Chapter 225

Chapter 225: Five Dishes

As soon as the wine hit their stomachs, green smoke rose from the other four people’s heads. They shut their eyes and struggled to refine the effects.

Li Shuang checked the bottom of her cup carefully to make sure not a single drop was left, then looked at the Human Skin Skeleton with a bit of regret. Her eyes seemed to say: [Got any more?]

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he turned away as if he had not seen. He had guarded Gluttony Hell for many years, and this was the first time he had met someone like Li Shuang. No matter what was going on with this human, the pride of Gluttony Hell had to be defended. No one would walk out of here safe and whole. That was impossible.

Not even a quarter of an hour later, before the four could fully suppress the Tear-Murk Wine, the next course appeared. This time, five different dishes floated before them.

A cruel smile spread across the Human Skin Skeleton’s face. He said with a laugh: “These five are our favorites. Sadly, you humans cannot handle them well. Among the five, there is one that will one hundred percent kill a human who eats it.”

Everyone’s faces shifted, then steadied. Except for Li Shuang, none of them were new to Gluttony Hell. Most dishes here were not fatal. If you could fight through the side effects and take the reward, you could still profit. The most dangerous part of this hell was this exact round. Among these five, one was certain death. You could not tell which by just looking. Among the safe ones, some had stronger side effects, some lighter. Once there had even been a dish with no poison at all.

It sounded like pure luck, but not always. If someone’s soul was strong, they might sense something and pick better. Or they could find a way to make someone else eat the lethal dish. Then the rest would be safe.

The Human Skin Skeleton said with a grin: “You have one hour to study these five dishes. After that, the five of you will set an order. Then each of you will pick the dish you love most, in that order. I believe in you. You will make the right choice.”

As he spoke, his eyes, full of malice, fell on Li Shuang. This human was annoying and seemed to have some skill, but she was a rookie and the weakest in cultivation. When life was on the line, no one would give in. She would likely be pushed out to die. He even started to look forward to her face in that moment.

Feeling his gaze, Li Shuang stayed calm. She looked back with interest, even a little longing, and asked: “Excuse me, can I eat all five by myself?”

She asked very seriously. The others did not want them, but she would gladly take more.

The Human Skin Skeleton’s face twisted as he said: “All of you are Guests. I must serve each of you.”

“Alright,” Li Shuang said with regret.

He felt anger in his very bones. He would not argue with a junior. This human did not know how dangerous these dishes were. If she ate that one plate, she would die for sure. There would be no exception.

He ignored her and flipped another hourglass over. The sand began to run. The countdown started.

While Li Shuang examined the five dishes, Yi Lan tugged her sleeve. With a wary glance at Rou Shan and the little girl, she pulled Li Shuang and Zi Guang into a corner and whispered: “This is my third time in Gluttony Hell. I have a secret art that can tell which dish is the one that kills.”

Zi Guang brightened and asked: “Then tell us now. We will just avoid that one.”

“Not so fast,” Yi Lan said. “If I have a method, do you think Rou Shan has none? He has entered Gluttony Hell many times and walked out alive. He must have his own way to tell.”

Li Shuang was not surprised. Yi Lan and Rou Shan chose to enter Gluttony Hell again and again, even though one option here is always certain death. If they kept coming out alive, they must have tricks.

“Right now the three of us are together, and the two of them are together,” Yi Lan said in a low voice. “We must try to make them eat the dishes with stronger poison.”

Zi Guang frowned and asked: “How do we do that? We have three people, but one of us is a newbie. If it comes to a fight, we might not beat the two of them.”

He shot a disgusted look at Li Shuang. Li Shuang looked innocent.

Yi Lan rushed to smooth things over: “You cannot say that. Li may be new, but she has plenty of methods. She ate the first two courses without changing her face.”

She gave Li Shuang a testing look. Li Shuang smiled and said: “It is nothing special. The secret art I cultivate can isolate these dishes for a while, so they will not affect me at first. But it is not perfect. If time drags on, I will be in big trouble.”

She spoke honestly. Yi Lan nodded as if enlightened; it was unclear whether she truly believed or only pretended.

Zi Guang sneered and said: “Fool. Your technique only holds the poison back; it cannot clear it. When it all bursts out together, you will die in an instant.”

Li Shuang gave a helpless smile: “I have no better choice. Dying later is better than dying right now.”

Yi Lan said quickly: “Gluttony Hell is full of danger. Your choice is not wrong. Let us focus on the challenge in front of us.”

She pointed with her eyes and said: “See those five dishes? My secret art senses that the one in the center is the lethal dish. We must avoid it at all costs.”

Li Shuang followed her gaze. The five dishes all looked creepy. The center dish was a slab of dripping, bloody meat and, oddly, looked the most normal.

The other four: one was a plate of round things. When Li Shuang leaned in, the round things rolled and stared straight at her. It was a whole plate of eyeballs.

She kept a straight face and looked at the next. One dish smoked with cold air like a tiny ice mountain. The only strange part was the bursts of red blood that seeped out now and then.

Another was a dish of steamed egg custard, its timing perfect, smooth and silky. If not for the gray hairs that popped up now and then, it might even look tasty.

The last dish was the simplest: a giant bone.

Li Shuang asked the Human Skin Skeleton: “How do we eat this one, do we gnaw the bone?”

The Human Skin Skeleton was speechless, then said with a thin smile: “The marrow inside the bone is the essence.”

Li Shuang let out a breath: “Good, so we only have to eat the marrow.” If she had to swallow the whole bone, she might not manage it.

The Human Skin Skeleton shot her a sidelong look and closed his eyes again.