Jian Yue knew all too well: relying on others was never as reliable as relying on himself. Even if there wasn’t much hope left in living, he could at least struggle until the bitter end.
Thankfully, his boss was obscenely rich. The RV they were riding in was huge and fully equipped, practically a mobile villa.
For the past two days, he had been holed up inside, digging up whatever information he could about Wanfu Village.
To his surprise, he actually found something.
The earliest records dated back over a hundred years. Wanfu Village was then discovered as a so-called “longevity village.” The elders there were said to live past a hundred with ease.
It was considered a blessed place, hence the name “Wanfu.” The promise of longevity drew hordes of scientists and tourists, all desperate to learn its secret.
But over the decades, the village suffered multiple earthquakes and flash floods. Casualties piled up, tourists were killed in droves.
The official reports were vague, with numbers blurred and descriptions deliberately ambiguous. Logically speaking, a place once so famous should have left photos and videos all over the internet.
Yet no matter how hard Jian Yue searched, it was as if every trace had been wiped clean, everyone too afraid to even mention it.
It felt like… Curse.
All records of Wanfu Village had been erased, as though people dreaded it being remembered.
As Jian Yue was mulling over this, he noticed one page that seemed to still host a clickable video. He immediately opened it.
The footage was dark and grim, as if the lens had been smeared with a film of red liquid. A frail silhouette appeared in the haze.
The figure moved slowly forward, its steps jerky, staggering straight toward the camera. The screen flickered wildly, shaking….
Suddenly…… Bang!
A violent jolt sent the water in his glass sloshing out, spilling across the table. His laptop screen went black, the video cutting off mid-scene.
Jian Yue shot to his feet. “What happened?”
Urgent footsteps thudded outside. The driver came running, panting hard. “Butler Wang, the car’s broken down. There’s a thick fog ahead, we might not be able to move.”
Jian Yue frowned, moving to the RV’s window. He pulled the curtain aside.
The towering mountains were now smothered in dense fog, wrapping the vehicle like a shroud. He peered into the murk.
For a fleeting instant, he thought he saw a figure, a twisted silhouette, standing in the mist. The posture was eerily similar to the one from the video, shambling closer.
When he blinked, it was gone.
The driver leaned closer. “What are you looking at, Butler Wang?”
“I thought I saw someone just now,” Jian Yue said, pointing outward.
The driver’s face went ashen, twisting into a grimace worse than crying. “Don’t joke around, Butler Wang. That side is a cliff. How could anyone be there?”
“…Heh, right,” Jian Yue forced a dry laugh.
The two exchanged a glance. Both fell into silence.
This valley was strange. Just this morning, the midsummer sun had been blazing. Now, out of nowhere, fog blanketed the land.
The RV’s interior was chilled to the bone, more like the dead of winter than summer.
The oppressive quiet lasted until someone broke it.
From the doorway came that commanding voice, brimming with self-assurance: “Butler Wang, what happened?”
The CEO.
Jian Yue snapped back to his senses, only then realizing his back was soaked with cold sweat. Forcing his composure, he answered, “Young Master, the car broke down. The fog is heavy, we’re stuck.”
The CEO’s expression darkened. He glanced outside, then sneered, contempt curling his lips. “This damned valley… it’s managed to catch my attention.”
Jian Yue: “…”
The driver hurriedly suggested, “Young Master, maybe we should turn back?”
He was just a working man. No paycheck was worth gambling his life.
The CEO’s face twisted with fury. “No! Her illness can’t wait any longer. We must reach Wanfu Village tonight. So the car broke down, so what? We’re not far from the village, are we? Then we walk!”
The words jolted everyone present.
The driver turned pale as chalk. “Young Master, the fog is too thick. There’s a cliff along the path,it’s far too dangerous!”
“Coward,” the CEO spat, lips curling. “Useless trash. That’s all the courage you have?”
The driver’s lips trembled, but he didn’t dare talk back.
Instead, the CEO turned and jabbed a finger toward Jian Yue, who stood frozen like a statue.
“Look at Butler Wang. That’s what a real man looks like! Sure, he looks weak and scrawny most of the time, like a chicken ready for slaughter, but he’s braver than you!”
Jian Yue: “…”
…He was only paralyzed from shock. That was all.
The driver and the servants in the RV all turned to stare at him.
Jian Yue hesitated before speaking, “Young Master… actually, I don’t want to…”
The CEO’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
Right on cue, the system’s cold warning rang out:
【Warning: Player behavior deviates from character role. Dungeon stability is affected. Health -5.】
Jian Yue: “???”
Jian Yue never expected this: apparently, it wasn’t just angering an NPC that could reduce his health.
Even acting out of character, doing something that didn’t match the butler’s personality would be considered “destabilizing the script” and would deduct health points as well.
A spark of inspiration hit him. If breaking character caused a loss… then wouldn’t staying perfectly in character add to his health?
As the saying goes: a wise man adapts to circumstances. And Jian Yue was a firm believer in ancient wisdom.
Testing his theory, he straightened his posture, put on his most devoted expression, and declared with righteous fervor,
“Thank you, Young Master, for placing such trust in me. As your butler, I will follow you through life and death. Be it a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I will not hesitate!”
The air fell silent for a beat.
Sure enough, the system’s mechanical voice chimed in:
【Character alignment confirmed. +10 Health Points】
It worked!
Jian Yue’s heart leapt with joy.
Across from him, the CEO also looked taken aback. He clearly hadn’t expected such a dramatic pledge of loyalty. His expression shifted slightly before he spoke, “Butler Wang…”
Still basking in his small victory, Jian Yue smiled politely. “Yes, Young Master?”
He was half-expecting his boss to be moved to tears by such loyalty, maybe even to give him a heartfelt pat on the shoulder.
Instead, the CEO said calmly, “I was originally planning to let you stay in the car. With your frail body, the fog and the mountain road would be too dangerous. But since you insist… you’ll come into the village with me.”
Jian Yue: “…”
He wanted to die.
Meanwhile, the livestream audience was having the time of their lives:
“This newbie’s luck is insane.”
“Staying behind in the car? That’s the real death sentence.”
“So this is what they mean by ‘a fool’s fortune.’”
“Didn’t expect the CEO to take him along. The last players weren’t half this lucky.”
Normally, newbie streams barely attracted a handful of viewers. After all, the mortality rate was the highest for newcomers.
Most rookies freaked out the moment they saw a ghost, said the wrong thing, angered an NPC, and got abandoned on the spot which was basically a guaranteed death. Even the few rational ones tended to make fatal mistakes.
But Jian Yue’s performance was far beyond their expectations. Though, to be fair, most viewers chalked it up to dumb luck.
Inside the RV, the CEO went in to fetch someone. Jian Yue assumed he was retrieving his delicate young wife.
So he stood tall outside, adjusting his posture, already rehearsing the perfect “Madam” greeting in his head. If he played his butler role flawlessly, maybe he could raise his character rating even more.
However…
When the curtain was pulled aside, the CEO emerged supporting a woman dressed in a qipao, her silvered hair swept up with a green jade hairpin.
Her face carried the marks of age, but her features still hinted at the beauty she must have been in her youth.
The word “Madam” stuck in Jian Yue’s throat. He glanced at the CEO, hesitating. Sometimes a boss’s tastes were a little hard for an employee to pin down.
The CEO shot him a glare. “Well? Aren’t you going to help the lady?”
Jian Yue immediately stepped forward. “Yes, sir.”
The elderly woman gave a gentle smile, her voice warm and kind as she patted her son’s hand. “Yu’er, don’t scare the butler. Your mother isn’t that fragile. You needn’t worry so much.”
So this was… the CEO’s mother.
In her words, more of the dungeon’s background information flooded into Jian Yue’s mind. Shen Yushu, the domineering CEO, had risen from nothing to command a trillion-dollar empire.
He was not only ruthless in both the business and underworld arenas, but also famously loyal to those he loved. And for the mother who had raised him alone through hardship, he was utterly devoted.
Even knowing Wanfu Village was an ominous, cursed place, he still personally brought her here, hoping for a cure.
As an orphan, Jian Yue couldn’t help but feel a flicker of envy. For the first time, he thought maybe his boss wasn’t such a bad person after all.
But just as the thought crossed his mind…
“Wang the Butler!” Shen Yushu’s voice cut through his reflection. “Why are you just standing there? Go help Madam properly. How did you even get hired with such poor judgment?”
Jian Yue: “…”
Right. He should’ve known better than to expect anything from this idiot boss.
The group gathered their things and prepared to disembark.
Curiously, while the view from inside the RV had been a suffocating fog where one could barely see a hand in front of their face, once they stepped out, the mist thinned just enough to reveal a village nestled in the mountainside.
Wanfu Village.
The small settlement lay half-hidden in clouds, its red bricks and green tiles muted into dull gray. The round, domed roofs of the clustered houses gave the distant impression not of dwellings but of graves.
Has the fog lifted?
Jian Yue turned back, curious to check on the RV. But to his shock, the fog behind them was now so thick it had already swallowed the vehicle whole. In just a few steps, the path back was gone, shrouded in an endless white haze.
An inexplicable chill ran up his spine.
Before being dropped into this nightmare, Jian Yue had been nothing more than an ordinary man.
Now he was stranded in this cursed, godforsaken place where no help would ever come. Getting out of the RV had been one thing, but standing here in the mist, he was terrified.
He glanced at the CEO. “Young Master… our RV is gone.”
Shen Yushu, tall and sharp-eyed, gave the fog a brief, indifferent look. “Mm. Because of the mist.”
Unwilling to let it go, Jian Yue pressed, “But, Young Master, don’t you think it’s strange? We walked only a few steps. No matter how heavy the fog, the car shouldn’t just vanish into thin air. And besides that village up ahead, it wasn’t there before.”
Shen Yushu actually paused, frowning slightly as though considering the point.
Hope flared in Jian Yue’s chest.
But then the CEO looked down at him, expression faintly disdainful, and lectured, “Butler Wang, you watch too many TV dramas. Trust in science.”
Jian Yue: “…”
Unbelievable!?!
Here he was, a modern youth raised under the bright red flag, schooled by reason and progress and in the middle of a horror world, it was an NPC lecturing him about believing in science?!
Jian Yue’s luck… Or say Bad luck? It’s really working in his favor 😂😂😂 I love tea, especially if served hot with ghostly stuff!
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
And thus, the humble translator awaits their coffee-shaped reward. ✧
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Master, Calm DownChapter 2 · This Damn ValleyChapter 3 · The Old slave Is here!Chapter 4 · Shocked my Friend?Chapter 5 · Life Doesn’t have that many viewers but Live doesChapter 6 · Science is Primary productive ForceChapter 7 · A one million in a card!Chapter 8 · You’re First Person to reject Young MasterChapter 9 · He saved meChapter 10 · Your Life is mineChapter 11 · This village is such a Mess!Chapter 12 · Little GoblinChapter 13 · Who should be afraid of whom?Chapter 14 · I, an honest person, don’t understand these thingsChapter 15 · The world is finally upside downChapter 16 · Made a decision that went against our ancestorsChapter 17 · Young Master hasn’t laughed so happily in a long timeChapter 18 · Brother, you smell so good!Chapter 19 · Licking everything to the endChapter 20 · This mental state is too advancedChapter 21 · Enough, let’s stop this farce!Chapter 22 · Young master, please let me explain!Chapter 23 Part 2 · You’re playing with fire!Chapter 23 Part 2 · You’re playing with fire!Chapter 24 Part 1 · The light of righteousness shines upon the earthChapter 24 Part 2 · The light of righteousness shines upon the earthChapter 25 Part 1 · You two-faced man!Chapter 25 Part 2 · You two-faced man!Chapter 26 Part 1 · Butler Wang, I see you still retain your charmChapter 26 Part 2 · Butler Wang, I see you still retain your charmChapter 27 Part 1 · I’m straight, bro!Chapter 27 Part 2 · I’m straight, bro!Chapter 28 Part 1 · This is a blatant violation of citizens’ portrait rights!Chapter 28 Part 2 · This is a blatant violation of citizens’ portrait rights!Chapter 29 Part 1 · The domineering CEO falls in love with me!Chapter 29 Part 2 · The domineering CEO falls in love with me!Chapter 30 Part 1 · Take this Five million and leave my son!Chapter 30 Part 2 · Take this Five million and leave my SonChapter 31 Part 1 · Biting me means you’re arrogantChapter 31 Part 2 · Biting me means you’re arrogantChapter 32 Part 1 · Has butler realise his mistake?Chapter 32 Part 2 · Has butler realise his mistake?Chapter 33 Part 1 · The simple master-servant relationship has soured!Chapter 33 Part 2 · The simple master-servant relationship has soured!Chapter 34 Part 1 · A one-night stand by the domineering CEO leads him to fall in love with meChapter 34 Part 2 · A one-night stand by the domineering CEO leads him to fall in love with meChapter 35 Part 1 · This tastes damn sweet!Chapter 35 Part 2 · This tastes damn sweet!Chapter 36 Part 1 · I will take responsibility for youChapter 36 Part 2 · I will take responsibility for youChapter 37 Part 1 · He will never drink again!Chapter 37 Part 2 · He will never drink again!Chapter 38 Part 1 · He said he didn’t want itChapter 38 Part 2 · He said he didn’t want itChapter 39 · Now is not the time to ask for a title!Chapter 40 Part 1 · Brother Dao, how can I live without you!Chapter 40 Part 2 · Brother Dao, how can I live without you!Chapter 41 · What a human-like beastChapter 42 Part 1 · This damned ancestral hall has successfully caught my attention!Chapter 42 Part 2 · This damned ancestral hall has successfully caught my attention!Chapter 43 · After the overall situation is fully opened upChapter 44 · Village chief, are you really that vigorous for your age?Chapter 45 · Butler Wang, I love you!Chapter 46 · What exactly do you see in me?Chapter 47 · I swear to GodChapter 48 · All I want to do is die with himChapter 49 · I’m going to kill themChapter 50 · Who would like Shen YushuChapter 51 · Young master, I want to cling to you tightly!Chapter 52 · They’ve run away together! They’ve run away together!Chapter 53 · Sworn BrothersChapter 54 · My boss is the best in the world to meChapter 55 · I want you all to be buried with him.Chapter 56 · It’s a beautiful day outside Wanfu VillageChapter 57 · You don’t have anyone you want to seeChapter 58 · I’m married! Married!Chapter 59 · The Cold Prince’s SweetheartChapter 60 · Young master, this old servant has arrived! ~Chapter 61 · Who else could do something so outrageous?Chapter 62 · Boy, I got my eyes on youChapter 63 · Does Butler Wang really want to see him that much?Chapter 64 · Come on, call me Dad!Chapter 65 · Other men might have it too!!Chapter 66 · Being obsessed with love is indeed a major problemChapter 67 · He’s playing the devoted second male lead!Chapter 68 · The number one person to wash underwear with a cold face!Chapter 69 · Young master, will you be back for dinner tonight?Chapter 70 · Others ask for money to save peopleChapter 71 · Wang, please don’t die!Chapter 72 · My current identity is that of a father!Chapter 73 · Here’s your chance to confess!Chapter 74 · That’s definitely someone with connections!Chapter 75 · This is my personChapter 76 · How come you’re already married?Chapter 77 · I’m going to pester you, young master!Chapter 78 · How do you turn a straight man gay?!Chapter 79 · Am I Butler Wang’s mistress?!Chapter 80 · He really does have a fiancé!Chapter 81 · Don’t stay with himChapter 82 · Man, you asked for this!Chapter 83 · Was he just acting like this?Chapter 84 · The second male lead is about to turn the tables and become the master!!Chapter 85 · This trick is cheapChapter 86 · How dare you cheat on me!Chapter 87 · Are you an undercover agent sent by Butler Wang?Chapter 88 · I think of my master day and nightChapter 89 · These wealthy families really know how to have funChapter 90 · You possess such advanced talent that you can enter Hope IslandChapter 91 · Be my Consort!Chapter 92 · Young Master, are you really angry?!Chapter 93 · I swear I will only love you!Chapter 94 · Who bullied you?Chapter 95 · Just a quick favor!Chapter 96 · This is no challenge for him at all!!Chapter 97 · He’s no match for them!Chapter 98 · Xiaoyu, I only love youChapter 99 · This is Butler Wang’s territory!Chapter 100 · Is this how you treat your savior?Chapter 101 · You two are definitely a family!Chapter 102 · Who is your mother-in-law?Chapter 103 · Are we really going to send him to his death?Chapter 104 · He married him againChapter 105 · How can someone be so carefree?Chapter 106 · Butler Wang has done immeasurable good deeds!Chapter 107 · Only those who survive can be considered heroes!Chapter 108 · Since we’re going toChapter 109 · I love youChapter 110 · I will never leave you again.Chapter 111 · The Overbearing King’s Gentle PamperingChapter 112 · Mainly, I kind of want to be your auntChapter 113 · Don’t easily test my limitsChapter 114 · He’s seducing me!Chapter 115 · Uncle opened the doorChapter 116 · The world of the wealthy is such a mess!Chapter 117 · Your old servant is here!Chapter 118 · Xiaoyu, you’ve gone astray!!!Chapter 119 · Uncle, you have to keep this a secret!Chapter 120 · Who’s child is this?Chapter 121 · Butler Wang really has a crush on me!Chapter 122 · One person has surrounded everyone!Chapter 123 · Are you guys playing this fancy?!Chapter 124 · Even gamers are working for him!Chapter 125 · If you fall into the river, I’ll save you first!Chapter 126 · What a troublesome little devilChapter 127 · Does the Puppet Master app have anti-fraud features?Chapter 128 · You’re a scorpion demon incarnate!Chapter 129 · How about we give it a try?Chapter 130 · The dog shit will arrive faster than your knife!Chapter 131 · Is he hungry too?Chapter 132 · We even stayed a few days less than them!Chapter 133 · How about I marry you so you can take my place?Chapter 134 · This is truly a team full of villains!Chapter 135 · It’s clearly an auspicious omen!Chapter 136 · Is it normal to think my brother smells good?Chapter 137 · You’re the biggest capitalist here!Chapter 138 · What happened to true love?Chapter 139 · Romantic types are strictly prohibited from participating in horror dungeons!!!Chapter 140 · What should I do with Butler Wang!?Chapter 141 · Butler Wang! The most courageous man ever!Chapter 142 · What are you doing?!Chapter 143 · Man, you’re playing with fire!Chapter 144 · I heard a heartbeatChapter 145 · Can puppets also have superb kissing skills?Chapter 146 · What else is real then?!Chapter 147 · Seduction? That won’t work on me!Chapter 148 · What is my uncle doing?!Chapter 149 · Uncle, you don’t treat others like this!Chapter 150 · I’ll give you five million!!Chapter 151 · We’re true love!Chapter 152 · Sister-in-law, I genuinely want to help you!Chapter 153 · They can even find an excuse to sleep together!Chapter 154 · Butler Wang iis popular among young people.Chapter 155 · Who says Butler Wang’s strategy guide is bad?Chapter 156 · I’ll remarry the moment you’re in your coffin!Chapter 157 · Now it’s your turn to beg me or not