Chapter 93 - Safe House (XVIII) ~ Methods of Killing Him (IV)

A few minutes ago.

Feng Shi and Song Yang were talking in low voices.

Xia Jing wanted to speak, but his body subconsciously tensed up for a moment. This was an instinctive state of the body when feeling threatened.

Xia Jing felt dizzy for a moment. He lowered his head, closed his eyes, and waited for two seconds before the dizziness slowly faded away.

At this moment, only Song Yang and others were by his side.

There was no one else around, and Song Yang and the others looked normal.

They were still talking normally.

He was the only one who felt this strange feeling.

So, what exactly happened?

Xia Jing opened his eyes and thought quietly, then he was surprised to find that some images actually flowed through his mind.

Those were strange yet familiar scenes that had never existed in his memory before and clearly did not happen in Smiley City...

…

At this moment, Song Yang lowered his head and stared at Xia Jing in shock.

Xia Jing didn't say much about his memory. After he recovered a little, he stood up with the help of Song Yang.

Jia Qing trembled and said, "Brother Jing, the safe house is cracked like this, are you really okay? Can this be repaired?"

"We can repair it by extracting the power of the monster's body, but..." Xia Jing paused and said, "Given the current situation, it's not cost-effective to spend the body to repair the safe house."

If we don't find out the source, the force may attack again just as we repair the safe house.

Upon hearing this, Jia Qing staggered and almost fell on the spot.

At this time, are you still considering the price/performance ratio?!

Xia Jing spoke calmly, but Song Yang did not feel at ease at all.

Putting aside his personal space, although the safe house was originally Xia Jing's place of confinement, it was also Xia Jing's only shelter in Smile City.

But now even his only shelter has been destroyed to such an extent that it is on the verge of crumbling.

Song Yang said hoarsely: "Are you sure you are okay?"

Hearing this, Xia Jing looked at him, his voice gentle and calm: "It's really okay, Song Yang."

"It's just that," Xia Jing said lightly, "I was forcibly recalled to the safe house just now. Now, although I can feel that I can still step out of here, but——"

Xia Jing tilted his head and said, "After this, I may be subject to even greater restrictions."

Originally, he was able to freely control the flow of people to the safe house for a whole day every Monday.

After this, it's hard to say.

Maybe even this little freedom will be lost.

Unless the safe house is completely destroyed, but if that happens, he might...

Song Yang's grip on his wrist suddenly tightened.

Feeling this force, Xia Jinghui held Song Yang's hand and said to him, "Hurry up, let's enter another four-star dungeon."

Feng Shi and Jia Qing were stunned: "Xia Jing, you want to go in with us too?"

"I don't like to sit and wait for death," Xia Jing smiled, "So, yes, I want to enter the four-star dungeon."

Feng Shi and Jia Qing looked at Song Yang again.

Song Yang didn't turn around. After a moment of silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Why are you looking at me? If we don't let Xia Jing in, are we going to persuade him to stay in this place that may collapse at any time and wait for us to come back?"

Song Yang and Xia Jing interlocked their fingers and whispered, "From now on, I won't leave you."

Xia Jing paused, chuckled, and said, "That's a beautiful love statement."

"It's not a love talk, I'm serious." Song Yang pulled Xia Jing closer, which was an action full of protectiveness.

He raised his eyes and glanced around the safe house, then asked in a low voice, "Is it okay for Tuanzi to stay here?"

"That power can't completely destroy me for now. It won't matter as long as we can clear a four-star dungeon within normal time."

"If it doesn't work, I will restore the ball to pure energy and take it back into my body."

Tuanzi looked at the group of people eagerly, his eyes full of worry.

Hearing this, Song Yang bent down, rubbed Tuanzi's head, and said, "Then just wait here for us to come back."

"Don't be afraid," Song Yang paused and said slowly, "Everything will be resolved."

Xia Jing looked at him.

Song Yang stood up and said in a deep voice, "Let's go back to the game hall."

*

When they returned to the game lobby, the number of online players on the holographic screen had dropped to 2019, and the number of copies had dropped to 243.

Jia Qing raised his arm to wipe away his tears, choking with sobs as he said, "Over 600 people died in just half an hour. Most of them never made it out. I'm sure many were wiped out!"

For many inexperienced players, clearing a three-star dungeon is difficult enough, not to mention the difficulty of a four-star dungeon.

This is simply a way to die.

By the time all these four-star dungeons are destroyed, I wonder how many players will be left in the entire Smiley City...

The four of them quickly entered the four login rooms side by side.

Xia Jing glanced at the existing four-star copies.

The first few pages are already full, and under the urging of the system, many players have to choose to log in to the dungeon.

It wasn't until the fifth page that copies with less than full people began to appear.

The covers of the copies are so varied that it's dizzying.

Soon, Song Yang sent a message: "There are exactly four remaining spots on page six, 'How to Kill Him'. If you have no problem, choose this one?"

Xia Jing tapped the screen and turned to page six.

"A Way to Kill Him," 6/10.

The cover features a wall.

The wall was mottled and looked very old. In the center was a graffiti of a human head and goat horns painted in black ink.

The head was obviously that of a middle-aged man with thick sideburns and a beard. Perhaps he had been maliciously vilified, as his facial features were somewhat distorted and his eyes were two large circles, looking very strange.

The two curved horns on the top of the head are like a symbol of the devil.

He was staring at the people outside the screen with a grin, but this smile did not give people a sense of joy, only discomfort and weirdness.

I don't know who drew a big X on this person's head, as if it was full of hatred.

Since the copy is named "How to Kill Him", the devil must not be dead yet, and the identity of the main monster they will face in this copy has also been clearly identified.

Xia Jing replied: "I have no objection."

Song Yang: "Jia Qing and Feng Shi are both OK, then, log in."

Xia Jing tapped the screen lightly and closed his eyes.

…

When his vision became clear again, Xia Jing was already in a... deserted, empty town.

He stood on the main road of the town. The lonely main road was covered with thick dust, as if no one had set foot on it for a long time.

A gust of wind blew by, and the dust suddenly flew up, making it a bit dizzying.

There are very old and dilapidated European-style buildings on both sides of the main road. On the bare wall not far away is the devil's head that appeared on the cover just now.

The devil smiled in the sunlight, but because it was broad daylight, the eerie feeling was not as strong as when he was facing the cover in the login room just now.

Xia Jing glanced at the houses on both sides that looked like no one lived in them, turned around, and his eyes fell on the players in front.

Song Yang waved at him.

Xia Jing walked over.

There were ten players in this dungeon, and unexpectedly, they met an acquaintance.

Bian Ya, with his usual grass-green hair, was talking to Feng Shi.

When he saw Xia Jing, he looked at her face thoughtfully for a moment, smiled softly, and said, "If I'm guessing correctly, you are Xia Jing?"

Xia Jingyi curled his lips and smiled: "It's me."

The mask Xia Jing is wearing now is different from the one he wore in "Creation", but for anyone who is not stupid, it is very easy to recognize Xia Jing's style of painting.

Bian Ya sighed, "What a coincidence! I didn't expect we'd meet again so soon."

Feng Shi asked, "Have you reached your time limit as well?"

Bian Ya shrugged and said, "Not yet. I still have twelve hours. But since I have to come in sooner or later, I might as well choose a dungeon myself while there are still many left."

Bian Ya's words gave Jia Qing a little comfort.

Although for him, the star level difficulty of the four-star copy is there, it actually doesn't matter which four-star copy he chooses.

He was still trembling and sniffing.

The remaining five players are one woman and four men.

At this moment, the expressions of these five people were not very good. After all, no one came into this kind of copy voluntarily.

But since the copy has already begun, they can only cheer up.

The woman said, "My name is Fu Lan. I've mostly been playing in two-star dungeons before, and I've only made it through a three-star dungeon once."

She bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry to bother you this time. Please give me your guidance."

A skinny man kept swallowing his saliva and looked around nervously, as if he was afraid that a monster would suddenly appear from the corner and pounce on them.

He whispered absentmindedly, "My name is Huang Yu, hello."

A man with a somewhat fierce face was looking at the others one by one with an extremely uncomfortable look, and said, "My name is Liu Mingyang."

Beside him, a young man who looked like a college student said nervously, "My name is Gao Sheng."

Song Yang and the others also briefly introduced themselves.

Liu Mingyang was originally looking at everyone except himself as if he was looking at prey. When he heard Song Yang's name, his eyes immediately fixed on Song Yang and he licked his lips.

The greed in his eyes——

Xia Jing seemed to be smiling.

It seems a little too obvious.

When Jia Qing saw Liu Mingyang looking at Song Yang as if he were a piece of fat meat, she stopped crying immediately and glared at the guy.

Feng Shi frowned slightly and moved closer to Song Yang warily.

Song Yang himself was calm.

After all, this was not the first time he was treated as fat meat, and he had long been accustomed to this kind of look.

He simply ignored Liu Mingyang and looked at the last person left among the ten.

That was also a boy who looked like a college student, very young.

Song Yang asked, "What's your name? Let's get to know each other now so we can work together later."

The boy swallowed hard and laughed dryly, "My name is Zheng Shu. Um... what are we doing now?"

Everyone was stunned.

Zheng Shu scratched his cheek and said, "I was writing code in the dorm just now and I was almost exhausted. Suddenly, everything went black. A voice told me that I had been chosen by some Smiley City? I became a player? And I was asked to choose a dungeon."

Zheng Shu said awkwardly, "I just picked one at random and came in here to meet you. Well,… because everything happened so suddenly just now, I was a little panicked, so I didn't listen carefully to the rules that voice said. I'm still a little confused now…"

After hearing what he said, the others gradually showed expressions of shock.

Song Yang took a deep breath and asked, "So, this is your first time in a dungeon?"

Zheng Shu nodded quickly and said with a stiff smile, "What exactly is a copy?"

Suddenly, some people covered their foreheads, some cursed, and some looked at the young man with sympathy.

At this time, I was selected by Smiley City and became a new player. At the beginning, there were only four-star dungeons to choose from.

This guy is even more unlucky than them and is more likely to die than them!

Chapter 94: How to Kill Him (Part 1)

Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, Zheng Shu seemed to realize something was amiss, and his smile faltered.

Cold sweat streamed down his cheeks.

He said weakly, "Is there any expert out there who can explain this to me?"

He anxiously looked for help.

Liu Mingyang sneered, his hands shoved in his pockets, clearly not bothered to pay attention.

Fu Lan said indifferently, "We don't have time to train new recruits right now. We should hurry and find some clues about the main monster."

Zheng Shu panicked at this, feeling bewildered and embarrassed.

Song Yang gestured to Jia Qing to explain things to the new recruit.

Jia Qing was already incredibly nervous, so it was better to find something to distract him.

Sure enough, once he had something serious to do, Jia Qing's attention sharpened, and his expression calmed down.

He chattered nonstop, leaving Zheng Shu stunned.

Xia Jing and Song Yang looked toward the main road ahead.

The town was truly tiny; they could see the end of the main road at a glance.

The road was about four or five hundred meters long, ending in some farmland.

A river surrounded the fields.

The town was incredibly quiet, so quiet that their conversations could even be heard echoing.

Liu Mingyang looked at Song Yang and said slowly, "If you're Song Yang, then you're the legendary master from the forum, right? Master, what should we do next? We're all at your beck and call, and you have to keep us alive."

Fu Lan and Huang Yuhe stared at Song Yang in surprise, seemingly unaware that this star-like handsome man could be so secretive.

Song Yang glanced at Liu Mingyang but said nothing.

This man was being too suggestive, and he didn't bother to pay attention.

Bian Ya said to Feng Shi and the others, "We haven't seen any NPCs, only a map.

Obviously, all we can do now is check each room one by one."

Song Yang said calmly, "Let's split up. Xia Jing and I will be in one."

Jia Qing, who was still guiding the newcomers, quickly raised his hand and said, "Then I want to go with Brother Feng!"

Feng Shi subconsciously glanced at Bian Ya. Bian Ya laughed loudly at the male university student, "Let's go together, shall we?"

Gao Sheng nodded quickly, agreeing.

In just a few seconds, the six people were paired up, and Liu Mingyang and the others choked.

Huang Yu, who stood timidly beside Liu Mingyang, rolled his eyes and smiled ingratiatingly at him, "Then, Brother Liu, how about we go together?"

Fu Lan's face darkened when she saw that she had been paired with the newcomers. She quickly said, "I want to go with you too!"

Liu Mingyang didn't want to run away with the woman, and subconsciously wanted to refuse.

But then he thought, thinking that Zheng Shu was now alone, and seeing the newcomer's pitiful appearance seemed quite amusing, he grinned and said, "Okay."

The newcomer Zheng Shu opened his mouth, a smile uglier than tears: "...I won't be going alone, will I?"

Song Yang came to his rescue just in time: "You can join us."

Zheng Shu breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Mingyang curled his lips in boredom.

Although the atmosphere was not particularly harmonious, now that the groups had been divided, the next step was to seize the time to search for clues.

In this dungeon, they couldn't use the holographic screen, nor did they have tools like watches or phones. Judging by the sky alone, Xia Jing judged, "It might be evening soon."

Song Yang nodded and said to the others, "Everyone, estimate the time. Meet in about an hour."

With that, the group dispersed into the empty houses on both sides of the main road.

*

The first few houses in the town seemed to be used for work. The tools inside were all tools, and all the furniture was covered with a thick layer of dust.

As soon as Song Yang, Xia Jing and Zheng Shu entered a workshop, Zheng Shu started coughing violently.

"How long has this town been uninhabited? Were all the townspeople killed by demons?" Zheng Shu said in panic.

Judging from the dungeon setting, the answer seems obvious, that's it.

They scanned the small workshop and couldn't find any clues, so they quickly retreated and went into the next room.

The other groups were doing the same thing as them.

The next room seemed to be a residential house, with a clear distinction between a living room and an inner room.

The living room had obviously more furniture than the previous room, with vases, tables and chairs, plates and bowls, and a strong atmosphere of life.

The three searched here more carefully.

Unfortunately, after searching the living room for a long time, they still couldn't find anything special.

Zheng Shu moved his plate, swallowing a mouthful of dust. He waved his hand, then pondered, "Brother Song, Brother Xia, I'm thinking, could the main monster in this dungeon be a demon? But demons are a kind of spirit, likely incorporeal. How can we find them?"

Zheng Shu, a new player, was initially a bit flustered due to confusion, but after understanding the rules, he demonstrated excellent player skills.

In response to his question, Song Yang suggested a possibility: "In many Western fantasy works, demons can possess people."

Zheng Shu was startled. "You mean the monster could possess us?!"

Xia Jing straightened up and said, "If the townspeople were all killed by demons, then seeing their bodies might lead us to important clues."

However—

the residents of this town seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace.

Zheng Shu swallowed and said, "Look at this ash. It's been there for at least a few years. Could it be that the townspeople's remains have all rotted away?"

Song Yang raised an eyebrow and said, "That wouldn't mean there's not even a skeleton left."

Zheng Shu: "Could it be that the demons devoured the townspeople, flesh and bones?"

Xia Jing also raised an eyebrow and said, "The dungeon wouldn't leave no clues for the players. I think their remains must be there, just in some special place."

Zheng Shu asked sincerely, "Brother Song, Brother Xia, are you a couple?"

Song Yang and Xia Jing paused, then turned to look at him.

Zheng Shu was startled and said with a wry smile, "Sorry, I just think you two... are a perfect match! Sorry, uh, I'm a lesbian, and you guys are pretending I didn't say anything!"

Song Yang coughed softly, his ears reddening.

He glanced at Xia Jing.

Xia Jing raised his lips and said lightly, "Thank you for the compliment?"

Zheng Shu was flattered and said quickly, "No thanks, no thanks. As long as you don't feel offended, I understand. You two are actually very close brothers. I'm just a lesbian who sees people as gay—"

Suddenly, a low whisper came from the back room, as if someone was talking.

Song Yang's expression changed, and he immediately pulled Xia Jing to his side.

Zheng Shu was startled, but not by the noise in the inner room, but by the two people's hands, naturally intertwined.

He stared at their hands, confused for a moment.

Was this brotherhood, or was he just looking at someone gay? Something seemed off.

Song Yang gestured for Zheng Shu to hide behind them. Then, he drew a dagger and, along with Xia Jing, slowly approached the inner room.

The whispers from the inner room had appeared suddenly.

When they first entered the room, the sound had been absent.

Now, listening carefully, the voices coming from inside sounded like a woman mumbling softly to herself.

They approached cautiously.

Halfway through, Xia Jing paused, and Song Yang frowned slightly.

Behind them, Zheng Shu clutched his throat, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

As they approached the inner room, a feeling of suffocation seemed to silently overtake them.

It was as if a sponge had blocked their trachea. Even if they opened their mouths and tried to breathe, little air could reach their lungs.

Xia Jing and Song Yang simply held their breath.

They stopped at the doorway, pressed against the wall, and peered inside.

Inside, the single, broken windowpane was half-obscured by a curtain, making the light dim.

Dust drifted in the air.

In the center of the inner room sat a tattered bed.

At the head of the bed, a woman, overweight and disheveled in a white smock, searched frantically for something.

Her gaze wandered blankly around the room, slowly lingering beside the bed, occasionally squatting to look under it.

Song Yang and Xia Jing listened intently.

Although the dub was set in a European setting, the language was naturally Chinese.

The woman murmured, "Baby, where are you? My Ruth, are you still playing hide-and-seek with me?"

She stood up and groped sadly towards the bed.

Her hands slipped through the bedboard and burrowed into it.

Song Yang and Xia Jing exchanged a glance.

They retreated, away from the inner room, before finally breathing again.

Zheng Shu took a deep breath and asked hurriedly, "Song, Xia, have you found anything?"

Song Yang said, "That one in there is probably a ghost of a town resident. This dungeon should have a clear storyline, and we should probably figure that out first."

Xia Jing walked out of the house and said, "Let me make a mark."

He pulled a marker from his space bag and marked the outer wall of the house: woman, missing child.

Zheng Shu thought for a moment, then asked, "What's that suffocating feeling?"

After marking, Xia Jing put down his marker and said gently, "Suffocating despair and sadness—perhaps it's the ghost's resentment."

Zheng Shu fell silent.

He had a feeling the story behind this town might be something truly tragic.

At that moment, the other three groups seemed to have finished searching a house each.

Their expressions showed that they had all experienced the same thing.

Outside, Liu Mingyang and the other three stood with their hands on their hips, panting heavily, their faces pale and filled with fear.

After Jia Qing emerged, he gestured twice and shouted to Song Yang and the others, "There's a ghost!"

The house Bian Ya and his team were searching was in front of them.

Bian Ya and his team emerged, not from the house in front, but from a crack in the side wall.

After emerging, Bian Ya waved to them, saying, "We've found a skeleton behind this house. Come and take a look."

The group immediately gathered around

him. They followed Bian Ya around to the back of the house,

which was overgrown with weeds.

Bian Ya paused, and the group followed his gaze, spotting a complete corpse leaning against the wall.

Liu Mingyang and the other two were stunned, frozen in place.

Song Yang and Xia Jing approached and calmly squatted down.

The skeleton was draped in tattered cloth, the flesh beneath almost completely rotted away, barely clinging to the bones.

Maggots squirmed among the rotting flesh, flies buzzing around them.

Even though they had likely been dead for a long time and were in an open, ventilated area, the corpse still carried a foul odor.

The man sat crookedly in the corner, legs spread apart, head drooping.

Beside him lay a wine jug lying on the grass.

Jia Qing whispered, "Is this a drunkard who died on the side of the road?"

Song Yang examined the skeleton and confirmed, "It's a man."

The skeleton was largely intact, with only a few broken bones in the pelvis, scattered in a heap on the grass.

Xia Jing suddenly reached out.

Seeing him seem to touch the skeleton, Liu Mingyang and the others gasped, looking at Xia Jing as if he were a monster.

Song Yang reached out to stop him, but failed.

When Xia Jing took an interest in something, even Song Yang couldn't stop him.

The mask on the young man's face was frightening, but his hands were slender, white, and very beautiful.

The slender hands gently fiddled with the broken bones on the grass, quickly pulling out a strangely shaped piece.

Xia Jing brought the fragment closer, and the others, taking a closer look, were all stunned.

Calling it a fragment didn't seem quite right.

It was a complete, hand-shaped bone, devoid of any flesh, and incredibly small.

It contained five "fingers," each one extremely thin and long... to an exaggerated degree of slenderness.

The part that looked like a palm was about the size of a coin, but the longest "finger" was a full ten centimeters long, a stark disproportion.

Fu Lan frowned and said, "...Is this a child's hand bone?"

Song Yang shook his head. "This is definitely not human bone."

He took the bone, examined it, and said, "It's from some animal, but I can't identify it at the moment."

Zheng Shu said weakly, "...How can a person have animal bones in their body?"

Liu Mingyang was taken aback by Zheng Shu's explanation.

After coming to his senses, he tried to feign composure and sneered, "What's so strange about that? Perhaps after he died here, an animal happened to die on top of his body, and the two bones naturally mixed together."

But anyone who has cleared a dungeon several times knows that dungeons never give such unnecessary clues.

Therefore, Liu Mingyang's words left his mouth, but received no response.

Liu Mingyang froze, his face showing displeasure.

Xia Jing once again stirred the pile of broken bones on the ground.

This time, he found another unusual bone.

This bone was likely part of a male pelvis.

Xia Jing rubbed the surface of the bone with his fingers, and found a black mark in one place.

The black mark had been worn and was a bit mottled.

Song Yang frowned. "What is this?"

"I can't see clearly," Xia Jing said thoughtfully. "But I think something unusual must have happened in this man's abdomen before he died."

He raised his eyelashes and looked back at the male skeleton in front of him. "The rest of the skeleton is well preserved, only the pelvis is broken. The fact that this animal bone is mixed with the man's broken bones is probably not accidental."

A broken pelvis.

A strange animal skeleton.

The movement of the human skeleton's legs apart.

Xia Jing said with interest, "Before he died, was there something growing in his stomach that broke out?"

As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell all around.

Everyone's faces suddenly turned very ugly, and some immediately clutched their stomachs tightly.

They were thinking of something ominous.

Jia Qing looked like she was on the verge of tears: "Brother Jing, you're not going to tell me that in this dungeon, the demon kills players by making them pregnant, are you?!"

Even Feng Shi and Bian Ya's expressions faltered.

Song Yang's lips twitched at Jia Qing's words, and he opened his mouth... then remained silent.

Jia Qing: "Brother Yang, won't you say something?!"

Song Yang: "...Because these are the clues we have right now. Xia Jing's speculation is also my speculation. As for what you said... there's no evidence to disprove it."

Jia Qing was instantly devastated.

Song Yang helped Xia Jing to his feet, wiped his hand, and exhaled. "Alright, instead of freaking out here, let's keep looking for other clues."

Dusk was approaching.

"We don't have much time left on our first day."

...

After that, the group dispersed again, feeling strange.

This time, their search pace was much faster than before.

After all, the approach of night meant approaching danger, and no one wanted to become the "devil's bride."

With Xia Jing leading the way, the other groups followed suit, marking the exterior walls of each house after exploring.

They summarized the identities and stories of the people in each house with simple keywords.

Elderly man living alone, lazy man, snoring.

Couple, quarreling.

Young girl, mother, quarreling.

...

About half an hour later, Song Yang and Xia Jing emerged and met up with Bian Ya and Feng Shi.

It was already dark, and they needed to find a place to rest for the night.

Song Yang glanced ahead: "Haven't the other three come out yet?"

He could vaguely see Liu Mingyang and his team rummaging around in a house up ahead.

Jia Qing exclaimed, "These three have a terrible sense of time."

They turned and headed forward, intending to call for help.

As they walked, they whispered to each other about their current clues and pondered how the main monster might appear.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through the town's main road, kicking up a cloud of dust...

The next second, countless shrieks suddenly erupted from all directions!

The sounds came suddenly, piercing and inhuman, nearly piercing everyone's eardrums and sending their heads buzzing.

Jia Qing, Zheng Shuhe, and Gao Sheng shuddered with fear, stopping in their tracks and covering their ears in a state of bewildered panic.

Xia Jing and the others also stopped, quickly turning around and standing back to back.

They witnessed a horrifying scene.

The ghosts from all the houses suddenly poured out.

Like a carnival moment, the spirits frantically rushed towards the center of the main road. Distorted faces flashed before them, quickly converging in front.

At that moment, the air on the main road seemed to be drained away.

Xia Jing stroked his throat and narrowed his eyes.

The ghosts of the entire town had gathered together, their resentment reaching a peak, and they were completely unable to breathe.

Song Yang's face darkened. He grabbed Xia Jing, Jia Qing, and the others, motioning for everyone to hide in a nearby room.

The seven of them rushed in!

The room, devoid of ghosts, became a place of respite.

Once inside, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Gao Sheng and Zheng Shu knelt on the ground.

Terrified by the spectacle of spirits reveling on the main road, their limbs weakened, cold sweat pouring down their spines.

Jia Qing was also trembling uncontrollably.

Song Yang, Xia Jing, Feng Shi, and Bian Ya rushed inside, immediately shutting the door. They quickly turned to the window and squinted out.

In the center of the main road, countless ghosts gathered, a dark mass.

As if swept up by a tornado, they swirled upward amidst a cloud of dust.

Screams, cries, and wild laughter mingled, a terrifying mixture.

Across the main road, across the dark column of ghosts, Liu Mingyang and the other three huddled by the window, watching the scene in horror.

As dusk fell, the light gradually faded, their vision gradually dimming.

Within seconds, the terrifying ghost column swirled and vanished into the darkening sky, vanishing from their sight.

Fallen leaves and dust swirled along the main road, carried by the wind's tails.

After the tailspin completely disappeared, they slowly drifted back to the ground and came to rest.

A moment later,

Jia Qing suppressed her tears and whispered, "Brother Yang, what are those ghosts doing?"

Feng Shi lowered his voice suspiciously, "...They just disappeared like that?"

Bian Ya said slowly, "I feel like something's wrong."

At this moment, the entire main road was dead silent.

Across the street, Liu Mingyang and the others didn't dare move, huddled stiffly by the window, staring blankly outside.

Over here, Xia Jing and the others also waited silently, observing the situation outside.

After a while, Bian Ya whispered, "Do you want to go out and take a look?"

The

next second—

a cold, pale male face suddenly appeared in their view from the left side of the window.

Jia Qing immediately covered his mouth, and his other hand slapped Zheng Shu's mouth, muffling his own and Zheng Shu's screams in time.

He leaned back loudly, falling to the ground again, too frightened to stand.

The four people by the window froze slightly, taking a step back, alert.

The face, or rather the head, outside the window lay sideways.

It floated in mid-air, staring intently at them, its expression cold.

It emerged from their left field of vision like a human boat floating in the air, drifting slowly to the right.

As it drifted, its gaze never left their gaze.

What appeared behind it made Jia Qing and the other three roll their eyes, nearly fainting, and it also made Song Yang, Xia Jing, and the others tense.

It was a school of ghosts, huddled together like a school of fish.

Men, women, old men, children, faces of all kinds, eyes searching for prey.

The group of ghosts that had just spiraled upward and disappeared into the sky had not truly vanished.

They returned to the intersection of the town's main road, and at the moment night officially arrived, they began a silent parade.

Countless ghosts, pressed against each other, drifted past their window, their icy gazes sweeping over the seven people inside one by one, like snakes slithering across their bodies.

Inside, Jia Qing and the others were covered in goosebumps, their limbs stiffening as if they weren't their bodies.

Xia Jing and the others remained impassive, maintaining a poised stance ready to attack at any moment.

Occasionally, during the parade, a ghost would pause, perched outside the window, and stare intently at them.

Their gazes were eerie, as if they wanted to rip away every shred of flesh, to see through their bones and even their very souls.

Just as Song Yang and the others, expecting the ghosts to burst in, secretly grasped their weapons, they slowly withdrew their gazes and drifted forward.

No one spoke, the room so still it seemed as if no one was alive; not even a breath could be heard.

The dense mass of ghosts blocked out the light, plunging the room into complete darkness, making everything seem even colder and more eerie.

Xia Jing's calm gaze followed the movement of the ghostly procession.

The large force advanced steadily, as if on a routine patrol, maintaining order in the town.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

the minutes ticked by.

Nothing unexpected happened.

Slowly, Jia Qing and the others recovered.

They swallowed, mustered their courage, and crept over, peering through the gap between Song Yang and Xia Jing.

It seemed… it seemed nothing was wrong?

It was just that the ghosts had gathered, their numbers a bit too numerous, and looked a bit scary.

They glanced anxiously at Song Yang and Xia Jing.

In the silence, the two men didn't relax at all, their gaze fixed on the outside, as if waiting for something.

The ghosts seemed to be searching for something.

… What were they searching for?

Suddenly, the large group of ghosts stopped.

Xia Jing and Song Yang immediately stepped forward, pressed against the window, and peered out.

—Three screams pierced the night!

Through the bustling crowd of ghosts, they could clearly see that a ghost had entered the house where Liu Mingyang and the others were, diagonally across the main road!

Chapter 95: The method of killing him (Part 2)

The ghosts that were originally floating in the air in groups all fell to the ground.

They gathered around the house, surrounding it so tightly that Xia Jing and the others could not see anything at all, their vision was completely blocked.

"What, what's wrong, what happened over there?" Jia Qing asked tremblingly as he approached.

Fu Lan's screams came from the other side of the main road, and she seemed to be extremely frightened.

There was also a voice roaring in fear: "Let me go! Ah - let go!"

This was Liu Mingyang's voice.

Feng Shi frowned and immediately asked: "Do you want to go over and take a look?"

Immediately, Zheng Shu and Gao Sheng fell to the ground again with weak legs, their faces pale.

Zheng Shu cried, "Go? How? Isn't it impossible to breathe outside?"

Bian Ya said softly, "Hold your breath and rush through in one go. It shouldn't be a problem."

Zheng Shu: "But what if the ghosts find us?"

Xia Jing said slowly, "Those ghosts seemed to be looking for something. They saw us, but didn't react. That proves they don't want us."

Song Yang made a decision: "Let's go and take a look. Jia Qing, Gao Sheng, and Zheng Shu, you three can stay here."

Jia Qing shook his head violently, gritting his teeth and saying, "I, I'll go with you, Brother Yang." He

was afraid, but he couldn't keep hiding like a turtle.

Gao Sheng and Zheng Shu, who were left, looked at each other, their hearts broken. "Then... then we'll follow. We don't want to stay here alone. Woo woo woo..."

Having made his decision, he immediately took action.

Song Yang conducted a test.

Holding his breath, he ran towards the house on the right, quickly breaking in and closing the door.

From beginning to end, the ghosts across the main road, gathered around for what seemed like an unknown purpose, showed no reaction, not even a turn of their heads.

The next second, the doors of two houses flew open simultaneously.

The seven of them sprinted towards the empty house diagonally across the street.

Night had completely fallen over the town.

Once they reached the main road, they felt like they had fallen into an inkwell.

The slightly chilly air suddenly became damp and sticky, and they felt like they were swimming in ink. If they opened their mouths or noses, they would drown in darkness.

The seven of them sprinted.

Of course, they couldn't just break into the house where Liu Mingyang and the others were, so they had to break into the empty house next door.

Once inside, Feng Shi closed the door, and the seven of them gasped.

Fortunately, until they brushed past the ghosts and entered the house, the ghosts next door remained completely unresponsive.

Xia Jing and Song Yang quickly caught their breath and reached the side window of the house. They parted the tattered curtains and peered into the next door.

The window on the side wall of the house next door was half-obstructed by the curtains.

But at least they still had half their vision, allowing them to clearly see what was happening inside.

The scene that greeted them made Song Yang and Xia Jing pause slightly.

The others' expressions suddenly changed, their mouths agape.

...

In the next room, a crimson firelight illuminated the entire inner chamber.

Directly opposite the window, Liu Mingyang was stretched out, tied to a set of mottled wooden frames like a frog lying on a laboratory table.

Ropes bound his hands and feet tightly, and no matter how hard the strong man struggled, he could not break free.

Two ghosts—or should they be ghosts, after all, they were obviously original residents of this town—were twin brothers with brown hair and pale skin.

Their green eyes gleamed with gleeful smiles.

Bare-chested, each wielding a whip, they lashed out at Liu Mingyang fiercely!

Liu Mingyang screamed in agony!

At this moment, his clothes had completely shredded from the beating, leaving streaks of blood all over his body, a shocking sight.

Fu Lan and Huang Yu had vanished, likely hiding in a corner.

Xia Jing and Song Yang could only see an offensive item and a defensive item being thrown from the corner at the twins, likely by Fu Lan or Huang Yu.

However, both items passed through the ghosts' bodies, completely harmless.

Jia Qing's eyes widened, and he lowered his voice, "The items can pass through their bodies, yet their whips can actually hit the players. They're cheating!"

Xia Jing whispered, "It seems like, just like in the Creation dungeon, it's difficult for players to counterattack the secondary monsters in this dungeon."

Song Yang frowned and nodded.

This situation was the most troublesome.

In this situation, there was no point in trying to break into the next room.

Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to help.

They could only watch in silence as what unfolded in the next room.

The twins seemed to experience immense pleasure in the whipping, their faces plastered with a contented smile.

The ghosts blocking the door also watched with a sneer.

One of the twin brothers whipped Liu Mingyang across the face. The thick, barbed whip instantly left a bloody scar.

The barbs scraped away the flesh, revealing the bones beneath.

Liu Mingyang was stunned. The ghost roared, "Are you possessed by a demon?!"

The other twin brother whipped him again, laughing excitedly, "You are the demon, right?!"

"He is the demon!"

"He is the demon!"

"Kill him!"

the ghosts outside roared.

The will to survive made Liu Mingyang wake up with difficulty. He shook his head and said in horror: "I, I am not a devil!"

He came to his senses and shouted hoarsely: "I am not a devil, what are you doing, I am not a devil, I am not possessed!"

The twin brothers whipped him twice more and shouted: "You said you are not a devil, then who is?!"

Liu Mingyang was almost fainted from being whipped. He gasped and cried: "I don't know, how can I know who is the devil!"

Everything that happened next was like a cycle.

The sound of the whip hitting the human body was extremely loud.

Some parts that were whipped repeatedly were already bloody and fleshy. Sometimes, after a whip was whipped, blood and flesh splashed directly onto the wall behind.

Liu Mingyang kept wailing and screaming.

The twin brothers also kept yelling at him.

"You are the devil!"

"I'm not!"

"If you're not a demon, then who is?!"

"I... I don't know, I really don't know, please..."

The whip struck him, and he wailed.

"You're the demon!"

"I'm not, I really am not..."

"If you're not a demon, then who is?!"

"I don't know, I only know I'm not. I just came here today, and I want to find the demon too. I'm on your side, big brother..."

Another lash of whipping followed.

Liu Mingyang was gradually beaten to a bloody mess.

Zheng Shu, Gao Sheng, and Jia Qing were completely silent.

Although they hated Liu Mingyang, at this moment, anyone could only feel a chill.

The pain and fear of the relentless whipping seemed to transmit through the air to them, making them shiver and drenching their backs with cold sweat.

It was obvious that the ghosts were patrolling the streets looking for demons, but—

Bian Ya frowned and asked, "Why would the ghosts choose him?"

It was unclear.

Feng Shi and Song Yang both shook their heads.

Xia Jing watched the torture unfolding next door for a moment, then turned his gaze to look outside the adjacent house.

Hundreds of ghosts from the entire town surrounded the entrance, nearly all excited by the interrogation, cheering.

They panted heavily, glaring at Liu Mingyang fiercely, as if hoping this demon would confess quickly or simply kill him. They didn't want to hear his defense!

Only two ghosts stood on the periphery, watching the whole thing silently and calmly.

Xia Jing whispered, "Song Yang."

Song Yang followed Xia Jing's gaze.

The two ghosts looked like a father and daughter.

The daughter wore a long dress, her slightly curly blonde hair hanging down her head. Her beautiful face exuded a cold indifference, her icy blue eyes seemingly devoid of any emotion.

And the father...

Song Yang was stunned, whispering, "This father looks like the 'demon' in this dungeon—"

Xia Jing nodded slowly.

The father had short brown hair, thick sideburns, and a full beard. He bore a striking resemblance to the "demon"

painted on the town wall in this instance. However, the demon in that graffiti appeared to have been maliciously distorted, its features distorted.

The father, on the other hand, had a square face with firm, resolute lines.

The demon in the graffiti wore a wicked grin.

The father, however, stood silently at the outskirts of the town, a look of pity in his eyes.

He lacked the curving horns.

He looked like an ordinary human ghost.

Feng Shi and Bian Ya also approached to observe the father and daughter.

Feng Shi analyzed, "The townspeople's painting of that graffiti suggests they consider this man a demon. He's standing on the outskirts, not approaching, and seems a bit ostracized."

Bian Ya pondered, "But his soul looks quite ordinary, not like the incarnation of a demon."

So, was the graffiti simply a misunderstanding of the middle-aged man, or was there something more to it?

The four of them fell into deep thought.

In the next room, the torture was still going on.

The twin brothers whipped Liu Mingyang left and right on his face.

This time, the barbs on the whip directly tore the corners of his mouth.

Liu Mingyang opened his mouth in pain and gasped, the corners of his mouth curved upwards on both sides, like a bloody clown smiling.

This scene frightened Jia Qing and the others, and they were shaking like sieves.

The twin brothers shouted as usual: "You are the devil!"

Liu Mingyang hung his head and gasped, unable to answer for a while.

One of the twin brothers sneered, he seemed to have enjoyed this torture enough, tilted his head and smiled at his brother: "Let's kill this devil?"

Without waiting for his brother to answer, Liu Mingyang raised his head suddenly, his voice hoarse like a devil.

He gritted his teeth and said, "I've already told you, I'm not a demon!"

This time, Liu Mingyang didn't wait for the twins to ask any more questions. He shouted heartbreakingly, "I know who the demon is! I know! Stop fighting, I'll tell you!"

The effect of this was immediate. The twins stopped fighting, staring at him and demanding, "Who is it?"

Under the gazes of the twins and the countless ghosts outside, Liu Mingyang gasped for breath, his chest heaving.

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting around, revealing his nervousness and anxiety.

At this moment, he clearly didn't know the answer.

Before nightfall, all the players had hurriedly searched several rooms, but they had no idea of the main monster's identity or hiding place.

How could Liu Mingyang possibly know the answer?

But before he even opened his mouth, he seemed to have already thought of how to fudge the question.

And so, as he gasped for breath, his bloodshot eyes suddenly shifted.

Through two windows, his clammy, bloody gaze, filled with fear, tension, and madness, fell directly on Song Yang.

Song Yang paused slightly.

Xia Jing narrowed his eyes.

Feng Shi and Bian Ya's faces instantly darkened, a foreboding welling up in their hearts.

Liu Mingyang stared at Song Yang, his facial muscles twitching, giving him a twisted and ferocious look.

He swallowed hard again and said, "He, he is."

The twin brothers approached Liu Mingyang and asked coldly, "Who is 'he'?"

Liu Mingyang took two more rapid breaths, then, like a broken jar, shouted, "'He' is Song Yang, Song Yang is the devil!"

At this roar, Jia Qing instantly forgot his fear and jumped to his feet, cursing in disbelief, "Fuck! This guy actually framed Brother Yang?!"

Song Yang reached out and held him down, his expression relatively calm.

"Brother Yang, are you going to get hurt if he does this?!" Jia Qing's eyes flushed. "Fuck! I'm going to beat this guy to death later. We have no grudge against him, right? Why is he always staring at you?!"

Song Yang said calmly, "Because Smiley City now allows players to fight each other. Even if this incident hadn't happened, he would probably find a way to do it."

Of course, whether Liu Mingyang could succeed was another question.

...

At this moment, in the opposite room.

Huddled in a corner, shivering and pale, Fu Lan and Huang Yu looked at Liu Mingyang in shock when they heard him call out Song Yang's name. They seemed surprised he'd come up with such a clever way to divert the monsters' aggression.

The moment Liu Mingyang called out Song Yang's name, he felt a weight lifted from his shoulders.

He took a deep breath, feeling incredibly foolish. Why had he only just come up with this brilliant idea?

If he could point out someone else, the monsters' attention would be diverted from him, and he'd be spared torture.

As for whether the person he pointed out would suffer—none of his business!

It was completely baffling that he'd been visited by these ghosts!

Initially, meeting Song Yang's gaze, Liu Mingyang felt a little intimidated, fearing Song Yang's retaliation.

But then he realized he'd been waiting for an opportunity to attack Song Yang anyway, so what was there to fear now?

Besides, given the current situation, he'd undoubtedly be killed right here by these ghosts.

Therefore, Song Yang's revenge wasn't even a concern for him at that moment.

Liu Mingyang's entire body was numb with pain.

Blood rushed into his eyes, making everything seem bloodshot. His

ears buzzed, his heart pounding.

He stared at Song Yang through the two windows, wondering if he could finally escape. And this man, so legendary, would soon suffer the same fate as he did, and be just as miserable as he was now.

Even if he could be treated with medical spray afterward, Song Yang's mental state would undoubtedly be affected by such torture, even if he was a powerful figure. This would surely provide more opportunities for exploitation in his future actions.

If he could die directly from the torture of the ghosts, even better...

This was Liu Mingyang's purpose in identifying Song Yang.

If the man falsely accused him later, he would frame him back. Worst case, they could just keep accusing each other. He didn't want to suffer this alone anymore.

Wait until tomorrow... tomorrow, he would team up with Huang Yu and find an opportunity to kill this man. The huge points...

Liu Mingyang licked his lips, letting his beautiful fantasy ease the pain.

This method was very effective.

As he thought about it, he let out a long breath and chuckled softly.

This strange laughter made Fu Lan and Huang Yu, who were sharing the same room, even more frightened.

This guy... couldn't he be crazy?

However, Liu Mingyang had only laughed twice when a look from Song Yang's side suddenly caught his attention.

He subconsciously looked over, and his smile froze.

It was a young man wearing a strange mask.

He stood quietly beside Song Yang, also looking at him quietly.

His dark eyes and extremely calm gaze were as if he was looking at a... dead object.

Liu Mingyang's heart skipped a beat.

An inexplicable uneasiness slowly rose from his limbs, and he swallowed again.

The next second, two shadows covered him on both sides.

Liu Mingyang was stunned and raised his head.

The twin brothers were standing in front of him.

The whips in their hands were gone, replaced by two slightly rusty machetes.

Liu Mingyang's heart skipped a beat.

This time, the premonition of unease rushed directly to the top of his soul.

He smiled stiffly, "I've already identified the demon. Brothers, can you please let me go—"

His words cut off abruptly.

Thick blood sprayed onto the ceiling and the wall behind him.

With a dull thud, Liu Mingyang's head fell to the ground, rolled twice, and came to rest in front of Fu Lan and Huang Yu.

The head still retained the same stiff smile it had worn before death.

Fu Lan and Huang Yu screamed hysterically, kicking and moving backward, their backs pressed against the wall!

They watched in horror as the twin brothers decapitated Liu Mingyang, then laughed heartily, cleaving his body open with their knives as if it were a chicken or a fish!

They hacked through his ribs, ripped out his heart, and then, searching inside, pulled out a black mass—

Fu Lan and Huang Yu were horrified!

It was a black bat wing!

How could such a thing exist in Liu Mingyang's body?!

One of the twin brothers clutched the bloody bat wing tightly, raising it aloft.

Blood trickled through his fingers as he shouted to the townspeople outside, "Look! We've caught the devil again!"

The townspeople cheered with joy!

In the hut on the other side, the seven people were stunned upon seeing the bat wing.

Song Yang suddenly remembered something and said solemnly, "The animal bones mixed in with the corpse that Bian Ya and the others found are bat wings!"

He pondered rapidly, "In this instance, bats represent the devil, and humans harboring bats are possessed by the devil."

But how could this object have been extracted from Liu Mingyang's body?

Was he chosen by the devil?

And when was he chosen?

This instance seemed different from the Bionic instance. Liu Mingyang, the one who had conceived the bat, seemed completely unaware of it, and his actions didn't seem manipulated.

How had all this happened so unnoticed?

Just then, the fire in the opposite room gradually dimmed, and the torture seemed to finally be over.

Feng Shi pondered for a moment, then whispered, "But it seems that the ghosts first targeted Liu Mingyang because he had a bat in his body."

He said to Song Yang, "Although he framed you, you have nothing to do with the devil. The ghosts must—"

Before

Feng Shi could finish his words, the door to their house slammed open with a clang.

Everyone fell silent and turned to look.

Countless dark shadows densely packed the doorway, a chill washed over them, and the air in the room suddenly became thick and suffocating.

A long, pole-like torture device with a circular, barbed iron ring at the top flew towards Song Yang.

Before anyone could react, Xia Jing took a step forward, swung his knife sideways, and the blade passed through the device, hitting nothing.

Xia Jing spun quickly and whispered, "Song Yang!"

Song Yang also drew a dagger, but just like Xia Jing, his dagger passed through the device, leaving it firmly around his neck.

The iron ring was covered with a circle of thorns, each one was five centimeters long. If Song Yang dared to struggle, the iron thorns would pierce his skin and pierce his throat!

Feng Shi and Jia Qing wanted to rush over, but Song Yang said in a low voice, "Don't come over!"

"You can't do anything," Song Yang said calmly. "Back off to the wall and keep your distance."

Feng Shi and Jia Qing froze in place. Jia Qing cried out, "Brother Yang!"

Bian Ya was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "This torture device is called a neck catcher... This dungeon is likely a torture dungeon. There will be all kinds of torture devices waiting for us later."

And could they survive the torture?

Four balls of fire suddenly appeared in the room, floating in the air, illuminating everything.

Shirtless twin brothers smirked as they stepped in.

They officially began the second interrogation.

One of the brothers, holding the neck catcher like a beast, roughly pulled Song Yang against the wall, throwing him.

As Song Yang regained his composure, a bloody wooden frame appeared out of nowhere.

He was pinned down by the twins and turned around. Rough ropes were roughly tied around his hands and feet.

Xia Jing walked up to Song Yang, looked at him and said, "I'll call my name later."

Song Yang smiled and said, "Why should I call you?"

"Song Yang." Xia Jing's tone was calm and without any ripples, but Song Yang heard his warning.

Song Yang looked at him for a while, still smiling, and said softly, "Although you will definitely be even more angry if I say this, I am actually quite happy to see that you are so worried about me."

Xia Jing paused, narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you sick?" Heeven started to curse.

Song Yang felt that he was sick. When he heard Xia Jing scolding him, he only felt fresh and stimulating to his ears.

After laughing, he restrained his expression and lowered his voice, "I won't call your name. I will think of other ways. You stand back, Xia Xia."

Xia Jing did not move. He stared at Song Yang without saying a word.

"Stand back," Song Yang looked at him and said, "I won't die. I said, from now on, I will not leave you."

Chapter 96: The Method of Killing Him (Part 3)

Song Yang uttered these words, and several seconds passed while Xia Jing remained motionless, his face expressionless.

The two exchanged silent stares.

Behind Xia Jing, Jia Qing, his eyes red, was pinned down by Feng Shi and Bian Ya. Zheng Shu and Gao Sheng were stunned by fear.

The ghosts were one thing, but even the atmosphere between these two was so terrifying.

After a while, Song Yang was defeated.

This young man had never been the type to obey.

He curled his lips helplessly, saying, "This time, I might look terrible."

Upon hearing this, Xia Jing coldly retorted, "Do you think you looked good when you were held in the monster's grip in the final stage of 'Creation'?"

Song Yang choked.

At this moment, one of the twin brothers, whip in hand, approached with an excited smile, intending to approach Song Yang and begin the torture.

However, Xia Jing usurped his position.

Even though he could have passed directly through Xia Jing's body, the ghost stopped and gazed down at the young man, as if trying to intimidate him and make him retreat.

Xia Jing's eyes shifted.

They were a pair of dark, bottomless eyes, like a cold abyss, their gaze radiating outward with a calm, almost lifeless quality.

"..." The ghost paused, then stiffly turned his head, avoiding his gaze.

He feigned composure, taking a step forward, sidestepping Xia Jing and standing directly in front of him.

This brought the distance between him and Song Yang very close.

This distance wasn't ideal for him to maneuver, and the ghost brother twisted his shoulders and neck in frustration.

Then, he raised his whip high, roared, and swung it down hard.

The sharp sound of the wind breaking made everyone's scalp tighten, followed by the sound of the whip hitting flesh, a dull thud that scraped against blood.

Song Yang made no sound, but anyone who heard it could imagine the pain.

The other ghost brother also approached. The twins, one on each side, lashed out with their whips, one after the other, and the crackling sound quickly filled the small room.

Jia Qing burst into tears, choking and mumbling, "Why? Brother Yang was clearly framed, so why would the ghosts still come? Can't they tell good from evil?!"

Feng Shi's face darkened, his voice etched with anxiety.

Bian Ya whispered, "One problem is, we don't know when and why Liu Mingyang's body began to harbor bats, so we can't be sure... Song Yang's body doesn't have what the ghosts want right now." With

these words, everyone's expressions darkened even further.

"I-I'm wondering," Zheng Shu said, his voice trembling with fear. "Liu Mingyang clearly directed his hatred towards Brother Song, but in the end, he was still killed. Is it true that a targeted player simply can't escape?"

The crack of whips ripping through the air echoed.

The two brothers and Xia Jing's backs blocked their view, making it impossible for them to see anything clearly.

At some point, Xia Jing suddenly began to move.

He slowly paced to the side, observing with a cold eye as the two ghosts lashed Song Yang.

These whips were powerful.

After just a few lashes, Song Yang's clothes were ripped by the whip, leaving several bloody streaks on his body.

The bright red bloodstains smeared across his flesh, adding a touch of distress to this man who usually appeared steady, calm, and composed.

He lowered his head, panting slightly, and glanced at Xia Jing, his Adam's apple rolling. He turned back to look at the two brothers before him.

They were cracking their whips vigorously, silent so far, their eyes aglow with excitement.

Song Yang laughed and said, "Hey, I'm not a demon. Did you get the wrong guy?"

The ghost brothers' eyes were bloodshot with excitement as they whipped him vigorously, seemingly oblivious to his words.

So—

Xia Jing took another step, staring at the two ghosts, then walked to the other side and stopped.

As long as the ghosts didn't interrogate him, any defense from the player would be futile.

The ghosts likely couldn't hear anyone else's words.

As things stood, regardless of the player's guilt or innocence, if they were targeted, they would first have to endure a period of whipping.

The ghosts outside cheered, their bright eyes filled with bloody murderous intent.

Xia Jing turned his gaze away from them.

It wasn't so much a search for a demon as it was a genuine pleasure for these people to torture others.

They found the most brutal, primal pleasure in watching others suffer and tremble.

After the thirtieth lash of the whip, blood foam splattered along the lash, and Song Yang finally managed a muffled groan.

The ghost brothers finally spoke.

They excitedly shouted, "You are the demon!"

The interrogation began!

Everyone tensed.

Song Yang breathed heavily and uttered a hoarse, "I'm not."

Two more lashes.

"You say you're not a demon, then who is?!"

Enduring the searing pain, Song Yang spoke slowly, each word punctured with a steadying "I don't know."

The ghost brothers swung their whips furiously, the lashes slicing through him like snakes, ripping through his clothes and his flesh.

Xia Jing's eyes moved quickly, their gaze sweeping across the blood-red, their color darkening even deeper.

He turned and paced the other way.

Song Yang murmured, "Xia Xia, stop swaying. It's making me dizzy."

Xia Jing said coldly, "Don't stop. After answering them you don't know, continue with another statement. Anything is fine. Don't let them repeat the same questioning cycle."

Behind him, Feng Shi and the others froze.

Song Yang said helplessly, "I know. I was just trying to think of something to say."

What Xia Jing was saying was exactly what he had been thinking about.

The Ghost Brothers shouted, "You are the devil!"

"I'm not."

"If you're not the devil, then who is?!"

This time, Song Yang's eyes flickered, and he said, "Isn't the devil standing outside the door?"

Feng Shi and

the others were momentarily stunned by these words. It took them a few seconds to realize—the man outside the door who looked so much like the devil's graffiti—was Song Yang referring to him!

The Ghost Brothers were visibly stunned.

They looked outside the door, and after realizing who Song Yang was talking about, they sneered: "He is indeed a devil, but he is dead! The devil escaped from his body! He is in your body now, right?!"

The two whips were swung down again, but at this moment, everyone realized that Song Yang had gotten the ghost brothers' words and they had obtained key information!

Bian Ya quickly analyzed, "A demon possesses a human. Once that human dies, the demon will escape from their body and seek its next target. So, killing the possessed human and digging out the bat is useless.

Once a possessed human has transformed into a spirit, they should no longer be connected to the main demon."

"Then how can we kill this main demon? It's as slippery as a loach!" Zheng Shu said, his face pale.

Over there, the interrogation had begun again from the beginning.

"You are the demon!"

"I'm not."

"If you're not the demon, then who is?!"

Song Yang choked, his voice hoarse, "Do you want me to be the demon?"

His voice was always cold, and even though it was a little hoarse at this moment, this metallic voice still gave people a sense of calm and strength.

"You torture people to extract confessions. Perhaps someone will eventually admit to being a demon, unable to bear the pain. But they might not actually be demons. You know that, right?" Song Yang stared at the ghost brothers and asked, "Do you really want to catch the demon? Or are you just enjoying this game?"

The ghost brothers were furious.

"Of course we want to catch the demon! Out of the ten people we've interrogated, at least nine have been possessed by demons and are conceiving demon children! You won't slander us!"

Two fierce lashes of the whip lashed out at Song Yang!

Everyone was stunned.

This was another key piece of information!

Out of the ten people these two brothers interrogated, at least nine had been possessed by demons?!

Such a high percentage?

Were they bragging, or...

But at that moment, they suddenly remembered the bones found against the back wall of the first house they'd searched in Bian Ya.

Even that corpse, found randomly on the roadside, had bat bones in its body. Could this entire town have been...

Zheng Shu shuddered, "Could this entire town have been possessed by demons?"

A chill suddenly rose from the soles of their feet.

The crack of whips continued.

"Are you a demon?!"

"I'm not."

"If you're not a demon, then who is?!"

"Who do you want me to say?"

"Shut up and answer the question. I think you're the demon, right?!"

"I'm not."

"If you're not a demon, then who is?!"

"I think you're more demonic?" Song Yang still had the energy to quip, a test.

This time, the demon brothers flew into a rage, evading his questions and continuing to whip him: "You're the demon!" "I'm not."

...

Even though Song Yang repeatedly used other rhetoric to distract the brothers, trying to change the direction of the interrogation, the brothers always managed to win him back. As Song Yang's body became increasingly bloody, Jia Qing's tears and snot streamed down his face. He cried anxiously, "Think of a way, everyone, think of a way..."

If this continued, even if the Ghost Brothers didn't chop off Song Yang's head, he might still be whipped to death. How could a human body possibly withstand such torture?! Gradually, Song Yang's concentration began to wane.

Sometimes, when the Ghost Brothers asked him a question, it took him a second to respond. Only the legs that kept him awake, constantly moving back and forth behind him, kept him grounded.

"Song Yang," he heard the young man's clear voice.

It sounded cold, and one could tell the speaker was in a deep state of distress. But Song Yang found it incredibly pleasant. It was quite heartwarming.

"—Say you know who the devil is, and you'll confess." As soon as these words were spoken, Jia Qing and the others looked at Xia Jing in astonishment. Song Yang also suddenly looked up at him.

Xia Jing stood behind the ghost brothers and said slowly, "I won't let you call anyone's name.

Do as I say." Song Yang's Adam's apple rolled. At that moment, he couldn't help but lament how slow his thinking had become. It took him a full two seconds to realize what Xia Jing was going to do.

He chuckled and said, "Okay." The ghost brothers stood before him.

For the umpteenth time, they raised their whips high, grinning as if about to strike down. Song Yang said, "I know who the devil is. I'll tell you."

The two brothers stopped dead in their tracks. They stared at him, demanding, "Who is it?"

Xia Jing stood behind the brothers and said, "Tell them to put you down. You're exhausted and can't speak."

Song Yang smiled at the brothers, "I'm exhausted and my whole body aches. Put me down, and I'll tell you."

The ghost brothers glared at him, "You're negotiating with us?!"

Song Yang retorted, "Do you still want to know who the devil is?" The ghost brothers were furious, but the next second, they reluctantly stepped forward and untied the ropes from Song Yang's hands and feet. Yet even after being untied and freed,

Song Yang couldn't move a single step. He simply leaned against the wooden frame, his hands hanging, his head lowered, as if he could collapse at any moment. He struggled to hold himself up, calming his breathing.

"Song Yang!" Feng Shi called out. "Brother Yang..." Jia Qing sobbed. Song Yang gasped.

The air in the room had become extremely stagnant due to the presence of the Ghost Brothers. With each breath, he couldn't tell how much air actually made it into his lungs. The heavy smell of blood lingered in Song Yang's nose and throat. His body felt like it was filled with lead, as if he'd been tied to a stone and thrown into the sea, sinking straight to the bottom.

This was truly the first time since entering Smiley Face City that he had felt so utterly miserable. Yet... he struggled and slowly raised his eyelids, gazing at the young man behind the Ghost Brothers. His dark pupils trembled. The figure reflected in his eyes was the only flame in his soul. As long as that flame burned, he would not fall into darkness.

Song Yang smiled. In the past, he had never imagined that some people could become his strength simply by existing in this world. This feeling was truly wonderful.

The ghost brothers walked up to him and asked, "Who is the devil? Tell me!" At this moment, Song Yang and Xia Jing spoke at the same time.

Two men stood, one in front of the ghost brothers, the other behind them.

One had a hoarse, lazy voice, the other a calm, gentle one.

"What should we do?"

"I forgot who I was trying to talk to."

The room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

Feng Shi, Jia Qing, Bian Ya, Gao Sheng, and Zheng Shu all stared at the two men in shock.

Xia Jing's face remained calm.

Song Yang wore a lazy smile.

The ghost brothers, on the other hand, were stunned.

The next moment, their faces contorted with anger.

Zheng Shu let out a short, startled cry as the brothers' souls suddenly expanded, multiplying several times, transforming into two bluish-purple giants.

"Are you kidding us?!" Their roars were like thunder. "Are you kidding us?! You're dead, I'm telling you, you're dead, boy!"

They advanced aggressively and tied Song Yang back to the wooden frame.

Song Yang didn't resist. Feng Shi and the others

regained their composure, their expressions tense again.

Although Song Yang had a moment's respite, the Ghost Brothers were already enraged. Would they do something even more ruthless next?

Xia Jing said, "Song Yang."

Song Yang smiled and said, "I know."

He turned to the Ghost Brothers and said, "I remember who I was going to confess to."

The Ghost Brothers were stunned and asked fiercely, "Who is it?!"

Song Yang: "Put me down first."

"Are you still trying to fool us?!"

Song Yang: "I'm tired. I can't speak unless you put me down."

"You—"

The Ghost Brothers glared at him and put him down again.

Song Yang leaned against the wooden frame, raised his head, and took a deep breath.

The Ghost Brothers demanded grimly, "Who is the demon? Tell me!"

By then, Feng Shi and the others had fully understood Xia Jing and Song Yang's plan.

They watched in shock as Song Yang twitched his lips, revealing a rather devilish smile. He slowly said, "Sorry, my memory is bad. I forgot again."

The Ghost Brothers stared at him in disbelief.

Jia Qing and the others were also stunned.

Then, like a bug, the ghost brothers kept tying and untying people between Song Yang's responses.

Their faces flushed red, their rage threatening to explode, but they seemed unable to change their behavior immediately. If they could, they might have immediately stabbed Song Yang to death on the wooden frame!

Jia Qing came back to his senses, stunned, "This, this is even possible?!"

Bian Ya analyzed, "When they were interrogating Liu Mingyang just now, the brothers' questioning pattern was very monotonous. They seemed to have some independent thinking, but not much. At least half of their behavior was very mechanical."

Feng Shi frowned and said, "Indeed, during the day, these ghosts stayed in their rooms and repeated the same behavior."

Considering that these secondary monsters were in ghostly form, and ghosts were perhaps the remnants of human resentment after death, perhaps this meant that these spirits' thinking and behavior patterns were already difficult to achieve the same freedom as real humans.

This also meant that

Song Yang might be able to use this method to delay until dawn!

At this thought, the eyes of the others gradually brightened.

During the day, these ghosts stayed in their houses, only emerging en masse at dusk. Perhaps this meant that only at night could the ghosts roam freely.

If Song Yang could hold out until dawn, he could escape!

But the reality was even more optimistic than they imagined.

Song Yang toyed with the brothers fifteen times.

On the sixteenth time, Song Yang coughed and murmured, "Sorry, I forgot again."

The veins on the ghost brothers' foreheads throbbed, visible as if they were about to burst.

But this time, they stared at Song Yang for a long, cold moment before sheathing their whips.

One brother said impatiently to the other, "Forget it, I don't think he's the one."

The other spat in Song Yang's direction, "Let's go."

The brothers turned and joined the swarm of ghosts outside.

Hundreds of ghosts turned and moved toward the door.

They once again formed a long line, swimming forward like a school of fish.

Inside the room, the wooden frame disappeared, the ropes disappeared, and the four illuminating flames suddenly went out, and the air began to flow freely again.

Without support, Song Yang fell backwards.

In the darkness, he fell on a warm body.

Jia Qing and Feng Shi rushed over, trying to help him: "Brother Yang!"

Xia Jing lifted Song Yang's arm and placed it on his shoulder.

The room was pitch black, and the young man said softly: "I'll do it."

Chapter 97: The Way to Kill Him (Part 4)

On the dark main road of the town, ghosts like a school of fish swam slowly back and forth.

Their malicious eyes swept back and forth between the two adjacent houses, like soldiers on patrol at night, trying to catch the residents who committed crimes.

Inside the house, Bian Ya took out a lamp from his space bag and placed it on the ground.

The dim light reached every corner of the house.

Xia Jing placed Song Yang against the wall, half-knelt beside him, took out the medical spray and began to spray it on his bloody wound.

The cold liquid caused waves of pain when it touched the bloody wound, but Song Yang said nothing, and Xia Jing did not speak either.

Because of his endurance, the blue veins on Song Yang's neck and arms were prominent.

He panted slightly and glanced at Xia Jing, who had lowered his eyebrows.

Aside, Jia Qing sobbed, "Great, great! If we're unlucky enough to run into something like this again, can we just use this method to escape?"

They'd discovered a bug in the monster right from the start—what luck!

No, no, no, it was Brother Jing and Brother Yang who were truly amazing!

Feng Shi frowned and said, "I'm afraid we can't be too optimistic. Those ghosts may act mechanically, but they still have some independent thinking. We can't guarantee they won't evolve later."

Jia Qing swallowed, calming down a bit, but still said, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm glad Brother Yang got away with it today!"

Xia Jing lowered his eyes and said calmly, "The ghosts will eventually let Song Yang go. I'm afraid they've already confirmed that Song Yang isn't possessed by a demon."

Everyone looked at him.

Song Yang also stared at him, listening to his analysis.

As Xia Jing spoke, he quickly sprayed all the wounds and took out a bandage to bandage Song Yang.

However, when spraying the medicine, he could still tear open Song Yang's tattered clothes and spray the liquid on the wound.

But he couldn't do that when bandaging.

He grabbed the two corners of Song Yang's clothes and gave him a cold look.

Song Yang coughed lightly, his ears felt hot, and he sat up uncomfortably, raising his hands.

Xia Jing grabbed the corner of his clothes, lifted it up, and threw Song Yang's shirt aside.

The man's upper body was exposed to the slightly cool night air.

The bloodstains were shocking, but they still couldn't hide his muscular body.

Xia Jing calmly began bandaging him, continuing, "You've already analyzed this.

The ghosts must have sensed from the outset that a bat's body was gestating within Liu Mingyang." "

The ghosts seemingly spent a long time interrogating him, forcing him to admit he was a demon or identify someone else as a demon. But judging by their expressions and actions, I believe they'll ultimately kill him regardless of whether Liu Mingyang admits or identifies them." "

In other words, their primary purpose in interrogating Liu Mingyang was to derive pleasure and pass the

interrogation chain on to the next player."

"After Liu Mingyang falsely accused Song Yang, they immediately killed him because their goal had been achieved."

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

But can someone truly tell the truth under torture?

Not necessarily.

In times of extreme pain, people will say anything to escape torture or seek closure.

And that, in turn, will only lead to more innocent people being tortured.

Xia Jing finished his words slowly. "Similarly, if Song Yang truly harbored a bat, then even if he could temporarily hinder the torture just now, as soon as the twin ghosts grew impatient, they would likely kill him and end the interrogation."

His eyelashes dropped again.

Fortunately, Song Yang was innocent.

The ghosts, having enjoyed the pleasure of torturing others, withdrew.

Zheng Shu shuddered, sniffed, and asked in confusion, "But what's going on with Liu Mingyang? How is he connected to the devil? If we don't figure this out, there's no telling when we might be stricken."

Bian Ya pondered, "He must have done something during the day that triggered the death mechanism."

"The only people with him the whole time today were Fu Lan and Huang Yu. They're in the next room. We should wait until dawn to look for them." Feng Shi glanced out the window.

Presumably, the ghosts outside wouldn't return before daybreak.

"I've always felt like there's something sinister about the residents of this town," Zheng Shu whispered. "They really enjoy this kind of torture. It's so perverted. I really want to know why they wiped out the entire town in the first place."

"This is also part of the story behind this dungeon," Song Yang said. "Let's work harder tomorrow and find more clues."

After that, exhausted, no one cared to discuss the dungeon anymore.

Jia Qing and Feng Shi were worried about Song Yang's injuries.

But the spray had been applied, the bandages had been applied, and all they could do now was wait for the wounds to heal on their own.

Song Yang told them to rest, preferably get some sleep, so they could regain their strength for tomorrow.

Soon, the other five found their own corners and quietly rested.

...

Song Yang and Xia Jing were alone in a corner.

It was near the door, obscured by the tables and chairs inside, and the dim light made their spot less noticeable.

After Xia Jing finished bandaging Song Yang, he withdrew his hand and sat quietly aside.

At that moment, Song Yang turned his head and looked.

The young man stood a fist's length away from him, eyes closed, quiet and still, as if he were resting.

But Song Yang knew he wasn't asleep.

He was still angry.

Song Yang smiled helplessly.

He whispered, "Have you forgotten what you said in the Creation dungeon?"

He lowered his voice, so soft it resembled an intimate whisper. "You'd be angry if I were injured, and I'd be angry if you were injured. How could I possibly have called out your name at that moment and diverted the monster's hatred towards you?"

Xia Jing leaned against the wall.

The dim yellow light from the room cast a shadow over the contours of his face.

It was clearly a strange face covered by a strange mask, but Song Yang thought it looked beautiful no matter how he looked at it. No matter how he looked at it, it was the image of the young man in his mind.

Xia Jing still didn't move.

Song Yang decided to play tricks: "I just suffered such a serious injury, and now you're ignoring me, it seems to hurt even more."

The trick didn't work.

Xia Jing still didn't speak.

Song Yang stared at him intently for a long time, then sighed and gave up.

He reluctantly averted his gaze, turned back, and fell into silence.

For a moment, the air seemed to become stagnant again.

After an unknown amount of time, Xia Jing suddenly spoke.

His voice was very soft, as light as the clouds on the horizon.

"Song Yang, I remember a woman. That should be my mother in the real world."

Song Yang was startled and turned his head abruptly.

Xia Jing still had his eyes closed.

His tone remained calm. "She wasn't very tall, about 1.6 meters, a little plump, with hair past her shoulders."

"She seemed to like laughing. In the memories I recall, she was always smiling at me, but there were also one or two scenes where she had her hands on her hips and was lecturing me seriously."

Song Yang stared at Xia Jing. "Are these the memories you recalled from the game hall earlier?"

"Yes," Xia Jing replied softly, then added, "Remember the last time I entered the main monster's consciousness at the end of the "Death Ringing" dungeon?"

"Yes," Song Yang paused and whispered, "I thought you were really dead that time."

"In my chaotic world of consciousness, I saw two blurry figures. One of them should be her. As for the other, he looks a lot like the man in the image we saw on the left side of the helicopter's tail seat at the end of the previous dungeon."

Song Yang frowned deeply.

Xia Jing opened his eyes.

"I saw both of them in my conscious world then, probably because they were both important to me. But the reasons for their importance are probably completely different."

"One is my family, and as for the other," Xia Jing paused, then spoke slowly, "who knows? I haven't truly recalled their identities yet."

"In those fragmented memories, I also saw a place that looked very much like home. That room had a desk, books, a dark blue bed, and light blue curtains. Could that be my room?"

"A desk, a classroom, a teacher, classmates, a city flowerbed, the scorching summer sun, the bustling traffic before me."

"It was all fragmented, meaningless information," Xia Jing said softly, "but that was the first time I clearly felt that I had truly lived in the real world."

Song Yang's Adam's apple rolled.

Xia Jing turned his head.

In the dim light, Song Yang's figure was reflected in his dark eyes.

In the quiet air, the young man opened his lips.

His incredibly gentle words, carried by the silent current, drifted into Song Yang's ears.

It was as light as a feather brushing against his ear, but the weight contained within it made Song Yang's breath hitch.

"—Song Yang, I want to go back. But with you."

Xia Jing looked at him. "If I remember correctly, my mother in the real world is actually gone. If you die here too, then even if I successfully return to the real world in the future, perhaps the real world will just become another boring city of smiles."

Song Yang was a little stunned.

After being stunned, he moved his lips and called out hoarsely, "Xia Xia."

Xia Jing's tone was still calm. He chuckled and said, "You're right. Sometimes we understand the truth, but it's hard to control our emotions."

He asked jokingly, "Does the wound still hurt?"

Song Yang looked at him with mixed feelings. After a while, he couldn't help but smile and said, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Is my medicine really that effective, Doctor Song?" The young man tilted his head, still joking, the ending tone sounding very seductive.

Song Yang raised his hand to his forehead, took a deep breath, and said helplessly, "Please spare me, Xia Xia."

"I don't like the feeling of things being out of control today," Xia Jing raised his hand and gently stroked the bandages on Song Yang's body, saying calmly, "I need to finish this dungeon as soon as possible."

"It's us," Song Yang whispered. "I'll be more careful from now on, and you too. We all need to protect ourselves, okay?"

Xia Jing traced the bandages on Song Yang's arm and worked his way down to his neck.

There was a red spot of blood on the side of Song Yang's neck, likely the mark of the neck arrester.

Xia Jing's fingertips gently stroked the small red spot, whispering, "I didn't notice it just now. The medical spray missed."

As Xia Jing's fingertips touched, Song Yang's breathing gradually became heavier.

He said hoarsely, "It's okay. Such a small wound would have healed long ago—"

Song Yang's words stopped abruptly, and his body suddenly stiffened.

Before he could finish his words, the young man supported himself with one hand, leaned forward, and tilted his head.

At that moment, the young man's hair gently brushed against Song Yang's chin, and his warm breath sprayed between Song Yang's shoulders and neck.

Song Yang's breathing stopped.

He clearly felt that the wound on his neck was licked gently.

Just gently.

Just like the licking of a kitten.

-

Song Yang's body tensed up instantly, and all the muscles in his body stiffened into pieces of stone.

His heart seemed to be about to burst in his chest at any moment, and hot blood rushed through his blood vessels frantically.

His breathing was disordered, and his thoughts were also disordered.

His voice was hoarse and a little scary: "...Xia Xia?"

Xia Jing turned his head and kissed his neck, and whispered: "When we were in the game hall, did you care about why I didn't tell you what I remembered the first time?"

Song Yang clasped Xia Jing's wrist tightly, and the back of his hand was bulging with blue veins.

His Adam's apple kept rolling: "I thought you didn't want to say it."

"No," the young man raised his head, with warm breath, whispered softly in his ear, "because I want to tell you when it's just the two of us."

In an instant, his heart pounded against his chest, and blood seemed to burst directly from the blood vessels, and hot blood splashed all over his body.

In the dim light, Song Yang stared at Xia Jing for a long time without saying a word.

He felt that it was not an exaggeration to say that he was completely crazy at this moment, and it would be great to die.

But if he could still live and still retain a bit of rationality, then he still wanted to do one last thing.

He suddenly smiled, raised his hand and gently touched Xia Jing's lips, whispering: "Xia Xia, I hope that when you want to kiss, this first kiss can..."

At this point, he paused, smiled and said: "Forget it, let me teach you myself."

He lifted Xia Jing's chin, turned his face to the side, lowered his head and kissed him.