Chapter 313: Chapter 313: Cage of Fools (Part 7)_1
Gone only to return?
Startled by the sudden knocking, Fu Qian’s first thought was of the fake female janitor.
She obviously harbored malice, to the extent that her even being human seemed unlikely.
If it really was her returning, it was likely that the visitor bore ill intent.
Violetta was also instantly on alert, quickly setting aside the food in her hand and making a hushing gesture to Fu Qian.
Fu Qian nodded, signaling her to wait there while he got up and walked toward the door.
...
The knocking ceased after a single instance, and this old-fashioned door had no peephole.
In the silence, Fu Qian’s hand gripped the handle and silently pulled open a crack.
The next moment, he discovered the knocker was not the woman from before.
A round head in red clothing, perched atop a long cross—it was actually one of those scarecrows he had seen on the way here.
Most striking was the scarecrow’s dripping wetness, even shedding beads of water, making one wonder if it was the same one from before.
Or perhaps it had always been the same one?
True to Snow White, the visitors were indeed unceasing!
Compared to the previous woman, however, the scarecrow’s reaction was odd; it didn’t seem to be in any hurry to come in.
Even with the door slightly ajar, it simply stood in place, merely swaying slightly as if moved by the breeze.
The knocking sound from before must have been its arm hitting the door.
Still, this scene in the dead of night was unspeakably eerie.
“Hello there.”
Fu Qian didn’t rush to close the door, instead, he greeted it with a smile.
“Are you looking for a brain? Unfortunately, the Witch isn’t here yet.”
Seeing no response, Fu Qian added another line.
Regrettably, the scarecrow remained still, merely standing silently at the door.
Alright then.
With communication a failure, Fu Qian simply shut the door and retreated.
“What was outside?”
Violetta asked immediately and offered him a piece of cake.
“Our old friend, the scarecrow, and it seemed considerably more polite than the woman from earlier.”
This time, Fu Qian didn’t refuse and bit into the cake casually.
Soft and sweet, indeed it had a good taste.
“The one in red clothes?”
Violetta paused, then shook her head.
“It’s not an old friend of mine; my mother’s never mentioned it before.”
So, it wasn’t even an acquaintance, though it had appeared quite a few times before.
This was, indeed, unexpected; Fu Qian rubbed his face thoughtfully.
“No matter, as before, we shall simply keep it outside.”
Violetta pondered for a moment and then said.
“Are you so certain they can’t come in?”
Fu Qian looked at her with a mildly amused expression.
“Yes, my mother said that as long as the house is made of bricks, it will be very safe once the door is closed.”
Violetta spoke with seriousness.
A house made of bricks is very safe, alright then.
In this dimension, that reasoning might not be without merit.
Boom!
The next moment, a bizarre noise interrupted Fu Qian’s train of thought.
His first reaction was to pick up Violetta, at the same time turning towards the source of the sound.
In the distance, the curtains were flapping wildly, revealing a large hole in the wall amidst their billowing, with the storm outside faintly visible.
Had the brick barrier failed so quickly?
Ha ha ha ha!
Fu Qian was puzzled when a standard villain’s laugh echoed through the air.
This laugh, thick with phlegm, sounded just like a witch from the legends!
Had he just jinxed himself by setting a flag?
Instinctively, Fu Qian threw Violetta behind him, shielding her with his body.
The next moment, a greenish globe flew through the hole in the wall and into the room.
Instead of dodging, Fu Qian stretched out his palm, catching it with his sleeve.
An apple?
Fu Qian frowned as he looked at the object in his hand.
The item, thrown in like a grenade, turned out to be a green apple.
It was huge, looked juicy and succulent, very hydrated.
Could this thing have smashed open the wall just now?
So the apple that killed Snow White wasn’t poisonous but was a physical attack?
Fu Qian pocketed the apple and continued to watch outside.
Sure enough, amid flashes of lightning, a figure quickly appeared.
It was the traditional image of a witch, a face full of wrinkles and a long hooked nose, cloaked in black, hunching over a slender broomstick.
And as soon as the witch saw Fu Qian looking, she let out another string of high-pitched laughter, tossing another apple his way.
What a hotheaded old gal! Not a bit of effort in trying to communicate.
Fu Qian caught it again without even using his clothes as a cushion.
At the same time, he confirmed his previous suspicion—the blasted outer wall of the room was not only devoid of bricks but also slowly melting away under the rainwash.
Could this wall be the legendary cookie wall? No wonder there were no windows.
It looked strange at first glance, but on second thought, oddly made sense.
This scene also inspired Fu Qian, and under Violetta’s puzzled gaze, he quickly tapped on the wall next to him.
Staying in the room was clearly not an option, and the doorway was blocked by a scarecrow, so they needed to find another way out.
Unfortunately, the wall felt very hard to the touch, obviously not the one.
Without wasting time, Fu Qian took a few steps to the opposite wall, where he received different feedback.
Taking a step back, Fu Qian aimed at the center of the wall and threw the apple he had in his hand at it.
Boom!
The moment the apple touched the wall, it triggered a small explosion.
As debris flew, a hole appeared in the wall instantly.
From this side, the other side of the hole seemed pitch-dark, possibly an empty room.
Without hesitating, Fu Qian picked up Violetta and jumped through the hole.
Almost simultaneously, the place where he had been standing exploded.
That was savage!
During this reflection, Fu Qian didn’t stop moving his hands.
The room was pitch-black, but relying on his memory of the layout, he quickly found the door.
The hallway, carpeted in dark colors, appeared before them again.
It wasn’t until then that Fu Qian put Violetta down.
To his surprise, Snow White, who had nearly been physically annihilated by an apple, was unfazed and even seemed quite exhilarated.
“The walls were actually made of cookies, I never noticed before!”
Violetta was jumping excitedly but at least she kept her voice down.
This must be the so-called fearlessness of the inexperienced.
Fu Qian couldn’t help but express his genuine admiration.
“That apple is amazing, can I take a look?”
Violetta pointed at the apple in Fu Qian’s hand the next moment.
He had caught two apples empty-handed from the witch, used one to blast the wall, and still had one left.
Why would you want to look at this thing, you aren’t thinking of eating it, are you?
Fu Qian ignored her, motioned her to stay put, then moved a few steps forward to glance at the doorway of the room they had just left,
In the blink of an eye, the strawman that had been outside the door had vanished.