Suddenly, a snow-white statue appeared beside the monster.
The statue was extraordinarily heavy. In Exploding Last Train, it had once forced Bai Liu to his knees under its weight. Now it hung on the thin, tall plant monster, and there was only one possible outcome.
The patient was crushed to the ground by the immense weight that suddenly dropped onto his shoulders. He staggered as if losing his balance, swayed twice, and then pitched forward—landing directly on top of Mu Ke.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Miao Feichi's descending knives slashed toward the plant patient's snow-white armor. The blade tips trembled twice, accompanied by the sharp sound of metal cutting through resistance. The statue shattered into thousands of plaster-like fragments, scattering across the floor and striking the dying Mu Ke beneath.
Miao Feichi's knives easily sliced through this ordinary-grade item and continued forward without pause, carving halfway into the monster patient's muscles. The blades finally stopped just inches from Mu Ke's eyes.
In other words, the combined mass of the statue and the plant patient had deflected Miao Feichi's devastating strike for him.
Bai Liu's face was pale, but his eyes remained calm.
An ordinary-grade item provided only around 100 points of resistance. It was nowhere near enough to withstand Miao Feichi's several-thousand-point attack. If Bai Liu had placed the statue on Mu Ke directly, it wouldn't have delayed Miao Feichi from cleaving him in half.
So Bai Liu used a small trick.
He exploited the statue's crushing weight and placed it on the slender A+ plant monster. The weight forced the patient to collapse forward onto Mu Ke. The statue, plus the plant patient, became Mu Ke's shield, blocking Miao Feichi's overwhelming blow.
From beneath the monster's body, Mu Ke's eyes brightened slightly when he saw the item. He glanced toward Bai Liu in the corner and silently called out his name. His fingers—drained of blood and little more than skin and bone—reached weakly toward the broken fragments.
For no clear reason, Mu Ke had always believed that Bai Liu wouldn't let him die easily, just like in the beginning. Even at the last moment, he hadn't flinched.
And Bai Liu had indeed kept that promise.
Eight seconds remained.
Miao Feichi's eyes widened, and a bloody hunter's grin spread across his face. His double knives sliced through the floating debris and drove toward the patient wearing the shattered statue armor, who was still pressing down on Mu Ke.
"Bai Liu, you finally used an item! You've exposed yourself!"
Mu Ke staggered to his feet. Determined to act like a monster until the very end, he bared his teeth and lunged to bite Miao Feichi's wrist. At the same time, Miao Gaojiang rushed in, preparing to kill the "monster" Mu Ke with a single punch.
Bai Liu swiftly kicked over a hospital bed, blocking Miao Gaojiang's attack. At the same time, the obstruction halted Mu Ke's bite toward Miao Feichi.
An ominous feeling crept over Miao Gaojiang. He stared strangely at Bai Liu. This maneuver felt… familiar.
Bai Liu smiled weakly and coughed twice, revealing no flaw. "I was trying to stop him from sucking Miao Feichi's blood."
Six seconds remained.
Miao Feichi's knives slashed through the wall, driving the plant patient into a corner. The monster, stabbed several times already, hissed and tried to bite him.
By now, Miao Feichi had completely identified this monster as Bai Liu. Mu Ke's earlier inability to break through his defense had reinforced his misjudgment. Seeing the monster attempt to bite him, Miao Feichi only sneered, lowering his guard slightly.
He truly didn't need to defend much. Even if bitten, he wouldn't die easily. But if the bite triggered a system alert, it would reveal that this creature was the real monster—not the player Bai Liu.
Bai Liu stepped onto the overturned hospital bed. Mu Ke, still pretending to be a monster, pounced toward him. Once again suspicious, Miao Gaojiang attempted to smash Mu Ke with his fist.
Bai Liu remained perfectly calm.
He hooked the fallen bookshelf onto the hospital bed, blocking Mu Ke's "attack." At the same time, the lifted bookshelf once again obstructed Miao Gaojiang's strike.
On the surface, it seemed like he was preventing Mu Ke from attacking. In reality, he was stopping Miao Gaojiang from hitting Mu Ke.
Twice in a row.
Miao Gaojiang's suspicion deepened. The interruption felt eerily similar to the times he had nearly killed a monster before being stopped. Still, Mu Ke had accidentally knocked over hospital beds earlier during the chaos. The logic wasn't inconsistent—yet something felt wrong.
Frowning, Miao Gaojiang suppressed his doubts.
Meanwhile, Bai Liu—still seen as "Mu Ke" in Miao Gaojiang's eyes—stepped off the bed and ran toward Miao Feichi.
At that moment, the monster was opening its mouth to bite Miao Feichi's neck. Miao Feichi didn't dodge; he continued swinging his knives as the wailing of resentful spirits echoed around him.
Bai Liu's gaze shifted slightly.
He and Mu Ke now shared nearly identical health values, mental values, and appearances. Only one difference remained.
The wound on his neck.
Bai Liu lowered his gaze and touched it. His wound had been cut by a whip; Mu Ke's was a bite mark from the monster.
That was the final step in their exchange of identities.
Four seconds remained.
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu has switched to player Mu Sicheng's system template and used Mu Sicheng's personal skill.]
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu's personal skill "Thief Moving Stealthily" will soon be unusable due to depleted stamina. You have 10 seconds remaining. 10, 9…]
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu has forcibly pushed "Thief Moving Stealthily" to maximum speed. Physical stamina consumption is severe. Usable for 1 second. Speed +7000.]
As Miao Feichi raised his knives again, the monster screamed hoarsely and lunged to bite his neck. In that instant, a small gap opened between them.
Bai Liu stepped forward calmly.
In the next heartbeat, he vanished—dragged by extreme speed—and reappeared within the narrow space between Miao Feichi and the monster. He adjusted his position so that the whip wound on his neck aligned perfectly with the monster's bite.
The monster's jaws snapped shut.
Both Adam's apples moved—the monster's from swallowing blood, Bai Liu's from sheer exhaustion. His vision blurred.
[System warning: Player Bai Liu's stamina is depleted. Please replenish immediately!]
[System warning: Player Bai Liu is being attacked by the plant patient monster! Health and mental values are dropping rapidly! Please retreat to safety!]
"Miao… Feichi…" Bai Liu's eyes shimmered with moisture as he looked up weakly. "Bai Liu controlled me and dragged me over… Kill him quickly."
"Damn it, he's still using you as a shield." Miao Feichi cursed.
Standing face to face with Bai Liu, he drove both knives forward behind him. The scent of blood and flesh hung thick in the air.
Miao Feichi sneered. "Bai Liu's struggling pointlessly. He'll die by my hands. Don't be afraid. I'm here. You won't die."
Bai Liu's pale lips curved faintly. "Thank you… great god Miao."
Three seconds remained.
Miao Feichi gripped the knives with both hands, arms encircling Bai Liu as he thrust the blades into the skull of the monster biting his neck.
Bone cracked.
The moment the knives pierced the monster's head, its jaw clamped down with doubled force. Bai Liu's collarbone trembled under the bite. Blood streamed down his neck as he gasped.
Sticky fluid flowed down his back, soaking his hospital gown. A pungent smell filled the air as the monster's sharp teeth slowly loosened.
Its skull had been split by the twin blades.
The monster's head trembled twice before retreating weakly. Without emotion, Miao Feichi finished it off. The head was severed and fell to the ground. The headless body collapsed and never rose again.
Bai Liu also sank to the floor, utterly drained. Lowering his head, he gasped for air while pressing a hand against the bleeding wound at his neck. Slowly, his breathing steadied. As his scattered focus returned, he noticed the grotesque head that had rolled to his feet. His eyes regained their usual calm.
[System prompt: Will player Bai Liu empty the entire system warehouse and all points, scattering them onto the ground?]
[Yes.]
The countdown was two seconds.
Beside the fallen monster, patient lay piles of scattered items and points. It looked exactly like the scene after a player's death—equipment and points dropped across the ground. Among them were several sparkling broken lenses and other small items glinting faintly in the dark, chaotic, dust-filled ward.
"Are these the broken lenses?" Miao Gaojiang crouched down and picked one up to inspect it. He briefly glanced over the other dropped items and the monster's severed head, his expression somewhat complicated. "These are Bai Liu's items and points from his two instances."
"Although the death panel didn't pop up because of the split health setting, the main identity line is dead. This should be Bai Liu."
"Yes, it should be." Miao Feichi squatted down and licked his lips. "So this is Bai Liu, and you're Mu Ke, right? You didn't have to block that attack for me just now. That thing was only A+ at best—it couldn't have killed me. Still, as thanks, I'll give you a stamina recovery potion. Drink it."
Bai Liu lowered his eyelids and replied softly. He accepted the physical stamina recovery agent from Miao Feichi.
Miao Feichi then used his knife to slice a piece of skin from the monster's face. He placed it in his mouth, chewed twice, and spat it out. "It smells like rotten meat. Disgusting. This Bai Liu was badly alienated."
Miao Gaojiang stored the dropped items and points. Then his ears twitched slightly. Frowning, he pushed open the ICU door. The nurse's station door had opened, and a group of nurses was walking toward the ICU.
The night patrol had begun.
"Miao Feichi, stop playing with the corpse," Miao Gaojiang reminded him. "It's nine o'clock. The nurses are coming. Let's go."
"Fine." Miao Feichi sheathed his knives and stood up. Then he glanced around. "What about that other monster? Let's kill it too. We might earn extra points in the final evaluation. It'll only take a few seconds—it's weak. Just a clean-up."
In truth, Miao Feichi didn't need more points. He simply enjoyed killing, and his S-grade skill was still active.
Under the hospital bed, Mu Ke held his breath. He clenched his fists tightly, pressing himself flat against the underside of the frame. He didn't dare exhale, terrified that even the slightest sound would reveal him.
This is the last step. The last step! Mu Ke prayed desperately in his heart. I'll be okay. I'll be okay!
Bai Liu covered his neck and coughed weakly. Blood smeared his mouth and throat, making him appear on the verge of death.
"No, there's no time." Miao Gaojiang glanced at Mu Ke—who was actually Bai Liu—sitting on the floor and lowered his voice. "We need to take Mu Ke and leave. Your stamina is nearly exhausted. Don't complicate things. We achieved our goals: we got the life recovery medicine and killed Bai Liu. Let's go. This hospital is full of monsters. You can start killing again after you recover."
Miao Feichi's gaze lingered on "Mu Ke," who truly looked like he was dying. Bai Liu coughed faintly, blood seeping past his pale lips.
Outside, the rhythmic clicking of nurses' high heels echoed down the corridor. Someone was approaching the ICU.
At last, Miao Feichi withdrew his knives. "Let's go. It's just an ordinary monster anyway. Not worth many points."
Under the bed, Mu Ke nearly collapsed in relief.
They were finally leaving.
Miao Gaojiang, being stronger, stepped forward and hooked his hands under Bai Liu's armpits, lifting him like a sack of grain.
Bai Liu hung limply over his shoulder, his breathing faint. The bite had been severe; his health was nearly depleted.
Miao Feichi slipped out of the ward first. Miao Gaojiang followed, carrying Bai Liu over his shoulder. The two moved swiftly. By the time the nurse reached the ICU, they had already slipped into the emergency stairwell with Bai Liu.
Miao Gaojiang spoke calmly. "The nurses start patrolling from the first floor and take the elevator up. They won't use this stairwell. Feichi and I are on the fifth floor. Mu Ke is on the ninth. There's time before they reach our wards."
He paused. "It seems I can settle the accounts now." His voice turned cold.
Without warning, Miao Gaojiang threw Bai Liu off his shoulder and onto the ground. He bent down, wrapping his broad, rough hands around Bai Liu's slender neck. "Are you Mu Ke… or Bai Liu pretending to be Mu Ke?"
Miao Feichi was startled. "Dad, what are you saying? Isn't he Mu Ke?"
Bai Liu lowered his gaze, his voice hoarse. "…What do you mean?"
"Bai Liu is a player with a control skill," Miao Gaojiang said calmly. "Before entering the ICU, I confirmed that Mu Ke was no longer under his control. But once inside, things became chaotic. Feichi and I are S-grade panel players. Bai Liu couldn't easily control us."
His grip tightened, pressing into Bai Liu's throat. "But controlling Mu Ke again? That would be simple. I suspect Mu Ke was controlled by you shortly after entering the ICU. That's why he kept interfering with us. In the end, you used him as a scapegoat and let us kill him."
Miao Gaojiang sneered. "I pretended to believe you were Mu Ke so I could get you out of the ward. The nurses were coming. If I'd stayed inside the ICU questioning you, we would've been caught. But you think you can play tricks in front of me?"
He pinched Bai Liu's chin, forcing his mouth open.
Bai Liu felt his throat constrict. He tried to cough but couldn't. His limbs curled weakly, trembling from lack of oxygen. A reddish flush—caused by hypoxia—spread across his pale cheeks.
Miao Gaojiang narrowed his eyes. "The monster we killed used an item. That means it was a player. And the item was Statue's Shell—a reward from clearing the monster book."
His voice was steady and ruthless. "That's the problem. Bai Liu did have that item, but he used it against Mu Sicheng in Exploding Last Train. I've watched your footage many times. I remember clearly."
"Sure, someone could buy another Statue's Shell from the market. But you're a newcomer. You wouldn't waste points on such a low-level item. Coincidentally, I checked Mu Ke's warehouse before. He had Statue's Shell."
"The one who died was probably Mu Ke. In his desperation, he instinctively used the item to survive. The dropped items were arranged deliberately by you." He leaned closer. "You wanted us to believe Bai Liu was the one who died. Unfortunately, Mu Ke used the item. That's the flaw in your plan. Bai Liu no longer had it."
Bai Liu was nearly suffocating. Instinctively, he clawed at Miao Gaojiang's hand and struggled to speak. "I… really am… Mu Ke… That item… Bai Liu took it… after controlling me…"
Miao Gaojiang sneered. "You're still too inexperienced. Come back after you've played in the league for a year."
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu has loaded player Mu Ke's system. Loading complete.]
At the very moment he was about to lose consciousness, Bai Liu activated the system interface. The panel popped open in front of them. Miao Gaojiang's eyes narrowed. His grip loosened.
Bai Liu collapsed backward, clutching his neck and gasping for air. Dark bruises were already forming where he had been strangled. His lips were pale as paper, trembling from the violent intake of breath. He had truly been only seconds away from being strangled to death.
Miao Gaojiang stared suspiciously at the system panel. It was indeed Mu Ke's panel, and the Statue's Shell was indeed missing from the warehouse. However, Miao Gaojiang wasn't a player who blindly trusted system panels. He had competed in the league and possessed a deeply calculating mind. He always reexamined even the most intuitive conclusions.
He clearly remembered that Bai Liu was a control-type player. What remained unclear was how that control skill was implemented, since Bai Liu had only participated in two games so far.
The idea that panels could be shared was somewhat outrageous. It violated system rights and fell into the highest category of "rule skills." The first-ranked Spades, second-ranked Hearts, and third-ranked Judge of the Inverse Cross all possessed rule-type skills—abilities with authority levels comparable to the system itself.
It was highly unlikely that Bai Liu possessed such a skill. Even in its early stages, the owner of a rule skill wouldn't need to resort to tricks like this against Miao Gaojiang. Rule skills were extremely powerful personal abilities that could easily allow someone to defeat opponents far stronger than themselves.
Of course, it was still possible that Bai Liu had such a skill, but faced heavy restrictions when using it. Even so, the probability was low. At the very least, Miao Gaojiang had never encountered such a strange personal skill before.
Bai Liu cleared his throat and lowered his head slightly as he explained in a soft voice, "I was indeed controlled by Bai Liu for a period of time after entering the ICU. Later, his mental value dropped too low, and his control over me was lifted. However, he took one of my items before losing control. That's how I determined the monster was Bai Liu."
"Is that so?" Miao Gaojiang's eyes darkened.
Although he often indulged Miao Feichi and let his son take the lead in many matters, Miao Gaojiang was far more vigilant than his thrill-seeking, blood-loving son.
Even after seeing the system panel Bai Liu presented as Mu Ke's, Miao Gaojiang still wasn't fully convinced. Instead, his killing intent grew stronger. If he couldn't determine the other party's camp and threat level, he typically chose to eliminate them to prevent future trouble.
However, before killing him…
They had brought Mu Ke here for the life recovery medicine.
Miao Gaojiang's tone suddenly softened. "Mu Ke, it's not that I don't believe you. But you need to prove yourself. This system panel shows your identity, yes, but that alone isn't enough for me to keep you with us. You said you found the prescription for the life recovery medicine in the ICU. Why don't you show it to me?"
The life recovery medicine had been Mu Ke's leverage to restrain Miao Feichi and disrupt their attack rhythm. Mu Ke was still searching for it in the ICU and wouldn't complete the search until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Bai Liu didn't currently possess the medicine at all, yet both Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang were clearly on guard.
Their stance was obvious.
If he produced the life recovery medicine, Bai Liu could safely return to the ward tonight under Mu Ke's identity. If he couldn't, the two of them would likely kill him on the spot to eliminate potential danger.
—Unless Bai Liu could prove he still had other value.
The atmosphere fell silent. Only Bai Liu's gradually steady breathing could be heard, along with the scraping sound of Miao Feichi rubbing his twin blades together behind him.
Miao Feichi hesitated. "Dad… are you really sure he's Bai Liu? He saved me once…"
Miao Gaojiang shot him a glance. "Listen to me this time."
Miao Feichi paused. Then, relying on the tacit understanding forged through many games together, he chose to trust his father unconditionally. He raised his twin blades and approached Bai Liu.
Miao Feichi's stamina might have been depleted, preventing him from using personal skills, but his base attack attributes alone were more than enough to kill Bai Liu, who had only 6 health remaining.
The cold, curved blades slowly circled the back of Bai Liu's neck. A chill crept across his skin.
Miao Gaojiang placed his hands on Bai Liu's shoulders in a seemingly comforting gesture. Yet with just a slight tightening of his grip, he could easily crush Bai Liu's throat.
"My apologies," Miao Feichi said with a smile. "But my father has doubts. It would be best if you proved your innocence."
Miao Gaojiang squatted in front of Bai Liu, smiling kindly—though the warmth didn't reach his eyes. "Show me the life recovery medicine you found, Mu Ke."
Mu Sicheng's escape skill was still on cooldown, and Bai Liu lacked the stamina to activate any of his own skills. Escape was impossible.
Miao Gaojiang spoke calmly. "What is it? Can't you remember, Mu Ke? Shall I help you recall? When you were under the bed, you suddenly shouted that you had obtained the life recovery medicine, disrupting our attack rhythm. Were you under Bai Liu's control at that time? If he manipulated you to deceive us, and we went through all that effort bringing you here for nothing… I will be very displeased."
"You can't afford the consequences of my displeasure."
Though he spoke like an elder offering advice, his hand suddenly tightened around Bai Liu's neck, and his eyes turned cold and fierce.
Just as Miao Gaojiang's patience was about to snap, Bai Liu's phone rang.
Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang exchanged surprised glances. Unexpectedly, this man's child was calling him.
Bai Liu picked up the phone, but before he could speak, Miao Gaojiang snatched it from his hand. He looked at Bai Liu calmly, and Bai Liu immediately understood his intention.
Miao Gaojiang truly deserved his reputation as an experienced player. He was cautious to the extreme. Perhaps Bai Liu's unknown control skill had heightened his vigilance. Even after seeing the system panel, he remained suspicious.
In this game, aside from the system panel, there was another crucial method of verifying identity—the player's corresponding child.
The phone was bound one-to-one between player and child. The system required players to carry it at all times to answer their child's calls. It couldn't be discarded or exchanged.
In other words, a player's phone could only connect to their own child. To a certain extent, a child's call verified the player's identity.
The child calling did not know the player's current situation. If the person standing here was Bai Liu impersonating Mu Ke, that might be feasible due to their identical appearance and voice. But the child Bai Liu (6) could not change his identity. He was still little Bai Liu (6).
There were obvious differences between him and child Mu Ke, especially their voices. An S-grade player like Miao Gaojiang could easily distinguish between them.
Even if he wasn't fully certain, tomorrow was the orphanage's baptism ceremony. Miao Gaojiang would see both children in person. If little Bai Liu (6)'s voice didn't match the child Mu Ke he saw tomorrow, the deception would be exposed.
Bai Liu calmly watched Miao Gaojiang holding the phone. Despite the nurses already heading upstairs, Miao Gaojiang remained composed.
After thinking for two seconds, Miao Gaojiang tapped Bai Liu's shoulder with his index finger and held the phone to Bai Liu's ear, lifting his chin slightly.
The meaning was clear.
Bai Liu had to speak so the child would believe the investor himself was answering. He couldn't reveal that someone else was holding the phone. Only then would the child speak naturally—ensuring the voice on the other end corresponded to the correct player.
"Good evening," Bai Liu said steadily, his tone smooth under Miao Gaojiang's watchful gaze.
On the other end, there was the rapid breathing of running children and the chaotic sound of footsteps. It sounded like a group of children sprinting wildly. Faint crying mixed with eerie, ethereal laughter. The footsteps echoed densely, making it impossible to tell how many were running.
"G-Good evening, Mr. Investor." A young boy's soft, trembling voice answered. He sounded as though he was being dragged away, on the verge of tears. "I—I am Mu Ke. I came to call you."
It was unmistakably little Mu Ke's voice.
A faint smile appeared in Bai Liu's eyes.
Well done, little Bai Liu (6).
After hearing the child's voice, Miao Gaojiang locked eyes with Bai Liu. A moment later, he slowly withdrew the hand gripping Bai Liu's neck. The child had identified himself without knowing anything about the situation. Miao Gaojiang no longer had reason to doubt that Bai Liu was Mu Ke.
At last, Miao Gaojiang lowered his guard and patted Bai Liu on the shoulder. "The nurses are coming upstairs. Go back to your ward first. I apologize for my attitude just now. Bai Liu is too cunning, so we had to confirm a few more things. Your child's willingness to call tonight helped a lot. As for the life recovery medicine…"
"I do know the recipe for the life recovery medicine," Bai Liu interrupted. "However, it's quite complicated. I'll organize it and give it to you tomorrow morning."
By morning, Mu Ke should have finished reading in the ICU and could pass the information to Bai Liu. Everything aligned perfectly. Now that "Mu Ke" possessed the life recovery medicine, Miao Gaojiang's attitude visibly softened.
He nodded. "Then I'll trouble you with it. We'll do our best to take you through the instance. The nurses are coming—let's end it here for tonight. Return to your ward."
After going back, Bai Liu entered Mu Ke's former ward. He shut the door and spoke into the phone, which was still connected. "Bai Liu (6)?"
"I'm here." The voice on the other end shifted back to that of a young boy—calm and cold. Nearby, there was the sound of a child crying and running. It was probably little Mu Ke.
Little Bai Liu (6) asked evenly, "Who else was listening on your end of the phone?"
"How did you know someone else was here?" Bai Liu asked with mild interest. "Mine was the only voice you heard."
Bai Liu (6) replied indifferently, "I heard the breathing of three people. Your voice was also too far from the receiver. That isn't the normal pattern of our calls. You probably didn't pick up the phone yourself. It sounded like you were being coerced into answering."