The sight before them was too brutal. Zhu Shu couldn’t help but cover her mouth, her body wrenching with a visceral need to retch.

Every face had gone a terrible shade.

Only by witnessing such a bloody and violent sacrifice with their own eyes could they begin to appreciate that turning into a doll was, in fact, a comparatively merciful way to die.

“Why did Zhao Lanfen’s body disappear, but Cheng Qian’s stayed here?” Su Man couldn’t make sense of it. “Is there something special about this?”

Bai Youwei surveyed the room, her complexion grim. “Perhaps… Zhao Lanfen didn’t disappear. We simply didn’t see her.”

“You mean… Zhao Lanfen is also in this room, and we just didn’t notice?” Su Man’s heart lurched.

Even with all her courage, the thought of a body being in this very room while they’d been completely unaware of it sent a profound wave of discomfort crashing through her mind.

Zhu Shu followed the direction of Bai Youwei’s gaze, and her eyes landed on a device against the wall. The color that remained in her already pale face drained away further.

“…The… Iron… Maiden.”

Su Man felt the hair on her scalp prickle. “Could you explain clearly?!”

Zhu Shu worked at steadying her breathing, trying to keep herself calm, and said slowly:

“It is an ancient torture device fashioned in the shape of a human body — like a large iron coffin. It has a hinged door, and the inside of that door is fitted with sharp spikes. Once the door is shut, the spikes pierce the body of the person inside. These spikes, however, are specially designed to miss the vital organs, so the person does not die immediately — instead, they endure endless torment in darkness and agony… and die slowly…”

Zhao Lanfen was very likely inside that Iron Maiden.

Su Man clenched her jaw, and her voice carried a faint tremor: “There are seven torture devices in here…”

Seven torture devices.

Seven brides.

The room fell into total, crushing silence.

The mere thought that these merciless, inhumane devices could end up being used on themselves made every person feel a creeping horror, their faces ashen, their words gone.

It was as though… they had reached the very edge of what their minds could endure, and terror threatened to push them over into madness at any moment.

Bai Youwei tried to drag her focus back.

“Hua Jiang…” She shut her eyes briefly and spoke aloud. “Has Hua Jiang woken up?”

Lying in the middle of the punishment room floor was a man.

Yu Yaqing went over to check and replied, “No. Still unconscious, the same as yesterday.”

Bai Youwei looked at the others and said, “Let’s do it.”

Kill him. End this.

The fairy tale itself had only concluded with Bluebeard’s death — so let this game end the same way.

Su Man raised her iron sword over the man on the floor, but her expression wavered with reluctance. The more she looked, the more Hua Jiang reminded her of Li Li. She hesitated again and again, and couldn’t bring herself to strike.

“Let me.” Yu Yaqing drew a sharp breath, raised her sword, and said, “…I will drive it through his heart. If it still doesn’t clear the game — don’t worry about me. Just run and save yourselves.”

Hu Ya instinctively took two steps back toward the doorway.

Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu fixed their gaze on that downward-pointing blade tip.

Yu Yaqing heard her own heartbeat — thud, thud… thud…

Her heart was pounding at a frantic pace. Tension. Unease.

She gritted her teeth, and then — with a sudden surge of force!

The blade plunged deep into Hua Jiang’s chest!

Hua Jiang jolted awake in an instant!

He seemed unable to believe it, and stared in shock at Yu Yaqing — then at the sword — then at his own chest, run through by the blade!

“Ahhhhh!!!”

He let out a frenzied, howling roar, and with a sudden, violent thrash he hurled Yu Yaqing off him! Then he stood upright, raging and howling like a maddened werewolf!

His handsome features twisted into something ferocious!

Thick, coarse bristle erupted from his neck!

And his body — his body was changing at terrifying speed, growing taller, growing more massive! Like a mountain range rising up to block the path before them, his eyes a blazing crimson red, like eyes flooded with blood!

Yu Yaqing bellowed: “RUN!!—”