When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 431: Look Good Together

Chapter 431: Look Good Together

"Woah..." Jin Jiuchi blinked in astonishment. "This kind of thing is also possible?"

Shen Nianzu let out a light hum. "The prop must have a special effect so that only players can see it. This is not uncommon. Given the wide scope of the Cycle, if we want to contact other players, this is the most feasible method." He had seen this kind of practice in the mid-level Cycles he challenged before, but it was too bad that Shen Nianzu was a lone wolf before meeting his current teammates. He preferred to act alone, and even disguised himself as a child so that he could make people lower their guards, so he had never heeded the call.

As for high-level Cycle... forget it, there were only three types of people who would challenge them: the desperate, the foolish, and the lunatic. At that stage, players either formed their own teams or went solo. They would rather mind their own business rather than doing something so pointless such as contacting other players to form an alliance.

It was only in mid-level Cycles he could see something like this.

Jin Jiuchi cast a glance at the jade doll beside him and inquired curiously, "What do you plan to do, Nian’er? Should we go?"

Shen Nianzu’s brows scrunched up in contemplation. There was a solid reason why he preferred to act alone in the past. Forming an alliance with strangers was... too risky, especially when he had no idea who they were and where they came from. Not only did he have to face the nightmare creatures, but he also had to guard against his temporary teammates to avoid being schemed against and stabbed in the back. It was much easier to do everything alone.

"If it were up to me, I would suggest we ignore it, but..." Shen Nianzu trailed off, and Jin Jiuchi seamlessly guessed the next words he was about to say.

"You think Xinxin will be going?"

Shen Nianzu shot the silly husky a look of approval, causing the latter to preen. "You’re right," he confirmed. "In the best case, Xinxin has met up with Noir. There’s no chance that Noir will attend the meeting, and as long as Xinxin sticks to him, he will be okay until we locate them. As for the worst case scenario, Xinxin is completely alone. In such circumstances, he will be desperate to seek us. He might think he can meet us if he goes there."

Jin Jiuchi played with the fireflies dancing around him, trying to catch them within the space of his palms. "And so?" he replied absentmindedly.

Shen Nianzu’s thoughts whirled as he weighed his choices. Eventually, his gaze landed on the sparkling lake in front and a brilliant idea popped up in his mind. Grabbing Jin Jiuchi’s wrist, he dragged the man toward the lake as he conveyed his conjecture, "Judging from the outfits and level of technology in this Cycle, people should still be relying on lakes to do daily chores. There must be water canals threading through the entire town and—"

"Oh I know!" Jin Jiuchi hit his fist against his palm. "Nian’er, water is your element. You can swim there!"

"Yes and no," Shen Nianzu sighed with a hint of helplessness and resignation. "As long as there’s water, I can gather information."

In the next second, he summoned his divine prop, Aqua. The silver-tailed little mermaid nestled into his palm and hugged his thumb affectionately. She felt cold and moist to the touch. Smiling, Shen Nianzu tenderly stroked her head with two of his fingers, instructing solemnly, "I will be relying on you, Aqua. Be careful. Retreat as soon as you sense danger."

Aqua pumped her little fist, her eyes resolute. [Leave it to me!]

Intrigued, Jin Jiuchi scooted closer and peeked at the palm-sized mermaid. He was akin to a curious husky gazing at a new object, eager to sniff and prod around. Unable to resist, he stretched out his paw toward the divine prop, but the little mermaid evaded his touch like she was avoiding a plague. Twisting her nimble body, she leaped from Shen Nianzu’s palm and dove into the water, producing a small splash.

"Aww..." Jin Jiuchi sighed in regret.

Shen Nianzu rolled his eyes. "If you keep behaving like a pervert, of course she won’t allow you to get close. Come on." After saying that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jin Jiuchi puzzled.

"Huh?" Jin Jiuchi’s gaze alternated between Shen Nianzu’s back and the lake where the little mermaid disappeared into. "We’re not going to be on standby here?"

"No, we have been away for too long." Shen Nianzu did not pause his steps, nor did he slow down, knowing that Jin Jiuchi would catch up to him quickly. Sure enough, Jin Jiuchi soon appeared beside him as they returned to the tunnel where they had emerged from. "Aqua needs time to find the location. In the meantime, we have some people to take care of."

"Oh, oh!" Jin Jiuchi tilted his head, wondering. "Are you going to kill them or something, Nian’er?"

Shen Nianzu was rendered utterly speechless by that question. In the next moment, he reached out to pinch Jin Jiuchi’s waist, drawing a pained yelp from the latter.

When they exited the underground passageway and returned to the old shabby room, Shen Nianzu’s talisman was still in place. Outside, Richard seemed to be ordering the servants to break down the door. Shen Nianzu summoned the sentient bandages back into his long sleeves, kicked the hatch shut, while Jin Jiuchi swiftly moved the bed back to its original position.

Their coordination was fluid and seamless, and in less than two seconds, the room looked as it did before...

...except for the bloody writings on the wall.

"Umm..." Jin Jiuchi also realized what kind of mess he had caused. He stared at the wall, scratching his head. "Maybe we should just tear down this wall?"

Shen Nianzu: "..."

Shen Nianzu: "...Scram."

The door swung open, revealing three servants crowded in front with one of them holding a saw. Meanwhile, Richard, Madam Vivianne and Lady Eva stood a few paces away, each displaying their own anxiety.

As soon as they saw Shen Nianzu open the door, surprise etched across their faces and they rushed forward, exclaiming,

"Rosie!"

"Sister Rosie!"

Shen Nianzu wore a regretful expression. "I apologize for causing you worry, Father, Mother, Eva."

Madam Vivianne scanned him upside down and was relieved to find that her daughter was unharmed. But then, her eyebrows twitched once she spotted the dust clinging to his skirt. "What have you been doing, Rosie? Why haven’t you answered our calls?"

"Yeah!" Eva nodded with tears in the corner of her eyes. "We’re so worried about you! How are you..."

Her words trailed off into silence, because at that moment, she noticed that her elder sister was holding onto another person’s wrist, and that person was none other than Cinderella!

Striking while the iron was still hot, Shen Nianzu spoke swiftly, "There’s been a minor accident, and Cinderella is a little injured."

Beside him, Jin Jiuchi squeezed out a few droplets of tears from his eyes and nodded pitifully.

Both Vivianne and Eva were dumbfounded. "...Huh?"

They swept their gaze over the tall and robust Cinderella, but found no signs of injuries whatsoever. The one who received the most shock ought to be the maid who was tasked to deliver food to Jin Jiuchi. Back then, she swore the room was empty, so how could this person reappear out of nowhere?!

"Leave her to me, I will take care of her for the time being. Please excuse us, Mother, Father. I will explain everything tomorrow." With those words, he pulled Jin Jiuchi out of the room, leaving before anyone could react. Recalling something, he paused and instructed the servant, "Oh, leave the room for now. It’s a little messy, and I will oversee the cleaning process later."

"Sir, this..." the servant holding the saw was left somewhat speechless by the unexpected turn of events.

Sighing, Richard waved his hand in dismissal, "Put it away." Observing Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi’s backs, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I was worried for nothing. It seems like Rosie and Cinderella’s relationship is quite good."

Those words seemed to have struck a nerve in the mother-daughter duo, causing their faces to darken.

"You’re right, dear," Madam Vivianne curved her lips, though the smile did not reach her eyes.

At that moment, as she gazed at the retreating backs of the two, her facial features abruptly changed. Gone was her smooth and well-maintained skin, they turned saggy and wrinkled like an old woman. The lower half of her face elongated and the skin took on a black and metallic hue, almost like... a raven’s beak.

Yet the people around her did not seem to realize anything.

Her tilting voice turned coarse and discordant akin to sand grinding against paper, sounding a little muffled,

"...They look good together, indeed."