Chapter 74: City of the Fox 24

Chapter 74: City of the Fox 24

Hong Jiu: "If I had someone like that around, I'd rather face ten or eight ghosts. She'd suck my blood, eat my flesh, crush my bones, leaving me with nothing left!" As a woman, she spoke with righteous indignation.

Zhou You commented, "Have you played 'The Spirits of the Snowy Mountain'? If you had, you wouldn't say that..."

Whether human or ghost, both are terrifying.

Chen Mo asked again, "Still, why didn't she completely annihilate everyone? Why spare Liang Huiyun?"

Lu Zai Chuan answered, "Because there was no need. In such circumstances, why go to extremes and invite gossip? In history, Emperor Yongzheng dealt with his brothers by imprisoning them, which is more agonizing than death. This precisely illustrates their cruelty and ruthlessness."

Bai Qi sighed, "No wonder Aunt Liang achieved so much. She's heartless to the point of being terrifying. The same goes for emperors throughout history."

With that, the group's discussion came to a close.

After eating, everyone dispersed, some wandering around, others heading back.

As Pei Yidao was packing up, Lu Zai Chuan called out to him, "Don't leave yet, let's talk."

Pei Yidao perked up, "Another dinner invitation?"

"Sure."

He agreed quickly. "Next time, though. I'm exhausted from the copy, need to sleep for a bit. How about the day after tomorrow at 8 PM?"

"Alright, we'll be in touch."

The two parted ways, and when Pei Yidao reemerged, he was back in his hotel room, transported directly by the system. By then, everyone's rankings were already out.

He and Lu Zai Chuan were indisputably first in Group A, Zone A, or in the entire JC, among ten thousand players.

With a total score of 302, he ranked 65,821st overall, an improvement of ten thousand places. The number of followers in his live stream room saw the most significant increase, reaching over ten thousand.

These were secondary to Pei Yidao. He casually glanced over them and fell asleep, sleeping for two days straight.

Upon waking, he checked the JC forum. It had exploded with activity. The newly opened section "City of the Fox" had surged to the front page. Two days' worth of news was nearly spilling over. They were still engrossed in the story of the giant fox and the heroic collaboration of Pei Yidao and Lu Zai Chuan.

Pei Yidao found their analyses quite interesting, often offering new perspectives and insights.

The hottest topic of discussion was the ancestral temple mission point, related to possession.

[The One in Ten Thousand Who Dared to Jump into the Wormhole – Pei Yidao]

"That void-like abyss... who gave him the courage to leap into its endless depths? I could watch this short video a hundred times! Ah, it's so intense! It gives me goosebumps! Oh, the great void! Sometimes, one must make small sacrifices for something so grand."

"When will JC launch a space-themed copy, getting trapped in a black hole? Just thinking about it is thrilling."

"Or a deep-sea copy. Think about it, when they jumped into the abyss, they floated. What does that imply? In space, you lose gravity and float in the void. Isn't it the same in the deep sea, close to Earth's core, where gravity is also lost? What do you think, could Earth's wormholes be in the deep sea? Crossing it, could we reach another world?"

"Am I the only one who thinks their duel was the most exciting part? They almost sensed each other simultaneously and jumped into the abyss together. Pei Yidao jumped first, followed immediately by Lu Zai Chuan, less than a second apart. How did they dare!"

"Telepathy, that's what!!"

"I really admire the courage of Brother Pei and Lu God! No, it should be Pei God now."

"I still think the coolest part was how they remained calm even when all their companions were transformed. That's so difficult! Lu God is truly amazing. He was the first to notice something odd at the folk museum and informed Pei Yidao, who then sensed it in Space B. That's what resonated, right?"

"To survive in this copy, in summary: First, choose the right color, blue; second, maintain utmost calm; and lastly, have a tacit understanding with your friends. Without these, you might end up dying in the city, becoming possessed..."

Pei Yidao scrolled down and exited, switching to a post titled [Explaining the Importance of Jumping Off the Cliff] by Beanpole Bro.

"Some ask why jumping off a cliff is placed at the beginning. Simple. Did you notice that the 'doubles' (for lack of a better word) in the other space all ended up jumping off cliffs? In traditional ghost and spirit culture, jumping off a cliff is a way to find a replacement, similar to the concept of a water ghost. This is how the citizens of Fox City start building the psychological foundation for the travelers - the beginning of their transformation!

"Let's discuss the entire ceremony now. Below is the map of Fox City. Take a look.

"There are seven scenic spots. What do they form when connected? A pentagram. Around the river, lotus flowers are planted, and the central stream spells a mantra in Sanskrit, a 'finished' symbol. At the very front of the river, what's there? Right, the door, the very place where they first entered. Every spell requires a space; Fox City is like a net, trapping people firmly inside.

"We should be thankful this is just a game. If we really entered this city, could we truly escape? Not necessarily. Aunt Liang thought of everything: transforming companions, mental and physical control, and altering the environment. A city like this leaves almost no chance of escape...

"Maybe, just maybe, the real Black Mother is still alive in this world, continuing her search for replacements."

"After hearing Beanpole Bro, it feels even more terrifying... real horror."

Someone retorted, "Are you saying these players are all no good? Beanpole, if you're so capable, why don't you give it a try?"

The original poster replied, "I was just pointing out a possibility. But haven’t some players already broken the game? Salute to the great Pei God and Lu God!!"

"This copy needs to be savored carefully, the more you delve into it, the more intriguing it gets! And as for Pei Yidao, the more you watch, the more admirable and handsome he appears. Covering my face in awe."

Unable to resist, Pei Yidao replied, "Support, well said!"

"A big shot in the forum, caught the big shot."

"Pei God! I offer you my utmost respect."

"Me too."

"Count me in!"

Pei Yidao was amused by all these comments.

Amidst the numerous praises, some critical voices stood out. But Pei Yidao automatically ignored them, having learned to be wise. Still, he couldn't help but check them out. What if they truly pointed out his flaws? Wouldn’t that be valuable?

[Detailing Pei Yidao’s Ten Mistakes in the City of the Fox.]

"Ten mistakes? Where did they come from? In S1’s first battle, his coordination with Lu God was seamless, near perfect, worthy of our appreciation and learning as players!"

Pei Yidao: "........" He had learned a thing or two about flattering literature.

He closed the forum and reflected on the copy. There were indeed regrets, like his inability to save Liang Huiyun. In this copy, players were at an absolute disadvantage, with spirits possessing overwhelming power.

They controlled the players’ life and death. But why? On what grounds?

In a way, Lord Fox still exists, as long as people believe in Him.

Thinking this, Pei Yidao suddenly had a strange idea.

Why not try summoning Him himself? No, that wouldn't do. He didn't believe in Him, how could he summon Him? He definitely couldn't. Wait a second. Who said summoning had to be done with that kind of ritual? Aren't there other summoning rituals? But what would he do with a summoned entity?

Thinking it was time to meet Lu Zai Chuan as agreed, he checked the time and headed straight for the restaurant. This time he changed his shoes, but as for clothes, he didn't own a suit.

He saw Lu Zai Chuan sitting upright and approached him, patting his shoulder, "Little bro, you're early."

Lu Zai Chuan awkwardly hummed and shrugged off Pei Yi's hand.

This made Pei Yi uncomfortable too. Where did this ambiguity come from? They hadn't done much, just a kiss, yet it felt like they were long-term lovers. With usually thick-skinned Pei Yi, his face inexplicably heated up.

A mental flash of an intense kissing scene with Lu Zai Chuan startled him into sitting and grabbing a glass of water. Was he too desperate from being single, or was it just that the man in front of him was damn attractive?

"That's my water," Lu Zai Chuan reminded.

Damn it. Pei Yi quickly set it down, forcing himself to calm down, "How long have you been here?"

"Not long, I've already ordered."

Pei Yi muttered an acknowledgment, glancing at the table and avoiding looking at Lu Zai Chuan's alluring lips. After a while, their meal arrived and they ate. Enjoying the food, Pei Yi relaxed a bit and shared his idea of summoning the fox deity.

Lu Zai Chuan listened and frowned, "Summon the fox deity? Are you trying to verify its existence? Or do you still want to save Liang Huiyun?"

"Not exactly saving her. If this deity exists, imagine how many people it could harm. Belief in it allows it to possess people. Also, I've been pondering something. Did you know, some say JC has ghosts, not just in the copies, but in our city too?"

Pei Yi looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the undulating primeval forest, "Real and unreal, I'm getting confused. Everything here is so elusive. If these higher-dimensional beings exist, not only controlling Fox City but also this City of Horrors, it's not impossible."

The snow mountain copy offered much to ponder, and their discussions about energy fields were thought-provoking. It wasn't superstition; if these higher beings existed, that would be the real nightmare.

Lu Zai Chuan said, "Whether higher-dimensional beings are here, I don't know. But summoning the fox deity might not be that simple, otherwise everyone in Fox City would do it. There must be something about Aunt Liang we don't know for the deity to appear. Such devotion isn't easy for most; it requires one's whole being."

"Let's hear it."

Lu Zai Chuan smiled faintly, "Extreme loyalty and intense desire are what summon the Fox Deity. Liang Amei was already possessed. Liang Huiyun, seeking revenge, followed suit. I believe these qualities enabled them to summon the Fox Deity."

Pei Yi leaned back, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket, tapping it on the table, signaling Lu Zai Chuan he was going to smoke. Lu Zai Chuan nodded in agreement.

Lighting it up, he took a deep drag, exhaling slowly. The smoke curled around his handsome face, partially hidden in the dim light, smiling, "Not bad. Don’t tell me you’ve been possessed too?"