Garlic Nose stood up abruptly, “Why not? Could it be that you are the player who harmed little Xia Chi?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t talk nonsense,” Yellow Hair looked somewhat embarrassed, “It’s in a more private area, so it’s not convenient to show you.”
Garlic Nose: “We’re all men, there’s nothing we can’t see. Is your curse on your buttocks?”
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Yellow Hair’s face. He shook his head, “No, it’s on the long eagle.”
“What long eagle…” Garlic Nose’s voice abruptly stopped halfway. He then looked at Yellow Hair with a complicated expression, “There?”
Yellow Hair nodded.
Everyone: “…”
Just when the air fell into silence, Glasses suggested, “Or let Xia Chi and this player go to the bathroom alone to verify?”
Both Yellow Hair and Xia Chi’s faces instantly turned red.
After struggling for a while, Yellow Hair finally looked at Xia Chi, “Uh, I can actually accept this method. At least, it’s better than flaunting it in front of you all.”
If given a choice between showing it to one person or a group of people, he would choose to show it to one person.
Xia Chi: “…”
Everyone: “…”
Five minutes later, Xia Chi and Yellow Hair walked out of the bathroom after a long wait.
Bai Lixin looked at Xia Chi, and Xia Chi nodded at him.
—It’s there.
Now, everyone’s attention was fully focused on Lin Xiao.
Without waiting for others to speak, Lin Xiao had already quietly started to unbutton his sleeves and tie.
Even in a horror copy, Lin Xiao’s attire was very meticulous.
The suit jacket and trousers had no wrinkles. In the chest pocket of his suit, there was a neatly folded handkerchief.
All the buttons of the shirt and suit were fastened, with the shirt buttoned up to the top. The sleeves of the shirt worn inside were about two centimeters longer than the outer suit sleeves, a dressing style that adhered to proper etiquette.
Lin Xiao unbuttoned the cuffs and then started unbuttoning the buttons at the neckline. He casually pulled the tie hanging around his neck, letting it dangle diagonally.
He seemed like an outstanding student who had just walked out of the most professional gentleman training institution. Every move seemed natural, exuding a kind of competence and the elegance of an elite person.
With an expressionless face, Lin Xiao unbuttoned the buttons in front of everyone, revealing the skin hidden beneath the shirt.
When everyone saw Lin Xiao’s chest, they all froze for a moment.
Lin Xiao’s body was covered with scars of various sizes.
He himself seemed indifferent to their gazes, just peeling off the shirt from his shoulders and turning his back to everyone.
“Hiss—” There were several sharp intakes of breath.
Garlic Nose frowned, “Brother, what you have on your back, could it be the Kowloon Coffin tattoo?”
*”Kowloon” translates to “Nine Dragons”. Here’s an example of the tattoo.
There was a huge tattoo on Lin Xiao’s back. The lifelike dragons entwined with each other, as if they would emerge from Lin Xiao’s back at any moment.
These dragons were biting onto a string of pitch-black chains, and the chains extended to the middle of the coffin in the center.
The pitch-black coffin was decorated with strange totems, and around it were nine dragons. Despite the dragons’ imposing aura, the eerie and mysterious atmosphere that the coffin exuded was not suppressed. Chains entwined around the coffin, emitting a strange and chilling aura.
Lin Xiao’s back also had many uneven crisscrossed scars, and the tattoo covered the scars. Because of the uneven scars, the coffin in the middle was undulating. From a distance, it seemed as if the coffin had come to life, or the “corpse” inside the coffin was unwillingly trying to break free.
The area where the totem on the coffin was located was covered with black spots, becoming somewhat blurry.
Upon hearing Garlic Nose’s question, Lin Xiao responded, “Hmm, the curse is on the coffin. Can you see it clearly?”
Garlic Nose: “Oh, oh, I can see it, I can see it. Did you all see it?”
Yellow Hair: “I saw it too.”
Xia Chi: “Mmm.”
After receiving affirmative answers, Lin Xiao didn’t hesitate. He pinched the collar of his suit, swiftly pulled it, and the pure white shirt was back on him, covering the terrifying full-back tattoo.
“Brother,” seeing Lin Xiao buttoning up, Garlic Nose continued, “that thing on your back is not suitable as a tattoo. It’s too fierce, ordinary people can’t bear it.”
Xia Chi was unfamiliar with tattoo culture. He only felt shocked and a chill on his back when he saw Lin Xiao’s back tattoo earlier. Now, hearing Garlic Nose’s words, he couldn’t help but ask, “What does the Kowloon Coffin tattoo mean?”
“I know a bit about tattoos. Tattoos come in many forms—some get them out of pure liking, some for altering fate, and others for commemorating and expressing loyalty. Each tattoo has its own meaning. For example, someone might have a wolf tattoo symbolizing endurance, perseverance, and loyalty.”
“The Kowloon Coffin tattoo comes from an ancient story. Legend has it that after the death of an emperor from a certain dynasty in ancient times, nine dragons pulled the coffin to the sky, where the imperial physician also ascended to immortality.”
“In our real world, the trend of Kowloon Coffin tattoo suddenly rose, and many young people thought it was cool, so they got this tattoo. But the outcomes were not good.”
Xia Chi seemed curious, “Why weren’t the outcomes good?”
“This this is definitely bad,” Garlic Nose continued. “Think about it, to ascend to immortality, how do you do it? Don’t you have to die first? Ordinary people can’t bear this. The Kowloon Coffin tattoo is a taboo in the tattoo community.”
Xia Chi’s eyes flashed with curiosity, “Does tattooing really affect a person’s fate? Isn’t it just drawing a picture on the body? Maybe it’s just a coincidence?”
“It’s better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn’t. Weren’t we also dragged into this ghost game? What if it’s true? We can’t explain things related to the supernatural. But I’ve only heard about it, I haven’t seen it with my own eyes. Maybe it’s just a rumor,” Garlic Nose said, looking at Lin Xiao.
At this point, Lin Xiao had already dressed and returned to his original style as a social elite male.
Neatly pressed clothes adorned him perfectly. If he hadn’t taken off his shirt today, no one would have known the secret hidden beneath his clothes.
“Brother,” Garlic Nose looked at Lin Xiao, “I see so many scars on your body, and you have Kowloon Coffin tattoo on your back. Are you involved with the underworld?”
On hearing this, Xia Chi tensed up instantly, his eyes looked at Lin Xiao vigilantly.
He aspired to be a Sherlock Holmes in the police force, even though he hadn’t enrolled or graduated yet. But having received the admission letter made him half a policeman.
If the other party was really involved with the underworld, he wouldn’t allow it!
Lin Xiao’s usually expressionless face had a frown at this moment, and his eyes carried a hint of disdain, seemingly dissatisfied with Garlic Nose’s words. “I’m not. Don’t compare me to those social scum.”
Garlic Nose: “Then what do you do? Why do you have Kowloon Coffin tattoo on your back? By the way, is it really okay to have that tattoo? Do accidents often happen around you? Are your scars caused by the tattoo?”
“Looking at the design of your tattoo, it seems to have been there for quite a few years, at least six or seven years, right?”
All eyes turned to Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao: “I am just a patient who has been recovering from illness. As for other matters, I have nothing to disclose. What I do in the real world shouldn’t be related to today’s task. If you are so experienced, why not care more about Xia Chi beside you? His situation doesn’t seem good.”
On hearing this, Garlic Nose finally shifted his attention to Xia Chi. He saw that the black curse on Xia Chi’s face seemed to have spread a bit more.
Garlic Nose panicked a bit, “Wasn’t it said that the curse was transferred? As long as we find someone without a curse, we can determine the culprit. Why does everyone have the curse? Is the culprit really among us? Should I bring all the players here now and verify them one by one?”
Lin Xiao: “It’s too late. It will take at least half an hour for people to gather. Judging by Xia Chi’s condition, it will be over in half an hour. You won’t make it in time.”
Garlic Nose: “This won’t work, that won’t work. Do we have to watch Xia Chi die?!”
—————————————
In the live broadcast room.
[Damn, it’s actually Kowloon Coffin tattoo. I can’t believe I can see a real Kowloon Coffin tattoo in my lifetime.]
[Is this thing really as evil as that player said?]
[It’s true! It’s so evil! My neighbor owns a tattoo shop. There was a man who insisted the shop owner do the Kowloon Coffin tattoo on him. At first, the shop owner refused, but then that man threatened to smash his store if he didn’t do it. The boss had no choice but to do it. Guess what happened?]
[What happened?]
[A week later, I went out for a drink at night. On my way back, I saw a car accident on the road. I had a bit too much to drink, so I wasn’t afraid. I went over to take a look, only to find out that the person who died was the man with the Kowloon Coffin tattoo.]
[Hiss, that’s chilling!]
[Yeah, he died miserably. It’s said he was crossing the road. That road is usually restricted for freight vehicles, but strangely, that day, a semi-trailer appeared out of nowhere on that road and ran over him. The semi-trailer was fifteen meters long, and his body was instantly crushed into mush, leaving only a head for identification.]
[Fuck! Brother, can we not discuss this in the live broadcast? It’s late, and it’s creepy!]
[The more I look at it, the more I feel Lin Xiao is ominous. Even if he’s not the culprit, he’s definitely not an ordinary person.]
[Who can enter this game and still be an ordinary person?]
[Well, that’s true.]
————————————
Bai Lixin’s gaze swept across the room, slowly taking in the faces of each person.
Finally, his eyes stopped on Glasses who was standing next to Xia Chi and hadn’t spoken yet. “I want to double-check everyone’s black curse. Song Yun, can we start with you?”
Suddenly being called out, Glasses hesitated for a moment.
Then he nodded, raised his hand, and was about to roll up his sleeve.
“Wait.” Bai Lixin interrupted his movement, and lightly stepped towards him, “Let me get closer.”
He walked close to Glasses, and gestured for Glasses to show the black curse.
As Glasses rolled up his sleeve, he stuttered, “I-It’s this one. Is there a problem?”
Bai Lixin stared at the ugly black curse on Glasses. It had an uneven roughness that made it unsettling to look at.
The young man’s slender fingers held Glasses’ wrist and carefully examined it. Then he shook his head slowly. “There’s no problem, it’s indeed a black curse.”
Glasses had a blush on his cheeks. He gulped nervously, “Can you, um, let go of my wrist? I’m nervous.”
Bai Lixin raised his head and glanced at Glasses, “Sorry, I’m afraid not.”
With that, a cold light flashed behind Bai Lixin. When the cold light disappeared, a miserable scream suddenly rang out in the room.
Things happened so suddenly that everyone stood there like statues.
A sharp dagger was stabbed into the center of the Glasses’ black curse. His face had turned pale, the immense pain forcing his eyes wide open, the eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.
He broke down In cold sweat, “What are you doing, God Xin, let go of me!”
Bai Lixin observed Glasses’ expression and, from the corner of his eye, paid attention to Xia Chi beside him.
Xia Chi froze, staring blankly at Bai Lixin, his mouth open but unable to utter a word.
The black color continued to spread and wander on him as if it had a life of its own.
After contemplating for two seconds, Bai Lixin muttered, “Not here, huh?” then he pulled out the dagger mercilessly.
The next moment, the dagger stabbed into another dark spot on Glasses.
Another scream rang out. This time, Glasses no longer pleaded as at the beginning; his eyes were now red, staring fiercely at the young man in front of him, shouting with a trembling and hoarse voice, “What are you doing? Don’t bully others! Are you crazy!”
Bai Lixin ignored the Glasses’ questioning and scolding. He looked at Xia Chi again. Seeing that the black color on his face showed no signs of fading, he once again raised the dagger.
A silver dagger goes in, a red dagger comes out.
The cold blade was adorned with blood. With a gentle shake, the blood was flicked onto the nearby floor.
Then, under the terrified and astonished gazes of the people in the room, the young man once again raised his hand expressionlessly.
Seeing that things were getting out of control, Garlic Nose was about to intervene but was stopped by Xia Chi with his arm. “Don’t go.”
Garlic Nose: “What is Bai doing? Look, he’s hurting people. Does he suspect Glasses is the culprit?”
Xia Chi’s gaze was firm, “If my brother doesn’t have a hundred percent certainty, he won’t take action. He is hurting people, but he’s also saving me. He’s not harming others for himself, he’s doing it for me.”
“I’ve known my brother since entering the game. He has never actively harmed a player, let alone an NPC. He wouldn’t easily harm anyone.”
“He’s attacking Glasses because he’s sure he’s the culprit!”
“Ah!”
The screams rang out in the narrow space once again.
Seeing no change on Xia Chi, Bai Lixin pulled out the dagger again.
Seeing the young man raise his hand once more, Glasses shouted, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk, I’ll point it out! It’s on the black area at the shoulder. Don’t try again!”
Bai Lixin lowered his arm, “Left shoulder or right shoulder?”
Glasses: “Left, left shoulder.”
The young man’s dagger was raised and lowered again.
Glasses’ screams rang out once more. With this scream, the black on Xia Chi’s face slowly receded.
The face that was about to be taken over by black turned into its original color.
Only then did Bai Lixin release his hand, letting Glasses slowly slide to the ground.
Glasses sat on the ground panting heavily, and as the black faded from Xia Chi, the black on Glasses spread rapidly.
Soon, the black on Xia Chi completely retreated inside the collar of his hoodie, and the black on his hands disappeared.
At this point, Xia Chi’s exposed skin no longer had any black.
Garlic Nose walked to Glasses, bent down and lifted his clothes to take a look. He found that the man’s back was covered in black spots.
“So it was really you!” Garlic Nose pushed Glasses forcefully. “Xia Chi took care of you so much, why did you want to harm him?”
Glasses’ forehead was covered in cold sweat, which wet him, and strands of hair hung in front of his forehead.
He took a deep breath and ran his stiff fingers through the damp hair. As he pulled his fingers back, the originally clean and harmless look changed as the bangs instantly turned into a messy slicked-back look.
A few strands of stray hair fell from the damp hair. After Song Yun took off his glasses and casually threw them aside, his body leaned against the wall lazily. “It’s just that he offended someone he shouldn’t have offended.”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Bai Lixin looked at Xia Chi in confusion, “Who did you offend?”
Xia Chi looked puzzled, “Who did I offend?”
Song Yun tilted his chin, glanced at Xia Chi and then pointed his finger, “Not you, him.”
The finger stopped in front of Bai Lixin.
This time, Xia Chi was the one puzzled, “Who did you offend?”
Bai Lixin: “I’ve offended too many people.”
Xia Chi: “…”
Everyone: “…”
‘You have offended so many people, and you still look so justified?!
Xia Chi suddenly realized something. He pointed at himself in disbelief, “No, Song Yun, you explain to me clearly. My brother offended someone, if you have the guts, go after my brother. Why are you targeting me?”
‘So, am I taking the blame for my brother?
What! Turns out I’m the scapegoat!’
Since that the conspiracy was exposed, Song Yun didn’t maintain his previous submissive style. He let out a cold laugh from the corner of his mouth, “Blame yourself for being weak. I wanted to target Bai Lixin, but he’s invulnerable. I didn’t even have a chance to attack him. Your relationship with him is unusual. If something happens to you, Bai Lixin will definitely be upset.”
Xia Chi, “So, you deliberately approached me?! Fuck, you treat me like a soft persimmon?”
Song Yun shrugged, “Blame yourself for having so many weaknesses.”
“Are you from the Shentian Guild?” Bai Lixin, who hadn’t spoken all along, asked in a deep voice.
