The Hand of Confession – Chapter 344

Volume 10: Days of Cultivating in the Republic of China

Escape

Goodbye

The direction of the exit was precisely where the small Western-style house was located.

Shen Maomao was injured, and dragging along the burden that was Sisi, she quickly fell to the back of the group, nearly getting bitten by the piranhas leaping out of the water.

Golden Retriever used a prop and said to her, “Give Sisi to me!”

Shen Maomao didn’t try to be a hero. She immediately pushed Sisi into his arms, then pulled the two umbrellas from his embrace and, with lightened steps, caught up to Mingyue and A Nan in front.

Golden Retriever: “!!” He knew this would happen!!

The water line was getting higher and higher; running along the riverbank was clearly not a viable solution. As she ran, Shen Maomao opened the yellow umbrella and discovered that the human walls had already fallen into the water. They were floating about on the surface, and it was unclear if they could still move.

Without much hope, she shouted, “Can you save us!!”

In an instant, dozens of heads rose from the water, thrashing about to form a small boat.

Shen Maomao’s eyes lit up, and she immediately called for the others to get on. “I’ll stand in the middle! Jump next to me!” As she spoke, she positioned herself right in the center of the human boat.

Golden Retriever trusted her completely, immediately jumping beside her while holding Sisi. Shen Maomao quickly grabbed him to prevent him from overshooting and falling into the water.

A Nan and Mingyue hesitated for a second, but they were short on time. If they didn’t act, they would fall into the water for a brawl with a school of piranhas, so they didn’t dare hesitate any longer and jumped over.

The human boat sank down, and everyone’s hearts jumped with it. Fortunately, the small boat was sturdy enough. It didn’t fall apart or take on water, carrying them steadily toward the opposite bank.

Shen Maomao looked back—the path they came from had completely disintegrated. The Hebo Temple had long since sunk into the water, with only a single golden tip showing. After a few seconds, it vanished completely from their sight.

A school of piranhas circled them happily, occasionally taking a couple of bites out of the human boat or leaping from the water to bare their sharp teeth at the living people on top, wanting a taste of flesh, only to be beaten back into the water by the group.

Looking at the white light on the horizon, Shen Maomao nearly shed tears. She said excitedly to the human walls, “Thank you! Can you take us to the white light?”

Mingyue kicked a piranha away, her tone a bit urgent. “Wait! I still have to find An Jing!”

A Nan disagreed. “Then go find her yourself. Hesitation breeds disaster¹; the minority yields to the majority. None of us want to go back.”

Shen Maomao said, “Don’t speak too soon. The exit seems to be near the Western-style house.”

A Nan pouted and fell silent, while Mingyue shot her a grateful look.

“Ngh…”

Suddenly, Sisi, who was being held sideways in Golden Retriever’s arms, let out a moan. She slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes, warily surveying her surroundings. After getting a clear look at her situation, she let out a short scream.

The small boat swayed, and it nearly scared their souls from their bodies². Sisi threw her arms around Golden Retriever’s neck, her legs clamping onto his waist, clinging to him like a frightened little animal. “The hell is this?!”

A Nan frowned in dissatisfaction. “Keep it down! What’s there to be so jumpy about?!”

Sisi’s face was pale, but her words were sharp. “Are you even a man? How can you be fierce with a beauty as fair as a flower, as lovely as jade³.”

A Nan’s gaze swept over her face before he said coldly, “You’d need to be alive to enjoy it.”

Hearing this, Sisi shot him a white-eyed glare full of a myriad of charms⁴.

Golden Retriever said with difficulty, “Can you… loosen up a bit… you’re going to… strangle me!”

Sisi leaped from him and onto Shen Maomao. “Holy crap, who are you?!” As she spoke, she finally got a clear look at Golden Retriever’s appearance and couldn’t help but whisper to Shen Maomao, “Has Shishi’s soul been snatched⁵?”

Shen Maomao was nearly knocked off the boat by her. She held her hands out, resolute not to touch Sisi’s body, and only managed to steady herself with great effort. Hearing the question, she said, “…Actually, no.”

With the exit in sight, Golden Retriever couldn’t be bothered to pretend anymore. “I’m a guy.”

Sisi: “???” Sisi cracked apart⁶.

Shen Maomao said, “Can you get down? I’m a taken woman.”

Sisi laughed sheepishly and tentatively extended a foot toward the river. Finding it solid just as it was for the others, she then got off of her. “So what’s the situation now?”

Golden Retriever said, “You…”

Sisi cut him off. “Don’t talk! I want some quiet.”

Golden Retriever: “…”

Shen Maomao couldn’t help but laugh as she gave her a rough summary of what had just happened.

Sisi frowned in thought. “I lost consciousness after being swept away by the bloody water, but I vaguely felt my body moving… Who was controlling me?”

“It was probably the Hebo you prayed to,” Shen Maomao speculated.

The Southwest Hebo Temple had been abandoned for who knows how long, and its followers were pitifully few. Perhaps the Hebo knew he couldn’t escape his fate, so he used Sisi, the first person to push open his temple doors, hiding in her body to get revenge on Kang Yuanhuai—and succeeded.

For a moment, Sisi was filled with emotion. “I really thought I was a dead woman.”

Shen Maomao smiled. “The virtuous are blessed by heaven⁷.”

As they were talking, there was a sudden splash—. A bloody, dripping hand shot out from the river and grabbed A Nan’s ankle.

“Fuck!” A Nan yelled, immediately grabbing the arms of Shen Maomao and Mingyue beside him while frantically kicking the leg that had been caught.

The small boat shook violently, scaring everyone witless. Sisi shouted, “Don’t rock it! Stop rocking it!!”

A Nan paid her no mind, kicking like a madman to get the thing off his ankle.

Another splash—. A second bloody hand emerged from the river and slapped onto the human boat. A gory, mangled head popped out of the water and then opened its mouth to shout, “Wait! It’s me! It’s me!”

The voice unexpectedly belonged to the long-missing Da Hai.

Beneath the blood on the head, Da Hai’s features were vaguely visible. He let out a sigh of relief but didn’t completely lower his guard. “What are you doing in the water? And how did you end up in this ghostly state?”

Da Hai said, “Don’t ask. I was almost killed. Good thing I have a lot of aces up my sleeve. Quick, give me a hand.”

Shen Maomao’s expression was stiff. Her eyes darted to the side as she tilted her head slightly, exchanging a look with Golden Retriever and Sisi.

Da Hai had died a long time ago!

But A Nan and Mingyue didn’t know this. Hearing his request, A Nan extended a hand and, before Shen Maomao could stop him, pulled the bloody and mangled Da Hai directly onto the boat!

This was going to be tricky.

Da Hai stood at the edge of the boat, shaking out his hair and wringing the corner of his shirt. He complained, “It’s really cold in the water. I thought if I didn’t drown, I’d freeze to death. Thank goodness you guys came.”

A Nan said, “You’ve got some tough luck.”

The two started chatting idly. It wasn’t a good place for a fight, so Shen Maomao shot a look at Golden Retriever and Sisi, signaling them to watch quietly to see how things change.

…

Da Hai didn’t make a move. The human boat reached the shore safely. The white light was now within arm’s reach, located, as expected, inside the small Western-style house.

A Nan and Da Hai leaped ashore and immediately rushed toward the house, kicking the door open. Mingyue glanced at the remaining people and, worried about An Jing, ran in after them. Sisi and Golden Retriever jumped onto the bank one after another. Shen Maomao followed, holding her umbrella and saying a word of thanks to the human boat.

The human boat automatically dispersed without saying goodbye, its members diving one by one to the bottom of the water.

Shen Maomao waved at them. When she turned back, she found Sisi and Golden Retriever were both waiting for her. She couldn’t help but smile and ask, “What are you waiting for me for? The exit is right there. Why don’t you go?”

Sisi glanced back and said, “Is Da Hai dead or not?”

Shen Maomao shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Golden Retriever said, “If he’s dead… can he still enter the exit in this state?”

That would be a real-world horror story.

Shen Maomao felt the possibility was low. Da Hai probably hadn’t even realized he was already dead. How could someone who died in the game escape through the exit for the living?

The three of them started walking toward the house. Before they reached the entrance, they saw two shadows squatting by the door. It was the twin sisters.

The sisters, their shoulders joined together, waved at them excitedly.

Shen Maomao walked quickly over to them and asked, “Did you become the new Hebo?”

The girl on the left shook her head. “The temple completely collapsed. Our bodies saw the light of day again, so now we can be reincarnated.”

Shen Maomao’s eyes brightened. “Congratulations!”

The girl on the right sighed. “What’s there to congratulate… We have to be livestock in our next life.”

Shen Maomao lovingly patted her little head. “Be a little smarter next life, little sister.”

The little sister got angry and reached out to scratch her.

The older sister took a step back, pulling her away. She then led her in a bow toward the players before they dissipated into the air.

The sisters’ points of light had yet to fade when Mingyue burst out of the door and ran straight for Shen Maomao, her eyes red. “Please, save An Jing!”

Shen Maomao was taken aback and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mingyue pulled her into the courtyard. Sisi and Golden Retriever exchanged a look and hurried to follow.

The exit was indeed in the courtyard. An Jing was just a step away from it but was blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to advance half an inch.

A Nan had already disappeared. Da Hai’s face was filled with terror as he charged the exit again and again, only to be thrown back each time.

It was as if fate was playing a huge joke on them, delivering the most fatal blow just when they thought they were saved.

Seeing the veins on Da Hai’s temples bulge and his eyes grow redder, Shen Maomao worried he would erupt in violence. Moreover, with the exit now open, the ghosts from the instance would soon be drawn over. She immediately said to Sisi and Golden Retriever, “You two go first!”

Sisi was also terrified. Hearing this, she quickly waved to her. “Goodbye! I hope we have a chance to meet again someday!” Then she pulled Golden Retriever and rushed into the exit.

“Wait! I—!” Golden Retriever’s remaining words were swallowed by the exit as he and Sisi vanished from the small courtyard.

Shen Maomao took out Simon Peter and handed it to An Jing. “Use this, quick. After you use it, kill yourself to get out.”

An Jing took the card without even having time to look at it. She used it immediately, then handed the spent card back to her. “Thank you.”

Shen Maomao waved her hand. “I’m going. Good luck to you both.”

“Wait!” Mingyue called out to her.

Shen Maomao turned back, a look of confusion on her face.

Mingyue ran over, stuffed something into her hand, and then gave her a hard shove forward. “Goodbye!”

Shen Maomao’s eyes and mouth were wide open as she fell backward into the white light. The last thing she saw was the back of Mingyue walking toward An Jing.

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