Chapter 920

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Main Character:

Shen Yao

"Junior Sister Shen, you, how are you?"

Gao Zhihui looked at Shen Xi with a face full of tension. The two had teamed up again after Shen Xi ran out of the bookstore, only Gao Zhihui was clearly frightened by Shen Xi's condition. Later, when they entered the hardware store, Gao Zhihui still chose to stay outside, waiting for Shen Xi to return.

Shen Xi shook her head. She had gained quite a lot by now. Although about a day and a half of the instance time had already passed, she had likewise obtained several Little Red Flowers.

Even at the bookstore, Shen Xi had taken out two extra books.

Of course, when passing the checkout counter, Shen Xi paid the corresponding book money as usual. Only because time was tight, Shen Xi took out a bit more money. As a result, when she opened the two books outside the door, several lifelike bookmarks were sandwiched in the sides of the books. Calculating the prices on the bookmarks, they exactly balanced the extra money she had paid.

Shen Xi: ……

The two books she got both had dust jackets and were unopened. The bookmarks inside obviously couldn't be things placed there previously.

Tsk

As expected, the situation inside the instance is complex and bizarre. No one knows what will ultimately happen.

Silently putting away both books and the bookmarks inside them, Shen Xi did not tell Gao Zhihui about these things. After all, whether the books or the bookmarks, they were all rewards Shen Xi had obtained by risking her life. Previously when she entered the bookstore, seeing so many people, in the end only a mere two or three came running out. The bookstore's danger far exceeded that of the watch shop.

As for the hardware store afterward, the danger level could only be considered middling. The quantity of Little Red Flowers harvested there wasn't high either. It's just that the hardware store contained quite a few weapons, and the corresponding trials were related to that.

"Senior Sister Gao, we don't have much time left. The longer the instance drags on, the more dangerous it gets," Shen Xi raised her head to look at the street they were on, pointing at the shops ahead they hadn't entered yet. "Obtaining Little Red Flowers isn't as difficult as imagined. Senior Sister Gao, I suggest you had best try."

Gao Zhihui: ……

Gao Zhihui's expression was somewhat ugly. She looked at Shen Xi, who was giving her advice, wanting to speak but stopping. A surge of anger unavoidably rose in her heart.

Why?

Why must she be the one to try? Shen Xi is so capable, can't she help her a little? Handing over a single Little Red Flower wouldn't be difficult for Junior Sister Shen at all.

As if her mind had been muddled by jealousy, Gao Zhihui was completely unaware of her own problem. Beneath her originally calm and composed exterior, unfamiliar emotions were churning, wanting to completely devour Gao Zhihui.

Shen Xi was not surprised by this. Back then, Li Yuan's incident was related to emotions. Gao Zhihui exhibiting this state as well indicates that emotions are contagious inside the instance. Even though Gao Zhihui didn't enter the shops out of fear, she still couldn't block her body from being polluted by these emotions. In the end, it would cause her inevitable harm.

"Senior Sister Gao, are you alright?"

"Of course I'm not……" alright.

Gao Zhihui fell silent. Hmph, why would she so easily blurt out her own thoughts?

Suddenly meeting Shen Xi's pair of calm, steady eyes, it was like having a basin of cold water poured over her. Gao Zhihui subconsciously shook her head.

Twisting the corner of her mouth unnaturally, Gao Zhihui apologized to Shen Xi with a forced face. "Junior Sister Shen, sorry. I got a bit agitated. It wasn't intentional."

"It's fine. I know Senior Sister Gao's personality. The instance will silently affect everyone's emotions," Shen Xi shook her head. "As long as Senior Sister Gao isn't influenced by these, you can get the Little Red Flowers."

If it were the Gao Zhihui who had just entered the instance, she would definitely believe Shen Xi's judgment, because Shen Xi's talent far surpassed theirs. But right now she is the Gao Zhihui who has been in the instance for a day and a half. Her emotions have long been manipulated by the instance. Shen Xi's words would only make Gao Zhihui feel they were excuses — clearly sophistry because Shen Xi was unwilling to help.

Thinking this in her heart, on her mouth she still thanked Shen Xi for the reminder with a smiling face.

Shen Xi didn't mind this either. She and Gao Zhihui weren't close to begin with. Them teaming up was only because they both came from Jinghua University. Regardless of whether Gao Zhihui believed her words or not, Shen Xi would proceed at her own pace.

Helping appropriately on the premise of not threatening her own safety.

The two walked forward one after another. This time, Shen Xi chose a flower shop.

Beautiful, brilliant sunflowers were placed at the flower shop entrance. The display window held various other flowers. Some were varieties seen in Hua Guo. Some were obviously never seen before, varieties whose names couldn't be called out.

A string of flower-shaped wind chimes hung above the flower shop. The breeze blew past, making a ding-ling-ling sound.

There weren't many people in the northern shops. Plus, every time a shop was entered, someone would die. After so many rounds of testing, even the plaza which had many people at the start couldn't withstand dying like this.

"Go in?" Gao Zhihui resisted, clearly not wanting to risk herself.

As for how to pass without Little Red Flowers, isn't there still a day and a half left? We'll talk when it comes to the end.

Gao Zhihui, harboring a fluke mentality, wasn't worried at all. Right now she only wanted to hide and wait for the instance to end.

"Go in."

After Shen Xi finished speaking, she then took the lead pushing open the flower shop's main gate. Accompanied by the dang wind chime sound above her head, she walked into a world surrounded by countless flowers.

Gao Zhihui still didn't come in. She just stood on the street outside the flower room. People who had also entered the instance would walk by her side from time to time. Quite a few had the same attitude as Gao Zhihui. A small portion chose to enter shops.

Shen Xi glanced sideways once then withdrew her gaze. Next, she seriously examined the situation inside the flower shop. Her field of vision was full of beautiful flowers everywhere. Occasionally some green leaves served as decorative accents dotted among them.

Iris, phoenix wing, earth dragon bell, mercury grass, hydrangea Duoduo……

Corresponding labels were pasted on the counters under the flowers. Shen Xi looked through them one by one. In the end, she discovered that the closer to the inside of the flower shop, the more the flowers' shapes resembled human organs.

Colors of bright red, tender green, or pale yellow continuously assaulted Shen Xi's vision. Fortunately, Shen Xi's own mental resistance was high, able to withstand this mental pollution. Otherwise, she would have long been like Gao Zhihui, manipulated and brainwashed by various negative emotions, losing her original calm and composure.

Go to the second floor.

Shen Xi pinched her own wrist, thinking the second floor would certainly be more dangerous than the first floor. But wealth is sought in danger. The acquisition of Little Red Flowers had already been mostly figured out by her. And besides the most basic Little Red Flowers, there were other items here.

Being able to come to a random instance is all about luck. Shen Xi didn't want to waste her opportunity in vain. Now that Spiritual Qi Revival is the general trend, the earlier she gains power, the better she can protect herself.

Don't look at Shen Xi's young age. Some older people don't see as clearly as her.

Tap tap tap

Following the spiral staircase upward, Shen Xi quickly disappeared from Gao Zhihui's field of vision. Just like before, the gap between the two had long been pulled very far apart. There was completely no angle to put them together for comparison.

"We want to see the principal! We want to see the leaders! So many people are trapped in the instance. When will they be able to come out?"

"This is all Jinghua University's responsibility! How can you let these teachers and students stay in the experimental building in the middle of the night!"

"I don't care! I'm going in to find people! You can't satisfy my demands even now! I'm going to report and complain about you to the higher-ups!"

"Aaaah! Lives have been lost! It's all your fault! All your fault!"

"……"

Just having driven back to the hotel, before even entering the door, she heard the noisy quarreling coming from the lobby.

Unexpectedly, Jinghua University's problem triggered some people's ill intentions. Quite a few family members of the missing personnel who were swept up in this started to descend into internal chaos.

Shen Yao merely frowned, bypassed the area dense with personnel, and waved to a staff member not far away, "How much longer until the blockade of Jinghua University is lifted?"

The staff member shook their head apologetically, "No word has been received for the time being."

Shen Yao raised an eyebrow, indicating she would return to her room first, and to remember to notify her if there was any definite news from the Jinghua University side.

Ding—

The elevator doors opened, and Shen Yao silently watched the man being restrained by police, stepped aside to let them pass, then swiftly pressed the button for her own floor.

During the ride, people came and went; Shen Yao always chose to hide in the innermost corner, trying to avoid contact with them. Most of what was said concerned Jinghua University; true and false rumors flew everywhere, everyone claimed inside channels, but most were just muddying the waters.

"Tch, if you ask me, just lift the blockade and let these people go in and see what the instance is really like. The officials meant well but no one appreciates it."

"You can't put it that way. Ordinary people entering an instance is just sending them to their deaths. They're only overly worried about their family inside. Once the instance ends and people come out, it'll be fine."

"Hmph! Naive! You know the instance is dangerous; with so many people sucked in, how many can survive?"

"Hey now, the teachers and students of Jinghua University are smart; quite a few will surely survive. Besides, there are people from the Special Investigation Bureau there—" This was a rare privilege.

"What can the Special Investigation Bureau people do? I admit Huo Xunqi is strong, but how can one person possibly bring everyone out?"

"..."

Shen Yao listened patiently to the conversation of the two people standing in front of her; they spoke with no intention of avoiding the crowd, seemingly unconcerned that their words might be leaked.

Tsk

Looks like the hotel is full of hidden talents; the people inside all have some background or other.

"Host, they mentioned Huo Xunqi," the System's impression of Huo Xunqi wasn't great; after all, this person's sense of self was too strong, not matching the System's criteria for cooperation.

"Mentioning him is perfectly normal. Huo Xunqi is the official's public face; some things are all handled by Huo Xunqi. Regardless of what trump cards the officials have in private, on the surface Huo Xunqi is the one who brings the most honor."

As the elevator stopped at Shen Yao's floor, the remaining few people all got out.

Opening the room door, looking at the room which had become brand new compared to the morning, Shen Yao casually flung herself onto the sofa, closed her eyes, and rested for a moment.

Taking advantage of the rest time, the System quickly circled the entire hotel and returned. The first-floor lobby was still arguing, but officials had already arranged personnel to appease them. Other floors still had quite a few people with complex backgrounds; spies and the like were numerous.

"Their own house is already a mess, yet they still have the mood to meddle in others' affairs," the System complained; this perfectly fits certain human stereotypes.

"It's precisely because their own house is a mess that they want others to follow suit into chaos. How many internal collapses are caused by this? Unable to solve the problem, they make everyone have problems."

"I'm tired. Resting early today. Remember to keep a close watch on Jinghua University."

Shen Yao raised a hand and yawned. Don't look at the instance being only three hours; she basically had no downtime. Add in the attempts with props and traits after leaving the instance. Not to mention Shen Yao is currently only an Apprentice Player; her physical fitness can't improve much. Even two levels higher, she would still feel exhausted.

After a quick shower, Shen Yao lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep in mere moments.

Dawn broke; the curtains automatically drew open, light falling on the soft bed. Another new day.

Shen Yao opened her eyes, and relying on her newly strengthened spiritual force, probed through the walls to sense her surroundings.

"Host, the officials have already issued a formal announcement, explaining the spiritual energy vortex that appeared at Jinghua University. Those family members downstairs are withdrawing one after another."

Hearing this, Shen Yao raised her hand, picked up the phone on the bedside cabinet, and opened the internet.

Sure enough, the number one trending topic was the related content. Clicking in jumped straight to the explanation interface. Though only a few short lines, it exposed the whole cause, effect, and handling plan.

Quickly finishing browsing the explanation, Shen Yao laughed and shook her head, "Lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own foot."

Those countries still have the old mindset. Little do they know they've long fallen behind; they're fundamentally no match for Hua Guo.

Got up, walked in slippers to the floor-to-ceiling window. Shen Yao discovered there were far fewer vehicles at Jinghua University. "Where else has a spiritual energy vortex appeared?"

Only this possibility could cause personnel to be transferred away from Jinghua University.

"It's Jin City near Jing Shi, and Ji Province," the System quickly obtained the news from the Special Investigation Bureau. The most severe was Ji Province; the spiritual qi revival there appeared inside a mall dense with crowds. Supposedly, aside from the lucky ones who ran out at the start, none of the rest managed to come out.

Shen Yao raised a hand to touch her chin. "No wonder. Jin City and Ji Province are closest to Jing Shi. Special Investigation Bureau people are always busy; it's even more impossible for them to focus all their energy on Jinghua University."

Even though many teachers and students from Jinghua University fell in this time, including no shortage of talents the country needs.

But the instance is fair. Whether one can clear it depends on one's own ability. External force sometimes runs out; one cannot place hope on others.

No matter how anxious the outside world is about the instance, it cannot affect the situation inside the instance.

Shen Xi had been in the flower shop for a while. Gao Zhihui hesitated again and again, but still chose to leave.

It was the same before. Gao Zhihui wouldn't stay outside waiting for Shen Xi the whole time. She occasionally needed to eat something to replenish stamina or find a place to rest and relieve physical fatigue. Although not entering the shop meant she couldn't get the Little Red Flower for clearing, there were many people making similar choices. Every time Gao Zhihui exchanged words with them, she could obtain certain intelligence, then use that intelligence to secure food for herself.

"Little Sister, you're here."

"Mm. Long story short, what's there to exchange?"

"The supermarket on West Street — enter and you'll go missing. No body alive or dead. The antique shop on South Street — supposedly the trial involves certain indescribable scenes. The flower shop on North Street — the force behind it is huge. Regardless of whether you pass the trial, you'll be targeted afterward."

"The flower shop on North Street — is that true?"

"Of course."

"Then that's truly..." Too regrettable (good), Gao Zhihui couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of her mouth, making her whole face look extraordinarily twisted.