The others took Chu Qingjiu's words to heart. They still didn't know whether he was right, but it was worth considering that possibility.
"Qingjiu, what do you do in real life? Do you know a lot about supernatural things?" Zhang Yaoyao looked at Chu Qingjiu with admiration.
After all, in an infinite-loop horror instance crawling with ghosts, being a Taoist priest-or having any real-world occupation connected to spirits and the supernatural-gave you an advantage.
Even though they learned some basic knowledge whenever they cleared an instance and got out, the deeper mysteries weren't something they could easily grasp.
"In real life... I suppose I'm a craftsman." Chu Qingjiu frowned, tightening his grip on Qi Wu's arm. "Cough, cough... my work involves the supernatural, too."
"Woohoo!" Lin Ran exclaimed excitedly. "Are you the Paper Effigy Master? I've heard stories about paper figures dying in someone's place, bringing souls back, or summoning them or something."
"If you really are the Paper Effigy Master, that could be very helpful in this instance." Delight crossed Liu Peng's face, his tiny eyes narrowing to slits in his square face. "The instance said we have to summon the dead Peiling's ghost and rekindle an old romance."
Qi Wu lowered his eyes to the pale fingers gripping his arm. They were long, slender, and beautifully shaped, with calluses only along the sides of the joints, as though threads had rubbed against them for years.
Chu Qingjiu was just about to confirm his identity as the Paper Effigy Master when Qi Wu casually cut in. "The calluses on your hands don't look like they came from making paper effigies, either."
His remark made Chu Qingjiu glance at him, even beginning to question what Qi Wu meant by it.
Was he testing me? Or was it just an idle remark?
"But I'm not very skilled. I doubt the paper figures I make could reach that level... cough, cough..."
Utterly weak, Chu Qingjiu could only lean most of his weight against Qi Wu, trying to find a position that eased his discomfort. He said softly:
"As you all know, the instance won't allow things to become unbalanced."
With those words, Chu Qingjiu both confirmed his identity as the Paper Effigy Master and dashed the others' hopes of relying on him.
The instance wasn't necessarily fair, but it wouldn't lose its balance.
The rule that no one would die on the first day was a free pass for the disadvantaged players. Master Xu had told them not to enter the rear courtyard, which had to mean it was dangerous.
As long as the players thoroughly explored the rear courtyard on the first day, they could greatly reduce their chances of dying later, since they couldn't die on that first day.
If Chu Qingjiu truly were an accomplished Paper Effigy Master, the players might well face even greater danger.
At that thought, the other players felt considerably better. Besides, looking at Chu Qingjiu's sickly condition, it was hard to say whether he would even survive.
For a while, everyone felt more sympathy for Chu Qingjiu. Poor health wasn't something he could change, and the instance had nothing that could transform his constitution.
Chu Qingjiu discovered that every player except Qi Wu now had a higher favorability toward him, perhaps because of his assumed identity as the Paper Effigy Master.
Zhao Yang's favorability had risen the most, reaching 30.
The players he could currently control were Zhang Yaoyao and Lin Ran, whose favorability scores were both 65, but he had no intention of controlling them.
"Then let's go take a look at the rear courtyard first."
Liu Peng usually acted as the leader, giving out instructions. Although Qi Wu had entered the most instances, he was currently using the alias "Wu Qi" and couldn't afford to draw too much attention.
No one objected to Liu Peng's suggestion. Getting the head steward to tell them where they weren't allowed to go would tell them exactly where they should go.
They could turn Master Xu's rules against him with a little reverse thinking.
The Xu Family's rear courtyard contained another residence. Its gate was locked and covered in dust, its dingy surface mottled with the marks of weather and age.
What were they to do without a key?
With an innocent expression, the shameless Qi Wu suggested they climb over the wall.
The wall was about two meters high. Two of them were over 185 centimeters tall: Qi Wu and Zhao Yang.
The buzz-cut Wang Hao and square-faced Liu Peng were over 180 centimeters. Chu Qingjiu and the sophisticated Yu Nian were both 176 centimeters, while the remaining two girls were around 165 centimeters.
In other words, apart from the four men over 180 centimeters, none of the other four would likely be able to climb over.
"Wu, be honest. Were you born without a shred of decency?" Zhang Yaoyao shook her head in reproach.
"Aw, how could that be? Qingjiu, tell her. Am I shameless?"
Qi Wu seemed particularly fond of teasing Chu Qingjiu and suddenly tossed the question his way.
"..." Are we that close?
Without lifting his eyes, Chu Qingjiu said quietly and flatly, "You certainly are."
Qi Wu: ?
Although their joking had lightened the mood, they still had to get into the rear courtyard.
So Qi Wu went to considerable trouble to haul a half-meter-high table out of some room and set it against the wall. He climbed onto it and told the others, "Come on up. I'll get you over one at a time."
The players stepped onto the table one by one. Zhao Yang went over first to help them down on the other side, and the lighter girls were lifted over first.
Fortunately, all the girls had known they were entering an instance, so none had worn skirts or high heels, making things much easier.
Chu Qingjiu was still hesitating over whether to go in when Qi Wu noticed. His clear, youthful voice immediately rang beside Chu Qingjiu's ear.
"What are you spacing out for, Qingjiu? Are you scared?"
Chu Qingjiu's hesitation was instantly swept away by his competitive streak. You can call me frail, but you can't say I can't do it!
He promptly climbed onto the table and let Qi Wu crouch down, wrap his arms around his knees, and lift him up.
"You're so thin, Qingjiu. So light," Qi Wu remarked.
His legs are so slender, too. He has a faint scent on him. It smells lovely.
"No one will think you're mute if you keep your mouth shut."
Chu Qingjiu coldly threw out those words, then went over the wall with Zhao Yang's help.
Qi Wu: Qingjiu snapped at me. I feel so helpless.
After getting Chu Qingjiu over, Qi Wu vaulted neatly over the wall and jumped down, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ptooey, ptooey! Stop showing off, Wu." Zhang Yaoyao fanned the air around her in disgust.
"Qingjiu, look. She's being mean to me." Qi Wu sidled up to Chu Qingjiu, looking aggrieved.
Chu Qingjiu silently stepped aside and coldly twisted the knife. "Actually, I find you pretty annoying, too."
Qi Wu: I hate everyone.
"All right, all right. Let's split into groups. Do you want to choose your own partners, or should I assign them?" Liu Peng interrupted their frivolous exchange before it went any further.
Although no one would die on the first day, this was still the first time he had ever felt so relaxed in an instance.
It was almost as though someone was deliberately keeping them from sinking into fear.
"Qingjiu may find me annoying, but I don't find him annoying, so I'm teaming up with him."
Brimming with energy again, Qi Wu immediately moved back to Chu Qingjiu's side.
Seeing that Chu Qingjiu had no objection, Liu Peng said nothing more.
They soon settled on four groups in total: Wang Hao with Yu Nian, Zhao Yang with Lin Ran, and Liu Peng with Zhang Yaoyao.
From where they stood, they could make out the rear courtyard's general layout. Most prominent was the largest building, which resembled an ancestral hall.
Behind this building were two small side rooms on the left and another two on the right.
Qi Wu, Chu Qingjiu, Liu Peng, and Zhang Yaoyao would explore the largest building together, since its interior likely held more than met the eye, with plenty still to discover.
Once inside, they found it exceptionally desolate and dilapidated, as though it had been abandoned for years. Dust covered the floor, cobwebs hung all over the beams, and rats scurried everywhere.
Only when they focused on what lay directly ahead did they realize there were indeed spirit tablets inside.
Eight spirit tablets stood in neat rows on a platform positioned where they would be easiest to see, surrounded by white candles.
The platform and tablets were all brand-new, looking as though they had been deliberately cleaned or only recently placed there.
And all the tablets had their backs facing them.
The eerie arrangement and scene were enough to send chills down anyone's spine. Though it was still daytime and night had yet to fall, Zhang Yaoyao shuddered.
The instant she saw those eight spirit tablets, Zhang Yaoyao's eyes went blank, and she slowly reached out a hand as though she had lost her soul.
Seeing Zhang Yaoyao about to touch one with her fingertips, Chu Qingjiu suddenly shouted, "Don't touch it!"
But the sudden warning startled Zhang Yaoyao, making her hand jerk. She blinked in confusion, losing control of the pressure in her fingertips and striking one of the spirit tablets harder than intended.
Clack-
The spirit tablet toppled over.
Before you continue