“Chapter 58 Offering (1)”

"Chapter 58 Offering (1)"

"◎[Two-in-One] It's him—Shi! You! Qing!◎"

"The next day, Shi Youqing visited Yu Ze in the hospital, accompanied by Bo Huai and Feng Bin."

"In the real world, they didn’t have a close relationship with Yu Ze, who had lost his parents early. At this time, only his relatives were outside the ICU, so Shi Youqing could only inquire briefly, unable to visit inside the intensive care unit."

"After a while, they sat down to rest on some chairs in another area."

"Having eaten little that morning, Shi Youqing took a few sips of the soy milk handed to him by Bo Huai."

"Feng Bin said, 'After coming out, Yu Ze stayed in the hotel next to ours. His registration showed he was alone. The incident occurred while he was taking a shower; he fell and suffered a severe head injury leading to a brain hemorrhage. He’s undergone craniotomy... now all we can do is wait for him to wake up.'"

"Shi Youqing took another sip of soy milk, 'Were there such buffer periods for players who died in the game in the real world before?'"

"Feng Bin: 'No, they usually die instantly.'"

"He thought for a moment, then added, 'His condition might be a side effect of becoming an almost-NPC and escaping.'"

"Feng Bin looked at him, 'Actually... no player who stayed in an instance has ever come out.'"

"'So he’s the first,' Shi Youqing said, 'and this also proves that I can bring my mother out in the future.'"

"Feng Bin paused, looking towards the ICU doors, his mind swirling with doubts, yet unsure where to begin."

"Shi Youqing continued drinking his soy milk."

"Suddenly, he heard Bo Huai say, 'He’ll wake up sooner or later.'"

"Shi Youqing glanced at him, 'How do you know?'"

"Bo Huai explained, 'The tasks of quasi-NPCs and players correspond to each other. If a player fails their task, they die in the instance, and their real body dies instantly. If a quasi-NPC fails their assessment, they should also die instantly. Now that he’s alive and brought out the envelope left by Guo Yalan from the instance, he’s already escaped the control of the previous instance.'"

"Shi Youqing was slightly startled, 'Where’s the envelope?'"

"Bo Huai pointed ahead."

"Shi Youqing looked and noticed a middle-aged woman holding a hospital bill with an envelope tucked inside."

"'I asked about it earlier,' Feng Bin sighed, 'It was an envelope Yu Ze had been holding before the incident. His relatives thought it was important and mailed it from near the hospital on the day of his successful surgery, only to have it returned the same day.'"

"Shi Youqing puzzled, 'Why?'"

"Feng Bin explained, 'The beginning of the letter inside was addressed to Yu Ze.'"

"Shi Youqing instantly understood, 'The letter... it was for Yu Ze.'"

"Feng Bin nodded, 'I asked a mutual friend of Yu Ze and Guo Yalan. It seems Guo Yalan wrote several suicide notes to her family before the incident... She might have guessed that Yu Ze, with no parents, would give up continuing the challenge if something happened to her, so she wrote an extra letter, giving Yu Ze a task to leave the instance with a letter that had to be sent out.'"

"Shi Youqing fell silent."

"That day, they returned to Luo City. Before leaving, Feng Bin gave Yu Ze’s relatives his number, saying he was a friend and asking them to inform him when Yu Ze woke up, so they could visit."

"On the return journey, Shi Youqing reflected on the gains from the last instance – he had acquired sixteen white chess pieces."

"He opened his system backpack."

"The first instance gave five black pieces, the second seven white pieces, the third eight black pieces."

"And the last instance, sixteen white pieces."

"It was the highest number of chess pieces he had acquired so far and the only time a player had exceeded double digits in the last instance."

"Shi Youqing was satisfied, placing the black pieces into his system backpack, pondering as he looked out the car window at the sky."

"First, he needed to find the hint and confirm the attributes of the next world."

"If it’s a dark world..."

"He looked at Bo Huai driving and Feng Bin behind him, busily researching on the computer, involuntarily recalling what Hao Tianshuo had said."

"He couldn’t help but frown slightly."

"'What’s wrong?' the driver suddenly asked."

"Shi Youqing said, 'I feel like drinking coconut water.'"

"Entering the city area, Bo Huai turned on the navigation to find the nearest fruit shop."

"Ten minutes later, Shi Youqing held a fresh coconut with a straw, unusually quiet."

"As the car started again, Bo Huai glanced at him from the corner of his eye."

"Shi Youqing’s lips were pursed, his dark eyes slightly downcast, looking particularly childlike when lost in thought."

"He was startled for a moment, then gripped the steering wheel tighter, gazing ahead."

"Shi Youqing tilted his head and saw him smiling."

"'What are you laughing at?' he asked."

"The lips instantly straightened, with a hint of severity."

"Shi Youqing found it amusing, '...I didn’t say you couldn’t laugh.'"

"The other’s face tensed, ears reddening slightly, 'I know.'"

"Shi Youqing didn’t understand him and continued to look out the window, watching a sparrow fly from the tree."

"Over the next few days, the three of them rested while searching for hints."

"Feng Bin visited several nearby high schools for clues. After Bo Huai returned empty-handed from a few days of searching, he decided to stay home and earnestly cook, taking care of Shi Youqing."

"Having not found anything for days, it was likely someone had already taken it."

"Without a hint, they could well rest for a month."

"While Bo Huai was planning a month-long health regimen for Shi Youqing, Shi Youqing was considering the timing for entering the next instance."

"Indeed, Shi Youqing had found the hint for the next instance on the second day after returning to Luo City."

"It was night."

"They were out for a walk, Bo Huai queuing up to buy him juice, while Shi Youqing waited. Suddenly, a high school student’s backpack fell, scattering books everywhere."

"As he bent down to help pick them up, he saw the hint."

"Black ink on white paper, indicating a dark world, with just two words: 'Travel Companions.'"

"Shi Youqing didn’t tell Bo Huai and Feng Bin about this, nor did he suggest teaming up – without the hint, they would enter the instance only after a month, so there was no rush."

"No one expected Shi Youqing to conceal the hint."

"Since leaving the 'Six-Mouthed Home' instance, Shi Youqing had planned to enter the dark world alone."

"He knew he had been targeted by a high-level boss in the dark world, and each subsequent dark world instance he entered would likely have increased difficulty, regardless of the hints. It wouldn't benefit Feng Bin and Bo Huai."

"He wanted to see in the next instance just how intensely he had been targeted."

"On the day before entering the next instance, Shi Youqing and Bo Huai went to watch the latest horror movie release."

"It was a cliché story, relying on gore and sound effects to frighten, but still, Shi Youqing got scared a few times."

"In the dark theater, screams of shock rippled through the audience."

"With the air conditioning quite strong, Bo Huai covered him with a blanket and covered half of his eyes with his hand whenever a scary scene appeared."

"Shi Youqing said, 'You might as well cover them all.'"

"Bo Huai replied, 'If you don’t see it, you’ll keep thinking about it and have nightmares later. We’ll just watch a little bit.'"

"When he said 'we', there was an unprecedented sense of intimacy, almost like cajoling a child. Shi Youqing looked at him curiously, then turned back to focus on the big screen."

"Bo Huai didn't watch the movie, but kept his gaze on him."

"Shi Youqing watched the evil spirits vanish, watched the movie end, and remained silent throughout."

"That night, back in his room, he was sleeping hazily when someone suddenly knocked on the door."

"Aside from him, only Bo Huai was in the house."

"He said, 'Come in.'"

"Bo Huai strode to his bedside, looking troubled, his lips downturned, his eyes like abysses fixated on him."

"He seemed like a different person all of a sudden."

"Shi Youqing, hiding medicine and a thermos under his blanket, sat up, 'What's wrong?'"

"The other remained silent."

"As Shi Youqing was about to ask again, a floating frame appeared with a team-up request."

"By now, both he and Bo Huai met the conditions for forming their own team."

Shi Youqing had a bad feeling and hurriedly refused.

But then, team requests flooded in like a virus, incessantly repeating the request box...

After refusing countless times and realizing it was endless, Shi Youqing knew his actions had been discovered. He decided to ignore it and turned back to sleep.

The next moment, his shoulder was gripped tightly, Bo Huai's voice trembling slightly: "Please agree!"

Shi Youqing ignored him, eyes tightly shut.

He hadn’t expected Bo Huai to tremble.

Bo Huai almost pleaded: "Agree! You can’t be alone this time..."

Shi Youqing abruptly opened his eyes, looking at him: "Did you know me before?"

The air grew tense, and suddenly... Bo Huai, with teary eyes, lunged at him.

"Agree! Please agree! I beg you…"

Before Shi Youqing could react, the scene before him began to fade away.

"...He knew he was entering the replica."

……

"In almost an instant, Shi Youqing awoke again."

"His body was cold, with the sound of waves crashing in the distance, surrounded by a pungent sea smell."

"Shivering, he opened his eyes, first to meet a face beaming with surprise."

“……”

"'Qingqing brother, you finally woke up!' Hao Tianshuo, bare-chested, immediately reached out to help him, 'Where’s your security guard and caretaker? Everyone else is awake, only you were still unconscious... I was so scared!'"

"The sunlight was intense. Shi Youqing frowned and lowered his head, taking a moment to adjust to the brightness before looking at the people sitting or standing behind him. Just as he recognized a few familiar faces, he was startled again by several frightened screams."

"'What the hell! This guy was my teammate last time, he was clearly dragged away by a female ghost! It really is him!'"

"'I, I’ve seen him! In the second level of the White World, he chose the wrong food and was poisoned into a puddle! Absolutely true!'"

"'Ahhhh, I saw him get eaten by zombies in the dark world with my own eyes...'"

"'It's him—Shi! You! Qing! I remember his name... He must be the insider for this level!!!'"

"'Don’t spout nonsense!' Hao Tianshuo threw a flip-flop at them, 'Get lost!'"

"Shi Youqing squinted at those faces, indeed familiar... they must have appeared in his initial dreams."

"Besides them, there were two other familiar faces."

"Qiao Mingcheng from the Red Shoes instance and Zong Tuyuan from the last instance."

"The latter also seemed surprised to see him."

"The others continued to murmur about Shi Youqing’s strangeness. This time, he didn’t pay much attention, nor did he bother to defend himself, pretending to be oblivious and looking around in confusion."

"He noticed they were on a beach, everyone in disheveled clothes, with various garments and planks drifting in the water..."

"Clearly, they had survived a shipwreck."

"Shi Youqing looked at the blue floating frame before him."

"[Dark World Instance: Offering]"

"[Game Progress: 1%]"

"[Prologue: Welcome to Peach Blossom Island! An unforgettable journey begins. The people here are warm and hospitable, cherish every day that follows...]"

"One percent progress?"

"Shi Youqing found it odd; usually, the progress was at 0% upon entering an instance..."

"Could it be that these players had already done something task-related before he woke up?"

"As he pondered, a figure emerged from the woods ahead, 'I checked! Beyond the forest are many huts; there are people living on the island! Let’s go!'"

"Recognizing the face, Shi Youqing froze completely."

"The person turned around and upon seeing him, ran over in surprise, 'Shi Youqing! You're still alive?'"

"After a moment, Shi Youqing uttered her name, 'Guo Yalan.'"

"Guo Yalan nodded vigorously, then helped Hao Tianshuo support him to stand, 'Why are you still so frail? But it’s great you're alive! I thought you had died in that instance...'"

"Shi Youqing’s lips were pale, just staring at her."

"'I get it, you weren’t actually bitten fatally by the monster, right? You must have escaped at the last moment!' Guo Yalan didn’t doubt his identity. Realizing he was staring at her, she assumed he was wondering about Yu Ze and gave a sorrowful smile, 'I know what you’re thinking... Yu Ze... he’s dead.'"

"Shi Youqing, '...Yu Ze is dead?'"

"Guo Yalan nodded, looking down, 'He died in a white world instance, which involved investigating a sociopathic teenage murderer in a boarding school... He couldn’t come out with me.'"

"Shi Youqing remained silent."

"After a moment of silence, Guo Yalan, seeing his continued pallor, asked, 'What’s really wrong with you?'"

"Shi Youqing shook his head, then looked towards Zong Tuyuan in the distance."

"Zong Tuyuan had seen Guo Yalan’s body on the rooftop in the last instance and was now scrutinizing her."

"Shi Youqing withdrew his gaze, asking Guo Yalan, 'How did Yu Ze die?'"

"Guo Yalan took a deep breath, 'He died due to the rules on the third night, in that game... to torment us, the player’s bodies were preserved on the rooftop of an abandoned school building...'"

“……”

"A short-haired girl approached, puzzled, 'Do you know each other? He’s really not an insider?'"

"'Yes, we were teammates before, he’s definitely not an insider!' Guo Yalan eagerly explained, pointing to the girl, 'Shi Youqing, this is my current teammate and junior, her name is Xia Yue. Xia Yue, this is Shi Youqing.'"

"'Hello,' Xia Yue said cautiously, 'Did you come here alone?'"

"She sized him up, clearly worried."

"Shi Youqing nodded, instinctively closing his eyes, feeling a headache."

"If Guo Yalan was an NPC created by the system to deceive players, how could she possibly form a team with a player in reality?"

"Or are they both... NPCs?"

"Some people were still discussing Shi Youqing's enigmatic nature."

"Hao Tianshuo wanted to silence them, but facing three against one, he struggled and finally stood defensively in front of Shi Youqing, exasperated, 'Keep blabbering! The insider, my foot!'"

"There were many players this time, both in teams and solo. Shi Youqing quickly counted, including himself, a total of twenty-five."

"There were a few newcomers, but all had joined experienced players’ teams."

"Guo Yalan, who had earlier ventured into the woods to scout, now brought back information. Her status in the group was somewhat elevated, and seeing everyone arguing, she gestured for silence, 'Enough with the noise. I can vouch for Shi Youqing being a good person... Besides, we don’t even understand our task yet, so internal strife is pointless. Let’s head through the woods to where the houses are. The NPCs are surely there, and with a task, the instance's content will become much clearer. Arguing now serves no purpose!'"

"This quieted the few."

"However, Zong Tuyuan was intrigued by their talk of Shi Youqing dying multiple times, listening arrogantly. He stayed put, seemingly waiting for new players to arrive... until he finally frowned when he saw Shi Youqing moving with the group."

"Approaching with a grimace, he asked, 'Did you come here alone?'"

"Shi Youqing ignored him."

"Unperturbed, his expression remained unchanged."

"Zong Tuyuan paused, almost missing the days Shi Youqing slapped him, then coldly said, 'You’re seeking death! You can’t survive the dark world with just brains!'"

"Shi Youqing gave him a fleeting look."

"Zong Tuyuan stopped in his tracks."

"At this moment, Shi Youqing exuded a chilling aura, eerily unsettling."

"Hao Tianshuo quickly pulled Shi Youqing away from Zong Tuyuan, leaning in to whisper, 'Brother Qing, keep your distance from that guy. Before you woke up, I heard some things about him; he's terrible! Apparently, he’s killed teammates in the instance!'"

"Shi Youqing showed little interest in the topic, asking instead, 'Did you also come here alone?'"

"Hao Tianshuo shook his head, 'I teamed up with a veteran player, look, he's up ahead.'"

"Shi Youqing followed Hao Tianshuo's gaze to the 'veteran' player who was indeed old, in his sixties with graying hair. The man sensed their gaze, glanced back with a stern face, then continued forward."

"Shi Youqing: '...'"

"Hao Tianshuo chuckled, 'He’s indeed a veteran player, he’s been through three more instances than I have!'"

Shi Youqing inquired, "What’s his name?"

"Luo Yanzhong," replied Hao Tianshuo. "He has a grandson suffering from cancer and is in desperate need of money, often leading teams."

Shi Youqing walked on silently, suddenly feeling an inexplicable sense of being watched.

He halted and turned back.

Behind him, not too far away, a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses smiled at him. As Shi Youqing stopped, the man also stood still, nodding in acknowledgment.

"What's up?" Hao Tianshuo whispered. "That's another veteran player. I’ve seen him in the dark world instances, I think his name is… Chu Wei."

Shi Youqing turned and continued forward, responding indifferently, "Oh."

Eventually, the group passed through the woods and, upon seeing the wooden huts, many smiled in relief, "Finally, we’ve arrived!"

Approaching the path leading to the huts, Shi Youqing glanced at a stone tablet by the roadside with two lines inscribed:

"Welcome to Peach Blossom Spring."

"Those who disrespect the gods will be taken by them, but those who respect them are our friends."

A few butterflies fluttered past his shoulder. Shi Youqing reached out to catch one but missed, soon dropping his hand and looking ahead.

The area around the huts was planted with many peach trees, now in full bloom with bees and butterflies dancing among them, creating a scene of mesmerizing beauty.

It instantly reminded one of the famous 'Peach Blossom Spring' tale from textbooks.

The sky was dimming, nightfall approaching.

In the distance, a woman with her hair up approached. She looked up, saw the group, and without surprise, approached with a warm smile, "Who are you?"

Guo Yalan explained, "Hello, we were out on an excursion and unfortunately encountered a storm at sea. Luckily, we all survived. We’re not sure where we are… could we possibly stay here?"

"This is Peach Blossom Spring Island," the woman observed them and said. "We have rules here; locals cannot leave, and while outsiders can come in, once you leave, you must never tell anyone about this place."

Hearing this, a few players murmured in disbelief, "…could this really be the Peach Blossom Spring?"

"No problem, we’ll adhere to your rules!" Guo Yalan assured.

The woman nodded in satisfaction: "However, you are quite a large group. Each family can only accommodate five guests. I'll arrange for you to stay in five different households. You can choose among yourselves how to split up."

Hao Tianshuo expressed his surprise: "Five? What kind of family is that? Can these small shacks really fit five outsiders?"

The woman glared at him, prompting Hao Tianshuo to immediately cover his mouth.

Guo Yalan, pulling her junior along, approached Shi Youqing, "Would you like to stay with us?"

Before Shi Youqing could respond, Hao Tianshuo immediately interjected, "Me too!!!"

In the distance, Chu Wei stood with his arms crossed, looking relaxed as he watched Shi Youqing’s back, seemingly waiting for him to join.

Shi Youqing addressed the woman, "Myself, Guo Yalan, Xia Yue, Hao Tianshuo, and that elderly gentleman with white hair, makes five."

"Alright, you can stay at my place then!" the woman declared.

Chu Wei's face turned ashen, disbelief written all over it.

Seeing the others still hesitating, the woman's face grew stern as she urged, "Hurry up! Don’t wait until it's dark!"

Hearing this, everyone, sensing a possible breach of the rules, quickly formed groups in a frenzy.

During this, Guo Yalan inquired, "How should we address you?"

"Just call me Sister Li," she replied.

There were many wooden houses around, and Sister Li’s house was centrally located. The other four groups were led to four other houses to the left and right. After the introductions, she returned to her own house, opening the door for Shi Youqing and his group.

The sky gradually darkened.

Suddenly, screams echoed from several houses in the distance.

As Shi Youqing turned to look, the door in front of him creaked open, and Guo Yalan quickly pulled him inside.

Before he could take in his surroundings, he heard Hao Tianshuo and Xia Yue screaming beside him.

"What are you yelling about?" Sister Li frowned, looking displeased. "It's just a place to sleep. What's there to be afraid of?"

As Shi Youqing gazed at the six coffins in front of him, his lips pressed tightly together.

"Hao Tianshuo, patting his chest with difficulty, said: 'Sister, does your family sell coffins?'"

"'Don’t talk nonsense, this is a place for sleeping.'"

"'...Who sleeps in a coffin while alive!'"

"'Sigh, this place is different from the outside,' said Sister Li as she forcefully opened a coffin and stepped right into it, 'Dead people don’t stay in coffins here. Their bodies absorb the divine power of our island. After death, they’re thrown into the sea as offerings to the deities. They don’t remain on the island... But it’s almost the 15th day of the seventh month. Every year during this time, they come back. Sleeping in coffins at night, they won’t be discovered.'"

[? Author's Note]

"Thanks to the angel who gave me a rocket launcher: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1;"

"Thanks to the angels who watered me with nutrient solution: 🙂 15 bottles; Men Who Don’t Love Themselves Like Spoiled Cabbages, Sisters Under Control, Come Check Out My Book List 10 bottles; Cabbage 6 bottles; Slim Waist 5 bottles; Silver Star 2 bottles; Seventh Prince, Guilty 1 bottle;"

"I'm very grateful for everyone's support and will continue to work hard!"