CHAPTER 357: CONGRATULATIONS ON RECEIVING A MYSTERIOUS GIFT

The woman's voice whispered in her ear like a demon's murmur, its seemingly gentle tone laced with lethal poison. Jiang Xi's face instantly turned deathly pale, her body swaying unsteadily.

Hou Liang quickly steadied her and retorted bluntly, "Yu Li, stop gloating here. If you want to win, just win already. When time runs out, don't come crying when you don't have the scarf."

The woman merely blinked. "Ah... seems you haven't realized yet. I don't need the scarf anymore."

What?

Hou Liang frowned in confusion.

At that moment, Tian Jianmu spoke up from nearby: "Because she's no longer a participant."

Yu Li had previously said dating show participants didn't count as couples, yet she could complete tasks with Bo Jingmo. This meant the moment she completed her task, she simultaneously shed her participant status.

Since she wasn't a participant anymore, why bother with these requirements? In fact, one could say Yu Li had already completed the main mission. From her perspective, the show was essentially over - she was the only player among them who'd finished her task.

Tian Jianmu narrowed his eyes, finally realizing how much Yu Li had concealed. This woman knew Bo Jingmo could defeat the yao ghost but deliberately kept silent. She also knew she didn't need the scarf after shedding her participant status, yet still pretended otherwise. She could have refuted Jiang Xi by mentioning any of these facts, but chose not to.

She let Jiang Xi throw mud at her without defending herself, allowing the conflict to escalate. And the purpose behind all this...

Tian Jianmu lowered his hand, staring at the woman with complicated emotions. "Yu Li, you did this on purpose."

Purposefully taking an unconventional approach to make Jiang Xi's predictions fail, rendering her skills utterly laughable.

Hearing this, Yu Li glanced sideways, a smirk playing on her lips. "On purpose? Don't slander me, Mr. Tian." She looked down at her wristwatch and remarked, "Time flies. Only one minute left to complete the task."

Jiang Xi turned pale. She wasn't stupid - seeing Yu Li's attitude, she instantly realized the other woman was targeting her deliberately. But why? They barely knew each other, having only met a few times in reality.

Staggering forward, Jiang Xi grabbed Yu Li's sleeve, her voice trembling: "Yu Li... why are you targeting me like this? I don't remember wronging you. I just want to survive. Why are you pushing me toward death... why?"

Yu Li's smile faded. "Targeting you? Pushing you toward death?" She lifted Jiang Xi's chin, looking down expressionlessly. "Can't even handle this much targeting? And Jiang Xi, who was it that first believed the yao ghost's words and spoke against me before everyone? I told you all to deal with the yao ghost first, but you wanted Bo Jingmo and me dead."

In their previous lives, how many times had Bo Jingmo been cast as the villain? Who would ever believe him? Everyone assumed villains were evil by default and targeted him relentlessly.

She'd once asked Bo Jingmo what his skill was. After a long silence, her young boyfriend told her his skill was actually Villain's Fortune. While protagonists enjoyed Heaven's Blessing, villains—as alternative protagonists—possessed corresponding fortune too.

But its effects were completely opposite to Jiang Xi and the others'.

As the saying goes, the wicked live long—hence villains possessed near-immortality and powerful regeneration, explaining why Bo Jingmo couldn't be killed. But the price was constant targeting, killing, and torment. His skill even came with a cost: emotional instability. All this, just to pave the way for the male and female leads.

Yu Li had remained silent earlier precisely to experience what Bo Jingmo had endured in such situations. Ah... it really was infuriating.

Listening to those people parrot the same rhetoric endlessly had worn her patience thin, grating on her ears. Watching tears well in Jiang Xi's eyes, she spoke coolly, enunciating each word: "Why cry? You won't die anyway. Someone will revive you afterward, right?"

—"He won't die anyway, he'll just return when the instance ends."

Jiang Xi froze rigid, the words she'd said to Yu Jiao in the villa now boomeranging back to strike her mercilessly. Trembling uncontrollably, she stared helplessly at Yu Li, unable to speak.

"I-I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies. I prefer restoring balance through action." Yu Li spoke mildly, then suddenly met Hou Liang's vicious glare. She arched an eyebrow. "What? Feeling protective?"

With that, she stepped past Jiang Xi toward Hou Liang, delivering a sharp kick to his shin. The unexpected blow made Hou Liang grunt in pain, instantly losing balance as his knees crashed heavily onto the ground. How was this woman so strong?!

The next second, a blade pressed against his throat as the woman expressionlessly increased the pressure. "Then let's start with you," she said.

Seeing this, Tian Jianmu sprang up in alarm. "Yu Li!" Xing Yuan had entrusted these two to him! He rushed to intervene, only for Bo Jingmo to block his path.

"Move!!" Tian Jianmu growled fiercely. "Bo Jingmo, I don't want to fight you!"

The man simply stared calmly at him, enunciating each word: "Tian Jianmu, you've broken the rules too." Meaning you're not getting away either.

Tian Jianmu: "..." He'd almost forgotten about that.

As Yu Li's blade neared Hou Liang's throat, Jiang Xi's pupils contracted. "NO!!!"

The next instant, Huang Ya's shocked voice rang out nearby: "Careful! The yao ghost is back!"

Everyone's attention snapped toward the source. The previously motionless vines on the ground had shrunk to earthworm size, slowly inching along the ground. Bo Jingmo frowned, stepping forward—only to dodge sideways as a bolt of lightning shot past him.

"Bo Jingmo." Tian Jianmu watched him calmly, lightning gathering in his palm to encircle Bo Jingmo. "I can't let you pass." Since death awaited either way, he had to stop Bo Jingmo.

Ignoring him, Bo Jingmo turned toward Yu Li instead. Yu Li narrowed her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head.

Tian Jianmu had braced for a desperate fight, but the man simply glanced at him before using dark energy to collect all the lightning.

Tian Jianmu: "..." Such obvious disdain. Does your skill specifically counter mine?

Meanwhile, the crawling vine suddenly launched into the air, shooting toward Yu Li before anyone could react. The woman sheathed her blade, watching calmly without attempting to evade.

Yet unexpectedly, the yao ghost abruptly changed direction—charging straight at Jiang Xi instead. Jiang Xi's pupils shrank as she tried backing away, but the vine moved too fast, reaching her in an instant.

"AH!!!" she screamed instinctively.

The next moment, the yao ghost slipped down her throat into her body. A hoarse, hate-filled voice whispered in her ear:

'Jiang Xi, I give you my soul and the tree demon's power. I ask only one thing—kill Bo Jingmo and Yu Li.'

Simultaneously, a mechanical system voice echoed in everyone's ears:

[Congratulations Player Jiang Xi for receiving a mysterious gift—the yao ghost's power.]

[Owner gains the yao ghost's special privileges and abilities. Duration: Permanent.]

Hearing this, Yu Li lowered her lashes slightly, her expression remaining tranquil. Beneath the twilight, her long lashes resembled golden butterfly wings. The instant the system voice faded, she suddenly smirked—and without hesitation, plunged her blade into Hou Liang's heart.