The air was thick with the stench of blood. The cold night wind whipped through their nostrils, and Yan Chi nearly vomited. Pale-faced, he leaned against a tree trunk and dry-heaved twice.
Xie Tao, supporting Yan Chi, also looked grim. Such a horrific scene would be a major shock to anyone with a sound mind.
But Sethia and Tan Mo seemed to accept it well. Tan Mo glanced at Sethia, released his grip, and said in a low voice, "It's already tainted. Don't eat it."
Sethia wasn't indiscriminate; he glanced at the mangled corpse and nodded regretfully, "Alright, I won't eat it."
Then he suddenly remembered something, searched the corpse for a moment, and returned empty-handed, dejected, "Those two took the jade pendant too."
Tan Mo patted his drooping head, comforting him, "It's alright, it's just a replica, it'll break in a week at most."
"A replica?" Yan Chi was surprised, but thinking about it, it made sense. The termite's owner certainly wouldn't give such an important item to his subordinates. If he wasn't wearing the real jade pendant, Yan Qingyuan would have killed him long ago.
As for those two players…
"Ugh…"
He couldn't think about it; it made him nauseous.
Sethia bent down worriedly to look at Yan Chi, hugging his other arm, "Teacher Xiao Chi, are you alright?"
The nausea was unbearable; Yan Chi's eyes were red and misty, making him look pitiful.
Yan Chi, weak and listless, said, "I'm...I'm alright."
As long as he didn't relive the scene, he wouldn't feel nauseous. He took the water Tan Mo offered, rinsed his mouth, and asked, "Where are they going?"
"To find the termite woman we caught earlier." Tan Mo knew their whereabouts perfectly well. "Should we kill them now? Or wait and see what they do next?"
Yan Chi hesitated, realizing Tan Mo and Sethia were looking at him. He understood they were asking for his opinion, but he wasn't familiar with such stratagems.
"Or...I could go and call Shen Mingsu for you?" Yan Chi never offered advice in areas he wasn't familiar with, fearing he might mislead others due to his lack of knowledge.
Tan Mo: "Okay."
Yan Chi took out his phone, about to message Shen Mingsu, when an arm suddenly appeared on his shoulder. Yan Chi's breath hitched; the terrifying memory returned. He pushed the arm away and ran to a tree to vomit.
Sethia looked at Shen Mingsu, who had a blank expression, and said, "Principal, you made the teacher throw up."
Shen Mingsu: "...Nonsense!"
He hurriedly patted Yan Chi's back, making him feel a little better. He looked up and saw Shen Mingsu's aggrieved expression, feeling puzzled. "Why did you suddenly come? And why do you have that expression?"
"I was worried because you hadn't been home for so long." Shen Mingsu looked at him dejectedly, "Xiao Chi, do you find me disgusting?"
Yan Chi was surprised for a moment, then realized that his earlier behavior must have caused the misunderstanding, and explained, "It's not because of you, don't overthink it. By the way, since you're here, tell them what to do next."
At this moment, Tan Mo stepped forward and recounted the events to Shen Mingsu, his dark eyes expressionless, "Should we kill them?"
Shen Mingsu didn't answer immediately. He turned to Yan Chi and asked, "So you were scared by them, that's why you threw up?"
Yan Chi nodded sheepishly, "I didn't want to... they were just too disgusting."
Shen Mingsu made the final decision, "Then kill them all. It's time for Zhou Yan to do her work."
Since Zhou Yan was taken back to school, she's been living a more comfortable life than if she were among the termites, eating and drinking every day. Shen Mingsu didn't want to keep a termite member who had no use for him.
...
At this moment, Zhou Yan was at home. She had prepared a table full of dishes, replaced the flowers in the vase with the freshest blooms, lit candles, and sat down at the table to enjoy her New Year's Eve dinner, a meal meant only for her.
Zhou Yan savored her food with a satisfied smile, ignoring the subtle movements behind her, until a hand grabbed her neck and slammed her to the ground. Only then did Zhou Yan look at the intruder, her expression filled with terror.
"Brother..."
The two uninvited guests who entered Zhou Yan's home were two short men. At a glance, they appeared to be no more than 1.5 meters tall, but their arms were unusually long and thin, like spider legs.
The man who bore a five or six-point resemblance to Zhou Yan grinned upon hearing the word "brother." "Good little sister, you still remember you have a brother like me."
Zhou Yan appeared completely unfazed. "Of course I remember. After all, you're horribly ugly, while I'm stunningly beautiful. How could I forget you, my comparison?"
Zhou Yan's brother's face twisted in pain. He raised his hand and slapped Zhou Yan. "Can you talk now?"
Zhou Yan's cheek bore the slap mark, but she smiled instead of being angry. "I've always been able to. It's just a fact. Brother, can't you accept that? Such a little man, tsk tsk tsk..."
Zhou Yan's brother clenched his fists. His companion grew impatient. "Don't waste your breath on her. Let's finish the mission quickly."
Soon, Zhou Yan's brother's lips curled into a smirk as he looked at Zhou Yan as if she were already dead. "You know what the consequences of betraying the organization are, right?"
"I know. They can kill me if they want." Zhou Yan's face beamed with a wide smile. "Anyway, I knew you'd come back to be with me."
Zhou Yan's brother opened his mouth, filled with sharp teeth, and bit down on Zhou Yan's neck. He tore at her flesh, like a mad dog drooling over blood, refusing to let go once he had his grip.
The carotid artery was severed, blood pooling on the ground. Zhou Yan stared wide-eyed at the two of them.
The viewers in Zhou Yan's brother's livestream chat cheered enthusiastically.
【Good riddance! Traitors deserve this fate!】
【We paved the way for useless things like you, helped you conquer other small worlds, gave you a chance to breathe and survive, and yet you dared to defect to NPCs and condemn us?! Ha! You deserve to die!】
【Those who betray the players are sinners! They must all be executed!】
【Only termites can lead us to a better future! No one can stop humanity's progress, or this will be their fate!】 […]
Time seemed to stand still. The comments scrolling in the live stream stopped. Shen Mingsu pushed open the door to Zhou Yan's house and saw the mess inside. He pushed Yan Chi, who was following closely behind, aside. "Wait here, it's filthy inside."
Yan Chi could already smell the blood. His face was pale. He didn't pretend to be strong and nodded. Thinking of the cheerful girl, Yan Chi asked worriedly, "Will Zhou Yan be alright?"
Shen Mingsu: "Don't worry, she's safe."
Yan Chi felt relieved and stood with Xie Tao at the entrance, watching Shen Mingsu lead Sethia and Tan Mo into the living room.
Blood was everywhere in the living room. Tan Mo's fingers twitched slightly, and Zhou Yan's corpse lying on the floor transformed into a black shadow, the blood disappearing.
The black shadow swiftly and decisively snapped the necks of two termite members, devoured their corpses, and handed the fallen jade pendant to Tan Mo. It then transformed into the appearance of Zhou Yan's brother's companion.
"Let me see," Sethia said, tiptoeing to get a look.
Tan Mo handed him the jade pendant. Sethia was very curious about this pendant that could evade Yan Qingyuan's abilities. He sniffed it first, then put it in his mouth and gently bit it.
"Crack!"
Sethia was shocked. He quickly released his mouth, picked it up, and saw a crack appear at the edge of the jade pendant.
So fragile?!
Shen Mingsu snatched the jade pendant and tapped Sethia on the forehead. "You gluttonous brat, you have to taste everything?"
Sethia lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
Shen Mingsu waved his hand, then walked to Zhou Yan's room, opened the tightly closed door, and found Zhou Yan hiding behind the curtains. He snapped his fingers in front of her.
Zhou Yan's dazed eyes instantly brightened. She stared blankly at Shen Mingsu. "Is it...is it done?"
"Yes, it's time for you to enter." Shen Mingsu glanced at her with his cold, dark green eyes. "Do you know what to do?"
Zhou Yan could no longer hide her excitement. The thought of going back and killing those former colleagues who had gone mad made her smile uncontrollably. "I know. I will be a good infected person."
With the [Memory Invasion] spreading like a virus, none of the termite's higher-ups could escape.
"Take this." Shen Mingsu handed the repaired jade pendant to Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan's eyes lit up as she looked at the valuable pendant. "Is this my salary?"
"What are you thinking? This is a fake made by you termites."
Zhou Yan: "..."
Her excitement was short-lived.
A few seconds later, Zhou Yan's figure rapidly shrank, transforming into her brother's appearance. She walked to the side of her companion, played by a shadowy figure, and another dead Zhou Yan appeared on the ground.
Seeing Shen Mingsu about to leave, Zhou Yan hurriedly stopped him. "Can I talk to you?"
Shen Mingsu's expression was dangerous. "You want to negotiate?"
Money or power?
He wouldn't mind using someone else.
"Not really," Zhou Yan smiled ingratiatingly at him. "It's just that while I'm at the termite headquarters, could you please not give this house to anyone else? What if I come back alive?"
Shen Mingsu: "...You only want this house?"
Zhou Yan nodded repeatedly, looking around her beautifully decorated home with deep affection. "I decorated everything in this house, I even put up the wallpaper. I...I really love it here."
To get the house, Zhou Yan made a huge concession. She hardened her heart, "This time I'll work for you for free! Not a single penny."
Shen Mingsu smiled. "Alright, the house is yours."
This...this is it? He agreed just like that? No more negotiating or dividing the profits? What kind of kind-hearted boss is this!
Zhou Yan was overjoyed. She loudly proclaimed her loyalty, "Boss, don't worry, you won't regret using me! I'll make sure your money is well spent! I'll always be your most diligent and hardworking employee! Boss, may you have good fortune and a safe journey!"
Shen Mingsu quickened his pace upon hearing the loud voice behind him.
As time began to flow again, no one in the live stream noticed that the protagonist had changed.
Yan Chi and Xie Tao chatted outside while waiting for Shen Mingsu and the others. Seeing Shen Mingsu emerge, Yan Chi stepped forward and asked, "Is everything settled?"
Shen Mingsu nodded, taking Yan Chi's hand. "We just need to wait for Zhou Yan to return to the termite stronghold. Then none of them will escape. But I doubt the termite master will die; he has glasses that can resist [memory invasion]."
"Then what should we do?"
Shen Mingsu smiled. "A lone commander, what's there to fear?"
Anyway, they had plenty of time to wear them down. They'd just see when the termite master would give in and show himself.
After everything was settled, Sethia hadn't forgotten Yan Chi's promise. He sidled up to him, asking expectantly, "Teacher Xiao Chi, can I still have my mutton soup?"
Yan Chi, seeing his single-minded focus on the delicious food, couldn't help but nod with a smile. "Yes, come back with me."
Sethia was overjoyed, pulling Tan Mo along as they followed Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu, still muttering about the mutton soup.
After they left, Zhou Yan and the shadowy figure, each posing their own identities, returned to the botanical garden and found the crew-cut man's corpse. Zhou Yan's brother's skill was [Parasitism], allowing him to hide inside other people's organs.
Disgusting… but Zhou Yan had to do it. She took a deep breath, shrunk her and the shadowy figure's bodies into wriggling worms, and burrowed into the corpse, waiting for the system to take them out in seven days.
...
It was already past ten o'clock at night. Yan Qingyuan had returned to his room to recover, and everyone else had left. Yan Chi opened the door and entered the living room, where he saw Shen Changyao sitting alone on the sofa, his chin resting on his hands, lost in thought.
Yan Chi was surprised. "Yao Yao, why aren't you asleep?"
Shen Changyao replied listlessly, "My brother doesn't want me to sleep in the same room as him..."
Shen Changyao sniffed, stubbornly holding back tears.
"But didn't we already prepare another room for you?" Yan Chi was puzzled. While talking to Shen Changyao, he took Sethia and Tan Mo to the kitchen, opened a clay pot, and inside was a well-simmered carrot and mutton soup.
The enticing aroma filled the kitchen. Sethia swallowed hard. "I...I only want one bowl."
Yan Chi patted his head. "There's plenty, help yourselves. Take a bowl back for your father later."
Sethia and Tan Mo didn't stand on ceremony, each serving themselves a bowl, thanking Yan Chi, and sitting obediently at the table drinking their mutton soup.
"Uncle..."
Seeing that Yan Chi ignored him and instead attended to the other two students, Shen Changyao felt even more aggrieved. "Don't you like me anymore?"
Shen Mingsu answered first, "Yes, I've never liked you at all."
Shen Changyao was hit with two blows, and tears were about to spill over. Fortunately, Yan Chi noticed and came to the rescue. He pushed Shen Mingsu aside and sat down next to Shen Changyao. "Tell me, what kind of conflict did you and your brother have again?"
Shen Changyao and Shen Chang Le had been sleeping separately for a while, and he hadn't seen him so resistant before.
"My brother doesn't want me to sleep with him, and then he turned around and brought that mermaid named Chu Xi into the room." Shen Changyao said indignantly, "Why can't I?! I'm his brother!"
Shen Mingsu floated out like a ghost again, "You're not."
This time, Shen Changyao was really about to cry.
Yan Chi shoved away the disruptive Shen Mingsu, strictly forbidding him from speaking again. Shen Mingsu finally behaved and obediently sat down beside him.
"Yao Yao," Yan Chi pondered how to resolve the conflict between the two children, "Have you told your brother that you want to sleep with him?"
Shen Mingsu stared wide-eyed at Yan Chi. Yan Chi, receiving his gaze, turned his head strangely to look at him, "Why are you looking at me again?"
Shen Mingsu hesitated, then shook his head.
Shen Changyao was even more frustrated. "I told you, my brother said the bed is too small, it can't fit two people, so he insisted on not having me."
Yan Chi: "...He's not wrong, your brother's room has a single bed."
Before, when Shen Changyao was a baby, he could squeeze in, but now that he's almost as tall as Shen Changle, the single bed feels extremely cramped.
Shen Changyao had his own explanation, "He just didn't want me to come. I even said I could sleep on the floor, but he absolutely refused. But when it came to Chu Xi, he didn't have any reservations!"
Yan Chi: "Chu Xi is still young..."
Shen Changyao was no longer listening to reason, "Waaah, it's all just excuses."
Yan Chi: "..."
This was a bit hard to explain.
Yan Chi turned to look at Shen Mingsu, who nudged his arm, and exhaled. "It's up to you now."
"Okay, I'll do it." Shen Mingsu rallied, suddenly standing up and heading towards Shen Changyao, his aura menacing like a demon crawling out of the ground.
Shen Changyao was terrified, clutching himself tightly. "W-what are you doing?! Uncle, save me! Save me! He's coming to hit me! Ahhh—!"
Shen Mingsu grabbed him by the collar, dragging him upstairs amidst Shen Changyao's screams. He kicked open his room door, tossed him inside like trash, and then slammed the door shut, blocking out the shouts from inside.
Having accomplished the task in one swift motion, Shen Mingsu clapped his hands and returned to Yan Chi's side triumphantly. "Done."
This simple and brutal action left Yan Chi speechless, but undeniably, the method was highly efficient. Meeting Shen Mingsu's expectant gaze, Yan Chi gave him a thumbs up. After Sethia and Tan Mo left, the busy day finally ended. Yan Chi and Shen Mingsu took showers and snuggled warmly in bed.
It seemed to be snowing outside; snowflakes pattered softly against the windowpane.
The atmosphere in the room was perfect. Shen Mingsu looked at Yan Chi's face, flushed from the steam, and, feeling a surge of warmth, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Not satisfied with just one kiss, he leaned in again.
"Wait..." Yan Chi reached out to shield his face. He took two apples from under the covers and placed one in Shen Mingsu's hand. "Eating apples on New Year's Eve brings peace and safety in the coming year."
He had specially brought these to the room and even washed them. Yan Chi was incredibly proud of his thoughtfulness. "We'll eat apples at midnight sharp."
Is this a New Year's Eve tradition? Shen Mingsu looked at the bright red apple in his hand with suspicion, remaining silent for a moment. "...I remember this is a custom from some Western holiday, right? Isn't it dumplings for New Year's Eve?"
Yan Chi's expression went blank for a moment. Dumplings or... an apple?
No, dumplings!
Yan Chi coughed twice, his face turning bright red. He snatched the apple, hid it behind his back, and stammered with his head down, "I think... I think I got it mixed up. Just pretend nothing happened."
He got up and placed the apple on the cabinet, pretending to return casually. He glanced at Shen Mingsu, whose eyes were smiling, felt a pang of guilt, then deliberately raised his face. "Did you just try to kiss me? Do you want to kiss me again?"
Shen Mingsu was incredibly pleased to see him take the initiative. "Yes, I want to kiss you."
But this time, he waited for Yan Chi to kiss him. Yan Chi slowly leaned in front of him and captured his lips.
On New Year's Eve, the two didn't fall asleep until after midnight.
During the Spring Festival, Shen Mingsu didn't let any players into the dungeon. Ding Yang spent the holiday with Mingcai and Ahui, while Xin Xia and Rong Wenshi went with Lin Heng.
Zheng Yu and Zhu Ge Yun, like two unwanted orphans, desperately went to find Song Qian, their only friend. Song Qian clicked his tongue when he saw them, but still let them into his house.
The viewers in their livestream also celebrated the New Year with them.
【Happy New Year! Watch me celebrate the New Year in Cyber.】
【Just chopped off a zombie's head, now I'm covered in the stench of blood, but I still want to say Happy New Year!】
【Just wished the female ghost who was chasing me a Happy New Year, and she actually let me go and even said Happy New Year to me! Is this some kind of New Year buff?】
【I said Happy New Year too, and almost got my head blown off by the Forest Monster with a hammer. Seriously, I have absolutely nothing in common with these people who don't celebrate the New Year!】 […]
The comments section was bustling with activity, everyone exchanging auspicious greetings. Some people's profile pictures went dark after they finished speaking, as everyone selectively ignored them, all conveying the joy of the New Year.
Seven days later, the system evacuated all players from Yunzhou.
Zhou Yan transformed back into human form from her worm form. Staring at her brother's gloomy face, she headed straight for another infinitely accessible instance: [Dawn Community].
All the NPCs in [Dawn Community] had been killed. The residents were all core members of the termites. Zhou Yan was subjected to rigorous scrutiny before entering the community.
The termite members scrutinizing her wore glasses. They meticulously examined every detail of Zhou Yan's experiences in Yunzhou before questioning her. Zhou Yan, her brows furrowed, answered everything.
"The jade pendant, here you go."
Zhou Yan produced the jade pendant. Upon seeing it, the guard behind his glasses lessened considerably. He took the pendant and questioned the shadowy figure posing as his companion. "Hmm, go in."
The community gates slowly opened, and Zhou Yan, maintaining her composure, stepped inside.
Behind her, the guard took off his scalding glasses and threw them in the trash can, complaining to his colleague, "These disposable items are such garbage! Couldn't they give us monthly or semi-annual disposables?"
"Ha, what do you think this is?" His colleague also took off his glasses. "An item that can defend against the abilities of a super S-level boss. If the organization hadn't given it to us, you'd never have encountered one in your life."
Hearing their conversation, Zhou Yan's lips curled up, her black eyes turning light gray. She had long been "contaminated" by Ming Danxi, and now, Ming Danxi could control even more people through her eyes.
Every termite player who brushed past her instantly suffered a super S-level [memory invasion], instantly losing control of their bodies, their thoughts and actions controlled by Ming Danxi, far away in Yunzhou.
This invisible "contagious disease" spread rapidly in the shadows.
In just two days, Zhou Yan returned to her original appearance, swaggering to the top floor in her high heels.
The termite members she encountered on the road had vacant stares. Upon seeing her, they followed her like robots, lifeless zombies.
One of the members approached Zhou Yan, uttering a voice identical to Ming Danxi's, "Don't worry, you can order these people around as you please."
"Okay."
Zhou Yan kicked open the top-floor door. A bespectacled man sat in an office chair. He had a refined and approachable appearance, but the moment Zhou Yan saw him, she felt a surge of hatred.
"Isn't this the boss's position?" Zhou Yan faced her former superior without any politeness. "What? You've usurped the position?"
The man sighed in disappointment. "Zhou Yan, you used to be my most trusted subordinate. I had high hopes for you."
"Bullshit! You value me, but you don't give me a promotion or a raise. What good is all that lip service?" Zhou Yan had long harbored resentment towards this man.
She waved her hand, and several termite members rushed forward to pin the man's arms down. Zhou Yan admired her boss's disheveled appearance, wandered around the office, and then picked up a photograph from her desk.
The photograph showed a young man with silver hair and blue eyes, smiling at the camera, holding a bouquet of bellflowers in his hands, and making a peace sign with his free hand.
Zhou Yan had never seen this person among the termites before and asked, "Who is he?"
Her boss smiled, "The boss's older brother, but you can't find him now. He went to find the boss."
On the other side, Ming Danxi's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. How could Li Xian be the termite master's brother? Besides, he had been dead for so many years…
Then what exactly was this "Li Xian"?
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