There had still been eleven of them when they left the Fortune Lady Temple, but only nine remained on the way back. None of the groups was in particularly high spirits.
That went without saying for Zhou Qing's group, which had come last. Yuan Sisi was even more distraught over the death of her new friend.
Wan Yingjun, who had come second, was still bitter that Gong Yao had arrived ahead of him. As for Gong Yao and Li Qing...
Li Qing was still regretting his failure to come last, missing his chance to spend the night in the shrine openly.
Gong Yao was also unusually quiet throughout the journey. When he wasn't smiling, his fringe covered half his eyes, making his dark right eye look rather melancholy.
Li Qing found this odd and studied him a few times along the way.
Noticing Li Qing's attention, Gong Yao looked up at him, first offering a reassuring smile, then asking, "What is it?"
Li Qing looked away. "You look unhappy, but it isn't because you came first."
Gong Yao chuckled and teased, "I didn't realize you cared so much about me."
"I'm simply curious about why your behavior deviates from the standard model."
"...Well, that really is a very Qing answer."
Gong Yao didn't answer directly, but Li Qing asked again, "Is it because Fang Miao and her partner died?"
"Mm-hmm." This time, Gong Yao readily admitted it.
Li Qing gave him a surprised look. "But you didn't know them before. You never even exchanged a single word."
Gong Yao considered this for a moment, then smiled helplessly. "How am I supposed to explain it to you? Perhaps it's sympathy for my own kind?"
"You're stronger than either of them. In this instance, the gap between your tier and Fang Miao's is greater than the difference between species."
"Is that the model you've been building all this time?" Gong Yao didn't take offense and continued teasing him in a relaxed tone.
Li Qing gave a quiet "Mm."
"But to me, that's what's abnormal. Qing, this instance world, everything you take for granted-that's the most abnormal thing of all to me."
After a while, he gave another self-deprecating smile. "Forget it. I don't know why I'm telling you this. I just... don't like seeing people die in front of me. That goes for you, too."
Li Qing said nothing.
Gong Yao, a player the system had certified as being at the top of the food chain, really was just as Zhang Qin had said... contrary to human nature.
"Ahem." Gong Yao cleared his throat and bent down slightly. "Aren't you going to say something? This is the first time I've spoken so sincerely. It's really awkward."
"I'm revising my model." Li Qing glanced at him. "I'll take what you said into account."
Gong Yao: "..."
He couldn't help covering his face with one hand, a muffled laugh escaping from behind his palm.
"By the way," Li Qing added calmly, "Fang Miao and her partner weren't actually players. They were instance NPCs. They died because they violated the lake's rules. There was nothing else abnormal about it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered Gong Yao's troublesome livestream system and hastily added, making himself look all the more suspicious, "That's my hypothesis."
Gong Yao froze.
After a while, he suddenly said, "Thank you."
"?" That had come out of nowhere. Li Qing gave him a puzzled look.
But he found himself meeting those smiling black eyes.
Gong Yao bent down again and said softly, "You didn't actually need to add that last part. I got a little embarrassed when I was pouring my heart out earlier, so I turned off the livestream."
Li Qing: "..."
Seeing that Li Qing was about to say something, Gong Yao immediately straightened up. "Oh, I've turned it back on now."
At a loss for words, Li Qing quickened his pace and left Gong Yao behind.
They followed Aunt Liu to gather in the dining hall, where nine sets of bowls and chopsticks had already been laid out.
After a silent lunch, Aunt Liu announced, "This afternoon will be your free time."
Everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Aunt Liu continued, "Before that, the Fortune Lady will use the results of the compatibility test to find each newlywed a more suitable partner."
She led them to the entrance of the shrine housing the Fortune Lady's statue.
In ordinary temples, statues for worship were usually placed closer to the main entrance. The Fortune Lady Temple's shrine, however, was tucked away in the deepest part of the grounds, behind the front hall, their lodgings, and the dining hall.
The shrine was as dilapidated as the temple's other buildings, but it had been swept spotlessly clean. Only its doors remained tightly shut, preventing them from seeing what lay inside.
"Young people these days are always so easily deceived by appearances," Aunt Liu said inscrutably. "Only the Fortune Lady can see through to your souls, so the choices she makes for you are the best."
She had the "brides" and "grooms" stand on opposite sides, then addressed the brides:
"Every night, the Fortune Lady will arrange the most suitable rooms for you anew. As they say, fate is ordained by heaven. Who you will be paired with tonight depends on your destiny..."
Next, she looked at Zhou Qing and Ding Yi, who had come last.
"Your affinity with the Fortune Lady isn't deep enough yet, so tonight, she has granted you the honor of remaining in the shrine to receive her blessing."
Zhou Qing's face turned pale again. She looked to Wan Yingjun for help, but he ignored her, his appraising gaze sweeping over the other "brides."
She could only turn to Gong Yao. She had heard of him. Instances with this man in them always had very few casualties. Perhaps he had a solution?
Noticing her gaze, Gong Yao looked over as well. His expression was gentle, with a reassuring strength to it. "Stay calm. Since you weren't eliminated outright at the lake, there must still be a chance to continue. Think about it. What preparations have you made that could help you deal with this?"
At his words, Zhou Qing drew a deep breath, suppressed her fear, and began thinking along the lines Gong Yao had suggested.
Her partner, however, said dismissively, "Receiving the Fortune Lady's personal blessing is a good thing. What are you so scared of?"
Zhou Qing rolled her eyes at him and went to stand beside Gong Yao.
This finally provoked Wan Yingjun's displeasure. Zhou Qing had clearly belonged to him at the start, yet ever since Gong Yao appeared, many of his followers had flocked to that man instead.
Gong Yao really is a bit troublesome. Better get rid of him sooner rather than later.
Aunt Liu didn't give them much time to talk. She told the five "brides" to line up and enter the shrine one at a time to receive the Fortune Lady's guidance.
None of them spoke. In the end, Li Qing broke the silence. "I'll go first."
Without hesitation, he pushed open the shrine doors.
If the shrine's exterior was still that of a remote, desolate country temple, its interior seemed even more cut off from the world.
It was like stepping into a space that had been sealed away for years. The stagnant air only began to circulate the instant he entered.
The doors closed on their own behind him.
Li Qing raised his head and looked at the statue in the center by the light from outside-
The Fortune Lady was a kindly-looking woman dressed in ancient clothing, without the slightest trace of anything sinister.
Li Qing immediately activated a scan through the GM backend, preparing to read the instance boss's information-
[No boss unit detected nearby. Please try again.] [No boss unit detected nearby. Please try again.]
The Fortune Lady wasn't in this temple?
Before you continue