Jiang Lin didn't expect to catch Guo Linfei with just a few paper effigies.
As the paper figures, originally paper balls in the "Water Park," were awakened by the live stream's small orb and transformed into paper effigies.
Jiang Lin also began to act.
His figure flashed, and he appeared at the entrance of the "Planting Zone."
Stepping on the ground, he asked the air:
"I'm in the Planting Zone now, and I need to go to the Water Park. How do I get there?"
In the Mirage, the most distinctive and troublesome feature was its maze-like, random attributes.
However, it wasn't entirely unsolvable, was it?
In the "Maze Stairs"—
Shi Tou Na'ai, who was happily holding pearls delivered by the machine orb, was suddenly startled by a voice.
He jumped.
The pearls in his hand dropped.
Thump, thump, thump~
They bounced twice on a staircase below, appearing on another inverted staircase.
Shi Tou Na'ai quickly moved over and tenderly picked up the purple pearl, carefully wiping it.
Then he looked at the culprit.
It was a paper effigy, only slightly larger than his palm, covered in wrinkles.
Shi Tou Na'ai: "???"
Where did this little thing come from? When did it get in?
While he was still confused, the small paper effigy suddenly turned, facing him again.
It said, "This is the transaction for exchanging purple pearls, with a complimentary guide service."
Shi Tou Na'ai: ...This voice, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before.
He looked at the pearl in his hand again, and oh, he remembered.
"I'm in the Planting Zone now, and I need to go to the Water Park. How do I get there?" the paper effigy continued to ask.
Shi Tou Na'ai scratched his head, Planting Zone, Planting Zone...
"Go to the entrance of the Planting Zone where there's a road sign. Enter there, and that should be the 'Ant Castle Zone'."
He pointed the way as he thought,
"Once you enter, don't look at anything, don't mind anything. Just walk straight ahead, and that's the fastest route to the 'Water Park'."
"Okay."
The paper effigy replied, then sat stiffly on the stairs.
Like a piece of wood, it stopped moving.
Shi Tou Na'ai watched, dumbfounded, and poked it.
It didn't move?
...
On the other side, Jiang Lin followed Shi Tou Na'ai's directions and proceeded.
Leaving the Planting Zone, passing through the Ant Castle...
Suddenly, he heard in the live stream, visible only to him.
Guo Linfei spoke.
"Good!"
...
In the "Water Park," inside a pale blue water sphere.
Guo Linfei looked up, his eyes bloodshot, "Good, I'll leave them to you."
"They say the Mirage has the best treasures, the best physicians, and it's the place that values transactions the most."
"I hope you can keep your word!"
He lowered his head and kissed his wife's forehead, then slowly let go of her.
"Otherwise, I won't rest even as a ghost!"
"Don't worry."
The young girl in front of him blinked her pale blue eyes and took the woman.
"What I, Que An'an, promise, I will definitely do!"
As she spoke, a glass bottle appeared in her hand:
"You know time is of the essence, so please cooperate."
Guo Linfei cast one last look at his wife, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.
"Come on."
The girl flipped her wrist, and small items appeared before her.
As she moved, Guo Linfei's face showed signs of pain.
A barely perceptible golden light gradually floated out of his body.
Flying towards the glass bottle in the girl's hand.
Suddenly,
Her figure flashed, dodging three attacks from behind.
The three paper effigies, failing their first strike, moved forward to block again.
Another palm-sized paper effigy seized the opportunity to fly to Guo Linfei's side, attempting to undo his restraints.
"They've caught up already?"
The girl clicked her tongue, and with a flip of her hand, the glass bottle in her hand disappeared.
The unfinished golden light then flew back into Guo Linfei's body.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lin flew into the Water Park, heading directly for the location of the live stream orb.
Then he reached out and grasped the pale blue water sphere.
Mighty ghost energy, mixed with pressure, struck.
The girl, about to flee, paused, feeling her entire body being held by a large hand.
She struggled a few times, but the restraining force remained unmoving.
"Hey, hey, I was just conducting a normal transaction."
The girl said helplessly, lifting her eyelids to look at the approaching Jiang Lin.
"Isn't this you breaking the rules of the Mirage?"
The Mirage contained countless treasures.
But it was also a place that valued transactions the most.
Jiang Lin said calmly, "Money for goods, and both parties must fulfill their promises."
"Now, neither of you has fully delivered what you agreed to. Is it unreasonable for someone to snatch the deal?"
With that, he squeezed the girl with force.
The invisible large hand instantly crushed her in half.
*Pat.*
Her severed body fell to the ground.
Her eyes, as vast as the sea, gradually dimmed and became lifeless.
"What are you doing!?"
Guo Linfei, opening his eyes, watched this scene and felt his heart burning.
Something inside him felt like it was about to explode.
Jiang Lin didn't look at him, but crouched down to examine the corpse on the ground.
He said faintly, "Don't worry, she's not dead."
As he spoke, the corpse at his feet rapidly deflated.
As if a balloon had lost its air.
In the blink of an eye, it became a thin sheet of skin.
This guy had been ready to escape all along.
Jiang Lin picked up the skin and looked at Guo Linfei, who was slowly becoming demonized, and said slowly,
"Your family will be fine. And you, you should go where you belong now."
The Underworld had its own laws.
But it was not a heartless place.
Guo Linfei: "Will they really be okay?"
"Mm."
"My wife..."
"When she left, she took half of your payment. According to the rules of the Mirage, she not only won't harm your wife, but she will also send her back safely."
This was also one of the reasons why the Mirage was so famous.
With absolute transaction guarantees, ghosts and monsters of all races felt at ease trading here.
This was why as soon as news of the Mirage's appearance spread, they rushed from all corners of the world.
"...Then I'll trouble you."
Guo Linfei said with difficulty.
Now, whether he worried or not, it was of no use.
After the girl took half of that golden light, he was already struggling to control himself.
Seeing that his emotions had calmed down, Jiang Lin immediately packed him up and took him away.
Leaving the Mirage and heading for the Black Abyss!
The speed was so great that the various sea shrimp and monsters trading nearby only felt a gust of wind.
They didn't have time to see anything.
Jiang Lin dared to be so sure that the girl wouldn't break the transaction because what she took was too important.
Even if it was only half, it was enough to guarantee Guo Linfei's wife's safety.
That was...
Something that only deities, or those reincarnated from deities, possessed.
The immortal bones of mortals, the soul of gods.
...
...