When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 430: Paper Lantern

Chapter 430: Paper Lantern

When the piercing scream reverberated through the mansion, Shen Nianzu was still talking with the three others in the dining hall. His expression abruptly changed as the realization hit him – the commotion had come from Jin Jiuchi’s room!

"W–What is—" Shaken, Eva began to ask, but she hadn’t finished her sentence when a fierce gust of wind swept through and the double doors slammed open. Shen Nianzu was so quick that he vanished from sight before any of them could react.

"S–Sister Rosie?!"

Picking up his cumbersome skirt, Shen Nianzu sprinted down the hallway with the fastest speed he could muster. He climbed the stairs two steps at a time and reached Jin Jiuchi’s room within two minutes. There, he found a maid who had collapsed to the ground amidst the scattered trays, plates, and food. Her horror-stricken gaze was fixed on something inside the room.

Shen Nianzu felt his heart leaping to his throat. He instinctively summoned a small dagger from his prop storage, slipping it into his sleeve.

"What happened?" He asked the terrified maid. His tone was stern, authoritative, compelling the maid to snap back to her senses enough to stammer out a reply,

"T–That..." she pointed into the room tremblingly, her face drained of color. "Blood... there’s blood on the wall..!"

Shen Nianzu followed her line of sight and saw the bloody writings on the wall at first glance. On the other hand, Jin Jiuchi himself was nowhere to be seen.

Where the hell did he go? Wasn’t he supposed to be locked in here? Or could there be an accident? Had he triggered the death condition?! Numerous questions swarmed into Shen Nianzu’s mind with the speed of light, causing his back to be soaked in sweat. However, he gritted his teeth and told himself to remain calm. In times like these, losing his cool would only be counterproductive. If something had truly happened to Jin Jiuchi, then he needed to discover the cause!

And thus, Shen Nianzu closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before opening them again. Stepping over the messy food on the floor, he walked into the room to scrutinize the wall closer, only to find that the writing was somewhat familiar.

[Nian’er, I’m going down first!]

There was even a little heart in the end, though it looked nothing but sinister now that the blood was tracing its crimson path down the wall.

Shen Nianzu: "..." What a déjà vu.

He couldn’t have mistaken it; this must be Jin Jiuchi’s doing!

What the fuck are you doing, you damned husky?! Shen Nianzu gritted his teeth in anger. What if you accidentally triggered the death condition and got yourself killed?! And what do you mean by ’going down’?!

"Rosie!"

"Sister Rosie!"

Just then, Madam Vivianne, Master Richard, and Lady Eva caught up with him.

Shen Nianzu’s pupils contracted. There was no time to think. Entirely on instinct, he moved to slam the door shut and stuck a yellow talisman on the wooden surface, preventing anyone from breaking in. The series of movements were completed in less than two seconds, and when the trio arrived, all they received was a door slammed to their faces.

Madam Vivianne’s complexion paled, though it was uncertain whether it was caused by fear or anger. "What is going on here?" Gritting her teeth, she directed the question to the maid, the sole witness of the accident.

"I... I..."

"Rosie?!" Richard pounded his fist on the door. He twisted the knob, finding it unlocked. But alas, the door just wouldn’t open no matter what. Turning to his wife, he demanded with furrowed brows, "What’s in here? Why did Rosie suddenly lock herself inside? Isn’t this supposed to be an unused room?"

The expressions of both Madam Vivianne and Lady Eva abruptly changed upon hearing that question.

Oh no, Richard was still unaware that his beloved youngest daughter had been living in this shabby room for years!

While the mother and daughter were caught in a dire predicament, Shen Nianzu stood with his back to the door, sweeping his gaze over the room.

It was so narrow that he could see everything at a glance. The ’down’ Jin Jiuchi mentioned must be some kind of secret passageway like the one they had encountered back in the Shishen Apartment. Who could have guessed that Cinderella’s room would have one as well? Madam Vivianne must not be aware of it, otherwise she wouldn’t have allowed the poor protagonist to stay here.

Dropping his gaze to the floor, Shen Nianzu scrutinized every nook and cranny. Lo and behold, he truly discovered faint marks near the foot of the bed, seemingly as if it had often been dragged aside.

Shen Nianzu no longer hesitated. He moved to the side of the bed and dragged it toward himself, aligning it with the marks on the floor. His attention was immediately drawn to the small suspicious hole before him.

This must be the entrance to the underground passageway!

Just like Jin Jiuchi had done earlier, Shen Nianzu also slipped his fingers into the opening and pulled the hatch upwards. The only difference was: he made sure to wear gloves beforehand so as to not dirty his own hands.

"Cough, cough..." Covering his mouth, he recoiled and scrunched up his nose in disgust as the stale and rotten-smelling air assaulted his nose.

Jin Jiuchi had really gone down here? Hmph, he would make sure to teach that damned husky a lesson so that he wouldn’t dare to run around as he pleased anymore in the future!

Raising his head, Shen Nianzu squinted his eyes at the bloody writings on the wall before him. "Judging by the condition of the blood, he should have left less than ten minutes ago..." he analyzed with a murmur.

A glimmer of determination sparked in his pale purple eyes. If he went down now, he might be able to catch up with Jin Jiuchi!

Carefully, Shen Nianzu held onto his skirt as he descended the narrow staircase, but before his head could disappear fully, he shot a suspicious look at the hatch. He summoned the sentient zombie bandages from their team storage, commanding them to coil around the small hole, with the other end tied securely around the metal bar of the window. This way, the hatch would not close and trap them underground.

Having challenged numerous Cycles, Shen Nianzu had learned to discern such tricks.

When he entered the room earlier, the bed had returned to its original position, concealing the entrance. There was no way Jin Jiuchi, who had ascended first, could set the furniture back nor was he meticulous enough to do so. Hence, the only plausible explanation was that after someone entered this passageway, the hatch and the bed would automatically return to their original position.

After making sure that the rope was secure, Shen Nianzu nodded to himself and continued his exploration.

The deeper he descended, the more humid the air became, and the brick walls were covered in a layer of moss. He keenly observed that the staircase twisted circularly before heading up again, making it impossible for him to guess its final destination. Despite the uncertainty, Shen Nianzu thought that this was way better than the Shishen Apartment; at least they had no poisonous spiders chasing after their asses. Just the mere recollection of it was enough to send chills down his spine.

Keeping track of the time, Shen Nianzu noted that he had walked for more than five minutes when a faint glimmer of light appeared at the end of the staircase.

He did not lower his guard, though. Instead, he clutched the dagger tighter in his grasp and assumed a defensive stance. So far, he had not detected any signs of life around, nor did he sense Jin Jiuchi’s presence, indicating that the man must have gone way ahead of him.

What could be waiting on the other end of the staircase?

Step by step, Shen Nianzu approached the exit with vigilance. However, he was caught off guard when he emerged in an open space.

The sky dotted with stars stretched above him, while around him was a breathtaking garden full of blossoming flowers. Up front, the lake shimmered as it reflected the radiance of the moon, with tiny fireflies dancing around. At the edge of the lake stood an elegant pavilion.

"Wow..." Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

Who would have thought that the old room could be connected to such a splendid garden? Shen Nianzu was certain that he wasn’t within the residence anymore. The soft grass rustled beneath his feet, and the air was crisp and refreshing. It was the kind of space that could make anyone relax.

But all of a sudden...

"Nian’er!"

A loud voice sounded behind him, startling Shen Nianzu so much that he almost swung his dagger by reflex and struck the other party. Fortunately, he recognized that obnoxious voice in time, forcing him to brake before the blade could fall.

"You...!" He glared at Jin Jiuchi, who had the gall to flash a happy grin at him. Grabbing the man’s collar, he shook him back and forth as if wishing to wring the water off his brain. "How could you sneak up on me like that?! What if I stabbed you by accident?! Also, I told you to stay put, but you just couldn’t listen, could you?!"

"Ah ah ah, I can explain!" Jin Jiuchi hurriedly defended himself. Just then, his gaze went over Shen Nianzu’s head, and his eyes rounded in shock. "Nian’er, look!"

"What?" Shen Nianzu hissed. "If you dare to lie just to get yourself out of trouble..." his words trailed off when he caught sight of a paper lantern floating on the sky. The flickering flame stood out vividly against the darkness, casting light on a long strip of paper hanging from the lantern.

It was the kind of item that shouldn’t exist in this Cycle.

Narrowing his eyes, Shen Nianzu released his grip on Jin Jiuchi and let out a contemplative hum, "A player set it adrift."

Sure enough, the lantern spun the next second, revealing the characters on the paper strip written by ink. It was bold, beautiful and cursive, reflecting the owner’s lively spirit.

[Summoning all players here! -Glass Inn]