Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Liu Bu Hua always took Xie Yin Xue's words to heart, so without further ado, she promptly sat down on a chair nearby.

Bu Jiu Zhao subtly lifted his eyes, scanning the seemingly organized desks and chairs of room 404 twice, before taking a step forward and settling in the front row, closer to Xie Yin Xue.

Talk about speaking something into existence.

Just as Bu Jiu Zhao and Liu Bu Hua had settled in, Ji Shan Shan, Zhang Cai Xia, and Jin Xi appeared at the door.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, they were leaning against the door frame, catching their breaths heavily. It was evident that climbing to the fourth floor had worn them out, especially since they still had the stature of children and hadn't grown.

Once Zhang Cai Xia caught her breath and looked up to see the tall and graceful Xie Yin Xue, her eyes widened in disbelief, stammering, "Xie Yin Xue... aren't your legs...?"

Xie Yin Xue nodded gently, picking up Zhang Cai Xia's train of thought, responding warmly, "They were severely injured and hinder my movement."

Zhang Cai Xia: "?"

Xie Yin Xue's legs stood even straighter than hers; where was any sign of a severe injury? Such claims were best taken lightly, for whoever believed them would be a fool.

"Why only the three of you?" Liu Bu Hua craned her neck to peer behind Jin Xi and Ji Shan Shan, asking, "Where are the others?"

Jin Xi informed her, "They went elsewhere to find He Wei, Wu Yue Han, and Chen Yun."

Hearing this, Liu Bu Hua pressed on, "Why didn't you all go together?"

He remembered that the previous night, Jin Xi had mentioned crafting weapons and joining Pei Qing Wen's team for some combat.

Zhang Cai Xia rolled her eyes, candidly saying with a hint of annoyance, "We did want to, but they didn't want us."

Bu Jiu Zhao, noting their stature which was as petite as his and Liu Bu Hua's, deduced, "It's because you haven't grown."

"Yes," Ji Shan Shan sighed, "We're unsure why that is."

To ensure no unforeseen incidents occurred during the [final exam], the student participants followed the procedure illustrated in the exam comic. After ensuring none of the teachers were in the dormitories in the morning, they collectively headed to the cafeteria for breakfast.

However, even if the comic didn't depict this part, they would have done the same.

For only after having breakfast would their hunger dissipate, giving them the energy to seek and capture the teachers.

What they hadn't anticipated was that after breakfast, some of the student participants reverted to their adult forms. Others, like Ji Shan Shan, Jin Xi, and Zhang Cai Xia, aside from no longer feeling hungry, exhibited no other changes.

There's a stark difference in the strength between participants with adult physiques and those with childlike ones. Pei Qing Wen and Wei Xiao, who had returned to their adult forms, even accepted Liu Yi, who was notoriously ineffective, but rejected participants like them who remained child-sized and lacked combat abilities.

Seeing Ji Shan Shan sighing, Liu Bu Hua tried to console her, saying, "Don't be down. How often in life do we get a chance to revert to our younger selves? We're lucky to have this experience—it's a joyous occasion!"

“……”

Ji Shan Shan's silence indicated that Liu Bu Hua's words hadn't comforted her.

With the class bell yet to ring and the final exam not officially underway, everyone was still free to engage in leisurely conversations.

Remembering Sun Ling Xi's inner monologue, Jin Xi asked Xie Yin Xue, "Did you give your little red flower to Liu Bu Hua?"

Xie Yin Xue firmly replied, "Yes."

Jin Xi expressed surprise, "So you really didn't give it to Bu Jiu Zhao."

Xie Yin Xue, with a playful smile, glanced at Bu Jiu Zhao seated below the podium and responded, "No, I didn't."

Seeing this, Zhang Cai Xia looked from Xie Yin Xue's smiling face to Bu Jiu Zhao's gloomy expression and whispered, "Did you stay here to target him?"

Bu Jiu Zhao, hearing this, furrowed his brow even more but replied solemnly, "No."

Ji Shan Shan frowned, recalling her unreciprocated crush on Pei Qing Wen, and sadly commented, "I understand. It's hard to let go and even harder to take drastic measures."

Almost every night, Bu Jiu Zhao's inner thoughts revolved around Xie Yin Xue. Sometimes wondering about the fairness of her skin, at other times considering being a second father figure like Liu Bu Hua. Wasn't it clear that he had feelings for Xie Yin Xue?

His affection was so evident that even though he knew Xie Yin Xue wouldn't give him the extra little red flower, he still chose to stand by her side until the end.

Such deep affection is truly touching.

Therefore, Zhang Cai Xia sighed deeply, patting Jin Xi on the shoulder and shaking her head, "Another tragic example of someone hopelessly devoted, only to end up with nothing."

Bu Jiuzhao: "…?"

However, whether Bu Jiuzhao wants to kill Xie Yinxue or not, it doesn't greatly affect the trio.

If he wishes to kill, their group will simply gain one more member; if not, he can't stop them from acting.

After all, Zhang Caixia, Jin Xi, and Ji Shanshan came to Room 404 with the purpose of killing Xie Yinxue.

Every student participant saw the dark suitcase that Xie Yinxue placed at the entrance of the school building. At a glance, they understood that he was likely hiding inside—having broken his legs the day before, he could only move with the aid of the suitcase. Yet such a large case would be inconvenient to bring upstairs, so he left it below.

However, it's also possible… that Xie Yinxue is not in the building at all.

Pei Qingrong, Wei Xiao, including Sun Lingxi all believe this is a ruse by Xie Yinxue. Given his actions over the past few days, it's unlikely he would make such a glaring mistake revealing his location.

More crucially: even if Xie Yinxue is indeed inside and even if he's now handicapped with broken legs, they still consider him the most formidable among the four teachers.

Moreover, he most likely has Bu Jiuzhao and Liu Buhua with him. Hence, Pei Qingrong, Wei Xiao, and Sun Lingxi and the others didn't rush into the building. They planned to search elsewhere for He Wei and Wu Yuehan first, targeting the more vulnerable participants.

However, Zhang Caixia and her group had no other options.

Not having reverted to their adult forms, they lack strength. Even if Pei Qingrong had wanted them, they wouldn't keep up with his pace. They'd be better off taking a gamble and heading to the building to confront the incapacitated Xie Yinxue.

Who would've thought that while Xie Yinxue was indeed in the building, his legs were perfectly fine, and if he ran, probably none of the three could catch up.

Fortunately, Jin Xi had prepared some weapons the night before.

She signaled Zhang Caixia and Ji Shanshan to guard the back door while she stayed at the front, blocking all exits from Room 404.

Xie Yinxue watched their moves, still smiling. There was no change in his demeanor, and he didn't move an inch from the podium, as if his injuries were indeed severe and he couldn't move.

Half a minute later, the bell rang, announcing the start of the final exam.

The moment the bell rang, Jin Xi pulled a small rifle from her bag, aiming straight at Xie Yinxue. Zhang Caixia and Ji Shanshan did the same. The rifles might have looked crudely made, but the fact they brought them out meant they were confident in their function.

Liu Buhua exclaimed, "You brought guns?"

No wonder they dared to confront Xie Yinxue.

Xie Yinxue also raised an eyebrow, "Pei Qingrong's loss for not recruiting you into his team."

"These are homemade guns with limited range," Jin Xi said with a smirk, "They might not be the best choice for chasing down Chen Yun or Wei, but for you, they should suffice."

Indeed, she had crafted three guns the night before. She kept one for herself, gave another to Zhang Caixia, and intended to use the last as a bargaining chip to join Pei Qingrong. However, since Pei Qingrong showed no interest in them, she gave it to Ji Shanshan.

"Xie Yinxue, we bear you no ill will," said Zhang Caixia, who was guarding the back door, her usual nonchalance gone. "It's wrong of us to come after you, but we need to survive. I'm sorry."

Jin Xi and Ji Shanshan echoed, "We're sorry."

Without another word, they pulled their triggers, not wanting to be the villains who talk too much and end up dead.

However, after the deafening gunfire, the slender, ethereal-looking young man in the center of the podium still stood tall, his light yellow robe spotless and without a trace of blood.

Instead, three windows on the northern side of the classroom shattered, as if they were the ones being targeted.

Ji Shanshan stared at her gun in disbelief, murmuring, "What just happened?"

Did all three of them miss their aim? And so drastically at that? Xie Yinxue was clearly standing on the east side.

Jin Xi, unconvinced, aimed at Xie Yinxue again and fired.

This time, while the northern window remained intact, the southern one shattered—another miss.

Witnessing this, Zhang Caixia realized why Xie Yinxue had confidently left his luggage on the first floor: he was unafraid of anyone trying to kill him.

There he was, a sitting duck, yet they couldn't touch him.

"Damn it, we don't have many bullets left. Let's not waste them here," Zhang Caixia decided, holstering her gun. "We should go now and find others while there's still time."

Surprisingly, Xie Yinxue spoke up, "Since you're already here, why not stay for a lesson?"

A lesson?

The looks Jin Xi and Ji Shanshan directed at Xie Yinxue were filled with astonishment.

The young man on the podium said with a tone of regret, "I drew the 'teacher' role in this game, yet I've failed to teach you any valuable lessons. I've been quite remiss in my duties."

"A lesson? From you?" Zhang Caixia eyed him skeptically. "How old are you anyway? Younger than the age of my shoes?"

"In learning, there's always room for growth, regardless of age," the young man replied with a humble smile, "I'm sure there's something I can teach you."

After uttering those words, he sidestepped, revealing the eight characters written with a vigorous flourish on the blackboard behind him.

"Endless misery awaits in the sea of suffering, yet salvation lies just a turn away."

Jin Xi recognized this handwriting. Just yesterday, she had seen Xie Yin Xue's calligraphy.

Although she recognized the writing, she disagreed with the message it conveyed. She retorted to Xie Yin Xue, "Are you a monk? If you're trying to advise us, 'Lay down your weapon and attain instant enlightenment' might be more fitting."

Xie Yin Xue responded softly, "But you don't truly want to kill."

"He's a saint in a man's body. We've already shot at you, so stop trying to excuse our actions," Zhang Cai Xia said, impatient to move on. She urged Jin Xi and Ji Shan Shan, "Let's go."

Just as the trio turned to leave, a voice even softer than Xie Yin Xue's spoke up, "If you really wanted to kill, you wouldn't retain such physiques."

The statement made all three halt in their tracks.

Continuing with Bu Jiu Zhao's words, Xie Yin Xue said, "Children have limited strength and stamina. If you didn't have guns, none of you could commit murder, let alone give chase."

The breakfast that all the student participants had this morning was a catalyst—those truly resolved to kill would revert to their adult forms after eating, while those undecided, weak-willed, or unwilling to kill would remain in their weakened childlike state.

"Yes..." Jin Xi began again, her voice rougher and filled with sorrow, "We understand all this."

"We also know that even though the game forbids participants from killing each other, it still tempts us with the option to kill the teacher participants in order to pass. But if we don't kill, we can't graduate," Zhang Cai Xia gripped her rifle tighter, "Our only hope lies in the unbreakable rule that guide NPCs can't lie."

The guiding NPCs never lie. Though they haven't encountered the "Graduation" guide NPC since entering this scenario, if he said achieving a "good score" in the final exam would lead to graduation and advancement, then it must be true.

Hearing this, Xie Yin Xue told them, "That's not the only way out."

"Are you suggesting we negotiate with the ferryman NPC? That's just another dead end," Zhang Cai Xia smirked, "Besides, we don't even know who the ferryman NPC is in this scenario."

"He..."

Xie Yin Xue opened his mouth but only managed to utter a single word.

From outside classroom 404, another child-sized participant ran in. Breathless from ascending the stairs, she urgently shouted to Xie Yin Xue in the classroom, "Run..."

"Wu Yue Han and He Wei are dead... they're coming now!"

The newcomer was none other than Jiang Mo.

Zhang Caixia recalled that after breakfast, she and Yun Meizhen, who hadn't grown up either, followed Sun Lingxi, who was the only one among the girls to have returned to her adult form. Zhang Caixia had assumed that Sun would team up with Pei Qingrong and Wei Xiao. Instead, she took along Jiang Mo and Yun Meizhen, which was unexpected for Zhang Caixia.

Given Sun Lingxi's history of sacrificing Chen Yun for her own survival, neither Zhang Caixia nor Jin Xi wanted to be on her team. Ji Shanshan, feeling estranged from her roommate, joined Zhang Caixia and Jin Xi instead.

"Them?" Xie Yinxue, looking calm, asked Jiang Mo, who appeared worried, "Is it Pei Qingrong or Sun Lingxi?"

Panicking, Jiang Mo exclaimed, "Both of them!"

Recalling what she had recently witnessed, her voice quivering, she said, "I was with Sun Lingxi and saw her kill Wu Yuehan. I don't know what Pei Qingrong and the others did, but I saw blood on their hands and heard He Wei scream. I think they must've killed him..."

Jiang Mo didn't want to kill. However, the idea of negotiating with the ferryman NPC and potentially giving up her future survival didn't appeal to her either.

At heart, she was selfish; surely, others dying would be better than her own death. Given the current option of graduating by killing someone else, she'd definitely choose that path.

But Chen Yun had saved her. She wouldn't harm him unless absolutely necessary. Xie Yinxue had consoled her during her lowest moments, so she didn't join Zhang Caixia's group to target her either.

Just then, Sun Lingxi proposed teaming up with her and Yun Meizhen to find Wu Yuehan, so she joined them.

On their search, Yun Meizhen chatted idly, suggesting that Jiang Mo would be better off with Pei Qingrong and Wei Xiao. Yun Meizhen and Sun Lingxi had no intention of killing Wu Yuehan. They planned to find her, pay their respects, complete the class assignment, and claim Wu Yuehan's bonus reward without harming her.

If Wu Yuehan were to be killed, it would be up to Jiang Mo.

It might be better to simply join Pei Qingrong's group and, after they killed He Wei, to help out just enough to pass the final exam.

After hearing Yun Meizhen's words, Jiang Mo pondered for a few seconds and, agreeing with her logic, decided to split up to find Pei Qingrong.

But before she could get far, she heard Wu Yuehan's anguished cries. Turning around, she saw Sun Lingxi dragging Wu Yuehan from a hidden spot behind a bookshelf, slitting her throat.

The cut, however, wasn't fatal. Wu Yuehan struggled for a while before dying. Yun Meizhen, covered in blood, looked horrified.

Jiang Mo couldn't bear to watch any further. The traumatic scene of Wu Yuehan's death made her flee in numb terror. On her way to the main building, she heard He Wei's screams and saw Pei Qingrong, Liu Yi, and others covered in blood coming from the direction of the dormitories.

Their faces weren't filled with remorse or panic after killing but with joy and exhilaration of almost passing the game.

Looking at them, Jiang Mo felt they seemed even more terrifying than any ghost. She had overestimated her own courage; she didn't have the guts to kill nor the desire to become as ruthless as Pei Qingrong or Sun Lingxi.

"I can't be like them..." Jiang Mo sobbed, covering her face, "I can't kill..."

It wasn't that she didn't want to; she simply didn't dare.

She's always been this way - timid, selfish, and incompetent. She can't stomach the thought of eating a scorpion alive, dreads facing the restroom ghost, can't complete the [Reading] course even if it's just an illusion on her own. Let alone the idea of taking another person's life.

"They're both gone? Just like that?" Both Zhang Caixia and Jin Xi were profoundly shocked upon hearing of Wu Yuehan and He Wei's deaths. "So, only Chen Yun is left?"

Ji Shanshan whispered weakly, "I don't want to hurt Chen Yun... She's been good to us, even saved our lives..."

"I don't want to either," said Zhang Caixia. "But even if we wanted to, we'd need to find her first."

Up to now, Wu Yuehan, He Wei, and Xie Yinxue have all made appearances.

But no one knows where Chen Yun really is.