Chapter 65: Two Choices

The only person who could keep a grip on Shao Yan was her younger brother. Currently, Bako and the injured Yu Guang were staying with Shao Hua, meaning the two of them might also be in danger.

At that moment, Cheng Cheng found the medical record from inside the room: "I found it. That grandmother's name is Zhao Menglian, and the person who paid the medical bills is her daughter, Zhao Hua."

Xia Wulei paused for a moment: "Zhao Hua? Isn't the older woman named Wang Cui?"

Cheng Cheng pursed her lips: "Mother Wang is Zhao Menglian's daughter-in-law. The Shao family's nanny, and the human trafficker from room 201, also surnamed Zhao."

Everything had been premeditated long ago.

Xia Wulei and the others hurriedly returned to 504 to look for Yu Guang and Bako, only to find that the two of them had fallen into a strange, deep sleep from which they could not be awakened no matter how hard they were called. Meanwhile, Shao Hua, who had been in the room, was nowhere to be found.

Cui Chengzhi said, "They've been placed under a curse. It will probably take a full day and night for them to wake up."

Tomorrow would be the seventh day, which was also the day when ghosts and monsters would pour out in full force to hunt down the players.

Fortunately, the lives of the two were not in immediate danger, but without teammates, falling into such a predicament within a dungeon was practically equivalent to waiting for death.

"Vine."

The spiritual vine was still wrapped around Yu Guang, pouring its heart and soul into healing him. Hearing Xia Wulei's call, it raised its little flower bud in a somewhat dazed manner.

Xia Wulei felt helpless. The spiritual vine was currently like a newborn infant with very little intelligence; being able to respond to and execute her commands was already the absolute limit of its efforts.

Just like now, when instructed to help with Yu Guang's treatment, it would temporarily lose its vigilance toward the surroundings, devoting itself entirely to using its abilities for healing.

Sigh, the child was still young and had to be taught slowly.

Obeying Xia Wulei's instruction, the spiritual vine flew out of the window, darted rapidly toward the perimeter, and circled the apartment building to inspect the area.

Xia Wulei sensed its surroundings for a moment, then opened her eyes: "On the rooftop."

She could sense it—both old Mrs. Zhao and Shao Hua were on the rooftop.

Drawing on the lessons learned last time and fearing that some ghost might suddenly appear to attack the unconscious pair, Li Lianxin and Cheng Cheng decided to stay behind to look after Yu Guang and Bako.

The only ones going to the rooftop to find the boss were Cui Chengzhi and Xia Wulei.

When the two reached the sixth floor, the heavy iron chain that originally locked the rooftop door had been forcibly broken, and the door was left slightly ajar.

Xia Wulei exchanged a glance with Cui Chengzhi, stepped forward, and pushed the door open.

A sea of blood rushed into their view.

Reddish-brown liquid covered the entire rooftop, and twisted runes were pieced together into a bizarre pattern. Staring at it for even a short while induced a strong sense of dizziness.

Sitting right in the exact center of these runes were old Mrs. Zhao and Shao Hua.

Old Mrs. Zhao was wearing a thin nightgown, her full head of silver hair drifting slightly in the air.

Her eyelids lifted slightly, and a glint of shrewdness flashed within her turbid gray eyes.

"Oh? High-tier cultivators. No wonder you've been able to push the dungeon progress so fast."

"I will give you two choices. First, help me refine the ghost fiend; in exchange, I will personally help you eliminate the threat inside the building, and tomorrow you won't have to face the pursuit of any ghosts and monsters. Second, leave this place and watch the female ghost in red transform into a fiend after tonight. However, judging by your remaining numbers, even with a high-tier cultivator, I'm afraid it won't be enough to deal with a ghost fiend."

Xia Wulei looked at Cui Chengzhi, and Cui Chengzhi nodded.

"What she said is true. I can neutralize the boss's attacks and I have the means to protect my own safety. But I cannot guarantee your safety, and what's more, two of our people have fallen into a coma and cannot take care of themselves."

Xia Wulei looked at old Mrs. Zhao. So she hadn't killed Yu Guang and Bako; she had kept them alive precisely for this purpose.

Cui Chengzhi said in a low voice, "If we want everyone to retreat safely, we have no choice but to agree to her demands. Choices like this do appear in novice dungeons. Before newcomers have matured, they often choose the safer course of action."

Xia Wulei asked, "What happens if you choose the unsafe course of action? Are there richer rewards?"

Cui Chengzhi was momentarily taken aback.

He knew Xia Wulei was not weak, but she was still a newcomer after all. Being so reckless in a dungeon meant she wouldn't live long.

"Killing hidden NPCs usually grants extra rewards, sometimes in points, sometimes in items... But this is unwise. It's better to prioritize clearing the dungeon."

Cui Chengzhi weighed his words carefully. He knew that some people cared more about their own interests, but through the last few days of contact, he also felt that Xia Wulei was not the kind of person who would disregard her teammates' lives.

Xia Wulei was about to say something when she was interrupted by old Mrs. Zhao, who had no intention of giving them that much time to negotiate.

"Have you made up your mind? These old bones of mine can't handle standing in the cold wind for much longer."

Xia Wulei looked at old Mrs. Zhao and nodded.

"I've thought about it. I choose the third option."

Old Mrs. Zhao was startled. What third option? Did I offer a third option?

Xia Wulei continued, "And that is—taking you in to complete my task!"

A hoe instantly appeared in her hand, and Xia Wulei lunged forward in a single stride, smashing it down toward old Mrs. Zhao.

Cui Chengzhi's reaction was also swift. Though his movements were too fast to clearly track, in the blink of an eye, he had already appeared behind the old woman, blocking her escape route.

However, contrary to their expectations, old Mrs. Zhao was far more difficult to deal with than they had imagined.

She seemed able to predict their movement trajectories, causing their attacks to miss her by just a hair's breadth every single time.

A solemn feeling grew in Xia Wulei's heart. She hadn't expected that the old woman didn't emit a single trace of energy fluctuation, yet her movement techniques were so ghostly and ethereal.

She was a tough nut to crack.

Cui Chengzhi condensed a streak of sword light in his hand and slashed forward. Old Mrs. Zhao lightly leaped backward, her hands even clasped behind her back, landing with effortless ease on the edge of the rooftop.

"You two little brats can't do anything to me."

A thin layer of sweat broke out on Cui Chengzhi's forehead. He came to Xia Wulei's side and whispered, "We can't go on like this. My items and skills are almost exhausted, and I simply can't touch her."

Xia Wulei also recognized the disparity between them and simply lowered her hoe.

"If I don't help you, aren't you equally unable to subdue the ghost fiend?"

Old Mrs. Zhao was stunned, then burst into loud laughter: "You little girl, your brain turns pretty fast."

The two conditions old Mrs. Zhao had offered earlier were: first, help her and avoid facing ghosts; second, leave and face ghosts.

This implied that without their help, the female ghost in red would continue to exist and would hunt them down.

From this, it could be deduced that old Mrs. Zhao herself was incapable of subduing the female ghost in red.

Yet Xia Wulei stubbornly refused to choose between the two; she wanted to take the old woman away to fulfill Shao Yan's request.

Compared to this old Mrs. Zhao, who destroyed a family and secretly plotted everything behind the scenes, Xia Wulei would rather strike a deal with ghosts and monsters.

Old Mrs. Zhao said with a sinister tone, "Just by myself, I indeed have no way to deal with that ghost fiend, but dealing with you two little brats is more than enough."

As soon as her voice fell, Xia Wulei felt a slight breeze stir, and the light before her eyes suddenly dimmed.

Old Mrs. Zhao's face, covered in deep gullies and wrinkles, appeared right in her field of vision, and her hook-like, hard hands grabbed Xia Wulei by the throat, her nails sinking deep into the flesh.

Cui Chengzhi cried out in alarm, "Miss Xia!"