think much of it.

But as for the grudge between Fang Rui, Ling Kang, and Jiang Yan... he didn’t know what to say.

He could understand how, after experiencing hunger and helplessness, those two might collapse when they saw Jiang Yan enjoying the finest food.

But the jealousy turning into such intense hatred was something he could never have imagined.

Seeing Ling Kang appear to be in increasing pain, Cao Youfeng helplessly bandaged him again with a [medical bandage], glancing at the NPC beside Jiang Yan with green eyes. "Alright, alright! Now you just need to focus on staying alive."

Why do you have to pick a fight with Jiang Yan?

Is it because Jiang Yan's voice isn't loud enough, or what?

If Puppet Workshop had a problem with Jiang Yan, even Yu Jia wouldn’t dare to act openly. Yet here Ling Kang was, so bold.

"Now, let’s lift the curse first," Jiang Yan said, looking at the flowers in the center that had been stained yellow by the ink.

Ding Wanyu silently stood up. "The Fu Shou well is the one from the Yu family, the one you saw when you came to participate in the marriage ceremony."

"I'll go get it." Jian Hou stood up from the ground.

"No need." Yu Xiu, who was standing by Jiang Yan, interrupted.

He gently whistled.

From the flame of the incense in the ancestral hall, two small paper figures jumped out. They had black bangs and jet-black eyes, with two round red dots on their cheeks.

The little paper figures quickly climbed out of the flame and began walking with their short legs, swiftly exiting the ancestral hall.

In no time, the two little paper figures returned with a white porcelain bowl of water in front of Yu Xiu.

"Thank you," Yu Xiu smiled.

The little paper figures happily spun in place before rushing back to the flame, where they instantly turned to ash.

Next, Yu Xiu folded several more paper cups, each one labeled with the names of those under the curse.

The next step was to throw the flowers into the water and let them slowly brew, and soon a strange fragrance filled the ancestral hall.

At this moment, Jiang Yan suddenly spoke to Ling Kang: "Have you ever considered that it was you and Fang Rui who ate the flowers soaked in Fu Shou well water, which ended up poisoning him?"

Ling Kang had been quiet until now, but upon hearing this, he went wild again: "You’re insulting him! Even now, you still want to insult him!!"

"Enough! Why provoke him now?" Yu Jia said, trying to mediate.

Logically speaking, Ling Kang held animosity toward Jiang Yan, and anyone who was happy would be him, but at this moment, it seemed like he was trying to talk some sense into the situation.

It had to be said, this group of players really had their "grudges clearly defined."

Yu Jia seemed to have figured out what Jiang Yan was thinking and chuckled lightly. "I told you, killing you is a mission. I don’t personally dislike you."

Jiang Yan lowered his gaze. Killing him was a mission.

He really couldn’t understand why a major guild would send a high-level player to eliminate him.

It couldn’t be because the "Best Actor" was jealous that he got a BOSS card in the last instance while he didn’t, right?

At that moment, a tingling sensation spread across his waist. Jiang Yan looked down and saw that Yu Xiu’s hand, which was wrapped around his waist, had become a little too restless.

He grabbed the offending hand and shot a stern look over his shoulder.

Yu Xiu didn’t seem the least bit guilty for being caught. He smiled and rubbed his face against Jiang Yan’s cheek, whispering, "I’m just touching, I’m not doing anything. Yan Yan, no need to be so nervous."

Jiang Yan rolled his eyes.

It wasn't that he was nervous; it was just that this guy seemed ready to start something anywhere, anytime.

Suddenly, Jiang Yan thought of something. He turned his head and looked at Yu Xiu with a serious expression.

What if this wasn’t about him?

He wasn't an extraordinary person. His personal information was confidential, but his education, social circle, and marital status could be easily found.

The fact that his previous relationship was a well-known matter in the game probably wasn’t much of a secret either.

What if... the "Best Actor"  Sang Luan wasn’t targeting him, but was actually targeting Yu Xiu?

Could it be that Yu Xiu had done something in the game that offended Puppet Workshop? And now that Yu Xiu had disappeared, Puppet Workshop couldn’t get their revenge on him, so they came after Jiang Yan instead?

Thinking this through, Jiang Yan almost felt convinced.

But then again, it didn’t quite make sense!

If Yu Xiu was still unmarried and enemies couldn’t find him, would they go after his ex-husband for revenge?

That didn’t add up!

"What’s wrong? Yan Yan?" Yu Xiu noticed that Jiang Yan, who had been silently lost in thought, suddenly turned serious. His expression had shifted from confusion to anger.

Looking into those green eyes, Jiang Yan suddenly remembered something. Hadn’t Ling Kang just mentioned that "the God" Yu Xiu had told him that he could pay for a human skin to be bought?

Wasn’t it because this guy, Yu Xiu had revealed his name in front of Ling Kang when Fang Rui died? And that was why Ling Kang believed so strongly that he was holding a [Mountain God Card]?

Could it be that this pervert offended someone and in the end, his name got leaked?

If that was the case, then everything made sense!

What if this guy had offended the "Best Actor" in some instance and then revealed his name? Now Puppet Workshop was going after him with a vengeance?

It had to be this way!

"What’s going on?" Seeing Jiang Yan's expression shift from confusion and curiosity to disbelief and anger, Yu Xiu asked again.

His Yan Yan was usually not so emotional, so why was he so fired up today? In less than a minute, his face had changed three times!

Seeing this, Yu Xiu chuckled softly to himself. His Yan Yan was really cute!

Jiang Yan glared at him and whispered in his ear, "How many people have you pissed off in this game? Do you mention my name every time?"

Yu Xiu looked innocent and said, "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

"You’re pretending...," Jiang Yan couldn’t help but reach out to pinch Yu Xiu's waist.

"The medicine’s ready," Yu Xiu smiled, gently taking Jiang Yan’s hand into his own.

He turned to the group of players and said, "You guys can drink it yourselves."

Seeing this, Cao Youfeng muttered to Tao Shi, "This NPC really is just a side character?"

Tao Shi replied, "Wasn’t Jiang Yan’s husband just a side character in the last instance?"

Speaking of which, there were several ridiculously strong NPCs who were side characters in instances; it wasn’t unusual, and it wasn’t the first time this had happened.

But the special thing about this NPC, Yu Xiu, was...

He seemed to always revolve around Jiang Yan?

Could it be that the main system thought Jiang Yan’s acting skills weren’t strong enough, so they paired him with someone he was familiar with, to prevent him from breaking character?

After all, it’s always easier to act like a married couple when you’ve had a real marriage experience, rather than acting romantic with a stranger.

Tao Shi glanced over at the two, who seemed to be "flirting and bickering."

At this point, Yu Xiu had grabbed both of Jiang Yan’s hands and pulled them above his head.

Jiang Yan struggled but couldn’t break free. He seemed annoyed and tried to bite.

Yu Xiu laughed, leaning down and gently pecked Jiang Yan’s lips.

Jiang Yan angrily shut his mouth and glared at him with his eyes.

"Tsk!" Tao Shi couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

It had to be said, the chemistry between people who had once been married was much more natural than that of Ding Wanyu and Jiang Yan's mother, who pretended to be mother and child.

However, in this kind of environment, this naturalness was truly so annoying! 

Yu Jia poured the finished broth evenly into the paper cups that Yu Xiu had folded, distributing it to all those present who were affected by the curse.

"Drink up," he said, blowing on the still hot soup. "Once you drink it, the curse will be lifted, and the next instance should be over."

"Jiang Yan, aren't you going to drink?" Ling Kang suddenly turned to him.

"Do I need to?" Jiang Yan asked, turning his head.

Yu Xiu released Jiang Yan's hand and pulled him into an embrace. "Yan Yan doesn’t have the curse, so he doesn't need to drink this."

"No, you do," Ling Kang's eyes were bloodshot. "If you don’t drink, how will we know if the soup is poisoned?"

"After all, this is your husband’s water," he added.

"Are you afraid I’ll poison you all?" Jiang Yan couldn’t help but laugh.

"Fine! Give me a cup," Jiang Yan shrugged. "By the way, this water doesn’t have any side effects, right?"

"No," Ding Wanyu explained, "But this thing definitely isn’t pleasant to drink."

"Yan Yan, don't drink something that tastes bad," Yu Xiu whispered.

Jiang Yan’s long lashes fluttered. He glanced at him before looking across at Ling Kang, whose gaze was burning with intensity.

Then, Jiang Yan smiled. "I’ll have a cup, otherwise, Ling Kang might not be able to drink this bowl of soup."

Seeing Jiang Yan insist, Yu Xiu folded another cup for him, and Yu Jia poured the remaining broth from the pot into it, still leaving a little less than half a cup.

"If we drink this, can we leave?" Jiang Yan asked quietly.

Once the curse is lifted, we can leave," Yu Jia replied.

However, Ding Wanyu didn’t seem convinced. He spoke up, "But... what about the god? And the source of the curse in the town? We still haven’t figured that out. And we haven’t helped Red Ghost Lady find her child either. Should we just..."

"Tao Shi," Ding Wanyu was cut off by Tao Shi’s voice.

"Do you remember high school math?" Tao Shi asked.

Ding Wanyu was confused.

Tao Shi continued, "As long as the result is correct, even if a few steps of the process are wrong, it doesn’t mean a zero score."

"We’re after the right result now. In this game, focusing on the correct result is much easier to survive than trying to cover every detail."

"But..." Ding Wanyu looked at the Red Ghost Lady, who was sitting quietly, her long hair cascading down. Her face was covered in terrifying black veins, and her white, lifeless eyes held an expression of deep sadness.

"We promised her we would help her find her child," Ding Wanyu said, his voice faltering.

Tao Shi, looking confused, said, "You don’t really think it’s her real child, do you? It’s just an NPC in the game. Cang Rou has been single for 28 years."

Cang Rou: "..."

"Drink it," Ling Kang said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "I just want to leave... I don’t want to stay in this game anymore."

At this point, he had lost all the crazy energy he had once had when facing Jiang Yan. His head hung low, the medical bandage still wrapped around the hand that Yu Xiu had twisted earlier, and he looked utterly dejected.

His voice held a tone of despair, understandable after losing a close friend in this instance. This was too cruel for anyone to handle.

Now, all he wanted was to...

He stared gloomily at Jiang Yan as he drank the soup from the paper cup.

Then, behind him, Yu Xiu, the "monster husband" with eyes the same color as the god’s, grasped his chin and kissed him deeply.

Hah!

A hint of sarcasm flickered in Ling Kang’s eyes.

Was this how Jiang Yan survived in the game? Through a kiss, he had gained protection, whereas he and Xiao Rui had been so cautious all this time, and it still wasn’t enough.

But...

"This is the end," Ling Kang muttered, watching everyone’s empty paper cups.

"Yes, it’s over," Ding Wanyu said, looking at the dispelled curse in his hand.

"No," Ling Kang retorted, his tone cold. "You’re the ones who are done."

"What's happening?" Jian Hou turned, confused by the sudden shift.

Ling Kang had his head bowed, his hair shadowing most of his face, hiding his expression. But his lips moved incessantly, muttering, "It's over for you... it's over...!"

"It's over! Hahaha... it's over!" Ling Kang's voice grew more manic, his laughter spiraling into madness.

Jian Hou was about to speak, but suddenly, he clutched his stomach and collapsed, writhing on the floor.

"Teacher Jian!" Tao Shi rushed to check on him, concern flooding his face. Jian Hou couldn't respond, the pain silencing him.

Ling Kang's voice was crazed, "Give birth! Tear yourself apart from within! Does it hurt? It will hurt even more soon! You'll end up as nothing more than a terrifying piece of human skin!"

"Y-You gave us fake flowers?!" Tao Shi exclaimed in disbelief, glaring at Ling Kang.

Ling Kang's insane laughter continued. "That's right! Fake! I never drank the soup! I spilled it on my clothes, not drinking a single drop. And you're surprised? It's so simple!"

The others could only watch as Ling Kang's madness took hold.

"Why would you do this?!" Cao Youfeng asked, horrified.

"Why? Why not?" Ling Kang mocked, his laugh echoing. "From the moment I entered this game, none of you saw me as human! In your eyes, I'm nothing—less than an item in your inventory!"

His voice became increasingly shrill, "In your eyes, I was meant to be your puppet, right? To be played with however you wished? Well, guess what?! Now, it's my turn to control you!"

"Die! Die, all of you!!"

Suddenly, the sharp wail of a child cut through the air, and Ling Kang's crazed laugh filled the entire shrine.

"No... Why are you doing this..." Jian Hou, barely able to speak through the agony, gasped.

Ling Kang grinned. "Because I want to win! I want to live! And you three—Tao Shi, Cao Youfeng, and Yu Jia—you're not escaping! You can’t escape!"

"I’ve killed top-ranking players! After this dungeon, I'll gain a lot of points! And with those points... I can make my wish come true! No more game... I’ll finally be free of this cursed game!"

"You all will die, just like Xiao Rui... You'll give birth to your own organs from your lower body... Then... then turn into human skin!!"

The baby’s cries grew louder, and Ling Kang's laughter became more manic.

"I won! I won! In the end, it was me who won!" His voice echoed through the night, twisted with madness.

[What? No way?! This can’t be happening! A Level A is turning the tables on top players?!]

[No wonder he wanted Yan Yan to drink the soup! He was planning to wipe them all out!]

[Unbelievable! He really did it! He killed those top-ranked players!]

Yan Yan groaned, clutching his stomach in pain.

"You’re starting to feel it too?" Ling Kang’s eyes gleamed with excitement, watching Yan Yan.

"It’s fine. One at a time! All of you will feel it!" Ling Kang laughed louder.

"I’ll collect your skins! And send them as a tribute to that god!" He pulled out another flower from his pocket, this one an even darker color.

"This is the real antidote. Xiao Rui ate the flower you guys gave him, and that’s how he turned into human skin!"

Yan Yan winced in pain but managed to speak, "But that flower has to be boiled with Fushou Well water to work. You can’t just eat it raw!"

Ling Kang sneered, "Do you still care about me? Don’t worry, I’ll make sure it works. I’ll boil the soup later, but first, let me enjoy this moment. You should worry about yourself! I’m curious which organ you’ll birth first..."

His maniacal laughter filled the air again, a twisted celebration of his victory. "I won! Xiao Rui, do you see this?! I won!"

[What... I don't even know how to react. I can only say... Oh my god!]

[What a twist! This will definitely go down in the history of the game!]

[But thinking back, Yan Yan's last dungeon with the Divine Card... that was a twist too, right?]

[Yeah! Tao Shi and Cao Youfeng underestimated things last time, and they did it again this time.]

[They relied too much on brute strength, but a lot of times, high stats aren't what you need in a dungeon.]

[Sigh... Yan Yan, what a shame. He was a standout NPC, but it looks like he’s going down here.]

[He got by mostly through luck, and now that luck has run out.]

"Ugh!" Yan Yan gasped in pain once more.

"Do you feel something coming out of your body?" Ling Kang asked eagerly, his eyes fixed on Yan Yan, who was lying in Yu Xiu's arms. "Your blood! Your organs! Are they starting to spill out?"

[Stop this!]

[No! My Yan Yan!]

[Oh no, are we really going to watch Yan Yan turn into human skin?!]

[No! I can’t watch this!]

Something beneath Yan Yan's shirt seemed to wriggle.

"It's coming out! It's coming out!" Ling Kang yelled, ecstatic and manic. "What is it? What could it be?!"

He eagerly anticipated the first organ that would be torn from Yan Yan’s body.

"Ahh...!" Yan Yan screamed.

"Yan Yan!" Jian Hou struggled to his feet, calling out in concern.

From beneath Yan Yan’s body, something dark and slick began to pour out.

Ling Kang's excitement was palpable. "Is it a liver? Is it dark because it’s a liver?!"

Yan Yan screamed again, arching his neck as if trying to withstand the pain.

But in the next moment, he collapsed, drained, falling back into Yu Xiu's embrace.

"Alright, that’s enough now, Yan Yan." Yu Xiu spoke softly, but with a trace of exasperation.

Ling Kang, confused, looked on. "What...?"

Yan Yan was trembling in Yu Xiu's arms, as if the pain was becoming unbearable.

But then, through the shaking, Yan Yan couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

"You... what are you laughing about?" Ling Kang instinctively stepped back, confused.

Yan Yan reached down to pull at the dark, wriggling thing under his shirt.

It was a slick, black tendril, glistening with some kind of fluid.

"Sorry, it’s not an organ," Yan Yan said, still smiling, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "It’s just my rebellious, broken-down husband, who bit me a few times."

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