This sudden move clearly caught everyone off guard. The scholar who had been smug just moments ago now looked completely defeated—his body thin like an underdeveloped bamboo stick, ready to snap at any moment. The players’ gazes toward Su Er noticeably changed.
The words ‘Charm Value’ might sound unserious, but the effects they produced were terrifying.
As the center of attention, Su Er's initial surprise quickly gave way to a vague sense of unease.
…The stun gun.
After witnessing the power of the Charm Value, Su Er immediately thought of the stun gun, which could also drain a ghost’s vitality. He’d used it when he first entered the instance, and the Charm Points were released by the game right afterward.
To say they were unrelated felt a bit too coincidental.
Su Er frowned. Could it be that his real body was actually the reincarnation of a stun gun? After all, even the white fox could become a spirit—why not a stun gun?
“Hiss—”
As the yin energy was drawn out, the scholar let out a painful whimper from his throat. The distraction quickly faded as Su Er shook his head to clear away those ridiculous thoughts.
“Leave him with a breath,” Ji Heng reminded softly.
Even without being told, Su Er was nearly at his limit. His vision was starting to blur, and his blood felt icy.
He rubbed his cold cheeks and let out a long breath. His expression looked thoroughly exhausted.
Ji Heng: “Any discomfort physically?”
Su Er shook his head. “As long as I keep it within a certain limit, I’ll be fine.”
Song Jiayue circled him curiously. “Where did all the yin energy go after you absorbed it?” Then she frowned slightly. “Could it build up in your body and cause harm?”
Su Er shook his head and answered honestly, “I don’t feel anything for now. Though I have to say, it tasted slightly sweet, melted right in the mouth, but the aftertaste was strong—like a failed dish of drunken crab. It should’ve had a sweet fragrance, but it was tainted by an unpleasant fishy note.”
Song Jiayue gave him a long look, feeling that it was a real waste he wasn’t on a food critique show.
Wei Jun, being more rational, analyzed, “There’s probably not much risk. There are still a few players in this instance who’ve been possessed by ghosts, and they’re still doing fine.”
Charm Value was likely just a special method of dealing with ghosts—but there was definitely a limit. Exceeding it would only bring trouble.
“What a pity…” one player finally came to his senses and sighed. “Most ghosts aren’t weak. Relying on one person alone might not be enough.”
Wei Jun took a long view: “He only has 69 Charm Value now. There’s still room for growth. Even now, he’s already a great support.”
That player chuckled—“Great support” was putting it mildly. He was clearly the strongest support.
While teammates fought the monsters, Su Er could hide in the shadows and suck out their yin energy, weakening the ghosts without anyone noticing.
At that moment, the scholar's ears were ringing so badly he couldn’t hear what they were saying. He tried to fight back but lacked the strength. It took him a long time just to steady himself. Wei Jun didn’t give him much breathing room. He grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up. The scholar couldn’t even stand straight, swaying like a weakling in his grasp.
“Tell us—how do we change our fate?”
The scholar sneered maliciously. “I’ve nearly been sucked dry—I’ve got no strength left to help you change anything.”
Wei Jun didn’t expose the lie. He just pointed toward Su Er. “Want to go another round?”
The scholar wasn’t stupid. He could tell Su Er had already reached his limit and couldn’t act again anytime soon. So he taunted them instead: “Try me.”
They needed information, so killing him now was out of the question. While Wei Jun was pondering, Su Er suddenly spoke up: “He doesn’t seem that powerful to me. If he’s so great at changing fate, why not drag him into the dense forest and hand him over to the white fox? Let her suck him dry again.”
“…” They were on the same side, but the male players in the temple winced at the mental image.
As the saying goes—once, twice, but not thrice. If they were forced to endure that horror a third time, they might as well die and be done with it.
The scholar let out a series of panicked wails, eyes bulging with fury, wishing he could tear Su Er to pieces: “You little brat!”
Su Er crouched in front of him, voice soft and gentle. “Last chance.”
His skin was so shriveled that it was hard to read any expression, but you could still tell the scholar looked awful. He was seething with hatred, trying to think of a way to trick them. Ji Heng wasn’t close, but one glance was enough to know what the scholar was up to. He walked over and used force to make his point: “Ten seconds. I want an answer.”
He counted fast, not pausing at all.
When it came to strategy, the scholar was hardly exceptional—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been outwitted by the white fox. When Ji Heng counted down to “1,” the scholar finally gave in and muttered, “I can only barely glimpse someone’s fortune. Almost all of you are fated for bloodshed.”
He hesitated, then added reluctantly, “Maybe the master who once read my fate could do it.”
“He’s still alive?”
The scholar snapped irritably, “How would I know?!”
Seeing Ji Heng’s face darken, he quickly added, “He… probably hasn’t reached the end of his life yet.”
Ji Heng: “Where is he?”
The scholar said, “At the foot of the mountain lies Tianji City. The master goes by the name Tianyi Divination. Just ask around casually, and someone will tell you. But…” He gave a strange smile. “Not just anyone can meet him. The master had old ties with my father—if you bring that jade pendant with you, things might take a turn.”
There was no deceit this time, but the malice remained.
Ji Heng saw through his calculation but didn’t argue. He stood up.
Each harboring their own schemes, the scholar offered voluntarily, “The jade pendant is by the riverbank in the woods to the east. The white fox once splashed filth on me and sent me there to wash it off.”
Standing to the side, Song Jiayue cursed the scholar’s slyness. Earlier, he claimed not to remember where he lost the pendant, and now he changed his story without hesitation. With most of the information already extracted, she couldn’t wait and pointed at the scholar. “What do we do with him?”
Ji Heng looked at Su Er. The latter smiled gently and gazed at the scholar as he spoke slowly: “The fortune teller said you’d suffer from a peach blossom curse at age twenty. And now you’ll be twenty forever… First the white fox, now me—who knows who else might come later…”
The scholar’s body trembled violently.
Su Er looked at Ji Heng. “Help him find peace.”
—A classic case of using someone and then discarding them.
Ji Heng hadn’t expected Su Er to be so decisive. “You’re sure?”
Su Er nodded. The ruined temple was littered with bones. Though the scholar died miserably, he had also harmed many. Keeping him around would only cause more trouble.
The scholar had no intention of waiting to be executed. In a last-ditch counterattack, he lunged toward the dazed Cao Ledao—clear in his intent that even if he went to hell, he’d drag someone with him. Closest to him, Song Jiayue didn’t have time to grab Cao Ledao and could only kick him aside. The scholar missed his target and had no time to strike again before being slain by Ji Heng and Wei Jun in unison.
The scholar fell to the ground, eyes filled with venomous hatred that felt almost tangible. His last glance was aimed at Su Er. After a moment, his eyeballs melted into two puddles of water, leaving only pale green bones behind. Mixed in with the other skeletons of those who had died unjustly in the temple, the sight stirred complex emotions.
Ji Heng didn’t delay. He prepared to go out in search of the jade pendant. Standing by the door, player Li Li listened to the howling wind outside with unease. “It’s probably safer to wait until daytime.”
Ji Heng replied calmly, “The white fox used to avoid the temple, most likely because of the scholar.”
Now that the scholar was gone, the temple was no longer safe.
This warning had an effect. Even the rustling leaves outside now sounded like footsteps to Li Li, who instinctively stepped away from the door.
Ji Heng made it clear: “Whether you go out or stay, there’s a fifty-fifty chance of running into the white fox. The choice is yours.”
It was a matter of luck. But the scholar’s last words before dying had clearly tried to lure them into the forest. The odds of encountering the white fox outside were probably higher.
Li Li swallowed hard. “The white fox and the scholar might not differ much in strength after becoming ghosts. If we work together…”
“No chance.” Before Ji Heng could reply, Song Jiayue, who had previously ventured into the forest, cut in. “The white fox is good at hiding and can shapeshift. Not easy to deal with.”
Ji Heng nodded in agreement.
Several players expressed willingness to go to the forest, figuring they’d be safer sticking with Ji Heng. Plus, the pendant might still be somewhere along the riverbank, and there was a chance of finding it.
More than half chose to stay behind.
Su Er was planning to go with Ji Heng. Just as he was about to open the door, Ji Heng suddenly pulled him back and shook his head.
After Su Er stepped back, Ji Heng pushed open the door. In rushed not only the howling wind, but a cascade of long white hair. The delicate strands swayed as if ready to slice someone’s neck at any moment.
The woman standing outside was a stunning beauty. Her long lashes held raindrops, giving her a fragile sort of charm.
When she smiled, the wind carried a faint fragrance, making everyone momentarily dazed. She gave Ji Heng a graceful bow. “This humble woman… is Su Mei.”
Oddly enough, after she said her name, the players all seemed to snap out of it a bit, their gazes drifting subtly toward Su Er.
Su Mei waved toward the forest, and a little wild fox trotted out with a jade pendant in its mouth. The aura on the pendant made the creature uneasy. Su Mei frowned and flicked her sleeve, sending the fox a bit farther away.
“This can be a gift for you, sir, as a token of meeting.”
She was speaking to Ji Heng, though she glanced at the unconscious Cao Ledao in the corner with a trace of regret—what a pity she hadn’t absorbed all his yang energy earlier.
Ji Heng looked at her. “Your condition?”
Su Mei covered her mouth and smiled sweetly. “I won’t harm any of you—in exchange, you must find a way to get me into the city.”
If a ghost like the scholar was already inhumane after death, a white fox would be even more dangerous. Bringing her into the city would surely invite disaster.
Seeing their hesitation, Su Mei laughed. “Tianji City is full of skilled cultivators. If I harbor any ill intent, one shout would summon a Daoist to vanquish me.”
Wei Jun stepped forward, sneering, “As the ones escorting you, we’d be implicated too.”
Su Mei replied, “Mutual restraint. That way, everyone can be at ease.”
Wei Jun already had a talisman in hand, clearly not planning to play along.
Su Mei remained calm. “You’re not the only ones in this temple.”
Her gaze swept across the players’ faces, her voice laced with mockery. “Can you be sure the people around you are all allies?”
That struck a nerve. Many players subtly shifted away from each other. Several had entered the forest while the scholar was still alive—who could say whether the ones who returned were still human?
Of course, it could be an attempt to sow discord—but no one dared bet on it.
Su Mei smiled again. “I have a dear elder sister… she’s among you.” She shrugged. “Believe it or not, up to you.”
Wei Jun couldn’t detect any abnormalities among the players, but fox spirits were different from ghosts—they were adept at concealing their presence.
He looked to Ji Heng, who had lowered his head in silence, lost in thought.
Su Mei wasn’t in a rush, waiting patiently for their decision. A few moments later, she suddenly looked toward a certain spot and saw Su Er watching her intently. She twisted her waist seductively. “Why are you staring at me like that, sir?”
Su Er answered seriously, “Truth be told, I’ve always suspected my origins. Would you mind doing a blood test to confirm our kinship?”
Su Er continued, “Maybe besides a good sister, you’ve also got a long-lost little brother?”
Su Mei thought this guy had clearly lost his mind.
On the side, Wei Jun leaned closer to Ji Heng, looking conflicted. “Who was his biology teacher?”
Ji Heng chuckled but didn’t answer. In truth, it wasn’t hard to identify if a fox spirit had infiltrated the group—they could just have Su Er, their human-shaped ghost detector, take a sip from everyone. But after draining the scholar, Su Er hadn’t recovered. If they could just stall for time, they’d hold the advantage.
Turning slightly, Ji Heng discreetly observed the other players, each with different expressions… No doubt, the white fox hiding among them was growing more anxious by the second.
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