Spring Banquet (25)

The Days I Clear Escape Games Pretending to be an NPCCh59 - Spring Banquet (25)

The sun had risen from the east and was now setting in the west. It was almost dusk.

Ren Yifei had walked for a whole day, and as he strolled through Ting Yun Pavilion again, he saw many demons lying in the courtyards and corridors. They were not dead since he could see their chests moving, they were just unconscious. 2zbn5d

"It's almost dusk..." his body was bathed and faintly coloured by the twilight glow.

The hem of Ren Yifei's clothe silently brushed across the polished corridor. Just as he was about to turn a corner, another set of footsteps suddenly sounded behind him and followed him unhurriedly.

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He paused for a bit before continuing to walk forward until he arrived at a secluded courtyard.

In the end, he stopped and sat down on the cold stone bench under a pavilion. He spoke without looking back, "You came." 6BKmJS

The man behind him let out a low chuckle, "I knew that the labyrinth would not be able to confine senior brother. It's getting darker and the wind is becoming colder, so why is senior brother walking around in the corridors instead of coming to drink with me?"

"I don't dare to drink your wine," Ren Yifei didn't look back.

He heard the footsteps approach him and a brocade robe was thrown over his shoulders. Ren Yifei was stunned. He watched as Qing Hong walked over, bent down and lowered his eyes as he carefully tied the belt for him, "Senior brother rode the cloud chariot together with someone."

The voice was soft as if it carried some indescribable grievances.

H6G7wJ

"You know who it was," Ren Yifei threw the blame on his other personality.

"Who it was does not matter. You are my senior brother, you can only be mine," Qing Hong whispered. With his back turned towards the light, his eyes looked sunken.

"Nonsense," what does he mean by only being his senior brother? What about Hua Yu?

Qing Hong stubbornly remained silent. 1AQyGw

Ren Yifei didn't say anything. He was worried that he would curse if he opened his mouth.

He Jun's temper was already very good and his rejection was clear. Ren Yifei saw nothing wrong with the way he responded.

Since there were no intentions, it should only be courteous not to lead others on.

If it was Ren Yifei himself, he would only do it more ruthlessly. Tsd4wO

Just like in the past, when he directly sued the fake fans that had snuck into his room and sent them to prison, he would not cherish the other party just because of their brotherhood.

"Why isn't junior sister here?" He asked Qing Hong.

Qing Hong had just finished dealing with the peacock so he had not met up with Hua Yu, "Why does senior brother have to mention others when you and I are alone?"

"She's junior brother's wife, how could she be considered as someone else?" 1GMY8a

"It only exists in name, it's not right to call her my wife," Qing Hong wrapped Ren Yifei's silky black hair around his fingers and leaned in close. The crazy thoughts running through his mind could clearly be seen in his eyes.

Ren Yifei suddenly felt that something was wrong. As he was about to push the other away, he was hit by a strong sweet fragrance and all of his senses were caught in some sort of peach blossom-like hallucination.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

This again... this man is trying to drug him to death.

Ren Yifei shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up. LsbvBe

"Did senior brother notice something wrong? Unfortunately, it's too late."

"Senior brother," Qing Hong let out a low sigh and reached out to embrace the other person.

"It would be great if senior brother's heart was as soft as your hair. Instead, your heart is like a stone on top of a snowy mountain. It's so cold and hard that it couldn't be melted even if you hold it in your hands."

"You want to sleep with me?" Ren Yifei looked up. TjE2BK

Despite being in a more vulnerable position, the imposing aura of Ren Yifei's 2.8 meters tall figure did not diminish. Even when he says ambiguous words such as 'sleep', his body seemed cold enough to freeze water.

He was calm and his splendour was still present. When those eyes glanced over, his cold and sharp gaze directly pinned Qing Hong in place, preventing him from causing any trouble.

Qing Hong retracted his hand and only used his eyes to trace the face that he had dreamt of day and night, "If I could win senior brother's heart simply by sleeping with you, I would have succeeded a hundred years ago. If senior brother is unwilling, then I will not force you."

Ren Yifei was silent for a while. At this moment, he was under an illusion and felt nauseous whenever he shook his head. However, the more nauseous he felt, the calmer he become. wI46Tk

It might seem like he was at a disadvantage, but because of this, Qing Hong did not act as cautious around him and he was given an opportunity.

Ren Yifei looked at Qing Hong and suddenly had an idea.

"The lamps at night, and the flowers in the garden..." Ren Yifei replied vaguely.

Qing Hong was unaware that he was being tested and thought that the other party had finally noticed that something was wrong. He said with a smile, "Senior brother finally found out

Qing Hong chuckled a few times, "Ordinary wicker lotus naturally does not have such abnormal abilities, while the mutant ones will emit a colourless, odourless psychedelic fragrance."

"In addition, I also condensed it into a more difficult-to-detect drug and mixed it into the wine. Unfortunately, senior brother is still too sensitive and didn't even touch it."

Ren Yifei looked at him again. He had also drunk a lot of alcohol but nothing happened at this moment. That could suggest that this kind of fragrance has either an inhibitor or an antidote. He asked again, "Where is the antidote?"

Qing Hong did not answer. 9glkr6

Ren Yifei was not disappointed. He continued to ask, "This banquet was your idea, and all the demons who were invited are your sacrifices. Then, what about me?"

"Senior brother, of course you're not," Qing Hong said anxiously, "My affection for senior brother is witnessed by heaven and earth, how could I possibly hurt you?"

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

Very good. He didn't even deny the first half of the sentence, meaning, the demons who were invited are indeed victims who would be sacrificed for a certain purpose.

Ren Yifei smiled slightly and continued to ask while Qing Hong was still shaking his head in denial, "Why? For cultivation? For status? No, you don't need any of those." u41fYX

He thought of the little old man back in the small garden, the other party had said that it was for the young master who, Qing Hong had mentioned many times prior, would be born in a few days. Thus, he asked, "Is it for the child?"

Qing Hong's pupils shrank as his eyes widened. Although his expression was fleeting, it still answered the question.

Yes, it was for the child.

Does normal childbirth require such sacrifices? wETgbD

If sacrifice was needed when a demon gives birth, how could the other big demons come to the banquet without the slightest suspicion? Recalling Hua Yu's strange behaviour, the more he thought about it, the more Ren Yifei felt that something was amiss. Just as he was about to speak, a hand reached over and covered his mouth.

"Don't ask anymore."

After Qing Hong finished speaking, he felt something soft rubbing against the palm of his hand. He also felt a hot and humid puff of air every time the other party exhaled. Although his face immediately turned red, he still spoke unyieldingly, "Senior brother is such a ruthless person but your lips turned out to be so soft."

Ren Yifei's face was expressionless. His whole body exuded cold air like ice and snow, causing his heart to skip a beat. lMkU5g

Qing Hong is so obsessed with He Jun, could he even have children with another person?

He also thought of the incident a hundred years ago; the original owner lost the blood from his heart and a child was conceived... that's not possible, right?

While Ren Yifei was lost in thought, Qing Hong glanced at him and flicked his sleeves, causing a sickly sweet fragrance to come out.

Here we go again... Ren Yifei held the Ghost Card tightly in his hand while listening to Qing Hong whisper in his ear, "Senior brother, go to sleep. It will all be over by the time you wake up." F3w4Wj

As dusk approaches, the sky slowly darkened where Saman was. Cold wind blew in from all directions through the holes, causing the temperature to drop drastically. The players who were wearing fewer clothes were already starting to shiver.

Saman wrapped himself with another coat under the envious gazes of everyone around him. Both he and Qing Lin had already slept for half a day each and regularly replenished themselves with food and water. At the moment, they were in good spirits and full of energy.

After the two of them arrived at this place, two other groups of players also came up. One of the groups, like them, chose to rest, while the other group did not heed their warnings and attempted to go up.

The other party had used a prop resembling a rocket that could travel several kilometres in a few seconds. They seemed to be able to travel from one end of this cylindrical space to the other in the blink of an eye. nE4Bxq

The mood of the other players was particularly complicated as they watched the other party take off. They hoped that the other party succeeds and bring hope to the players, but they also didn't want the other to succeed and become the first to reach the top.

Unfortunately, that player failed. Not even their bones were left afterwards.

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Saman has never seen so many insects, large and small— no, the large bugs weren't the problem. The real threat was the black mist that was hard to detect with the naked eye.

The player who was with them before said that these monsters were still relatively weak. py7Y5S

They didn't know how and when this black mist appeared at all. One second, they saw the player sitting in the small rocket preparing for lift-off, and the next, their bones and the remnants of the prop were falling from above.

"Can we really defeat this type of monster?" Qing Lin's face was pale, as were many other players.

"The games do not set unbeatable scenarios," Saman picked up the fallen bones with a handkerchief and inspect them carefully. He noticed that the surface had been gnawed very cleanly.

It was unknown what strange species of insect they were, but they were extremely fast and their mouth was extremely ruthless. PxEB1j

After this incident, all the players gave up on courting death during the daytime and waited for night to arrive while dealing with one or two monsters that had fallen on the platform.

Saman was curious about the pipes on the walls. Because according to his speculations, the thing that was absorbing all of these 'nutrients' was very likely to be the 'ghost'.

However, he did not rashly approach the wall. There were monsters guarding it so going there was no less dangerous than going up.

"It's a tree," he said. 6ofGhB

"Ah?" Qing Lin was at a loss.

In fact, Saman didn't need the other party to respond. He just needed someone to express his suspicions to, "As I said, the pipes spreading below are the root of the tree, and the demons are the nutrients that are absorbed and turned into this sticky gelatine that is transported upwards layer by layer."

He looked at the monsters that were flying in the air again, "And those are parasites, just like us. However, the difference is that we are here to destroy the tree, while they are the guards that were unknowingly attracted to the tree."

"Therefore, if we go up the nutrient delivery pipes, we're bound to find that thing." v 1Tln

There were many smart people among the group of players and some had already realised it, so it didn't come as a surprise to them when they heard Saman's words. In the games, it was not difficult to find the 'ghost', the difficult thing was to find 'it'.

At this time, the competition was no longer about wisdom, instead, it was about the ability to break through. It did not matter whether this ability was a skill, a prop or any innate talent.

They know that the person who reaches the top the fastest may be the biggest winner.

Several players who were sleeping to replenish their energy also woke up. The sky slowly became darker, signifying the arrival of dusk. Everyone present was a supporter, but also equally a competitor. lqNaLW

Even Saman and Qing Lin still have their guards up against each other. This was the final battlefield, and they were also opponents.

Dusk was approaching and the final preparations were also being carried out on the surface.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Qing Hong was looking at Ren Yifei and Ren Yifei was also looking back at him. After being given a high concentration of the psychedelic drug, he did not fall asleep as how Qing Hong had expected. On a contrary, he was very awake.

Qing Hong was startled and suddenly had a bad premonition nZV64x

"Don't you want to ask why I'm not under any hallucinations?" Ren Yifei slowly raised his hand.

Qing Hong blankly stared at him as he moved his wrist, "When did you..."

When did you break free from the psychedelic effect of the fragrance?

Having experienced the incense in the labyrinth, Ren Yifei had built a little bit of a resistance to it. From the moment he lead Qing Hong here, to the time he pretended to be affected by the psychedelic fragrance, and even now, everything had been under his control. kZmAYM

"I came out of the labyrinth a few hours ago," but he deliberately appeared not long ago.

A few hours ago? Qing Hong immediately understood what he meant, "You showed yourself on purpose? You were also under the influence of the drugs..."

"It was to lure you out," he directly told him the answer.

That's right, it's for you. nMWROU

The tip of the ink bone fan in Ren Yifei's hand scratched along Qing Hong's chest and all the way to his neck. Ren Yifei's voice was hoarse and slow, resembling an old spirit and moonlight on a lake, "Your breathing changed, am I making you nervous?"

Qing Hong blinked twice and became distracted. He suddenly felt a little thirsty.

Ren Yifei asked in a low voice, "Continuing with the previous question, is that child made from my blood?"

The question came out of nowhere and caused Qing Hong to inhale sharply. His eyes widened as his breathing become more rapid along with his heartbeat. He forced himself to say, "Senior brother, why, how could this happen..." Jkldgu

Qing Hong desperately thought about various excuses and explanations but no matter how perfect the reason was, he could not say it, "I can't lie to him about this..." he sadly discovered.

He may not respond or answer, but he will never be able to say 'no' to He Jun.

Looking at Qing Hong's expression, everything became clearer. There could only be something else that was equally important, or more important, that could make the junior brother who was obsessed with the original owner choose to hurt him. In addition, the abnormal condition that requires numerous demons to be sacrificed suggests that this child is not born through normal means.

In connection with Qing Hong's morbid obsession with the original owner and the incident a hundred years ago, the answer immediately became apparent. bWqKmC

Ren Yifei almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He thought his character quest was simply to retrieve three drops of blood, but now, the blood has become a child. What's going on?

The difficulty of his character quest had just increased several folds.

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"Qing Hong."

Qing Hong raised his head and could see all of his nervousness reflected in those calm, moist eyes. He almost wanted to escape, but he also couldn't help but want to see his senior brother's expression. g9PSKo

Will he feel disgusted?

However, there was neither disgust, anger, panic nor joy on Ren Yifei's face; he was still calm.

Unable to tell what he was feeling at that moment, Qing Hong felt sad for himself.

He was like a gambler who had desperately bet on everything he had, even himself, and put them all on the gambling table, but the other party still refused to end the game. He was still holding his cup of wine as he watched indifferently on the sidelines. 7IHDoW

Ren Yifei had almost reached the core of his secrets, "It's almost dusk and the pagoda will also appear."

Fragments of clues were spliced together before Ren Yifei's eyes. He was not a detective and he was not outlandishly smart, but with enough clues, he would be able to spell out the right answer.

This banquet exists for the child, and all the guests were the sacrifice. Only after they are sacrificed could the child be born successfully. In addition, the reflection of the pagoda at dusk is the key to all of this. What reason does he have to not suspect that the child is in the pagoda?

The child is his heart's blood, thus, the objective of his quest must also be in the pagoda. wtMaKk

"No," Qing Hong wanted to stop him but found that his body couldn't move.

"Master," the figure of the Puppeteer appeared.

"Who are you?" Qing Hong looked at the strange and lifeless shadow.

Suddenly, a cool, delicate hand was placed on his cheek. Qing Hong stared blankly at the owner of the hand, "Senior brother..." 3xmMze

Ren Yifei's eyes were bright red, resembling top-grade rubies, with black runes spinning around his pupils.

"Last question, what do you see when you are under the effects of the drug?"

"You'll see... fear..." Qing Hong's voice became weaker and weaker.

"Fear?" Ren Yifei pondered over this word, "So what I saw was fear." T Pbqr

He thought he had matured long ago and had overcome that fear, but he hasn't. The fear has always been present in the deepest part of his heart.

After getting the answer, he looked at Qing Hong again, "Where's the antidote to the drugs?"

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"I..."

Unspeakable fatigue hit his heart and Qing Hong could only feel his eyelids getting progressively heavier. He fell towards Ren Yifei and lay in the other's arms. As he closed his eyes, he whispered, "Senior brother." tXHoGM

Ren Yifei lowered his head, causing his hair to cascade downwards. He revealed an expression that was both gentle and cruel as he looked at the unsuspecting man lying on top of him.

"Go to sleep."

By the time you wake up, you'll face retribution.

Throughout the original owner's long career, his junior brother, Qing Hong, was a special existence. However, he was not the most special. He Jun was a person who does not know what love is and no one could pull him down from the altar; not even his junior brother. tTRH3n

Although Qing Hong's attachment and obsession were all evident in his eyes, he was indifferent to them.

"I can give you everything except love."

T/N 7BykOj