Moonlit Night's Help

"They died such horrible deaths. It's perfectly normal for their resentment to turn into Weirds, and the number of Weirds here fits what happened to the victims."

An Ying shook his head. "Not necessarily," he said coldly.

He looked at the NPCs nearby. "Some of the Weirds look like these victims. Take the supernatural Weirds of clubs. They died horribly and look terrifying."

"But others look more like some of the administrators here, like the claw-hammer Weird of diamonds. It's tall and carries a weapon. The hearts are the same. They don't look like victims, but accomplices or perpetrators."

"As for the Spades Weirds... they're more like a certain kind of guest."

"They hide in the shadows, using other Weirds' identities and rules. Kill one wave, and another comes back to life. They're the hardest Weirds to kill and the most deadly. They're a lot like those guests who look respectable on the surface but are cruel and vicious underneath."

An Ying's voice was cold, with little change in emotion. "Besides them, there are the Weirds responsible for enforcing the casino's rules. Their identities are unknown."

"The relationships between these Weirds definitely aren't harmonious. They've only banded together for now because of pressure from the Weird behind the scenes—the true Weird master of this instance."

"If we can find a way to make them fight among themselves, we'll be under a lot less pressure."

"We were hiding in the gambling house before to avoid the street's rules and the Weirds hunting us. If the Weirds aren't hunting us during the third round of the death chase, we might find something if we search the streets."

Wang Xiaoxiao thought of the scene she had just witnessed, when the moon was swallowed. She hesitated, wanting to say something, but in the end she pressed her lips together and swallowed her question.

"So what do we do now? Just sit here and wait? What do we do if the one behind all this really comes out?" Fang Yi, the leader of the pickup team, asked.

"Don't worry. My playing card is the ace of diamonds. As long as the cards aren't reshuffled and there are no jokers, I have the highest card," Mei Long said.

"Impressive!" The others all gave him a thumbs-up. An Ying paused, then raised his thumb too.

Although he knew it couldn't be that simple, now wasn't the time for discouraging words.

The moment he raised his thumb, An Ying felt a scorching, appraising gaze piercing his back. He turned sideways and met the newcomer's green eyes for an instant, his fists itching.

This person had been bouncing around on the roof for so long just now, yet he looked perfectly fine, with not even a hair out of place on his clothes.

The crude little peachwood sword pendant on his long saber swung back and forth, a complete mismatch with the delicate silver bell at his waist.

"...A new player? He looks a little familiar."

Wang Xiaoxiao and the others saw Moonlit Night too. She suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on the half-rabbit doll on his shoulder. Memories came flooding back, and her mouth fell open in shock. "Y-y-y-you, y-y-y-you—"

"Are you the one who just swallowed the moon?"

"Holy crap? A big shot? A real, live big shot!"

Moonlit Night paid no attention to their shock and questions. He only smiled at An Ying. "I wasn't too late, was I?"

When An Ying saw him, more than half the worry in his heart faded without his realizing it.

"Do you have a way?"

"I'm not a guest in this game. The rules won't let me join your gamble. Even if I had a way, I couldn't help you."

An Ying's heart sank.

"But..."

Seeing his disappointment, Moonlit Night changed tack, his green eyes full of mirth. "I have a good idea. You can give it a try."

An Ying turned to see the curious looks on the other five's faces. Gripping his bamboo umbrella tightly, he walked over to Moonlit Night and lowered his voice. "You clearly have a way to end this instance. Why?"

He could swallow the stronger Weird in the sky outright, so why hadn't he saved these people? There had clearly still been time to save everyone then.

Moonlit Night said, "That was your responsibility. What did it have to do with me?"

The gentle smile in Moonlit Night's eyes didn't diminish in the slightest. But to An Ying, that smile now seemed more like utter indifference and unconcern.

"You're the only one I intend to help."

Looking at the unconcerned young man before him, An Ying felt a chill in his heart.

He was deeply grateful to him for saving his life, but that didn't make him like the man. There was something deeply incongruous about Moonlit Night. When he said those words, he seemed as unfamiliar as a member of another species.

Like a madman wearing human skin, doing his best to disguise himself as gentle and harmless, leaving people afraid he might shed his disguise and bite them at any moment.

An Ying said no more. He wouldn't force others to do what he wanted. Having confirmed Moonlit Night's intentions, he asked, "What's your plan?"

Moonlit Night handed him the half-rabbit he was holding.

An Ying took the battered rabbit in a daze. It looked miserable. Everything below its belly was torn to shreds, with dirty stuffing dangling from it. Its once-smiling mouth drooped at the corners, making it look very unhappy.

Bai Yang's rabbit was in Moonlit Night's hands... Was Bai Yang all right?

"Hold on to it."

An Ying's first reaction was disbelief. "You want me to swallow the Weird behind all this?"

Moonlit Night raised a hand and tapped him on the head. An Ying jerked his head back to dodge his hand.

Moonlit Night withdrew his hand, disappointed. "What are you thinking? Don't even consider it. You aren't strong enough to deal with this Weird right now, especially on its home turf."

"The first thing you need to do is make it 'cheat.' Only if it takes the initiative to break the rules can you break free of their restraints."

"Now, throw away all your playing cards. I have a few new ones here."

Looking at the four brand-new cards in his hand, An Ying took a deep breath. The four different suits were reflected in his pink eyes as he murmured, "You really are a madman. Are you keeping these four cards to kill yourself?"

Moonlit Night looked at the king in his hand and smiled. "Go on. Don't forget what I said."

An Ying put away the four cards, his expression calm again. "I'll succeed."

Moonlit Night smiled. "My lord thinks highly of you. Don't die here. Once the game begins, the rules are everything."

After thanking him, An Ying rejoined the other five with the listless rabbit on his shoulder.

Though they all looked curious, they didn't press him about Moonlit Night's identity at this critical moment. What mattered now was figuring out how to finish this round and survive. Only then would they have time to gossip.

Five minutes later, the host returned with a "person."

The person wore a deathly pale, featureless mask and a formal black suit. They had no hair, and their steps were somewhat light, like a thin sheet of paper.

This Weird looks kind of frail. It feels like a gust of wind could blow it away. Wang Xiaoxiao mouthed her complaint to her temporary teammates.

The others: ...

"Honored guests, I hear you wish to play a game of cards with me?" The Weird stood on the stage. Its voice, coming from who knew what organ, was unpleasant and raspy, like paper rubbing against paper, making them deeply uncomfortable.

"That's right. Just tell us the rules," Mei Long said.

"Impatient guests." The Weird chuckled softly. Though it had no facial features, the malice on its blank mask bore down on them in wave after tangible wave, until it swept over Moonlit Night and was shattered by a far greater force.

Moonlit Night smiled and waved the long saber in his hand.

The Weird withdrew its gaze resentfully. It unleashed the resentment Moonlit Night's provocation had stirred up on An Ying and the others without restraint. "Then, one round will decide the winner. Who will you send?"

An Ying took a deep breath. Thinking of what he had to do, he felt a great deal of pressure.