Horror Game Designer Chapter 548: Zhang Mingli

The elder held the tools as if he were about to take away Gao Ming’s face and brain.

“Other than the night-watcher, are there other choices?” Gao Ming reached towards the butcher’s knife. He was frightened by the old man. They were chatting normally, but suddenly, he was ready to gouge his face off. This change was so sudden, but the elder did everything like he was only putting Gao Ming’s interests first.

“Your life force is too strong to be hidden. No seal can hide it. When the villagers want to sacrifice you and the outsiders want to eat you, where are you going to hide?” The night-watcher took another step forward, “I’m old. The amount of time I can remain conscious after smelling the joss stick is getting shorter and shorter. Once I collapse in the village, you’ll write my name on a new plaque, and you’ll take over for me.”

Gao Ming’s eyes were complicated. He didn’t know what the village ancestral hall worshipped, but he could guess who had left behind so many ancestral plaques in this house.

“Can’t the night-watchers’ plaques be placed at the village ancestral hall to be worshipped?”

“What are you talking about? That place is no longer a place of worship! You’ll get no blessing there!” The old man approached with the knife. He really wanted Gao Ming to take his place, “One has to have a strong life force to be a night-watcher. You are just perfect for the job.”

Gao Ming took out the butcher’s knife and stood on the other side of the table, “Sir, I respect your person and appreciate you for helping me, but I have other things to do. My friends are waiting for me to save them. I’m afraid I can’t make any big decisions before I find them.” Gao Ming was firm. He knew too little about this town to accept any modification.

“The butcher’s knife? Why did you get entangled with that madman?” The night-watcher had no eyes, but the voice in his chest could pinpoint where the knife came from. He appeared to possess the ability to read the aura of various items in the world, like the powerful life force in Gao Ming, the murderous aura on the butcher’s knife and the Yin energy in the village ancestral hall.

“A friend of mine has been turned into a pig,” Before Gao Ming could finish, the night-watcher waved his hands.

“It was originally a pig but had been wearing human skin.” The elder even advised Gao Ming. “Don’t trust the pig’s words.”

After knowing Gao Ming had angered the butcher, the old man was not as passionate as before. He paced in the room, “It’s now Hai Shi Two Geng Tian. It’s getting more dangerous. I need to go on a patrol. It’s unsafe for you to stay here. The butcher might destroy the altar table.” Putting down the knife, the voice became more tired, “I’ll ask you again. If you are willing to be a night-watcher, I’ll help you stop the butcher and settle your history with him.” For him, this was not an easy decision to make.

“My friends are still waiting for me.”

“Alright.” The night-watcher didn’t push. “It’s not safe here. I’ll send you to the school.”

“School?” When Gao Ming went on patrol with the old man earlier, he didn’t notice a school.

“The village is relatively peaceful now. When it’s Hai Shi, more things will appear on the streets. The village gates might even open. You don’t have much time left.” The old man bowed at the altar and handed an unlit joss stick to Gao Ming, “Take this with you. When you encounter a malice you can’t deal with, burn it with the blood of your heart. The stronger the blood, the more effective the joss stick.” The old man did not help Gao Ming out of pure kindness. To prevent Gao Ming from asking questions, he picked up the white lantern and headed out, “The path to the school is tricky. Stay close to me.”

Hai Shi was around 21: 00 to 23: 00. It was not yet midnight, but Gao Ming was already unsettled.

The night-watcher took the wide village road for his patrol. However, to send Gao Ming to the school, he chose the meandering alleys.

“Don’t create trouble at the school. Find Teacher Zhang. He is understanding, gentle and kind. He is different from everyone here.” The old man’s words grabbed Gao Ming’s attention. The night-watcher should represent Dream Break Town’s order. Then, what would the teacher praised by the night-watcher represent?

“Is there someone else as kind as you here?”

“I’m not a kind person,” The old man shook his hands. After he traded out a new joss stick, he became more energised. The old man had no idea what Gao Ming was thinking. He was so young and talented, but he chose to anger the butcher.

“We’re here.”

The night-watcher pushed open a wooden door in the dark. The air in the yard was distinctively different from the outside. There was a flowery fragrance. Dream Break Town was filled with the scent of burning paper money. Everything and everyone smelled of soot and smoke, but this place was different.

There were four yellow mud walls. A few roof tiles were missing. Someone used straws to cover up the empty spots. The roof beams were uneven. The walls were slanted. There were a few small wooden tables carved with various paintings in the corner. This was clearly a school built by the small village. However, education was not really valued there.

“I have to go on my patrol at Hai Shi. You can stay here. Come out after Mao Shi Five Geng.” The night-watcher knocked on a small door beside the school hall, “Teacher Zhang, I’ve brought a student with me.”

There were sounds of wine urns moving. Soon, the door opened a small gap. A man with an unruly beard appeared at the door. He glanced at the old man and then at Gao Ming. His eyes shone with derision. He said something strange, “You still haven’t given up?! Did you bring another dummy to test me?”

“Teacher Zhang, his life force burns as strong as fire, and he has offended the butcher…”

“Enough. Your excuses are the same all the time. Can’t Immortal Pharma come up with something new?” The man opened the door and rudely told the old man, “Get lost, old man. Don’t make me clean up your mess again.”

To be honest, the man didn’t fit Gao Ming’s idea of a teacher, but considering this was Dream Break Town, Gao Ming stopped paying much attention to it.

The night-watcher bowed at the man. After he was insulted a few more times, he left.

“You know this is a death trap, and you still come here. How dumb.” Teacher Zhang carried a sutra book. He looked at the stunned Gao Ming, “What are you here to learn?”

“I want to learn… how to kill.” Gao Ming whispered under his breath. He stared at the man’s face. His brain was flooded with the information provided by the players in the taboo game. The man they told him to find was similar to the man before him. Plus, they had the same surname. “Teacher, can you tell me your name?”
The man leaned on the door frame and shrugged, “Zhang Mingli.”