Chapter 123: Infinite Cannon Fodder (13)

Qiao Qian had chosen to live on the third floor of the castle, in a room as far away from everyone else as possible.

Tong Ling walked straight up to Qiao Qian’s door and knocked. “Qianqian, are you awake?”

There wasn’t even a hint of sound from inside.

“Qianqian?”

Feeling that something was off, Tong Ling was about to take out Qiao Qian’s key to open the door when it creaked open by itself.

The person who opened the door was Qiao Qian, her long hair loose and messy, her face flushed with illness, still wearing yesterday’s dress that looked like dried salted vegetables after being soaked in rain. She stood there looking weak and drained.

“Did… did something happen?” Qiao Qian asked.

Tong Ling didn’t rush to answer. Instead, she grabbed Qiao Qian’s hand and felt her forehead with the other. “Oh no! You’re burning up!”

”…I’m fine,” Qiao Qian said, uncomfortable with such closeness. She instinctively wanted to pull back, but when she looked up at Tong Ling’s face, she saw genuine concern and worry. Qiao Qian knew Tong Ling wouldn’t hurt her; she was the only one here who wouldn’t cause any harm.

Qiao Qian felt a slight warmth in her heart as she allowed Tong Ling to lead her by the hand to the bedside.

“Yesterday, why didn’t you even change your clothes after returning to your room? Were you out in the rain too long and got sick?”

Tong Ling had Qiao Qian sit down and rest. After asking these questions, she berated herself, “I should have noticed earlier. I should’ve made sure you washed up, changed your clothes, and rested properly.”

Facing such kindness, Qiao Qian still seemed somewhat awkward. “I-I’m not sick…”

“I’ll go get some hot water for you to wash with,” Tong Ling said, starting to leave. “And I’ll find some clean clothes for you to change into.”

Qiao Qian hastily grabbed Tong Ling’s hand. “Really… I’m fine!”

Seeing that Tong Ling wasn’t convinced, Qiao Qian thought for a moment before explaining haltingly, “It’s not sickness—it’s… a sign.”

“A sign?” Tong Ling sat down beside Qiao Qian, intrigued.

“Whenever I… sense something, I start dreaming…” Qiao Qian pursed her lips, looking uneasy. “These bad signs make me feel feverish—it’s just a temporary… condition.”

“Hold on…” Qiao Qian added quickly. “I’ll be better soon.”

As if in response to her words, Qiao Qian’s complexion quickly returned to normal. When Tong Ling touched Qiao Qian’s forehead again, her temperature had also dropped.

“I won’t get sick,” Qiao Qian said, unconcerned about her body. She had been different from ordinary people since birth; she simply didn’t fall ill.

She would only feel weak—weak for a while after receiving a premonition. “I knew someone died. This is just the beginning…”

Seeing the surprise on Tong Ling’s face, Qiao Qian lowered her head and said, “It’s time for you to leave now, Lingling.”

“Don’t come near me.” Qiao Qian’s speech gradually became more fluid. “And ignore anyone else who approaches you too. Those people aren’t good news.”

Tong Ling replied, “But you’re different.”

“Qianqian, I know you’re different,” Tong Ling smiled. “These things shouldn’t be said to me, right? But you told me because you trust me, isn’t that so?”

Qiao Qian fell silent.

“Something did happen this morning,” Tong Ling revealed. She recounted how the killer had murdered Li Yun. After finishing her account, she added slowly, “I came here to check if you were still safe.”

Qiao Qian’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her fingers once again unconsciously twirled strands of hair. “You don’t suspect me?”

Despite being so strange, despite revealing so many oddities before her, why would Tong Ling believe in her?

“Qianqian is my alarm,” Tong Ling said softly, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at Qiao Qian. “Why would I doubt someone who warns me of danger?”

“It’s not that simple.” Qiao Qian turned away uneasily. “You can’t believe everything others say.”

“You’re not just any ‘other’,” Tong Ling replied firmly. “I trust you, Qianqian.”

In a low voice, Qiao Qian said, “That’s because you don’t know what I am.”

“Then tell me, what kind of person is Qianqian?” Tong Ling leaned closer to Qiao Qian, blinking as she asked, “Surely you can’t be more terrifying than that murderer—and even with him, I still managed to catch him.”

“You should be afraid of me instead,” Tong Ling smiled.

Hearing this, Qiao Qian’s gloomy mood suddenly lifted considerably. ”…I’m a witch,” she admitted, looking straight into Tong Ling’s eyes. “Anyone who gets close to me will become cursed.”

“Pfft.” Tong Ling couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Qiao Qian frowned slightly. “Do you think I’m joking?”

She raised her hand, and all the furniture, bedding, and household items in the room floated into the air. Qiao Qian glanced at Tong Ling, expecting fear—but instead… Tong Ling was watching intently, as if Qiao Qian were performing some magic trick.

Qiao Qian was speechless.

She felt a mix of annoyance and relief—annoyed that Tong Ling hadn’t shown any fear, but relieved because it meant she wasn’t dangerous. Still, this lack of caution worried her.

Seeing the irritation on Qiao Qian’s face, Tong Ling quickly waved her hand. “No, I laughed because someone else once used those words to describe me.”

Now it was Qiao Qian’s turn to be stunned. The objects in mid-air fell to the ground with a clatter as she lost control. “How… how could anyone say something like that about you?”

It was obvious to Qiao Qian that Tong Ling had grown up pampered and protected. She carried herself with grace and confidence, glowing with charm. Tong Ling embodied all the qualities Qiao Qian admired most—she was everything Qiao Qian wanted to be but knew she could never become.

Qiao Qian envied Tong Ling deeply. Tong Ling seemed free—her freedom radiated from within. She lived life on her own terms, doing whatever she pleased. At first glance, it appeared selfish, but who wouldn’t want such freedom for themselves?

Qiao Qian wanted to be just as carefree, but she couldn’t afford it. If she didn’t keep her impulses in check, she would hurt those around her.

Why must I be a witch? Why can’t I be ordinary?

“So it’s not that bad for me,” Tong Ling said with a slight lift of her eyebrow. “After all, the unlucky one is someone else, not me.”

“I’ll live better than anyone,” Tong Ling told Qiao Qian. “Qianqian, you will too.”

Qiao Qian’s heart skipped a beat, and her light green eyes filled with misty tears. ”… Really?”

“Of course,” Tong Ling affirmed. “How can you know what you’re capable of unless you try?”

Tong Ling’s confidence infected Qiao Qian without a doubt. Even if these were just words of comfort, Qiao Qian felt her heart settle contentedly.

Qiao Qian’s gaze swept over the scattered items in the room. One by one, they flew back into place, and the house became clean and tidy again, mirroring her current state of mind—calm and peaceful.

“Besides, Qianqian, you’re a witch,” Tong Ling continued, spreading her hands apart and sighing. “Witches are so powerful—you’re much stronger than I am! Look at me, I don’t know anything or how to do anything; everything has to rely on others. And this time, I even had the misfortune to come to this castle and meet a murderer. I’ve never met anyone as unlucky as myself before.”

“I… I will protect you,” Qiao Qian’s expression gradually firmed up. “Lingling, you must survive!”

Tong Ling tilted her head, seeming puzzled by Qiao Qian’s words.

“I dreamed about people in the castle dying one after another,” Qiao Qian said, shivering as she remembered her dream. “I don’t know who the killer is. Except for you, everyone else is a suspect!”

“We didn’t gather here by accident. Someone deliberately led us into this castle,” Qiao Qian said gravely. “Those people wearing bracelets knew we were coming. They… they were waiting for us.”

Tong Ling feigned surprise. “How could that be? I decided on a whim to come hiking. How could someone guide us?”

“I don’t know what that ‘person’ did. I came here because I felt there was something I wanted here.” Qiao Qian’s face turned pale. “Now that I think back on it, this feeling was very vague. But at the time, I don’t know why I believed it. Once I entered the castle, I realized I couldn’t leave. It’s very dangerous here, those people are all very dangerous!”

Tong Ling sat quietly listening off to the side. She showed no sign of doubt; she remained calm throughout.

This encouraged Qiao Qian to continue speaking. “Someone will cut my wrist and drain my blood, while you…”

Qiao Qian’s gaze landed on Tong Ling’s face. “Lingling, you’ll be put on an altar as a sacrifice.”

After leaving Qiao Qian’s room, Tong Ling continued pondering her words.

Altar, sacrifice…

Could this be the background for the S-rank scenario? Was there an altar hidden in this castle, one she was meant to be sacrificed upon to some unknown “god”?

Tong Ling reached up and touched the door key around her neck, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

She had a good idea what the most mysterious person here wanted.

As Tong Ling approached the second floor, ready to return to her own room, she saw someone standing outside her door holding a bowl of steaming noodles with chopped scallions.

Noticing her approach, the visitor removed their baseball cap, revealing a face as handsome as Miya’s but with a different kind of beauty—one that seemed more pure and refreshing, the type people would find likable at first glance.

“Yuan Ju?” Tong Ling feigned surprise while inwardly admiring the young man’s quick understanding of the situation.

He’d arrived swiftly; this player named Yuan Ju certainly had sharp wits.

That morning, Tong Ling had played detective, caught the “serial killer,” and clearly demonstrated her value to everyone present.

By defending Bai Bei, she wanted everyone to see that she was a “sentimental” person. Evidence or facts didn’t matter in front of her; if she felt like grabbing someone, it wouldn’t be a problem—after all, she had already controlled those NPCs.

Tong Ling initially avoided interacting with other players, focusing solely on the monsters so they’d come begging for help themselves.

The Main God wanted players to kill her? Too bad. Now, just to survive, not only could players not harm her, but they also had to flatter her, obey her, and seek her assistance. If any player caused her even minor harm, the monsters behind her wouldn’t let them off easily.

Yuan Ju tilted his head slightly, looking somewhat shy as he blushed and offered the noodles in his hand to Tong Ling. “Thanks for your help this morning. This is some noodle soup I made. You must be hungry, right? Have a taste…”

Perhaps afraid Tong Ling would refuse, Yuan Ju added, “It’s okay if you don’t eat it. It’s normal to lose your appetite after what happened.”

“Eat? I wasn’t hungry before, but now I am.” Tong Ling opened the door wider, gesturing invitingly. “Come in, Yuan Ju… my little brother.”

Yuan Ju hesitated.

He pressed his lips together and shook his head. “I think I’ll… stay out of your room.”

“Why?” Tong Ling crossed her arms, frowning impatiently. “Are you expecting me to carry the noodles inside myself?”

Only then did Yuan Ju step through the door. When he heard it close behind him, a hint of displeasure flickered in his eyes.

This NPC Lingling was too careless, letting just anyone into her room. Li Yun had seduced her with a mere salve, and now Yuan Ju could enter her space just because he brought some noodles. How exactly did she control those monsters? The skills mentioned on the Predictor card seemed like they came straight from the Main God’s twisted imagination. Everything about this scenario felt off-kilter and illogical.

As soon as Yuan Ju entered, he scanned the room’s interior. In truth, before Lingling moved in, he had already explored most of the castle’s rooms. This one was the largest, fitting for the mistress of the castle. It boasted all sorts of amenities—exactly what one would expect from someone like Lingling.

Yuan Ju set down the bowl and chopsticks on the table. Before he could leave, NPC Lingling pointed at a nearby chair, telling him to sit.

“Wait for me,” Tong Ling said matter-of-factly. “After I finish eating, you’ll need to take away my bowl and chopsticks.”

Yuan Ju was speechless.

He’d never met such a lazy and willful woman before. They weren’t even close yet she acted like they were already friends. Had Lingling ever been this casual with Li Yun? Wasn’t she good at being sweet? Her gentle moments could be truly lovely—her gaze alone seemed to carry an invisible hook that drew people in. So why had her attitude changed so much with him? Could it be because he wasn’t as handsome as Li Yun?

That can’t be…

Yuan Ju’s mind raced. He didn’t want to become just another plaything of the Sea King, but being treated like a mere sidekick by him came as quite a surprise.

Yuan Ju sneaked a glance at Lingling and noticed she was too busy slurping noodles to pay attention to him.

If Lingling had any virtues, one might say she ate well. The simple scallion noodle soup Yuan Ju made suddenly turned into some gourmet delicacy in Lingling’s mouth. Her elegant manner of eating left Yuan Ju somewhat mesmerized.

It wasn’t that he found Lingling attractive; rather, it had been ages since he’d seen someone enjoying food so simply and genuinely.

Ever since entering this instance dungeon, he’d been on high alert, gathering information with his eyes peeled in all directions. Even last night during dinner, he was closely watching everyone’s actions—how could he spare any attention for whether someone looked good eating or if they were savoring their food properly?

His culinary skills had been honed before joining the Infinite Game; he never expected to use them here.

Who would’ve thought that he’d end up feeding an NPC and even watching her eat? It was downright comical…

Tong Ling stopped halfway through her meal and pushed her bowl and chopsticks towards Yuan Ju. “That’s enough. Stop staring at me and eat.”

Yuan Ju blinked, confused.

Did she mean… him to finish her leftover noodles?

He glanced at Lingling’s full, moist lips, then back at the used chopsticks. Could it be… one of Sea King’s seduction tactics? Was she trying to get him to have… indirect intimate contact with her?

It seemed like he was exactly what she wanted—the cold demeanor she’d shown earlier must have all been an act!

Just as a smug feeling washed over Yuan Ju, he heard Lingling whisper from beside him, “I couldn’t finish it anyway. You looked so pitiful—I’ll let you have the rest.”

Yuan Ju was speechless.

Damn! What did this Lingling think he was?!