Jing Minghe, Chi Hao, You Mi, and Qiao Qiao leaned against the stair railing, looking at each other. They had walked up and down the stairs between the fifth and sixth floors several times and still couldn't get to the fifth floor.
Jing Minghe smiled helplessly and said, "I guess we can't leave here until Brother Hui is released."
"Isn't this too inexplicable?" Qiao Qiao couldn't help but complain. "They won't let us in, nor will they let us leave. Is this some kind of dungeon rule to mess with people?"
"It's not the dungeon rules that are messing with people," Gu Chenhui appeared suddenly.
You Mi looked at Gu Chenhui, then at the area behind him, and asked in confusion, "When did you get out? We didn't hear any sound."
Gu Chenhui shrugged. "I just got out, so of course you didn't hear anything. I blinked my eyes and was thrown out."
"Brother Hui," Jing Minghe stepped forward and asked, "You said earlier that it's not the dungeon rules that are messing with people. What did you mean by that?"
"Huh? Nothing," Gu Chenhui smiled. "Just saying, it has nothing to do with the dungeon."
"Wait," Chi Hao put out a hand to stop Gu Chenhui, who was about to leave. "What did you see?"
Gu Chenhui lowered his head and was silent for a moment. When he looked up again, his expression had become very serious. "Minghe, please believe me. I can't tell you what I saw inside right now. I can only say that what I saw has absolutely nothing to do with the dungeon, and when the time comes, you'll all know without me having to say it."
Jing Minghe walked up to Gu Chenhui, studied him intently, and then smiled. "Alright, if Brother Hui thinks it's unspeakable, then don't say it. Now, can we leave the sixth floor?"
"Minghe," Gu Chenhui reached out and clasped Jing Minghe's arm. "You will definitely succeed."
"What are you doing!" Chi Hao yanked Gu Chenhui's hand away, looking at him warily.
Gu Chenhui was not bothered by Chi Hao's rudeness and smiled, then turned and continued walking downstairs.
Jing Minghe and the others followed.
Just as Jing Minghe had guessed, after Gu Chenhui was released from the flower bed, they smoothly descended to the fifth floor and even heard people talking on the fourth floor.
It sounded like Fang Chao's voice. Although there was a smile in his tone, his voice trembled slightly.
"Haha, well, shall we go down together?"
Upon hearing this, Jing Minghe and the others immediately quickened their pace downstairs and saw Fang Chao at the entrance to the third-floor stairs. With him were three unfamiliar figures, likely from the art troupe.
As Jing Minghe and the others were about to catch up, they heard Gong Liang's voice.
"You're here at just the right time."
They turned around and saw Gong Liang, Xia Rong, and An Ru standing by the small door leading from the performance hall to the backstage lounge.
"Is there something up?" Jing Minghe asked.
Gong Liang nodded. "Come over, let's take a look together."
Seeing that Fang Chao and the others had already gone downstairs, Jing Minghe prepared to go to the performance hall first. Chi Hao nudged Jing Minghe and said, "You guys go, I'll go downstairs."
Jing Minghe nodded in understanding and let Chi Hao go down first.
After watching Chi Hao descend, Jing Minghe and the others followed Gong Liang and the others into the backstage lounge of the performance hall.
Even though they had guessed what Gong Liang wanted them to see, upon entering the lounge, they didn't see what they expected.
Gu Chenhui walked to where the wooden box had been and asked, "Where's the wooden box?"
Gong Liang said unhurriedly, "This is what I wanted you to see. It, it's gone."
"It's gone, the wooden box, and the corpse inside the wooden box," An Ru said timidly, glancing at Gu Chenhui. "Just after Xia Rong finished reading the words on the iron piece, they all suddenly disappeared."
"Iron piece?" Jing Minghe asked in confusion. "What words?"
Xia Rong explained, "It was a small, rectangular iron piece with the words 'Ling Ou Art Troupe Prop Master · A Mo' written on it."
"A Mo?" You Mi looked at An Ru and asked, "You just said the corpse in the wooden box was this A Mo?"
"Very likely," Xia Rong nodded, recalling. "The iron piece fell from the corpse. I just don't know why they all disappeared after I finished reading the words on it."
"This kind of clue isn't unheard of," Qiao Qiao speculated. "In our last dungeon, the clue would disappear after we looked at it. Perhaps the clues here have the same setting."
Gong Liang chuckled, saying with a hint of amusement, "A one-time clue, and only those present know about it. Others can only believe what they are told. Interesting."
"Doesn't that mean..." An Ru showed a worried expression. "What if the only person who knows a clue dies? And what if the person who died knew a crucial clue? Wouldn't that mean none of us could leave the dungeon successfully?"
"Don't worry, it's impossible," Jing Minghe said, carefully observing every corner of the lounge. "The dungeon wouldn't have such a setting."
As for the reason, Gong Liang continued Jing Minghe's sentence and provided it. "If that were the case, it would be too boring."
Gu Chenhui, not to be outdone, elaborated further. "Exactly. Since the system is pulling humans into the game, no matter what it wants, even a soulless system wouldn't be without its playful amusement. In fact, one of its goals must include the pleasure of watching humans struggle for their lives." Su Dan Novel Network.
After hearing what the three of them said, An Ru felt no comfort, but rather a chill.
"Let's go," Jing Minghe said after his observation. "There's nothing much to see here. Let's go to the performance hall. It should be almost time."
·
Si Lian tugged at Ning Ping beside her, her voice trembling. "Ning Ping, you, look over there."
Ning Ping followed Si Lian's gaze and looked towards the glass display case in the center of the exhibition room. He asked casually, "What's wrong?"
"Look, is it, is it that there's an extra empty display case? Or, or has the puppet in that display case disappeared?"
Hearing Si Lian say that, Ning Ping finally focused on the display cases. When he entered yesterday, he had counted them. There were seven glass display cases in total, each containing a puppet. And now...
Ning Ping walked closer and counted. "Eight, there's one extra glass display case."
There was an extra display case, but no puppet inside. Ning Ping was puzzled. Had the art troupe not had time to put in a new puppet yet? Or was there some other hint?
"Ning Ping!"
Si Lian suddenly yanked Ning Ping back several steps.
Ning Ping was about to question Si Lian why she pulled him when he saw one of the glass display cases open by itself, and the puppet inside floated out. Then, another glass display case opened by itself, and the puppet inside also floated out.
Then, the two puppets, side by side, slowly floated out of the exhibition room.
After the two puppets had left the exhibition room, Ning Ping finally reacted. He grabbed Si Lian and ran towards the exit. "Quick! Let's chase them!"