Npc 66

Jiang Yan put on his farmer’s clothes, got out of bed, and opened the door.

At this moment, the sky had already started to darken, and the wind blew through the yard, causing the broken remnants of scattered objects to clatter.

The town chief stood at the door, holding the old-fashioned flashlight from last night. From his tired expression and bloodshot eyes, it was clear that after working all night, he had not rested the entire day.

"Father."

Jiang Yan obediently called out, "Is there something wrong?"

The town chief’s murky eyes stared at the beautiful "bride" in front of him for a long time, then he spoke in a deep voice, "The townspeople have been discussing it all day and would like to talk to you."

"Okay." Jiang Yan replied indifferently.

"Come with me to the ancestral hall."

As soon as the town chief finished speaking, two figures also climbed down from the bed one after the other.

Seeing this, the town chief said, "Yan Yan, you go with me alone. Little Xiu can stay in the room and wait for your return."

In the dim light, his face, illuminated by the flashlight, looked eerie and terrifying.

Before leaving, he reassured, "Don’t worry, nothing will happen."

Jiang Yan followed the town chief along the same route they had taken last night to the ancestral hall. Due to the wandering of the Red Ghost Lady, the yard was in chaos, and the red-clad, black-eyed paper figures that had been placed in various corners of the yard were torn apart.

The paper heads and severed limbs were blown everywhere by the wind.

As soon as Jiang Yan stepped into the ancestral hall, he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that today the hall seemed larger than last night! It could even fit all the townspeople without feeling cramped.

The mud-brick walls were covered with memorial tablets, and the strange paintings belonging to the mountain god were still on the central incense altar.

"Creek—"

The town chief closed the door behind them, and Jiang Yan understood that his way out had been cut off.

In the next moment, the townspeople’s eyes, red and tired, immediately fell on him. Their expressions were varied, but all of them were silently scrutinizing him.

There was one exception—Ding Wanyu, another real NPC, stood quietly in the middle of the crowd, watching him.

That’s right, Ding Wanyu’s "key clue" had not yet been revealed.

What could Ding Wanyu’s "key clue" be?

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow slightly, then looked at everyone and said obediently, "I don’t know what you, my father, mother, and all the uncles, aunts, and elders want to discuss with me?"

Compared to the tired townspeople, Jiang Yan, who had been sleeping all day in his room, looked in pretty good condition! The only downside was that he was a little hungry.

The town chief slowly moved around behind him and stood before the townspeople. "You are a clever child," he said.

He continued, "Over the years, whether they were children sent out of the town or outsiders, no one has figured out the town’s secret. But you have."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan blinked his bright blue eyes in confusion and said, "I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

[The town’s secret? The curse of the Red Ghost Lady?]

[Wait, wasn’t this something told to the players from the start? How can it be a secret?]

[What is this? Did I miss something?]

Seeing his confusion, the town chief smiled lightly. "I told you, you are a clever child."

After laughing, his expression turned serious. "When did you figure it out?"

"Yan Yan..."

Jiang Yan’s mother appeared from the corner, trying to approach her son. But someone grabbed her, and she could only anxiously watch him.

"Figure out what?" Jiang Yan asked, his expression a little puzzled. "Like figured out the town’s secret?"

"I figured out a small clue." Jiang Yan did not directly answer the question.

He retracted his scrutinizing gaze, his eyes indifferent. "Since you know I figured it out, it would be nice if you and the others could help by bringing my friends’ children back and releasing my classmates. Please."

"[Isn’t Jiang Yan an NPC? Why is he now meeting with these NPCs and advancing the game progress?]"

"You guessed it."

The village chief looked at Jiang Yan with eyes full of regret. "You shouldn’t be this smart. Isn’t it better not to know anything? You could live peacefully with Xiao Xiu, have two children next year, and spend a peaceful life in this town."

"Peaceful, you say?" Jiang Yan asked. "Is that what you mean by torturing women while raising son as a daughter and having your mother give birth to sons for you?"

As soon as Jiang Yan spoke, the village chief’s face instantly darkened, and the ancestral hall was filled with an uproar.

"Is he crazy?!"

"I told you this child cannot be kept!"

"He must be sacrificed!"

The village chief raised his hand, and the crowd immediately went silent. Their eyes on Jiang Yan were still filled with fear, as if Jiang Yan were more terrifying than the Red Ghost Lady.

The village chief stared at the fearless young man in front of him, and after a long silence, asked, "How much did Xiao Xiu tell you?"

"He didn’t tell me anything," Jiang Yan replied.

"You two stayed in the room all day, and he didn’t tell you anything? What did you do in the room?"

Jiang Yan shrugged. "Naturally, we did what a married couple should do."

His smile deepened. "What, are you interested in the bedroom affairs of a son and his wife?"

At these words, the villagers began to gossip again.

[Wow! Impressive]

[Yan Yan used to be shy and resistant to these things. Why does it feel like he’s getting more and more... skilled]

[Hahaha! Could it be that he just let go of himself?]

Jiang Yan couldn’t hear the villagers' whispers, but the village chief, standing at the front, overheard everything clearly.

"Could it be? Does Village Chief Yu still have interest in his daughter-in-law? How does he face his son?"

"Wait! Isn’t his son dead? Didn’t you see the kid sneaking into his sister-in-law’s room?"

"Tsk! Their family’s situation is truly complicated!"

Seeing the village chief’s face growing darker, Jiang Yan’s smile widened even more.

This town, hidden deep in the mountains and too isolated, didn’t have many entertainment options. Thus, the villagers’ greatest pastime was gossiping, watching the drama of others, and speaking ill of each other.

This was the most characteristic feature of such isolated villages. They were united when facing outsiders, but within, they spoke ill of each other with sharp tongues, and a mere whisper or gossip could drive someone to suicide.

What they called "pure and traditional" could also be called "decaying and corrupt."

The village chief naturally knew the nature of his fellow villagers!

But at this point, these fools were still discussing such trivial matters. What a bunch of useless people!

His family had guarded this town for years! The people of this town had kept this secret for a thousand years!

For these thousand years, their survival depended on this secret. No matter how chaotic the outside world was, no matter how much war, plague, or famine raged, nothing could disturb the peace of the town!

The town's existence was maintained by this secret—through the balance of yin and yang, the protection of the gods, and the blessings of descendants!

This secret could not be destroyed by a mere boy!

The village chief’s eyes turned bloodshot as he glared fiercely at Jiang Yan.

In the dim light of the candle, the air in the ancestral hall was filled with the faint smell of earth mixed with sweat and body odor. The villagers, their faces flushed red, exchanged venomous glances and whispered among themselves.

As they gossiped about the village chief’s affairs, they cautiously eyed the black-haired, blue-eyed youth standing before them.

At that moment, Jiang Yan, standing in front of the crowd, looked as pure as a flower freshly washed by clear water. His pale complexion stood out even more in the dim environment.

"Enough!" The village chief shouted, and the crowd immediately fell silent.

He looked at the fearless young man in front of him and suddenly forced a twisted smile. "Did you find the god?"

"Yes," Jiang Yan answered calmly.

[God? Mountain god?]

[Did Jiang Yan find the person holding the "Mountain God Card"?]

[He found it, so why are players still searching?]

[Why not just use the "Mountain God Card" to break the curse and end the game?]

[What is Jiang Yan doing]

"I knew it, otherwise you wouldn’t have the courage to come alone," the village chief said. "Was that woman... a gift from the gods?"

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. "I told you, she’s my friend."

"She is not a commodity, not livestock. No one has the right to send her anywhere."

"She's just a woman."

The village chief was indifferent. "In the past, her life was in the hands of her husband. Later, her life was given by the gods. After the gods changed, the position was naturally inherited by the next god."

"A woman is simply a commodity."

Upon hearing this, the villagers said nothing, but the faces of the men, women, and children all seemed to show agreement with the village chief’s viewpoint.

Jiang Yan furrowed his brow. "Does your mother know how rebellious you are?"

The village chief replied, "I know you grew up in the outer city of Taiyu, so you’ve learned all these so-called new ideas, thinking that what we do is wrong, and that you want to seek justice for the Red Ghost Lady."

"But, have you considered that for thousands of years, the heavens were in harmony with the earth, and only through this balance of yin and yang have we achieved what we have today?"

"This town has preserved these customs for thousands of years, and that’s why we haven’t gone through the terrible wars, plagues, and famines!"

"And what about those outsiders? They used these so-called ‘new ideas’ to change the ethical norms, and what did they gain in the end?"

"Salt, you’re still a good child! You’re still the good daughter-in-law of the Yu family! You must not let these foreign things corrupt you."

The village chief’s expression was agitated as he tried to persuade Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan was silent for a moment. "You... are you getting off topic?"

The village chief: "..."

The others: "..."

Jiang Yan helped him get back on track. "Our original topic was the secret of the town, and then everyone wanted to have a heart-to-heart with me."

"Your town has more than one secret. I’m not interested in your pickled falcon incidents or your old, zombie-like ideas. I only care about two things, and that’s the purpose of my negotiation with the elders here."

"First..."

Jiang Yan pointed to the painting of the "Mountain God" on the altar in the center of the room and said slowly, "The god is dead."

Upon hearing this, the ancestral hall fell into dead silence.

The crowd looked at Jiang Yan with wide eyes, as if he were a madman.

[What? What’s going on?]

[The god is dead? So the person holding the "Mountain God Card" isn’t a god?]

Jiang Yan, unhurried, said: "If you’ve found a replacement to be the 'Mountain God,' I have no objections, but can you give me this god?"

"What... did you just say?" The village chief said incredulously.

He thought Jiang Yan had merely uncovered the truth about the "Red Ghost Lady’s curse," but the kid was actually... actually!

At that moment, the crowd saw a black, slimy tentacle, covered in green mucus, emerging from Jiang Yan’s clean, white clothes, reaching towards his stomach.

The villagers collectively gasped and took half a step back.

Jiang Yan, however, remained completely composed. He reached out and grabbed the tentacle. The black tentacle coiled around his fingers, obediently, leaving behind a warm, sticky liquid.

With a hint of disdain in his eyes, Jiang Yan said to the village chief, whose jaw was nearly dropping from shock, "Nice! It looks just like the one you painted, a dark, messy lump."

"Since you’ve already replaced the god, giving me this one would be no loss for you, right?"

[What do you mean by replacing a god?]

[Can someone help me translate this? What exactly is Jiang Yan talking about?]

[Also, I really want to know how he’s able to bring the last dungeon’s boss with him?]

Jiang Yan, holding the coiling tentacle in his hand, spoke indifferently: "I know that to people like you, who live in a feudal society, gods are incredibly important."

But, in the traditional worship system, the relationship between humans and gods, rather than being one of ‘faith,’ is more like a transactional relationship.

People believe in gods and offer worship;

Gods show mercy to the people, intervening to fulfill some of their insignificant wishes.

But when a god can no longer release divine powers, people naturally abandon the old god and replace it with a new one.

They only care about the rewards they receive; whether the one sitting in the divine seat is a god or some random thing, they don't care.

This god has fallen, so they just need to place a new one on the altar.

When Jiang Yan saw the "Mountain God" painting for the first time, he immediately understood that the town's god had clearly fallen.

However...

Jiang Yan’s mind flashed back to the moment when he had seen the "Mountain God Card" and was momentarily confused. A slight quiver appeared at the corner of his mouth.

The idea of replacing a god like this was really not surprising at all!

663 said in disbelief, "So, this is why you’ve gone through all this trouble?"

"Yes," Jiang Yan answered.

If it weren't for Yu Xiu, he wouldn’t have bothered with such a grand scheme. He could have simply spent a few days with Yu Xiu at the house, while the players were "polluted," and the game would have been over.

Or, based on Tao Shi and the others’ levels, they could have easily coasted to victory.

Why would he go through all this trouble and waste so much time?

He had searched through nearly the entire town, even delving into secret branches, sneaking down underground, and finding dozens of ancient tombs, but he couldn’t find a trace of Yu Xiu!

Where on earth had they hidden him?

If you think about it, how had this person’s situation deteriorated so much? In the last dungeon, he was at least a huge, unshakable "god."

How did this dungeon start with the god already dead?

"Ding!"

[Dungeon: "Qingshi Town" - Dungeon Progress: 85%]

[Total Players: 6, Current Survivors: 6]

[Real NPCs: 3, Not Yet Corrupted: 3]

[Main Quest: Attend the wedding and leave the town alive.]

[Side Quest: Find the Mountain God Well and break the curse.]

At this moment, the village chief, who was facing Jiang Yan, stared in disbelief, his breath becoming ragged.

Yes! The god had died.

So, they had concealed it from the heavens and "created" a new god! Thousands of years had passed without any errors! Even if someone had uncovered the secret of the "Red Ghost Lady," no one had ever questioned their god!

Jiang Yan... how did he...?!

Did the Mountain God tell him?

Impossible! The Mountain God himself didn't even know!

What was Jiang Yan trying to do?

The village chief’s gaze toward Jiang Yan shifted from confusion and disdain to one now filled with fear.

No...

No matter what he was trying to do, they had to stop him!

Take the god’s corpse and the Red Ghost Lady’s child? How could they let him get away with this?! He was going to destroy the town!

Jiang Yan—must die!

Jiang Yan looked at the tentacle in his hand for a moment. Despite his disdain, he found this version of it more tolerable than when it was at its most chaotic! At least it wasn’t running around, disappearing, or arguing with him.

He lifted his head, but was startled!

The villagers before him had completely changed—red blotches covered their faces, bright as blood. Their mouths were stretched wide, with gums and snow-white teeth grotesquely exposed, grinning at him in a twisted manner.

"Shit! Run!" 663 screamed.

As his words left his mouth, the now ghastly village chief twisted his body into a strange, contorted pose, using his bizarre limbs to lunge toward Jiang Yan.

[I can't believe it! Jiang Yan’s done for!] 

[Oh my god! These people are turning into Ghost? Jiang Yan shouldn't have come here!]

[These NPCs are at least A-grade, and Jiang Yan is only a C-grade NPC fighting an A-grade NPC one-on-one?]

[It’s over! The big shots aren’t here, this is it for him! Jiang Yan’s really messed up this time!]

In a split second, a crimson figure appeared, blocking Jiang Yan and kicking the village chief aside.

The village chief’s body slammed into the altar table, and the plaques scattered across the floor.

His bones made a cracking sound like chopsticks snapping, but he twisted and stood up, staring with pale, dilated pupils at the red figure in front of him.

A woman in a black mask and decaying red robes, exuding eerie black energy, stood behind the white, blue-eyed youth, guarding him.

[Red Ghost Lady!! I’m saved! I’m saved!]

[I never thought I’d feel safe because of a female ghost.]

[The ghosts were mutated by the Red Ghost Lady's curse. With her here, Jiang Yan should be fine.]

[But why can Jiang Yan control the Red Ghost Lady?]

However, contrary to what players on the forum had expected, the ghosts born from the Red Ghost Lady’s curse, didn’t show any fear when they saw her. Instead, they began to cackle maniacally.

"Hahaha... girl—! Hahaha..."

"Girl—hahaha... sis—!"

They imitated the Red Ghost Lady’s call from last night, but their cackling laughter felt more like mocking her.

The Red Ghost Lady was instantly enraged!

She let out a sharp scream, her body cloaked in black, and charged directly at the ghosts in front of her!

Humans consume both the Yang and Yin.

Ghosts are born from Yin energy and grow stronger with resentment.

A woman who died in a tragic way in a feudal society, a mother who lost her daughter, has more resentment than a group of "half-human, half-ghost" beings born from curses.

However, while the Red Ghost Lady is strong, the number of ghosts is overwhelming. One by one, they leapt forward, restraining her movements.

The remaining ghosts saw an opportunity and started rushing toward Jiang Yan, who stood motionless.

"Run! Don't just stand there!" 663 screamed.

"Jiang Yan!" 663 cried out.

"Beep!"

[Item: Lost Rose]

Vines of thorny roses stretched from Jiang Yan's feet, charging toward the ghosts.

Although the Lost Rose is an S-tier item, Jiang Yan is rated as C-tier, and the ghosts, while not as strong as the Red Ghost Lady, are still A-tier NPCs. Jiang Yan is naturally no match for them.

At this time, the Red Ghost Lady was preoccupied. Seeing Jiang Yan surrounded by the ghosts, with the risk of being "polluted," 663 shouted in panic.

"I can't believe it! Why aren't you running?" 663 shouted.

Jiang Yan stepped back, calculating, "It should be soon."

"What should be soon?" 663 asked in confusion. "Are you about to die?"

Just then, a ghost lunged at Jiang Yan with a devilish grin.

He sidestepped just in time, but the ghost's sharp black claws left a thin wound on his cheek.

Jiang Yan looked at the ghost. Like the others, it had red skin, a mouth that cracked open to reveal blood-red gums and sharp white teeth. However, unlike the others, this ghost had a huge bloody hole in its abdomen, with entrails hanging loosely from the cavity.

He instantly recognized it: this was one of his three servants, killed by the Red Ghost Lady the night before and left exposed on the street this morning.

Jiang Yan glanced at the Red Ghost Lady, still fighting the ghosts, then looked around and realized the number of ghosts was increasing.

At that moment, the tentacle hidden in his abdomen started to stir. Before it could act out of control, Jiang Yan whispered, "Don't make things worse!"

Hearing this, the tentacle reluctantly withdrew.

Fresh blood seeped from the shallow cut on Jiang Yan's delicate cheek, and he clenched his fists.

It should be soon...

The roses’ vines were no longer enough to stop the continuous flow of ghosts. Jiang Yan was gradually being pushed into a passive position.

At that moment, a ghost approached Jiang Yan from behind, its mouth wide open, ready to bite at the back of his neck.

"Watch out!" 663 warned.

[This is it! It's all over now!]

[No!! My Jiang Yan]

"Beep!"

[Item: Divine Staff]

With a flash of divine light, the Divine Staff appeared and instantly repelled the surrounding ghosts.

[It’s Tao Shi!]

The players in the forum cheered in excitement.

At the same time, Jiang Yan was quickly enveloped by the black tentacles.

When Tao Shi and the others entered the shrine, they saw this scene—

Massive black tentacles were coiled on the flowerboard, while the red ghosts stood on the ground, howling in rage.

Jiang Yan, the pale-faced youth, was wrapped up by the tentacles, which gently caressed his face, leaving traces of the black liquid the tentacles produced.

Tao Shi crossed his arms and frowned, "The storyline has already reached this exciting point, huh?"

Previous Chapter NPC 65 Next Chapter NPC 67