Chapter 67: Orphan Resentment (Part 27)

Warning: Graphic depictions of violence and gore.

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Shen Qingqiu had already sensed the imminent danger. But the attack came too fast. She gritted her teeth and dodged, steeling herself to take the arrow head-on.

Yet, instead of the expected pain, she felt a warm embrace. Xiao Muyu had teleported to her side, pulling her out of harm’s way.

“Muyu, are you alright?” Shen Qingqiu didn’t feel relief. She had noticed Xiao Muyu’s low grunt and clenched teeth. The arrow hadn’t embedded itself in the door. That could only mean it had struck Xiao Muyu.

The carousel lantern had extinguished. Reaching out, Shen Qingqiu felt along Xiao Muyu’s shoulder. Her hand landed on a cold, hard arrow shaft. Warm, sticky liquid seeped from the wound.

Shen Qingqiu’s expression changed instantly. She turned to the corpse as it lunged at them again. Fury flared in her eyes.

Xiao Muyu stopped her with a raised hand. She was panting in short, quick breaths. “I’m fine—I can hold on. Open the door, hurry.” With her right hand, she pushed back the corpse, forcing it to a halt.

Xiao Muyu created distance from the monster. Zhang Yangfeng seized that moment to shoot arrow after arrow with maximum force.

Immeasurable gratitude filled Huang Junfeng after his narrow escape. His baseball bat had a stacking effect. Each hit would slow the target’s movements. With Zhang Yangfeng’s arrows pinning the corpse down, he clenched his jaw and charged, landing several heavy blows.

Meanwhile, Yang Rui had placed her puppet by Shen Qingqiu to keep the corpse from interfering with her efforts to open the door.

Although anxious and furious, Shen Qingqiu maintained her composure. Her priority was to open the door.

It was challenging to find a keyhole in the dark. Shen Qingqiu swiftly pulled out Arsonist of the Heart and handed it to Yang Rui. The bright red candle’s soft glow illuminated a small area, revealing the keyhole.

Shen Qingqiu inserted the key amid the corpse’s wrathful howls. However, she didn’t open the door immediately.

She turned and shouted toward Xiao Muyu, “Muyu!”

At the sound of her name, Xiao Muyu immediately understood Shen Qingqiu’s intent.

Shen Qingqiu quickly whispered to Yang Rui, “Hold onto the key and wait for the right moment! Open the door when it gets close!”

“Got it, don’t worry!” Yang Rui responded decisively. She grabbed the door handle and firmly held the key. The candle sat quietly on the floor nearby. In the high-strung situation, no one noticed that it was a bright red wedding candle.

Meanwhile, spurred by Shen Qingqiu’s call, Xiao Muyu released a surge of ghostly energy. Black tendrils formed and coiled fast around the corpse.

Using both hands, Xiao Muyu pulled the corpse from the air. She bound it into a bundle and hurtled it towards the bathroom door.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes burned intensely. She shouted “Open the door!” right before Xiao Muyu exerted her full strength. Laser-focused, Yang Rui twisted the key and pushed the door open in one smooth motion.

Subdued yellow light spilled out as the door opened. Eight dolls stood uniformly at the doorway. That alone was already shocking. However, one of the dolls’ heads unmistakably belonged to Hou Liang. His open eyes stared directly at Yang Rui.

Yang Rui stumbled back several steps. She nearly fainted from fright.

When the corpse was about to fly through the doorway, it extended its fingers to dig into the walls on either side of the entrance. It stubbornly stopped itself from falling inside.

Xiao Muyu’s forehead pulsed with visible veins as she faced off against it.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes darkened. With a reverse grip on her dagger, she swiftly slashed at the corpse’s neck.

The incredibly incisive dagger easily severed the shoddily stitched-on head. The head immediately rolled off. Shen Qingqiu had been waiting for it. She sent it flying with a precise kick.

The head shot straight toward the doll standing at the center. It landed perfectly in Little Two’s hands.

Little Two’s expression cracked. Its eyes turned blood-red as it bared a row of sharp fangs. It clutched the severed head tightly.

The nearby dolls erupted into a riot. They charged toward the door, screaming. It appeared they had completely lost their sanity.

“We can’t let them out!”

These dolls’ thirst for revenge had consumed them. Once out, they would show no mercy.

Shen Qingqiu’s expression changed. She grabbed the candle nearby and thrust it into Little Two’s hands. Quickly, she commanded, “Look at me!”

Little Two’s ferocious expression softened as it met Shen Qingqiu’s gaze. Its confusion made it appear almost dazed.

“Drag it back inside for me. That’s your enemy.”

Xiao Muyu gritted her teeth as she tried to get the corpse back inside. Meanwhile, Huang Junfeng and Zhang Yangfeng desperately worked to stop the dolls from breaking through.

Xiao Muyu saw Shen Qingqiu’s actions and recalled the candle’s other function. It could increase a target’s favorability toward the user. However, the item card came with a warning: Use with caution. This detail made Xiao Muyu uneasy.

Little Two’s fixation on Shen Qingqiu became even more pronounced after the candle’s use. Before Xiao Muyu and the others could react, the doll lunged. It grabbed the corpse and dragged it inside with immense force.

The corpse couldn’t withstand Little Two’s strength. Little Two seemed indifferent as it tore the corpse apart. It dumped each torn part onto the bathroom floor.

The dolls descended upon the mangled corpse, ripping at it like a pack of ravenous wolves. They had witnessed the children’s deaths firsthand. Their resentment toward this enemy was unmatched.

Even if the corpse had a regenerative ability, it couldn’t endure being shredded like this. Its wails echoed unceasingly.

The scene devolved into a nightmare. Outside, the surviving players retreated cautiously.

Shen Qingqiu kept her composure and quickly stepped up to close the door. But as she reached for it, a small hand suddenly grabbed her left wrist and yanked her inside.

“Ah!” Yang Rui screamed in fright, only to see Shen Qingqiu’s body abruptly stop in midair. Xiao Muyu, frowning deeply, had used her ghostly power to hold Shen Qingqiu back.

It was Little Two yanking Shen Qingqiu. When it noticed Xiao Muyu, its expression froze. Then, it spoke in a frantic tone: “Let go! She’s mine! Not even you can take her from me!”

Everyone’s goosebumps rose at the doll’s desperate expression and words.

Xiao Muyu’s nerves were taut. She couldn’t maintain her usual calm. Her gaze was sharp and icy. “Nonsense! Who said she’s yours!? Let her go—now!”

Her final words were nearly a snarl. Little Two flinched.

Huang Junfeng was already quaking at the knees. Summoning his courage, he attempted to approach and deliver a blow with the baseball bat.

Little Two noticed him right away.

Its gaze snapped toward Huang Junfeng. He froze in place, too terrified to move. The next moment, an overwhelming force yanked at his baseball bat. He couldn’t hold on and had to let go.

Wide-eyed, he watched the bat fly through the air. It landed in Xiao Muyu’s hand. Xiao Muyu ignored her injured left shoulder. She put everything into the swing and smashed Little Two’s face.

*Thud* The doll’s nose caved in, and its small body flew off.

Shen Qingqiu used the momentum of Xiao Muyu pulling her back to pull the door shut.

A tremendous force immediately struck it from the other side. The entire door shuddered violently, followed by another heavy blow.

Their actions had enraged Little Two. It was now throwing itself against the door. Fortunately, the door seemed to have a restraining effect on the dolls. It showed no signs of breaking despite the violent impacts.

The candle had reached its time limit. It reverted into a card and returned to Shen Qingqiu’s hand. The pounding on the door ceased, yet the sounds of ripping and wailing from inside continued unabated.

All five players collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily.

Shen Qingqiu felt around in the dark and steadied Xiao Muyu. Her voice was urgent. “Pull the arrow out while the mask is still active.”

The night had grown less oppressive. Outlines and movements were hard to discern in detail but visible. Xiao Muyu glanced at her. She inhaled sharply through clenched teeth before letting out a low grunt of agreement.

Shen Qingqiu helped Xiao Muyu into the room. The candle’s skill might be in cooldown, but it still worked as a light source. With assistance from Yang Rui and the others, they managed to get everyone inside.

Huang Junfeng’s face was pale, his neck bloodied and torn. A bite from that corpse was no trivial matter. His wound needed cleaning, at the very least.

“We’ve mostly dealt with those things. It should be safe to go upstairs and get water. Let’s check,” Yang Rui suggested, knowing their wounds needed treatment. After fighting for their lives together earlier, they were willing to lend a hand.

They fetched two basins of clean water. Shen Qingqiu had them set the basins down but declined further help. Without delay, she used the candlelight to examine Xiao Muyu’s wound.

Dated cold weapons¹ like this were less destructive than firearms. However, pulling out an arrow was still dangerous under these conditions. Xiao Muyu would return to being an ordinary human once her supernatural powers had dissipated. By then, it would become significantly challenging to stop the bleeding. Shen Qingqiu dared not waste any time.

With deft hands, she cut open Xiao Muyu’s clothing. Tearing a strip of cloth, she folded and handed it to Xiao Muyu, motioning for her to bite it.

Cold sweat covered Xiao Muyu’s face. Her lips had gone white. She glanced at the cloth, then up at Shen Qingqiu. She opened her mouth to take it.

When the cloth was in place, a searing pain shot through her back. Shen Qingqiu had given her no time to prepare. She clenched her eyes shut and let out a muffled cry. Her body went limp, and she fell.

Shen Qingqiu propped Xiao Muyu up on her shoulder as she let her lean into her arms. Her left hand swiftly pulled out the prepared bandages. She pressed them firmly to the wound. Blood immediately soaked through the gauze.

Shen Qingqiu was glad she had brought the bandages obtained in the last instance.

“Muyu, stop the bleeding, quickly.” Shen Qingqiu’s quiet words came out rapidly with barely concealed nervousness.

Xiao Muyu was on the verge of passing out from the pain. Summoning her ghostly energy with great effort, she stopped the bleeding. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she leaned heavily against Shen Qingqiu.

Understanding her agony, Shen Qingqiu said nothing. She remained still, pressing down on the wound. Her head lowered, her expression dark and unreadable. A wave of frustration crashed repeatedly in her chest, stifling and aching. She couldn’t tell if it was anger or sorrow. She felt wretched.

Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu’s blood-soaked back. She muttered in a muffled tone, “You just had to meddle, didn’t you? Look at the mess you’ve made of yourself.”

Xiao Muyu had been enduring pain. Those words almost made her scoff in anger but she took a deep breath. Turning her head, she saw Shen Qingqiu’s sullen face. The woman was pursing her lips with pain in her eyes.

Xiao Muyu silently turned away again. Her voice was faintly weak as she said coldly, “I’m regretting it now. I should’ve let the arrow pierce your heart.”

Something blocked the light in front of her. Shen Qingqiu gently wiped her sweat with a clean sleeve. The action sharply contrasted the way she had wielded the dagger earlier. Her every move now exuded tenderness. After a moment, she muttered, “I’d rather it pierced through me than see you like this.”

It wasn’t a teasing jest but an unconscious, somber remark. Once the words had left Shen Qingqiu’s mouth, her hand paused. The atmosphere grew hushed.

Before long, Shen Qingqiu pulled her hand back. Her left hand replaced her elbow in putting pressure against the wound.

Shen Qingqiu leaned closer and whispered into Xiao Muyu’s ear, “Hang in there. I need to bandage the wound.”

Shen Qingqiu found it difficult to manage with only one functional hand. Similarly, the wounded Xiao Muyu couldn’t make large movements. Shen Qingqiu pressed the bandage down with her left hand. She waited for Xiao Muyu to undo her clothing.

Xiao Muyu hesitated, but there was no other choice. Slowly and reluctantly, she unbuttoned her clothes.

Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Yang Rui’s voice. “Miss Shen, how is Miss Xiao? Do you need my help?”

Help would have been ideal. Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu, who had undone three buttons. She swiftly rejected, her tone firm. “She’s fine. We don’t need help.”

She locked eyes with Xiao Muyu after speaking. Shen Qingqiu felt strangely unsettled. She didn’t fully understand why. She was adamant about not letting Yang Rui assist in bandaging Xiao Muyu.

“Oh, okay then. Rest well, you two.” Yang Rui left after being turned away at the door.

Xiao Muyu reluctantly unbuttoned her clothes. She let Shen Qingqiu carefully help her slide them off.

She couldn’t exert much force with one arm in a sling. The other hand was also pressing down on the wound. It was a painstakingly slow process.

Xiao Muyu was now down to her bra. Qu Muxi’s face had disappeared, and she was back in her original appearance. The dim candlelight couldn’t hide her supple, alabaster skin, giving off a natural charm.

Shen Qingqiu prided herself on having seen it all and having a thicker skin than a city wall. Yet, she felt unexpectedly flustered while helping another woman change clothes. Her gaze unknowingly slid down Xiao Muyu’s figure before quickly darting away. She felt like an idiot.

Shen Qingqiu was sweating once everything was over.

Xiao Muyu’s vitality had diminished considerably without the power boost of the human mask’s disguise. Her colorless lips made her already delicate and refined features appear even softer and more fragile. The usual coldness she carried had melted in her weakness. It stirred a faint ache in Shen Qingqiu’s heart.

This ache had lingered ever since Xiao Muyu got injured while saving her. It left her bewildered.

After ensuring Xiao Muyu had fallen asleep, Shen Qingqiu sat quietly by her side, watching her. Her gaze was fearful and heavy.

This shouldn’t be happening. She was a professional—clear-headed and rational. She knew exactly what she was doing and what needed to be done. Any emotion, care, or thoughtfulness should be deliberate performances for others, never genuine.

In the past, she had always been aware that her actions were an act. But now, she was equally aware these emotions were real.

She hated seeing anyone hurt Xiao Muyu. Even more, she couldn’t tolerate Xiao Muyu getting hurt. How could such a clichéd, ridiculous scenario happen to her?

Shen Qingqiu narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to Xiao Muyu. Her gray eyes gradually turned icy, and her lip corners lifted into a cold smile.

Yes. This was how she should be.

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Author had something to say:

Xiao Xiao: Get lost. She’s mine, not yours.
Xiao Shen: I knew you love me.
Xiao Xiao: Heh. You vixen. Always turning around to play the movie queen behind my back, setting up flags.

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Footnotes:

1. Cold weapons are weapons that don’t require gunpowder. ↩︎