The NPCs of <Celestial Wind> didn’t originally use loanwords, as they belonged to a wuxia setting where English didn’t exist. But since the game was made by modern people, and played by people who used loanwords constantly, the NPCs also understood commonly used foreign words without needing any extra explanation. These kinds of safeguards were necessary—nowadays, there were even many Koreans who barely spoke Korean properly, so without them, the game’s story wouldn’t progress.
But whether they understood loanwords or not wasn’t the problem anymore. Interior design? Seriously? What the hell was this, an MMORPG or a tycoon sim? Limousine clenched his teeth, cursing his one-second-younger self. He couldn’t take back what he’d already said. The only thing left to do was damage control.
Still, the first step was always the hardest. His mouth refused to reconnect with his brain.
“S-Since it’s a rare deep-cleaning week, I thought this would be a good opportunity to refresh the room’s interior. Fēng shuǐ is important, you know. Red might be good for bringing in wealth, but it’s not so great for mental health. Money isn’t everything. As they say, a healthy mind leads to a healthy body……”
As a string of absolute nonsense came tumbling out of his mouth like a foreign language, Limousine gave up hope. He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore. If he got kicked out of here…… what then? Should he just go help clean the courtyard?
[No one informed me of this.]
“It was supposed to be a surprise. Looks like it worked out well. My employer will be pleased.”
A silent moment passed behind Limousine’s back. After a short pause, the blade was withdrawn from his neck.
It was withdrawn?
[So it was my brother who sent you. I’ll have to thank him later.]
Wait—she actually bought that?
[Come. I’ve been wanting to change the layout of my room anyway.]
How does someone with that level of innocence plan to become one of the higher-ups of the Cult of Blood, trying to take over the martial world? But Limousine, being the biggest beneficiary of the current misunderstanding, had no right to complain. He creaked around to face her. A beautiful young girl with long, flowing black hair down to her waist was looking up at him, her expression prim and composed. The name <Lìng Huá> shimmered above her head.
All the splendor he’d seen so far in the building was nothing compared to what was inside Lìng Huá’s room. It overflowed with luxury, as if every rare treasure in the world had been gathered here. But Limousine barely noticed any of it—he was too busy panicking.
Because the fake identity he had just blurted out came with a fatal flaw. A seriously critical one. This was why people needed to think before they spoke. Run your mouth like there’s no tomorrow, and you’ll end up in deep trouble.
Limousine knew absolutely nothing about interior design.
He was, by nature, indifferent to appearances. He didn’t care how he looked, so he never felt the need to decorate or accessorize. Even his character customization had been completely random—Americano had literally thrown herself at the screen to stop him and done it on his behalf. The only reason Limousine’s character looked remotely decent was because Americano had handled it.
And with no interest came no knowledge. Limousine didn’t care about interior design, or clothes, or anything visual. The only thing saving him from looking like a disaster was the fact that his tastes skewed minimal—so while his look might be boring, at least it wasn’t hideous.
But this wasn’t just barely dodging disaster—it was basically strapping a bomb to his chest and running headfirst into it. Someone who only used expensive, high-end materials could easily tell from a single word just how clueless he was. Not to mention, he had no idea how to even begin a conversation on the topic. Sure, he’d gotten in, but…… he was still doomed, wasn’t he?
Limousine began working his mental gears. He’d just tell Jaheun that the Huá Shēng Hall had Extreme difficulty level. No need to go into detail…… Splitting up to do the quest separately had been a genius move after all. At least Jaheun wouldn’t know exactly how he’d screwed it up. The quest only synced their progress on finding the Rén Hé Sect Insignias, not the steps they took to get them. Wait, what?
Limousine absentmindedly glanced down at the quest log window and blinked in confusion.
< Hidden Story: The Greatest Courtyard Cleaning Under Heaven >
A hidden quest? I didn’t get anything like that……
And then, like a bolt of lightning, a line of text flashed through Limousine’s mind.
– All hidden quests can now be progressed jointly.
It was the very First Bond perk that had plunged Limousine into that night of torment.
So this is…… the hidden quest Jaheun received? Realization struck Limousine a beat too late, and his face contorted in shock. But…… why is the quest like this?
[Party] Limousine: What is this?
[Party] Limousine: What’s this courtyard sweeping thing?
[Party] Limousine: Why did the difficulty go up?
He fired off a string of frantic messages, but Jaheun didn’t respond. That bastard…… is he leaving me on read?
……No, wait.
[Well then. Do you have any advice, perhaps?]
Don’t tell me I also……
[I do hope our tastes align somewhat.]
< Hidden Story: At the Young Lady’s Service >
You’ve received a request from Lìng Huá, the treasured jewel of the Merchant Guild.
Use your wit and charm to raise her affection to 100.
If her affection drops to 0, the quest will automatically fail.
– Lìng Huá’s Affection [10/100]
Warning! Failing the quest will result in expulsion from the Merchant Guild.
Describe how it feels to realize it’s not Mission Impossible, but more like decorating Sue’s Room.
[Party] Jaheun: ?
Look at this guy ignoring my messages but reacting to the hidden quest. But Limousine didn’t even have the energy to be annoyed with Jaheun. The number 100 felt impossible. I didn’t even decorate my own place—how the hell am I supposed to raise this doing someone else’s interior design? Limousine clutched his head in despair. This was a crisis wrapped in disaster.
A hellish silence filled the room. Seeing Limousine’s tormented expression, Lìng Huá also started to look concerned.
[Does my room differ greatly from your tastes?]
It seemed she had misunderstood his grim face. A stroke of luck, like a ray of light.
“Please…… allow me a moment to collect my thoughts.”
Limousine didn’t miss the chance to lean into Lìng Huá’s misunderstanding. With some vague mumbling, she smiled and offered him tea so he could think comfortably. What a kind young lady.
Limousine took a sip of the warm pu’er tea and used the moment to compose himself. It didn’t satisfy his hunger—this was still a virtual reality—but it gave him a bit of breathing room. Come on, Mousine. Calm down. If you fail here, it’s over. You have to nail this. You have a brain—use it. He started organizing his thoughts.
First of all, he needed to examine the room. There had to be a reason why, out of all the people in the Huá Shēng Hall, the hidden quest was connected specifically to Lìng Huá. If you looked at it that way, bringing up the whole interior design thing was actually a decent move. So what if I don’t know anything about interior design? It’s not like I’m actually going to redecorate anything. All he had to do was pretend to give advice while checking out every corner of the room. Of course, if he poked around too obviously, he’d look like a creep. NPC or not, it was only natural to maintain some level of decency.
“Is there any particular part of the room you’d like to change?”
Now that he’d found his pace again, Limousine asked Lìng Huá a question. She rested her chin on elegantly curved fingers and gave it some thought. The flower-shaped pin in her hair jingled softly.
[Hmm…… Is that really important?]
“What matters most is what the room’s owner likes.”
[Oh my.]
< ‘Lìng Huá’s Affection has increased by 2. >
If he could keep talking like this while checking out the room, raising her affection wouldn’t be that hard. Having come to that light conclusion, Limousine stood up with a much more relaxed expression.
“Take your time thinking. I’ll take a look around the room in the meantime.”
Thirty minutes later, Limousine realized this quest wasn’t nearly as easy as he’d thought. He thought the quest was trash-tier, but it turned out he was the trash.
Was it because I lied about being an interior designer? Lìng Huá’s affection only increased when they talked about interior design. Every time Limousine wandered around the room and so much as looked at a piece of furniture, she’d immediately ask what he thought. If he so much as suggested a different color or a new ornament, it was changed on the spot.
Lìng Huá never left the sofa by the window, yet somehow she always noticed exactly where his gaze or hands had landed. Even the floor and wallpaper changed in real time with every comment he made. It was nothing short of a revolution in the world of interior design previews.
And Lìng Huá’s rating of each change updated her affection score in real time. As of now, her affection stood at 16. He’d started at 10. Six points in 30 minutes. Devastating.
Trying to cater to the judge’s preferences, he asked for her opinion. But all he got was Lìng Huá elegantly spouting the sort of lines that only the worst clients of the year would: she wanted something witty, refined, elegant, and tasteful, while still reflecting his individuality.
What the hell is this, a housing contest?
After having the furniture and wallpaper chaotically changed—unintentionally, of course—the room looked nothing like it had originally. Limousine felt dizzy. He had no sense for these things, and he had no idea how to fix what he’d done.
Limousine quickly gave up on the interior design part. Even if I get kicked out, I need to search this whole room before I go.
He doubled down on snooping, making Lìng Huá cover her mouth with her fan in surprise.
[You’re being a bit rough with the furniture, aren’t you? You are thinking about the layout, aren’t you?]
< ‘Lìng Huá’s Affection has decreased by 3. >
Jesus, she’s got radar for bullshit.
“……I got a little too eager. I apologize.”
Limousine slowed down again. Honestly, it felt like it would be easier to start all over again from the Bronze tier and work his way back up to the Prism tier. At least that has some chance of success……
Lìng Huá’s room was filled to the brim with all sorts of furniture and decorative pieces—yet the space still didn’t feel cramped. The room was spacious, well-arranged. Silk, gems, carvings…… every visible ornament gleamed, looking pristine and elegant. Only the sections affected by Limousine’s half-assed suggestions looked like ruins.
Despite the luxurious vibe, the room felt surprisingly normal. If someone walked in without knowing she was affiliated with the Cult of Blood, they’d never suspect a thing. Maybe there’s a hidden entrance? Like a book that opens a secret passage or something…… Limousine tried putting together every trope he’d ever seen, but came up with nothing.
He glared at the quest log out of frustration. Jaheun’s hidden quest loomed in the back of his mind. I should’ve gone to sweep the courtyard. That looked way easier.