Xingwang Hotel
Chapter 309: Walking guests
In the lifeless town, the cold rain fell relentlessly.
Wen Jianyan and his group left the small two-story building they had initially arrived at and hurried toward the location of the twin painting.
The five of them shared three umbrellas. Although it was a bit cramped, the pace slowed considerably because of it. Fortunately, Wen Jianyan had already scouted the path in advance and had learned some of the town’s rules. Under his lead, the group quickly reached their destination.
They quickly folded their umbrellas and took shelter under the eaves.
Although they had umbrellas to shield them from the rain, no one dared to stay outside for too long. After all, no one knew how long it would take for the ghost, summoned by the umbrella, to appear. It felt like a rope tightening around their necks, making them uneasy.
The roof muffled the sound of the drizzling rain.
Wen Jianyan turned his head and looked outside.
Looking down the crooked little path, he could vaguely see some low houses in the distance. The umbrella that should have been hanging near the door had disappeared, leaving an empty space.
“Captain, is this the place where the twin painting is?” Chen Mo asked.
Wen Jianyan withdrew his gaze and nodded.
“Yes.”
Yun Bilan turned her head and looked around, examining the room in front of her. She said, “Looks like we need to take the painting from this building back to the hotel.”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he turned his head again and looked outside.
The sky was overcast, and the cold drizzle fell relentlessly. He could no longer locate the empty space that had been there earlier, which brought a sense of unease, as if the danger could be anywhere.
He took a deep breath, turned to face them, and said, “No.”
The others were taken aback, even Bai Xue unusually raised her eyes and turned to look at him.
“Why?”
Chen Mo furrowed his brows and asked in confusion.
Based on their previous deductions, as the red team, if they wanted to gain an advantage in this competition, they needed to compete with the other team and pull more “guests” into the thriving hotel to become their allies. Otherwise, in the later stages, their space for survival would be further squeezed and compressed. Even if they didn’t want to win, just for self-preservation, they should try to invite as many “guests” as possible.
Yun Bilan also looked confused.
If it weren’t for the four-person portrait painting that connected the passage they came through, which trapped them on the first floor, she might have suggested taking that painting back.
“Huh? So you mean…”
“Go get the single portrait.”
Wen Jianyan seemed to have made up his mind and answered without hesitation.
—This was undoubtedly the least suitable option.
Not only because there was fewer people in the painting, but also because it was farther away, which meant the probability of encountering the ghost under the umbrella increased significantly. Similarly, the “guest” who had been chasing them was also in that direction. Choosing to retrieve the single portrait meant not only fewer rewards but also a higher risk and the possibility of a direct confrontation with terrifying entities.
Yun Bilan furrowed her brows. “But…”
She was about to say something, but Wen Jianyan interrupted her.
“We don’t have time to explain.”
There were less than ten minutes left before the exit would be closed. If they wanted to leave, they would have to wait another three hours.
Behind the young man, the endless rain and gloomy sky loomed. His pale eyes were devoid of emotion, with a faint, cloud-like calm expression.
“Do you trust me?”
“…”
Time seemed to freeze for two seconds.
Yun Bilan raised an eyebrow and suddenly smiled, her expression bright. “What? You still need to ask?”
The yellow-haired guy nodded vigorously.
“Of course, Captain,” Chen Mo sighed helplessly. “Who else can we trust but you?”
They had worked with Wen Jianyan for so long that they were very familiar with his way of doing things and his almost flawless, terrifying abilities. In past instances, this had saved them countless times…
So, even though they didn’t understand why Wen Jianyan made this decision, they knew that the person who made it was Wen Jianyan, and that was enough for them.
“…”
Bai Xue’s gaze fell on Chen Mo and the others.
He had remained silent throughout, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking from his expression. His pitch-black, eerie eyes seemed to reflect some thoughtful emotion.
Wen Jianyan looked at his team and succinctly outlined the next course of action: “Chen Mo, Yun Bilan, you two follow Bai Xue. Let him lead you to get the painting.”
The two nodded.
Bai Xue didn’t object either.
After speaking, Wen Jianyan turned to Blond: “You and I will act together.”
To prevent losing contact, please remember the backup domain of this site:
Due to the urgency, the group quickly began their actions.
Bai Xue led Chen Mo and the others down the bluestone path, heading quickly toward the distance, while Wen Jianyan and Blond stayed 50 meters away from the small building, not following them.
The two stood with umbrellas, silently watching as Bai Xue and the others disappeared into the building.
The eerie, cold rain poured down heavily, and the puddles in the dips of the bluestone path reflected the gray, murky sky like countless mirrors.
Wen Jianyan lifted his eyes.
…The rain had lightened.
This meant that Bai Xue and the others had successfully retrieved the painting.
Blond exclaimed, “The door, the door has appeared!”
Wen Jianyan turned his head and followed Blond’s finger.
Sure enough, just two or three meters behind them, a square door, the size of a painting frame, appeared out of nowhere. The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, they could vaguely see a dark red carpet and dim lighting—the familiar furnishings of the thriving hotel.
As long as they passed through this door, they could successfully escape the current danger.
However, Wen Jianyan didn’t rush to enter. He didn’t try to stand in the dry area near the door to avoid the rain but instead stood still in the rain, still holding the human-skin umbrella, staring ahead.
He turned his head and looked toward the small building’s entrance.
Bai Xue and the others had appeared at the door.
This time, they didn’t bring out the entire painting frame like before. Instead, as Wen Jianyan had done earlier, they had destroyed the frame and taken the canvas—after all, this method was more convenient.
The group stood at the door, waiting for Wen Jianyan’s instructions.
Wen Jianyan turned to Blond. “Tell me, where is the ‘guest’?”
Blond scanned the surroundings, his gaze quickly landing on a spot not far away.
His shoulders shrank slightly, and he whispered, “Five o’clock direction, 35 meters.”
“Got it.” Wen Jianyan nodded.
He raised his voice and called out, “Move out!”
With the signal, Chen Mo and the others on the opposite side of the bluestone path began to move.
Thanks to their previous experience, they were now very adept at responding. They carefully avoided letting their shadows fall into the puddles while quickly moving forward. Once the person holding the painting was targeted, they immediately passed the painting along and alternated positions.
Moreover, this time, they had umbrellas—not only could they shield themselves from the rain, but they could also block some of the light. This made their progress much easier than before.
However, this didn’t mean they could completely avoid getting wet.
Blond’s voice tightened. “Three o’clock direction, 57 meters.”
It seemed the “guest” had started moving as well.
Wen Jianyan handed the umbrella to Blond, then stepped to the side, stepping into a nearby puddle. He let the fine rain fall on his face and shoulders, even slightly spreading his arms to increase the area of contact with the water.
“Three o’clock direction… 53 meters.”
Blond said, “It’s coming.”
In the “Integrity First” live stream room:
[Damn…]
[I think I understand what this guy is trying to do. There’s only one ‘guest,’ so it will prioritize attacking the person in the most exposed position. When it moves toward a teammate, the anchor steps out, waits until it gets too close, then returns under the umbrella—basically, just leading the ‘guest’ around!!]
[Hahahahaha, leading the ‘guest’ around, I’m dying!]
[‘Guest’: I have a swear word, not sure if I should say it.]
[Hahahahahaha, this is a bit much!]
As the comments had guessed, Wen Jianyan was indeed playing this game.
He used Blond’s ability to accurately locate the empty spot to carefully control and adjust the “guest’s” movement—its direction, angle, and speed—so that none of them would be forced into a direct encounter with the “guest.” After all, things were different now.
Since they were carrying the painting, all of them were targets for the ghostly attacks below the water’s surface. A slight mistake, and they could be swarmed by countless pale limbs, unable to move. Even though Wen Jianyan was being very cautious, he could still clearly feel the increasing weight on his shoulder.
If they were to encounter the “guest” head-on in this situation, their team might really suffer casualties.
Therefore, Wen Jianyan had to control the distance between the “guest” and them in this way, ensuring the safety of both sides.
“Four o’clock direction, 22 meters.”
Blond’s voice trembled, sounding very nervous.
“And, and…”
Blond’s gaze fell on the umbrella handle in his hand, where a blurry outline of a woman’s hand slowly emerged at the lower edge, where his palm was gripping.
His face turned pale, his pupils contracted, and his fingers didn’t know whether to tighten or release the grip.
“You, you see this…”
They had been in the rain the longest, so the ghostly shadow under the umbrella appeared the earliest.
To prevent losing contact, please remember the backup domain of this site:
“Mm.”
Wen Jianyan glanced at it, seeming to have seen enough of such things already. He casually shifted his gaze away:
“Don’t worry about it.”
Blond: “…”
He was on the verge of breaking down.
Don’t worry about it? Don’t worry about it?!
It was easy for Wen Jianyan to say that!
Wen Jianyan didn’t pay attention to Blond’s tearful expression.
He just narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the approaching teammates in the distance, his gaze flashing with cautious seriousness.
Although he had already carefully calculated it in his mind, the problem was that Wen Jianyan and his teammates were gradually converging, so no matter which direction the “guest” initially walked in, it would eventually get closer to their final destination.
Based on Blond’s report and the current speed of Chen Mo and the others…
It wouldn’t be long before Wen Jianyan’s most dreaded “head-on confrontation” would still happen.
It seemed that he had no choice but to implement plan B now.
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth, turned, and quickly dodged the human-skin umbrella from Blond’s trembling hands. He spoke rapidly:
“You go inside and wait.”
“…?!”
Blond was stunned.
But before he could say anything, Wen Jianyan turned around and strode toward the direction of the “empty spot,” stepping through the puddles without hesitation, splashing the cold rainwater.
Almost instantly, Blond understood what Wen Jianyan was planning to do.
Earlier, when they met up, Wen Jianyan had briefly mentioned his previous escape method.
And this time, he was likely preparing to repeat the same operation.
He intended to use the umbrella and the “guest’s” attack rules to create a conflict, buying time for the others.
But the problem was, unlike last time, this time Wen Jianyan carried the curse of the [painting], so to attract the “guest’s” attention, he couldn’t avoid stepping into the puddles with his shadow. Instead, he had to actively step into them.
In other words, he was about to bear a curse and pressure far beyond what the others would experience.
The further he walked, the heavier and slower Wen Jianyan’s steps became, even stumbling at times, almost dragging his body forward.
…He looked utterly disheveled.
After a few steps, Wen Jianyan was almost completely soaked.
His jet-black hair, drenched by the rain, clung messily to his pale cheeks. His clothes, now wet, clung tightly to his body, clearly outlining his slender, upright back and the slightly narrowed waist. In the pouring rain, his figure appeared especially lonely and fragile.
However, Wen Jianyan’s eyes remained clear and calm, fixed ahead with a terrifying willpower that showed no sign of retreat.
He gritted his teeth and moved forward, step by step.
Each step slower, each step heavier.
In the puddles beneath his feet, countless pale arms could be vaguely seen climbing up his body, layer upon layer, and the number was still increasing, densely packed and intimidating.
Meanwhile…
In the puddle beside him, the woman’s figure under the umbrella was also gradually becoming clearer, looking eerily terrifying.
The pale woman’s hand tightly gripped the umbrella handle, leaving behind dark blue-black marks, her shadow stiff and upright, as if it were following Wen Jianyan, walking with him.
Behind them, Blond’s heart was in his throat.
He understood very well what Wen Jianyan’s actions meant…
And he knew that this time, Wen Jianyan wasn’t just facing two curses at once…
But three.
The painting.
The guest.
The umbrella.
For most people, bearing even one would mean a near-death experience, let alone all three.
Each additional one would multiply the danger.
The chances of failure would be higher, and the risk of an accident even greater.
Everything was an unknown.
Watching Wen Jianyan stumble forward, his back soaked in the rain, and the “empty spot” behind him, which seemed to have finally found its prey, speeding up as it got closer to Wen Jianyan…
Blond instinctively held his breath, sweat beading on his forehead, his whole body tense as if he were about to faint, but his eyes were locked in place, unable to look away.
—Please, it has to succeed!
The pressure is very strong, good luck Wen Wen. Thanks for the chapter