Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Xie Yin Xue lowered his eyelashes, scanning the menu before marking his choice.

Liu Bu Hua quickly followed suit, making his selection. Neither of them hid their choices.

After making his pick, Liu Bu Hua carelessly tossed the menu onto the table, waiting for the butler to collect it. Since Lu Shuo was seated close and had already chosen, there was no risk of him copying Liu's choice, so he took a casual glance at Liu's menu.

At that glance, Lu Shuo's face drastically changed. He couldn't look away, gazing at Liu Bu Hua with a complex expression.

Xiao Si Yu also took a peek at Liu Bu Hua's menu, drawn by the particularly conspicuous dish name.

Meeting their stares with a calm demeanor, Liu Bu Hua nonchalantly explained, "I found the name of the dish intriguing."

"But the dish name involves a person," Xiao Si Yu advised earnestly, as if guiding someone to the right path, "It could be risky."

There's still time before the menu is handed over. Liu Bu Hua could change his mind. Once the butler takes it, there would be no turning back.

"I'm aware," Liu Bu Hua nodded, not heeding the advice, "but I'm curious."

Xiao Si Yu: "..."

With his calm, almost expressionless face, Liu Bu Hua's words were oddly flirtatious, stirring mixed feelings in others.

Xiao Si Yu and Lu Shuo exchanged glances, both admitting their own curiosity, for the dish Liu Bu Hua selected was named "Nude Beauty." The name was undeniably alluring, practically screaming at the men present: "Choose me!"

Sadly, by the look of it, this dish seemed like a meat dish. They didn't have the audacity of Liu Bu Hua, who seemed to believe "It's better to be a free spirit, even in death."

Before long, everyone had made their selections.

The chefs served the dishes at an impressive pace; in less than ten minutes, dishes started arriving.

In a real-world restaurant, no one would complain; everyone loves quick service. But in the Qin Mansion, they wished for slower service, hoping to prolong their lives.

Qiu Yu Xing was the first to order, so naturally, the first dish served was his choice, "Human Head Rice."

Just like the previous day, the old butler introduced each dish before serving, "The first dish, chosen by Mr. Qiu, is 'Human Head Rice,' prepared by Chef Ah Qi. Please enjoy."

The dish was precisely as Qiu Yu Xing had imagined—a bowl of rice for each person. In the ivory-colored round bowls, the pearl rice grains emitted a delightful aroma, with a hint of warm steam making it irresistible.

Judging by the rice alone, there seemed to be nothing wrong with this dish.

"I told you, it's all right," Qiu Yu Xing sighed in relief upon seeing the ordinary bowl of white rice placed before him and was the first to take a bite.

Ji Tao and Wei Dao exchanged glances, while Yan Zhi clenched her lips, her eyes filled with tears of anger. There was a subtle trace of resentment directed not just at Chen Yun but also at Qiu Yu Xing.

She had hoped that the "Human Head Rice" Qiu Yu Xing had chosen, after taking her dish name, would turn out to be a meat dish. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

Wei Qiu Yu too felt a pang of regret as she looked at the bowl. If only she had been quicker in choosing her dish and hadn't been held back by Chen Yun, she'd be safe now with this plain rice.

Chen Yun, seated between them, frowned, her face showing disbelief and suspicion. She had a hard time believing the game would be so generous, but the evidence in front of everyone contradicted her doubts.

Xie Yin Xue too examined the seemingly ordinary bowl of rice, running his fingers along the rim and the exterior of the bowl. Looking somewhat weary and disinterested, he aimlessly stirred the grains with his chopsticks. He then looked up, noticing that out of the thirteen people around the table, only he and Liu Bu Hua had yet to taste the rice.

This wasn't their first time attending the Gluttonous Feast, so they knew they still had numerous dishes to try. To avoid overeating, it was best to taste just a bite of each dish.

In the eyes of the others, every move made by Xie Yin Xue, an NPC, was laden with meaning. Seeing him not taking a bite, Qiu Yu Xing's initial relief turned into slight apprehension.

"What's wrong?" Lu Shuo cautiously asked, "Mr. Xie, do you find something off with this dish?"

Xie Yin Xue didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tasted a grain of rice, prompting Liu Bu Hua to do the same.

All eyes were fixed intently on Xie Yin Xue's slowly moving lips.

Tonight, he wasn't wearing the same pale blue robe from yesterday, probably because it had been stained with blood while aiding Chu Li. He now wore a moon-white robe embroidered with pristine pear blossoms, appearing lifelike, as if freshly fallen snow-white pear blossoms lay upon his shoulders, emanating a faint and fragrant scent.

Everyone had been on edge daily within the game dungeon. Though they were provided with hot water for baths, changing clothes was out of the question. Veterans like Xia Duo and Wei Dao didn't bring extra garments, maybe a down jacket at most for cold terrains.

When Xie Yin Xue first appeared in the inner courtyard, he had only a table, chairs, and tea set, no luggage. If he weren't an NPC, how could one explain his daily change of outfits?

They also heard that today's lunch menu for Xie Yin Xue had an extra dish—a sweet soup with fragrant pear, a privilege not granted to others.

Hence, Xie Yin Xue must indeed be an NPC.

This made his words extremely weighty to the group.

"I think there's an issue."

When Xie Yin Xue voiced this, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Qiu Yu Xing gulped and asked anxiously, "What's the problem?"

But Xie Yin Xue simply put down his chopsticks and calmly replied, "It wasn’t my choice of dish; I won't comment on it."

"So there isn't an issue."

Qiu Yu Xing felt as though Xie Yin Xue was playing mind games, trying to break his defenses and lure him into a transaction.

But he wouldn't be the first to trade with Xie Yin Xue—after all, they weren't even sure if Xie Yin Xue was the Ferryman NPC. What if he was the main antagonist of this game session?

Even if Xie Yin Xue turned out to be the Ferryman NPC, any trade with him needed the utmost caution.

Why?

Because every gamer who has struck a deal with the Ferryman NPC has met a grim fate—all have perished in subsequent game sessions!

Those who make a deal with the Ferryman NPC are subsequently targeted in the game. The difficulty escalates, making death almost certain. Trading with the Ferryman is just a short-lived remedy and not a path to survival.

They've shared nearly all the information related to the Ferryman NPC with the newcomers, except for this piece.

After all, they rely on naive and easily deceived newcomers to trade with the Ferryman, exchanging for vital clues to clear the level. They can then utilize these clues to pass the game effortlessly.

Although trading with the Ferryman NPC could lead to death in subsequent game sessions, one can survive the current session. And there's no certainty they'd meet the same players in the next session, so if newcomers realize they've been duped, revenge might be unattainable.

This has been their strategy to successfully pass numerous game sessions.

But to use newcomers to identify the true Ferryman NPC and clear their path, they can't reveal these severe consequences. Otherwise, newcomers might reconsider trading with the Ferryman, which would be detrimental to them.

Listening to Qiu Yu Xing's near-refusal, for some reason, Xie Yin Xue chuckled, supporting his chin with his hand's back, he gazed at Qiu Yu Xing and said, "You're not a newcomer, are you?"

"I'm curious, under what circumstances did you first enter the game?"

"That has nothing to do with this game," Qiu Yu Xing retorted coldly. But after a pause, he added, "However, if you're willing to tell me what's wrong with this dish, I'll share my initial experience in the game."

"No need," Xie Yin Xue sighed softly, "As you said, what happened before is irrelevant to this game."

Having his words thrown back at him, Qiu Yu Xing felt stifled, like his punch had landed on cotton.

The butler's urging voice then rang in everyone's ears, "Is everyone satisfied with Ah Qi's dish? Do any of you find something amiss with this dish?"

"I think..." Qiu Yu Xing frowned, sweat forming on his brow, staring intently at the bowl of white rice, trying to discern the problem with the dish.

Was Xie Yin Xue bluffing, or had he missed something?

"Mr. Qiu, do you find an issue?" The butler turned to him, a sinister smirk on his face and cold eyes questioning, "What seems to be the problem?"

"If you're truly clueless, I can help you."

At that moment, Xie Yin Xue spoke, looking straight into Qiu Yu Xing's eyes. With a condescending tone and a disdainful look, as if he was observing a dying ant, he said, "All it takes is... a small price."

Author's Note:

Liu Bu Hua: Want to see.

Xiao Si Yu & Lu Shuo: It's deadly.

Liu Bu Hua: I know, but still want to see.

Xiao Si Yu & Lu Shuo: LSP is hopeless.