With the lantern finally in their hands, everyone felt as though they had paid a steep price whether in fear, items, or dignity.
The only one who seemed perfectly at ease was Jian Yue. After all, unlike the others, he hadn’t lost a thing. He’d simply swindled the village chief into handing it over.
The rest of the archaeology team, however, stood stiffly at the doorway. Their faces were dark, as if iron-blue with suppressed anger.
At that moment, the young master, the “President,” with his usual air of superiority, emerged.
He carried himself with that effortless arrogance, the kind that said other people’s lives and deaths were of no consequence to him.
Yet when his gaze landed on the others lingering at the entrance, his expression shifted slightly. A hint of surprise flickered across his face, as though he had just remembered that they existed.
“You’re still here?” Yushu asked casually, his tone more puzzled than concerned.
The group of players: “……”
Where else were they supposed to be?
It was as if the question itself stunned them into silence.
Then, as though only just remembering his role as host, President Shen lifted his hand in a dismissive wave, his voice calm and commanding:
“Go on, head back. Zhang Ma will take you to the guest rooms in the rear courtyard.”
Only when she was mentioned did everyone finally notice the woman standing silently in the corner of the grand hall.
Her back was hunched, her hair white but neatly combed into a severe knot. Deep wrinkles twisted across her face like the lines of an ancient tree, and yet her eyes, when she lifted them, were pitch black and bottomless.
She was so quiet, so unobtrusive, that if no one had spoken of her, most people would never have realized someone had been standing there at all.
Zhang Ma finally opened her mouth. Her voice was old, brittle, and carried a strange, bone-deep chill, “Yes, Young Master.”
Jian Yue, being the closest, felt his entire body prickle with numbness. Without thinking, he leaned ever so slightly toward Shen Yushu, lowering his head and whispering in a small voice, “Young Master… she is…?”
Shen Yushu glanced at him indifferently, his tone calm, “She’s the old housekeeper of this estate. She has been here since my mother’s generation, guarding the household.”
A local?!
To be honest, if not for her, Jian Yue would have started suspecting this so-called village didn’t actually have any real inhabitants at all.
His thoughts spun quickly. His main quest was to uncover the secrets of Wanfu Village in order to escape this instance. That meant the old housekeeper had to be a key lead!
So Jian Yue asked cautiously, “Young Master, has the housekeeper always been in charge of the residence’s affairs?”
The words had barely left his lips when Shen Yushu turned toward him with a strange look, as if surprised he would even ask such a question. After a pause, he said coolly,
“She has always lived here, so of course she manages the estate. As for you, Steward Wang… since you’ve already followed me this far, then your future performance will determine your position. Don’t worry, you’ll have a place here if you prove yourself.”
Jian Yue: “……”
Wait, No! Boss, that wasn’t what he meant at all!
Who in their right mind would fight over managing a creepy haunted mansion like this? He’d love nothing more than to have nothing to do with the place!
Forcing a smile, Jian Yue said quickly:
“Young Master, you overthink. Zhang Ma looks dependable since she has managed the estate for so many years, naturally she’s the one best suited to run it.”
But just as he finished speaking, the system’s cold, mechanical voice rang in his ears:
【Hidden Quest Triggered: “Zhang Ma’s Secret”】
【Quest Objective: A player who refuses to compete cannot become a worthy steward. Compete with Zhang Ma for the right to manage the estate.】
【Time Limit: None】
【Reward: Key to the Shen Estate Warehouse】
Jian Yue: “……”
Would it kill the system to wait until after the dungeon was over to hand him this nonsense??
He grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, his expression became solemn and determined. Straightening his back, he declared passionately,
“But then again, Young Master, your kindness toward me is as heavy as a mountain. How could I entrust your food, clothing, and shelter to anyone else? As long as I can take care of you properly, even if it means braving fire and flood, I would never hesitate!”
Shen Yushu gave him a look that said plainly: I knew you were two-faced all along, “Steward Wang.”
Jian Yue immediately lowered his head, eyes shining with fake loyalty, “Young Master?”
Surely now, the boss would be moved to tears, right? He would wail that he’d never met such a devoted servant, and immediately hand over all the housekeeper authority to him, right?
Instead, Shen Yushu said flatly, “That’s your duty. And next time, finish your sentences in one breath. Otherwise, your wages will be docked.”
Jian Yue: “……”
Damn capitalist overlord!!
One day, one day he would rise up and become the master himself!
Shen Yushu, meanwhile, gave only a few simple instructions before returning to his private quarters.
He didn’t summon Jian Yue to serve him, likely because Zhang Ma had already prepared the bedding earlier.
So Jian Yue was free to follow the rest of the group to the guest quarters in the back courtyard.
Night deepened.
The sky pressed down like a sheet of black iron. Though it was the height of summer, the village was absent of cicadas, absent of life.
Instead, there was only a suffocating, funeral silence. The white incandescent lamps along the corridor spilled a sickly pale glow, their shadows pooling and writhing in the grass like living creatures crouched in the dark.
Zhang Ma walked ahead, her hunched back bent like a turtle shell, while the others trailed behind. She raised a crooked hand and pointed toward a yard further back.
“You… will stay there.”
The archaeology team turned to see the dilapidated old building behind the estate.
The roof tiles were broken, moss crawling across crumbling bricks. It looked like no one had lived there for a hundred, maybe two hundred years.
And yet, no one dared to complain. Having shelter at all was already a luxury, they weren’t about to risk sleeping out in the open, not with those monsters lurking in the fog.
Wen Yu smiled politely and said, “Thank you, Housekeeper. We’re new here and not familiar with the customs of the village. Could you tell us if there’s anything we should be careful about? We wouldn’t want to cause offense.”
Zhang Ma slowly turned her head, those black eyes ringed faintly with yellow fixing on her. Her gaze was like the gaze of a crow picking over a corpse, seeing her not as a woman, but as something already dead.
Wen Yu’s smile froze instantly on her face.
At last, Zhang Ma shifted her eyes away. Her voice rasped as she spoke, dragging syllables like the scrape of nails on wood, “At night, do not go outside. Do not wander about.”
The scar-faced man frowned and asked:
“What if we need to get up at night? That’s unavoidable.”
But it was as if she hadn’t heard. Her crooked figure seemed to shrink into itself in the night, like a turtle shell curling around something.
She muttered over and over, her tone filled with some half-remembered dread, “At night… do not go outside. Do not wander about… at night, do not go outside… do not wander about…”
The same sentence repeated again and again, until it was clear nothing else could be pried from her.
The players exchanged glances, finally giving up.
At least they had learned one thing, a rule of survival.
Wen Yu forced a smile, bowing her head politely:
“Thank you. We understand.”
Zhang Ma turned her gaze to Jian Yue. She pointed toward a small, separate house not far away and said, “You’ll be staying there.”
Jian Yue followed her finger with his eyes. At first glance, it seemed that being a butler had its occasional advantages, this little courtyard house was close to the president’s own chambers, and unlike the crowded arrangements of the archaeological team, it was a stand-alone residence.
Of course, being somewhat isolated also meant an increase in danger. After all, sometimes having a crowd nearby meant at least a little extra protection.
But Jian Yue didn’t believe for a second that those people would come to his aid. On the contrary, he suspected that keeping distance from them might actually prevent them from harming him.
So he gave a polite nod and said simply,
“Thank you.”
Once the room assignments were settled, Zhang Ma seemed to vanish into thin air. For someone of her age, her movements were surprisingly sharp and efficient.
One blink, and she was gone, as though she were some kind of shadowy ghost.
Jian Yue didn’t linger. He headed straight back to his allocated quarters.
To his surprise, the inside was nothing like its outer appearance. From the outside, the small courtyard looked neglected, weeds crawling everywhere, giving it a broken, abandoned air.
Yet inside, the room was unexpectedly clean and orderly. The bedding had been neatly laid out, and even the kettle was filled with water. He eyed it, though, with suspicion and didn’t dare drink.
The day had been far too exhausting, mountain climbing, bargaining for lanterns, endless tasks. His body felt drained. Without hesitation, he collapsed onto the bed, and before long, slipped into sleep.
He had thought he might sleep until dawn.
But halfway through the night, Jian Yue’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
There was a sound outside his window. A faint rustling. Not overly loud, but not quiet either, like something dragging itself inch by inch along the wall as it crawled.
The noise was disturbingly close, right outside his door.
He had been half-asleep, mind drifting, until a subtle creak came from the window frame. In an instant, his drowsiness shattered. His eyes flew open wide.
Moonlight poured across the floor, pale and cold.
Through the window, the shadows of weeds swayed across the courtyard, creating shifting silhouettes. At a glance, they looked eerily like human figures swaying in the dark.
No… not like. There were things out there. The rustling noises were far too clear, too deliberate. Something was moving.
And it wasn’t human.
Jian Yue stilled, listening carefully. His years of experience as a forensic doctor had honed his senses, especially his ears. The weight of those movements was all wrong.
The rhythm of pressure against the ground didn’t match any age or build of human footsteps.
Then what was it, if not human?
The noise returned, closer this time. Jian Yue slowly turned his head toward it. What he heard was nails! A sharp, jagged nail dragging across wooden boards, scraping with a shrill edge.
The sound came from right against the wall beside his bed. Something was pressed against it, its body sticky, slimy, heaving heavily as it shifted forward, scratching again and again.
Step by step, claw by claw, it inched toward the door.
Thank goodness he had the habit of closing it at night.
If he’d left it open, he might at this very moment be staring straight into the eyes of whatever lurked outside.
The live-stream chat, however, was buzzing with excitement:
“It’s coming, it’s coming!!”
“Holy shit, that’s terrifying!!”
“This thing’s even worse than that monster in the fog!”
“The newbie’s probably pissing himself right now.”
Even though Jian Yue’s stream had been bumped onto the platform’s recommendation page, his popularity was still mediocre. Most viewers believed he was just lucky that beyond sheer fortune, he had no real skill or talent.
Some even mocked him openly, pointing out that his cards had no offensive abilities whatsoever. When it came to facing monsters, he was practically defenseless.
Bets had already sprung up in the chat, viewers speculating about exactly where and how he would die in this dungeon.
Then, in the distance, a dim crimson glow flared within the courtyard where the archaeological team resided.
Carried by the night wind, the faint voices of the team drifted through, murmuring to each other in hushed urgency, “Light the lanterns! Quickly, light the lanterns! Once they’re lit, those things won’t come inside!”
Red lanterns.
Jian Yue glanced toward the room’s light switch, intending to turn it on. To his dismay, no matter how many times he flicked it, the bulb remained dark.
At that moment, a line from the system’s earlier quest briefing resurfaced in his mind:
【When night falls, darkness descends. Red lanterns are used for illumination.】
So that was it.
His gaze shifted to the lantern he had casually set on the desk earlier. He rose to his feet and walked over, lifting it in his hand to examine it.
The village chief’s red lantern was made of paper, carefully crafted. The wick inside was dyed crimson as well, the craftsmanship solid and meticulous.
Perhaps because the archaeological team had all lit their lanterns, the creatures outside were being kept at bay.
Denied access, they followed the scent of human breath and gathered now outside Jian Yue’s courtyard.
The rustling in the grass grew louder, heavier.
To light the lantern, or not?
His eyes flicked to the matchbox lying on the table. He stood there in silence, unmoving, weighing.
Meanwhile, the audience in the live-stream chat was losing their minds:
“Hold on, hold on! don’t light it!!”
“It’s useless! First-time players always panic and stop thinking.”
“His cards are still on cooldown, there’s no way he’ll get a hint.”
“Doesn’t matter, if he doesn’t light it, he dies now. If he does, he dies later. No way out.”
Just as everyone, viewers and monsters alike was certain Jian Yue would strike the match, he instead lifted the lantern to his nose.
With one fingertip, he rubbed a trace of the oil onto his skin, then held it under his nose to smell.
His brows furrowed ever so slightly.
The scent was familiar.
So it really was made of that material.
Jian Yue slowly set the lantern back down. He let out a faint sigh, then turned to glance at the wall.
The sound of fingernails scraping and clawing at the wood outside was growing louder, harsher, more desperate. His brows arched ever so slightly as he muttered, almost amused:
“So… if I don’t light the lantern, you’re not planning to leave, is that it?”
Outside the door, the monsters seemed to pause. Their movements stilled, as if his words had given them hope.
Jian Yue put on the perfect expression of resignation, looking as though he had decided to give up resisting.
“Alright then… if that’s how it is!” he said.
Both the monsters outside and the audience in the livestream instantly assumed this meant he was about to light the lantern properly.
But instead, Jian Yue strolled calmly over to the table. He picked up the flashlight he’d tucked into his suitcase, then deliberately set the village chief’s red lantern right in front of the door.
After that, he dragged a chair across the floor, placed the lantern on top, and pointed the flashlight directly at it.
In one smooth motion, he flicked on the beam of light, pure white, glaringly bright and let it flood the lantern’s red paper shell. The crimson glow burst forth at once, shining far brighter than any candle or wick could have managed.
Not only that, Jian Yue reached casually into his backpack, pulled out several fully charged power banks, and hooked them up to keep the flashlight running indefinitely.
The red glow was dazzling, blazing, almost ostentatious.
Jian Yue’s voice was steady as he announced, almost like a salesman giving a presentation:
【The task said: When night falls, darkness will consume everything. Red lanterns can serve as illumination. Well, this is still a red lantern, isn’t it? And what’s more, it’s the authentic lantern from the village chief’s house. Tell me, doesn’t this count? A cyber-lantern. As my boss always says: Technology is the number one productive force. Am I wrong?”】
And in that very instant…..
The red lantern blazed to life, and the entire world seemed to fall into silence.
The monsters outside froze, utterly dumbfounded.
The livestream chat was equally speechless, until the comment floodgates broke wide open:
“Wo… woah… did this horror village dungeon just turn into a cyberpunk DLC???”
“Wait… THIS WORKS???”
“No freaking way. You can actually play it like this??!!”
“Goddammit, why didn’t I ever think of that back when it was my run?!”
Okay… It’s not sheer luck but actually correctly using brain even in difficult/dreading situations 🥲
I might have lite the lantern without thinking much 😭
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ COFFEE OFFERING
☕ 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