Even Tiantian, who had been standing behind him, was completely dumbfounded.
She stared at Jian Yue as he… used money…. used money to bribe a ghost NPC!?!?
On their very first night in this instance, when they encountered Madam Zhang, Brother Dao had warned them that she was one of the most dangerous figures in the area. She might look like an ordinary old woman but she had once taken the lives of many players. He had told them to never underestimate her. If they ever needed anything from her and she refused to give it, they were not to force it, if things came to that, the only option was to steal.
So when Jian Yue asked Madam Zhang for the key and she didn’t hand it over, Tiantian immediately thought of Brother Dao’s words. She had assumed they would have to sneak in and take it by force.
But to her utter shock, Jian Yue had… paid… paid! Her! for it????!
He actually got the key, just like that?!?!?!
Tiantian watched as Jian Yue came out, walking calmly toward the warehouse with her following behind. Her thoughts were a complete mess. “Butler Wang… you… wait, I, so it’s actually possible to bribe NPCs?”
Jian Yue turned his head slightly, giving her a sidelong glance. His tone was serious and proper. “That’s not quite right. How could you call it bribery when it’s something done by an educated person?”
Tiantian blinked in confusion. “Then what do you call it?”
“This,” Jian Yue replied, pushing his glasses up his nose, his eyes dropping slightly as he spoke with quiet composure, “is called social finesse.”
Tiantian was speechless.
Social finesse? He looked the same age as her! What was he even talking about?!
She turned to study him again. He should have been pleased after getting the key so easily but instead his expression looked strangely troubled, a shadow of melancholy crossing his face.
Hesitantly, she asked, “Butler Wang, are you… unhappy?”
Jian Yue sighed softly. “You’ve been with Brother Dao and the others for a while now. Have you ever heard them mention…. ”
Tiantian’s heart leapt. It was happening! Could it be that Butler Wang was finally curious about Brother Dao’s team? Was he at last willing to let them into his circle, to stop keeping them at a distance? Her mind raced through countless possibilities.
Then Jian Yue’s righteous voice broke through her hopeful thoughts. “Did they ever mention whether money spent for completing quests can be reimbursed by the system? I mean, technically this counts as a work expense, right? I asked the system just now and it pretended not to hear me, it’s playing dead!”
Tiantian: “…”
Enough. She’d had enough.
Could this man stop? Who on earth tries to get reimbursed by the game system?! How stingy could he possibly be?!
But maybe because his ridiculousness was so completely out of line, the tension that had been coiled inside her since the previous night began to unwind. The terror that had haunted her since they first encountered the ghosts seemed to dissipate a little.
In the past, whenever she faced ghosts or difficult missions, she was always trembling with fear. Every encounter had been a narrow escape between life and death. The constant dread had left her nerves stretched to the breaking point.
Yet now, following behind Jian Yue, she felt her breathing slow and her mind gradually steady.
Butler Wang is actually… pretty reliable, she thought.
In the past, both she and her boyfriend had placed all their faith in Brother Dao. But now she couldn’t help but wonder, what if she had believed Brother Dao again this time and gone to steal the key instead? What would have happened?
The thought sent a chill down her spine, a shiver running through her body.
At that moment, Jian Yue’s calm voice cut through her thoughts. “We’re here.”
They had arrived back at the warehouse.
It looked exactly the same as when they had left.
Not far away stood the newly discovered wooden door, tightly shut. Jian Yue lifted the key in his hand and spoke before unlocking it. “Step back. If anything dangerous happens, use your card to escape immediately.”
Tiantian instantly backed away several steps. “Got it!”
Jian Yue inserted the key into the rusty lock. With a few turns, a soft click echoed and the old door loosened slightly. He slowly pushed it open.
A long staircase appeared before them, leading down into darkness. The air below was pitch-black and heavy, the kind of black that seemed to swallow light. It was impossible to see what lay beneath but the sheer depth and silence made it clear, it was a closed space and certainly a large one.
“B.. Butler Wang…” Tiantian whispered nervously.
Jian Yue didn’t answer immediately. He took out a small matchbox from his pocket, struck one and tossed it lightly into the stairwell. The flame flickered for a few seconds before settling instead of going out. He nodded. “There’s oxygen. It’s safe to enter.”
Tiantian trembled from head to toe. “It looks really dangerous down there…”
Jian Yue didn’t force her. “You don’t need to come. Someone has to stay up here and keep watch in case anyone or anything approaches. I’ll go down first. Every thirty seconds, you call out to me once, just to make sure I’m still alive. If there is danger below, we can’t both get trapped. Understood?”
His calm, practical tone made her eyes sting.
She hated how cowardly she was. She hated how everyone in the team got annoyed when she panicked or cried. She even despised herself for it. If she died, she thought bitterly, maybe no one would even care. Her boyfriend always told her to be brave but she could feel herself cracking more and more each day.
Yet Butler Wang said… she was useful.
That one word made courage surge up in her chest. She lifted her chin and said with determination, “Don’t worry butler Wang! With me here, no one’s getting past me!”
The livestream chat exploded in laughter.
“This girl stands there like a little soldier!”
“Honestly, she’s pretty brave in her own way.”
“Not gonna lie, I really admire the streamer. I’ve played through a lot of nightmare instances too. I’ve seen so many people sacrifice their teammates just to survive, using others as bait or shields. But this guy, he’s different. Even in danger, he makes sure his teammate’s safe. I’m starting to understand why the Gold Card chose him.”
The Nightmare World had its own rules of operation.
Every newcomer was required to draw a card skill when entering an instance. But over time, people discovered that it wasn’t really they who drew the cards, rather, it was the cards that chose them.
Each card had its own will and it would only enter the pool for someone it liked.
When a player entered a dungeon, the system evaluated them based on their abilities in the real world. The criteria varied, it might consider their deeds, their morals or countless other factors.
But ultimately, it meant one thing: Every player who obtained a rare card possessed some unique trait that resonated with that card.
At first, the viewers had come just to watch for fun. They were curious, what was so special about Jian Yue that the Gold Card had chosen him as its master?
They had come to question him. Yet the longer they watched, the more they found themselves genuinely liking him.
“I hope the streamer survives for a long time.”
“He’s become my source of happiness lately.”
“But this warehouse instance looks really dangerous…”
“Leaving someone up there as backup was the right call.”
“I nearly died down there myself.”
“Stop, you’re triggering my trauma!”
Meanwhile, Jian Yue had already descended the staircase.
He had brought a small flashlight with him and now its cold beam sliced through the dark. The old wooden steps groaned and creaked beneath his feet, echoing through the suffocating silence. The sound seemed to twist through the black air, making the space feel even more eerie.
The light swept across rows of wooden shelves. Every single one was stacked neatly with boxes, old, wooden boxes. And not just one row but row after row, stretching out into the darkness. Their eerie neatness made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
Tiantian’s voice drifted faintly down from above. “Brother? You okay?”
Jian Yue jumped in fright, heart thudding. “I’m fine, totally fine.”
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Just from walking down here, his back was already soaked. This kind of sealed, unknown place really did test the limits of human nerves.
Tiantian called again, “Brother, do you need me to come down?”
“No,” Jian Yue replied quickly. “Stay up there. Keep calling out every thirty seconds.”
“Got it!” she answered.
Her voice echoing down the stairwell made the silence less oppressive. With his fear somewhat eased, Jian Yue turned toward one of the shelves and opened a box.
A puff of dust burst out, making him cough. He waved a hand and aimed his flashlight inside. Under the pale, cold glow, he could make out a few old items, small personal belongings.
He picked up an antique pocket watch. The hands no longer moved. When he turned it over, he saw a date engraved on the back, 1876.
More than a century ago.
It seemed this truly was the place where the old master of the Shen estate had stored items taken from passing archaeological teams. In those days, a watch was an incredibly precious possession, something only people of high status or scholarly background could afford. The archaeologists must have been quite distinguished.
They had found the right place.
Jian Yue carefully placed the watch back and continued rummaging through the boxes. Most contained little more than personal effects, glasses, pens, badges. There were also some yellowed documents: geological reports, records of mountain vegetation. Nothing of particular importance.
From above, Tiantian’s voice floated down again. “Brother? Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” he replied. “Just keep talking to me every thirty seconds.”
“Okay! Got it!”
He was beginning to feel tired. He was just about to go back up and call for the others when his flashlight passed over a distant corner and there, sitting alone on a high shelf, was a red box.
Unlike the others, this one gleamed faintly in the beam of light. Its surface was carved with delicate patterns, far more ornate than the plain boxes surrounding it.
It radiated an unmistakable aura that seemed to say, ‘Come look at me. I’m not like the rest.’
Even the viewers in the livestream began to wail in unison.
“It’s that one! It’s that one!”
“That’s it, our old friend, the little red box!”
“My trauma just resurfaced.”
“I’m getting the urge to close my eyes already…”
The barrage of comments scrolled wildly across the live chat as Jian Yue approached the crimson box.
Standing in front of it, he immediately noticed that it was unlike the others. While every other box was plain and unguarded, this one was sealed with a small lock.
He hesitated for a moment, then pulled from his pocket the thin wire he had used the day before. Thankfully, locks from that era were simple. After fiddling for only a few seconds, a sharp click rang out. The sound echoed faintly through the silent air and the lid of the box loosened, leaving a thin gap visible.
Jian Yue took a deep breath, steadying his hand.
He slowly lifted the lid open. The beam of his flashlight fell over the contents, illuminating what lay inside. Within the wide wooden box sat an old-fashioned radio, its metal surface mottled but surprisingly intact. Several cassette tapes were stacked neatly beside it. Despite their age, neither the radio nor the tapes showed any signs of decay, they looked as if they might still work.
A radio.
If it could really play, perhaps the recordings on these tapes might hold clues, maybe even reveal something about the hidden truth of Wanfucun Village.
And the fact that this box, unlike the rest, had been locked… that alone was proof that its contents were not ordinary.
Jian Yue bent closer, intending to take out the radio for a better look. But just as his fingers brushed against it, he noticed something wedged behind it, a small notebook, roughly the size of his palm, half-buried at the back of the box.
A faint metallic clink broke the silence.
Because of the way he shifted the radio, the notebook slipped out and dropped to the bottom of the box with a dull thud.
Jian Yue narrowed his eyes, reached in carefully and pulled the notebook out from the narrow space. He shone his flashlight over it and under the cold white beam, the worn cover came into view. The faded pattern was almost indistinguishable but near the top, faint words could still be read as the light glided across them.
“West Asia Archaeological Team, Ji Feng’s Journal.”
Ji Feng.
That was the name of the man who had disappeared from the records of the West Asia Archaeological Team, the very same man whose file was missing from the village archive!
And his journal was here, hidden in the old Shen family estate’s storage room!
Inside the ancestral hall, there had been that female ghost who’d been searching for someone, for him. If she could remember his name even after so many years, then Ji Feng must have experienced something truly extraordinary in Wanfucun. Perhaps the so-called “secret of the village” was tied to him all along.
Jian Yue’s hands trembled slightly as the system chimed in his ear, its voice as calm and mechanical as ever.
Main Quest: [The Secret of Wanfucun]
Progress: 35%
At last, progress!
After all the fruitless searching and detours, he had finally stumbled upon something important. This journal might very well hold the key he needed.
He gently opened the fragile notebook. The paper was so old that it felt brittle under his fingertips, ready to crumble at any sudden movement. He had to turn each page with painstaking care.
The first page greeted him with tidy, graceful handwriting. It was unmistakably Ji Feng’s diary, chronicling his daily life and work. The ink had faded and some characters were blurred but with effort, he could still make out the text.
Year 1752, February 3
Clear weather.
Received an assignment from the organization to investigate Wanfucun Village. I heard it is famous for its longevity. Some of the villagers are said to live for over a hundred years, perhaps even two. The geological and environmental conditions are reportedly unique. Our institute has decided to send an archaeological team to conduct research. This is an important opportunity. If I can uncover the secret to Wanfucun’s longevity, it could finally complete the study I have pursued for so many years!
Year 1753, February 4
Overcast.
Xiaoyue doesn’t want me to go. She says the place is dangerous, that many archaeological teams have gone there and never returned. I told her those were just accidents. She didn’t look convinced. She was upset.
Year 1753, February 5
Clear weather.
I applied for permission to join the expedition. Xiaoyue agreed to accompany me.
Year 1753, February 6
Clear weather.
We finally arrived at Wanfucun. The mountain paths were shrouded in mist, hard to navigate but the villagers welcomed us warmly. The village chief was especially kind, he gave each of us a lantern to light our way. The people here truly are simple and hospitable.
The page ended there.
Jian Yue carefully turned to the next one but the writing was much more faded. Half the page was smudged beyond recognition, as though soaked in water long ago. Only the first two lines remained legible.
Year 1753, February 7
Overcast.
Last night, something terrible happened. Our team…
The rest of the words were impossible to read.
Jian Yue frowned, narrowing his eyes, bringing the notebook closer to the light, trying to make out even a few more letters.
But suddenly, he froze.
The hand holding the flashlight stilled midair. His body went rigid. The air felt wrong.
It was too quiet.
From the moment he had opened the box until now, it had definitely been more than thirty seconds. He was sure of it.
So why,
Why hadn’t he heard Tiantian’s voice again?
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Translator.exe requires coffee to continue functioning.
☕ 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