Chapter 19: The Deceased
Inside the wooden cabin, candlelight flickered. The black-eyed man sat against the innermost wooden wall, his right leg slightly bent, one hand resting on his knee, his gaze fixed on Su Xiao standing outside the door.
In front of Su Xiao, aside from a normal-sized wooden door, a patch of black mist surrounded the entrance, making the door appear embedded within the darkness.
"This chain can't be cut."
The black-eyed man tugged at the chain beside him. One end connected to the iron shackle around his neck, while the other disappeared into the wall, imprisoning him here.
Judging by the chain's length, the black-eyed man could only move within a three-meter radius. No signs of daily life were visible nearby, meaning he had been trapped here without food or water for a long time.
"Without trying, how do you know it can't be cut?"
Su Xiao made as if to step forward, but in reality, he had no intention of entering the cabin—at least not until the black-eyed man was dead.
"Fair point. Let's give it a try."
The black-eyed man stood up and tugged at the chain in his hand, signaling for Su Xiao to cut it.
"Come closer."
"No need."
"What if you hit me!"
"I won't."
"Wait—"
Before the black-eyed man could finish, Su Xiao's aura sharpened.
*Blade Path: Azure Demon.*
*Clang!*
A crisp slash rang out as a blue-green blade arc shot forth. Seeing this, the black-eyed man quickly dove to the side to dodge.
*Pfft~*
Blood splattered as the Azure Demon slashed across the black-eyed man's chest. He crashed with a thud against the wooden wall behind him.
After landing, the black-eyed man's face twisted in pain. He pressed a hand to the wound on his chest—a gash nearly forty centimeters long, deep enough to reach the bone, with blood gushing out.
"Don't dodge recklessly. Stay still."
Su Xiao spoke as he prepared to deliver a second slash.
"You—"
The black-eyed man was at a loss for words. If he hadn't dodged, that blade arc would have indeed struck the chain. It almost felt like he had deliberately thrown himself into the path of the slash.
Now, the black-eyed man was deeply conflicted. He could only move within a three-meter radius, and directly turning against Su Xiao was clearly unwise.
But standing still? No way. He had already sensed that Su Xiao intended to kill him. If he weren't trapped in this cabin, he would have fought back long ago.
"Come closer. Help me cut the chain, and I'll tell you where the Forgotten Bone Tablet is—"
Before the black-eyed man could finish, Su Xiao's second slash was already unleashed.
*Blade Path: Azure Demon.*
Once again, the familiar blue-green blade arc appeared. Before the black-eyed man could dodge, the arc swept past him.
*Thud.*
An arm fell to the ground, and a small pool of blood spread across the floor.
"This time, how do you explain that?"
The black-eyed man's face trembled. He was torn over whether to retaliate immediately. Doing so would hasten his death, but at least he would die with some dignity.
"I missed. The next one won't."
Su Xiao remained outside the door, preparing for a third slash.
"Bastard!"
The black-eyed man dropped all pretense. He lunged forward with all his strength, the chain binding him snapping taut. A muffled *bang* echoed from the wall behind him.
The surrounding light began to warp, and wailing sounds emerged. The black-eyed man looked like a vengeful spirit, his skin rapidly shriveling.
Just as he prepared to counterattack, the door slammed shut with a *bang*.
The black-eyed man immediately deflated, his fists clenching until his knuckles cracked. Just as his rage peaked, the door swung open again, and several crisscrossing blade arcs flew in, leaving him no room to dodge.
The black-eyed man crossed his arms in front of him. Six blade arcs carved intersecting wounds across his body.
*Bang~*
The door slammed shut again. The black-eyed man, who had been about to retaliate, was stifled once more. Su Xiao attacking the cabin was fine, but as an imprisoned "deceased," if the black-eyed man tried to damage the cabin, the consequences would be dire.
The black-eyed man's "Spirit Penetration" ability was just suppressed when the door opened again. The same routine followed, only this time, even more blade arcs came flying.
Outside the door, Su Xiao stood three meters away. Bubu Wang was responsible for opening and closing the door, while Su Xiao focused on unleashing blade arcs.
To be fair, the black-eyed man inside the cabin was remarkably tough. After enduring over a dozen of Su Xiao's blade arcs, he not only survived but cursed even louder.
If it were just Su Xiao and Bubu Wang, they would have had to ignore the black-eyed man's curses. But they had Baha.
The team's division of labor was crystal clear: Su Xiao unleashed blade arcs, Bubu Wang handled the door, and Baha engaged in a verbal duel with the black-eyed man.
The black-eyed man inside the cabin was nearly driven mad. Fight? He couldn't reach them. Curse? He was outmatched. He could only endure being slashed and insulted. He might die from rage before Su Xiao killed him.
"Ah!!"
With a roar, a blade arc sliced through the black-eyed man's neck. He finally broke free from the iron shackle's grip—since his head had been severed.
The black-eyed man didn't die peacefully. His eyes were wide open, perfectly demonstrating the concept of dying with one's eyes open.
"He's dead, right?"
"Yeah."
Su Xiao sheathed his long blade and stepped into the cabin.
The cabin's furnishings were simple: a wooden bed, a small wooden cabinet beside it with a candlestick holding a flickering flame.
Besides these, there was a tattered desk in the corner with three shelves of books—over a dozen volumes from various civilizations. After a quick glance, Su Xiao realized they came from more than a dozen different cultures.
Su Xiao looked at the desk. On it lay a quill pen, a dried-up ink bottle, and several yellowed sheets of paper.
The papers were stacked together. A layer of crystal formed on Su Xiao's hands as he picked them up to read. The contents were as follows:
'This Death House is a cage for those who defile death, a trial ground for the brave. I am High Priest Nuoe, from Luyang Continent, a damned place driven mad by the scorching sun.'
'Trapped for 177 days. A participant in the Death Game visited. We traded knowledge—after all, I had nothing else. He seemed to be from a place called the Void. Unfortunately, he had urgent matters and could only chat with me for half a quarter-hour before leaving. A pity.'
'Trapped for 228 days. The second visitor arrived. What a coincidence—she was also from Luyang Continent and admired me greatly. It was no time to be picky. She stayed with me for a third of a month-cycle (1 month-cycle = 34 days). Unfortunately, she eventually left, taking most of my knowledge. How degenerate, to be tricked by such a woman. But whatever.'
'Trapped for 341 days. The third visitor came. Lucky for me, still female, and stunningly beautiful. Unlucky for me, she was too strong. I was extorted for knowledge and nearly killed. Bad luck.'
'Trapped for 415 days. The fourth visitor arrived. Male. I felt my gaze toward him was... off. He noticed too, so after the knowledge trade, he hurriedly left. As a High Priest, I wanted to explain, but after thinking it over, I decided not to. How degenerate.'
...
...
'Trapped for 1077 days. The eighteenth visitor arrived. As per usual, we traded knowledge. She seemed surprised—surprised I was so friendly. As a High Priest, even if I spent most of my life with corpses, I was also an etiquette teacher of the Fongke Empire. From our conversation, I learned that with a Shadow Stone, I could leave this damned cabin that should be burned to ashes.'
'The eighteenth visitor died. No Shadow Stone was found on her. Instead, an iron shackle grew from the wall and locked around my neck. Luckily, the chain was long enough for me to move freely in the room. What a relief.'
'Trapped for 2201 days. This should be the last record. Every time I kill a visitor, the chain shortens. It turns out the Death House was always trying to redeem me. Death must not be defiled, yet I have been defiling it all along. One more question... who am I? When I snapped the throat of the thirtieth visitor, it seemed I had already forgotten who I was. Truly... degenerate.'