Chapter 33: Deadly Room Numbers (Part 13)

“Huh?” The other three were thoroughly confused.

Shen Qingqiu explained, “A cyclic number can multiply by 8, 9, and all the way up to 14. As we continue, the number of digits exceeds six, but it still follows its pattern.

142857 multiplied by 8 equals 1142856, with the 7 split into 1 and 6. 142857 multiplied by 9 equals 1285713, with the 4 split into 1 and 3.

In the seven results, the numbers 1, 4, 2, 8, 5, 7, and the substitute 9 are all split into 1 and another number.”

She was clearly familiar with the subject.

Curiously, Xiao Muyu remembered only glancing at this information in the past, yet she could fully follow Shen Qingqiu’s explanation.

To demonstrate, Shen Qingqiu used her dagger to carve out the first six sets of numbers on the floor.

“There’s something strange about this,” Su Jin pointed out, focusing on the six seven-digit numbers. “If we’re looking at the original cyclic number, 142857, there’s indeed no 3 and 6. But in the extended sequence, 3 and 6 do show up.

So, the question is: When we came in here and encountered no danger, was it because 6 was right, or because, based on the initial cyclic number setup, 6 simply doesn’t exist?”

Presented with an important question from Su Jin, both Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu immediately fell silent.

“Besides the numbers, I believe we also need to get the sequence right,” Xiao Muyu said, finally breaking the silence. “So, I’m more inclined to agree with Shen Qingqiu’s interpretation. There’s another possibility, though. Maybe this time, 3 and 6 are not part of the password.”

“That’s possible, but even if we eliminate two numbers, it still doesn’t have much meaning. Knowing this system, we probably won’t get four chances to make a mistake.”

Shen Qingqiu stood in front of the door marked number 1, glanced at it, and then turned to smile at Xiao Muyu.

“I think you want to try this number.”

“The first number is definitely 1,” Xiao Muyu said calmly.

After all, the first digit of the six resulting numbers, multiplying by 8 to 14, was 1.

“Why do I feel like hydrogen seems pretty reliable here?” Zuo Tiantian tentatively suggested.

Well, hydrogen’s atomic number was 1.

Xiao Muyu looked at the door in front of her and asked them, “Have you guys rested enough?”

Chen Kaijie, Zuo Tiantian, and Su Jin stood side by side, the dejection and panic from earlier completely gone.

Their eyes were filled with determination.

As long as there was hope, they couldn’t give up.

“We’re ready to go!”

With that, Shen Qingqiu pushed open door 1.

This time, they found themselves in another carousel lantern, still featuring eight doors. As the five of them entered, it slowly started rotating.

Chen Kaijie couldn’t suppress the smile in his eyes, exclaiming spiritedly, “We got it right!”

Xiao Muyu observed the three of them, who were unable to contain their joy.

A faint smile appeared in her eyes, but it was as fleeting as a bird gliding through the sky, disappearing in an instant.

“Once you’re finished celebrating, we need to consider another question: which number should we choose next?”

Xiao Muyu was inwardly uncertain.

If those seven were indeed elements, the numbers would be 1, 7, 9, 19, 6, 20, and 53. Even the intervals between those numbers didn’t match.

“Let’s give it a try.” Shen Qingqiu decisively offered her suggestion.

Hearing this, Chen Kaijie and the others felt a bit timid.

This game genuinely terrified them, and with hope so close at hand, they were even more afraid of failing at the last moment.

“We have to try. In games, you either win or you lose, but the sixth round’s difficulty level is too high.

The probability of getting the answer right on the first attempt is too small, so the system must have a margin for error.

We’ve already spent too much time here without sustenance, and it’s only a matter of time before we become exhausted.

While we still have strength and the items in hand, we should try as soon as possible.”

Shen Qingqiu had thought it through.

Zuo Tiantian’s red thread and Xiao Muyu’s stopwatch could serve as life-saving tools.

Even if an emergency arose, they wouldn’t be left helpless. Moreover…

She glanced at Zuo Tiantian.

“If 3 is truly a safe number, then we can still wait for your skill to refresh. Do you understand?”

Zuo Tiantian gripped the item in her hand tightly and gave a firm nod. This was the first time Shen Qingqiu had spoken to her so patiently.

“Which number do we try?” Su Jin asked quickly.

“Seven.” Xiao Muyu’s response was direct and to the point.

“Why?” Although they had already witnessed Xiao Muyu’s intelligence, they still wanted to know her reasoning.

Xiao Muyu explained, “There are six seven-digit numbers in the cyclic number: 1142856, 1285713, 1428570, 1571427, 1714284, and 1857141.

This means that the second round still involves the numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 7. Among these, 1 appears the most frequently. In the initial cyclic number, 4 and 7 appear twice, because 5 and 8 are split into 4 and 7. Meanwhile, 2, 5, and 8 only appear once due to the absence of 3, 6, and 9 in the initial cyclic number.”

Luckily, Shen Qingqiu had written down the six numbers with her dagger, allowing Xiao Muyu to point at them as she explained. Otherwise, the others wouldn’t have understood her reasoning.

“If the cyclic number theory is correct, this round shouldn’t include the number 0, so we can eliminate 1428570. That leaves us with the second password being 1, 2, 5, 7, or 8. A blind guess has a 20% chance of being right. However, I still believe 3 and 6 are duds, which we can confirm from the first round and just now. So, we can also eliminate the sequences containing 3 and 6, namely 1142856 and 1285713, leaving us with 5, 7, and 8.”

Xiao Muyu deliberately spoke at a slower pace to ensure they could follow, emphasizing the key points, and pausing after each one to let them catch up.

“Furthermore, if we interpret the letters as chemical elements, one of them is 7. So between 5, 7, and 8, I choose 7. If this choice leads to danger, we can discard the element-number theory.

However, I believe the chemical element theory is plausible—especially since Ca makes sense, and the other six letters also correspond to elements, which is too much of a coincidence to ignore. If we’re right, we can confidently try the sequence 1714284 next.”

Chen Kaijie and the other two nodded in agreement.

“One more thing. The reason there are only six numbers in each cycle of the cyclic number, is because 7 itself represents a rest cycle. Without the number 9, 7 serves as both the rest cycle and part of the cyclic number. This gives us more reason to choose 7. The second numbers, 5 and 8, also have a high probability. Both are part of the original cyclic number, and could represent 6 and 9 splitting into separate digits in the second cycle. 3, 6, and 9 are all safe numbers, so if 7 is wrong, we can try 5 and 8.”

Chen Kaijie, Su Jin, and Zuo Tiantian were completely in awe.

Su Jin, especially, spoke with deep respect, “I’ll follow Miss Xiao’s lead. Compared to you, I feel like my brain is full of soap bubbles.”

Zuo Tiantian and Chen Kaijie nodded enthusiastically.

Xiao Muyu, for some reason, found herself looking at Shen Qingqiu again.

In Shen Qingqiu’s gray irises, there was a twinkle like starlight. She quirked a brow, and her tone carried a playful tease: “Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

Su Jin thought to herself: … Why do I feel like my soap bubbles just turned pink?

Time was running out, and the carousel lantern started to make some noise.

Shen Qingqiu quickly approached door 7.

Once she got close, she took a deep breath and signaled Xiao Muyu to step back a little.

Xiao Muyu didn’t say anything, but quietly slipped her right hand into her pocket.

She gripped the stopwatch tightly, while watching Shen Qingqiu raise her hand and push the door open.

As soon as Shen Qingqiu’s hand touched the door, a powerful force instantly pulled the five in.

Xiao Muyu’s heart tightened. ‘Something’s wrong!’

The moment she saw what was ahead, someone forcefully shoved her aside.

In that split-second, her danger sense went into overdrive, and every hair on her body stood on end.

The push had been too strong and abrupt.

Xiao Muyu tumbled to the left, and in her peripheral vision, she clearly saw a blade speeding straight toward someone—the very person who had pushed her out of the way.

She managed to avoid the blow, but still felt as if the blade’s tip was aimed directly at her eye.

Her pupils shrank in terror.

Even though she had lost her balance, she acted with unwavering decisiveness, pressing on the stopwatch in her right hand.

In that instant, everything froze.

As Xiao Muyu was thrown forward, she instinctively wanted to reach out her left hand to brace herself, but remained frozen just as she was about to hit the floor.

Meanwhile, Su Jin stood with her mouth wide open, and Chen Kaijie’s eyes wide.

They both looked completely shocked.

Cold sweat broke out across her body, but Xiao Muyu was too focused to see the bizarre scene frozen in time.

She only had ten seconds!

Quickly pushing herself up, Xiao Muyu’s breath nearly stopped when she saw what lay before her.

The person who had pushed her out of the way was none other than Shen Qingqiu.

Directly opposite her was another Shen Qingqiu, holding the same dagger, but with disturbingly red eyes.

That dagger, one step faster than the real Shen Qingqiu, was already stabbing into the left side of her chest!

The dagger’s tip had already pierced in slightly. Had Xiao Muyu been even a second slower, the blade would have plunged in completely.

Despite the numbness in her limbs, her mind remained crystal clear, and her movements were swift.

Knowing she couldn’t easily disarm Shen Qingqiu’s mirror image, Xiao Muyu made a quick decision.

She delivered a hard kick to the mirror image’s chest, pushing the dagger out and away from Shen Qingqiu.

Xiao Muyu then turned and snatched Su Jin’s peach wood sword. She gripped it tightly with both hands before thrusting it straight through the mirror image’s heart.

As the series of actions concluded, ten seconds ended, and time resumed its normal flow!

Su Jin’s shout, which had been caught in her throat, suddenly rang out, “Watch out!”

Shen Qingqiu, who had just completed a thrust with her right hand, staggered as her strike hit nothing but air.

A sharp, searing pain surged through Shen Qingqiu’s chest the moment time resumed, and blood began to flow freely from the wound.

She instinctively clutched her wounded chest with one hand and dropped to her knees.

Yet, instead of checking her own injury, Shen Qingqiu’s gaze remained fixed on Xiao Muyu, as she drove the peach wood sword into the mirror image.

The moment the sword plunged in, the mirror image let out a deafening roar.

Her crimson eyes widened in disbelief, before she finally transformed into a portrait right then and there.

A chill went up Xiao Muyu’s back.

Shen Qingqiu’s mirror image had been their death trap in this stage.

The mirror image’s skill had been as sharp as Shen Qingqiu’s. If Shen Qingqiu hadn’t saved her, or if Xiao Muyu hadn’t used the stopwatch, one of them would have undoubtedly died.

A heavy thud sounded behind her.

Xiao Muyu couldn’t take another look. She immediately turned around and rushed over.

“Shen Qingqiu!”

Shen Qingqiu’s face was pale, her lips devoid of color, yet her gray eyes remained fixed on Xiao Muyu.

As she observed Xiao Muyu’s frantic movements, she even managed to smile.

She didn’t pay attention to the other three who had rushed over; her gaze was solely on Xiao Muyu as she said, “I knew I wouldn’t die just yet.”

Yet inside, she felt a wave of confusion.

Xiao Muyu bit her lip and gripped Shen Qingqiu’s arm even tighter.

She didn’t understand why, but an unnamed fury was igniting in her chest, bouncing and burning, extremely unbearable.

“You should’ve minded your own business!” She spat coldly.

Shen Qingqiu, still smiling, was about to rise, but her expression suddenly shifted.

“Get back!”

---

Author had something to say:

Emotions are really heating up in this instance (for readers and Su Jin). Haha, but the parties involved don’t agree! Let me explain the bit about Xiao Shen. If that Shen Qingqiu from last time was real, she wouldn’t have just watched her companions leave. She definitely would’ve warned them. I wrote that close-up to foreshadow that the crisis is still not over, and would be coming later.

Shen Qingqiu’s mirror image was the strongest killing machine in the game, and could’ve wiped them out, but ah, two synchronized people did her in. There was also a little cutie who said they were too stupid to figure it out, but that’s not true. The MCs solve the puzzle step by step, and because there’s no clue, they could only speculate. Once they get all the clues, they’ll figure things out. Guessing the chemical elements was already aweseome!