Lead the Wish

The smile on Qiu Dehai’s face grew even wider, blooming like a chrysanthemum.

He said nothing. Instead, right in front of Zhu Yan, he unscrewed one of the bottles of [Shuddering Delight], raised it high, and carefully poured a small sip into his mouth.

He could understand Hunter No. 1’s doubts.

Who knew whether this [Shuddering Delight] was poisonous?

If he were in Hunter No. 1’s position, he wouldn’t accept it easily either.

Qiu Lingfeng’s thoughts reached Zhu Yan’s ears, so Zhu Yan swallowed at just the right moment.

He deliberately stared at the item in Qiu Lingfeng’s hand, while casting occasional glances at Qiu Lingfeng himself.

In Qiu Lingfeng’s eyes, these details clearly showed that Hunter No. 1 both craved the [Shuddering Delight] and feared that something would happen if he drank it too readily.

Qiu Lingfeng sneered inwardly.

Hah.

Hunter No. 1 had been around longer than all of them. Could it be that his addiction was worse than anyone else’s?

He’d held out for so long. It must have been really hard on him!

Zhu Yan was at a loss.

Who was addicted?

Him?

“Look.” Qiu Lingfeng gestured for Zhu Yan to examine his complexion. “Nothing’s wrong with me at all. This stuff is just more concentrated. Be careful when you drink it. I drank a little too much last night and almost passed out drunk.”

Qiu Lingfeng had deliberately put on Qiu Dehai’s skin today.

Therefore, even though he had drunk the special, extra-potent version of [Shuddering Delight] that Zhu Yan had prepared, on the surface he was still Qiu Dehai. He had not turned into Zhu Zeyu.

Qiu Lingfeng glanced over Hunter No. 1’s utterly forgettable face and felt that his performance was flawless so far.

Listening to Qiu Lingfeng’s thoughts, Zhu Yan chuckled inwardly.

Qiu Lingfeng’s performance really was flawless.

Beneath that human skin belonging to Qiu Dehai, there was probably already Zhu Zeyu’s face, wasn’t there?

So far, everything had gone smoothly.

Zhu Yan once again extended his hand with feigned hesitation. Qiu Lingfeng, meanwhile, acted exceedingly enthusiastic and thrust the opened bottle of [Shuddering Delight] toward him.

“Just take it. To be honest, you’re experienced and clever. I know things aren’t exactly peaceful among the Hunters of the Xuanxutai, either. I’ve wanted to meet you for a while now because I have a favor to ask.”

This was Qiu Lingfeng’s usual strategy.

Giving someone a benefit for no apparent reason was suspicious. But once he voluntarily revealed his own selfish motives and objectives, the other person’s doubts would be greatly reduced.

Zhu Yan immediately went along with it and began to act.

“You have a favor to ask?” he said coldly. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing major.” Qiu Lingfeng was very polite, and his voice sounded sincere. “I have elders above me and children below me. Life isn’t easy. I’d also like to have another companion in the Xuanxutai, so we can exchange whatever information we have from time to time.”

Zhu Yan nodded and gave a lofty “Mm.”

“That’s a small matter.”

He smiled at Qiu Lingfeng. “When this instance is nearly over, I can tell you some of what I know.”

But for now, he had to play the role of Hunter No. 1 in Qiu Lingfeng’s mind.

Who had he just said was addicted?

Zhu Yan’s eyes remained fixed on the two bottles of [Shuddering Delight], while the hand hidden in his pocket closed around the Deceive-Heaven-and-Cross-the-Sea Talisman given to him by [Square-Inch Mountain].

He was about to drink the potion.

He had to activate [Acting] and become Zhu Zeyu’s likeness to fool Qiu Lingfeng. At the same time, this scene had to be kept hidden from [Frenzied Happy Land]!

From [Frenzied Happy Land]’s perspective, “Zhu Zeyu” had to be a puppet—not Zhu Yan with [Acting] activated.

Otherwise, there would be serious trouble.

Zhu Yan moved a finger and activated the talisman.

The talisman began to heat up, scorching his skin until it hurt.

Zhu Yan could no longer afford to care about that.

He put on the expression of a starving ghost who had just seen food and tremblingly picked up the glass bottle!

As though struggling to maintain the last shred of reason under an overwhelming assault on his senses, Zhu Yan dipped his index finger into the liquid and put it in his mouth.

At the same time, he activated the ability [Acting], and his appearance began to change rapidly!

His slightly upturned, sharp eyes became rounder and softer. The shape of his nose and the contours of his face began to lose their hardness—

In just a few seconds, that unfamiliar, utterly forgettable face transformed into the familiar face of “Zhu Zeyu” that Qiu Lingfeng knew so well!

Qiu Lingfeng involuntarily held his breath. His heartbeat pounded against his eardrums, one beat after another.

It worked.

It had actually worked so easily…

He stared fixedly at Hunter No. 1’s face.

Hunter No. 1 seemed to have completely surrendered himself to the pleasure brought on by [Shuddering Delight].

The man even copied what Qiu Lingfeng had done earlier, lifting the bottle and pouring a tiny sip into his mouth.

With the bracelet’s support, aside from the [Shuddering Delight]’s HP bar being raised to its maximum level, Zhu Yan did not feel even the slightest bit of the mind-distorting pleasure.

“It really is pretty good.”

Zhu Yan handed the bottle back. In a concealed motion, he slid the sandalwood bracelet halfway off his wrist, allowing a flush of pleasure to spread across his cheeks.

That would make the effect look more convincing.

“You should have some more, too,” he said to Qiu Lingfeng. “Don’t tell me you don’t even have this much sincerity?”

The more Qiu Lingfeng drank, the better.

Zhu Yan curved his lips.

[Shuddering Delight] could bring about a pleasure bordering on madness. Wouldn’t it be more entertaining to reveal the truth to Qiu Lingfeng at the moment of his greatest happiness?

Looking at “Zhu Zeyu’s” face, Qiu Lingfeng felt even more contemptuous.

In the end, he had still overestimated Hunter No. 1.

Judging by this drunken state, he was nothing more than a simple-minded brat. In truth, he was no threat at all.

Qiu Lingfeng smiled and did not refuse. He grabbed the bottle of [Shuddering Delight] and took a symbolic sip.

“Let’s go.” He pulled Zhu Yan across the doorway.

Beyond the door was a small, perfectly square courtyard.

There was nothing here except the ground and four walls. The place was completely bare. One of the walls had an opening just wide enough for a single person to pass through, revealing a narrow flight of stone steps leading upward.

“This way,” Qiu Lingfeng said. “The offerings will arrive in another five minutes. We have to hide before they get here. They absolutely mustn’t notice anything strange.”

“Why?” Zhu Yan obediently asked the question everyone would have asked.

Qiu Lingfeng cautiously refrained from revealing his ability.

“I did some research beforehand.” Wearing Qiu Dehai’s face, he smiled as he explained, “Those people will make wishes to the bodhisattva. The Xuanxutai said your task was to help me?”

Perhaps because Hunter No. 1 had drunk his [Shuddering Delight], he was not as tense as before.

He even smiled at Qiu Lingfeng with evident interest, as though Qiu Lingfeng were some priceless treasure.

“My task is indeed to help you,” Zhu Yan said.

“Then do you know how to help me?” “Qiu Dehai” led him deeper into the trap one step at a time.

When he saw Zhu Yan shake his head, “Qiu Dehai”’s smile grew even wider.

“You only need to make sure these people successfully make their wishes before the bodhisattva statue. They’re all children, only a few years younger than you. They don’t understand anything.”

“We have eight sacrifices to offer. When the time comes, you’ll lead them inside and make the wish.”