Chapter 27: Ulterior Motives
“You seem to know a lot about this instance?” Bai Cha asked instead of answering.
Wang Xuming looked at her with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile for a while.
Very cautious, this kind of temperament is quite rare.
He didn’t mind giving her a hand.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m a member of the Eternal Radiance Guild. Since you’re a newbie, it’s best to join a guild after clearing this instance.”
Bai Cha said calmly, “What are the benefits?”
“Someone can take you through instances, which increases your survival rate compared to going alone. With your current physique, you won’t improve much in the short term, but your mind and temperament are good. However, that’s not enough. You can feel the benefits of the pill I gave you, right? I wouldn’t invest for nothing.”
Wang Xuming stopped there and said, “This instance is indeed not a simple rule-based instance. Didn’t you figure it out too, which is why you kept insisting on exploring 305 first instead of playing the board game?”
Of course, they weren’t the only ones present who noticed the difference in the Buddha statues.
But being able to think in terms of factions didn’t seem to be something many people had considered.
“Once the board game starts, the factions will be officially divided. By then, after a few rounds of the game, everyone should know what they need to follow.”
This was also why Bai Cha had deliberately tried to confuse the situation.
In fact, the rules didn’t come from the front desk and the guesthouse, but from the factions – which faction followed which set of rules.
Of course, she couldn’t know for sure that everyone would know their faction once the board game started.
But she could guess that perhaps after the board game ended, it would be when the game was cleared.
Before that, making everyone consistently believe that the rules applied to everyone had one benefit for her: controlling the initiative of the game.
“Then what’s in 305?” Wang Xuming was clearly also deliberately guiding. So not only did he not expose Bai Cha, but he also cooperated with her.
“This is another side quest, the story behind the entire guesthouse. Are you interested?”
As Wang Xuming spoke, he turned on the faucet.
Bright red liquid flowed out.
The female ghost appeared again.
But she didn’t attack, looking at Wang Xuming as if she was somewhat wary.
Bai Cha opened the door.
The female ghost didn’t disappear, just watched them both leave with open eyes.
The lighter in Wang Xuming’s hand seemed to be able to dispel some of the darkness in this room.
He found the location of the landline phone.
Bai Cha watched silently all along, and just before he was about to make a call, she asked, “Are the others not in the same space as us?”
Wang Xuming seemed to turn his head and smile meaningfully, while his hand still dialed the guest-house’s phone number.
Bai Cha lowered her eyes.
If they weren’t in the same space, then why was she staying with Wang Xuming?
Was it arranged by Wang Xuming?
He might not have such great ability to control the instance. But his familiarity with the instance suggested that this probably wasn’t his first time here, right?
Could an instance be entered a second time?
Although he introduced himself just now, he didn’t say his name.
He must have also concealed his identity.
Entering the game twice, was it for the story behind it?
Or was there something in this game that was very worth obtaining?
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, the same voice as when she called the front desk came from the landline.
“May I help you with something?”
Whether it was her imagination or not, there seemed to be a rotten smell mixed in with the scent of incense in the room.
Bai Cha looked towards the small offering table at the head of the bed.
Wang Xuming beside her said unhurriedly, “The faucet in room 305 has a problem. Red water is coming out. Could you send someone over to fix it?”
The rotten smell became clearer.
“Are you talking about the faucet in 305?” The voice on the other end of the phone became slow and unreal, carrying a strange aura.
“Yes.”
“But guest, no one is staying in 305,” the voice on the other end began to sound excited. “Why did you run to 305? Entering other rooms in the guesthouse at will comes at a price! We’ve already sent someone to 305, guest, don’t let us catch you.”
A harsh busy tone began to sound from the phone.
Wang Xuming hung up the phone, spread his hands, and said, “It’s broken, what should we do?”
Bai Cha ignored him. She had been staring at the offering table the whole time.
The rotten smell was coming from there.
The door of room 305 suddenly clicked open.
A chilling aura entered from the doorway.
“Who trespassed into the room…” The figure at the door was hunched over, slowly walking into the room.
Wang Xuming suddenly covered Bai Cha’s mouth and nose with one hand, and with the other hand around her waist, he pulled her into the wardrobe.
Bai Cha didn’t resist, just frowned slightly.
She didn’t know what Wang Xuming wanted to do. The other party had deliberately found a way to keep her in the same space as him, seemingly trying to recruit her.
But she couldn’t trust him at all.
Even though the other party had previously taken out a highly effective elixir.
But really, would anyone casually give such a precious medicine to a seemingly decent newbie?
Unless they were a good person.
But even someone as soft-hearted as Xiao Xiao would never have saved her back then before bothering to win her over!
However, having ulterior motives would eventually be revealed.
Bai Cha stopped thinking and just listened to the movements outside.
