Chapter 134: Infinite Cannon Fodder (24)

With Bai Bei taking charge of the physical labor, Tong Ling decided not to move an inch.

She pulled Qiao Qian over and sat with her on one side, watching as Bai Bei paced through the castle, meticulously searching for the location of the basement.

“Isn’t this a bit… off?” Qiao Qian fidgeted in her chair, feeling uneasy about the scene unfolding before them.

“What do you mean?” Tong Ling leaned half her body against Qiao Qian. “Men need some exercise; otherwise they’ll turn lazy.”

Qiao Qian’s expression turned somewhat conflicted.

In her eyes, those dangerous individuals who should have been treated with caution were now… somehow reduced to mere obedient dogs at Tong Ling’s beck and call? Qiao Qian knew it wasn’t fair to think that way, but she couldn’t shake the feeling.

Tong Ling yawned. “Let me lean on you and catch a quick nap. You can wake me when he finds what we’re looking for.”

”…Okay,” Qiao Qian replied, bewildered.

Tong Ling drifted off against the soft, fragrant body of the witch. When she awoke, Bai Bei was sitting beside her. Her head rested on his shoulder, and as soon as she lifted it, she met his gentle smile.

Bai Bei appeared delicate at first glance, with skin beneath his thin shirt that seemed too pale, almost translucent like cold jade. The blue veins were clearly visible, making one think they could easily burst from just a light touch.

Despite his slender frame, this man had broad shoulders, not an ounce of excess fat on him, a narrow waist, long straight legs, and arms with well-defined muscles. One wouldn’t know how strong he truly was without getting close to him.

Tong Ling recalled their first encounter when he carried her up the mountain through the rain halfway up its slope—a feat far beyond what most people could manage. She reached out, gently pressing her fingers against Bai Bei’s neck artery, caressing it softly as before.

Just days ago, this man’s body was still warm, his pulse strong and steady. Now, his body felt icy cold, and even his heartbeat had vanished without a trace.

Bai Bei no longer shrank away from her touch. Instead, he drew closer and enveloped her in his arms.

“Did you sleep well?” His voice was soft and gentle.

Tong Ling didn’t rush to pull away from Bai Bei. Nestled in his embrace, she replied languidly, “Mm-hmm, I slept wonderfully.”

“What about Qianqian?” Tong Ling tilted her head curiously. “Why didn’t she wake me up?”

“I saw how deeply you were sleeping,” Bai Bei explained, his voice steady as he gazed at her with an expression full of affectionate indulgence. “I thought it best not to disturb you. I hope that wasn’t wrong of me.”

Tong Ling gave him a searching look before placing her hands on his shoulders. She rose up to gently peck his cheek. “A-Bai did just right.”

“But… I want to know where Qianqian is.”

The corners of Bai Bei’s mouth curved slightly upward. “I’ve found the mechanism to open the basement entrance. Miss Qiao went down there just now.”

“How could she go alone!” Tong Ling feigned annoyance. “Good thing A-Bai is here with me. I must go see what’s happening too.”

Bai Bei’s smile deepened significantly. “Yes, I’ll always be here… by your side.”

The entrance to the basement was surprisingly located within the kitchen.

Tong Ling had never been in the castle kitchen before. Upon entering, she discovered it was vast, decorated in the same opulent style as the rest of the castle. European-style wall sconces hung along the kitchen walls, while one entire wall consisted of cabinets filled with tableware and ingredients.

Bai Bei walked ahead of her. He stopped at the second sconce and rotated its base.

With a “click,” the heavy cabinet shifted aside, revealing an entrance that seemed like an endless abyss, ready to swallow anyone who ventured near.

“Qianqian?” Tong Ling softly called out for Qiao Qian but received no response.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Bai Bei’s arm and leaned against him. “A-Bai, let’s go down together and find her.”

Naturally, Bai Bei wouldn’t refuse his girlfriend. He retrieved an old-fashioned candlestick from the cabinet, lit the candle, and led his girlfriend towards the entrance.

As soon as they entered the basement, the cabinet closed again. It was pitch-black; only the flickering candlelight in Bai Bei’s hand illuminated a small area faintly.

“Be careful, there are steps,” Bai Bei warned.

“It’s so dark here,” Tong Ling said, inching closer to Bai Bei. “A-Bai, aren’t you scared?”

Bai Bei looked at the woman pressed almost entirely against him and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Tong Ling tilted her head and glared at Bai Bei. In the dim yellow candlelight, his cold white face seemed to have gained a touch of warmth. “Are you laughing at me?”

Bai Bei quickly stifled his laughter; he knew if he continued, his girlfriend would get angry—and when she got angry, she’d “torture” him. Who could blame her for having such a terrible temper?

“I’m sorry,” Bai Bei obediently apologized. “I wasn’t laughing at you. I just felt overjoyed seeing you like this.”

“Liar!” Tong Ling lifted her eyelashes and gripped Bai Bei’s arm tightly. “Let me tell you, I’m not afraid of this place. Just stay close to me.”

Bai Bei allowed his girlfriend to cling to him, softening his voice even more. “Okay.”

Tong Ling counted the steps as they descended. There were clearly only thirteen steps, yet she felt as though the staircase was incredibly long.

It reminded her of the dream Qiao Qian had described, but the gloomy surroundings easily deceived one’s senses, making it seem as though the passage stretched on endlessly.

Upon reaching the flat ground, Tong Ling instructed Bai Bei to light the lamps while she remained standing in place. Once the basement’s wall lights were illuminated, revealing the scene before her eyes, Tong Ling’s expression darkened.

The floor was covered with blotches of black and red, these mottled marks deeply etched into the earth, forming a dizzying array of runes. At the center of these runes stood a pure white altar, around which water dripped steadily. Upon the altar itself lay a gray-haired witch, lying still and motionless.

Without hesitation, Tong Ling rushed to the altar. Only when she noticed that Qiao Qian’s chest was still rising and falling, and there was breath between her nostrils, did her furrowed brow relax.

“Qianqian,” Tong Ling nudged Qiao Qian’s shoulder, “wake up, it’s time to get up.”

Hearing the sound by her ear, Qiao Qian stirred from her hazy slumber. She opened her eyes, momentarily unable to discern whether she was dreaming or awake…

“Qianqian…”

As the voice grew louder, Qiao Qian shifted her head, focusing on the concerned woman hovering above her.

“Ringing.” Qiao Qian opened her mouth, her voice frighteningly hoarse. “I…”

Qiao Qian was about to describe her dream when she caught sight of the man behind Tong Ling and quickly pursed her lips.

“What’s wrong, Qianqian?” Tong Ling asked. “Why are you sleeping here alone?”

Qiao Qian lowered her gaze, her eyelashes quivering. “I-I don’t even know how I fell asleep.”

Tong Ling helped Qiao Qian up, her tone somewhat unhappy. “This isn’t a place for sleep.”

After leaving the altar, Qiao Qian’s icy-cold body gradually regained feeling. Her eyes flickered as she rasped, “Let’s get out of here. We shouldn’t stay any longer.”

Tong Ling didn’t immediately agree. “But we need to disrupt the formation, right?”

Tong Ling looked down at those dark red marks, adopting the persona of cannon fodder material. She bent over, intending to touch them.

“Don’t touch it!”

Qiao Qian and Bai Bei both stopped Tong Ling’s action almost simultaneously.

Surprised, Qiao Qian glanced at Bai Bei. She hadn’t expected this man to show such genuine concern for Tong Ling.

“Don’t touch it.” Bai Bei gently took his girlfriend’s delicate hands, showing clear disgust towards the marks on the ground. “It’s too dirty; don’t casually touch such filthy things.”

Seeing Tong Ling’s nonchalant attitude, Qiao Qian quickly explained, “Those dark red patches… are stains left by countless dried blood.”

Tong Ling immediately tightened her arms around Bai Bei’s slender waist. “Eek… how disgusting.”

As if unable to bear this environment any longer, Tong Ling stamped her feet and said, “Let’s leave quickly. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

Bai Bei smiled helplessly but obediently led his girlfriend upstairs. Throughout their time there, he never asked why she wanted to find the basement or how she knew about this place. Unless Tong Ling brought it up herself, he wouldn’t inquire further, demonstrating remarkable patience and understanding.

After leaving the basement, Tong Ling told Bai Bei to go away, yet he didn’t show any annoyance. “I’m heading back to my room. If you need anything, feel free to come find me anytime.”

Tong Ling waved dismissively, “Alright, got it.”

Once Bai Bei’s figure disappeared from sight, Tong Ling turned directly to Qiao Qian and said, “Qianqian, now you can say what you were holding back earlier.”

“Is your solo trip down to the basement related to him?”

Qiao Qian had initially wanted to warn Tong Ling about being more cautious, but Bai Bei proved far sharper than she anticipated. Instead, it was Qiao Qian who nearly fell for his trap, almost failing to wake up from her slumber in the basement.

Fortunately, this time there was only peril without incident. The dream on the altar also helped her unravel the mystery smoothly.

“Lingling, I know who killed those two people,” Qiao Qian whispered, lowering her voice. “And he’ll continue killing.”

Tong Ling remained silent.

“It’s Bai Bei.” The ominous premonition made Qiao Qian feel feverish again as she said with flushed cheeks, “He’s… an evil spirit! From the moment he entered the castle, he became a murderous fiend. With each person he kills, his power grows stronger. And the longer he stays within these walls, the fewer inhibitions he has against murder.”

“Today is the fourth day,” Qiao Qian continued, hands clenching into fists. “If he kills those wearing bracelets or if he remains here for seven days, then no one will be able to stop him.”

“This castle will become his hunting ground,” Qiao Qian declared, “and he’ll be an unstoppable… evil spirit!”

Tong Ling thought to herself that it indeed seemed so. As for why Bai Bei would target Qiao Qian, the reason was quite simple.

“I’ll pretend I know nothing about this,” Tong Ling said to Qiao Qian. “You keep it bottled up inside too; that way, A-Bai won’t lay a finger on you.”

Qiao Qian looked astonished. “What?”

“He only targeted those players before. If he hadn’t feared you’d reveal the truth to me, he wouldn’t have shown hostility towards you,” Tong Ling explained soothingly. “Don’t worry, he knows I’m angry with him now. He won’t dare harm you anymore.”

“Players?” Qiao Qian was utterly confused, feeling like she no longer understood even Tong Ling. “Aren’t you afraid of that murderous ghost? You want to continue being with him?”

“‘Players’ is just my term for those people wearing the bracelets. Qianqian, have you forgotten who our true enemy in this castle is?” Tong Ling reminded her. “The one who wants you dead and tried to sacrifice me on the altar—that’s the person we should be wary of.”

“A-Bai may be dangerous, but he can’t hurt us. In fact, he might even be able to help us.” Tong Ling posed the question to Qiao Qian. “What do you think?”

Qiao Qian had an epiphany: Oh right, the evil spirit Bai Bei wasn’t the one performing the ritual. The real threat was the man who wanted to conduct a ceremony to summon a god—someone intent on killing them all!

“The rune formation can’t be destroyed,” Qiao Qian said, her eyes reflecting a hint of despair. “I saw it in my dream; the ritual will… proceed as planned.”

Tong Ling wasn’t surprised by this news, or rather, this was precisely the method she had chosen to complete the scenario.

“Don’t be afraid.” Tong Ling spoke kindly to Qiao Qian, who had provided numerous clues throughout their journey. “Trust me, you’ll be alright.”

Night fell.

Zhuang Wu, Mu Bai, Yuan Ju, and all the NPCs finally descended the stairs after everyone returned to their rooms.

The trio stood in the castle’s main hall. Zhuang Wu addressed the empty space, saying, “I want to vote—we’ve identified the killer.”

In the silent hall, an electronic voice suddenly echoed, its message pre-recorded:

As soon as the electronic voice sounded, Mu Bai exclaimed excitedly, “It’s real! Sister Zhuang, you’re amazing—this is actually content from a B-rank dungeon!”

Seeing that his guess was correct, Zhuang Wu inwardly sighed with relief. He explained, “A B-rank dungeon originally requires ten players, but our S-rank instance now has eleven. That extra person is crucial—it caused significant changes to the original scenario.”

“I’ve always found it strange that the Main God would miscalculate both the number of people and the level of the dungeon. This shouldn’t have happened,” Zhuang Wu said, glancing at his two teammates. “After our investigations over these past few days, you must feel it too—we’re outside the scope of this S-rank dungeon. We can’t find any information, and NPC interactions are rare. It’s as if we’ve reached a point where all we can do is wait for death.”

Mu Bai agreed, “Exactly! This S-rank dungeon hasn’t left us any means of survival!”

Yuan Ju thought to himself, Lingling—the key to surviving this S-rank dungeon… was her.

“After Li Yun and Xiaoyue died consecutively, based on Yuan Ju’s analysis, I became convinced that the murderer was Bai Bei,” Zhuang Wu affirmed their teammates’ contributions. “Especially Xiaomu—you survived the third night and clearly identified the killer. Bai Bei is an evil spirit, and since the continuous murders were committed by an evil spirit, it perfectly aligns with the rules of a B-rank dungeon.

“I couldn’t help but form a hypothesis: The S-rank dungeon is actually an ‘accident.’ The Main God didn’t upgrade the dungeon to challenge us, but rather to deal with that extra person.” A hint of a smile graced Zhuang Wu’s lovely face. “I believe the fact that no other monsters attacked us over three consecutive nights says volumes about the situation.”

“Those monsters had no connection with us; their target was never us,” Zhuang Wu said. “Lingling is who they were after!”

Mu Bai nodded repeatedly, feeling more certain as he thought about it. “Ever since Lingling entered the castle, all those NPCs have been watching her closely, and…”

“From the start, they showed hostility towards her,” Yuan Ju interjected. “Miya’s animosity towards her was most obvious.”

Mu Bai sighed. “Yes, it’s a pity we were all deceived.”

“She acted so arrogantly upon arrival—proud and willful—who could have liked her?” The first impression Lingling left on Mu Bai was too profound, making him view her as nothing but a cannon fodder seeking death.

“How could anyone guess she’d be a 3S-rank Sea King, capable of taming all those NPCs?”

A hint of worry crept into Zhuang Wu’s expression. “If we had killed her at the beginning, this dungeon wouldn’t have posed much difficulty for us.”

“We missed our best chance.” Indeed, Zhuang Wu had fallen for Lingling’s facade. They wasted too much energy on other monsters right from the start, setting them on the wrong path.

“Fortunately, it’s not yet too late,” Mu Bai encouraged himself. “Once we complete this B-rank dungeon, perhaps we can finally escape this place.”

After a hasty discussion, they addressed their choice to the entire hall.

“Bai Bei is the murderer,” they declared in unison.

The electronic voice fell silent for two seconds before offering congratulations:

Mu Bai was about to cheer when he heard the electronic voice crackle with static:

“Shit!” Mu Bai couldn’t help but curse aloud. “I fucking knew it wouldn’t be this easy!”

Moments later, the electronic voice announced:

“The S-rank scenario targets Lingling,” Zhuang Wu said, his gaze sharp. “What we need to do…” He paused briefly before continuing, “is kill her.”

“Miya and Arnold have been locked up, Medius hasn’t left home for ages, and Qiao Qian is too far away. The one closest to Lingling is Bai Bei.” Mu Bai shrugged. “Looks like our battle with the murderer can’t be avoided after all.”

From the depths of the shadows, a pale-faced man emerged. “You want to kill Lingling?”

Bai Bei grinned, his eyes brimming with a desire for slaughter. “Looks like none of you will be spared…”