Before Cheng Shuili could even make a move, the situation on the dance floor escalated abruptly.
“Ah!”
A short, sharp scream was cut abruptly short.
The others watched in horror as a player was suddenly grabbed by the neck by his dance partner and pulled into a tight embrace.
An embrace?
No, that wasn't right.
Even the dullest person should have realized it by now.
That wasn't an embrace at all; it was strangulation!
The player’s body was twisted under the pressure, his bones emitting a teeth-gritting crunch. The forced smile on his face had completely distorted, and his eyes were filled with absolute terror and agony.
In just a few seconds, his head hung limp, and he was completely lifeless.
The guest, meanwhile, wore an even brighter smile, even extending a long, scarlet tongue to lick the blood oozing from the player’s earlobe.
“If you don't know how to dance, why come to my banquet? Dragging your ugly body around, stepping on your partner’s shoes over and over again…” The Faceless Jester’s slick voice rang out at the perfect moment, accompanied by a pleased sigh. “It seems another guest has left the feast early.”
Does that mean we aren't allowed to step on our partners’ feet?
Cheng Shuili withdrew her gaze.
The music remained cheerful, and the dance steps continued, as if what had just occurred wasn't a bloody murder, but merely an insignificant little interlude in the ball.
But the shadow of death was like ice water, chilling every player to the core.
Kyle’s face was as pale as paper. Watching the direction where the player had died so miserably, his body couldn't stop trembling. His dance steps became even more erratic, causing the clown opposite him to let out another cackling, grotesque laugh.
Cheng Shuili realized belatedly that the guy who had just died seemed to be one of Kyle’s teammates.
“Keep the rhythm! If you don't want to die, try your best to stay steady!” Panshi growled. Cold sweat beaded on his temples, but he still struggled to maintain basic coordination. “And…”
He did his best to remind everyone: “If you make a mistake, apologize immediately. We still have a chance to be forgiven!”
There was indeed a chance for forgiveness, but if things continued this way, they would all die!
Sooner or later, they would either run out of stamina or suffer a mental breakdown and misstep!
Cheng Shuili observed the situation over at Hao Hao’s side. Since she was her only teammate, she couldn't let her die here.
Her expression was tense, but she was still able to keep up with the rhythm; clearly, she still had energy to spare.
Then there was no rush.
Cheng Shuili revealed a genuine, sincere smile.
She had just realized that the movement range of this dance was quite large.
In other words, there would definitely be a moment when she was close to the phonograph.
When that time came, she would just pack it up and bring it back to her territory! Having something like this at home would certainly add a nice atmosphere.
The last time they held a celebration banquet for Black Feather, there was no music, and several members who knew how to play instruments had to perform with guitars.
Because of that, Cheng Shuili had specifically asked Xinxue to go and find a speaker.
Unfortunately, there were no cell phones in this ghost of a place, and the speaker only came with a memory card containing a few songs.
It had been complained about by too many members for playing the same music for too long in the territory.
So now, that speaker was sitting in Cheng Shuili’s ring.
Having this phonograph would be different. If Cheng Shuili guessed correctly, this thing could imitate a lot of music, right?
The music right now was only playing because of the Faceless Jester, but once it was back in the territory, wouldn't it just play whatever the members wanted to hear?
The more Cheng Shuili thought about it, the happier she became.
The opportunity arrived quickly.
The choreography of the dance brought her and her partner, in a spinning glide, just close enough to the central round table.
This was it!
A sharp glint flashed in Cheng Shuili’s eyes. She suddenly threw off the cold, sticky hand of the female attendant. In the split second before the scarlet light flared in the attendant’s hollow eyes and she could lash out, Cheng Shuili’s hand shot out like lightning—not to attack, but to…
Grab the Feast Phonograph that was still babbling away with its eerie music!
Her movements were faster than anyone’s reaction, including the phonograph itself!
Insight had hinted that it was very timid.
And timid things, when subjected to sudden fright, often suffered a brief moment of paralysis.
Cheng Shuili grasped that instant perfectly.
As her fingertips touched the cold wooden casing of the phonograph, a Territory Servant Card suddenly appeared.
“Either come back with me, or… you probably don't want to hear what comes next.”
Cheng Shuili spoke quickly, but the effect was remarkable.
Almost the moment her voice fell, a faint light flashed around the Feast Phonograph, and it, along with the black record spinning on top, vanished into thin air!
It had agreed!
It should be in the territory by now, right?
The music cut off abruptly.
As if its throat had been choked by an invisible hand, the noisy, eerie dance music vanished, and the entire banquet hall fell into dead silence.
On the dance floor, the movements of all the guests and attendants froze instantly.
They remained in bizarre, contorted dance poses, their smiles frozen on their faces. For the first time, a clear emotion—one of bewilderment and helplessness—appeared in their hollow eyes.
Having lost the drive of the music, they seemed to have turned into true dolls.
But Cheng Shuili’s partner didn't stop. The moment the monster was about to touch Cheng Shuili’s body, it turned its head. With a knowing smile still on its face, as if it had planned this all along, it said lightly: “I apologize.”
Although its attitude was flippant and its tone perfunctory, the words “I apologize” had indeed been spoken.
The rule had taken effect.
The bloated, pale hand that was about to clamp onto Cheng Shuili’s neck stopped dead in mid-air, just an inch from her skin.
The partner seemed somewhat reluctant, its lips twitching a few times. Finally, it delivered the line:
“First error. Forgiving your offense.”
“W-what? What happened? Where did the music go?”
Kyle’s voice trembled, breaking the silence.
Like the other players, he remained in a rigid dance pose, not daring to move, his face etched with terror and confusion.
Panshi’s pupils shrank. He looked sharply at the central round table; the spot where the phonograph had been was now empty!
His gaze immediately shifted to Cheng Shuili, who looked calm and even had a faint, elusive smile at the corner of her lips. He understood instantly.
It was her!
She had actually made the source of that eerie music disappear!
A massive wave surged in Panshi’s heart. There was shock at Cheng Shuili’s audacity, a glimmer of hope for their survival, but even more, a intense unease about the unknown developments to follow.
The music had stopped—did the ball rules still exist? What would happen to these monsters?
“Heh… heh heh…”
A low, guttural laugh came from the head seat.
“Interesting… truly interesting…” Its voice no longer carried fake pleasantry, but instead leaked an anger born of being offended. “A… rule-breaking guest. You have destroyed the rhythm of the feast, stolen the joy of the banquet… you… you have ruined the entire feast!”
Following its words, the spotlights on the outer perimeter of the long table began to flicker. The frozen guests and attendants began to emit a “click-clack” sound from their joints, as if rusted machines were being forcibly restarted. One by one, with unnatural, jerky motions, they twisted their necks and bodies, focusing all their hollow or scarlet gazes directly onto Cheng Shuili!
Malice surged like a tide, nearly drowning her.
Hao Hao let out a soft cry, instinctively wanting to lean toward Cheng Shuili, but she was blocked by the gentleman guest opposite her who leaned forward slightly. She could only watch anxiously.
Kyle and the other players were even more bloodless, wishing they could get as far away from Cheng Shuili as possible, terrified of being implicated.
Cheng Shuili, however, seemed unfazed by the pressure that would have caused an ordinary person to collapse.
A piece of tissue suddenly appeared in her hand. As if she had just washed her hands and was drying them, she wiped away the cold, sticky sensation still lingering on her skin. Then, she looked up, meeting the direction the Faceless Jester was “looking” in, her tone even sounding a bit innocent:
“I just thought the music was terrible and wanted to change the channel. As the host, don't you think your taste could use some improvement?”
As soon as these words were out, even Panshi gasped.
Was she trying to get herself killed?!
“Heh… taste?” The Faceless Jester’s voice suddenly rose, becoming shrill. “Arrogant thief! You will pay the price for desecrating the feast!”
That was what it said, but it was also bound by the rules. To kill, it had to follow them!
It could summon everything at its disposal, but as long as Cheng Shuili didn't make a mistake, it couldn't lay a hand on her.
And Cheng Shuili, well-versed in these things, was utterly fearless.
“The price?”
Cheng Shuili crumpled the tissue she had used to wipe her hands and, with great etiquette, put it away into her Abyss Ring.
She even spared a fleeting thought that if the Ring Spirit were here, it would probably be screeching again.
She looked at the Faceless Jester with poise, even taking a small step forward, stopping just in front of the female attendant’s stiff, outstretched arm. “Did I make a mistake? In the rules, is there any line that says… I can't think the music is terrible?”
She paused, sweeping her gaze over the surrounding monsters—who were watching like tigers stalking their prey but were bound by invisible rules—and her smile deepened: “Or, does the rule state that one cannot change the terrible music? I don't seem to have stepped on anyone’s feet, nor have I refused to dance, nor have I… spoken ill of you, Master! I simply offered a small, personal suggestion regarding taste.”
The Faceless Jester’s smooth skin rippled violently, as if something were wriggling underneath.
An ice-cold, bone-chilling aura radiated from it, and the temperature in the banquet hall seemed to drop by several degrees.
But it truly couldn't act directly.
“As for being a thief…” Cheng Shuili drew out her tone, her gaze falling on the empty round table, her voice carrying a hint of mockery. “It volunteered to come with me, so how can that be called stealing? It was a mutual agreement. Perhaps, it also felt that your musical taste… was unbearable to listen to?”
“You!”
The Faceless Jester was so choked up it couldn't form a complete sentence, able only to emit a hissing sound like air passing through a narrow gap.
The surrounding monsters were restless, their scarlet eyes fixed on Cheng Shuili. The malice was almost tangible, yet they couldn't cross the line.
They were firmly restricted by the rules that “the ball is not yet over” and “the guest has not committed a fatal error.”
And this situation, where the ball stopped midway…
Had never happened before!
Kyle and the other players watched, terrified, yet simultaneously struck by an absurd, transcendent sense of shock.
They were struggling to survive here, terrified of taking a single wrong step, while this woman was actually debating musical taste with a dungeon boss?!
And she had left the boss speechless?!
Panshi’s tense nerves relaxed a fraction. He realized that Cheng Shuili wasn't blindly courting death; she was testing the absolute limits of the rules, and… she seemed to have succeeded?
At the very least, for now, the boss couldn't do anything to her!
“Good… good…” The Faceless Jester’s voice suddenly turned calm, but beneath that calm were turbulent undercurrents. “Even if you find my music unbearable, even if you have destroyed the rhythm of this ball… the ball will not stop!”
It waved its hands, its voice filled with a zealot’s fervor for their faith: “Dance… everyone, dance!”
As if receiving some mandatory directive, the bodies of all the monsters jolted violently. The bewilderment in their eyes was instantly replaced by an even more hollow, mechanical obedience.
There was no music.
But they began to move.
In an even stiffer, more eerie fashion, they picked up their previous dance steps once again.
The female attendant’s arm, which had been frozen in front of Cheng Shuili, slowly withdrew, and then, with a rigid motion precise to the millimeter, once again extended its hand to invite her to dance.
There was no expression on its face; only the scarlet flickering in its hollow eyes revealed the rift between its internal malice and this external, mechanical obedience.
The other monsters also approached their respective partners, repeating the dance movements from before.
Without the accompaniment of music, the entire banquet hall was left with only the rustling of feet rubbing against the floor, the swishing of clothing, and the teeth-gritting “click-clack” of the monsters’ joints in motion.
This silent dance was even more hair-raising than when the music was playing.
“It… they’ve started again!”
Kyle’s voice trembled. Watching the clown approach him again with that fixed smile, he was on the verge of collapse.
Panshi’s face was grim. He had to raise his arm again, matching the rigid dance movements of the massive guest opposite him.
He growled: “Follow along! The rules are likely still in effect!”
Hao Hao was also being moved by the gentleman guest opposite her with an irresistible force, beginning to dance once more.
She looked anxiously at Cheng Shuili, asking with her eyes what they should do.
Cheng Shuili watched the female attendant extending its hand to her again. The monster’s hollow eyes were fixed on her with a stubborn intent, as if to say: You must dance until the end, until forever, or… until you make a mistake.
The Faceless Jester stood at the head seat, its smooth skin seeming to glow with a twisted pleasure.
It savored this eerie, silent dance; it savored the despairing expressions on the players’ faces.
“Look… this is the true essence of the feast…” its slick voice rang out. “Eternal joy, eternal dancing… until the soul burns out, until the flesh rots… the rhythm exists in the heart; what need is there for external things…”
Its gaze focused heavily on Cheng Shuili, carrying undisguised malice and mockery.
So what if you took the music?
I make the rules!
The dance steps never stop!
Cheng Shuili looked at the female attendant stubbornly extending its hand, then glanced at the smug Faceless Jester at the head seat.
She suddenly sighed.
Rate on N.U.
