Chapter 923: Chapter 879: Hao Laoshi Uproots the Weeping Willow
According to Hao Laoshi, the Chess Player of Group Four is truly a good person.
Even knowing that the pawn might die on the chessboard and the special items loaned out cannot be recovered, he’s still willingly given his special items to the pawn?
Moreover, even though he knows that Group Three harbors ill intentions towards him, he has not moved his group’s pawn to confront Group Three’s pawn in their grid.
Hao Laoshi indeed lacks combat power and, without communication with the Chess Player, sending him rashly to the grid where Group Three’s pawn is would essentially be sending him to his death.
Even if Hao Laoshi were to die in the grid with Group Three’s pawn, it could still be valuable. The Honest Ghost on him would stick to Group Three’s pawn, which greatly increases the likelihood of death in the subsequent moves; before reaching Group Four’s starting room, the Honest Ghost could kill them, ensuring the safety of Group Four’s Chess Player.
Yet, Group Four’s Chess Player did not choose to do this. He seems to be constantly considering Hao Laoshi’s safety, opting for the routes most favorable to him.
Liu Ruyan also confirmed that Group Four’s Chess Player is a good person: "There aren’t many good people like this left in the world, but unfortunately, Group Three’s pawns will soon reach Group Four’s starting room. A good person is in danger."
Upon hearing this, Hao Laoshi grew even more anxious: "He is the leader of our group! We could only safely get out of many instances because of him. If he dies, our group will disperse."
"Your group?" Gu Mian caught the key word in Hao Laoshi’s statement, implying that he has many companions in the real world, "Do you have many companions?"
Hao Laoshi nodded: "We have about forty or fifty people outside. Initially, there were over a hundred, but after the death protection mechanism was disabled, over half died, leaving only forty or fifty."
"Are you part of a large organization?" Gu Mian thought of an asylum base from some post-apocalyptic literary works.
Hao Laoshi nodded: "A few leaders gathered us together, they almost gathered everyone from an entire city into the organization, and everyone has been living together."
Hearing the organizational model described by Hao Laoshi, Gu Mian sensed a familiar vibe.
"What’s the name of the Chess Player and another pawn in your group?"
"Our Chess Player is Mr. Gu... Guiguzi, nicknamed Energetic Guiguzi; the other pawn is Bafang Lafu, but Bafang Lafu died on the chessboard right from the start..."
"Who?" Gu Ming heard familiar names from Hao Laoshi’s mouth.
"Energetic Guiguzi, and Bafang Lafu." Hao Laoshi looked at Gu Mian quizzically, "Do you know them?"
Of course, I know them.
Gu Mian first met Guiguzi during the first major Lantern Festival event, subsequently joining him in the Time Escape train instance, which allowed free shuttle across seven worlds.
Gu Mian’s impressions of Guiguzi remained as reckless, loudmouthed, constantly trailing his superior, calling him lieutenant at every turn.
Whenever Guiguzi came up, Gu Mian would think of his superior Han Shan.
This person is much like Chu Changge, sly and silent, but seldom speaks. He also met Gu Mian during the Lantern Festival and later participated in the Time Escape train instance together.
Afterwards, the two never saw each other again.
Hao Laoshi described their Chess Player as wise, selfless, and capable of self-preservation. Such descriptions might fit Han Shan, but to imagine them describing the chatty shadow Guiguzi near Han Shan feels off; Hao Laoshi’s depiction of Guiguzi seems completely different from the person Gu Mian knew.
"Is there anyone named Han Shan in your organization?" Gu Mian inquired about Han Shan.
However, Hao Laoshi displayed a puzzled expression, seemingly never having heard of the name: "No, but I’ve only been in this organization for a few months. Perhaps such a person existed before, but I’m unaware."
No?
Guiguzi and Han Shan belonged to the same department, there’s no way they would have split ways.
If Han Shan isn’t there, there’s only one possibility.
With this in mind, Gu Mian turned to Hao Laoshi: "Do you know how you entered this instance?"
Hao Laoshi nodded: "I do. Mr. Gu has a chessboard, which is a Dungeon Entry Ticket. They say when four chessboards are assembled, it opens a mysterious special instance. Mr. Gu had the chessboard for a long time, but it had never opened any instance, so everyone eventually ignored it; unexpectedly today, it suddenly pulled us into this special instance."
Sure enough, obtained through the chessboard...
"Do you know how Mr. Gu got that chessboard?" For Gu Mian, addressing Gui Guzi as Mr. Gu felt awkward.
"I’m not very sure. By the time I joined, Mr. Gu already had that special item. However, people say he obtained it from a special instance, which involved farming. Allegedly, our organization researched farming before, triggering that instance when planting seeds, drawing several individuals into it, but ultimately only Mr. Gu returned."
As suspected, individuals like Guiguzi and Han Shan would undoubtedly study crop cultivation to ensure survival for people in the real world, which greatly increased the likelihood of being drawn into the Fierce Ghost Exhibition instance.
Guiguzi’s chessboard was obtained from the Fierce Ghost Exhibition instance.
Those drawn in likely included Han Shan, who perished in that instance.
Gu Mian recalled the examiner in the Fierce Ghost Exhibition instance mentioning the "single death method."
The scorer mentioned that there was once a group that successfully cleared the instance using this method. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the second-to-last person sacrificed to plant the final Ghost Messenger produced a "Sacrificial Ghost".
By sacrificing just him, the rest could survive.
Sacrificial Ghost belongs to the rare ghost species, with no corresponding introduction in the exhibition hall. The characteristics of such rare ghost species need to be explored by the players who plant them.
Back then, Gu Mian also wondered, how did that second-to-last sacrificial person figure out the characteristics of the Sacrificial Ghost?
How exactly could one know that upon planting a Sacrificial Ghost, they must sacrifice themselves?
Thinking back, if the group mentioned by the scorer was the group of Gui Guzi and Han Shan, then everything makes sense.
Han Shan had a special item called "Pen-shaped Real-time Repeater".
"Does your Mr. Gu have a special item called a Pen-shaped Real-time Repeater?" Gu Mian asked.
"Eh?" Hao Laoshi looked at Gu Mian, "How do you know this?"
"Its function is to repeater, in written form. Pressing the button on the pen body allows real-time recording of surrounding events, and the detail level depends on luck. It can be used three times a week, each use lasting about half a minute, with the duration mainly depending on luck." Gu Mian carefully repeated the functions and usage frequency of the Pen-shaped Real-time Repeater.
Hao Laoshi’s eyes widened: "I didn’t remember it so clearly, but that’s about right."
"Your memory is getting better, Gu Mian," Liu Ruyan commented from the side, "You’re almost like a talking computer."
Gu Mian ignored Liu Ruyan. Han Shan was indeed dead, so that special item ended up with Ghost Messenger.
If Han Shan had entered the Fierce Ghost Exhibition instance with that special item back then, then it’s no surprise he knew the characteristics of the Sacrificial Ghost.
Because that pen would describe the surroundings, and if lucky, it might also describe the characteristics of a Sacrificial Ghost in detail, enabling Han Shan to figure out how to deal with it and subsequently leave the special item to Ghost Messenger, who ultimately survived, sacrificing himself.
"Is that Pen-shaped Real-time Repeater with you?" Gu Mian asked him.
"It’s not with me, because its usefulness for command means Mr. Gu is using it," Hao Laoshi replied.
Just as Hao Laoshi spoke, a door appeared on the wall behind the group.
After Hao Laoshi entered the room, all four groups had completed their actions, entering a minute of rest time. The rest time had just ended, and the sixth round was beginning.
had already chosen, so a door leading to the next room appeared within the chamber.
"Are you leaving?" Hao Laoshi seemed quite anxious.
"Your group’s Chess Player is a good person. As long as he’s alive, he’ll try his best to lead you to squares beneficial for you. The squares we’ve traversed are evidently advantageous for you, since at least the contents are known. Your group’s Chess Player should have you follow our actions." Additionally, the initial room’s Chess Players should also notice their group’s uniqueness and try to preserve their group’s pieces by following along.
At this initial time, 007 was observing the grid where Gu Mian, Hao Laoshi, and Liu Ruyan stood.
When the four groups’ pieces entered the Kuibu Square with Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan, the Kuibu Square changed, its name becoming "Kuibu Square / Honest Square".
It seemed as though two functions coexisted within the same square.
The Honest Ghost didn’t replace the original characteristics of Kuibu Square.
At this moment, she saw the miniature figures representing Gu Ming and Liu Ruyan heading to the left square, followed by the four groups’ pieces trailing behind, stopping at the edge of the wall.
"Seems like there’s a harmonious interaction without conflict," 007 glanced at the group chat. After the four groups acted, she posted the situation within the group chat, but still hadn’t received any reply from Gu Mian or Liu Ruyan.
surmised that the two were exchanging information with the four groups’ pieces in the room, unable to reply in the group chat.
So, she patiently waited until her minute countdown neared its end before deciding the direction of action for Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan.
Now, Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan had stepped into the left square she chose.
saw the empty square now had an introduction.
[Two Separate Grids / Honest Square]
Two separate grids? The one where a group enters, but only one person can leave.
If two people enter, one of them must die with certainty. Yet 007 was unworried about Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan’s safety, directly looking at the latter half of the grid’s name.
There was also the Honest Square, seeming as though the Honest Ghost entered the new square alongside Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan.
But wasn’t the Honest Ghost previously following behind the four groups’ pieces? How did it end up moving along with Gu Mian and Liu Ruyan?
guessed perhaps Gu Mian used some method of strongarming, forcing the Honest Ghost to act alongside him.
