IGSB – Chapter 18
Chapter 18: Entering the New World (Part 18)
To resolve the crisis, they extinguished the torches with water. But torches don't work well after being doused. To ensure nothing went wrong during the negotiation, the two first went to collect new torches before heading to the backyard.
Their luck was decent. After bustling about for a while, they actually found a good number of new torches behind the kitchen.
They took two and hid the rest. With everything ready, they finally headed to the backyard.
The backyard was just as lifeless today.
Xia Zhiyi peeked for a moment before pulling her head back. She walked back to the steps and sat down beside Jing Ruyu.
They needed to discuss things thoroughly before going in.
The two sat side-by-side on the stone steps, looking up at the sky.
The weather was beautiful today, the sky a clear, washed blue without a cloud in sight, and the midday sun was intense.
They hadn't realized they'd been busy for so long that it was already noon.
“Lunch should have been delivered to our rooms by now,” Xia Zhiyi said, turning to Jing Ruyu. “Are you hungry?”
Jing Ruyu didn't deny it. “Yes, a little.”
Just as she was about to reassure Xia Zhiyi that they could go back and eat after their talk, the other woman spoke first. “Hold out your hand.”
“?”
Though she didn't understand, she did as she was told.
Then she saw Xia Zhiyi extend her sleeve, aim the cuff at her palm, and suddenly loosen her grip—a fresh apple fell out.
Afterward, Xia Zhiyi pulled another apple from her other sleeve.
“I swiped these from the kitchen just now. Let's have a snack first,” Xia Zhiyi said, wiping the apple roughly with her sleeve before taking a hearty bite. “Whoa, it's pretty sweet and crisp.”
Jing Ruyu was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but smile.
Seeing her smile, Xia Zhiyi felt inexplicably awkward and felt compelled to explain, “You know I wouldn't do something sneaky like this in the real world…”
Jing Ruyu nodded with a smile. “Yes, of course I know.”
They knew each other inside and out; no one understood the other better.
Xia Zhiyi nodded. As if remembering something, she suddenly stopped chewing her apple, her expression turning to one of horror. “This isn't Miss Gu's fruit, is it?!”
Damn it, did she just casually swipe a grand prize?!
“It's not.”
Jing Ruyu took a calm and composed bite of her apple.
“The Ghost King's props wouldn't be left lying around. And Xiao Qiao isn't here to supervise, so this is just ordinary fruit. We can eat it without worry.”
Based on their previous experiences, this was a Ghost King who valued ceremony.
The fruit she gave had to be brought by the butler personally and eaten under the butler's personal supervision.
So, whether it was the Ghost King's fruit or ordinary fruit could be judged by Xiao Qiao's presence.
“It's very sweet,” Jing Ruyu praised warmly.
Xia Zhiyi's eyes immediately curved into crescents. “Right?”
This was a rare moment of relaxation for the two of them in this instance.
Perhaps because their nerves had been stretched taut for days, now that they finally had a chance to relax, the two unconsciously dragged out the time, eating their apples slowly.
Well-rested and with something in their stomachs, they finally began to discuss how to negotiate.
The most crucial thing in a negotiation is sincerity.
As the initiators, the sincerity they offered had to be exceptional.
Xia Zhiyi cupped her face in thought, while Jing Ruyu remained silent in contemplation.
A moment later, the two spoke in unison.
“The torches.”
They exchanged a look, picked up their torches, and stepped into the backyard once more.
As a super-brave social butterfly and a seasoned corporate drone, Xia Zhiyi bravely took on the negotiation task. She immediately addressed the mounds of earth throughout the yard, stating her purpose directly: “We want to discuss a collaboration with you.”
There was no response.
She didn't care. She hadn't expected the things underground to respond immediately anyway.
As a corporate drone who had worked for years and negotiated countless deals, giving up here wasn't her style.
She crouched down with a relaxed expression, casually picked up a thin twig, and poked at the ground. “Everyone, we mean no offense. We've come this time because we genuinely have a very important collaboration to discuss with you.”
“We already know about the grievances you've suffered in the Gu Residence, the inhumane exploitation by the Gu family, and your unwillingness and resentment. We sympathize with you, and we want to rewrite this unfair fate with you, allowing you to resist, to vent, to unleash your bitter anger.”
Jing Ruyu scanned their surroundings. Still, no one answered.
Xia Zhiyi continued, “You must be well aware that the only way for us to leave this place is through that door, and you can't leave here either.”
“So, in exchange for the chance to pass through safely, we want to make a deal with you—tomorrow, we will help you lure the Ghost King here for revenge, and you will not obstruct our departure.”
“As for how to get revenge, I've already thought it all out for you.”
She smiled and raised her torch.
“This sharp sword that you fear can also become the best weapon in your hands.”
“Think about it, everyone. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It won't come again.”
“If we die, we die. But if you give up on cooperating with us, who knows when the next chance will come, or if there will even be a next time.”
“At that time, you will be trapped here for all eternity, beneath these mounds of earth, unable to even take a single step out of this backyard.”
“The Ghost King will have no sympathy for you. She won't spare you a glance, nor will she generously grant you freedom. She will only endlessly use you as her watchdogs, leaving you unable to turn the tables no matter how unwilling or resentful you are.”
“Just think about it.”
“Don't you feel wronged? Don't you hate her? Don't you want to get revenge on her?”
“Most importantly, don't you want to get rid of her, become the Ghost King yourselves, and take control of everything here?”
Her tempting words fell clearly, seeping into every inch of the soil.
The sunlight shone down, as if to expose every trace of evil on this land.
The wind blew past, but still, there was no answer.
Xia Zhiyi looked up at Jing Ruyu, and they reached a silent consensus from each other's eyes: one last effort.
“Here are our torches. Without fire, we can't harm you. We're leaving them here.”
To show their sincerity, Jing Ruyu had to toss the two torches far away, then pulled the rising Xia Zhiyi back.
Xia Zhiyi spoke up, “We've given you the torches. Please think it over carefully and discuss it. We'll leave for now and come back in a little while.”
“If you all agree to cooperate, please leave the torches where they are to let us know. Thank you.”
The two then left the backyard.
After they left, the backyard remained utterly silent.
After a long time, the soil nearest to the torches began to loosen. A skeletal white hand reached out from the ground and snatched the torch…
Food is essential, and just eating an apple wasn't enough.
Xia Zhiyi and Jing Ruyu finished their lunch, and only after replenishing their energy did they hurry back to the backyard, full of anticipation.
This time, they didn't bring new torches with them, lest they be misunderstood as insincere, rendering their previous efforts futile.
Xia Zhiyi's eyes were filled with hope that her plan to sow discord had succeeded.
But when they returned, the torches had vanished.
The deal had failed.
“…”
Standing before the white wall, she let out a deep sigh.
“This trick really didn't work.”
Jing Ruyu also sighed softly, then comforted her, “It's okay, we did our best. Let's go back and think of another way.”
“Okay.”
Disappointed, the two turned to leave, forced to come up with another plan for the next day.
“I hope the weather is good tomorrow,” Xia Zhiyi said.
The next day was the Ghost King's wedding. That night, the five of them gathered once again to discuss their strategy.
But no one knew what the standard for “attending the wedding” actually was.
Did just participating count, or did they have to watch the entire ceremony until it was complete?
Xia Zhiyi pondered this, propping her chin on her hand.
Liuliu said, “If it's not explicitly stated, we can exploit the loophole, right?”
Everyone thought about it and agreed that made sense.
When there was a loophole, it was meant to be exploited.
Especially at such a dangerous time. If they didn't act, they would probably meet their end here after the Ghost King finished her wedding ceremony!
However, because they were unclear about the wedding arrangements for the next day and time was tight, after some discussion, they ultimately decided to go with the “flight is the best strategy” approach.
No matter what happened, as long as the Ghost King wasn't near them, they had to seize the opportunity to run.
Jing Ruyu would be responsible for bringing up the rear, attracting the Ghost King's attention, and stopping her to create an opportunity for escape.
Xia Zhiyi cupped her face. “I'm just worried that when the Ghost King encounters fire tomorrow, she'll use those servants as her human shields again…”
There was no doubt that the Ghost King was afraid of fire, but humans weren't.
She was certain the Ghost King was absolutely capable of using her servants as human shields to block the flames.
Jing Ruyu turned to look at the moon hanging high outside the house.
Tomorrow, life and death would hang by a thread.
Perhaps because it was the final day, the wedding day arrived in the blink of an eye, and it was an overcast one at that.
The players woke up early. Thinking about the wedding today, none of them had slept well.
This was the first time they had ever attended such an unpleasant wedding.
Xia Zhiyi stood at the doorway, looking up at the thick, dark clouds in the sky, feeling speechless.
Jing Ruyu walked to her side and heard her mutter faintly, “With weather this bad, maybe she should just call off the wedding…”
Unfortunately, the New World was cruel. When the Ghost King wanted to marry, no one could stop her.
Before long, Xiao Qiao appeared at the courtyard gate, her hands tucked into her sleeves, and said formally, “The auspicious time is almost here. It's time to attend my young lady's wedding banquet. Please follow me, esteemed guests.”
The players exchanged glances and reluctantly followed.
Looking at Xiao Qiao's back, Xia Zhiyi quietly asked Jing Ruyu, “Will Xiao Qiao help the Ghost King deal with us today?”
Jing Ruyu thought for a moment and said, “No, her main event is tomorrow. If she could kill today, the New World wouldn't need to set a time for clearing the field.”
Xia Zhiyi nodded, relieved. As long as the quest NPC didn't help the Ghost King, their burden would be a little lighter.
Jing Ruyu added, “Observe the situation and stay safe.”
In truth, even at this moment, Xia Zhiyi was still trying to think of a solution.
There were always more solutions than problems. Maybe she could really come up with a perfect plan that wouldn't cost a single life?
But when she arrived at the wedding venue and was seated among the guests, she still had no ideas.
The wedding venue was spacious, decorated everywhere with festive yet eerie red cloth.
A clean red carpet was laid down the middle, flanked by five tables. The five of them were separated and seated there.
Xia Zhiyi's luck was bad. She was assigned to a table in the front row, directly facing the spot for the wedding ceremony. She could both enjoy a close-up view of the Ghost King's wedding and be the first lucky soul to fall into her hands.
She subconsciously turned to look for Jing Ruyu and found her at the other end of her row, also in the front.
Xia Zhiyi: “…”
This seating arrangement was clearly laced with some ghostly grudge!
The others were seated at tables behind them, just a tiny bit safer.
She also noticed that Jing Ruyu was currently looking at another table. Following her gaze, she saw it was Xiao Ya's table.
As she watched, her brow furrowed.
Xiao Ya was trembling, her face deathly pale, as if she had encountered something terrifying.
Xia Zhiyi was confused. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the person next to Xiao Ya, and she froze, then sucked in a sharp breath.
—Gao Hui!
She saw him sitting beside Xiao Ya in that black suit, his face bloodless and expressionless, just sitting there silently like a block of wood.
Looking closer, she saw that everyone around them was the same. The styles of their clothes were different, but they all had one thing in common: modern attire.
In an instant, Xia Zhiyi suddenly understood something.
Could these “guests” around them be the players who had died here…?
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