Chapter 386: Chapter 332: The Extra Person
"The Du Family members really have no conscience, our people died for their clan members, yet not even one of them has come to visit," Lu Youcheng couldn’t help but lament.
This statement was the sentiment of everyone present; in the task at hand, human life was as cheap as mustard, and as soon as one entered the Nightmare World, everyone had to be prepared for death.
The group quickly checked the room again and, after confirming once more that there were no signs of forced entry on the doors or windows, the most suspicious spot in the entire room was the wardrobe behind the folding screen.
After confirming that there were no other clues, Yang Xiao and his companions left the room, shutting the door behind them. As for Liu Haiping’s severed head, it was left on the dressing table.
Upon leaving the room, everyone’s breathing became much smoother. The bloody stench inside was so intense it gave them all headaches, especially Cheng Cha. He seemed to have developed an inexplicable fear of Liu Haiping’s severed head, like a kind of traumatic aftermath. Whenever he thought of it, he would feel a chill run down his spine.
"Brothers, confirming whose head is in the Buddhist hall is crucial for us. We need someone to make a sacrifice," Sui Chengguo said seriously, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "First, let me ask, is there anyone willing to step forward voluntarily?"
This was an outright redundant question. Counting this occasion, Yang Xiao had been through four tasks and had never seen an act of self-sacrifice for others.
As expected, there was silence from the crowd, but this was within Sui Chengguo’s expectations. "In that case, we’ll draw lots. It’s fair to everyone that way."
"How do we draw?" Quan Doufeng asked with suspicion.
Looking around, Sui Chengguo noticed a tree in the courtyard with some dry branches beneath it. "Let’s use the branches, we’ll draw by length."
"Alright," everyone agreed without objections.
For the sake of fairness, Sui Chengguo, who suggested the idea, didn’t prepare the sticks himself but had Yang Xiao do it.
Soon, nine branches were ready, with one long and eight short ones. "The rules are simple, I won’t waste words. Who wants to go first?" Yang Xiao held the branches in his left hand, grouped together, exposing only a small portion.
"Hold on." Cheng Cha suddenly interrupted.
As Yang Xiao looked toward him, Cheng Cha cracked a smile. "Brother Chu, there’s a loophole in your method. What if... I mean, if someone cheats and breaks off a piece of the long branch after drawing it, what then?"
"Oi, have you done something like this before? Who would think of that method in normal circumstances?" Quan Doufeng finally reacted after a while; he usually focused on sealing books and, upon disliking someone, would seal them without much thought.
Cheng Cha raised an eyebrow, turning to stare at Quan Doufeng with a smile still on his face. "Just because you’re brainless doesn’t mean everyone else is."
With Cheng Cha’s half-hearted smirk fixed upon him, Quan Doufeng couldn’t help but feel guilty. He remembered when he had been shouting in the woods, it was this seemingly refined and amiable young man who first suggested that Quan Doufeng be tied up.
No, this young man initially said to gag him and hang him up. It was only because they didn’t have any rope and it was inconvenient that they gave up that idea.
Yang Xiao was also quite interested in this young man, and nodded. "You mean we should have eight long ones and one short one."
"Right," Cheng Cha confirmed, nodding. The rationale was simple; after all, a short one could never be made to look long.
"Why don’t I do it?" Cheng Cha walked up to Yang Xiao and suggested.
With a stern expression, Yang Xiao noticed that Cheng Cha winked at him, seemingly having thought of something. Yang Xiao then tossed aside the branches in his hand. "Alright, I trust you."
Quickly, Cheng Cha prepared nine new branches and everyone began to draw lots. Quan Doufeng seemed somewhat afraid of him and stayed at the back, drawing last.
But fate is so unpredictable. After everyone revealed the branches in their hands, it turned out Quan Doufeng had drawn the short stick. Staring at the branch in his hand that was significantly shorter than the rest, he was dumbfounded. "How... how could it be me? No, this isn’t right, you... you cheated!"
Quan Doufeng, glaring at Cheng Cha who was smirking with his eyes narrowed, became more convinced of his speculation. He threw the branch he was holding onto the ground, angrily shouting, "I don’t accept this, I want to draw again!"
"I think you’re just asking for it!" Sui Chengguo wasn’t about to indulge his complaints. Swinging his fists that were as large as sandbags and his muscled arms bulging like a Super Saiyan stepping out of a television screen.
Yang Xiao was happy to watch the drama unfold, not caring who it was as long as it wasn’t himself.
Tong Han was one of his own; he wasn’t an option either.
Under the threat of Sui Chengguo’s martial strength, Quan Doufeng could only agree tearfully to the plan. He would be the one to request from the Du Family Patriarch to see Miss Du for the last time.
"What if Patriarch Du simply refuses?" Sui Chengguo crossed his arms and glared fiercely, appearing very imposing.
Barely daring to breathe, Quan Doufeng replied with a sobbing tone: "Then, during the homage, I’ll pretend to lose my footing. I’ll... I’ll just headbutt my way in."
"That’s the way." Sui Chengguo laughed, very pleased with his own discipline.
As they were about to step out of the courtyard, Tong Han abruptly paused, turned his head towards a skewed tree to the left. The skewed tree had long been dead, the branches all shed, leaving only a hollowed-out, thick trunk. "Who is there? Come out!"
As soon as he spoke, a young maidservant timidly poked her head from behind the trunk, her face filled with fear, her eyes on Yang Xiao and others as if seeing a ghost.
Yang Xiao and his party had never seen this young maidservant in the Du Family residence before; she was a new face. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
