Chapter 283: A Strange Way to Open It (9/10, October Subscription)

"Ye Ge?"

Tail noticed something off about Fang Yue right away.

Logically speaking, an object thrown out getting no feedback was normal — toss it a few more times, find the spot, and that would be that.

Even they, who couldn't see the platform, had gradually gotten used to the feeling of standing on a transparent one.

But why would Fang Yue suddenly lose his composure like this?

Fang Yue didn't hide it either, and briefly told Tail about the water gate.

"A gate you can't touch…" Tail froze. This was a problem she had no way to solve.

"In the chain of linked quests Ni Dongmei gave you, was there anything especially unusual? Or any kind of hint?"

This Trial, when all was said and done, was Tail's Trial.

Not even being able to get through the gate now was truly strange.

So Fang Yue figured Ni Dongmei must have given enough hints within the quest chain.

But Tail thought it over and over, frowning in thought for quite a while, before finally sighing and shaking her head slightly.

"I don't know. Not a single clue has anything to do with an invisible water gate."

The situation had reached a deadlock.

Fang Yue tried probing again and again, time wasting away second by second, yet he still couldn't find a way to make the water gate show itself.

Unable to figure it out no matter how he thought, Fang Yue couldn't help but call out in his heart.

"Parchment!"

【Not talking to you, hmph! The kind of hmph that 50 black stones can't soothe!】

…You little extortionist! 1g of Black Ember, now get to work!

【Playing dead. The great and noble Lord Parchment is playing dead!】

5g! 5g of Black Ember, good enough?

【Don't care don't care don't care! Just playing dead! Just playing dead! No matter how much Black Ember, still playing dead!!】

Fang Yue kept pressing, gradually raising the price, but the Parchment gave no response.

As for 50 black stones, that was obviously said in anger — Fang Yue didn't even have that many stones!

Sighing, Fang Yue looked at the people beside him: "Looks like we need someone to jump onto the water gate and run an experiment. Maybe once the gate senses a human body, it'll naturally show itself."

Fang Yue put forward a terrifying hypothesis, which scared Liao Moran and Hai Ming wide awake in an instant.

The two of them shook their heads repeatedly.

"Captain Ye, this is murder!!"

"Captain Ye, if you want to jump, jump yourself. I absolutely won't jump!"

Clearly, they both thought Fang Yue meant to use them as subjects for a dangerous experiment.

And the fact was, he did.

Tail — Fang Yue would definitely never throw her. As for himself, there was even less chance he'd take the risk.

What remained, naturally, was only the two people beside him.

"You two, don't forget — you're the ones who followed us here, intending to do us harm. That I didn't kill you on the spot was my mercy. Now I'm asking you to do a little something, and you keep making excuses. Dare to say you hadn't thought about keeping whatever was under the cliff all to yourselves before?"

Before Fang Yue had caught them, they really had had that thought.

But after Fang Yue caught them, they were as obedient as could be — how would they dare harbor even a shred of ill intent?

Now, pushed by Fang Yue, the two of them were also terrified.

"Liao Moran is a villager of Mo Cun, and Hai Ming, you're a vagrant. Your deaths wouldn't be any trouble, so you jump first."

"Who says it wouldn't be trouble! If I weren't afraid of death, would I honestly be sticking by your side! If I were even a little less afraid of death, I'd have jumped off the cliff long ago!"

Hai Ming retorted indignantly, leaving Fang Yue slightly embarrassed.

Letting someone quietly follow you the whole way, only to end up being used as a tool — and a life-or-death one at that — really wasn't very decent.

But then again, Hai Ming had only himself to blame. If he hadn't harbored evil thoughts, would he have been caught and used as a tool?

Originally it should have been only him and Tail going down the cliff; now there were two extra people, and that was their own problem.

"Enough nonsense. You jump once for me. If nothing happens and we can get back to Mo Cun, I'll arrange a position in the Guard Team for you in Mo Cun as compensation — isn't that far better than your so-called Hunter status? If something really does happen, once you reincarnate, come find me in Mo Cun or Gu Yue Cun. I'll have someone take you through leveling. Deal?"

Fang Yue secretly added Hai Ming as a friend and sent him a message.

Only then did Hai Ming's expression ease a little.

The Hunter talent was indeed wonderful, but having actually witnessed Fang Yue's terrifying combat power, he longed more and more for the pinnacle of strength.

The Guard Team was clearly the fastest way to raise his strength!

If he could return to the village safely this time and become a member of the Guard Team, the road ahead would be far easier!

Worth the gamble!

Once his mind was set, Hai Ming pretended to hesitate twice, then agreed.

This astonished Liao Moran greatly.

He certainly didn't remember Hai Ming as the sort of person who'd sacrifice himself for others.

Regardless, with Hai Ming willing to be the vanguard, the situation had opened up once again.

Fang Yue thought through several plans before finally lifting Hai Ming up and shoving him.

Hai Ming immediately flew toward the water gate.

The instant he touched the water gate, Hai Ming's body passed right through with no interaction at all — just like the objects thrown earlier.

"Aaaaaah!!"

Realizing this, Hai Ming screamed in terror, his face full of horror.

The piercing shriek echoed throughout the entire cliffside abyss.

The sound reverberated back and forth, as if filling the entire space with Hai Ming's high-pitched voice.

At the same time, seemingly affected by the high note, the Water Gate began to shake violently like actual flowing water—and… shifted from illusory to real!

The next moment, Hai Ming got stuck.

Strangely, he got stuck.

His body, about to pass through the Water Gate, was jammed: his upper half trapped at the front of the gate, his lower half lodged beneath the water's surface.

"Aaaahhhhh… A? Aaa? Eh?"

Only now did Hai Ming, his entire body covered in internal force, realize he wasn't falling.

At the same time, the Water Gate began to slowly vibrate—and its tightly shut gates started to open gradually!

The Huanggui Yiji was right before him!

But as Hai Ming froze in shock, the high-pitched sound ceased—and the Water Gate, which had just opened a crack, slowly closed again, shifting from real back to illusory.

Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger! Danger!!

Hai Ming was instantly terrified, completely panicked and at a loss.

At that moment, Fang Yue, who had witnessed all of this, suddenly took a deep breath.

"Haaah!!!"

The roar exploded instantly.

But… no reaction!

The Water Gate continued turning illusory.

Fang Yue's expression changed—he realized his reasoning was flawed, and shouted urgently: "Don't stop! Keep shouting! Keep shouting! Hai Ming, keep shouting!!!"

Although Hai Ming didn't know why Fang Yue told him to do this, in this life-or-death moment, he had no time to think—he immediately screamed again.

The high note echoed once more through the space—and the Water Gate… shifted again from illusory to real, slowly opening its crack!

I understand! I completely understand!

A flash of sharp light appeared in Fang Yue's eyes.

No wonder he had previously tried low, mid, and high pitches to activate the Water Gate—none worked—but Hai Ming's voice did.

The Water Gate requires a person's body to overlap with part of it, and then for that overlapping person to emit a high-pitched sound to open it!

(End of Chapter)