Chapter 19 – The washerwoman

“No manner, pretending to be an NPC truly labored?”

As they carried the chickens on their manner again to the beggar boss, Lengthy @ Aotian listened to Qingyue recount what had occurred, his expression crammed with disbelief.

Aotian hadn’t agreed with Dugu Zhuo about following the veiled group at first as a result of he had thought that though the opposite celebration was additionally on the primary questline, they simply wanted to be one step forward of them and snatch the primary completion. When time was so contested, what sort of individual would spend it tailing folks as an alternative of finishing duties?

However one way or the other, Dugu Zhuo had truly efficiently tailed them, and likewise duped the opposite workforce into messing with the yamen.

“I don’t get it although,” Aotian mentioned. “How did they mistake you for a quest-giving NPC? Usually when an NPC assigns a job, celebration members who aren’t there’ll get an audio notification, and even when those who’re there received’t, they might see it on the mission scroll. In the event that they went to the yamen with none form of notification, aren’t they somewhat too simple to dupe?”

“You may solely see the mission scroll if you happen to open it,” Ye Zhou mentioned. “Even again within the PC recreation, we’d neglect our missions and need to open up the log.”

“I suppose so,” Aotian mentioned, nonetheless not fairly believing it. “Then what’d you do to the unique NPC?”

“They didn’t see any NPC, they simply assumed I used to be one,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned very briefly.

This was definitely a chance in such a difficult VR recreation as this one. In any case, if one couldn’t distinguish between gamers and NPCs, upon encountering somebody who appeared utterly in contrast to a participant, it was fairly probably one would suppose they had been an NPC.

Black Cat stroked his whiskers. “I assumed they had been on the identical missions as us, but it surely seems they had been truly placing yin vitality within the tofu. They’re mainly poisoning it, aren’t they? We’re truly doing two utterly various things.”

“Do you even need to ask?” Aotian mentioned. “They’re attempting to poison the previous monk. He informed us to purchase tofu, so once we come again with some poisoned tofu, we’re in all probability going to finish up combating. I want to purchase some extra drugs.”

Usually, the primary storyline would, on prime of item-finding and people-finding quests, have designated fight levels. Aotian had been considering all alongside about the place they may get right into a battle, and this appeared like a possibility.

“Not essentially,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned, remembering the temple attendant’s phrases. “Let’s first discover the pure yang youngster’s blood.”

They discovered the beggar with a purpose to make the beggar’s rooster. He roasted the ten, stored three for himself, and despatched every individual one which they positioned into their storage gadgets, leaving the remaining two for giving to the fortune teller.

The beggar’s rooster might increase stamina and well being, in addition to being scrumptious. After listening to that consuming in-game might fulfill your cravings with out gaining you weight, Qingyue had already determined to have the rooster for lunch.

They obtained loads of expertise from the beggar boss, and after giving the chickens to the fortune teller, they obtained extra expertise and a few silver. After finishing this chain of duties, Ye Zhou and Dugu Zhuo each rose to stage 12.

After consuming the beggar’s rooster, the fortune teller stroked his lengthy whiskers and, after calculating on his fingers, mentioned, “It’s the kid of the washerwoman on the east aspect of city.”

They then set off to search out the washerwoman. Furrowing her forehead, Qingyue requested, “Does taking the kid’s coronary heart blood imply we’ll need to kill him? Isn’t this job a bit heartless?”

“I simply knew that you just didn’t learn cultivation novels,” Aotian mentioned. “Coronary heart’s blood refers to blood from the tip of the center finger, for the reason that fingers are linked to the center. It’ll damage lots once we take the blood, however he received’t die.”

Qingyue let loose a breath. “I see. In such a realistic-feeling VR recreation, I wouldn’t have been in a position to do such a factor even when I knew it was a recreation.”

“Don’t fear,” Ye Zhou mentioned. “If the sport truly had a storyline like that, it wouldn’t have been in a position to go inspection. The truth that it’s been printed means all the things should’ve been above par. Even when we’ve got to battle a boss, it’ll in all probability be one thing inhuman or we’ll need to subdue as an alternative of kill them.”

As they spoke amongst themselves, they arrived on the east aspect of city, and after asking round, lastly discovered the washerwoman at a riverbank, washing garments.

She was dressed like a married lady. Her face was crammed with hardship, however regardless of that they may see that she was solely round twenty-five and her seems to be had been truly fairly engaging. If she was dressed up, she can be better-looking than Widow Yang.

Squatting by the riverbank, she was washing garments one after the other, with nice issue. At first of spring, the river water was nonetheless icy chilly, turning her palms brilliant pink from the chilliness.

As Aotian was about to talk to her, Dugu Zhuo mentioned, “Make me workforce chief.”

Dugu Zhuo was really extra suited to being the chief than he was, so Aotian transferred management with out grievance. Dugu Zhuo walked ahead and sat on the washerwoman’s aspect. He took the garments from her palms and mentioned quietly, “Let me show you how to.”

The washerwoman stared blankly at him for a second. She waved her palms cracked from the chilly and mentioned, “No, younger hero, you needn’t trouble with such lowly folks’s work.”

“You aren’t lowly,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned.

He was sturdy and the washerwoman feared the garments would rip if she tried to battle over them, so she might solely let Dugu Zhuo wash them.

His celebration members by no means might’ve imagined he’d assist an NPC with their chores both. Black Cat questioned, “Will we first need to win the NPC’s goodwill earlier than we will full the mission?”

“Who is aware of?” Qingyue mentioned. “My intestine tells me that we must always in all probability comply with him.”

As a result of energy and highly effective analytical skills Dugu Zhuo had displayed all alongside, everybody trusted him and had full religion in his sudden determination to assist the washerwoman along with her garments.

Ye Zhou took a have a look at the small mound of garments close to the washerwoman and mentioned to the celebration, “Who is aware of how lengthy it’ll take one individual to scrub all of those? Let’s all assist out.”

Thus, your entire celebration joined collectively in utilizing essentially the most primitive methodology to scrub garments. Fashionable folks had been already used to having washing machines, and none of them had scrubbed garments by hand at a riverbank like this. Right this moment, this online game gave them a cause to understand the world they lived in.

The gamers had loads of stamina and with their ache blocked off, didn’t really feel the water’s chill. They went by means of the washing at a swift tempo.

Although Ye Zhou had his ache sensitivity at 50%, he didn’t really feel the water was freezing, solely cool sufficient that it felt good to soak his palms in.

With out a human type, Black Cat couldn’t assist with the washing, however he felt awkward to be doing nothing whereas everybody labored. He hopped into the washerwoman’s lap and mentioned haughtily, “Put your palms round me.”

She held the cat, who curled up and used his heat and delicate physique to assist heat her ice-cold palms. Lifting his head, he mentioned, “Look how cute I’m. You’re one fortunate NPC.”

Qingyue and co: “…”

There was nothing cute about this cat’s angle, so stuffed up with confidence in his personal look. Was this the enjoyment of being a cat?

Utilizing their speed-up operate, the 4 completed washing the mound of garments in lower than half an hour. Dugu Zhuo wrung every one dry and folded them correctly, changing them within the washerwoman’s basket, then helped her elevate it.

“I… thanks a lot on your assist, younger heroes,” the washerwoman mentioned, releasing the cat. “I can not hope to repay your magnanimity. I…”

She clutched at her skirt, wanting really at a loss.

“Dashen, the duty, the duty!” Aotian noticed Dugu Zhuo stand staring on the washerwoman for a very long time with out talking, and couldn’t assist poking him within the again and reminding him.

Dugu Zhuo lastly mentioned, “You may repay us proper now. We want a drop of blood out of your son’s fingertip.”

The washerwoman seemed clearly reluctant, so Dugu Zhuo defined the final state of affairs to her. Upon listening to that it was for saving a toddler, the washerwoman mentioned, “Then in fact I’ll assist. Younger heroes, please do draw the blood gently. My Xiao Bao is terrified of ache.”

“She instantly agreed with out every other situations!” Aotian mentioned passionately, after being pushed to headache by all of the merchandise assortment duties. “In order that’s why dashen needed us to scrub the garments. For the reason that NPC is in debt to us, she received’t make every other requests. This protects a lot effort and time!”

“We are able to purchase him candied hawthorn,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned. “Does he like that?”

“He does. If he can have candied hawthorn, I’m certain Xiao Bao received’t complain.” The washerwoman let loose a breath.

Listening to this, the celebration opened their mission logs and located a job for purchasing candied hawthorn.

“This… is dashen a designer for this recreation?” Qingyue requested Ye Zhou, bewildered. “How did he beat the NPC to assigning a job?”

Qingyue thought that since this Yi Ye Pian Zhou appeared to get alongside so nicely with their dashen, they have to be longtime acquaintances, so Ye Zhou should know extra about him.

Ye Zhou shook his head. “I don’t know both.”

If Dugu Zhuo was a designer of the sport, then why had he been assigned his grasp?

“We’re not in a rush,” Dugu Zhuo mentioned. “Allow us to show you how to convey the garments again.”

The washerwoman needed to protest once more, however she couldn’t win towards Dugu Zhuo’s energy, so might solely convey the group again to her leaky little thatch hut.

Zhulong City seemed affluent, but the washerwoman had solely this naked one-room home. She didn’t also have a straw mat, solely piling some blankets over a mattress of straw and sleeping on it.

Seeing how poor she was, the group steadily fell silent.

The washerwoman additionally felt awkward. “I don’t have chairs. Let me go roll some bundles into cushions you may sit on.”

“No want.” Dugu Zhuo walked as much as the range and noticed {that a} plate of freshly-made tofu had been positioned on it.

“Huh? The place’d this tofu come from?” the washerwoman requested upon seeing it. “Did Xiao Bao purchase it? Recently, Xiao Bao has been serving to grind beans for Widow Yang. She should’ve despatched it over.”

Wanting on the piece of tofu which was nonetheless fragrantly steaming, the washerwoman’s eyes grew hazy rapidly. As if Dugu Zhuo and the group weren’t current, she picked up the plate and mentioned, “This tofu seems to be scrumptious. I nonetheless haven’t had breakfast.”

She was about to eat the tofu when Dugu Zhuo grabbed her. “This tofu isn’t good. I’ve beggar’s rooster for you.”

He pulled the plate of tofu out of her palms and retrieved the rooster the beggar boss had roasted from his storage merchandise. Its perfume instantly suffused the room.

Nevertheless, the washerwoman acted like she couldn’t see the rooster. With solely the tofu in her thoughts, she tried to take it again from Dugu Zhuo.

“No manner, this isn’t proper,” Aotian mentioned. “What individual would solely wish to eat tofu when there’s roast rooster in entrance of them?” His mouth watered as he seemed on the rooster Dugu Zhuo held.

Seeing that Dugu Zhuo couldn’t maintain her off with a plate of tofu in a single hand and a rooster within the different, Ye Zhou flashed behind him and took the tofu, stuffing it into his storage merchandise to forestall the washerwoman from getting her palms on it.

With the tofu gone from her line of sight, the washerwoman got here again to her senses. Seeming to have forgotten all about what had simply occurred, she delightedly accepted the beggar’s rooster. “Many thanks, younger hero,” she mentioned gratefully. “There’s no want to purchase candied hawthorn. If he can eat this meat, I’m certain Xiao Bao would allow you to prick all ten of his fingers with out complaining.”

The group shared a look, all being certain of 1 factor.

This plate of tofu have to be the one the veiled workforce had positioned yin vitality in.