When Lin Lin spoke to Dong Zhengxuan, she sat on Yun Xiangning’s bed, so she felt that it was also a warning to her.
“How should I give him a hint?” she cried as she spoke.
Ning Su said, “When she talks to Dong Zhengxuan on your bed, she’s facing away from you, while Dong Zhengxuan is facing you. They chatted for nearly an hour. If you really want to warn Dong Zhengxuan, there’s a chance.”
Yun Xiangning paused and immediately said, “But if she finds out, who knows if she’ll become more sensitive? What if she discovers it? What should I do?”
“I have to be very careful. I have a little daughter waiting for me on the base. You must understand.”
She said in a desperate tone, “I beg you, please don’t tell anyone. If the Human Pupa Master finds out, he will definitely not spare me, and if others in the base know, they will spread rumors about me. I implore you to keep it a secret.”
The three remained silent.
Yun Xiangning was good at reading between the lines and realized that Ning Su was the backbone here. She stepped forward and grabbed Ning Su’s arm. “You must understand, right?”
Pointing at Manman, she said, “My little daughter is the same age as her.”
Ning Su improved the bed with Ling Xiao vines and crafted two skull-shaped night lamps with floral patterns using Ling Xiao vines. One of them hung beside Manman’s bed.
The warm and bright light shone on the little girl’s white princess dress was also illuminating her remarkably beautiful face. She looked like a little princess, clean and beautiful even in this horror setting.
“If my little daughter could have half her happiness, that would be great. Do you know how miserable our lives are?”
Ning Su frowned and pulled his hand away. “I didn’t say it before, and I don’t intend to meddle. You don’t need to come over.”
Yun Xiangning nodded hastily, then looked at Fang Qi and Pang Yang.
Both nodded with solemn expressions.
Yun Xiangning wiped away tears happily, repeatedly thanking them before leaving.
Pang Yang touched his face and said hoarsely, “It’s really tough.”
He didn’t specify what was tough, but those three words conveyed a deep understanding.
“Mom.” Manman gently tugged at Ning Su’s clothes.
The silent Ning Su turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
The little girl said, “I am indeed very happy now, but I don’t like her assuming that her daughter is not even half as happy as me.”
Ning Su ruffled her bun-like hair.
When Fang Qi lay on the upper bunk, the person on the opposite upper bunk came down.
“Hmm?” Gui Sheng, upon seeing Ling Xiao, immediately stood up and patted the place he had just been sitting. “Sit!”
He ran to Ning Su’s left side where Manman was, squeezed in beside her, and secretly watched with her.
Ling Xiao sat in the spot vacated by Gui Sheng.
Ning Su turned to him. “Why did you come down? Hungry?”
Ling Xiao’s gaze fell on Ning Su’s chest, but quickly looked away.
Even though it was quick, Ning Su noticed. He lowered his head to look at his own chest and found that his heart was heavy, beating slowly, as if it was low and dull.
He pursed his lips and said nothing.
Pang Yang also lay down on the bed, and the two children quietly climbed into the bed.
The space between the two beds suddenly quieted down.
After a while, Ling Xiao asked, “What’s your ability?”
Ning Su replied, “To devour all dark energies, quite powerful.”
Ling Xiao nodded and looked at the youth’s hand resting on the bed's edge.
The fingers were long, the knuckles prominent, and the slender veins were visible.
“Devouring dark energies. Even the veins turned black,” he said.
Ning Su turned to look at him, looking somewhat displeased.
Ling Xiao, at a very close distance, lowered his gaze to the young man’s eyes, continuing from before, “Why are your eyes still so clear?”
Ning Su was stunned, and his pupils trembled inexplicably.
This was the first time Ling Xiao had expressed curiosity in his life.
He vaguely guessed Ning Su’s ability, that he absorbed boundless dark energies.
In some blurry scenes, he seemed to see the young man absorbing endless dark energies.
Yet, every time he looked into the young man’s eyes, the slightly stagnant eyes were clear and pure, unlike anything found on earth.
The heart was also pure, as even a hint of human darkness would make its beats slower.
He clearly had already traversed mountains and seas of corpses.
The heart sank once again and then joyfully leaped.
The slight gloominess that had arisen in Ning Su’s heart due to Yun Xiangning’s existence disappeared instantly.
He thought to himself, even the dignified Flower God would flatter for a living—it’s not easy for anyone. So, he generously pulled out a basket from under the bed, pointing to the sweet potatoes and wild fruits inside, “Feel free to choose!”
Ling Xiao: “...”
The two adults and two children each nibbled on a sweet potato before going to sleep.
Nothing happened on the ship on the first night.
When they woke up, it wasn’t very bright yet.
It wasn’t that early, but on this black river, surrounded by thick black and eerie red hues, the sky seemed like it wouldn’t be very bright even in the middle of the day.
This darkness made it difficult for them to determine the exact time.
After a night passed, the oppression and irritability from the previous night had eased a bit.
Ning Su poked his head out from the bed curtain, seeing the human pupa master who had a sullen face last night in action again.
She still insisted on her idea, wanting to find all the players on the ship.
Not knowing how long she had been busy or what methods she used, when Ning Su got off the bed, many people had already gathered around her.
The ship was much quieter compared to late at night, and many corpses were no longer moving energetically, which happened to facilitate what she wanted to do.
Pang Yang, from the opposite side, said to Ning Su, “You’re awake! Let us come over. Get ready quickly.”
He looked up at the upper bunk and said, “They said Ling Xiao should come over too. This time, none of us should be missing. Should we call him?”
Before Ning Su could speak, the person above jumped down.
Ning Su: “Are you not busy with your part-time job these days?”
Ling Xiao, who was adjusting his windbreaker, stopped at the collar. The dark windbreaker made his hands look exceptionally pale. He looked up at Ning Su, “Not part-time, not a job.”
Before Ning Su could say anything, they were urged again.
The four players walked over.
Xue Wei gave each of them a pen and a piece of paper, “Write down your name, age, guild situation, blood type, bus number, number of times you entered a dungeon, and amount of property in the base.”
Ning Su: “...”
Who was she trying to humiliate with this?
He wrote while sneakily glancing at Ling Xiao. When he saw Ling Xiao add a “1” after the age, his pen paused.
Ning Su: “?”
Xue Wei: “Stop peeking! Write your own!”
Ning Su withdrew his gaze and obediently continued writing.
In a few minutes, everyone finished and handed their papers to her.
Xue Wei flipped through the pages, and her face showed various expressions.
She fell silent for a while, then lifted her head with an indiscernible expression. Her gaze slid over several players, giving an inexplicable sense of unease.
“Hu Li, Che Yutian, Gong Liping, Mi Xinjia, please immediately answer your bus numbers.”
The four simultaneously replied, “Bus 07.”
The ship suddenly became eerily quiet.
When Lin Lin spoke to Dong Zhengxuan, she sat on Yun Xiangning’s bed, so she felt that it was also a warning to her.
“How should I give him a hint?” she cried as she spoke.
Ning Su said, “When she talks to Dong Zhengxuan on your bed, she’s facing away from you, while Dong Zhengxuan is facing you. They chatted for nearly an hour. If you really want to warn Dong Zhengxuan, there’s a chance.”
Yun Xiangning paused and immediately said, “But if she finds out, who knows if she’ll become more sensitive? What if she discovers it? What should I do?”
“I have to be very careful. I have a little daughter waiting for me on the base. You must understand.”
She said in a desperate tone, “I beg you, please don’t tell anyone. If the Human Pupa Master finds out, he will definitely not spare me, and if others in the base know, they will spread rumors about me. I implore you to keep it a secret.”
The three remained silent.
Yun Xiangning was good at reading between the lines and realized that Ning Su was the backbone here. She stepped forward and grabbed Ning Su’s arm. “You must understand, right?”
Pointing at Manman, she said, “My little daughter is the same age as her.”
Ning Su improved the bed with Ling Xiao vines and crafted two skull-shaped night lamps with floral patterns using Ling Xiao vines. One of them hung beside Manman’s bed.
The warm and bright light shone on the little girl’s white princess dress was also illuminating her remarkably beautiful face. She looked like a little princess, clean and beautiful even in this horror setting.
“If my little daughter could have half her happiness, that would be great. Do you know how miserable our lives are?”
Ning Su frowned and pulled his hand away. “I didn’t say it before, and I don’t intend to meddle. You don’t need to come over.”
Yun Xiangning nodded hastily, then looked at Fang Qi and Pang Yang.
Both nodded with solemn expressions.
Yun Xiangning wiped away tears happily, repeatedly thanking them before leaving.
Pang Yang touched his face and said hoarsely, “It’s really tough.”
He didn’t specify what was tough, but those three words conveyed a deep understanding.
“Mom.” Manman gently tugged at Ning Su’s clothes.
The silent Ning Su turned to look at her. “What’s wrong?”
The little girl said, “I am indeed very happy now, but I don’t like her assuming that her daughter is not even half as happy as me.”
Ning Su ruffled her bun-like hair.
When Fang Qi lay on the upper bunk, the person on the opposite upper bunk came down.
“Hmm?” Gui Sheng, upon seeing Ling Xiao, immediately stood up and patted the place he had just been sitting. “Sit!”
He ran to Ning Su’s left side where Manman was, squeezed in beside her, and secretly watched with her.
Ling Xiao sat in the spot vacated by Gui Sheng.
Ning Su turned to him. “Why did you come down? Hungry?”
Ling Xiao’s gaze fell on Ning Su’s chest, but quickly looked away.
Even though it was quick, Ning Su noticed. He lowered his head to look at his own chest and found that his heart was heavy, beating slowly, as if it was low and dull.
He pursed his lips and said nothing.
Pang Yang also lay down on the bed, and the two children quietly climbed into the bed.
The space between the two beds suddenly quieted down.
After a while, Ling Xiao asked, “What’s your ability?”
Ning Su replied, “To devour all dark energies, quite powerful.”
Ling Xiao nodded and looked at the youth’s hand resting on the bed's edge.
The fingers were long, the knuckles prominent, and the slender veins were visible.
“Devouring dark energies. Even the veins turned black,” he said.
Ning Su turned to look at him, looking somewhat displeased.
Ling Xiao, at a very close distance, lowered his gaze to the young man’s eyes, continuing from before, “Why are your eyes still so clear?”
Ning Su was stunned, and his pupils trembled inexplicably.
This was the first time Ling Xiao had expressed curiosity in his life.
He vaguely guessed Ning Su’s ability, that he absorbed boundless dark energies.
In some blurry scenes, he seemed to see the young man absorbing endless dark energies.
Yet, every time he looked into the young man’s eyes, the slightly stagnant eyes were clear and pure, unlike anything found on earth.
The heart was also pure, as even a hint of human darkness would make its beats slower.
He clearly had already traversed mountains and seas of corpses.
The heart sank once again and then joyfully leaped.
The slight gloominess that had arisen in Ning Su’s heart due to Yun Xiangning’s existence disappeared instantly.
He thought to himself, even the dignified Flower God would flatter for a living—it’s not easy for anyone. So, he generously pulled out a basket from under the bed, pointing to the sweet potatoes and wild fruits inside, “Feel free to choose!”
Ling Xiao: “...”
The two adults and two children each nibbled on a sweet potato before going to sleep.
Nothing happened on the ship on the first night.
When they woke up, it wasn’t very bright yet.
It wasn’t that early, but on this black river, surrounded by thick black and eerie red hues, the sky seemed like it wouldn’t be very bright even in the middle of the day.
This darkness made it difficult for them to determine the exact time.
After a night passed, the oppression and irritability from the previous night had eased a bit.
Ning Su poked his head out from the bed curtain, seeing the human pupa master who had a sullen face last night in action again.
She still insisted on her idea, wanting to find all the players on the ship.
Not knowing how long she had been busy or what methods she used, when Ning Su got off the bed, many people had already gathered around her.
The ship was much quieter compared to late at night, and many corpses were no longer moving energetically, which happened to facilitate what she wanted to do.
Pang Yang, from the opposite side, said to Ning Su, “You’re awake! Let us come over. Get ready quickly.”
He looked up at the upper bunk and said, “They said Ling Xiao should come over too. This time, none of us should be missing. Should we call him?”
Before Ning Su could speak, the person above jumped down.
Ning Su: “Are you not busy with your part-time job these days?”
Ling Xiao, who was adjusting his windbreaker, stopped at the collar. The dark windbreaker made his hands look exceptionally pale. He looked up at Ning Su, “Not part-time, not a job.”
Before Ning Su could say anything, they were urged again.
The four players walked over.
Xue Wei gave each of them a pen and a piece of paper, “Write down your name, age, guild situation, blood type, bus number, number of times you entered a dungeon, and amount of property in the base.”
Ning Su: “...”
Who was she trying to humiliate with this?
He wrote while sneakily glancing at Ling Xiao. When he saw Ling Xiao add a “1” after the age, his pen paused.
Ning Su: “?”
Xue Wei: “Stop peeking! Write your own!”
Ning Su withdrew his gaze and obediently continued writing.
In a few minutes, everyone finished and handed their papers to her.
Xue Wei flipped through the pages, and her face showed various expressions.
She fell silent for a while, then lifted her head with an indiscernible expression. Her gaze slid over several players, giving an inexplicable sense of unease.
“Hu Li, Che Yutian, Gong Liping, Mi Xinjia, please immediately answer your bus numbers.”
The four simultaneously replied, “Bus 07.”
The ship suddenly became eerily quiet.
