Chapter 446 – Palpitations from That World – The Third Night Game (13)
“Tang Tang!”
The boy collapsed soundlessly into Wen Junnan’s arms. The latter bit down hard on the tip of his own tongue, forcing himself to stay conscious. He knew Tang Tang possessed healing abilities—if even Tang Tang couldn’t heal himself now, then the severity of the situation must be extreme.
“What happened to Bai Tang? Is he injured?” Li Tefeng hadn’t seen the wound on Bai Tang’s lower back, but he could clearly see Wen Junnan’s hands covered in blood.
Wen Junnan carefully laid Bai Tang on the sofa, then turned back to Ning Sitong. “Go get the first aid kit. You know where it is.”
Ning Sitong instinctively wanted to retort, but when she met the anger brewing in Wen Junnan’s eyes, she didn’t dare say a word. She turned and headed upstairs.
“How does Sitong know where the first aid kit is?” Li Tefeng muttered in confusion. His absent-minded remark was overheard by Wei Wen and Wei Xing. The sisters exchanged a glance, falling into thoughtful silence.
“I know you can block Tang Tang’s pain. Hurry.” Wen Junnan leaned close to Bai Tang’s ear, speaking in a voice only he—and Bai Tang—could hear.
Bai Tang had already lost consciousness. Wen Junnan wasn’t saying this for him, but for the system. He knew there was always some little thing by Tang Tang’s side protecting him. Although it hadn’t done its job well this time, it should still be somewhat useful.
Although the lightning strike hadn’t directly hit Qiu’er, the current had coursed through his entire body, significantly weakening his functions. Many abilities could no longer be activated, including healing. He had transferred all his energy to Xiao A, and after losing that energy, Qiu’er reverted to a small round sphere and fell into dormancy.
Fortunately, the notification system was still functioning. Upon hearing the male lead’s call, it immediately used points to exchange for an anesthetic powder from the shop. It wasn’t sure whether the medicine would work, but it was worth a try.
A small white porcelain bottle appeared by Wen Junnan’s hand. He immediately sprinkled its contents over the wound. Thankfully, while the Heavenly Dao forbade Bai Tang from using abilities or special medicine to heal himself, it didn’t prohibit pain relief.
The boy’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed as the pain in his waist faded. Wen Junnan gently applied medicine to the wound and bandaged it.
“Tefeng, go upstairs and bring down a set of pillows and blankets.”
Li Tefeng rushed upstairs and soon came back carrying a large pile of bedding.
“I’ll hold Tang Tang. You lay the blankets on the sofa,” Wen Junnan instructed.
The sofa wasn’t particularly soft—fine for sitting, but definitely uncomfortable to lie face-down on.
Perhaps because Wen Junnan was too calm—abnormally so—no one dared provoke him. Even Li Tefeng, who was usually familiar with him, went over to Ning Sitong and quietly started talking with her about tonight’s death game.
Li Tefeng complained, “I was eating late-night snacks outside. I just went to the restroom, and when I opened the door, I was suddenly here. There wasn’t even any warning. This game is way too inhumane—I didn’t even finish my food…”
Ning Sitong, who had never given any warning when pulling people into parallel spaces: “…”
Buddy, talking bad about me right to my face really doesn’t make me feel like helping you in the game.
Li Tefeng was still rambling complaints at the unseen accomplice, while on the sofa, Bai Tang had already woken up.
He struggled to get up, but Wen Junnan, who noticed his movement immediately, pressed him back down. “What are you trying to do? Tell me—don’t move.”
With Wen Junnan’s help, Bai Tang managed to sit up with difficulty. Leaning weakly against the man’s shoulder, he said, “He’s injured… he might make a move earlier than expected.”
This was something Bai Tang had deduced. After escaping from the bandaged man’s territory, he dragged his wounded body, trying to return here. But after the bandaged man was struck by lightning and temporarily immobilized, the puppets lost control and began wandering the streets.
For the natives of this parallel world, daytime was supposed to be safe.
However, without restraint, the puppets attacked any living person on sight. The natives ran and screamed, and the scene descended into chaos.
Bai Tang didn’t dare take risks. Injured as he was, with Qiu’er severely hurt and Xiao A dormant, he turned back toward the bandaged man’s residence. Hoping that his small size would help him hide, he planned to find a corner to lie low until nightfall before returning.
The little squirrel crept back quietly, only to find that the bandaged man was gone, leaving behind a pile of torn bandages on the ground.
Trembling, he crawled behind a table to hide, thinking through the situation. The wound on his tail began to fester, his body grew feverish, and he became increasingly drowsy. By nightfall, when he could no longer hear any movement outside, he cautiously stepped out. The streets were completely empty, but the scattered limbs on the ground told him that the massacre he had witnessed during the day was no illusion. The puppets, however, had disappeared.
His instincts told him something wasn’t right. As he searched in hidden corners, he occasionally found puppets that had completely lost their black aura. Bai Tang boldly speculated that the bandaged man was injured—and seriously so. He likely needed to recover his strength, which was why the puppets were hunting the natives, even reclaiming the power he had given them. If his guess was correct, the bandaged man would make his move tonight.
Determined to find Wen Junnan and relay this information, Bai Tang forced himself to return to the house. What he couldn’t understand, however, was why there were still two puppets guarding the entrance. Logically, the bandaged man should have already reclaimed all the power he had given them.
The puppets didn’t stop Bai Tang. They simply stared at him with those eerie yet almost comical expressions, watching him enter—and even thoughtfully opened the door for him.
That was how it all happened. Bai Tang spoke in fragments, his voice intermittent. When Wen Junnan heard that the bandaged man had attacked Bai Tang, the anger in his heart could no longer be contained. He crushed the water glass Li Tefeng had handed him.
Hot water mixed with shards of glass cut into his hand, startling all the players present.
This man might look handsome, but his temperament was extremely strange—and he was strong, too. Definitely not someone to mess with.
Wei Wen and Wei Xing silently gave up the idea of relying on Wen Junnan. He was too terrifying—moody and unpredictable. What if he got upset and crushed them without a second thought?
“A Nan…” The boy’s weak voice sounded.
Wen Junnan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger inside him.
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t control my strength. I’ll have Li Tefeng get another cup of water.”
Li Tefeng had never seen Wen Junnan this angry before and was completely stunned on the spot. It wasn’t until Ning Sitong nudged him with her elbow that he snapped back to his senses.
“Bai Tang, wait a moment—I’ll go get you some water right now.”
The water was in the kitchen. Although it was dark there, Li Tefeng was already familiar with the place. Before the game started and after it ended, it was safe.
Soon, he came back with another cup of warm water. This time, he thoughtfully used a plastic cup, in case Wen Junnan crushed it again and injured his hand.
“Take it slow, Tang Tang.” After helping Bai Tang drink, Wen Junnan gently laid him down on the sofa covered with blankets.
Bai Tang soon fell asleep again. Even before drifting off, he didn’t forget to tell Wen Junnan to wake him before the game began.
“Rest easy. I’ve got everything from here.” Wen Junnan’s voice softened as he reassured him.
Whether human or animal, sleep is the body’s way of entering recovery mode—reducing energy consumption and promoting healing.
With Ning Sitong and Li Tefeng’s explanations, the three newcomers who had joined tonight gained a basic understanding of the game. Especially after learning that Bai Tang was also a player—and seeing him severely injured and lying on the sofa—none of them dared to take this game lightly.
People could get hurt. People could die. And when they woke up and returned to reality, the injuries would come with them. People could really die.
“Usually, games like this have some kind of hints, right? We’re not completely without a way out, are we?” The one who spoke was Chen Wan. He had been silent since entering and this was the first time he spoke voluntarily aside from introducing himself.
Everyone turned to look at Ning Sitong, who seemed the most composed. She replied, “It’s not that there are no clues. It mainly depends on the type of game. If you’ve heard of it before, you might find a way to avoid danger. Otherwise… keeping quiet and not screaming is the best way to stay alive.”
Fear was the root of death. If you weren’t afraid, nothing would happen—but in the face of a deadly game, very few people could overcome the deepest fears in their hearts.
Even she couldn’t.
Ning Sitong seemed to have thought of something, and her expression turned grim.
The newcomers tactfully fell silent. The atmosphere in the hall dropped to freezing point, the silence itself becoming frightening.
As long as they didn’t disturb Bai Tang’s rest, Wen Junnan had no intention of interfering with them.
The clock ticked on, each dull sound stirring unease in their hearts. Unable to endure the eerie atmosphere, Wei Wen and Wei Xing decided to walk around and take a look. Ning Sitong had said that before the game began, they were safe—so it was better to familiarize themselves with the layout, in case their lack of knowledge got them killed once the game started.
Li Tefeng checked the time—10:29. There was still a long while until midnight.
Dong—dong—dong—
The heavy grandfather clock suddenly chimed, startling everyone. Wen Junnan immediately covered Bai Tang’s ears. “It’s okay. It’s just the clock striking. There’s no danger.”
Bai Tang, who had been woken by the noise, narrowed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was only 10:30—neither on the hour nor the time for the game to begin.
Wen Junnan wanted to coax him back to sleep, but Bai Tang refused.
The table began to glow faintly, signaling to the players that something had changed.
Ning Sitong understood the game best. In this situation, it meant that there were game items inside the table. The drawer of this table was where game cards were stored—didn’t this mean the game was starting early?
She walked over and pulled open the drawer. Sure enough, there was a stack of cards inside. At the same time, a line of text appeared on the tabletop:
“Please have a representative draw a game card. After confirming the rules, begin the game.”
“Why is it so early?” Li Tefeng asked in surprise, looking at Ning Sitong. She shook her head and spread the cards out across the table.
Li Pai stepped forward. “I’ll draw this time.”
It didn’t matter who drew the card—none of the games were ever good.
Ning Sitong took two steps back. Li Pai flipped over a card. On it were the words: “Story Dare.” Beneath the title were several lines explaining the rules:
A combination of storytelling and Truth or Dare. Each player must tell a story. The player with the most engaging story will be exempt from the following Truth or Dare round. Those whose stories are not selected must participate in Truth or Dare.
After everyone finished reading the rules, the hall doors opened for the third time. Two puppets walked in from outside, each carrying a small stool, with signs hanging from their chests—
Judges.