Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 329 - Three Difficult Years

"Pathetic acting." Fang Xiu shook his head, mildly disappointed.

He had expected Lu Ziming to be more cunning, to pull something unexpected. But in the end, he was just another Wei Xin—relying on the same cheap tricks.

Fang Xiu spoke slowly, emphasizing each word. "Alright, repeat after me: I am willing to provide free lodging for everyone, without charging any Spirit Money."

The moment those words left his lips, Lu Ziming’s expression darkened. "Fang Xiu, what are you trying to say? I invited you all into my home out of goodwill. If you don’t want to stay, fine. But do you really have to make this so difficult for all of us?"

His reaction was so defensive that even the usually oblivious Yang Ming caught on. "Hey, hey, you sneaky little snake! No matter what, you just won’t say the words ‘it’s free,’ huh? Is it that hard? Just say it!"

Lu Ziming’s face grew colder. "If you don’t trust me, then no amount of words will convince you."

His gaze shifted toward Luo Qingxin, Xiong Tianguang, and Li Xiaoru, trying to appeal to their emotions.

"Qingxin, Xiong, Li—you know me. Your new Chief Commander is clearly targeting me. If he doesn’t trust me, fine. But you should!

"I personally brought you all into headquarters. I would never just stand by and watch you die in the Land Between.

"It’s almost dark! Hurry and come inside!"

Luo Qingxin and the others hesitated. Their bond with Lu Ziming was deep—he wasn’t just a senior; he had been their mentor.@@@@

But they weren’t naive. Their trust in Fang Xiu, combined with Lu Ziming’s dodgy behavior, made them wary. Something wasn’t right.

Yang Ming, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode. "I swear, you are the most annoying person I’ve ever met! Just say it! ‘It’s free.’ Four simple words! You’ve been dancing around this forever, and it’s driving me nuts!"

Then, Fang Xiu’s calm voice cut through the tension. "He won’t say it, because the moment he does, he loses his leverage."

Lu Ziming stiffened.

"He’s been acting friendly, reminiscing about the past, lowering your guard. It was all just to make sure we’d stay in his shed."

"But why?" Yang Ming asked, frowning.

In this timeline, they had never encountered Wei Xin’s schemes, so they weren’t aware of the Land Between’s trade rules.

Fang Xiu, however, had seen this game before. He had been suspicious of Lu Ziming from the moment he offered them shelter. That was why he had insisted on paying—to test him.

And sure enough, Lu Ziming had taken the bait.

Fang Xiu explained, "In the Land Between, there are transaction rules. If someone offers you help and you accept without asking the price, they can demand any amount they want afterward."

"What?!" The group was stunned, turning to Lu Ziming in disbelief.

For Luo Qingxin and the others, the shock was overwhelming. Their emotions were too tangled to put into words.

Yang Ming clenched his fists. "Xiu, I get it now! That’s why this bastard kept dodging the question. He didn’t want our money upfront—he wanted to trap us inside first. Once we were settled, he’d name his price!

Yang Ming nearly exploded. "Motherf— Xiu, can I just punch him already?"

But before Fang Xiu could respond, sudden laughter echoed behind them.

Everyone turned sharply—

And saw Wei Xin, the Zombie, standing there.

Beside him was a disheveled woman with lifeless eyes.

She was thin, with delicate features, but her face was completely devoid of emotion. Her empty, soulless gaze sent chills down their spines.

Wei Xin smirked. "Well, well, boss. What did I tell you? This Fang Xiu kid has mind-reading abilities. You were never going to fool him."

"Boss?" The single word sent a shockwave through Luo Qingxin and the others.

They turned back to look at Lu Ziming—

Only to see his expression had gone completely cold.

Cold enough to be unrecognizable.

Lu Ziming shook his head. "It’s not mind-reading. I have Mindflare protection. No psychic ability can read my thoughts."

But saying that was no different from admitting his true intentions.

Luo Qingxin’s voice cracked. "Sir... how... how could you become like this?!"

She couldn’t believe it.

She didn’t want to believe it.

The man she had once admired most had become this.

Lu Ziming’s face twisted, his expression turning vicious.

"How?

"HOW?!

"If I hadn’t changed, I’d be dead already!

"I’ve been stuck in this cursed place for THREE YEARS!

"THREE YEARS!

"Do you have any idea what I went through?!"