[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world":3,"chapter-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-315":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Survival Guide in a Mysterious World",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2299284,4497,"Chapter 315: Audience with the Divine","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-315",315,"\u003Cp>Ning Zhe briefly examined the newly appeared corpse; Mr. George, like Sally Sally, had been killed by a close-range gunshot to the head—apparently, the roulette game was still ongoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The previous round ended with Sally Sally’s death, and then the ghost started a new round—the second round’s victim was George before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, the number of people the ghost selects at once is not fixed but adapts according to the specific game rules. This time, five people vanished together because the revolver’s capacity was six rounds—five players plus one ghost perfectly matched a round of Russian roulette.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But six rounds is merely a common specification; there are custom revolvers on the market with over twenty rounds. If George had been carrying one of those special revolvers, over twenty people in the audience might have vanished at once… Thinking of this, Ning Zhe’s expression finally shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?” Xia Yubing noticed Ning Zhe’s change in expression and asked urgently: “Did you think of something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe said nothing, only pulled a small stack of playing cards from his pocket: Ace of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, Queen of Hearts, King of Hearts, Joker, Little Joker, Spades… Exactly the ones found in the dead Dieser’s Seat No. 5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Sally Sally and the others, Dieser had seemingly played some kind of game with the ghost before dying—only Sally Sally and the others played Russian roulette, while Dieser played a card game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about Bayer? What game did he play with the ghost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe fanned the cards out with one hand and said: “Do you remember Bayer’s description? What contact did he have with the ghost before he died?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing thought for a moment: “Uh… he punched the ghost? Then his fist got grabbed by the ghost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Got grabbed by the ghost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the words left her mouth than Xia Yubing froze, quickly realizing something: “Rock-paper-scissors? The guessing game?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bayer’s punch directed at the ghost was interpreted as “rock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost’s hand that seized his fist was interpreted as “paper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That must be it—Bayer lost the rock-paper-scissors game to the ghost, and his life was the price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe restacked the cards and added: “If I had to give this ghost a nickname, I’d call it—the Gambler Ghost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Played rock-paper-scissors with Bayer. Played cards with Dieser. Played Russian roulette with Sally Sally and the others… So far, all the eerie phenomena appearing in this theater have been tied to gambling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, He Nianjun, who vanished earlier, was likely forcibly dragged into some gambling-type game by the Gambler Ghost, lost the gamble, and lost the almanac as his stake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this explanation raises a new puzzle:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, when all of them gambled with the ghost, did Dieser, Bayer, and Sally Sally stake their lives, while He Nianjun’s stake was the almanac carrying the Snake God’s rules?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe glanced at Sally Sally, whose expression was dazed, and at George’s corpse slumped in the chair; no new corpse had appeared yet, meaning the third round of roulette had not yet produced a loser—it was still ongoing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once all current “players” died, the Gambler Ghost would open a new game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Ning Zhe understood exactly what he needed to do next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing glanced sideways and saw him pull a plain, brown-covered ancient book from his chest; when she looked at the cover, it was the Bible—Dai Ke’s family were devout Christians, and most members carried a Bible everywhere; Fan Daike was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Bible carried by Fan Daike was a lavishly bound edition with hand-drawn illustrations, smooth paper, clear script, and corresponding artwork beside well-known religious scenes: The Last Supper, Christ on the Cross, Saint George Slaying the Dragon, the Nativity, Christ’s Baptism, and more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe flipped the Bible to the page depicting Christ on the Cross; a vivid, colorful illustration filled the entire page—the man nailed to the cross wore a crown of thorns, his body pierced by a long spear, blood dripping down its shaft—the spear was the famed Holy Lance of Longinus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take it.” Ning Zhe handed the open Bible to Xia Yubing, then pulled a small knife from his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing took the book and looked down—Ning Zhe’s fingers were now covered in emerald-green, jade-like scales: “This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe pressed the knife tip into his fingertip; crimson blood seeped from between the snake scales, dripping onto the page—precisely staining the eyes of Christ on the cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is auspicious for: [Opening the Light]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When people hear “opening the light,” they usually think of taking Buddhist prayer beads, amulets, or pendants to temples or Daoist monasteries for rituals to imbue them with supernatural power—but the term “opening the light” on the almanac is more specific: it refers to consecrating a deity statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Religious believers do not worship the clay statue itself, but the deity it represents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when does a statue begin to represent the deity? The answer: after “opening the light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ancient times, craftsmen never carved eyes into Buddha or deity statues; after the statue was completed, a high-ranking religious official would choose an auspicious day to perform the opening ceremony, painting the pupils to “awaken” the eyes—only after this ritual could the statue represent the deity and receive worship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, Ning Zhe had dripped his own blood—the Snake God’s blood—onto the eyes of the “Crucified Christ.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this moment on, this Bible could represent the Snake God and receive worship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may now worship this image, praying to the Christ in the painting for blessings,” Ning Zhe said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Xia Yubing blinked: “But I don’t believe in religion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Pope doesn’t believe in religion either,” Ning Zhe said coolly. “Just do as I say and worship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Xia Yubing nodded obediently. “What about you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have something to attend to. Stay here and watch Sally Sally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhe handed the playing cards to Xia Yubing, then stepped toward the exit of the audience seats, saying as he walked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keep an eye out for any new corpses that appear. Once all the current people vanish, the Gambler Ghost will reopen a new game—and you have a good chance of being selected. But trust me: if you sincerely worship and pray, nothing major will happen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gambling depends on luck. Do as I say, and your luck today will improve. Best carry this Bible with you everywhere—it’ll work even better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is auspicious for: Worship, Prayer, Extinguishing Fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all. See you,” Ning Zhe finished his instructions and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the two lives previously bought from the God of Wealth and the luck boosted by following the almanac, Xia Yubing should be able to stall the Gambler Ghost for a while. With this opportunity, he needed to confirm one crucial thing—something vital to whether he could reclaim the almanac from the Gambler Ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Ning Zhe’s figure vanish into the darkness, Xia Yubing exhaled sharply, her heart pounding hard in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Ning Zhe’s instructions, she spread the Bible on the chair and imitated the Christians she’d seen in movies, bowing several times toward the Crucified Christ, stumbling through a few lines of praise, praying to the Almighty for grace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no… that’s not how it’s done, Miss,” Sally Sally gently reminded her: “If you’re worshipping Christ, your gestures must be more solemn. That casual clasping of hands is considered disrespectful to the Lord—Mass isn’t performed like this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I never respected any Lord to begin with… Xia Yubing thought, then decided to listen to the girl. Ning Zhe had said worship and prayer with this book would improve her luck—but he hadn’t specified how strictly it needed to be done. She didn’t know if her half-hearted ritual would even count as valid worship or prayer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how is a proper worship—uh, Mass—performed?” Xia Yubing asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sally Sally blinked, stood up, and walked beside Xia Yubing, standing before the open Bible: “A proper Mass begins with singing hymns… you can skip that. Then make the sign of the cross over your chest, confess your sins to Christ, and beg the Almighty for forgiveness…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing listened half-dazed but followed the ritual steps obediently—though the final kneeling part made her uneasy; people from Jiuzhou still had psychological resistance to kneeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then she remembered: the blood dripping on this Crucified Christ image was Ning Zhe’s—she was actually worshipping him. The thought made her picture herself groveling at his feet like a slave—and suddenly, a thrill surged through her. Her legs weakened, and she gasped as she knelt down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Sally Sally clasped her hands, puzzled by Xia Yubing’s instant kneel—why was her face so flushed over just saying Mass?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing the Mass, the two walked several laps around the audience seats with the Bible, triggering “Extinguishing Fire,” then returned to George’s corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No error in any single detail!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they returned, the third victim of the roulette game had already appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A still-warm female corpse sat beside Mr. George’s chair—same gruesome death by gunshot to the head, blood splatters darkening the carpet into a deeper crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Anna…” Sally Sally stared blankly at the new female corpse, her whole body dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just yesterday, she had lived a carefree princess’s life in the Fertile Crescent, eagerly anticipating her sixteenth birthday. But in a single night, she learned her cruel origins from her “parents,” was sent as an “item” to auction, and witnessed this bizarre event unfold—people who were alive moments ago suddenly died before her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life’s ups and downs cannot be more cruel than this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing watched the girl’s dazed expression and recognized it well—she had reacted the same way in Qianju Town. The suddenness of the supernatural events, the casualness of death—no one could easily adapt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… Miss Xia?” Sally Sally whispered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just… I was wondering—Mr. Dai Ke, you seemed to know him quite well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing shook her head: “I’d like to know him well, but circumstances won’t allow it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see…” Sally Sally thought for a moment, then whispered: “What happens next?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing spread her hands: “I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no other choice but to follow Ning Zhe’s instructions—and fortunately, she was already getting used to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, hurried footsteps echoed from behind the audience seats. Turning, they saw the middle-aged man and his attendant who had left first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man appeared to be nobility; Xia Yubing glanced at the five forget-me-nots pinned to his chest—the emblem of the “Iks” family, which Ning Zhe had mentioned to her earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the chaos, this Iks man and his attendant had searched every exit of the Saint Galia Opera House, found no way out, and returned in fury, determined to confront Fosolos and demand answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, upon returning, they found no Fosolos—only an empty audience seat, and Xia Yubing and Sally Sally holding the Bible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Men of the Iks family prided themselves on being gentlemen—but this was no time for chivalry. Iks and his attendant marched straight toward Xia Yubing, shouting as they came: “Where’s Milicato? Where did he go?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing shook her head: “I don’t know. Probably ran off with the others? I’m not sure where he is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This answer didn’t surprise Iks. He reached for his waist and asked again: “If everyone ran, why didn’t you? Why are you still here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing frowned—she heard the subtext: Do you know something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this desperate situation, Iks refused to abandon any possible clue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing’s gaze fell on the man’s right hand resting on his waist—unsurprisingly, it was holding a gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is insane…” she cursed inwardly, frowning: “I really don’t know where Fosolos Milicato went. Asking me is useless…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she finished speaking, Iks raised his right hand—his grip firmly on a Glock pistol, safety off, aimed at Xia Yubing’s head: “Don’t make me ask again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Calm down, I really don’t…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before she could finish, Iks pulled the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Yubing instinctively shut her eyes—but the expected gunshot never came. Iks stared wide-eyed at his Glock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It jammed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That prayer actually worked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time to think—after the instant surprise, Xia Yubing instantly pulled a revolver from her chest and fired repeatedly at Iks. Six deafening gunshots echoed through the entire theater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2051,"2026-06-20T06:29:22.815Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","541d5f933e636edea545de28d52f6e7d6897c66805b954625e071077c3fc5c33","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-316","survival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-chapter-314",353,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsurvival-guide-in-a-mysterious-world-cover.jpg"]