In the end, Luo Jian did not see Feng Yu Lan at the usual place because halfway through the walk, Luo Jian chose to take a shortcut, rounding the corner to an alley. For some reason, although the day was bright, the alley was eerie, dark, and vacant; the humid air was filled with the scent of iron, the smell of blood.

Luo Jian felt s.h.i.+vers run up his spine; he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. He subconsciously quickened his pace; his fever seemed to be getting worse and worse by the second. His newly changed clothes were immediately soaked by his sweat. It was sweltering and unbearable, he couldn't help but cover the cold area on his neck.

How strange, was this alley always so long?

After walking for a long time but still not seeing the exit, Luo Jian began to realize something was amiss. Back then, he only walked through this alley a few times because it was relatively close and it would take him directly to where he wanted. Although the road was narrow and quite remote, there were still people who normally liked taking this shortcut, it was convenient and fast. Each time he took it, Luo Jian always met one or two pa.s.sersby.

But there was no one here today.

Luo Jian lifted his head once again and looked up at the sky. Because of this cramped alley, the sky also seemed to be just a narrow seam.  Several interlaced wires hung above Luo Jian's head, and he didn't know why, but there was this feeling of restriction. Shortly afterwards, Luo Jian heard footsteps coming from afar. The steps were heavy and strong, and each step issued a solid sound. Someone was coming! Luo Jian immediately became alert, his hair stood on its edge, and his right hand reached for his back. His fingers touched the handle of his knife.

The handle of his combat knife had a ring on it, so he could easily hook his finger through it. This design allowed Luo Jian to draw his knife even faster; furthermore, it wouldn't slip out of his hands since the ringed handle gave better retention, a 'fixed' effect.

The unexpected visitor soon revealed himself before Luo Jian. It was an oddly-dressed man wearing a grey vest and a rather bulky jacket, his hood covered his head, and he even went as far as to wearing a grey mask. He wore a pair of casual, loose-fitting black trousers and some white running shoes.

The alley was very dark, so Luo Jian couldn't see the other person's face. And it didn't help that on a hot day like this, the man was wearing such a thick coat and a hood; he even wore a mask. It was exceedingly bizarre. Luo Jian carefully observed him and found he was also armed with a weapon. It was actually a small hand-held crossbow!

The small hand crossbow was almost the same size as an ordinary handgun, just slightly bigger. Moreover, there was an arched bowstring near the top, which shot out arrows, not bullets. He's seen this weapon from his friend who was a military fanatic and an arms collector. That friend treasured it as if it was his most precious baby, and he never let Luo Jian touch it.

The two sides stopped about five or six meters from each other. While Luo Jian warily sized the other party up, he also knew the stranger on the other side was sizing him up as well. It wasn't appropriate to rashly start an attack, so Luo Jian decided to quietly wait and see.

As a matter of fact, Luo Jian didn't understand why he knew he'd be attacked; he just carried his weapon as a precaution. It was truly an odd presentiment. It was as if there was a voice in his mind telling him what to do and how to act. It was quite the phenomenal feeling, it was indescribable. It was similar to the feeling he had when the writing mysteriously appeared on the note with the purple design.

"You're a newcomer?" The opposite side spoke first.

"What? Newcomer?" Luo Jian had one hand behind his back, he was gripping his weapon tightly.

The other party raised his hand, showing his weapon to Luo Jian, "How you got that knife at your back is how I got my crossbow."

Luo Jian finally understood that man was telling him he experienced the same thing.

"You're talking about that d.a.m.ned chamber? Right?"

However, before Luo Jian could receive an answer, the masked man suddenly launched an attack!

It was all too unexpected. The masked man raised the crossbow in his hand, aimed it directly at Luo Jian, and pulled the trigger. The piercing sound made by the arrow startled Luo Jian. He hastily struggled then stumbled to the side in panic, cutting an extremely sorry figure when evading that attack. He couldn't help but peek in the direction where the arrow was shot. The arrow was deeply embedded in the cement ground, revealing only the tip of its tail.

At this moment Luo Jian broke out in cold sweat. He had no doubt that if he had dodged any slower, that arrow would definitely have penetrated his body!

The first strike failed, but the masked man was unperturbed; he calmly carried out his second strike. He took out another arrow from G.o.d-knows-where, reloaded, winded, and once again, aimed at Luo Jian. The process seemed fairly complex, but it was actually completed within a few seconds.

The guy's for real! Luo Jian knew he couldn't do anything, the enemy's aura was terrifyingly imposing. With only once glance, Luo Jian could evidently see the other person's intention to kill. It wasn't merely an impulse or even an action guided by one's hot blood, it was cold and calculative; the man was designing his murder!

"Wait! I don't want to fight you!" Luo Jian was certainly no combat expert. In fact, the amount of fights he's had since he was a child up until now could be counted with just one hand. This man's movement showed how skilled he was, and his aura was menacing; he was obviously not a man to be dealt with.

"Pick up your weapon and fight back! Otherwise I'll bust your head open in the next second!" The masked man relentlessly threatened. His cold tone and the crossbow in his hand proved to Luo Jian that the man would follow through on his word1.

If I don't fight back, I'll really die!

Luo Jian pulled out his own knife. At this moment, he remembered the murderer in the chamber, the reality of it, how the G.o.d of death himself approached him. Luo Jian didn't remember how he finally escaped from the chamber, but he knew he should've been dead, and yet he was still alive.

Since I'm alive, I can't die here. Luo Jian said to himself. He was still extremely afraid, and his hands and legs were still trembling, but he mustered up all of his courage! Even though the odds of him winning were slim, and even though Luo Jian couldn't see any hope, he was betting on all of the strength he had left.

Just as he's never used a gun before, Luo Jian has never fought with a knife. In normal fights, all he did was wave his fists around, nothing more. But this was the first time he was actually fighting with a knife. The knife in his had made him feel troubled, but the enemy didn't give him a chance to think, and he shot another arrow.

I have to get close to him. Luo Jian thought as he avoided the second arrow. The other person's movements were swift, and he was very proficient in using his weapon, but somehow, his aim was poor. It was easy for Luo Jian to dodge.

This gave Luo Jian a sense of ease, and he rushed towards the enemy with the knife in his hand.

The masked man seemed to let out a small chuckle. He then rapidly loaded the arrow into his weapon and shot directly at Luo Jian face. The speed at which the arrow was approaching was too fast, there wasn't any time to dodge2!

In that instant, the arrow flew towards Luo Jian. A flash of panic erupted in his mind, his mind was suddenly able to concentrate deeply, and in only 0.01 seconds, the most amazing thing had happened.

Luo Jian felt himself being manipulated by the knife in his hand!

He felt the hand that was gripping the knife grow hot, hotter than the temperature of his body. His brain had yet to react before his body involuntarily moved, and he slashed at the arrow with his knife!

He wasn't finished after getting rid of that arrow. Luo Jian felt his feet quickly pick up its pace. Even he was surprised by his own speed as he suddenly rushed over to the masked man. Before the man could shoot the next arrow, he plunged his combat knife in his direction. If Luo Jian didn't stop himself or if there weren't any other incidents, he's was going to stab his knife straight through the man's heart!

But at the last minute, Luo Jian stopped.

His face paled, and he remained in the same attack pose, stiff and motionless. The blade stopped only a centimeter away from the masked man's face. G.o.d knows just how much effort he put into stopping himself! Luo Jian's mind was definitely not playing tricks on him; in that moment, he was controlled by his own knife! Those highly difficult means of attacking and defending were absolutely impossible for a good-for-nothing like Luo Jian!

I almost killed a person! Luo Jian roared inside.

"What do you think about that weapon in your hand?" The masked man wasn't alarmed by Luo Jian's attack. It was as if he completely didn't mind that his body would have a hole in it if Luo Jian was any slower [in stopping himself]. He slowly put away his crossbow.

"What do you mean?" Luo Jian was dripping cold sweat, he was panting. Shaking all over, he proceeded to take back his knife; the tremble of his hands made the knife shake, as well. He couldn't understand this sort of thing, this feeling of fear. He stared at the knife in his hands as if he was looking at a monster.

"You don't have to feel surprised, and there's no need to be afraid." The masked man stated, "The weapon we got from the chamber is selected according to our physiological and physical conditions. It is the weapon best suited for us. The moment you hold your weapon, it becomes a part of your body. It will only guide you to the right response, maximizing your chance of survival."

"You mean to say, your crossbow will also control you like that?" The masked man's words gave Luo Jian a general idea.

"The weapon doesn't control you." The masked man's eyes were steady, "It will only awaken your instincts."

"Awaken instincts? What does that mean?"

The masked man didn't answer. He turned his back to Luo Jian, motioned for him to keep up, and then walked away. Luo Jian slightly hesitated for a while, but he couldn't bear his own curiosity, and he soon followed him.

Luo Jian saw this as an opportunity; if he followed the man, he might be able to find out more information about that chamber. This man's presence indicated to Luo Jian one thing—that he wasn't the only one to experience that dreadful room escape game. Perhaps there were hundreds of thousands or even more who were trapped in that claustrophobic cage, unable to escape.

Luo Jian unhurriedly walked behind him, constantly maintaining a certain distance. The masked man didn't seem to care that he deliberately distanced himself, he seemed to ignore Luo Jian's entire existence. The pace grew faster and faster, and they soon crossed the alley and walked several blocks. On the street, Luo Jian saw the masked man place his hand on his crossbow. Luo Jian couldn't see how he put that thing away, but the man fiddled with it for a while, and it disappeared.

Luo Jian frowned. He relaxed the hand that held the knife's handle, and put the knife back into its sheath.

It didn't take too long before the masked man and Luo Jian arrived at the front of a bar in a remote place. This bar was built in a rather desolate area, and the area seemed to be the oldest district in the city. It took seven or eight turns before they stopped in front of this shabby door. Because it was still broad daylight, the bar hadn't opened yet. The old-fas.h.i.+oned sign marked the bar's name—Red Spider Lily3.

"Why would you name it this?" When Luo Jian saw the name of this bar, his mind instantly couldn't help but recall the note with the purple flower, which made him somewhat uneasy.

"Because you and I are still in h.e.l.l." It was astonis.h.i.+ng. Luo Jian whispered so quietly, but the masked man standing in front actually heard him, and even replied back with an unfathomable4 sentence that Luo Jian couldn't wrap his mind around5.

Although the bar wasn't open for business, the door wasn't locked, it was left opened. The inside was dark, and the lights didn't appear to be on. The masked man entered first, and Luo Jian sluggishly followed, keeping up with him. Unexpectedly, this bar was quite s.p.a.cious, and the layout wasn't bad. There were a few people in the bar, there was bartender cleaning gla.s.ses, a worker mopping the floor, and a grey-haired elderly man who was sitting on the corner of the sofa. Besides them, there was n.o.body else.

Luo Jian and the masked man made noise when they entered, which made the bartender, who had his head bowed and was concentrating on wiping the wine gla.s.ses, shout, "Sorry, we're not open right now…"

He didn't finish his sentence before he raised his head, saw the masked man, paused, then smiled and said, "A regular, are you here to see the boss?"

The masked man nodded, he looked down, glanced back at Luo Jian, and replied, "I'm here to introduce a newcomer."

"Oh~" The bartender eyed Luo Jian, giving him the once-over, and then he laughed, "That one will definitely be received well."

Luo Jian frowned. He thought that the bartender looked weird in his eyes, but in the end, he couldn’t' exactly pin-point why he thought so. The bartender was average, he couldn't be called good-looking or ugly, to say the least. His hair was dyed brown, and his smiling eyes were narrowed into slits, resembling a fox.

"I'm Noah. Welcome to h.e.l.l, newcomer." The bartender laughed at Luo Jian and beckoned him, indicating that he should come over. Thereupon, Luo Jian went over, and stood before the bartender. The bartender poured some wine into a gla.s.s; Luo Jian thought he would give a toast to him, but he didn't expect the bartender to directly drink it himself.

Luo Jian speechlessly gazed at the heavens. I was thinking too highly of myself and being overly-pa.s.sionate about this.

"Noah, drink less, the boss will scold you." The masked man was surprisingly concerned about someone. Afterwards, he s.h.i.+fted his gaze to Luo Jian, pa.s.sed by him, then turned back around and motioned for him to keep up.

Luo Jian looked at Noah, and Noah didn't speak. He only gave him a mysterious smile.

1說到做到—"To be as good as one's word" (Idiom). To keep one's promise/Do as one said one'd do.

2Originl actually said, "Room to escape", or literally: Leeway/margin to dodge/avoid/evade.

3曼珠沙華. I wasn't too sure if I should keep it as the original pinyin (Màn Zhū Shā Huā), or if I should just name it Red Spider Lily…

4莫名其妙—"Unfathomable mystery" (Idiom)

5聽不懂—"Unable to make sense of what one's hearing" (Idiom)