Why?
This was the question in everyone's hearts. Why had the controller failed? Why had Ashamed to Be a Father sacrificed himself to save this young girl? Zhang Yuanqing could not understand it either, but at this moment, his entire attention was focused on the voice coming from the speaker in the Autobot's chest.
Demon Lord? It just said Demon Lord?!
Why would a robot's voice system mention the Demon Lord? Suddenly, he recalled the message Brother Bing had left behind.
Could the thing Brother Bing wanted him to find be this very Autobot in front of him? A wave of shock washed over him.
*Clang, clang!*
The red dancing shoes lashed out with two swift kicks, sending the Autobot sliding half a meter to the side.
Zhang Yuanqing snapped back to reality and shouted, "Quick, back into the cars!"
Without needing his reminder, Xi Shi, Huo Mo, and Great Sage Equal to Heaven had already yanked open car doors, scrambling inside to take refuge.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the dazed Xie Lingxi, scooped her up, tucked the upper half of Ashamed to Be a Father's body under his arm, and dashed into another vehicle.
*Bang!*
The car door slammed shut, shutting out the danger outside.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a quiet sigh of relief, then turned to look at his two companions. Ashamed to Be a Father possessed formidable vitality and had not died immediately, but it was only a matter of time.
Snapping out of her daze, Xie Lingxi looked at the middle-aged man with mixed emotions and asked softly, "Why?"
*Why risk your life to save me?*
Faced with the girl's question, Ashamed to Be a Father's face was ashen and ghastly, yet his tone was surprisingly calm. He countered, "Does saving someone require a reason?"
Xie Lingxi froze.
*Uncle, that really doesn't sound like something you would say,* Zhang Yuanqing thought with mixed feelings.
For a moment, that simple, unadorned answer touched his heart.
Ashamed to Be a Father said indifferently, "You don't need to thank me, nor do you need to feel guilty. My saving you had little to do with you. For someone like me, death might actually be a release. If you knew the things I did in the past, you wouldn't feel the slightest pity for me. Of course, I don't need pity anyway."
His tone grew faint, his voice halting. "Wang Tai..."
"I'm listening."
"I want to ask a favor of you. If you can make it out of this amusement park alive, find someone for me and pass along a message. In return, I'll tell you something concerning the mission."
*Why me?* Zhang Yuanqing looked up in confusion, glancing at Xie Lingxi beside him.
Ashamed to Be a Father's complexion grew increasingly ghastly as he murmured weakly, "She's... from the official organization..."
*Xie Lingxi knew the guide, so he suspects the girl is from the authorities? And whatever he did can't be known to the official side?* The thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, and he nodded. "All right, I promise you, provided I make it out of the amusement park alive."
"The person I want you to find is called Master Wuhen. Pass a message to him for me..." Ashamed to Be a Father paused, his eyes flickering with confusion, hatred, and sorrow. "'I'm sorry. To this day, I still don't know whether it was me who was in the wrong, or this world.'"
Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback, then said, "I've memorized it."
Ashamed to Be a Father nodded in satisfaction. "I'll give you an address, as well as the information promised as compensation. Lean in..."
Zhang Yuanqing bent down and brought his ear close. A dozen seconds later, he straightened up and whispered, "All right. In exchange, I will see this done for you."
A look of relief washed over Ashamed to Be a Father's face. He ceased struggling to hold on, and the lingering spark in his eyes instantly died out.
Xie Lingxi's eyes reddened, tears pattering down her cheeks.
For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing could not tell whether her tears were genuine or fake. After a brief pause, he said, "He was a Bewitching Demon. He told me so himself just now. I don't know why he saved you, but perhaps it really had nothing to do with you. You don't need to feel guilty."
Evil professions all had their own stories, to varying degrees.
Xie Lingxi sniffled and nodded obediently. "I know. He had a strong malevolent aura around him. I knew he was an evil profession very early on... What do we do next?"
*She knew Ashamed to Be a Father was an evil profession...* Zhang Yuanqing's eyes darkened. He replayed Xie Lingxi's words and actions from beginning to end in his mind, then looked outside. Through the car window, the red dancing shoes and the Autobot were engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
According to their observations, each time the Autobot appeared, it would pursue the Spirit Realm walkers for five minutes.
Yet that time had long since passed, and the steel monster still had not left.
Scanning past the battling red dancing shoes and Autobot, Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the car diagonally behind them. He saw Xi Shi pounding on the window, casting anxious glances in their direction as if calling out to them.
Behind her, Huo Mo and Great Sage Equal to Heaven were arguing vehemently.
The abrupt turn for the worse had sparked infighting between the two. Xi Shi was likely trying to ask him for help, but they were too far apart to communicate.
*If this goes on, we'll only end up trapped and dying in these cars. And I'm guessing they aren't just afraid of the Autobot—they're also afraid of the red dancing shoes, because the one-hour limit is almost up...* Zhang Yuanqing gazed at the pretty, charming young girl beside him and asked, "You see the situation outside. Any thoughts?"
Regardless of whether the girl was pretending to be delicate or genuinely was, being matched into an S-rank amusement park meant she certainly wasn't stupid. A qualified captain had to know how to seek counsel from capable minds.
Still maintaining her fragile, helpless demeanor, Xie Lingxi sobbed, "To resolve this crisis, we definitely need to figure out where the problem lies first. We have to understand why the Autobot didn't play by the rules."
*Yeah, this Autobot played dirty—tricking us, launching a sneak attack...* Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Go on."
"Earlier, when I pressed the controller, it really did freeze. That proves the controller works. The Autobot couldn't possibly possess the intelligence to deceive us. In other words, we actually did shut down the Autobot once," Xie Lingxi said. "I noticed just now that after its power returned, what it said was different. Is it possible that the Autobot's control system changed, and we need to shut it down a second time?"
*Shut it down a second time...* Zhang Yuanqing mulled over the phrase silently. He asked no further questions, as Xie Lingxi couldn't possibly know more, but her analysis had given him plenty of inspiration.
*The Autobot must be connected to the message Brother Bing left for me. If I want to unravel Brother Bing's disappearance and matters concerning the Demon Lord, I have to take control of this Autobot.*
After entering Jinshui Amusement Park, he had not forgotten the clues Brother Bing had left behind, but neither had he deliberately searched for them. In an S-rank difficulty scenario, making it out alive was already a tremendous stroke of luck; reckless exploration would just be courting death faster. Brother Bing's clues could only be left to fate.
Under the current circumstances, this was actually a good thing, because the mission and the clue could be resolved together—provided, of course, that he could defuse this crisis.
*In the information Brother Bing left me, aside from the Spirit Realm ID, there was only one phrase: 'Brothers for a lifetime.' Shut it down a second time... I think I know how that phrase is supposed to be used.* Zhang Yuanqing decided to give it a try and pushed open the car door.
"You—" Xie Lingxi started in surprise, letting out a short cry.
In the car not far away, Xi Shi froze, and Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Huo Mo stopped arguing.
*Why did Wang Tai come out? Is he going to recall the dancing shoes?*
Zhang Yuanqing shut the car door and approached the Autobot. Stopping five or six meters away, he sank his breath into his dantian and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Brothers for a lifetime!"
His voice echoed through the underground parking garage. Then, an unbelievable sight unfolded: the Autobot, which had been violent and savage just moments ago, suddenly ground to a halt as if its power had been cut.
Then, the speaker in its chest produced a voice: "Passcode correct!"
The steel plating over its chest creaked and clicked as it parted to both sides, revealing internal wiring and a black, square box.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward. On second thought, to prevent the Autobot from launching another sneak attack, he summoned the red dancing shoes to cover his feet, ensuring his evasion was maxed out before drawing closer.
Arriving in front of the Autobot, Zhang Yuanqing removed the square box.
Its outer casing was crafted from a black metal composite material. On the front of the box were a speaker and two buttons. Judging purely from its appearance, it looked like a pocket-sized speaker.
About the size of half a palm.
Just then, a notification surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's vision:
[Name: Cat King Speaker]
[Type: Audio-visual Equipment]
[Function: Audio Playback]
[Description: Long, long ago, a cat king with a deep passion for music boldly claimed he would challenge the God of Light. The God of Light severely punished this arrogant cat, sealing its soul within a musical instrument. Through the long years that followed, the cat king existed alone inside the instrument until a Musician from the East obtained it and modified it into a speaker.]
[Note 1: Drumbeat—When the drumbeat sounds, you will gain peerless fighting spirit, and your enemies will be intimidated.]
[Note 2: Suona—When the suona sounds, you will be invincible, but please end the battle within three minutes. Otherwise, the suona melody will be used for another occasion.]
[Note 3: Meow, meow meow, meow meow meow! (Whoever dares lock me up again, I'll scratch their face!)]
[Note 4: I sing whenever I damn well please, and I sing loud and proud.]
*An item—a cost-based item. Is this what Brother Bing left for me? According to the notes, two audio tracks are stored in the speaker: a drumbeat and a suona. The drumbeat's effect boosts combat strength while intimidating enemies.*
*The suona's note is easy enough to understand: the suona music must be turned off within three minutes, or it'll be playing at my funeral... But what does this have to do with Brother Bing saying he 'left everything there'? And what do Note 3 and Note 4 mean? I don't get it...* Zhang Yuanqing examined the speaker in his palm with curiosity.
All in all, this item wasn't bad; it was a cost-based support item. He hadn't tested the suona and drumbeat yet, so it was hard to judge their potency, but for Brother Bing to go through such lengths to hide it here, it had to have something special about it.
As for what Brother Bing had actually hidden inside it, that remained to be investigated.
At this point, seeing that the Autobot was indeed dealt with and showed no signs of reviving, Xi Shi and the others finally crawled out of their car.
"We finally cleared the underground parking garage. Wang Tai, it's all thanks to you." Great Sage Equal to Heaven beamed.
Xi Shi sidled up to him with flirtatious warmth in her eyes, purring, "Brother Wang Tai, I knew you wouldn't let us down. I was screaming for help inside the car just now—you must have heard me before you came out, right?"
*Brother?* Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her. This auntie in her thirties was only a few years away from being old enough to be his mother.
"How did you know how to shut down the Autobot? What is that thing?" Huo Mo stared fixedly at the speaker.
"An item, a support item." Zhang Yuanqing smiled, dodging the first question, and said, "Not a bad haul. Everyone, I'll be keeping this item. No objections, I presume?"
Just as Huo Mo was about to speak, he saw the red dancing shoes tapping over with clack-clack-clack steps. He immediately changed his tune: "You resolved the crisis, so the item belongs to you. It's only fair."
"Fair, completely fair." Xi Shi and Great Sage Equal to Heaven glanced at the red dancing shoes and nodded repeatedly.
Zhang Yuanqing was just about to store the Cat King Speaker into his inventory when he received an unexpected prompt:
[Unable to store this item.]
*Unable to store?* Zhang Yuanqing was startled, and then he understood Note 3.
*What a trap! This item can't be put into the inventory, so doesn't that mean I have to carry it on me at all times?*
At that moment, everyone received a prompt from the Spirit Realm:
[You have completed the Underground Parking Garage mission. You are currently undertaking the "Thrills and Chills" mission series. The attractions in this series are: Roller Coaster—Underground Parking Garage—Haunted House (Ghost Wedding)—Detective Mystery Hall. Please proceed to the third location within half an hour.]
In addition to the above information, Zhang Yuanqing received another prompt:
[Ding! You have successfully led your team members to complete a mission. You have one opportunity to exercise your captain's authority. Please designate the evildoer hiding among your team members. The designated individual will be obliterated!]
[If no choice is made within thirty seconds, this opportunity will be considered forfeited.]
This time, Zhang Yuanqing did not hesitate and silently recited in his heart, "Forfeit."
Leaving the parking garage, a gentle evening breeze brushed past.
The amusement park's lights remained as dreamy and hazy as ever, with soft, melodious music drifting from afar.
With the red dancing shoes trailing behind him, Zhang Yuanqing looked left and right, then told his companions, "Wait here for a moment. I'll step away briefly."
Meeting his teammates' questioning looks, he explained with a smile, "Recalling the dancing shoes requires paying a certain price, and that price isn't suitable for you to watch."
The group nodded dubiously.
Zhang Yuanqing slipped into a secluded corner. Seeing that no one was around, he dropped the act, set the speaker aside, and accepted the red dancing shoes' dance-off invitation.
Immediately, crisp tap-dancing sounds echoed through the night.
Right at that moment, without any warning, the speaker beside him began blaring music:
*"Might as well dance! Chatting is nowhere as good as dancing, making yourself feel so fine... Keep on dancing! Falling in love is nowhere as good as dancing, getting along this way..."*
*?! What the hell? Why did this thing suddenly start playing music...* Zhang Yuanqing, who was in the middle of executing dynamic dance moves and already felt embarrassed, was startled by the sudden singing, nearly stumbling out of his rhythm.
*So that's what Note 4 meant?! What a trap this thing is! An awkward dance was bad enough, but blasting such cringeworthy music on top of it? If anyone saw me, how could I ever show my face again?*
Zhang Yuanqing thought with mixed feelings.
The loud singing drowned out the tapping sounds.
The red dancing shoes seemed displeased, their tapping growing even more rapid and forceful.
A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing finished the dance, and the red dancing shoes automatically returned to his inventory.
When he returned to the group, he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but everyone was looking at him with very strange expressions...
The five followed the signs, heading deeper into the amusement park.
The further in they went, the dimmer the lights became, and the heavier their moods grew.
The third stage was the Haunted House, the only attraction in the park with supernatural elements. According to the Spirit Realm's introduction, the reason the amusement park had transformed into an S-rank dungeon stemmed largely from changes in the spirits.
After walking for four or five minutes, they arrived at a quiet, dark alley. The architectural style here leaned toward the Republican era: white walls, black roof tiles, and courtyard walls twice the height of a man enclosing house after house. Beneath the eaves of every home hung white lanterns.
Beneath their feet, the concrete ground had at some point turned into a cobblestone path.
The faint, elusive music behind them vanished without a trace the moment they stepped into this dark alley.
The night was grim and oppressive. White lanterns hung beneath the eaves, surrounded by a deathly silence without a single sound.
Xi Shi clung tightly to Zhang Yuanqing's arm, darting her eyes left and right as she whispered in terror, "I'm not afraid of killing people, but I can't stand this kind of atmosphere..."
Though Xie Lingxi didn't grab his arm, her small face was slightly pale, her expression taut.
Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Huo Mo were somewhat braver, but their expressions were uneasy. They glanced back from time to time, constantly feeling as if something was tailing them.
Only Zhang Yuanqing remained completely calm. The yin energy here was thick, yet it made him feel exceedingly comfortable, as if he had come home.
It was likely this calm demeanor that made Xi Shi and Xie Lingxi instinctively want to stay close to him for a sense of security.
Before they realized it, they arrived before a grand courtyard compound. Unlike the other residences, the lanterns hanging here were red. The candlelight, vivid as blood, cast a gory hue across the front of the main gate.
The character for double happiness was pasted on the door, and the couplets were crimson red as well; the master of the house appeared to be celebrating a wedding.
Their destination had arrived.
The teammates exchanged glances, and finally, all eyes turned to Zhang Yuanqing.
Zhang Yuanqing took a few paces forward, rapped on the heavy gate, and called out loudly:
"Is anyone there? I'm here to marry your young miss!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the gate swung open with a creak, and a chill, mournful yin wind gusted out from within.
Zhang Yuanqing, as a Night Wanderer, felt the hairs on his back stand on end. He murmured, "A ghost is coming..."
Chapter 55