Chapter 101 - 99: Real and Fake

Chapter 101: Chapter 99: Real and Fake

Feng Ling took the bread and felt something was off. Why was there a bite taken out of it? And it was covered in mud.

She remembered.

This was the piece of bread she had thrown at the Fox Demon earlier.

The Huangfu Miaomiao before her suddenly looked savage!

Feng Ling glanced down and saw Huangfu Miaomiao’s face twist into that of a fox as it lunged straight for her neck!

Startled, she raised a hand to block it.

The Fox Demon pounced and sank its teeth into her arm!

Feng Ling frowned, drew one of her Teeth and Claws, and clamped it onto the back of the Fox Demon’s neck, forcibly hoisting it into the air.

She glanced down at her arm to see two rows of puncture wounds beading with blood. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’This Fox Demon is just too weak. Its bite is even weaker than a wild dog’s.’

The Fox Demon, suspended in mid-air, shrieked and struggled. Feng Ling observed it carefully. She noticed its jawbone was slightly shorter than a normal fox’s, likely an adaptation to better mimic a human face, which in turn weakened its bite.

In the wild, foxes can only eat small mammals and insects. In this Maze, however, it seemed they had no other ability apart from using illusions to trick people.

A sharp Bone Blade sliced cleanly through the air, splitting the Fox Demon’s body in two.

Its torso hit the ground while the head, still clamped in the Tooth and Claw, dripped blood down from mid-air.

Feng Ling shook the Fox Demon’s head before tossing it aside. She flicked the beads of blood from her arm and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

Having learned her lesson, she now knew that the Fox Demons could disguise themselves as Huangfu Miaomiao. This gave her a strange sense of anticipation for the village; she wanted to test if she could tell the difference.

"Help! Help—"

A cry for help cut through the pitch-black night. It felt like a classic scene from a ghost story. Though she knew it was a trap, Feng Ling searched for the source of the voice with great interest.

Then, not far off, she saw Huangfu Miaomiao on the ground, clutching her ankle. The moment she saw Feng Ling, she started crying, "A fox bit my foot! I can’t walk! WAAAAH..."

’You didn’t even cry this hard when acid corroded half your arm off.’

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a Bone Blade cleanly sliced off "Huangfu Miaomiao’s" head.

She continued on. Before she had even gone ten meters, a figure came stumbling toward her, crying out in a panic, "I finally found you! A fox just took your form and injured the Daoist! You have to go see him!"

Feng Ling marveled, "How impressive. Even the tone of voice is exactly the same..."

"Huangfu Miaomiao" stomped her foot impatiently. "What are you talking about? Hurry up! The Daoist is waiting for us!"

Feng Ling’s Bone Blade was her response. A single chop descended from the shoulder, and blood sprayed everywhere like a showerhead.

The Fox Demons lurked all around them, their bestial eyes glowing with a faint green light in the darkness.

Feng Ling walked alone through the mist, her steps light. She smiled and said, "Come on, keep trying."

In the desolate, cold night, beasts stalked the shadows.

RUSTLING leaves concealed their movements. Swaying tree shadows looked like beckoning skeletons.

Feng Ling met the gazes of those faintly glowing, bestial eyes with perfect composure.

But alas, they must have decided Feng Ling was too difficult to handle. One by one, they faded away, choosing to retreat.

Feng Ling was bored.

After walking a bit longer, she predictably saw the old willow tree. The smiling stone statue had become a landmark, and not far from it was their tent.

Feng Ling narrowed her eyes—

In front of the tent stood two Fox Demons, one tall and one short. The moment the shorter one saw her, it bared its fangs and pounced!

Feng Ling couldn’t help but frown. ’Why can’t I see Huangfu Miaomiao and Li Qing?’

’Can the illusions turn people into Fox Demons?’

’I can’t rule out the possibility that the Fox Demons are exploiting that thought and setting a trap. Maybe this one pouncing at me is a real Fox Demon.’

’Real and fake, fake and real... how can I tell the difference?’

She mulled it over for a few seconds. The Fox Demon was nearly on top of her. If she didn’t act, she might get bitten again.

’A bite won’t kill me, but who wants to get bitten for no reason?’

’Maybe I’ll just give it a scare?’

As she considered this, the Fox Demon lunged. Feng Ling dodged back a step, whipping out two Bone Blades and tracing two arcs through the air in front of her.

The blades’ tips grazed the Fox Demon’s neck—beads of blood welled up. Any deeper, and they would have slit its throat!

The Fox Demon’s eyes went wide. It reeled back in terror, then turned and fled for its life, dissolving into a black shadow as it ran!

Huangfu Miaomiao was terrified!

Feng Ling, however, smiled.

’Judging by that reaction, it has to be Huangfu Miaomiao.’

The illusion vanished. Feng Ling walked over with a smile, stopping in front of the tent. "Come on out," she said. "I was just teasing."

"You were not just teasing! You were trying to kill me!!!" a shrill accusation came from inside the tent.

"It was just a scratch. Such an overreaction," Feng Ling said. "Besides, you’re not being cautious enough. What if I’d been a Fox Demon in disguise? How were you so sure it was really me? You’re far too trusting." She then urged her, "Now hurry up and come out to start a fire. It’s pretty cold tonight."

Sniffling, Huangfu Miaomiao crawled out of the tent.

As she took a lighter from her backpack to start a fire, she sobbed, "It wasn’t just a scratch! You almost cut my throat! WAAAH... If I hadn’t reacted so quickly, I’d be dead! You don’t care if I live or die at all! If that had been the Maze Administrator, you wouldn’t have dared to attack!"

Feng Ling picked up some dry leaves and branches, tossed them into the fire, and replied casually, "The Maze Administrator’s death would cause the Maze to merge with the real world. I would indeed need to be more cautious."

Huangfu Miaomiao burst into even more furious tears.

Feng Ling found this amusing. She poked Huangfu Miaomiao’s head with a stick. "Is this really worth being upset about? I obviously judged my strike perfectly. It’s not like I was actually trying to take your life."

Huangfu Miaomiao wiped her tears. "Really?" she asked.

Feng Ling shot her a sidelong, smiling glance. "I have so much of my stuff stored in your inventory. Why would I kill you? Now, take out the bag with the food. I’m hungry."

The answer didn’t quite satisfy Huangfu Miaomiao, though she couldn’t say why.

Sullenly, she took out her backpack and retrieved several self-heating meals of various flavors. ’Maybe I’m overthinking this,’ she thought. ’Compared to the other players I’ve met, Feng Ling has been really, really good to me. She clearly has the power to kill me and take my Card, but she’s never tried. She even brought me into the Maze to earn points... What am I so worried about losing?’

"Are you growing attached to her? Have you forgotten? She’s the hidden boss."

A voice came from behind her.

Huangfu Miaomiao turned around and saw Li Qing sitting in the shadows behind her, a mocking sneer on his face. "Hidden bosses are always hunted down by the players eventually. What will you do then? You traitor."

Huangfu Miaomiao pouted. ’Who has time to worry about the future? At least by following the hidden boss, I can stay alive right now.’

Li Qing continued, "You should do something befitting a player. For example... she trusts you now. You could kill her when her guard is down. You’d get a huge amount of points—enough to live worry-free for years. And you’d get her Card! A hidden boss’s Card must be powerful, right? You don’t even have to worry about your Pollution Value. Look, the Divine Statue is right beside you. It would be foolish to ignore an opportunity like this..."

Huangfu Miaomiao’s eyes widened, and she blurted out, "Are you crazy?!"

’He’s actually trying to get me to kill Feng Ling!’

’This is Feng Ling we’re talking about!’

’Who could possibly kill her?!’

’Who?!’

’I wouldn’t even dare to think about it!’

"Who are you talking to?" Feng Ling turned her head to ask.

Huangfu Miaomiao froze. Li Qing was clearly sitting by the fire. She looked behind herself again—there was nothing there but empty mist.