Chapter 26: The King of Hell’s Wedding (3)
【Jian Yuntai’s livestream: Likes +2,553, Coins +664, Bookmarks +563.】
【Your livestream ranking has jumped up 10 places.】
Jian Yuntai twitched the corner of his mouth.
He remembered that the last time he unlocked a hidden mission, his ranking had only jumped about 40 places.
And now, with just one line of update, he only advanced 10 places.
What were the viewers’ little brains thinking?
In fact, the livestream chat had already gotten so “enthusiastic” that it was filled with blocked words.
“‘Consummate our union,’ do you mean what I think? First again, or… ah?”
“Sis, you’re too subtle. Shouldn’t it be ‘no’? Actually, I like it more… just can’t bear to leave the wife, hehehe…”
“Probably can’t broadcast, but I still want to watch hhhh.”
“What the hell?? Everything you say is blocked, how are you still communicating so smoothly? Or is this filter only visible to me? This LSP wants to check it out too, wuwuwu tat.”
People kept poking Jian Yuntai’s shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Fatty pointing his thumb at his own throat, making a cutting gesture with his hand.
The meaning was clear: kill them.
Jian Yuntai frowned and shook his head, strongly disagreeing.
That method had already been tried by someone before, and the end result was that they had died along with everyone else.
There had to be another way.
He looked at Cui Yu. “But we’re not familiar with each other yet.”
Cui Yu said, “We can get familiar slowly.”
“Then after getting familiar, we can…” Jian Yuntai tried to stall, but Cui Yu’s side glance was firm. “No.”
“Huh?”
“Our bodies have already reached their limit,” Cui Yu said without elaborating. His eyes flickered briefly. “I can understand if you don’t like me. When your body recovers, you can find someone else. At that point… I won’t stop you.”
Jian Yuntai coughed dryly, feeling puzzled.
What did he mean by their bodies having reached the limit? He was currently eating as much as eight tons at a time—how could his body get any better?
He was about to continue asking when suddenly a booming drum sound came from the four corners of the palace, urgent and rapid.
Dong dong dong—
Dong dong dong—
One beat followed another.
The dancers in the center of the palace seemed to receive some command. They froze mid-movement, placed their hands in front of their bodies, and retreated backward toward the palace gates with knees slightly bent.
The palace, which had been crowded just moments ago, became empty in an instant.
Players stopped whispering. The veteran players kept their eyes on the high curtains of the hall, their expressions strange—part fear, part anticipation.
Under everyone’s gaze, there was a sudden whoosh as the flames in the wall lamps floated out abruptly. Blue ghostly fire swirled around the palace center, passed in front of each player, then flew straight toward the curtains, igniting them instantly.
The entire palace was bathed in blue spectral light.
Fire!
Jian Yuntai’s expression tightened.
Many new players almost stood up in panic. The veterans, however, stayed seated and forced themselves to sit still, staring unblinkingly at the curtains now engulfed in flame.
The fire didn’t spread.
Once the curtains had burned away, the scene behind them became visible. Ten palace imps stood on either side of a throne, which was built from white skulls and surrounded by ghostly fire.
A gaunt man sat on the throne. He didn’t look particularly old, but the skin on his hands and neck had a faint bluish tint. His eyes were half-closed in exhaustion.
“That’s the King of Hell,” a player whispered.
Before anyone could react further, the instance’s background audio kicked in, whispering different messages into each player’s ear.
【Your destined person’s eyes contain spiritual energy, and the King of Hell gouged them out to make a Nightlight Pearl for his chamber. He utterly hates the King of Hell…】
【Your destined person’s parents were framed, and the King of Hell, without investigating the truth, threw them directly into the Animal Realm. He utterly hates the King of Hell…】
【Your destined person… he utterly hates the King of Hell…】
All the players frowned.
Jian Yuntai focused, hearing in his ear:【Your destined person and the King of Hell are twins, able to share sensations. Whatever pain Cui Yu feels, the King of Hell can feel; whatever joy the King of Hell experiences, Cui Yu can feel. They despise this connection and have been estranged for a thousand years.】
【He utterly hates the King of Hell.】
All players in the hall fell silent.
Their destined persons all had an unbridgeable hatred for the King of Hell—they all loathed him completely.
With this background, the moment the King of Hell appeared, the atmosphere in the hall shifted drastically.
Tick-tock, tick-tock—
Someone carelessly knocked over a cup of wine. The liquid spilled over the edge of a small table, dropping in quick, heart-throbbing splashes onto the floor.
In the deathly silence, the ten palace imps stepped forward. The lead imp raised its voice:
“You have likely already heard something before coming here. The King of Hell’s lifespan is ending. One year ago, we checked for the King of Hell’s destined person. The Soul Contract Record only wrote one line: the destined person of the King of Hell is—”
“Someone who has completed four rounds in the Eighteen Levels of Hell.”
Another imp added, its voice shrill and unpleasant: “The King of Hell will not forcefully marry anyone. Everything is voluntary. This is the King of Hell’s wedding. If you wish to challenge, throw a Soul Jade into the Sea of Life and Death within the time of one incense stick; that counts as a successful registration.”
As soon as the announcement ended, an electronic prompt sounded:
【Player Main Quest Updated】
【STEP1: Register for the King of Hell’s Marriage】
【Reward: Fifteen Days of Survival】
“!!!” The new players’ faces lit up. Fatty, behind them, exclaimed “Yes! Yes!” twice in excitement.
So the so-called “consummate union” was just a bluff!
They could simply do the main quest, throw the Soul Jade, and receive fifteen days of survival reward. Such an easy quest would never appear in another instance.
Their excitement, however, did not affect Jian Yuntai. He kept observing the expressions of the veteran players in the hall.
These people… had very strange expressions.
Some were tearing at their hair in frustration, some looked determined, others were filled with despair. No matter their expressions, their eyes all shared the same emotion—worry.
What was there to be worried about?
Jian Yuntai felt even stranger.
Could the Eighteen Levels of Hell be that difficult to get through? That didn’t make sense—if it were truly so difficult, the death rate in the instance wouldn’t be this low.
Then why were they worried?
As Jian Yuntai frowned in thought, a small imp stepped forward holding a censer, thin wisps of blue smoke curling upward.
Judging by the burn speed of the incense, the “one incense stick” time the imp mentioned lasted only five minutes.
During the first minute, no one stepped forward.
By the second minute, dozens of veteran players came forward, removing the Soul Jade from the waistband of their red robes and offering it. Almost immediately, the other streamers who had entered the instance with Jian Yuntai followed suit without hesitation, imitating the gesture and handing over their Soul Jade.
By the third minute, a small number of players had come forward.
Those remaining were mostly veteran players.
“Why aren’t they going?” Fatty tugged at Jian Yuntai’s collar and whispered, “Could it be a trap?”
Fearing the woman sitting beside him, Yu Xingcao moved a chair and sat to Fatty’s right. He said, “Even if it’s a trap, you have to go. Do you want to sleep with a stranger tonight instead?”
Fatty hugged Jinjin tightly, defensive. “Speak all you want, just don’t come near my cat!”
Yu Xingcao cursed under his breath, “You moron.”
Their voices were low—if Jian Yuntai hadn’t awakened his Sinister Type hearing, he would probably have only heard a faint buzzing.
By now, three-fifths of the incense had burned away.
At this moment, more than half of the veteran players still sat unmoving, clearly not intending to step forward.
The ten palace imps’ leader shrieked, “Is there anyone else coming?”
Silence filled the hall.
Fatty and Yu Xingcao simultaneously stood up and hurried forward. Halfway there, Fatty realized Jian Yuntai hadn’t followed. He turned anxiously, mouthing, “What are you doing?”
Jian Yuntai had a bad feeling.
He wanted to activate his skill to check the hall’s auspicious and inauspicious signs, but a place like the Eighteen Levels of Hell definitely required his colorblind skill. Besides, he didn’t want to waste a skill immediately upon entering the instance.
This delay left very little time.
The instance’s background audio had already said—his destined person utterly hated the King of Hell.
Could it be that the reason these veteran players hesitated was because of their destined persons? If they made the wrong choice here, would the destined person start hating the players and turn into a mini-boss?
Thinking this, Jian Yuntai immediately glanced at Cui Yu.
Cui Yu seemed completely unconcerned with what was happening in the hall. His long, delicate fingers hovered over a jade pair of chopsticks, and in a soft tone he said, “Grass carp has lots of bones, but it tastes fresh. I’ll pick the bones for you—want to try?”
“…”
Jian Yuntai studied Cui Yu.
He thought: I should be able to handle him.
Cui Yu focused on picking the bones, pressing his lips lightly together. “If you like this taste, I can have someone make it for you every day.”
“No need.” Jian Yuntai pushed the plate of grass carp aside and stood up. “Sorry.”
Cui Yu paused, slightly surprised, lifting his gaze. He glanced once toward the King of Hell’s direction, as if suddenly understanding something, then quietly set down the chopsticks.
“Go.”
Jian Yuntai hesitated, looking at Cui Yu. This calm demeanor didn’t seem like it could turn into a mini-boss.
“The incense—burning—” The ten palace imps drew out their voices, shrill and terrifying.
Jian Yuntai didn’t dare delay further.
Fine! Even if he became a mini-boss, he wasn’t afraid—the Life Crystal never lacked bosses, big or small!
Without even looking back, he hurried forward, submitting the Soul Jade just before the last second of incense burned out.
In an instant, the palace windows and doors burst open.
A bone-chilling cold wind swept in. Outside, a deep, ghostly blue sea stretched endlessly. Floating on the water were countless white skulls, their screams piercing the air. Countless souls struggled in the Sea of Life and Death, constantly enduring the agony of drowning.
The imp stepped forward two paces and flung all the Soul Jades into the sea. For a moment, it looked like a sky full of stars, their sparkle lasting only a second before the Soul Jades fell into the water.
Plop, plop, plop.
All of them sank into the Sea of Life and Death.
【Congratulations, player has completed Main Quest Step 1】
【You have successfully received a reward of 15 days of survival】
“Great!!!” The players’ faces lit up—but their smiles froze immediately, their expressions shifting.
【Soul Contract Value -10】
【Your current Soul Contract Value is 90】
“Pfft—” Fatty doubled over in pain, vomiting a mouthful of bright red blood.
He stared at the blood on the ground in shock. Before he could even speak, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the floor, coughing up another large pool of blood.
Jinjin circled anxiously, letting out panicked meows. The cat immediately turned toward Jian Yuntai, trying to alert him.
However, Jian Yuntai was already too preoccupied to react.
While Fatty vomited blood, Jian Yuntai clutched his own mouth and coughed violently. Blood gushed like a spring from between his fingers, running down his pale white wrists drop by drop, soaking his deep red, ornate robe.
“What’s happening?!” Fatty panicked, looking around.
Every single player who had stepped forward to submit their Soul Jade was vomiting blood, without exception. Even more terrifying, after vomiting, it felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing their hearts!
Pain—intense, stabbing pain!
Jian Yuntai’s heart twisted in agony, and he half-kneeled to the ground, clutching his chest, his face as pale as death.
The livestream exploded into chaos:
“Holy crap! Jian Dadan is vomiting so much blood, it’s terrifying! Why is everyone suddenly vomiting blood?!”
“Ahhh, my heart hurts for my wife!!!!”
“This must be internal injury. Even Sinister Spirit Types can’t heal this. Every streamer in this round started severely wounded…”
“I’m so dumb!! I don’t understand this instance—why did we start vomiting blood immediately after completing Main Quest Step 1? What’s the connection?”
Compared to the audience’s confusion, the veteran players under the hall seemed already to have expected this. There wasn’t a hint of surprise in their eyes.
“Here’s some bad news,” one veteran among the vomiting crowd ground his teeth, speaking to warn the others. “This is just the beginning. You newbies probably don’t even know what Soul Contract is, right?”
Everyone turned to look at him.
The veteran gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “The lower your Soul Contract value, the worse your physical condition becomes. At first it’s just vomiting blood. Later, you start vomiting organ fragments, lose all five senses, organs fail, paralysis… When your Soul Contract drops below zero, your IQ is seriously affected. If you somehow clear the instance in that state, you’ll leave as a complete fool.”
Someone looked confused. “I didn’t do anything! How did my Soul Contract drop?”
“No, you did.” The veteran wiped the blood from his face, speaking gravely. “You submitted your Soul Jade.”
At that, everyone gasped. “What? But submitting Soul Jade is part of the main quest!”
“Otherwise, do you think the instance could trap so many people?” The veteran coughed and laughed dryly. “Soul Contract is tied to your destined person’s emotions. The more jealous or heartbroken they are, the lower our Soul Contract drops… Is your heart hurting right now? That’s because your destined person’s heart is hurting.”
“…….”
Jian Yuntai forced himself to stand, looking across the hall at Cui Yu from a distance of at least ten meters.
Cui Yu’s long, white hair fell straight down his back. He sat perfectly upright, lips lightly pressed together, eyes cast down on the plate of grass carp.
Cui Yu… was heartbroken?
Cui Yu’s pain was reflected in Jian Yuntai’s heart?
Jian Yuntai withdrew his gaze and felt an icy chill crawl from head to toe.
He understood now why so many people never returned.
The main quest was the King of Hell’s marriage. Completing it would trigger the destined person’s emotional trigger. The jealousy, heartbreak, and pain of the destined person caused the player’s Soul Contract to drop.
A drop in Soul Contract meant players’ bodies would suffer.
In other words, completing the main quest meant exchanging health for progress. By the time they cleared the instance, if the Soul Contract was negative, they would leave as fools.
If they didn’t do the main quest… they would be trapped in an endless loop, reliving the same events over and over forever.
“This instance’s main quest and its overall design are completely at odds,” Jian Yuntai said grimly to Fatty and Yu Xingcao. “You can’t do both—you can only choose one.”
Fatty whispered hoarsely, “If it’s impossible… we might as well just keep looping here… it’s still life, anyway.”
Just then, the veteran who had spoken earlier let out a bitter smile. “Little Fatty, next loop you can try skipping the main quest and following your destined person’s side quest.”
“What do you mean?” Fatty asked blankly.
The veteran sighed. “Once you try, you’ll understand… that creepy, endless side quest is still less spine-chilling than the Eighteen Levels of Hell main quest.”
“……” Everyone exchanged glances, pupils slightly dilating.
At that moment, a Ten Halls imp carrying a lottery-style bucket approached, bowing slightly as he held it out.
“The Eighteen Levels of Hell include the Tongue-Pulling Hell, Sawblade Hell, Wronged Dead Hell, Stone Mill Hell, Oil Pot Hell…”
As the imp recited the long list, the color drained from the players’ faces, and even Jian Yuntai furrowed his brow, feeling uneasy.
The imp raised his tone, voice sharp and piercing: “Choose the hell you will face tonight!”
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