My ‘Healing’ Game
Chapter 828 Blood Banquet

Chapter 828: Chapter 828 Blood Banquet

Taste Pavilion was once the most famous restaurant in the Xinhu Old City District. The sign at the entrance of the hall is said to be over two hundred years old, and the boss’s ancestors were imperial chefs.

Everyone who has lived in the Old City District knows this place, but the majority of ordinary people probably never get the chance to dine there in their lifetime.

Silently stepping out of the shadows, Han Fei glanced around.

The former top dining establishment of Xinhu has now turned into a desolate "Yizhuang," with the red lanterns hanging on either side of the sign swaying in the night wind, resembling the scarlet eyes of Evil Ghosts.

"This place is full of ominous energy."

Wearing Gao Cheng’s black duckbill hat, the lazy ghost inside the hat was startled awake, constantly urging Han Fei to leave. The dining establishment ahead was filled with ghosts and monsters!

"Is today the Ghost Festival? Why does it feel like all the ghosts and monsters around are moving toward this place?"

Taste Pavilion is just a Red Mansion, devoid of Hatred, but the amount of Grudge hidden within far exceeds that of a normal Red Mansion, and it continues to siphon ghosts and monsters from its surroundings.

"The Shrine Random Task has already been triggered, and the assessment is about to take place. If I come back tomorrow night, there won’t be enough time." To enter Zone A, Han Fei’s Mental Pollution Index had reached thirty-two, and if it worsened, he would find it hard to even protect himself, let alone his students.

Lowering the brim of his hat, Han Fei ignored the lazy ghost’s warnings and quietly slipped under the large red lanterns into the Taste Pavilion.

The last rays of daylight vanished over the horizon, darkness cloaked the city, and the masters of the night began to appear.

The Taste Pavilion has three floors; the higher you go, the more high-level it is, with rarer and more authentic dishes.

Gazing at the building’s antique décor, Han Fei felt as if he had traveled back in time, walking through history frozen in time.

The building itself exuded a unique aroma, seemingly because of the countless meals prepared there, the deliciousness ingrained into the building itself.

"Are they expecting some guests tonight?"

Every few steps, there was a hanging red lantern. The scarlet light cast on faces, the dragon-carved stair railings polished, and new carpets laid on the wooden floors.

Han Fei quietly approached the nearest dining table, where red tablecloths were topped with pre-set dinnerware, and a white paper with a Curse written on it was placed under the plate, as if only specific people were allowed to savor what was within.

Moving along the hall’s edges, Han Fei avoided the giant dragon-and-phoenix sculpture in the center. As he intended to ascend the stairs, he suddenly heard a voice scolding someone nearby.

Guided by the duckbill hat, Han Fei crouched under the windowsill to peek. Sitting beside a giant round table in Box No. 3 was an enormous man resembling a water barrel. Holding a small knife in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, his greedy eyes were fixed on the table.

On the dining table in front of this gigantic man sat another version of himself!

Huge body, dripping with oil, he looked like a mountain of meat bound on a platter.

Yelling, cursing, and greedy slurping sounds mingled together as this fat man devoured himself.

"Player No.0000, be advised! You have discovered the first guest attending the Blood Banquet."

"Is this monster also here for the Blood Banquet?"

The Shrine Random Task required Han Fei to survive until the end, and he had no desire to clash with the fat man in the box.

"Gluttony and Greed, he is much like Gao Cheng’s personality. Once I find the Ghost Blood, perhaps I can attempt to consume him."

Although the Greed Personality has significant side effects, it is undeniably a terrifying personality. After consuming ghosts, it can not only strengthen oneself but also grant the ability to acquire the opponent’s special power!

As long as he doesn’t mentally collapse, the Greed Personality holds limitless potential.

Quietly retreating, Han Fei circled to the other side of the box. The aroma in the air grew stronger, a psychological addiction compelling one to stay until they found themselves laid out on a table.

"The hall, the boxes, beyond that should be the kitchen of the Taste Pavilion."

Possessing many secret recipes and with many dish ingredients being top secret, the kitchen of Taste Pavilion was absolutely forbidden, and no diner is allowed entry.

"Ghost Blood is also considered an ingredient. Could Wang Chuqing’s Ghost Blood have been obtained from the kitchen of Taste Pavilion?" Most ghosts result from deep obsessions and Grudge Energy, only the rare few with a Resentful Heart possess Ghost Blood, which is extremely difficult to preserve and incredibly scarce.

Following the scent in the air, Han Fei slowly approached the kitchen doors, fixing his gaze on the swaying curtains, he slowly raised his arm.

With fingertips gently gripping the corner of the curtain, just as Han Fei was about to lift it, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

"Don’t speak, I’m Wang Chuqing. The kitchen is a forbidden area for the living, going in is a death wish!"

Teacher Wang’s voice sounded in Han Fei’s ear. Turning his head, he saw Teacher Wang was hiding within the shadows by the stairs and the kitchen, as if anticipating Han Fei’s attempt to enter the Taste Pavilion’s kitchen tonight.

"Follow me."

Without letting go, Wang Chuqing was genuinely afraid Han Fei might suddenly lose his mind. He dragged Han Fei back to Box No. 8 on the first floor.

Pulling up the tablecloth, they both hid beneath the table.

"What are you doing here?"

"You know perfectly well." Wang Chuqing frowned at Han Fei. Without wasting words, he took out the Black Token he had drawn: "You swap your assessment location with me, and I’ll help you obtain the Ghost Blood!"

"Didn’t the principal say exchange was prohibited?" Lying on the ground, Han Fei stretched lazily. With Wang Chuqing here, tonight’s task should be much easier.

"The curse bamboo sticks obtained from each building are the keys to entering the buildings. You just need to exchange bamboo sticks with me; you don’t need to worry about anything else!" Wang Chuqing’s eyes were red.

"I’m curious, why do you want to protect the students in your class so much? You approached me even before you drew the black token, you seem very worried about the children in your class being harmed?" After leaving the school, Han Fei dared to ask some rather sensitive questions.

"If I tell you the truth, will you agree to exchange with me?" Seeing Han Fei nod, Wang Chuqing hesitated for a while before speaking: "The former person in charge of Class 5 was my wife, and before she died, she told me that my child is also in Class 5."

"Isn’t your wife imagined by you? Your name is your wife’s name, but it seems that no other teacher at school has seen her..." Han Fei sensed a hint of murderous intent and wisely shut his mouth.

"My personality is true love, I will not deceive anyone." Wang Chuqing drew out a strange bone saber: "This Qing Saber was forged from my wife’s body, she has been watching me, watching to see if I have broken our vows."

"None of the teachers at our school is normal." Han Fei propped his chin with one hand: "Our examination venue is in Zone C. If you can help me get enough ghost blood, I can exchange with you, but you can’t leak this information before the examination starts."

"What does sufficient ghost blood mean? Do you really think that stuff is easy to obtain?"

"My current Mental Pollution Index is thirty-two, I at least need to restore my mind to normal." Han Fei grasped the coin of fate: "You should be clear about my strength, I may not be able to kill you completely right now, but I can definitely ensure we both get hurt badly."

"Deal." Wang Chuqing didn’t trust Han Fei, but he also had no better choice now: "After tonight, I’ll give you the ghost blood, and you hand me the white token for safekeeping."

"No problem."

Seeing Han Fei agree so readily, Wang Chuqing stopped hesitating: "I drew lots to come to Taste Pavilion before. Although this place is a Red Mansion, sometimes ghosts from the Black Building also come over."

"Do the ghosts in the building come out?"

"Generally not, but Taste Pavilion is quite special. Every so often there is a blood banquet held here. As long as we can avoid the blood banquet, there shouldn’t be any major issues." Wang Chuqing’s words struck a chord with Han Fei. He received a system prompt, he was here tonight to attend the blood banquet.

"Can you tell me what a blood banquet is?"

"The blood banquet is prepared to appease the Mother Ghost."

From Wang Chuqing’s mouth, Han Fei heard a new name: "Mother Ghost? Is she Hatred? Or an unspeakable existence?"

"Mother Ghost is the most special ghost in Zone A. No living person has ever seen her, but some ghosts and monsters know of her existence." Wang Chuqing whispered: "It is said she’s a ghost that eats ghosts, and some say many big ghosts in Zone A are her children. Many black buildings have seen her presence."

"A ghost that eats ghosts?" Han Fei thought of Gao Cheng, who possessed Greed Personality and could also eat ghosts.

"Many of the dishes at the blood banquet are made from ghosts and monsters, which is why I was very lucky to find ghost blood here last time." Wang Chuqing was still sighing over his luck last time, but the subsequent events wiped the smile off his face.

All the doors of the private rooms opened, blood rain floated in the air, and the dragons and phoenixes carved on the towers began to cry. Miserable screams echoed from the private rooms in the Taste Pavilion.

"Blood rain? Grudge ghosts crying? Could tonight really be the blood banquet?" Wang Chuqing’s lips quivered slightly, while Han Fei nodded towards him.

"Yes, tonight is indeed the blood banquet."

The giant sculpture at the center of Taste Pavilion was drenched by blood rain, and the red lanterns hung high looked like children’s faces, swaying and laughing.

The heavy room doors were pushed open from outside, and figures concealed entirely under black robes, carrying items exuding heavy curse aura, entered the Taste Pavilion. They seemed to be evil followers conducting some kind of ritual.

"Withered flowers, yellowed missing person posters, the dried corpse of a cat, a sweater woven for a child, a cake covered in mold, one unopened handwritten letter after another..."

The curse items on the tray seemed to all come from the same person. These items looked like ordinary daily objects, but the curse aura they emitted had already reached the level of Hatred.

"All these curse items belong to the Mother Ghost? How terrifying is she? Why is there such a special ghost in Gao Xing’s Shrine Memory World?"

The strange persons in black robes placed the curse items into different private rooms, seeming to serve as the Mother Ghost’s avatars, tasting ghosts and monsters in her place.

Footsteps sounded at the entrance of the private room, Han Fei and Wang Chuqing became tense, holding their breath as they cautiously observed. The black robe placed a thick stack of missing person posters on their private room’s dining table!

The endless grudge seemed like an ice sea suspended in the air, continuously exuding a bone-chilling cold.

Hiding under the dining table, Han Fei and Wang Chuqing were under great pressure. They knew this was no place to linger and wanted to leave quickly before the blood banquet began.

Lifting a corner of the tablecloth, Wang Chuqing and Han Fei crawled out stealthily from under the table.

"Hurry, I’ll help you get the ghost blood tomorrow night!" Wang Chuqing stepped forward, but after walking two meters, he found Han Fei was still standing still: "What are you doing?"

As Han Fei crawled out from under the dining table, he glanced at the Hatred-grade curse item on the table—the missing person poster, his gaze caught the words on the poster.

"My child was taken from Xinhu First Hospital. He has a small birthmark on his chest, and there is a gold lock with his name in the bundle. He is called Gao Xing! To anyone providing clues, I am willing to offer a reward of one hundred thousand..."

"Gao Xing?" Han Fei’s gaze moved downwards and saw the photo on the missing person poster.

The child in the black-and-white photo grinned horribly at him, and the other’s mouth slowly opened, as if saying—your greatest greed is wanting to take my mother’s love away!

Countless shadows emerged from the greed abyss in the brain sea, the sharp pain nearly tearing Han Fei’s soul apart. This unspeakable pain didn’t originate from Han Fei, but from Gao Cheng.

"The child sought after on the missing person poster is Gao Xing. Did he say Gao Cheng’s greatest greed is wanting to take away his mother’s love?"

"Is the Mother Ghost actually Gao Xing’s biological mother? The foster mother Gao Cheng respects most? But didn’t she disappear long ago?"

Gao Cheng, who resorted to any means to survive, had long lost dignity and boundaries. Yet this time he did not back down, the greed abyss took the initiative to merge with Han Fei, trying to drive Han Fei to tear all the missing person posters apart.