Chapter 27

Chapter 27

As the saying goes: When gods quarrel, mortals suffer.

As Xie Yinxue and Ah Jiu faced off, everyone felt as if they were being force-fed a display of affection—their every word and gesture screamed flirtation.

Even if Xie Yinxue were to bite Ah Jiu at that moment, drawing blood or even taking a chunk of flesh, it wouldn't diminish that feeling.

However, Xie Yinxue didn't bite him.

He simply shifted his fingertip gently, as if dusting off a speck. Yet, a cut appeared on Ah Jiu's neck, whitening momentarily before a rush of warm, red blood oozed out.

At the same time, Xie Yinxue trembled slightly, a bit of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—a price he had to pay for directly attacking the Ferryman.

But this pain seemed to clear Xie Yinxue's eyes, intensifying the gleam of mirth mixed with a touch of madness. He wiped off the blood from Ah Jiu's neck and then, tilting his head back, licked the blood from his finger.

"Impressive."

After swallowing, Xie Yinxue used the same words he had once used to praise Ah Jiu—it seemed genuine, yet almost dismissive.

"I'm glad Mr. Xie is satisfied."

Ah Jiu chuckled lightly, straightened up, and moved back to stand behind Liu Buhua. By the time he settled, the cut on his throat, inflicted by Xie Yinxue, had already healed.

That night, without a doubt, three more chefs met their end.

Their deaths were still inspired by the eighteen torments of the eighteenth layer of hell: the torture of the steam cage, the icy mountain, and the iron bed. The brutality was beyond description; witnessing it once was enough to haunt one for a lifetime.

"What kind of twisted feast is this?" Even Liu Buhua, who was usually unfazed by gore, found himself disoriented after witnessing the torture. He lamented to Xie Yinxue in the main hall, "What kind of feast involves daily killings, be it guests or chefs?"

Holding his pear blossom bracelet, now twisted and unwearable by Ah Jiu, Xie Yinxue smirked, "This was never a culinary feast to begin with."

Liu Buhua looked confused, "If not a feast, then what is it?"

"You'll understand once this instance concludes tomorrow," Xie Yinxue responded, holding the bracelet securely. "Now, find a servant and have him call Ah Jiu for me."

Always obedient, Liu Buhua didn't press for details. "Alright, please wait a moment."

With that, he quickly left the main hall to fetch a servant.

In no time, the servant arrived with Ah Jiu.

Xie Yinxue looked at the newcomer as if greeting a dear old friend, "Ah Jiu, we'll be leaving this mansion tomorrow. Yet, I have a regret yet to be addressed."

"Oh?" Ah Jiu's voice was deep and resonant, "What might be troubling Mr. Xie?"

"I've worn this pair of pear blossom bracelets for a long time. Although only one remains, I'd hate to leave it unused. So, I'd like to inquire about Lord Qin's esteemed friend—" Xie Yinxue playfully raised the bracelet towards Ah Jiu, "If I wish for him to repair this bracelet, what would it cost me?"

Ah Jiu delicately played with the bracelet in his hand, then answered, "Mr. Xie, should you seek the assistance of the lord's friend, there's always a price."

"I'm aware," Xie Yinxue replied, "Once it's repaired, I'll settle the bill."

But he quickly added, "However, if the repair isn't satisfactory, I won't pay a dime."

"If it's beyond repair, consider it a gift to complete your pair," he added with a raised eyebrow, "After all, its condition resembles the poorly chosen names of tonight's dishes."

Another dig at the evening's menu?

Yet, this demeanor elicited a chuckle from Ah Jiu, "Consider it on the house."

"—Mr. Xie, that friend of Lord Qin is particularly fond of you. This is his gift to you."

Ah Jiu approached, gently taking Xie Yinxue's left hand, which rested on his knee, and slipped the now perfectly repaired bracelet onto his wrist.

After Ah Jiu left the main hall, a bewildered Liu Buhua approached Xie Yinxue, "Sir, were you trying to strike a deal with him?"

Xie Yinxue nodded, "Of course not."

Ah Jiu, being a Ferryman and also that "old friend," always expected a trade for his assistance, regardless of the favor. However, any exchange required Xie Yinxue to pay a corresponding price. Hence, Xie's declaration of not paying—if so, it wouldn't constitute a trade.

But Liu Buhua was clueless. In the dead of night, if it wasn't a trade, then did Xie call Ah Jiu merely to critique the dish names? Given that Xie owned a drawer full of pear blossom bracelets, Liu Buhua couldn't believe he truly sought Ah Jiu's expertise for a single damaged piece.

He inquired, "Then... what was your intention?"

Xie Yinxue looked at his left hand, where the warmth of Ah Jiu's touch seemed to linger, reminiscent of the warm blood he swallowed earlier that evening.

Thus, Xie Yinxue remarked, "I'd like to touch him again."

Liu Buhua: "What?"

Xie Yinxue continued, "And I want to touch the other chefs as well."

Liu Buhua: "Excuse me??"

Xie Yinxue nodded, having made up his mind, "Alright, I'll touch Ah Wu tomorrow morning while selecting ingredients."

"Father, you..."

Wait, why did he suddenly become even more audacious than Ah Jiu?

Liu Buhua hesitated, then finally blurted out, "But they're not attractive. Don't you only like beautiful people?"

"It's not as if I'm choosing a partner. What does their appearance have to do with anything?" Xie Yinxue countered, "I just want to know if they are cold or warm."

"They're obviously warm," Liu Buhua replied without a second thought. "Only the dead are cold."

"Exactly, you're right,"

Xie Yinxue said, stroking the cold pear blossom bracelet on his left wrist, "Only the dead are cold."

—But Ah Wu was cold.

The following morning, during ingredient selection, Xie Yinxue did the unthinkable. Not only did he touch Ah Wu, but he also touched the hands of every living chef, save for Ah Jiu.

And all of their hands were as cold as those of the dead.

"It feels as if Mr. Xie is choosing which piece of meat is best, selecting his favorite to slaughter and eat tonight."

Having previously witnessed Lv Shuo brazenly using a toilet in the game, Xiao Siyu believed nothing could surprise him anymore. But it seemed Xie Yinxue broke that assumption daily.

Ah Wu was also taken aback. Pulling back his hand, he nervously chuckled, "Mr. Xie, this isn't appropriate, is it?"

Ah Jiu stood right beside Ah Wu, but Xie Yinxue ignored him, speaking only to Ah Wu—and about Ah Jiu's wrongdoings: "Ah Wu, do you know the bad things Ah Jiu has done?"

"Huh?" Ah Wu glanced at the tall man beside him, shaking his head, "I'm not aware."

With a gentle tone, Xie Yinxue asked, "What about the deceased ones, like Ah Er and Ah Qi?"

"Ah, they've done plenty of bad things!"

Ah Wu, reinvigorated by the topic, began detailing, "For instance, Ah Qi often deceived and lied, so his tongue was ripped out. As for Ah Er, he would..."

"And you?" But Xie Yinxue wasn't interested in a lengthy explanation and cut him off, "What wrongs have you done?"

Meeting the calm gaze of the young man, Ah Wu stiffened.

Within a few seconds, his face broke into a swift grin. Teasingly, he said, "When have I ever done anything wrong? Look at how innocent I am. Do I look like someone who'd misbehave?"

Among all the chefs, Ah Wu was the shortest and the most frail. He wasn't even taller than Chen Yun. Towards Xie Yin Xue, he always had a timid and obsequious demeanor, resembling a sycophant rather than the menacing figures like Ah Er and Ah Qi, who seemed like they wouldn't blink an eye before committing a crime.

Xie Yin Xue remained silent.

He tilted his head, squinting at the blazing sun, and abruptly changed the topic: "The weather today is quite good. I see Ah Jiu sunbathing here every day. How about we both enjoy some sun today?"

"I'd rather not, Mr. Xie," Ah Wu declined with a wave of his hand and a bitter smile. "I still need to prepare the broth for tonight's feast."

"Alright," replied Xie Yin Xue without insisting, "Go on, then."

Hearing this, Ah Wu felt as if he had received a royal pardon. He quickly thanked Xie Yin Xue and hurried back to the kitchen to hide, and so did the other chefs. Only Ah Jiu remained the exception.

Although everyone had found it a bit odd before, no one had given it much thought. But today, perhaps because Xie Yin Xue's sunbathing proposal was so unexpected, the players recalled that during their seven-day stay in the Qin Mansion's annex, they would always see Ah Jiu sunbathing outside the kitchen. The other chefs only appeared during the day when ingredients were being chosen.

They initially assumed Ah Jiu just liked the sun, but considering what Xie Yin Xue said earlier, could there be more to this?

Night was approaching. Their time in this instance was running short, and they wondered if the answer would be revealed tonight.

Initially, there were fourteen chefs corresponding to the number of players. Now, only chefs numbered four, five, nine, twelve, and fourteen remain unharmed. In contrast, ten players are still alive, outnumbering the chefs two-to-one.

So, tonight, each chef would be responsible for two dishes.

As the time to exit the instance drew near, many didn't feel relief but an overwhelming weight on their hearts.

Although they only stayed in the Qin Mansion's annex for a brief seven days and ate only bland vegetarian dishes, everyone felt like they had endured a lifetime of fear and tasted the myriad flavors of life. Lu Shuo and Xiao Si Yu hit it off, even exchanging contact details and deciding to team up in-game after leaving the real world. Chen Yun had lost his roommate and now appeared resolute and independent. Meanwhile, Wei Qiu Yu and Gao Qiao had come to terms with many things, approaching every situation with equanimity.

So when they opened tonight's menu and saw just three vegetarian dishes left, everyone hesitated.

Xie Yin Xue raised an eyebrow and quickly chose a meat dish for himself. Liu Bu Hua followed suit, selecting a plate of spicy chicken – probably to make up for missing out on chicken the previous night.

After a brief pause, Wei Qiu Yu, with a calm demeanor, chose a vegetarian dish for Chen Yun.

Xia Duo, upon seeing this, took a deep breath and quickly selected the second vegetarian dish.

Wei Dao, who was enthusiastic about choosing dishes yesterday, also made a choice. Perhaps he took Gao Qiao's words to heart, or perhaps he didn't want to risk angering others, so he chose a meat dish.

In the end, of the ten people present, only Dai Yue, Lu Shuo, and Xiao Si Yu had yet to choose. There was still one vegetarian dish remaining.

Dai Yue leaned back, spread his hands, and chuckled, "I'll take my meat dish. Whoever wants the vegetarian one, go for it."

"No," Xiao Si Yu shook his head, "I don't want it."

"Same here, I won't choose it," Lu Shuo declined, "Dai Yue, since you already gave up the vegetarian dish for Xiao Si Yu and me yesterday, why don't you take it tonight?"

As a veteran player, Dai Yue hadn't seen players like Lu Shuo and Xiao Si Yu in previous instances, willing to give away their chances of survival to strangers they'd just met, especially when they initially seemed so focused on self-preservation. Taken aback, he asked, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Xiao Si Yu and Lu Shuo nodded in unison, shared a smile, and sheepishly said, "...but if we can't find any issues with our meat dishes, we might need you to take a look and give some suggestions."

"Sure, no problem."

Dai Yue laughed heartily, placing a checkmark next to the vegetarian dish.

"Oh my," Gao Qiao sighed, thinking of Yan Zhi and Chu Li, once her roommates and now deceased, both young like her own daughter. "If only we were united from the start, perhaps none of us would've died..."

Indeed.

Wei Qiu Yu's previous question to Xie Yin Xue, "Can't we help each other and survive together?" was valid. They could have indeed survived by supporting one another. After all, not all dishes were deadly; some only resulted in severe injuries.

However, before Xie Yin Xue intervened, none of them were willing to help each other.

In retrospect, Xie Yin Xue had been quietly assisting them all along: providing clues, never opting for the safe dishes, and not using his special status to aid Liu Bu Hua in securing dishes.

Both had consistently pushed chances of survival onto others, with Xie Yin Xue even leaving them a surefire path to life.

But time is irreversible.

They realized their mistakes too late.

After submitting their orders, everyone sat in silence, awaiting the final feast in the Qin Mansion's annex.

Xie Yin Xue pondered: With only five chefs but ten guests alive, it meant at least two chefs would prepare only meat dishes. So, which three chefs would handle the three vegetarian dishes?

...Or perhaps, only two chefs.

The answer was unveiled when the dishes arrived: the servers tonight weren't the usual attendants but the chefs themselves.

Carrying dishes they'd prepared, the chefs entered from the front courtyard. The despair on some of their faces was even more profound than that of the players.

Xie Yin Xue's guess was right: three vegetarian dishes were made by just two chefs.

Ah Jiu was the sole chef without a meat dish, preparing two vegetarian ones. The third vegetarian dish was crafted by Ah Wu, who also prepared a meat dish.

The meat dish from Ah Wu was chosen by Xie Yin Xue.

Looking at the juicy steak smothered in black pepper sauce in front of him, Xie Yin Xue softly sighed, "Ah Wu, the steak tonight finally has beef."

"Whimper..."

Upon realizing his meat dish was chosen by Xie Yin Xue, Ah Wu immediately knelt down in despair.

He sobbed at Xie Yin Xue's feet, pleading, "Mr. Xie, I've been so obedient. Please don't reject my dish. Could you sacrifice yourself? I've never done anything wrong... I want to live..."

Liu Bu Hua became furious, chastising Ah Wu, "Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a person to speak?"

"Indeed, you're obedient. Actually, I quite like you," Xie Yin Xue chuckled. He shook his head, gazing at Ah Wu with pity. "But you know, I don't have any other choice."

"And are you sure... you've never done anything wrong?"

Xie Yin Xue's last words left the others puzzled.

But before they could ponder further, the agonized screams of Ah Wu and the other chefs, taken away for punishment by the steward, disrupted their thoughts.

Xie Yinxue, gazing at the steak on his plate, murmured, "Before frying a steak, it's tenderized with the flat side of a knife for a few minutes to improve its texture—Buhua, which punishment corresponds to being repeatedly struck by a hard object?"

Liu Buhua knew the answer and responded, "The Punishment of Stone Pressing."

If someone had drowned or abandoned a baby in their lifetime, after their death, they'd be sent to the Stone Pressing Hell in the Eighteen Levels of Hell, where they'd be repeatedly crushed by heavy stones.

Xie Yinxue recalled a case he and his master had handled when he was ten. A man had been haunted by a recurring dream where he was placed in a stone trough and repeatedly crushed by a huge rock overhead. The torment continued night after night.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that this man had once had a daughter with his ex-wife. Disliking the girl, he had abandoned her during the wife's absence. When she found out, she divorced him. The man's life became tormented by the vengeful spirit of the infant, and if there truly were Eighteen Levels of Hell, his fate after death would undoubtedly mirror that punishment.

Xie Yinxue looked up and saw Ah Wu being carried by an attendant and thrown into a large, smooth stone trough, while the old steward stood above, ready to release a massive stone.

Blood flowed freely once again in the courtyard, reminiscent of the Blood Pool Hell, with the crazed laughter of the attendants echoing and the horrifying sight of dismembered limbs and corpses everywhere.

The manner of these chefs' deaths not only corresponded to ingredients but also to the grave sins they committed in life. They were ruthless, bloodthirsty ghouls, detesting sunlight; and by night, the ghostly figures of the steward and the attendants, wearing death shrouds, were indeed not human. They were hell's executioners, which is why these banquets only occurred at midnight.

So, what roles did these "honored guests" play?

And then there was Ah Jiu, who had remained unharmed.

Xie Yinxue looked around the courtyard for Ah Jiu but realized he had vanished without a trace.

After what felt like an eternity, the dawn's first call was heard. As everyone sat in the courtyard, witnessing the sunrise, they murmured, "Is the simulation coming to an end?"

As the words faded, a loud bang echoed from the mansion's main gate. The figures of the attendants and the old steward started to dissipate, eventually vanishing amidst the incoming footsteps.

From the main mansion, a new elderly steward appeared, leading a group of attendants. In the center was a rotund, opulently dressed gentleman.

Upon seeing them, the gentleman's eyes widened, and he exclaimed joyfully, "Thank you, esteemed exorcists! I'm so grateful!"

Everyone was taken aback by his title of "exorcist." The gentleman continued, "My mansion has poor feng shui and has attracted malicious spirits. Despite consulting numerous monks and priests, the ghosts couldn't be exorcised. But your master, Master Qin, assured me that his fourteen eminent disciples could summon hell's envoys, promising to subdue all spirits in just seven days—"

Lv Shuo approached the gentleman, eyes wide in disbelief, asking, "Are you Lord Qin?"

"Master Lu, are you mistaken?" The gentleman looked surprised and said with puzzlement, "Your master is surnamed Qin, while I am of the Liu family."

Seven days later, at the end of the Feasting Banquet, a Lord Liu appeared instead of Lord Qin.

"Eh, where's your Master Qin? And several of the other exorcists seem to be missing too... Were they... taken by the malevolent spirits?" Lord Liu continued to inquire as he spoke with Lv Shuo.

Xie Yinxue, however, lost interest in listening further. He turned and headed towards the main hall; his ebony table and pearwood chairs were still inside.

Before he could approach the main hall, a scroll painting rolled towards him from the entrance. Upon inspection, he saw an intricately detailed painting that vividly portrayed a tale:

A leading exorcist and his fourteen disciples entered a haunted mansion. The master sacrificed himself to summon envoys from hell and executioners from the Eighteen Levels. The disciples, using their bodies as bait, outwitted and defeated the vicious spirits, ultimately banishing them to an eternal torment in hell.

With this revelation, the "honored guests" understood their roles: they were the exorcists from the painting, and the entire Feasting Banquet was, in fact, a seven-day ritual to absolve spirits.

Xie Yinxue was intrigued by the painting, especially wanting to find out where Ah Jiu had gone. Ah Jiu, throughout the event, never ordered a meat dish and didn't die from any food mishaps. But he had disappeared before dawn.

Most importantly, he was warm.

All the other chefs were cold, dead.

This led to the speculation: if Ah Jiu wasn’t a vengeful spirit, then what was he?

Xie Yin Xue bent down, attempting to inspect the scroll more closely. At the zenith of the scroll, he noticed a fierce beast resembling a tiger, yet bearing a pair of wings. But before he could fully discern the image, an irresistible force pulled him towards the scroll.

It felt as though he had plunged into the painting, and yet was also escaping from within it.

When everything before Xie Yin Xue's eyes stabilized, he found himself back in the place where he had been before the game began. Liu Bu Hua stood beside him, and before them lay a courtyard far more spacious than the inner yard of the Qin Mansion from the game. This was one of Xie Yin Xue’s courtyards.

Glancing at the time, they had been in the game for seven days, yet in reality, only seven minutes had passed.

"My favorite ebony and pear wood furniture is gone," Xie Yin Xue remarked, lifting his left hand to gaze at the only remaining pear bracelet. He looked slightly distressed, adding, "It was my favorite set."

It seemed that whatever was taken into the game would be lost unless it was held onto when exiting.

He lost his favorite furniture but was left with a drawer full of mundane silver-gold bracelets. Xie Yin Xue felt slightly aggrieved.

However, there was some good news. If this had happened earlier, given his emotional state, he would probably have started vomiting blood by now. But now, his pain was significantly reduced, thanks to completing three transactions in the game.

Speaking of business, how could Xie Yin Xue forget Zhu Yi Kun, the very person who lured him into the "Lock of Longevity" game?

Liu Bu Hua, also concerned about Zhu, asked, "Godfather, should we meet with Zhu Yi Kun?"

Xie Yin Xue paused for a moment before finally saying, "Let's eat some meat first."

Recalling the dish Xie Yin Xue had ordered but hadn't received during the game, Liu Bu Hua suggested, "How about beef noodles?"

Xie Yin Xue: "..."

"Alright, let's go with that."

The chef at Xie Yin Xue's house wasn't named Niu (beef), so it was impossible for him to receive meatless beef noodles at home. After waiting for a bit, Xie Yin Xue and Liu Bu Hua each received a bowl of genuine beef noodles, loaded with meat.

A famished Liu Bu Hua devoured the entire bowl, while Xie Yin Xue, who usually ate sparingly, had a few pieces of meat and a couple of mouthfuls of noodles before setting his chopsticks down.

Chen Ma, the cook, noticing this, expressed her concern, "Ah Xue, are you feeling unwell again? Why did you eat so little?"

"No, Chen Ma," Xie Yin Xue replied warmly, looking up at her, "I'm actually not hungry. I just wanted to taste the meat."

Chen Ma had watched Xie Yin Xue grow up, treating him as one of her own. Hence, their interactions always carried a deep sense of intimacy.

Relieved, Chen Ma responded, "That's good. Loving meat is a good sign. Look at you; ever since the master passed away, you've hardly gained any weight. Now you're almost all skin and bones."

The "master" she referred to was Xie Yin Xue's mentor – Chen Yu Qing, who had passed away seven years earlier.

"Yes, I'll eat more," Xie Yin Xue assured her with a smile. "Chen Ma, could you prepare some meat dishes for me tomorrow?"

"Alright, alright." Hearing this, Mrs. Chen grew even more delighted, repeating her agreement. Just as she was about to turn back into the kitchen, she suddenly paused, as if recalling something.

Xie Yinxue asked, "What's the matter?"

Mrs. Chen sighed, "Ah Ji... he said someone stole his air conditioner again."

Liu Buhua was taken aback, "Didn’t we just buy him a new one?"

Xie Yinxue rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on, "Buhua and I have some errands to run later. We'll buy him a new one on our way back."

Ah Ji, whose full name is Shen Qiuji, just turned five this year. He became Xie Yinxue's disciple a year ago.

In just a year, even before mastering any arcane arts, he had managed to exhaust the stock of air conditioners from the local electronics store three times.

But refusing to take on disciples wasn’t an option; Xie Yinxue feared that if one day she passed away without warning, their lineage would come to an end — fortunately, he's now engaged in a game called "Seeking Immortality."

As they were on their way to meet Zhu Yikun, Liu Buhua gazed out the car window, lost in the familiar yet unfamiliar streets, overwhelmed with emotions.

Even after visiting the Qin Mansion's private residence, he was still skeptical. He asked Xie Yinxue, "…Godfather, does the secret to immortality truly exist?"

After all, it represents eternal life, something countless nobles and mystical practitioners have sought throughout history.

Xie Yinxue, reclining with his eyes closed in the back seat, chuckled upon hearing this and asked, "So, do you wish for immortality too?"

After pondering for a moment, Liu Buhua surprisingly replied, "Of course I do. But godfather, do you think I could be reincarnated as a peony in my next life? If so, I'd rather be reborn sooner."

Xie Yinxue: "..."

At this moment, it dawned on Xie Yinxue what was off about Liu Buhua — it seemed he was having one of his episodes.

Liu Buhua wasn’t always called by that name. He suffers from delusions, firmly believing he is a peony. Once, he nearly buried himself alive in this delusion. Numerous therapists failed to treat him before he was entrusted to Xie Yinxue.

After a fortune-telling session, Xie Yinxue renamed him and ensured he took his medications, gradually stabilizing his condition.

However, it appeared now that Liu Buhua was relapsing. When he did, his thoughts scattered, he'd ramble nonsensically and was drawn to bright colors.

Concerned, Xie Yinxue quickly inquired, "Buhua, have you run out of your medication?"

After a moment of thought, Liu Buhua replied, "I think so."

"We should head to the hospital then."

Without hesitation, Xie Yinxue instructed the driver to change course to the hospital to refill Liu Buhua's prescription. The last thing he wanted was to wake up the next day and find Liu Buhua buried in the ground.

Hearing this, the driver swiftly steered the car towards Qing Mountain Psychiatric Hospital.

Once they arrived, Liu Buhua and the driver went to register. Meanwhile, Xie Yinxue leisurely strolled in a small garden outside the hospital. Passing a police booth, he was stunned to recognize a face on the wanted poster — that of Qiu Yuxing.

Though the face was unmistakably his, the name wasn't Qiu Yuxing.

"Qiu Yuxing" must have been his alias in the game.

The wanted poster stated that he was a suspect on the run from a homicide case, with a reward of 150,000 for his capture.

It was at this moment that Xie Yinxue remembered why Qiu Yuxing looked familiar. He had been to Qing Mountain Psychiatric Hospital before, accompanying Liu Buhua. He must have briefly seen Qiu Yuxing’s face on a wanted poster here, hence the sense of familiarity when they met in the game.

Although Wei Dao and Ji Tao’s photos weren't on the wanted list, the fact that they could acquire so many firearms, including submachine guns, in a country with strict gun control, indicated they weren't ordinary, let alone good people.

But now, both Ji Tao and Qiu Yuxing were dead. Their bodies would probably be discovered by the police soon.

As for Wei Dao, who's still alive... who knows how many more levels he could endure without his teammates?

Xie Yinxue had no interest in pondering about them any further. Once Liu Buhua got his prescription, they drove to Yun Wei Tower, where Zhu Yikun was staying in a penthouse suite.

When they reached the top floor, to their surprise, they found Zhu Yikun swimming in an aerial pool, accompanied by two stunning beauties.

As Zhu Yikun swam to the edge, anticipating the embrace of one of his companions, he instead looked up into Xie Yinxue’s hauntingly pale face. The shock sent him tumbling back into the water, choking.

Xie Yinxue sneered, lightly tapping the water’s surface. In an instant, Zhu Yikun was lifted from the pool and thrown to the ground.

"Aaaah!"

His piercing scream echoed across the rooftop, causing Xie Yinxue to frown in annoyance.

Seeing Xie Yinxue's displeasure, Zhu Yikun swallowed his pain, hastily getting up without questioning how they entered or where his companions went, and just greeted with a shaky smile, "Ah, Mr. Xie, what brings you here?"

Xie Yinxue smirked, staring at him, "You and my godson now share the same fate. Shouldn’t I come to see you?"

"How could anything happen to Mr. Liu under your watch?" Zhu Yikun replied, wrapping himself in a robe. He beckoned Xie Yinxue to sit in a shaded area, poured him tea, and nervously catered to him. The only thing he didn't do was peel grapes for Xie Yinxue, "If I can still swim here today, isn't it all thanks to you, Mr. Xie?"

Hearing Zhu Yikun's shameless flattery, Xie Yinxue genuinely laughed.

Without touching the tea, Xie Yinxue rhythmically tapped the glass table, his voice gentle, "I must also thank you. If not for your information, how would I have learned of the treasure that is 'Seeking Immortality'? The game is entertaining, and in it, I met a person named Ah Wu. He’s more eloquent than even you, but still, he died."

"Can you guess why he died?"

As he said this, Xie Yinxue finally raised his eyes. His calm yet cold gaze landed on Zhu Yikun, sending chills down his spine.

Despite the lingering smile on Xie Yinxue's lips, his words were icy, chilling to the bone, "Because he lied to me. I asked if he did anything wrong. He lied and said he hadn’t."

"What about you?"

"What have you done wrong?"

Author's Note:

NPC: You touch others?

Mr. Xie: Yes, and I'll touch many more.

npc：……