Chapter 25 – Celebratory feast

Since Xiao Bao hadn’t been stabbed with Widow Yang’s Soul-Stealing Spike, and hadn’t misplaced one in all his Earthly Souls, did that imply his previous had modified?

Earlier than Dugu Zhuo may assume carefully about it, he noticed the washerwoman smile softly at him.

All the things round them appeared to fall nonetheless, with solely the washerwoman capable of transfer.

She walked as much as Dugu Zhuo and seemed him over meticulously, from head to toe. She set free a satisfied-sounding sigh and stated quietly, “You’ve grown up.”

“You…” Dugu Zhuo wished to say one thing, however no phrases got here out of his mouth.

The washerwoman didn’t say anything. After gazing deeply at Dugu Zhuo, she raised her head barely and a pure white ray of sunshine flew out of her physique, capturing into the forehead of Ye Zhou, who was at present discussing the system announcement with Aotian and the others.

Ye Zhou had the Soul Locking Jade that Dugu Zhuo had given him hanging off his belt, and the second the white mild entered his physique, the jade brightened momentarily.

This was a chunk of Ye Zhou’s soul, so why wouldn’t it be contained in the washerwoman?

After Ye Zhou utterly absorbed the white mild, the environment got here to life once more. Aotian and Ye Zhou had been discussing the sport’s modifications, whereas Qingyue stated in an emotional voice, “Ah, this story… the washerwoman didn’t need to abandon her baby, she simply had no different alternative. Again then, she ran away from house for Xiao Bao’s sake, and now she’s additionally despatched him away to guard him.”

“Would she not resent Xiao Bao?” Dugu Zhuo requested. “Due to this baby, she misplaced her leisurely life and ended up destitute, and ultimately she would possibly die painfully resulting from sickness. All of the grief in her life was resulting from Xiao Bao, so shouldn’t she resent him?”

Qingyue rolled her eyes at Dugu Zhuo. “Some folks would possibly resent that baby, however check out her. Do you assume she does?”

The washerwoman had misplaced the liveliness of earlier, as soon as once more an strange online game NPC. She seemed towards the course Xiao Bao and the sword cultivator had vanished in, silently shedding tears.

“Do you resent Xiao Bao?” Dugu Zhuo requested.

“When instances had been robust, I’ve felt resentment,” the washerwoman stated. “However I didn’t resent Xiao Bao, solely his father who vanished with none warning or message. Xiao Bao is an effective baby who by no means causes hassle. Even when he’s hungry or sick, he’ll simply inform me in a quiet voice that he doesn’t really feel properly. When he’s being bullied, he gained’t say, and he helps me with chores at such a younger age.

“Who would resent a baby like this? I can hardly treasure him sufficient.

“I solely resent his father. Couldn’t he have gone lacking after the marriage? Then at the least Xiao Bao would’ve had a father.”

Dugu Zhuo gently held one in all her palms, feeling an outdated wound within the depths of his coronary heart start to heal.

Again then, if it weren’t for the schemes of these with sick intentions who had used unfavourable power to control his mom, she wouldn’t have attacked him within the moments earlier than her dying, and wouldn’t have died stuffed with resentment.

And even stricken by unfavourable power, his mom had nonetheless damaged the jade talisman on the final second so somebody may take him away, saving him.

Dugu Zhuo didn’t perceive how this sport may have such shut connections to his previous, and maintain switching between the false and actual worlds. However what he was positive of was that these had been undoubtedly issues that had occurred, simply displaying earlier than him a facet of occasions he had beforehand been unaware of.

Who had finished this?

Dugu Zhuo seemed on the washerwoman, who had now turn into an strange NPC, then walked as much as Ye Zhou and gently brushed his fingers over Ye Zhou’s brow.

Ye Zhou was at present discussing with Aotian and Black Cat, and shuddered upon feeling Dugu Zhuo’s contact.

Pondering again to Dugu Zhuo’s earlier odd expression and overly intimate method, he checked out him cautiously, however discovered his eyes deep and unreadable.

Beforehand, Dugu Zhuo hadn’t been capable of maintain again his emotions towards Ye Zhou, not simply because he had been moved by his use of the Coronary heart-Linking Method, however extra as a result of after dropping the Su Sword’s divine energy, he was lacking one Earthly Soul and couldn’t management his personal feelings.

As soon as he had misplaced the sentiments of concern and guilt, ethical values now not had any which means to him. Again then, in that mind set, Dugu Zhuo had even wished to kill Black Cat for interfering. If he hadn’t recognized that nobody would die in a sport for those who killed them, he in all probability would’ve chopped that cat into items.

Proper now, together with his soul full, Dugu Zhuo may act correctly round Ye Zhou.

“What’s fallacious? Is one thing on me?” Ye Zhou unconsciously rubbed his brow.

“Nothing.” Dugu Zhuo smiled softly. “I simply remembered you had stated your well being wasn’t good. These days, have you ever felt higher, maybe?”

Except for all of the desires, his well being had been getting higher and higher. “I’ve been feeling nice these days,” Ye Zhou stated.

“Let me see.” Dugu Zhuo took Ye Zhou’s wrist.

“This can be a VR sport, so why are you all the time taking my pulse?” Ye Zhou stated, a bit awkwardly. “What are you able to learn from this?”

“Doesn’t this sport absolutely simulate heartbeat and pulse?” Dugu Zhuo stated with a slight smile. “I’m finding out medication, however I’ve all the time lacked sensible expertise. This sport is an effective probability for me to apply pulse studying.”

“Oh, conventional medication?” Ye Zhou stated. “The rules of conventional Chinese language medication are observing, listening to respiration, inquiring after signs, and taking the heart beat. You’ll be able to’t simply learn a pulse.” Ye Zhou seemed uncomfortable, however he didn’t take his hand away, permitting Dugu Zhuo to look at him.

Ye Zhou’s state of affairs was completely different from Dugu Zhuo’s. Dugu Zhuo had been lacking one complete Earthly Soul, whereas all of Ye Zhou’s souls had been shattered into an indeterminable variety of items.

Again then, the wisp of soul which had entered Ye Zhou’s brow was a pitifully tiny piece, barely a thread.

Making an attempt to calculate utilizing the chances the sport used, the fragment of soul which had been within the Soul Locking Jade would’ve been roughly 3%, the quantity of Ye Zhou’s soul which he already possessed can be round 40%, whereas the piece of soul which had been within the washerwoman was about 1%. All collectively, it was lower than 50%, a depressingly low quantity.

Even with such little of his soul left, Ye Zhou was aware and conscious and his pondering was unhindered.

This meant that the roughly 45% of his soul left was all devoted to sustaining Ye Zhou’s consciousness, abandoning all his cultivation, bodily features, and previous reminiscences in trade for permitting Ye Zhou’s physique to cling to life for a handful of years.

The divine energy that Dugu Zhuo had transferred to Ye Zhou may take the place of round 10% of his soul, so it’d be capable to enhance his bodily situation a bit.

“Do you have got hassle consuming?” Dugu Zhuo requested.

Ye Zhou seemed shocked. “Your pulse studying is sweet. I actually do have poor urge for food.”

In reality, not solely was his urge for food poor, however by now he was virtually a bit fairy boy who subsisted on dewdrops. He may solely maintain down a little bit of liquid meals, and obtained most of his vitamins and sustenance by IV. There was an IV tube inserted on his ankle, which he wanted to be fed by way of each morning and night. Solely throughout lunch may he handle a little bit of porridge.

“Possibly your urge for food will regularly enhance,” Dugu Zhuo stated.

He launched Ye Zhou’s wrist and turned to the celebration members. “To have a good time being first within the sport to finish a major quest, why don’t we’ve got a feast right here within the sport?”

Qingyue raised each her palms in approval. “Sounds good! Since I’m on a food regimen, I solely had a meal substitute shake for lunch, and it tasted terrible!”

“I had lunch, however I’m nonetheless craving that beggar’s hen,” Aotian stated.

Sooner or later, Black Cat had leapt onto the washerwoman’s shoulders. “Mrow, I can’t end an entire hen, so I’m prepared to share a drumstick with the washerwoman.”

Everybody was stunned at Black Cat’s supply, since he hardly willingly gave one thing he owned to a different particular person, not to mention this “particular person” being an NPC.

“What are you watching?” Black Cat stated, turning his face away. “Didn’t she give her hen to Xiao Bao? S—she ought to at the least eat one thing.”

Qingyue gave Black Cat an askance look. “Jet Black, are you the kind who normally appears very self-important and talks huge, and retains getting their ass kicked at college, and acts aloof, however in non-public you’ll cry whereas watching animated movies?”

“Yeoww!” Black Cat set free a pointy cry, the fur on his again standing on finish.

Aotian smoothed his fur down. “I kick the asses of fellows such as you each time I see them. You’re a minor, aren’t you? Registered together with your mum or dad’s account?”

Since 9 Heavens was a VR sport, it had privateness safety methods, and solely gamers eighteen and above may play with out restrict, whereas minors youthful than eighteen may solely spend two hours in-game per day, to forestall them from getting addicted.

Each rule could be circumvented, nonetheless, and lots of people would secretly use the accounts of their mother and father or different members of the family. Black Cat appeared to be a kind of disobedient youngsters.

Ye Zhou noticed Black Cat was on the verge of social dying from his two mates’ teasing and stepped in. “Alright, let’s break up these 4 chickens and all share them, okay?”

“Okay!” the celebration members all answered concurrently.

They determined to convey over a big stone to make use of as a desk and had an outdoor banquet within the washerwoman’s yard. Spreading a clear lotus leaf over the stone, the 5 celebration members and the washerwoman all dug into the meat collectively.

“Oh, it’s scrumptious!” Qingyue pushed up her sleeves ungracefully. “That is what’s nice a couple of online game. I is usually a correct woman in actual life, whereas I drink wine and eat meat to my coronary heart’s content material on this sport!”

“We must always purchase some wine subsequent time,” Aotian stated.

Dugu Zhuo supplied the washerwoman a hen thigh. It was unclear whether or not the washerwoman was conscious of his id, however she accepted it with a smile, him warmly, and stated, “Xiao Bao is aware of to handle me.”

Her voice was quiet, and solely Dugu Zhuo who was at her facet may hear her.

Throughout the feast, everybody regularly began discussing the sport. “What did the sport imply simply now by the Everlasting Evening District and the Everlasting Day District?” Qingyue requested.

“I suppose the beginning villages of the assorted races shall be completely different,” stated Aotian. “With the north facet of city because the dividing line, one half will all the time be daytime, even when some human participant is barely in a position to go online at midnight, whereas the opposite half will all the time be nighttime, even when a demon participant can solely be on at midday.”

“After stage 20, the time of day gained’t have an effect on gamers that a lot,” Ye Zhou stated. “And the sport will certainly launch extra objects just like the curtain the veiled celebration used to dam out the solar, with a purpose to reduce the affect of time of day.”

“Why did they make it like this?” Black Cat requested. “Didn’t they think about astronomy in any respect when designing this?”

“Don’t hassle asking,” Aotian stated. “The reply would be the torch dragon anyway.”

“The torch dragon creates day by opening its eyes and evening by closing them,” Qingyue stated. “If evening and day are being divided, does that imply it has one eye open and one eye closed, like this?”

As she spoke, she winked along with her proper eye.

“I can think about it, hahahaha!” Aotian stated.

Listening to their hypothesis, Dugu Zhuo spoke. “The Everlasting Evening District is probably going a projection of the Netherworld onto the human realm. For the reason that human realm is wealthy in non secular power, it could actually maintain the presence of the Netherworld, with a purpose to supply a refuge to ghosts and wandering spirits.

“As for the Everlasting Day District… if the sport desires to provide you with a logical rationalization, I suppose they’d use heavenly fireplace or one thing alongside these strains.”

“People and spirits are sure to decide on the Everlasting Day District, and demons and ghosts will go to the Everlasting Evening District, however what’s going to the yao do?” Ye Zhou requested.

Black Cat raised a paw. “I took a have a look at my fundamental data simply now, and my respawn level was modified to the Everlasting Day District, and even the Moon Worship Chant was modified to the Solar Worship Chant.”

Aotian shortly introduced out a paper crane. “I’m going to ask Xiaoyao and Xiao Wen.”

After a minute, he smiled and stated, “Final evening Xiaoyao stole so many individuals’s essences that his Sin Factors had been off the charts, and he’s been assigned proper to the Everlasting Evening District. He’s planted within the Everlasting Day District proper now, so he’s at present attempting to maneuver over.”

“How is he transferring?” Black Cat requested curiously.

“One root at a time,” Aotian stated. “Hahahaha!”

For the reason that sport had added so many new options, absolutely new maps can be opened past city borders after upkeep, so everybody was wanting ahead to them and imagining how badass they’d be after they leveled up.

Dugu Zhuo checked out Ye Zhou and requested, “Will there be extra major quests after this one?”

“For positive,” Qingyue stated. “Xiao Bao is barely ten years outdated proper now. After we stage up sufficient, we’ll be capable to activate the following major quest.”

“However this time we had been fortunate to have been capable of clear this quest first and win the perfect prizes,” Aotian stated. “Who is aware of who’ll take the lead subsequent time.”

After finishing the “Discover the Xuan Sword’s wielder” process, that they had earned much more expertise, a full set of stage 20-30 tools, spirit stones, and silver taels. They mentioned for a bit and determined to stage up after the upkeep, in case some new function was added for leveling up and so they wasted it by utilizing their expertise now.

The principle quest, huh? Dugu Zhuo glanced at Ye Zhou. The primary piece of Ye Zhou’s soul had been hidden in the principle questline. Maybe this meant the opposite items would even be scattered throughout the sport, within the neighborhood of the principle questline.

“After we cross the principle quest, will different folks be capable to do it too?” Qingyue requested. “The washerwoman appears so pitiful. If different folks can play it, she’ll must lose her son many times.”

Aotian shook his head. “You’re too sentimental. She’s simply an NPC. A major questline needs to be tied to the official plot and open to each participant. I don’t know if issues have modified within the VR sport, although. In any case this time, Xiao Bao hasn’t respawned and the washerwoman continues to be consuming hen right here with us. Who is aware of what’s going to occur?”

Everybody fell silent. The expertise of a VR sport was completely different from a pc sport, and it felt extra practical than even a film. They didn’t need the washerwoman to must undergo once more.

As all of them fell into melancholy, a bailiff arrived on the washerwoman’s home, holding an authority token from the county Justice of the Peace.

It turned out that after Widow Yang confessed, the Justice of the Peace had sentenced her to thirty rod strokes and three years of pressured labor. The beating might be prevented by paying a payment, which Widow Yang had supplied her tofu workshop to make up for. The county authorities had given it to the washerwoman as compensation, in order that she may make tofu.

As for Widow Yang’s younger son, he had been despatched to Tanye Temple for the monks to boost and educate him. After three years when Widow Yang’s pressured labor was over, she may retrieve her son, and as for whether or not or not he wished to affix the monastery on the time, that was now not the yamen’s enterprise.

The washerwoman joyously packed up her belongings to go to Widow Yang’s tofu workshop. Sooner or later, she may make a residing promoting tofu, and her little straw hut would sit empty any more.

The celebration watched these upheavals, seeing the washerwoman develop ten years youthful in a flash, wanting radiant as she ready to make tofu. 

Qingyue stated, “That’s two important NPCs gone. How is anybody else supposed to do that quest now?”

“It’s… one-time solely?” Aotian stated. “That’s such a waste!”

This sport appeared to not worth its programmers’ exhausting work in any respect, treating this completely good questline as disposable!

Dugu Zhuo, then again, let go of his worries and watched the washerwoman who was now already the brand new tofu-making magnificence on the town, hoping that her life would proceed to get higher and higher from right here.

Even in an illusory sport, she had reached a comparatively form ending.

As everybody remarked over the sport’s boldness, one other announcement rang throughout the server. “The participant Pang Du Du[1] has risen to stage 20, changing into the primary embodied participant within the sport, and receiving one [Bib] as reward.”

Everybody: “…”

Pang Du Du was that lingzhi who had all the time been on the high of the leaderboard, so it made sense that he was the primary to turn into embodied, however what sort of a reward was a bib? Simply what had he remodeled into?

1. it means plump