Chapter 290: Joyful Fate 11

Chapter 290: Joyful Fate 11

A looming crisis was thus invisibly averted—or more accurately, transferred to someone else.

The bride Feifei, her vision obscured by the veil, remained oblivious and, supported by servants, moved on to the next guest.

The next person in line for a toast was the very guest whose wine glass had been swapped by Mi Yang.

The poor NPC was still utterly confused. He opened his mouth as if to say something but, deeming the timing inappropriate, swallowed his words back down.

"To the guests—"

The elongated tone rang out, and two large red porcelain cups gently clinked together.

One cup of wine was spilled on the ground, while the other cup of tea was gulped down by the guest.

Qin Fei stood still, waiting for the servant to lead him forward, but no guiding force came to his arm.

Was something happening? The young man raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Ho... ho..."

Painful wheezing, like that of an old bellows being pulled, echoed in the air before him.

Qin Fei's brows furrowed abruptly, a subtle sense of foreboding rising within him.

If the ghost infant were here, he could have checked on the situation.

But since entering the painting, Qin Fei had lost contact with the ghost infant.

He could see nothing; the boundless redness constrained his vision to a tiny square.

At the table, a thin paper figure stretched its limbs and wobbled toward the most conspicuous bride.

"Xiao Qin!"

"Quickly dodge!"

Underneath the veil, Qin Fei heard his companion’s anxious cry.

Though he couldn't see, Qin Fei could vaguely sense something approaching him.

Before he could react, a force suddenly came from his waist.

Qin Fei was lifted up and spun halfway around. The paper figure, unable to react quickly enough, missed its target.

Lu Cheng and Mi Yang, watching this scene, widened their eyes instantly.

What was going on? Why did Xiao Qin... suddenly take off??

A thick aura of corruption radiated outward from the bride, enveloping the surroundings.

The source of the corruption was still that invisible, intangible presence. Though It didn’t speak, all the NPCs present shivered collectively.

The paper figure immediately ceased its movements.

The bride was protected by the groom, but the other players weren’t so lucky.

The paper figure, having missed its initial attack, changed targets without hesitation and lunged directly at Lu Cheng!

Lu Cheng’s eyelids twitched wildly!!

This NPC had looked quite normal when alive, but after transforming into a paper figure, the crescent-shaped eyes and round cheeks painted on its face became eerily unsettling. When it met the player’s gaze, goosebumps erupted all over Lu Cheng’s body.

Not knowing how the paper figure would attack, Lu Cheng instinctively didn’t want it to touch him.

He drew out a vine, wrapped it around the paper figure, and hurled it away.

However, in the next moment, an even more horrifying sight unfolded.

The vine that had grown from the player’s sleeve was originally a vibrant green, brimming with vitality.

But within seconds of wrapping around the paper figure, it rapidly turned a ghastly white color from its tip, spreading swiftly toward Lu Cheng’s body!

Lu Cheng felt a wave of dread wash over him, and he decisively severed the vine.

The vine, now detached from its source, withered quickly, crumbling into dust and falling off the paper figure.

The paper figure, undeterred, continued its relentless advance, despite being thrown far away.

"Damn, why is he coming back!" Lu Cheng broke out in a cold sweat.

The vine was formed from energy flowing within the player’s body. Losing one vine was akin to taking a heavy blow.

The player’s condition worsened, and his lips lost their color.

The situation was dire.

The rule card had stated that once the banquet officially began, guests could not move around freely.

Now, the targeted player was like fish on a chopping block, helpless against the onslaught.

"Use the porcelain bottle."

A familiar voice sounded from behind—it was Qin Fei speaking.

As the bride, he was supposed to have no lines during the toasting ceremony, but his sudden speech drew the attention of the servants beside him.

The arm around Qin Fei’s waist tightened, and the temperature of the air seemed to drop slightly.

The NPC servants trembled but quickly lowered their heads again.

Qin Fei couldn't help but curl his lips; the feeling of riding on someone else's authority was quite nice.

Although Qin Fei couldn't see what was happening in the courtyard, he could guess based on the commotion earlier.

Xiaoman had said that the porcelain bottles were safety bottles, capable of ensuring safety.

This rule might only apply within the guest rooms, or it could be effective throughout the entire Tulou. The specifics would only be known after testing.

In fact, just now, Lu Cheng had also thought of a countermeasure, though his idea involved using tea water.

However, the only cup of tea on the table had already been consumed by the paper figure, and it wasn't practical for him to search other tables now.

Qin Fei's words reminded the two players at the table, who promptly took out two commemorative porcelain bottles they had brought from Train 444.

All these actions happened in a flash.

The paper figure moved swiftly and was already in front of Lu Cheng, its hands made of red paper looking thin and fragile, yet sharp like blades at the edges.

Just before touching Lu Cheng, the paper figure suddenly paused.

It was as if an invisible, transparent wall blocked between the player and the monster.

The paper figure slowly retracted its hands and tilted its head in a very realistic manner, as if seeing something it couldn't understand.

Then it changed its target.

This time, it chose another NPC guest at the same table.

The dazed NPC had no chance to fight back and was soon grabbed by the neck by the paper figure.

Soon, another paper figure appeared beside the table.

It swayed slightly, straightened up, and moved its flat body towards its new target...

The players in the courtyard saw this scene and broke into a cold sweat!

The bride had only served a small portion of the wine, and everyone knew they entered the ancient painting to find the so-called "wedding items," but even after half a day, they still hadn't figured out what these items were, yet they were now facing such a severe crisis!

Fortunately, the reaction of Lu Cheng's table provided a clear path for the other players.

The commemorative bottles from Train 444 could not only be bought with money from the vendor but were also found by many players in the abandoned backpacks during the three-day ghost story progression.

Many players had porcelain bottles on them.

The high-level players were quick-witted and had already followed Lu Cheng and Mi Yang's example, holding the porcelain bottles in their hands.

A couple of players without bottles looked pale and shaky.

...

"That's how it happened.

After the first paper figure appeared, more and more paper figures filled the courtyard. We held the porcelain bottles, and they didn't attack us.

Because we couldn't move around freely, we couldn't snatch props either. Two players without bottles died later."

On the second floor of the Tulou, in Room 009, the Black Feather and Dark Fire players gathered together.

Mi Yang and Lu Cheng were surrounded by the crowd, while Qin Fei lazily leaned in a chair nearby.

Explaining the plot was too troublesome; he'd leave it to others.

Outside, the sky had long turned dark, and the young man half-closed his eyes under the flickering candlelight inside the room.

That feeling came again.

So sleepy.

It felt like some force was trying to drag him into a dream.

Perhaps because this wasn't Qin Fei's Room 014 but Xie Jingtian's Room 009, the drowsiness, though strong, wasn't as overwhelming as last night.

Qin Fei raised his right hand to press against his temples, trying to stay alert, while his left hand gently rotated a bright red porcelain cup in his palm.

Beside him, Mi Yang continued his explanation.

Due to the bride's lack of cooperation, he had to finish Qin Fei's part as well.

"After Xiao Qin finished serving wine to all the guests in the courtyard, apart from a few of us who had life-saving methods, all the other living people turned into paper figures.

At that point, there was only one unused wine cup left in the servant's hand. When Xiao Qin got that cup, we came out of the painting."

Mi Yang paused. "I think many players should know by now that we obtained the first wedding item."

Although Qin Fei had kept his head covered the whole time, there were only 30 players in the ghost story, and they had already become familiar with each other's faces. Many could guess that the bride was Qin Fei.

Inside the room, the players' gazes shifted to the red porcelain cup in Qin Fei's hand.

Gala took the cup and saw the corresponding item description appear before him.

"Wedding Cup: Wedding Item (1/6)"

There were only those few simple words, which was disappointing. Gala had hoped to get some clues about the other wedding items from the first one.

Gala lifted his head, his gaze fixed on a tightly closed carved wooden door. His eyes seemed to penetrate the wooden door, gazing into the dark night.

"Let's go back to our rooms," Gala said.

Last night, more than one player was harassed by ghostly creatures, making the nights in Tulou unsafe.

Tonight, there might still be a tough battle ahead.

Lu Cheng pursed his lips and couldn't help expressing his doubts: "We only entered the first painting today and spent most of the day. The wedding banquet is scheduled for the evening after tomorrow. We..."

Is there really enough time?

"It's enough," Gala whispered softly.

Qin Fei, who had been closing his eyes to rest, suddenly looked up, gazing at Gala thoughtfully.

Everyone else assumed that Gala was merely trying to reassure them, but Qin Fei could tell that it wasn't the case.

Gala was simply stating the truth he knew, seriously.

Why was he so certain?

The meeting with Black Feather ended, and the group, each holding a lantern, returned to their respective rooms.

Before entering his room, Qin Fei turned back several times.

In the corridor, near the stairs, a shadow quickly flashed by, seemingly a player.

So late, and someone is still wandering around?

Aren't they afraid of being caught by paper figures?

Qin Fei's gaze darkened as he turned and closed the door behind him.

He had originally planned to study the ancient painting hidden in his room once he got back.

However, no sooner had he stepped inside than he was enveloped by overwhelming drowsiness.

Soon after, his consciousness sank into darkness.