Compared to Qi Yuheng, Gu Jiu held an even higher position in everyone’s minds. As someone who could handle ghosts and openly shared crucial information with the players, her status was unmatched.
Ai Ruyi, overhearing the conversation, said cautiously, “I also think Miss Gu wouldn’t be wrong.”
Everyone turned to look at her, and Ai Ruyi offered an awkward but polite smile.
She was the type who knew when to yield, and after experiencing Gu Jiu’s undeniable strength firsthand, she’d completely given up any notion of opposing her. If they weren’t still in the game world, she’d likely keep her distance as much as possible.
Two burly men Ai Ruyi had pulled to her side felt the same way. Their sense of male pride had been utterly dismantled by Gu Jiu and Lu Ji’s prowess. Now, they’d decided to follow the young lady’s lead without question—whatever she said was the final word.
As Gu Jiu came down to the first-floor lobby, Ge Guang sidled up to her and suggested, “Miss Gu, since we haven’t found any trace of the keys, maybe you could ask a ghost about it?”
Everyone in the room turned to look at her, eyes sparkling with hope.
Ge Guang’s suggestion was indeed a good one. Only someone like this confident young lady had the ability to interrogate a ghost; no one else could even imagine trying.
Gu Jiu waved her hand dismissively, “It won’t work. It seems they’re under some kind of threat and can’t talk.”
The players sighed in disappointment but didn’t doubt her; after all, that’s just how things worked in the game world.
The day quickly passed, and as darkness fell, the group retreated to their rooms to rest.
Back in her room, Gu Jiu stepped into the bathroom and knocked on the mirror.
Her reflection stared back at her, but there was no response.
“Come out. Don’t make me say it twice,” Gu Jiu said in a gentle voice, but there was something in her tone that made the male ghost in the mirror shiver, too scared to keep hiding.
The face in the mirror transformed into the stiff-featured male ghost.
Peering out from the mirror, the ghost forced a sycophantic smile, grateful for even the faint sense of security that hiding in the mirror provided, despite knowing it wasn’t truly safe.
“M-Miss, Your Majesty…what can I help you with?” the ghost asked nervously.
Ignoring his obvious reluctance, Gu Jiu got straight to the point, “When will the keys to your rooms appear?”
The male ghost hesitated, glancing at her. But as she raised her hand slightly, he quickly blurted, “The sixth night!”
Gu Jiu nodded. It seemed her guess was correct. Tonight was the fourth night, and by the sixth night, the villa would likely become extremely dangerous, putting all the players’ lives at risk.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know, Your Majesty?” the ghost asked, watching her carefully.
Gu Jiu thought for a moment before asking, “Every night, something knocks on doors to disturb everyone’s sleep—is that you ghosts?”
“No, no! It’s not us!” the male ghost protested immediately.
“Even if you gave us a hundred ghost guts, we wouldn’t dare disturb you. It really isn’t us!”
“Then who is it?”
“It’s…”
The male ghost’s mouth snapped shut just in time, looking at her with a mix of fear and embarrassment.
Gu Jiu’s eyes narrowed in understanding.
“So, you know who it is, and whatever’s knocking on doors at night isn’t part of your group. You’re aware of each other’s existence, but you’re not allied. You each have your own…agendas.”
As she spoke, the ghost’s expression grew more animated, confirming her suspicions.
“All right, then. If there’s nothing else, you may ‘retire,’” she said, waving him away dismissively.
The male ghost’s expression twisted. ‘You really think you’re the queen, huh?’
But despite his internal grumbling, he dared not offend the intimidating young lady, disappearing from the mirror as fast as he could.
Gu Jiu turned around to see Lu Ji standing in the bathroom doorway, raising an eyebrow.
“You need to use the bathroom?”
Lu Ji shook his head, unwilling to admit he was just worried the ghost might try spying on her again, so he came by to keep an eye out.
Gu Jiu suddenly flashed a brilliant smile, causing a faint blush to spread across the pale face of the girl by the door, adding a touch of health to her complexion.
Gu Jiu started to say something, “You…”
Lu Ji looked at her, a hint of confusion in his deep, dark eyes, which seemed incapable of reflecting any of the world’s colors.
But Gu Jiu waved her hand dismissively, “Nothing. I’m going to shower. You can wait and go after me.” She casually shut the door.
Watching the closed door, Lu Ji was left in complete bewilderment, wondering what Gu Jiu had been about to say and why she’d stopped.
He paused, suddenly questioning himself—was he paying too much attention to a human?
What did humans even matter? They were fragile, complex beings, and even if a human ascended to become a god of the multiverse, they would never be the same as a naturally born god.
Lowering his gaze, Lu Ji settled by the window, staring out at the rose bushes bathed in darkness. His expression was indifferent, his pitch-black eyes devoid of light, as if the world held nothing that could enter his heart or stir his thoughts.
—
The night was lively again.
This time, even Lu Ji couldn’t stop the hot-tempered young lady. Armed with a clothes rod, Gu Jiu threw open the door and swung it furiously at the shadow outside, clawing at it for good measure.
“Making all this noise? Can’t you let people sleep?” she yelled, seething with irritation.
The shadow quivered in response, twisting and writhing as it crawled quickly away, clearly wounded by her assault.
Gu Jiu squinted at the shadow on the ground. It had originally resembled a person’s shadow, but her attack had turned it into an inky pool on the ground, smudged and unsightly under the harsh white glow of the streetlight.
Just as the shadow started squirming to retreat, a little paper doll appeared behind Gu Jiu. It stepped forward, placing a tiny foot on the shadow.
The retreating shadow stretched and twisted even further, parts of it dragging away while the part pinned by the paper doll’s foot was unable to fully withdraw.
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but laugh, praising the paper doll, “Nice job!”
The paper doll’s white surface flushed with a soft, peachy pink, reflecting its owner’s shy nature, making Gu Jiu smile even more.
Inside, Lu Ji stared blankly at the paper doll, thinking its reactions had nothing to do with him as its master.
Gu Jiu crouched down, studying the shadow on the ground.
This was likely the creature that had been disturbing the players’ sleep every night, though its pitch-black form made it hard to discern exactly what it was.
Trapped under the paper doll’s foot, the shadow could only lie there, pretending to be dead.
Gu Jiu extended a finger, hooking the shadow and lifting it slightly, noticing that it felt like a mixture of thick water and misty fog, light and intangible, with no true physical form. The Banshee’s Armor could poke holes through it effortlessly.
As she sifted through the shadow, her fingers brushed against something hard and metallic.
Gu Jiu’s expression shifted. Without hesitation, she pulled the object out.
It was a key.
Smiling again, Gu Jiu gazed down at the key in her hand.
“Alright, let it go,” the young lady ordered cheerfully, instructing the little paper doll to release the shadow.
The paper doll lifted its foot, and the shadow quickly slinked away, disappearing around the corner. The scene was similar to what Gu Jiu had witnessed on the first night—except this time, the shadow fled in a much more pathetic manner.
With a satisfied smile, Gu Jiu bent down, picked up the little paper doll, and returned to her room, shutting the door behind her.
Lu Ji approached, his usually pale cheeks tinged with a faint blush as he gazed at the paper doll in Gu Jiu’s hand.
Gu Jiu grinned, “Lu Ji, your little paper doll and the frog are quite amazing. I really like them.”
The paper doll’s white surface turned a deeper shade of pink as it covered its face with its tiny hands, though its head tilted shyly toward Gu Jiu, clearly both embarrassed and delighted.
Lu Ji: “….”
Gu Jiu’s smile grew as she handed the key to Lu Ji. “Ah Ji, we found a key.”
Lu Ji forced his gaze onto the key, surprised. “Didn’t that male ghost say the keys wouldn’t appear until the sixth night?”
“He did say that. We can always ask him about it,” Gu Jiu replied, heading toward the bathroom. She tapped on the mirror, calling forth the male ghost.
The ghost appeared, and upon seeing the key in Lu Ji’s hand, his ghostly eyes widened with fear.
“How did you find the key?”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow, “A shadowy figure that knocks on doors at night handed it over.”
Hearing this, the male ghost interpreted it as: Even those dark specters had fallen victim to this fierce young lady. Suddenly, his obedience to her didn’t seem so humiliating.
With growing reverence, he replied, “My Queen, according to the rules, the keys are indeed supposed to appear on the sixth night. However, if you find one yourself beforehand, it’s… acceptable.”
Gu Jiu understood: the key wasn’t meant to appear until later, but by snatching it from the shadow, she hadn’t broken any rules.
—
The next morning, Gu Jiu placed the key in front of everyone.
The players stared at her, their eyes filled with amazement, unable to contain their curiosity about how she’d found it.
Gu Jiu gave a brief recount of last night’s events, and instantly, the looks they gave her were filled with admiration, as if she were a warrior beyond description. The only other person brave enough to face the nighttime knocking head-on was Qi Yuheng.
But somehow, in everyone’s eyes, Qi Yuheng’s actions paled in comparison to hers.
Xu Chenfeng, crouched beside Gu Jiu’s seat, looked up at her with shining eyes, her image reflecting in his gaze.
Finally, he had a concrete example of the strength he’d always imagined. If he could be as strong as her, no one—at home or school—would dare to bully him again.
Gu Jiu addressed everyone, “I suspect the keys are hidden within the shadowy figures that appear at night. You should be ready to act.”
Encouragingly, she hinted that they could attempt to take the keys themselves.
The seasoned players frowned instinctively, while the newcomers exchanged uncertain looks.
They wanted to say that they doubted their abilities; not everyone could be like this young lady, who appeared frail and delicate but was, in reality, terrifyingly powerful.
“You could always form teams!” Gu Jiu suggested. “There’s strength in numbers, right?”
Everyone: “….”
She made a fair point. Maybe… we should all just go together?
The old players and newcomers exchanged glances and made a decision.
At that moment, Qi Yuheng spoke up, “Miss Gu, are we running out of time?”
His question drew apprehensive stares from everyone, worried that the two of them might reveal more bad news.
Gu Jiu nodded slightly. “Last night, I specifically asked the ghost in the mirror. According to him, the keys are set to appear on the sixth night, which suggests that the forces in this villa will grow stronger. What exactly will happen, I don’t know.”
“It’s already the fifth day today. Does that mean after tonight, tomorrow night will be incredibly dangerous?” Ge Guang asked, alarmed.
Gu Jiu smiled. “Exactly. So, it’s best if you find all the keys by tonight.”
Her words made everyone’s expressions grow tense, and an underlying fear crept in. Knowing that impending danger was coming felt like an invisible force tightening around their nerves, gripping their hearts in a suffocating dread.
Qi Yuheng wiped his hands with a handkerchief and said, “Then we’ll start searching tonight.”