Game of Wits

If the ghost chose scissors, and he needed to choose rock, he would have to anticipate the ghost's anticipation.

Going in a circle like this, it was like returning to the starting point.

If he continued to deduce this way, the ghost would be on the third level, and he would have to be on the fourth; then the ghost would likely be on the fifth, and he would have to be on the sixth. If this continued indefinitely, it would lose the original meaning of the Game of Wits.

After much thought, Gao Tian finally decided that if the ghost chose rock, he would choose paper. Thinking one step ahead was enough. Even if the ghost possessed intelligence and thought of this, the worst outcome for both sides would be a draw.

He made his choice.

Gao Tian, rock.

Ghost, rock.

Round one, a draw.

Gao Tian was unsure if the ghost had also engaged in multiple rounds of mental Game of Wits, or if it was merely a coincidence.

The second round was about to begin.

The probability of a person choosing to change their hand gesture was higher than not changing it. If the ghost assumed he would choose rock again in the next round, then the highest probability was that it would choose paper to counter rock.

Therefore, the probability of him winning by choosing scissors in the next round was higher.

Gao Tian, scissors.

Ghost, scissors.

Round two, a draw. It was nullified again.

With two rounds of stalemate, Gao Tian felt a bit anxious. In the next round, he planned to change his strategy and continue with scissors. Perhaps the ghost would guess that he would choose rock to defeat scissors, and then it would switch to paper to counter scissors.

But Gao Tian had miscalculated.

Gao Tian, scissors.

Ghost, rock.

Round three, the ghost won. The score was one to zero.

If the ghost scored another point, he would even be deprived of the right to die. In the face of greater despair, Gao Tian forgot his fear and became calmer than usual.

The probability of a normal person choosing to make the same gesture after winning, to continue their winning streak, would increase. If the ghost chose scissors again in the next round, then Gao Tian should counter with rock to win back a point.

As the man and the ghost simultaneously raised and lowered their arms, Gao Tian suddenly changed his mind, temporarily switching his rock to scissors.

If the ghost's mind was also engaged in a Game of Wits, then Gao Tian had to think one step further than the ghost. He didn't need to stand too high; if the ghost was on the third level, he just needed to be on the fourth.

Gao Tian, scissors.

Ghost, Cloth.

Round four, Gao Tian wins. The score is tied at one to one.

The final round will determine both their fates.

Just as Gao Tian was seriously contemplating what to bet his fate on for the next round's winning move, suddenly, the "Gao Tian" with bloodshot eyes shot out a hand like lightning, grabbing Gao Tian's right hand and breaking two of his fingers without warning.

Crack. Crack.

The "Gao Tian's" speed was so fast, it was like a blur, impossible for the human eye to catch. Only when Gao Tian looked at his index and middle fingers, lying limply like cotton, did the intense pain surge through his body like a tide. It took him nearly an eternity to slowly realize that his two fingers had been broken by the ghost.

Fingers are connected to the heart.

Fingers are connected to the heart.

Gao Tian was in so much pain he could barely think. He instantly curled into a ball, arching his back, clutching his right hand tightly, rolling on the ground like a maggot. For some reason, at the peak of his agony, he couldn't even scream.

The red-eyed "Gao Tian" simply stood before him, silent, his cloudy eyes devoid of any expression – no contempt, mockery, or pity.

The waves of pain receded slightly. Gao Tian slowly regained a sliver of consciousness. His body was drenched in cold sweat, but the game was still ongoing. The ghost stood in place, quietly awaiting his next choice.

"It cheated...

"This ghost... cheated."

Gao Tian looked at his deformed right hand, his two fingers that could no longer stand upright, still bleeding profusely. He knew he was finished; this hand could never make scissors again.

This was the ghost's objective.

But no matter how much Gao Tian groaned, the urn placed between the man and the ghost remained still, completely ignoring the "Gao Tian's" actions.

Right, the instruction manual only said the ghost's killing pattern would be temporarily suspended, but it never guaranteed the ghost wouldn't harm humans.

"Gao Tian" was perfectly exploiting the game's rules, and the urn showed no intention of punishing it.

The white powder dancing in the air spun faster and faster, as if increasingly displeased with Gao Tian's delay in starting the next round.

It seemed if Gao Tian continued to lie on the ground refusing to play, the one to be punished wouldn't be the ghost that broke his fingers, but Gao Tian himself.

He understood the situation clearly. Clenching his still-bleeding right hand, he gritted his teeth and stood up, continuing the next round of the game with the ghost.

At the same time, a new outline formed in his mind:

Why did the ghost shatter his middle and index fingers in the final round? Because those two fingers are used to make scissors. With these two fingers broken, Gao Tian couldn't normally make scissors in the next round.

The ghost didn't want him to make scissors, which meant this foul entity undoubtedly wanted to use cloth in the next round. It needed to act in advance, crippling one of Gao Tian's hands to guarantee its own victory.

It seemed that at this stage of the game, even the ghost was beginning to feel fear. It didn't want to be confined to the urn either.

But a ghost is a ghost after all. Perhaps because it had been dead for too long, the brain matter beneath its skull had already rotted and stank. It was incapable of thinking—

What was the use of crushing Gao Tian's right hand? He still had his intact left hand, which could also make scissors!

The ghost's self-proclaimed clever move instead revealed its intention to play paper.

Then, in the next round, he only needed to choose scissors to surely win the match and seal the vengeful ghost in Hell.

Gao Tian's gaze met the blood-red eyes of the "Gao Tian" opposite him. Though it wore the exact same face as his own, for some reason, its expression always carried a faint hint of artificiality. It looked nothing like a living person.

The third round of Rock Paper Scissors was about to begin. The ghost had already raised its arm.

Gao Tian deliberately and slowly raised his crippled right hand, letting the "Gao Tian" see that he was still using his right hand to play.

Just as both were about to drop their hands, a strange thought suddenly popped into Gao Tian's mind.

Did the ghost only cripple his right hand, not his left, truly because of its low intelligence, failing to consider such a simple point?

Or was this, from the very beginning, a new Game of Wits? He was on the second level, while the ghost was actually on the third, a level above him.

After all, if Gao Tian was determined to play scissors, he would find a way. Merely having two fingers disabled wouldn't stop him. Even if he clenched his fist and let gravity make two fingers hang down, it would still meet the standard for "scissors."

The ghost's goal wasn't to stop him from playing scissors; its true objective was to make Gao Tian think it didn't want him to play scissors!

If the ghost feared scissors, it meant it wanted to play paper next. Implanting this thought into Gao Tian's mind like a virus would make Gao Tian counter with scissors.

This was exploiting Gao Tian's contrarian nature. What the ghost truly wanted to play was scissors; scissors were the deciding move in this game.

What a malicious entity. Layer upon layer of cunning to win this match.

Gao Tian and the red-eyed ghost's arms, held mid-air, fell simultaneously.

According to his original plan, Gao Tian had intended to switch to his left hand at the moment of playing his hand gesture, to achieve the effect of "scissors." But since the ghost had thought one step ahead of him, he no longer needed to use such a method for a surprise effect.

Though his right hand was numb with pain, Gao Tian slowly loosened his grip, flattening his palm into a "paper" gesture.

As he saw the ghost's hand gesture, Gao Tian felt his heartbeat stop for a second.

Gao Tian: Paper.

Ghost: Rock.

Fifth round, Gao Tian wins. Score: two to one.

From being one round behind to catching up with two consecutive wins, Gao Tian narrowly secured match point and won the game.

Seeing the scene before him, the "Gao Tian's" expressionless dead face finally changed. Within its bloodshot eye sockets, two dark red dots began to spin wildly. They darted from Gao Tian's crippled right hand to his left shoulder.

As if in disbelief, why had Gao Tian truly decided the match with that disabled right hand? He hadn't chosen to switch hands in the end.

No matter what, it's all over.

The effect of the supernatural item [Urn] is absolute. Even ghosts, as long as they participated in this game, must abide by its rules.

"Gao Tian" suddenly turned around and sprinted towards the door. It was fleeing, a ghost trying to escape from here.

But it was too late. Countless white powders suddenly gushed out from the Urn, swirling around "Gao Tian's" body. Immediately after, "Gao Tian" spontaneously combusted, its terrifying expression changing drastically for the first time. Its features contorted into a mess of agony, its mouth stretched to its widest as it let out a silent roar at the ceiling.

Its clothes were quickly burned through, revealing stark white bones and internal organs that had long since rotted beneath the skin. The Urn gave it no chance at all. The heavenly fire soon burned "Gao Tian" into a charred skeleton. Following that, the shattered flesh and broken bones flew back into the Urn along with the dust.

With a bang, the Urn closed heavily after absorbing "Gao Tian's" ashes, sealing it within.

Watching the scene before him, Gao Tian knew very well. This Vengeful Ghost was not dead, merely imprisoned within the Urn.

The "Jialan Society" chat group had said that ghosts do not die. The instruction manual had also warned that if the Urn were opened again, the Vengeful Ghost imprisoned inside would escape once more.

No matter what, this curse released by the bizarre chat group had been dealt with for now. This detestable, filthy thing would not be able to commit evil for a long time.

Just then, Gao Tian noticed that where "Gao Tian" had been standing, after being burned into a pile of black, something seemed to remain in the ashes.