Chapter 16: Human Skin Manor (Part 15)

When Xiao Muyu opened the door and entered, Shen Qingqiu was sitting on the bed, watching her.

Xiao Muyu unbuttoned her shirt cuffs and rolled up her sleeves.

Shen Qingqiu’s earlier cold expression had already softened. She stared at Xiao Muyu and then said, “Your coat is completely ruined?”

Xiao Muyu paused for a moment, then nodded. “It’s better than losing my life.”

Shen Qingqiu laughed at that, and Xiao Muyu realized that she was like a two-faced person. When they were alone, Shen Qingqiu could turn into an enticing woman.

“How did you know I would cooperate with you back then? What if I hadn’t reacted in time when you threw your coat, or if I hadn’t even thought of doing it? What would you have done?” She asked with interest, her tone curious, but Xiao Muyu saw seriousness in her eyes.

“I didn’t have a choice at the time. Besides, when you took the jar of wine from me, weren’t you cooperating with me already? I was just following your lead,” Xiao Muyu replied unperturbedly, as if it were an ordinary matter. However, this completely changed Shen Qingqiu’s perception of her.

Shen Qingqiu had always found Xiao Muyu so special and interesting, as if the universe had arranged for their paths to cross, inadvertently capturing her attention. The more they interacted, the stronger this feeling became.

When Shen Qingqiu saw the items Xiao Muyu was holding, rather than deducing Xiao Muyu’s intentions, she decided based on those items. It was clear that Xiao Muyu’s subsequent actions aligned perfectly with her own decision. It had been a long time since Shen Qingqiu had encountered someone so in sync with her, but… Shen Qingqiu’s eyes showed a trace of regret, which quickly faded, leaving only admiration and a smile.

“I rarely admire people, but you’re one of them.”

Xiao Muyu didn’t react much, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“There are still 20 hours left on the countdown, and you’ve already scored 50 points, so you should be fine on that front. However, to understand the old woman’s past and resolve her predicament, if we don’t do anything else, even three more days might not be enough,” Shen Qingqiu said with implication.

Both of them had very sharp minds. After hearing this, Xiao Muyu’s gaze briefly became distant. She replied slowly, “If I’m anxious even with 50 points, there are definitely others who are more so. We don’t have any leads on the human skins yet, so we’re bound to come up empty-handed during the day tomorrow. Even if those people can coast through, it doesn’t change the fact that their points won’t meet the standard.”

“So?” Shen Qingqiu quirked her right brow. There was a hint of cunning in her expression.

“Why do I need to say anything? You should understand it better than I do. Tonight will be another sleepless night. Some things should be left to those who want to do them, and their accomplisment benefits us.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, then lay down with a sigh. “It’s been two days, and this damn place doesn’t even have a bathroom. I’m starting to stink.”

Xiao Muyu froze, then asked, “If we clear this game, will we immediately move on to the next one?”

Shen Qingqiu smiled slightly. “Are you asking me for advice?”

Xiao Muyu responded expressionlessly, “No. If you want to say something, go ahead. If not, it doesn’t matter.”

“Ugh, is this what they call soft rice and hard eating¹?”

Xiao Muyu pursed her lips, unwilling to respond. As the night deepened, even if she wanted to observe the others, she needed to conserve her energy, so she decided to go to bed. However, as she approached, her gaze stopped for a moment on the marks on Shen Qingqiu’s body. No wonder that smell still lingered at the tip of her nose—Shen Qingqiu was indeed starting to stink.

Even though it didn’t last a second, Shen Qingqiu didn’t miss that brief pause. She glanced down at herself and apologized without a trace of remorse, “I’m really sorry, I’ve gotten a bit dirty from all that work. I know you have a keen sense of smell, but there’s no way to bathe or change clothes here, so I need you to bear with it.”

“You can’t change clothes, but you should at least take off your outerwear before getting into bed.” Xiao Muyu valued cleanliness and could only endure under these special circumstances, but it was a little gross to lie next to Shen Qingqiu, who still had human skin residue on her.

Shen Qingqiu turned slightly and explained, “My arrival here was sudden, and I was unfortunately wearing this outfit. If I took off my jacket, I’d still have this tank top left. But it might be inappropriate to take off my pants. Although I don’t really mind, I’m worried it might bother you.”

She pointed at her pants with a genuinely concerned expression, as if truly worried about offending Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu stared at Shen Qingqiu with a serious expression for a few seconds and then turned away, ignoring her.

Shen Qingqiu let out a light laugh through her nose. Of course, she didn’t take off her pants; in such special circumstances, she needed to be able to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible.

The house was extremely quiet at night. Both of them had things on their minds and clearly couldn’t sleep so early, so Shen Qingqiu spoke in a low voice, “Don’t you think this task is a bit odd?”

Xiao Muyu didn’t respond. Shen Qingqiu continued on her own, “You’re very smart, and I’m not stupid. Exchanging information with me shouldn’t put you at much of a disadvantage. What do you think?”

Xiao Muyu turned from her side to lie on her back and asked, “What’s odd about it?” This meant she agreed with Shen Qingqiu’s words.

“Resolving the old woman’s predicament—is it actually her predicament?” In the darkness, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes remained bright, but her words carried an ominous tone.

Upon hearing Shen Qingqiu’s words, Xiao Muyu opened her eyes. After a long pause, she spoke. “The predicament part is probably real, but whether it’s self-inflicted or an unavoidable trap, depends on what they manage to find.”

Xiao Muyu’s demeanor was cold, and her voice had a chilly undertone. Her low murmur seemed like a half-awake talk, sounding somewhat fanciful in the night’s dim light.

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her expression serene and relaxed.

As the night grew deeper, those staying awake found their thoughts becoming muddled, teetering between dreams and reality. Suddenly, a faint sound came from outside. It was barely noticeable, yet like a whistle in the night, very distinct, at least to the ears of Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu.

A low, barely audible voice asked, “Did you hear that?”

“Mm,” came the brief reply.

“Not gonna check it out?” The voice carried a lazy yet teasing tone.

There was no response. Silence was the best answer.

The sound of the door opening was almost inaudible, followed by a quick, tense grunt that swiftly faded away. Both of them were lying in bed, their ears attuned to every noise as if they were right there.

The sounds were faint, as the person responsible moved with extreme caution, so quiet that their own heartbeats and breaths seemed loud in comparison.

But unfortunately, this tranquility didn’t last long. A terrified scream suddenly pierced the silence, only to cut off just as quick, as if someone had grabbed the screamer by the throat. The two women’s hearts almost stopped in response.

After one second, two seconds… There was no further noise, suggesting that it might have been a false alarm.

Their hearts slowly began to settle back down, but that calm was short-lived.

Lightning suddenly flashed outside, followed by a deafening crash of thunder that seemed as if it would tear the house apart, lighting up the entire room as if it were daylight.

“Ah! Ah!”

“Oh my god! Help, help! Ah!” A series of screams echoed from the old woman’s room on the second floor. The initial scream of terror quickly turned into anguished cries.

Xiao Muyu’s expression changed slightly, and Shen Qingqiu promptly sat up as well. They could hear frantic footsteps from outside. Someone was running downstairs. But just as abruptly, the footsteps became even more panicked, as if the person had seen something horrifying, and was running back. Amidst the clamor, they could clearly pick up the sound of something heavy and metallic, being dragged across the floor.

Without hesitation, Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu sprang out of bed, just as the door violently flung open. Leopard stumbled in, covered in blood, his face contorted with terror as he cried out, “H-help me…!”

But in the next moment, his words, like the terrified expression on his face, abruptly froze. At the same time, another flash of lightning illuminated the room.

In the blinding white light, Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu clearly saw the left side of Leopard’s face, neatly sliced off. Blood spurted out, and with his final, incomplete plea for help still on his lips, he fell heavily to the ground, his one remaining eye wide open.

Behind him stood, the previously trembling old woman was now gripping a giant scythe, the very instrument of death that had just claimed Leopard’s life.

As Leopard collapsed, the old woman lifted her head to look at Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu. In the flickering lightning, Xiao Muyu noticed that the old woman’s eyes were like those of a dead fish, with only murky whites remaining. A bloodthirsty grin spread across her face, making her appear more terrifying than any ghost.

After pausing for a few seconds, she continued to stare at the two of them. Then, with deadly force, she swung the massive scythe that seemed almost too large to wield in the small room, aiming to cleave them both in half.

A weapon as large as this scythe, left hardly any room to dodge as it swept across. Almost simultaneously, both Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu crouched low and rolled across the floor.

Xiao Muyu had learned some self-defense, but she wasn’t a professional fighter, and being able to dodge was already impressive. The old woman, however, possessed an unnatural strength. The scythe cut across the floor, and there was a loud crack as she effortlessly sliced through the wooden boards. Without a moment’s pause, she wrenched the scythe free and prepared to strike again.

While the old woman was fast, Shen Qingqiu was even faster. She took advantage of the brief moment as the scythe was being withdrawn, and rolled swiftly toward the old woman. The scythe was deadly at a distance, but up close, it was useless.

Before the old woman could retreat, Shen Qingqiu raised one foot and, without holding back, kicked her squarely in the chest. She went flying out of the room, and crashed hard against the corridor wall.

The force of the kick momentarily stunned the old woman. Before she could recover, Shen Qingqiu followed up with another swift kick to her neck, sending her crashing to the ground. The impact was so great that the old woman’s eyes rolled back.

But the old woman seemed possessed. Despite her bones creaking ominously from Shen Qingqiu’s violent beating, she still managed to stand up, stubbornly clutching the scythe in her hands.

“Do not act like you’re possessed. Unless you can teleport, or turn invisible, I’ll tear your old bones apart tonight until there’s nothing left!” Shen Qingqiu coldly threatened.

The only illumination at night came from the sporadic flashes of lightning outside.

The others had run to the main hall and could make out the silhouette of a tall, slender figure relentlessly beating the old woman, who had just been chasing them with a giant scythe, leaving her no chance to stand back up.

The sound of fists landing with solid thuds, and the sickening crunch of bones breaking filled the air, making the few who had been scared out of their wits realize that Shen Qingqiu was far scarier than any ghost.

Suddenly, a soft click echoed through the hall, and the lights lit up, flickering a few times before finally staying on.

Cui Xiaoxuan, still shaken, turned to see that it was Xiao Muyu who had walked over to the switch and turned on the lights.

The lights gave them all a clearer, more direct view of Shen Qingqiu viciously beating the old woman. Their jaws nearly dropped in shock.

Was this really a supernatural instance?

The old woman could no longer feel pain, but her bones had been shattered at each joint and she could barely stand. Shen Qingqiu stepped on her back with a cold expression, and said, “I’ve tolerated you long enough. You’ve been evasive and refused to speak the truth. You asked us for help yet hide away all day. Have you been cultivating immortality in your rundown room? What are you doing, acting all evil in the middle of the night? You’ve been swinging that scythe so nimbly. Why don’t you swing it one more time, huh?”

This was the first time the group had seen Shen Qingqiu so riled. The old woman, who had been struggling and wriggling, suddenly broke into sobs upon hearing this. She had been through thousands of game instances, big and small, but never had she experienced such a miserable situation.

The blood tears flowing from her empty eyes made her appear even more horrifying. Yet, despite their fear, Cui Xiaoxuan and the others felt an unexpected sense of security at that moment.

“Tie her up.” Shen Qingqiu, not in the mood to waste words, kicked the old woman towards Old Liao and the others, startling Xu Ran into jumping back.

Chen Xi’s lips were turning blue, and his right arm, drenched in blood, was still trembling uncontrollably. After casting a glance at Shen Qingqiu, he silently stared at the only visible parts of Leopard’s lifeless body. His legs, twisted at stiff angles, were sprawled outside the door, where he died a swift, and unwilling death.

Without a word, Chen Xi bit his lip and staggered on weak legs towards the old woman’s room. As he passed Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu, he glared at them, his gaunt, rigid face resembling that of a corpse. His voice was hoarse as he accused, “You were too scared to go in, but you figured we’d do it, right?”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes remained indifferent, as if she were looking at a clown, which only fueled Chen Xi’s anger.

“Can you honestly say that wasn’t what you were thinking?” He widened his eyes so much, his eye sockets looked like they were about to tear.

“Did I ever deny it, or force you guys to go? Once you’ve made a choice, you should be prepared to face the consequences. He accepted his, and you, you should be grateful.” Shen Qingqiu glanced at Leopard’s corpse, as if one person’s death didn’t matter to her.

Xiao Muyu was no different. She hadn’t spared Leopard another glance after he had fallen. She didn’t wish for anyone to die, but now that it had happened, she didn’t feel any sorrow or regret. To her, life was something external, and she couldn’t empathize with the joys and sorrows of others.

The other survivors, however, were teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown. Old Liao covered his face, speechless for a long time. After binding the old woman, Cui Xiaoxuan and Liu Wei stood staring blankly at Leopard’s body.

Out of twelve people, five had already died, and they hadn’t even passed the first stage.

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Footnotes:

1. 1. ‘Soft rice and eating’, 软饭硬吃 (yuǎn fàn yìng chī), refers to someone who shamelessly or aggressively lives off someone else. ↩︎

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Author had something to say:

Xiao Xiao watched Xiao Shen’s antics with an indifferent expression the entire time.

Xiao Xiao: She’s starting to stink, she won’t take off her clothes, and she has a bad mouth. I really want to punch her.

Everyone else: She’s so savage.

Xiao Xiao: But that’s the cute part.

Everyone else: ……

Future Xiao Xiao: She smells really nice.

Earlier on, everyone pretty much suspected there was something wrong with the old woman. Truly brilliant, you’re all really astute! The two main characters are finally becoming interesting. Writing the second instance has been quite a struggle—so tough! I hope I don’t disappoint you. I’ll keep working hard to catch up on the drafts.