Chapter 33

Chapter 33

A month later, on the 29th night after the first instance ended, at 11 pm, Xie Yinxue appeared alone on the rooftop of Yunwei Building. Only one hour remained before the 30th day.

— Just like the first time, the participants' entry into "The Lock of Longevity" was unpredictable. They only knew it would randomly begin at some point on the 30th day.

And those participants wanting to form a team must ensure they stay within ten meters of their teammates. Hence, Xie Yinxue had to stay close to Zhu Yikun, never straying far from him.

Otherwise, they might end up in different instances.

Xie Yinxue had a preference for white, but wearing a snow-white robe in the dead of night looked rather eerie. Hence, he opted for his usual pale blue attire. Snow blossoms adorned his shoulders, and his raven-black hair was loosely tied behind with a red string. With slightly closed eyes, he reclined gracefully on a massage chair that seemed at odds with his regal demeanor.

Zhu Yikun was similarly attired.

He was reclined on another massage chair, not more than five meters away from Xie Yinxue. In front of him knelt a strikingly beautiful woman dressed in a uniform, attending to Zhu Yikun's feet—this scene seemed aptly fitting for someone of Zhu Yikun's stature.

Regrettably, his right hand was encased in plaster. His face was marked with a medley of blue and purple bruises, and a medical patch adhered to his forehead. He looked pitifully battered and miserable. As a result, when Xie Yinxue first saw him, he couldn't help but laugh. Although his tone was gentle, the schadenfreude was unmistakable. He remarked, "Mr. Zhu, it seems you've had quite an eventful month."

These words irritated Zhu Yikun. This past month hadn't granted him a single day of peace. Yet, he couldn't afford to vent his frustration on Xie Yinxue.

After all, Xie Yinxue was the polar opposite of his master, Chen Yuqing. Despite his usual gentle and humble demeanor, Xie Yinxue was notoriously ruthless. Even if Zhu Yikun was reluctant to join the game with Xie Yinxue, he dared not exhibit even a hint of defiance, let alone use Liu Buhua's safety, who was now inextricably tied to him, as a threat.

He was under no illusion: if he didn't cooperate with Xie Yinxue, the latter would immobilize him, confining him to a mobile container, forcing him to clear the game in that state.

Hence, instead of displaying anger after Xie Yinxue's sarcastic remark, Zhu Yikun, with a smile plastered across his face, cordially invited him to try out his newly purchased massage chair.

"Mr. Xie, isn't it a tad boring just lying there?" After savoring a rare moment of relaxation, Zhu Yikun opened his right eye slightly to glance at Xie Yinxue and added, "Would you like me to call a masseuse for you?"

"No need, this chair is quite comfortable on its own," Xie Yinxue responded with a smirk, "I might ask Liu Buhua to get one for my place too."

"Really? This massage chair costs 300,000, and a single charge can last up to 72 hours. It even has a solar charging feature. It's perfect to bring into the instance," Zhu Yikun quickly chimed in, "You don’t need to bother Liu. After tomorrow, I'll have two chairs delivered to your residence."

"Oh?"

Xie Yinxue was genuinely intrigued. He did find the chair to be exceptional. Having lost his beloved ebony pear wood chair and table last month, he was in need of a comfortable chair.

"Can it be customized?" Xie Yinxue inquired, "I find this grey color distasteful. I'd like one in white."

"Absolutely, of course, it can be customized," Zhu Yikun eagerly responded, "I'll make sure to arrange a white one for you."

"Very well."

Pleased with the conversation, Xie Yinxue cast a fleeting glance at the clock on the wall—it was 11:59 pm. With less than a minute remaining for the new day, they might not necessarily enter the instance at precisely midnight. But it's always better to be prepared.

In appreciation for the luxury custom massage chair, Xie Yinxue kindly reminded him, "The new day is almost upon us, Mr. Zhu. If you have any items you wish to bring into the instance, gather them close now. We wouldn’t want to leave them behind."

Hearing this, Zhu Yikun instinctively straightened up, preparing to fetch his belongings. However, as his foot touched the carpet, he remembered he couldn't stray more than ten meters away from Xie Yinxue. Quickly retracting his foot, he directed the woman attending to him, "Yuan Yuan, fetch my suitcase from over there."

"Of course, sir."

The woman, addressed as "Yuan Yuan", promptly rose and approached a black suitcase resting against a glass table, inquiring, "This one, sir?"

"Yes, that one." Zhu Yikun nodded and turned to Xie Yinxue, "Mr. Xie, have you gathered your belongings?"

Without even moving his lips, Xie Yinxue patted the massage chair beneath him, signaling this was the only item he intended to bring.

Zhu Yikun: "..."

He had only mentioned bringing the chair into the instance in passing, never truly considering the idea. After all, aside from its primary function, what other purpose could a massage chair serve in a game instance?

Nonetheless, without the guts to argue with Xie Yinxue's decision, Zhu Yikun shifted his attention back to Yuan Yuan, extending his hand to grab the proffered suitcase.

Just as Zhu Yikun's fingers nearly touched the suitcase handle, the scene before them warped. Their surroundings disintegrated and reformed. When everything settled, they found themselves, along with the massage chairs, in a different location—a dilapidated, moist seaside platform overgrown with dark moss.

The gloomy ambiance was accentuated by the overcast sky hinting at an imminent storm. Before them stretched a vast, ink-dark sea, its turbulent waves painted in deep shades of gray. Behind them lay an ominous darkness, occasionally pierced by the eerie cries of unknown creatures, signaling that stepping into that abyss would spell doom.

Zhu Yikun, donned in a bathrobe, gazed blankly at the sea, his arms outstretched. Realizing he'd entered the game, he began to exclaim about his luggage. However, before he could voice his concerns, he heard two men whispering to his left—

“Look, two more newcomers.” The voice was deep and mature.

The other, notably younger, commented, “Were they having a massage in Foot-wash City?”

“What fatal disaster could occur in Foot-wash City? A fire? An earthquake?”

“Who knows? If there's no electricity here, their massage chairs are useless, right?”

At that, Xie Yinxue opened his eyes but remained reclined, casting a half-amused gaze at the younger man.

The man looked as young as he sounded, dressed in a navy tracksuit. Being so young, he blushed under Xie Yinxue's scrutiny, trying to play it cool and look away.

Xie Yinxue understood the man's surprise—after all, few people possessed his own allure. But why the blushing?

Before he could ponder further, a shrill voice interrupted his thoughts—

“Where are we?!”

“What is this place? Who are you people?”

Xie Yinxue turned to the source of the commotion. A rotund middle-aged man, not much different from Zhu Yikun, was berating a girl, who looked to be about seven or eight. “Is this your doing? Where have you brought me?”

The girl stumbled back from his kick, tears forming in her eyes, yet she bit her lip, holding back her sobs.

Beside the girl stood a slender, dark-skinned man in a security guard uniform. Holding the girl close, he pleaded, “Sir, please don't harm my daughter. We're as clueless as you about this place. We came here just like you did.”

These three also seemed to be newcomers. They appeared to have been together when they entered, but not familiar with one another. Perhaps a disagreement brought them close, causing them to enter this instance together.

Observing his surroundings, Xie Yinxue noticed a sizable group on the platform. There were many in this game instance, including Zhu Yikun and himself, totaling eighteen, evenly split between men and women.

With the experience of the past lavish feast game, Xie Yinxue roughly knew how to identify newcomers from veterans — those with equipment and calm demeanors were often regulars, while those empty-handed or with irrelevant items, looking panicked and frightened, were almost always newbies.

Of course, there are exceptions like Xie Yinxue and Zhu Yikun, veterans who entered the instance without their belongings.

Yet in this instance, Xie Yinxue was certain that apart from himself and Zhu Yikun, no other veteran had such an oversight.

This time, the distinction between the veterans and newcomers was stark. Apart from one middle-aged man, there were many either loudly inquiring like him or, like the elegantly dressed woman in a cheongsam to Xie Yinxue's right, crying inconsolably. They were clearly newcomers.

The mental fortitude of this batch of newcomers seemed lacking — none displayed the composure Lu Shuo had when he defecated publicly upon his arrival at the Qin Mansion.

Their cacophony continuously assaulted Xie Yinxue's ears, giving him a headache.

The veterans, either irritated by the noise or reminiscent of Wei Dao and Ji Tao's initial kindness during the gluttonous feast instance, began explaining to the newcomers about their current situation.

"I don't believe it!"

The shout came from the portly man, now completely overwhelmed by fear and rage. He wasn’t heeding any advice and, fearful of the ominous darkness behind him, stayed on the platform. In his anger, he violently shoved the little girl, blaming her and her security guard father for his plight: "Damn you both! If you hadn't damaged my car, I wouldn't be in this hellhole!"

Seeing the young man who blushed at Xie Yinxue's gaze, he immediately stepped forward, shielding the little girl while snapping, "Bullying a child? Are you even a man?"

"It wasn't me who scratched your car," the little girl responded, her voice quivering with restrained tears. "I never touched it. I was just playing with a kitty nearby."

The middle-aged man, noticing the young man was backed by a couple of friends and himself alone, hesitated to start a direct conflict. However, he continued accusing the girl, "Liar! I'm certain it was you. So young, yet so deceitful."

"Enough of this noise."

Xie Yinxue's voice, cold and measured, cut through the bickering.

The middle-aged man shot him a look. Taking in Xie Yinxue's pallid yet striking face, he paused momentarily. Regaining his composure and realizing this man was fragile in appearance, he was about to retort when the younger man softly interjected, "Look, there's a ship approaching."

Trapped in this unfamiliar place, the news of an approaching ship silenced even the argumentative middle-aged man. All eyes turned toward the horizon.

Indeed, on the line where sea met sky, a tiny speck appeared, growing as it drew closer to the platform.

Author's Note:

NPC: "Come to my bed."

Mr. Xie: "A ship? Good. There's a large group this time. I like it. Maybe I'll have more business opportunities."

npc：？