Chapter 228
Chapter 228
Emperor’s Wardrobe. Exchange cost: 500 Points. Randomly produces one set of imperial clothing.
“Exchange for it,” Qin Weiyi said.
Lu Jing was initially confused, then realized Qin Weiyi meant the Points Mall. He hurriedly opened the Mall, found the corresponding item, and pressed exchange. At the same moment, warmth spread across his body.
Looking down, he saw that he was now dressed in lavish court attire.
It had cost him Points, but at least he was finally fit to be seen in public.
Lu Jing breathed a sigh of relief and removed the curtains wrapped around him.
Qin Weiyi looked at the Steward. “Can he enter now?”
The Steward swept his gaze up and down Lu Jing several times, then smiled in satisfaction. “Yes. Guests, please proceed inside.” As he spoke, he stepped aside to let Qin Weiyi and Lu Jing enter.
Because the two had been delayed for a while, Fang Kang finally managed to hop his way to the ballroom.
The Steward immediately bent down, greeting him with the same respect. “Guest, please proceed inside.”
Fang Kang ignored him and continued hopping in.
All twelve Players had successfully entered the ball.
Many guests milled around inside. Like the Players, these NPC guests appeared to be characters from fairy-tale worlds and were currently moving about and conversing with one another.
If one ignored the fact that some were human while others were animals or spirits, it almost seemed like an entirely ordinary ball.
“What do we do now?” Yellow Hair asked, tilting his head up to look at everyone.
He had turned into a short little fellow and now had to look up at everyone. After speaking, he thought for a moment and silently moved closer to Qin Weiyi.
He might be shorter than even Qin Weiyi now, but at least Qin Weiyi was not quite so tall.
Qin Weiyi: “…”
For some reason, it felt as though an arrow had struck him right in the knee.
“Look for clues,” Jian Fan said, lowering his eyes slightly.
The first challenge had presumably been entering the ballroom successfully, and they had clearly passed it. Most of them had not even needed to think. Only Qin Weiyi and a few others, maliciously targeted by the Realm of Death for having many Points, had been assigned additional obstacles at the outset.
Of course, as long as they were not foolish enough to hoard their Points, those obstacles were not difficult to overcome. They were merely expensive.
As for what came next, the situation remained unclear. They would have to watch and wait.
While Jian Fan was speaking, Xia Zeqin had already broken away from the group and headed toward the dance floor. After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Jingying also turned and left. Fang Kang, meanwhile… was still hopping along with all his might.
Qin Weiyi glanced over, then withdrew his gaze. “Let’s split up, then.”
Jian Fan gave a quiet sound of agreement.
Qin Weiyi tugged Lu Jing along, and the two soon chose a direction and departed.
Jian Fan also picked a direction, with Qin Nan naturally following him. Lin Junruo hesitated. She wanted to go with Jian Fan and the others, but she was not technically part of their team. While she wavered, Mu Xin patted her shoulder with one tiny hand.
“Come on. Why are you standing there?” Mu Xin asked.
Lin Junruo snapped back to her senses. She had almost forgotten that one of Jian Fan’s teammates was sitting on her shoulder.
She immediately followed. Jian Fan and Qin Nan did not appear to object, allowing Lin Junruo to relax. Just as she did, Yellow Hair caught up as well.
Qin Nan looked back at him.
Yellow Hair straightened and declared righteously, “We’re from the same fairy tale. You might need me for something.”
Qin Nan laughed but did not refuse.
It was not his ball. Yellow Hair did not need his permission to go anywhere.
Only Shi Chen and Yang Zhen remained where they were.
Yang Zhen was equally accustomed to working alone. Although she had interacted with Qin Nan and the others before, she had no intention of changing her habits during a mission. She glanced in the direction the others had gone, committed it to memory, then chose another direction and left.
Shi Chen would have liked to follow Jian Fan, but he was not one of their companions. In the Realm of Death, the only person one could truly rely on was oneself, and for now, the ball did not appear particularly dangerous.
With that thought, Shi Chen yawned, chose a direction, and departed.
The group quickly scattered throughout the ball.
Jian Fan’s group of five attracted the most attention.
Not because they were numerous, but because–
“Good heavens, look! Snow White is actually walking with the Evil Queen. Oh, is that a Dwarf behind them?” someone exclaimed upon seeing them.
Lin Junruo’s Cinderella and Mu Xin’s Thumbelina, seated on her shoulder, were evidently ignored by all the NPCs.
The speaker had been so loud that Qin Nan and the others naturally heard.
Jian Fan remained perfectly composed and unconcerned. Qin Nan, meanwhile, silently glanced at Jian Fan beside him and found the situation rather uncanny himself.
Should he pull out a Poisoned Apple and give it to Jian Fan?
Just then, the guests who had been exclaiming approached the five of them. They blocked the group’s way outright, their faces filled with curiosity and gossip.
“Good heavens, it really is Snow White and the Evil Queen.”
“Beautiful Snow White, why are you walking with your wicked stepmother? She’ll kill you,” one guest warned Jian Fan worriedly.
Qin Nan examined the guest’s attire.
A Prince’s outfit.
Well, that was something.
He wondered whether this was the Prince who had awakened Snow White with a kiss or a Prince from some other story.
Jian Fan cast the man a cold glance.
“Move,” Jian Fan said.
Considering the other man was an NPC, Jian Fan had already been as polite as possible.
Delight appeared on the Prince NPC’s face when Jian Fan responded. “Princess, I can protect you. Beautiful Snow White, will you come to my kingdom and become my Queen?”
Qin Nan: “???”
Was he proposing marriage already?
Jian Fan had intended to remain civil, but his face turned cold the instant he heard that. “Get lost!”
He was a man being proposed to by another man. Even if the other party was an NPC who probably recognized only his clothing, Jian Fan still felt profoundly offended.
Heartbreak crossed the Prince NPC’s face at the rejection. He professed his love to Snow White–Jian Fan–once more. “Princess, the sun and moon bear witness to my love for you. Please grant me the chance to court you.”
Jian Fan: “…”
He could not be bothered to respond and turned to leave.
The Prince NPC refused to give up and moved to block him, but Qin Nan stepped forward first and barred his way. Qin Nan gave the man an eerie smile. “Your Highness, would you care to taste my Poisoned Apple?”
The Prince NPC froze.
His gaze flicked toward the Poisoned Apple ornament atop Qin Nan’s head. Then he closed his mouth and quietly slipped away.
He fled rather quickly too, as though afraid Qin Nan might shove a Poisoned Apple into his mouth the next second.
Qin Nan: “???”
He had meant to drive the man away, but he had never expected it to work so spectacularly.