Chapter 797: Reunion

Yun Yao, Zhang Lvshi, Tiantian, and Zheng Yingxiong stood quietly on the street, their faces showing lingering fear.

"Those black dots... have they all shattered?" Yun Yao asked.

Tiantian wiped the sweat from her face and nodded. "It seems so..."

Everyone turned to Zhang Lvshi with incredulous expressions.

Earlier, when the black dots had fallen, a flurry of questions erupted among them, all directed at Zhang Lvshi, who appeared the most composed. She managed to steady the group and said, "Although I don't know what these things are, they could potentially kill us."

A few seconds later, she added, "This bead seems to activate based on the questions each person asks, and if you answer incorrectly, you die."

After all, Zhang Chenze had once witnessed a similar scene firsthand and clearly remembered the consequences of giving a wrong answer.

Back then, Tian She had killed Qin Dingdong right in front of her for being "ignorant," and only she had been able to hold her own against it. Combining that with the characteristics of the previous "Tian Ma Shike," this time was clearly a "Tian Ji Shike." Given that it was around nine o'clock, it was likely the "Tian She Shike" that required a question-and-answer game to determine life or death.

Once she had sorted out her thoughts, Zhang Lvshi guided the group through several rounds of back-and-forth questions. All the black beads shattered in front of her, while her own bead was handled by Yun Yao.

"What a close call..." Yun Yao sighed in relief, then looked at Zhang Lvshi. "Zhang Jie... it's a good thing you were here."

Hearing that form of address, Zhang Lvshi paused for a moment, then shook her head helplessly. "I haven't heard that in a long time. It feels like another lifetime."

"Another lifetime?" Yun Yao smiled. "In the real world, do a lot of people call you that?"

"Not many..." Zhang Lvshi said somberly, "but they were very important."

"Don't lose heart." Yun Yao flashed a bright smile and linked arms with Zhang Lvshi. "We're on our way to pick up Wen Qiaoyun now. With her, plus Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu, maybe we'll have strength in numbers and come up with a way to free everyone... Then you can go back and find the important people in your life."

"Back to the real world...?"

Zhang Lvshi and Tiantian both gave a bitter smile, their expressions as calm as if they had seen all the horrors the world had to offer.

"Everything will turn out fine." Yun Yao held onto Zhang Lvshi and turned to Tiantian. "As long as we're still alive, everything will turn out fine."

"Hope so," Zhang Lvshi said.

Tiantian said nothing, just turned to look at Zheng Yingxiong, who had been silently staring down a nearby alley, deep in thought.

"Yingxiong didi, what's wrong?" Tiantian asked softly.

For the question of "whether we can escape," she felt the situation of those around her was more pressing.

Strangely enough, in the abundant real world, she had only encountered cold, lifeless people, but in this foul-smelling "End of Days Place," she had met so many warm hearts.

"Jiejie..." Zheng Yingxiong said while gazing into the alley, "I want to go take a look there."

"Take a look?" Tiantian followed his gaze into the distance. "Is there something there?"

"I... I..." Zheng Yingxiong stammered, "I think I smell something familiar."

Yun Yao also looked in the direction Zheng Yingxiong was staring, feeling like she had walked that path before.

"Little didi," Yun Yao called out, "you said you're looking for someone—is that person there?"

"I'm not sure," Zheng Yingxiong replied. "Their scent has changed... it's not quite like before."

"I've been there with Qi Xia," Yun Yao said, her expression darkening. "There's a 'Ren Hou' that hangs around there. It shouldn't be the person you're looking for."

"No..." Zheng Yingxiong's voice choked up. "If it's a 'Ren Hou'... then it is the person I'm looking for."

With that, Zheng Yingxiong strode straight into the alley.

The three women exchanged glances before hurrying after him. Yun Yao hadn't expected that the person Zheng Yingxiong had traveled so far to find was one of the "Shengxiao" she hated most.

She had lost count of how many teammates had died at the hands of these "Shengxiao."

The group passed through the alley and walked quietly for several dozen meters until they spotted the Shengxiao in a tattered suit, hands clasped behind his back, standing rigidly in place.

Though called a "Ren Hou," the mask he wore was that of a rotting great baboon.

No one knew what he originally looked like, but with that mask, he appeared fiercely intimidating and unapproachable.

The four of them came face-to-face with the great baboon, meeting his lifeless eyes, but no one spoke.

Zheng Yingxiong stepped forward slowly until he was right in front of the Ren Hou.

The Ren Hou lowered his head slightly, and a glimmer of light finally sparked in his dead eyes from behind the mask.

"Ren Hou...?" Zheng Yingxiong choked out.

"N-no... that's right," the Ren Hou's voice sounded choked as well. "Do... do you want to play my game?"

He struggled to control his voice, finally managing to get out a complete sentence.

"What are the rules?" Zheng Yingxiong asked, tears welling up in his eyes like a river dammed up.

"We... we take turns drawing 'Dao' from the box... The one who draws the last one wins... The winner can... take all the 'Dao'."

The great baboon's voice grew more pained, as if he had bottled up endless suffering that he couldn't express.

"How much for the entry fee...?" Zheng Yingxiong asked.

"The entry fee is the 'Dao' in the box..." the Ren Hou answered mechanically. "Whatever number you put in, I match... more or less."

Tiantian had no idea what was going on between the two, so she crouched down and hugged Zheng Yingxiong's shoulders, only to find the child shaking all over.

He was holding back his tears.

"Are you doing okay?" Zheng Yingxiong asked.

"Is she doing okay?" the Ren Hou countered.

Neither gave the other an answer, just hung their heads. One was a child who usually seemed tough and unyielding, the other a clever Ren Hou who had once outwitted Qi Xia, but now they were like two broken-hearted people, standing in silence for a long time.

How could anyone be doing okay here?

People surviving in this place had no worst situations, only worse ones.

No matter which path you chose, it was the same.

Often, reunions brought happiness, but not in this place.

"Jiejies... I want to play this game... Can you wait for me outside for a while?" Zheng Yingxiong asked.