Chapter 42.

Chapter 42.

In reality, the trio initially performed singing.

Meng Bei knew Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan earned a decent amount of gold coins for their duet performance for the VIPs. Inspired by this, even if Yino didn't inform everyone about the all-day opening of the 'Cradle of Dreams' hall, she decided to try her hand at singing at 3 PM, emulating Yang Man Qing.

She even thought of bringing Ma Xin Tong along, but Ma didn’t play any musical instruments, and her singing was painfully off-key. After Ma Xin Tong bowed out, Meng Bei took center stage in the 'Cradle of Dreams' hall and sang "Little White Boat" for the VIP guests.

Meng Bei fancied her singing to be superior to Yang Man Qing's, and considering the 'Dream of Hel' was a white cruise, the song seemed apt.

After Meng Bei's performance, while the VIPs did applaud, they didn't tip her in gold coins. Instead, they whispered among themselves—

"Why is there another singer?"

"Who sings better, her or Yang Man Qing?"

"I'm not sure."

"Let's get Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan to sing, and see who's better."

A stunning woman with emerald eyes spoke. Soon after, she commanded Fang Long, who was massaging her legs, to fetch Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan to sing for them.

Fang Long obliged and earned an easy twenty gold coins for the errand. Including his fee for the massage, making eighty coins by nightfall seemed achievable, putting him in high spirits.

However, when Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan arrived, they looked displeased. Hearing the whole story from Fang Long, their glances towards Meng Bei were less than friendly—seeing her act as competition.

At this point, the lady with emerald eyes enticed, "Each of you, sing 'Lullaby'. We love that song. The best performer gets a thousand gold coins as a reward."

A thousand gold coins!

At her words, Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan set aside their differences with Meng Bei. They cleared their throats, adjusted their postures, and began their rendition of "Lullaby". Meng Bei, not to be outdone, followed suit.

After their performances, the lady didn't comment on their singing, but instead engaged in discussion with nearby VIPs—

"I can't tell who's better. Maybe I'm just tired of hearing them sing these past days."

"I feel the same. It's not fresh anymore. Boring."

"I wish they could come up with something novel."

The murmurs were soft, yet Meng Bei, Yang Man Qing, and the rest could catch every word.

Meng Bei wasn't too concerned, as she could still earn as a temporary crew member. However, Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan were perturbed: without singing and playing instruments, how would they earn?

It's easy to adjust from frugality to luxury, but the reverse is a challenge.

"I have an idea."

A lady with fiery red hair stepped forward. Yang Man Qing and Shu Guang Xuan recognized her; she was the very lady "served" by Shen Jun. "My delightful lover, Mr. Shen, performed a magic trick for me in bed last night. Can you perform magic? We have many magic props here you can borrow."

The three exchanged glances, clearly none of them knew any magic tricks.

The redhead lady, seeing their reaction, only beamed brighter. "I'm quite fond of Mr. Shen, so I gifted him my largest ruby. If your magic performance pleases me, I'll bestow rubies upon you as well, along with... a considerable sum of gold coins."

Shu Guang Xuan had an epiphany and turned to Yang Man Qing, "Do you recall the first day when we were attacked by the monster? We were the highest earners after Xie Yin Xue. Yet, the monster's assault on Shen Jun was even fiercer than on us. I couldn't fathom why, but now I understand."

Yang Man Qing nodded, continuing, "Because Shen Jun had a ruby."

A hefty reward can tempt many. Given the redhead lady's generous proposal, all three agreed to the request to perform a magic show.

However, when the magic props were brought onto the stage, they faltered:

The so-called magic prop was a rectangular box, about one and a half meters in length, designed to house a person and split them in half. Atop the box was a long saw—equipment for the notorious "Sawing a Person in Half" magic trick.

Meng Bei, pointing at the dried, bloody residue in the box's seams, tremulously asked, "… Why is there blood on it?"

The lady with emerald eyes offhandedly remarked, "Oh, probably from a previous performance by a temporary crew member."

"If you're hesitant about this trick, we have other options." The redhead lady, grinning, unveiled another object hidden behind a curtain: a large spinning wheel.

Fixed to the spinning wheel was a figure—Shen Jun.

He was pinned with countless knives, his eyeballs missing, replaced by two massive rubies that gleamed like blood-filled sockets.

"This was the magic my lover, Mr. Shen, performed for me." The redhead licked the bloody cheek of Shen Jun. "His performance was so delightful; I rewarded him with another ruby."

At this point, the trio recalled Xie Yin Xue's morning speculation—these VIPs were not human but nighttime monsters.

Their opulence and beauty during the day made everyone instinctively forget this.

"I don't want to perform anymore..." Yang Man Qing wasn't naive. Witnessing Shen Jun's fate made the dangers of the "magic performance" glaringly evident. She immediately declined, "I don't wish to participate in the magic act."

"Can we continue singing?" Meng Bei implored. "You can reduce the pay."

The redhead's voice turned sharp and piercing, "Unacceptable! You made a commitment! How can you backtrack now?"

"We demand a magic show!"

The rest of the VIPs rose in agreement, drawing closer menacingly.

Meng Bei and Yang Man Qing tried to retreat, intending to flee from the 'Cradle of Dreams' hall. However, a few steps in, Yang Man Qing felt her wrist grabbed by Shu Guang Xuan. Turning to face him, she saw him whisper, "Maybe we should perform. With the gold and rubies, we can clear the next days without returning here..."

Yang Man Qing froze.

The "Sawing a Person in Half" trick required only one participant. Shu Guang Xuan's suggestion implied he was proposing to place Meng Bei inside the box.

But before she could act, Meng Bei, seizing the initiative, knocked Shu Guang Xuan down with a wine bottle nearby.

Grasping Shu Guang Xuan's leg, she urgently prompted Yang Man Qing, "What are you waiting for? Help me get him into the box!"

Initially, Yang Man Qing hesitated. After all, Shu Guang Xuan was a colleague and had pursued her in reality. However, her affections lay with Fang Long. She had long contemplated how to gently reject Shu Guang Xuan without wounding his feelings.

In time, she might never have to think about this again.

Thus, when Shu Guangxuan opened his eyes, he found himself confined within a rectangular box, with Meng Bei and Yang Manqing, saw in hand, standing beside him.

"Guangxuan, don't blame me..." Yang Manqing said hesitantly, her voice laden with guilt, "You wanted the performance. I... I was just following your lead..."

Yet, her saw inevitably struck him.

In the end, Shu Guangxuan was sawed in half by Yang Manqing and Meng Bei. His innards and blood spread everywhere, and the distinguished guests rushed to the stage like moths to a flame, eager to consume the remains.

"You've done well. The Dream of He'er will reach its destination sooner. I'm pleased with your performance. Here's the compensation you deserve."

The redhead faithfully rewarded them with a thousand gold coins and removed a ruby from Shen Jun's eye socket, handing it over, "I believe Mr. Shen won't be needing this anymore. It's yours now."

Their hands, stained with blood from the sawing, clutched the ruby. For a moment, they couldn't discern which was more vivid and piercing: the color of the blood or the ruby.

At that time, Fang Long and Su Xunlan were also present in the Dream's Cradle hall. One was massaging the guests' feet while the other was kneading their shoulders, witnessing the gruesome magic show.

After the two recounted the events, the third-floor corridor of the cruise ship was so silent that one could almost hear the melting snow on the deck.

"You all heard it. He was the first to try and harm me," Meng Bei said, facing the gaze of the crowd, gritting her teeth, "I was merely defending myself."

Yang Manqing added in a soft voice, "Right... I wanted to escape, but he held onto me, wanting to complete the magic act."

"We're not blaming you. This game is inherently brutal. Maybe one day, I'll end up like you both. We're all just trying to survive," Yun Qian, a fellow female, commented with a sigh, her tone neutral yet detached, "But remember, in this game, players aren't allowed to kill each other. Even if you have to, you can't use your own hands."

Hearing Yun Qian's words, both Meng Bei and Yang Manqing were stunned and asked, "So what happens now that we have?"

"He'll become the very thing you fear most in this instance."

In this instance, what everyone fears the most is probably the monster that appears after dark, right? And tonight, Shu Guangxuan might just join their ranks.

Nana compassionately suggested, "You've earned quite a bit today, right? I recommend you stay in the first-class cabin tonight."

Meng Bei exclaimed, "If we stay tonight, what about tomorrow?"

Everyone understood by now that gold coins were getting harder to earn. With a thousand coins plus the ruby, she calculated it would last until the last day. If they spend it on the first-class cabin tonight, they'd run out of money later on.

Wen Renyan also chimed in, "But if you don't stay tonight, you might not even make it to tomorrow."

Both Yang Manqing and Meng Bei were left stunned, standing there motionless.

But they also realized that this was their only option.

So that night, due to the accelerated speed of the cruise ship, nobody stayed on the third floor.

Nana and Yun Qian, the "conjoined twins," need no mention; Su Xunlan and Fang Long shared a room on the fourth floor. Ma Xintong, Zhu Yikun, along with Yang Manqing and Meng Bei, all went to the first-class cabins. Wanyu, out of kindness and after asking Xie Yinxue, took Yi Xiaoli to the sixth floor, allowing Yi Zhongjie to room with Han Si on the fourth floor.

That night's room arrangement was peculiar, with the most unusual being Xie Yinxue sharing a room with Wen Renyan and He Yao on the first floor.

No one understood their actions. Han Si vehemently objected, only relenting after being persuaded by Wen Renyan and He Yao.

"We all know that relying solely on earning gold coins is almost impossible to succeed. Mr. Xie also promised to ensure our safety. If it wasn't for him last night, we would already be dead," He Yao patted Han Si's shoulder, revealing the hiding place of their remaining gold coins. "If we don't make it by tomorrow morning, take the gold and survive."

The three of them huddled together, forehead to forehead. Wen Renyan comforted her, "Don't be sad. We always knew this day would come, didn't we?"

"Alright. I also remember where you kept your letters," Han Si's eyes reddened, "But I still hope to see you both tomorrow."

After speaking, she resolutely turned and hurriedly took the elevator to the fourth floor with Yi Zhongjie.

In the end, only Xie Yinxue, Wen Renyan, and He Yao remained in the corridor of the first floor, not yet entering their rooms. Although Yi Nuo had a smile on his face, he spoke to the trio with crossed arms, his attitude dismissive, even if his voice was still youthful and crisp, "You really want to stay on the first floor? The door here hasn't been fixed. It might be dangerous tonight."

"Yes," Xie Yinxue looked back with a smile, her voice gentle, "And we only need one room."

Yi Nuo lowered his voice slightly, stretching his fingers into playful cat claws, warning, "One room is for two people. Too many people might..."

"...attract terrible ghosts," Xie Yinxue interrupted, raising an eyebrow, "Are all the spirits male, or are there females too?"

Yi Nuo: "??"

Both Wen Renyan and He Yao were taken aback by the comment.

Especially Wen Renyan, who looked at Xie Yinxue with heartbreak.

Xie Yinxue lowered her eyelashes, covering her lips with a hand and giggling softly, "I should have brought Bu Hua to this instance. Maybe then he could have seen the beauty he always wanted to..."

The last two words were missed by Wen Renyan and He Yao, but Xie Yinxue was certain Yi Nuo heard because his expression shifted.

For once, he stopped smiling, scrutinizing Xie Yinxue from head to toe with a condescending look, before turning away with a snort.

"It's my godson who wanted to see, not me... cough, cough!"

Xie Yinxue attempted to salvage his reputation, but his words were as unconvincing as saying, "I have a friend." Additionally, due to injuries sustained in this instance, he coughed when speaking too hastily, leaving him helpless as Yi Nuo walked away.

He Yao, clutching his bandaged abdomen, glanced at the distraught Wen Renyan and the coughing Xie Yinxue, sensing the dangers of the night ahead.

He then suggested to Xie Yinxue, "Mr. Xie, should we move to a higher floor? At least the doors there are sturdier."

"With me here," Xie Yinxue swallowed the metallic taste rising in his throat, "Do you think any door would be sturdy?"

He Yao: "..."

That seemed accurate, given Xie Yinxue had saved Ma Xintong and confronted Mrs. Anita earlier in the day. It seemed even the first-class cabins wouldn't be safe for them now.

"Just wait."

With that, Xie Yinxue entered the room.

He Yao and Wen Renyan followed him in.

Yi Nuo didn't provide a key for this room tonight—there was no need. This was room 109, which Xie Yinxue had stayed in before. Its door had long been broken.

But the furniture inside was all newly replaced. Xie Yinxue chose a small sofa to sit on while He Yao and Wen Renyan semi-reclined on the bed, waiting for the clock to strike eight.

Night descended.

However, what they heard first wasn't the familiar heavy and sticky footsteps of monsters but instead, a series of hushed whispers, as if someone was conversing in the hallway. Both He Yao and Wen Renyan shivered, suspecting these to be the spirits Yi Nuo had mentioned.

When the apparitions made their presence known outside room 109, the duo nearly jumped in shock.

For these spirits appeared ghastly—likely retaining their appearances from the moment of death. Some were charred beyond recognition, while others were stripped almost to the skeleton, decapitated figures whose bodies moved without heads... All manner of deaths were represented, each uniquely horrifying. The number of spirits quickly filled room 109, and outside the corridor, more tried to force their way in.

"Rooms are so expensive..."

"We can't afford it... let's share..."

"Let's stay together!"

The spirits murmured these phrases as they occupied room 109. Wen Renyan and He Yao were pressed into a corner, overwhelmed by the thick stench of blood. Trying to adjust his position, He Yao accidentally thrust his hand into a wound on one of the spirits, feeling the cold semi-coagulated blood.

Strangely, even then, the spirit did not retaliate. They all just stood silently in the room.

Minutes later, the delayed footsteps of monsters approached. With the fragile door of the first floor, a monster effortlessly reached room 109. Both Wen Renyan and He Yao even caught sight of its bladed tentacles.

However, the monster did not enter. Instead, it was suddenly overwhelmed by the enraged spirits, who seemed to regard the monster as an archenemy. They lunged, tearing apart the monster's tentacles. Their frail limbs were unexpectedly sharper, even ripping off the human face on the monster's head that Xie Yinxue had never managed to touch.

The creature wailed, green blood gushing from its wounds. Yet, the spirits, further energized, seemed to be restored by this green ichor, regrowing severed limbs.

Pointing at the just-torn human face, He Yao inquired, "Mr. Xie, is that Mrs. Anita?"

"It seems so," Xie Yinxue said, perched on the back of a sofa to avoid the spirits.

Within a mere ten minutes, the monster was torn apart by the spirits, who, now drenched in green blood, bellowed with red eyes: "There's still a foul scent... who is it? WHO?"

Eventually, their glares settled on Xie Yinxue. "He reeks of the wealthy! He carries those filthy gold coins!"

"He's one of the elite!"

"Kill him... kill him!"

Watching the scene, Xie Yinxue suddenly understood the ultimate survival rule aboard the Dream of He'er: "...I see."

Murmuring those words, he nimbly leaped out of room 109, landing in the corridor. Yet, just as Xie Yinxue stepped onto the carpet, the elevator "dinged", revealing another monster.

The face leading the monster was all too familiar—it was the grey-eyed man who attacked him the previous day.

The monster roared, rushing towards Xie Yinxue. But the spirits inside room 109 just stood by, showing no intention of aiding him.

"The elevator's a no-go, then."

Xie Yinxue sighed, turning towards a window that opened to the deck—during the night, all ship doors would be locked, barring access to the deck. However, this particular window at the corridor's end was larger, just enough for Xie Yinxue to pass through.

In an instant, Xie Yinxue dashed towards the window, shattering the glass with his shoulder, and rolled onto the deck.

A thick layer of snow covered the ground, yet even with such force, Xie Yinxue left no imprint upon landing.

He lifted his gaze, his impeccable vision allowing him to see the ship's highest point—the terrace on the ninth floor.

Amidst the frosty snowscape, the young man in pristine white untied the red cord binding his hair, fastened it to a pear blossom silver bracelet he slipped off his left wrist, and flung it upwards. Although the cord was short, it seemed to stretch infinitely, wrapping around the railing of the ninth floor a few times before catching.

Just as the monster burst out of the cabin and surged onto the deck, Xie Yinxue grasped the red ribbon, floating upwards gracefully like a snowflake in the wind, and with an ethereal elegance reminiscent of a celestial being, he landed on the terrace of the ninth floor, bathed in the silvery moonlight.

And then...

He knocked over a barbecue grill.

The ninth-floor terrace was impeccably clean, free of any snow—clearly maintained by someone. Strands of twinkling fairy lights adorned the railings, illuminating the open-air space with a warmth and coziness.

Regrettably, the pristine ambiance was shattered when Xie Yinxue toppled the grill, scattering hot coals and grilled meat.

Shifting a few steps to distance himself from the dirty ash and grease stains, he regained his composure, smoothing out his ruffled attire. Only then did he meet the gaze of the slate-eyed man sitting on a couch, barbecue tongs in hand.

With a playful smile, and without bothering to adjust his disheveled hair, he addressed the man: "Captain He'er, it's not snowing tonight, is it?"

Xie Yinxue made this remark because, the moment he landed, he clearly heard the man mutter under his breath—

"Here comes the snow."

Author's note:

Yi Nuo: I'd like to report someone who wants to see a beautiful female ghost!

NPC: Who is it?

Liu Buhua: I confess, it's me.

NPC: Not your godfather?

Mr. Xie: ?