Chapter 254: The Spirit in the Mirror (XVII)

Chapter 254: The Spirit in the Mirror (XVII)

Xie Fangcheng's words were rather ambiguous, leaving Guan Yingying baffled for a while. By the time she regained her composure, he had already retreated to his room for rest.

Xie Fangcheng believed that Guan Yingying wouldn't harm the innocent, even as a malevolent spirit, it wasn't as if she was possessed.

Moreover, should it ever come to that, he would be there to intervene.

Thus, early the next morning, when the players once again gathered, ready to search for clues in the XinXin residential community and clear the copy, they were surprised to see the usually uninterested leader, standing with them this time.

Someone inquired, "Boss, you're heading to the community too?"

"Yes."

"Ah... so, what about the phone?"

"It's okay, I've arranged someone to watch over it." Pausing momentarily, Xie Fangcheng corrected himself, "I've arranged a ghost to guard it."

Players: "..."

Seriously?! That's an option?!

Nevertheless, no player dared to stop Xie Fangcheng, though some murmured their concerns internally.

Having abstained from joining in the previous days, the players enjoyed a smooth exploration of the XinXin residential community, free from any threats.

Now that the boss decided to join, they were worried about the clues. With his immense power, wouldn't his clue-finding skills surpass theirs?

In essence, they feared Xie Fangcheng might steal their points.

However, upon arriving at the station and spotting the bus, they couldn't help but feel relieved that Xie Fangcheng was with them this time.

"A hearse..."

What was once an ordinary bus was now painted entirely in black, with a white wreath affixed to its front.

The seating arrangement within had changed too: two rows of seats covered in black cloth were situated on either side, facing the center.

The central space of the bus was currently empty, but it looked perfectly suited to accommodate a coffin.

Over the past couple of days, although the players knew they were in a ghostly scenario and had encountered ghosts, they only met those subdued by Xie Fangcheng in the hotel.

During the day, they mostly roamed outside, basking in the splendid sunlight and the cozy atmosphere of the residential community.

Even if Qiao Qiang's NPC actions were despicable, he was merely a regular human, devoid of notable strength.

Under such circumstances, the players didn't feel much trepidation towards this ghostly challenge.

Until this moment—

"...Such a dense fog."

A player murmured.

Contrary to the dark mist they had seen at night, the surroundings were now enveloped in a white haze.

The black hearse moved through the white fog, coming to a halt shortly after.

We've arrived at Xinxin Homestead.

The red community sign shimmered faintly amidst the white fog, with tranquility reigning within the complex.

The once bustling scene had vanished without a trace, rendering the entire complex eerily vacant.

After getting out of the vehicle, Jie Fangcheng instinctively took the lead.

The white fog thickened around him. Unfamiliar with the surroundings, he took a few steps and turned to ask, "Are we heading to Qiao Qiang's supermarket now?"

By his side was Zhu Ping, who nodded in agreement.

"This person is a key NPC. Given the current shift in the instance, I suspect he might be involved."

Saying this, Jie Fangcheng looked thoughtful for a moment before abruptly turning back around.

"Where is Guan Yingying?"

And it wasn’t just Guan Yingying…

"Are we missing someone else?"

The group quickly scanned their surroundings, and a change of expression appeared on a few faces.

"Dong Tanrui is also gone."

Dong Tanrui was the player who made sarcastic remarks just yesterday.

His words had revealed much about his character. Even though everyone knew he was a player and, like Zhu Ping, considered him a valuable asset and not deserving of death, there was an implicit distance kept from him.

Therefore, Dong Tanrui had been walking at the very end of the group.

Ahead of him was Ares, now deep in thought with a furrowed brow.

"He was just here a moment ago."

Zhu Ping immediately spoke up, "Everyone, stay close! Don’t get separated!"

The players were well aware that the current situation was evidently perilous.

Everyone immediately huddled shoulder to shoulder, cautiously observing their surroundings as they made their way towards Xiao Qiang's supermarket.

A faint sound seemed to emanate from the white fog, but its source remained obscured.

Jie Fangcheng, however, sharply glanced in the direction of the noise, causing it to cease immediately.

The other players remained unaware, but Jie Fangcheng had already understood.

On the first day, he had rampaged through the Xinxin Homestead, toppling buildings and slaying the creatures hiding within. Now, these same creatures surrounded them.

Had the “recording” finished its playback?

The group managed to reach the entrance of Xiao Qiang's supermarket, where the fog seemed to have slightly dissipated.

From their cornered position, the players could clearly view the supermarket's interior.

Qiao Qiang was covering his eyes with one hand, while rapidly typing with the other on his mobile phone.

His expression was a mix of rage and resentment, as he sent message after message from his device.

Soon after, a call came through.

Picking it up, Qiao Qiang heard a few words of what seemed like persuasion from the other end, only to respond with a cold chuckle.

"She thinks she's so high and mighty? What a joke! Let's see how mighty she feels now!"

With that, he hung up.

Just then, a figure in a white dress appeared at the entrance of Xiao Qiang's supermarket.

It was Guan Qing.

Her face was pale, and her eyes, pitch-black, were fixated on Qiao Qiang.

"Why did you do this?!"

Qiao Qiang spared her a glance: "When there's something good, it should be shared with everyone. Isn’t your girlfriend quite capable? Where is she? Not coming to 'protect' you?"

"Delete those photos!" Guan Qing lunged to snatch his phone, but Qiao Qiang retaliated with a slap.

Jie Fangcheng impulsively took two steps forward, only then realizing that there seemed to be a thick layer of glass separating him from the scene before him.

—No, rather, what he was seeing wasn't Qiao Qiang and Guan Qing in person, but through a screen.

The drama continued to unfold on the screen.

After delivering that slap, Qiao Qiang looked indignant.

"Call the police? Huh? You dare call the cops on me... Do you think that’ll help? Sure, they might lock me up for a couple of weeks, give me a record, but so what? I'll still resume my role as the supermarket manager afterwards. But Guan Qing, let me tell you, you're done."

Even though he was the culprit, in that moment, his haughty demeanor made him seem like the victor.

"Your life is over," Qiao Qiang sneered maliciously. "You think you’re shameless? Let everyone see for themselves. Rest assured, not only did I share it in the community group, I’ve posted it online too. At most, I might spend a few more days behind bars. You’ve caused me a couple of days of trouble, but I’ll make you suffer for the rest of your life."

Damn it!

Jie Fangcheng, having witnessed plenty of despicable deeds, couldn't help but curse out loud.

Just then, a familiar voice whispered in his ear.

"Doesn't someone like him deserve to die?"

Jie Fangcheng whipped his head around.

While he had been entirely engrossed in the nauseating scene, the other players around him had seemingly vanished.

Only the once absent Guan Yingying stood beside him, and it was she who had posed the question.

Dressed in a white dress identical to Guan Qing's, her skin appeared even paler than the fabric. Her eyes, now entirely black, stared intently at Jie Fangcheng.

"Doesn't he deserve to die?"

"More than that," replied Jie Fangcheng with resolute conviction, given the context of the game. "If he were in my hands, I'd ensure he lingers in the depths for centuries."

His response clearly delighted the Guan Yingying before him.

A smile formed on her face, yet as she smiled, two trails of bloody tears streamed from her eyes.

"But there isn’t a way," Guan Yingying's voice was soft, yet piercing – a characteristic of one transformed into a malevolent spirit.

"He didn't die," Guan Yingying pointed towards Qiao Qiang.

She had remembered everything.

Why was it that the first two days were clear replays, but today was shrouded in a fog, obscuring the other "screens"? It was because, in reality, Guan Yingying hadn't managed to kill Qiao Qiang. Instead, she was killed by him.

After her death, she became trapped in this instance, awaiting batch after batch of "players" to witness her torment.

She wasn't the player Guan Yingying; she was an NPC of this instance. By the third day, she regained all her memories and had the choice of whether to spare the players.

— Of course she wouldn't!

These spectators, none of them could truly empathize!

Some might even think, it was just some secretly taken photos and videos shared online. Why commit suicide? Was her mental fortitude really that fragile?

Only Guan Yingying knew the depth of her despair; her life was truly ruined.

When she heard laughter around her, she wondered if they were laughing at her.

When someone glanced her way, she pondered if they had seen those photos and videos.

The Guan Yingying who graduated college, who had a lover, a job, and a bright future, was gone.

She became paranoid, easily angered even in the company of those closest to her.

The future? What future could she possibly have now?

Meanwhile, the very much alive Qiao Qiang kept reminding her, while Guan Yingying was living in hell, the cause of it all was living, perhaps even better than she ever had.

Having a criminal record meant little to a community supermarket owner. He even made a group of "friends" through this ordeal, who unabashedly mocked Guan Yingying's naivety, reviewed the photos of her that were shared online, and critiqued her body.

They thrived.

Why?

Shouldn't the ones deserving of such hell be the evildoers?

Why was the victim suffering in hell while the perpetrator still roamed the world?

Guan Yingying couldn't understand.

And so, one day, she took a knife, intending to end it all, but she wasn't as strong as Qiao Qiang.

As the knife, originally aimed at Qiao Qiang's heart, pierced her own body, Qiao Qiang clutched the wound on his arm, a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

He loomed over the now weakened Guan Yingying, his clammy fingers tenderly caressing her cheek, his voice whispering in her ear.

"Fool, did you think you could kill me? What strength could a woman like you possibly have? But thank you for trying to take my life; this is self-defense." Qiao Qiang's voice was light, tinged with the thrill of killing, "In self-defense, even if I'm caught, I won't be convicted. Haha."

After her death, it seemed Guan Yingying lingered for a while, suspended in the air.

She also witnessed how others commented on the entire situation after her demise.

—— While it's pitiable that Guan Yingying was secretly filmed, didn't Qiao Qiang already have a record? Why was she so relentless?

—— Exactly. Doesn't one deserve a chance to redeem themselves? Isn't her reaction overly extreme?

—— There are countless others in the world who have faced greater sorrows than her. If everyone acted like she did, what would be the purpose of the law? He already faced his punishment, yet she still tried to murder him... Such women are truly terrifying.

—— So, being secretly filmed equates to deserving death? And even if her pictures were leaked online, she's not that good-looking anyway. I wouldn't watch her even if she were in some adult movie. She seems to overvalue her own significance.

—— Good riddance! A murderer!

Guan Yingying's skirt fluttered as if caught in a breeze, a vast pool of blood emanating from her heart.

"What did I do wrong! Why treat me this way! Tell me—"

[Ding—Side Mission Activated: Interrogation of the Victim.]

[WARNING!! WARNING!! Detected NPC Guan Yingying is in a frenzied state!! Players are advised to locate and eliminate her immediately!!]

[WARNING!! WARNING!! Detected NPC Guan Yingying as an [Anomalous NPC]. Players are advised to locate and eliminate her immediately!!]