With high-intensity training paired with three daily meals of medicinal cuisine and nightly medicinal baths, Mu Anqi thus fully spent the rest period after this game.
If she were to talk about her feelings…
The medicinal cuisine was unexpectedly delicious? Under such intense training, Mu Anqi could eat two bowls of rice every day! Of course, this might also have something to do with eating together with General Ji—who was pleasing to the eye as well as appetizing. To the point that, as the next game was about to begin, Mu Anqi started worrying whether she might gain weight.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the excessive consumption, Mu Anqi found her weight very stable. Only then did she feel relieved, and continued to carry out the training tasks assigned by the General.
This time, the Special Investigation Team planned to form a group! Because Fang Xunjiu had drawn a team card.
…Perhaps it was the influence of the "good people get good rewards" buff?
Well, anyway… teaming up with Fang Xunjiu and the others was a good experience, and Sister Xia Yun was also very reliable. In addition, Mu Anqi really did want to team up with Wu Sansheng once, and with this opportunity, it was of course just right.
Because they were all recruited players, Fang Xunjiu and the others speculated in the group chat that the next game was probably also competitive, or that the new players joining were also powerful recruited ones, and they expressed concern about the difficulty of this game.
In response to this… Mu Anqi silently posted the upgraded version of her Blessing-Curse skill into the group chat, along with a list she had carefully thought out.
Three seconds later, she received a flood of "..."
Fang Xunjiu stopped worrying about them and instead silently lit candles for the other players.
Of course, after deciding on the team, when Mu Anqi told General Ji that she planned to team up with Fang Xunjiu and the others in the next game, she keenly sensed that the General seemed just a little bit unhappy.
…
"General?" Mu Anqi looked at General Ji somewhat at a loss. Although the General's expression was as blank as always, she could still sense the change in aura. "General… is there a Black Mirror vortex that needs me?"
Ji Huaichu once again restrained her emotions. Recently… her control over her emotions really wasn't as good as before. "No."
Mu Anqi thought for a moment, then asked again: "General, do you not want me to go?" General Ji… as a ghost king, being noticeably emotional seemed relatively normal? And even this kind of emotional reaction was reserved, never shown outwardly.
"Go, don't think too much."
At that answer, Mu Anqi couldn't help but want to laugh, but the situation really wasn't one where she could laugh out loud, so she only pressed her lips together to stifle it, holding back her smile. Looking at Ji Huaichu, Mu Anqi couldn't help but take a step closer: "General, I won't run off with other players, nor will I go and rely on other Shattered Mirror powerhouses. I'm the player you recruited—haven't I shown my loyalty yet?"
Ji Huaichu calmly looked at the little money tree. The little money tree didn't seem to realize what it was she wanted. But that was fine; she had plenty of time. When it came to restraining emotions, when it came to obtaining treasures, she had more than enough patience. "And if you fall for another player, and want to marry them?"
"..." Mu Anqi was gradually stunned. As someone who had been single since birth, to hear such a question come from General Ji's mouth was really—really far too unexpected. "I—I haven't even thought about marriage. Maybe back when you were twenty, girls were already mothers, but—but I haven't even reached the legal age for marriage yet… A-and besides, whether single or not marrying at all is also very normal!"
"Fang Xunjiu is a good person, I really don't have feelings for him!" Mu Anqi scratched her head, not knowing how to explain. Seeing that General Ji was still staring at her, she added, "Xia Yun, Fang Yunjiu, and Wu Sansheng aren't my type either!" As for the most ideal partner… Mu Anqi cautiously glanced at Ji Huaichu's expression. Who wouldn't be moved by a beauty like the General? Not only beautiful, but also powerful in combat, a ghost with many sides. Able to be gentle and tender, yet also able to slaughter enemies on all sides—completely stepping on Mu Anqi's points of attraction. Mu Anqi felt that no one could possibly think General Ji wasn't good!
But those words couldn't be said. If she said them, wouldn't that be teasing again?
"Then do you like my type?"
"Like!" Mu Anqi answered instinctively. As soon as the words slipped out, she froze, glancing at General Ji with extreme guilt—only to see the General smile faintly.
"Good, I understand."
"..." N-no? Understand what? Mu Anqi was still utterly confused. Was this… the kind of meaning she was thinking of? Her face gradually flushed red, and she could only look pitifully at General Ji with her big eyes. "General?"
Ji Huaichu raised a hand and rubbed the little money tree's head. "Bring back another S, then."
"I… I will work hard." Mu Anqi was still somewhat dazed. Gradually realizing something, she nervously looked into General Ji's eyes and softly asked: "If I get an S… General, will you hug me again?"
As always, the General did not say yes or no—only gently rubbed her head once more before turning away.
Mu Anqi touched her burning face, pressing down on her nearly leaping heart. She finally understood what "a deer crashing around in one's heart" meant. So, General Ji's "jealousy," her possessiveness… wasn't just the attitude of a ghost king toward a player? Mu Anqi couldn't stop her wild thoughts, but General Ji had never directly admitted anything with her few words.
—Ah! Damn it!
Mu Anqi sighed, and just then a prompt message popped up,
[ Ding! Friend "Fang Xunjiu" has used a Team Card to invite you. Do you accept? ]
Yes. Mu Anqi thought resentfully, why didn't Fang Xunjiu send the prompt earlier? If it had transported her away before the General asked that question, then when the token heated up and the General couldn't resist following to appear in person—that would've been better. It would've saved her from having to puzzle endlessly over the General's thoughts.
[ Ding! Teaming successful! ]
[ Drawing game project… ]
[ Ding! Special mark detected! Checking invitation… ]
[ Ding! No special invitation detected! Entering Shattered Mirror Continent… ]
[ Beep! Instance activated: Spirit Ghost Voyage! ]
[ Clear condition: Survive for one week. ]
[ Entering… please wait… ]
[ Beep! Passive · Chosen Girl activated! ]
[ Congratulations, player has obtained 2020 + 500 guansi. ]
Mu Anqi glanced at her 9,538 guansi, then felt a slight swaying beneath her feet—Spirit Ghost Voyage? On a ship? Steadying herself, she looked around. She seemed to be on the deck, but it was night right now and pitch black all around, with only the sound of waves to be heard. Mu Anqi touched her lighting brooch and turned the light on.
"Mu Anqi?"
Mu Anqi looked over and saw Wu Sansheng by the railing of the ship. Wu Sansheng quickly came over. Before they had time to greet, footsteps sounded—Fang Xunjiu climbed up from the lower cabin, while Fang Yunjiu raised her right hand high, a ghostly purple flame flickering in her palm as illumination. Xia Yun followed behind Fang Yunjiu, and as soon as she came up, she spotted Mu Anqi.
"…This game won't only have the five of us, right?" Mu Anqi couldn't help but ask. "A survival-type instance? On a ship? Is this a ghost ship?"
"Maybe." Xia Yun wasn't too sure of the situation either. She looked at Mu Anqi, then at Wu Sansheng. "How about… splitting up to look for clues? And supplies too—this ship shouldn't really be without any food or water, right? A ghost ship… even if we don't know how to sail it, it probably won't cause problems? In the middle of the sea, it's not easy to get anything to eat anyway. As for sailing, we don't even have a map—even if we could steer, we wouldn't know where to go."
Mu Anqi nodded, then took out a few "Artificial Little Suns," giving one each to Xia Yun, Fang Yunjiu, Fang Xunjiu, and Wu Sansheng. "Here, if you run into anything strange, throw this—it can light up for a while."
Fang Xunjiu and the others thanked her and put away the little items. "The ship isn't that big. If anyone finds something, just shout. My sister can make fire for light, so I'll act together with her first."
"I have a lantern." Wu Sansheng took a small lantern ornament from her pocket, and it gradually enlarged to normal size. The lantern gave off a soft, pale yellow glow.
"I'll go with you." Xia Yun smiled at Wu Sansheng. "My ability leans toward offense, and yours seems to be immunity to mental attacks, right?"
"Alright." Wu Sansheng nodded, then looked at Mu Anqi. "Then you…"
"I'm fine on my own, I'm really strong." Mu Anqi smiled. To be honest, her ability could be said to be the most unconventional in this little team.
After splitting into groups, they dispersed to look for clues.
Mu Anqi carefully stepped over the messy ropes scattered across the deck. She had never been on a ship like this, so naturally she wasn't familiar with its layout and furnishings. As for sailing skills… she had never unlocked those either.
Using the light from her glowing brooch, Mu Anqi circled the deck but didn't find any hidden clues. Blood? Severed limbs? Not even the slightest trace that a murder might have happened. It was just like an ordinary, old, broken ghost ship.
Mu Anqi walked to the edge of the deck. The railing was still quite sturdy, not the kind that would shatter at a touch. Facing the sea breeze and waves, she felt a slight seasickness in the swaying. Mu Anqi kept taking deep breaths. The seawater looked black, stretching endlessly. Compared to it, this ghost ship felt so small.
In the pitch-black night sky, there was only a single moon, not a single star. Mu Anqi looked at the sea, then at the sky, and felt an inexplicable symmetry between the two. Both were endless darkness with a single point of light—only that the moon was far larger than this ship.
The mast and such were also intact. This ship didn't seem to have gone through a shipwreck or any other disaster; the upper structures were all normal. So why had it turned into a ghost ship? Because this was the Spirit Ghost Voyage—were there ghosts haunting it?
Just as Mu Anqi was puzzling over it, she heard Fang Xunjiu's loud shout: "Come quick!—There's something!—"