Salted Fish Zombie

Chapter 28.2: Manman (1)

At six years old, Ning Su’s face was not as pale, and his expression was still not frozen. His eyes were bright and lively.

When Shi Tianzhu was young, her face did not have the same calm and cold expression that she had when she grew up.

These two children looked like a pair of siblings.

Ning Su didn’t speak, he just looked quietly at Shi Tianzhu.

As they looked around at the players, the players were also looking at each other. After walking a short distance, many people gathered around Shi Tianzhu, and she walked in the center of the road.

After Shi Tianzhu turned around and continued to walk forward, a person in a black suit walked towards them.

“I am Ji Mingrui,” he said softly.

This outfit suited Ji Mingrui well.

Players could tell each other’s family backgrounds at a glance when they unexpectedly turned into their childhood appearances.

Ning Su glanced over, and he was the only one who looked shabby.

“...”

He carefully looked at the other players again, and barely found an oily-haired girl and a snotty-nosed boy to share the embarrassment.

Ji Mingrui took the initiative to walk to their side. The three of them did not say anything. By this time, players had already shown a clear tendency to gather in groups. They entered the game in the same bus and it was natural for them to walk together.

Ji Mingrui had a strong ability to collect information and was good at observing and analyzing. He looked at the players in front of him and asked, “Have you noticed the two players who have received the most attention?”

Ning Su and Zhu Shuangshuang followed his words and observed the surrounding players.

It was clear that Shi Tianzhu was the most observed player. The little radishes staring at her didn’t find anything strange about her and also didn’t discuss her much.

On the contrary, there were more whispered discussions when looking at another child.

That’s the girl with dirty and oily hair that Ning Su saw just now.

Her hair was very oily, tied in a dull knot, with one part hanging behind her, and the other two parts hanging on both sides of her face, which was mostly covered. Even the people on both sides of her probably couldn’t see her full face.

Not only her hair, but her clothes were also very dirty with many stains, and if you smelled carefully, you could smell a strange smell coming from her.

Ji Mingrui said, “After entering the instance, our danger comes from two sides, one from the instance, and the other from the players.”

“After entering the instance, we need to first clarify the distribution of player power, especially to recognize which top players we cannot offend.”

This should be the walkthrough he learned in these few days.

Zhu Shuangshuang nodded, and was about to ask who that was when the six-year-old Ji Mingrui looked at Ning Su with a serious face, “Ning Su, did you listen carefully?”

“This is a horror instance. Do you know how dangerous it is? What’s with your attitude?”

While Ji Mingrui was analyzing, Ning Su was staring at an ice cream shop.

Zhu Shuangshuang thought this was not good. Ji Mingrui had a habit of giving orders and had a strong desire to control, while Ning Su seemed lazy and did not want to be restrained.

When two such people came together, it was difficult to be harmonious.

“Hmm?” Ning Su turned her head. “If you know so much, I’ll just hug your thigh and follow you.”

Zhu Shuangshuang: “...”

She quickly changed the subject. “President Ji, do you know who she is?”

“I’m not sure either.” Ji Mingrui frowned and took his eyes off Ning Su, continuing to analyze and speculate, “I heard that members of the Yongming Guild are always following Shi Tianzhu. Since she is receiving so much attention, she may be a high-ranking player from the Yongming Guild.”

“The Yongming Guild is famous for its female players, including Yan Shi, Gu Witch, Yin Yang Master, and others. Let’s continue to observe.”

Zhu Shuangshuang wished to keep a close eye on her obediently.

Ji Mingrui said, “Don’t be so obvious.”

Zhu Shuangshuang was very smart and immediately understood Ji Mingrui’s meaning.

Many experts did not like to be seen as young and insignificant or pitiful. Even if they were at the back of the crowd, they still had to be careful.

But not everyone could realize this. In surprise, even people near her were staring at her without covering up. There were even people behind pointing at her and talking about her.

As they walked, all three of them noticed that many bugs were crawling out of the girl’s pant legs and sleeves.

They immediately knew who she was.

Earthworms, cockroaches, centipedes, little snakes, and most of all, a kind of black shell round bug that they couldn’t recognize, crawled silently towards the people who were talking.

They were very fast, and within a few seconds, a small black-shell soft-bellied bug and a wet, slippery little earthworm had crawled into a boy’s pant leg.

Zhu Shuangshuang’s legs immediately broke out in goosebumps, and she covered her mouth to keep from making a sound.

Except for them, of course, others also noticed. No one spoke, and the group of children suddenly became quiet, silently moving forward.

At this time, a surprised, indistinct “um” sound was heard.

A pale-faced child ran to the front row, quickly picking up the bugs.

One hand grabbing two was not enough, so he lifted the loose white t-shirt hem and put more inside. He knew very well that the black shell bugs were the most plump ones.

The white t-shirt was made for children to wear for many years, so it was a little big for him. It was convenient for him to catch bugs.

Ning Su: “...”

Ning Su: “............”

The crowd became quieter, eerily quiet.

A child ran back with a handful of fat insects, his eyes sparkling.

As he ran past, one of the little boys who had been possessed by the insects suddenly collapsed, spewing out a mouthful of black blood.

The child was unaffected and ran towards Ning Su, his eyes shining with joy.

Ning Su: “...”

He put his hands in the pockets of his ripped jeans, looked up at the sky and walked forward, pretending not to know the child.

Pretending to be a foolish player who didn’t know any better and didn’t offend the boss.

Anyway, they were only a year or two apart, so there shouldn’t be any problem.

However, everyone saw through him.

Even the little Gu Witch turned to look at him. (T/N: “Gu” (蛊) is a term in Chinese culture that refers to a type of venomous insect or reptile, as well as the practice of using such creatures to harm or kill someone through the use of black magic or witchcraft. The term is also sometimes used to refer to poisonous substances or medicines.)

Ning Su felt like the sky was turning dark.

When the child tugged on his clothes, Ning Su wearily said, “You can eat them.”

The child wanted to keep the insects to roast and eat with Ning Su, so he carefully carried them and followed Ning Su towards the castle.

On the way, they encountered two particularly mischievous insects, and the child curled his fingers and knocked them unconscious with his small bones.

The little Gu Witch hesitated for a moment, wiped the corner of her mouth discreetly, and continued to walk forward with her head down.

The atmosphere of the team became even more silent and heavy.

The players all had different expressions and thoughts.

Ji Mingrui didn’t speak anymore and kept his distance from them.

Zhu Shuangshuang rubbed her temples, looking confused.

A group of people arrived at the front of the castle.

Approaching closer, they found that the castle was much bigger than expected compared to when viewed from afar, with possibly more than 100 rooms inside.

In front of the castle was a garden with a fountain, a swimming pool, and many children’s entertainment facilities.

A layer of deep green vines climbed up the walls surrounding the castle, with deep red liquid flowing in the vines.

The statue of the fetus at the top of the castle seemed to be the same size whether viewed up close or from a distance, and from such a high distance, they could see the faint wrinkles on the closed eyelids of the fetus, appearing near and far, blurring the distance.

When the sun set, the yellowish sunlight shone on the fetus statue from the oblique angle, giving a sense of roasting a fetus pierced by a pointed top.

The yellow halo spread layer by layer, and the fetus seemed to struggle and twist.

Some players pulled at their collars, and some wiped the sweat off their foreheads.

[Please enter the castle] - the system said.

The players walked into the castle with some resistance, and no player felt that the castle was very clean.

The castle was decorated in the Baroque style of Europe, luxurious and romantic at the same time.

Even the bronze candlesticks were intricately carved, showing extravagance everywhere.

[Please dine in the dining hall] - the system said again.

The dining hall was at least 100 square meters, with a rectangular dining table 20 meters long, which could easily accommodate the remaining 19 players.

When Ning Su saw the sumptuous food on the table, he knew he had chosen the right dungeon, forgetting the sadness of offending a high-ranking player and feeling bright and cheerful.

The first to sit down was Shi Tianzhu, who picked up a wet handkerchief to wipe her hands and then confidently picked up the knife and fork to eat the lamb leg in front of her.

She seemed to be the noble girl who grew up in this castle, without any fancy dress, wearing a riding suit that blended perfectly into the surroundings.

When she started eating, the others no longer hesitated and sat down one after another at the long table, which had a total of 22 seats. The other players quickly picked their seats, all far away from the Little Gu Witch, except for Ning Su, who pulled Gui Sheng straight to her side.

After sitting down next to her without hesitation, Ning Su glanced at the food in front of him and pushed the child towards the Little Gu Witch. “Boss, this child is very sensible. When he saw your bugs fall, he picked them all up and now he’s giving them to you.”

“...”

The child glanced at Ning Su, opened his pocket a little, and gave the bugs to the Little Gu Witch.

Seeing that the girl did not speak, Ning Su apologized. “I’m sorry.”

She still didn’t say anything, lowered her head slightly, and her greasy and tangled hair covered both sides of her cheeks.

Ning Su leaned over and looked at her. “Boss, do you accept my apology?”

Beautiful peach blossom eyes met a pair of swollen and puffy small eyes. A black birthmark surrounded the right half of the eye. After unexpectedly meeting those beautiful eyes, the pupils shrank slightly, but quickly returned to their original size.

Ning Su blinked. “Did you hear me?”

He leaned over, blocking the light in front of him. The light from the brilliant chandelier above his head shone through his slender eyelashes and fell on his clear eyes like a gem shining at the bottom of a lake.

This surprised her. It shattered the dead silence in the Little Gu Witch’s eyes and she slightly opened them.

The bugs that the child had collected crawled all over the Little Gu Witch’s body and into her body from the opening in her pants.

Ning Su breathed a sigh of relief and pulled the child into a chair to eat happily.

Turkey, steak, lamb leg, and foie gras. He sat next to the Little Gu Witch and ate happily, paying no attention to the strange gazes of those around him.

Zhu Shuangshuang sighed.

She had a psychological shadow on meat after the previous dungeon, but seeing Shi Tianzhu and Ning Su both eating so happily, she began to replenish her energy as well.

When the players had finished eating, the highlight of the system mission for tonight finally arrived.

[Please return to your rooms and wait for the birth of your ghost friend.]