Chapter 48: Pig

The more Zhou You thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.

That would solve three problems at once.

First, as mentioned before, once this thing entered someone’s home, it latched onto that person and refused to leave. That meant if he took it home himself, it would no longer go around bothering other people.

Second, it would help Li Sanli out. The next time he ran out of food, he would at least have somewhere to freeload a meal.

Third, although there was nothing particularly valuable in his apartment, he had been entering and leaving the game frequently lately and was often away from home. He was rather worried about burglars, especially because of that black book. Having this thing around would definitely be more effective than any anti-theft measure.

Having reached a conclusion through flawless syllogistic reasoning, Zhou You first waved his dagger, forcing the sobbing ghost back into the table.

Then he walked over to Li Sanli and lightly patted his face.

No response.

Zhou You applied a little more force.

Still no response.

The man was like a corpse.

Finally, left with no choice, Zhou You swung his hand and gave him two hard slaps.

Smack!

Smack!

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Accompanied by a scream, Li Sanli finally woke from his faint.

The moment he saw Zhou You, he ignored the pain in his cheeks and immediately grabbed his collar.

“Where’s the ghost!?”

“What ghost?”

Zhou You looked completely innocent.

“I’m talking about that ghost. No, Old Zhou, do you even understand what’s happening? We’re trapped in here now!! It’s over! My wonderful life is about to end right here!”

Li Sanli collapsed onto the floor and began crying.

“Xuanxuan! Even though this whole thing was your fault, I really don’t blame you! I just can’t fulfill my promise to marry you this year, sob, sob, sob...”

Seeing him cry so miserably, Zhou You could not help patting his shoulder.

“Um... I’ve already dealt with that ghost.”

“...What?”

“I said I’ve already dealt with the ghost.”

Zhou You cleared his throat and adopted a serious expression.

“Although it’s a bit rude to interrupt your last words, you really don’t need to worry about being killed by a ghost anymore.”

“It’s just that I need to take that table back with me for some follow-up handling.”

“The only question is whether you’re willing to part with it.”

“...What???”

Li Sanli’s eyes instantly widened until they were rounder than glass marbles.

There was not much left to say after that.

Li Sanli tearfully thanked Zhou You over and over again.

Beating his chest, he swore that if Zhou You ever needed anything, he would treat him like his own father.

Then he immediately hired a truck at his own expense and paid all related costs to transport the table directly to Zhou You’s home.

Unfortunately, whatever was inside seemed to have developed psychological trauma toward a certain someone.

No matter what, it refused to come out of the table.

This greatly disappointed Zhou You, who had hoped to understand the principles behind modern ghosts.

In the end, he could only place it in a corner of the house and use it as a dining table.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, it was time to begin the game again.

The temple was still the same temple.

The incense candles were still the same incense candles.

The problem was that this time, the page had changed once more.

Unlike the previous two times, this page looked much older.

At a glance, it was almost at the level of an antique.

“Scenario: Grand Duke Jupiter.”

“Type: Strange Tales.”

“Corrosion Level: Low to Medium.”

“Number of Revivals: 6.”

“Background: In the twelfth year of Zhengyuan, Cangzhou suffered a devastating drought. The land stretched barren for thousands of kilometers, and misery filled the countryside. Not only did the imperial court fail to provide disaster relief, but taxes and levies became even harsher. In merely one year, countless people throughout the prefecture starved to death, giving rise to rebellions everywhere.”

“However, what is a year of disaster for humans is often a year of abundance for demons and monsters.”

“You were originally a lone traveler who accidentally fell into the hands of demons. You thought death was certain.”

“But heaven never seals every road.”

“Just as you closed your eyes and awaited death, an external soul suddenly descended upon your body.”

“Objective: Find a way to escape. The farther you escape, the better.”

“Reward One: 500 Soulstones and one piece of equipment capable of combating demons and ghosts.”

“Reward Two: An extension of lifespan by one and a half months and one Coagulation Pill capable of alleviating disease symptoms.”

“Please note: You have left the novice period and officially entered the game. System prompts will be greatly reduced accordingly. You will face a more realistic and complete world.”

“Please note: You may obtain special powers in this world, but every decision you make may also affect future storylines. Please choose carefully.”

“You have assumed the identity of a character within the scenario. You will receive some of that identity’s abilities and knowledge, but you will also suffer from that identity’s hunger.”

“Do you wish to enter?”

“Enter.”

In a daze, an intense pain suddenly struck.

It felt as though a hole had been pierced through his palm.

Agonizing pain continuously traveled through his nerves.

Flesh and a foreign object rubbed against one another, producing pain severe enough to drive a person insane.

His eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

Yet under the stimulation of the pain, his consciousness became increasingly clear.

It was as though someone were stirring his brain with an iron nail.

Under such a contradiction, even breathing became torture.

So it continued for an unknown amount of time.

At last, Zhou You opened his eyes.

The first thing that entered his field of vision was a severed head whose eyes remained open in death.

The person had clearly suffered terribly before dying.

Despair still lingered within those pupils.

The eyes, not yet dried, stared directly at Zhou You.

It was as though countless words wished to be spoken.

Yet no sound could ever leave the dead mouth again.

It looked terrifying.

But Zhou You was not frightened in the slightest.

He even discovered his own situation reflected in those pupils.

He was hanging in midair from a hook.

A black iron hook had pierced through his palm, suspending him completely off the ground.

The blood on his hand was still fresh.

It seemed he had not been hanging here for very long.

Around him hung several corpses.

That severed head belonged to one of them.

It was also the most intact.

Some of the others were missing a hand.

Some had their abdomens split open.

Some lacked both thighs.

Others had been severed at the waist.

Their methods of death varied greatly.

But in Zhou You’s eyes, every corpse wore the same expression.

Despair.

They had been “processed” while still alive.

And at this very moment, every corpse was hanging from hooks in the air.

The scene was difficult to describe.

It resembled...

A butcher shop where slabs of meat were hung for display.

Zhou You frowned.

But before he could think further, a series of heavy footsteps suddenly approached.

Immediately holding his breath, he endured the pain in his palm and slowed his breathing as much as possible.

Then he narrowed his eyes and looked ahead.

Several seconds later, an enormous figure squeezed into the room.

The thing stood over two meters tall.

Its body was huge and obese.

It wore a coarse hemp robe stained with blood and grease.

The outfit looked like a mixture of an ancient butcher’s and a cook’s clothing.

However, atop its neck was not a human head.

It was...

A pig’s head.

Yes.

A fat, bloated head that completely belonged to a member of the even-toed hoofed mammals.