Chapter 57: The Thanks of the Wrongfully Dead

The golden aura protecting him trembled, yet the Mother of Grievances could not wait for it to shatter.

Under the cover of the golden aura, Dabao’s claws finally tore the Mother of Grievances into fragments.

At that moment, the Dimension Park notification appeared.

Guo Ming, seeing this, immediately began reciting the Sutra for the Departed.

Its content was far more obscure and burdensome than the previous incantations, and spoken at an extremely rapid pace.

The rhythm also felt exceedingly ethereal.

As he recited, dense streams of grievous energy squeezed out from the shattered form of the Mother of Grievances, slowly dissolving upon contact with the air.

Dabao, seeing this, was startled.

While under the golden aura’s protection, he had already restored his HP to 85% via the blood-draining effect, thus exiting the Fearless and Berserk states.

He immediately returned to Chu Danqing’s side, carrying the treasure chest dropped by the Mother of Grievances.

Chu Danqing’s gaze fell on the chest—it was still rated as Excellent, yet its patterns glowed with unmistakable brilliance.

He suspected the chest’s original quality had been Fine, far beyond what he could normally access at his stage.

At least not something he could have obtained through Dabao alone; it was Guo Ming’s aid that allowed Chu Danqing to kill the Mother of Grievances.

Yet precisely because of excessive aid from the native, the chest’s quality had been downgraded.

He temporarily stored the chest, then turned his gaze to the fragments of the Mother of Grievances.

The grievous energy gradually dissipated, and indistinct figures slowly emerged from it, freed from its grasp.

All the figures bowed gracefully toward him, then vanished into nothingness.

【You received the Thanks of the Wrongfully Dead】

【Your Charm +1】

Chu Danqing, hearing the notification, was utterly baffled.

Logically, he hadn’t contributed much—if thanks were due, they should go to Dabao and Guo Ming.

Yet only he had received this gratitude.

Dimension Park did have a Charm attribute, but like Willpower and Luck, it could not be directly increased by points; it required special methods to raise.

It couldn’t even be viewed directly—only later, with proper authorization, could its data be standardized.

He knew little about the Charm attribute.

“Chu Brother, your merit is boundless—you’ve earned their favor,” Guo Ming said with a smile.

Chu Danqing did not accept the flattery; he immediately asked: “What exactly happened?”

He trusted it was Dimension Park’s generosity, not a gift from strangers he’d never met.

“Good deeds bring good returns—that’s all,” Guo Ming didn’t mind that only Chu Danqing received the gratitude: “Of course, my help and Dabao’s were necessary.”

“But most of the credit belongs to Chu Brother.”

“If you had chosen to leave without quelling the Mother of Grievances’ hatred, how could it ever have been calmed?”

This made Chu Danqing genuinely embarrassed—he felt like a tyrannical leader who took all the credit.

The decision was his, but the execution wasn’t.

“This is too unfair to you,” Chu Danqing said correctly—there had been the Talisman of Safety and the Sutra for the Departed.

Without Guo Ming’s help, this outcome would never have happened.

“Since you like the Cold Spring Shadow so much, I’ll lend it to you for a while longer,” Chu Danqing said casually, feeling slightly hypocritical.

But he couldn’t bring himself to give it away—it was an Excellent-grade item, and a magic firearm perfectly suited for a novice like him.

“No, no, no—a gentleman does not take what others cherish,” Guo Ming immediately refused: “Though I admire this weapon, I see Chu Brother uses it for defense—how could I possibly take it?”

“If I use it, what will Chu Brother use next?”

Chu Danqing waved his hand: “You saw for yourself—my marksmanship is abysmal.”

“It’s like pearls cast before swine in my hands; with you, it will be put to better use.”

After mutual refusal, Guo Ming, unable to resist his fondness, finally accepted.

“I truly love it—then I’ll keep it for a while longer,” Guo Ming said, embarrassed.

“No problem—I’m lending it, not you begging for it,” Chu Danqing said bluntly: “Why be embarrassed?”

With those words, Guo Ming’s expression brightened.

Slung behind his back, the Cold Spring Shadow, Guo Ming said: “My father always wanted me to be both scholarly and martial, but I was born with a deficiency that barred me from the Dao.”

“With my elder brother holding up the family, I turned to the pleasures of mountains and rivers.”

“I’ve always loved archery, but the bows in my household—those I could even draw—were few,” Guo Ming gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Yet the Cold Spring Shadow Chu Brother gave me suits me perfectly.”

From Guo Ming’s words, Chu Danqing sensed he wasn’t short on such gear—what suited him was simply too rare.

The Cold Spring Shadow’s shape was odd, but its usage requirements were low.

Though he spoke this way, Guo Ming was already pondering how to repay Chu Danqing.

First, Chu Danqing saved his life; then, he helped his retainer avenge his death; now, seeing he liked it, he even lent him his personal weapon—yet Chu Danqing had no defense of his own.

He pondered in his mind what Chu Danqing might need.

He had indeed given something—but compared to his own life, what did these things amount to?

“Enough of that—earlier you said there was a treasure at the bottom of this well,” Chu Danqing changed the subject: “Something capable of creating a Mother of Grievances—surely it’s no good thing.”

Guo Ming, interrupted, snapped back to attention: “Not necessarily.”

“But after this ordeal, the treasure’s power is likely nearly spent.”

“It may be of little use in Chu Brother’s hands.”

Chu Danqing understood why—the Mother of Grievances must have fully absorbed the treasure’s power, otherwise she couldn’t have gained strength out of nowhere.

“As long as it’s usable, I don’t mind,” Chu Danqing wasn’t concerned—he could always sell it at the Adept Plaza if needed.

If not, keep it—maybe it’ll be useful someday.

It was just like the chicken-crowers and dog-stealers in Lord Mengchang’s service.

Saying this, he turned to head down the well with Dabao, but Guo Ming stopped him.

“Night has fallen, and un-dissipated grievous energy still lingers below.”

“Chu Brother, wait until dawn—when the sun rises, it’ll be safe enough.”

“Besides, Dabao has fought two battles in a row—he needs rest.”

“The treasure won’t escape—tomorrow is fine to retrieve it,” Guo Ming offered his reasoning.

Chu Danqing had wanted to say delay invites trouble, but Guo Ming’s words made sense.

“You know more—I’ll follow your advice,” Chu Danqing didn’t stubbornly insist he was right.

Guo Ming’s family background gave him far more knowledge.

Chu Danqing, by contrast, was merely a newly arrived probationary Adept in this trial world.

“Then let’s find a place to rest,” Chu Danqing checked the time—it was still far from dawn.

He couldn’t truly stay awake until morning.

Before resting, Chu Danqing considered opening the Mother of Grievances’ treasure chest first, to see what he might get.

(End of Chapter)