Failed to Transmigrate, I’m Back Again - Chapter 27

A skill that could eliminate people simply by making a guess seemed too absurd to be believable. Shi Shuwu didn’t immediately accept it, thinking it might just be a coincidence.

However, the coincidence was so outlandish that she couldn’t help but suspect something more.

Tang Wuyun also found it unbelievable. Eliminating someone right after speaking was already a remarkable coincidence, but the fact that Jiang Wenfei happened to be hiding nearby made it even more suspicious.

“What was he doing hiding there?” Tang Wuyun asked, watching the eliminated player being escorted away. She walked over to the tree where he had been hiding.

Shi Shuwu followed closely behind, her eyes fixed on Tang Wuyun, carefully observing every small movement, trying to detect any anomalies.

Tang Wuyun chuckled at Shi Shuwu’s reaction.

She immediately resumed her act, turning to Shi Shuwu with a smug grin. “Aren’t I amazing?”

She suddenly wanted to know who was behind this. Eliminating someone with such perfect timing felt incredibly satisfying.

Shi Shuwu reluctantly admitted, “Not bad.”

Impatiently, she urged, “Move aside.”

Shi Shuwu reached out and pushed Tang Wuyun aside, her gaze fixed on the card wedged in the tree trunk.

Tang Wuyun followed her line of sight and immediately exclaimed with delight, “Oh, a hidden treasure!”

Shi Shuwu’s gaze darkened as she stared at Tang Wuyun’s face. She jabbed her finger rudely into Tang Wuyun’s side, enunciating each word deliberately: “You. Keep. Acting.”

She realized Tang Wuyun had seen the card long ago, otherwise she wouldn’t have deliberately blocked her view.

Tang Wuyun yelped twice, clutching her side as she dodged away. She was extremely ticklish, and Shi Shuwu clearly remembered this, deliberately teasing her.

Taking advantage of Tang Wuyun’s retreat, Shi Shuwu retrieved the card.

Tang Wuyun quickly leaned in to examine it together.

She murmured, “A student-exclusive mission?”

The card marked the mission location and specified that only students carrying this card could accept the task.

Tang Wuyun frowned in thought. If there were missions exclusive to students, might there also be ones for teachers and staff?

Could the mission rewards be tied to successfully eliminating opponents?

Tang Wuyun brazenly snatched the card from Shi Shuwu’s hand. Under the other woman’s unwavering gaze, she tucked it into her pocket, claiming it as her own.

Shi Shuwu crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on Tang Wuyun without blinking.

Tang Wuyun nonchalantly winked at her.

Their eyes met, and the air suddenly went still…

Under Shi Shuwu’s intense scrutiny, Tang Wuyun’s composure began to crumble. She could no longer pretend nothing had happened.

The atmosphere turned instantly awkward.

Unable to bear it any longer, Tang Wuyun stiffened her neck and, in a fit of defiant abandon, blurted out, “I’m a pervert now! What’s wrong with doing something shameless?!”

Shi Shuwu, who hadn’t expected such a response, nearly lost her deliberately stern expression.

“…Fine. You’re the pervert, you make the rules.”

Now that Tang Wuyun had admitted to being a pervert, what else could Shi Shuwu do?

Tang Wuyun’s expression froze for a moment, stunned by Shi Shuwu’s words.

Seeing that Shi Shuwu wasn’t going to contest the card, Tang Wuyun decided to quickly change the subject.

She asked Shi Shuwu, “Is Jiang Wenfei working with you?”

Shi Shuwu’s eyes flickered slightly. How had Tang Wuyun arrived at this conclusion?

Sensing something was off, she turned to Tang Wuyun and countered with a question: “Why do you say that?”

Tang Wuyun shrugged. “Just a guess. It’s a fifty-fifty chance—either it was the Players or the Teachers.”

Shi Shuwu nodded skeptically before finally answering, “I don’t know who the other Teachers are.”

They had to find their teammates themselves.

Tang Wuyun scratched her cheek. “Ah? That’s how it is? Well, okay then.”

Shi Shuwu remained preoccupied with Tang Wuyun’s question, her gaze lowered in thought.

Jiang Wenfei had been eliminated by Tang Wuyun. Why would she ask such a question?

It seemed she hadn’t needed to know his identity to act.

Shi Shuwu shifted her thinking. What if Tang Wuyun hadn’t been the one to act?

She tried to put herself in Tang Wuyun’s shoes and began to speculate.

As part of the Student faction, Tang Wuyun would know whether her teammates had acted. Moreover, Shi Zhimiao and Qiao Mian had only recently separated from them, so they likely hadn’t had time.

Excluding the Student faction, Tang Wuyun would assume Jiang Wenfei belonged to the Teacher faction. This meant she suspected the Players were responsible.

Shi Shuwu’s eyes flickered. Could it be that beyond assimilation, the other side also possessed a method for directly eliminating Teachers?

But if Tang Wuyun hadn’t been present, how could they have eliminated Jiang Wenfei?

Then again, regardless of who eliminated Jiang Wenfei, it seemed suspiciously like cheating.

Tang Wuyun was hunched over, fiddling with her watch to send a message, completely unaware that her casual remark had sparked such a complex deduction in Shi Shuwu’s mind.

She genuinely believed that Shi Zhimiao and Qiao Mian had discovered a method for eliminating people so quickly, and she was certain that the other side had been responsible.

But the truth was precisely the opposite of what they imagined.

Shi Shuwu realized that Tang Wuyun had mentioned her teammates contacting her, and she had blindly assumed that her own faction couldn’t possibly have acted.

She simply couldn’t believe her teammates could have found the elimination conditions in such a short time.

It wasn’t until she saw the message from Shi Zhimiao on her watch that Tang Wuyun finally understood: Jiang Wenfei’s elimination had been their doing.

Yes, their doing. Tang.

Elimination Condition: Near Miss

When a Student enters the target’s detection range and remains motionless for 10 seconds, the target will be automatically locked by the Student’s attack methods.

P.S. This automatic lock skill can only be used once per Student throughout the competition.

This elimination condition was quite unique, applicable to any target. The challenge lay in maintaining complete stillness for 10 seconds—no one would simply stand motionless and stare back at them.

Qiao Mian handed the card with the condition to Shi Zhimiao. Without hesitation, Shi Zhimiao activated the condition, planning to use the buff to seize opportunities.

Shi Zhimiao had just begun speaking with Bai Jin and hadn’t yet devised a plan to make him remain still when Jiang Wenfei was eliminated. A notification popped up on her watch: “Near Miss Elimination Completed.”

Jiang Wenfei’s elimination was pure misfortune, while Bai Jin narrowly escaped.

Tang Wuyun was stunned, finding the situation absurd.

After reading the explanation, she was completely bewildered.

So Jiang Wenfei had really been eliminated because of her!

Still, it was quite a coincidence. Who would have thought he’d stay hidden behind that tree, motionless, for ten seconds?

“Have you finished reading?” Shi Shuwu asked. “Do you want me to help you look?”

Startled by Shi Shuwu’s voice, Tang Wuyun looked up, instinctively hiding her watch behind her back. Her gaze met Shi Shuwu’s dark, probing eyes.

Remembering that she had indeed eliminated Jiang Wenfei, Tang Wuyun’s confidence surged. Her brow smoothed, and she smirked smugly, “You’d better watch out, or I might eliminate you too.”

Shi Shuwu: “……”

Too lazy to argue, Shi Shuwu turned and walked away.

Tang Wuyun hurried after her, still staring down at her watch.

“Keep an eye on the path for me,” she reminded Shi Shuwu without looking up, then immediately returned to chatting with her two teammates.

Shi Shuwu: “……”

So Tang Wuyun knew the basic rule of not looking at her phone while walking. But where did she get the audacity to assume Shi Shuwu would watch out for her?

Shi Shuwu hesitated for two seconds, then sighed deeply. Seeing Tang Wuyun still glued to her watch, she resignedly took a few steps back to walk beside her.

Tang Wuyun didn’t even glance up. She was busy asking Qiao Mian how she had found the elimination conditions.

Qiao Mian: I found them ages ago, but Shi Shuwu showed up before I could tell you guys.

Shi Zhimiao: Your accidental luck is truly remarkable.

Tang Wuyun: Hehe.

Tang Wuyun: @Qiao Mian I have a Student-exclusive Mission. Want to do it?

Although she could complete the Mission herself, Shi Shuwu would never waste time accompanying her. Since she had this opportunity to work on the Mission, she might as well use the time to find elimination conditions.

Qiao Mian’s healing-type ability seemed rather useless. It could only be used once and had a condition: it could only heal Students whose assimilation time was less than an hour.

Apart from finding elimination conditions for herself and Shi Zhimiao, Qiao Mian was now essentially free to do whatever she wanted.

Qiao Mian: OK, I’ll come find you.

Tang Wuyun tapped her watch, about to share her location with Qiao Mian, when she suddenly bumped forward, her forehead colliding intimately with the back of Shi Shuwu’s head.

The impact was so forceful that both women doubled over in pain, one clutching her forehead, the other the back of her head.

Shi Shuwu turned around, clutching her head, her voice dripping with annoyance. “Hey!”

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Tang Wuyun repeatedly lowered her head, apologizing profusely to Shi Shuwu. Instinctively, she reached out with her other hand to gently massage Shi Shuwu’s head.

Shi Shuwu froze.

The frown of displeasure on her face softened as she stared blankly at Tang Wuyun. Under the sunlight, Tang Wuyun’s delicate skin seemed even fairer, and her exquisite features momentarily stole Shi Shuwu’s breath.

Too close…

An indescribable sensation spread through Shi Shuwu’s chest.

She withdrew her hand from the back of her head and lowered her gaze slightly.

Lost in guilt, Tang Wuyun continued massaging the back of Shi Shuwu’s head, asking anxiously, “Does it still hurt a lot?”

Shi Shuwu looked up. “Tang Wuyun…”

Tang Wuyun’s eyes were clear and earnest. “Yes?”

Nearby, Pei Yinxi raised an eyebrow with amusement.

I only let Tang Wuyun sleep with Shi Shuwu for one night, and they’ve already progressed to openly hugging, flirting, and being intimate?

She tilted her head and asked Luo Xiting, who stood beside her, arms crossed and watching with keen interest, “…Are we being too conspicuous?”

Didn’t Shi Shuwu see us earlier?

Luo Xiting shook his head with a smile. “Perhaps, but I don’t mind being ignored.”

It was a pity Ji Mingyin had just left them. The little girl must be jumping for joy inside.

The two women’s undisguised stares made Shi Shuwu’s back prickle.

She cleared her throat and took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Tang Wuyun. Pointing behind her, she reminded, “Your sisters are over there.”

“Huh?” Tang Wuyun tilted her head curiously, her gaze drifting past Shi Shuwu’s shoulder. When she spotted the two figures standing opposite them, her eyes lit up with surprise. “Ah, it’s Sister Pei and Sister Xiting!”

Pei Yinxi and Luo Xiting exchanged mysterious smiles and waved slightly.

Finally, we’ve found them!

But before they could even begin teasing, they saw Tang Wuyun—whose eyes had lit up at the sight of them and who seemed even more delighted than surprised—already grabbing Shi Shuwu and sprinting away.

Pei Yinxi lowered her hand and chuckled softly. “Are we really that scary?”

Luo Xiting clicked his tongue in exasperation.

She always runs away the moment she sees us.

Those two are so infuriating.

She quickly shook her head. “Let them run. I’m not chasing after them.”

Pei Yinxi shrugged nonchalantly. She had no intention of chasing either. Let them play by themselves.

“I’m going to find A’Miao first. What about you?”

“Hmm…” Luo Xiting paused, then realized Pei Yinxi meant Shi Zhimiao. He immediately agreed. “Okay, assimilating Shi Zhimiao works too. Let’s go together. I’ll cover you.”

What a waste to use his assimilation skill on Shi Shuwu.

Pei Yinxi smiled faintly and shook her head in gentle refusal.

Meanwhile, the two who had fled out of sight finally stopped.

Tang Wuyun leaned against a wall, panting, and reached for Shi Shuwu’s shoulder bag.

“Is your bag heavy? Let me carry it for you.”

Shi Shuwu slapped his hand away without hesitation.

Tang Wuyun swiftly retracted his hand.

Heh.

Tang Wuyun grinned mischievously. “Missed me!”

Having learned from her previous stinging slap, he was now wiser to her moves.

Seeing Tang Wuyun still acting smug, Shi Shuwu glared at her. “Shameless.”

Tang Wuyun chuckled, then remembered Qiao Mian, whom she had left waiting. She quickly opened her smartwatch and shared her location with Qiao Mian.

“Does your head still hurt?” Tang Wuyun asked, touching her own throbbing forehead. The impact had left her head ringing.

Shi Shuwu paused, shook her head, and avoided eye contact.

“Ahem, where are we now?” Shi Shuwu asked, turning sideways and glancing around as if she were busy but unsure what she was doing.

Tang Wuyun sensed something odd about Shi Shuwu, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She pointed. “Let’s go that way.”

Shi Shuwu followed Tang Wuyun’s gaze upstream along the creek. Where was she leading them?

“Is there something there?” she asked.

Tang Wuyun didn’t answer.

But Shi Shuwu soon found out: Qiao Mian was there.

After receiving the card from Tang Wuyun, Qiao Mian wasted no time and confidently headed toward the Mission area.

Shortly after they reunited with Qiao Mian, two more contestants were eliminated: Lu Yangming and Zhang Rui.

Tang Wuyun feigned grief, her face twisted into a mournful expression. “Ugh, I didn’t even get to see Xiao Rui today! How did she get eliminated so quickly?” She couldn’t help but laugh at her own performance.

Shi Shuwu, standing in front of her, didn’t even need to turn around to know what Tang Wuyun was up to. Her voice remained calm as she retorted, “Wipe that gloating look off your face.”

“Alright, alright,” Tang Wuyun replied.

While the two were exchanging banter, the elimination announcement sounded again.

Another contestant was out. Tang Wuyun didn’t recognize the name Li Bing, a newcomer like Ji Mingyin.

“Ugh, why is everyone getting eliminated so fast?” Tang Wuyun muttered behind Shi Shuwu. “We don’t seem to be doing much good. You haven’t even found that device thingy yet.”

One of the eliminated contestants had been taken down by Shi Zhimiao.

Shi Shuwu finally turned around. “I might not be doing much good, but aren’t you the one who can eliminate people with just a few words?”

Tang Wuyun blinked, feigning ignorance. “Huh? Was there?”

Shi Shuwu raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So you do have that ability?”

She tossed aside the treasure chest she had just opened and playfully twirled the item she had retrieved, waving it in front of Tang Wuyun’s face with a mischievous grin. “But now I have it too~”

This was the only treasure chest they had found the entire journey.

Tang Wuyun suddenly felt a cold sweat break out as Shi Shuwu advanced, forcing her to retreat.

“Hey, calm down!” Tang Wuyun backed up until her back pressed against the wall, then quickly reached out to grab the cube-shaped device from Shi Shuwu’s hand.

The palm-sized device glowed with a blue light. Its hollow center housed a miniature blue hourglass.

Shi Shuwu smirked. “Tang Wuyun, still feeling so cocky?”

Tang Wuyun suppressed a laugh and shook her head in mock submission.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Their watches began to frantically beep.

Breaking their standoff, both girls glanced at their watches.

Tang Wuyun took one look and erupted into panicked shouts. “Damn it! They’re getting desperate! It’s not even my fault!”

The others must have seen four eliminations and couldn’t sit still any longer, throwing Time Reduction Cards and Pause Cards at her one after another.

After all the commotion, Tang Wuyun had only two hours and ten minutes left.

Worse still, Shi Zhimiao had used an acceleration card on her in the car yesterday, doubling the rate at which her time was dwindling. This effect would activate when she had only two hours remaining, meaning she effectively had just one hour left.

Tang Wuyun looked at Shi Shuwu with pleading eyes. “Time extension card…”

Shi Shuwu smiled gently but said firmly, “Not for you.”

Game over.

Tang Wuyun’s shoulders slumped, her face instantly turning gloomy.

Among the Student faction members, she wasn’t the only one targeted with cards, but she had received the most.

Just then, Shi Zhimiao called.

Tang Wuyun picked at her nails. “Hey, Miaomiao, are you calling to gloat?”

The line was noisy. Tang Wuyun could hear Shi Zhimiao’s ragged breathing, as if she were running.

“Xixi’s chasing me!” Shi Zhimiao blurted out urgently.

Tang Wuyun startled but couldn’t resist her usual teasing. “Wow! Just say yes!”

Shi Zhimiao was exasperated. She growled angrily, “Shut up! Just tell me where you are!”

“We’re sharing locations,” Tang Wuyun replied quickly. “I’ll come find you.”

Turning to Shi Shuwu, she added, “I’m going to find Miaomiao now.”

Shi Shuwu blinked, then nodded. “Okay, you go ahead.”

Tang Wuyun hesitated for a few seconds. “Be careful.”

Shi Shuwu, impatient, held up her prop and waved it in front of Tang Wuyun’s face. “Hurry up and go. I’m only letting you off this once.”

Tang Wuyun nodded.

Shi Shuwu turned and left first, clutching the prop tightly in her hand, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Finally, I can get some kills!

Meanwhile, on the other side…

Shi Zhimiao and Pei Yinxi were locked in a tense standoff. Shi Zhimiao retreated slowly, trying to stall for time by chatting with Pei Yinxi.

“You have the ability to assimilate people, right?”

Pei Yinxi knew she’d been exposed, but she still refused to admit it. “No, I just wanted to talk.”

Shi Zhimiao, exhausted, struggled to catch her breath. “Talk? And then you try to hug me? Do you think I’m stupid?”

Though she desperately wanted a hug, something felt very wrong.

“Did you assimilate Jin Jin by hugging her too?” Shi Zhimiao suddenly realized the truth.

Bai Jin, who had just arrived to see what was happening, froze. Wow, I think I’ve stumbled into some serious drama. The juicy kind.

Pei Yinxi fell silent.

Shi Zhimiao, oblivious to their strange expressions, was too nervous to notice. She kept glancing at her watch.

Tang Wuyun’s position was rapidly approaching.

“Hey! Sister Pei!”

Tang Wuyun’s voice grew louder as she approached.

The others turned to look, and Shi Zhimiao’s heart finally relaxed.

Tang Wuyun ran up and stood beside Shi Zhimiao.

Luo Xiting teased, “Damn, you actually walked right into our trap.”

She deliberately glanced behind Tang Wuyun, adding mockingly, “Oh, is Shuwu here too?”

Tang Wuyun draped an arm around Shi Zhimiao’s shoulder, grinning brightly as she panted, “She’s here! We’re about to make history!”

As if on cue, another elimination announcement echoed across the arena.

The group fell silent.

Tang Wuyun turned to Shi Zhimiao. “Miaomiao, what did Sister Pei want to do to you?”

Shi Zhimiao pressed her lips together. “Hug me.”

Tang Wuyun froze. “Huh?”

Shi Zhimiao cleared her throat, quickly explaining, “That’s probably Xixi’s condition for assimilating people.”

Tang Wuyun blinked, then nodded with a hint of disappointment. “Ah, okay, okay.”

Pei Yinxi: I’m still right here! Do they have to make it so obvious?

Tang Wuyun suddenly looked around, finally spotting the cameraman beside her. “Got any water? I ran here so fast, I’m parched.”

The four women exchanged uneasy glances. Tang Wuyun’s sudden arrival had disrupted the tense atmosphere, creating an unsettlingly surreal mood.

Tang Wuyun grabbed several bottles of water from a nearby advertising display. “Here, everyone! It’s so hot—take a bottle.”

She was actually handing out water.

The situation grew even stranger…

Shi Zhimiao glanced at the water bottle, her eyebrow twitching slightly.

After giving bottles to Pei Yinxi and Bai Jin, Tang Wuyun approached Luo Xiting with the last bottle and considerately twisted the cap open for her.

“Sister Xiting, drink up! See if it tastes any different from your water.”

Luo Xiting’s lips twitched, recognizing the sarcasm in Tang Wuyun’s tone.

She took the water with a sigh, tilted her head back, and took a sip. “So you already knew,” she murmured.

Tang Wuyun hummed softly, lifting her chin triumphantly. “Mhm.”

“And I also know that the method used to eliminate you was the same one you used to assimilate others.”

Luo Xiting: “!”

Pfft! Luo Xiting spat out the water, abandoning all composure.

But it was too late. The announcement of her elimination rang out mercilessly.

It was a classic case of “the darkest place is under the lamp.” She had never imagined someone could use her own methods against her, leaving her completely unprepared.

Pei Yinxi felt a pang of frustration. No longer wanting to prolong the standoff, she turned and strode toward Shi Zhimiao.

“Wait!” Tang Wuyun sidestepped quickly to block Pei Yinxi’s path, winking playfully. “Sister Pei, what do you think of me?” she offered.

Her sudden initiative was utterly baffling.

Pei Yinxi didn’t quite understand, but Shi Zhimiao had already seized the opportunity to escape.

Tang Wuyun threw her arms around Pei Yinxi in a boisterous hug.

“How long do we have to hug for?” Tang Wuyun murmured, her eyes fixed on her wristwatch. “Why isn’t it done yet?”

Pei Yinxi, feeling a headache coming on, reluctantly raised her hand and swiftly patted Tang Wuyun’s back ten times.

“Alright, alright, let go now.”

Tang Wuyun quickly released her grip, her head bowed, her gaze still glued to the watch screen.

The countdown had paused at one hour and fifty-nine minutes, finally stopping.

Simultaneously, she received notification of successful assimilation.

You have been assimilated by “Pei” and become her subordinate. As “Pei”‘s subordinate, you must obey her every command. Failure to comply will result in immediate termination.

Tang Wuyun smiled contentedly. So that’s how it works.

Clenching her fist, she pumped her arm excitedly. “Sister Pei’s Little Sidekick No. 2 reporting for duty!”

Sidekick No. 1 Bai Jin: “……”

Pei Yinxi: “……”