Tang Ci first returned to Peach Blossom Spring and explained the whole story to Liu Qiao and Long Sen. Liu Qiao had just suddenly heard Old Gui's voice on the voice channel, forcing her to see her sister. Her mind was completely blank, and she thought she was hallucinating. Now that Tang Ci had explained, she finally understood.
Long Sen suddenly realized, "No wonder Mr. Tang wasn't burned to death; it turns out Old Gui did it on purpose?"
Tang Ci said, "If he really wanted to kill me, he wouldn't have thrown me into the fire."
Liu Qiao clenched her fists tightly: "Mr. Tang, how should I cooperate with you in this charade?"
Tang Ci stared into her bright black eyes and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Liu, if Hunter really wants to kill your sister, would you be willing to join them?"
Liu Qiao said without hesitation, "Absolutely not. It's better to die than to live by indiscriminately killing innocent people. I don't want my hands stained with blood and to be awakened by nightmares every night."
Tang Ci nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, then just treat Old Gui as an undercover agent that Hunter planted among us. Forget everything I just said, and just play your true self."
Ten minutes—that was the deadline Hunter had given them; otherwise, Liu Ying would lose her head.
Apart from Long Sen, Ye Qi, and Tang Ci who remained in Peach Blossom Spring, Shao Qingge, Chu Huaying, and Liu Qiao, who were still alive on the surface, went to the place designated by Gui Yuanzhang to cooperate with Old Gui in performing the last scene.
Chu Huaying's Invisibility Cloak hadn't expired yet, so she silently lurked beside Liu Qiao; Shao Qingge's transformation wasn't over either, and he burrowed into the sand to follow the two of them. Therefore, when Gui Yuanzhang was waiting at the hospital entrance with Liu Ying in tow, he only saw a slender girl walking towards him step by step.
Liu Qiao walked with composure, but her face was deathly pale. She stopped in front of Gui Yuanzhang, her gaze and voice icy cold: "Senior Gui, I never dreamed that you were the mole!"
Gui Yuanzhang said calmly, " Card World is a world of'survival of the fittest'. I was just completing my own mission. It's yourselves who are too stupid."
Liu Qiao trembled with rage. She suddenly looked up, pointed at Old Gui, and shouted angrily, "You are utterly heartless! Professor Xiao called you'senior,' and we all respected and trusted you, yet you kept providing clues to Hunter! And what about Brother Jiu and Mr. Tang? They went through so much life and death with you, how could you do this to them? Do you even deserve to be called a human being?!"
Liu Ying stared blankly at Liu Qiao, and when she came to her senses, she hurriedly said, "Xiao Qiao, don't be stubborn, join us! Hunter isn't as cruel as you think, and it doesn't necessarily mean killing people. As long as you listen to Brother Xu and complete other tasks, you can also earn time to survive..."
Liu Qiao glared at her sharply: "Sister, you've disappointed me so much! Do you think this is a fairy tale world? That as long as you smile at Brother Xu, he'll let you live? That he's some kind-hearted bodhisattva? You still don't understand, he's only keeping you alive because you're my sister, because you have some use to him! Once my teammates are all dead, you'll be next!"
Liu Ying was stunned. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, and tears streamed down her face like a faucet being turned on, because she suddenly realized that what her sister said was true.
No matter what they do, the two sisters may not survive.
Just as Liu Ying was about to speak, a girl in red suddenly appeared in front of her. Immediately afterward, Liu Qiao and the girl in red switched places, and a sharp dagger stabbed straight at Gui Yuanzhang's chest!
Gui Yuanzhang swung his brush sharply, and Liu Qiao's body was slammed away by the wind with a "bang," rolling several times on the sand. She spat out the sand from her mouth and glared fiercely at Gui Yuanzhang: "Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me!"
Another girl in red appeared behind Gui Yuanzhang. Liu Qiao and Little Red Riding Hood switched places again, and Liu Qiao stabbed Old Gui in the back.
Although she is not good at close combat, the Little Red Riding Hood allows her to move instantly and is incredibly agile.
Unfortunately, Old Gui wielded his brush, creating a powerful wind that formed an impenetrable barrier around him. Liu Qiao felt a sudden numbness in her hand, and the dagger was instantly deflected. Liu Qiao herself was also sent flying far away.
Liu Qiao fell from a great height and landed on the ground with a thud, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Liu Ying shouted at the top of her lungs, "Xiaoqiao!"
Gui Yuanzhang frowned and glanced at her, then suddenly grabbed her neck and lifted her up like a chick. Liu Ying struggled wildly, and the intense feeling of suffocation quickly turned her face as pale as paper.
Gui Yuanzhang coldly looked at Liu Qiao, who was lying in the distance coughing up blood, and said in a low voice, "Anyway, I didn't plan to keep you sisters alive. Since you are so stubborn, then... die."
A huge inkstone suddenly appeared in the air and crashed down on Liu Qiao's head!
Before Liu Qiao could even look up, she was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp by the inkstone. A gush of bright red blood flowed from beneath the inkstone. Liu Ying stared wide-eyed in horror, but unfortunately, Old Gui was gripping her neck tightly, and she could no longer make a sound.
Before she closed her eyes completely, her lips trembled as she silently said: Liu Qiao, I'm sorry.
The girl stopped struggling, and Gui Yuanzhang tossed the lifeless Liu Ying away like a rag doll. Just as he was about to turn around, a sharp dagger suddenly pierced his chest!
The dagger was decorated with blood-red patterns resembling a spiderweb.
Chu Huaying, wearing an invisibility cloak, remained unnoticed.
He approached him silently, and in the moment of his momentary lapse in attention, he plunged a knife into his back. Gui Yuanzhang looked at Chu Huaying with a grim expression: " Huaying, you..."
Chu Huaying coldly interrupted him: "When you killed Ninth Brother, were you just as decisive?"
She yanked the dagger out, and scalding blood gushed out like a fountain, spraying all over her face. She didn't even bother to wipe it away. The woman in black looked like a demon returned from hell. She stared into Gui Yuanzhang's eyes: "All my former teammates are dead, there's no point in me living—but you and Xu Muran, those two traitors, I will personally kill them!"
Chu Huaying failed to kill him with her first stab, and immediately brandished her dagger, aiming straight for his throat. Gui Yuanzhang clutched his chest, quickly dodged a few steps to the side, and with a powerful swing of his calligraphy brush, forced Chu Huaying back several meters.
Chu Huaying was about to step forward when Xu Muran's voice came from the second-floor window: " Huaying, why be so stubborn? Why don't you go to the Nightmare Secret Room and choose to become a Hunter when you die? With a top-notch assassin like you, the three of us can team up and enjoy life to the fullest in Card World..."
Chu Huaying immediately retorted, "Bullshit!"
She leaped into the air, heading straight for Xu Muran's office on the second floor. At the same time, Shao Qingge, who had been hiding in the sand, also suddenly sprang out, leaping forward and instantly arriving beside Xu Muran!
Shao Qingge conjured sharp black fingernails from his ten fingers and aimed them directly at Xu Muran's throat.
Xu Muran suddenly summoned a giant tortoise, hiding inside its shell. The shell was as thick as a city wall and indestructible. When Chu Huaying's spider dagger pierced the shell, it made a piercing "clang" sound, and Shao Qingge's fingernail instantly broke.
The two exchanged a surprised glance.
Xu Muran's voice came from inside the tortoise shell: "Are you all just watching the show? Aren't you going to make a move?!"
The hunters who had been lying in ambush all around suddenly rushed out.
Cheng Ziyang ran to Old Gui's side, quickly took out a healing card to treat Old Gui's wounds, and helped Old Gui to the side. The other Hunters, who were lying in ambush on higher ground, neatly set up their sniper rifles, the dark mass of gun barrels aimed directly at Chu Huaying and Shao Qingge!
Xu Muran tumbled from the second-floor window to the ground, his tortoise shell growing larger and larger until it became a giant sphere with a diameter of over 5 meters.
Although he was hiding inside the tortoise shell, it seemed to have eyes, controlling the 5-meter-tall hard sphere to fiercely crash into Chu Huaying and Shao Qingge. Once hit by that sphere, their internal organs would definitely be shattered!
Chu and Shao's expressions changed, and they immediately split up to avoid each other. Shao Qingge leaped onto the roof, while Chu Huaying used her agility to quickly escape into the hospital.
Just then, Xu Muran transformed the tortoise shell, turning it into a wall.
He stood at the back, his gaze coldly fixed on the roof of the hospital, and waved to Hunter behind him.
Everyone quickly retreated to his side.
Then, a loud "boom" explosion suddenly rang in everyone's ears!
The entire hospital was blown to pieces in an instant!
Flames shot into the sky, turning the dark night sky crimson. Bricks and glass rained down like a storm, filling the entire scene with smoke. Xu Muran's tortoise shell was placed in front to block the shockwave from the explosion, but the entire hospital was razed to the ground in less than 3 seconds.
In less than three seconds, Shao Qingge, who had climbed onto the roof, and Chu Huaying, who rushed into the hospital, had no time to dodge. One of Shao Qingge's arms was blown off to a distance, and Chu Huaying was also surrounded by flames!
Xu Muran looked at the raging fire before him, a slight smile finally appearing on his lips. He said contemptuously, "Insect King? As long as it has a weakness, it can't escape the fate of death. This is what happens when you oppose Hunter."
He put away the tortoise shell, walked gracefully to Old Gui, and asked in a low voice, "How are your injuries?"
Cheng Ziyang said, " Chu Huaying's stab was too vicious, it went straight through Old Gui. Fortunately, Old Gui dodged in time and his heart wasn't injured. This injury isn't fatal, I can save him."
Xu Muran: "That's good."
Cheng Ziyang stood up and respectfully asked, " Brother Xu, now that Shao Qingge, Chu Huaying, and Liu Qiao are all dead, is our mission considered complete?"
Xu Muran shook his head: "We're not completely done yet. We still need to survive in the desert for three days before we can leave the Twin Kings Secret Room. We still have to follow the rules." He smiled slightly, his tone playful: "But we've already taken over the oasis, so surviving for three days is no big deal. Let's treat our brothers to a good time and think of this as a desert vacation."
A cheer erupted from the crowd.
Gui Yuanzhang slowly opened his eyes, stood up and said, "This Xiao Cheng's treatment card is quite effective."
Cheng Ziyang humbly put away the card, saying, "It can't compare to Shao Qingge's bug king card. My card can only save people when it's not a fatal injury. Old Gui, you are very lucky."
Gui Yuanzhang said calmly, "After all, I know Chu Huaying very well. Even if she is very quiet, I can still sense her presence when she gets close, so I can avoid her in time."
Xu Muran gently patted his shoulder: " Old Gui, you've worked hard. After they're all dead, will the contract book reach you?"
Gui Yuanzhang shook his head: "No. My signature is fake and won't activate the contract book's effect. If all the Challengers die, the contract book should temporarily disappear. But if they can come out of the Nightmare Secret Room, the contract book and the disappeared names will reappear."
Xu Muran stroked his chin: "Do you think they can walk out of the Nightmare Secret Room?"
Gui Yuanzhang said, "It shouldn't be, the two kings. " The Nightmare Secret Room is much more difficult than Plum Blossom J.
Xu Muran said: "But..."
We should also be prepared for any eventuality.
He looked at Cheng Ziyang and lowered his voice: "For the remaining two days, don't forget to take turns patrolling near the oasis. If you see anyone returning from the Nightmare Secret Room, kill them without mercy! Don't give them any chance to fight back!"
Cheng Ziyang nodded quickly: "Understood, Brother Xu."
Gui Yuanzhang looked at Cheng Ziyang and asked, "Did any of our Hunters suffer any casualties in this escape room incident?"
Cheng Ziyang smiled and said, " Don't worry, Old Gui, I will count the number of people."
Gui Yuanzhang hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
At the same time, Shao Qingge looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings and listened to the conversation between Old Gui and the two men, feeling somewhat confused. The surrounding green hills and clear waters, the antique charm, the world of ink paintings, were in no way inferior to Peach Blossom Spring.
Where is this?
Until Old Gui's voice rang in his mind: " CEO Shao, their suspicions about me have been completely put aside. I will send you a message through the world within the painting. Your current location is within my painting."
Shao Qingge was slightly taken aback: "A world within a painting?"
Gui Yuanzhang explained, "Everyone knows about my four cards: pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. The [painting] card is something I acquired in the solo room during my beginner phase, and I haven't told anyone about it. The card's abilities are: 1. It can bring a designated person into the world of the painting and communicate with them through spirit. 2. Like Ma Liang's magic brush, it can turn the painted objects into real ones to confuse the other party."
Back in the Starry Sky Chamber, Old Gui once drew a fake teammate to fool the Mermaid Royal Palace, claiming it was the effect of using paper and pen together. Little did they know, he had another trump card hidden away—the drawing.
This card is key to gathering information and passing on data.
Just now, at the moment Xu Muran ignited the explosives, Old Gui captured Shao Qingge in the painting.
Shao Qingge finally understood why Old Gui insisted on having his teammates come and cooperate in this play—because he could include one of his teammates in the painting, and then have him act as the teammate's eyes and ears.
Next, Old Gui carries the card with him, and Shao Qingge follows him wherever he goes. The two work together to uncover the secrets of the Hunter Organization, and then Shao Qingge finds a way to pass the information to his teammates.
With only two hours left before the [ Time Reversal ] begins, Shao Qingge didn't ask Liu Qiao and Hua Ying if they were dead. He was truly heartbroken to see Liu Qiao crushed to pieces by the inkstone. But there was no way around it; Liu Qiao's acting was superb, and Old Gui had to kill her. Hua Ying stabbed Old Gui, also to make Hunter completely believe in him.
They have paid too high a price to find out Hunter's background!
This is a desperate gamble.
If they succeed, they will have a glimmer of hope; if they fail, everyone will perish.
Shao Qingge took a deep breath and said to Old Gui, " We need to find out exactly how many Hunters there are, what cards everyone has, and where the ambushers in the Hospital are hiding!"