Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Cheng Miao went over and picked it up. It was a small pouch she had seen on Chang Qing. Miao Jie had made it for him.

She rubbed the pouch absently as Qiudong led her back by the hand, turning possibilities over in her mind.

If Chang Qing’s belongings had fallen here, he must have come here.

Which meant… Before being marked for marriage, they would come to the cave. Only then could they enter.

So they would have to be ill enough before they could get into the cave…

A thought flashed through Cheng Miao’s mind. She did not share it with Qiudong.

Zu Gehan’s little robot cooked noodles for dinner. Cheng Miao ate through the excruciating pain in her throat.

After dinner, she drew her teammates aside and looked at Lin Zhu. “Don’t you have a recovery item Lian Ge gave you?”

Lin Zhu nodded weakly and took the little pill out of his Space Backpack. “I’ll split it into three. One each for me, Brother Qin, and Jiajia.”

Qi Jiajia’s small face was flushed bright red. She touched her hair clip. “No need. My hair clip can block any attack once. You two split it.”

Qin Musong did not make a fuss when it mattered. He knew how important his combat strength was. He could not let something happen to him and leave Cheng Miao to shoulder everything alone.

He broke the pill in half, and he and Lin Zhu swallowed their portions with water.

Lian Ge had given them something good. Both improved visibly. Physically and mentally, they were almost back to how they had been during the first few days.

Cheng Miao felt a little reassured. She turned to Qi Jiajia. “We should be asked to make our wishes tonight. Don’t do anything rash.”

Qi Jiajia’s little face was stern. “I disagree. I think having the hair clip is exactly why I should try using force to clear the instance in the dream. If it doesn’t work, I won’t die. If it does, you can all do the same.”

Cheng Miao frowned and refused to budge. Qi Jiajia pouted. “Besides, are you really going to clear this instance by behaving yourself?”

Cheng Miao had no idea how Qi Jiajia had seen through her. Guiltily, she glanced at the others across from her, then lowered her head.

“Sister Miaomiao, what are you planning?”

Cheng Miao looked around at them, then beckoned the other players over. “We all know by now that making a sincere wish speeds up the process of dying.”

When everyone nodded, she continued in a hoarse voice. “I found the cave, but I can’t get in.”

She handed Chang Qing’s pouch to Miao Jie. By now, Miao Jie had suffered several asthma attacks and was terribly weak. She accepted the pouch, unable even to summon the strength to cry.

“You’ve seen that people getting married can go inside. So I’m going to make a sincere wish tonight. Unless something unexpected happens, I should be able to enter the cave tomorrow. Then I’ll deal with this Tree Deity.”

Her plan shocked every player. Quite apart from whether her combat strength really was that formidable, the suffering caused by this illness was more than most people could endure.

Kong Fan and Wang Yang could only sit and listen. Zhu Cong himself had a splitting headache, and the ringing in his ears drowned out Cheng Miao’s voice.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Zhu Cong knew that this time, he was dragging her down. No, most of the players were.

He had gained a deeper understanding of this pretty, aloof young woman.

“Stay alive. Wait for me to deal with it and come back.” Cheng Miao’s throat hurt terribly. She waved a hand and went back to bed first.

Qin Musong looked at Qiudong, who stood quietly nearby. “I thought you’d stop her.”

Qiudong glanced at him, then lowered his eyes. “Unexpected things always happen when you’re clearing an instance. Besides, I’ll be with her.”
Qin Musong smiled and stretched. His lungs had finally stopped burning.

Yang Ke had also given Freckles an item to restore her strength. It was not as effective as Lian Ge’s, but it could keep her going for a while.

That night, Cheng Miao dreamed. Standing before the man, she abandoned all resistance in her mind and thoughts.

“Do you have a wish?” His gentle voice shook her resolve, but she kept her purpose firmly in mind.

“I wish to receive the Tree Deity’s protection and clear the Game.”

A light flashed in the man’s eyes, and his smile deepened. “Your wish will come true.”

Qin Musong and Lin Zhu woke Cheng Miao the next day. The moment she opened her eyes, the world spun. Her throat hurt too much to speak, and she felt utterly drained of strength. At first, all she could see was golden light.

Half reclining in Qiudong’s arms, she caught the anxious, pained looks on their faces.

She struggled to prop herself up and looked to the side. Qi Jiajia lay quietly beside her, still unconscious.

Cheng Miao’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened. Before her panic could spread, Lin Zhu hurried to explain. “Don’t worry, Sister Miaomiao. Jiajia hasn’t woken up, but her breathing and heartbeat are steady. She probably couldn’t use force in the dream, but her hair clip saved her life.”

With an effort, Cheng Miao looked at Qi Jiajia’s head. The once brightly colored hair clip had lost its luster and turned dull gray.

Cheng Miao closed her eyes for a moment. Only now did she truly understand what the hint meant.

Illusion.

The wishes were false. The Tree Deity was false. The dreams were false too.

Even the boss behind it all could not be called a ghost or a spirit of the dead. They were merely resentment with no consciousness of its own.

Entangled with the Tree Deity’s vital essence, they were consumed by their horrific deaths and their hatred of the fact that the young had been allowed to live.

Among Cheng Miao’s items was a lighter she had bought earlier. Resentment caught fire as soon as flame touched it. Otherwise, why could burning things solve so many problems with tainted objects?

Still, to be safe, she would keep the Kun-Bone Dagger on her at all times.

Qiudong carried her outside to sit in the sun. Her condition frightened the players who remained.

Lin Zhu checked who was there. Wang Yang and Miao Jie were gone. No one asked where they had gone, and no one wanted to discuss it.

“Miss Cheng… Could Kong Fan and the others fill in their findings and leave first?” Zhu Cong could barely stand and had to brace himself against the wall.

His last two teammates could no longer get out of bed.

Cheng Miao could hear Kong Fan coughing incessantly, along with Ma Yang’s feeble cries of pain.

“The problem is, some things are still unclear. I’m afraid that if they submit their answers too hastily…” Cheng Miao’s voice was very weak. Apart from Kong Fan and Ma Yang, she was the sickest person here.

The sight of Song Guoqiang’s head bursting was still vivid in Zhu Cong’s mind. He closed his eyes for a moment. “I’ll let them try. Otherwise, I’m afraid they won’t survive today.”

Cheng Miao nodded. She had told everyone all about the Hundred-Person Pit when she returned yesterday. Whatever they chose to try now, she had no right to interfere.

With trembling hands, Kong Fan and Ma Yang entered their answers on their phones.

What is the Tree Deity: The resentment in the Hundred-Person Pit.

What is the true nature of the Tree Deity’s marriages: Revenge against the young.

They exchanged a glance and tapped Submit.

“Beep.”

“An abnormal physical condition has been detected in the respondents. Submission is unavailable. Please recover and try again.”

Bang!

His face grim, Zhu Cong kicked the washbasin in the room to the floor.