Chapter 51
It's no wonder players are so excited.
In an endless game where survival is a matter of life and death, how could anyone remain calm if a special NPC suddenly appeared that allowed them to complete the game instantly?
Moreover, this is not just baseless speculation; the system has given a clear prompt on the task panel, and tens of millions of viewers have witnessed it firsthand, making it strong and solid evidence!
However, not everyone was happy to hear this explosive news that seemed to have no downsides.
Several audience members in a certain section of the audience watched Yan Yue and the others successfully pass the level. Amidst the lively atmosphere, their faces contorted in disbelief, and they couldn't utter a single word.
Seeing this, someone nearby immediately mocked in a sarcastic tone, "I never expected this—how could this special NPC be so kind?"
"How come it doesn't seem like the conspiracy theory some people are talking about, where they're trying to frame players?"
This is exactly what the group had just said to Xie Xubai.
They believed Xie Xubai was a henchman of the system and might suddenly launch an attack at the last moment, causing Yan Yue and his group of eager lackeys to fall into the abyss.
It's not uncommon for NPCs to mess with players.
But even after Yan Yue and the others passed the trial, the scene they had been hoping for never happened, and their previous arguments became a joke.
Being stared at by those mocking eyes, they immediately felt a burning, swollen pain on their faces, as if they had been slapped several times. They couldn't stand it any longer and got up to slink away.
As they disappeared, the audience behind them couldn't help but spit, their faces full of disgust: "What a bunch of sour grapes, all jealous and envious, can't stand seeing others do well."
"Those people seem to be from Yan Yue's rival guild. It's normal that they can't stand Yan Yue's easy victory."
A companion remarked from the side, "But it is indeed quite surprising."
He didn't specify what the unexpected event was, because the entire trial was filled with incredulous exclamations.
The initial surprise began when Xie Xubai appeared in Yan Yue's live stream for the second time.
As soon as the trial began, a large number of viewers flocked into Yan Yue's live stream, with the popularity being twice as high as before his previous live streams.
But nearly 20 percent of these spectators were there to watch the spectacle or to kick someone when they're down.
It was all because of the "sin" Yan Yue committed in the previous live broadcast—he got away with it by sheer luck.
In a perilous situation, you are lucky enough to encounter a special NPC, which not only saves you from disaster but also allows you to easily win the game.
On the fiercely competitive popularity rankings, he managed to become number one (for a short period), trampling over a host of big shots who were many times stronger than him, which is undeserved.
Many players were envious of his good fortune, so much so that even before Yan Yue took any action, some people were already complaining.
The housekeeper told him to wait in the classroom, and he just stood there like a dog that had been scolded. It was so frustrating. He might as well watch other big shots' live streams.
When will this ridiculous criticism stop? You started by going against the NPCs, and now the grass on your grave is probably several feet high!
Is this just baseless criticism? While other streamers are busy searching for clues, Yan Yue is simply being led by the nose by the dungeon. Isn't that the truth?
Well said. He's all talk and no action. I don't think he'll be able to clear the game this time without the help of a special NPC.
: Add one, let's see how he dies later.
I'll say it again: watch it if you want, don't watch it if you don't, and get lost. Don't fucking ruin other people's live stream experience!
The critics are making their claims with absolute certainty, preparing to present wreaths to those who seek to take shortcuts.
The other viewers were furious and started spamming comments, arguing with them endlessly.
Xie Xubai was not mentioned in any of the maintenance messages.
I can't bring it up even if I want to.
Haters can relentlessly mock someone for winning without effort, but they can't be certain that Xie Xubai will reappear.
The frontline strategy team issued a statement saying that Xie Xubai is very likely to appear in this trial.
However, as is well known, there is no commonality among the copies, so the possibility of Xie Xubai appearing again is extremely slim.
So much so that when Xie Xubai actually appeared, the entire bullet screen area went blank for a moment.
Fans and haters alike were shocked, and then a flood of comments overwhelmed the entire screen.
Ahhhhhh, my wife!
Hey, don't you guys have any manners? Calling me "husband" in broad daylight?! Ahhhh, my husband, we meet again! I love you, I love you, I love you!
Some people never encounter special NPCs, while others encounter them once, twice, or even countless times. Isn't that a kind of skill in itself? (doge)
Where did the person who was shouting just now go silent? Was he born not fond of talking?
Even if Xie Xubai appears, it doesn't mean Yan Yue can pass this trial smoothly. What's with the arrogance?
The frontline strategy team, who had been keeping an eye on Yan Yue's live stream, were overjoyed to see this.
They immediately notified the logistics team to find the live streams of other players in the same instance, and recorded and observed Xie Xubai's every move from the perspective of multiple streamers, treating him with the same seriousness as a national treasure.
The fact that the copies are indeed interoperable will definitely cause a huge uproar.
Its impact was significant, especially the unspoken confrontation between the continental teams.
Just because Xie Xubai, who brought the message, is from Zhongzhou, and appeared twice in their own people's live broadcast room, the other continent teams that looked down on the Zhongzhou team will now have to lower their chins and speak!
No one except those on the inside knew about this.
Hu Chang and Yan Yue had an argument due to a disagreement.
Yan Yue believed that it was important to build a good relationship with the NPCs first, but Hu Chang mocked him for sucking up to the NPCs.
There's no need for such trouble when dealing with those virtual data people. Just use torture to extract confessions; what kind of intelligence can't we get?
Then came the famous scene that audiences still talk about.
— Xie Xubai pushed open the door and entered. Hu Chang made a lot of wild remarks, wanting to drain him dry, and then pressed his face against him.
Especially after some viewers noticed that Xie Xubai seemed to understand what the players were saying, the live chat erupted in an uproar, with people feeling embarrassed for him and mourning his passing.
Lighting candles.
Take care.
He's just asking for trouble; he might as well just bury him.
Yan Yue's failure to recognize Xie Xubai naturally caused quite a stir.
The person who only cares about looks is frustrated that even if they meet Xie Xubai in the dungeon, they might not recognize him. They bite their handkerchiefs, tears welling up in their eyes, feeling resentful.
Analysts couldn't help but speculate about Xie Xubai's identity, because any NPC involved in cognitive interference is at least a mini-boss level.
The most representative one, the woman who married a mountain girl, still reigns supreme on the list of players' psychological traumas.
Without the sarcasm and ridicule from the haters, the atmosphere in the live chat has been relatively cheerful so far.
The entire trial took a dramatic turn when Jiang Kaile ordered Hu Chang to be thrown out, filling it with the cold, ruthless atmosphere familiar to the players.
The mere fact that "speaking loudly" triggered the rule of certain death terrified all the viewers.
They suddenly realized that this instance might be even more difficult than "Dog Harm".
To save his own life, Hu Chang did not hesitate to push Chan Sheng out to die in his place.
Seeing Chan Sheng being led away by the bodyguard with a blank expression, some people couldn't help but sigh, but it was understandable.
Chan Sheng's skill is to act as a scapegoat; for those who want to team up with him, his value lies in this, or even only in this.
Some viewers envied Hu Chang for being able to persuade the council speaker to give up Chan Sheng. If Chan Sheng were to be separated from the council speaker in the future, they would definitely rush to rescue him and form a team immediately.
Everyone assumed that cicadas were destined to die.
So when Xie Xubai stepped in to save Chan Sheng and broke the rules of death, the live stream almost caused a major upheaval.
The rules of death can be broken, but only the top ten players in terms of strength have a chance to pull off such high-level maneuvers.
Because it is so rare and uncommon, most players are unaware of this possibility and assume that triggering the death condition means only death.
Is it possible to survive a death sentence triggered by a certain event?
This isn't something you can just stop with a simple shout. Hu Chang and Chan Sheng couldn't resist, proving the rules of the game were in effect, yet he just broke them like that!
I don't think he was the one breaking the rules. Didn't you see the bodyguards completely ignoring him? The bodyguards only stopped after the boy spoke.
Doesn't that make you even more awesome? Who else could earn your boss's respect besides your boss's boss?
Damn, the memories of my dead corporate slave days are attacking me. It's true, working a regular job is tedious, pays little, and you still have to be a detective in the sixth department, reading people's expressions and moods.
I feel that this young master of the Jiang family is not simple, and is very likely the "young man" mentioned in the title.
The speculation in the comment was quickly confirmed.
After Xie Xubai and the others left, Jiang Kaile immediately displayed the demeanor of a cunning king, emphasizing that he had only one teacher.
The young demon king was arrogant and cruel, his scarlet eyes devoid of any human emotion. Without any hesitation, he threw his accompanying butler and servants into the fire to burn, their shrill screams echoing throughout the lecture hall.
This scene was absolutely chilling.
But when the word "teacher" was mentioned, the young Ghost King's expression became incredibly gentle.
It's hard to imagine that two extreme emotional states could appear on the same person's face in such a short period of time.
His brutality was genuine, but his gentleness was reserved for only one person.
The barrage of comments exploded.
I knew he was strong, but I never imagined he was this strong. If I could get his protection, wouldn't that be like having a get-out-of-jail-free card? It's even more useful than Cicada Life!
Damn it, what kind of incredible luck did Yan Yue have to encounter such good things one after another!
The believer is willing to exchange three pounds of fat meat for an encounter with Xie Xubai in the game. May God bless, Buddha bless, Jade Emperor and Primordial Heavenly Venerable bless, bless, bless!
I'm really curious about who Xie Xubai is, and why all the Ghost Kings listen to him.
Goodness, a heartthrob in the bizarre world.
No, no, no, an ordinary heartthrob wouldn't be loved by the Demon King like this, Xie Xubai must be a succubus! So I'm going to go straight for my wife (doge head with rose in hand)
Because Xie Xubai left with Chansheng, Yan Yue couldn't see his movements.
Many people who are into good looks immediately switched their focus and flocked to Chan Sheng's live stream.
At that time, Xie Xubai was patiently teaching Chan Sheng lock-picking techniques.
As the teacher of the Ghost King, he not only had no airs, but also paid more attention to Chan Sheng's emotions than his fellow players.
Several times, Chan Sheng clumsily flicked the long needle away, but the young man was not angry at all. He helped Chan Sheng find the mistakes in his fingering and corrected them step by step.
When the cicada makes even the slightest progress, the young man's eyes will light up with surprise, and he will praise it generously, saying, "You did a great job!"
The cicada then grinned foolishly.
The fans of Chan Sheng could all see that Xie Xubai didn't just make up some excuse to brush off the clueless kid like other players did, but genuinely wanted to teach him something.
No matter how sensational the Serious Party or the Analyst Party portrays Xie Xubai's background, or how unapproachable he seems, they repeatedly emphasize that he is not simple, that he is deceitful, and that we need to be wary.
At this moment, they stared at Xie Xubai's smiling face with his eyes curved, still unconsciously mesmerized.
In an endless game filled with the smell of blood, how luxurious must gentleness and kindness be to make them unable to look away?
What happened next left all the viewers stunned and bewildered.
The players present unanimously agreed that even someone as powerful as the Demon King could not resist the temptation of having an extra life.
However, Xie Xubai did not take the substitute candy that Chan Sheng had given out.
How is that possible?
Holy crap, does he have no idea that eating it means he'll have an extra life?
Are you stupid? If you didn't know, would you emphasize that a gummy candy is "important"?
Not only did he not take it, he even gave Chan Sheng a piece of candy! Oh my god...
How can one describe the shock and bittersweet feeling that Chan Sheng's "mommy fans" experienced at this moment?
It was clearly just a small matter.
It was just a cheap and unremarkable piece of candy.
But this was the first time their silly cicada had eaten candy given to it by someone else.
The silly child even cherished it so much that he dared not chew it, puffing out his cheeks and holding it in his mouth for a long time, even licking the fingers he was using to hold the candy.
Then Xie Xubai noticed and emptied his pockets, giving him the only six candies he had left.
Chan Sheng was overjoyed, more so than ever before. He stared intently at the fruit candy, then unconsciously held it in both hands, his eyes shining as he let out a loud "Wow!"
The mothers who saw this were almost moved to tears.
The Speaker of Parliament, who was watching the live stream, was bombarded with private messages, all questioning how he could be so cold-blooded.
The cicada risked its life for him countless times, yet he wouldn't even give it a piece of candy.
Speaker of Parliament: "..."
Has the cicada never eaten sugar?
He couldn't even answer that question.
Chan Sheng is now very famous, and everyone wants to lure silly kids into teaming up with him.
The council chairman had no doubt that if given the chance to erase Chan Sheng's memories and allow him to "recognize a master" again, at least half of the players in the game lobby would rush to him by any means necessary.
This is not an exaggeration. The guild members he had asked to take care of Chan Sheng almost led the silly child to betray the guild.
The Speaker of Parliament was furious, but also felt a chill run down his spine.
He couldn't let Chan Sheng go out into the outside world alone, and he didn't even dare to ask anyone else to take care of him.
However, he was busy with official duties and often did not come back for a long time, so he could not keep track of the other party's situation at all times.
Most of the time, Chan Sheng stays in the training field, where a set system takes care of his daily life. He eats, drinks, and relieves himself at designated times and has almost no contact with people.
Cicadas often lose their memories and are not very bright, so they need more training to make fighting an instinct ingrained in their bones.
In case he unfortunately dies later, his memory is erased, and Chan Sheng is taken away by someone. Doing this will at least increase the survival rate of the mentally challenged child.
But to outsiders, it appears as if the council chairman is constantly exploiting Chan Sheng, striving to mold him into an emotionless human weapon.
The Speaker of Parliament was speechless; he didn't even know if Chan Sheng had ever eaten candy, so he certainly couldn't be considered to care.
This decision to hand Chan Sheng over to Hu Chang to cause trouble is something that many people find hard to understand.
It's worth noting that even when promising guild members want to borrow Chan Sheng, the council chairman usually refuses.
The Speaker of Parliament has not offered any explanation for this.
His deep, weathered gaze fell upon the live stream, fixed intently on Xie Xubai's face.
Where is the lost Earth, and where are the remaining 7.7 billion people?
In this eerie world, souls have weight; where are they placed?
The Speaker of Parliament longed to find the answer on Xie Xubai's face.
But after staring at him suspiciously for most of the day, he couldn't recall a single thing about this person.
The meeting room was empty and silent, with only one person present.
The Speaker of Parliament, who was sitting at the round table, suddenly had a headache. He clasped his hands together and pressed his knuckles against his throbbing forehead, his fingertips turning white from the force.
A barely audible sigh echoed in the air, like a caged beast exhausted from its cage.
The fate he had glimpsed not long ago.
He put Chan Sheng into the choice of "Dragon Slayer Boy".
Will it lead to the ending that everyone expects, or another tragic end in vain?
In the live broadcast, Xie Xubai led Chansheng to threaten the Jiang family members one by one, leaving the audience stunned.
Especially since many challengers had just received the mission from the young Ghost King and were investigating the Jiang family.
Honestly, they'd never seen such difficult elite monsters and mini-bosses before!
Even if a player dislikes a normal monster in a dungeon, you can still have a few words with it.
However, the Jiang family members seem to have eyes on the top of their heads from birth. Just because a player didn't use honorifics in a sentence, they can conclude that the player has ulterior motives, thus triggering a conflict and causing a chaotic brawl.
Players practically wanted to shove those arrogant faces down into the toilet.
However, some big shots have done just that.
As a result, the little boss was so enraged that his blood boiled, his veins bulged, and he roared, "A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!" He then exploded, spraying the big boss with blood.
Furthermore, he was cursed with hatred by the vengeful spirits of the deceased Jiang family members, and any other Jiang family members who saw him would immediately go berserk and kill without saying a word.
The big shot was completely stunned, tears streaming down his face as he tasted the rusty metal. He warned the audience about the pitfalls of this instance: "The Jiang family has blood ties, and killing any one of them will incur the hatred of the others."
"When you clear the game later, pay more attention to this. Avoid killing if you can... I've tested it myself."
The analysts then meticulously listed the mini-bosses and elite monsters that the challengers would face.
At least twenty.
Damn, even a sow wouldn't dare give birth like that.
Other streamers are struggling and suffering heavy casualties, which only makes Chansheng's peaceful life seem all the more idyllic.
He didn't even need to fight hard; he just needed to deliver a punch when the Jiang family members came out, enough to keep them calm (and bewildered) for five seconds.
As a result, the popularity of Chansheng's live stream room soared, making headlines and crashing through the popularity charts.
The familiar scene drew the attention of even more viewers.
Many viewers watched the live streamers who were targeted and brutally beaten to death, which made them furious and horrified by the inescapable predicament.
The moment they clicked into Chansheng's live stream, their minds were filled with the arrogant and domineering faces of the Jiang family.
The next second, the Jiang family members were seen bowing and scraping, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at Chan Sheng and his companion: "Do you... do you have any other questions?"
The young man sat on the sofa flipping through documents. When he turned his head, his slender collarbone was revealed. The smooth and beautiful lines disappeared into the half-open collar of his shirt. His long legs were crossed and rested down, and his fair fingers complemented the pages perfectly.
The document contained something that made him frown more and more, and his voice turned slightly cold: "Don't speak until I ask you something."
The new audience members were terrified.
If this were any other live stream, it would be a clear harbinger of the Jiang family's fury and a potential war.
The Jiang family members in front of them hurriedly replied, "Okay, okay, you're busy."
New audience member: "..."
Holy crap, that was awesome!
Author's Note:
This is last night's update. I'll write today's update after I wake up. If it's past midnight, I'll send 100 small red envelopes as an apology.
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