Chapter 127

Chapter 127

The body in his arms was slim and frail, neither soft nor warm. Yet, to Bu Jiuzhao, there was a strange satisfaction. He tightened his hold, as if fearing the young man would slip away, and murmured, "Even in my arms, you feel so delicate."

The young man reciprocated the embrace, disrupting the intimate atmosphere with a jest, "Oh? Surely, not as delicate as you?"

Bu Jiuzhao: "?"

Indeed, this person had even accused him of hiding a needle in his trousers.

"Me, delicate?" Bu Jiuzhao was amused by Xie Yinxue's comment. "Shall we compare?"

The young man sighed regretfully, "Why do you wish to embarrass yourself?"

"Alright then." Bu Jiuzhao pulled him onto the bed, leaning over with hands on either side of his head, shadowing him beneath. "Show me yours, then I'll believe you."

"Ah... my mistake. I won't call you delicate anymore," Xie Yinxue apologized with a conciliatory smile. "What if I wear something yellow? Would that please you?"

Pausing briefly, Bu Jiuzhao replied, "Try it on first, then we'll see."

Seeing his sincere response, Xie Yinxue sighed, "You're really fond of gold, aren't you?"

Bu Jiuzhao looked down, his eyes deep yet distant. Although not pitch black, they gave the illusion of impenetrable darkness, revealing no emotion to the onlooker.

His gaze fixed on Xie Yinxue, he remarked, "Didn't you always know?"

Indeed, Xie Yinxue was aware and even knew the reason behind his preference. "Bu Jiuzhao, you like gold because it's bright and warm, reminiscent of sunlight, right?"

Bu Jiuzhao admitted, "Yes."

What Xie Yinxue wasn't aware of, was the depth of this preference.

While many people appreciate sunlight, Bu Jiuzhao's admiration is unparalleled. He's so enamored that he's immobile in its presence. Besides his fondness for golden hues, his love for it is as essential as blood is for vampires.

"Why is that?"

Xie Yinxue softly inquired.

However, Bu Jiuzhao remained silent.

After a long wait, just when Xie Yinxue believed he wouldn't respond, Bu Jiuzhao finally spoke, "I'll tell you when someone else asks me the same question."

Xie Yinxue had no choice but to relent, lying back and murmuring, "Quite the sharp eyes you have."

"I wish your perception was as keen, so you'd realize I'm not particularly pleased right now." Bu Jiuzhao hinted that Xie Yinxue should make good on his earlier promise to wear something yellow to cheer him up.

Feigning innocence and ignoring his previous habit of daily outfit changes, Xie Yinxue protested, "Where am I supposed to find yellow clothing now?"

Bu Jiuzhao suggested slyly, "Removing your clothes might be an acceptable compromise."

Xie Yinxue: "…?"

He turned away, presenting his back to the man. "If you want to remain displeased, so be it. I'm going to sleep."

Bu Jiuzhao sneered, "If you feel inferior, just admit it. I won't mock you for it."

Xie Yinxue: "…"

Karma, true karma.

Fearing that Bu Jiuzhao would continue teasing, Xie Yinxue closed his eyes and feigned sleep, leaving the man to his own devices. Little did he know that Bu Jiuzhao stayed awake the entire night.

He wasn't watching the young man beside him, but rather gazing intently at a certain point in space. Apart from him, no one knew what he was thinking.

On the fifth morning, Liu Buhua was roused from his slumber by voices emanating from an ink pot – Zheng Shu and Chen Ningmo were conversing inside the meditation room.

Zheng Shu wanted to leave the battleship to explore, but Chen Ningmo saw no reason to.

"You know very well that it's nearly impossible to encounter another Kusopopacha outside. Why bother?" He gestured towards the calligraphy left by Xie Yinxue on the wall, saying, "Lacking one vaccine won't kill us."

Zheng Shu countered, "But if we did find one, we could make another 10-18 million."

Chen Ningmo raised an eyebrow, "Firstly, Pan Ruoxi doesn't have that kind of money. Secondly, whether or not I earn that money isn't my primary concern. If the client is alive, I get paid. If someone dies, I don't lose out."

If someone dies, it's one less competitor vying for "eternal life". Either way, he doesn't lose.

Zheng Shu had been voicing such sentiments a couple of days prior, and now that Chen Ningmo echoed them, he remained silent.

Yuan Sineng, eavesdropping from the side, felt a tinge of relief. Objectively speaking, she could afford the 10-18 million vaccine, even after being blackmailed for a chunk of her flesh by Xie Ahqi. If Zheng Shu and Chen Ningmo had spare vaccines, she'd be keen to purchase.

But she feared that if Zheng Shu went out, he might encounter Xie Yinxue like Xie Ahqi did the day before. Now, she didn't have any extra flesh to offer as hush money. So when she heard Chen Ningmo dissuading Zheng Shu from leaving, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Since no one ventured out to hunt, on the fifth day, everyone idled their time away in the meditation room.

As evening approached and dusk neared, they began to rise one by one, using lightsabers to sever their own arms or legs to produce the necessary antibody vaccine for the day.

After several days of this routine, everyone had grown accustomed to it. From the initial nausea of injecting the vaccine into their stomachs to now being unfazed by the process.

However, when it was Zhuo Changdong's turn to use the vaccine production machine after Mengni, Dangdang, Xiao Xingxi, and Cui Haocheng, he encountered an unexpected problem – the freshly severed right leg from his own body was deemed unusable.

Seeing him fiddle with the machine for a long time, his complexion deteriorating and sweat forming on his forehead, Feng Jinshan approached and inquired, "What's the matter?"

"I don't know!" Zhuo Changdong exclaimed with a face flushed in desperation, gasping for breath. "The screen says this flesh is contaminated and can't be used to produce a pure antibody vaccine. It asks me to replace the sample. But how did my flesh become tainted? When was it contaminated? How could it have been contaminated?!"

With those three rapid-fire questions, Zhuo Changdong laid bare his inner panic in full.

In this realm, the term "contaminated" is used to denote the flesh of Kusopachas that's been struck by machine-gun fire. Such flesh cannot be used to create vaccines because it's been "tainted."

Everyone had believed that this contamination only occurred with the Kusopachas. How was it that now a participant's flesh was also deemed "contaminated" and unusable?

Mu Yujing was the first to recover her senses. She rushed to Zhuo Changdong's side and questioned, "Only flesh that's been hit by machine-gun fire gets 'contaminated.' Were you shot?"

"I was hit..." Zhuo Changdong's voice wavered with an emotional tremble, "I told you all before..."

Everyone thought back and remembered that Zhuo Changdong had indeed mentioned it when he, Cui Haocheng, and Feng Jinshan were explaining the cause of Ye Zhou's death.

Back then, the four of them had left together, but only returned carrying Ye Zhou's body. Naturally, suspicions arose as to whether they might have inadvertently harmed Ye Zhou, preventing him from escaping the Kusopachas. Zhuo Changdong had refuted this, emphasizing the regenerative powers of their nano-protective suits — even a gunshot wound would heal swiftly.

He knew because he had been the one shot.

Few believed him at the time and, afterward, most had pushed the detail aside, focusing only on the suit's rapid healing properties without pondering how the injury occurred.

This overlooked plot point now came crashing back, serving as a stark reminder for all. It showed that in the "Lock of Immortality" realm, no detail could be ignored. Otherwise, one's life might dissipate insignificantly in some sub-realm, eventually fading from memory.

"Cui Haocheng!"

With this realization, Zhuo Changdong could no longer restrain himself. His face contorted with rage, he screamed at the man who had shot him, "It was you who hit me! And you took two vaccines... give me one of them!"

It's all Cui Haocheng's fault!

If not for that bastard's shot, his leg would still be functional. That vaccine is what Cui Haocheng owes him!

"Why should I care?" Cui Haocheng didn't intend to accept the blame. He wasn't about to concern himself with Zhuo Changdong's fate. According to Xie Yinxue's method, not getting vaccinated on the seventh day would still lead to clearance, "Being short of one won't kill you, just endure it."

"Hold on, you always bragged about your sharpshooting skills, right?" Zhuo Changdong pressed, a troubling detail coming to mind, "When we hunted the Kusopachas for the second time, your aim was quite accurate. Why then did you hit my leg on the first day?"

Cui Haocheng offered a dismissive explanation, "It was an accidental misfire."

Zhuo Changdong snapped his head up, eyes burning with fury, "Did you and Ye Zhou plan from the start to use me? To purposely injure me so that I'd fall, allowing you to use me as a stepping stone to clear the challenge?"

His wild appearance was unsettling. Cui Haocheng, worried that Zhuo Changdong might act rashly, swallowed nervously and said with increasing sincerity, "Hey, listen... I genuinely didn't mean to shoot you."

"Compensate with your own flesh!"

Zhou Changdong's voice was nearly a desperate scream. He snatched the submachine gun from Feng Jinshan's feet and pointed it at Cui Haocheng, implying that if Cui didn't comply, he'd ensure he couldn't use his own flesh either.

Seeing this, others nearby who held guns immediately tightened their grips.

Strangely, the calmest person was Cui Haocheng, the one being aimed at. He noticed that Zhou's gun was pointed at his mechanical limb, which, even if shot, could just be replaced with no real consequence.

Zhou Changdong looked fierce and terrifying, but Cui figured it was just a bluff, trying to scare him into handing over a piece of flesh.

Recognizing the act, Cui became even more fearless.

After all, only the "veterans" could operate the submachine guns.

Thus, Cui Haocheng calmly flicked his nails and said nonchalantly, "Zhou Changdong, have you forgotten? You can't use this gun. But I can. Push me further, and let's see what happens."

Angered by Cui's words, Zhou Changdong took aim at his leg and pulled the trigger. Yet, just as Cui said, the gun didn't fire. It appeared useless in Zhou's hands.

Chuckling, Cui lifted his gun and shot at a cushion on the floor. A brilliant flash lit the room and the cushion vanished with a muted boom.

But the threat of the gun wasn't limited to just Zhou Changdong.

As Mengni and Mu Yujie were about to mediate between the two men, another woman, Xie Aqi, spoke, "So, if our bodies get shot, we can't use them either..."

Throughout their time in this alternate reality, Xie Aqi had seemed straightforward and decisive. But now, her voice wavered, dripping with a despair that seemed bottomless.

When everyone looked at her, they realized she was staring at another person.

She glared at Xiao Xingxi, her eyes filled with an overpowering rage that threatened to drown the girl, "Missing one won't kill you... but what about two or three?"

"I... I..." Xiao Xingxi stepped back, tearfully admitting her mistake, "I'm sorry, Aqi... I didn't know it would turn out like this..."

Xie Aqi shouted, "What good does an apology do? Did you shoot me to use my body to get through this?"

Dang Dang widened her eyes, "Did she really do that?"

Xiao Xingxi shrunk back, murmuring, "No, I... I just have bad aim and hit her accidentally..."

Xie Aqi, with a mix of anger and bitter laughter, turned to the others, "Do you believe this?"

Sharing the same fate with Xie Ahqi, Zhuo Changdong shouted, "She did it on purpose!"

"I don't care whether you admit it or not. Now, I just want you to do one thing for me," Xie Ahqi said, taking a deep breath to suppress her anger towards Xiao Xingxi. She extended her hand, "Give me a piece of your flesh."

Without a hint of hesitation, Xiao Xingxi shook her head, emulating the tone of Xie Yinxue, "But what will become of me if I give it to you?"

Xie Ahqi stared her down, asserting, "You won't die from missing one dose of the vaccine. Give it to me!"

After meeting Xie Yinxue, Xie Ahqi realized that Yuan Sining had lied. The only way to clear the game without the vaccine was to decapitate another player turned into a Gamo and hand the head to the guiding NPC. No other way existed.

And this was the only path left for Xie Ahqi.

Her entire body had been hit. She had no flesh left to use. If she didn't inject the antibody vaccine tonight, she'd turn into a Hungry Gamo after midnight.

Would she even survive to see the next sunrise under the watchful eyes of so many participants?

Hence, she needed to obtain flesh for a vaccine to last the night. Come dawn, she'd search for Xie Yinxue, Liu Buhua, and Bu Jiuzhao. Decapitating any one of them would grant her passage.

Yet Xiao Xingxi wouldn't yield.

Even though it was unfair to Xie Ahqi, they weren't close. Why should she risk herself? Besides, the ray gun was hers alone to use. Without her consent, what could Xie Ahqi do?

Xiao Xingxi lowered her face, choosing silence, appearing intent on remaining mute.

Furious, yet aware she couldn't harm Xiao Xingxi, Xie Ahqi saw an alternative. She turned to Yuan Sining, cornered, "Give me another piece of your flesh."

"…What did you say?"

Yuan Sining was dumbstruck by Xie Ahqi's audacious demand.

Watching every move like a primetime TV drama, Liu Buhua, eager for entertainment, called out to Xie Yinxue, "Godfather, come watch! They're about to fight!"

Before Xie Yinxue could react, Bu Jiuzhao gleefully dragged a chair over, smirking at the spectacle, "Seems she won't get to enjoy those two arms you offered."

Liu Buhua applauded, "Xie Ahqi should put Yuan Sining in her place for her greed!"

Had Yuan Sining done nothing that night, Xie Yinxue would've provided her with the vaccine the next day. Even if she'd just innocently asked for Xie Yinxue's flesh, she wouldn't have attracted unwanted attention. Yet, she was first targeted by Pan Ruoxi and then ensnared by Xie Ahqi.

One could only wonder if Yuan Sining regretted her actions now.

After hearing Xie Ahqi's words clearly, she responded without hesitation, "Impossible."

"I've already given you a piece of my flesh," Yuan Sinning said coldly, "Don't push your luck."

Xie Ahqi smirked chillingly, "Then I'll expose your secret."

Prior to this, she had been deliberately lowering her voice when speaking to Yuan Sinning, ensuring no one overheard. But now, with this threat, Xie Ahqi raised her voice, drawing everyone's attention to their confrontation.

"What secret?" Pan Ruoxi, who never got along with Yuan Sinning, immediately latched onto Xie Ahqi's words, pressing, "Xie Ahqi, you're acting strange. You've already traded a secret with Yuan Sinning that lets you pass without the vaccine. Why are you now asking Xiaoxingxi for flesh for the antidote? You don't even need it."

The rest of the group, prompted by Pan Ruoxi's words, began to see the inconsistency in Xie Ahqi's behavior. While it made sense for Zhuo Changdong to be angry, having no secret to trade, what reason did Xie Ahqi have?

Unless... the secret Yuan Sinning boasted of, about passing without the vaccine, was a lie.

Xie Ahqi remained silent, realizing she had inadvertently given herself away.

Seeing that she could no longer hide the truth, Yuan Sinning decided to confess before Xie Ahqi could expose her. "I lied to all of you. I don't know any method to pass without the vaccine. What I got from Xie Yinxue was his two arms, two pieces of flesh to make the antidote."

This time, Yuan Sinning recounted everything that happened the night she met Xie Yinxue in the meditation room, no longer daring to hide any details.

After hearing her confession, Mu Yujin paused for a while before softly asking, "So, you deceived me?"

"Yes, I did. I'm sorry."

Yuan Sinning quickly apologized, her sincerity resembling that shown to Xie Yinxue earlier. Realizing that an apology might not be enough, she quickly added, "But I truly have another secret, which I can share as compensation—"

Pan Ruoxi scoffed, "You think anyone will still believe your nonsense—"

"—I know how many levels there are in 'Locking Immortality' to achieve true immortality!"