TEFSCBSS Chapter 71

Chapter 71: How Many More Twists Can There Be?

The group managed to evade Wu Fei’s relentless pursuit—or rather, his attempts to drive them away—and finally arrived at the villagers’ gathering place: the ancestral hall.

The village chief stepped forward to block their path.

“Master, what are you trying to do?”

Wu Fei halted his movements, his expression unreadable. “They killed my senior brother. I will kill them to honor his spirit. Are you trying to stop me?”

“No, no, not at all,” the village chief said quickly. “However…”

Behind him, several villagers moved in, swiftly tying up Wang Bokao and the others before dragging them into the hall.

Meanwhile, the remaining villagers circled Wu Fei.

“What are you doing?” Wu Fei narrowed his eyes. His naturally pale complexion, combined with the gray mist in the air, gave him an eerie aura—almost like a villain from a dark tale.

“Heh heh… Master, we understand your need for revenge, but how about this—you help us complete the ritual first, and afterward, these people are all yours. Kill them, beat them, do whatever you like. We won’t say a word.”

“Oh? Are you threatening me?”

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare,” the village chief replied with a sly grin. He waved his hand, and a group of young monks was dragged forward.

“These are your junior brothers, aren’t they? Such pitiful little ones. If the ritual isn’t completed… well, maybe they could stay in our village as honored guests.”

“You’ve seen our village, Master. We don’t have much food. Who knows how long they’ll last?”

Wu Fei clenched his teeth. “Let them go!”

The village chief stood his ground. “As long as the ritual is completed, we can discuss anything.”

The two locked eyes in a silent standoff—until, suddenly, a blaze erupted outside.

“Something’s wrong! The altar is on fire!”

At this, the village chief could no longer afford to hesitate. He immediately ordered his men to tie Wu Fei up as well before rushing off with his people to put out the fire.

But the village of Shanshi was barren, without so much as a stream. They didn’t need food or drink, so even the wells had long dried up. Now, they could do nothing but watch as the flames devoured the altar.

…

Meanwhile, the villagers guarding Wang Bokao and his group were restless, whispering among themselves.

“Do you think the fire will destroy the painting?”

“We’re doomed, we’re doomed! If that painting burns, we’re all finished!”

“If the painting is destroyed, the female ghost will break free. How will we survive?”

“Don’t panic! Remember, the village chief managed to seal the ghost before. He didn’t harm us then—he’ll find a way to do it again!”

“But… what if the ghost kills us first? We were so close to leaving the village…”

“Sigh…”

A heavy silence fell over them, their anxiety mounting.

Suddenly, one of them glanced at Wang Bokao and the others. “What if… we possess their bodies and quietly escape Shanshi Village?”

“This…” Some hesitated.

“What are you waiting for? If the ghost is unleashed, she’ll tear us apart!”

“There’s no guarantee the chief can seal her again, and even if he can, there will be casualties!”

“This is self-preservation! We’ll just use them temporarily, hide outside, and send some unlucky fools back later to check on the village. If the chief succeeds, we can always return.”

“But won’t the chief be angry?”

“There’s no time to worry about that! Come on, it’s just us here. Besides Li Tiechui, there are six adults and a few kids.”

“That’s enough for all of us!”

Without further hesitation, they each grabbed a captive and rushed off to perform the soul-swapping ritual.

Wang Bokao, jostled and tossed around, nearly vomited up his breakfast. His vision spun, and he could barely think straight. The others fared no better, groaning in discomfort.

But just as their captors reached the temple entrance, they froze.

A crimson figure stood motionless in the doorway.

Long hair draped over their face, obscuring their features. Blood-soaked hands gripped something round—something unsettlingly familiar.

A villager squinted. “Village… village chief! That’s the chief’s head!”

Panic set in. The captors abandoned Wang Bokao and his group, scrambling in all directions in sheer terror.

The prisoners were left sprawled on the ground, disoriented, their heads spinning.

Around them, screams rang out.

“Please, forgive me!”

“I was wrong! Spare me!”

“I beg you!”

Then, everything faded into silence.

…

West Tower Script Shop—Shanshi Village Instance.

Inside a dilapidated shrine, a group of players slowly regained consciousness.

“…Where are we?”

Wang Bokao blinked in confusion, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. “Why does this place look so familiar?”

“…Is this the Earth God Temple?”

Before anyone could fully grasp what was happening, a high-pitched scream—one that sounded almost like a pig being slaughtered—pierced the air. They turned to look and saw none other than their long-lost “good companion,” Jiang Liang.

“No, no, this isn’t right! I was at the iron gate!”

“There’s a ghost! A ghost!”

“Why am I back here?!”

The group narrowed their eyes but refrained from speaking immediately. Instead, they focused on calming down Jiang Liang, who was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

“What happened to you?”

“What’s going on?”

Jiang Liang glanced at the familiar faces before him, and as if he had just seen his long-lost mother, he finally lost all composure. The eight-foot-tall man curled up in a corner, whimpering as he recounted his ordeal.

After setting the fire, he sprinted toward the iron gate. He had been so close—just twenty meters away—when a chilling voice called out behind him: “Cui Lang…”

He had instinctively turned his head, only to see the red-clad ghost from before floating toward him, relentlessly closing the distance.

Panic surged through him. He had bolted for the gate, convinced that if he could just get past it, he’d be free. But just as he was about to reach safety, something tripped him. The next thing he saw was the ghost lunging at him.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he had found himself back inside the Earth God Temple—surrounded by the same five players.

“…Wait. You’re the one who set the fire?”

Jiang Liang, having just seen a ghost, had no intention of hiding anything. Though he didn’t reveal Su Chancellor’s involvement, he did admit that he had been paid to burn down the script shop.

At this revelation, the group’s expressions darkened. They wanted to kick him—so they did.

Wang Bokao and Li Tiechui, in particular, beat him the hardest.

For Wang Bokao, it was personal—Su Li was his childhood friend. He couldn’t just stand by while someone tried to harm his friend. He demanded to know who was behind it all.

Unfortunately, Jiang Liang was a coward. If a ghost were threatening him, he might have spilled everything. But since it was just humans beating him up, he kept his mouth shut.

As for Li Tiechui, Jiang Liang didn’t hold a grudge against him at all. He even shot him a meaningful look as if to say: Brother, don’t worry. Even if I fail my task, I’ll still cooperate with you. As long as one of us succeeds, Su Chancellor won’t blame us.

Li Tiechui: What the hell is wrong with your eyes?

The two fought for a good while, with Wan Niang even sneaking in a couple of kicks.

Eventually, Zhao Wen stepped in to mediate, and the group finally sat down to catch their breath.

“…So what’s the situation now?”

The candlelight from the paper lanterns flickered, casting eerie shadows across the dilapidated temple.

They rummaged through their small satchels. Everything was exactly as it had been when they first arrived—just a script with blank pages, unused pens, and a few steamed buns.

Wang Bokao muttered, “Was it all just a dream?”

Gu Qing rolled his eyes. “You believe that?”

“…No.”

As confusion settled over them, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from outside.

Then, a familiar voice spoke.

“Hmm… good. Not a single one of you is missing.”

The voice belonged to Zhao Si, the peddler from before.

Except now, the woven crate he had always carried on his back was gone, and for the first time, he stood up straight.

“I’ve spoken with the village chief. He’s a bit busy right now and can’t meet with you yet. But don’t worry, arrangements have been made—some villagers will take you in for the time being.”

He stopped outside the Earth God Temple, casting a glance at its decrepit state before waving at them.

“Come on, follow me. I’ll take you there.”

“You don’t want to stay in this rundown temple overnight. The wind’s strong, there are wild animals around, and with no doors, it’s not safe.”

But this time…

No one moved.

Huddled together, the group silently watched Zhao Si with wary eyes.

Everything…

It felt as if they were back at the very beginning of the script.