The moment he saw Lin Guoxing, Zong Jiu frowned.
He walked forward and squatted on the ground, pretending to be investigating and examining.
The other person truly looked a bit miserable.
Not only was his face covered in bloodstains, but the flesh on his neck was protruding outwards in multiple places, so deeply that the bone could be seen. Currently, his eyes were tightly closed, and his expression was painful. If it wasn’t for the weak breathing coming from his nose, he would have thought that his soul had gone to the afterlife.
The white-haired young man looked at his appearance and then calmly moved his foot, which was stepping on Lin Guoxing’s hand, away.
Very obviously, the Devil’s control over Lin Guoxing was much stronger than Anthony, that barbarian. Otherwise, Zong Jiu wouldn’t have touched so many strings with one wave of his hand back then.
Ultimately, even if five puppet strings were inserted, Lin Guoxing was only the Devil’s puppet. His being alive meant that he would be able to continue working like a slave for the Devil. If he died, the Devil could just find another puppet. Anyway, whether Lin Guoxing was dead or alive, there wasn’t the slightest loss for the Devil.
However, the other party’s current appearance entering the eyes of Zong Jiu was definitely not some accident. Instead, it was more likely part of a plot or some kind of scheme.
Someone worriedly asked, “Is senior Lin okay?”
Zong Jiu waved his hand. While waving, he casually touched the area above Lin Guoxing’s head, his smile gentle, “He’s just injured a bit heavily. It’s not a big deal.”
Other people: “……”
They looked at Lin Guoxing, who lay fallen in a pool of blood, wanting to say something yet not having anything to say.
This was called not a big deal???
However, in the eyes of some A-ranks, this was indeed not a big deal.
As long as the trainees’ lives were still hanging by a thread, once they returned to the infinite loop, they could exchange 500 survival points with the system for full recovery, leaving them alive and kicking.
But, Zong Jiu’s smile had only partially taken shape when his fingers suddenly paused on the spot.
Because on top of Lin Guoxing’s head, there was nothing.
No puppet strings. No cold metal wires.
There was nothing but the cold, hard dirt there.
Zong Jiu realized something. He maintained the expression on his face, calmly standing up and giving way to the other veterans who came to rescue him.
In the dark not far away, someone provocatively curled the corner of his lips.
Under the glow of candlelight, his appearance was blurry and indistinct. A garuda tattoo flashed under the light, sending shivers down people’s spines.
Although he was a great distance away and his smile disappeared in a flash,
Zong Jiu knew that it was him.
His worst suspicion came true. It really was what you feared most was what came true.
This tactic of intentionally injuring himself was truly brilliant.
When Zhuge An looked over towards him, the white-haired young man didn’t say anything, only silently and secretly indicating a number.
As expected, the black-haired man also frowned, sinking into deep thought.
Po atf Gfnli mbcagbiifv Olc Xebzlcu, atfc atlcur kfgf ralii fjrs ab tjcvif.
Lbkfnfg, lo atf Gfnli mbcagbiifv Rb. 4, Dijmx-Ebyfv Chjc… atfc atlcur yfmjwf wemt wbgf vloolmeia.
Ibcu Ale yjmxfv eq ab j vjgx mbgcfg; tlr atbeutar rajgafv ab aegc wjvis.
Pa kjr lwqbrrlyif obg atf Gfnli ab fcafg jc lcrajcmf klat atf lvfcalas bo j agjlcff. Yatfgklrf, atfs kbeivc’a tjnf cba rffc fnfc tlr rtjvbk eq ecali cbk.
Based on this, he should have participated in the plot with the identity of an NPC, controlling the trainees without anyone knowing and joining the instance like this.
Zong Jiu couldn’t just hold down every NPC or every trainee and feel around above their head. That was obviously not realistic.
So… just who was it?
He stuck his hand into his pocket. Actually, he put his hand into the system backpack and took out a tarot card.
Yesterday, Zong Jiu drew twice, successfully verifying Anthony and the Devil’s real identity, and used up the two draws he saved.
If he wanted to wait for the next time the cooldown was up, he would have to at least wait until night today.
Zong Jiu sighed internally.
It was still noisy inside the temple.
Those treating wounds were busy treating wounds, and other people who couldn’t help continued to help Grandma Yin with the preparations for Yin walking.
Outside the two doors, sawdust fell in droves. Many trainees were trying to search for other things that could reinforce the door of the temple so that it wouldn’t be smashed by the villagers outside.
Using the coffin to block himself, Zong Jiu coldly looked at the trainees who went to bandage Black-Robed Azan and also lifted up Lin Guoxing, taking care of him.
That feeling of familiarity seemed to flow within his blood from his feet to the top of his head, surrounding him entirely in boiling heat.
Most of the time, he saw himself as a spectator and didn’t involve himself, like a real magician on a large stage, controlling the audience’s emotions with a smile on his face that could best stir up the atmosphere.
Just like what Zong Jiu had said in the beginning, his emotions rarely fluctuated. It was as if he was born without them, which was why he would have a deep impression of even the slightest emotional fluctuations.
This round had a bunch of wolves watching in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity. The enemy was hidden while he was out in the open. A little carelessness could lead him to end up without a corpse.
There were very few times when Zong Jiu felt completely interested like this. Having been in his original world for so many years, even if it was an extremely large scale and challenging magic trick where he pushed himself to a life and death situation before breaking through in one swoop, it was far from being on par with now.
As a matter of fact, he believed that No. 1’s feelings should be the same as his.
Under the warm lights in Las Vegas, Zong Jiu saw the dark fire that lit up in the other’s dark golden eyes, as if to drag him into that bottomless abyss and imprison him there.
Although he really didn’t want to admit it, to some extent, they were extremely similar.
Zong Jiu had a feeling.
When this instance was over, between the Devil’s ever-present minions, who were everywhere, and the Magician, only one would live on.
It was only a fight to the death. He was already prepared.
####
Time passed slowly when anxious or extremely worried.
However, even if it passed slowly, the night still came as promised.
When the sky was about to darken outside, Grandma Yin finally stood up from her spot in front of the clay bodhisattva.
She had sat in front of the bodhisattva for an entire day.
Whether it was the ruckus of the villagers banging the doors with farm tools, the veterans stumbling back with wounds, or the noise caused by the other people in the temple, none affected Grandma Yin’s monotonous scripture chanting.
Zong Jiu felt that this time period was very strange.
Clearly, she believed in Buddhism and read scriptures, yet the Yin walking she did was to the nether world, a tradition and belief of Taoism, instead of the eighteen layers of hell.
But it also made sense. During times of famine, in the eyes of commoners, faith was their only hope. As long as believing in gods was useful, regardless of whether it was Taoism, Buddhism, or Christianity, people were willing to believe them.
It was said that during the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879, there was a Christian from the west visiting various disaster areas. Seeing that people weren’t able to make a living and many were losing their lives, he felt that God had sent him there to save people. So he pasted a drawing of Jesus Christ on his front door and preached on a large scale, guiding all the women with bound feet from tens of miles around to walk step by step and kowtow for rain.
However, in the end, they had worn out their feet, yet they were not able to receive the life-saving rain they prayed for.
The will of the heavens dictated the fortunes of mankind. If the heavens turned against humanity, it was the common people who suffered.
After Grandma Yin stood up, the talking in the temple stopped at once.
The child who had been playing in the temple for almost a day was also tired. He had found a random corner and was currently sleeping soundly. A trainee went over and placed a silencing spell on him. He would probably sleep until dawn.
Speaking of which, it was strange. The villagers outside had made a ruckus for an entire day. Now that it was almost night, they had quieted down.
The entire temple was silent. This, combined with the gauze hanging down from the ceiling, the lit white candles all around the temple, and the huge shadow casted by the coffin in the middle, caused a chill to rise in people’s hearts. It was incomparably eerie.
A sharp voice came from under the black robe.
“Yin walking is split into three steps. Since you want to find the person written on the spirit tablet, in a bit, I will light up an oil lamp and place it above that coffin. You must never take the initiative to extinguish it.”
The possibility of entering the nether world was only high when there was heavy Yin energy. If one couldn’t wait until the night of a full moon, they had to use other objects to help increase the Yin energy. For example, the coffin placed in the center of the hall.
“There can’t be a single person standing in the whole temple. Everyone must be sitting. Other than chanting the spell, nothing else can be said during the entire process. At the latest, as long as that oil lamp is extinguished before 11 pm, then it means that she has possessed me.”
When everyone heard her words, they all sat on the ground and acted according to Grandma Yin’s words, surrounding the coffin in the middle and sitting properly.
“When I start chanting the spell, you all must listen well to every word and phrase. Everyone needs to close their eyes and chant ten times with me. If you chant it wrong, then the better consequence would be dizziness, while the worst consequence would be having your soul dispersed, bringing harm onto yourself.”
As soon as they heard “bringing harm onto yourself”, everyone became really focused, repeatedly saying that they would recite it well.
Seeing that they were teachable, Grandma Yin nodded her head, pleased. She recited the spell three times for them.
The trainees all silently opened the system to record it and extracted the text from it. When the time came, they could just read it off the record in their mind.
“If fate wills it, after you chant the spell, you might encounter the phenomenon of your soul leaving your body. If such a situation occurs, don’t worry. It’ll be fine as long as you don’t leave the hall. Once the Yin walking lamp is extinguished, you will naturally return to your body.”
Everyone nodded their head like one would pound garlic, expressing that they understood.
“Since it’s like this, then let’s start.”
At the same time that Grandma Yin sat down, Zong Jiu received a notice from the system. The next tarot card calculation was ready.
It just had to be now.
Zong Jiu stopped thinking about it and first started chanting the spell with everyone.
Thirty-some people’s chanting converged in this temple that wasn’t very big, passing through the ceiling and spreading to the outside.
[Frankly, I feel that this scene is a bit scary.]
[A bit scary +1. It’s like some evil cult is gathered here to cast spells. Adding on the background of this gray, dusty temple and everyone wearing torn clothes…]
[Stop. Stop right there. It’s rare that we don’t need to go into a thriller instance and complete tasks. So you don’t need to spoil it, right?]
While talking, the bullet chat suddenly found a problem.
[Fuck. Did you guys see that? The gauze hanging down around them suddenly started to move.]
In reality, when they were chanting for the first time, the trainees in the temple had already felt that cold wind was gradually starting to rise in all directions from the ground they were sitting on.
Since the winds rose, the gauze hanging in the air was naturally the first to get hit, rising and falling like duckweed, moving with the wind. It was very visually impactful.
Unfortunately, the trainees all heeded Grandma Yin’s words. The other said not to open their eyes, so they didn’t open their eyes. No one wanted to experience the feeling of their souls leaving their bodies. They all had their eyes closed tightly and completely couldn’t see what was happening around them.
[Not only the gauze, but those candles are about to be blown out too, ah!]
[If the candles are blown out, the live broadcast would need to open the night broadcasting mode. /Dumbfounded.jpg]
[How is it almost blown out? Isn’t the oil lamp placed on top of the coffin still perfectly fine? It’s fine as long as there’s some light. Don’t have such high requirements la~]
When they were all talking away in the bullet chat, a strong gust of Yin wind suddenly arose, perfectly circling once around the hall counterclockwise. Everywhere it went, all the lit candles were correspondingly distinguished, turning into a plume of white smoke, dissipating into the air.
After they had chanted the spell ten times, that sharp voice stopped abruptly.
After the other trainees had finished chanting, they opened their eyes while trembling.
The entire hall was gloomy and dim, with only the oil lamp and the spirit tablet on the coffin still emitting a faint light. It was quiet and eerie all around. The figure wearing the black-colored robe sat straight as an arrow. No one could clearly see her expression that was hidden in the dark.
In addition to the sudden dimness of the light, the temperature had also dropped by quite a few degrees, making them shiver.
‘Has anyone had their soul separate from their body?’
‘Has that old woman gone down to the nether world?’
‘I don’t know. How come I can’t see anything clearly? Help!’
No one dared to talk, so they could only exchange glances with one another.
Before long, their sights had swept past in circles, and they found that out of the group of people, there really was one person who still hadn’t opened their eyes.
The white-haired young man who sat crossed-legged was frowning, his eyes closed tightly. His expression looked very bad.
The moment he saw Lin Guoxing, Zong Jiu frowned.
He walked forward and squatted on the ground, pretending to be investigating and examining.
The other person truly looked a bit miserable.
Not only was his face covered in bloodstains, but the flesh on his neck was protruding outwards in multiple places, so deeply that the bone could be seen. Currently, his eyes were tightly closed, and his expression was painful. If it wasn’t for the weak breathing coming from his nose, he would have thought that his soul had gone to the afterlife.
The white-haired young man looked at his appearance and then calmly moved his foot, which was stepping on Lin Guoxing’s hand, away.
Very obviously, the Devil’s control over Lin Guoxing was much stronger than Anthony, that barbarian. Otherwise, Zong Jiu wouldn’t have touched so many strings with one wave of his hand back then.
Ultimately, even if five puppet strings were inserted, Lin Guoxing was only the Devil’s puppet. His being alive meant that he would be able to continue working like a slave for the Devil. If he died, the Devil could just find another puppet. Anyway, whether Lin Guoxing was dead or alive, there wasn’t the slightest loss for the Devil.
However, the other party’s current appearance entering the eyes of Zong Jiu was definitely not some accident. Instead, it was more likely part of a plot or some kind of scheme.
Someone worriedly asked, “Is senior Lin okay?”
Zong Jiu waved his hand. While waving, he casually touched the area above Lin Guoxing’s head, his smile gentle, “He’s just injured a bit heavily. It’s not a big deal.”
Other people: “……”
They looked at Lin Guoxing, who lay fallen in a pool of blood, wanting to say something yet not having anything to say.
This was called not a big deal???
However, in the eyes of some A-ranks, this was indeed not a big deal.
As long as the trainees’ lives were still hanging by a thread, once they returned to the infinite loop, they could exchange 500 survival points with the system for full recovery, leaving them alive and kicking.
But, Zong Jiu’s smile had only partially taken shape when his fingers suddenly paused on the spot.
Because on top of Lin Guoxing’s head, there was nothing.
No puppet strings. No cold metal wires.
There was nothing but the cold, hard dirt there.
Zong Jiu realized something. He maintained the expression on his face, calmly standing up and giving way to the other veterans who came to rescue him.
In the dark not far away, someone provocatively curled the corner of his lips.
Under the glow of candlelight, his appearance was blurry and indistinct. A garuda tattoo flashed under the light, sending shivers down people’s spines.
Although he was a great distance away and his smile disappeared in a flash,
Zong Jiu knew that it was him.
His worst suspicion came true. It really was what you feared most was what came true.
This tactic of intentionally injuring himself was truly brilliant.
When Zhuge An looked over towards him, the white-haired young man didn’t say anything, only silently and secretly indicating a number.
As expected, the black-haired man also frowned, sinking into deep thought.
Po atf Gfnli mbcagbiifv Olc Xebzlcu, atfc atlcur kfgf ralii fjrs ab tjcvif.
Lbkfnfg, lo atf Gfnli mbcagbiifv Rb. 4, Dijmx-Ebyfv Chjc… atfc atlcur yfmjwf wemt wbgf vloolmeia.
Ibcu Ale yjmxfv eq ab j vjgx mbgcfg; tlr atbeutar rajgafv ab aegc wjvis.
Pa kjr lwqbrrlyif obg atf Gfnli ab fcafg jc lcrajcmf klat atf lvfcalas bo j agjlcff. Yatfgklrf, atfs kbeivc’a tjnf cba rffc fnfc tlr rtjvbk eq ecali cbk.
Based on this, he should have participated in the plot with the identity of an NPC, controlling the trainees without anyone knowing and joining the instance like this.
Zong Jiu couldn’t just hold down every NPC or every trainee and feel around above their head. That was obviously not realistic.
So… just who was it?
He stuck his hand into his pocket. Actually, he put his hand into the system backpack and took out a tarot card.
Yesterday, Zong Jiu drew twice, successfully verifying Anthony and the Devil’s real identity, and used up the two draws he saved.
If he wanted to wait for the next time the cooldown was up, he would have to at least wait until night today.
Zong Jiu sighed internally.
It was still noisy inside the temple.
Those treating wounds were busy treating wounds, and other people who couldn’t help continued to help Grandma Yin with the preparations for Yin walking.
Outside the two doors, sawdust fell in droves. Many trainees were trying to search for other things that could reinforce the door of the temple so that it wouldn’t be smashed by the villagers outside.
Using the coffin to block himself, Zong Jiu coldly looked at the trainees who went to bandage Black-Robed Azan and also lifted up Lin Guoxing, taking care of him.
That feeling of familiarity seemed to flow within his blood from his feet to the top of his head, surrounding him entirely in boiling heat.
Most of the time, he saw himself as a spectator and didn’t involve himself, like a real magician on a large stage, controlling the audience’s emotions with a smile on his face that could best stir up the atmosphere.
Just like what Zong Jiu had said in the beginning, his emotions rarely fluctuated. It was as if he was born without them, which was why he would have a deep impression of even the slightest emotional fluctuations.
This round had a bunch of wolves watching in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity. The enemy was hidden while he was out in the open. A little carelessness could lead him to end up without a corpse.
There were very few times when Zong Jiu felt completely interested like this. Having been in his original world for so many years, even if it was an extremely large scale and challenging magic trick where he pushed himself to a life and death situation before breaking through in one swoop, it was far from being on par with now.
As a matter of fact, he believed that No. 1’s feelings should be the same as his.
Under the warm lights in Las Vegas, Zong Jiu saw the dark fire that lit up in the other’s dark golden eyes, as if to drag him into that bottomless abyss and imprison him there.
Although he really didn’t want to admit it, to some extent, they were extremely similar.
Zong Jiu had a feeling.
When this instance was over, between the Devil’s ever-present minions, who were everywhere, and the Magician, only one would live on.
It was only a fight to the death. He was already prepared.
####
Time passed slowly when anxious or extremely worried.
However, even if it passed slowly, the night still came as promised.
When the sky was about to darken outside, Grandma Yin finally stood up from her spot in front of the clay bodhisattva.
She had sat in front of the bodhisattva for an entire day.
Whether it was the ruckus of the villagers banging the doors with farm tools, the veterans stumbling back with wounds, or the noise caused by the other people in the temple, none affected Grandma Yin’s monotonous scripture chanting.
Zong Jiu felt that this time period was very strange.
Clearly, she believed in Buddhism and read scriptures, yet the Yin walking she did was to the nether world, a tradition and belief of Taoism, instead of the eighteen layers of hell.
But it also made sense. During times of famine, in the eyes of commoners, faith was their only hope. As long as believing in gods was useful, regardless of whether it was Taoism, Buddhism, or Christianity, people were willing to believe them.
It was said that during the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879, there was a Christian from the west visiting various disaster areas. Seeing that people weren’t able to make a living and many were losing their lives, he felt that God had sent him there to save people. So he pasted a drawing of Jesus Christ on his front door and preached on a large scale, guiding all the women with bound feet from tens of miles around to walk step by step and kowtow for rain.
However, in the end, they had worn out their feet, yet they were not able to receive the life-saving rain they prayed for.
The will of the heavens dictated the fortunes of mankind. If the heavens turned against humanity, it was the common people who suffered.
After Grandma Yin stood up, the talking in the temple stopped at once.
The child who had been playing in the temple for almost a day was also tired. He had found a random corner and was currently sleeping soundly. A trainee went over and placed a silencing spell on him. He would probably sleep until dawn.
Speaking of which, it was strange. The villagers outside had made a ruckus for an entire day. Now that it was almost night, they had quieted down.
The entire temple was silent. This, combined with the gauze hanging down from the ceiling, the lit white candles all around the temple, and the huge shadow casted by the coffin in the middle, caused a chill to rise in people’s hearts. It was incomparably eerie.
A sharp voice came from under the black robe.
“Yin walking is split into three steps. Since you want to find the person written on the spirit tablet, in a bit, I will light up an oil lamp and place it above that coffin. You must never take the initiative to extinguish it.”
The possibility of entering the nether world was only high when there was heavy Yin energy. If one couldn’t wait until the night of a full moon, they had to use other objects to help increase the Yin energy. For example, the coffin placed in the center of the hall.
“There can’t be a single person standing in the whole temple. Everyone must be sitting. Other than chanting the spell, nothing else can be said during the entire process. At the latest, as long as that oil lamp is extinguished before 11 pm, then it means that she has possessed me.”
When everyone heard her words, they all sat on the ground and acted according to Grandma Yin’s words, surrounding the coffin in the middle and sitting properly.
“When I start chanting the spell, you all must listen well to every word and phrase. Everyone needs to close their eyes and chant ten times with me. If you chant it wrong, then the better consequence would be dizziness, while the worst consequence would be having your soul dispersed, bringing harm onto yourself.”
As soon as they heard “bringing harm onto yourself”, everyone became really focused, repeatedly saying that they would recite it well.
Seeing that they were teachable, Grandma Yin nodded her head, pleased. She recited the spell three times for them.
The trainees all silently opened the system to record it and extracted the text from it. When the time came, they could just read it off the record in their mind.
“If fate wills it, after you chant the spell, you might encounter the phenomenon of your soul leaving your body. If such a situation occurs, don’t worry. It’ll be fine as long as you don’t leave the hall. Once the Yin walking lamp is extinguished, you will naturally return to your body.”
Everyone nodded their head like one would pound garlic, expressing that they understood.
“Since it’s like this, then let’s start.”
At the same time that Grandma Yin sat down, Zong Jiu received a notice from the system. The next tarot card calculation was ready.
It just had to be now.
Zong Jiu stopped thinking about it and first started chanting the spell with everyone.
Thirty-some people’s chanting converged in this temple that wasn’t very big, passing through the ceiling and spreading to the outside.
[Frankly, I feel that this scene is a bit scary.]
[A bit scary +1. It’s like some evil cult is gathered here to cast spells. Adding on the background of this gray, dusty temple and everyone wearing torn clothes…]
[Stop. Stop right there. It’s rare that we don’t need to go into a thriller instance and complete tasks. So you don’t need to spoil it, right?]
While talking, the bullet chat suddenly found a problem.
[Fuck. Did you guys see that? The gauze hanging down around them suddenly started to move.]
In reality, when they were chanting for the first time, the trainees in the temple had already felt that cold wind was gradually starting to rise in all directions from the ground they were sitting on.
Since the winds rose, the gauze hanging in the air was naturally the first to get hit, rising and falling like duckweed, moving with the wind. It was very visually impactful.
Unfortunately, the trainees all heeded Grandma Yin’s words. The other said not to open their eyes, so they didn’t open their eyes. No one wanted to experience the feeling of their souls leaving their bodies. They all had their eyes closed tightly and completely couldn’t see what was happening around them.
[Not only the gauze, but those candles are about to be blown out too, ah!]
[If the candles are blown out, the live broadcast would need to open the night broadcasting mode. /Dumbfounded.jpg]
[How is it almost blown out? Isn’t the oil lamp placed on top of the coffin still perfectly fine? It’s fine as long as there’s some light. Don’t have such high requirements la~]
When they were all talking away in the bullet chat, a strong gust of Yin wind suddenly arose, perfectly circling once around the hall counterclockwise. Everywhere it went, all the lit candles were correspondingly distinguished, turning into a plume of white smoke, dissipating into the air.
After they had chanted the spell ten times, that sharp voice stopped abruptly.
After the other trainees had finished chanting, they opened their eyes while trembling.
The entire hall was gloomy and dim, with only the oil lamp and the spirit tablet on the coffin still emitting a faint light. It was quiet and eerie all around. The figure wearing the black-colored robe sat straight as an arrow. No one could clearly see her expression that was hidden in the dark.
In addition to the sudden dimness of the light, the temperature had also dropped by quite a few degrees, making them shiver.
‘Has anyone had their soul separate from their body?’
‘Has that old woman gone down to the nether world?’
‘I don’t know. How come I can’t see anything clearly? Help!’
No one dared to talk, so they could only exchange glances with one another.
Before long, their sights had swept past in circles, and they found that out of the group of people, there really was one person who still hadn’t opened their eyes.
The white-haired young man who sat crossed-legged was frowning, his eyes closed tightly. His expression looked very bad.
