Chapter 55: Why?
Why had the controller failed? Why had Ashamed Father thrown his life away to save this young girl? Those were the questions on everyone's mind.
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't make sense of it either, but his attention was focused on something else entirely—the words emanating from the speaker in the car robot's chest.
Demon Lord? Did it just say Demon Lord?!
Why would a robot's voice system mention the Demon Lord? In a flash, he recalled the information Bro Bing had left behind. Could the thing Bro Bing wanted him to find be this very car robot standing before him? A wave of shock rolled through his chest.
Clang! Clang!
The Red dancing shoes lashed out with two vicious kicks, sending the car robot sliding half a meter sideways.
Zhang Yuanqing snapped back to reality. "Quick, get back in the cars!"
He didn't need to tell them twice. Xi Shi, Fire Demon, and Great Sage Equal to Heaven had already yanked open their doors and were scrambling inside. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the blank eyed Xie Lingxi, scooped her up, then tucked Ashamed Father's upper half under his arm and rushed into a different vehicle.
Bang!
The door slammed shut, sealing the danger outside.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a quiet breath of relief and finally turned to his two companions. Ashamed Father's vitality was formidable, so he hadn't died immediately, but it was only a matter of time.
Xie Lingxi emerged from her daze and stared at the middle aged man, her expression tangled with emotions she couldn't name.
"Why?" she whispered softly. "Why would you risk your life to save me?"
Ashamed Father's face was deathly pale and ashen gray, yet his tone was strangely calm.
He answered with a question of his own. "Does saving someone require a reason?"
Xie Lingxi froze.
Uncle, that really doesn't sound like something you'd say, Zhang Yuanqing thought, feeling rather conflicted inside.
Just for a moment, that simple and unadorned answer touched something deep inside him.
Ashamed Father continued, "You don't need to thank me, and you don't need to feel guilty. My saving you had very little to do with you, really. For someone like me, death might actually be a kind of release. If you knew the things I've done, you wouldn't feel an ounce of pity. Of course, I don't need pity either."
His voice was weak, his words coming in halting fragments. "Wang Tai..."
"I'm listening."
"I want to ask you a favor. If you make it out of the amusement park alive, find someone for me and deliver a message. In return, I'll tell you something, something related to the mission."
Why me? Zhang Yuanqing raised his eyes in confusion, glancing at Xie Lingxi beside him.
Ashamed Father's face grew even paler, his voice barely a whisper. "She's one of the officials."
Xie Lingxi knew the strategy guide, so he suspects she's affiliated with the officials? And whatever his secret is, the officials can't know? The thought flickered through Zhang Yuanqing's mind. He nodded.
"Alright, I agree. On the condition that I actually make it out of the amusement park alive."
"The person I need you to find is a master called 'Wuhen.' Deliver a message to him for me."
Ashamed Father paused. His eyes flickered with confusion, loathing, and sorrow. "Tell him I'm sorry. To this day, I still don't know whether I was the one who was wrong, or if it was this world."
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned for a moment. "I'll remember it."
Ashamed Father gave a satisfied nod. "I'll give you an address, along with the information I promised as compensation. Lean in closer."
Zhang Yuanqing bent down and brought his ear close. A dozen seconds later, he raised his head and said quietly, "Alright. As agreed, I'll take care of it for you."
A look of peace settled over Ashamed Father's features. He stopped forcing himself to hold on, and the last ember of life in his eyes flickered out in an instant.
Xie Lingxi's eyes reddened, and tears rolled down her cheeks, pattering softly onto the car seat.
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell at that moment whether she was crying for real or putting on an act.
After a brief pause, he said, "He was an Enchanting Demon. He told me so himself just now. I don't know why he saved you, but maybe it truly had nothing to do with you personally. You don't need to feel guilty."
Those who were assigned Evil classes, more or less, all had their own stories.
Xie Lingxi sniffled and gave a meek little nod. "I know. He had a strong aura of malice on him. I knew he was an Evil class a long time ago. What do we do now?"
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes darkened. She knew Ashamed Father was an Evil class?
He mentally replayed every word and action from Xie Lingxi, from start to finish, then turned to look outside. Through the car window, the Red Dancing Shoes were locked in a fierce melee with the car robot.
Based on their observations, the car robot would pursue the Spirit Realm Walkers for five minutes each time it appeared. But that window had long since passed, and the steel monster showed no sign of leaving.
His gaze swept past the battling shoes and robot toward the car parked diagonally behind them. Xi Shi was slapping the window, casting urgent looks their way, clearly calling for something. Behind her, Fire Demon and Great Sage Equal to Heaven were in a heated argument.
The rapidly deteriorating situation had sparked infighting between the two. Xi Shi was probably trying to call for his help, but the distance was too great to communicate.
If this keeps up, we'll be trapped in these cars until we die. I'm guessing they're not just afraid of the car robot. They're afraid of the Red Dancing Shoes too, because the one hour mark is almost here.
Zhang Yuanqing fixed his gaze on the pretty young girl beside him. "You can see what's happening out there. Any ideas?"
Whether the girl was faking her fragility or genuinely fragile, anyone who was matchmade into this amusement park couldn't be stupid. A good squad captain knew to seek counsel from the capable.
Xie Lingxi maintained her soft and delicate demeanor, and said through quiet sobs, "To solve the crisis, we definitely need to figure out what went wrong first. We need to understand why the car robot stopped playing fair."
Right, this car robot has no honor whatsoever. Cheating, ambushing...
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Go on."
"When I pressed the controller earlier, it really did stop. That proves the controller works, and the car robot couldn't possibly have the intelligence to deceive us. In other words, we actually did shut down the car robot once already."
Xie Lingxi continued, "I also noticed that after it regained power, it was saying different things. Is it possible that an alternate system is now controlling the car robot? That we need to shut it down again?"
Hmmm... Shut it down again...?
Zhang Yuanqing silently chewed on those words. He didn't press further, because there was no way Xie Lingxi could know the answer, but her analysis had given him more than enough inspiration.
The car robot had to be connected to the information Bro Bing left behind. If he wanted to unravel Bro Bing's disappearance and everything related to the Demon Lord, he needed to get the car robot under his control.
After entering Jinshui Amusement Park, he hadn't forgotten the clues Bro Bing left, but he hadn't gone out of his way to search for them either. The dungeon's difficulty was S-rank, so simply clearing it would already require incredible luck. Recklessly exploring the area was just asking for a quicker death. Bro Bing's clues would have to come down to fate.
So, the situation they were currently embroiled in was actually a good thing. The mission and Bro Bing's clues could be resolved together. It all boiled down to whether he could actually make a breakthrough in this crisis.
In the information Bro Bing left him, aside from the Spirit Realm number, there was only one phrase: "Brothers for life."
Shut it down again... I think I know how to use that phrase now.
Zhang Yuanqing decided to give it a shot and pushed open the car door.
Xie Lingxi was startled, and let out a short cry. "You..."
In the other car, Xi Shi's face went blank with surprise, and Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Fire Demon stopped arguing.
He could guess what they were thinking. Why is Wang Tai getting out? Is he going to recall the shoes?
Zhang Yuanqing shut the door behind him and walked toward the car robot, stopping five or six meters away.
He drew a deep breath, sinking his qi to his core, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brothers for life!"
The words echoed through the underground parking garage. Then, something unbelievable happened. The car robot, which had been raging and violent just a moment before, suddenly froze as if someone had pulled its plug.
Its chest speaker crackled to life. "Passcode accepted!"
The steel armor plating over its chest clicked and clattered, separating to either side to reveal the wiring within, along with a black, square shaped box.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward. After a moment's thought, wary of another sneak attack, he summoned the Red Dancing Shoes onto his feet to maximize his evasion, then continued his approach.
He stood in front of the car robot, then reached in and removed the square box.
Its casing was made of a black metallic composite material. The front featured a speaker and two buttons. Judging by appearance alone, it seemed to be a miniature speaker, about half the size of his palm.
A message floated into Zhang Yuanqing's vision.
【Name: Cat King Speaker】
【Type: Audio equipment】
【Function: Audio playback】
【Description: Long, long ago, a Cat King who adored music declared it would challenge the God of Light. The God of Light punished the arrogant cat severely, sealing its soul inside a musical instrument. Years passed, and the Cat King existed alone within the instrument, until a musician from the East obtained it and modified it into a speaker.】
【Note 1: War Drums. When the drums sound, you will gain unparalleled fighting spirit, and your enemies will be struck with terror.】
【Note 2: Suona. When the suona sounds, you will be invincible. But please end the battle within three minutes. Otherwise, the suona will be used for a different kind of occasion.】
【Note 3: Meow, meow meow, meow meow meow! (If anyone dares lock me up again, I'll scratch their face to ribbons!)】
【Note 4: I sing when I want, and I sing it loud.】
It was a cost-type item. Was this the thing Bro Bing had left for him? Based on the notes, the speaker stored two types of audio. One was war drums, one was the suona.
The drums boosted combat power while simultaneously terrifying enemies. The suona's note was also easy enough to understand. He absolutely had to turn off the suona within three minutes, or it would play him his own funeral march.
But what did all this have to do with Bro Bing saying he "left everything there"? And what did Notes 3 and 4 even mean?
Zhang Yuanqing studied the speaker in his palm with curiosity. All in all, this was a cost-type support item, and it seemed quite decent. He hadn't tested the suona or drums yet, so it was hard to judge their exact power, but anything Bro Bing had gone to such lengths to hide here had to have something special about it.
As for what exactly Bro Bing had hidden within it, that would require further study.
Seeing that the car robot had truly been dealt with and wasn't reviving, Xi Shi and the others finally climbed out of their cars.
Great Sage Equal to Heaven beamed with a wide smile. "We've finally cleared the Underground Parking Garage stage, and it's all thanks to you, Wang Tai."
Xi Shi sidled up to him with flirtatious eyes, cooing sweetly, "Brother Wang Tai, I just knew you wouldn't let us down. I was calling for you to save me from inside the car. You definitely heard me, which is why you came out, right?"
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her. Brother? This woman was in her thirties. A few more years and she could practically be his mother.
"How did you know how to shut down the car robot? And what is that thing?" Fire Demon asked as he stared at the speaker with burning intensity.
Zhang Yuanqing smiled, ignoring the first question entirely. "An item. A support item. Not a bad haul, if I do say so myself. I'll be keeping this item. No objections, I hope?"
Fire Demon was about to speak, but then the Red Dancing Shoes came tap-tap-tapping over, and he immediately said, "You solved the problem, so the loot is yours. Fair enough."
Xi Shi and Great Sage Equal to Heaven glanced at the Red Dancing Shoes and nodded vigorously. "Fair enough, fair enough."
Zhang Yuanqing was about to store the Cat King Speaker into his Inventory when an unexpected message appeared.
【Unable to store this item.】
Unable to store it? He blinked in surprise, then understood what Note 3 had meant.
What a trap. This item can't go into the Inventory, so I have to carry it around by hand?
At that moment, everyone received a Spirit Realm notification:
【You have completed the Underground Parking Garage mission. You are currently undertaking the "Heart Pounding" mission series. The attractions in this series are: Roller Coaster, Underground Parking Garage, Haunted House (Ghost Marriage), Detective Mystery Hall. Please proceed to the third location within thirty minutes.】
In addition to that, Zhang Yuanqing received another prompt:
【Ding! You have successfully led your team to complete a mission. You have one opportunity to exercise your squad captain authority. Please identify the evildoer hidden among your teammates. The designated person will be eliminated!】
【If no choice is made within thirty seconds, this opportunity will be forfeited.】
This time, Zhang Yuanqing didn't hesitate. He silently thought, Forfeit.
***
A gentle evening breeze drifted over them as they left the parking garage.
The amusement park's lights remained as dreamlike and ethereal as ever, and soft, lilting music floated in from the distance.
The Red Dancing Shoes were still trailing behind Zhang Yuanqing.
He looked around and addressed his companions. "Wait here for a moment. I need to step away."
In response to their scrutinizing gazes, he smiled and explained, "Recalling the shoes requires paying a certain price, and that price isn't something you should see."
The group nodded, though they did not seem entirely convinced.
Zhang Yuanqing found a secluded spot. With no one around, he dropped the act, set the speaker down nearby, and accepted the Red Dancing Shoes' invitation to a dance battle.
Crisp tap-dancing sounds immediately rang out, echoing through the night air.
Right then, the speaker beside him began playing music out of nowhere.
"Why not dance~ Chatting's not as good as dancing~ Make yourself feel comfortable... Keep on dancing~ Dating's not as good as dancing~ Let's get along this way..."
What the hell? Why is this thing suddenly playing music? Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly.
He already felt a certain degree of shame while busting out these dynamic dance moves, and the sudden burst of song nearly scared him out of his rhythm.
Is this the meaning behind Note 4? This thing is a nightmare. The awkward dancing is bad enough, but now it's playing the most embarrassing soundtrack possible. If anyone sees this, how am I supposed to show my face ever again?
The thought filled him with a complicated mix of emotions.
The booming music drowned out the tap dancing sounds. The Red Dancing Shoes seemed displeased, and their tapping grew more rapid and insistent.
A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing finished his dance, and the Red Dancing Shoes automatically returned to his Inventory.
When he rejoined the group, everyone seemed to be looking at him strangely, though he couldn't tell if it was just his imagination.
The five of them followed the signposts deeper into the amusement park.
The further they went, the dimmer the lights grew, and their collective mood grew heavier by the step.
The third stage was the Haunted House, the only attraction in the amusement park with a supernatural element. According to the Spirit Realm's description, the reason the amusement park had been upgraded to an S-rank dungeon was largely due to changes in the spiritual activity there.
After four or five minutes of walking, they arrived at a dark and quiet alley. The architecture in this area leaned toward the Republican era: white walls, black roof tiles, and courtyard walls twice a person's height, enclosing rows of residences. Beneath the eaves of every household hung white lanterns.
At some point, the ground beneath their feet had changed from concrete to a path paved with cobblestones.
The faint music that had followed them vanished without a trace the moment they entered the alley.
The night pressed in, dark and oppressive, with the only light coming from the white lanterns hanging beneath the eaves. Dead silence smothered everything. There was not a single sound.
Xi Shi clutched Zhang Yuanqing's arm tightly, glancing left and right, her voice trembling. "Killing people doesn't scare me, but I can't handle this kind of atmosphere."
Xie Lingxi didn't cling to his arm, but her small face had gone slightly pale, her expression taut.
Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Fire Demon seemed bolder, though unease flickered across their faces. They kept looking over their shoulders, unable to shake the feeling that something was following them.
Only Zhang Yuanqing remained perfectly calm. The place was thick with yin energy, yet it made him incredibly comfortable. It was almost like he'd come home.
It was probably this composure that made Xi Shi and Xie Lingxi instinctively want to stay close to him, drawing on his sense of security.
Before they knew it, the group arrived at the entrance of a large courtyard. Unlike the other residences, the lanterns were red, giving the candlelight a bloodlike hue, casting the entire doorway in a crimson wash.
Double happiness characters were pasted on the door, and the couplets were red as well. It seemed the household was celebrating a wedding.
They had reached their destination.
The group looked around at each other, then all eyes turned to Zhang Yuanqing in unison.
He stepped forward, knocked firmly on the gate, and called out in a loud voice, "Anyone home? I'm here to marry your daughter!"
The moment his words fell, the gate creaked open, and a desolate, freezing gust of yin wind poured out from within.
Zhang Yuanqing, a Nocturnal Specter, felt every hair on his back stand on end.
He whispered, "Something's coming..."
