Chapter 40 of 100

Chapter 40

16 min read4,070 words

After chatting for a while, Gui BuGui had almost figured out the entire sequence of events from the incident to the present at the Prefectural Mansion. When the deaths first began, everyone in the Prefectural Mansion was in a state of panic, fearing that the misfortune would befall them. Later, almost everyone was on the verge of despair. It was then that a minor steward named Wu Zhen came up with an idea. Instead of dying in despair without knowing why, it would be better to decide in advance who would be offered to the gods. At least after this person was chosen, the rest would have a peaceful day and night to live.

Later, when the prisoners from Liaoxi County were brought in, they also followed Wu Zhen's method. Since Wu Zhen was in charge of the lottery at dusk, his status was unknowingly elevated. Recently, he had become the de facto leader of the entire Prefectural Mansion.

Gui BuGui originally wanted to inquire about some other strange occurrences, but unfortunately, they had already reached the front hall, where dozens of people were already seated. With so many eyes on them, it was not convenient to ask, so he could only wait for a better opportunity.

The food for the Prefectural Mansion was delivered to the gate by people from outside and then brought in by Wu Zhen's men. This breakfast, which included wine and meat, served with flatbread, was indeed a life of luxury that could not be enjoyed during the current turmoil. Although everyone knew this might be their last meal, they seemed to have become accustomed to this life. After all, they still had half a day to live, and the lottery at dusk might not even select them. They might as well get through this meal first.

After entering the front hall, Wu Mian did not hesitate. He grabbed a piece of flatbread, wrapped it around some cooked meat, and swallowed it in a few bites. Just as he was about to repeat the process, Wu Zhen, sitting in the main seat, suddenly pointed at Wu Mian and said, "Who are you? I've never seen you before."

Wu Mian gave a forced smile and said to Wu Zhen, "Then who are you? I've never seen you either."

Before Wu Zhen could respond, a fierce-looking man next to him slammed the table and said, "When Mr. Wu asks you a question, just answer it. Why so many words! Speak! Who are—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a white object flew towards him. The man could not dodge it in time and was hit in the face. With a "slap!" he fell backward, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. After being helped up by Wu Zhen and others, the man, still holding his face and wailing, was found to have been hit by a piece of flatbread with a bite taken out of it.

After being helped up, the man covered his mouth, spat a few times, and then opened his palm to reveal over a dozen teeth. Looking at his mouth, it was clear that all his front teeth were gone. A few other men who were friendly with Wu Zhen had intended to gang up on Wu Mian, but seeing the outcome, they all looked at each other in shock. Now, no one dared to make a move, let alone speak up.

After swallowing the flatbread, Wu Mian looked at Wu Zhen with a raised eyebrow and said slowly, "Do you remember who I am? If not, I can give you a hint." As he spoke, he grabbed a piece of cooked meat, bit off half of it, and chewed it. He held the other half in his hand and glanced at Wu Zhen's lower body, causing the steward to involuntarily step back.

At this moment, Gui BuGui walked over with a grin and said to Wu Zhen, "Mr. Wu, have you forgotten so quickly? He came in with us. He was standing next to me, and you even said that he had white hair at such a young age, wondering what he would look like when he was old. Do you remember now?"

Knowing that Gui BuGui was lying, Wu Zhen had no choice but to go along with it. It would be foolish not to take the opportunity to back down. Ignoring his pride, Wu Zhen put on a look of realization and said to Gui BuGui, "I said he looked familiar. I've been so busy these past few days that I forgot. I just met him, and I forgot already."

He then turned his gaze to Wu Mian, gave a dry laugh, and said, "It was a misunderstanding, young man. Don't take it to heart. We're all in the same boat now. We should help each other. With a bit of luck, we might even get out of here one day."

Hearing this, the few people who had been glaring at Wu Mian lost their anger. The tension in the room instantly cooled down. After speaking to Wu Mian, Wu Zhen waved to the people who had already stood up and said, "It was all a misunderstanding. Now that it's cleared up, everyone sit down and continue eating breakfast. After finishing, we need to rest and prepare for the lottery at dusk."

Mentioning the lottery, everyone lost their appetite. After stuffing a few bites of food into their mouths, they returned to their respective rooms. The front hall was left with only Wu Mian, Gui BuGui, and Mr. Wu. The old man looked at Mr. Wu and suddenly smiled, then whispered something in Wu Mian's ear. Wu Zhen, who had been planning to leave, felt a blur in front of his eyes, and the white-haired man was already blocking his path.

"Mr. Wu, why the rush? Let's chat a bit more," said Gui BuGui, walking up to Wu Zhen with a grin. "I heard you've been here the longest. Do you have any tips?"

As he spoke, the old man's eyes roamed over Wu Zhen, making him feel uneasy.

Wu Zhen gave a bitter laugh and said, "Don't listen to others' nonsense. There are no tips. I just have a bit of a hard fate, and the heavens are looking after me. It's not my time to be offered to the gods yet."

"Hard fate..." As he finished speaking, Gui BuGui suddenly gave a strange laugh and said to Wu Zhen, "If I take your amulet, will your fate still be so hard?" As he spoke, Wu Zhen's body trembled, and his hands involuntarily went to his back.

Seeing this action, Gui BuGui chuckled and turned to Wu Mian, saying, "Did I hit the mark, old man? He couldn't have survived this long without a few amulets. See how easy it was to trick them out of him."

At this moment, Wu Zhen realized what was happening. He looked at Wu Mian and Gui BuGui with fear, unsure of what they would do next. Suddenly, Wu Zhen felt a cold sensation on both his wrists, as if something icy had cut them. Looking at Wu Mian's hand, he saw two bracelets made from some unknown animal bones.

Seeing the bracelets, Wu Zhen's face turned pale. Looking at his wrists, they were now empty. He shouted, "Those are mine, give them back!" As he spoke, he reached out to grab the bone bracelets. Wu Mian did not dodge. As Wu Zhen's fingertips touched the bracelets, an electric arc appeared on their surface. The arc traveled up Wu Zhen's fingertips and spread throughout his body.

With a loud "slap!" Wu Zhen was thrown back several dozen feet, landing on the ground and convulsing, foam spilling from his mouth. Even so, he still pointed at Wu Mian, repeating, "Mine, give back... mine, give back..."

Wu Mian threw one of the bracelets to Gui BuGui and examined the remaining one for a long time. Unfortunately, with his current knowledge, he could not identify what animal bones the bracelets were made from.

Gui BuGui, having lived for several hundred years, took the bracelet, glanced at it casually, and then turned to look at Wu Zhen provocatively. He quickly gave the answer, "Demon bones... I didn't expect a minor steward like you to have such treasures. But how did a minor steward like you get such treasures?"

Hearing Gui BuGui identify the source of the bracelets, Wu Zhen's face turned even paler. Finally, he lowered his head and stared at the tiles on the ground, lost in thought.

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