Chapter 14 – Abandon the blade

This monk wasn’t Grandmaster Tanji, solely a plain and unremarkable NPC. 

Dugu Zhuo sat cross-legged on a prayer mat on the monk’s facet. He pressed his palms collectively respectfully, then requested, “The place are the human gamers?”

“The heroes who’ve provided incense throughout the day will be capable of enter although a small again door,” the monk answered.

“No surprise we didn’t see anyone after hopping the wall,” Aotian mentioned. “They entered although one other path.”

“Even when there’s a door left open, they need to get a notification,” Ye Zhou mentioned. “A traditional participant wouldn’t notice there was one other entrance. There should be a number of duties throughout the day which might maintain a participant secure at evening.”

“It feels a bit like a survival recreation,” Qingyue mentioned with pleasure. “A activity that appears trivial throughout the day can truly be your ticket for survival at evening! It’s intense!”

As he listened to the gamers and NPC’s phrases, Dugu Zhuo shortly assembled the items of knowledge and observed one thing. The previous monk had solely mentioned that gamers who had provided incense may enter although the again door, however he hadn’t talked about different gamers.

“Can gamers who haven’t provided incense enter?” Dugu Zhuo requested.

The previous monk put down his rosary and checked out Dugu Zhuo. “A Buddhist temple is a sacred place. At evening, the Tanye Temple has the nice accountability of defending the people of Zhulong City. Except for the younger heroes who’ve fashioned a reference to Buddha, none can enter Tanye Temple.”

“Then how’d we get in?” Aotian requested curiously. 

“You could have all demonstrated heroism and righteousness in braving hazard to cleanse the Karmic Forest. You’re the righteous warriors this previous monk has been ready for.”

Because it turned out, the explanation they might enter Tanye Temple although the principle gate and encounter this clearly essential NPC was as a result of that they had slain monsters within the Karmic Forest.

The previous monk had barely completed talking when a server announcement rang although the air. “The righteous crew, Yi Ye Pian Zhou, Dugu Zhuo, Qingyue love, Lengthy @ Aotian, and Jet Black, have activated the principle storyline in Zhulong City. All gamers are free to seek for cookies.

Whether or not they have been yao, ghosts, or demons having fun with the evening life, people struggling to outlive, or spirits specializing in absorbing the moonlight, each participant stopped what they have been doing to hear.

A thousand totally different voices rang out all over the place, as rows and rows of phrases scrolled by in Dugu Zhuo’s imaginative and prescient.

[Dugu Zhuo? What a familiar name. Feels like I’ve heard it not long ago.]

[The player who discovered an array and became an array expert earlier today.]

[What’s the array expert title good for?]

[How come he ran into all the nice things?]

Dugu Zhuo’s eyes felt overwhelmed and he fumbled along with his management jade slip for a bit till he lastly discovered the button that closed the world chat, and shut off the strains of textual content. Issues acquired so much calmer.

Unusual, again when there had been a system announcement for him changing into an array professional, he hadn’t been bombarded with textual content, so what modified?

Dugu Zhuo inspected his management panel and located there was an extra line of textual content—”As a result of 70% or extra of present gamers recognizing ‘Dugu Zhuo’ as a participant, the ‘participant’ id has been added.”

In his private info, Dugu Zhuo’s id was now listed as: BUG, participant.

Following that was a string of numbers, which should’ve been the ID he’d heard folks speak about.

As a participant, Dugu Zhuo’s messaging display now had a panel for direct messages from strangers, which Dugu Zhuo closed in order that random folks couldn’t disturb him. 

He by no means imagined he would’ve turn into a participant inside this recreation.

In accordance with the system immediate, he had this position due to “70% or extra gamers recognizing him”. The ideas of gamers may truly have an effect on the system’s notion.

“What are you ?” Ye Zhou requested, seeing Dugu Zhuo wave the jade slip as if he was controlling a panel.

“Closing the world chat,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned. “It’s bothersome.”

“It type of is,” Ye Zhou mentioned. “However I get a number of details about trades from it, so it’d even be annoying if I closed it. I’ve gotten used to it.”

After some pondering, Dugu Zhuo requested, “This recreation doesn’t differentiate between gamers and NPCs. If the entire gamers have been to, say, see this previous monk as a participant, would the system acknowledge him as such?”

“How may that occur? It’s not like it is a novel or comedian.” Ye Zhou clapped Dugu Zhuo on the shoulder. “One thing should be completed about your chuunibyou.”

So a participant’s conception couldn’t truly make an NPC right into a participant. Solely he may change his id, however why? Dugu Zhuo mulled it over. May or not it’s as a result of he was a bug?

After a while, he couldn’t provide you with a solution, and within the meantime, Aotian, Qingyue, and the black cat had virtually turned the temple’s primary corridor the other way up of their seek for clues. Dugu Zhuo knew that that they had too little info this present day, so he put apart his misgivings and went to cease them.

“Cease looking out. Particularly you, Cat, don’t contact the Buddha statue. Don’t you see the monk is elevating his workers?”

They instantly stopped messing round, turning their heads to have a look at the previous monk. He had certainly stood up in some unspecified time in the future, exchanging the prayer beads in his hand for a monk workers, at the moment wanting up on the black cat who was standing on the Buddha statue’s dais.

The black cat hopped down instantly, hiding behind Dugu Zhuo’s toes along with his tail tucked between his legs, poking out half his head to observe the monk.

The previous monk checked out Dugu Zhuo along with his expression stuffed with benevolence. “As a member of the righteous path, why do you consort with yao?”

“Righteous?” Dugu Zhuo mentioned scornfully. “The place do you get that from? Why do you are taking me as a member of the righteous path?”

“Your Righteousness Factors, after all. For upholding justice and punishing evil, you will have gained 5 Righteousness Factors, so at the moment you’re the most righteous individual in Zhulong City.”

Dugu Zhuo had gained one Righteousness Level for killing the black cat, one for rescuing the tea store proprietor, and he’d gotten the remaining three whereas killing yao who have been stealing human participant’s essences on his approach to save Ye Zhou tonight.

Dugu Zhuo had at all times been questioning what Righteousness Factors have been for. “How about him?” he requested, pointing on the black cat. “What number of Righteousness Factors does he have?”

“Since this yao has stolen the very important essence of people, he can’t be thought of righteous. Except he cleanses his sins, I can’t inform you the right way to break the curse of Zhulong City,” the monk replied.

Instantly, all 4 human gamers have been gathered round and staring down the black cat. The cat took just a few steps again, planting his claws within the floor and arching his again, his fur standing on finish. “Mrow! What would you like?”

“Let’s attempt kicking him out of the social gathering first,” Aotian recommended.

It was the opening interval of the sport, so that they needed to do some experimentation. Ye Zhou kicked him out instantly, then requested the monk, “Are you able to inform us now?”

The previous monk lowered his workers and mentioned amiably, “This previous monk trusts that you simply younger heroes worth camaraderie and wouldn’t abandon a buddy.”

Everybody: “…”

It regarded like since that they had first spoken to the monk as a celebration, they needed to full the mission as a celebration, bringing the cat alongside. Ye Zhou added him again to the social gathering, however the second he did, the monk raised his workers once more, appearing like he was about to exorcise a yao.

“That is unreasonable,” the black cat spoke in protection of himself. “If I can’t do the mission, then all of the races lively at evening would have hassle with it. There are solely six races within the recreation, and if three of them can’t do the principle storyline, they’re virtually prevented from taking part in!”

“The announcement advised us that each one gamers may seek for clues,” Ye Zhou mentioned. “We would not want this monk to search out details about the curse.”

Dugu Zhuo fastidiously poured over all that had occurred since he had come to this world. There was black and white, gentle and darkness, and the races divided into two sides. He lastly got here to a solution.

He traced the form of the Taiji within the air and mentioned to the group, “If we envision the daytime and nighttime as the 2 sides of the Taiji, our place proper now’s Tanye Temple throughout the nighttime city, which might be seen because the spot of white throughout the black. And if we contemplate the white facet to be day, throughout daytime, there must be a location which shelters the nighttime races, because the spot of black throughout the white.”

Ye Zhou mentioned in realization, “In order that’s why we noticed nothing regarding the principle questline right here at daytime, however we may discover clues at evening. People might be attacked outdoors at evening, so now we have to depart shelter and courageous the ghosts and demons to enter Tanye Temple’s entrance gate, in an effort to activate the principle questline. We additionally needed to slay monsters within the Karmic Forest. These are strict necessities.”

“It’s the primary essential questline,” Aotian mentioned. “If we hadn’t gotten fortunate, it’d’ve taken half a month to search out this.”

“Because the monk received’t give us the clue, will we have to wait till day and discover the purpose of darkness?” Qingyue requested.

Dugu Zhuo shook his head. “Because the cat was rejected for having too many Sin Factors, I most likely wouldn’t be accepted on the different location for having too many Righteousness Factors.”

“And we simply needed to embody him within the social gathering after we began the duty…” Qingyue turned her head and tried to offer the cat a spiteful look, however the very first thing she noticed was the cat washing his face with a paw and she or he immediately felt affection for him once more. She turned away and shook a fist. “Why’d he need to be a cat?”

Jet Black’s character was so unlikeable, but his look was unreasonably alluring. Was this a yao’s particular trait?

Whereas everybody was caught, Dugu Zhuo picked up the cat and walked as much as the previous monk. “Nice grasp, didn’t the Buddha as soon as say, ‘Abandon the killer’s knife and turn into a Buddha on the spot’? He regrets his actions, so will you give him one other likelihood?”

A little bit of liveliness shone within the previous monk’s eyes. “Amitabha,” he recited. “The Buddha is benevolent. Should you abandon the killer’s knife, you might turn into a Buddha on the spot. Benefactor Jet Black, will you abandon the knife and hereby stroll the righteous path?”

“What does abandon the knife imply?” the black cat mentioned blankly.

The monk didn’t reply, however Dugu Zhuo mentioned, “The killer’s knife can be the weapon with which you hurt others. I assume that you need to fully abandon the approach to stage up utilizing very important essence in an effort to be forgiven.”

“How can I do this?” the cat mentioned. “Wouldn’t I stage up slower than the opposite yao?”

It was an inexpensive factor to say. This was the equal of stopping a human participant from gaining expertise through missions, so no participant can be keen.

“Sacrifice is sure to convey acquire,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned. “This recreation appears to worth stability, so in the event you hand over one methodology of leveling up, absolutely the sport will present one other. Even when it doesn’t, if I’ve a approach to stage up sooner or later, I’ll share it with you. I received’t allow you to fall behind.”

This easy reasoning was truly extraordinarily persuasive.

The black cat stared at Dugu Zhuo for some time, shocked, whereas muttering, “I don’t even know you outdoors the sport, so why do I belief you?”

Regardless of these phrases, the black cat approached the monk, saying whereas stroking his whiskers, “Then how ought to I abandon the blade?”

“Amitabha,” the monk mentioned. “You’re clever, benefactor.”

A dialogue field appeared earlier than the cat, asking whether or not he wished to just accept the previous monk’s purification. After the purification, he would retain his Beguile approach, however lose the power to steal very important essence.

After hesitating for a protracted whereas, the black cat lastly hit “Settle for”.

The previous monk raised his workers and tapped the cat on the top with it. In a ray of Buddha’s gentle, the black cat misplaced certainly one of his talents.

On the similar time, the previous monk mentioned, “Any more, you’re an unshaven disciple of our Buddhist sect. I shall give you a rosary, which might summon a law-protector of Buddha that will help you when your life is at risk.”

Accepting the rosary, the black cat shared its stats within the social gathering chat.

The approach “Punishing Vajra” was a method particularly for Jet Black. When his HP dropped to three% or beneath, it may summon a Vajra with infinite assault power, able to killing any participant in a single shot.

“It has infinite assault and might indiscriminately kill something! What an unbelievable approach!” Aotian mentioned, so excited he rubbed the cat on the top. “Should you can simply maintain your HP at 3%, we will convey you alongside to defeat any boss, and even in PVP you may kill gamers irrespective of how sturdy they’re. That’s not a method to sneeze at!”

The black cat additionally regarded happy with himself as he stroked his whiskers. “The one drawback is it’s arduous to take care of well being at 3%. It appears like I’ll need to convey extra therapeutic objects sooner or later and get some apply with this system. Hey, don’t you contact my head.”

“Hehe.” Aotian eliminated his hand. “Your fur simply appears too smooth.”

Dugu Zhuo handed the black cat a jade slip. “Should you discover a good weapon sooner or later, I can strengthen it for you.”

The jade slip recorded the Misdirection Array. Their enmity originated from the Misdirection Array, so he may as nicely use this to unravel it.

And whereas nobody was wanting, Dugu Zhuo secretly handed a jade slip to Ye Zhou underneath his huge sleeve. Ye Zhou inspected it and located it was the Misdirection Array.

Mysteriously, Ye Zhou felt awkward. Together with his face reddening barely, he put it away, pondering that if he discovered one thing good sooner or later, he wanted to let his disciple have it first.

After cleaning the black cat’s sins, they remade their social gathering, and Ye Zhou requested in regards to the torch dragon’s curse once more.

The previous monk didn’t refuse this time, as an alternative opening his eyes with a glance of lamentation. “Ah, as an alternative of the torch dragon’s curse, what’s affecting this city may extra be referred to as the workings of destiny.

“In accordance with legend, the torch dragon as soon as introduced catastrophe to the human realm, and was punished by the heavenly emperor of previous, escaping into the Netherworld. From then on, day now not got here to the Netherworld, which grew to become a paradise for demons and ghosts. The torch dragon additionally turned from a divine beast to a demonic one, and subsequently can be lured by the depraved qi of the human realm. Ten years in the past, this city was peaceable, however when that baby was born, he drew the torch dragon’s consideration, bringing the Netherworld to this city.”

“That baby?” Dugu Zhuo requested.

The previous monk sighed. “Sure, the kid destined to turn into the Xuan Sword’s wielder. He was born full of impure qi, fated to lose all his familial ties and homicide his personal father. As soon as he leaves this city, the torch dragon will divert its consideration. You could discover him and assist the Qingtian Sect convey him away, in an effort to separate this city from the Netherworld.”

“The Xuan Sword!” Aotian cried. “It truly is the Sword Tomb storyline! 9 Heavens has determined to proceed it! My time has come!”

Dugu Zhuo, although, was thunderstruck.

He had been ordained to lose his household from the day he was born. When he was ten years previous, his mom had handed away. After he was on their own on this planet, a person arrived claiming to be his father’s shidi[1]. He took him away from the city he had been born in, to Qingtian Sect.

1. youthful martial brothe