While the skeleton was deep in thought, Su Er maintained a humble, mild attitude and waited at the side.
Perhaps it had been trapped in the tree hollow too long—its contemplation dragged on, and it seemed to stiffen again. Seeing this, Su Er sighed helplessly, then seized the chance and said, coughing lightly: “You lead the fierce ghosts and gain yin energy; I take my friends and escape death. Why not? Everyone profits.”
Face cast aside in exchange for a happily-ever-after ending—worth it!
The skeleton itself was an extreme egoist. Otherwise, back then it wouldn’t have hurried to find someone with no feelings, conceive a child, and escape the god’s death sentence. After a long silence, it said: “Fine.”
Su Er knew how to handle people: he first gave her a portion of yin energy, calling it an “extra gift.” The skeleton was pleased, her murderous intent fading somewhat.
Su Er asked, “Do you want to see the Holy Infant?”
The black sockets seemed to fix on him. Just as a chill ran down Su Er’s spine, the skeleton coldly refused: “That child doesn’t know I am his mother.”
With that, her upper body slowly squeezed out of the tree hollow. At burial she had been posed kneeling, so the leg bones made walking clumsy.
Her bones drilled directly into the ground. Su Er watched the trembling of the earth’s surface and judged she had gone toward the opposite mountain.
At that moment, Ji Heng clapped his hands a few times, and the players came out one by one from their rooms.
“Thank heaven,” Li Zicang muttered, “another minute in there and I’d lose it.”
The Holy Infant occasionally opened its eyes, regarding the world around with the innocent look of a baby among babies.
“Did it work?” After complaining, Li Zicang asked the question on everyone’s mind.
Leaving out the part about yin energy, Su Er explained tomorrow’s plan in broad strokes, then concluded: “You can’t put trust in a ghost. Things may sound fine now, but betrayal is always possible.”
The meaning was clear: keep your guard up.
Suppressing their curiosity about what had convinced the female ghost, Li Zicang grinned and voiced something chilling: “The villagers are also a variable.”
Su Er said, “With the Holy Infant and the fierce ghosts, they won’t pose much of a threat.”
Li Zicang and Yi Zhu leaned toward eliminating them all—too many had died at the villagers’ hands over the years, and mercy was pointless.
But Su Er hesitated. Hundreds of households… he felt resistance in his heart. Worse, even if this lot were wiped out, the game could just produce new fanatics.
Killing was like opening a floodgate—once it started, it became easy to grow accustomed. He still preferred battles of the mind.
Finally, Ji Heng spoke: “If the villagers die, they might turn into ghosts. Better not invite more trouble.”
At that, Li Zicang abandoned the thought.
It was destined to be an unusual night.
Each night, the villagers suffered the torment of nearly dying of thirst. Yet tonight, all of them stood outside the courtyard gate with steel pitchforks in hand.
On the eve of the sacrificial rite, the god would mercifully ease their pain.
From outside came blurred chants, surging like waves against the shore.
Li Zicang climbed a tree and looked coldly at the half-mad villagers beyond the wall, already flaying them a thousand times in his mind.
Just then came movement from underground—a skull broke through the earth.
Su Er greeted it like a dutiful little housewife, smiling: “You’re back.”
The skeleton: “…”
Young people these days really had no shame when it came to survival.
Watching this scene from a distance, Yi Zhu shook her head.
She always suspected something fishy between Su Er and Ji Heng. Catching Ji Heng’s eyes flicker just now—clearly moved—confirmed it.
“Heh.”
With that mindset, sooner or later he’d be cheated on.
The skeleton hadn’t returned alone. More bones emerged from the ground.
Su Er counted—thirteen.
Still short of eighteen arhats.
Hiding his faint disappointment, he turned and whispered to Ji Heng: “Why do some ghosts have no bodies, while others appear as skeletons?”
Ji Heng borrowed Yao Zhi’s catchphrase: “Respect species diversity.”
Yi Zhu, however, added: “Those with bodies tend to be stronger.”
Su Er mused aloud: “Like the host?”
“......”a
His leaps of association were too strong. Yi Zhu suddenly understood why Ji Heng hadn’t answered directly.
The skeleton legion was not easy to deal with. Once they entered the courtyard, they demanded benefits first.
Empty promises were useless. Su Er glanced at the players and gave a small smile.
Catching his signal, the others each returned to their rooms.
Su Er finally stepped forward and delivered a bit of yin energy to the tallest skeleton.
The bones trembled, then, in the next moment, launched an attack.
The daytime scene replayed itself—but luckily, Su Er was behind Ji Heng, casually tossing the stun gun, moving with a practiced ease that made one ache.
The moment the skeletal hand touched the stun gun, an intense burning sensation shot through it.
The skeleton leading its kind seemed to sense Su Er’s helplessness—after all, a very similar scene had occurred between them just a few hours ago.
After this brief interlude, delivering yin energy to the other skeletons became much smoother.
The skeleton began to introduce: “This is my great-grandmother.”
“Greetings, elder.”
“This is Uncle Sun.”
“Hello, Uncle Sun.”
……a
Su Er had an excellent memory; after just one introduction, he could distinguish each skeleton at a glance.
For the rest of the night, he fought off drowsiness. Humans were food to ghosts, and he feared a brief nap might result in being treated as a midnight snack.
Ji Heng said, “Sleep for a bit. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”
After hesitating for a few seconds, Su Er set aside unnecessary fussiness and leaned on a lounge chair to rest.
The villagers’ prayers drifted on endlessly. Half-awake, he felt like a lonely boat tossed on the sea, struggling to maintain balance. After some unknown time, a gentle push brought him fully awake.
Dawn had arrived.
Knocking came at the door, growing louder and more insistent until it became pounding.
When the door was finally forced open, the village chief abandoned his usual meekness, his tone dark: “Haven’t I told you, the village keeps its doors unlocked at night?”
Just as he was gathering his momentum, he saw the pile of skeletons behind Su Er and gasped, stumbling backward.
Su Er smiled, entering the room and holding the Holy Infant, slowly moving out surrounded by the skeletons.
The previously aggressive villagers retreated continually.
“What are you afraid of?” he said, his gaze steady: “Our ancestors said, better to die standing than live kneeling.”
Ironically, evildoers often reacted worse to ghosts than ordinary people.
Many villagers’ legs gave out; some could barely walk.
A golden light pierced the clouds in an instant. Su Er stopped, shouted a warning to protect, then crouched among the skeletons with his tools. Other players did the same, even faster.
The village chief was utterly stunned—far more than when he first saw the skeletons. The man who a minute ago swore he’d never kneel to survive now cowered among the skeletons, barely visible.
“Fuck your Uncle!”
A curse leapt from his mouth.
When it comes to survival, skin and pride meant nothing. Su Er held the Holy Infant tightly, almost calling it “Dad.”
Amid the brilliant golden light, the sorrowful deity parted the clouds and looked down, momentarily forgetting its lines.
Where did this bunch of idiots come from?
After a pause, the voice sent ripples through the dawn: “Fulfill your promise.”
The sound pierced the eardrums. Su Er stayed quiet like a shrinking turtle, secretly checking the mirror—on it, the red heart throbbed with unprecedented intensity.
A massive hand reached down from the sky, aiming at one of the players.
Li Zicang felt an intense sense of crisis—and his instincts were correct. To the skeleton, Su Er was effectively the employer. Future benefits would come from him; the others were only half-heartedly protected.
He took a deep breath, ready to use his tools at any moment.
When the hand was still about three feet away, the Holy Infant suddenly opened its eyes, weeping blood. The blood turned to smoke, enveloping Li Zicang entirely.
The light rebounded, and the god’s icy voice thundered from the clouds: “Why protect an adult?”
The Holy Infant didn’t answer. Its small hand poked out of the white cloth, extending like a bamboo shoot, as if intending to drag the deity down from the clouds.
For a moment, half of the god’s golden light was actually pushed back.
Su Er witnessed firsthand the power of corporeal ghosts.
The god, caught off guard, asked again: “Why?”
The sonic wave was even louder than before.
Su Er clutched his ears, unable to bear it: “It doesn’t understand—stop asking!”
Why waste effort on a cow playing the lute?
“......”a
No one would back down. They were all locked in this standoff.
After speaking, Su Er kept his eyes on the small mirror’s heart. No matter how long the stalemate lasted, surviving today meant they could leave.
The god’s gaze shifted to the villagers. As mere mortals, none dared to offend it. The village chief took the lead, kneeling and bowing his head, endlessly reciting prayers.
One Holy Infant was already troublesome enough; now with the skeletons’ protection, there was no way to take them out in one sweep.
The god changed its mind: “Hand over four of the god envoys.”
The Holy Infant didn’t understand, the players pretended not to hear, and the skeletons only cared about yin energy. For a moment, no one paid attention to the god.
“Good, very good,” the authoritative voice said, tinged with anger.
Su Er’s legs were getting numb from squatting. He glanced at Ji Heng helplessly: “When will it be dark?”
Ji Heng remained calm, straightening slightly: “Instead of wasting time, it’s better to educate.”
He looked the god in the eye: “Teach this child some common sense, so it won’t be deceived next year and ruin your plan.”
The god’s gaze fixed on the Holy Infant, remaining silent for a long while before finally deciding to hold back temporarily.
Su Er, half-kneeling to reduce pressure, couldn’t help admiring Ji Heng: with just a single phrase, he sent this child into the vast ocean of knowledge.
The atmosphere fell into complete silence, the villagers’ prayers gradually fading to whispers.
Su Er silently mouthed to Ji Heng: “What are the odds of persuading it?”
Ji Heng’s expression was inscrutable: “That depends on whether it’s truly a god.”
Su Er’s gaze faltered.
Ji Heng chuckled: “Weren’t you never treating it as a god from the start?”
Su Er did not deny it, softly replying: “I’ve only ever heard that demons like to make deals.”
The god still loomed above, issuing a final ultimatum: “Hand over two, and past offenses will be forgiven.”
The number decreased sharply, and the oppressive tone suggested the god had reached its limit. Su Er smirked and deliberately spoke loud enough for the skeletons to hear: “A great god does not haggle.”
Li Zicang, sarcastic as ever, muttered: “Could it be a monster in disguise?”
Yi Zhu smiled coquettishly: “I’ve heard that devouring powerful monsters strengthens oneself. If we ate it, would we become prettier?”
“......”a
The speaker had intent, the listener even more. The stiff skeleton tilted its bones slightly, exchanging information with its great-grandmother.
If they could truly treat this evil god as nourishment, perhaps they could further strengthen their bodies.
The skeleton wasn’t foolish; at this stage, it only entertained the thought, unwilling to risk actively attacking the god. After so many years, a deep-seated fear remained in its bones.
Women understand women best. Yi Zhu fully grasped this selfish mindset and teasingly said: “Now is the perfect chance to test it.”
As long as the god didn’t go all-out in a life-or-death clash, it proved some restraint.
The ‘skeleton legion’ remained immovable, and the players became indirect beneficiaries.
The air itself felt compressed. Su Er realized the god had truly acted—but not in the earth-shattering way one might expect. With the skeletons standing with the Holy Infant, the god was momentarily helpless.
Su Er deliberately shouted: “Let’s go all out!”
Seeing the morale surge, the god’s golden form dimmed. Before disappearing, its cold voice warned: “Within three days, I will come to claim your lives.”
Su Er scoffed. Three days? He could leave this cursed place today.
The skeletons were about to disperse when suddenly, one felt its ankle grabbed.
“Wait a little longer.” The heart on the mirror still pulsed; the god must be hiding nearby.
The skeleton sighed: “At least you’re a man. Show some backbone.”
Su Er: “You’ll get your reward.”
Driven by interest, the skeleton lingered for a while, almost half an hour. Impatient, it finally saw the mirror return to calm, displaying a line of small text.
Su Er’s self-analysis was trivial—his disdain for outdated rules—so he glanced briefly, then looked up.
Elsewhere, Ji Heng lowered his eyes, his gaze unreadable. Noticing Su Er’s concern, he silently put away the mirror and smiled: “It’s nothing serious.”
It was the first time Ji Heng had intentionally concealed information. Su Er frowned: “Serious?”
“Misleading in nature, hard to judge for now,” Ji Heng paused, then added: “Sometimes it’s better not to know.”
Trying to alter the future might inadvertently push the trajectory of fate even higher.
Su Er understood the implication and abandoned further questioning. Bowing his head in thought, he finally said, “I’ll return to the courtyard first.”
He still had debts to the skeletons to settle.
The villagers, wary as vipers, automatically cleared a path.
To avoid drawing attention, Su Er channeled yin energy inside the house. The skeletons, greedy as ever, could only buy time.
When he was about to run out of options, the familiar pulling sensation returned. His limbs lost control. Su Er’s eyes lit up, giving the Green Lotus Sage a “timely rain” rating.
Half his body was soon pulled into the mirror, just like when he arrived. The skeleton reached out for the stun gun, but Su Er dodged, waved, and slowly uttered: “Goodbye.”
Preferably, forever.
Leaving the bizarre, feudal village, and looking around at the city again, Deception suddenly felt a certain charm in it.
The contrast brought a sense of happiness.
Breathing a small sigh of relief, Su Er noticed the few players gathered in the hotel, and the corner of his brow twitched… contrast could also hurt.
The players who had played it safe now felt an odd bitterness. The host had clearly described it as a dead-end scenario, yet everyone who went had returned unharmed. Had they known this, why would they have wasted their time staying behind?
A few quickly adjusted their mindset, but two or three still had eyes tinged with hostility as they secretly glanced at Su Er.
Feeling an inexplicable pang in his knees, Su Er was a bit puzzled.
Could it really be a physiological issue?
Ji Heng said lightly, “There are always some fools who think that if people with such low physical ability survive, then so can they.”
“......”a
His voice wasn’t deliberately lowered; for a moment, everyone in the hotel could hear him.
Green Lotus Sage sat steadily at the fishing platform, enjoying the little drama.
Ji Heng asked, “What do you say to people like that?”
Su Er, going along smoothly, replied: “If you think you can, you try it yourself.”
He didn’t particularly like the phrase, but in the face of certain individuals, it was quite fitting. At least, no player was now staring at him with that sour, jealous look.
The host’s work was thorough, having the rabbit attendants prepare meals in advance to welcome the returning players. A glance from Green Lotus Sage revealed a faint smile: “You’ve gained quite a lot. You’re about to find complete hope.”
His words carried a subtle weight—seemingly light, yet tightening the atmosphere.
The players who had stayed behind again regretted not participating in the game.
“Now that everyone is here, and it’s still morning…”
Green Lotus Sage didn’t let him continue, speaking firmly: “New tasks will be released tomorrow.”
The same meal was experienced differently—some enjoyed the food, while others could barely swallow it.
Suddenly, the Qinglian Sage spoke again: “Only the final task remains.”
Su Er paused, mid-bite on his chicken leg: “There are still two days left.”
“The seventh day is purely for sightseeing,” Green Lotus Sage said leisurely. “So I hope that tomorrow, each of you will gain something. It’s a… very interesting little game.”
He paused briefly, the corners of his mouth curling slightly: “I believe you’ll enjoy it.”
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