“First, let me propose a toast for everyone’s presence today~~”

After everyone took a seat, Meng De, as the host and organiser, stood up first and proposed the first drink to which everyone answered.

We were all seated around a large round table with a bronze cauldron twice as large as the one in the restaurant set in the middle.

And Meng De now, had a smile on her that felt like it came from the bottom of her heart and was also more fitting of a girl like her. Meng De was exceptionally happy today, probably because days like these are probably rare for her.

Indeed, I too feel that it’s good to have a meal with everyone like this.

“Now then, let me explain how to eat using this bronze cauldron.” Meng De said as she put down her cup and picked up her chopsticks. “It’s actually quite simple. We just put the food in the cauldron, stir it inside until it’s cooked, then bring it out and dip it in sauce, and then it’s done.”

*Ahen*– A look of sheer bliss appeared on Meng De’s face as she chewed on the piece of vegetable she had used for the demonstration.

Oh~~~~

Everyone seemed to be very surprised at this method of eating. At this, I finally realised the novelty of hotpot in this era, for everyone to think that this method of eating is something completely new.

Although, just 2 days ago, when I ate the hotpot with Meng De, I had keenly felt it already. The sauce itself was quite different from what I was used to. I can’t tell what’s in it but it has a much stronger taste and a more delicious smell than sauce in the 21st century.

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s bring out our ingredients and stir them quick.” Yi De asked, eager to bring out her ingredients.

“… Please wait.” Guo Jia, who was sitting beside Meng De, stopped Yi De, who s.h.i.+vered at the sound of Guo Jia’s ghastly voice, “It isn’t easy to gather everyone together like this so just plainly eating is a little boring.”

“Spectral Strategist, what do you mean…” Xiahou Yuan, who sat to the left of Guo Jia, asked with great interest.

“Un,” She then turned to several servants in the hallway. “Bring me several of the lampshades that I painted black.”

The servants left immediately on hearing Guo Jia’s instructions.

Eh? What does that mean?

“Lampshade?”

“Painted black?”

Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao asked, not understanding what was going on. Feng Xian, Yun Chang and Xiahou Dun sat there in silence, but from their expressions, they were suspicious of what was to cone. Li Dian, Yue Jin and the Xu state 3 were calm while Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Yi De and Hua Tuo had a look like they were bored already. Gan Qing was busy taking care of Mi Zhen.

“… Un, let me explain.” Guo Jia seemed to have enjoyed seeing our troubled looks as we could not understand what was going on, and stayed silent until the lampshades were brought out. “In a while, I’ll get the servants to cover all the lamps with these, and when there’s only moonlight in the main hall, we shall take our ingredients noiselessly and put them into the bronze cauldron.”

“But what’s the need for all this? And why do we have to hide our ingredients from being seen by others?” Yun Chang asked. Seems like something struck a raw nerve of her’s.

I looked at Meng De, but she shook her head when she saw me look at her. Seems like Guo Jia did not tell her anything beforehand either.

Un…

“And so,” Xiahou Dun folded her arms across her chest as she said in a very calm and nonchalant voice. “What does this have to do with our dinner?”

“… Please be patient, General Xiahou and General Guan Yu.” Guo Jia said with cold eyes that looked straight ahead. “In a while, we will cover the lamps, and then everyone will put their ingredients into the cauldron in the darkness. This way, no one will know who put in what, so won’t it be interesting if we make it such that everyone has to eat whatever they take out?”

“Understood.”

“So that is to say, everyone will eat what everyone brought, and luck will solve the problem of picky eaters.”

Everyone nodded at Guo Jia’s explanation. But speaking of which, isn’t this yaminabe?

“Of course, since it’s a game, there will be penalties.” Guo Jia nodded, and brought out a large cloth bag. “What I have here is a bag of chilli from Szechuan, which I will be putting into the cauldron. When someone picks it and cannot take the spiciness, just shout ‘out’ and you will be forfeited from the game and can go to a room in the back where you can eat a normal food from a bronze cauldron.”

Anyone have any objections? After explaining the rules, Guo Jia used her eyes to ask this question as she looked at everyone.

“Speaking of which, everything…” I said as I looked at the bag. It really was frighteningly large, and I wonder what my odds are at picking something besides chilli.

“Un, don’t worry, it’s not spicy.” Guo Jia said calmly, but she didn’t look at me as she said so.

… Though I don’t know how it looks from Guo Jia’s point of view, from what I see, less than half of the people here seem willing to continue with this game.

“Wait,” Hua Tuo’s tiredness seem to have pa.s.sed as she asked while raising her hand, “Since it’s a game, if there are penalties, then there should be rewards right.”

“Un… That’s right. My lord, what do you think?” Guo Jia seemed to have only considered about the penalty of chillies but not about rewards.

“Why don’t we give a special right to the person who stays until the end.” Meng De had a face that seemed like she thought of a good idea. “The one who wins can order someone here to do one thing.”

—- No objections~~~

Eh? Eh? Why is everyone agreeing with a bright gleam in their eyes the moment they heard the reward? They seem so eager to begin the game that they look like completely different people from before.

“Then–” Guo Jia waved her hand at the servants who covered the lamps.

Ah, it really is dark. In ancient times where there is no electricity, the night is usually very dark since light from fire alone is difficult to light up the surroundings. In eras like this, moonlight is a great help.

Using the moonlight that shone into the main hall, I put in all the ingredients I brought into the cauldron.

By the way, what I brought was tofu, and not a lot either, so I just dumped them all in.

“Ah, it’s hot!”

“Little sister, you have to be careful that you don’t touch the cauldron.”

Seems like I heard Yi De and Yun Chang’s voices… Hai, Yi De is still a kid as expected huh.

“I can’t reach~~~”

“Let me help you, pa.s.s me your plate.”

This time it was Gan Qing and Mi Zhen. But a plate? Was that what they used to carry the ingredients?

“Big sis, I can’t see anything, I think I have a bit of nightblindness.”

“I’m not complaining even when I only have one eye. Deal with it yourself! … Where is this… Ah, hot!!”

“Umm, Lord Cao Cao.” “Can we put the ingredients inside?” “Un, we feel like we had a misunderstanding since the very beginning.”

“Since you said they are ingredients, then just put them in.”

Everyone seems to be really unsure of what they’re doing… Eh? Come to think of it, seems like I’m the only guy here today.

“Un, has everyone put everything in?” Guo Jia asked, as she probably felt that there was not much time left, and everyone affirmed it before– “Alright, take off the lampshades.”

After the lampshades were taken off, the main hall was once again lit up.

I looked at the insides of the cauldron curiously. It was a clear soup before but now it had become a brownish red.

… Oi oi oi, this colour doesn’t feel right yo.

The soup had also become very cloudy, and the bottom couldn’t be seen, much less what everyone had put in.

“Eh, what is this?”

“Wu…”

“My appet.i.te has completely disappeared.” “I don’t even have the courage to reach out with my chopsticks anymore.” “B, but to retreat just because of the colour is way too shameful right.”

I looked at everyone, and just as predicted, not s single person was able to maintain their composure at this sight,

“Alright, let’s begin picking.” Guo Jia, however, seemed unperturbed as she continued. “Because there are quite a few people here, so we shall do this one by one. — Let’s begin from General Xiahou Dun.”

“Wu…” Xiahou Dun was visibly scared.

Ah, let me explain the order. In reverse clockwise order is– Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Chu, Dian Wei, Li Dian, Yue Jin, Zhang Liao, Feng Xian, Gan Qing (Gan Qing and Mi Zhen are considered one group together), Zi Zhong, Gong You, xiao Yong, Hua Tuo, Yo De, Yun Chang, me, Meng De. By the way, Guo Jia herself is not partic.i.p.ating.

Ah~~~ There really are quite a lot of people huh. I wonder when this game will end.

“Oh~~~ Big sister, you won a prize!!” Just as I was deep in my thoughts, Xiahou Yuan said gleefully.

I looked over and saw that Xiahou Dun had a terrible look and sweat was streaming down her face as she held a small red chilli in her chopsticks.

Xiahou Dun really is unlucky. I didn’t think someone would get it so quick.

“N, no problem! A chilli like this won’t stop the me who wants to make fun of my little sister.” As she said so, she popped the chilli in her mouth just like that.

… Looks like she planned on making fun of Xiahou Yuan after she won. Maa, since she’s usually made fun of by her little sister, perhaps it’s time for payback.

But what Xiahou Dun said was indeed correct. How could a mere chilli render someone helpless—-

“Ah!!!!!!!!!!”

Xiahu Dun instantly yelled out and her face turned red completely while her pupils shrank before she collapsed onto the table shortly.

“Sis, big sister.” Xiahou Yuan absentmindedly called out to Xiahou Dun, to which there was no response.

“Alright, Xiahou Dun is out.” Guo Jia said as she got the servants to carry Xiahou Dun out.

Everyone was terrified by this scene.

—- No way, one down just like that.

“Oi oi oi oi oi! I, is this some sort of lethal poison?” Zhang Liao protested as she slammed the table with a look of disbelief.

“… Why? Can’t play?” Guo Jia opened her mouth as she did so, revealing a horrific smile. Coupled with the trail of blood at the edge of her mouth, the level of fear induced by that smile is truly unbearable.

“Wu…” With just those few words, Zhang Liao was silenced. Feng Xian, who sat beside her, pulled her sleeve and only then did Zhang Liao sit back down.

(Meng De, now what?) I whispered to Meng De, who was also sweating as she looked on.

(No way out. When Guo Jia jas decided something, even I can’t change it.)

“Let’s continue then.” Guo Jia said.

Then, next is Xiahou Yuan.

“I, it’s me then, haha.” Xiahou Yuan forced a laugh as she raised her chopsticks and dipped them into the cauldron–

— This seems like… Fried egg?

Wait, why would someone put fried egg inside?

“Maa, maa, as long as it’s not chilli, anything is good.”

That’s true, at least one can survive.

“Ah, I made that.” Mi Zhen, who was sitting opposite, happily yelled out. “I made it with big sister Gan!”

No good!

“General Xiahou Yuan, please don’t–”

“Kuha!~~~ Ah~~”

Before I could finish, General Xiahou Yuan was already gripping her neck with both hands before collapsing with her eyes rolled backwards.

“Alright, Xiahou Yuan is out.”

(TL: Well, you guys should know what happened after v2c7 now.)

The little sister was carried out just like her older sister.

“Wh, what is this!” Xu Chu, who was besides Xiahou Yuan, frantically asked Mi Zhen.

“I, I made it according to how big sister Hua Tuo taught me to~” Mi Zhen seemed to have been frightened by Xu Chu and dove into Gan Qing’s arms.

“A-re? If you made it according to what I taught you, then it should be alright.” Hua Tuo said with a doubtful expression.

Alright, maybe the method is correct, but pleast make them try it first next time.

… But, could this mean that–

When I thought about this, I couldn’t help but take a deep breath as I whispered to Yun Chang beside me. “Yun Chang, what did you put into the cauldron?”

“… Ah, nothing much.” Yun Chang, stop fidgeting at this time. “Just some beef stew I made myself. Gan Qing and the rest seem to have made something as well.”

“Why did you all bring cooked food for?!”

“But I didn’t know that they were to be put into the cauldron.” Yun Chang retorted. I began to regret being ambiguous at the start.

The breath of cold air I had breathed in had now reached my stomach from fear. Beads of cold sweat dripped onto the table and the floor.

2 up, 2 out. This death ratio, the price for the reward and the amount of killer food is way too high.

But I know, the true nightmare is yet to come.