Chapter 72: A Battlefield of Carnage? No!

But just as Ji Linmo raised the knife, ready to cut into his own abdomen, he suddenly sensed that the faceless chef seemed rather excited and delighted.

“Are you happy?”

Ji Linmo immediately reversed the knife, placing it against the faceless chef’s throat.

At first, the faceless chef stiffened his neck and said nothing, but when Ji Linmo really drew a cut and blood began to flow, he trembled, all his previous bravado vanishing.

“No, no! I’m not happy! It’s just… You’re so amazing, I can’t help but admire you. Everyone talks about the ancient legend of Guan Yu scraping bone to heal wounds, but now here you are, performing a heroic act of self-disembowelment to retrieve rabbits. Truly admirable, brother!”

At this moment, the faceless chef’s tone was filled with humility, utterly different from his earlier provocation; even his voice took on a high, submissive pitch, reminiscent of a eunuch from ancient times.

“Brother, really, I have no ill intentions, you have to believe me!”

“My admiration for you—no, my reverence for you—is like a mighty river, endlessly flowing, impossible to suppress, which is why I was so glad!”

Looking at this slippery-tongued chef, speaking in such a roundabout manner, Ji Linmo suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

He arched an eyebrow and tapped the man’s cheek with the flat of his knife.

“You worship me? Weren’t you just delighted because I was going to eat rabbit meat and was doomed?”

The faceless chef shook his head frantically, trembling uncontrollably.

“Hehehe, not at all… I was just speaking too loudly, too arrogantly. I sincerely apologize…”

“Please, you are generous and broad-minded—just let me go, treat me like a fart and release me, as long as you don’t kill me, anything’s fine.”

“By the way, brother, I think the chef’s uniform looks absolutely stunning on you—truly a dazzling sight!”

Ji Linmo sized up the faceless chef, unable to suppress a grin.

The man reached out and gave the faceless chef a punch, neither light nor heavy.

“Lin Bufei, it’s you, isn’t it?”

“Only you could be this timid and talk so much nonsense.”

Upon hearing the name “Lin Bufei,” the faceless chef froze for a moment, then quickly reacted, leaning closer to get a better look at Ji Linmo.

“Hehehe, your face is covered in blood—I really couldn’t recognize you. Are we enemies or rivals? Care to tell me?”

Ji Linmo chuckled and revealed his own name.

“It’s me, Ji Linmo.”

The faceless chef was stunned, then instantly shed his previous timidity, erupting in curses.

“Damn it! Ji Linmo! You bastard, trying to scare me!”

“You son of a bitch, still got me tied up? Let me go! Do you really think I’m that easily frightened?”

As Ji Linmo untied the electric whip, the faceless chef feigned stretching his limbs.

The next second, a fist shot out and punched Ji Linmo.

Ji Linmo didn’t have time to react before the chef let out a triumphant monkey-like shout and bolted.

“Hehe, you owe me that one, Ji Linmo! You just gave me a cut and a punch, so you’re not allowed to retaliate!”

Ji Linmo, rarely smiling, was amused by this “faceless chef,” Lin Bufei.

—Lin Bufei was Ji Linmo’s desk mate in high school, as well as his closest friend.

Four years ago, after Ji Linmo had left the horror world, Lin Bufei was one of the few people he kept in touch with in the real world.

Unfortunately, a year ago, Lin Bufei was chosen for the horror game and disappeared from Ji Linmo’s life.

“I say, Lin Bufei, you’re not a kid anymore. Can’t you act a bit more mature?”

Lin Bufei didn’t reply, only placing his hands on his own face.

With a click, he removed the faceless mask.

“Nope, because this isn’t childishness—it’s the heart of a child!”

Lin Bufei grinned at Ji Linmo, revealing a row of bright white teeth. The long scar that ran across his cheek seemed to smile along with him.

Then, the scar-faced, dark-skinned man gave Ji Linmo a big bear hug.

“Damn, never thought I’d meet you here! Haha, you’re so unlucky, how did you end up back in the game?”

“Who knows. But you—I always suspected you were still alive, your vitality’s like a cockroach.”

Ji Linmo raised his arms and embraced Lin Bufei, giving his long-lost friend a heartfelt hug.

After their brief embrace, Lin Bufei quickly put his mask back on, returning to his faceless appearance.

Only then did Ji Linmo notice that this mask not only concealed Lin Bufei’s face but also blocked his player identity, letting him blend perfectly with the other NPCs.

This kind of item must have come from at least an A-level dungeon.

“I’ll tell you, Ji Linmo, you really are doomed. That nest of rabbits in your belly will kill you for sure.”

Lin Bufei said, picking up the butcher’s knife from Ji Linmo and tucking it into his own belt.

“I’ve seen players try to force them out before—what a scene! The immature rabbits exploded right in their abdomen, organs turned to blood on the spot—boom, boom, boom!”

Watching Lin Bufei’s vivid, animated description, Ji Linmo rubbed his brow, growing more troubled.

He did have ways to deal with it, but… maintaining human form wasn’t easy; reverting to a monster to solve the problem would be a last resort.

“Hey, don’t lose hope, brother.”

Lin Bufei suddenly slapped Ji Linmo’s shoulder, urging him not to get discouraged.

“The rabbits don’t have to be removed—as long as you can delay their growth, it’ll be fine.”

“I heard…”

Bang—

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed from the cauldron, as if someone had struck its wall.

“Faceless man! What are you doing? The head chef wants you to hurry back!”

Lin Bufei cursed under his breath, then raised his voice in a high pitch, answering meekly that he understood.

“You’re doing pretty well here, blending in so quickly,” Ji Linmo teased, raising an eyebrow as he took off his chef’s coat and tossed it to Lin Bufei.

“Of course—I get beaten often enough, I have to blend in.”

Lin Bufei trudged up the stairs, then suddenly remembered something. He animatedly put a hand to his mouth, miming a drinking gesture.

“Ji Linmo, it’s rare to meet like this. I have a lot to tell you—there’s so much weirdness in this dungeon. I don’t want to work here anyway, so I’ll find a way to skip out and meet you later. We’ll have a drink together, catch up properly.”

Ji Linmo shook his head in resignation.

He was used to Lin Bufei’s eccentric personality.

Seeing the coast was clear, Ji Linmo left the giant cauldron, jumped to the ground, and carefully examined the production line.

Watching the rows of pills streaming toward the window, Ji Linmo thought of the “rabbit meat” production line—was it here, too?

But after surveying the area, he saw nothing but the process for making “rabbit pills.”

“Looking for rabbit meat, are you?”

Lin Bufei pulled a burlap sack from the corner and shook it in the air.

“It’s not that simple. The rabbit meat process is all on the fourth floor. They pick out suitable rabbit meat there and deliver it down to our second floor.”

He finished with a gesture, inviting Ji Linmo to step inside.

“Can it be sent out? My teammate is waiting for me outside.”

Ji Linmo didn’t hesitate, crawling into the sack.

“Nope, hehe, I’ll put you in the kitchen later, chop you up and fry you as a dish.”

As he spoke, Lin Bufei hefted the sack onto his shoulder.

It turned out Lin Bufei did have his own tricks, flattering and fawning over the head chef, and after a torrent of compliments, he successfully led Ji Linmo out of the kitchen and out the front door.

Once outside, Ji Linmo tumbled from the sack, frowning as he searched for Qin Feng.

The patrons of “Delicious Rabbit Meat Restaurant” were now well-behaved, as if the earlier chaos had never happened.

But Qin Feng was nowhere to be seen.

“Qin Feng, the kid, is missing…”

Ji Linmo was unusually anxious; he wasn’t sure if Qin Feng had escaped the chase by so many patrons.

If something had happened…

Just as Ji Linmo was about to grab a customer for questioning, Lin Bufei removed his mask, quickly stripped off his chef’s trousers, and handed them to Ji Linmo.

“Hehe, running around with bare legs—someone might think you’re up to something. The world’s gone to the dogs!”

“Put these on—good thing I’m wearing long underwear underneath.”

Ji Linmo silently took the trousers. Just then, he spotted a pair of familiar sneakers.

Looking up from the shoes, he saw the familiar young man.

But this time, the youth didn’t wear his usual warm smile. Instead, he squinted, his smile cold and forced as he looked at Ji Linmo.

“Mr. Ji, what a scene.”

“May I ask what you were doing with this man while I was fighting desperately against those ghosts?”

For an instant, Ji Linmo felt an inexplicable chill down his spine.

Although the boy was smiling, it was utterly different from any time before; there was a strange sense of pressure.

Before Ji Linmo could speak, Lin Bufei jumped in.

“Hey, kid, who are you? You staring at us while we’re changing?”

Qin Feng looked at Lin Bufei and suddenly laughed, his smile radiant, but his eyes icy cold, hiding murderous intent.

“Mr. Ji, I’m truly hurt—you haven’t even told anyone about my identity~”

“Looks like you really need a lesson in what ‘team spirit’ means.”

But in the next moment, Lin Bufei immediately extended his hand to Qin Feng, his scarred face grinning.

“Oh, so you’re this brat Ji Linmo’s teammate? Didn’t expect you’d be so young—talented, a real dragon among men!”