Chapter 107 You can't accept things from others...
Dong Jiang didn't expect Xu Yi to be so strong. Not only did she grab his neck in one go, but with a little force, she made his face turn red and he could hardly breathe.
He tried to pry Xu Yi's hands open, but no matter how much force he used, he couldn't budge them.
Xu Yi kept pressing down on him, forcing him to kneel down, looking at Xu Yi with a humiliated expression. Her hands were like iron clamps; he tried desperately to pry them open, but they wouldn't budge.
Looking at Dong Jiang's eyes, Xu Yi sneered, "Still not convinced?"
The cold dagger pressed against Dong Jiang's face. Xu Yi patted his face with the dagger, "Everyone else is silent, but you're the one jumping the loudest? I was just about to ask you, why have you hurt me time and time again? Is it because of Zhao Chang?"
Xu Yi loosened her grip a bit, but she could still suppress Dong Jiang. Before finding out the truth, she couldn't very well strangle him to death.
Upon hearing the name Zhao Chang, Dong Jiang's expression changed again.
He seemed somewhat unwilling to accept it.
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Dong Jiang retorted stubbornly.
Seeing his expression, Xu Yi tightened her grip again. "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it, but don't forget where you are right now. If you die here, no one will seek justice for you. If you're lucky, you might even stay here as a ghost."
"I...I really don't know...what are you talking about?"
Xu Yi grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him up. "I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me or choose to die?"
Someone stepped forward, and Xu Yi twirled the dagger in his hand. "What, trying to be a hero?"
The person immediately took a step back, then moved to the side, and hurriedly waved his hand to indicate that he was at the airport, "No, no, I just wanted to say that I actually saw him trying to push you towards the roses."
Gao Lin's eyes widened. "You saw me but didn't say anything."
Lu Ziyang glared back and muttered, "We didn't even know each other, so I have no obligation to remind them. Besides, why should I interfere in their feud?"
In this bizarre world, where you're not teammates and don't know each other very well, self-preservation is the obvious choice. Who knows if you might be betrayed after saving someone?
If you don't even understand this principle, how are you going to pass this level?
Lu Ziyang only learned from Xu Yi's words that Xu Yi and Dong Jiang did not know each other before.
Even strangers were being attacked. Lu Ziyang, who had initially thought Dong Jiang's words made sense, immediately took a few steps back. Although he remained neutral and didn't intend to meddle, he also felt that Xu Yi's actions were a bit excessive.
Now, hearing her say this, he realized that Dong Jiang was the one who struck first, and he was glad that he hadn't said anything reckless earlier. He also realized that Xu Yi was not someone to be trifled with, which was why, like Yu Jin, he simply didn't get involved.
Choosing to speak out was also a way of giving Xu Yi face, hoping that Xu Yi wouldn't harm him.
Now that someone could testify, Xu Yi became even more curious as to why Dong Jiang would target someone he didn't know.
The dagger plunged into Dong Jiang's thigh. Xu Yi twisted the dagger, saying, "If you don't talk, I'll cut off pieces of your flesh and throw them to the roses as fertilizer."
The other three tacitly stepped back, giving Xu Yi room to maneuver. They were worried that if Xu Yi pulled out the knife, blood would splatter on their faces.
Dong Jiang felt like he couldn't breathe, and his thigh was so painful that he was trembling.
Under this double torment, he simply couldn't bear it anymore. "I'll talk, I'll tell you everything."
Dong Jiang didn't expect Xu Yi to be so ruthless, actually daring to do it. It was very different from what Zhao Chang had told him; she wasn't a weak, tearful woman with no opinions of her own.
He felt that Xu Yi's personality was completely opposite to what Zhao Chang had described; she was very alert and ruthless in her actions.
He should have realized it when she was able to handle the manor owner's pets. Most importantly, she was incredibly strong; he was completely overpowered and had no chance to fight back.
Seeing that he was willing to talk, Xu Yi released him. "Tell me quickly, I want to hear what kind of reasons you can come up with."
Dong Jiang glanced at Xu Yi, then lowered his head and gasped for breath. Once he had calmed down a bit, he concealed the hatred in his eyes and asked, "You're Zhao Chang's fiancée, aren't you?"
Xu Yi paused for a moment, then squinted at Dong Jiang.
"Don't look at me like that. I know he's your fiancé, and the day he came to the Ghost Realm was also the day he and you got married."
[Could this bastard be in love with that scoundrel Zhao Chang? He tells everyone everything, even spreading the news of his elopement. Is he planning to get rid of you because he can't have you?]
This person doesn't appear in the original text, so they probably aren't an important character.
However, Xu Yi did not appear in the strange world in the original text. The original text was so bad that it wouldn't even recognize its own mother.
Looking at the words floating in front of him, Xu Yi found it somewhat amusing, so he modified the words a bit more.
"What, you like Zhao Chang? So you're getting rid of me to get him?"
"You're talking nonsense!" Dong Jiang exclaimed excitedly.
Xu Yi kicked him back, saying, "Whether I'm lying or not, we'll see what reason you can come up with to make me believe you."
Dong Jiang then said unwillingly, "It's not that I like Zhao Chang, it's that the girl I like, Xiao Ying, likes him, but he doesn't accept Xiao Ying. He always says that his fiancée is still waiting for him to go back and get married. He also has a photo of you and her. I've seen your photo before. I recognized you the first time I saw you in this instance."
"So, you want to get rid of me so you can get Zhao Chang?"
"It wasn't me, I already said it wasn't me. I'm a man, how could I like a man?" Dong Jiang was on the verge of a breakdown.
Zhao Chang never said that his fiancée couldn't understand human speech.
That was his love rival; how could he possibly fall for his love rival?
“It’s Xiao Ying who likes him.” Dong Jiang looked at Xu Yi with a smug expression and said, “They’re a better match than you. You have no idea how well they cooperated in the dungeon. They can understand each other with just a glance. No one can interfere between them. As long as you die here, even if Zhao Chang comes out later, he won’t find you again. He can be with Xiao…”
Dong Jiang's excited words came to an abrupt halt.
Xu Yi's dagger was pressed against his neck, cutting through the skin, and he could feel his blood flowing down his neck.
"Alright, I understand. This... let me call you your protector for now. Now, let me give you a gift as a thank you for your generosity in helping my fiancé, who ran away from our wedding, get together with another woman."
Xu Yi grabbed Dong Jiang by the collar and dragged him to the window.
The red roses draped on the wall smelled the blood and immediately began to stir, reaching out their tendrils toward this side.
"No, no!" Dong Jiang struggled desperately, trying to back away in agitation.
But Xu Yi kept holding him down until the tentacles of the roses dragged him down before she let go.
Looking at Dong Jiang, Xu Yi said, "I will convey your feelings to Miss Xiao when I meet them someday, if I still remember them."
“You can’t kill me,” Dong Jiang struggled desperately. “I know how to see Zhao Chang.”
"No, I don't need these. He's not important to me at all. By the way, since you're going to die, I'll tell you this: I have absolutely no relationship with Zhao Chang now. If you insist on bringing it up, please remember, I'm his creditor. I will collect the debts he owes me, one by one."
Xu Yi paused for a moment, then said, "As for your beloved Miss Xiao, that depends on her behavior. If she remains obstinate, I will try my best to send her over to keep you company."
The smell of blood attracted many vines, which gathered around the window, but seemed hesitant to rush forward as if they were wary of something.
As Xu Yi released his grip, Dong Jiang's figure quickly disappeared, while other vines and tentacles tried to pull at Xu Yi, who was covered in blood.
"Get lost!" Xu Yi said, looking at the tentacles.
The tentacles trembled in fright and immediately retreated, leaving the other three people dumbfounded.
They exchanged glances and came to a conclusion: Xu Yi must be a big shot; otherwise, how could he have driven away the vines with just a shout?
Currently, there are four surviving mission participants.
Upon hearing the electronic announcement, everyone dared not let their minds wander any further, and their mood became heavy.
They have to stay in the instance for seven days, and half of that time has already passed.
There are still so many days left, what if another side quest is triggered?
“We can go to the butler, right? If we see the butler holding a red rose, we can ask him for the weapon,” Gao Lin said.
The other two glanced at Xu Yi, not daring to offend her now, and nodded, saying, "What you said makes a lot of sense."
If they had known Xu Yi was so capable, they would definitely have followed him. Although they had remained neutral, what if Xu Yi was unhappy because of this?
Gao Lin was different; she firmly chose to believe in Xu Yi from the very beginning.
Lu Ziyang seemed to want to say something, his lips moved, but he didn't speak.
I didn't say it earlier, but now that I'm bringing it up again, it just doesn't feel right.
In the following days, without breaking the rules, Gao Lin and her companions went to find the housekeeper, and they actually encountered him holding a bouquet of roses.
The three of them also obtained a very exquisite dagger.
It looks different from Xu Yi's dagger; Xu Yi's dagger seems sharper.
Xu Yi didn't explain that the dagger the housekeeper gave her had been bitten and broken by the little boy, and the one she was holding now was the dagger Xiang Bei had given her.
She felt this was better than the one the housekeeper gave her. She wasn't very familiar with those three people, so she talked to Gao Lin more about it.
Such things are not uncommon in this strange world. Friends even kill each other for the sake of missions. Since Dong Jiang tried to harm Xu Yi first, it's perfectly normal for her to fight back.
If she were to magnanimously let Dong Jiang off the hook, then that person would be the one with the problem.
Now is not the time to show off or indulge in a saintly act.
Xu Yi's behavior will only make others more convinced of her abilities and think she is more capable.
For the next period of time, they followed the rules and nothing else happened.
The only odd thing was that some of the red roses in the manor had changed color.
The blooming red roses looked as if they had been ravaged; their color had faded.
The faded roses withered starting from the outermost petals, especially the edges, which had turned yellow. Those faded roses stood out starkly in the garden, creating a messy and eerie atmosphere.
This situation only occurs in one out of many red roses.
"Rule 1: Please do not damage any roses in the Rose Garden, except for withered roses," Gao Lin read softly.
“We can’t touch the red roses, but we can touch these withered roses,” Lu Ziyang said.
The other boy, Yu Jin, wore black-rimmed glasses and looked very refined. He didn't talk much, but he nodded as well.
"That's true, but the outside is full of thorny red roses. How are we supposed to touch those withered roses that are wrapped up inside?"
Xu Yi had always shown her extraordinary side to them, and now she had no reservations. She walked over and used a knife to pluck the withered rose.
Others followed suit, picking any withered roses they could easily reach from the rose garden.
Gao Lin picked up a withered rose. "It doesn't look special at all, just a withered rose."
“Yes.” Yu Jin pushed up his glasses and said, “The petals that fell from the child who was playing hide-and-seek after he was blown into a bloody mist were this color.”
"I still don't understand." Gao Lin shook her head honestly.
"Judging from the current situation, the roses here must have been nourished by human blood and flesh. In other words, if we break the rules, we will all become nourishment for these roses," Xu Yi said.
Yu Jin nodded. "That's right. The Ghost Realm is governed by rules. If they insist on keeping us here as flower mud, they will definitely give us other tasks to do."
"So what do we do now?" Lu Ziyang said. "It seems like there are more and more withered roses."
While they were talking, another withered rose appeared.
Xu Yi stood up and looked at it, then went up to the second floor to take another look.
"Did you see that? The rose garden has been divided into ten sections, and the areas with withered roses are the remaining three sections."
Seven people have died, and the seven rose gardens have been nourished by human flesh and blood.
That is to say, three more people are about to die.
Yu Jin glanced at the rose garden, pushed up his glasses, and looked at Xu Yi.
"I feel like something's not right."
"What?" Lu Ziyang asked.
The two knew each other and had even cleared a dungeon together before, so they asked directly.
"The number of people in the instance is indeed not fixed, but the monsters in the instance can choose the number of people entering. There are ten rose fields here, which means that originally there should have been ten people, but now there is one more person."
When Yu Jin spoke, his gaze was fixed on Xu Yi.
However, there was one extra person, and Xu Yi had extraordinary abilities, so Yu Jin suspected that Xu Yi was someone who shouldn't have entered this instance.
"You're very smart," Xu Yi said with a smile.
"Thank you, I was just speculating."
Gao Lin and Lu Ziyang were a little confused, but one walked towards Xu Yi and the other towards Yu Jin, both with the same blank expression on their faces.
"What exactly do you two mean by this? You, you, you, are you not human?" Lu Ziyang asked Xu Yi with a look of horror.
He was able to successfully complete the first few dungeons, which was partly due to luck, but he also had some skill.
Meeting Yu Jin was also a coincidence. Yu Jin was intelligent, and they happened to be together in several instances.
Lu Ziyang unilaterally considers Yu Jin to be his friend, but Yu Jin is not very close to him.
“You’re not human,” Xu Yi said.
“Yes, you’re not human, how dare you talk nonsense?” Gao Lin also said.
Gao Lin understood, but no matter how she looked at it, Xu Yi seemed like a human being and didn't appear to pose any threat.
She automatically ignored what happened to Dong Jiang before, because that was self-defense and didn't count.
Lu Ziyang immediately shut up and turned to look at Yu Jin.
"So what should we do now?" Gao Lin ignored Lu Ziyang and glanced at the dungeon countdown.
"There are still dozens of hours left. Can we hold out until the time runs out?"
"There are no other missions at the moment, so be careful," Xu Yi said.
Although she used cheats, it doesn't mean she knows what's going on inside the dungeon; the cheats can only guarantee her own safety.
This was also what Xiang Bei told her. She had already brought in the cheat code, and if she knew more about the dungeon's situation, the dungeon manager would probably be unhappy and kick her out of the dungeon.
The pass will also become invalid later.
Even so, Xu Yi's advantage is still quite significant, after all, compared to others, her life is guaranteed.
No copy here can force her to do anything, and conversely, manipulating those monsters is a piece of cake.
The four of them finally sat down and seriously discussed the current situation. If there were no other tasks, they would continue with the previous process, try not to make any mistakes, and then hold on until the dungeon countdown ended.
This way they can pass through smoothly.
This is the best approach at present.
However, for safety reasons, the rooms were reassigned, and Xu Yi and Gao Lin shared a room.
Yu Jin and Lu Ziyang shared a room.
Their rooms are adjacent, so if anything happens, they can shout and be heard.
“We’ll keep an eye on each other. The Weird might control the people around us to attack us,” Yu Jin pushed up his glasses and said seriously. “If I die suddenly, Miss Xu Yi, please avenge me.”
Perhaps feeling that being so direct was inappropriate, Yu Jin added, "If this person next to me were to kill me, you don't necessarily have to bear the burden of a life. Please help me bleed him a little and throw him into the roses."
Of course, Xu Yi wasn't asked to help for nothing; he even gave Xu Yi a prop.
"This is called the Angel's Smile, which can resurrect someone you wish to resurrect. However, the resurrected person may not be of much help for the first 24 hours. This is my reward; please accept it."
Those who clear the dungeon will receive a reward related to the dungeon.
Yu Jin has already cleared three dungeons.
This angel's smile is the reward he received in the previous instance.
Lu Ziyang's face changed. He was still a little sad. He really considered Yu Jin a friend, but the other party didn't trust him. "You, you, you, don't look down on me. I won't be controlled by the weirdo."
"You can't be too careful; what if the culprit takes advantage of your weaknesses?" Yu Jin said.
Trading a prop for his safety is well worth it.
Gao Lin was determined to cling to Xu Yi's coattails and was also glad that being a girl meant she could be closer to Xu Yi.
I always feel that I'm very close to her, and that I can feel safer around her.
However, this was her first time clearing the game, and she didn't have any items to give.
"Sister Yi, if I can successfully pass the level, I'll give you my props. If I can't, just throw me to the monster to eat," Gao Lin said.
Lu Ziyang quickly added, "I'll give you my level-clearing items too. From now on, you're my boss."
He used the previous items to clear the level, and he readily offered up the remaining Angel's Smile.
After saying that, Lu Ziyang knelt down with a thud, "Boss, please accept my bow."
Those knees were kneeling so firmly, it sounded painful just listening to it.
Xu Yi avoided it; she didn't want to receive such a grand gesture. Lu Ziyang was also afraid that Xu Yi would really get rid of him, and he sincerely wanted to lay his heart bare for Xu Yi to see.
"Alright, enough of that nonsense, let's be careful." Xu Yi paused for a moment and said, "My props are indeed a bit special, but I can't tell you. Since we're teammates now, just call me if you need anything."
You can't accept someone's gift and then not do anything about it.
The two looked on with envy as Gao Lin followed closely behind Xu Yi.
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