Chapter 227

Chapter 227: Enjoy the Meal

Li Shuang’s eyes turned odd.

[Second most toxic, the eyeballs?]

They did look scary.

But according to the Furnace’s sensing, they were only Eyeball Fruit and would cause nothing more than dizziness.

By toxicity, the eyeballs were the weakest among the five.

And now, Yi Lan was purposely tricking her and Zi Guang, calling the eyeballs the second most toxic so she could force that dish onto Rou Shan’s side.

[A cold one, that Yi Lan.]

She and Rou Shan were acting in perfect harmony and treating Li Shuang like a fool.

Even without the Heaven and Earth Furnace’s reminders, the Supreme Emotionless Art had already warned Li Shuang that Yi Lan bore her malice; even Li Li had hidden away from the stench.

[Yi Lan can’t trap me.]

But:

[Has she really only come to the Gluttony Hell three times? How long has she worked with Rou Shan? How many people have they gotten killed, indirectly or not?]

Li Shuang’s gaze cooled as she kept watching their play.

The two put on a show, and in the end, thanks to Yi Lan’s “reasoned” pressure, Rou Shan pushed the little girl forward to take the eyeballs.

“Fine, we picked the eyeballs,” Rou Shan said, his voice like thunder. “Next, it’s your turn.”

“We’ll match your good faith,” Yi Lan answered. She looked at Zi Guang and said gently: “Big Brother Zi Guang, my sense is that the iceberg dish does carry some risk, but it is far less dangerous than the first two. You should take that one. With your ability, at most your soul will be a bit injured. It won’t be a big problem.”

Li Shuang couldn’t help a soft laugh.

[The Furnace priced that iceberg at 900 Value Points, second only to the marrow.]

Yi Lan was dead set on getting Zi Guang killed.

Zi Guang’s gaze drifted for a moment, but he still nodded: “All right.”

“As for the last two, the marrow is the easiest, so leave it to Li. The egg custard is for you, Rou Shan. No problem, right?” Yi Lan stared at Rou Shan and added: “I took the fatal dish by myself. You should give me that much face.”

Rou Shan hesitated for a long time, then, as if he had no choice, answered with clear reluctance: “Fine.”

“Good. Then we five have an agreement!” Yi Lan said with a pleased look. “To stop anyone from going back on their word, I suggest we sign a contract now. We must pick exactly as we agreed. If anyone breaks it, they will be abandoned by gods and ghosts alike.”

She glanced at Li Shuang, her smile warm and soft: “Li, what do you think?”

Li Shuang looked at her for a moment, smiled, and said gently: “All right. I have no objection.”

Yi Lan let out a quiet breath.

She did not care who Li really was or what hidden cards she had. As long as Li signed the contract, she would have to eat that dish.

Zi Guang, being a first timer in the Gluttony Hell, did not know the inside story. But Yi Lan knew some secrets.

Since the Soul Prison appeared, no Cultivator under the Integration Stage who ate a fatal dish had ever survived.

In her eyes, Li was already dead.

None of the others objected.

The only one who balked at signing was, unexpectedly, Zi Guang.

He shot Li Shuang a look full of dislike and told Yi Lan: “You and I have real ties. What ties do you have with her? How can the safest dish go to an outsider? You know I’m at a critical stage in my training. It’s best if my soul doesn’t get damaged. If you ask me, the easiest dish should go to me.”

Li Shuang slanted him a glance.

[I was thinking of giving him a hint.]

But now:

[If he wants to die, let him.]

Among the five, only she could take the marrow and walk away whole.

If anyone else ate it, they would die.

“Zi Guang, Li is just a newcomer, and I worry…” Yi Lan began.

“What does a newcomer have to do with us?” Zi Guang muttered. “I know you’re kind, and I respect that. But you must tell near from far. You and I will be traveling this Soul Prison together in the future, and that Li is only an outsider.”

“This…” Yi Lan hesitated.

Zi Guang was a good blade, and she had meant to leave him a sliver of life, but he was being far too foolish.

[If a fool like this dies, it’s no loss.]

“Li, your opinion is…?” Yi Lan turned to Li Shuang.

Li Shuang nodded: “Either way works for me.”

She only wanted the dishes to trade for Value Points.

The iceberg and the marrow differed by just 100 Value Points.

She did not care about such a small gap.

[He is set on dying. I don’t have to drag him back.]

“All right, let’s do that,” Yi Lan sighed and said no more.

Originally, Li was certain to die while Zi Guang had a small chance to live.

Now:

Zi Guang was certain to die.

As for Li, in Yi Lan’s mind, she was also walking to her end.

If both of them died, all the better.

If every other participant died, her cooperation with Rou Shan would become truly airtight.

Joy broke across Zi Guang’s face: “No more objections. Let’s sign.”

Yi Lan took out a prepared Contract Parchment, and all five carved their soul marks onto it.

The Contract Parchment burned away in the air.

Then a cold voice sounded above them: “Approved.”

Li Shuang blinked. That voice…

Seeing her confusion, Yi Lan smiled and explained: “Contracts signed here are watched by the City Lord’s power of rules. If anyone breaks the pact, the City Lord’s tremendous power will descend.”

Li Shuang nodded.

“It seems you have settled everything,” the Human Skin Skeleton said, and at the sound of the City Lord’s voice his mood grew fouler. He shook the hourglass fast; in a short while the sand had all run down, and his expression turned even more twisted as he hissed: “Then… begin.”

By the order written in the pact:

The little girl walked up first.

Then Yi Lan, then Rou Shan, then Zi Guang.

Li Shuang took the last dish, the one that looked like an iceberg.

“Good. Each of you has made your choice. Now… enjoy your meal.”

“This is food we prepared with care. If I see anyone waste it or dawdle and refuse to eat, I will get… angry.”

The Human Skin Skeleton grinned, clearly hoping someone would break the rules so the bone club in his hand could smash down on their skull.