Kong Yu and Xu Wenzi ran all the way back to their dormitory, only confirming that the security guard hadn’t actually chased after them once they closed the door.
Leaning against the door, both still shaken and panting, it took them a long while to calm down.
“That incense…” Xu Wenzi had already realized it was the bundle of Incense Paper Money she threw that had distracted the security guard, allowing them to escape. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t fathom how the incense had such a miraculous effect.
What started as a forced transaction had ended up saving their lives.
The Incense Paper Money Kong Yu bought was still with her. She glanced down at it, lost in thought: “…Let’s find another chance to test it.”
This thing seemed even more powerful than their skills and items. If it could indeed affect NPCs, then her and Xu Wenzi’s chances of survival would increase significantly.
She then checked the contents: one bundle of Incense Paper Money contained 7 sticks of incense and 7 sheets of paper money.
“Not sure how it works if used separately,” Kong Yu pondered, planning to test with just one stick of incense next time. If a single stick could also stun NPCs, they’d hit the jackpot!
Soon, they found an opportunity to test it.
An experienced player named Li Jiandong sent a distress call in the group chat. He had gone to the dean’s office to search for evidence but was discovered by the NPC dean and was now being hunted down.
When Kong Yu and Xu Wenzi arrived at the scene, they saw Li Jiandong being choked by the dean, his eyes already rolling back—a critical situation.
Several other players had also rushed over. Seeing this, their expressions turned grim. Based on experience, rescuing someone from an NPC would inevitably come at a great cost. For a moment, everyone stood there weighing their options, none daring to act rashly.
Amid the silence, Kong Yu suddenly threw a stick of incense toward the dean.
The dean caught it reflexively, stared at it for a few seconds, then slowly released Li Jiandong and brought the incense to his nose, sniffing it repeatedly: “So… lovely…”
Kong Yu: !
Xu Wenzi: !
So, the incense really could capture the NPC’s attention!
And even a single stick worked!
Kong Yu was the first to react. She quickly rushed forward to rescue Li Jiandong, then ran to a corner to secretly observe the dean’s reaction, checking if he would pursue them.
The dean was completely absorbed in sniffing the incense, paying them no mind. Only when Li Jiandong slipped away did he move his hollow eyes, sparing a brief glance before returning to his incense obsession.
Kong Yu: !
Confirmed: once an NPC got hold of this incense, they wouldn’t bother them anymore!
More effective than catnip!
Xu Wenzi excitedly grabbed her hand: “This is fantastic!”
Kong Yu was equally thrilled. She still had 6 sticks of incense and 7 sheets of paper money left—13 more chances to ward off NPCs!
This was far more cost-effective than skills and items. After all, the 【Object Retrieval】 she traded away could only be used once a day and might not necessarily block NPC attacks.
She had thought losing an item would make survival in the instance difficult for her and Xu Wenzi, but unexpectedly, things had taken a turn for the better—they had obtained something even more powerful!
The other players, witnessing this, looked at them curiously.
“What item did you use just now?” one player couldn’t resist asking.
Kong Yu took a deep breath. She, too, wondered what kind of item the Incense Paper Money was.
Moreover, what exactly is the origin of that Incense Shop, and who is that young shopkeeper? Why are the items in her shop so captivating to the NPCs in the instance?
Xi Mufu had no idea that the products from her Incense Shop had such a powerful effect. After Kong Yu and Xu Wenzi left, several prompts suddenly appeared in her mind—
[Transaction with otherworldly guests completed.]
[Acquired item +1]
[Acquired skill +1]
Detailed descriptions of the item and skill were also attached.
Xi Mufu: ???
She wondered if she was hallucinating, but the prompts remained. Even after a night’s sleep, she could still see them upon waking the next day.
So it wasn’t an illusion. Those two girls from yesterday were visitors from another world, and the item and skill she acquired were the rewards for their purchase of Incense Paper Money.
This was too fantastical!
She could sense that these things were harmless to her, but she didn’t dare test them. On one hand, she feared causing too much commotion or attracting attention with strange phenomena; on the other, she worried about drawing the attention of people from other worlds.
After breakfast, she opened the shop as usual. Keeping busy made her forget about the prompts until the afternoon. After delivering goods to a customer in the countryside and on her way back, passing by the town’s kindergarten, she found a large crowd gathered.
It turned out that a drunken middle-aged man, seeking to vent his grievances on society, had taken a young girl from the kindergarten hostage. The police were trying to rescue her, and it was said that city officials had arrived, along with special police forces. A sniper was also in position, but the man had chosen a concealed spot, making it impossible for the sniper to take a shot. The situation remained at a standoff.
“Please, let my daughter go…” Xi Mufu squeezed through the crowd and saw the girl’s mother kneeling on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, her voice choked with sobs. “Take me instead of my daughter…”
The police were also desperately trying to persuade the perpetrator: “Whatever demands you have, just tell us. We’ll agree to all of them.”
Unfortunately, the perpetrator remained unmoved, pressing the knife tightly against the girl’s neck. The girl, pale with fear, cried incessantly.
Xi Mufu despised such scum who took out their frustrations on society—too cowardly to confront the police or strong men, but bold enough to target children and women with a knife.
The perpetrator seemed to revel in the crowd’s attention, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He slowly tightened his grip on the knife, pressing it deeper little by little. Instantly, blood seeped from the girl’s neck.
The girl’s father wailed in desperation, while her mother fainted on the spot.
The police were secretly frantic, and the onlookers were shrouded in anxiety.
Xi Mufu’s heart tightened. Originally, the day had cleared up, and her trip to the countryside, filled with fresh air, had lifted her spirits. She never expected to encounter such a scene.
In her panic, she suddenly recalled the prompt—
[Object Retrieval: Allows you to take any object you wish to retrieve out of thin air, within a range of 500 meters. Limited to one use every 24 hours. Note: Does not include living beings.]
Could she use this to take the perpetrator’s knife away?
But she had never used this ability before and had no guarantee of success. She also feared causing any unusual disturbances…
By now, the girl’s uniform was already half-stained with blood, a horrifying sight. If this continued, the girl could easily bleed to death.
Should she… give it a try?
Whatever consequences might arise, she would take full responsibility. Saving a life was what mattered most!
Xi Mufu steeled her resolve. Biting her lip nervously, she selected [Object Retrieval] and, following the prompts in her mind, aimed the ability at the knife in the assailant’s hand.
The next second, the knife materialized in her grasp.
Xi Mufu: !
Bystanders: ?
Everyone froze in place, including the assailant.
The police were the first to react. One officer shot the assailant in the arm to prevent him from harming the little girl with his bare hands, while another rushed over, scooped up the child, and placed her in the waiting ambulance.
Xi Mufu stared at the knife in her hand, murmuring, “So it actually works…”
Moreover, the process had been remarkably simple and smooth—neither causing any major commotion nor attracting attention from otherworldly beings.
As she stood dazed, the lead police officer approached her. “Comrade, hello.”
Xi Mufu jolted, suddenly remembering she had acted in full view of everyone. A wave of dread washed over her.
She slowly looked up and saw all eyes fixed on her—including those of city officials, armed police, special forces, and familiar neighbors from her town.
Xi Mufu: “…”