Divine Opportunity! The Self-Conquest of Hill!

The Mirror House

To be precise, it should be called the Mirror Maze.

The space inside was far more complex than the humble exterior of the little house suggested.

Under dim lighting, a series of mirrors, connected in intricate patterns, formed countless passages. What was truly eerie, however, was that each mirror reflected a ghostly figure—a child-like spirit.

Even more bizarre was that all these ghost children shared the same appearance: cute, yet with a subtle, melancholic aura. They all wore identical white princess dresses, their hair styled in twin ponytails.

Yi Bai was the first to step into the Mirror House.

In an instant, the cheerful voice of a little girl echoed around him.

"Big Brother has finally come!"

"Come play with us!"

"No, no, no, we're the 'big sisters' now! Big Brother, guess who's the real big sister!"

"Hee hee hee~"

The ghost children instantly became lively. Despite all their voices sounding exactly the same, their personalities were distinct, and one could discern their different temperaments from their tones.

Yi Bai, curious, wondered if "Hill," the mirror spirit he sought, was blending in among the ghost children or if it was concealed in a separate, unique mirror world.

"Big Brother, there are three little followers behind you!"

The crisp voice of a girl rang out from the first mirror at the door.

"Ah, it's you, Tong Tong, right? Still as well-behaved as ever!" Yi Bai said with a gentle smile as he looked at the little girl in the mirror.

"Wow! Big Brother is amazing! You recognized Tong Tong just like that!"

The voice, now filled with awe, reverberated, and the little girl in the mirror slowly faded. In her place, the innocent and adorable figure of Tong Tong appeared.

"I've spent so much time playing with you guys that I've come to understand your personalities and preferences. How could I not recognize you, Tong Tong, when you're so obedient?" Yi Bai said confidently.

"Big Brother is so great! I don't even know all of our friends' preferences yet!" Tong Tong's affection for Yi Bai had reached an almost intimate level, trusting him completely.

"I! I want to play! Big Brother, guess who I am!"

"I want to play too!"

"Me! Me!"

"..."

As soon as Yi Bai spoke, the little ghost girls in the mirrors erupted with enthusiasm.

Little did they know, through Yi Bai's sharp insight, their mirrored images—though distorted by the mirrors—remained fundamentally unchanged. And so, with a single glance, Yi Bai saw through their identities.

For instance, after recognizing Tong Tong, the more dominant ghost child, Yi Bai swiftly deduced,

"Don't rush, don't rush, one at a time. You must be Wan Yue, the little mountain ghost, right? Still as strong-willed as always..."

Having spent time playing games with the ghost children earlier, Yi Bai had learned their names. And after revealing Wan Yue's identity, the young mountain noble immediately reverted to his true form, his eyes wide with astonishment, his expression filled with admiration for Yi Bai.

This small act—simply recognizing their identities—suddenly made Wan Yue feel a profound sense of trust in Yi Bai, elevating his affection from mere trust to a level of genuine intimacy.

Yi Bai understood the value of this shift. Though "trust" and "genuine intimacy" seemed close, there was a vast difference between them. Genuine intimacy equated to unconditional trust, a bond that needed no explanation.

The subtle change made Yi Bai's smile warmer, his eyes brighter with delight.

The third game, for him, was nothing short of a divine opportunity. He could already envision a surge of affection directed at him.

Meanwhile, a mirror in the depths of the maze, concealed in a simple, nondescript state, muttered to itself.

"So gentle... Big Brother is so gentle! In such a short time, he's memorized all the little ones' preferences and personalities, and he can recognize them all accurately!"

"If the most obedient, most perfect Hill appeared in front of Big Brother, surely he would remember me forever, right?"

"Mmm~ Big Brother will definitely be my best friend! He definitely will!"

"I really want Big Brother to stay with me forever..."

"I'll be meeting Big Brother soon. Should I change into a prettier dress? What color would Big Brother like? Hmm... so many choices..."

Yi Bai continued to move through the maze with ease. Each time he approached a mirror, he would playfully converse with the ghost children, probing their preferences and swiftly identifying them.

In the name of efficiency, Yi Bai made sure to leave no room for error.

Not far behind him, three new players cautiously followed in the maze, watching as the ghost children reverted to their true forms, one mirror after another. They were both terrified and relieved—terrified that the ghost children might suddenly attack, yet relieved that they had made the wise decision to follow Yi Bai.

They didn't dare speak in front of the ghost children, but were secretly pleased with themselves for making the right choice.

They followed Yi Bai, drawing closer with every step, as if afraid of being left behind. From the beginning, they had kept a cautious distance, relying on Yi Bai's voice to guide them. Now, they were almost right behind him, as if shadows following shadows.

In the dim light, Yi Bai's shadow stretched long on the floor, but the three new players failed to notice something strange. In the maze of twisted mirrors, Yi Bai's shadow always seemed to appear just perfectly, allowing them to clearly see his movements.

With Yi Bai's voice always ringing ahead, they were certain they were walking behind the expert.

What they didn't realize, however, was that, at some point, they had stopped following Yi Bai himself and had instead been trailing only his shadow!

The three new players, unaware of this trick, had become the perfect distractions for the ghost children, allowing Yi Bai to enhance his rapport with them and gain more favor.