TANH Chapter 33.2: Seminary 09.2

2ND JUL 2023~SV

What a word-playing system!

In the temple, the choosing of the auspicious time had ended. The High Priest stood on the altar, his face hidden behind a mask, his expression unclear.

The players didn’t dare to discuss quietly, or even gasp loudly, in fear that they would be the next to die.

The other students, out of respect for God, did not look around, and were engrossed in praying to God.

It wasn’t until nightfall that everyone left the temple.

The students’ fanatic expressions disappeared, and gradually turned into normal expressions, happily and playfully discussing on the way to the cafeteria:

“That luck of that one called Qian Gangfeng is too good!”

“Yeah, he’d just transferred here!”

“If I knew earlier I would also enrol later.”

…………

Wen Qing was confused. Envy Qian Gangfeng for what?

Envious of his early demise and reincarnation?

Li Jingjing didn’t understand it either. She took a step forward, grabbed the arm of one of the students, and directly asked, “Classmate, what do you guys mean when you say that Qian Gangfeng is lucky?”

“I’m also a new transfer student, I don’t know.”

The student glanced at her and explained, “He is the person chosen by the High Priest.”

Wen Qing blinked. He was the person chosen by the High Priest to die.

He couldn’t resist asking, “So?”

The student turned his head. Seeing Wen Qing’s face, his eyes sparkled and he excitedly said, “You were also chosen by the High Priest!”

“You seem to be a transfer student too. It’s really the green smoke from the graves of your ancestors who have accumulated meritorious deeds. It’s only been a few days since you enrolled into school.”

Wen Qing was silent. He obviously had the bad luck of eight lifetimes.

The student said a few words of envy before returning to the topic. They told them, “Those selected by the High Priests can directly become God servants without having to pass the graduation examination.”

Hearing a new term, Wen Qing was a little at a loss. “What is a God servant?”

The student looked at him strangely. “The teachers are all God servants.”

“The teachers were the people who had been chosen by the High Priest in the past. Under the High Priest’s training, they are responsible for teaching us and spreading our theology.”

Wen Qing was stunned. “But hasn’t Qian Gangfeng’s heart been dug out?”

“Don’t the God servants need remains?” 

“What remains?” the student smiled and said matter-of-factly, “God will grant them a new life.”

Wen Qing frowned and saw the expressions of the students at the side.

All of them had similar expressions, as if someone still being able to live after having their heart dug out was a normal thing.

Obviously they were all very normal at other times, but as long as it was related to God, everyone seemed to be overly brainwashed, like cult members.

Li Jingjing continued to ask, “Did all of the teachers have their hearts dug out?”

The student looked at her, “Probably not, I’m also not sure.”

“But each of them are the ones who were chosen by the High Priest and were able to be reborn.”

Listening to this, Wen Qing was mystified.

Bai Tong and Li Jingjing continued to question again and again, but these students couldn’t explain clearly, as if they were only just hearing about it.

Seeing Wen Qing so curious, the student was very friendly as they said, “You’ll be able to know after two days.”

“You were chosen, you’ll be able to feel it yourself, unlike us, who can only watch eagerly.”

Saying this, the student even comforted, “You don’t need to worry.”

Wen Qing lowered his head and pulled his lips up.

He wasn’t in a hurry to die at all.

****

During dinner time, Wen Qing still didn’t see Ji Junfeng in the cafeteria. There was nobody in the dormitory either.

Not only Ji Junfeng, Oz was also missing.

The three of them had no choice but to give up the idea of questioning Ji Junfeng.

Bai Tong closed the door and quietly said, “If what Ji Junfeng said was the truth, and he didn’t deceive us, the future activities of exorcising evil spirits, burning incense, and praying will continue to sacrifice players.”

“Right now there are 73 students, nine players. Before one o’clock on Sunday, four more players will die.”

Li Jingjing pondered on it. After a while, she asked, “Why was it Wen Qing and Qian Gangfeng today?”

“Are there any rules to it?”

She tilted her head at Wen Qing, suspicion all over her face.

Wen Qing blinked and honestly said, “When the High Priest was roll calling, I accidentally met his eyes.”

It was the same as when the teacher randomly spot-checked the questions in class. The moment you meet their gaze, the teacher would call your name.

“As for Qian Gangfeng,” Wen Qing paused, “It’s because he raised his hand.”

“He did it voluntarily, did you guys not see it?”

Wen Qing was a little puzzled. He saw it very clearly from the platform.

Bai Tong and Li Jingjing simultaneously shook their heads.

Bai Tong pursed his lips and said, “He was the last one in the row, I didn’t see it.”

Li Jingjing nodded. “I didn’t see it either.”

Wen Qing was confused. “Why would he take the initiative to court death?”

With a sullen face, Bai Tong slowly said, “Someone probably told him the wrong information.”

Moreover, what that person said, Qian Gangfeng didn’t have any doubts about it.

There was a high probability that Qian Gangfeng deliberately put himself at the back of the line, wanting to monopolise some benefits. In the end, he lost his life.

Li Jingjing scratched her hair. She took a big gulp of water, calmed down and in a short while told the two of them, “It came out like this today, there’s no way any player will take the initiative tomorrow. Who can guarantee whether they will stand in Wen Qing’s position or become the next Qian Gangfeng?”

“If no one takes the initiative,” Li Jingjing frowned, a little worried. “Will it be random?”

“I saw that the High Priest didn’t even dare to show his face. It’s definitely not a good thing. If it’s random, an unlucky person like me might take a step, and then our teammate friendship would come to an abrupt end…”

Bai Tong was about to speak when chatter suddenly sounded outside. 

“Was that Chen Qiang just now? He came back?”

“Yeah, he’s become so crazy, I can’t even recognise him anymore.”

“Who made him only have sex in his mind.”

“He can even think about that thing in this sort of place, he’s still pretty amazing.”

…………

Hearing this, Bai Tong rose and said, “Let’s go see Chen Qiang.”

Chen Qiang, Bai Tong and Li Jingjing shared a dormitory.

Wen Qing followed the two downstairs.

Pushing open the door, there was a person standing in the corner. His head was lowered and was hitting the wall with his head nonstop, making banging noises.

After approaching, Wen Qing heard him muttering to himself, saying thank God, thank the Lord, or something.

Bai Tong called out his name. “Chen Qiang.”

Chen Qiang’s body was stiff. Like a conditioned reflex, he said, “Thank God for granting me a name so I may walk in the World.”

Bai Tong was silent. He didn’t expect Chen Qiang to have this kind of reaction.

The dormitory fell silent. Chen Qiang started to bang his head against the wall again.

Li Jingjing tentatively asked, “Chen Aiang, was there anything in the confinement room?”

“What did you see?”

“Or what did you hear?”

Chen Qiang’s gaze was blank. He stared at the white wall and slowly recited, “God, please have mercy on a degenerate sinner like me. Save me from the abyss of sin and wilfulness.”

“I vow to dedicate all of me to You. My mind, my body, my soul, please wash me clean, please absolve me of all my sins…”

Chen Qiang’s eyes were lax, and he seemed to be in a trance. However, these words he spoke were clear, and the sentences were clearly paused, as if he had repeated them thousands of times at some point, forming a conditioned reflex that he could blurt out.

Bai Tong tried to talk to him again, but Chen Qiang’s replies were limited to prayers and nothing else.

When they didn’t ask him, he started murmuring against the wall once more.

Li Jingjing sighed. “There definitely isn’t anything we can ask out of this guy’s mouth.”

“Why don’t we go ask Zhang Chengrun? In any case, he was confined for less time, maybe his mind will be a little clearer.”

Wen Qing nodded.

The three of them walked to Zhang Chengrun’s bedroom. The moment they reached the door, they heard a loud noise from inside, accompanied by Zhang Chengrun’s screams.

They hurriedly rushed in, only to see the door to the bathroom was left wide open.

Oz was leaning against the wall, holding a shower head in his hand. As if he was washing garbage, he watered Zhang Chengrun expressionlessly.

Zhang Chengrun sat on the ground, completely drenched and waving his hands and feet in the air, as if trying to drive something away.

“Don’t come over aaaaaaahhhh!”

“Aaaaaaaah——”

Hearing his sad and shrill cries, Oz frowned. “What?”

“S- snakes… there’s snakes… and bugs,” Zhang Chengrun’s eyes were wide, as he stared in horror at the nothingness in front of him. “So many bugs…”

After recalling for a while, his cheeks spasmed, and he slowly said, “No, not bugs, they’re my sins, my crimes.”

He turned his body and quickly assumed a prayer posture. He put his hands together, bowed his head and said, “God, please have mercy on a degenerate sinner like me…”

Oz dropped the shower head, turned and walked out of the bathroom.

He glanced at Wen Qing coolly. He crooked his index finger, but didn’t do anything, and left the dormitory directly.

Wen Qing didn’t notice his glance. He was still looking at Zhang Chengrun.

There are snakes in the confinement room?

As well as bugs?

Wen Qing’s expression changed. These things, he was also very scared of them.

Li Jingjing looked disgusted. “Are there snakes in the confinement room?”

“Fuck, I can’t stand that kind of stuff.”

Bai a tong stared at Zhang Chengrun and slightly frowned. “There are no wounds on his and Chen Qiang’s bodies.”

Wen Qing was stunned for a while, and carefully scrutinised Zhang Chengrun’s body.

His clothes were soaked, and his white school uniform became transparent, so they could clearly see if there were any wounds on his body.

There were no cuts, not even any scratches.

It didn’t look like he had been fed snakes and bugs.

Wen Qing quietly asked, “Were the snakes and bugs only trying to scare him?”

Bai Tong lowered his eyes, stared at the crazed Zhang Chengrun, and slowly said, “Not snakes and bugs, but his sins.”

Wen Qing didn’t understand. His face was full of confusion.

Li Jingjing didn’t understand either. She urged, “Don’t leave us on a cliffhanger!”

Bai Tong pursed his lips and analysed, “It may be hallucinations or dreamlands, or something like that.”

“Let them see people and things that they are afraid of, and the only one who can save them is God.”

So they kept praying, asking God to forgive their sins…

Wen Qing’s thoughts suddenly cleared.

After Zhang Chengrun violated the school rules and purified his body and mind, he was classified as an original student, and he would be safe in the activities of the next few days.

Violation of school rules, confinement, safety…

Wen Qing suddenly realised, “The system said we must pay attention to the school rules, not abide by them.”

Instead, let them violate the school rules.

What a word-playing system!

A familiar system, a familiar routine.

SV: actually, that mental image of Oz watering ZCR like rinsing garbage (or, in my personal opinion, watering plants) is kinda funny…