Jian Yue accompanied Shen Yushu as they left the old house.
The difference today was that although the old madam was sick, for the sake of her health she still needed to come out every so often to walk and breathe fresh air. So Shen Yushu had brought her out with him.
By now it was already afternoon. Strangely, when they had first come up the mountain, the mist had been so thick it was hard to see far, yet once they entered the village, as long as it was daytime, the fog seemed to vanish completely.
In the distance, layers upon layers of green mountains stretched endlessly, a picture of serene beauty.
Jian Yue asked, “Young Master, Old Madam, should we head into the mountains, or shall we first visit the villagers’ homes?”
Having followed Shen Yushu for several days now, he more or less understood what Shen Yushu had truly come back here for.
The old madam was gravely ill, and rumors had long circulated that Wanfucun possessed some miraculous elixir capable of granting longevity.
But ever since the last century, when multiple strange deaths had occurred in Wanfucun, the village had fallen under suspicion and dread.
Eventually it even vanished from maps, its name disappearing from the internet as well, becoming an unspoken taboo, a place no one mentioned.
Coincidentally, however, the old madam herself had been born here. She had left the village when she was young, and so still possessed an old map and a legitimate identity that allowed her to return.
As for Shen Yushu, he was unwilling to watch his mother waste away with no cure in sight, and so had brought an archaeological team back to this forgotten place.
Eternal youth, undying life?
Jian Yue thought of the strange aura that clung to the villagers he had seen in passing and couldn’t help but smile faintly.
Anything in this world that dared tamper with the natural order of life and death… was never simple.
Shen Yushu, immaculate in his tailored suit as he walked along the rustic dirt paths, looked more like an official coming to inspect the countryside than a son returning home.
He said calmly, “We’ll go visit the villagers first.”
Jian Yue then led them toward the carpenter’s house.
The carpenter lived at the eastern edge of the village.
When they arrived, he was in his courtyard, working with an old saw, hammering and repairing something. Jian Yue asked politely, “What are you making?”
The carpenter looked up. He appeared to be in his late thirties or early forties.
He wasn’t that old, yet his back was hunched, his movements stiff and slow, and there was something about him, an air of decay and age that seemed to cling to his very being.
At first he didn’t intend to answer, but when he saw the old madam standing beside Shen Yushu, he hesitated and finally replied, “I’m making an altar, for offering prayers to the mountain god, to ask for peace and safety.”
Jian Yue understood immediately, it must be some kind of local custom or ritual.
But when he lowered his gaze to the so-called altar, a long wooden structure painted in a dark, lacquered red, placed quietly on the ground.
He couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Whatever this thing was, it looked disturbingly like a coffin.
What kind of mountain god required such a thing for worship?
Just as Jian Yue’s thoughts were turning uneasy, Shen Yushu spoke bluntly, “Where is the mountain god’s temple?”
Jian Yue was taken aback. He hadn’t even dared to ask so directly, yet his employer had said it outright.
At noon he had still been grumbling about how inconvenient it was to have this “live father” tagging along everywhere, but at this moment he nearly wanted to worship Shen Yushu himself as a new god.
The carpenter hesitated. Just as he was about to answer, a sharp, shattering noise suddenly burst from a nearby house.
“Don’t come any closer!”
“Get away!”
“Stay away from me!”
Jian Yue turned sharply. From the courtyard of a farmhouse stumbled a bespectacled man, panic written all over his face, and clinging to him was a girl sobbing uncontrollably. Both of them were members of the archaeological team.
Shen Yushu recognized them at once.
The two team members stumbled as they ran out, their faces pale with terror, as if they had seen something unspeakably horrific inside. They even fell to the ground in their frantic escape.
As butler, Jian Yue couldn’t just stand by. He turned to Shen Yushu. “Young Master, I’ll go see what happened.”
Shen Yushu said, “I’ll go with you.”
Jian Yue didn’t argue. Together they stepped out to the road, and Jian Yue helped the two up, asking, “What happened in there?”
The archaeologists were still shaken, their voices trembling. “We… we just wanted to investigate the secret of the villagers’ longevity. So we went to visit that old woman. At first she spoke normally. But when we accidentally opened the door to her side courtyard, she went mad, rushed out at us, tried to attack us. And then…”
Shen Yushu’s voice was cold and steady. “And then?”
The girl, still crying, said, “We apologized to her, but she wouldn’t listen. She came at us with a stick and ropes, like she wanted to tie us up. We were so scared, we just ran.”
Jian Yue glanced toward the courtyard, but saw no sign of the old woman. He asked, “Where is she now?”
The two exchanged a nervous look, but dared not answer.
Meanwhile, in the live broadcast room, the audience watching had already drawn their own conclusions
“She must have used a skill.”
“That sound earlier, that was a card trigger, I swear.”
“That old woman’s probably dead already.”
“Blood’s been spilled. Someone’s definitely going to die tonight.”
In such dungeon-like scenarios, a death often marked a turning point; once blood was drawn, the ghosts gained the ability to kill freely.
If before one could survive by clinging to the safety of lantern light, now that balance was broken. No one could predict what would happen next.
Jian Yue’s gaze swept past the fence, as if he had noticed something. “I’ll go take a look.”
The two archaeologists blanched and hurriedly stopped him. “Don’t go!”
He turned his head, frowning. “Why not?”
“She… she…” One of them stumbled over his words, clearly trying to phrase things gently. “That old woman’s a lunatic. If you go in, you could be in danger too.”
In this dungeon, wasn’t it better to look out for oneself? NPCs were just NPCs. If one died, what did it matter?
But Jian Yue didn’t hesitate. He pushed past them and stepped into the yard.
The moment he opened the gate, a wave of metallic blood stench rushed out. He knew that smell well, he had walked into countless crime scenes as a forensic doctor.
Though others might flinch, he was long accustomed to it, and his face remained composed as he entered.
The old woman lay collapsed near the threshold. Blood seeped from the back of her head, her breathing shallow and broken, almost gone.
Yet even now, her cloudy eyes glared venomously toward the doorway, her lips faintly moving as if cursing still.
Most people, confronted with such a scene, would have already turned and fled.
In the live room, viewers typed rapidly:
“Why isn’t the streamer leaving?”
“Staying near an NPC full of resentment is suicide!”
“Does he have a death wish?”
“Kindheartedness is the last thing you need in a horror dungeon!”
But Jian Yue only strode forward. He adjusted her twisted posture, gently laying her on her side. Blood stained his clothes as he worked, yet he paid it no mind.
Instead, he turned to the two stunned archaeologists outside and said sternly, “Come here and help me.”
The two stood frozen, fear rooting them in place.
Jian Yue waited a moment, then glanced back. Seeing they hadn’t moved at all, he rose, brows knitting together,”She isn’t dead yet. If you won’t help, are you trying to commit murder?”
If Jian Yue had been nothing more than a butler, perhaps he could have watched indifferently.
But he wasn’t just a butler,he was a forensic doctor.
His training, his very identity, did not permit him to abandon a wounded person who still clung to life.
Perhaps this dungeon had its own rules and bottom lines, but he too had his own as a human being.
The two novice players, cowed by his sharp rebuke, came forward at last.
Jian Yue glanced toward Shen Yushu, who stood watching not far away. “Young Master, let me handle this first. Once I’ve finished, I’ll come find you.”
Shen Yushu, calm as ever, the very image of a man accustomed to great storms, gave a slight nod. “Very well. I’ll go ahead.”
With him gone, Jian Yue no longer had to restrain himself. He laid the old woman flat, then instructed the two team members, “Hold her steady. I’ll stop the bleeding.”
The old woman’s gaze remained full of hatred, and she even lashed out, trying to claw at them with nails that were disturbingly long and sharp, as if they could tear flesh from bone.
The two archaeologists panicked, about to draw their cards in defense.
But just as she swung her hand again, Jian Yue’s patience snapped. He pinned her hand firmly, his voice sharp with irritation.
“Moving will only tear your wound open further. You may have a concussion. I’m a doctor,I’m trying to stop your bleeding. Do not make this harder for me!”
The old woman froze.
The two players froze.
Even the viewers fell into silence.
Moments ago, everyone had been speculating on who the old woman would kill, or which player would be her first victim.
Yet here she was completely cowed by a few scolding words, lying still under Jian Yue’s hands.
Jian Yue ignored the stunned silence around him. From the system’s shop he redeemed medical supplies with his points.
He only had thirty points in total, and these supplies cost twenty, but he spent them without hesitation.
As he bandaged her wounds with practiced skill, he asked, “Do you live here alone?”
The old woman pretended to be unconscious, her expression cold and aloof.
“I know you’re awake.” Jian Yue finished wrapping her head wound neatly, then continued, “If you have no other family, I’ll come tomorrow to change the dressing. The wound may cause fever. Since you live near Widow Li, I’ll ask her to check on you in the afternoons. As for the night…..”
He had been about to say that nights were too dangerous, so he wouldn’t come then.
But before he could finish, the old woman suddenly snapped her eyes open. Her hair was streaked with blood, her face pale but wiped clean by his careful hands, less frightening now than before.
She glared at him viciously and spat, “I don’t need you meddling! Even if I die, it has nothing to do with you!”
Jian Yue only tossed the medicine into her lap, his expression indifferent. Lowering his head, he scribbled a few instructions.
Sunlight fell across his delicate, jade-like features, gilding him with a warm glow. His tone was lazy, almost casual.
“Even medicine can’t keep your mouth shut. This is your medicine. If you get a fever, take it yourself.”
The old madam simply took the medicine and fell silent. Her hair at the temples had turned completely white, falling loosely around her face, carrying a strange sense of loneliness.
The viewers in the live stream were stunned:
“What the heck? Did she just tell him not to come near?”
“Is this still the same mad, knife-wielding old lady who killed my three teammates that night?”
“No way… she can actually be saved?”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me there was this option?”
After taking care of the old madam, the system-provided medicine worked extremely well. Jian Yue had the two rookie archaeologists help escort her upstairs to rest while he led them downstairs.
The two newbies had been completely petrified just moments ago, but now they finally seemed to have recovered.
The bespectacled boy stammered, “You… you…”
The girl who had been crying weakly added, “Housekeeper Wang, are you… a player too? We just saw you pull medicine out of thin air.”
Jian Yue replied calmly, “Doesn’t it look like I am?”
The two froze, speechless. Their calm, composed Jian Yue was like a figure from another world entirely.
As they walked downstairs, the boy quietly whispered, “Scarface told us that all the villagers in this dungeon are monsters, not real people. That’s why we used our cards to attack. You saw it yourself, the old madam wasn’t normal.”
He expected this to frighten Jian Yue. After all, Jian Yue had never adventured with other players before and might not understand the dangers of the dungeon.
But Jian Yue merely walked to the well and washed his hands.
Water dripped from his long, pale fingers into the basin, reflecting his calm, steady face. “Just because someone isn’t normal doesn’t mean they deserve to die.”
The boy choked on his words.
The crying girl whispered, “But… but Scarface is an experienced player. He said everyone goes through the dungeon like this. They know what they’re doing… and they’ve seen the guides…”
“So because everyone does it, I have to do it too?” Jian Yue flicked the water from his hands and said flatly, “Besides, how do you know that the guide he gave you is true?”
The sun poured down in the bright daylight. Jian Yue glanced at them sideways; his black-framed eyes were calm and deep, as if holding the stillness of a quiet lake. With just a few words, he froze the two rookies in place.
That’s right… they had been scared when they first entered the dungeon. Then they encountered someone claiming to be an experienced player.
Terrified and desperate to survive, they trusted him completely, obeying his every instruction.
But… was that guide even true?
Cold sweat broke out on both of them. Their faces drained of color as they muttered to themselves, “It can’t be… Scarface wouldn’t have a reason to harm us.”
Jian Yue asked, “Then what reason would he have to protect you?”
He wasn’t questioning them randomly. From the first time he met the scar-faced man outside the mountain, he had noticed that man’s keen interest in his card skills.
Later, at the village head’s house, the same thing happened. Repeatedly, he seemed fascinated by Jian Yue’s cards.
Jian Yue could sense emotions, and this wasn’t a friendly curiosity, it was probing, calculating, potentially dangerous.
The boy with glasses said hesitantly, “But isn’t the point in a dungeon for players to cooperate and help each other? Why would players kill each other?”
This seemed to give them a false sense of security.
The live stream viewers chuckled:
“Oh, there’s plenty of reasons.”
“Death-replacement ghosts opening a dungeon scene is normal.”
“Stealing cards happens all the time.”
“Killing the original owner of a card lets you take it away, they didn’t know that?”
“I’ve personally been educated by this shocking reality.”
“In newbie dungeons, it’s mostly fine but if veterans are involved…”
The viewers fell silent.
Technically, the system rules prohibited players from killing each other to steal cards. That was a serious violation, punishable by the main system confiscating the cards, and even revenge from deceased players in other dungeons.
But some unscrupulous players always found loopholes.
Card mechanics allowed a card to be legally transferred if the holder voluntarily gave it. That carried no penalties and no risk.
Many newbies didn’t understand the mechanics. They might be killed and not even know who had done it, sometimes even giving their card to their killer in the hope the killer would survive.
These card-grabbing players weren’t rare. Some were organized, but all were despised by the community, collectively called the “Absolute Household Monsters.”
If such a player slipped into a newbie dungeon, they could greedily wipe out every new player. Most were skilled at hiding their intentions, and newbies had little ability to detect them.
Sure enough… even the girl who had been crying said, “Housekeeper Wang, maybe you’re overthinking. Scarface is actually very kind. If he hadn’t reminded us to light the lamp last night, we might all have died.”
The boy with glasses added, “Exactly. You just misunderstood them. Once you go back with us and tell Scarface your card skills and stats, everyone will know you inside and out. Then they’ll treat you like one of their own and protect you.”
Both made a compelling case.
The viewers sighed:
“This dungeon’s basically over for the newbies.”
“There’s still a gold card in this dungeon.”
“These rookies’ luck is terrible.”
“Forget it, it’s not worth watching.”
Just as everyone felt bored and was about to stop watching, Jian Yue calmly finished drying his hands and let out a light chuckle.
“You may be right, but if I’m guessing correctly, you are all new players. This dungeon is likely a newbie dungeon. If veterans are here with such apparent experience, why would they even come to a newbie dungeon?”
It was like a needle hitting the heart.
The boy with glasses hesitated. “B-but maybe it was random… they haven’t been to this world before.”
“Really? Because I get the feeling they know this world very well,” Jian Yue said.
“Besides, if you say they had a guide, why didn’t they warn you that opening the side gate would make the old lady try to kill you?”
From his time as a forensic doctor, Jian Yue had seen countless killers, far too calculating, at countless crime scenes.
Tiny details could determine whether a victim lived or died. Most of the time, careful observation revealed the faintest clue.
The two newbies’ faces instantly turned ashen.
Jian Yue smiled slightly. “See? They aren’t capable of protecting you. So why should I submit to them? I have every reason now to doubt their abilities, don’t I?”
Even the viewers were stunned:
“Damn, this streamer!”
“He’s too smart!”
“God, this feels so satisfying!”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator would like to formally submit a coffee request.
☕ 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