The atmosphere of despair began to spread. Tian Mingjie, eyes bloodshot with desperation, shouted, “Let’s fight them! It’s not a crime to kill in the instance anyway, and these people deserve to die! It’ll come down to luck. Whoever’s lucky enough to survive until the Madam gives birth will clear the game!”
Zhao Luan sneered, “Did you forget the townspeople have shotguns? The Jin family is big and powerful; they probably have them too. There are only a few of us—how are we supposed to fight them?”
Their tools were only effective against ghosts, not people!
In the dead silence of despair, Li Zhi’s voice was like a clear spring: “Then let the ghosts deal with them. We’ll deal with the ghosts afterward.”
Everyone swiftly turned to look at her. Li Zhi calmly said, “The guide from the last instance mentioned that [Ghost] is a perfectionist. Every instance it designs follows precise logic. Making players feel despair is probably just its twisted sense of humor. It wouldn’t actually set up a death loop—that would be too boring. There must be a way to clear it.”
She looked at everyone. “I have a plan, but I need everyone’s cooperation.”
Zhao Luan, now too preoccupied to argue with her, said, “Go on.”
“The Infant Tower doesn’t exist for no reason. It’s definitely the key to breaking the game.” Li Zhi didn’t explain further but asked Zhao Luan, “If I work with you, how confident are you that you can take down the townspeople guarding the tower?”
Zhao Luan was undeniably strong; he could take on ten men by himself. The problem was that the townspeople had guns. It wasn’t impossible, but it would require a precise plan.
He frowned and thought for a moment. “It’s doable, but we’ll have to wait until nightfall.”
As the two of them discussed how to break through after dark, Tian Mingjie timidly raised his hand. “Uh, Sister Zhi, I have an invisibility potion. Can we use it?”
Chi Yi kicked him. “You’ve had something this useful all along, and you didn’t bring it up earlier?”
Tian Mingjie was actually quite reluctant. This kind of one-time-use item had cost him all the points he earned in the last instance just to redeem a single bottle. Of course, he wasn’t eager to let others use it.
But from what Li Zhi was saying, she planned to team up with Zhao Luan to go to the Infant Tower, while the rest of them would be left to deal with the Jin family’s NPCs. However, in their group, only Li Zhi and Zhao Luan were good at fighting. If both of them left, those remaining wouldn’t stand a chance!
Tian Mingjie quickly offered the invisibility potion with both hands. “Now, you two don’t both need to go. The potion lasts for ten minutes!”
Zhao Luan gave him a knowing look, seeing through his intentions instantly, and sneered.
“Now you think I’m useful, huh?”
Li Zhi took the potion and asked Tian Mingjie, “Is this enough for two people?”
Tian Mingjie nodded repeatedly. “Yes, but the duration will be reduced to five minutes.”
Li Zhi said, “That’s enough.” She looked at the group. “I need one more person to come with me. The marks have an interval before they act up. If I die halfway, the other person can step in.”
The others hesitated. The Infant Tower was undoubtedly the place where the ghost infants’ resentment was strongest. Approaching it would likely accelerate the activation of their marks. It was much more dangerous than staying in the mansion to deal with the NPCs.
Only Chi Yi didn’t hesitate for even a second. “I’ll go with you!”
The viewers were moved by this scene:
[She was so afraid of ghosts in the last instance, and now she’s volunteering to go near the Tower full of ghost infants. This is heartwarming.]
[I’m shipping this so hard!]
[I will always cheer for the friendship between girls!]
[Chi Yi said in the last instance that she felt safest sticking close to Li Zhi. It seems she’s been following through on that idea unwaveringly, hahaha!]
[First love vibes! Hold onto this powerful ally, Chi Yi! Li Zhi will bring you glory and wealth!]
[Li Zhi’s mental fortitude is no joke. Even in a situation where everyone’s falling into despair, she’s calmly organizing a plan. Amazing.]
Li Zhi gathered all the necessary tools. In the courtyard, the ashes from the century-old agarwood had already been prepared. Paired with rootless water and black dog blood, they were ready to use for drawing the exorcism array recorded in her master’s handwritten notes.
Though everyone knew that the array itself wouldn’t be of much use—the true force keeping the ghosts at bay was the players themselves—they still needed a reason to stay by the Madam’s side and guard her during childbirth.
The Jin family had chosen to lure the players into the mansion instead of simply capturing them, which indicated that they had their own concerns. As long as the players didn’t act recklessly and openly oppose them, there was still room to maneuver.
Of course, it would be even better if they could subdue all the Jin family members before the Lady gave birth.
But when they arrived at the Lady’s courtyard, they realized that wasn’t going to happen. About thirty servants surrounded the courtyard, all with serious expressions. The leader even had a gun.
From inside the room came the Madam’s agonized screams. Aside from the Jin family head and Butler Chen, a young man was anxiously waiting in the courtyard. Li Zhi took a quick glance and guessed that he was probably the current eldest son of the Jin family, and the Madam in labor was his wife.
The Jin family head seemed momentarily stunned when he saw the seven of them, then glanced at Butler Chen.
Li Zhi observed the look in his eyes—it seemed to ask: How are they still alive?
Before anyone could speak, Li Zhi took the initiative and said earnestly, “Master Jin, we are here to set up an exorcism array for the Madam. During childbirth, the mother’s body is at its weakest, so it’s crucial to guard against evil spirits. The array I’m using is extremely powerful and will ensure that no evil can harm her.”
The Jin family head hesitated and glanced at Butler Chen, who gave a barely noticeable nod.
Another layer of protection wouldn’t hurt. After all, that was the reason they had invited the players here in the first place. If they refused, this group might cause a commotion, which could interfere with the plan.
The Jin family head then said, “Fine, you can set up the array outside the house, but do not enter and disturb them.”
Li Zhi found the interaction between the two men quite interesting.
The dignified head of a family, yet he still had to consult with his butler. What role did this Butler Chen truly play in this instance?
Li Zhi kept her master’s notes tucked away as she and the others reviewed the method for drawing the exorcism array. Then, they began setting it up around the house.
By now, the sky had darkened, and the Madam’s screams of pain inside the house grew more and more intense, making everyone break out in cold sweat.
Squatting by a corner of the wall, Li Zhi finished drawing a line of the array and whispered to Zhao Luan, who had quietly approached her, “Stall them as much as you can. If things come to a head and you can’t stall anymore, when push comes to shove, take down the Jin family’s eldest son first, then fall back to the house. We absolutely cannot let them take the baby away.”
They could always marry off another daughter-in-law, but if the eldest son was lost, they’d have nothing left. Surely they wouldn’t ignore the safety of their son.
Zhao Luan sneered, “Don’t worry. I might not be able to deal with ghosts, but if I can’t even handle humans, I don’t deserve to make the leaderboard.”
“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Leaving those words, Li Zhi signaled to Chi Yi with her eyes, and the two of them pretended to go to the restroom as they left the courtyard. Butler Chen suspiciously eyed their backs but ultimately didn’t stop them. He probably thought they wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble.
Once they were out of the Jin mansion, the two of them sprinted toward the Infant Tower. As they neared the tower, Li Zhi noticed a dried-up corpse on the side of the road.
There were traces of blood-infused infants crawling around the area. Based on the clothes on the corpse, it was clear this was the player who had panicked and run off earlier.
Chi Yi had held herself together in front of the others, but now that it was just her and Li Zhi, she couldn’t hold back her tears. As they ran, she cried, “Zhi Zhi, will I be the next to die? This way of dying is so ugly! I don’t want to turn into a dried-up corpse! Waaaaah—”
Li Zhi responded, “It could just as easily be me.”
Chi Yi cried even louder.
Soon, the bamboo grove came into view. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the green bamboo, giving Qingyu Town, which was always gloomy, a rare moment of warmth.
Li Zhi took out the invisibility potion and shared it with Chi Yi. In the blink of an eye, their shadows on the ground vanished. Fortunately, players using the same bottle of potion could still see each other; otherwise, it would have been quite eerie.
Time was running short, so the two hurried through the narrow path in the bamboo forest. Sure enough, the tower guards Zhao Luan had mentioned appeared ahead. Each one was armed with a hunting rifle, patrolling with cold, angry expressions that warned they were not to be trifled with.
Although they knew the guards couldn’t see them, Li Zhi and Chi Yi still held their breath and slowed their movements. The path out of town was blocked by a tall fence, leaving only a narrow gate, guarded on both sides by two armed NPCs.
Chi Yi’s heart pounded in her chest.
Just as they were about to slip through, one of the NPCs suddenly turned his head in their direction, frowning as he stared at the ground covered in fallen leaves. “What was that sound?”
No matter how light their footsteps, stepping on the fallen leaves made faint, crisp noises.
Both of them froze, bodies tense, standing perfectly still. But the NPC had already raised his gun and was walking toward them. The potion only made them invisible—it didn’t mean they couldn’t be touched!
If they kept moving, the rustling of the leaves would surely betray their steps. Even if the guards couldn’t see them, their heightened alertness would definitely drive them to check the Infant Tower.
Closer, closer—just one raised hand, and the NPC would touch them. In that critical moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the forest, scattering the fallen leaves. The NPC squinted as the wind blew dust into his eyes, and in that brief moment when he instinctively closed them, Li Zhi grabbed Chi Yi’s hand. Using the sound of the wind to mask their footsteps, they dashed through the narrow exit.
A few scattered tile-roofed houses stood in the desolate countryside.
In this barren, empty land, an old tower—neither too tall nor too short—stood alone against the twilight sky.
With only five minutes of potion time left, the two of them sprinted toward the Infant Tower without stopping. Perhaps the marks on their bodies had provoked the resentment of the ghost infants because the last remnants of daylight quickly disappeared, leaving the sky dark. A cold wind howled through the empty fields, filled with a wailing sound like a bitter accusation.
Li Zhi immediately took out the confusion perfume and sprayed it on herself and Chi Yi. The eerie wind surrounding them abruptly stopped.
Only a small wisp of wind continued to circle them, as if in confusion.
The two-meter-high Infant Tower was right in front of them.
Unlike the typical stone towers, this one was much thicker and rounder, and not very tall. It resembled a tomb cover and emitted a foul, nauseating odor. The tower was constructed of countless stone bricks, each one engraved with runes. The structure was airtight, except for a square hole—used for throwing baby girls inside.
The small window over the hole was locked. Li Zhi jabbed it twice with her elbow, and the worn wooden board, carved with symbols, fell away.
Inside, it was pitch black. Nothing was visible, but the overwhelming stench of burning and decaying bones filled the air.
The Infant Tower, also known as the Bone Tower, was a place where countless small skeletons were piled up.
Li Zhi leaned forward to check the size of the opening. Chi Yi realized what she intended to do and cried out in horror, “Zhi Zhi!”
Li Zhi turned her head and said calmly, “I’m going inside.”