Chapter 380: Forgive Your Offense

Cheng Shuili still hadn't had time to act when the situation on the dance floor suddenly escalated.

"Ah!"

A short, sharp scream cut off abruptly.

Everyone stared in shock, seeing a player embraced by his dance partner, arms locked around his neck, held tightly.

An embrace?

No, that's not right.

Even the dullest person should have realized by now.

That wasn't an embrace at all—it was a strangling!

The player's body was deformed by the choke, bones emitting a grating crack, his forced smile twisted completely, his eyes filled with utter terror and pain.

Within seconds, his head drooped limp, breath gone.

Meanwhile, the guest's smile grew brighter, even sticking out a scarlet tongue to lick the bead of blood seeping from the player's ear.

"Why would someone who can't dance come to my banquet? Flailing awkwardly with an ugly body, stepping on their partner's shoes again and again..." the Faceless Joker's oily voice sounded at just the right moment, with a hint of pleased sigh, "Looks like another guest has left the feast early."

Does that mean you can't step on your partner's feet?

Cheng Shuili withdrew her gaze.

The music remained cheerful, the dance continued, as if what had just happened wasn't a bloody murder but merely a trivial incident in the ball.

Yet the shadow of death, like ice water, drenched every player's heart.

Kail's face turned ashen as paper, staring at the direction where the player had died horribly, his body trembling uncontrollably, his steps faltering, which drew a mocking giggle from the clown opposite him.

Cheng Shuili belatedly realized that the guy who had just died seemed to be Kail's teammate.

Panshi growled low, cold sweat beading his forehead, yet he struggled to keep basic coordination, "And…"

He urged everyone: "Apologize immediately for mistakes—we still have a chance to be forgiven!"

There really is a chance to be forgiven, but if this continues, they'll all die!

Sooner or later they'll misstep from exhaustion or mental breakdown!

Cheng Shuili glanced over at Haohao's side—she was her only teammate, and she couldn't let her die here.

Though her expression was tense, she could still keep the rhythm, clearly having some reserve.

Then there's no rush.

Cheng Shuili showed a hint of genuine smile.

She had noticed earlier that the dance's range of movement was very large.

That meant she would surely have a moment to get close to the phonograph.

Then she'd just pack it up and take it back to the territory—such a thing would still add nice ambiance at home.

At Black Feather's last victory banquet, there was no music either; a few members who could play instruments performed a few numbers on guitar.

That's why Cheng Shuili specifically told Xinxue to go collect a speaker.

Unfortunately, this godforsaken place has no phones; the speaker came with its own storage card, so only those few tracks could be played.

Playing it too long in the territory had drawn complaints from many members.

So now the speaker is in Cheng Shuili's ring.

With this phonograph, things would be different—if Cheng Shuili guessed right, it could imitate many kinds of music, right?

Now this music is because of the Faceless Joker; back in the territory, wouldn't it play whatever the members want to hear?

The more Cheng Shuili thought about it, the happier she became.

The opportunity came soon.

The dance choreography brought her and her partner, in a turning slide, right up to the central round table.

Now!

Cheng Shuili's eyes flashed; she violently shook off the cold, clammy hand of the female attendant, and just as red began to glimmer in the attendant's vacant eyes, on the verge of erupting, she shot out her hand like lightning—not to attack, but…

…to grab the feast phonograph still sputtering out eerie music!

Her motion was faster than anyone's reaction—including the phonograph itself!

【Insight】 had warned that it was timid.

And timid things, when startled suddenly, often freeze briefly.

Cheng Shuili seized that moment perfectly.

As her fingertip touched the phonograph's icy wooden casing, a territory servant card suddenly appeared.

"Either come back with me, or… you probably don't want to hear what comes next."

Cheng Shuili spoke quickly, but the effect was significant.

Almost the instant Cheng Shuili's words ended, the feast phonograph flickered with a faint light, and together with the spinning black disc atop it, vanished into thin air!

It agreed!

It should already be in the territory by now, right?

The music cut off abruptly.

As if an invisible hand had strangled its throat, the noisy, eerie dance music vanished instantly, leaving the entire banquet hall in dead silence.

On the dance floor, every guest and servant's motion froze instantly.

They held their bizarre poses, smiles stiff on their faces, and for the first time their empty eyes showed a clear feeling of helpless bewilderment.

Deprived of music's drive, they seemed to have become actual puppets.

But Cheng Shuili's dance partner didn't stop; at the instant the monster was about to touch her body, she turned her head, a faint knowing smile on her face—as if she'd planned it all along—and lightly said, "Sorry."

Despite her attitude being overly casual and her tone perfunctory, she did actually utter the words "Sorry."

The rule took effect.

The swollen, pallid hand that was about to clamp Cheng Shuili's throat suddenly froze in midair, stopping just an inch away from her skin.

The dance partner seemed hesitant, muttering a few times, and finally she uttered the line:

"First mistake, forgive my offense."

"What…what? What happened, where's the music?"

Kai Er's voice trembled, breaking the silence.

He, like the other players, kept a rigid dancing pose, daring not to move, his face full of fear and confusion.

Pan Shi's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the central round table, where the phonograph had once stood now completely empty!

His gaze instantly shifted to Cheng Shuili, whose face was calm and even the corner of her mouth held a faint, ambiguous smile, and he instantly understood.

It's her!

She actually made that bizarre source of music vanish!

Pan Shi felt a surge of tumultuous waves in his heart—shock at Cheng Shuili's audacity, a glimmer of hope at a narrow escape, but above all a strong unease about the unknown developments ahead.

The music stopped; do the ball's rules still apply? What will these monsters do?

"Ho…hoho…"

A low chuckle came from the head seat.

"Interesting…truly interesting…" Its voice no longer carried false merriment, but a tone of offended anger, "A…misbehaving guest. You disrupted the feast's rhythm, stole the banquet's joy…you…you ruined the entire banquet!"

Accompanying its words, the spotlights around the outer edge of the long table flickered erratically; the frozen guests and attendants emitted a "clack‑clack" of joint movement, like rusted machines forced to restart, they twisted their necks and bodies bit by bit, unnaturally, directing every hollow or crimson gaze straight at Cheng Shuili!

Malice surged like a tide, nearly drowning her.

Haohao couldn't help but let out a low shout, instinctively trying to approach Cheng Shuili, but was blocked by the slightly leaning body of the gentleman guest opposite, forcing him to stare anxiously.

Kai Er and the other players looked pallid, wishing to stay farther from Cheng Shuili, fearing any involvement.

Cheng Shuili seemed oblivious to the pressure that would crush an ordinary person.

A tissue suddenly appeared in her hand, as if she had just washed her hands and was drying them, the cold, sticky feel still lingering, then she lifted her gaze toward the direction the Faceless Jester was "watching", her tone even tinged with innocence:

"I just think the music is terrible, I'd like to change the channel. As the host, don't you think your taste could use improvement?"

The words made even Pan Shi gasp sharply.

Is she courting death?!

"Ho…taste?" The Faceless Jester's voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp, "Arrogant thief! You will pay for desecrating the feast!"

That may be what it says, but it is still bound by the rules; to kill, it must obey the rules!

It can summon everything it can summon, but as long as Cheng Shuili makes no mistake, it cannot act.

And Cheng Shuili, well‑versed in these, is indeed fearless.

"Price?"

Cheng Shuili casually crumpled the used tissue into a ball and, with great composure, slipped it back into the Abyssal Ring.

She briefly wondered, if the ring spirit were present, it would probably start wailing again now, wouldn't it?

She leisurely stared at the Faceless Jester, even stepping a small stride forward, stopping right before the rigid arm of the female attendant, "What mistake did I make? Does any rule state…that one cannot find the music unpleasant?"

She paused, scanning the surrounding monsters that glared yet were bound by invisible rules, her smile widening: "Or perhaps the rules stipulate that one may not replace unpleasant music? I don't think I stepped on anyone's foot, nor refused to dance, nor…spoken ill of you, host? I merely offered a small suggestion about taste."

The Faceless Jester's smooth mask rippled violently, as if something squirmed beneath.

It radiated a bone‑chilling cold, and the ballroom temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

But it truly could not act directly.

"As for the thief…" Cheng Shuili elongated her tone, her gaze landing on the empty round table, her voice tinged with mockery, "It went with me willingly, how can that be theft? A consensual matter. Perhaps it also finds your musical taste…unbearable?"

"You!"

The Faceless Jester choked, unable to finish the sentence, only emitting a hiss like air rushing through a narrow slit.

The surrounding monsters fidgeted anxiously, their crimson eyes fixed on Cheng Shuili, malice almost solidified, yet they could not cross the forbidden line.

They were firmly constrained by the rules that "the ball has not ended" and "the guest has not committed a fatal error."

And this situation of the ball stopping midway…

Has never happened before!

Kai Er and the other players watched in terror, yet also felt an absurdly overwhelming shock.

They were struggling to survive here, fearing a single misstep, and this woman was actually debating musical taste with the Instance BOSS?!

And she left the BOSS speechless?!

Pan Shi's taut nerves eased slightly; he realized Cheng Shuili wasn't blindly courting death—she was pushing the limits of the rules, and…she seemed to have succeeded?

At least for now, the BOSS has no way to deal with her!

"Good…good…" The Faceless Jester's voice suddenly calmed, but beneath the calm surged a hidden current, "Even if you find my music unbearable, even if you have ruined the ball's rhythm…the ball will not stop!"

It waved its two hands, its voice bearing a fanatical devotion, "Dance…everyone, dance!"

As if receiving a forced command, every monster's body jolted. The bewildered emotion in their eyes was instantly replaced by a more hollow, mechanical obedience.

No music.

But they began to move.

In an even stiffer, stranger manner, they resumed the previous steps.

The female attendant's arm, which had paused before Cheng Shuili, slowly retracted, then with millimeter‑precise, mechanical motion, extended an invitation to dance once more.

It showed no expression, only a hollow gaze flashing crimson, revealing the split between its inner malice and outward mechanical obedience.

The other monsters also gravitated back to their partners, repeating the earlier dance moves.

Without musical accompaniment, the ballroom was left only with the shuffling of feet on the floor, the rustle of clothing, and the tooth‑aching "clack" of monster joints.

This silent dance was even more chilling than when music played.

"They…they have started again!"

Kai'er's voice trembled as they watched the clown approach again, its face fixed in a smile; they were almost breaking down.

Panshi's expression was grim; they had to raise their arm again, matching the large-built guest across from them, making a stiff dance motion.

He growled, "Do it! The rules might still be in effect!"

Haohao was also swept up by an irresistible force from the gentleman guest opposite, and began dancing again.

She looked anxiously at Cheng Shuili, asking with her eyes what to do.

Cheng Shuili watched the female attendant reach out toward them again; the attendant's hollow eyes stared fixedly at her, conveying an obstinate meaning, as if saying: "You must jump down, forever… or… until you make a mistake."

The Faceless Jester stood in the seat of honor, its smooth mask seeming to glow faintly from some twisted pleasure.

It relished this bizarre, silent dance, relishing the despair on the players' faces.

"Look… this is the true essence of the feast…" its slick voice rang out, "Eternal joy, eternal motion… until the soul burns out, the body rots… rhythm resides in the heart, what need for external things?"

Its gaze fixed on Cheng Shuili, full of undisguised malice and mockery.

What if you took the music?

The rules are set by me!

The dance steps never cease!

Cheng Shuili watched the female attendant stubbornly reaching out before them, and glanced at the smug Faceless Jester on the seat of honor.

She suddenly sighed.