The train pulled into the station, and a group of people boarded the return train.
That’s it? They just got on the train?
The players in the carriage felt a strange sense of disbelief. Wasn’t the experience at the first station too calm this time? No frantic escapes, no screams, not even any deaths. It was like boarding a subway in the real world, smoothly and uneventfully getting onto the return train.
Someone asked, “Did little Sasha suddenly become a vegetarian? She didn’t even chase us this time?”
“That’s impossible!” someone immediately retorted. “I think maybe after she found Lisa’s hand, they didn’t have a reason to attack the players anymore.”
“Or maybe they’re just planning something sinister, waiting for the next time we go to the first station to launch a bloody assault.”
…
Everyone had their own theories and discussed them fervently.
Old Hei and the others, listening in, couldn’t help but glance at Gu Jiu, who was leaning against Lu Ji.
This young lady sure was living the high life. Ever since she reunited with Lu Ji, she had started acting spoiled: needing Lu Ji to feed her water, serve her food, and even let her lean on her while sitting.
If it weren’t for her impressive performance at the first station, even Chai Yingying’s teammates would’ve been unable to resist feeling sorry for Lu Ji.
Lu Ji, you’re supposed to be a boss—why are you acting like a submissive little wife in front of her?
Forget it, forget it. If one’s willing to hit and the other’s willing to take it, why should outsiders worry so much?
Chai Yingying plopped herself down beside Gu Jiu.
Her action earned a cold side-eye from Lu Ji, but she pretended not to notice. She elbowed Gu Jiu lightly in the waist and whispered, “Hey, Miss Gu, was it because of you that Sasha didn’t attack us earlier?”
“How would I know?” Gu Jiu shrugged.
She had only been here for a little over a day and had taken the return train twice. Although she’d encountered Sasha three times, she hadn’t figured out what was going on between Sasha and Lisa. She was just trying her best to muddle through.
“It’s because you helped Lisa find her arm that they didn’t attack you,” Chai Yingying analyzed. “If it were someone else, things might’ve been different. Next time, we could test it—see if Sasha attacks us.”
She began to plot. Next time they encountered Sasha, they’d make sure Gu Jiu didn’t show up right away and see if Sasha attacked them.
If Sasha still targeted them, it would prove that Sasha treated Gu Jiu differently because she had helped Lisa recover her hand.
In the Death Train, no player had ever been singled out by the ghosts before. If Gu Jiu managed to gain Sasha’s favor, it might lead to some important clues.
“What if Sasha really does treat Miss Gu differently?” Wan Xingzhou poked his head in, curious.
Everyone in the carriage was equally intrigued. Even though their voices were low, the players’ hearing was sharp, and everyone had heard the conversation clearly.
Chai Yingying’s eyes sparkled. “If Sasha treats Miss Gu differently, all the better. There’s so much potential to exploit.”
Seeing the way she was staring at Gu Jiu like she was some precious treasure, those familiar with Chai Yingying silently shifted away a little. For a moment, no one knew whom to feel sorry for.
The last time Chai Yingying looked at a player like that, it ended with that player helping her achieve a perfect score on the level. However, the process was… questionable. Chai Yingying’s reputation as the “Point-Hoarding witch” was well-deserved; she’d do anything for points. But then again, Miss Gu wasn’t exactly easy to deal with either, not to mention she had Lu Ji—silent but terrifying when provoked—by her side.
All things considered, it might be Chai Yingying who deserved some sympathy this time.
Lu Ji asked coldly, “What exactly do you plan to exploit?”
Chai Yingying: “…Nothing! I was just saying that with Miss Gu around, we’ll breeze through the game. Miss Gu can feel free to use me however she likes.”
Seeing Chai Yingying acting so subservient and sycophantic, everyone else averted their eyes, as if they couldn’t bear to watch.
In this two-against-one match, Chai Yingying was utterly defeated.
Gu Jiu couldn’t hold back her laughter. She reached out and rested her hand on Lu Ji’s, leaning close to her ear. “Ah Ji, how about teaming up with Chai Yingying this time?”
The warm breath she exhaled brushed against the tip of his ear, gradually tinting it a rosy red.
“Nothing special,” Lu Ji replied calmly, trying to keep a straight face. “Chai Yingying’s team had more people. I wanted to find you as soon as possible, so I joined them. It was all thanks to them that I managed to reunite with you.”
Gu Jiu smiled knowingly. “Ah Ji, you’ve worked so hard.”
Lu Ji gave a soft hum of agreement, as if confirming his hardships.
Chai Yingying and her teammates: “…”
Hard? You weren’t struggling at all!
Also, Lu Ji, you’re supposed to be a boss! Can you pull yourself together and stop acting like such a little housewife in front of this young lady?
The players who previously harbored feelings for Lu Ji—both men and women—felt their illusions shatter upon seeing her pretend to be so pitiful in front of Gu Jiu. Their disappointment was palpable. So this is what kind of boss you are?
—
The train arrived at the second station.
The players glanced out but didn’t disembark.
With so many players on board, and quite a few bosses among them, their confidence was high. Even if they encountered a ghost, they felt no fear and were free to choose which station to get off at.
“Old Hei, how about we go to Station 18 to rest today?” Li Jing suggested. “That little ghost yesterday was pretty decent.”
“Are you sure Xiao Hui will still be there when we return?” Ji Chang asked skeptically.
“How would we know if we don’t check?”
Old Hei thought about it, then turned to Gu Jiu. “Gu Jiu, what do you think?”
“Sure,” Gu Jiu replied indifferently. Then she turned to Chai Yingying with a mischievous smile. “Even if Xiao Hui isn’t there, and another boss shows up, we still have our beauty Chai to count on, don’t we?”
Chai Yingying: “What does this have to do with me?”
“Beauty Chai, you’ve got plenty of items and clever ideas. If there’s any danger, we’re counting on you to lead us to safety.”
Chai Yingying: “….” She’s definitely doing this on purpose!
In the end, the group decided to head to Station 18.
As team captains, Old Hei and Chai Yingying’s decisions were usually final, and the rest of the players rarely objected. Although Gu Jiu and her group had joined later, the strength she and Lu Ji had demonstrated earned them a significant say in matters.
When the three of them were in agreement, naturally no one dared to object.
Wan Xingzhou and Wu Yang whispered among themselves.
“Brother Wu, now that we’ve teamed up with Miss Gu, all we have to do is follow her and coast to victory.”
This was Wan Xingzhou’s philosophy. As long as Miss Gu was around, he felt that no matter how dangerous the game world was, they’d clear it in no time. Although the Death Train was indeed perilous, there was no need to fear—with Miss Gu on their side, everything would be fine.
As for game points? Forget about it. Surviving was already a victory.
Wan Xingzhou valued points too, but his priority was staying alive. Whatever points he managed to get afterward didn’t matter much to him.
Wu Yang smiled faintly as his gaze landed on Gu Jiu, who was lazily leaning against Lu Ji.
He hadn’t expected Gu Jiu to progress so quickly—from a complete novice with nothing to her name to a teammate trusted by other players. While he was genuinely happy for her, this only solidified his own principles.
His persistence was not in vain; Gu Jiu was living proof.
—
The train headed toward Station 18.
At each stop, the players only peeked out from inside the train. Whether the station appeared calm, dangerous, or even if other players beckoned them to get off, none of them had any intention of leaving.
Finally, the train arrived smoothly at Station 16.
As the doors closed, the train continued on its way to Station 17.
Just as the train neared Station 17, a commotion broke out in the forward carriages. Chai Yingying and Old Hei immediately stood up, their senses sharp.
“What’s going on?”
A group of players came running from the front carriages, terror written all over their faces. “The Red High-Heeled Woman is here!”
The Red High-Heeled Woman was a nightmare on the train. No one knew when she would appear, but every time she did, chaos ensued. Players would scatter like frightened lambs, and in the end, many would die in pools of blood.
At that moment, a voice suddenly spoke up, “Um, does she still have both arms?”
Everyone turned to look at Wan Xingzhou. Chai Yingying asked suspiciously, “What do you mean?”
Wan Xingzhou quickly explained, “We ran into her yesterday on the return train. She only had one arm then and was frantically searching for her other hand…”
What?!
Chai Yingying and the others were dumbfounded. The Red High-Heeled Woman’s hand was missing? Was she, like Sasha and Lisa, hunting players for a hand?
Old Hei and his team, however, turned their gazes toward Gu Jiu. They knew full well that the missing hand was Gu Jiu’s doing.
Yesterday, they had been forced to disembark at Station 18 because of the Red High-Heeled Woman.
—
Tap. Tap. Tap.
As they spoke, the sound of high heels echoed closer. Even amid the clamor, the noise was distinct and piercing.
Old Hei and the others directed the rest of the players to retreat into the rear carriages, while they positioned themselves as a barrier at the front. The sound of heels grew louder and louder, until suddenly, they all looked up.
Suspended upside down on the ceiling was the Red High-Heeled Woman.
Blood dripped from the heels of her shoes, pooling on the floor below. The puddle of blood slowly gathered, forming the outline of a woman.
The Red High-Heeled Woman still had only one arm. Her expression was manic and enraged as she glared at the players, waving her single hand and screaming, “Give me back my hand!”
From the point where her high heels touched the floor, blood-red threads began to spread outward like spider silk.
Old Hei and his team immediately drew their weapons, slashing at the threads to stop them from spreading. As long as the threads didn’t cover the entire carriage, they weren’t a death sentence for the players.
The advantage of having a large group quickly became evident—the blood threads couldn’t extend into the rear carriages.
Missing an arm, the Red High-Heeled Woman’s combat power was significantly diminished. Even when players’ feet were ensnared by the blood threads, they were still able to fend off her attacks with relative ease.
But the woman’s furious gaze pierced through the crowd, landing squarely on Gu Jiu.
Her rage boiled over as her hair, dripping blood, whipped in a frenzy. She screamed, extending her single hand toward Gu Jiu, “Give me back my hand!”
She charged at Gu Jiu without hesitation, swatting aside Chai Yingying and the others who tried to block her path. Even though she sustained injuries, she paid no mind, her focus locked solely on Gu Jiu.
Seeing the Red High-Heeled Woman’s reckless determination, Chai Yingying struggled to fend her off while asking, “Gu Jiu, what exactly did you do to her to make her hate you this much?”
Gu Jiu replied casually, “Oh, nothing much. I just took her hand.”
Chai Yingying: “!!!!!”
The other players who just learned the truth: “!!!!!”
Old Hei and his group, already in the know, shouted loudly, “Gu Jiu, don’t give her hand back! Without it, she’s not as strong—we have nothing to fear!”
Chai Yingying, ever one for chaos, immediately chimed in, “Miss Gu, you might as well cut off her other hand while you’re at it!”
The woman had already reached Gu Jiu. With a sudden whoosh, she dissolved into a puddle of blood, surging toward Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu’s face twisted in disgust as she tossed out her mermaid doll. “Doll, hurry up and eat her!”
The mermaid doll: “…”
The mermaid doll was furious. It wasn’t a garbage disposal!
Unfortunately, it had no way to protest against its owner. It was instantly engulfed by the blood, which wrapped tightly around it.
At the critical moment, Gu Jiu lashed out with a whip, dragging the mermaid doll back. Enraged, the doll opened its mouth wide and took a massive gulp of the blood.
A sharp scream echoed from within the blood.
The blood puddle was, in fact, the Red High-Heeled Woman’s body. Formless and ever-changing, it was nearly impossible for conventional weapons to harm. Much like water, it couldn’t be injured by slashes or strikes. As long as the blood volume remained unchanged, the woman could not be significantly hurt.
Chai Yingying’s Greedy Ball, though capable of devouring puppet rats and other minor threats, was powerless against the blood’s overwhelming strength.
But unexpectedly, the mermaid doll had managed to take a bite of the blood.
The blood reformed into the woman, though her hair was noticeably shorter.
Li Jing and the others cheered. “Gu Jiu, get your mermaid doll to bite her again!”
Gu Jiu promptly flung the mermaid doll toward the woman.
The woman let out a piercing shriek and swiped at the doll with a claw, sending it flying. Then, without hesitation, she turned and fled.
The sound of her red high heels tapping tap tap tap grew fainter and fainter. Her body disappeared from view, leaving only the pair of red heels stepping across the floor. Finally, even they vanished into the front of the train.