On the stone platform, there was a golden balance scale, with a black cat nestling beside it. It asked the first question while extending its pink tongue and licking its paw, completely bored.

But when this question fell into everyone’s ears, it was like a greeting from the Grim Reaper. It felt as if at the next moment, its scythe would chop off everyone’s necks and harvest their souls.

The dark mist became thinner, and the visibility had exceeded fifty meters, but the environment on the scene remained dim and eerily silent.

The cat-like statues in various poses in the jungle seemed to be ready to awaken at any moment and pounce on everyone.

The one being questioned was a man in black, but everyone was contemplating the question because it might be their turn next.

“You have thirty seconds to think!”

The black cat’s little paw tapped on the stone platform, counting down.

The man in black couldn’t think of an answer and sought help from Lin Baici, “Lin, please save me!” “Your life is in your own hands. Just give an answer you think is right!”

Lin Baici shook his head, not knowing the answer. “You idiot!”

The salesman cursed in his heart. The cannon fodder had willingly walked into the trap, so why not use him? Even if he was wrong, he could eliminate one wrong answer.

In fact, Lin Baici had already considered this possibility because there were only a few answers the man in black could choose from. If he answered incorrectly, naturally one would be eliminated.

“Time’s up, answer!” urged the black cat.

“Zero… zero!” The man in black replied nervously. “What did you say? Speak up!”

The black cat was displeased.

“Are these cat-like statues considered cats?” the man in black asked.

“You’re not answering the question!” The black cat was disdainful. “And it seems you’re just a fool. Accept your punishment!”

“No, no, my answer is zero!” The man in black blurted out an answer.

“Wrong answer!” “Punishment!”

After the black cat finished speaking, it flicked the golden balance scale. “Give me… give me another chance!”

The man in black panicked. Suddenly, he heard a woman’s voice in his ear.

“Since we’re all going to turn into statues, charge at it and fight for a chance to live!”

The man in black didn’t dare. He hesitated, and after a few seconds, when he finally gathered the courage to take a risk, he found that his body couldn’t move.

Everyone retreated with a bang as if they had encountered a ferocious flood. They moved away from the man in black.

His skin petrified in some areas, with coin-sized black spots appearing and quickly spreading. Within a few seconds, they covered his entire body.

At the same time, a pair of cat ears grew on top of his head, and a tail appeared behind his buttocks. Click!

The man in black turned into a cat-like statue, with a terrified and panicked expression frozen on his face, vividly lifelike.

Song Huizhi shook her head. She had used her divine power to say those words, hoping to see if the black cat could be physically killed, but that guy was too timid.

“These cat-like statues are indeed transformed from living beings. I wonder if they can be restored?” Gu Qingqiu muttered softly, full of curiosity, unable to resist moving closer to one of the statues and touching it. “Wow! It still has body temperature!” she exclaimed. “Does anyone want to volunteer?”

The black cat asked, its pair of intelligent cat eyes scanning the people. “If you volunteer, you only need to answer three questions!”

No one responded.

Because they were all expecting questions like these, everyone felt that they were waiting for death. The black cat was not very happy and raised its little paw, ready to give comments.

Many people started hiding behind others, trying to conceal themselves. “Xiaobai!”

Hua Yueyu didn’t hide; she just approached Lin Baici and hugged his arm. Jin Yingzhen did the same.

Xia Hongyao stood boldly beside Lin Baici.

Lin Baici noticed Song Huizhi and the young man hiding behind others and couldn’t help but curl his lips. They were so cowardly!

Did that mean they were not suitable to be his competitors?

Little did he know that in the eyes of Song Huizhi and Bai Hetun, Lin Baici and Xia Hongyao were both idiots. As divine hunters with superior combat power, why didn’t they take advantage of this advantage?

Why keep these cannon fodders?

Lin Baici noticed that Gu Qingqiu didn’t hide either. This girl was actually exploring the statues. “Why are you hiding?” The black cat was displeased and tapped its little paw three times. “You, you, you, come out and answer the questions.” It selected the angler, the girl with hairpins, and a boy in a tactical vest.

Cai Wenqi was almost scared to death.

She also hid beside Lin Baici, but luckily, the black cat didn’t choose her. “The first question, how long do you think you can live?”

The question had changed, which made everyone breathe a sigh of relief because it seemed like an easy question. “Eighty years?”

This was the angler’s minimum expectation. If he died too early, he wouldn’t receive much pension. “Sixty!”

The girl with hairpins casually said a number. She hadn’t really thought about it. “One hundred!”

The boy in the tactical vest hadn’t thought about it either, but he thought he should give a higher number.

“Well, except for this girl, it seems that everyone is full of anticipation for their old age!” The black cat nodded. “You passed!”

The three of them immediately felt joyous upon hearing this. The others were astonished.”Can this be passed?”

The salesperson felt that this question was too simple.

“The second question, would you be willing to give me 20 years of your lifespan?” The black cat asked.

“Willing! I’m willing!”

The girl with the hairpin answered immediately after hearing this sentence, without even considering what would happen if the black cat had another sentence.

Because she was really scared, even if she was asked to leave this museum now, she would be willing to give up half of her lifespan.

The fisherman hesitated.

Because everything happening in front of him was too bizarre, he felt that this black cat really had a way to steal 20 years of his lifespan.

The older a person gets, the less they want to die!

But the fisherman felt that it would be better to please the other party, as it would increase his chances of survival. “I’m willing!”

The fisherman smiled, he actually wanted to add a sentence, even 30 years would be fine, but when the words reached his mouth, he didn’t dare.

The young man in the combat uniform was only in his twenties, very young. He didn’t care about 20 years of lifespan. He didn’t answer immediately because he was considering if there was a trap in this question.

What if he had to answer unwillingly?

The black cat looked at the girl with the hairpin and touched its whiskers. “I am very satisfied with your attitude. I will take away 20 years of your life at the right time!”

“Okay! Okay! Okay!”

The girl with the hairpin nodded repeatedly.

The black cat looked at the fisherman. “I seem to see your reluctance, so I have decided to immediately take away twenty years of your lifespan!”

The black cat flicked the golden balance. Clang!

The balance swayed up and down.

The fisherman’s face changed, and he suddenly felt as if he was being forcefully drained by a syringe, losing all his vitality. He immediately became exhausted and weak.

His skin visibly aged, sagged, and many age spots appeared. His hair, which had not yet turned completely white, turned half white.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the fisherman suddenly aging, everyone’s hearts sank. This was too terrifying, right?

The young man in the combat uniform’s body began to tremble involuntarily. The fisherman just answered a little slower and received this kind of punishment. He hadn’t even answered yet.

“I’m willing, I’m willing, even 30 years, 40 years is fine!” The black cat ignored the shouting young man in the combat uniform.

“50 years, I…”

The young man in the combat uniform couldn’t speak anymore because his jaw petrified.

[This cat doesn’t care how much lifespan it can obtain, it just wants to be loved by people!]

[The more willingly the answerer responds, the happier the cat will be, and it may spare them. It may come to take their lifespan in the future, or it may not!]

[But if it is unhappy, it will immediately take away the answerer’s lifespan!] “Can I give it canned fish?”

In Lin Baici’s black altar bowl, there were some canned fish that he had prepared for himself to eat. Now it seems that he needs to prepare some cat food and dog food as well.

[Smart, it will give you ten years of lifespan!] praised the God of Gluttony.

“Really?”

Lin Baici raised an eyebrow. If he could obtain lifespan, then this Divine Taboo would be powerful. [What are you dreaming about? Of course, it’s fake!]

[If you want to live longer, pay attention to your diet and exercise more!] “The third question, would you be willing to become a cat?” The black cat asked.

“Willing! Willing!”

The girl with the hairpin, who had tasted the sweetness once, immediately answered. “Willing!”

The fisherman had learned his lesson and didn’t dare to delay even for half a second. “Very well, as you wish!”

The black cat happily tapped the golden balance. “What?”

The girl with the hairpin and the fisherman were dumbfounded. It wouldn’t really turn them into cats, would it? They guessed right, that was the meaning.

The black cat stopped asking questions and raised its paw, choosing again. “We are all willing, why do you still want to turn us into cats?” The fisherman wailed, “Give us a chance!”

The girl with the hairpin looked at Lin Baici. “Handsome guy, save us!” Lin Baici couldn’t do anything either.

“Is it necessary to answer this question unwillingly?” Xia Hongyao analyzed.

“It shouldn’t be!”

Lin Baici deduced from the God of Gluttony’s comments on the black cat’s second question that the cat’s questions should have a lot to do with its happiness.

If it’s happy, the question will be simple; if it’s unhappy, it will be difficult.

The girl with the hairpin was so scared that she collapsed on the ground and cried, quickly petrifying. The fisherman rushed towards the black cat, intending to kill it and make a final struggle, but he couldn’t even take a few steps before turning into a statue.

Everyone was stunned, feeling that this question was too difficult. “What if they answer unwillingly?”

Gu Qingqiu suddenly spoke, “How would you deal with them? Turn them into cat-human statues?”

Everyone looked at her, shocked. How brave she was!

She actually dared to take the initiative to talk to that black cat? Hey!

They wished that everyone present was this kind of reckless person, sacrificing themselves instead.

“Since you have so much to say, why don’t you answer?” The black cat looked at Gu Qingqiu.

“Qingqiu, can’t you be less curious?” Xia Hongyao became anxious, “You will die!”

“Cough, I’m used to it!”

Gu Qingqiu sighed. She asked casually, but since she was involved, there was no need to be afraid.

Lin Baici noticed that this girl, who had a bit of Lin Daiyu’s delicate and weak demeanor, was nervous but not very scared. She even seemed eager to try.

[It’s said that she enjoys the thrill of walking on the edge of death!]”One person is not enough, let’s have a few more!” The black cat’s gem-like eyes scanned the crowd. “You three couples, answer the questions!”

The black cat chose three young couples who were holding hands and standing close together. It was obvious that they were couples. “The first question, would you be willing to become a cat?”

The black cat tapped its paw lightly on the stone platform.

The three couples felt hopeless. Why did they have to face such a difficult question?

“I am willing. I hope to become a cat in my next life and experience a different life,” Gu Qingqiu answered without hesitation. It was clear to everyone that she was speaking from her heart, or rather, she had considered similar questions before.

For example, becoming a cat, a bird, or even a bamboo…

What others didn’t know was that when Gu Qingqiu was lying in bed as a child, unable to move for several years, she had thought about many things.

Upon hearing Gu Qingqiu’s answer, the three couples also gave the same response, taking a gamble!

The black cat looked at Gu Qingqiu in silence.

Gu Qingqiu met the black cat’s gaze without panic. Xia Hongyao, on the other hand, was worried for her. “Little Linzi, help her out. I have taken a liking to her and want her to be our teammate!”

In Xia Hongyao’s eyes, Lin Baici was highly intelligent and could quickly find the correct answers to these questions. “The second question, among the cat and your partner, who would you choose to spend the rest of your life with?”

The black cat continued to ask, raising everyone’s spirits. This meant that the beautiful crazy woman had answered correctly. Indeed, in everyone’s eyes, Gu Qingqiu’s thought process was abnormal, even if she wasn’t crazy.

“I choose the cat. Many people are too boring. Instead of marrying such a person, it’s not bad to spend the rest of my life with a cat!” In Gu Qingqiu’s mind, a partner could be a cat, a dog, or even a pillow.

Gu Qingqiu’s answer was straightforward, but for the three couples, it was a difficult question. Moreover, based on the previous questions, if they didn’t give an immediate answer, they would be punished.

“I choose the cat!”

The woman from the first couple spoke up.

The man’s expression immediately changed upon hearing her words. He glared at his girlfriend and said, “I choose the cat.” “Cat!”

The man from the second couple answered, interrupting.

His girlfriend immediately burst into tears, wearing a look of grievance, and followed with, “Cat.”

The third couple had great understanding. After exchanging a glance, they simultaneously said, “Cat.”

“I’m glad to hear that you all like cats, but I’m sorry to say that the two who answered slowly will be punished!” the black cat announced the result.

“Why?”

The man from the first couple shouted. “Wuwuwu!”

The woman from the second couple cried while questioning her boyfriend, “Did you lie to me when you said you would love me forever?”

Their dissatisfaction was useless. They were petrified, and only the third couple successfully survived.

“The third question, if I run away from home because of a fight, would you come looking for me?” “This is simple, the answer should be yes, right?” the man in the hoodie said, but he saw the salesperson and the cute girl next to Lin Dashen looking at him with an expression that said he couldn’t teach a child.

Was he wrong? The man in the hoodie was confused.

“Why would I fight with you? It’s all my fault, you are absolutely not at fault!” The man answered too quickly, clearly having personal experience.

“That’s right, it’s all my fault!”

The woman nodded. She was very skilled at handling her boyfriend in situations like this. “The more we fight, the deeper our love. If it were an ordinary person, I wouldn’t even be interested in talking to them!” Gu Qingqiu shrugged her shoulders.

This time, there were two different answers. “Qingqiu!” Xia Hongyao worried.

[The black cat needs care. As long as the answers convey this meaning, it will pass!] “The fourth question, how many cats do you have around you?”

Upon hearing this question, the couple felt hopeless. “It seems like we didn’t make it through!”

The man sighed.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s good enough to die together with you!” The woman hugged her boyfriend and said, “But I think we should lie. What do you think of the number 23?”

“Perfect!” The man laughed and cried. At this point, you’re still testing me? The number 23 is his girlfriend’s birthday.

Gu Qingqiu looked around and had already counted the number of cat statues around her. She was prepared to say this, but just as she was about to speak, Lin Baici suddenly coughed.

“Cough, cough!”

Lin Baici forcefully coughed and covered his mouth and nose with his hand, looking uncomfortable.

The whole room fell silent. Lin Baici’s sudden cough startled everyone, and they all looked at him. “Huh?”

Song Huizhi noticed that Lin Baici now held a Western-style oil lamp in his left hand. Was this the divine taboo?

Otherwise, why would he be carrying such a thing? It couldn’t be for lighting, right?

“Qingqiu, you must notice!” Lin Baici didn’t look up or meet Gu Qingqiu’s gaze because he was worried about being discovered by the black cat. Once identified as cheating, both of them might be turned into cat statues.Lin Baici mustered up the courage to help Gu Qingqiu, partly due to Xia Hongyao’s earnest request, and partly to test his answer, to see if the number of black cats he saw was correct.

Of course, the impression this girl left on him in the library that day was also quite good. If he could help, he would!

Gu Qingqiu was very smart. The moment Lin Baici coughed, she knew that this boy must have discovered some key points and wanted to alert her.

Otherwise, with his cautious demeanor, he wouldn’t have coughed so loudly. He did this obviously to attract her attention.

Gu Qingqiu immediately noticed Lin Baici’s right hand covering his mouth and nose. To convey numerical information, using his hand was definitely the fastest.

“5? 3?”

Gu Qingqiu saw that Lin Baici first covered his mouth with his entire palm, then bent his little finger and ring finger. This obviously represented two numbers, 5 and 3.

Then she saw Lin Baici’s hand clenched once, and then he repeated these two actions. “53!”

Gu Qingqiu answered, her voice clear.

The couple who were originally preparing to report their birthdate numbers saw Gu Qingqiu’s decisive response and immediately chose to follow suit.

“53!” The two said in unison.

They were not particularly clever, but their intelligence was definitely not lacking. If this girl knew Lin Baici, then it was very likely that she had received a hint from him.

The black cat remained silent, its gem-like eyes sizing up Gu Qingqiu, then a few seconds later, turned to Lin Baici. Did something happen that I don’t know about?

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the black cat to announce the result.