Chapter 1234: Delivered to the Door
Xu Huo paused for a moment before looking at the soup in her hand. "It smells pretty good."
"It tastes even better," Mu Yan said. "Da Hu put some high-grade ingredients in it, rare mutant plants, very potent."
"Then I definitely have to try it." Xu Huo took it and drank.
"Hey..." Mu Yan's expression changed, and she instinctively moved to stop him, but seeing his eyes fixed on her, she swallowed her words and changed her tone. "It's hot."
"No big deal." Xu Huo finished the soup in a few gulps and handed the bowl back to her. "Another bowl. It's really good. You should have some too."
Seeing this, Mu Yan didn't say anything more and joined Da Hu and the others for a lively dinner.
As the thick fog rose, the maze quickly fell silent. Xu Huo and the others each used their own items to rest. In the middle of the night, two people got up from opposite sides.
The deliberately left lighting couldn't illuminate much area; just a few meters away, there was a clear distinction between light and shadow. When the figure emerged from the darkness, it revealed a face completely different from the honest, cheerful one from the day.
Da Hu looked at the deeply sleeping players on the ground and sneered, "With that little vigilance, what kind of player are you? Might as well go home and buy a cemetery plot!"
The other player was more cautious, first using items to restrain the others before approaching Mu Yan. "Are you sure she knows what Xu Zhi's flower card is?"
"Aren't they good friends?" Da Hu said. "Give her a shot of truth serum first. If we can't get anything out of her, then give Xu Zhi one."
The companion glanced at the open shelter door. "Are you sure he's asleep?"
"He ate the most, so he'll be the hardest to wake up," Da Hu said. "Won't be coming around anytime soon. Let's question the woman first."
"Why bother with all this trouble? Just kill them directly," the companion said.
"I already have enough cards in hand. What if the flower card gets randomly distributed?" Da Hu said impatiently. "Blame it on this damn rule. Otherwise, why would we need to go through all this?"
The companion wisely shut up, helped Mu Yan sit up, injected her with a dose of truth serum, and then woke her up.
Mu Yan half-opened her eyes and answered their questions dazedly: "Throne..."
"Throne?" Da Hu grinned. "That's the White Throne. We can swap cards now."
"Actually, if you just cut off one of his arms, you'd probably get the answer too. Why waste one of my truth serums..." the companion muttered quietly, feeling it wasn't worth it.
"Use your brain. If we make a bloody mess, everyone will know it was us," Da Hu said smugly. "I want to see these idiots get played and then throw a tantrum without finding the culprit... Don't always resort to violence. There's no need for a big commotion when you can do it without lifting a finger..."
Before he could finish, two more players sat up from behind. The pale-skinned one leisurely removed the items on his body. "Looks like you have flower cards too."
Da Hu and his companion spun around. Their combat experience taught them the importance of seizing the initiative, so the moment they turned, their items flew out.
But the two opposite weren't pushovers either. Prepared, they easily intercepted the items and flanked Da Hu and his companion from left and right. The pale-faced one said, "Kill him first, then kill that Xu guy. They both have flower cards. Getting one or two won't be a loss!"
The four of them clashed, inevitably affecting the two who hadn't woken up yet. When those two opened their eyes, Da Hu was the first to point at the opposite side and shout, "They drugged the food!"
The two who had just "woken up" immediately perked up. The female player exchanged a glance with the other and both chose to withdraw from the fight.
"You think everyone will fall for whatever you say?" The pale-faced one sneered. "You were the most active in cooking, and most of the ingredients were yours. Neither of us ever went near the ingredients or the food!"
The female player and her companion instantly shifted their gaze to Da Hu.
"They want to get the flower card from that Xu guy. If you don't believe me, ask the woman on the ground. She's been injected with truth serum, and the effect hasn't worn off yet. She'll answer anything you ask!" the pale-faced one said.
The female player looked back and sure enough, saw Mu Yan sitting there in a daze. What more needed to be asked?
"Da Hu probably has flower cards too. How about the four of us join forces? Take him out first, then deal with Xu. One flower card each, and we can cooperate later!" the pale-faced one seized the opportunity.
"Kill us and you'll get the flower cards?" Da Hu stared at the pale-faced one, but his words were directed at the female player and her companion. "I'm afraid they'll come after you next! Haven't you noticed? They didn't tell a single truth after getting the clue in the maze wall during the day!"
"Whether we tell the truth or lies, at least we didn't harm anyone. If you didn't have so many cards, you would have killed us already, wouldn't you!"
The female player and the other buzz-cut player weren't allies. Under these circumstances, they were forced into a "temporary partnership." The buzz-cut was tempted, but the female player's face was as cold as ice. "I'm not getting involved in your affairs. Whether you get flower cards or kill each other, it has nothing to do with me."
She stepped back two paces. "I'm leaving now..."
But before she finished, the buzz-cut used an item to block her path. As she glared at him, he said, "Sorry, but you can't leave. Only if we join forces can the two of us survive."
If she left, Da Hu and the pale-faced group would likely target him first!
With two people on each of the three sides, the situation was evenly matched.
"Sister, think about it. As long as there's one less person, I'll let you go. No forcing you to stay!" Da Hu invited the female player to join.
The pale-faced side made the same offer.
Just as the three sides were in heated discussion, the female player happened to glance toward the shelter and was surprised to find that Xu Huo, who should have been fast asleep, was already sitting at the entrance. Mu Yan, who had seemed groggy earlier, was also watching the show with a sleeping bag in her arms.
The next second, the other players also looked over.
Xu Huo clapped lightly. "Not bad. I didn't expect to not only gain something tonight but also watch a show."
"Now it's even. Two against two against two against two. No one can do anything to anyone." Da Hu shrugged.
Xu Huo waved his hand. "You've got it wrong. It's two against six."
He pointed to his own side, then to the opposite side, clearly counting Da Hu, the pale-faced one, the female player, and the others.
"Based on you?" The pale-faced one sneered.
Xu Huo didn't get up from his seat. With just a lift of his finger, a chair materialized behind everyone. The chairs forcibly caught them and pushed them all to the front of the shelter, lining them up in a row.
At the same time, their hands were bound behind their backs.
Da Hu and the others struggled briefly to no avail and immediately tried to use items. But then a thick barrier appeared in front of Xu Huo. Through the barrier, both sides could see each other, but it effectively limited the effects of items.
"One force breaks all barriers!" Da Hu shouted at the barrier.
But the trait didn't take effect. Xu Huo, sitting across from him, raised his index finger to his lips and made a shushing gesture.