Chapter 245 - 244: The Game Begins

Chapter 245: Chapter 244: The Game Begins

When the Ghost King saw everyone crowd around the child, who had only spat up a mouthful of blood, his resolve to play his game hardened.

People were always like this—so good at putting on a brave face for others. But only they knew what was truly in their hearts. Especially when faced with a threat to their own lives, how many would really be willing to sacrifice themselves for someone else?

"I’m fine." Huo Xingchen looked listless and his chest still ached, but he didn’t let it show. Instead, he changed the subject. "A connection must have been planted back when I was being controlled."

He looked guilty. "I was careless."

Gu Qingyin’s eyes reddened with sorrow. She hugged Huo Xingchen tightly and kissed his forehead. "It’s not your fault. Mama didn’t protect you properly. It’s okay, don’t be scared. Mama won’t let anything happen to you."

Huo Xingchen’s lips curved into a sweet smile. "I know. Mama is the best."

The others all looked pained to hear this. Their gazes, fixed on the Ghost King, were filled with a rage so intense they wanted to tear him to shreds on the spot. But because of the connection between him and Huo Xingchen, their hands were tied; they didn’t dare to make a move.

"Despicable! Shameless! You...!" Zhang Qiuyan began to curse, but her words caught in her throat when she remembered what the Ghost King had suffered in his life. For a moment, she despised her own soft-heartedness, which only made her angrier. ℯℯ𝑙.

After performing a simple healing on Huo Xingchen with a talisman, Gu Qingyin shot a cold glare at the Ghost King. "How do you want to play this game?"

"Don’t be so impatient. You’ll all find out soon enough..."

As the Ghost King’s voice trailed off, the scene before them changed once more.

They found themselves in an ancient, dilapidated village. Here, a low-slung wooden bungalow would be considered a mansion. Most of the houses were just piles of stone and mud that looked as if they could collapse at any moment.

The air was bone-dry and thick with the stench of rotting flesh. The few people walking along the road were sallow-faced and emaciated, their bodies so caked in filth they looked like they had just been rolling in the dirt.

"Is this where the Ghost King lived before he died?" Zhang Qiuyan asked, looking around. "Is this the game’s setting? What are we supposed to do?"

Dongfang Lingjun’s expression was grim. "The game has already begun."

"What?" The word had barely left Zhang Qiuyan’s mouth when her stomach let out a loud RUMBLE. She instinctively clutched it, fighting against a sudden, overwhelming wave of hunger.

Gu Qingyin held Huo Xingchen tighter and whispered, "It’s an experiential game. He wants us to feel the pain of starvation, and then... see what choices we make."

Zhang Qiuyan froze and glanced instinctively at Huo Xingchen. ’Does the Ghost King want to see if we’ll abandon him, too?’

’But that’s impossible. We know this is just a game.’

They now had a general idea of how the game worked.

Huo Yunjing spoke up. "Let’s find a place to stay first. This game won’t be over quickly."

As they walked, they saw many empty houses. The famine had clearly been going on for some time. Perhaps the land was arid? Or maybe nothing would grow in the fields?

They finally found an empty house that looked relatively clean and sturdy. Gu Qingyin drew a Cleaning Talisman to dust the room, and the others readily pitched in to tidy up.

Gu Qingyin held a drowsy Huo Xingchen and watched the others bustling about inside and outside the house. ’I really miss my Little Papermen,’ she thought. ’When I get back, I have to make a few more. They’re just so useful.’

The house wasn’t large. It had only one bedroom with a large, shared sleeping platform, big enough for all of them.

Huo Yunjing’s storage bag held sleeping bags for camping—enough for everyone with some to spare.

As Gu Qingyin took a sleeping bag, she asked casually, "Did you bring any food?"

Huo Yunjing paused, his lips thinning. "No." His storage bag was filled with tools and equipment. Besides, he wasn’t someone who cared much for food, so he naturally wouldn’t carry any with him.

Gu Qingyin wasn’t surprised in the slightest. ’That’s perfectly in character for him.’

She unrolled the sleeping bag and settled Huo Xingchen inside, then turned to Huo Yunjing with a smile. "In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to find something to eat in the mountains. By the time Xingchen wakes up, it’ll be time for a meal." She then pulled a stack of pre-drawn talismans from her backpack. "Use these as you see fit. Don’t be frugal. It’d be best if you can get some meat."

Huo Yunjing took the talismans and turned to leave. He would definitely come back with a kill.

Outside, Dongfang Lingjun was directing Zhang Qiuyan in setting up Reinforcement and Defensive Arrays around the house. This was to prevent the starving villagers from getting desperate and "not being picky about their food."

By the time the master and apprentice finished their work, the sun had already passed its zenith and was beginning to sink toward the west. Huo Yunjing, who had gone out to find food, still hadn’t returned.

Dongfang Lingjun sat on the edge of the sleeping platform, smacking his lips as he looked at the sleeping Huo Xingchen. "I’m getting a little thirsty," he muttered.

A jolt of alarm went through Gu Qingyin. She just now realized they hadn’t seen a single water source on their way here, and of course, there was no such thing as running water in the house. To get a drink, they would have to search outside. Recalling the extremely dry air, she had a very bad feeling.

"Could you two please watch Huo Xingchen? I’m going to look for some water."

Dongfang Lingjun and Zhang Qiuyan both agreed, telling her not to worry, but also to not go too far.

Gu Qingyin left the house and took a different route. After making a wide circle, she finally found a well on the eastern edge of the village. She peered inside and, just as she’d feared, it was bone-dry.

’This is the real problem,’ she thought. ’A person can survive without food by chewing on tree bark, but without water, you can’t last more than a few days.’

’No wonder there are so few people in the village. They’ve either fled or died of thirst. The ones who remain are just a tiny fraction.’

Gu Qingyin looked up at the vast, cloudless blue sky and considered the possibility of summoning rain.

’Compared to ordinary people, a Heavenly Master has far more ways to solve problems. From the very beginning of this game, the scales were already tipped in our favor.’

On her way back, Gu Qingyin, now alone, finally drew the attention of the villagers.

She was just too conspicuous. Her skin was fair, her lips plump and moist—one glance was enough to tell she was lacking neither food nor water. On top of that, her face was unfamiliar; she had to be an outsider.

The refugees watched her, their eyes murky and unreadable, but she could faintly sense their desire... and their greed.

Gu Qingyin paid them no mind, feeling no fear. ’They’re just dead things, materialized from a memory.’

Halfway back, Gu Qingyin ran into Huo Yunjing returning from his hunt.

’This man never disappoints,’ she thought. ’No matter which version of him, he’s always so incredibly reliable.’

In his hand, Huo Yunjing carried two pheasants, already dead and plucked. But what was most striking was that the birds had clearly been washed.

Gu Qingyin’s eyes lit up. "Where did you find water?"

Only then did it seem to dawn on Huo Yunjing that there was no water in the village. A flicker of chagrin crossed his eyes, and he pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

Gu Qingyin sharply sensed that something was wrong. "Did you use all the water?"

Huo Yunjing looked away, a strange guilt washing over him. "No, but... it’s not drinkable anymore."

Gu Qingyin fell silent. ’I take it back,’ she thought. ’Sometimes, this man can be completely unreliable.’