Song Zang could not make sense of what that question mark represented.
So he simply stopped trying. Faced with Xie Chun Ye’s sudden question, he nodded like someone who had just been caught hiding something.
“I knew it. When the others passed out, you were the only one still awake.” Xie Chun Ye glanced at him. “Stop acting so timid. You have a lot of potential. Resistance is the most important stat a player can have. You could become very strong instead of staying so weak that one punch could kill you and relying on other players to carry you through every instance. Not everyone is as kind as I am.”
Resistance was the most important stat?
That told him more than Xie Chun Ye probably realized.
Song Zang had clearly chosen the right person to latch onto. His eyes immediately reddened as he replied, “I-I understand, Brother Xie. Please don’t leave me behind. I’ll work hard not to drag everyone down.”
Xie Chun Ye looked slightly speechless. “…All right, stop crying. Follow my instructions later, and don’t tell the others what we found in the restroom yet.”
“All right, Brother Xie!”
Xie Chun Ye gave an acknowledging hum, closed the toilet lid, then unlocked the door and walked out carrying the bag.
When the two emerged from the restroom one after the other, they found the three women looking at them rather strangely.
Xie Chun Ye ignored them. He opened the overhead compartment, shoved the black plastic bag inside, and slammed the door shut. He used a particular trick to secure it, ensuring that no one but him could easily open it again.
“Um… Why did the two of you go to the restroom together, and why were you in there for so long? Was it exciting?”
After holding it in for ages, Xiao Li Li finally could not resist asking.
Xie Chun Ye fell silent for a moment. A vein abruptly bulged at his temple. “Xiao Li Li, I’m straight!”
Song Zang, meanwhile, looked completely bewildered.
He did not know what “straight” meant, nor did he understand why Xie Chun Ye had suddenly become angry and glared at Xiao Li Li.
Song Zang was about to ask when a sharp pain pricked his wrist, so he wisely kept quiet.
The inexplicable interruption eased the atmosphere somewhat.
Qiu Shuang did not order food this time. She planned to eat instant noodles from a sealed packet instead.
Tianhai Airlines was lax about its rules. The flight attendants did not object to them eating instant noodles onboard and even smilingly brought over a thermos of hot water for Qiu Shuang to use as she pleased.
“Anyone else want noodles?” After preparing her own, Qiu Shuang turned toward Song Zang. “Do you prefer braised beef or pickled cabbage?”
Song Zang looked at the bright-red broth and bit his lip. “Sister Qiu, I won’t have any. I ate too much earlier, and I’m still very full.”
His Special Title went straight to work.
Confusion entered Qiu Shuang’s eyes, and her hands paused. “That’s right. I ate even more than you did.”
Why had she immediately decided to make instant noodles?
It was nowhere near mealtime, and they had already eaten soup noodles at the airport. Why did she keep feeling desperate to eat something?
“Something’s wrong. This is definitely wrong. I don’t usually eat much. That first hamburger should’ve been enough to fill me up…” Qiu Shuang’s face finally turned pale.
Xie Chun Ye had clearly noticed the same thing. Frowning, he asked, “Are all of you hungry?”
“Yes.” Lin Wen Jing nodded.
“When did it start?”
Everyone remained silent for a moment before Xiao Li Li spoke first. “I wasn’t really hungry before. I still felt stuffed on the subway! But once we boarded the plane, I suddenly had this overwhelming urge to eat.”
Lin Wen Jing looked at Qiu Shuang and said gently, “Me too. I want to bite your cheek. It looks soft and fluffy, like a marshmallow.”
Qiu Shuang sucked in a breath and clung to her arm. “Sis, my dear sister, please don’t scare me like that.”
“I’m not trying to scare you. Perhaps I’ve gone insane.” Lin Wen Jing shook her head.
“You haven’t gone insane. Your Resistance is simply too low, so many things can easily distort your perception.” Xie Chun Ye remained calm. He wiped his hands with a wet tissue, preparing to redo Ning Si Si’s two braids.
“What kinds of things?” Xiao Li Li asked curiously.
“Anomalous entities, lingering obsessions, manifestations of resentment, spirits, or actual ghosts—they can all appear inside an instance. The attendant who kept killing people with a baton was a typical manifestation of an obsession. If it continued long enough, she might eventually become part of an anomalous entity,” Xie Chun Ye explained with practiced familiarity. “Until we understand the full situation in Tianhai City, I can’t judge how many unclean things are hiding here. Some of them may even be inside our food.”
That was certainly true. Remembering the 【Human-Faced Fish Pearls】 he had eaten earlier, Song Zang rubbed his stomach.
They had not killed him, so he could always try eating something else next time.
“Oh my god, this is so complicated. I can’t remember any of it,” Qiu Shuang lamented.
Hearing this, Lin Wen Jing pinched her cheek. “You have to remember it, no matter how complicated it is. Otherwise, you could die without even knowing what killed you. Just like right now—I particularly want to eat you.”
Xie Chun Ye nodded in agreement, then warned them, “Clearly, some unknown force has altered our appetites. Song Zang and I have relatively high Resistance, and Lin Wen Jing’s is probably decent too. But you two need to be careful, especially Qiu Shuang. Even if you’re hungry, don’t eat recklessly. Watch one another. The more you crave something, the more determined you should be not to touch it.”
“Why is Sister Jing Jing’s Resistance high too? She wants to eat me,” Qiu Shuang mumbled as her cheek was squeezed.
“Because she recognizes what she wants, even when it’s disturbing, and can admit it openly,” Xie Chun Ye replied meaningfully.
Qiu Shuang looked utterly lost. Lin Wen Jing merely smiled and offered no further explanation.
Wrapped in a blanket, Song Zang curled up in his seat and listened attentively. Noticing the subtle atmosphere between the two women, he took the opportunity to raise his hand and ask a question.
“Brother Xie, my wrist suddenly hurt badly on the bus. Could that also have been caused by something abnormal affecting me?”
“Correct. But the effect didn’t last long, which is the advantage of having high Resistance.” Xie Chun Ye nodded and continued analyzing the situation. “Based on what we’ve seen so far, this world has sacrificial rituals, the bus driver was nothing but a human skin, and there’s also the terrain surrounding Tianhai City… Although it’s a fictional highland region, it seems to incorporate traces of the real world.”
At this point, his tone became meaningful. “You’ve all heard of the A-Jie Drum, haven’t you?”
“That disgusting thing where young girls were used to make ritual objects?” Xiao Li Li frowned.
“Mm. That means girls around Si Si’s age are like meat surrounded by flies in Tianhai City.” Xie Chun Ye glanced at the sleeping Ning Si Si and adjusted his glasses. “The backward-walking girl we saw from behind on the bus may also have been an anomalous entity formed from one of the victims. It was extremely dangerous. Anyone it touched would die.”
“It was that dangerous?” Qiu Shuang shuddered belatedly. “Thank goodness it let us go.”
Song Zang quietly listened to them while rubbing his wrist, his expression innocent and guileless.
Anyone it touched would die? How frightening. He certainly knew nothing about that.
“It’s normal that you don’t fully understand how dangerous anomalous entities are yet. After clearing this instance, you can read the game forums. You’ll encounter far more of them in later instances… assuming you survive that long.”
Xie Chun Ye stopped at an enticingly suspenseful point, but he had no intention of continuing.
No amount of explanation could compare with personally witnessing something truly indescribable. Besides, he genuinely did not want to keep talking. His mouth was practically worn out.
The cabin fell silent, with only the steady hum of the aircraft engines filling the air.
Beyond the window lay a brilliant blue sky. The clouds were so perfectly shaped that they seemed dreamlike, peaceful beneath the golden sunlight.
Only Xie Chun Ye and Song Zang knew about the false compartment behind the restroom tank, the countless severed pieces of human flesh from unknown victims, and the endless stream of bright-red blood that poured out whenever the toilet was flushed… Simply removing the plastic bag of remains was not enough to make those horrors disappear from their minds.
Xie Chun Ye asked Qiu Shuang to watch Ning Si Si for the moment, then moved into the empty seat beside Song Zang.
Without speaking, he pulled a pen and a pad of sticky notes from his shirt pocket and began writing.
Ning Si Si—fits the requirements for making an A-Jie Drum
“Wealthy man seeks heir” phone number—Ning Feng, Jiang Ming Yue
Ning Feng and Ning Si Si are father and daughter—Ning Feng is a major suspect
Behind the “wealthy man seeks heir” scam—suspected trade in human flesh/human skin
Ning Feng’s wife, Jiang Ming Yue—hysterical, triggered a supernatural phenomenon—spirit, possibly already murdered
After writing this, Xie Chun Ye suddenly handed the pen to Song Zang.
“What do you think?” he asked quietly.
Song Zang lowered his voice as well. “There are many problems with Tianhai Airport. They may be connected to people like Ning Feng.”
He lowered his eyes and added several lines.
Airport corruption—management colluding with criminal forces, concealing multiple murders—the source of the blood tide
Bald men—all monks—monks hold a special status in Tianhai City
Earth Mother Goddess—local cult
Blood-based identity verification—screening suitable sacrifices?
Xie Chun Ye raised an eyebrow, accepted the pen, and placed a check mark beside Song Zang’s question mark.
He folded the sticky note and returned it to his pocket. “Come with me to inspect the restroom at the back of the plane.”
“That… doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
Song Zang’s face instantly paled. His timid tone made it obvious that he did not want to go.
Xie Chun Ye frowned. “Come on, what are you so scared of? Don’t waste your high Resistance. If they see something capable of causing severe mental contamination, an anomalous force could easily take advantage of the opening and affect their minds.”
Song Zang lowered his head and bit his lips until they turned pale. “B-But I’m scared too… I want to cry.”
“You can cry. Just don’t faint at the sight of blood.”
With that, Xie Chun Ye grabbed him and hauled him to his feet. Song Zang staggered, bracing himself against the back of a seat, then followed behind Xie Chun Ye with an aggrieved expression, attracting the attention of the three women in front.
“You two are going to the restroom together again?” Xiao Li Li asked ominously.
“…We have serious business to handle. We discovered something unclean, and it isn’t suitable for everyone to see yet.” After briefly explaining, Xie Chun Ye instructed them, “Don’t close the curtain separating first class later. Keep watch for me. If you see any passenger NPC carrying suspicious luggage—especially dark woven sacks or plastic bags—tell me immediately and do your best to stop them from approaching the restrooms.”
“All right, Brother Xie!”
“Also, if the flight attendant comes near you, don’t start a conversation. Keep your distance. There’s something unclean about her.”
“Mm. I can smell it. A nauseating stench of decay,” Lin Wen Jing suddenly said.
Qiu Shuang stared blankly. “Why can’t I smell anything?”
“The caviar Little Brother Song ate earlier didn’t smell particularly pleasant either.” Lin Wen Jing gave Song Zang an ambiguous smile.
Hearing this, Song Zang awkwardly covered his stomach.
Xiao Li Li smack her lips. “Fortunately, all my sundaes were fresh. Song Zang, be careful not to upset your stomach. You’ll slow us down when we need to run.”
“I understand. When the time comes, you can leave me behind and escape. I really won’t mind…”
Despite his words, Song Zang looked innocent and pitiful. Tears hovered in his eyes, and his voice trembled.
Qiu Shuang’s maternal instincts immediately flared again.
“Don’t be afraid, Little Brother. I’m here.” She waved one hand boldly. “If you can’t run, I’ll carry you.”
Song Zang gave her a grateful look, only to receive an increasingly tender gaze from Lin Wen Jing.
It was rather frightening. Song Zang quickly lowered his eyes, bit his lip, and stopped speaking.
Xie Chun Ye gave them a speechless glance and tugged Song Zang along. “Let’s go. We still have work to do.”
“All right.”
Song Zang obediently followed him. Xie Chun Ye turned and pulled the curtain aside without hesitation.
The pale-blue curtain separating first class from economy slid open before them…
The flight attendant they had just mentioned was standing motionless directly behind it, smiling.
She was terrifyingly close. Her heavily made-up, beautiful face was only inches away, almost brushing against the swaying curtain.
Xie Chun Ye stopped immediately. One more step and they would have walked straight into her.
The flight attendant said nothing. She merely maintained her standard posture while her smile gradually widened in the silence, becoming deeply unsettling.
An indescribable chill slowly spread through the cabin. Qiu Shuang had been whispering with Lin Wen Jing, but her throat suddenly seemed to close. Everyone froze where they stood.
Xie Chun Ye remained the calmest. His expression did not change as he stared meaningfully at the flight attendant, boldly looking her up and down.
Song Zang hid behind him, biting his lip. His lowered hand trembled secretly, making him look scared out of his wits.
“Let’s go.”
Xie Chun Ye suddenly spoke.
He calmly walked around the flight attendant and continued onward.
Song Zang followed with his head lowered and his face pale, not daring to meet the strange woman’s eyes.
Their footsteps were completely swallowed by the cashmere carpet, leaving no sound behind.
At that moment, the plane struck a powerful patch of turbulence.
The entire cabin shook violently, drawing cries of alarm from the passengers. The flight attendant, who had been standing still, instantly turned and slowly followed the two men.
“Gentlemen, the aircraft is experiencing turbulence. Please remain calm, return to your seats as soon as possible, and fasten your seat belts.” Her voice remained unhurried and remarkably gentle.
The moment she spoke, an indescribable stench of decay surged toward them, accompanied by the familiar dampness and metallic reek of blood, assaulting their sensitive noses and ears.
“I really need to pee. I can’t hold it,” Xie Chun Ye said without slowing or looking back.
Song Zang’s eyes widened in astonishment. He had not expected the flight attendant to believe such obvious nonsense.
Her eyes curved pleasantly as she softly instructed, “Very well. Please be careful, return to your seat as soon as possible, and fasten your seat belt.”
Xie Chun Ye relaxed slightly and continued quickly toward the restroom at the rear.
In his perception, the surging foul presence had vanished entirely, and the pressure surrounding him abruptly lifted.
But the flight attendant did not let Song Zang go because… Xie Chun Ye was the only one who had claimed he needed the restroom.
Her gentle gaze locked onto Song Zang’s slender back, and the curve of her smile grew wider.
At that moment, countless incomprehensible noises filled Song Zang’s ears.
Wet, slippery flesh collided and ground together. Something leathery stretched, tightened, then spread open again… The assault on his senses continued.
Song Zang bit his lip. His face turned deathly pale, and the corners of his eyes reddened pitifully.
Mist gathered in his eyes, yet the black pupils hidden beneath his long lashes remained utterly calm. A nearly imperceptible trace of mockery—and anticipation—flickered through them.
He kept his head lowered and walked forward while the flight attendant followed at an unhurried pace. Song Zang’s entire body stiffened. Like a fawn caught in a hunter’s sights, he trembled and walked faster and faster, yet remained unable to escape her restraint.
It seemed that only the smallest distance remained. Just a little closer, and some invisible horror would capture him.
Xie Chun Ye had already pushed open the restroom door at the rear of the plane.
In the next instant, the pale blue flame wrapped around Song Zang’s wrist shot forward like an arrow. They expanded abruptly, swallowed the flight attendant whole, and sealed her firmly inside.
Ghastly white shadows appeared within the blazing, shifting fire.
Rapidly dissolving flesh hissed and crackled as black-red liquid spread across the soft carpet.
In the end, only a thin layer of flesh-colored skin remained, folded upon itself on the floor, utterly still.
Song Zang’s pupils contracted slightly, but an almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
This troublesome thing was actually rather useful.
Point it at something, and it attacked—obedient, efficient, and remarkably easy to use.
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