Xu Yuhan nodded at Qin Feng. He smiled and said. "It seems we got different rules."
Qin Feng hummed in understanding. He bit his thumb in thought, slowly digesting the new information Xuhan said. "Different rules, huh?"
"I was given 3 rules: to not contact anyone outside, to not work or challenge the floor for more than 3 days, and to not leave the premises."
"So we have the same first and last rule, but the second one is different." Qin Feng said slowly. Could other people taken by the E.N.D. also have different rules? That is, if there are still others. He turned towards Punla, who had been diligently taking care of him and being the best dog skin plaster in the world. He raised his brow as if to ask a question, but without actively doing so.
Punla smiled cutely - a small but upturned smile accompanied by eyes that seemed to say that nothing was going on in between them. "I didn't get any rules. The big boss has no control over us." He played with his fingers, refraining from explaining further.
Qin Feng wanted to know more, but he has been getting too many headaches that it's close to traumatising him.
Xu Yuhan tried to ask Punla, but Punla pretended he hadn't heard. Xu Yuhan sighed and then explained his other findings.
According to him, the E.N.D. is a space in between worlds. And as an immortal cultivator, he could easily understand the idea since he had been in different pocket dimensions and minor worlds for experience and to pass his tribulation.
"It's also possible that they have some control over our world, influencing changes." Xu Yuhan paused and sighed. "When I looked out the window, the world outside was still the same… So much that it's questionable. It's as if their appearance did not alert the world, just me."
Qin Feng took note of what he said. It doesn't explain the reason why they were chosen there; it raises more questions than it answers. With a limited number of samples, Qin Feng couldn't really be sure that he could solve or answer the questions; maybe if they met more, he could be sure. And looking at Punla, he didn't seem to be in the same boat as them.
"Let's enter the floor challenge." Qin Feng stood up and walked towards the door, pushing it open. "Maybe we'll understand more."
It was impossible to get more information from Xu Yuhan. The other seemed to have exhausted everything he knew, or if not, wouldn't express more. Punla, on the other hand, would only answer Qin Feng's questions and continue to treat Xu Yuhan like air.
Qin Feng felt really tired again.
A massive library presented itself to the people entering. Walls upon walls of books, creating a somber yet warm environment. The dim yellow light and hushed murmur of music created the perfect place to …sleep?
A maroon sofa sat near the centre of the room, accompanying it was a smaller footrest, and to the side was a walnut round table. On the table was a cup of milk and a plate of biscuits. Qin Feng felt like the words "Eat me" should be tied to the plate of biscuits.
Looking up, a beautiful chandelier hangs at the centre. The ceiling is lined with golden accents and the Eye of Horus.
The room looked calm enough to feel at ease… Too bad the calm is broken by the continuous loud vibration and intermittent roaring.
Qing Feng found himself wanting to give up. He has almost forgotten it, but he has a very bad case of motion sickness and vertigo, like any other normal person with anemia. His right eye starts to twitch, and he can feel a knot in his throat.
Punla continued to rub his back, helping to alleviate the sensation.
"It took me 3 tries to finally solve this room." Xu Yuhan saw Qin Feng's pale lips. He took a bottle from his bosom and handed it to Qin Feng. "I made this elixir to help with vertigo."
Punla took the bottle, smelled it, and put a drop on his finger. He then delivered the drop to his mouth.
Seeing the sequence of action, both Qin Feng and Xu Yuhan paused.
"It's not poison." Punla handed the bottle to Qin Feng. "Helps with headache."
Qin Feng took the bottle, looked at it, then back at Punla. "Don't endanger yourself for my sake."
"I will die for you." Punla stared back at him. Eyes resolute with no expression on his face. "I will kill for you. I will do anything."
Qin Feng hummed and placed his hand on the other's head. "I don't need you to. Just be you." He drank the whole elixir till the last drop. He felt a lot more comfortable, and the knot in his throat subsided. The room was still shaking, but he no longer needed to vomit.
Punla turned away, ignoring what Qin Feng said.
Since Xi Yuhan had already solved the room, he knew what to do and where to find the things they needed. "The room will not give you any instructions. This was one of the problems I faced, which is why it took me 3 tries to finally solve it." He pointed at one of the bookshelves to the left and said. "Behind that is an egg that we need to take to stop the tremors. But the shelf will not move, and we can't pry it open. There is a mechanism that controls it."
Qin Feng nodded. "Shall we look around?" He then turned to Punla, who had found a good spot on the sofa to lie down. He curled up into himself, looking uncomfortable but otherwise calm.
"There is no need to look around. The mechanism is connected to the chandelier. We need to get it down and cut the wiring. This will make a book on the left shelf pop out, and there will be a button behind it." He pointed at the book with the title "The Little Prince. "After that, the door will open, but the egg will still be locked in by another mechanism."
"I'll see if I can get the chandelier down." Qin Feng looked up at the chandelier, but couldn't find any rope pulling it up, nor any chain doing so. "I might have to strike it down."
Xu Yuhan laughed. "No need, one of the books here controls the chandelier." He then turned to the table. "It should be the one called 'The Phantom of the Opera'."
Qin Feng walked up to the shelf labeled Musicals and Operas. There were several musical-turned books and books-turned musicals on the shelves. He knew some of them, like Hamilton and Be More Chill. It took him a couple of minutes to find the book for the Phantom.
"What do I do with the book?"
"Pull on it, you'll feel a tension and hear a click. After the third click, let go, and the chandelier would fall on its own."
Qin Feng didn't think much about it, and he barely remembers what happened in the Phantom of the Opera. So when he followed Xu Yuhan's instructions, the subsequent thundering noise of a chandelier hitting the ground made his heart jump.
Shards of glass hit the back of Punla. He squirmed and grunted but remained asleep.
"Fuck." Qin Feng shouted.
Xu Yuhan looked at him with a smile. "I failed to mention it. My apologies."
Qin Feng shook his head and slowly said. "No, I should've known this would happen." He took a deep breath. "After all, it is Phantom."
Being unfamiliar with the story behind Phantom of the Opera, Xu Yuhan asked why it was so.
"One of the plots in the story has the chandelier fall." Qing Feng explained. "It was inspired by a tragedy that killed one person."
Xu Yuhan paused before smiling. "You are well-versed, brother Feng."
"It comes at a price. I get tense at large crowds and can't express myself well as others do."
"I see."
"I've lost a couple of friends because of it." Qin Feng walked towards the chandelier and noticed a paper stuck in one of the crevices. "It's very difficult for people to like you if you seem insensitive." He pulled the paper and handed it to Xu Yuhan. "Anyway, it's not as if I can't live without friend. At most, it's lonely, but I'm too old to feel sad from it."
Xu Yuhan nodded. "If you were in my world, you would have been at the pinnacle of the cultivation world. Even I would have a hard time getting my head around human emotions, and you seem well-rounded."
Qin Feng hummed in acknowledgement. "Do you have a knife for the wire?"
Xu Yuhan handed him his sword. "No, but I have this."
"That'll work," Qin Feng said, took the sword, and cut the wiring on the chandelier.
The left shelf trembled, and the "The Little Prince" book moved outwards as if pushed on the other side. The book fell and turned open, showing the page with the prince and the fox. Qin Feng took the book and read the page.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye."
Xu Yuhan raised a brow and laughed. "What an interesting thought. It has no importance in this instance, though."
Qin Feng didn't agree, but never specified why. To him, the book could be referring to something else, maybe not directly about the current situation, but surely about something else. He held onto the book, wanting to solve it later on.
From the crevice left by the book, a red button showed itself. Qin Feng pressed it, and what followed was a much louder thundering noise.