IGSB – Chapter 27
Chapter 27: Who's the Murderer? (Part 8)
Jing Ruyu possessed a photographic memory.
She had only glanced at the three route maps her roommate had drawn this morning to commit them to memory completely, which was why she could react so quickly now and realize this was the way to Quicksand Park.
They never expected that Quicksand Park would be one of the paths without white fog.
What would be on this path?
The ferry crossing to clear the instance?
Or perhaps the answer they needed to write on the blackboard?
And what about the remaining path?
Would it lead to Zhou Xiuxiu's or Ming Hui's home?
Or was it something else, a new route they needed to explore on their own?
No, none of that was the priority right now. The priority was the road to Quicksand Park, and Sun Jun—the prime suspect, the likely culprit behind this whole tragedy.
Using the tall pagoda trees for cover, their pursuit went smoothly.
Sun Jun and the delinquents didn't notice anyone behind them. They were still chatting casually about food, fun, and picking up girls. Finally, the conversation turned to Ming Hui, who was about to transfer schools.
“Didn't you say there was a chick in your class who was really into you?” the black-haired boy said. “How come we never see you bring her out?”
The yellow-haired boy chimed in, “Yeah, bring her out for some fun sometime.”
At this, Sun Jun rubbed the back of his neck, his tone clearly impatient. “Don't mention it. She's transferring.”
The yellow-haired boy asked, “Transferring? Why would she transfer out of the blue?”
Sun Jun said, “She asked why Zhou Xiuxiu wasn't coming to school, so I just told her. After that, she stopped talking to me, even cursed me out. Said something about not wanting to be in the same school as a devil, that she couldn't stand having someone like me around. And now she's actually transferring.
“Tch, what a psycho. So dramatic. Girls are nothing but trouble. Dramatic and troublesome, and they don't know what's good for them.”
He thought of Zhou Xiuxiu again.
That woman who knew the least what was good for her.
Wasn't he good-looking?
He was clearly so handsome, such a perfect match for her, and he liked her so much. Yet she actually rejected him, rejected the title of his girlfriend!
That woman was simply ungrateful!
At first, he wasn't that angry.
Women, after all, could be cute with their little tempers.
It didn't matter if she didn't admit it now. Once he made everyone believe they were a couple, she would naturally accept the role.
But he never imagined that Zhou Xiuxiu would be so unappreciative!
She rejected him again and again, and finally even lost her temper at him in public, embarrassing him in front of others!
He hated it when people embarrassed him.
No one could ruin the image he had so carefully crafted, and certainly, no one could humiliate him!
Xia Zhiyi and Jing Ruyu, eavesdropping from behind, finally had a moment of clarity.
So Ming Hui was transferring because she couldn't stand someone like Sun Jun.
So the note on her desk had been pointing to Sun Jun from the very beginning—from start to finish, it was all Sun Jun.
“In that case, that child Ming Hui should have safely left this school.”
As she spoke, Xia Zhiyi let out a small sigh of relief.
She didn't want another innocent person to be harmed.
Jing Ruyu nodded and said, “Based on what happened in the boys' dorm last night, Sun Jun must have done something to Xiuxiu.”
“Or rather, he is the murderer.”
Xia Zhiyi nodded lightly and pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say.
Judging by the contents of the torn note from Ming Hui, what Sun Jun had done was likely something utterly shameful. She didn't even want to think about it.
Was this the New World?
It never played by the rules, and every instance's format was different. The only constant was the heavy feeling it left you with.
Heavy because your life was in danger, because you could die at any moment.
Heavy because of the suffering of the instance's characters.
Players could never predict what would happen next.
In the future, what kind of instances would they encounter…
Jing Ruyu glanced at the time, then turned her attention to the movements of Sun Jun and his friends, her brow furrowed.
The only safe place at night was in bed, sleeping. They had to get back before the dormitory doors were locked.
She hoped that from now until eleven at night, things would remain as calm as they were now.
The trio's next destination was clear.
They were going to eat, drink, and have fun, living it up to the fullest. Having a good time was all that mattered.
Before they knew it, the sun had set behind the western mountains. The sky was dyed a dark, inky color, and the moon slowly rose into the heavens.
The mysterious, dangerous, and unknown night had fallen.
A little after nine, the three emerged from an internet cafe, all smiles, ready to go drinking and pull an all-nighter.
The street was silent. One of the streetlights seemed to be broken, its cold white light flickering erratically, making one's eyes uncomfortable.
Sun Jun couldn't help but mutter, “Strange, is it usually this quiet around here? Is this light broken too?”
The yellow-haired boy waved his hand dismissively. “What's the big deal? If it's broken, it's broken. Someone will come fix it eventually.”
The black-haired boy nodded. “Nothing to worry about.”
Only then did Sun Jun drop the subject.
Xia Zhiyi and Jing Ruyu thought the three of them were truly reckless.
Following this road straight ahead would lead to Quicksand Park, but the two of them could clearly sense that the closer they got, the colder and eerier the surrounding atmosphere became, making one's hair stand on end.
Because of this, the two of them didn't follow too closely this time, in case something unexpected happened and they couldn't escape.
Two minutes passed. Nothing happened.
Five minutes passed. Still nothing happened.
Ten minutes, fifteen minutes… time trickled by in the calm air.
In the end, Sun Jun's group even walked past the entrance of an alley that felt extremely dangerous, completely unharmed.
The two girls felt it was getting stranger and stranger.
But just then, countless hands made of coiled black hair shot out from the dark alley, binding the three boys with lightning speed and yanking them violently into the alley.
The boys' shouts instantly shattered the tranquility.
The two were greatly alarmed, yet also felt a strange sense that this was to be expected.
They had no choice but to cautiously approach and investigate.
The long, dark alley was filled with writhing, distorted black hair and black slime.
The entrance to the alley was sealed by long hair, like thorns blocking the way forward.
Between the crisscrossing “thorns,” they saw Sun Jun being pressed to the ground. They saw several humanoid monsters crawling out of the black slime on the ground. Viscous liquid dripped continuously from their bodies, which were as robust as an adult man's. The scene was utterly bizarre.
Sun Jun was surrounded by them, his eyes filled with terror, like a fish on a chopping block, at their mercy with nowhere to run.
In that moment, the seal on his memory was finally broken, and he remembered everything.
“Xiuxiu…
“Xiuxiu, don't…”
He began to beg for mercy, desperate and pathetic.
Xia Zhiyi and Jing Ruyu looked up.
Sure enough, the Ghost King had appeared.
Zhou Xiuxiu floated in mid-air, her long black hair trailing behind her. Black liquid dripped from the ends of her hair, like water, yet also like blood.
She looked down from on high at the pathetic ant below, like a merciless judge.
“Xiuxiu, I know I was wrong—”
Sun Jun hastily knelt on the ground, kowtowing with loud thuds, not caring that his head was bleeding.
“Let me go, I beg you, let me go. I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong, Xiuxiu!
“Just let me die, okay! Let me die!”
“Die? No, that would be too easy for you. You should enjoy all of this. This is what you deserve.”
Zhou Xiuxiu's voice drifted lightly to his ear, chillingly cold.
“Welcome to hell, Sun Jun.”
“I am your hell, a hell you can never escape—”
The Ghost King's cold, triumphant laughter echoed in the terrifying night, crashing down on one's heart like a heavy boulder, inspiring a fear that was difficult to quell.
Then, as if given a command, the humanoid monsters swarmed forward.
The screams of Sun Jun and the others instantly tore through the long night, mingling with Zhou Xiuxiu's piercing, icy laughter, forging a terrifying and desperate hell.
The vine-like black hair writhed, completely sealing the alley entrance, obscuring the entire scene. Only the shrill screams could not be concealed.
All the pain he had inflicted on others was now being repaid to him, one by one, in an endless cycle!
Xia Zhiyi covered her mouth in terror, stumbling backward and bumping into Jing Ruyu's arms.
This was… the answer.
Suddenly, the long hair before them began to attack.
Fortunately, Jing Ruyu was quick-witted and swift, pulling Xia Zhiyi into her arms to dodge it.
The flickering light went out completely. One by one, slimy monsters were born from the darkness, finally revealing their true forms and filling their entire field of vision, blocking the path to Quicksand Park.
These were the monsters that roamed outside the dormitories—the Political and Educational Office.
“Leaving school without permission is a very dangerous act.”
The Ghost King's voice drifted down from above.
The monsters, as if a switch had been flipped, suddenly howled and charged toward them with their clumsy, nauseating bodies without hesitation.
“Ruyu, run!”
Xia Zhiyi reacted instantly, shouting.
Jing Ruyu's movements were even faster. She had already taken the lead, pulling her by the hand and running in the direction of the school.
Xia Zhiyi ran with all her might, following Jing Ruyu.
This was the first time she had faced an attack from so many monsters.
Although the monsters were clumsy, their attack speed was swift and dense for an ordinary person like her.
But these monsters were nothing to Jing Ruyu. Her movements were light and her dodges nimble; she could always easily evade the monsters' swinging arms.
Not only that, but she also had to help Xia Zhiyi dodge the attacks.
Gradually, Xia Zhiyi felt herself struggling to keep up, her stamina draining severely.
Looking at Jing Ruyu's back, she suddenly felt like a burden, and a sense of resolve rose in her heart.
While she didn't want to die, she also didn't want to drag someone down with her, especially when that person was the Jing Ruyu she liked so much.
She didn't like the idea of a total party wipe, either.
It was time to let go when she had to. If one could escape, that was better than none!
“I don't have much strength left! You run, don't worry about me!” she said loudly. “We already know the answer, so hurry back! If one of us can clear the instance, that's what matters. Don't let us both get wiped out here!”
As she finished speaking, she felt the grip on her hand tighten—Jing Ruyu was holding her hand even more firmly.
“No,” Jing Ruyu said.
“What?” Xia Zhiyi was taken aback.
“I said no.”
Jing Ruyu, having finally made up her mind, suddenly stopped, turned around, and swept her up into a princess carry. Amidst Xia Zhiyi's cry of surprise, she leaped up, effortlessly dodging an attack while holding her, and then landed steadily and safely, continuing to run toward the school.
“I can't watch you die.”
Since she was here, she wouldn't leave her behind.
Her and her, not one less!
Xia Zhiyi was stunned, suddenly at a loss for words.
Jing Ruyu's hurried, urgent footsteps pounded on the ground.
The monsters howled, their fists grazing her long, powerful arms and slamming heavily into the wall.
For a moment, dust and grit flew, and danger was everywhere.
Through all the ups and downs, Jing Ruyu never loosened her grip on Xia Zhiyi.
She didn't seem to tire, as if she would never feel tired.
Xia Zhiyi didn't dare to move, afraid of causing trouble for her, and also worried she was tired, yet she saw no sign of fatigue on her face.
She suddenly felt a trace of unfamiliarity toward this Jing Ruyu.
In the year they were in love, it seemed she had never fully understood her…
Could she… have secrets from her?
The Ghost King watched from mid-air as the two people below dodged the monster attacks again and again. Her gaze finally settled on Jing Ruyu.
Her chin lifted slightly, her eyes devoid of emotion or desire.
“A dishonest person.”
The monster attacks didn't last as long as they had imagined.
And the closer they got to the school, the weaker the attacks became, with fewer and fewer monsters, until they disappeared completely.
Under the pagoda tree, Xia Zhiyi, with her arms around Jing Ruyu's neck, looked back. She could see nothing but endless darkness.
“Ruyu, they're not chasing us!”
Jing Ruyu didn't put her down, asking with a frown, “What time is it?”
Xia Zhiyi glanced at her watch and was shocked. “Oh no, it's ten minutes to eleven!”
They never imagined they would have spent so much time outside!
A place with a Ghost King was indeed no simple matter!
“Hold on tight.”
After saying that, Jing Ruyu started running again without even taking a couple of breaths.
Xia Zhiyi quickly hugged her neck, surprised. “Aren't you tired?!”
Jing Ruyu said calmly, “Not tired. You're not heavy.”
“…”
Xia Zhiyi said, “You'd better really not be tired. If you dare to just act tough, you're dead.”
Her tone unconsciously reverted to how it was when they were still together.
Jing Ruyu's lips curved into a smile, but she said nothing.
When they reached the school gate and saw no guards patrolling along the wall, she found a relatively hidden spot and effortlessly leaped onto the wall while holding Xia Zhiyi, jumping right over.
Then, without another word, she dashed straight for the dormitory.
Xia Zhiyi's heart pounded. She didn't dare make a sound to disturb her, even fearing that asking to be put down now would be a waste of time.
She prayed inwardly, begging the heavens to ensure they didn't miss the curfew.
Finally, after a heart-pounding ordeal, with three minutes to spare before eleven, they safely entered the dormitory and could breathe a sigh of relief.
“Oh my, why are you two back so late?”
The dorm matron couldn't help but chide them, then told them to hurry upstairs and rest.
“Lights are already out. Be quiet, don't disturb anyone, okay?”
Xia Zhiyi nodded repeatedly and reached out to support Jing Ruyu, as if helping a seriously ill patient.
Jing Ruyu gave her a strange look. “What's wrong?”
Xia Zhiyi said, “You've had a hard time. I was afraid you'd be exhausted, so I'm just helping you a little.”
Jing Ruyu smiled. “How could I be exhausted? Didn't I tell you? You're not heavy.”
Xia Zhiyi: “…”
“President Jing, are you really human?” she asked respectfully, a soul-searching question.
Having stamina when doing what adults do was one thing, but running and jumping for so long while carrying her, a person of normal weight, and still not feeling particularly tired?!
Was this a physique a normal person could have?
Could her ex-girlfriend really not be human?!
As her words fell, Jing Ruyu looked at her for a moment, then smiled sweetly. “Of course I am.”
She took her hand. “It's getting late. The ‘Political and Educational Office’ will be coming. We need to go back to sleep.”
“Oh.” Xia Zhiyi didn't press the matter further and obediently followed her upstairs back to the dorm room.
She decided to trust Jing Ruyu one more time.
After all, she had saved her. After all, she liked her so much. After all… she had never lied to her.
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