Chapter 39

Tang Mo was startled.

In this white world, the other six people were still studying the iron cards in front of them. Tang Mo and the man in black were separated by a distance of 10 metres and quietly looked at each other.

The two people’s eyes met in the air. No one opened their mouths. They just looked at each other.

Tang Mo unconsciously stroked the match tattoo on his left wrist.

Just then, a burst of joyful music was heard. This was the prelude of Merry Christmas. Tang Mo immediately retracted his gaze and looked in the direction of the voice. The black in black also turned away, no longer looking at Tang Mo.

Eight players looked at the end of the white world.

They heard from a distance place, an out of tune voice singing over and over again, “…We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”

At the end of the white world, a little black dot caught everyone’s attention.

The black dot got closer and closer. The voice reverberated throughout the white world and everyone finally saw his appearance.

He was a small puppet, wearing a yellow hat with a blue brim and a red feather. He wore combat boots and sand ‘Merry Christmas off tune while touching his chest. There was a broken old radio hanging from his waist. The sound of music came from this radio.

Tang Mo vaguely felt that this puppet was a bit familiar but he couldn’t remember where he had seen him.

The high school girl standing next to him suddenly shouted with surprise, “Pinocchio!”

Tang Mo heard it and looked at the puppet again.

The puppet stopped humming and turned to look at the high school girl. He proudly put his hands on his waist as the old-fashioned radio at his waist kept playing Merry Christmas. He said, “Yes, I am handsome and cute. Everyone likes Pinocchio!”

“Biu——”

There was a strange sound effect and the puppet’s nose suddenly became longer.

Pinocchio’s face changed and he hurriedly said, “Well, no one likes me.”

“Biu——”

Pinocchio’s nose grew longer again, becoming almost half a metre long.

“I am just cute. Not handsome at all!”

“Biu——”

Pinocchio seemed to deflate like a balloon and groaned. “Yes, I’m not cute or handsome, no one likes me.” His nose suddenly returned to normal.

Pinocchio slapped the radio. It made a creaking sound and the music stopped. He glanced at the female high school student who shouted his name, making her step back in fear. Pinocchio strode towards the golden star in the centre of the eight people, standing by the golden star.

“Merry Christmas? What Merry Christmas! Damn Santa, this Christmas isn’t happy at all!” Pinocchio kicked the golden star and screamed. He stared at his feet before stomping on the ground. After a while, it didn’t seem to hurt. He turned around and saw the eight players present.

The puppet grunted. “Are you the players invited by Santa Claus?”

Tang Mo calmly looked at Pinocchio and the eight people didn’t speak.

“Damn, human children these days don’t know how to respect the old and cherish the young. I ask you, are you the players participating in the honest card game today?”

Pinocchio angrily pulled the radio off his waist and threw it to the ground. The radio was smashed by him and the debris flew everywhere. The debris splashed at the feet of the female high school student. She thought that Pinocchio was still angry at what happened and hurriedly stepped back. However, she reached the edge of the grid and was blocked by the invisible wall, unable to move forward.

Pinocchio squinted at her before making a gloating smile. “The game hasn’t started yet and you are already trying to run.”

Tang Mo reached out and touched the grid. Sure enough, like the female high school student, he was trapped inside the grid like it was a cage. Four invisible walls blocked the way, preventing him from going outside. Several other people started to try. The result was the same. They were all locked in their grid.

“They say that Pinocchio is a dishonest little puppet. I think that you humans are the most dishonest! I have to smell the stink of this world’s stowaways. It makes me want to vomit.”

Everyone’s expressions changed as soon as they heard the words ‘stowaways.’ Tang Mo subconsciously looked at the man in black diagonal from him. he latter didn’t react much. The moment Tang Mo looked at him, he also looked back at Tang Mo in a calm manner.

Pinocchio said even more amazing words. “Oh, this smell…there is more than one stowaway! It is as thick as a bug’s pile of poo. There are at least two stowaways! Two! Damn Santa, why don’t you let me eat these stowaways. What is this damn Christmas Eve surprise instance. What fun is a game with no dead people?”

The young man standing near Tang Mo grasped the key point and tentatively asked, “You said that there are no dead people in this game?”

Pinocchio turned his head and stared at the man. “Yes, it is a surprise Christmas instance. How can you die? Damn, why are you so curious. Are you a stowaway?”

The young man immediately denied it.

“I can’t kill humans…” Pinocchio spoke softly. Then he remembered something and smiled. “Ah, I almost forgot what Santa Claus told me.”

Pinocchio picked up the broken radio on the ground and violently hit it.

Creak.

The radio that was in four pieces magically emitted a twisted sound. Pinocchio grabbed the radio with his right hand and raised his left hand high. He stood in the blank area between the eight people and quickly turned in a circle. At the same time, he spoke loudly—

“Dear human friends, welcome to ‘Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game’. I am the best friend of humanity, Pinocchio!”

“Biu——”

Pinocchio was angry and changed his words. “Okay, I am not a friend of humanity. I am Pinocchio!”

The nose shrank back and the golden star near Pinocchio suddenly radiated a dazzling golden light, as if agreeing with Pinocchio. Pinocchio turned around in the golden light, facing Tang Mo’s four people. He took off the yellow hat and made a curtain call action. Then he turned 180 degrees and faced the four people on the opposite side. He once again performed a curtain call action.

Tang Mo’s eyes were tightly locked on Pinocchio’s body as he thought of the name of the game.

‘Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game.’

Pinocchio finished the ceremony and threw away the broken radio. He folded his hands together and ran to Tang Mo in the blink of an eye. Tang Mo’s heart tightened and he almost pulled out the big match. Pinocchio blinked and looked at him. “Boy, do you like to lie?”

All eyes turned to Tang Mo.

Tang Mo quickly thought about the meaning of the question. Just now, Pinocchio told a lie and his nose grew longer. Tang Mo wasn’t sure what result he would get if he lied at this moment, so he quickly thought of several answers in his mind. Only one second passed before Tang Mo said with a blank expression, “I don’t like it. But humans always tell lies.”

Pinocchio watched him. Then like a gust of wind, he ran to the young man.

“Child, do you like Christmas?”

The young man was asked this sudden question. He gulped and replied, “That…it is okay.”

Pinocchio ran to the next person.

“Child, do you like Pinocchio?”

“Child, have you ever received a gift from Santa Claus?”

……

He asked seven people seven questions in a row. Then he finally ran to the man in black.

Pinocchio smiled kindly. “Child, have you ever heard of…the King’s Gold Coin?”

Tang Mo’s eyes widened and he immediately looked at Pinocchio.

The man in black stared at Pinocchio and replied in a low voice. “I’ve never heard of it.”

Pinocchio clapped and danced a few seconds in front of the man in black. The next moment, his figure appeared next to the golden star. He sighed, “You aren’t lying. You are honest children. You honest children are eligible to participate in Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game. Christmas is here. Last night, Santa specifically found me and said that he prepared a big surprise for the good children all over the world.”

Pinocchio turned to look at the golden star beside him. His hands crossed over his chest and he made his own sound effect. “Thump thump! Yes, this is it. Santa’s golden star!”

The middle-aged woman standing opposite Tang Mo said subconsciously, “Santa’s golden star…”

“That’s right!” In the blink of an eye, Pinocchio ran to her and the scared woman almost fell to the ground.

Pinocchio stretched out a hand made of wood and pulled the woman up. He said, “I’m scaring you, my honest friend.”

However, he couldn’t hide the sinister smile on his face. He clapped his hands and returned to the golden star. “Santa Claus said that every good child should get a gift from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. I am unconvinced.”

The small puppet placed his hands on his wrist. “I asked Santa, how do you know who is a good child and who is a bad child? What is a good child?”

Pinocchio pointed to the female high school student.

The female high school student turned pale and thought for a while. “…A gentle, kind, helpful and good boy?”

Pinocchio was dissatisfied. “What else?”

The female high school student racked her brains and uttered several more words. However, Pinocchio’s expression became uglier. The female high school student was so scared that she cried. Tang Mo looked at her and spoke, “A honest person can be considered a good child.”

Everyone looked at him.

Pinocchio gave him a thumbs up. “Yes! An honest person is a good child.”

The female high school student thanked Tang Mo and the other people looked at Pinocchio again. Only the man in black stared at Tang Mo for a few seconds. Tang Mo didn’t look at him this time. He was looking at Pinocchio like everyone else but his right hand was pressing against the match tattoo.

The golden star was suspended in midair. Pinocchio jumped up high and pulled the huge star into his arms. “I told Sant that only honest children are eligible to get this star and the king’s gold coin.”

Tang Mo’s eyes widened, his heart almost skipping a beat as he stared at the star.

The others didn’t know what the king’s gold coin meant and they watched Pinocchio timidly. Pinocchio held the big star and raised his chin arrogantly. “Therefore, today I am replacing Santa Claus and playing a game with your children. Whoever wins can get the king’s gold coin. This is a surprise benefit that only comes once a year.”

An old voice rang out. “What is the king’s gold coin?” The one talking was the man with white hair standing next to the man in black.

Pinocchio was surprised. “You don’t even know about the king’s gold coin? The king’s gold coin, it is the most advanced and rare gold coin in the Underground Kingdom! With this gold coin, you can freely enter and exit every city in the Underground Kingdom. You can exchange it for 100 silver coins…”

The players seemed to know about the existence of the Underground Kingdom. Their expressions changed when they heard this.

Then Pinocchio uttered the most insane words. “With the king’s gold coin, you can abstain from a black tower game. You don’t even know about the king’s gold coin?”

“Ah!” Three people directly exclaimed aloud.

Everyone’s breathing became heavier and they looked at the golden star in Pinocchio’s arms with a burning gaze.

The black man also had a moment of shock but looked at Tang Mo in the next second.

Tang Mo’s face was also full of surprise. He seemed to be hearing about the king’s gold coin for the first time as he stared heatedly at the golden star.

The man’s lips curved before looking back at Pinocchio.

After the shock, the old man couldn’t help asking, “How do we play this game and how do we win?”

Pinocchio exclaimed, “Good question! Honest child, do you see the silver iron card in front of you?”

The group looked at the card in front of them. In addition to their own card, the four players on each side looked at the three other cards on their side. Tang Mo gazed at the four cards on the opposite side. Pinocchio saw Tang Mo’s gaze and clapped.

Boom!

The eight cards turned 180 degrees, displaying the front of each card to the opposite player.

The turning of the cards caused the white world to shake. The shaking subsided. Tang Mo quickly looked at the four cards opposite him. His gazed looked left and right. He found that each card coincided with the ones on his side except for the last one.

Tang Mo stared at it.

The card in front of the man in black showed a mighty man wearing a crown. He held a jeweled cane and was looking at the front with a dignified expression.

As Tang Mo looked at this card, the four people on the opposite side were also looking at the card in front of him.

The middle-aged woman exclaimed, “His card is different from ours!”

The female high school student on Tang Mo’s side also said, “That person’s card isn’t the same!”

The card in front of Tang Mo had a long-haired woman wearing a crown. She held a huge gem in her hands and her long hair was like seaweed. It fell over her shoulders and she exuded a gentle glow.

There was a total of eight cards. Two cards contained beggars, two were knights in armour and two were a middle-aged man holding a book in his hands. There was the crowned woman in front of Tang Mo and a crowned man in front of the man in black.

Tang Mo muttered, “Slave, knight, prophet…king and queen.”

Pinocchio looked at him with surprise. “Do you know the most famous honest card game in the Underground Kingdom?”

Tang Mo shook his head. “I understand these cards very well.”

Pinocchio nodded. “It seems that you humans play similar games. But this time you are wrong. This card…” He teleported to the middle-aged man holding a book card and knocked on the silver card. “This card isn’t the prophet. This card is the minister. The king and queen commands the minister, the minister manages the knight, the knight kills the slave and the slave can cause an uprising. That’s right. This is the most popular honest card game in the Underground Kingdom.”

After hearing Pinocchio’s explanation, several other players realized it.

The game sounded complicated but in fact, many countries had similar games before the earth went online.

It was the strategy based card game that connected from end to end. The king beat the minister, the minister beat the knight and the knight beat the slave. The king could beat the minister and the knight, but the weakest slave could cause an uprising and kill the king.

But what did this game have to do with honesty?

The female high school student asked curiously. “Our mission is to kill the opposite king or queen to win?”

There was a slave, knight, minister and queen on Tang Mo’s side. There was also a slave, knight, minister and king on the opposite side. Normally, they should be divided into two teams and the purpose was to kill the opposite side’s king/queen with the slave.

But as soon as he heard this, Pinocchio’s face darkened. He arrived in front of the female high school student in the blink of an eye and glared at her coldly. “It looks like you are a bad child.”

The frightened female student sat directly on the ground. Her lips trembled as she didn’t know what she said wrong.

Pinocchio’s smile changed as he looked indifferently at the eight people. After turning in a circle, he returned to his original position and smiled again. “How can you die in the Christmas Eve surprise benefit? Honest children, this is a beneficial game for you! Do you know why the honest card game is different from other games by having a king and queen?”

The crowd was scared by the sudden change in his expression but no one answered.

Pinocchio replied to himself. “Yes! It is because it is an honest and peaceful game. The game is second, friendship is first. The eight cards, assuming you…” Pinocchio pointed to Tang Mo’s side. “Assuming you have a knight and they have a slave. What will happen?”

Tang Mo looked at Pinocchio coldly.

Pinocchio answered himself again. “Yes, they will be defeated by you. Their slave card will disappear, leaving only the knight, minister and king. You will still have four cards. It will be hard for them to win. Their slave is dead. No one can threaten your queen anymore but your slave can kill their king.”

This was nonsense.

Everyone was afraid to speak except for a young woman standing opposite Tang Mo. “I don’t understand. What meaning does this game have? If one side has a knight and the other has a slave. The knight can kill the slave…then what is the impact on us?”

“Who told you that this is the game?”

The young woman shut her mouth and stared at Pinocchio.

Pinocchio cried out, “This is an honest card game! If one party’s card suppresses the other, then the card of the suppressed party…” Pinocchio smile and his dark eyes glanced at the eight people. “It means that you are all dishonest children!”

Tang Mo suddenly realized.

Pinocchio snorted. “The honest card game, there is a way to win. It is to play the same card every time. If the cards of the two teams are exactly the same, the cards are set aside and the two sides can peacefully end the game. There is a default rule in our Underground Kingdom. There are four rounds. The first round is the slave card, the second is the knight card then it is the minister card. Why is it a king and queen instead of two kings? It is because in the fourth round, when you both play the king and queen card, the king and queen will hold hands and the two sides will end the game peacefully. This is the Underground Kingdom’s most honest card game. Without losers, we are all winners.”

After listening to this, Tang Mo frowned. Among the eight people present, the female high school student, middle-aged man on Tang M’s side and the middle-aged woman and white-haired old man on the opposite side had bright expressions.

They were all winners. In other words, everyone could win the game? Could they get the king’s gold coin?

“But! Pinocchio suddenly smiled brightly. “But there is only one king’s gold coin. I made a bet with Santa Claus that you are all good children and will work together to complete this honest game. But I think, you guys…”

Pinocchio stretched out a finger and pointed at Tang Mo. “You.”

He pointed to the young man. “You.”

Then to the female high school student. “You.”

“You, you, you, you…”

“And you!” He finally pointed to the man in black standing diagonal from him.

“You are all dishonest humans! I bet with Santa Claus that if you honestly play the cards in order, I will lose. Then after this game, all of you can leave the instance and I will lose the king’s gold coin.”

The old man asked, “Wait. What do we win as a game reward?”

Pinocchio asked casually, “Ha? Who said there will be a reward for you?”

The female high school student spoke. “No, then the only thing we get from the game is that you don’t eat us and we can leave safely?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Pinocchio touched his chin. “Of course, it looks like you won’t get the Christmas present. Thus, my bet with Santa isn’t over yet. I said to Santa Claus that if you don’t play this game in order, one party will win while the other party will completely…”

Pinocchio clapped his hands and danced. “Thump thump! I will win. Santa will owe me a favour. I will unselfishly take out the gold coins and give them to the four people who won. The four of them will have a king’s gold coin and they can safely leave the instance.”

Tang Mo’s eyes widened and his heart was cold. He quickly turned to look at the three ‘companions’ beside him. Apart from the young man, the female high school student and the middle-aged man looked at the four people opposite and then at the golden star in Pinocchio’s hands.

The eyes of both people were glowing with greed.

It wasn’t just them. Three of the four people across the space were watching the golden star with greed. Only the man in black had a calm expression and no reaction. He found that Tang Mo was watching him and also looked at Tang Mo.

Tang Mo and the man stared at each other.

Pinocchio spoke. “Don’t worry children. This is Santa Claus’ surprise for your Christmas Eve. As long as you follow the rules of the game peacefully, no one will be in trouble. Even if you don’t follow the rules of the game, there will be no accident.”

The female high school student asked, “What do you mean?”

Pinocchio said happily, “In the honest card game, neither I or your opponent will know what card you are putting out. The two teams will select a card and they will be shown at the same time. If the cards from the two teams are different, the ‘duel field’ will be triggered. But rest assured, how can there be a monster eating people on Christmas Eve? The duel field is a duel for the two people representing the cards. The winning party can continue to stay on the field. The losing party…will leave here and enter the next fun game.”

The female high school thought it through. “You mean, if the cards from both sides are different, it is considered to be dishonest. One person from each team will have to fight. The winner will stay here and the loser will go to the next game? It doesn’t sound like a punishment at all…”

Pinocchio blinked. “The next game has nothing to do with Santa Claus. There isn’t a peaceful way to clear the instance.”

The female high school student’s face whitened as she understood.

In this honest card game, all eight people could survive as long as they worked together to play the same card. After four games, all eight cards would be void. The eight people would leave the instance and not receive anything.

But if one of them wanted to win the game, they would kill the other side’s king/queen with the slave card. Then they could kill all the cards on the opposite side and win the game as long as they continued playing their king/queen card.

Neither side would get a reward if they ended the game peacefully.

If one party won the game, the four people could get the king’s gold coin.

The king’s gold coin…

It was a chance to abstain from a black tower game.

Half a month ago, Tang Mo had also lost his control when faced with this gold coin.

Right now…

“I have a question.” The low voice was heard.

Tang Mo looked at the man in black.

The man in black glanced at the four people on Tang Mo’s side and stopped on Tang Mo for a moment. Then he looked at Pinocchio. “If one party wins, what will happen to the losing party?”

Pinocchio replied, “I said you won’t be killed in this game. The losers will naturally enter the next game. As to whether they can survive in the next game…” Pinocchio smiled. “How can the cute and kind Pinocchio know?”

“Biu——”

Pinocchio’s nose suddenly became longer. He quickly said, “Yes, I am ugly and vicious. Not cute and kind at all.”

His nose returned to normal.

At this moment, a crisp child’s voice rang out in the minds of the eight players present.

“Ding dong! The Christmas Eve surprise instance ‘Pinocchio’s Honest Card Game’ has officially began. The rules of the game—”

“First, each team has four cards. The slave, knight, minister, king/queen.”

“Two, the king/queen card restrains the minister card and the knight card. The minister card restrains the knight card and the slave card. The knight card restrains the slave card. The slave card restrains the king/queen card.”

“Three. The default order of the Underground Kingdom is: slave, knight, minister, king/queen.”

“Four. When the two cards are different, the restrained card is removed on the spot and the effect of the ‘duel field’ is triggered. A 1V1 duel will be played by the players representing the cards. The winner stays on the field and the loser enters the tower game (normal mode).”

“Five. Once the card is played, the player behind the card is shown but the players of the other party can’t see the contents of the card. Pinocchio can’t know the contents of the cards on both sides.”

“Six. Before each round, the cards representing each player will randomly change.”

“Seven. A team that doesn’t have a card is considered to be a failure.”

“Eight. The side with the queen card will trigger the ‘go home and kneel on the washboard’ effect. There is one chance to ask a question. You can choose any time to ask a question of the party where the king card is located. The question can’t be related to the card content. The questioned person can only answer yes or no. Lying is considering to be failing the game and the questioner will win.”

“Pinocchio hates honest humans. He would rather give the king’s gold coin to the four swindlers and refuse to let the honest humans leave the instance safely.”

“Do you all know the rules of the game now?” Pinocchio smiled in a sinister way as he held the golden star. Once he found that everyone was looking at him, he blinked and made a pure and innocent expression. He clapped his hands happily, “Then let’s start the game!”

Pinocchio stomped his feet against the ground and a white wall slammed down.

It was the wall that separated the two teams.

Pinocchio explained. “I know that you have to discuss the card that will come out next. As long as the wall falls, you can no longer see or hear the people on the opposite side. Only I can see and hear what you are saying. Of course, I won’t give any hints.” Pinocchio suddenly stopped speaking. He covered his mouth and said with surprise, “Hey, what am I saying? What do you need to discuss? Aren’t you going to play the slave card?”

The white wall slammed down completely.

Pinocchio sat on the wall. He turned to look at Tang Mo’s side and then the other side.

Pinocchio stretched out and comfortably held the gold star as he lay on the wall. He happily said, “Oh, you are really eight lovely and honest good children.”

The author has something to say:

Tang Tang: …Wait, why is my side the queen card?

Old Fu: It is very accurate, there is no problem.

Fuwa (Author): The queen card has a chance to ask a question. You really don’t want it?~

Tang Tang: …

After a few rounds—

Tang Tang: Start the ‘Go home and kneel on the washboard’ effect! I would like to ask the other team’s Mr. Fu. What do you want in a wife?

Old Fu: …[I am easy!]

—————-

This game will be the most difficult game that Tang Mo has encountered. It isn’t the difficulty of the game. The rules are complicated but… well, you guess.