Impurities

The air was as stagnant as a solid, and every breath carried a heavy, iron-like scent.

Players instinctively pulled away from one another, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes, particularly in the direction of Cheng Shuili.

A sword of Damocles hung over everyone's head; the invisible pressure tightened like a net, threatening to choke the breath from their throats.

Hao Hao gripped her axe tightly, cold sweat beading on her palms, but her resolve remained firm.

No matter what the Faceless Jester said, she stood half a step from Cheng Shuili, like a loyal cub backed into a corner, baring its fangs at all potential threats.

Panshi and Kyle looked grim, their respective teams quickly huddling together.

The group that had existed just moments ago seemed to have shattered into fragments.

Panshi whispered instructions to his team members: "Keep a close eye on the others, especially those who are alone or acting strangely."

He cast a complicated look toward Cheng Shuili, but ultimately, he did not approach her.

At this moment, every action had to be taken with extreme caution. Panshi dared not gamble his team's lives on something without absolute certainty.

Kyle punched a decorative stone pillar in frustration and cursed under his breath:

"That damn monster! It just wants us to kill each other!"

As these words drifted into the ears of the Faceless Jester, the smile on its mask seemed to widen.

That was exactly what it wanted.

Time ticked away, second by second.

In the oppressive silence, there was nothing but the rustling of wind through leaves and the ragged, uneasy breathing of the players.

Cheng Shuili, however, seemed entirely detached from the situation.

She had even found a relatively clean stone step to sit on, elbows resting on her knees, chin propped in her palm. Her gaze was once again fixed on the shadow upon the high platform, as if she were seriously contemplating the precise process of "making dessert."

Her excessive composure only made the players who were restless and ready to act even more wary.

"She... why isn't she afraid at all?"

"Does she have some kind of trump card?"

"Maybe she can turn the tables even if she's chosen..."

"But her opponent is the Faceless Jester... she was the one who said earlier that this monster is a rule-based entity and impossible to kill!"

"Just stay put. The Faceless Jester might not pick us, but if we attack her, we're definitely dead!"

Fragmented murmurs surged beneath the oppressive silence.

Cheng Shuili was indeed thinking, but the content of her thoughts was entirely different from what the others imagined.

The situation was this: The Faceless Jester was using the accumulated "dissatisfaction" to target her...

This was a way to use the internal conflicts of the players to eliminate her, the Faceless Jester's primary target.

The tactic wasn't particularly clever, but it was certainly effective.

However, it seemed to have overlooked one thing...

Cheng Shuili’s gaze swept over the anxious, panic-stricken players.

Fear is contagious.

When a butcher's knife is clearly hung over one person's head, the others feel relieved, and might even be happy to give it a push.

But when the knife falls randomly, and the person holding it might also be consumed by it...

The corners of Cheng Shuili’s mouth curled into a faint, cold arc.

The pressure shifted back onto everyone.

There were three minutes left.

The atmosphere had reached its breaking point.

Like a bow pulled to its limit, the string would either snap, or the arrow would have to be released.

In most cases, it was the latter.

A scrawny male player standing at the edge suddenly broke down.

He pointed sharply at Cheng Shuili, his voice shrill, filled with resentment and blame: "It’s her! She’s the one who killed the attendant and provoked this monster! If we just hand her over! If we just turn her into the dessert! The rest of us will be safe!"

He acted as if he had grasped a straw, fanatically inciting those around him: "Let’s all attack together! Isn't there an old saying? Two fists are no match for four hands! Control her! As long as we restrain her, when the chosen person uses her as material to make the dessert, we can all survive!!"

These inflammatory words were piercingly harsh in the dead silence.

Several players who were already on edge had flickering eyes and shifted their feet, seemingly considering the proposal. The desire for survival was overriding their reason.

"You motherf***er!"

Hao Hao roared, her language exceptionally foul.

Cheng Shuili wasn't shocked by the player’s words, but rather by the curse.

Wasn't this person supposed to be a polite, high-quality youth?

How was she so... fluent and creative with her insults?

As expected of an axe-wielder, the contrast was indeed significant.

Hao Hao didn't know what Cheng Shuili was thinking. She looked like a small leopard whose territory had been invaded, eyes spitting fire as she stepped forward, pointing her axe at the agitator: "If you say anything else like that, I’ll be the first to slaughter you, you hear me?!"

The scrawny man shuddered at Hao Hao’s murderous intent, but his desperation overrode everything else. He screamed, his voice cracking with feigned ferocity: "Look! They’re trying to kill us to silence us! They just want to drag us all to our deaths! What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for this person to save us? Why should she save us?!"

This time, it was Panshi who spoke up.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down! Don't fall for the monster's trap; killing each other will only make us die faster! Think about the impostors from earlier."

Although Kyle didn't speak, he and his team members cast unfriendly glares at the agitator.

Seeing that there were few responders, the scrawny player became even more desperate and agitated: "Are you all crazy?! What’s the point of protecting her?! She’s been targeted! We’ll be dragged down with her. Only by killing her—only by killing her can we survive! Do you want to die that badly?!"

Cheng Shuili didn't look at him, instead looking up at the Faceless Jester. The monster seemed very pleased.

It hovered in mid-air, but its posture mimicked sitting on a bench; its legs were together, elbows resting on its knees, palms supporting its face.

Cheng Shuili observed its every movement carefully until the monster was about to look over, at which point she shifted her gaze back to the agitator.

He appeared manic, actually pulling a dagger from his waist and charging at Cheng Shuili regardless of the consequences!

"You’re courting death!" Hao Hao’s face was flushed red, clearly enraged. A flash of malice flickered in her eyes as she prepared to step forward.

But someone was faster.

Cheng Shuili, who had been sitting quietly, had already stood up.

She didn't even adopt a defensive or offensive stance; just as the player reached a few steps away from her, she raised her eyes and gave him a faint, indifferent look.

The gaze was calm and waveless, devoid of killing intent, anger, or even contempt.

It was as if she were looking at an irrelevant passerby, or a piece of trash on the side of the road not worth mentioning.

Yet, it was this look, flat to the extreme, that made the charging player feel as if a bucket of invisible ice water had been dumped over him. His movements instantly stiffened, his momentum halted abruptly, and the raised dagger froze in mid-air.

He met Cheng Shuili’s eyes.

There was nothing inside them, yet they seemed bottomless, containing something more heart-stopping than the malice of the Faceless Jester.

An absolute, unquestionable indifference toward life itself.

He understood Cheng Shuili’s meaning in an instant: killing him would be no different to her than stepping on a cockroach.

This silent declaration was more lethal than any roar.

A strange, rattling sound emerged from the player’s throat, like a final, unwilling echo. The courage he had barely managed to muster evaporated in an instant, leaving only bone-chilling cold that made him tremble all over.

He struggled to tighten his grip on the dagger, but it eventually fell to the ground with a "clatter."

He stumbled back a few steps, then his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, looking utterly shattered.

It was as if all his strength and the will to survive had been drained by that single glance.

Cheng Shuili said nothing, simply sitting back down and propping her chin up once more.

But everyone knew what had just happened, and this scene completely cowed anyone who still harbored ulterior motives.

Panshi felt a shiver run through him; this deterrence was clearly born from her absolute confidence in her own strength.

Most importantly, this person was from the Dragon Country grand region!

Her name must be on the grand regional leaderboard!

Who was she?

Kyle’s pupils contracted, and he clicked his tongue secretly: "...She really is a monster."

After murmuring this, he recalled his own offensive behavior toward her and Panshi when they first met, and his heart sank, filled with anxiety.

Meanwhile, Hao Hao, who had stood by Cheng Shuili the entire time, gazed at her with pure worship, wishing she could cheer out loud.

In the midst of this eerie silence—

Clang!

The final bell chimed!

The ten-minute countdown was over!

On the high platform, the Faceless Jester stood up.

"Time is up~!"

It announced in an aria-like voice, its smooth face slowly sweeping over every player below. The invisible gaze seemed to carry physical weight, causing everyone to hold their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.

No one knew if they would still be able to feel their own heartbeat in the next second.

"Let me see, who tonight's lucky winner is..."

Its finger traced casually through the crowd, eventually stopping in one direction.

Every player’s heart jumped into their throat.

Cheng Shuili finally lowered the hand supporting her chin, raising her eyes slightly to look in the direction the Faceless Jester was pointing.

Standing there was a member of Kyle’s team, a young man who had always been inconspicuous.

The moment he was pointed at, the young man’s face turned deathly pale, his body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes filled with despair.

"Congratulations! My distinguished guest!" The Faceless Jester’s voice was filled with "joy." "Please come forward and make... dessert with me!"

The young man’s legs turned to jelly, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

The Faceless Jester added in that disgusting tone, "If you refuse my invitation, something much more terrifying will happen."

It was a blatant threat!

The others’ gazes, initially sympathetic or relieved, turned into urging after the Faceless Jester spoke.

Under Kyle’s complicated gaze, the young man was essentially dragged up to the high platform.

He stood isolated beneath the Faceless Jester’s twisted shadow, as small as an insect waiting to be crushed.

"Then, begin, my dear chef." The Faceless Jester let out a low laugh, its featureless face turning toward Cheng Shuili’s direction, its malice barely concealed. "Select your materials, and present us with the most... delicious dessert."

Its words once again pointed the spearhead at Cheng Shuili!

The young man also turned his head sharply to look at Cheng Shuili, his eyes filled with struggle and fear.

Panshi felt a sense of dread, and Kyle frowned deeply.

The other players subconsciously retreated, isolating Cheng Shuili and Hao Hao even further.

The air seemed to solidify once again.

Should they follow the Faceless Jester’s hint and attack Cheng Shuili?

Or should they defy this obvious rule and suffer unknown punishment?

The young man’s breathing grew increasingly rapid. His eyes darted between Cheng Shuili’s calm face and the Faceless Jester’s terrifying silhouette, his forehead covered in cold sweat.

Fear of the Faceless Jester, dread of Cheng Shuili, and a desperate craving for survival tore through his mind.

Cheng Shuili, however, remained calm.

She even walked forward a few steps, stepping out of Hao Hao’s instinctive protection, standing alone in the open space, looking up at the young man on the high platform and the Faceless Jester shrouded in shadows.

"It said to remove the impurities and make the feast perfect once again."

She paused, her gaze resting calmly on the young man. "What do you think is the greatest impurity in this feast?"

The young man was stunned.

The other players were also stunned.

The greatest impurity?

Was it the Faceless Jester itself? Was it the twisted rules? Or was it...

Cheng Shuili didn't wait for him to answer, continuing in that flat, matter-of-fact tone: "The attendants’ corpses lie there, the guests are like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, and all the rules are decided by it alone, with the power of life and death. This feast has been filled with impurities from the very beginning."

She raised her hand, pointing at the twisted figure on the high platform.

"The one who truly destroys the harmony and makes this feast look so hideous..."

Her voice suddenly rose, echoing across the entire venue:

"...isn't it itself?!"

The moment the words fell, the entire island seemed to go silent for a heartbeat.

All the players stared at Cheng Shuili in stunned disbelief.

She... what did she say?

She had actually dared to accuse the Faceless Jester of being an impurity?!

This... this was bungee jumping on the red line of the rules!

On the high platform, the Faceless Jester’s joyful posture froze for the first time.

The invisible pressure surrounding it surged, and a bone-piercing chill permeated the air.

"Arrogant... guest..." Its voice still held a laugh, but the laughter had become cold and hideous. "You are... desecrating my feast!"

Cheng Shuili, however, seemed unfazed by the pressure that threatened to crush everyone, taking another step forward and glaring at the Faceless Jester, her tone filled with mocking confusion:

"Oh? Was I wrong?"

"You set the rules, yet you lure us into breaking them. You host a feast, yet you view your guests as sacrifices. You claim to be the host, yet you toy with lives at will."

"In that case, are you not the greatest, most unwelcome... impurity in this feast?"

She repeated the word "impurity" again.

And, with absolute clarity, she nailed it to the Faceless Jester!

"To make dessert, one must remove the impurities."

Cheng Shuili turned to the young man, who was now completely dazed, and spoke clearly, word by word:

"So, for your materials..."

Her finger pointed, unwavering, toward the high platform.