Chapter 84 The Punisher (1)
Hongjiadu quickly summoned two "school workers" with blurry faces and stiff movements, who carried Xu Sisi's body away and disposed of it.
Only three people are still alive now—Lin Chujiu, Pei Yu, and Hong Jiadu.
They stood in the dormitory corridor, each with their own thoughts, a turbulent undercurrent running through them.
Hong Jiadu regained his slightly tired appearance, but the dark light in the depths of his eyes deepened.
Pei Yu remained expressionless, but his gaze toward Hongjiadu grew increasingly cold.
Lin Chujiu felt a heavy chill, not just fear, but a clear understanding of the cruel nature of A-level dungeons.
In the past, she had mostly experienced single-player dungeons, which were dangerous, but the mortality rate was far lower than this.
In just two days, Zhou Ruoruo and Xu Sisi died one after another, with a frighteningly high mortality rate.
Lin Chujiu felt no relief at the death of the person who was an eyesore; on the contrary, her heart felt even heavier.
A-level dungeons are not only terrifying because of their rules, but also because of the chilling nature of people's hearts.
Lin Chujiu looked at Hongjiadu with some wariness.
She was no longer a novice entering the world of horror who would lose her composure at the thought of death.
I'm now much more immune to things that I used to find terrifying.
Now, she can even stand here and reflect after witnessing two murders.
"What happened back then"... this forbidden topic, explicitly prohibited by the rules, is the key to unlocking everything.
Unbeknownst to her, the company reacted immediately after Xu Sisi's death.
They took advantage of the carefully crafted public opinion surrounding the "discord between the two and Lin Chujiu's suppression of newcomers" to hype it up extensively.
#Lin Chujiu killed Xu Sisi#
#The Inside Story of the Terrifying Livestream#
Such terms quickly became trending topics.
Unaware of the facts, netizens were swayed by the narrative, and coupled with the already complex feelings surrounding the horror livestream, countless angry, questioning, and abusive comments flooded into Lin Chujiu's livestream room.
[The Murderer]
Sisi has already given you so much, why won't you let her go?
[She's the only one alive and well in the dungeon; who would believe there's nothing wrong with her?]
I never expected you to be this kind of person. I'm unfollowing you.
Taking advantage of the relatively safe daytime, Lin Chujiu opened her live stream.
Despite being prepared, the sudden influx of harsh words still left her somewhat stunned.
She didn't look at the specific content; she simply calmly adjusted the camera to center her face in the frame.
There was a momentary pause in the barrage of comments, followed by even more frenzied abuse.
Lin Chujiu's gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, landing on everyone venting their emotions, yet it also seemed as if she wasn't looking at anyone at all.
She spoke slowly, her voice clear, carrying an almost cold certainty:
"About Xu Sisi, about everything that happened here."
She paused, a faint, meaningful smile curving her lips. "In a few days, the truth will naturally come to light. At that time, you will all understand."
After saying that, ignoring the explosive barrage of comments and the flood of questions, she decisively shut down the live stream, shutting out all the noise.
The disturbances from the outside world could not shake her in the slightest.
She knew all too well that here, the truth was the only weapon and talisman.
Since the focus is on "what happened back then," and the rules prohibit asking about or mentioning it, we need to find another way.
She and Pei Yu secretly searched the dormitory, classrooms, library, and any other place that might have left information. They spent the whole day searching, but still found nothing.
Lin Chujiu was tired, so she went back to her dorm and checked her phone. She found that the person who posted the question she had asked earlier had actually replied to her.
I'm also from Qingshan Middle School. Many years ago, something did happen in our graduating class.
Lin Chujiu immediately perked up and continued to ask:
【Then what? 】
The original poster was lucky enough to be there and replied immediately:
[A girl from that year died. Emm, I heard she was buried alive; it was a gruesome death. The school suppressed the news, but I don't know the specifics, though everyone knows it.]
Qingshan Middle School...a girl died there...buried alive...
Lin Chujiu's heart skipped a beat, and her blood flow accelerated.
Her keen intuition told her that this was it!
This is very likely the story of "what happened back then".
The background of the instance, the unusual behavior of the characters, and the origin of the rules likely all stem from this—
A death occurred at Qingshan Middle School.
[Congratulations, host, for revealing 70% of the truth!]
The system notification sounded at the right time, confirming this to her.
The progress was rapid, jumping directly from 45% to 70%.
She was on the right track.
We can now determine the next direction for the case as a murder.
But who was the girl who died? And who was the murderer? Was it one of her "classmates" from back then?
What role did Hongjiadu play in this?
Lin Chujiu was completely baffled.
She traced the path she had just found, pondering where to begin.
What should she do to resolve the resentment generated in this instance?
Lin Chujiu didn't know, but she could sense that an even greater danger was about to arrive.
————
Fengdu, the Dragon King's Palace in the West City.
Mingdu leaned languidly against the throne.
A ghostly light swirled between his fingertips. The water mirror before him reflected the clamor of the human world on the other side—
The hashtag #LinChujiuKilledXuSisi# is rife with malice.
The usual playful curve at the corners of his lips disappeared, and his eyes turned cold and indifferent.
"It's rare to see you pay attention to gossip."
Father Mingsen strolled over, a smile in his eyes. "Could it be that you have a woman you fancy?"
Mingdu paused slightly, looked away, and said somewhat stiffly, "No."
But the anger rising in his chest because of her humiliation, and the urge to protect her under his wings, did not disappear with his hypocrisy. On the contrary, it seemed to grow even stronger, as if to defy his rebellion.
This is probably what...liking someone means.
Mingdu thought to himself with some puzzlement.
Ming Sen's eyes flashed with understanding, and he chuckled as he left.
That's just how young people are.
He's stubborn, but his heart is honest.
"Investigate," Mingdu ordered.
The shadowy figure in the darkness obeyed and vanished.
Before long, the shadowy figure reappeared, bowed, and presented a document.
Mingdu looked at the documents, his expression unreadable.
He stopped tapping on the armrest and looked at Lin Chujiu's pale but determined face in the water mirror. His anger just now turned into more complex emotions.
She doesn't need his thunderous protection; she has a knife in her own hand.
He felt frustrated, but mostly he admired her.
"This little human has quite the guts."
He curled his lips into a proud smile. "Tell the Finance Department to take action. Her live stream is just too awful."
His method is to shower people with generous rewards and crush any profanity.
The subordinates sighed inwardly at His Highness's hypocrisy, and felt as if they had been struck by lightning.
Mingdu leaned back on the throne, his gaze fixed on his reflection in the mirror.
"Hurry up and resolve this," he whispered. "Next time... I will see you in person."
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