Yu Deng's thoughts were actually very simple: he just wanted these bad dogs to not only focus on kissing him but also remember to help him with the tasks.
But not long after he said this, Cheng Chaolin and Cheng Xiao seemed to receive some sort of signal and moved simultaneously.
Before taking action, the two briefly reached a consensus. They gathered a cluster of black mist to form a chair about two meters above the ground, then wrapped Yu Deng and placed him inside it.
Yu Deng's vision immediately elevated. "Hey, why are you lifting me up?"
Cheng Xiao tore off a piece of the black mist that was clinging to Yu Deng and draped his jacket over him.
The jacket, carrying a refreshing scent and body warmth, enveloped Yu Deng.
"I will win, I'll find a way..." Cheng Xiao swallowed the latter half of his sentence and quickly kissed Yu Deng on the lips.
He would find a way to get Yu Deng out of this dungeon.
Yu Deng raised his face, looking at Cheng Xiao in confusion, not understanding what he meant by finding a way.
In the desolate land shrouded in dense, gray fog, surrounded by eerie dangers, Yu Deng sat steadily in a safe corner, the only bright and beautiful color.
He looked like a captivating fairy born from the wasteland.
Cheng Xiao gazed at Yu Deng.
The pretty, naive young widow held a fatal attraction for anyone who coveted him.
The initial mockery and frivolity when he first met Yu Deng had, in just a few days, uncontrollably transformed into a deeper obsession.
Every smile and tear from Yu Deng, even his scolding, excited him..
The vicious dog had long been tamed and put on a leash. Cheng Xiao couldn't accept never seeing Yu Deng again.
So the first step was to get rid of this troublesome "father."
Yu Deng watched his young stepson leap lightly to the ground, hurriedly reaching out but failing to grab Cheng Xiao.
"Cheng Xiao..."
Cheng Chaolin looked down at the interaction between his adopted son and Yu Deng, clicked his tongue, and could no longer suppress his murderous intent.
The black mist extended a bit, firmly enclosing Yu Deng in the chair. The piece of mist that had been slapped away stubbornly floated back, slipping under Yu Deng's clothes to stick to him.
"Uh."
Yu Deng shivered from the cold, his soft waist shrinking back a bit. He wanted to avoid the black mist but forgot that the entire chair was made of black mist. Retreating meant actively falling into its embrace.
The black mist, representing Cheng Chaolin's will, clung to Yu Deng and twisted into a coil, quietly trying to pull off Yu Deng's jacket. It didn't just want to remove the jacket but other clothes as well.
Yu Deng quickly held down the black mist. "Don't move, I'll get cold."
The black mist obediently stopped, curling into a ball beside Yu Deng's hand, like a well-behaved little trinket.
The black mist was obedient in front of Yu Deng, but not in front of Cheng Xiao.
The two members of the Cheng family had already started fighting.
Their attacks brought whistling winds as they clashed.
Clang, clang.
Sharp knives met black mist, producing a metallic hum.
They were aiming to thoroughly defeat each other. One was a malicious ghost with a tendency towards destruction, and the other was figuring out how to kill the boss to get the reward.
The most important factor was the competition to win over the pretty, delicate young widow. In short, their positions were inherently opposed.
Cheng Xiao's dagger, likely scavenged from the mansion, suited him perfectly.
During the fight, Cheng Xiao exposed his robust arm muscles—youthful and full of vigorous strength. Though he was slightly at a disadvantage, he managed to hold his ground against Cheng Chaolin.
Yu Deng hadn't yet realized that his deceased husband and young stepson had already exchanged several blows.
[Holy, this kid Cheng Xiao has some skills. Is this really a beginner's level?]
[He must have been trained before entering the dungeon. His foundation is solid. And he seems even stronger than during that night watch.]
[The boss is terrifying too. I don't even dare to look him in the eyes.]
[Deng Deng is watching the fight from the only safe spot, like a princess waiting for 'her' suitor to win.]
[Does anyone remember they were rebellious youths and ruthless bosses? Now they're like males fighting over a mate...]
[I love watching fierce beasts fight for their baby!]
Yu Deng, inexplicably placed in the spectator's seat, watched the two men start fighting. He transitioned from confusion to anxiety.
Wait, they're really fighting?
"System, are they fighting because of something I said earlier?" Yu Deng pondered, calling his system.
System 01: [No, it's not your fault.]
No matter what the host said, or even if he said nothing at all, they would still fight for the host..
Even though the system said it wasn't his fault, Yu Deng felt that fighting like this wasn't right.
Seeing the two about to go all out, Yu Deng clutched his clothes, took a deep breath, and raised his voice, "Stop fighting, please!"
The man and the ghost paused, turned their heads, and saw Yu Deng's tense little face. They immediately stopped fighting and walked over to him.
Cheng Xiao had several cuts on his arm, and Cheng Chaolin's collar was torn, revealing faint blood marks on his pale skin.
Yu Deng patted the black mist chair he was sitting on. The mist reluctantly released him, protecting him as he slowly slid down.
Yu Deng looked at one, then the other, his delicate eyebrows knitting together. "Please don't fight, okay?"
It made things difficult for him. He was not good at handling such situations and could only awkwardly try to mediate.
Cheng Chaolin and Cheng Xiao stood silently on either side of Yu Deng, watching him.
The fierce dogs, having just fought, still had traces of bloodlust in their eyes. But having been scolded by their master, they lowered their ears in embarrassment.
Yu Deng looked up, his voice soft and light, "Try to get along."
The two men were silent for a few seconds, glanced at each other, and immediately showed expressions of disgust.
Who wants to get along with the other dog eyeing Yu Deng?
"And fighting hurts," Yu Deng blinked, touching Cheng Xiao's wound and then Cheng Chaolin's blood mark, speaking earnestly, "It looks very painful. Doesn't it hurt?"
The gentle voice carried genuine concern, sounding like he was sincerely worried about them.
The pretty young widow's words had a soothing effect. In just a few seconds, the men's irritation at being in the same space as their rival reluctantly subsided a bit.
The two men reached another consensus: next time they fought, they would avoid Yu Deng.
System 01: [...]
As expected of the host, just a few words made these men dizzy.
Cheng Xiao was the first to react, immediately lowering his head and admitting his mistake, "I see that Deng Deng doesn't like fighting, so I won't do it anymore."
He put on an obedient and tame puppy appearance.
Cheng Chaolin glanced at his adopted son, held Yu Deng's hand, and placed it on the wound on his chest again.
He softly requested, "It hurts a lot. Can you blow on it for me, my wife?"
Yu Deng's palm was completely under the torn collar.
Cheng Chaolin's skin was pale, his body cold, but the feel under Yu Deng's hand was surprisingly firm and solid.
The older man was elegant and composed, his narrow phoenix eyes slightly closed, as if unaware of his own physique.
Cheng Xiao gritted his teeth, "Alright, alright, is that so?"
The livestream audience exclaimed, "Wow!"
[How did I end up watching this kind of drama in an infinite dungeon livestream?]
[If there's going to be competition among men, let it be so! It's already a blessing that a bad dog can kiss the baby, aiming for higher status is expected.]
Yu Deng thought for a few seconds, feeling sorry for Cheng Chaolin, and leaned in, opening his rosy lips to blow gently.
"Like this?"
Such a good baby..
Warm breath brushed past, along with the sweet fragrance from Yu Deng. The veins on the back of Cheng Chaolin's hand stood out as he restrained himself from doing anything that might scare Yu Deng.
He kissed Yu Deng's fingertips, "Thank you, my wife."
Yu Deng mumbled a response, slowly retracting his hand, feeling puzzled.
How strange, is this how things are supposed to develop?
"…"
Cheng Xiao cracked his knuckles, various methods to deal with this shameless old man flashing through his mind.
Cheng Chaolin gave Cheng Xiao a cold look, raising an eyebrow.
The two members of the Cheng family still wanted to outdo each other to attract Yu Deng's attention, but at this moment, the electronic voice of the main system suddenly broadcasted.
[Ding, detecting that the dungeon's plot and time are more than halfway through, detecting that the number of important character deaths within the dungeon exceeds three, the dungeon is entering an abnormal state.]
[Recalculating... adjusting the dungeon...]
[Ding. Two days remain in the "Cheng Mansion" dungeon, about to enter the second stage. Players, please prepare.]
All the players: "???"
Yu Deng: "Huh? This dungeon has a second stage?!"
All surviving players in the dungeon suddenly paused, waiting for the system to continue broadcasting.
[Ding. Players, please note, due to the dungeon adjustment, in fifteen minutes, players must identify the murderer in advance.]
Finding the murderer is one of their main tasks.
Yu Deng listened to the broadcast in confusion and instinctively glanced at the young stepson who was also a player.
Cheng Xiao quickly analyzed the situation, temporarily putting aside his jealousy but not completely letting go.
He invited Yu Deng, "Deng Deng, I might need to head back to the room to discuss some things with those guests. Do you want to come with me?"
This was exactly what Yu Deng wanted, so he nodded quickly and was about to leave.
Cheng Chaolin couldn't hear the system broadcast, he could only see his little wife and that brat making a decision after just a few words.
And they left him behind.
"What about me?" Cheng Chaolin stroked Yu Deng's eye corner, "Did my wife forget about me?"
Yu Deng paused, guiltily glancing at his deceased husband.
He had indeed forgotten about his deceased husband due to the sudden dungeon changes..
Cheng Chaolin understood Yu Deng's intention, gritted his teeth, and withdrew all the black mist, restoring his clothes to clean and complete.
At a glance, Cheng Chaolin looked like a noble young master from a prominent family, not a ghost long dead.
Cheng Chaolin said slowly, "If there's something to discuss, I'll go listen too."
...
On the way back, with Cheng Chaolin, the ghost, protecting them, no evil spirits dared to approach. It only took Yu Deng ten minutes to return to the mansion.
The players gathered in the spacious hall again, clearly anxious about the dungeon's changes.
Seeing Cheng Xiao return, a player wanted to say something, but before they could, they saw the stunning widow NPC and a handsome man..
Player: "Who is this?! Are all the NPCs in this dungeon so good-looking?!"
Ke Qi frantically signaled Cheng Xiao, trying to understand the situation. Cheng Xiao just shook his head, sneering internally.
Whether this ghost would harm them, he couldn't tell for now, but he was certain it would compete with him for Yu Deng's affection.
The whole hall fell into an eerie silence, waiting for the last few minutes to pass.
Yu Deng urgently racked his brains, combining the name Cheng Xiao had told him that day, and reviewed the information he had gathered over the past few days within the limited time available.
"Should be okay," he thought.
Before long, Yu Deng saw the housekeeper uncle accompanying the old lady into the hall, followed by several plot characters.
The originally spacious hall became crowded in an instant.
The expressions of the Cheng family members varied, but when they saw Cheng Chaolin beside Yu Deng, they were all shocked and their faces changed drastically.
These people were terrified, their eyes widened and their faces turned as pale as the walls, but all their screams were stifled, as if their throats were clenched.
Cheng Chaolin continued playing with Yu Deng's fingers. After a while, he looked at them with an indifferent smile.
The leading old lady, her face full of wrinkles, took a deep look at her youngest son, who had died young but reappeared, then turned to the players and said, "I heard from Xiao Dong that you have some ideas, right?"
"Yes," Zhang Ziyun said.
"Then, please tell us, who is the murderer of the old master?"
[Ding. Players, please identify the murderer of Old Master Cheng within one minute.]
Urged by the system, the players made their choices.
Yu Deng chose to believe in his stepson and discreetly pointed to Miss Lin. The two novice college players also identified Miss Lin. The balding middle-aged man, who had been unconscious earlier, followed the crowd.
The corporate slave and the designer turned their stiff necks several times, their gazes darting among the Cheng family members before reluctantly settling on Lin Ziyue, but their eyeballs kept twitching, almost bulging like fish eyes.
Yu Deng glanced at them, almost getting goosebumps. "System, they both seem strange."
The system said: [They were likely already corrupted.]
Yu Deng didn't hear the last part as it was blocked.
"Corrupted by what?" he wondered.
Miss Lin, who was identified by most people, remained indifferent, only showing respect and gratitude when looking at Cheng Chaolin.
Now, only two veteran players had yet to make a decision.
In the last few seconds of the minute, the two veteran players, who had remained silent, finally spoke up, "They are wrong. The murderer should be Miss Cheng, Cheng Chaoxia."
The players were stunned.
The tall, skinny veteran player pointed at Cheng Chaoxia, "I'm not sure how others died, but your maid already told me that you went out the day the old master died. She followed you and witnessed the whole process of you killing him by inserting a hairpin into his heart, causing his death."
The forty-something noblewoman, draped in a Western-style coat, looked at the veteran player for a moment and nodded in acknowledgment.
"That's right. I stabbed that old bastard that day. Who told him to always look down on me, treating me as a pawn in a political marriage and unwilling to relinquish power to me."
The two veteran players were overjoyed.
"Indeed, the clues validated by the props are trustworthy. If all other players die, all the props from this dungeon will be ours," they thought.
The novice players finally came to their senses and glared angrily at the two veteran players.
"So, at the beginning of the dungeon, when these two veterans told us that we could only clear the dungeon by following their orders, it was actually to send us to step on mines and find clues, while they hid crucial information from us," they realized.
"You've gone too far!" they exclaimed.
Tong Jie, with a sense of superiority, said with pity, "This is an infinite dungeon. Isn't it normal to hide things from other players? You can only blame yourselves for being too naive."
Yu Deng stared blankly at Cheng Chaoxia admitting to the act, feeling panic and emptiness.
"Am I going to die?" he wondered.
Perhaps Yu Deng's expression was too sorrowful. Cheng Xiao squeezed his other hand and whispered, "Trust me."
Cheng Chaolin squinted, wrapped his arm around Yu Deng's shoulder, and pulled him into his embrace.
Meanwhile, Cheng Chaoxia, after being identified, completely abandoned her previous disguise. She ranted and even laughed heartily.
"But I really didn't expect so many people to hate him. He had already been dead for a while then. I was worried for several days, but in the end, it wasn't me who killed him," she said, shaking her head in regret, unclear whether she regretted not doing it herself or the veterans getting the answer wrong.
The veterans' glee instantly turned to dismay, their faces turning ashen.
"How could it be?! Could the novices be right?!" they questioned.
As if in response, the system announced, [Ding. The voting phase has ended. Two players identified the wrong murderer and will be executed.]
The electronic voice had barely finished speaking when the two previously smug veterans turned into a cloud of blood, their screams lasting only a few seconds before falling silent.
The veteran players, who had played all sorts of dark tricks in front of the novices, were nothing but ants before the dungeon's power.
Yu Deng groaned, his face turning pale and his stomach churning.
Cheng Chaolin frowned, a black mist emanating to soothe Yu Deng. He felt a strong urge to destroy the force that had just appeared and killed the veterans.
Before the players could recover, the electronic voice sounded again.
[Ding. Congratulations, players, for finding the true murderer and completing part of the main quest. The dungeon will now enter the second phase.
In the second phase, players can immerse themselves in the quest for the truth. Trigger any key information to participate in events. Please note that plot characters may be hostile. Enjoy your game.]
One player wailed, "What the heck?"
[I understand now. Players who identify the wrong murderer are eliminated immediately. The correct players enter an additional process to seek the truth immersively]
[But the second phase is likely full of traps. Finding the truth comes at a cost]
[It might even be coercive.]
[Why does it feel like the game is getting harsher lately?]
Everyone now realized the dangers of the dungeon.
In fairness, if viewed simply as a murder mystery game, the whole thing wasn't that complex. As long as all the clues were pieced together, the murderer was obvious.
But the difficulty lay in the fact that new victims and clues kept emerging as the plot progressed over the past few days.
The process of continuous deaths quietly increased the dungeon's difficulty. Approaching the answer also meant approaching more dangers and even death.
Understanding this, everyone felt both terrified and disgusted.
Ke Qi's face turned green.
"We've spent days finding clues, only to be forcibly pushed into dangerous immersive experiences now. Damn it," he cursed.
"Those veterans were scumbags, but they were right about one thing: this damn game really wants to kill us!"
Yu Deng agreed with this very much.
It seemed the second phase was about to begin. Yu Deng instinctively looked for the two people he was most familiar with here.
Cheng Xiao tightly grabbed Yu Deng's wrist.
Cheng Chaolin felt a sense of being rejected. This space seemed to be undergoing changes beyond comprehension.
Cheng Chaolin lowered his head, bit Yu Deng's neck with sharp canine teeth, leaving a red mark.
The next moment, everyone's surroundings abruptly changed.
The luxurious Cheng family mansion disappeared, turning into a long street.
The sky was gray, passersby wore long robes or shirts, hurriedly walking, vendors peddled along the street, and rickshaws and cars occasionally passed by.
[Wait, this is the scene from the previous timeline, right? It's scene reversal(flashback)! I'm seeing scene reversal in a novice dungeon!]
[Wake up, it's a transformed dungeon.]
[I wondered why everything went smoothly with no deaths earlier. Turns out it was a setup, leading to a big move now!!]
[Looking closely, it doesn't seem like a complete reversal. It feels more like an illusion..]
On the long street.
Yu Deng hadn't yet recovered from the voting phase and the scene of the veteran players' execution when the surroundings changed.
Moreover, the two men who had been clinging to him were also separated from him.
It was like a game refresh where everyone's spawn points were scrambled.
Suddenly in this unfamiliar environment, Yu Deng's mind was still dazed, aimlessly wandering.
He didn't know how many eyes were on him.
"System, I want to report this dungeon and the main system," he said.
What kind of dungeon treats players like guinea pigs?!
[After the dungeon ends, I will assist you with the operation.]
With tears in his eyes, Yu Deng turned on the bullet comments.
[Baby, now that others are gone, you finally remember us.]
[My eyes are filled with tears. How can a popular live streamer not interact with his audience?]
Yu Deng selectively ignored the audience's reproaches and explained somewhat sheepishly.
"There are so many of you. Having you here makes me feel a little more at ease."
[Oh my, I'm so honored to give Baby a sense of security.]
The street was quite lively. The facial features of these passersby were somewhat blurry, but the chatter was clear.
""Hey! The Cheng family is indeed a big family. They actually started doing business with those foreigners?!"
"What new business are they doing? Are they opening factories? My wife wants to find a job."
"Shh, that's hard to say. But if you want to find a job, just look for Master Cheng."
The people's conversation was mixed with the cries of a newsboy.
"Hey, kid."
Yu Deng, lost for a long time, finally decided to boldly ask the passersby. He casually stopped a seven or eight-year-old newsboy. "What were they talking about just now?"
"Don't you know? Then buy a newspaper, and you'll find out. It's not expensive, just—" The little newsboy cheerfully replied, but when he turned to look at Yu Deng, his expression changed, and he went silent.
Such a beautiful person exists? This handsome brother must be a celestial being descended from heaven!
Yu Deng, troubled and honest, said, "But I don't have any money."
"That's alright. I'll give you a copy!" the newsboy generously offered. "As for what they were talking about, it's about the Cheng family's business. You know, Cheng family is the most prominent here."
Yu Deng took the newspaper, thanked him, and noticed a school not far away. Before the newsboy left, he asked, "Do you know who runs that school?"
The newsboy, enchanted by Yu Deng's beauty, was very talkative. "The Zhao family!"
Zhao? That sounds like the surname of the deceased fourth concubine. This school should be run by the fourth concubine's family.
After bidding farewell to the newsboy, Yu Deng carefully approached the school's gate and knocked on it.
But the school's gate was tightly closed, and the gatekeepers were nowhere to be seen.
Yu Deng pondered, figuring that there must be important plot elements inside, and he needed to find a way in.
The bullet comments began giving advice:
[Baby, try climbing over the wall.]
Yu Deng took this advice.
He wandered to a more secluded corner, disdainfully brushing off the dust on the outer wall, and clumsily tried to climb up.
Unfortunately, the height of the outer wall was quite a challenge for Yu Deng. He not only failed to climb up but also fell halfway, getting dirt on his palms and cheeks, making his delicate face look dirty.
Yu Deng, feeling frustrated and embarrassed, kicked the base of the wall. Although he didn't use much force, it still made his toes hurt a bit.
"ugh.." (╥﹏╥) huhu
He hung his head, looking like a dejected little kitten.
[Oh, Baby is so cute. Let me clean your face.]
[Don't pay attention to the others. Let me give Baby a lick. I'm great at it.]
[Darling, you're so clumsy. Let me give you a kiss. Can you come to my arms?]
Yu Deng, feeling dispirited, was about to give up.
Meanwhile, his attempt to climb over the wall was observed by his teenage stepson, who had just arrived.
Cheng Xiao first felt pleased that his cheap father was slower than him, then he was almost overwhelmed by how cute Yu Deng looked.
"Baby, you're so cute."
Cheng Xiao ran up to Yu Deng and said the term "Baby" instinctively.
Cheng Xiao paused for a moment after saying this, then felt that this term was more fitting than calling him "Little Mom" or "Deng Deng."
Such a precious little thing deserved to be called "Baby."
"Um," Yu Deng didn't care about what Cheng Xiao called him. "How did you find me? There should be something we want to know in here, but I can't get in."
"Let's go in and check," the teenage stepson said, wiping the dirt off Yu Deng's face. "As for how I found you, Baby is so beautiful, you're the most conspicuous anywhere, so it's easy to find you."
"...You're quite good at compliments."
Yu Deng reiterated, "I can't climb this wall." He lifted his chin. "Please help me."
As soon as Yu Deng made the request, the tall teenager crouched down, offering his shoulder for Yu Deng to step on, showing no concern about getting his clothes dirty.
After some effort, both of them managed to sit on top of the wall.
From here, the school seemed calm, with no significant events occurring inside for now.
"Let's go. We should go inside first."
The height of over three meters was no challenge for Cheng Xiao, who easily jumped down.
Yu Deng clung tightly to the wall, afraid to move.
Yu Deng found the height to be too much for him.
He dared not move, and his light-colored pupils looked exceptionally clear and innocent under the outdoor light.
Cheng Xiao looked up at Yu Deng, imagining a clumsy little kitten stuck in a tree, panicking and unable to come down, just meowing at those below.
Unable to resist teasing Yu Deng, Cheng Xiao said, "Baby, why don't you come down?"
"It's too high..."
Yu Deng felt frustrated. Cheng Xiao had helped him up but now seemed clueless about how to get him down.
"You jerk," Yu Deng scolded.
Cheng Xiao smiled, "Don't worry, I'll catch you."
After a moment's hesitation, Yu Deng decided to take the plunge and leaped forward.
The sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed him, making him extremely anxious.
Fortunately, Yu Deng didn't fall as he feared. Instead, he landed in a warm and sturdy embrace.
The force of gravity and inertia made Yu Deng wrap his arms around Cheng Xiao's neck.
"See, I told you I'd catch you."
Cheng Xiao held the soft, fragrant, and beautiful Yu Deng close, unable to resist lowering his head to kiss Yu Deng's tender lips.
They kissed in a secluded corner, with the sound of their intimacy muffled by distant laughter.
As Cheng Xiao kissed Yu Deng, a small area of space nearby shimmered slightly, and a wisp of black mist struggled to emerge.
Originally a small puff of black mist, upon sensing Yu Deng being kissed, it immediately transformed into a cluster of sharp spikes.
Cheng Xiao noticed the black mist's reaction out of the corner of his eye. Instead of stopping, he kissed Yu Deng even more passionately.
Until Yu Deng's breathing became rapid and he made a faint, sobbing sound, Cheng Xiao finally stopped his actions.
The corners of Yu Deng's eyes were already moist with redness, his gaze hazy, eyelashes wet with tears, hanging moistly downward.
Grumbling discontentedly, he muttered, "You kissed me so aggressively again."
"My mistake, I'll be gentler."
The young stepson held Yu Deng in a steady embrace, then leaned down to kiss him briefly before speaking.
It was both deliberate provocation and a heartfelt sigh of contentment.
"Baby, your tongue is so soft."