CH 91

Chapter 91 – Without a Key 3

Xu RenDong felt his chest tighten. Looking closely, he saw the man jumped down from the eaves on the roof and landed lightly in the corridor.

The position he was standing on was the ninth floor. That is, it was the upper level which was four floors above from Xu RenDong. Even so, Xu RenDong clearly saw the golden light flashing in his eyes. This was very incredible and Xu RenDong doesn’t quite understand why.

Xu RenDong quickened his pace and ran upstairs. Every time he went up a floor, he would glance up at the ninth floor. The man in the Tang suit was still standing there, with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a smile, patiently waiting for him to come.

Xu RenDong climbed to the ninth floor in one go. Indescribable sounds came from the rooms that passed by along the way. He felt very strange. There were as many as 81 players this time and now it seemed that only he and the man in the Tang suit were unaffected. Why was this? Was there anything different about him and the man in the Tang suit?

When he was still more than ten meters away from the man, Xu RenDong slowed down and calmed down his intense breathing. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the man carefully. Just as he appeared from a distance, the man was dressed in a Tang suit which was black from head to toe. There was even a pair of black cloth shoes on his feet. The Tang suit was of high quality, embroidered with silver threads and, at first glance, in the image of a dragon flying through the clouds. When he got closer, he could see clearly that the embroidered panel was actually a snake. The snake’s scales were thinly outlined by silver lines, which shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Each snake was embroidered with great detail and lifelike. But they all closed their eyes as if asleep.

Although this Tang suit is gorgeous, it has a strong demonic aura and makes one feel very uncomfortable.

Xu RenDong looked up and suddenly realized that the man was also looking at him. He couldn’t help being surprised.

The man smiled slightly and said to the beautiful girl behind him, “Go, pour a cup of tea.” 

The girl saluted the two of them and went into the room to pour tea.

The man walked to the edge of the railing and leaned on it casually. His tone was full of laziness and leisure: “It’s too stuffy in the room, let’s talk here.”

Xu RenDong frowned: “You…” He had too many questions to know which one to ask. He opened his mouth but didn’t know where to start.

The man curled his lips and said with a smile: “You must be curious why I am not affected. Similarly, I am also curious about you. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Shi JianChuan. This is my ninth time participating.”

Xu RenDong was startled. He has always called himself a “Nine Level Boss” but this was the first time he really saw someone who had come in for nine times.

Xu RenDong felt that this person was unfathomable, so it was better not to lie rashly. So he reported his name and honestly explained the times he had cleared an instance.

At this moment, the maid came out with a tray. Shi JianChuan took the teacup, made a “please” gesture to Xu RenDong and then drank the tea leisurely. He didn’t dismiss the  girl so she held the tray and stood respectfully to one side.

Xu RenDong didn’t drink tea. He glanced at the girl and said, “You won’t ask her to retire?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Shi JianChuan said with a smile, “If the death condition is really triggered, even if no one sees it, the punishment that should come will still comee. Besides, these girls don’t exist for this purpose.”

His eyes drifted to the next room and he smiled leisurely again.

In the surrounding rooms, the sounds of joy have not stopped. Shi JianChuan’s meaning was obvious – those girls are there to let the guests vent their beastly desires.

Xu RenDong frowned. In fact, he also felt this but the silent NPC standing next to him still made him uncomfortable. Seeing this, Shi JianChuan sighed softly, put the teacup back on the tray and waved the girl away.

Xu RenDong looked at his appearance as he gave orders and said with some amusement: “You seem to be the master here.”

Shi JianChuan stretched out a finger that was as white as jade and shook it in front of him: “No, you’re wrong. I’m a guest and so are you. These girls obey us because of their master’s orders. This is the host’s way of hospitality.”

Hospitality?

Xu RenDong inexplicably felt that when Shi JianChuan said this word, he glanced at him vaguely and observed his reaction. That look makes people uncomfortable, like some kind of cold-blooded animal looking at its prey.

…that’s right, it’s like a snake.

“Let’s get down to business, let’s exchange information.” Xu RenDong didn’t want to beat around the bush with him and went straight to the point, “What do you want to know from me?”

Shi JianChuan looked at him but his face showed disappointment. He shook his head and sighed, “I already know.”

Xu RenDong was taken aback.

Shi JianChuan said regretfully, “It’s probably just luck that you survived to the fifth stage. Unfortunately, that’s the end of it.” After saying that, he turned back to the house, looking like he didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore.

Xu RenDong felt that this person was simply inexplicable. His attitude was extremely unpleasant and he wished he could go up and kick him.

…But after thinking about it… he is after all a real Nine Time Boss so let’s just forget it and not be impulsive.

Since this person didn’t want to talk to him, Xu RenDong didn’t bother to talk nonsense with him. So he turned around and walked towards the stairs. However, before taking a few steps, he heard Shi JianChuan calling behind him: “Hey.”

Xu RenDong: “What do you want?”

Shi JianChuan folded his arms and said with a smile: “I thought about it and then changed my mind. Since you can come to me at this time, you are still somewhat special. Let me give you a hint. As to whether you can use it or not, it depends on your own ability.”

Xu RenDong: “…” Why is this man so pretentious?

He took a deep breath and suppressed the unhappiness in his heart: “Tell me then.”

Shi JianChuan looked into his eyes and smiled, “Do you know how my floor is different from other floors?”

Different? Xu RenDong’s eyes quickly swept up and down the tulou but he did not notice anything special about this floor.

“Sigh.” Shi JianChuan sighed softly again, shook his head and said, “You’re so slow, I really don’t know how you got to the fifth instance. Think slowly, I’ll go first.”

This time he really left. The girl behind him saluted Xu RenDong and followed him into the bedroom.

Although this person was annoying but, judging by his appearance, it didn’t seem that he was lying. But it does not rule out the possibility that he was being deliberately misleading.

Anyway, let’s take a good look at this floor first.

Xu RenDong looked around and reconfirmed the surrounding environment. This floor was the top floor of the tulou and further up is the roof which is where Shi JianChuan stood at the beginning. Up to now, Xu RenDong still doesn’t know what he was doing up there, let alone how he got there, because this is already the top floor and there are no more stairs to go up.

Other than that, this floor doesn’t seem to be much different from the others. According to the encyclopedia, the upper floors are called “shangtang” and are generally used for sacrificial activities. When Xu RenDong came over just now, he also saw a large room similar to an ancestral hall. The door was open and there were more than a dozen tablets on display as well as incense offerings. The other rooms are ordinary rooms, all the doors are closed, and the sound coming out is unbearable.

If there is any difference between this place and other places, it is probably that there is an ancestral hall on this floor. Therefore, Xu RenDong decided to visit the ancestral hall first.

The ancestral hall was very spacious, almost three or four times the size of the guest room. Just as Xu RenDong was about to step in, a red shadow flashed in front of him.

The old lady with bound feet suddenly appeared, reached out to stop him and said sullenly: “Guest, don’t enter here.”

Xu RenDong: “Why?” 

The old lady said: “This is the ancestral hall of our ancestors, it’s not good for outsiders to go in. It will be unlucky.”

Xu RenDong’s gaze went over the thin arm of the old lady and looked at the dozen or so tablets on the incense case. The candles flickered and it was impossible to see what was written on it. He had to ask: “Then, has anyone else been inside?”

The old lady smiled: “Of course not. This old person has been guarding here for a long time, so as not to let guests enter by mistake.”

“Has Shi JianChuan ever been here?”

“No. No one can come in, this is the rule here..”

Xu RenDong looked up and down the old lady with bound feet. He felt that she exuded a ghostly spirit which was not very easy to deal with, so he withdrew from the ancestral hall.

Since Shi JianChuan has never been here, the “different place between this floor and other floors” should not be here.

Xu RenDong thought about it for a long time but still had no clue so he had to go back to his room first.

As soon as he opened the door, Lian Qiao jumped up in shock: “Who is it?!”

Xu RenDong said, “It’s me.” He walked to the bed and saw Lian Qiao, who was tied up with five knots, still lying on the bed. He felt a little surprised. He sat on the edge of the bed, reached out and wiped the sweat from Lian Qiao’s forehead, “Are you feeling better?”

“I’ve calmed down completely.” Lian Qiao said deeply, “I’m just a little worried…”

Xu RenDong: “Well ?”

Lian Qiao: “If you hold it in for so long, will it be bad?”

Xu RenDong: “…” At this time, you are still worried about this, you are really a special one.

He tapped Lian Qiao on the head and then told Lian Qiao what had happened just now. Lian Qiao twisted and sat up from the bed but still leaned back against the wall, far away from Xu RenDong. He said: “Why is this Shi JianChuan so annoying, if you want to give a hint, just give it properly. What’s the point of being so unclear?”

Xu RenDong nodded. Lian Qiao said angrily: “He’s also a Nine Time Boss, why is there such a big difference! Like Brother RenDong, you never speak cruelly and you will always lead everyone through the customs in minutes without injury. This is what a real boss should be like!!”

Xu RenDong was a little embarrassed because, after all, he cheated using rebirth but Shi JianChuan was a real nine time boss. Having said that, what skills does Shi JianChuan have to be able to enter nine times unscathed?

More importantly, what did the hint he gave mean?

Lian Qiao said: “Let’s go and see when it’s dawn tomorrow. It’s too dark at night, maybe we have overlooked something. Brother RenDong, you must be tired after running around all night. Come and sleep.”

Now that Lian Qiao said that, Xu RenDong was really sleepy. He glanced at the time and saw it was four o’clock in the morning. There was still a little time to get shuteye before dawn. He lay down beside Lian Qiao and, recalling the terrifying temperature on Lian Qiao’s body just before, and asked worriedly, “Are you feeling any discomfort now?”

Lian Qiao was silent for a moment: “Does being wet in the pants count?”

Xu RenDong: “…” Let’s hurry up and rest.

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The author has something to say:

RenDong: You actually peed your pants, favorability -10. (incorrect)

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