Chapter 140 The Tip of the Knot (Part 6): Truth or Dare

Is he trying to curry favor with her?

Song Qiling felt a lump in her throat, unable to breathe. She stared at Gu Lianzhou's calm and composed face and said with difficulty, "You... are really capable."

Gu Lianzhou, however, was completely unaware of anything amiss. Upon hearing this, his eyes lit up, and he waved his hand with great joy, saying, "It's all what I should do. Senior brother, you flatter me."

Song Qiling's forehead veins throbbed.

Pah!

Last night before going to sleep, this man seemed to have suddenly realized something, and she thought he would be more restrained and abide by the proper etiquette between men and women today. Who knew that in just one night, he had completely figured things out and simply abandoned all pretense!

The idea that men and women should not touch each other seemed to have no meaning for him. His attentiveness was like that of a newlywed groom, radiating enthusiasm from head to toe.

She took a deep breath, looked up from the clothes rack, and said, "Now that everything is ready, let's go."

After saying that, he walked towards the door.

But as soon as my heel touched the ground, I felt something strangely soft.

Sticky and damp, it made a "plop" sound when it rubbed against the sole of the shoe, as if stepping into a pile of water-soaked cotton.

Song Qiling was startled and looked up abruptly. She saw that the vermilion courtyard gate, which had been so close, was being pulled back by an invisible hand and rapidly receding from her sight. Then, it suddenly flipped over and turned into a gambling table covered with dark red velvet.

Gu Lianzhou immediately stepped forward, cautiously looking around, "It's the Monster Gambling House..."

At the same time, the "clattering" sound of the dice hitting the dice cup suddenly exploded, like a tidal wave surging from all directions, making one's eardrums buzz.

"Distinguished guests, I am sorry for not welcoming you properly." The spider's long, grayish-white legs suddenly rose up, wrapped around two maroon armchairs, and gently pushed them behind Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou.

Song Qiling raised an eyebrow slightly, offering no resistance, and obediently sank into the soft chair cushion, her gaze falling on the monster across the gambling table. "Old Zhuang is joking. When have we ever taken the initiative to enter your door?"

"Haha..." Old Zhuang chuckled twice, raised his hand and tossed the dice cup, which landed gently in the center of the gambling table with a soft "thump".

He squinted his narrow eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over the two of them with a hint of curiosity. "You two seem to be much closer than when you last joined the game?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou's brows furrowed sharply: "You stole someone's memories without forming a contract with them?"

"Oh dear, with just a simple trick, you've already confessed without being asked?" Old Zhuang suddenly burst into laughter, his already small eyes almost sunk into his loose skin. "In that case, how about we try a different game today?"

"What are you saying?" Song Qiling scoffed. "Is there any room for negotiation between us?"

Gu Lianzhou gave a forced smile: "Old Zhuang, how do you want to bet?"

“Easy.” The spider’s long legs tapped the table lightly, and the dice cup opened, revealing two crystal-clear dice underneath.

"This die is no ordinary one; every facet holds a secret." Old Master Zhuang picked up one of the dice and showed it to the world.

The die was crystal clear, with a flowing light seemingly moving inside. Instead of numbers being engraved on its six sides, the characters for "speech," "action," "question," "calamity," "fate," and "emptiness" were faintly visible.

With his thick, chubby fingers, he shoved the dice cup into the center of the gambling table. “You two, each of you, take turns throwing one. When it lands on the corresponding face, a message will appear on the die. Based on this message, the game is divided into ‘speaking your heart’ and ‘taking a perilous gamble.’”

He flicked his sleeve across the table, and a silver pot filled with white mist appeared out of thin air. "If you throw out the 'Word' side, you must first drink a mouthful of this 'Oath of Truth,' and not a single falsehood can be hidden. But if you throw out the 'Action' side..."

He laughed so hard his small eyes almost sank into his flesh, and his thick shoulders trembled. "Then you will enter the 'Perilous Situation,' where you must follow the clues that appear on the dice, go into the illusion together, and complete a task to escape."

He paused, his excitement fading considerably. "As for the 'empty' side, it counts as a bye and can be counted as one round. The 'robbery' side requires enduring a test, whether it's painful or terrifying, it's up to the gambling table to decide. As for the 'fate' side... perhaps you can glimpse a connection between each other's thoughts, it all depends on fate."

Master Zhuang tapped the lid of the cup lightly with his finger. “To be fair, one side of this die is the ‘Question’ side. If any of you roll the ‘Question’ side, then I will drink the ‘Oath of Truth’ and answer any question you may ask. As long as I know the answer, I will tell you everything.”

He slowly leaned back in his chair, stretching out his eight legs. "How was it? This way of playing is much more fun than before, isn't it?"

Song Qiling frowned slightly, her gaze falling on the dice. She couldn't help but say, "Old Zhuang, you have quite the refined taste. You've come up with such a troublesome way to torment us. Why don't you just speak frankly with us and tell us what your purpose is in bringing us into this monster gambling den?"

Old Zhuang clasped his hands together, his thumbs rubbing the ring, and raised his chin towards the table: "Since the guest has said that this is a gambling den, there is no transaction, only gambling."

This means they refuse to tell you.

Song Qiling raised his hand and pressed it against the hidden pouch at his waist, saying coldly, "Since Elder Zhuang has the ability to 'observe cause and effect,' he must know that I am a demon hunter. Aren't you afraid that I will fight you to the death?"

"Young friend, you are still too young and impatient." Spider legs rose from the dark void, picked up a cup of hot tea, and gently placed it in front of her.

"Your magic may be useful, but it cannot harm my foundation. You may destroy a small world, but there are countless other worlds outside. Rather than risk mutual destruction in a deadly battle, why not calm down, pick up the dice in front of you, and if you roll the 'question' side, I will answer the question in your heart? How about it?"

After he finished speaking, silence fell over the surroundings.

A moment later, Song Qiling suddenly released her hand from her waist, then lifted the teacup on the table, lifted the lid to skim off the tea foam, and gently blew on it.

The finest pre-rain Longjing tea.

She placed the teacup back in its place, slowly raised her eyes, remained silent for a long while, and finally spoke: "It's fine."

As they were talking, Gu Lianzhou reached out first, picked up one of the dice, and looked at Song Qiling: "I'll go first."

Having said that, the dice rolled out from between his fingers, spun twice on the velvet cloth, and finally came to rest steadily on the "言" (speech) pattern.

In an instant, a faint white light appeared on the surface of the dice, and a few lines of small words slowly emerged: "Please state that if your beloved mother and your sweetheart both fall into the water at the same time, and you can only save one of them, what will you choose?"

Gu Lianzhou: "..."

What kind of bullshit question is this?

Old Master Zhuang seemed to find it boring, his smile stiffened slightly, and he waved his hand to manipulate the silver pot, pouring a cup of water for Gu Lianzhou, "Drink up."

Gu Lianzhou lowered his eyes to look at the clear water, picked up his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

It is colorless and odorless, and is no different from well water.

After swallowing, he felt a slight warmth in his chest and unconsciously opened his mouth to say, "If my senior brother and... mother fall into the water together, I will naturally observe first. My senior brother can swim, and if I blindly jump in, I am afraid that I will only cause trouble for him and annoy her. My mother is not alive, so she is not in danger. But if I can only save one person, I will definitely save my senior brother."

Old Zhuang stared at his opening and closing lips, his eyes almost glued together. He hummed twice and raised his hand to gesture to Song Qiling, "Young friend, please."

Song Qiling's smile hadn't faded yet, and upon hearing this, she couldn't help but chuckle. She did as she was told, picked up the dice in front of her, and tossed them into the air.

The crystal-clear die spun around a few times before finally stopping, revealing the character "空" (empty) on it.

Old Zhuang: "..."

He lazily said "Congratulations," then looked up at Gu Lianzhou and said, "Throw it away."

The die soared through the air, then fell, spinning like a top, leaving a blurry trail. Six eyes were fixed on the die, watching it slow down, slower and slower...

"Click".

The dice landed, revealing the "Robbery" side, and a line of small text slowly appeared: "Please choose one person present and select one of the instruments of torture on the table to inflict punishment on yourself."

After silently reading the words on the dice in her mind, Song Qiling slowly opened her eyes wide.

The next instant, several objects of various shapes... which could still be called instruments of torture, appeared on the red velvet tablecloth of the gambling table.

Bloodstained iron pliers, ebony short hammer, finger splint, walnut-sized copper bell, crescent-shaped bone scraper, thin bamboo tube, spiked hammer, transparent ice knife...

Old Zhuang finally perked up, straightened his back, and looked intently at Gu Lianzhou opposite him. "Young friend, make your decision quickly. Will you choose me as the one to carry out the punishment, or..."

Without thinking, Gu Lianzhou interrupted, "I choose my senior brother."

"Alright." Old Zhuang curled his lips, slumped back into his armchair, and lightly tapped the table with his spider legs. "Since it is criminal law, then it cannot be 'bent on personal gain'. The person administering the punishment must choose from these instruments of torture, and once chosen, it cannot be changed."

Before Song Qiling could recover from becoming the executioner, she saw Old Zhuang wave his fat hand, which was adorned with a green thumb ring, and a rack covered in iron chains appeared on the open ground behind the gambling table.

"What does this mean?" she exclaimed in surprise.

A hint of interest flashed in Old Zhuang's eyes as he slowly said, "If it's punishment, it should be done properly. How can we guarantee that the person being punished won't resist if they're not tied up?"

"Don't push your luck!" Song Qiling slammed her hand on the table and stood up. If it weren't for Gu Lianzhou's intervention, she would have jumped onto the table and twisted the old man's head off to kick like a ball.

"All I wanted to do was tie him up." A hint of grievance flashed across Old Zhuang's face. "But it was you who picked up the instruments of torture and left wounds on him..."

These words struck a nerve with Song Qiling. She suddenly fell silent, her gaze returning to the various instruments of torture on the table. She gritted her teeth and said, "It's settled then, I'll decide the method of punishment."

Old Master Zhuang smiled again and gestured, "Young friend, please."

Gu Lianzhou stood up and walked towards the rack. As if sensing his presence, the hanging black iron chains seemed to have a mind of their own and sprang up, snapping shut on his wrists and waist, binding him firmly to the pillar and rendering him unable to move an inch.

He nodded to Song Qiling, a smile playing on his lips: "It's alright, Senior Brother. I've also suffered the pain of broken bones and torn tendons. This is nothing to me. Let's get started."

Song Qiling wasn't in a hurry to agree; she just felt a bit of a headache.

The sheer variety of torture instruments left her bewildered and dizzy.

She had to navigate within the rules while also protecting her junior brother's safety; she needed to calm down and make the most appropriate choice.

Large and sharp tools are obviously not suitable, and small and sharp tools will inevitably draw blood. It is best to choose tools that can be hidden and will not cause injury...

Song Qiling's eyes lit up as her gaze swept over the bristles of the brush, which were covered with sharp, dense barbs.

This is it.

She gripped the brush handle and stood up, only to find that all the other instruments of torture on the table had vanished. Old Master Zhuang's voice rang out in the air, "Now that you have chosen, let's begin the torture."

Song Qiling slowly walked towards the rack.

The person on the rack moved slightly, and the chains made a soft clattering sound. She looked up and met those calm eyes, and her hand holding the instruments of torture involuntarily tightened.

The brush stung her skin as she held it, but the thought of what she was going to do with it made her feel even more guilty.

"I'm sorry."

Song Qiling took a deep breath and reached out her hand to him.

Gu Lianzhou looked down in confusion and saw his senior brother's slender fingers disappear into his waist. The next moment, the sash loosened and the outer robe was slowly pulled off, revealing his well-defined upper body.

Her skin wasn't exactly curly, but it was firm and even. Her waistline was extremely slender, almost disappearing into her belt. Her skin, which rarely saw the light of day, was fair and smooth, gleaming with a warm glow in the dim light.

Before he could recover from the sudden exposure, his senior brother had already bent down and reached out to grasp his ankle.

"Wait..." Gu Lianzhou trembled and subconsciously tried to break free, but the seemingly gentle knuckles remained as still as iron hoops.

Song Qiling seemed not to hear, deftly untying the shoelaces with her fingertips and slowly slipping off her black boots.

Gu Lianzhou bent his knees to pull back, but was firmly locked by the chains and had no ability to resist.

The thin straps came undone, and the foot coverings peeled off.

The cool air touched his bare feet, and he awkwardly curled his toes, but suddenly stiffened when his senior brother's palm touched his arch.

The bristle brush gently landed on the soles of his feet.

The fine spikes grazed his skin, and Gu Lianzhou's body stiffened abruptly. His ankles instinctively tried to pull back, but were firmly held in place by the iron chains.

At first, there was only a slight tremor, but as the bristles continued to move over that sensitive spot, he finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Puzzled by the commotion, Elder Zhuang moved his chair to the rack, his expression complex: "What's going on, you two?"

Distracted by what he said, Song Qiling quickly swept the brush across the Yongquan acupoint. Gu Lianzhou's expression changed immediately, and his whole body twisted violently in the iron chains.

"Senior brother..." he gasped, begging for mercy, tears welling in his eyes.

Seeing this, Zhuang Lao nodded in satisfaction and gave Song Qiling a thumbs up. "Ordinary punishments are boring, but this itching punishment is much more intense. Wonderful, wonderful!"

"Elder Zhuang, please stand further away, lest I harm innocent people in a moment," Song Qiling said without turning her head.

"Yes, yes, yes." Old Zhuang tactfully returned to the gambling table, picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. Listening to the unbearable laughter not far away, he felt that even the tea tasted a little sweeter.

Song Qiling stood up, moved the brush upwards, and slid it along the waistline. The sharp barbs tickled the sensitive area, causing a sensation that was both itchy and numb. Gu Lianzhou could no longer hold back and a laugh escaped his throat.

At first, he chuckled softly and restrainedly, but later he couldn't control himself and let out a loud laugh. His chest heaved violently with each breath, and the chains on his wrists and ankles rattled loudly, the clattering sounds particularly jarring in the empty torture chamber.

The brush glided lightly across his neck, sending a shiver down the man's spine.

Laughter echoed above the rack, tinged with a hint of unbearable struggle.

Song Qiling's heart tightened.

Since it is punishment, it cannot be allowed to make him laugh so heartily.

Thinking of this, she immediately stepped forward, reached out and covered his lips, all the laughter instantly turned into suppressed sobs, trembling in her palm.

"Junior brother, I am truly sorry."

She leaned close to Gu Lianzhou's ear and whispered that she felt sincerely sorry.

But his hands never stopped moving.