"This uncomfortable bed truly does not provide the rest one desires; as expected, budget hotels lack quality," Song Shiqiao muttered, rubbing her stiff neck.
She pushed aside the covers and stepped barefoot onto the floor, dressed in loose pajamas, heading towards the bathroom.
"Seems like another wrinkle has appeared!" She sighed involuntarily upon seeing herself in the mirror.
Suddenly, her reflection in the mirror grinned oddly. "Do you wish to become younger?"
"Ah!" Song Shiqiao exclaimed, stepping back in shock, but found her legs immobilized.
It felt as if she were nailed to the ground, only able to move from the waist up.
The "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror smiled slyly at her. "Fear not. Make a wager with me; win, and you'll regain your youth."
"Are you a ghost?"
"No, I am eerie!"
"What does 'eerie' mean?"
Song Shiqiao, a university graduate working in the family business, had gained some worldly experience over the years. She quickly forced herself to calm down and questioned her counterpart.
The "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror extended her right thumb and forefinger in a money-pinching gesture. "Consulting questions comes with a price!"
"How much?"
"One question, one year of life."
Song Shiqiao's pupils contracted; she hadn't expected her lifespan to be at stake. "Then I won't ask. Can you let me leave?"
"At least wager with me once before leaving."
"How do we wager, and what are the stakes?"
"Very simple. Rock, paper, scissors. Best of three. Each round is worth three years of life. Win or lose, you can leave."
Song Shiqiao frowned deeply. Three years of life—how many such bets could one afford in a lifetime?
But upon reflection, she realized she couldn't leave without playing. "Fine, I'll wager with you. I hope you'll honor your words."
"We'll each place our right hand behind our back. I'll count to three, and then we'll reveal our moves."
The "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror eagerly rubbed her hands together, like a gambler long deprived of a bet.
Outside the mirror, Song Shiqiao looked solemn, resigned to the possibility of losing.
To her surprise, she won the first two rounds.
"Alas, I've lost. Three years of life go to you," the dejected "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror waved her hand, and an invisible entity drifted out from the mirror and entered Song Shiqiao's body.
Instantly, she felt revitalized, light as a feather, as if she had instantly grown younger.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, her skin seemed more radiant, and several lines around her eyes had disappeared.
"I've become younger?"
"Indeed. Extending life means improving the flesh, enabling you humans to live longer," explained the "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror.
Initially fearful, Song Shiqiao gradually replaced her fear with surprise.
Could it be so simple to gain three more years of life?
"Can I gamble again?"
Having regained her freedom, her legs now mobile, Song Shiqiao chose to continue gambling voluntarily. She understood well that there's no such thing as a free lunch; surely, there were traps here.
Yet the chance to regain youth was too tempting for anyone to resist.
"Of course."
The "Song Shiqiao" in the mirror smiled and agreed readily.
"Can we lower the stakes? Only wager one year of life per round."
Song Shiqiao wasn't foolish; lowering the stakes meant less risk if there were indeed traps. Besides, having already won three years, losing one more wouldn't be catastrophic.
"No problem. You're the guest; we'll play as you wish."
And so, the two began playing the game of rock, paper, scissors once more.
Whether it was luck or skill, Song Shiqiao occasionally lost, but mostly won.
As the game continued, she accumulated more and more years of life, her appearance gradually reverting to the tender visage of a 20-year-old.
She was overjoyed, proposing to increase the stakes to three years per round, with the intention of stopping once she reached 18 years old.
Yet, she found herself often losing three rounds to win one. Unknowingly, she lost all the years she had previously won, and her own life span began to diminish rapidly, transforming her into the appearance of someone in their forties.
Song Shiqiao lost her rationality, consumed with thoughts of how to turn things around, to regain the lost years of life.
Until she found it difficult to stand, needing to support herself against the sink before suddenly waking up.
"Ah! How did I end up like this?"
Song Shiqiao stared at her reflection in the mirror, wrinkles abundant, skin loose. Her once soft black hair now sparse with white.
She looked like a woman in her sixties.
Finally realizing the danger, she wanted to stop, but the eerie refused.
"You've already given up the chance to leave. You must gamble until death."
This eerie rule induced humans to gamble their lives away until death, a faint glimmer of hope hidden within.
Back in the first round, when Song Shiqiao first won three years of life, had she turned away, nothing would have happened. Instead, driven by greed, she continued, triggering the rule of death.
"Even if you force me to stay here, I won't gamble with you."
Song Shiqiao made up her mind; if she didn't play, there would be no loss or gain.
The eerie sneered, "One game per minute. If you don't play, you lose."
This statement finally shattered Song Shiqiao's last defense. She broke down in tears, struggling desperately to escape the bathroom.
But her lower body was like a stake driven into the ground, no matter how she struggled, she couldn't move an inch.
At that moment, a man appeared abruptly behind the hotel room's curtains. It was Xia Tianqiong, who had teleported there. He strode directly towards the bathroom, first noticing the eerie figure in the mirror before spotting the struggling Song Shiqiao.
"So there's someone else in your room!" Xia Tianqiong seemed somewhat surprised, his eyes suddenly brightening. "If you don't wish to die, you can let him gamble with me in your place."
Song Shiqiao looked at Xia Tianqiong in astonishment. She knew there was no one else in the room, and the door hadn't opened just now. How had this man entered?
But she couldn't worry about that now. She hurriedly said, "Don't come closer! There's something supernatural here. Quickly, call the police to rescue me."
Xia Tianqiong stood at the bathroom door, calmly surveying the situation inside. "Tell me what happened."
Song Shiqiao stared at him, wondering why he remained so composed.
Before she could speak, the eerie figure in the mirror smiled slyly. "Would you like to gamble with me? Win, and you can gain three years of life!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Tianqiong's eyes lit up suddenly, a faint smile curling his lips.
So it was a life-gambling eerie! Although it was a wild class eerie, it was highly sought after by everyone, even capable of exchanging with eerier of the eerie class for its ability to extend human life.
"Don't listen to its coaxing. Look at me; it stole my lifespan," Song Shiqiao couldn't help but warn. "Quick, call the police. Don't stand here like a fool!"
Xia Tianqiong shook his head. "The police can't save you."
Seeing him remain as calm as ever, Song Shiqiao suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.
"Can you save me then?"
"Saving a person involves karma; I don't intend to save you," Xia Tianqiong said casually, which gave Song Shiqiao hope but also made her extremely displeased.
Was he implying that he could save her but chose not to?
"I'll give you money. Please, save me quickly," Song Shiqiao pleaded, trying to contain her anger. "Name your price. How about two billion?"
"If you could produce that much money, I might consider interfering with karma," Xia Tianqiong smirked dismissively.
These standard hotel rooms only cost a few hundred yuan. How could a wealthy person stay here?
Song Shiqiao realized this too. "I am the CEO of Songtian Group. If you don't believe me, you can find my ID on the table or check online. My family is wealthy. If you save me, I'll immediately give you two billion."
Xia Tianqiong paused for a moment, then turned to search the room. Indeed, he found her ID and business card.
"You truly are the CEO of Songtian Group!"
Holding the business card, he returned to the bathroom door. "With your wealth, why are you staying in such a low-end hotel?"
"I plan to acquire several nearby budget hotels and convert them into five-star establishments. Staying here is part of my assessment," Song Shiqiao explained quickly. "Please save me. Every minute, it drains three years of my life."
"No rush," Xia Tianqiong leaned against the door frame, speaking slowly. "With your wealth, buying your own life for two billion seems a bit too little."
"How much do you want?"
"At least ten billion, and it must be deposited today."
"No problem. Please save me; I'm aging rapidly!"
During their conversation, the life-gambling eerie took another three years from Song Shiqiao. She appeared even older, her body gradually hunched over.
Xia Tianqiong furrowed his brows. "You agreed too quickly. Aren't you planning to follow through?"
"..."
Song Shiqiao did have this thought. At the moment, her priority was to stay alive, not to negotiate. Everything could be settled after she was rescued.
She was about to explain when Xia Tianqiong chuckled indifferently.
"It's alright. I can save you, but I can also let you perish."
With that, while Song Shiqiao was still in shock, he looked at the life-gambling eerie in the mirror. "I will gamble in her place."
"Very well, you are most welcome," the life-gambling eerie beamed brightly.
Ever since Xia Tianqiong had appeared, it had been intrigued. His lifespan was far more robust than that of an ordinary human.
Had it not been for the rules limiting it, it would have abandoned the woman and locked onto this man long ago.
Now that he volunteered to substitute for her, it didn't violate the rules.
Entering the bathroom, Xia Tianqiong stood before Song Shiqiao. In an instant, the life-gambling eerie in the mirror transformed to resemble him.
Yet for some reason, his smile seemed somewhat sinister.
Simultaneously, Song Shiqiao regained the use of her legs and staggered out.
"I will use underworld coins as the stake for life."
As Xia Tianqiong left the room, he stuffed smaller gold ingots into his pockets, which came in handy at this moment.
Seeing him produce these gleaming underworld coins, the life-gambling eerie widened its eyes in disbelief. "Are you human? How can you possess so many underworld coins, and all of them are gold?"