Chapter 77 "The Little Taoist Priest" — He'll come with me, I'll take him with me...
Jian Dieda finally understood the meaning of "人客".
Zhong Ding's mother was originally an NPC. She was abandoned outside the game world by a man and became a system bug. His "father" in the game is the same as himself and should also come from the real world.
No wonder men sometimes treat her differently.
"Is that woman in the temple his mother?"
Jane Dieda remembered the face of the female mountain god. He opened the panel, found the save file, and heard the narrator's cold voice in his ear.
"As an immortal, advanced host virus, she has become an omnipresent firewall vulnerability throughout the game. The two of us have patched the entire Qingyang Town map, but you still encountered her several times."
The two of us—I mean the small system and itself.
No wonder they were in a bad mood; they're just a pair of overworked office workers forced to work overtime all night. But who told you to become programmers after graduation!
Despite my complaints, I'm genuinely curious about the origins of this parent virus.
The narrator granted him access, and Jian Dieda's eyes lit up as the dark room disappeared.
But Jian Dieda did not return to the Zhong residence. For the first time, he came to the place in the game closest to the control room.
What Jian Dieda saw was a hellish river flowing with colorful electronic information. There was a golden and silver bridge over the river, neon technology in the distance, and ghostly fires of the underworld. He felt that this place was both eerie and a kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
The little system disappeared again sometime ago. The narrator said, "There's another vulnerability. It went to maintain the system. I'll take you outside the wall to see those plot holes."
Jane Dieda followed, and after crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, the most famous attraction in this cyberpunk underworld, he saw a "wall".
Narrator: "These are the various infinite flow scenarios that each of you players is experiencing. However, a long time ago, humans had an ancient name for it: the Book of Life and Death."
"..."
"Go look at the most recent code. You are currently a temporary administrator. You can log in to your account to see the fates of other players. Break down this wall and go through it, and you will be able to see the past of Qingyang Town."
Upon hearing this, Jian Dieda raised his hand and peeled back the wallpaper of the inner world. As he broke down the dimensional barrier, he saw a familiar place.
The well inside the Zhong residence that almost caused them to drown.
Jane Dieda's memories resurfaced uncontrollably. He went into his memory archive, opened the stone slab covering the ancient well, and shone the light on his face.
Then this time he saw Mrs. Zhong's "face".
A pair of small, gilded hands escaped from the bottom of the well. Their icy, ghostly red fingertips tightened their grip without warning. She had lost all human consciousness, possessing only the instinct to destroy the system through the virus. She was now going to kill everyone in this game to avenge herself. But Jane Deda turned off the screen at the crucial moment, and then she "disappeared" as well.
She's gone, but the matter of Zhong Ding isn't over yet.
Zhong Tianshi was completely unaware of the sudden appearance of this Sadako's mother.
"My mission is to find the bug that's Zhong Ding's mother?"
The narrator was waiting for Jian Dieda to ask this question.
"It's not just you; every player will soon receive new character clues and quest guidance."
"..." Jane was stunned.
The narrator wasn't afraid of death. It knew that what it was saying was inhuman, but unfortunately, it wasn't human to begin with.
“Jian Dieda, besides you, everyone will soon realize that Zhong Ding’s background is not right, and his main storyline is about to be unlocked.”
Jian Dieda was jolted awake as if struck by a thunderbolt. So, the system really was waiting for him here. He had thought he was safe because he had protected the secret before everyone else, but now things were clearly out of control…
So here's the question: the system revealed that the higher-ups were planning to kill the boss ahead of schedule. How was he supposed to deal with this? Was it to kill Zhong Ding to eliminate any future trouble? No, he guessed it shouldn't be that. The main storyline wasn't even finished yet; the game designers clearly wanted Zhong Ding to gradually discover the mystery of his own origins while teaming up to fight monsters…
He should be waking up soon.
Soon after, he will notice something is wrong with his body and will remember the "female ghost".
That's when the real climax of the story will happen.
But as an orphan abandoned by the whole world, a bug completely concealed in lies, can Zhong Ding accept this predetermined villainous fate...?
Putting himself in that situation, Jian Dieda felt he definitely couldn't handle it.
Just imagining the agony of a world woven from lies drove him mad. It was enough to corrupt and twist a person, transforming them into a red-clad demon that devoured heaven and earth, ultimately becoming the very kind of ugly being they themselves loathed, besieged and hunted by the world…
No, no one is allowed to touch the bells and tripods; he forbids it.
The narrator seemed to have been eavesdropping on the players' thoughts, and suddenly said, "Jane, it's not like things won't happen just because you forbid it."
"Why."
Narrator: "Because every destiny has a foreshadowing, and the foreshadowing of Zhong Ding was destined from the very beginning."
“Such an ominous person will surely be punished by heaven one day, and everyone will have the right to kill him. If the great demon does not die, how will the world be restored to peace, and how can the human world be guaranteed a hundred years of peace?”
Jane Dieda's heart skipped a beat for no reason. He couldn't refute it for a moment because the narrator wasn't expressing any personal emotions; he was just stating Jane's lines from the script.
Jane was born in Jiangnan.
At that time, the world was at war, and humans, ghosts, and demons roamed freely. His family was unfortunately eaten by the purple-clad demon.
He went from having both parents to becoming an unwanted little beggar. Fortunately, he was found by Daoist Shou Kang and raised until he was sixteen. After mastering various skills, he simply became a monk and became a disciple of the True Martial Emperor.
In his eyes, humans are humans and demons are demons.
The reason he came down the mountain to Qingyang Town was because he had a heart set on eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path.
Now, the system tells him that the person is a demon, and their meeting was a mistake.
This essentially brings the storyline, which had been so unrestrained, back to its original theme.
You say you've fallen in love with the other person. Well then, young Taoist priest, didn't you once dare to fight for the greater good of the world? Now, do you want to save everyone in the world, or just one person?
What if the whole world is on your side?
Simplified Dieda was indeed thoroughly calculated by the system.
This script is full of dramatic effect in every aspect; even the most emotionally stable person would be drawn into it. It was quite a while before the narrator heard the black-haired young man stubbornly add another question.
"Am I still a script-based murder mystery game host?"
"yes."
"……"Um.
—Yes, that's fine.
In the midst of the chaos and confusion, Jian Dieda noticed the tonics on the table and suddenly thought of asking Fifth Master. After all, the other man had lived in the Zhong residence for many years, and he must have some untold secrets. Moreover, Fifth Master might have helped Zhong Ding conceal his background before.
"I'll continue with my storyline. You guys restore Zhongding's data to normal as soon as possible, and we'll continue our discussion when we get back."
After Jian Dieda finished speaking, he didn't waste any more words and prepared to go to the outer residence to find Fifth Master.
Neither of the system administrators intervened.
What this indirectly meant, Jian Dieda knew in his heart, but he didn't say it outright. He just watched as a man's body returned to the bed, and then personally helped tuck the blanket in.
“…Wait for me to come back.” Jian Dieda looked at the pale and weak face and whispered a check on Zhong Ding’s condition.
The boss was indeed constantly offline with low health, but his favorability towards (Jian Burang) silently increased by 15 points in his dream.
They had just "practiced" their intimacy level before.
The "evil dragon," still fast asleep, did not roar.
He dropped a gift—a bright red red envelope—in a fluffy fashion.
Jane Dieda opened it.
Master Zhong bought you a bag of children's snacks from the pastry shop next to the rice shop.
[Red dates (10), goji berries (8), longan (6), lotus seeds (2).]
[Item Notes: No item number 4; it's unlucky to say anything auspicious when giving something to your sweetheart (fox laughs)]
Jane was strangely moved.
He had never seen a villainous boss who was more charming, sweet, and easy to win favor with than this person...
No, they've already hooked up. From today onwards, the setting should be changed to a "love value" system.
Jian Dieda really wanted to kiss the adorable Zhong Ding, but he didn't do it in the end. He was afraid of waking his god, so he raised his left hand, which was hastily bandaged, and squeezed Zhong Ding from outside the blanket.
"I will protect you, I swear on my heart, wait for me."
These palms, much larger than his, truly bring him warmth and security at any time.
...
In the antique-style corridor of the mansion, Fifth Master had just instructed his servants to escort the guests to rest.
Fifth Master: "If what you three say is true, and my nephew Zhong Ding can only be saved by a beggar, then I will wait here for seven days. You three may also stay and accompany me in the rescue."
"Accompanying to rescue people" also means that the three of them have become hostages who threaten others. If Master Jian dares to do anything to the only son of the Zhong family, they will also die a terrible death.
Bai Xiaosheng smiled and politely cupped his hands, saying, "Fifth Master, rest assured, the three of us will definitely stay, eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures every day, and sincerely pray that Heaven will grant the couple the blessing of freedom from the pain of separation."
Fifth Master gave a cold snort, but due to the rule of not hitting a smiling face, he could not use his true martial arts skills.
Furious, he flung the hem of his dark blue robe aside and turned to leave.
Furong Dan and Antique Zhang were still in a daze when they inexplicably started watching Bai Xiaosheng.
While being stared at by the two, Bai Xiaosheng leisurely picked at his right ear.
Bai Xiaosheng: "What are you looking at?"
Furong Dan pulled the young scholar aside and whispered in his ear, "What did you mean by what you just said? 'Lovers will eventually get married'? Weren't we helping to save Zhong Ding's life?!"
Seeing Bai Xiaosheng's ambiguous smile, Zhang, the antique expert, wasn't hopelessly stupid. He took a breath and asked, "Scholar, what we're saying is... Jian Burang and Zhong Ding aren't... together right now... cough cough!!??"
Furong Dan: "...?"
Those three clowns weren't much of a help in the case, but they certainly got to enjoy the gossip.
Just as Bai Xiaosheng was about to say something, the sound of firecrackers came from the street, and Lanlan appeared, carrying a basket filled with gold and silver ingots.
Bai Xiaosheng was from out of town, so he asked her where she was going.
Lanlan: "Oh, today is the day of Li Yuanwai and Sun Youfu's funeral. They need to invite the gods outside."
Furong Dan: "A funeral is a funeral, why is there also the matter of inviting gods?"
Zhang, the antique expert, chimed in: "Yes, yes, it's really strange here. Everyone says it's easy to invite a god but hard to send him away, and you can't just invite any god. Our ancestors in this town have asked the gods for so many things. It feels like there's a god every ten steps in the countryside. If you invite too many gods, can you really repay the favors?"
Lanlan heard the man in the mandarin jacket clearly, and her lips twitched slightly.
Bai Xiaosheng was a perceptive person. He noticed that she was looking down at the basket and said in a strange tone, "Isn't it true that it's easy to invite a god but hard to send him away?"
Hiss—Bai Xiaosheng felt a chill run down his spine for no apparent reason.
Why did he feel that this little girl was a little scary?
Ancestral hall.
The ancestors of the Zhong family are all in the hall.
Fifth Uncle held three sticks of incense, their fragrance rising above his head. His fingers were covered in thick calluses. These were all evidence of his protection of the Zhong family's secrets, and they all fell into the eyes of the young Taoist priest who was the first to crack the secret of Qingyang Town.
"Fifth Master".
Fifth Uncle pretended not to hear, and the two remained locked in a stalemate. The Western clock in the hall ticked away, and Jian Dieda called out again.
Fifth Uncle.
The way people address each other reflects the closeness of their relationship. Jian Dieda saw an old man seem to move his shoulders, but the other person ultimately didn't respond, still maintaining a cold and distrustful demeanor.
Perhaps he did admit something, but having lived in this town for so long, he had seen too many bizarre things and had become accustomed to being a silent coward.
The virus infected not only the data, but also the hearts of the NPCs; the entire town was sick long ago.
"Crackling and popping—" Outside, two funeral processions began to parade through the streets and alleys.
The three demon-catching duo probably went to watch the fun. Fifth Master never intended to harm anyone, so the Zhong family's spies didn't pay any attention to the three.
On the other side, the coffins of the two victims were pushed to the front of the procession by the pallbearers sent by the family. One by one, the villagers dressed in mourning clothes began to chant strange incantations to the gods. When Fifth Master heard this, his expression was somewhat numb. The young man who came to discuss this issue with him saw everything.
Just then, Fifth Master, seeing that Jian Dieda hadn't left for a long time, asked helplessly, "What do you want to know? Don't blame me for not warning you, I won't tell a stranger anything, because this world is a puppet show, and everyone's fate is foreshadowed. From the moment the play begins, both those on stage and those in the audience know that Bai Suzhen will definitely flood Jinshan Temple and Zhu Yingtai will definitely die for love and turn into a butterfly. I only advise you, don't get too caught up in the play."
"That phrase again." Jian Dieda rubbed his shoulders in response, looking quite displeased. He had been badly injured while fighting the female ghost, and his wounds were still aching. However, he pursed his lips coldly, and the expression in his eyes was as sharp as a newly honed sword of a young swordsman. His expression was so clear and righteous that even the old man felt he was somewhat extraordinary and inexplicably trusted him.
But then again, no matter how righteous a Taoist priest is, so what? For so many years, no one in Qingyang Town has been able to escape… It's a cage with no way out…
The heavy weight that had been pressing on Fifth Master's heart hadn't even had a chance to be lifted before it was pressed back down.
"If you're here to tell me my nephew is alright, then you can go back. I've always known his constitution has been like this, but this time his injury is quite serious. When you and he were doing that, you did know a thing or two about the consequences..."
Two bottles of hemostatic and wound-healing medicine, each stuffed with red cloth, were tossed out of the old man's hand.
The Qingyang team had only been back at the Zhong family's house for a short time, and it seemed that these two bottles of medicine had been prepared in advance.
Fifth Master's buy-one-get-one-free offer was loaded with meaning: "I don't usually tell this to people, but you can take these two bottles first. Remember, it's better to guide than to block."
Jian Dieda: ...
Then he could only cover a certain part of his body and say thank you. He originally thought he was going to argue with the old man, but he didn't expect to receive a gift.
But he still had to ask something when he came over; otherwise, he couldn't go back to sleep with that villainous old man who could turn evil at any moment.
Jian Dieda looked at Fifth Master and asked, "Fifth Master, are you the only 'guest' who has remained in Qingyang Town over the years?"
Fifth Master remained silent for a long time. When he finally had the strength to speak again, he replied, "Hmm."
He is a player, but he has been assimilated, stripped of his skills, and aged. His only remaining memory is that he no longer belongs to this world, but he can no longer return to his original world.
So, for these familiar "strangers," or rather, former "kindred spirits," Fifth Master's advice is: don't be like him. Before the game ends, you must leave this place and not be tied down by any local people or things, otherwise you'll never be able to leave again.
After a while, Zhong Ding woke up and waited in the room for Master Jian, who had been strolling around with some wound medicine. Coincidentally, Lanlan was also there.
Lanlan asked a servant to bring her hot water, scented tea, clothes, and dinner. She said she had been working in the kitchen since noon and was exhausted. Zhongding gave her a kind but weak smile and said, "Go and rest. You silly girl, why are you working so hard for two grown men? Girls should be pampered."
Zhong Ding has a compassionate heart and feels safe with cats, dogs, children, women, the elderly, and the disabled. The word "bad person" simply doesn't apply to him.
Jian Dieda recalled some of Fifth Master's words before he left, and he felt inexplicably powerless. Was there really a place in this world where this person could be hidden away forever until the very end?
Yes, that's exactly the question he asked—
"What if we find a middle ground and hide away?"
“I don’t want to go back. Then he can come with me. I’ll take him with me.”
The system probably didn't expect the players to be this crazy, and Fifth Master certainly didn't expect it either.
Jian Dieda didn't intend to explain the matter to anyone. He returned to Zhong Ding's side, said a few more words to Lanlan before leaving, and then sat down. However, he had no appetite today—it was as if sulfuric acid was falling from the sky.
"Even if the sky falls, you still have to eat properly. That's the rule," the patient said calmly to his family. He sounded calm and gentle, displaying considerable personal charm.
Jian Dieda reluctantly followed the Zhong family's rules. They began to eat, and Old Master Zhong even sat down to sit with them, his hands busy reaching for the food box.
Inside was a dish of lotus root starch and pork meatballs, a plate of stir-fried beef rice noodles, and a cinnamon apple pie popular with Western churches outside.
Mr. Zhong smiled again, because he thought the little Taoist priest would like sweets.
The crumbly apple filling and the sweet buns—no one who needs a hug to sleep would dislike that!
Seeing that no one was around, and still recovering from his illness, Master Zhong, forgetting the pain of his previous injury, approached Jian Dieda to ask where he had gone.
Of course, he guessed part of it, but a sensible little Bao would know what he meant, right? Master Jian, if you have anything that makes you unhappy, you should tell your Zhongding. He will feel sorry for you.
"I won't..." He had barely uttered the words.
The head on her chest pressed itself against her chest and hugged her.
Jane buried her face in the man's long hair and neck for warmth.
Zhong Ding immediately smiled and closed his eyes, so happy that he hugged him and didn't want to say anything.
—Actually, a world just for the two of them sounds difficult, but it's also easy to find. Because any troubles they encounter eventually find their way into Zhong Ding's arms, where Zhong Ding can heal them.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Crying uncontrollably]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com