At the very front was a sorcerer whom the village chief had personally paid for. Too many people had died violent deaths, and the older generation was superstitious, fearing that the dead would not rest in peace.

The priest scattered yellow talismans while chanting incantations, his expression solemn. More than the yellow talismans were the fluttering white paper money.

"Don't blame me... repay grudges and settle scores..."

"..."

Qi Qi watched for a while, curious. When he heard this sentence, he looked at Long Xiaofan, who was dressed in mourning clothes at the front, and saw that he looked very impatient.

When he wasn't facing Qi Qi, his arrogant aura resurfaced, and people around him instinctively dared not approach him.

"This guy is really something," Qi Qi muttered, pursing his lips.

Not even bothering to put on an act?

The system said: [His hands are stained with a lot of blood. In ancient times, such a malevolent spirit would have been either a general or a king. Ordinary ghosts wouldn't dare to approach him, let alone in an ordinary small world.]

Qi Qi's gaze fell on Long Xiaofan: [He's not fierce at all in front of me; his acting is excellent. It seems I should learn from him.]

System: [Let things take their course, but cannon fodder characters are generally not very smart, so don't overthink it.]

Qi Qi: [...I can tell, Tongtong, you're saying I'm stupid.]

The system wanted to laugh.

...

Qi Qi didn't follow the rest of the ceremony. He was from out of town and his physical strength was really too poor. The mountain was high, and he wanted to save his energy to climb it tomorrow.

Those taboos have nothing to do with him.

The people went there in the morning, and by the time Long Xiaofan returned, it was almost noon. The villagers who had helped out still managed to gather together for a meal.

Long Xiaofan had a strong smell of incense on him.

Qi Qi tugged at his clothes: "The scenery around here is quite nice. Take me to the mountains for a trip tomorrow."

Qi Qi pointed to another hill near where they had gone up today and waved his phone: "I heard there's an ancient temple there. I want to go check it out."

Long Xiaofan looked up and estimated the distance, then casually pinched Qi Qi's calf. It wasn't even as thick as his arm, soft and weak: "Little brother, don't go. It's too high, you can't climb it."

Qi Qi threatened, "I don't care, I'm going. If you don't agree, I won't take you to the city."

Long Xiaofan immediately said, "Let's go."

Qi Qi was finally satisfied.

"Alright, get a good night's sleep and don't do anything tonight. Recharge your energy for tomorrow's mountain climb!"

Long Xiaofan's face fell.

...

The reckless young master Qi hadn't investigated the mountain beforehand, didn't even have a map, and paid no attention to the rumors of wild animals appearing there.

He does whatever comes to mind...

The next day at noon, without the knowledge of about 10 bodyguards, Qi Qi and Long Xiaofan took a detour up the mountain. He closed the courtyard gate, and generally, without permission, his assistants and bodyguards would not dare to disturb him.

The reason for going at noon is that the vegetation on the mountain is too dense, and it is easy to catch a chill if you go in the morning.

Long Xiaofan was carrying a large backpack containing food, water, a blanket, and small items he might need, such as a lighter.

Watching the young master's energetic figure walking ahead, my heart was filled with emotion...

In the wilderness, deep in the mountains and forests, a lone man and woman, spending every day together, inseparable. If night falls, and the moon is dark and the wind is high, with no one around, and if some wild animal attacks, he can play the hero and rescue the damsel in distress, and then…

Thinking of this, Long Xiaofan's heart was already pounding. Although he had never eaten pork in his previous life, he had seen pigs run. In the apocalypse, men and women rarely had true feelings for each other. Most of them were temporary couples. Under great pressure, people could easily have sex.

Those who know, know. This isn't about taking advantage of someone's misfortune; it's about going with the flow.

...

Qi Qi was also harboring wicked intentions. There were wild boars on the mountain, and the two of them got lost and wandered around in the forest without finding their way. The young master in the story started to lose his temper and scold Long Xiaofan, a local, for not knowing the way.

There was no signal on the mountain. As night fell, a light rain and a gust of wind caused the young master to slip and cry even more bitterly, attracting wild boars. Long Xiaofan helped him escape and they climbed a tree together.

After the wild boar left, a heavy rain began to fall. The young master, disregarding everything, ordered Long Xiaofan to go down the mountain to find someone to rescue him. Long Xiaofan slipped and fell under a tree, injuring his leg. The young master blamed him for being useless. Long Xiaofan was exhausted, hungry, in pain, and scared. The next morning, he continued searching for a way while running a fever.

Qi Qi turned around and glanced at Long Xiaofan.

System: [You've softened your heart?]

Qi Qi: [Soft-hearted? My heart is a top-grade energy gem, it's incredibly hard.]

System: [...] For a moment, I didn't know whether the host needed the Ruthless Path supplementary course or not.

Qi Qi glanced at it again.

Poor Aotian. I'll remember to buy him a prop tonight so he won't fall too hard... No, no, no, points are more important. I'll buy him some medicine after he falls.

A 10% completion rate for the mission earns 1000 points, while a basic healing pill only costs 100 points.

Wow, I'm so smart.

...

Both of them had their own ulterior motives. People had walked on the mountain a few years ago, and there were traces of several paths of different sizes. Qi Qi deliberately chose to walk on the small paths, trying to lead the wrong way. Who knew that he would be exhausted after only ten minutes on the mountain and would start buying energy pills to replenish his strength.

Long Xiaofan didn't even lose her breath, and even had time to hold Qi Qi's hand: "I'll lead you."

Qi Qi charged forward defiantly, but after half an hour he was truly exhausted. Stamina pills could replenish his strength, but they couldn't help him surpass Long Xiaofan. Moreover, buying other pills would only result in a loss of money.

The system warned: "Let him lead you; the path he's taking isn't the right one."

Qi Qi immediately gave up, slowed down, and calmed his breathing.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!