“Are you saying there’s a possibility the Witch’s Game officially begins *after* a wish is granted?” Xia Luohua’s thoughtful voice came from the other end of the line. This was the special phone she had given Luo Tianchen earlier, claiming it could connect to her anywhere in the world, even without a signal. ‘What kind of ridiculous design is this? It’s clearly a Noki*a! Does she really need to advertise like this?’
“Didn’t you say it yourself? The rules of the Witch’s Game vary, so this possibility must exist, right?” Luo Tianchen spoke into the phone, quickening his pace.
Night had fully descended, and the streetlights along the old road flickered to life. There were no signs of pedestrians or vehicles, rendering the path eerily deserted.
From a distance, it resembled a painter’s depiction of the Yellow Springs Road, a path where only death lay at its end.
“It’s certainly possible, but what benefit would that bring the witches? After all, they are witches, not gods; they don’t grant blessings just because you pray. Do you truly believe they host the Witch’s Game merely to watch humans tear each other apart?”
“Are you saying witches only hold the game because they have their own needs?” Luo Tianchen was taken aback.
“That’s inevitable. The gap between mortals and witches is vast. Bound by certain rules, they cannot act with complete abandon. However, once you forge a pact with a witch, your destiny, time, emotions, memories, past, present, and future—all these things mortals cannot grasp—will be effortlessly seized by them.
“The foolish masses remain oblivious, rejoicing in what they believe to be a bargain, unaware that they have secretly been stripped of something dozens, even hundreds of times more valuable than their original desires.”
“Are witches truly such terrifying beings?” For the first time, Luo Tianchen felt a profound fear of them.
“If, as you suspect, the participants’ wishes were granted in advance, yet the witch remained dormant for three years, then what she seeks must be something truly monumental.”
“Monumental? How monumental?”
“Who can say? Six years ago, even though the Witch’s Game ultimately failed, thousands of people in this city vanished in an instant due to the law of causality. It’s hard to imagine the impact if it were to succeed this time. Perhaps the entire world would be annihilated?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Luo Tianchen couldn’t help but groan.
“I’m afraid not. In fact, something like that has happened before. You’ve heard of Atlantis, haven’t you?”
“The lost civilization?”
“In our records, it was destroyed because of a witch’s game. You must have heard of the many records and prophecies about lost civilizations and the coming apocalypse that exist in this world, right?”
“You mean…”
“Who knows? The world you’re in right now might just become the next Atlantis.”
“You can’t be serious!” ‘Why? I just wanted a normal life. Why am I dragged into an event that concerns the very survival of humanity?’
“So, go for it, young man… ah, no, young *woman*! Strive to protect your world!”
“Wait a minute, isn’t this *your* responsibility? Why are you entrusting it to a normal person like me? Don’t tell me…” Luo Tianchen was suddenly struck by a terrible premonition.
“Oh dear, how should I put it… I’ve accidentally gotten myself trapped.”
“Huh?!”
“You can’t blame me for this. Who knew there’d be someone among the opposing black warlocks capable of controlling dark stars? Even in our school, only a handful of the most brilliant geniuses possess such power.”
“I don’t understand a word you’re saying! Just tell me how long until you get here!”
“Well, probably a little over an hour?”
“Are you messing with me?!” ‘Seriously, she talks herself up so much, but then she drops the ball at the critical moment. How did I end up with such a useless teammate?’
“Don’t say that. If you just push a little harder and hold on for a bit longer…”
“What then?”
“Perhaps I’ll have the chance to collect your complete remains?”
Luo Tianchen hung up the phone without a word. During their conversation, he had drawn closer to Bingying’s villa, so much so that he could now see the lights glowing on the first floor.
‘Please, Bingying, don’t let anything happen to you!’ With that desperate prayer, Luo Tianchen delivered a flying kick that burst open the main door, revealing two figures in the center of the hall.
Thankfully, it seemed they were merely engaged in some sort of ‘bondage and BBQ play.’ It appeared their intention was to reawaken Bingying’s past fears.
This grim situation, however, had bought Luo Tianchen enough time to arrive. Otherwise, if the assailant had decided to dismember Bingying on a whim, he would have been utterly helpless.
The assailant seemed surprised by his sudden intrusion. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Tianchen rushed forward.
Using the women’s self-defense knife—bought from TB, given to him by his sister—he quickly severed the ropes binding Bingying. He then scooped her up, rolling several times like a sheet, finally managing to extinguish the flames.
“Is that… Tianchen?” Bingying opened her eyes, her gaze hazy as she spoke.
Luo Tianchen unceremoniously flicked her forehead. “Save your sleep-talking for your dreams.”
“Huh, you’re… Xiaolian?!”
It seemed she was finally regaining some clarity.
“Run! Don’t worry about me, she’s very…”
“Yes, yes, I know. So, just go back to sleep. When you wake up, everything will be fine.”
“…Can I, trust you?”
“It’s no problem. Just leave everything to me.”
“…Then, I’m counting on you.”
“Mm, rest easy.” Luo Tianchen gently laid Bingying aside, then casually pulled a nearby tablecloth over her exposed skin.
“Well then, you’ve had quite enough of a show. Isn’t it time we discussed your matters? Ji Zhilan, or rather, Li Qiqiao, isn’t that right?”
“Who are you? You shouldn’t be among the participants. Who are you?” She watched Luo Tianchen with apprehension.
“Who I am isn’t important. What matters is *you*. Would you like to hear how I recognized you?”
Li Qiqiao remained silent, essentially assenting to Luo Tianchen’s words. It seemed she was somewhat curious about how she had been exposed.
“Very well, let me briefly explain how you murdered Ji Zhilan. First, around noon today, you arranged to meet her on the rooftop for various reasons. Then, you went to borrow the key.
“Upon seeing Xia Luohua and me talking, you had to hide. After we passed, you went to the rooftop in advance to wait. When Ji Zhilan arrived around 1 PM, you seized the opportunity to knock her unconscious, perhaps physically or by using some kind of drug.
“You’re quite skilled at makeup, aren’t you? Your heights aren’t too dissimilar, so you swapped clothes with her while she was unconscious and disguised yourself as her. You then hid the real Ji Zhilan on the roof of the rooftop shed.
“You, in turn, went to the study room and patiently waited until 3 PM after everyone else had left school. Under the pretense of going to the dorm, you actually went to the rooftop and carried out the murder.”
“Huh? Are you joking? If makeup were truly that powerful, wouldn’t the world be overrun with criminals? And if I recall correctly, school rooftops are usually locked, right? According to your story, how would I have escaped from the rooftop?” She scoffed, a sneer twisting her lips.
“Of course, it’s generally impossible to achieve that level of disguise. But you two, you’ve swapped identities countless times, haven’t you? So you’re already quite adept at it, aren’t you?”
“?!”
“Now, let’s discuss the second point, which is the crux of this case. Beforehand, you cut a rope halfway, poured water on the cut, and then froze it in the school laboratory’s refrigerator. This way, when you needed to use it, the rope would still retain its strength.
“You looped one end of the rope around Ji Zhilan’s neck and tied the other end to the railing with a special knot. After that, you could ‘whoosh’ yourself through the window using the rope.
“When you let go, Ji Zhilan’s weight would cause the rope to automatically retract and form a slipknot. All you had to do then was close the window and draw the curtains to prevent any students from accidentally seeing, and you could leave.
“When the ice melted, the half-cut rope naturally couldn’t bear the body’s weight and snapped, leading the police to miscalculate the victim’s time of death. A truly clever scheme.
“The only flaw was that you accidentally injured your hand while sliding down. However, since the deceased was ‘Li Qiqiao,’ the police would simply assume she injured herself. Of course, you didn’t have to worry about anyone going to the rooftop to pull her up, because the rope had already reached its breaking point after bearing your weight, and would snap as soon as the ice melted or it was tugged.”
“…”
“You accurately gambled on your parents’ fear of scandal, and the public’s preconceived notion that the suicide victim was you. Naturally, they wouldn’t conduct extensive examinations on that mangled corpse, and you perfectly transformed into Ji Zhilan. As for the evidence, it’s this hairpin.” Luo Tianchen produced the item the other girl had found earlier. “This isn’t yours, is it? It belongs to Ji Zhilan. Can you explain why her hairpin is with you?”
“Enough.”
“I’ve also more or less figured out your motive for wanting to kill her.” Luo Tianchen then pulled out the old photo of the two girls. “Although the house number is obscured, I know where you two were standing: a nightclub, wasn’t it? And the pose you struck, it’s one specifically used by the hostesses there.
“As for who took the picture, it was probably the boy named Deng Gaoda, the only one who knew your secret. And if you hold this photo up to the light, you’ll discover…”
Over Ji Zhilan’s figure in the photo, the character for “death” was imprinted repeatedly.
“You truly… hate her, don’t you?”
“…It was all her fault.” Li Qiqiao finally spoke, her voice brimming with hatred.
“It’s been like this since childhood. She always, always, always, always, always bullied me. Anything she wanted—snacks, toys, new clothes, phones, makeup, wallets—she would just take it all from me!”
“…Didn’t you tell your parents?”
“Parents?” She scoffed. “Are you talking about those two misers? To them, everything in this world can be measured by money, even me. Just to curry favor with her father, who owns a big company, they wouldn’t hesitate to sell their own daughter into slavery!”
This time, it was Luo Tianchen’s turn to be speechless.
“Everyone was blind to her true nature, thinking she was so cute, so beautiful, so innocent, like a little angel. Only I knew she was a demon, someone who would take everything from others on a whim! But what good did it do?
“She was too good at pretending. Everyone refused to believe she was a bad person; they only thought I was jealous and lying!” Li Qiqiao screamed hysterically.
“Later, she even tricked me into a nightclub, and as a result, I lost the most precious thing a girl possesses. She forced me to work there as a hostess to earn her pocket money, while she herself mingled in the crowd, messing around with a bunch of handsome guys. Because that’s the kind of person she is—loyal only to her own desires.”
“But none of that mattered. She could toy with me however she pleased, even defiling me. I didn’t care. But she shouldn’t have—she shouldn’t have laid her hands on Chengye!”
“Who is that?”
“My first love, a normal student. His parents were just ordinary office workers. Unlike me, who was already sullied, he was a very kind person. Even after knowing my past, he never once looked down on me.
“Yet, that very person, because of me, became Ji Zhilan’s target, and then… he committed suicide.”
“!”
“When I investigated and discovered he was forced to commit suicide because he owed Ji Zhilan’s family a huge sum of money, I confronted her. Do you know how she responded? She said: ‘Oh, I just borrowed your boyfriend to play with him a little. I didn’t realize he was so fragile. But it’s fine, isn’t it? Because we’re friends.’
“Friends? Ha, haha, hahaha. Yes, we’re friends. She’s the ‘friend’ I want to kill most in this world! From that moment, I knew I absolutely had to kill her, even if it meant sacrificing myself! But I couldn’t do it… Because of my childhood experiences, I’ve always feared her. That fear kept me suppressed.”
“As it turned out, she probably went too far and ended up pregnant. Do you know? The first time I saw her look so terrified, I almost burst out laughing. But then she suddenly said: ‘How about you just pretend to be me, and I’ll pretend to be you!’
“I didn’t dare to resist. And so, the person who got pregnant from sleeping around and had to get an abortion became ‘Li Qiqiao,’ while ‘Ji Zhilan’ remained a beautiful young lady. Discovering she could exploit this, she became even more reckless and wild.
“Conversely, my reputation worsened, and I became a slut available to any man.” She laughed maniacally. “Yes, it’s exactly as you guessed! Why am I so skilled at makeup? Because I’ve done it hundreds of times! I could paint her hateful face even with my eyes closed!
“But because of that, I also conceived a plan—a plan to kill her. However, I was still missing one thing, so I couldn’t act.”
“So you participated in the Witch’s Game, and your wish was… the courage to kill her?”
She glanced at Luo Tianchen in surprise, then continued, “Yes, you guessed it right. But I still couldn’t kill her. I initially thought the ritual had failed. However, when I saw Yao Xinchang happily tell me she was going to confess her feelings, I noticed something burning within me.
“Ah, yes, that was jealousy! I found out that the student council was secretly preparing a farewell party for the boy she was going to confess to. So, I arranged to meet her at the school in the middle of the night and killed her.
“Using a secretly duplicated key, I opened that room, wrapped her up, and hung her on top of the cake. If she knew, she’d be thrilled, wouldn’t she? That I gave her as a gift to the boy she loved. No need to thank me, because we’re ‘friends.’”
“Just for something like this? Just because of *that*, you killed her?” Luo Tianchen’s voice trembled violently with rage.
“Yes, just because of that! I was the one who told her about the Witch’s Game. She should have been like me, a piece of trash from the lowest rung of this world! But why did only *she* get to be happy?!”
“Like this, what difference is there between you and the person you hate?”
“Yes, but if it meant killing her, what does it matter if I become a demon?”
“You’re insane.”
“I’ve been insane for a long time! When I killed Yao Xinchang, I realized that I already had that courage; it was just my foolish self suppressing it! Now, all I have to do is kill you all!”
Realizing her intent, Luo Tianchen quickly stepped back, shouting, “Enough! Stop right now! If you wanted revenge, haven’t you already achieved it? Even if you kill us, you won’t be able to conceal the truth. The police will catch you quickly! Don’t be so stubborn! Think of your boyfriend! He wouldn’t want you to do this, would he?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t turn back now.” Li Qiqiao paused. Hearing mention of her boyfriend, the murderous intent in her eyes diminished considerably, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What does that mean?”
“Although I don’t know who you are, or why you’re investigating the Witch’s Game, it—the witch—is absolutely not as simple as you imagine.”
“Wait, what do you mean by that? Explain it clearly!” Luo Tianchen realized this was a golden opportunity to learn more about the Witch’s Game, and pressed her for answers.
“No one has probably told you this, have they? The more Witch Seeds a person possesses, the closer they become to a witch. When only one person remains, that is the moment the witch descends.”
“Huh?”
“So, please, kill me, before I destroy this world. I… I can’t control myself anymore.”
“Wait…” Before Luo Tianchen could finish his sentence, Li Qiqiao’s entire demeanor suddenly shifted. A black, unknowable substance erupted from within her, enveloping her whole body and forming a black giant over three meters tall.
Terror, despair—these were the only things Luo Tianchen could perceive from her. His body was completely paralyzed; it was the instinctive fear a lower being experiences when facing a higher one, a sensation he had only ever felt from Xia Luohua until now.
‘Does that mean the current Li Qiqiao can rival Xia Luohua?’
She casually extended her ‘hand,’ and a black mist coiled around Luo Tianchen’s throat, entering his mouth and greedily drawing everything from his body. He couldn’t breathe, his face contorted in agony, feeling as if a giant tentacle was churning his internal organs. He wanted to scream, but no sound escaped.
‘Am I going to die?’
Through his blurring vision, he saw her other ‘hand’ reaching for the sleeping Bingying, jolting him out of his semiconscious state.
‘No, I can’t die here. I promised Bingying I would save her! Because I swore I would never let another important girl die in front of me again!’
“Then, let us pause here.” A clear voice echoed melodiously through the hall.
Time stopped.