Bai Liu's lips curled into a slow, enigmatic smile. "If I am not mistaken, the puppeteer will soon come to search for us and make his move. They must also know that the shards are hidden within the passengers' bodies. The puppeteer is short-handed—he will need to control us to help him search for the fragments. We are no match for him in a direct confrontation, so my plan is this—"
"—Why don't we propose a collaboration with the puppeteer? In exchange, Mu Sicheng and I will allow ourselves to be controlled by him."
Mu Sicheng froze, then erupted in fury. "Bai Liu, what the hell are you saying?!"
———
Zhang Gui toyed with a grotesque, diamond-shaped object formed from the mirror shards in his hand. His narrow eyes glinted with malice as he sneered, "I have twenty here. Mu Sicheng, that master thief, must have another twenty. That's about forty per station, and there are ten stations in total…"
He abruptly cut himself off. His three puppets stared at him in a daze, seemingly oblivious to his sudden silence, their stupidity almost making Zhang Gui want to laugh aloud.
He had actually feared that this rabble would discover the flaw in the game and had stopped himself from revealing more. But then he remembered—he had been using this batch of puppets for some time. Except for Li Gou, their intelligence had been nearly drained away. Li Gou himself was never very bright. It would be a miracle if these fools could grasp the crux of the game.
One life for one shard. Four hundred shards would require four deaths. Even if he killed all three of Mu Sicheng's group, he would still need to sacrifice one of his own puppets to make up the number.
Zhang Gui never felt any pity for his puppets. To him, they were mere consumables. The King's Guild had plenty of replacements for him. Even if all his puppets were wiped out, the guild would recruit more for him. He would never waste his sympathy on them—except for the exceptionally useful ones.
Yet, despite his cruel methods, there were always people eager to become his marionettes. After all, the mortality rate for clearing a game alone was far higher than following Zhang Gui.
"We've already identified the key clues. Next, we need to find Bai Liu's group. I can't just keep sacrificing you lot," Zhang Gui said, feigning benevolence. "I'll go control them, make them help me search for shards, and wear them down."
Li Gou, his body covered in burns, brightened at once. "Master, are we going after Bai Liu?"
"No." Zhang Gui gazed at the deformed, broken 'diamond' in his palm, his lips curling into a slow, sinister smile. "First, we kill the seventh player who's been stirring up trouble. I am now almost certain that the seventh player is Du Sanying."
Li Gou was even more confused. "Master, how can you be sure?"
"It's just a deduction. Bai Liu is a player with a luck stat of zero." Zhang Gui idly played with the shard in his hand. "With such abysmal luck, he should have run into me during the two chases already—unless a high-luck player was with him, allowing him to 'coincidentally' avoid me each time."
"After all, in this game, I am the greatest misfortune Bai Liu could encounter."
Zhang Gui smiled with a reserved arrogance. He tossed the broken mirror to Li Gou, who caught it in a panic, looking up at Zhang Gui in terror. "Master?! Why are you giving this to me?!"
"Because I value you, Li Gou." Zhang Gui's smile was the insincere one reserved for those in power. He patted Li Gou's shoulder. "Take good care of it. This is an important task for you. Do it well."
Had Bai Liu been present, he would have recognized this as the classic 'leadership scapegoat smile.'
In truth, both Zhang Gui's act of giving the shard to Li Gou and Bai Liu's giving it to Du Sanying served the same purpose—to reduce their own risk in carrying important items and to sow confusion.
Both Du Sanying and Li Gou were under the control of Bai Liu and Zhang Gui, respectively. Even if the items were handed over, it would not affect their own safety; they could reclaim them at any time before the game ended.
Yet both men, wolves in sheep's clothing, chose to cloak their malice in a veneer of sweetness.
Bai Liu's was: "This is my trust in you, Du Sanying."
Zhang Gui's was: "Because I value you, Li Gou."
"Let's go now and see where those three are hiding," Zhang Gui said, flexing his fingers. The transparent threads at his fingertips disappeared into the joints of his three puppets. With a flick, the puppets shuddered as if electrified.
"But before that, let's strengthen you. All puppet players except Liu Huai, enhance!"
[System prompt: Player Zhang Gui uses personal skill (Puppet Enhancement), halving his puppets' sanity in exchange for doubling their stats.]
[Player Li Gou's stats:]
[Sanity: 80→40]
[Stamina: 251→502]
[Agility: 270→540]
[Attack: 310→620]
[Resistance: 350→700]
[Overall defense and attack increased. Total stat points exceed 2000. Rated as A- player. Li Gou's rank rises from B to A.]
[Player Fang Ke's stats:]
[Sanity: 82→41]
...
[Overall defense and attack increased. Total stat points exceed 2000. Rated as A- player. Fang Ke's rank rises from B to A.]
Li Gou and Fang Ke's eyes lost focus almost instantly, standing blankly as if trapped in a trance, unable to think. Their faces twisted in pain and confusion, the drop in sanity plunging them into immediate hallucinations.
Zhang Gui paid no heed to their suffering. He tested the joints of their limbs, making them move in perfect unison.
Satisfied, Zhang Gui smiled, his eyes alight with naked superiority. He manipulated his powerful puppets with casual delight, his tone arrogant and careless. "Though your sanity is diminished and you've lost the ability to think for yourselves, the actions of fools are foolish anyway. Better to trade that for something else."
The only puppet not enhanced, Liu Huai, cowered in the corner, trembling so violently he could barely speak.
Zhang Gui's gaze upon his puppets was that of an artist admiring his own masterpiece—stripped of thought and will, utterly obedient, a work of art that sent chills down Liu Huai's spine.
Zhang Gui was a player devoid of humanity, reveling in the thrill of control and slaughter.
Liu Huai was filled with regret—regret for betraying Mu Sicheng. Though Mu Sicheng was no saint, at least he would not discard people after using them, as Zhang Gui did.
But what use was regret? There was no turning back.
Zhang Gui perched atop a subway bench, Li Gou and Fang Ke sprawled at his feet like dolls with their batteries removed. He crooked a finger at Liu Huai, smiling. "Come here. I have a task for you. Go to Mu Sicheng and tell him you've betrayed me and wish to join them."
Liu Huai swallowed hard. "They… they won't believe me, will they? I'm already your puppet, Master."
"A traitor's second betrayal—is that so hard to believe?" Zhang Gui spread his hands mockingly, then sat down, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "Tell them I am inhuman, that I intend to endlessly sacrifice your lives for shards, and that you want to live. That's why you betrayed me."
"But—but—" Liu Huai stammered, "Even so, they won't accept me easily! I still have your puppet strings on me! You can control me at any time!"
Zhang Gui reached out, and Liu Huai felt a searing pain in his joints, collapsing to his knees. Zhang Gui's hand now held a blood-stained, transparent thread, which he flicked in disgust. "There. I've withdrawn the strings. Go."
Liu Huai was stunned. He had never imagined Zhang Gui would so easily relinquish the puppet strings, and for a moment, he was at a loss.
Zhang Gui wiped the blood from the thread onto Li Gou, speaking slowly, "They will accept you. As I said, they are short-handed and need more players to sacrifice. Even if they suspect your motives, they won't turn away someone who can help them find shards."
Liu Huai murmured in response, removing his puppet mask and placing it gently on the seat. "Then… I'll go, Master."
As he turned to leave, Zhang Gui's languid voice drifted after him:
"Liu Huai, do you know how to control someone who might betray you again?"
Liu Huai paused, his voice trembling. "N-no, Master."
"Then you simply leave them no room to betray you." Zhang Gui laughed. "Did you really think I'd removed all your strings? Look down."
Liu Huai looked down and was horrified to see a nearly invisible thread, like fishing line, passing through his chest. He turned to follow it back to Zhang Gui, where it was tied to Zhang Gui's little finger.
Zhang Gui's smile was cold. "Did you think I was like Mu Sicheng, relying on trust to maintain relationships? If you make a single wrong move, I'll kill you."
"I lack for many things, but not for self-important fools and puppet players." Zhang Gui slowly withdrew his hand, raising an eyebrow at the trembling, ashen Liu Huai. "And as luck would have it, you seem to be both."
———
Liu Huai, clutching his chest, walked through the swaying train. He might once have harbored thoughts of betraying Zhang Gui, but now, all such notions had been extinguished.
Zhang Gui would never leave a loophole in his plans.
Liu Huai doubted Mu Sicheng and Bai Liu could match Zhang Gui. Their skills were simply on a different level. Mu Sicheng, for all his talents, was no match for Zhang Gui's cunning. As for Bai Liu, though clever, he was still outclassed. At least Zhang Gui would never team up with a thief and a scavenger in a collection game—nothing would be left for himself.
Yet Zhang Gui did not underestimate Bai Liu.
Liu Huai recalled Zhang Gui's plan:
"This game has become a contest for lives, trading health for shards. We have three lives on our side—not counting myself. Bai Liu's group has three as well, but since our four are bound, they can't easily take us out. I suspect Bai Liu will expect us to attack, setting a trap for us. I'm sending you to test the waters."
"Because this wretched game requires four hundred shards, I won't sacrifice myself. Tell them I intend to use my puppets for shards, causing them to go berserk and infighting to break out. I am not invulnerable."
"My puppet control skill isn't flawless. If my puppets resist with all their might, I'll suffer backlash. So I'll temporarily withdraw the obvious strings from you. The one through your heart is invisible to all but you and me. Tell them it's the result of your desperate struggle, that I withdrew the strings to avoid backlash."
"Du Sanying on their side can't be sacrificed, Bai Liu is an F-rank, and Mu Sicheng is the main target. His sanity must be frayed after two chases. Though he can recover, I suspect Bai Liu will stop him."
"Bai Liu needs Mu Sicheng in a berserk state for combat power, so Mu Sicheng's mind must be unstable. Last time, in that state, he killed four of my puppets. I doubt Bai Liu can control him."
"So, before the next chase, I believe a desperate thief will be tempted to steal our shards and attack me. If I'm taken out, my puppets lose their buffs and are easy prey."
Liu Huai didn't quite understand why Zhang Gui made things so complicated.
With Zhang Gui's strength, he could win a direct fight. Why bother with all these schemes?
Zhang Gui, exasperated, looked at Liu Huai as if at a fool. "To preserve everyone's health, of course. I don't want to waste my own, nor Mu Sicheng's or Bai Liu's. Ambushes are more efficient. A direct fight would drain everyone's health—if we all drop below four hundred, we're all doomed."
"Bai Liu has lasted this long; I suspect he's formed an alliance with Mu Sicheng, but it's a fragile one."
Zhang Gui smiled, patting Liu Huai's face, his eyelids drooping, voice drawn out. "I'm sure when Mu Sicheng sees you, he'll remember your unhappy partnership. Painful memories, especially when sanity is low, breed hallucinations and madness. Liu Huai, your only task is to keep reminding Mu Sicheng that you betrayed him."
Liu Huai finished recalling, wiping blood from his lips—a mark left by Zhang Gui to make the act convincing.
Still, Liu Huai was uneasy. He doubted Mu Sicheng would trust him, given his past betrayal.
But Zhang Gui, with a strange smile, said, "It's precisely because you betrayed Mu Sicheng to survive that your betrayal of me seems so real. Remember, you truly want to live, and you truly considered betraying me. That's why I chose you."
Liu Huai took a deep breath and pressed on. Bloody handprints began to appear in the carriage—traces of earlier battles, a sign that players had recently passed through. Liu Huai realized he was drawing closer to Mu Sicheng and the others, his heart pounding.
[The train is approaching the next station: Huangquan Road. Passengers disembarking, please queue by the doors—boarding after alighting.]
The carriage lights flickered. Liu Huai reached the last car. Mu Sicheng stood with arms crossed, leaning against the wall, while Du Sanying crouched beside his battered go-kart, looking miserable.
As soon as Liu Huai entered, Mu Sicheng's guard went up, hands splayed like a monkey's claws. Liu Huai, awkward and fearful, raised his hands in surrender, speaking humbly to the astonished Mu Sicheng. "Brother Si, I've come to defect to you."
Mu Sicheng's expression darkened, claws retracting. He sneered, "So Zhang Gui brought you along this time."
"I… Brother Si…" Liu Huai dared not meet his eyes, his voice growing weaker. "I only did it to survive."
"To survive, you cut off my hands and offered them to Zhang Gui as proof of loyalty?" Mu Sicheng's laugh was cold, his eyes glowing red. "Didn't you join the King's Guild? Zhang Gui brought you? He must think highly of you, bringing such a high-level player. You must be doing well there."
"You'd betray Zhang Gui? Another of his tricks, I suppose. I won't fall for the same ruse twice." Mu Sicheng's laughter grew more scornful.
Seeing Mu Sicheng about to attack, Du Sanying hurried to intervene—they were short-handed, after all. Even a dubious defector was better than none.
Liu Huai relayed everything Zhang Gui had instructed him to say.
Du Sanying and Mu Sicheng exchanged glances—what Liu Huai said matched Bai Liu's analysis: Zhang Gui was sacrificing his puppets for shards.
"Wait!" Mu Sicheng's eyes narrowed. He produced a peculiar scale, then suddenly seized Liu Huai by the throat.
A drop of Liu Huai's blood splattered on Mu Sicheng's face, the red in his eyes burning brighter. Liu Huai, choking, struggled desperately, his voice hoarse. "I'm not lying! I really am here to seek refuge!"
Mu Sicheng sneered, his expression turning cruel and savage, tightening his grip. "I have my own way of judging truth."
[System prompt: Player Mu Sicheng uses item (Judge's Scales) on player Liu Huai—Truth or Lie, the weight of your conscience.]
[(Judge's Scales) can be used three times per day on a player, only to judge yes/no answers. Complex questions cannot be judged.]
"Now, answer my questions." Mu Sicheng's lips curled into a wicked smile, one hand choking Liu Huai, the other holding the ornate scale—[Truth] on the left, [Lie] on the right.
"First question: Did Zhang Gui send you?"
Liu Huai, terrified, instinctively lied. "N-no!"
The scale tipped toward [Lie].
Mu Sicheng sneered. "Second question: Is Zhang Gui safe right now?"
Liu Huai, tears streaming, begged, "Brother Si! I didn't know you had this item! Please let me go! You still need me!"
Mu Sicheng was unmoved, tightening his grip. "Answer."
"Yes!" Liu Huai, driven mad by the nearness of death, sobbed. "He's safe! Protected by two enhanced puppets! I came as he ordered, but I truly mean you no harm! I really want to join you! I'll never betray you again! I won't cut off your hands for Zhang Gui! He's a madman! I came to you because I can't survive otherwise!"
"Good. Last question—" Mu Sicheng, looking at the groveling Liu Huai, was suddenly beset by hallucinations. He saw blood seeping from his own hands, his shoulders severed, blood flowing down to his fingers—just as when Liu Huai had once cut off his arms.
[System prompt: Player Mu Sicheng's emotional fluctuation is too great. Sanity drops to 60. Mild hallucinations begin! Please restore your sanity!]
Mu Sicheng blinked slowly, blood dripping from his cheek onto Liu Huai's face. He lowered his head, expressionless. "All right—last question. Since you say you won't betray me again—"
"Are you still loyal to Zhang Gui, still part of his plan and under his control, or have you truly broken free and joined us?"
Mu Sicheng's gaze was cold and unwavering.
Liu Huai's chest heaved, sweat dripping from his face, his hands numb and burning with tension. He sensed that if his answer displeased Mu Sicheng, he might be killed on the spot.
He had seen this look before—when Mu Sicheng's sanity dropped below safe levels, he became a killing machine.
Back then, Mu Sicheng had slaughtered four of Zhang Gui's puppets in this state, and Liu Huai, having betrayed him, had ironically survived.
"I came as part of Zhang Gui's plan, but I truly—" Before he could finish, the invisible string in his chest tightened around his heart.
Because he was about to declare his allegiance to Mu Sicheng, Zhang Gui tried to kill him—Liu Huai realized this in a flash. Driven by the will to survive, he choked out, "I will not betray Zhang Gui."
The scale wavered, then slowly tipped toward [Lie].
Mu Sicheng slowly released his grip, his gaze mocking. "…So you can't survive with Zhang Gui either. You betrayed him, just as you once betrayed me to survive."
"You are loyal only to yourself, Liu Huai." Mu Sicheng sneered. "But you might still be useful."
Liu Huai, coughing, stared in confusion at the little scale—he had indeed harbored thoughts of betraying Zhang Gui, or perhaps that thought had never left him since becoming a puppet…
Had Zhang Gui anticipated this, knowing Mu Sicheng had the scale, and sent him here on purpose…?
A chill ran down Liu Huai's spine.
Mu Sicheng questioned Liu Huai about the entire process again. This time, Liu Huai told the whole truth. Mu Sicheng sneered, "Trying to provoke me into attacking him? Even if I did, it would only be when he's nearly finished collecting shards. And trying to sow discord between me and Bai Liu—how unnecessary."
At this point, Liu Huai realized something odd—he hadn't seen Bai Liu since arriving. He looked around. "Isn't Bai Liu here?"
Du Sanying scratched his head awkwardly. "…Actually, when we were discussing plans, Bai Liu wanted to cooperate with the puppeteer, but Mu Sicheng disagreed. They had a huge fight, and Bai Liu left to join Zhang Gui."
Mu Sicheng snorted, turning away. "We don't need anyone to drive us apart! We can fall out all on our own!"
Liu Huai: "…"
Liu Huai: "?????"
What on earth? Bai Liu went to join whom?!
———
[The train is approaching the next station: Huangquan Road. Passengers disembarking, please queue by the doors—boarding after alighting.]
Bai Liu walked to the front of the train, finding Zhang Gui sitting at ease, two hollow-eyed puppets standing before him. Zhang Gui, unsurprised by Bai Liu's arrival, greeted him with casual nonchalance. "You're here. Faster than I expected."
Bai Liu sat opposite Zhang Gui with a sigh. "You've already sent Liu Huai over. Mu Sicheng is useless to me now, so I have no choice but to defect."
"You are a clever man," Zhang Gui replied with a meaningful smile. "Just unlucky enough to have met someone cleverer."
Zhang Gui lounged with arms spread across the seat back, a posture both relaxed and arrogant. He looked down at Bai Liu, a victor's smile on his lips. "This game requires the sacrifice of four lives to clear. If you oppose me, your stats are too poor to win. I will prevail, but at the cost of everyone's health. Once I control you, I may well sacrifice you to reach the four hundred health needed to clear the game."
"For you, Bai Liu, the best plan is to cooperate with me. Though you may be controlled, at least I won't sacrifice you lightly."
"But Mu Sicheng will never agree to work with me." Zhang Gui smiled, feigning regret. "And you wouldn't seek me out easily either—few wish to be at another's mercy. You might even consider having Mu Sicheng steal from me. So I had to send Liu Huai to persuade you."
From the start, Zhang Gui's true target was Bai Liu, not Mu Sicheng.
To catch Bai Liu, he needed to undermine the alliance between Mu Sicheng and Bai Liu.
No one could erode Mu Sicheng's trust in his teammates better than Liu Huai.
A sane Mu Sicheng might try to maintain the alliance, but a deranged one, especially with Liu Huai present to remind him of past betrayals, would be consumed by suspicion and hatred.
Of course, Mu Sicheng could restore his sanity, but that was not in Bai Liu's interest. If Bai Liu wanted to stand against Zhang Gui, he needed Mu Sicheng in a berserk state for combat power.
Bai Liu could also go berserk, but with his F-rank stats, he would be a fragile high-damage glass cannon—far too easy to kill.
Zhang Gui's plan was to break them one by one: first subdue Bai Liu, then use Liu Huai to control Mu Sicheng.
As for Du Sanying, he could be disposed of at the right time. Zhang Gui had no interest in those who relied on luck rather than strength.
Bai Liu was candid. "I did try to persuade Mu Sicheng to cooperate with you, but not only did he refuse, he beat me up."
He showed Zhang Gui his personal stats, the health bar reading: [Lost 40 HP from Mu Sicheng's attack].
This was actually from when Bai Liu had used Mu Sicheng as a vehicle, provoking him into a rage. Now, Bai Liu shamelessly used it as evidence of his defection.
Bai Liu sighed regretfully. "I have only a little over twenty health left. Staying with them, I'll never clear the game. I had hoped Mu Sicheng could turn the tables in a berserk state—he did kill four of your puppets before. But after learning about Liu Huai, I gave up on cooperating with him."
Zhang Gui gave Bai Liu an approving look. "With Liu Huai present, Mu Sicheng's berserk state will be even more unstable, making him more likely to attack his own teammates."
"My health is too low—I could die at any moment." Bai Liu spread his hands. "I want to win, but I want to live more. That's why I've come to you."
Had Mu Sicheng been present, he would have cursed Bai Liu for his shamelessness, but Zhang Gui, unaware of Bai Liu's true nature, was satisfied. He drew out a roll of transparent puppet string, raising an eyebrow. "Then you know the terms of our cooperation. You must become my puppet."
"Agreed." Bai Liu accepted without hesitation, as if he had long anticipated this outcome. Stroking his chin, he mused, "But cooperation is a two-way street, Zhang Gui. If I am to be your puppet, you must show me some good faith. What are the benefits?"
Zhang Gui was straightforward. "What do you want me to do?"
"I have an item, the 'Mermaid's Amulet,' which Mu Sicheng stole from me. That's why we fell out. If you can, I'd like you to retrieve it for me."
"That's all?" Zhang Gui seemed surprised by the simplicity of the request.
"It's a life-saving item," Bai Liu murmured, a faint smile on his lips. "With my low health, I need it before the train departs again. You wouldn't want me to die just after you've acquired me, would you?"
"Of course." Zhang Gui smiled. "I prefer willing puppets. Since you're so reasonable, I'll—"
The puppet string in Zhang Gui's hand suddenly lashed out, its needle-sharp tip piercing Bai Liu's bone, winding tightly around it. Bai Liu shuddered in pain, gasping reflexively.
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu has become Player Zhang Gui's puppet.]
Zhang Gui's smile twisted into something sinister and wicked. "At this point, you still think you can negotiate with me, Bai Liu? Let me teach you the rules."
[System prompt: Player Zhang Gui uses personal skill (Marionette) on Bai Liu.]
"Now, Bai Liu, hand over everything you have, especially your weapons." Zhang Gui tugged the string. "I won't give you any chance to turn the tables."
Bai Liu, face pale with pain, stiffly opened his system panel and began to drop his belongings—an ivory fishbone, assorted odds and ends, an old wallet. When the wallet fell out, Bai Liu's expression changed, catching Zhang Gui's attention. He bent to pick it up. "What's this? Your personal skill?"
Zhang Gui patted the wallet, sneering. "How shabby." He opened it, and upon seeing its contents, his eyebrows rose. He pulled out a wad of points, waving them in front of Bai Liu. "What's this? A physical wallet of points? You do like your trinkets. And there's quite a sum here… Let's see, twelve thousand."
"I'll gladly accept it," Zhang Gui said.
Bai Liu, now under control, bit his lip in silent humiliation, finally muttering, "Take it. Consider it your payment for helping me."
Zhang Gui smirked. "If it comforts you to think so, fine."
Had he looked closer, he would have seen the calm in Bai Liu's eyes, the faintest curve to his lips.
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu has traded twelve thousand points to Player Zhang Gui. Zhang Gui must return the 'Mermaid's Amulet' to Bai Liu before the train departs again.]
[If either party fails to fulfill the deal, the system will punish the defaulter—by imprisoning them in the 'old wallet' as a soul coin.]
Author's note:
6: I was controlled this chapter, how pitiful! Audience, please send me some nutrient solution (points at bleeding hand).
Zhang Gui, about to have his soul extracted: ????
Who is truly more pitiful?!