Chapter 149

Chapter 149

A wooden arrow fiercely struck one of the crows flying chaotically in the air.

Luo Xi quickly approached, picked up the unlucky bird, then immediately kicked away the rotten meat used as bait, and said to Xi Yu, who was standing guard nearby, "Let's go quickly, don’t let them notice our little move."

Xi Yu nodded, stepping forward while asking, "What exactly is the final key given for this mission? No other hints?"

Luo Xi shrugged, "Not a bit. Probably some kind of opportunity, a moderate advantage."

Xi Yu pursed his lips, then said after a moment, "So the upcoming semifinals will also have this kind of opportunity. We should grasp it well. None of the opponents then will be easy."

Luo Xi was silent for a moment, then said, "Fight as it comes, don’t overthink."

Xi Yu knew deep down he still wanted to escape Yuntai and had no intention to participate in any semifinals or finals.

But life is uncertain, and there’s always a chance.

He couldn’t just leave it all to fate.

Thinking this, Xi Yu tightened his nerves again, took the crow from Luo Xi, and asked, "Just using the blood of this bird can kill the matchmaker? Is it really that simple?"

Luo Xi was first to return to the village, stopped speechless: "I’m afraid it’s not that simple."

Xi Yu followed his gaze and saw the originally calm, even empty street was now full of people.

No, those were not people, but long-dead, restless corpses.

Their limbs had already decayed, emitting a vague black aura, and like being attracted, they fixed their eyes tightly on the two streamers holding the crows.

This clearly looked like a battle preparation scene, making Xi Yu slightly nervous. He immediately judged, "Get on the roofs, these things—shouldn’t be able to climb up!"

Luo Xi had already climbed the village’s difficult-to-stand-on wall, bent over to grab Xi Yu, saying, "Great minds think alike!"

Just after the other streamers were drawn by the crows, the originally invisible paper figures on the street suddenly appeared one by one and gathered in the same direction.

Ying Zhixing immediately gave up attacking Mu Yuan and Zhishan, cautiously approached to observe.

However, the paper figures that usually chased people were not after him; they still moved slowly and with difficulty.

Ying Zhixing asked, "What’s going on? What are you doing?"

The paper figures ignored him, as if soulless.

The sudden change in the environment gave Ying Zhixing a strong sense of crisis. He couldn’t help but reach out and press on one paper figure’s shoulder.

Unexpectedly, the paper figure suddenly turned 180 degrees; its originally pitch-black eyes turned blood-red, staring at Ying Zhixing in a terribly eerie way.

Ying Zhixing immediately let go and stepped back; the paper figure turned its head back and continued walking forward.There was never absolute hatred between streamers. Mu Yuan approached with a snort, “The game stage has changed. If you don’t finish the mission now, can you still complete it later?”

Ying Zhixing narrowed his eyes.

Zhishan’s mouth was full of blood; she didn’t dare stay near Mu Yuan and took the chance to slip away unsteadily.

Mu Yuan, who had planned to extort her anyway, didn’t care. Instead, he weighed the black tooth in his hand and said, “She left, now there’s an extra one. Want it?”

Ying Zhixing asked back, “What do you plan to do?”

“Nothing, just want to be a good person and help you.” Knowing Ying Zhixing would get the tooth no matter what, Mu Yuan said straightforwardly, “I’ll give you the extra one if you join me to take on Xi Yu and Luo Xi.”

Ying Zhixing looked at him coldly, “Do you think my promise has value?”

Mu Yuan raised an eyebrow, “I do. You care a lot about face; you wouldn’t easily break a promise.”

“I do care about face.” Ying Zhixing suddenly punched Mu Yuan, “So I won’t accept your charity!”

At the same time, Xi Yu and Luo Xi, who had triggered the side quest, were being chased to the brink by the zombified paper figures.

The two who fled to the wall and eaves were completely miscalculating; these corpses weren’t like zombies but more like evil spirits in a video game, able to turn into black mist and attack!

Holding the crow, Xi Yu stood on the narrow wall, barely dodging four consecutive attacks. As his body twisted to the limit, two black shadows rushed at him, knocking him to the ground!

Just as Xi Yu was about to be overwhelmed by the terrifying corpses, Luo Xi quickly jumped into the chaos, using a lantern grabbed along the way to drive them off, protecting Xi Yu while shouting, “Give me the crow!”

These monsters were clearly attacking the players holding the crows. Xi Yu understood this and couldn’t bear to push Luo Xi into danger. Gritting his teeth, he got up painfully and said, “Cover me, I’m going to find the matchmaker!”

Then he pushed Luo Xi aside and sprinted ahead wildly!

Luo Xi was stunned for a moment before quickly grabbing the green lantern and chasing after him, shouting, “Be careful!”

The strange scene drew everyone’s attention.

Lonely Yan Ruyu was very scared, looking around nervously as she sneaked near Agun’s house, avoiding those paper figures like “□□”, and went in to ask about the mission.

Agun stared at the crows flying past from time to time, and coldly asked upon hearing noise, “What do you want?”

Yan Ruyu noticed the shallow bloodstains on the ground, swallowed hard, and said, “I want one of the teeth from your necklace… If I’m right, I have to exchange my own tooth?”

Agun never smiled, still as cold as ice, “Using someone else’s is fine too.”

Yan Ruyu, with a normal level of intelligence, had already understood the game’s condition: she had to use part of her own body to exchange for the chance to survive.

Actually, none of the parts required by the mission were fatal. What was fatal was the hatred that arose among the streamers because of it.

Thinking of this, Yan Ruyu resolved, “I’ll exchange mine myself.”

She took out scissors she had always used as a weapon for self-defense, her hand trembling, “...I haven’t found the right tool. Do you have any tools here?”

Agun showed complete indifference.

Have streamers ever experienced pain?

Of course not.Even a woman like Yan Ruyu, who relied on her looks to get by,

She thought to herself, "Better a short pain than a long one, just endure it and it’ll be over," and mustered up the courage to raise the scissors.

Unexpectedly, a shadow suddenly sprang out from the darkness and knocked Yan Ruyu to the ground. It was Zhou Ze, who had been attacked by Luo Xi before.

Facing Yan Ruyu, with whom he had briefly allied a few days ago, Zhou Ze showed no mercy, smashing a stone twice onto her head, then gasping for breath as he looked toward Agun, mumbling, “Her teeth, I’ll give you all of them, just give me the teeth.”

Ying Zhixing and Mu Yuan had indeed fought, both got injured, but considering the mission’s urgency, after grabbing the black tooth, Ying Zhixing didn’t linger. He finished the embroidered shoe hastily in some corner and rushed to submit the mission — this was Ying Zhixing’s observation over the past two days. He found that mission items were more about form than content; how refined the dowry was, the NPC didn’t really care.

Sure enough, although the matchmaker was dissatisfied after getting the shoe and complained a bit, she still said, “Forget it, go sleep. You won’t survive till tomorrow anyway. Being this pretty is useless.”

Saying that, her expression grew unsettled as she sat down.

At that moment, countless crows flew by.

The matchmaker was so frightened she covered her head, and even the embroidered shoe on her knee fell to the ground.

Ying Zhixing finally had the leisure to ask, “What exactly happened?”

The matchmaker’s already wrinkled, dark face became even uglier. Her trembling lips didn’t say a word.

Ying Zhixing crossed his arms and was about to look back up at the crows.

At that moment, Xi Yu jumped down from a tree, accompanied by countless white paper pieces, and kicked the matchmaker to the ground.

The matchmaker was no longer arrogant, scrambling backward in panic.

Xi Yu’s whole body was covered in fine scratches, almost a bloody mess.

He raised his hand and tore off the crow he had been clutching all along. Warm blood splattered everywhere, some droplets hitting the matchmaker.

The blood seemed to be even more terrifying than sulfuric acid; it immediately corroded the matchmaker’s body, turning her into black smoke amid her screams and contortions.

In fact, the whole thing happened within seconds, and Ying Zhixing even thought he was hallucinating from playing too long — until the cold, mechanical system voice sounded, pulling him back to reality.

Player Luo Xi and Xi Yu’s team killed the matchmaker.

Obtained one final key.

Ding — the key fell to the ground.

Xi Yu immediately picked it up and looked back, exchanging a meaning-filled glance with Ying Zhixing’s inscrutable face, and Luo Xi glaring behind Ying Zhixing.

Ying Zhixing was not afraid. “What’s the final key?”

Luo Xi thought the hidden mission was just a hidden mission, but didn’t expect the system to put them under pressure this time. He said helplessly, “How would we know? We got a side quest, so we did it. If you’re curious, go find your own mission!”

Ying Zhixing scrutinized them and frowned. “Side quest? You killed the matchmaker. Now the NPC who gave the mission is dead. What are others supposed to do?”

Of course, he didn’t care about others; what he cared about was his own fate.

Before Luo Xi could answer, the main gate suddenly was pushed open.The Kumu clan chief holding a lantern stood outside. He showed no particular expression and walked in slowly, as if answering Ying Zhixing’s question: “Afterwards, I will choose the candidates.”

Ying Zhixing frowned. “The matchmaker is gone. You don’t feel anything?”

The Kumu clan chief walked to the table and sat down, looking at the ashes of the matchmaker on the ground and the scattered paper pieces. He said nothing and silently started making paper figures.

The three people moved with different thoughts, none taking any extra actions.

At that moment, Mu Yuan also returned to the courtyard, wiping the bruised corner of his mouth, saying, “I’m submitting the mission.”

The Kumu clan chief stopped his work, took the embroidered shoe from him, inspected it briefly, and coldly said, “It’s passable. Go rest. There will be new missions tomorrow.”

Mu Yuan seemed relieved.

After all, the NPC was replaced, and the mission could continue, which was a good thing for him.

Xi Yu and Luo Xi were a bit disappointed. It seemed this cursed game had to continue. Either there would only be six left, or they would have to kill all the NPCs... and the key in their hands had probably already drawn a lot of envy and suspicion, likely pushing the two of them straight toward the abyss of failure.