"You..."

Ye Wanwan’s face alternated between pale and flushed, her words faltering, unable to muster a proper retort. Deep down, she knew full well that she had indeed impersonated the famous Lu Da Lao. Without such pretense, she couldn’t have attracted so many players.

Now, exposed by Zheng Lin, how could she not be furious?

"Wanwan..."

"What is going on? Aren’t you that sika deer?"

"Just by demeanor alone, she doesn’t seem like her. And that black cat isn’t even with her. Did she really fake it?"

The players present seemed to sense something, their gazes sharpening as they focused on Ye Wanwan.

Though they hadn’t cooperated with the legendary player themselves, they were privy to some inside information: there was always a bizarre animal with unmatched combat power lingering around Lu Da Lao, not to mention she had access to an arsenal of weapons. From the very start, Ye Wanwan had been stringing them along, yet they had been all too willing to believe her.

They had come seeking protection—but now, all they felt was insult.

"I didn’t... I wasn’t lying to you..."

Sensing the hostility in the crowd’s eyes, Ye Wanwan unconsciously shrank back, yet still managed a feeble protest.

Zheng Lin tossed out a single remark before leaving the scene without once looking back.

As for the imposter masquerading as her boss, whatever fate awaited her—well, that was none of Zheng Lin’s business.

Meanwhile...

The rumors spread like wildfire throughout the hunters’ chatting channel: Hunters No. 02 and No. 03 had died in quick succession.

[No. 112: The tables have turned—hunters are now hunted! Protect our people!] [No. 222: Stay away from the eastern housing district—too many hunters have died there, especially at the pond. There’s talk that the black tiger’s hiding right under the water.] [No. 098: Damn! Who are these prey, anyway? Even Lu Xiao was taken out! ]

It was well known that hunters could heal freakishly fast after taking a beating. But that bizarre black tiger—anything it devoured, stayed dead.

Upon seeing these messages, Zheng Lin charged headlong toward the east sector.

Along the way, she encountered several hunter patrols, all of whom became fresh victims of her blade.

……

East District. Under the murky surface of the pond.

Ye Shu and Su Bai were still blissfully unaware of their growing infamy among the hunters. Now, most hunters avoided this sector entirely, even considering it a player sanctuary for those pushed to desperation.

Not far from the crumbling, abandoned buildings to the east, a deadly chase was underway.

“Huff … huff…”

Fu Jingchuan managed to dodge yet another bullet, tumbling awkwardly through the mud as he scrambled for his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his determined pursuer—and his lips twitched in sour recognition.

That hunter, again!

What did he ever do to deserve this kind of cosmic punishment?

Every time he ran into this hunter—no matter what he was doing—the man would give up any opportunity just to chase him down.

Fu Jingchuan had tried to exploit his precognition ability. Yet, inexplicably, the hunter always remained shrouded in mystery—impossible to predict.

The last time he had encountered such a 'null zone' against his foresight was when he faced Ye Xiaoshu herself. Back then, even with injuries to his eyes, he could at least glean a sliver of the future. But behind him, the current hunter NPC radiated a dense fog, as if an invisible hand was forcibly severing his psychic gift.

Lin Qingyue’s brooding eyes darkened further upon recognizing the familiar pond ahead.

Pathetic. He’d deliberately been lured east—presumably to chase after Ye Xiaoshu. What a useless coward, relying on that woman for survival!

……

Below the pond’s surface, Ye Shu rubbed her itching nose.

Someone must be thinking about her.

[Beep beep beep~ Hunter detected in view!]

The system alert chimed in her mind.

Glancing at the shimmering interface, she nearly lost her footing on a slick river stone.

She saw Fu Jingchuan darting between the derelict buildings above—muddy, battered by branches, face unruffled, signaling her covertly even as he dodged bullets. The last time he looked this bedraggled… was the last time she’d seen him at all.

But behind Fu Jingchuan trailed… him.

Ye Shu hesitated a moment, then summoned her eerie companion. Even if she couldn’t kill Lin Qingyue, maybe she could at least buy some time.

To her shock, Lin Qingyue only moved faster.

A gunshot rang out. Fu Jingchuan took a bullet and was forced offline.

Ye Shu, dagger brandished, only just emerging from the water: “……”

Seriously? She hadn’t even started to intervene—and he was already gone? Now she just felt awkward.

The magnificent Dapiao Liang, who had been flung midair, remained utterly speechless.

What a useless show of force! His adversary had vanished before he’d even made visual contact.

Su Bai: “……”

Had the boss and Fu Jingchuan some private grudge? Or was it just her imagination?

Lin Qingyue holstered his gun. His gaze narrowed in on Ye Shu's upraised wooden sword—his pupils contracting.

She… she actually meant to kill him? And all for that little pretty boy?!

“Shu, why don’t we—”

He didn’t finish the thought—a bullet found him, dropping him instantly.

Su Bai’s widened eyes burned with disbelief as she glared daggers at Lin Qingyue. She wanted to tear him apart with her bare hands—such shameless, dishonorable behavior! A sneak attack!

If only she could wish his death first. But reality cared little for wishes.

Disaster at the gates, and those closest caught in the crossfire. Standing at Ye Shu's side, Su Bai was the first to fall—Lin Qingyue rid her from the game with a single shot.

Ye Shu only had time for a sharp intake of breath before Su Bai crumbled into pixels and vanished.

“You… that's going too far!”

He’d killed her people right in front of her eyes.

Ye Shu charged with her sword swinging.

Lin Qingyue dodged her every blow—never once striking back—his shadowed expression softening, of all things.

That burning gaze made Ye Shu’s teeth grind. Her strikes only grew more vicious.

What kind of game was this?

By refusing to fight, he was flipping the script, making it seem as if she were the unreasonable aggressor.

Ye Shu slapped a Command Talisman onto his arm—this time, he made no move to resist, only giving her a look as if to say, as expected.

[S-class item Command Talisman activated. Bound target: Lin Qingyue.]

“From this moment on, I, Ye Shu, am your master. You are forbidden to harm me. If you try, you’ll kill yourself instantly. And don’t let any hunters near us.”

Even after she spoke, Lin Qingyue remained unmoved, his black eyes chilling her to her core.

Could it be—was the talisman failing again?

“Yes… my master.”

Lin Qingyue didn’t break free from the item’s control—but Ye Shu couldn’t shake her unease.

Game countdown: 24 hours remain.

More and more players gathered in the east.

Any hunter who approached was swiftly dealt with by Lin Qingyue; soon, this patch of ground became a player stronghold.

Game countdown: 5 minutes left.

Ye Shu still hadn’t removed the Command Talisman. Instead, she drove her sword straight through Lin Qingyue’s chest. “This is the last time. From this moment on, let’s act as if we’ve never met. I won’t kill you anymore. Let the past be past. Agreed?”

She was tired—tired of killing Lin Qingyue over and over.

Besides, the man just wouldn’t die: every round, he resurrected. It was as if the killing never mattered.

Yet this went against everything she originally intended.

"Ye Xiaoshu… are you serious?"

The talisman's effect was fading. Lin Qingyue stared at her, expression empty, like a puppet stripped of its soul, eyes locked unblinkingly onto Ye Shu.

“From now on, we don’t interfere. There’s no conflict between us, really, so—uh, what are you doing?”

Ye Shu looked down to find her abdomen had been pierced through, disbelief flooding her face as she stared at Lin Qingyue.

He’d lost his mind!

Even when she’d offered him reconciliation, this man… still insisted on trying to kill her?

“That’s not the reconciliation I wanted.”

Lin Qingyue’s lips curled into a smile, wiping blood from his white collar as if it was nothing.

Ye Shu took two stabs—then crumbled into dust, forcibly logged out.

Lin Qingyue collapsed as well, barely clinging to life, breath shallow.

The magnificent Dapiao Liang slunk over, whimpering in confusion.

What the hell just happened? His master and that damn villain… both left the game at the same time?!