Invitation

"Uncle Li Si!"

Yang Guanjin was startled when she saw who had arrived. She had witnessed Li Laosi die with her own eyes. She never expected him to still be alive—and to show up here!

"Heh heh!"

Mad Dog grinned. "If I didn't die, who knows how many people would keep their eyes on me? Better to die and be done with it."

Actually, when Xu Tong first stabbed him, he'd been terrified.

He'd thought Xu Tong was killing him now that he was no longer useful, and had almost prepared to fight for his life.

But what Xu Tong said next had forced him to think it over.

"Now, in the eyes of the people at the Forest Farm, you're the hero who protected the treasure. But to the other players, your identity is already out in the open. If that team means you no harm, fine. But if they do, you won't have anywhere to hide.

"Besides, you protected the Golden Dagger this time, so that mysterious person has probably set their sights on you too. You're badly wounded, and as long as you're alive, you're a sitting duck. Only by faking your death can you give yourself room to move."

It was because of those words that Mad Dog had chosen to take a gamble and trust Xu Tong one more time.

Just as Xu Tong had later decided to stake everything on this gamble, Mad Dog had put all he had in Xu Tong's hands. They hadn't known each other long, but they'd already been through life and death together.

As he spoke, Mad Dog walked over to Xu Tong and took a look at him. His eyelids immediately twitched; Xu Tong's appearance had clearly given him a fright.

Even Wu Dalang after drinking arsenic probably hadn't looked as awful as Xu Tong did now.

His face was frighteningly sallow, blood vessels stood out in both eyes, and his lips were so pale they had not a trace of color.

"Are you dying or did you drink arsenic? Why do you look so terrible?"

Xu Tong tilted his head and gave him a meaningful smile. "You'd be losing out big time, then."

As he spoke, he pointed to Zhang Hu's corpse in the corner.

Mad Dog's eyes widened when he saw the body. "You did it?"

He looked almost unable to believe it. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but a newcomer without even a Prop Card had killed a player who raised others for points. This went far beyond the scope of their original plan, and the result was something they could never have imagined.

"Didn't you say we'd wait for them to start fighting, then take advantage of the chaos? Why did you make a move first?"

He looked at Xu Tong in surprise.

Xu Tong pointed to Yang Guanjin beside him. "Plans can't keep up with changes. At least we made a good haul."

Yang Guanjin blushed at being singled out like that, looking a little embarrassed.

Before Mad Dog could ask anything, Xu Tong initiated a trade and handed over 300 Script Points.

"This..."

Mad Dog felt awkward. He believed you shouldn't accept rewards for doing nothing, and the large sum of money felt like a burden in his hands.

But Xu Tong insisted on completing the trade. They had all taken part in the gamble; just because the plan had changed didn't mean he should keep all the spoils and leave Mad Dog with nothing.

Besides, without bait, how could they catch fish? If he didn't give Mad Dog a taste of the reward this time, it'd be much harder to get him to risk his life next time.

It was a full three hundred Script Points. Mad Dog protested politely, but in the end, he honestly pocketed the windfall. At the same time, he didn't forget to return Xu Tong's two Prop Cards, along with the assorted Paper Dolls and gold foil.

"Heh heh, here, take this. It should make you feel a little better."

Returning the favor, Mad Dog handed Xu Tong a bottle of clear white medicine.

[Yellow Talisman Water]

It was said to cure every illness, but you'd know once you drank it.

After taking it, there was a 50% chance of dispelling one negative effect.

There was a 20% chance of dispelling all negative effects.

There was a 10% chance of giving you diarrhea.

Xu Tong looked at the Yellow Talisman Water Mad Dog handed him and asked curiously, "Where did you get so many potions?"

Mad Dog smiled mysteriously. Naturally, he wasn't going to tell Xu Tong. Anyone who had access to a source like that wouldn't reveal it lightly.

Seeing that he wouldn't say, Xu Tong didn't press him. He tipped his head back and downed the Yellow Talisman Water, then smacked his lips and frowned. "It's a little..."

"Urk!"

Before he could finish, a lump of black liquid came out of his mouth.

After spitting it out, Xu Tong took a deep breath. His face was still sallow, but he felt as if a great weight had been lifted. The leaden ache that had filled his body finally faded.

It seemed he'd been lucky. The potion really had dispelled one of his negative effects. The only question was whether it had been the curse from his title skill or the effect of [Demon King Descent].

"What now? Zhou Huasheng and the others have already gone up the mountain. Heh heh, after I dumped that old bastard behind the pigsty, the old folks at the Forest Farm gave him a good beating. It was brutal."

Mad Dog briefly reported what had happened at the Forest Farm after they'd left.

Grinning, he said he'd been watching from nearby. The villagers had been like people who'd swallowed gunpowder, and they'd hit hard. Captain Wang and the other officers hadn't been able to stop them.

The Deputy Director in particular had been so respectful to Zhou Huasheng earlier; now he was striking him just as viciously. If Captain Wang and the others hadn't intervened, the old folks at the Forest Farm would probably have beaten Zhou Huasheng to death right there in the pigsty.

The reason was that Zhou Huasheng had taken the blame for Yang Zixuan and his people.

These old folks had spent years growing trees here, raising saplings for the country to plant across the northwest.

The trees around the Forest Farm were their lifeblood. But when Yang Zixuan and his people retreated, they'd deliberately started a fire to cause chaos.

Fire and water showed no mercy, and once a blaze started, it wasn't easy to put out. In the end, the flames had burned down a large section of the Seedling Garden behind the Forest Farm.

How could the old folks not be furious over such a huge loss?

They couldn't hold Yang Zixuan responsible, so they could only take it out on Zhou Huasheng.

"So soon!"

Xu Tong lifted his head. At last, a smile appeared on his sallow face. He looked at Yang Guanjin beside him, then slowly stood up. He placed his left hand at his waist, extended his right hand in invitation, and bowed slightly.

"Comrade Yang Guanjin, allow me to formally invite you to join... my script."

Yang Guanjin froze, unsure what kind of act he was putting on.

But when she looked at Xu Tong, his eyes glimmered in the firelight, reflecting something she couldn't describe. He was like... a black swan—elegant, composed, and radiating an irresistible kind of magic.

As if bewitched, Yang Guanjin placed her hand in his.

Mad Dog's mouth twitched. What the hell? That works?

But he had to admit that Xu Tong really did have a hard-to-resist force about him. Maybe that was why he'd foolishly agreed to go crazy with Xu Tong in the first place.

After thinking it over, all he could do was mutter to himself, This is some seriously spooky shit.

It's a little late tonight. I'll post another chapter later.