PTYS Chapter 16

As Xiao Muyu pushed the door open, Shen Qingqiu was already sitting on the bed, watching her.

Xiao Muyu unbuttoned her shirt cuffs and rolled up her sleeves.

The cold expression Shen Qingqiu had earlier softened. She stared at Xiao Muyu and then asked, “Is your jacket ruined?”

Xiao Muyu was taken aback and nodded, “Better that than losing my life.”

Shen Qingqiu laughed. Xiao Muyu noticed that Shen Qingqiu seemed like a different person when they were alone, transforming into a charming enchantress.

“How did you know I’d cooperate? What if I hadn’t reacted when you threw your coat, or if I hadn’t wanted to go along with it?”

Her tone was curious, but Xiao Muyu saw the seriousness in her eyes.

“I didn’t have a choice then. Besides, when you took the jar from me, you were already cooperating. I just followed your lead.”

Xiao Muyu spoke candidly, as if it were a simple matter. Shen Qingqiu, however, now saw her in a completely new light.

Previously, Shen Qingqiu had found her intriguing and special. The more time they spent together, the more fascinating Xiao Muyu seemed.

When Shen Qingqiu saw what Xiao Muyu had brought, she made a decision based on those items. It was clear that Xiao Muyu’s subsequent actions aligned perfectly with that decision.

Shen Qingqiu hadn’t met someone so in sync with her in a long time. A hint of regret flashed in her eyes, but it quickly turned to admiration and amusement.

“I rarely admire anyone, but you are one of the few.”

Xiao Muyu didn’t respond, neither confirming nor denying it.

“We have 20 hours left. You already have 50 points, so you don’t need to worry about the score. But to understand the old woman’s past and solve her predicament, doing nothing more won’t help. Even if we stay three more days, it’ll be meaningless,” Shen Qingqiu hinted.

Both were sharp-minded. Xiao Muyu’s gaze drifted slightly as she replied slowly, “If I’m worried about my 50 points, there are others who are more desperate. The human skin’s whereabouts are unknown, and tomorrow will yield nothing. Even if we coast through, it won’t change the fact that we won’t meet the point requirement.”

“So, what do you suggest?” Shen Qingqiu raised her right eyebrow, a hint of mischief in her expression.

“Do I really need to spell it out? You should have calculated it better than I have. Tonight will be another sleepless night. Some tasks should be left to those meant to do them, helping them helps us too.”

Shen Qingqiu lay back with a sigh, “It’s been two days, and this damned place doesn’t even have a place to shower. I’m starting to stink.”

Xiao Muyu paused, a question forming in her mind, “If we clear the game, do we immediately enter the next one?”

Shen Qingqiu smirked, “Are you asking me for advice?”

Xiao Muyu remained expressionless, “No, say it if you want to. It doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

“Tsk, is this what they call eating soft rice but acting tough?”

Xiao Muyu pursed her lips, ignoring her. It was late; even if there was a show to watch, they needed to rest and gather their strength. She prepared to get into bed but hesitated upon noticing the stains on Shen Qingqiu’s clothes. No wonder the smell lingered; Shen Qingqiu indeed smelled bad.

Shen Qingqiu caught her brief pause, looked down, and unapologetically said, “Sorry about that, too much action, and I got some stains. I know you have a sensitive nose, but there’s no way to bathe or change clothes here, so bear with it.”

“No changing clothes, but you should at least take off your outer garments before getting into bed,” Xiao Muyu insisted. She was a neat freak, but given the circumstances, she had to endure. However, the idea of human skin on the bed was too much.

Shen Qingqiu turned slightly, “Are you sure? I came here suddenly and only have this set of clothes. It’s this season, so taking off the top still leaves me with a tank top, but if I take off my pants, it might be indecent. I don’t mind, but I wonder if Miss Xiao will.”

Her fingers rested on her pants button, as if ready to undress if Xiao Muyu gave the nod.

Xiao Muyu’s expression was serious as she stared at Shen Qingqiu for a few seconds, then turned away without responding.

Shen Qingqiu chuckled softly, not actually intending to undress. In such times, one must be ready to respond quickly to sudden situations.

The house was eerily quiet at night. Both had too much on their minds to sleep early. Shen Qingqiu whispered, “Don’t you find this task rather odd?”

Xiao Muyu didn’t answer, so Shen Qingqiu continued, “You’re smart, and I’m not stupid either. Exchanging information with me won’t be a loss for you, don’t you think?”

Xiao Muyu turned from her side to lie flat, “What’s odd about it?” This signaled her agreement to Shen Qingqiu’s proposition.

“Resolving the old woman’s predicament— is this really her predicament?”

Even in the darkness, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes were bright, her words carrying a somber tone. Xiao Muyu opened her eyes, and after a long pause, she spoke.

“The predicament is probably real, but whether she’s trapped by her own actions or forced into it remains to be seen. We’ll have to see what they uncover.”

Xiao Muyu’s voice was cool, reflecting her detached nature. Her low, steady tone was like a murmur between sleep and wakefulness, ethereal in the night.

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and relaxed.

As the night deepened, thoughts became muddled in a semi-dreamlike state. The sounds outside were like a whistle in the night, especially clear to Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu.

“Did you hear that?” a soft whisper broke the silence in the room.

“Yes,” came the brief reply.

“Not going to check it out?” The question was lazy, tinged with amusement.

No response, silence being the best answer.

The door opened almost silently, followed by muffled, urgent grunts that quickly ceased. Both women lay in bed, ears attuned to every sound, their senses projecting them into the unfolding scene.

The noises were faint; whoever was acting was very cautious, so quiet that their own heartbeat and breathing could mask the sounds.

But this silence didn’t last. A short, terrified scream was abruptly cut off, like someone had their throat seized mid-cry, causing both women’s hearts to lurch.

One second, two seconds… no further sounds. It seemed the danger had passed.

Their hearts slowly settled, but peace was short-lived.

Suddenly, lightning flashed outside, followed by a thunderous boom, as if trying to tear the house apart, illuminating the room like daylight.

“Ah! Ah!”

“Help! Help! Ah!” A series of terrified cries came from the old woman’s room on the second floor, starting in fear and turning to screams of agony.

Xiao Muyu’s face changed slightly, and Shen Qingqiu sat up quickly. Outside, hurried footsteps sounded, someone was coming down the stairs.

More frantic, disorganized footsteps followed, as if they had seen something horrific and were running back. Amid the footsteps, they heard the distinct sound of something heavy and metallic being dragged.

Without hesitation, Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu got out of bed. At the same time, the door was violently flung open, and Baozi, covered in blood, staggered in, desperately crying, “Save me…”

His words and terrified expression were abruptly cut off. Another flash of lightning illuminated the scene.

In the stark, bright light, Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu saw clearly that half of Baozi’s left face had been neatly sliced off by a sharp blade. Blood gushed out as he fell to the ground, his remaining eye wide open in a plea for help.

Behind him, the old woman, who had always seemed frail, now held a massive scythe, the kind wielded by the Grim Reaper. It was this weapon that had claimed Baozi’s life.

After Baozi fell, the old woman looked up at Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu. In the lightning’s glow, Xiao Muyu saw the old woman’s eyes were like those of a dead fish, clouded and lifeless, her face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, more terrifying than any ghost.

The old woman paused for a few seconds, staring at the two of them. Then, with a swift motion, she swung the large scythe horizontally at them, its momentum fierce.

The length of the scythe made it nearly impossible to dodge in the confined space. Both Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu instinctively dropped to the floor, rolling to evade the lethal blade.

Xiao Muyu, who had some self-defense training but was not a professional fighter, considered herself lucky to have dodged the attack.

The old woman’s strength was astonishing. The scythe carved through the wooden floor with a loud crack, effortlessly slicing through the planks. She pulled the scythe free and prepared to strike again.

But as quick as she was, Shen Qingqiu was quicker. During the brief moment when the old woman was extracting the scythe, Shen Qingqiu rolled towards her. The scythe was deadly at a distance, but useless up close.

Before the old woman could retreat, Shen Qingqiu delivered a powerful kick to her chest, sending her crashing into the hallway wall.

The old woman, dazed by the kick, was about to react when another kick struck her neck, causing her to collapse, her eyes rolling back even more grotesquely.

Despite the vicious beating, the old woman seemed possessed. Her brittle bones cracked under Shen Qingqiu’s relentless assault, yet she stubbornly clung to the scythe.

“Don’t play tricks with me. Unless you can teleport or become invisible tonight, I’ll dismantle your old bones piece by piece!” Shen Qingqiu coldly declared.

The only illumination in the night came from the intermittent flashes of lightning.

The others had fled to the hall, and through the dim light, they saw a tall, slender figure beating the old woman, who had been wielding the scythe moments ago, to the ground without giving her a chance to rise.

The sounds of flesh striking flesh and bones breaking echoed, making the terrified spectators think Shen Qingqiu was scarier than the ghosts.

Suddenly, a faint click was heard, and the hall lights flickered on. After several flashes, they finally stayed lit.

Cui Xiaoxuan, still shaken, turned to see Xiao Muyu by the light switch, having turned on the lights.

Under the light, they all clearly saw Shen Qingqiu’s brutal beating of the old woman. Their jaws dropped in shock.

Was this really a supernatural scenario?

The old woman seemed immune to pain. Though her joints were shattered, preventing her from standing, she still clung to the scythe. Shen Qingqiu stepped on her back, her expression cold and detached.

“I’ve had enough of you. You keep spouting nonsense, asking us for help but hiding away, guarding your wretched room like some immortal. Swinging that scythe so skillfully, why don’t you try swinging it again?” Shen Qingqiu’s anger was palpable.

This was the first time the others had seen Shen Qingqiu so enraged. The old woman, who had been writhing, began to cry, blood-tears streaming from her pupil-less eyes, making her even more terrifying. Yet, Cui Xiaoxuan and the others, though scared, felt a strange sense of security.

“Tie her up,” Shen Qingqiu ordered, kicking the old woman towards Lao Liao and the others, causing Xu Ran to jump back in fright.

Chen Xi, his lips pale and body trembling, silently watched the corpse of Baozi, his right arm drenched in blood. He moved towards the old woman’s room, his gaze fixed on Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu.

His stiff, gaunt face resembled that of a ghost, his voice hoarse, “You didn’t dare to go in, but you counted on us to, didn’t you?”

Shen Qingqiu looked at him with indifferent eyes, as if he were a clown, making Chen Xi grit his teeth in anger.

“Can you deny it? Did you ever say you weren’t thinking that?” He glared, eyes wide with rage.

“Ha, did I ever deny it? Did I force you to go? If you make a choice, you should be prepared to face the consequences. He faced his, and you should be grateful,” Shen Qingqiu retorted, glancing at Baozi’s body as if a death meant nothing to her.

Xiao Muyu, too, had not glanced at Baozi since he fell. She didn’t wish for anyone to die, but if someone did, she wouldn’t feel sorrow. To her, life was an external matter, and she couldn’t empathize with others’ joys or sorrows.

The survivors were on the brink of mental collapse. Lao Liao covered his face, speechless for a long time. Cui Xiaoxuan and Liu Wei, having tied up the old woman, stared blankly at Baozi’s corpse. Of the twelve people, five had already died before even passing the first round.