Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 12

When it was Xie Nuange’s row’s turn, their movements were as polished as those of true ladies of the imperial harem.

They moved in perfect unison. Every minute gesture and angle reproduced the palace maid’s demonstration exactly.

Unfortunately, even after the lesson ended, Xie Nuange remained Rank Ten.

Thirteen was dead. Twelve, Eleven… then her.

Today, she would be Eleven’s most obvious prey. She needed to find herself a fighter.

The moment the lesson ended, the candidates scattered.

“When Fifteen died, what clue did someone come to trade with you?” Rank Nineteen asked Sixteen. “Your rank is dangerous now. We have to find clues together if we want to clear the scenario.”

“What clue could a useless ornament like Xie Nuange have?”

Sixteen smiled. She had no intention of giving her information away for free. She was no saint.

“But if you want it, I can trade. One clue for one ghost item. What do you say?”

Nineteen gave a slight shake of her head. “Forget it.”

Sixteen snorted and walked away.

Nineteen watched her go, deep in thought.

Xie Nuange hurried after Cheng Luo.

“Cheng Luo.”

Cheng Luo glanced back without slowing. “What?”

“We should stay together from now on,” Xie Nuange said, catching up. “We can watch each other’s backs.”

Cheng Luo stopped and tilted her head. “Big Sister Xie, I’d love to protect you, but I can barely look after myself. If something really happens, I might not have time to save you.”

Xie Nuange had expected that response.

“We’re safer together.”

She softened her voice. “No one else knows what our skills are. That uncertainty will make them cautious. If you’re alone and someone targets you…”

She paused and met Cheng Luo’s eyes. “I know you’re strong, but what if someone like Eleven finds you while you’re isolated, with all those ghost items?”

“It takes time to summon Mom, doesn’t it? Those few seconds are enough for someone to attack.”

Cheng Luo blinked, apparently considering the point.

“But if I’m beside you, they won’t know which one of us has a skill and which one doesn’t,” Xie Nuange continued. “They’ll hesitate. Those few seconds of hesitation will give you enough time to summon Mom.”

“And most importantly, if Eleven kills me to climb the rankings, you’ll be the person directly above her next.”

Xie Nuange led her carefully through the logic. “If she can kill me to rise, what makes you think she won’t attack you too?”

“I’m different. I’m no threat to you.”

Cheng Luo thought it over and finally nodded. “Fine. But you’d better stay close, Big Sister Xie.”

Xie Nuange gave a soft sound of agreement.

They left side by side, heading back to the archives to continue their search—and to avoid Eleven and Twelve.

Before long, Xie Nuange realized someone else had died.

This time, the system announced it directly.

[To better serve all Chosen Players, real-time announcements are now available.]

[Palace Candidate Rankings: Rank 15 has died.]

[Palace Candidate Rankings: Rank 15 has died.]

The announcement repeated three times, as though terrified someone might miss it.

Xie Nuange looked at Cheng Luo, her expression grave. “Fifteen is dead. That makes this even harder.”

The rankings were about to update. According to Jiang Fan’s previous pattern, she had killed Thirteen last night, so Twelve should have been today’s first victim.

Instead, Twelve remained alive, while the new Fifteen had died.

Had the sequence restarted from Fifteen? Or would it return to Twelve after killing Fifteen?

[Palace Candidate Rankings updated.]

[Current Palace Candidate Rankings (35 Total)]

The rankings refreshed less than a minute after the death announcement ended.

The top twelve had not changed. Meng Shi had risen to Rank Sixteen, an increasingly dangerous position.

Xie Nuange took a deep breath.

If Meng Shi entered the top fifteen, the balance inside their room would shatter.

They had to find the clue and break Jiang Fan’s killing pattern as soon as possible.

Xie Nuange searched the Palace of Gathered Elegance’s attendant records.

At last, she found the entries from Great Qian Year Three.

By Year Four, the palace maids who had served during Jiang Fan’s selection had either been released from the palace or died.

Only one person from Year Three remained.

[Training Matron: Matron Jiang]

Could Matron Jiang be connected to Jiang Fan?

“Cheng Luo.”

Xie Nuange looked toward Cheng Luo, who was searching another stack of records. “Let’s see whether we can get the NPCs to talk.”

“We’ll probably have to bribe them, won’t we?”

In Cheng Luo’s previous scenarios, information from NPCs always came at a price that interested them.

Sometimes a body part. Sometimes years of life. Sometimes a ghost item.

It depended on the type of scenario.

Here, the rules of an ancient imperial palace probably applied. Could they buy information with money—in other words, ghost items?

“Let’s take a look first.”

Xie Nuange rose and headed for the door with Cheng Luo.

They had barely stepped outside when someone blocked their path.

“Xie Nuange?”

Rank Fifteen looked at her without emotion.

“Any last words?”

“Who are you?” Cheng Luo asked curiously, studying this woman who sounded even more arrogant than she did.

“The new Rank Fifteen.”

She gave no name, only her rank. It was enough to make her intentions clear.

“I didn’t want to come, but the last two Fifteens were both useless.”

Her gaze shifted to Cheng Luo. “You’re Nine? This has nothing to do with you. If you insist on interfering, I won’t mind climbing two places instead.”

“Wow. Big words.”

Cheng Luo kept smiling. “Then come try.”

Xie Nuange had no attack skill, but she needed to make it look as though she did.

As soon as Cheng Luo finished speaking, Xie Nuange used her enhanced physical strength to move rapidly away from her, forcing Fifteen to divide her attention between two opponents.

Fifteen’s target was clear. She charged straight at Xie Nuange.

She did not use a skill immediately. Against two opponents, before she understood either ability, close combat was the safest choice.

“Mom!”

Cheng Luo’s shout made Fifteen hesitate.

In all her past experience, she had never heard of a skill activated by calling for one’s mother.

The thought flashed through her mind, and then she and Xie Nuange collided.

Datafication was not an offensive skill, but Xie Nuange had never neglected her physical training.

She knew exactly where she was weak, so she had worked even harder to strengthen her body.

Fifteen drove a fist at her. Xie Nuange raised one forearm across her body and blocked.

The punch struck hard.

She did not retreat. She stepped inside her opponent’s reach, turned her hips, and drove her right elbow toward Fifteen’s face.

Fifteen leaned back, caught Xie Nuange’s arm, and hooked one leg over her shoulder. Her core tightened as she tried to drag Xie Nuange to the ground.

Xie Nuange seized the opening and drove a knee toward Fifteen’s spine.

Fifteen had no choice but to release her and evade the strike.

Before Xie Nuange could reset, a fist shot toward her throat.

Boom.

The punch never reached her.

Mom’s fist struck Fifteen instead and launched her through the air.

Fifteen climbed from the ground and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. When she saw Cheng Luo’s summoned ghost, fury blazed in her eyes.

“You’d better pray I never catch you alone.”