“I don’t need it.” Yu Yaqing answered coldly, and turned back to her search.

Hua Jiang did not leave. Instead, he stepped steadily closer.

“Stop right there!” Yu Yaqing spun around abruptly, a long iron sword leveled straight at Hua Jiang’s throat. “Don’t move! Tell me — what do you want?!”

“You seem to have a deep aversion to men.” Hua Jiang raised both hands, showing he meant no harm. “Please believe me, I have no intention of hurting you. I only want to help you escape…”

“I don’t need you to save me!” Yu Yaqing said coldly. “I’ll save myself! You’re nothing but a game NPC — what power do you have to save anyone? I think you’re here to play your tricks so you can go report back to your master the Duke! “

She stared at him with unfiltered revulsion, pouring out her contempt: “I will never trust you! You — and the Duke, and the Inspector, and this wretched game — you’re all equally detestable! All you want is to make us your slaves!”

Hua Jiang looked at her.

After a long moment, he spoke calmly: “There’s no need for anger. As you said — I’m an NPC. I came only to give you a clue.”

Yu Yaqing’s brow furrowed. “What clue?”

Hua Jiang said, “There is more than one key — some are real, and some are fake.”

Yu Yaqing’s expression shifted…

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Every player receives a clue — and every player’s clue is different.”

Hua Jiang looked at her: “Your clue is this: only one of the keys is real. You may choose to share this clue — but I must point out that your companions may not share theirs with you.”

Yu Yaqing was dazed for a moment, clearly lost in thought.

Without her noticing, Hua Jiang had drawn close.

He looked slight and lean at a distance, but up close, one was reminded that he was, in the end, a man — and men were always taller, stronger… He loomed over her, blocking the light before her, and then he bent down. He spoke into her ear:

“The fewer players who clear the game, the richer the reward. Those who survive inherit the rewards of those who died. If only one bride remains in the end, she receives seven times the reward.

Of course… I believe you care more about saving your companions than any reward. But your companions —

Do you think, if one of them finds the real key, she’ll be willing to share it with you?”

Yu Yaqing pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Hua Jiang let out a quiet, mournful sigh. “Would you really make the same mistake twice?… That time — you and a group of girls were locked in a cellar. You wanted to escape. You coaxed your captor into giving you a hairpin, then secretly ground it into a wire, planning to use it to pick the lock on the door. But —

Your plan failed.

Because you were too kind. You wanted to bring everyone out with you — and they betrayed you. Simply because you were more favored by the captor!

The endless days of captivity ground away at their will, and their pathetic jealousy multiplied their foolishness! They became informants! They were traitors! They clung to that man, surrendered themselves, and then sold out a companion — robbing you of your chance to escape, leaving you to take a brutal beating!…”

“STOP IT!!”

Yu Yaqing erupted.

She seized Hua Jiang by the collar!

“WHY DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!”

“I don’t know…” Hua Jiang met her gaze calmly. “The moment I laid eyes on you, all of this information entered my mind unbidden. Perhaps it is the game’s design — a test, meant for you.”

Yu Yaqing shoved him away!

The corners of Hua Jiang’s mouth curved upward — just the faintest trace of a smile. He took the blow, stumbled backward, and struck the display cabinet behind him.

Crash! —

A small, ornate box fell from the top of the cabinet, its lid knocked open!

The key inside went tumbling out!

Yu Yaqing went very still.

After a long moment, she bent down and picked it up. She stood looking at the key in her hand.

Hua Jiang smiled and said, “Congratulations. The key you’ve found — it is the real one.”

—