The Hand of Confession – Chapter 393

Volume 11: The Days of Traveling on a Train

Immortal King¹

The Immortal King’s Punishment

Of course, that was only if conditions allowed.

If conditions didn’t allow… she’d just pretend she never said it.

Her deduction was correct. During the day, everything on the train was normal; you couldn’t tell anything was wrong at all. They did a lap without finding anything new, not even knowing where the four missing bodies had gone. In the end, the group could only return the way they came to drag the people who’d gone mad back to car number five.

On the way, Zhan Zhi found new box lunches in the same containers as before, so he brought them back too.

There was one box lunch per person. Shen Maomao didn’t even bother getting one and told Auntie Ning not to get one either.

Auntie Ning was confused, so Shen Maomao explained, “If you eat the box lunch, you’ll sleep like the dead at night. We need to go out and investigate after eleven.”

“Isn’t… isn’t that too dangerous?” Auntie Ning hesitated.

Shen Maomao whispered to her, “Danger and opportunity coexist. I can guarantee my own safety, but I can’t guarantee yours. I still have to find clues, or else we’ll all be done for in seven days. The car was safe last night, but tonight everyone is here, so there’s a high chance something will happen. You can choose for yourself whether to come with me or stay here. If you come with me, I’ll do my best to protect you. If you stay, you’ll have to protect yourself.”

This wasn’t even a choice. Auntie Ning said immediately, “As long as you don’t mind me slowing you down, I’ll go with you.”

Shen Maomao gave her an “OK” sign, then took two cups of instant noodles to the hot water dispenser to prepare them.

Of course, a feelingless eating machine like her couldn’t be satisfied with just one meal. She was afraid Auntie Ning would get hungry in the afternoon, so she kept sharing snacks with her. The two of them just kept munching away amidst the blood covering the floor.

Luckily, the sleeper car had compartments, and everyone stayed inside their own. Otherwise, anyone who saw the two of them and their bizarre vibe would probably suspect they were the murderers.

They ate and ate until it was finally nighttime. The broadcast came on as usual, with the same male voice—the one whose body they’d found—reminding them not to walk around, as someone would be coming to check tickets shortly.

Not long after the announcement ended, today’s ticket inspector arrived.

Yesterday’s inspector at least looked human, but today’s didn’t have a head at all. It swayed over to check tickets, and God only knows what it used to see them.

After it left, a voice spoke faintly, “Is this another prank show?”

The man from yesterday was speechless and could only choose to remain silent.

A little while later, the lights went out again, and a chorus of yawns rose and fell throughout the car. Shen Maomao sat on her bed, not feeling the least bit sleepy.

She was waiting. Waiting for everyone to fall asleep.

The Scavenger definitely wouldn’t be asleep, and tonight’s commotion wouldn’t escape her. But this was the perfect opportunity for luring the snake out of its hole².

At ten o’clock at night, Shen Maomao put on her shoes. Brightening her phone screen, she began walking from the last compartment toward the front. A flashlight would be too bright, but without it, she’d be an open-eyed blind person³. The screen’s brightness was just right. She checked each compartment one by one, confirming without fail that everyone’s eyes were closed. It should be time to act.

She led Auntie Ning to the door of the car and couldn’t help but worry again as she looked at the clothes Zhan Zhi had tied to it.

What if something happens to the people in the car because I opened the door… My conscience will bother me.

Auntie Ning asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t we going?”

Shen Maomao explained her concerns.

Auntie Ning smiled. “You’re really like my daughter. You both like girls, and you’re both just as kind.”

“You must love your daughter very much,” Shen Maomao said.

Auntie Ning smiled, a trace of nostalgia in her eyes, but Shen Maomao didn’t see it.

She couldn’t get any useful hints from Auntie Ning and could only continue to struggle with her decision at the door.

Just as she was agonizing over it, a voice suddenly sounded behind her. “Where are you going?”

Shen Maomao was so startled she almost screamed.

She whipped around and saw a figure sitting on the bed of the second-to-last compartment, its head seemingly turned in her direction.

It looks like Xiao Yanjing from next door…

Shen Maomao whispered, “You’re not asleep?!”

“I don’t know why,” Xiao Yanjing said. “I should’ve been out cold by this time.”

Auntie Ning said, “Young man, you didn’t eat the box lunch today, did you?”

Xiao Yanjing nodded, then remembered they probably couldn’t see him and said, “How did you know?!”

“Let me ask you a question,” Shen Maomao said.

“Go ahead.”

Shen Maomao asked quietly, “Do you know what a Player is?”

“Holy shit!” Xiao Yanjing realized his voice was too loud and immediately covered his mouth. His words came out muffled. “I’ve finally found my people!”

“…Dage⁴, don’t get excited. Keep your voice down.”

“What the hell is going on with this instance?!” Xiao Yanjing asked excitedly.

Shen Maomao said, “I can’t really explain it right now. You’d better not reveal your Player identity. There’s something in this instance that specifically hunts Players.”

“What the fuck, there are people like that?!”

“I’m begging you, be a little more composed,” Shen Maomao pleaded. “Don’t expose yourself. I’m going out to find an exit in a bit. You can help me re-lock the door I open. Remember to watch your back for sneak attacks. The train gets extremely dangerous after it enters a tunnel, so make sure you protect yourself.”

Xiao Yanjing said in a breathy voice, “Okay—Great God⁵, please proceed—I’ll protect myself—”

Shen Maomao covered her face and turned to untie the clothes on the door.

Before she could get two knots undone, another voice piped up weakly. “Um…”

Shen Maomao turned back again. “!!”

Two figures emerged from the darkness, holding hands. It was the two women she had previously identified as Players.

“Can you guys please not come in waves like this?” Shen Maomao sighed. “My heart can’t take it…”

The taller one said, “Sorry. Can we go with you to find clues?”

“You can, but I can’t guarantee your safety.”

The shorter one said, “It’s fine, not a big deal. We can protect ourselves.”

Shen Maomao agreed. “Alright then, let’s go together.”

Xiao Yanjing belatedly realized, “Huh? You guys are Players too?”

Shen Maomao turned to him. “…Just lock your door. We’re leaving.” She pulled the door open, letting the other three go first while she used her phone to light the way for Xiao Yanjing, keeping an eye on his back for him.

Xiao Yanjing re-tied the clothes, tugging them twice to test the knot’s strength, then gave them an “OK” sign through the door.

Shen Maomao kept watching him until he lay back down on his bed before she turned and left.

She supported Auntie Ning, while the two Players in front of her clutched each other’s arms. One asked nervously, “Have you found anything? Where are we going to look for clues?”

Shen Maomao didn’t hide anything. “There’s a pattern on the glass of the Conductor’s Room. I plan to go check it out after the train enters the tunnel. We might find something.”

Xiao Ai said, “The train enters a tunnel at night?”

“It does,” Shen Maomao confirmed. “And for a long time, about an hour. Everyone died during that short period.”

“I see.”

Xiao Gao added, “This is our first time in an instance like this. You said before that there’s something in here that specifically kills Players?”

“Right. They’re called Scavenger. They only win when they’ve killed every Player in the instance.”

Xiao Ai said the same thing as Xiao Yanjing: “How can people like that exist? Isn’t that just harming others for their own benefit?”

Xiao Gao shot her down. “Wake up. Of all the people who can enter this game, how many haven’t done things that harm others for their own benefit?”

Xiao Ai fell silent, and the group walked on in silence.

When they reached the dining car, the two in front suddenly stopped.

“What’s…” Shen Maomao peeked ahead, but the rest of her words caught in her throat.

Moonlight shone into the dining car, making it less dark than the sleeper car. So she clearly saw a row of headless bodies standing in the aisle, along with a pile of round shadows cast on the floor.

Shen Maomao finally knew where everyone’s heads had gone.

They were hanging on the windows on both sides, one head per window, all of them staring at the group standing at the entrance.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, she thought, but in the end, only managed to squeeze out one sentence: “You really didn’t have to go to all this trouble…”

Xiao Ai’s legs felt a little weak, and she would’ve knelt if Xiao Gao hadn’t been holding her up. “Are… are we still going?”

Shen Maomao’s attitude was firm. “Yes. If you’re scared, you can go back first, but that guy might be asleep, so you probably won’t be able to get back in.”

“How… how are we supposed to get past this!” Xiao Ai cried.

“Maybe we can climb over the seatbacks.”

“No way… Do we have to walk right next to these heads?”

“There’s no other way,” Shen Maomao said. “It’s either next to the bodies or next to the heads. Pick one.”

“Waaaah, I wanna go home…”

While they were talking, Xiao Gao had been observing the heads on the windows. Now, as if she’d discovered something, she said, “These heads… they seem to be moving.”

Shen Maomao chose to escape reality. “Okay, you don’t need to say another word. We should get going.”

She looked at Auntie Ning. “Can you keep up?”

Auntie Ning sighed. “I’ll do my best.”

Xiao Gao took the first step, with Xiao Ai following closely behind her. Shen Maomao supported Auntie Ning, and they formed a long line.

The heads in the car were indeed turning to follow their progress, making the four of them feel a chill down their spines.

The two women, Xiao Gao and Xiao Ai, were surprisingly agile. Climbing over the dining car seats was like child’s play for them, and they quickly covered a short distance.

Shen Maomao had thought Auntie Ning would slow them down considerably, but who would’ve thought that while Auntie Ning was slow, her movements were far from being as clumsy as she’d claimed.

Maybe because it wasn’t time yet, the heads did nothing other than watch them. The bodies in the middle of the aisle also remained quiet, standing obediently in place.

It took the four of them less than ten minutes to reach the other end of the car. Of course—the heads had turned to follow them all the way.

Shen Maomao’s back prickled from being watched. An idea struck her, and she immediately took off her sun-protection jacket and, copying Zhan Zhi’s method, tied the door shut.

It was now less than five minutes to eleven o’clock.

Alarm bells were screaming in Shen Maomao’s mind. She urged, “Let’s hurry! We’re about to enter the tunnel, and there’s definitely going to be trouble then!”

Xiao Gao and Xiao Ai immediately started running. Auntie Ning kept up with nimble steps, and the four of them began sprinting down the corridor.

Three minutes—

Two minutes—

Shen Maomao saw the sign for the Conductor’s Room and quickly called out to the two who had run past it. “It’s here!”

She shone her phone on it. The pattern on the glass was still there, but there was nothing special about it.

Xiao Ai looked at the pattern and said, “Is this it? What does it do?”

Just as she finished speaking, the final minute passed. The sound of the train instantly grew louder, shaking the two women so much they both covered their ears. Xiao Ai shouted, “It’s so loud! I’m deaf!”

In the darkness, the pansy pattern emitted a faint blue light. At the same time, a heavy footstep began approaching them, one step at a time.

There really is a problem!

Shen Maomao reached out and touched the pattern. Who knew that the blue light would, like a living thing, shoot into her palm with a swoosh.

Xiao Ai screamed, “What do we do? Something’s coming!”

Shen Maomao tried pushing the door to the Conductor’s Room and was surprised when it opened.

She called to the other three, “Get in!”

Xiao Gao and Xiao Ai immediately dove inside, and Shen Maomao pushed Auntie Ning in after them.

The space inside was already limited. It was just right for two people, a bit of a squeeze for three. It was completely impossible for Shen Maomao to cram herself in.

The footsteps were getting closer. Shen Maomao said urgently, “Hide! Don’t make a sound, cover your mouths and noses! I’ll hide somewhere else!”

Auntie Ning grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?! Is there anywhere else to hide?”

“I’ll go to the bathroom! You guys hide well. Sit if you can, don’t stand!”

Only then did Auntie Ning let go, allowing Shen Maomao to close the door.

After closing the door on them, Shen Maomao quickly ran to the next car, ducked into the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.

Dong—

Dong—

The vibrations of the train floor intensified. Shen Maomao’s hand was on the doorknob, and she held her breath. The sound mixed with her own heartbeat, making her uncontrollably nervous.

Dong—

Dong—

The sound stopped abruptly, right in front of her.

On the other side of the door, the monster at that spot was perhaps looking right at her.

Shen Maomao looked at the pattern that had automatically drilled into her palm and prayed silently: Dage, give me some help here! Otherwise, what was the point of me going through all this trouble to get you?

As if it understood her, the pattern suddenly moved. Then, its light flared, so bright that Shen Maomao couldn’t even open her eyes.

She didn’t know what happened, but she could hear the footsteps that had stopped start moving forward again, quickly leaving the car.

The blue light gradually dimmed. Shen Maomao let out a sigh of relief, leaned her back against the door, and planted a firm kiss on her palm.

A wave of heat instantly spread from her palm, and a tiny voice entered her ear. “You—! You’re acting like a hooligan!⁶“

“?? What the hell?”

A small, shimmering blue, winged creature appeared before her eyes. It said to her, “My name is Puck! I’m an elf!”

“You’re Puck?!”

The little elf Puck nodded proudly.

“Then do you know why this place became like this? How can we leave?”

“Why should I tell you?” Puck asked.

Shen Maomao hated bear children⁷ the most. Hearing it talk like that, she snatched it up in her hand and, ignoring its squeals, left the bathroom.

She never expected her first encounter with a magical elf to be in a bathroom. Paired with the foul smell and this thing’s screeching, it wasn’t the least bit romantic.

She ran back to the Conductor’s Room to find the other three.

They were still crouched inside. Xiao Gao and Xiao Ai were stacked on top of each other like a human pyramid, leaving a large space for Auntie Ning.

Shen Maomao opened the door and pulled them out one by one.

Xiao Ai looked curiously at the thing in her hand. “What’s this? A toy? It can even make noise?”

Puck said angrily, “I am the noble elf Puck! How dare you, a puny human, call me a toy! I’ll turn you into a stupid pig!” It raised its tiny magic wand and was about to start casting a spell.

Shen Maomao quickly shook it. “Dage, I’m begging you, don’t cause trouble!”

Auntie Ning tapped her own leg. “Puck? Is it the Puck I’m thinking of?”

“It should be,” Shen Maomao said uncertainly.

Xiao Gao asked, “Where did it come from? What does it do?”

Puck, muffled in her palm, said, “What do you know! This elf is super, super useful!”

Shen Maomao ignored it and explained, “It was that pattern from just now. I touched it, and it drilled into my palm. That’s where it came from. It saved me just now, or else I might’ve been a goner.”

“Hmph! This elf already told you, I’m super useful!” Puck huffed.

After what had just happened, the group was still quite tense, but with this little elf popping up out of nowhere and causing a ruckus, that tension surprisingly vanished.

Auntie Ning looked at the little elf with pity. “Oh my, holding the child like that, isn’t it uncomfortable for it…”

The little elf shouted, “It is! This rude human is treating me like this! I’m going to turn her into a pig too!”

Xiao Ai retorted, “Why do I feel like I’ve walked onto the wrong movie set⁸…”

Shen Maomao let go. “Alright, alright, keep it down. Noble little elf, what will it take for you to tell us what’s going on here?”

Puck floated in mid-air, flapping its little wings constantly. “Nothing will work! The Lord Immortal King forbids it! So I can’t!”

Lord Immortal King? Does it mean the final boss of this instance?

Shen Maomao narrowed her eyes. “Oh~ So elves aren’t all-powerful after all.”

Puck really didn’t like hearing that. “Nonsense! There’s nothing a little elf can’t do!”

“But you still have to listen to your boss.”

Puck thought for a moment. “But I’ve signed a contract with you now, so it seems I’m not under the Immortal King’s control anymore… Huh? I’m free!”

“? How did we sign a contract?” Shen Maomao asked. “Don’t I need to agree to it?”

Puck was almost moved to tears of anger. “You dislike me?!”

Shen Maomao said guiltily, “A little bit… just a little bit…”

“I don’t dislike you,” Xiao Ai offered. “Why don’t you come with me?”

Puck glared at her. “Hmph! Robbing someone while their house is on fire⁹! You don’t look like a good human at all!”

Xiao Ai was speechless. What is this thing!

Shen Maomao was about to say more when Puck suddenly said, “Oh no! The guard is back! Quick, hide!”

Everyone quickly squeezed back into their original hiding spots, waiting for the so-called guard to leave the car.

Inside the bathroom, Shen Maomao asked, “What did you do just now that made it leave so suddenly?”

Puck whispered, “The guard relies on scent to determine if there are humans nearby. You’re covered in my scent, so naturally, it won’t find you!”

Shen Maomao covered her face. “It’s over… I’m sorry, Lou-jie, I’m tainted…”

Puck: “????”

Shen Maomao wiped away a non-existent tear from the corner of her eye and pressed on, “Then how come those three weren’t discovered?”

“Because I was sleeping there before. That place only has my scent~”

“It’s over. Auntie Ning is tainted too…”

Puck: “??!!”

The sound of giant footsteps drew near. Shen Maomao immediately stopped her poor-mouthing¹⁰ and held her breath, waiting for it to pass.

After the footsteps faded into the distance, Shen Maomao slipped out of the bathroom again, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

She continued to question Puck. “Anyway, since you’re not under the Immortal King’s control anymore, you can tell us how to get out of here now, right?”

“Why would you want to leave? Isn’t it fun here?”

“…I’m about to piss my pants from fear and you’re calling this fun?”

“Alright… it seems you don’t like it here very much.”

Xiao Gao and Xiao Ai helped Auntie Ning climb out. Xiao Ai added, “I don’t like it here either, okay?”

Puck pouted and said reluctantly, “If you don’t like it here, why did you come?”

“It’s not like we wanted to,” Shen Maomao explained. “We just closed our eyes, opened them, and here we were.”

Puck had a dreamy look on its face, as if it didn’t understand what she was saying.

“So, how can we leave?”

Puck did her the favor of answering. “Tomorrow morning, when we get to the lake, you can leave just by jumping in and swimming all the way down.”

“For real?”

Xiao Ai also asked, “It’s that easy?”

Puck shrieked with anger. “You don’t believe me! You actually don’t believe me!!!”

Shen Maomao quickly tried to soothe it. “No, no! It’s not that we don’t believe you! It’s because we only have one life, so we have to be more careful!”

Isn’t that the definition of not trusting it? Xiao Gao thought. You’d have to be a fool to trust an elf.

Puck said innocently, “Oh, is that how it is? I misunderstood you…”

A warm smile hung on Shen Maomao’s lips. “It’s okay, I don’t blame you.”

“Then I’ll hide near you!” Puck declared. “When the time comes, I’ll take you into the water. I can definitely help you find the way out!”

“Thank you so much. Then, will those guards be back?”

“They can’t come out after twelve o’clock,” Puck said. “That one was probably going over there to handle something the Immortal King ordered.”

“What was it? To kill those people?”

“Something like that,” Puck said. “Actually, they can’t really be considered people anymore…”

Shen Maomao’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“They don’t have a scent. Who knows how many years they’ve been dead~”

“Huh?!”

“They trespassed into the Immortal King’s palace. This is the Immortal King’s punishment for them, to make them endure fear here forever, with no end in sight.”

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The author has something to say:

A relative is getting married these two days _(:3」∠)_ I’ll see if I have time to update 555¹¹

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