Card Room

Chapter 564 - The Secret of the Contract Book

Ye Qi sat next to Xiao Lou and briefly explained what happened just now. “At that time, Professor Xiao asked me to walk out counterclockwise. I moved counterclockwise and when I returned to the corridor, I saw Professor Xiao lying on his back with blood all over his chest. I wanted to ask Liu Qiao what happened but Liu Qiao suddenly came out from behind me and pierced my heart with a knife.”

Yu Hanjiang frowned. “You didn’t have time to activate the team-limited resurrection card?”

Ye Qi smiled bitterly and shook his head. “It happened so suddenly that I didn’t react.”

Xiao Lou reached out and patted Ye Qi’s shoulder in comfort. The boy’s throat seemed to have been rubbed by sandpaper and his voice was so dry it was almost impossible to hear him clearly. Xiao Lou looked at his chapped lips and suggested softly, “Xiao Ye, drink some water first.”

Ye Qi lowered his head. “My supply card has already been used in the two jokers secret room.”

Yu Hanjiang didn’t hesitate any longer. He took out his own supply card, opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Ye Qi.

Ye Qi was obviously extremely thirsty. He unscrewed the bottle cap and started drinking. However, he knew that this bottle of water was precious so he only drank one-third of it. Then he returned the bottle to Yu Hanjiang.

Yu Hanjiang took the water bottle, opened a Backpack card and put the rest of the food and water into the backpack.

Xiao Lou stared at the full moon in the sky and spoke in a worried manner. “The night of the full moon can only last eight hours. Sooner or later, the sky will return to the scene of the sun and moon shining together. The three of us simply don’t have enough food and water. We have to find the oasis to supplement our food. Otherwise, once it becomes dawn, we will be exposed to the scorching sun and it will be difficult to escape from the attack of wild animals.”

Their physical strength was exhausted, there was a serious lack of water and their throats were so dry it was like they smoked. In addition, the light footwork cards in their hands had been destroyed. They wouldn’t be able to run away if they encountered the wolves again. However, wasn’t it just waiting to die if they didn’t have any strength to fight?

Yu Hanjiang’s voice was solemn. “I agree to go and find food but the oasis isn’t safe. The oasis of the two jokers secret room has hunters. The oasis of the Nightmare Room might be doubly difficult.”

Xiao Lou thought about it seriously. “I remember Chief Shao saying that he walked to the right and found a vineyard. We can try to steal some grapes without alerting the hunters and then hide.”

Yu Hanjiang weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to explore the oasis again.

The oasis might be dangerous but the desert also wasn’t safe. There was the terrible sandstorm or the quicksand, gerbils and rats. They wouldn’t be able to survive. It was better to go to the oasis to find some food. At least then they would be full and have the strength to fight.

The three of them straightened, got up and walked forward.

The light footwork cards were destroyed and they could only walk slowly in the desert. Fortunately, the place where Xiao Lou died was originally near the oasis. He moved according to the location in his memory and soon found the vineyard that Shao Qingge mentioned.

The oasis in the desert was full of vitality. The large grape trellis was lush and green with clusters of crystal clear purple grapes. They were large, round, fresh and full. The three people had been hungry all day and they couldn’t help gulping at the sight.

Just as Xiao Lou was about to go and pick the grapes, a figure flashed under the vine in front of him. Yu Hanjiang’s reaction was quick and his hands stretched out, grabbing the shoulders of the other person like eagle claws.

The person was pulled over. Yu Hanjiang met her pale face and froze. “…Liu Qiao?”

Xiao Lou and Ye Qi were also stunned.

Ye Qi saw the other person and immediately stepped back in a wary manner. He asked with a solemn face, “Liu Qiao, why did you kill me?”

Liu Qiao calmly looked at him. “I didn’t kill you. I was pulled into the mirror labyrinth and lost consciousness. Once I woke up, I saw the notification saying that I had been eliminated and welcoming me to the Nightmare Room.”

Ye Qi stared blankly at Liu Qiao and couldn’t recover for a moment.

This lasted until Xiao Lou explained. “Xiao Ye, Liu Qiao can’t be blamed for this matter. Liu Qiao was also calculated by the hunters. The hunter used Liu Qiao’s Twin card to pretend to be her and killed the three of us.”

Ye Qi finally reacted and scratched his head. “It turned out to be like this… so there was a hunter lying in ambush in the labyrinth?’

Xiao Lou hummed in agreement and looked at Liu Qiao with worry. “Did you see the person who plotted against you?”

Liu Qiao shook her head. “The labyrinth was dark and I didn’t see anything.”

Xiao Lou glanced at Yu Hanjiang. He always felt that something was wrong but he pretended to be calm. “Xiao Ye and Liu Qiao, Hanjiang and I will go out to keep watch. You use this time to pick more grapes and prepare the supplies. Then we will hit the road.”

Ye Qi and Liu Qiao nodded. They took out two more backpacks and quickly picked the grapes.

Xiao Lou sent Yu Hanjiang a look and Yu Hanjiang tacitly followed him. The two of them walked out of the vineyard side by side. Xiao Lou glanced around to confirm that no one was around before whispering in Yu Hanjiang’s ear, “Don’t you think it is a bit strange?”

Yu Hanjiang nodded. “Yes, something isn’t right. Liu Qiao would’ve already died countless times if she could be killed so easily.”

Xiao Lou said, “That’s right. Based on what I know about Liu Qiao, her personality is very cautious. She might’ve given me the Witch’s antidote in the previous relay link but she still has the Little Red Riding Hood substitute card. She has a habit of putting Little Red Riding Hood in a safe place when the environment is unfamiliar. Once the situation is wrong, she will immediately replace herself with Little Red Riding Hood. Her Little Red Riding Hood can be changed just like Li Qingzhao’s mark. In theory, Liu Qiao has the strongest life-saving ability in our team.”

Not long ago, Liu Qiao had secretly hidden Little Red Riding Hood in a safe place when she came to find Xiao Lou in the lounge after listening to his class. She could run away at any time if Xiao Lou was a hunter. Liu Qiao was so cautious facing Xiao Lou. How could she suddenly die in the labyrinth? In addition, she didn’t see anything before she died?

Yu Hanjiang frowned. “Is this Liu Qiao also fake?”

Xiao Lou rubbed his temples helplessly. After being stabbed by Liu Qiao, he thought that everyone he saw might be a hunter in disguise… only Yu Hanjiang was the person he knew best. He could be sure that the other person was the real one.

He couldn’t fully trust Ye Qi and Liu Qiao.

He didn’t want to be stabbed in the back by a ‘fake teammate’ again but he also didn’t want to abandon his real teammates in the Nightmare Room. There was no second chance in the Nightmare Room. Death here was complete obliteration. Every step must be taken with extreme care. Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and suggested softly, “The secret code we agreed upon has long been leaked in the relay link but I can ask her some other questions to judge her authenticity.”

Yu Hanjiang agreed. “Okay.”

At this moment, Ye Qi and Liu Qiao came over with two large bags of grapes. Ye Qi asked, “Professor Xiao, this should be enough, right?”

Xiao Lou nodded. “It is enough. Let’s go quickly so that we aren’t discovered.”

The backpack full of grapes was very heavy and couldn’t be carried by a thin girl. Xiao Lou took the initiative to take the bag from Liu Qiao’s back and pretended to inadvertently ask, “Liu Qiao, did you see your sister in the mirror labyrinth at that time?”

Liu Qiao was stunned before replying in a depressed manner, “Yes, I also saw my parents.”

“I remember that your sister’s name is Liu Ying, right? The first time I played cards in 2 of Clubs, Hanjiang and I met her. She had long black hair that was in a ponytail.”

“That’s right. Unfortunately, my sister couldn’t get out of the novice levels.”

Xiao Lou wondered, “What school is your sister from?”

Liu Qiao answered, “The Department of Foreign Languages at Jiangzhou University. She studied French.”

Xiao Lou seemed to be chatting and Yu Hanjiang didn’t know what he was going to say.

This was until Xiao Lou suddenly asked, “I remember you said that you always drew fairy tale cards because your sister often told you various fairy tales when you were young. You must have a good relationship, right?”

“Yes, my parents were too busy at work and I was brought up by my sister.”

Xiao Lou wondered, “If one day you can save your sister but you have to kill us in exchange, will you do it?”

Ye Qi was stunned by this question. Yu Hanjiang also stopped and stared at Xiao Lou.

Xiao Lou’s expression was very calm. He looked at Liu Qiao as gently as a brother and softly told her, “On the one hand, there is your sister whose blood is thicker than water. On the other hand, there are your teammates you have fought side by side with and experienced countless life and death crises together. Between your relatives and your teammates, how would you choose?”

Liu Qiao didn’t speak.

Her face became extremely pale. The next moment, she grabbed a knife and stabbed at Xiao Lou’s chest again!

Her movements were as fast as lightning.

However, Yu Hanjiang was already prepared. Before the blade could reach Xiao Lou, Yu Hanjiang grabbed her wrist and twisted it hard. Xiao Lou heard the sound of Liu Qiao’s bones dislocated. Liu Qiao’s wrist was dislocated by Xiao Lou and the knife in her hand fell into the sand. It instantly turned into a ball of light. Immediately after that, she also disappeared from in front of Xiao Lou.

Yu Hanjiang’s expression was serious. “Is it possible that she really attacked us in order to save her sister? She joined the hunters?”

Xiao Lou shook his head slightly. “I don’t believe she would do this.”

Ye Qi exclaimed, “Professor Xiao, she acted against you just now!”

Xiao Lou looked at Ye Qi. “Don’t you think it is contradictory? In order to save her sister. She plotted against us in the labyrinth and killed the three of us. Why should she appear here? Shouldn’t she continue to lurk around the team and kill off Brother Jiu and Chief Shao? If she joined the hunters, who would plot against her and kill her to force her into the Nightmare Room?”

Ye Qi froze for a moment.

Xiao Lou’s words also made Yu Hanjiang become aware that something was wrong. If Liu Qiao was real, it was reasonable for her to be secretly calculated against and come to the Nightmare Room. However, if Liu Qiao was the one who plotted against them, how could she appear in the Nightmare Room? This was indeed contradictory.

Yu Hanjiang spoke in a low voice, “There are too many strange parts. The Liu Qiao just now might be fake. We should leave here first before talking.”

_______________________________________________________________

The two jokers secret room at night.

Long Sen’s condition became more and more serious. Not only was his body covered with the bruises caused by bleeding but he also had a high fever. His forehead was so hot they could almost boil an egg on it. Qu Wanyue touched his forehead and anxiously gritted her teeth. “Long Sen won’t be able to hold on if he doesn’t get the medicine soon.”

Shao Qingge said, “Mr Tang, look at this bottle of medicine.”

Tang Ci took the medicine bottle he handed over and observed it carefully. “I can’t see any problems with the bottle. It hasn’t been opened and the medicine inside shouldn’t have been replaced.” He glanced at Liu Qiao. “Xiao Liu, are you sure you found this in the pharmacy?”

Liu Qiao nodded. “Yes, the pharmacy was very similar to a common pharmacy on the street. I found streptomycin on a row of shelves dedicated to antibiotics. I only took one bottle.”

Just then, Long Sen started to convulse. This was obviously muscle spasms caused by the aggravation of his condition. His lips even turned a terrifying black-purple.

The team members turned their heads in unison to stare at Long Sen with worry. Qu Wanyue sat in the sand, held the dying man in her arms and declared with red eyes, “Give me the medicine. If he can’t survive, I will go to the NIghtmare Room to accompany him.”

Tang Ci saw her determination and had to say, “Streptomycin needs an intramuscular injection. I will do it.” He summoned the healing robot, put the streptomycin into the syringe and injected Long Sen with the prescribed dose.

The medicine wouldn’t take effect so fast. Shao Qingge looked at the still unconscious Long Sen before glancing at Tang Ci. “The oasis is holding a wedding and no one is here now. However, we will soon be discovered once the wedding is over. Mr Tang, I will hand the contract book over to you for safekeeping. You and Brother Jiu will take everyone away from the town. I still have a few hours before my transformation is over. I want to check out the town.”

Lu Jiuchuan immediately objected. “What will you do if you encounter a hunter while investigating alone? No, it is too dangerous.”

Tang Ci took the contract book from Shao Qingge and spoke calmly, “Chief Shao is now the bug king and swords and guns can’t hurt him at all. I agree with Chief Shao’s idea. The existence of hunters is always a threat to us and it is useless to just escape. The best thing is to find out how many hunters there are in this town so we can deal with them in advance.”

Lu Jiuchuan frowned and wanted to speak but Tang Ci suddenly stared into his eyes, voice extremely serious. “Believe in Chief Shao. He is currently the only one who can go to the oasis to investigate the situation.”

Lu Jiuchuan could only nod helplessly. “Okay. Chief Shao, pay attention to safety.”

Chu Huaying wondered, “Would you like me to go with you?”

Shao Qingge shook his head and handed Lu Jiuchuan a backpack full of grapes. “Let me go alone. I can drill through the sand without being discovered and my invisibility cloak has never been used. It is easier to act alone. I will put on the voice headset to keep in touch with everyone.”

Tang Ci walked over and gently patted him on the shoulder. “Be careful. I don’t want the captain to change again.”

The two of them looked at each other and Shao Qingge nodded cautiously.

Immediately after that, he turned around and burrowed into the sand, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

The bug species wasn’t afraid of sand or suffocation. Shao Qingge could sneak into the sand to scout, which was his greatest advantage. Lu Jiuchuan looked in the direction in which he had disappeared and his frown deepened.

Out of the team of 12 people, now there were only 8 people left. Everyone’s expression was very solemn.

No one spoke and the atmosphere was suffocating.

Tang Ci opened the contract book and looked at it. Then he closed it, put it in his card pack and instructed calmly, “Let’s go find a safe place first. Then we will decide on the next plan once Chief Shao returns from his investigation.”

Lu Jiuchuan was puzzled but Tang Ci must have his own thoughts if he accepted Shao Qingge’s decision to leave the team alone. So he silently followed Tang Ci without talking too much.

_______________________________________________________________

Deep in the oasis town, there was a house where no one lived in the far north.

This family seemed to have experienced some changes. The roof was broken and had several large holes and only half the walls were left. It looked like a ruin. The yard wasn’t cleaned at all and there was some tenacious desert greenery. It looked very messy.

Suddenly, a man with red eyes emerged from the sand in the middle of the yard.

It was Shao Qingge who was left alone.

His eyes quickly swept around to make sure no one was present. Then he lowered his voice. “Come out.”

A teenager appeared in front of him.

The other person’s face was pale. There was an obvious bloodstain on the left side of his chest and a lot of blood on his face as well. His hair and clothes were dyed the color of sand and he looked terrible. Only these dark and clear eyes were the same as in his memory.

Shao Qingge stepped forward, reached out and forcefully pulled Ye Qi into his arms.

Ye Qi’s entire body was trembling. Death had been so close to him and the wound on his chest was still tingling. It was like the cold of a dagger piercing his chest would remain there forever.

Shao Qingge’s hug was very warm. The man hugged him tightly and Ye Qi’s icy heart finally regained some warmth. He took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice, “I was attacked by someone in the labyrinth. I pretended to be dead to escape…”

Shao Qingge’s arms tightened and his hoarse voice revealed a hint of tenderness. “I know. I opened the team contract book. Your name was still there but the team resurrection card was missing. I guessed that you probably used the resurrection card.”

Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang had already been eliminated. Long Sen might be dying but he was still breathing. Everyone was fine so who used the resurrection card? It was obviously Ye Qi who didn’t appear when they gathered.

Shao Qingge was very nervous at the time but he forced himself to be calm and told his teammates that ‘Ye Qi’s name is gone.’

This was a lie, a lie that only he and Ye Qi knew.

Shao Qingge became the new captain and the contract book could only be read by him. Ye Qi’s name was still there but the resurrection card had disappeared. Only Shao Qingge knew this information but he didn’t tell everyone. He told them that Ye Qi was dead.

The reason for this was to protect Ye Qi.

Only dead people were safe. The hunters wouldn’t go around looking for trouble with a ‘dead man.’

Based on the information that Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were eliminated, Shao Qingge knew that the two jokers secret room they faced this time was more difficult than expected. He usually liked to lie down and win but now that he became the new captain, his IQ must be online!

Ye Qi’s fake death was his hidden card.

Let the hunters believe that Ye Qi was dead so that Ye Qi could do more things in secret.

In fact, Ye Qi had also come to the gathering point when Shao Qingge used the mark to call his teammates but he used the invisibility cloak to hide. His teammates didn’t see him.

He used Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings to establish a connection with Shao Qingge and had Shao Qingge come to the ruined house in the northernmost part of the town to meet.

Shao Qingge handed the contract book to Tang Ci because Tang Ci was the smartest one among the remaining people. Obviously, Tang Ci also noticed something was wrong and cooperated with Shao Qingge. Tang Ci could understand what Shao Qingge meant as long as he opened the contract book.

Shao Qingge reached out and gently rubbed Xiao Ye’s head. “It is good that you lived. I don’t want you to go to the Nightmare Room again. Instead of joining the team, you asked me to secretly meet you here. What are your plans?”

Ye Qi explained, “There must be a traitor in our team. The hunters have always controlled our movements and I want to find out secretly. It is too strange that Liu Qiao suddenly made a move against Professor Xiao in the labyrinth.”

Shao Qingge nodded. “Okay, I’ll cooperate with you.”

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