Too Quick to Act

The sun was blazing.

Then a gentle warm breeze brushed his face, making Tan Shuchang feel as though none of this was quite real.

There was a place like this in a Weird Game?

Used to gloomy, shadowy atmospheres, Tan Shuchang found himself rather unaccustomed to suddenly seeing such a sun-drenched place.

But that discomfort lasted only a very short while, scarcely even a breath. Then Tan Shuchang walked over to the few people who had appeared before him and greeted them with a smile. "Morning!"

There were five of them in total—three men and two women. There was no need to mention their clothing; compared with Tan Shuchang's brocade robes and luxurious attire, they were dressed in an entirely different style.

At the very least, even the demonesses and sorceresses of the Jia Five Realm wouldn't dare dress as boldly as those two women.

Their arms and legs were bare.

But that was merely a difference in cultural habits, so there was nothing worth dwelling on.

The three men and two women had originally worn grave expressions. Yet when they heard Tan Shuchang's rather out-of-place greeting, they all stared at him blankly.

Then, one of the men, though his face showed a trace of displeasure, immediately said, "We're from the Jade Purity Society. We'll be taking charge this time. Just follow our orders, and we'll keep you alive."

Tan Shuchang hadn't expected him to say something like that. It seemed this so-called Jade Purity Society was an extremely powerful group within the Weird Game. Not only did it have a great number of players, it also possessed formidable strength. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare make such a confident promise.

But Tan Shuchang hadn't come here seeking protection. With a sincere expression, he said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I didn't come here to seek protection. I wanted to ask—where's the ghost?"

Last time, although he had captured a ghost that seemed like his half-sister from the same mother, it had still taken up a considerable amount of time.

But that was because he had been the only player last time!

Now there were other players here, and these people seemed to know something about this place. How could Tan Shuchang possibly remain as patient as before, waiting for the ghost to reveal itself?

He was going to drag that ghost out from under its blankets!

Hearing Tan Shuchang say that, the three men and two women were all taken aback. The man who had answered him earlier immediately furrowed his brow, ready to rebuke him.

The Jade Purity Society was a special institution, after all!

And this fellow before them was rather full of himself, without even the most basic sense of awe toward them.

But at that moment, one of the women spoke first. "This is a Player-Sacrificed Site instance. We have experience dealing with this kind of instance, but no one can know where the ghost is before it appears. It might even appear as a player at the beginning, only turning into a ghost once the time is ripe."

"A Player-Sacrificed Site?" Tan Shuchang was immediately surprised.

"What? You don't know?" The woman was equally surprised by his reaction. When Player-Sacrificed Sites first appeared, they had caused an enormous uproar. Even ordinary people who weren't Weird Game players knew quite a bit about them.

"I don't," Tan Shuchang honestly said, shaking his head.

The woman gave Tan Shuchang a strange look. But in the end, perhaps because of his face and his distinctive air, she explained, "Player-Sacrificed Sites often involve extremely serious murder cases or accidents. At least a double-digit number of people must die before the Weird Game will accept the place."

"And once accepted by the Weird Game, this kind of instance is also the most unusual, because there are no rules to follow. The only fortunate thing is that the strength the player possessed before death determines the upper limit of the instance."

After saying that, the woman didn't continue, but Tan Shuchang already understood what she meant.

Most players were weaker than vengeful ghosts, which meant that the overall danger of this kind of instance would be correspondingly lower.

But that wasn't good news for Tan Shuchang!

He had come to look for cultivation resources.

What if this vengeful ghost was too weak, and his peculiar ability made him eat it, then spit it back out, over and over again?

"Thank you for telling me, miss." Tan Shuchang thanked her, then decided to walk around and have a look. His previous game experience had already shown him that players had an extremely high degree of freedom before the ghost appeared.

But the man among the three men and two women who had shown displeasure and impatience toward Tan Shuchang earlier couldn't help but rebuke him. "Can't you understand human speech?"

"Why do you say that, friend?" Tan Shuchang looked at him, and two lotus flowers slowly bloomed over his eyes.

The moment the lotus flowers appeared, the man seemed as though he had been struck by lightning. His face turned pale as he staggered back again and again.

"This is..."

"Ghost Art!"

At that moment, quite a few more players appeared in this Weird Game instance, and they all happened to witness the scene.

The players were shocked beyond measure.

Although Ghost Art was something every player could potentially master, mastering this power wasn't easy. It not only demanded extraordinarily high physical fitness, but every use also caused irreversible harm to the body. Therefore, players who possessed Ghost Art would generally never use it unless they had no other choice.

Tan Shuchang paid them no mind. Before him was a village. Yet unlike an ordinary village, every road in sight was made of cement, and even the main road through the village was asphalt.

Trees lined both sides of the roads, though most were still only saplings, shorter than an adult. A child could snap off their branches with a casual tug.

The buildings in the village were also neat and uniform.

Clearly, before some player had sacrificed this village, it had been a very prosperous place. The villagers had earned good incomes, and the local economy had been flourishing.

As Tan Shuchang looked around, he suddenly noticed a player walking straight toward him.

After carefully sizing that person up, Tan Shuchang's expression couldn't help turning strange, while the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

The player was a young man with a somewhat feminine air. His complexion was fair and clean, his temperament soft and delicate, making him look like a little girl.

Of course, that was how the other players saw him.

In Tan Shuchang's eyes, there was another description to add—his entire body was wreathed in black qi.

That strange black qi was the manifestation of Yin Baleful Intent.

So before the other party could even speak, Tan Shuchang made his move. The man had delivered himself right to his door; what was there to delay?

Thus, before this player could even reveal his true form, Tan Shuchang had tucked him into his sleeve.

The method was the same as last time—folded in half, then folded in half again.

Simple and brutal.

At the same time, bloody words appeared in the sky above.

[One vengeful ghost detected to have disappeared. The instance will end early. Players, please note: adverse reactions will occur upon exit. Drink more hot water to recover.]

Tan Shuchang naturally saw those words as well.

"There's another one?"

He'd acted too quickly!