Chapter 295: The Door of Punishment

Yan Chuan looked at everyone else.
“Is the Door of Punishment… at the end of the corridor?” he hesitantly asked.
The long-haired magician nodded slightly.
“Yes,” Jiang Qi’s teasing expression had vanished, replaced by extreme calmness. “It seems this variety show requires a certain number of deaths.”
He briefly explained the mechanism: when there are multiple contestants in the script, there are requirements for injuries.
In other words, they needed to get hurt—or worse—to leave this villa.
Jiang Qi’s blunt words made Yan Chuan tighten his lips.
This was his first invitation from an escape variety show, and it was also his first time participating in a special variety show. He was completely unfamiliar with the “Door of Punishment.”
What would be inside? Monsters or ghosts?
What would happen to them, the contestants who had not met the passing standards?
“Let’s go.” While Yan Chuan was lost in thought, Kori stood up first, reaching out his hand to signal him to follow.
Seeing the outstretched hand, Yan Chuan hesitated and shook his head.
“Thank you…” He always felt that Su was still watching him, so he politely declined Kori’s goodwill. “I can walk by myself…”
Yan Chuan’s earlobes turned red, and the warmth on his cheeks didn’t dissipate.
Just now, they were all waiting for his answer, but he had brushed the question aside.
However, it didn’t matter whether he answered or not; after all, they all knew the answer.
Kori’s words… probably contained not only memories from the script but also the knowledge that he was the “beautiful wife” mentioned by Su.
Yan Chuan nervously gripped the hem of his clothes.
More than that, he felt somewhat at a loss as to how things had developed to this extent.
Tang Zhen mentioned his task and the identity he had obtained, while Su again brought up the two wild men who were coveting his wife.
Aren’t they just participating in a special escape variety show? Why does everyone’s task have to involve this poor contestant?
It was clearly hinting that it was him, right?
Yan Chuan lowered his gaze.
Fortunately, the tasks on the spinning wheel still needed to be completed, giving Yan Chuan a temporary excuse to avoid the problem.
He was more troubled by Dan Qi, who, after all, was not only the “secret lover” from his first script but also had an unknown role in the remaining scripts.
If he further joined the fray and went back to ask himself…
Should he tell him that he played a cross-dressing little streamer in the second script, specifically deceiving sponsors for gifts?
Yan Chuan felt that he was truly unfortunate.
Who else could be like him, with contestants he knew in the script, even the NPCs appearing?
Yan Chuan lowered his gaze to avoid Dan Qi’s stare.
He followed Kori and the others into the corridor.
The villa arranged for them by the escape variety show was quite large; the second floor was enclosed with a fence, preventing anyone from entering or exiting. Of course, no contestant would deliberately go in.
Walking past the hall, there were the rooms on the first floor.
A long corridor stretched ahead, covered with a deep red carpet, paired with dark golden-patterned wallpaper. The chandelier overhead cast a warm yellow light.
The doors were tightly closed, creating an impression of countless rooms that seemed endless.
Previously, contestants were required to push open a certain door for their tasks, so one door on the left was open.
Inside was pitch black, with no lights on, and a fresh pool of blood stained the carpet at the entrance.
The strong smell of rust exploded in his nostrils.
Yan Chuan frowned slightly, turning his gaze away.
And the task required them to enter the so-called “Door of Punishment.”
There was no need for further explanation, as a metal plaque was affixed above the doorway of the innermost closed door.
It had three large characters: “Door of Punishment.”
Yan Chuan’s eyelashes trembled lightly.
It seemed they really needed to open this door.
Yan Chuan’s gaze briefly crossed the faces of Jiang Qi and the others, hesitating as he asked,
“Shall we enter according to our seating order?”
Just now, when the contestants were drawing tasks, it was all according to the seating order arranged by the escape variety show; he was first, and it was likely he would be first again.
Yan Chuan even wrinkled his nose.
“No,” Jiang Qi put the card back in his pocket, his tone still quite relaxed. “Order doesn’t matter. Since there are no special instructions, it means we can go in freely.”
Yan Chuan found it hard to understand his words.
“We can go in together,” the long-haired magician suggested. “Going in one at a time increases the danger. It’s up to you all.”
Yan Chuan hesitated and looked at Dan Qi and the others.
The “Door of Punishment” sounded very dangerous, and he had no idea what lay inside.
According to Jiang Qi, the task did not require them to enter one by one, leaving them with operational space.
Yan Chuan pressed his lips together.
But they were given this extra task precisely because there had been no casualties, so if they went in together, would they still… not meet the requirements?
Kori leaned against the wall, lifting his chin slightly, seeming a bit impatient as he clicked his tongue.
His features were handsome, but at this moment, he looked somewhat agitated, staring at Yan Chuan’s back repeatedly.
Kori pulled at the corner of his lips, extended his long arm, and opened his hand. “I don’t mind.”
He took the lead in expressing his stance, and Tang Zhen and Dan Qi also shook their heads, indicating that they didn’t care.
Yan Chuan nodded slightly and said softly, “I think it’s fine either way.”
After all, he would have to go in alone regardless.
Once Su also indicated his stance, Jiang Qi nodded slightly.
“Alright.” The magician casually took out a card from his chest pocket, flipping it over to show everyone.
Ace of Spades
Jiang Qi shook the card in his hand, his tone lifting. “It seems we’re lucky; we drew ‘Victory’.”
After showing everyone the face of the card, the magician put it away, and the smile on his lips faded slightly.
He performed a somewhat complicated court bow towards Yan Chuan, gently taking his hand.