Chapter 109
Chapter 109
When it comes to survival games, if you're not strong enough, then you'd better be shameless—and no one embodied this better than Huo Qingshen.
That guy had been terrified of Luo Xi, but once Luo Xi had dropped Xi Yu off at Yonghetang and been taken away by the patrol NPCs, Huo Qingshen popped up again like a bad penny, trying to compete with Xi Yu for the only apprentice spot under Doctor Yan.
Li Mo didn’t want to attract any more hatred, so she just sat by and watched the fight.
Although Huo Qingshen had already made pills once the day before, Xi Yu still appeared more composed. After evenly grinding the herbs at the table, he stayed close to steam and mix the medicine, finishing the task first.
Seeing this, Huo Qingshen hurried over anxiously and handed over his slightly sticky pills. “I’m done too.”
Doctor Yan gave a sniff with a cold eye and reprimanded, “In terms of quality and effectiveness, Xi Yu’s batch is clearly superior. Yesterday you wasted my herbs, and today you’ve shown little improvement. Don’t come again! Someone, get him out of here!”
Xi Yu stood still, eyes straight ahead, completely ignoring Huo Qingshen’s disgruntled protests. Only when the pharmacy courtyard had quieted down did he smile and ask, “So, can I stay on as an assistant?”
“Of course, you did very well. Promising student,” Doctor Yan nodded kindly.
At this point, Xi Yu no longer believed any NPC was genuinely good, so he just nodded humbly.
Doctor Yan looked up at the dim sky and sighed. “Time is short. You and Li Mo should go out of town before sunset and gather some Zhaoyun grass for me.”
Li Mo was taken aback. “What? I already finished today’s task. Can’t you just send him?”
Doctor Yan frowned. “The outside is crawling with corpse ghosts. It’s dangerous. Two people can look out for each other. If you don’t want to help here, feel free to find somewhere else.”
Li Mo stuffed the last piece of her steamed bun into her mouth. “Then… can I have a bit more food?”
“If you manage to bring the Zhaoyun grass back, I’ll give you another half bun,” Doctor Yan agreed while fanning the medicine pot.
Xi Yu had heard from Luo Xi that Zhaoyun grass could sense corpse ghosts, so he accepted the task calmly. “What does it look like? Where does it grow?”
Doctor Yan replied, “Go to my study and find the Pharmacopoeia. It’s all written in there.”
Despite being new here, Xi Yu remained composed. He nodded and sifted through the mountain of books in the study, then walked back out to the courtyard with the herb manual in hand. “Shall we?”
Li Mo frowned. “We’re both out of energy now. Going out of town blindly is suicide. Can’t we get Luo Xi to protect us?”
Xi Yu’s expression didn’t change. “He’s been taken by the patrols. Who knows when he’ll be released. It’s already getting late—if we don’t leave now, we’ll miss our chance.”
As the most cautious person in the game, Li Mo was very reluctant to take risks.
Xi Yu adjusted his cold mask and turned to head out.
Though unwilling, Li Mo caught Doctor Yan’s sharp gaze. To keep this rare job, she could only follow in small steps, grabbing a rather flimsy wooden stick to defend herself.
Meanwhile, Dan Yun, also wearing a fox mask, wandered alone in the narrow alleys. From the blank look in her eyes, it was clear her memory loss had kicked in again—she looked like she’d forgotten something important.
Fortunately, while Dan Yun was pacing, Lu Yan appeared from the corner, supported by Su Ziyan.
Seeing Dan Yun, Su Ziyan called out loudly, “There she is.”
Dan Yun had forgotten everything, but the one she liked she still remembered clearly. She quickly walked over and asked, “How did you get out?”
Lu Yan smiled at the air. “We’re helping Miss Lin run an errand and thought we’d check in on you. Have you completed your task today?”
Dan Yun: “Task?”Lu Yan was helpless. Even though she knew Su Ziyan couldn’t hear, she still tiptoed to whisper a few words into Dan Yun’s ear.
Only then did Dan Yun suddenly realize, “I nearly forgot.”
Lu Yan gave a wry smile. “Hurry up and go.”
“Don’t wander around in the evening—wait for me to come get you,” Dan Yun said before hurrying off.
Lu Yan, always calm and composed, made a hand gesture to Su Ziyan, signaling him to follow her back to the Lin residence.
In truth, none of the three noticed that Luo Xi had been crouching in a tall tree nearby, watching everything unfold.
He scoffed inwardly, finding it laughable how easily Su Ziyan had been roped in. Then he leapt to a nearby rooftop and silently tailed Dan Yun.
Luo Xi was sure Dan Yun hadn’t done anything good for that swordsman NPC. But when he saw her spend fifty taels at a weapon shop to buy a curved blade, he was still surprised—she wasn’t exactly rich. Was she planning to give up on living normally, or did she have another plan?
Just as Luo Xi was pondering this, a tall, strong man in black appeared and walked over to Dan Yun, speaking to her with a serious expression.
From the looks of it, this must be the infamous NPC—Swordsman Chi Miao.
Luo Xi observed quietly.
At the same moment, Chi Miao suddenly looked up sharply in Luo Xi’s direction.
But Luo Xi was already highly trained in reconnaissance and evasion. In an instant, he leapt from the rooftop and vanished into the thick mist.
Zhaoyun Grass—its leaves like willows, flowers like orchids—usually grew by stream banks. It had a delicate fragrance and no insects like ants, mosquitoes, or snakes nearby, making it a very rare aromatic herb. The medical book recorded it in detail, even including illustrations.
Xi Yu led Li Mo out of the city, speaking as they walked. “This plant was rare to begin with, and now with the corpse ghosts running amok, it’s become even more valuable. That’s why it has to be specially gathered.”
The air outside the town was cooler than in the village, always carrying a faint scent of blood. This made Li Mo tense. She lowered her gaze and grumbled, “It’s all just made-up plot nonsense anyway. No need to overthink it. We just need to find it and bring it back.”
“They say you’re a specialist streamer,” Xi Yu suddenly stopped, turned, and smiled. “Even someone like Mu Yuan, who’s into all the action and violence, wouldn’t ignore the plot. He’s smart and not rash—so, are you hiding something?”
Li Mo said nothing.
Xi Yu added, “Same as you, I can’t work for any other NPCs either. We’re in the same boat now.”
Li Mo silently walked a few steps before finally saying, “Yan Jin may be studying how to cure the infected every day, but he’s no kind-hearted healer. I heard from the pharmacy apprentices that the first person to get this disease was actually Lin Lan’er’s biological father, Master Lin. And Yan Jin was the family doctor the Lin household kept. He’d always been in charge of Master Lin’s health.”
Xi Yu kept walking. “So there’s plenty of conspiracy going on. I just don’t see how it connects to the streamers. It can’t all just be game flavor text.”
Li Mo responded coldly, “In short, the employer NPCs aren’t nearly as harmonious as they appear. If something happens to your employer, you can’t work anymore either. So stop saying anything careless to Luo Xi.”
Xi Yu said, “He would never harm me. You’re overthinking it.”
Li Mo looked exasperated. “I really don’t get what’s going on in the heads of people who have time for romance. Let me give you a piece of advice: never test human nature.”
Xi Yu had no intention of explaining his love life. He just smiled silently.
At that moment, the faint sound of flowing water reached their ears.
Xi Yu listened carefully, then pointed in a direction. “That way.”Li Mo could barely even defeat an ordinary person right now, so naturally, she was especially afraid of any corpse ghosts suddenly appearing. She clenched her fists nervously, staying as close as possible to Xi Yu, likely ready to push him down and use him as a shield if danger arose.
Xi Yu didn't have the time or energy to pay attention to the woman’s little schemes. He quickened his pace and headed toward the sound of the water.
It had to be said that, if it weren’t for the looming shadow of the corpse ghosts, the place where Zhaoyun Grass grew was truly a beautiful, serene area.
The farther they moved from the small town, the thinner the mist became. By the time they reached the stream, the ground, which had been covered in pale grass, had turned a vibrant green. The air was filled with tiny, lovely flowers scattered around, and the entire scene was peaceful.
Xi Yu took out the medical book to compare and smiled. “This is it.”
Li Mo squatted down to collect the delicate plants, all for the sake of earning Yan Jin’s reward.
Just as they were busy, Xi Yu’s eerie sixth sense flared up, and he hurriedly looked up.
Li Mo, feeling uneasy, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xi Yu replied, “…I feel like something’s wrong.”
“It should be fine. Zhaoyun Grass turns purple when there are corpse ghosts around,” Li Mo said, picking another pure white flower.
Xi Yu seemed to want to say something, his lips moving slightly.
In that instant, a swift figure appeared, a flash of silver—the one holding the knife was Dan Yun!
Xi Yu instinctively yanked Li Mo to the side, frowning as he shouted, “Run!”
Did Li Mo need to be told?
She was so scared that her limbs turned cold. She didn’t care about anything else and immediately ran towards the direction of Taoyuan Village.
Dan Yun sneered. “I knew Yan Jin’s people would come here. Quite the kill two birds with one stone.”
Saying that, she swiftly blocked Li Mo’s path, raising her knife and pointing it at her chin. “Sorry.”
Li Mo, in a panic, said, “I’ve spent all my money! Killing me would be a loss for you!”
Xi Yu added softly, “I have no money. Luo Xi is holding it. If you want it, go find him.”
“I’ll find him myself,” Dan Yun scoffed. “After I deal with you two.”
At that moment, Luo Xi’s voice rang out from the thick mist. “Isn’t it unnecessary? What do you want with me? You can just say it.”
Li Mo quickly hid behind Xi Yu and immediately spoke, “She wants to kill us! Lu Yan and her money must be with her! Don’t let her go!”
Luo Xi showed no fear of the weapon in Dan Yun’s hand or her approach. “That’s exactly what I intended.”
Dan Yun was highly skilled in combat, and while she wasn’t afraid, she was starting to feel nervous due to the strength of her opponents.
Luo Xi patted the heavy coin pouch at his waist. “Do you want this? Why don’t you come over and try?”
Dan Yun’s fox mask completely hid her expression. “You think I don’t dare?”
“Of course not. What wouldn’t you dare?” Luo Xi grinned maliciously. “But I just found evidence of the Lin residence using living people to feed the corpse ghosts. If you head back now, you might still catch a glimpse of Lu Yan before she gets executed.”
Dan Yun’s voice finally lost its calm. “What?!”Luo Xi's smile grew more malicious. "Today, Lu Yan and Su Ziyan's mission was to kidnap eight villagers and use them as bait for Lin Feng’er at the Lin residence. I’m not mistaken, am I? The two idiots made such a big commotion that they were spotted by the subordinates of Chief Sima."
He clearly wasn’t lying about the mission details, as Dan Yun’s previously resolute fighting spirit immediately deflated. Rather than risk being deceived, she decisively ran toward the direction of Taoyuan Village.
Luo Xi sighed in relief and smiled as he looked at Xi Yu.