Chapter 773: Game Update

"Today, we shall determine both the superior and the victor!"

Feng Ping cupped his hands with a solemn expression, performing the etiquette of an ancient Martial Artist.

Opposite him, an old Martial Master with a face full of jowls wore an expression of utter agony, yet he gritted his teeth and cupped his hands: "Hong Xing of the Eight Punishments Fist, please grant me your guidance, Master Feng!"

Hong Xing had long known that a hot-headed youth was challenging the "various schools of the Martial Arts world," and that his methods were vicious and ruthless, causing others to lose face completely.

More crucially... behind this person, there was the vague support of the official powers of Daxin, rendering any schemes to use official force to deal with the opponent nothing but a pipe dream.

As for using underhanded tactics?

It was not as if no one had tried to ambush Feng Ping; the most famous instance was when he was cornered in a dead-end alley by over a hundred blade-wielders.

"To think it would be like this... this version update is simply a complete mess..."

He turned around to face the camera: "Ancient Martial Arts... are only for killing enemies, not for performance. I hope you can remember that..."

He only thought of performing a set of his ancestral Eight Punishments Fist, holding out for a few more moves than his peers, and earning a "defeat with honor"—that would be enough.

"No!"

But now...

【You are wandering in the wilderness...】

Well, compared to before, I am now someone with an organization too.

A janitor holding a mop poked Feng Ping cautiously: "Did you drink? Or are you high?"

Originally, under his punch, a fist mark would inevitably appear on the wall.

Feng Ping became famous overnight because of this battle; the photo of him fighting in blood-stained clothes even hit the trending searches, and was dubbed by silly netizens as a generation of "Blood-Clad Martial God"!

It was also from that moment on that Hong Xing knew he definitely could not beat the other party; he absolutely could not.

Many photographers turned their cameras away; if you didn't stuff a red envelope, they couldn't be bothered to give you free advertising.

"I don't accept this... Why cancel the 'Qi' setting? What about Ancient Martial Arts then?"

He muttered to himself.

【Battle begins!】

【Fragmented Score of the Huang Mei Opera: Ancient ancestors used song and dance to please unknown great existences; this ancient custom was passed down through generations and became the theater of today... This fragment might contain a gift, or it might represent a price, who knows?】

This time, being sought out, and seeing the many spectators holding cameras and mobile phones around him, Hong Xing never even thought about playing dirty, nor could he afford to.

【Opening multiple small maps...】

Before, although this game was very difficult and terrifying, it at least adhered to some rationality and logic.

Feng Ping opened the game calmly; in any case, this game did not test skill, relying entirely on luck and individual choices.

In the end, she seemed to fall into a blank state, without even a single memory...

Hong Gouyi forced himself to calm down: "And... Qi has disappeared?"

【Thanks to the strong support of 'Spirit of Delusion', the second-generation patch for this game is officially online!】

【At night, the daughter of this house wakes you up secretly, telling you to leave as soon as possible... She tells you a secret related to the ancient sacrifices of Huang Mei Cun...】

【Battle ends!】

Feng Ping swallowed his saliva.

【%&(... Game has been updated!】

And... it is quite chaotic!

Wild wolves became stronger for no reason, and died for no reason as well.

"Died while playing the game... and after death, his corpse underwent a very terrifying mutation, which has already been classified by the Public Security Bureau as a biochemical attack... If you open the news now, you can still see the live broadcast."

【Cancelled the concept of 'Qi', replacing it with 'Spirituality'...】

"Eh?"

With a mood different from usual, Feng Ping clicked into the game; what met his eyes was a line of garbled code.

"What did I see before I died? It actually deducted ten points of my Rationality Value? By the way... how much Rationality Value do I even have left?"

She seemed to be standing at the dormitory door, thinking about whether she should go eat or take a shower first, thinking for several hours...

"This game is unplayable..."

【You have obtained wolf skin, wolf bone... a piece of a fragmented Ritual!】

At this moment, it was clearly urging the player to enter the game again.

"Sigh... I've been cleaning toilets for so many years, and this is the first time I've seen a lunatic having so much fun playing in a toilet..."

At least... he, with the strength of one person, set off a craze for discussing Ancient Martial Arts throughout Daxin! Letting ancient combat techniques be valued again and revitalized—isn't that enough?

Unfortunately, Feng Ping did not know that behind him, there was also the strong support of the Association.

When the Ancient game sends a mission, it doesn't care about the life or death of the player.

Inside a certain toilet.

At this moment, she was just an ordinary female college student who had learned systematic fighting, nothing more!

"Is this an isolated case, or a general situation?"

Seeing this prompt appear, although he didn't know what Rationality Value was, Feng Ping felt that something very terrifying had happened.

Hong Gouyi's eyes were slightly dazed.

Just now, it seemed she was playing the game as usual, and then encountered a game update...

Even the icon seemed to have some subtle changes.

It seemed that the various wild monsters in the game had fallen into a strange setting, with difficulty and aggression that were worlds apart compared to before.

This kind of disordered, chaotic rule... makes it difficult even for Feng Ping to accept.

But the game's operation did not pause for even a second because of his emotions.

"No..."

A splash of clear water was poured onto his head, causing him to wake up completely, a trace of bewilderment appearing in his eyes: "I... what am I doing?"

【The wild wolf dodged, the wild wolf cast ￥#@*...】

The next moment, he fell into Chaos.

"Big brother, are you alright?"

"The situation this time is roughly like this..."

As for him personally, he was merely that pig lucky enough to stand at the mouth of the wind...

"Rationality Value decreased, is this the reason for my chaotic behavior earlier?"

Feng Ping's expression changed, and he pulled his phone out of his clothing pocket.

【May all players enjoy the happiness of the game to the fullest...】

Lin Cheng Xie Hui Fen Bu.

Lincheng University.

His brain felt slightly dizzy, and then he continued to read.

【You witnessed &... #... your spirit was greatly stimulated, and you are in a chaotic state of being Shocked...】

"What the hell is this?"

Splash!

For example, if you practice martial arts to the level of Furnace Fire Pure Green, you generally won't be afraid of small wild monsters when traveling.

Having spent the last few days only focusing on martial arts competitions and not entering the game much, his activity and exploration levels had dropped to an extremely dangerous point.

On the screen representing the General Association Elder Lao Cai Bang Zi, it was pitch black at this moment, and only a deep, neutral voice came out: "What are everyone's thoughts?"

Although it was exactly the same as before, it carried a kind of Weird Light and Shadow and a sense of displacement, as if... it had been 'rendered' by some indescribable color?

【%￥#@!...】

【So it turns out... Huang Mei Cun has believed in a terrifying existence since ancient times... It claims to be a dependent of ￥%! @&... It granted Huang Mei Cun protection, causing every generation in the village to only be able to give birth to girls!】

【You were warmly invited to be a guest at the mother and daughter's house...】

【Added drop settings and drop rates...】

If everyone has lost their cultivation, then what about the government amnesty promised earlier, where everyone would go ashore—does that still count?

Over there, the originally thin layer of 'Qi' was dissipating at a terrifying speed...

Feng Ping let out a low growl, but the players' opinions clearly could not make the game change.

Feng Ping gradually widened his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace, as if everything before had been Feng Ping's illusion.

Gu Yuan nodded secretly, then heard a woman ask: "What about the branch president of Jincheng?"

Lao Cai Bang Zi's voice, which did not have much fluctuation, came through.

"It's happening again..."

【You have fallen into a frenzy state! The wild wolf has died...】

More crucially, even the players' game characters have become inexplicable.

And...

【Feel free to offer your opinions, but if I adopt them, consider me the loser... dear!】

Of course one would be furious!

After all, having finally risked life and limb in the game to obtain a body of cultivation, only for it to disappear just like that—if it were you, you'd be angry too!

Feng Ping smashed a fist into the bathroom wall.

"To hell with it... what is going on with this game?"

Regarding this game, Feng Ping was still quite grateful, as it had allowed him to see the path forward and hope for ancient martial arts.

At this moment, the eldest Disciple of Hong Xing rolled his eyes, stepped forward, and said righteously: "Did everyone see? Although my Master was beaten by Feng Ping as miserably as a slaughtered pig... he is an elder who has practiced internal energy. Feng Ping retreating in a hurry just now was because he was shaken and injured by my Master's internal energy, and he was in a rush to go back to heal... Everyone remember, to learn the Eight Punishment Fists, please recognize the unique trademark of the Hong Family Wuguan, located on the second floor of Building B, left turn opposite the gymnasium..."

【The item 'Veteran's Brocade Pouch' you are carrying has been activated... You have recovered from the chaos, you are in a near-death state... At the moment of near-death, you seem to see a figure, It is @! ￥%... &...】

But at this moment, Feng Ping only felt a sharp pain in the back of his hand, and wisps of blood were seeping out...

'As expected of the General Association Elder, even if he loses his cultivation, he remains calm in the face of change.'

Inside the large conference room.

The next moment, he painfully clutched his lower abdomen.

"I don't drink alcohol... wua!"

"Damn it, the game has a problem."

Hong Gouyi's expression became solemn, and he immediately dialed the phone number for the 'Folk Custom Enthusiasts Association'!

What's more...

Hong Gouyi was startled, and the phone in his hand fell to the ground...

The sanitation worker stepped back a few more steps in disgust: "Young man... you... you be careful, if you come any closer I'm going to call the police... you're disgusting me to death!"

Branch President Gu Yuan still had his hands cupped under his chin, conducting a video conference.

But Feng Ping did not care.

【You have chosen to escape from Huang Mei Cun...】

The light from the mobile phone screen grew dim, and the surrounding atmosphere became somewhat Weird.

Feng Ping touched his head.

She also realized at this moment that the Qi in her body, which had been as responsive as her own limbs, had completely vanished.

【You have encountered a wild wolf!】

Only then did he see that the phone, which had been turned off, had somehow turned itself on, and the icon for the Ancient game had appeared.

【At the edge of the village, you encountered Wang Erdan, and you defeated him...】

【Patch update: Activity and Exploration levels removed... 'Rationality Value' setting added!】

But 'Rationality Value'? What the hell is that?

Before losing consciousness, he had only one thought in his mind: "Feng Ping, you ambushed an old man like me, you have no Wu!!!"

Gu Yuan also felt a trace of powerlessness in his heart.

"Tch!"

Yet that battle ended with Feng Ping completely unscathed, while over a hundred blade-wielders lay on the ground with broken hands and feet!

【You have lost one point of Rationality Value!】

And then...

His eyes, through the screen, could see the furious expressions of the high-level players who were usually so high and mighty.

【You have escaped from Huang Mei Cun and obtained—a fragment of the Huang Mei Opera score!】

"I... what did I just do?"

Even as a martial arts fanatic who didn't care much for tech products, Feng Ping felt that the Ancient game seemed different from usual.

Feng Ping retracted his fist, his cold face devoid of any expression.

【You have lost ten points of Rationality Value!】

【To give birth to a boy, one must offer a sacrifice to Him... and you are the secretly chosen Offering...】

【You kick out, attacking the wild wolf's vital point!】

His eyes were bloodshot, staring fixedly at the phone screen.

"Due to the Weird and special nature of the new power... the Daxin authorities have decided to suspend the promotion of supernatural powers..."

Unlike in the past when someone would answer immediately, this time, the line was busy for a long time before connecting: "Codename Jiu Wei Mao... no need to ask, I know what you want to ask... that's right, everyone's 'Qi' has disappeared... this game update has caused all players to suffer heavy losses..."

"Come on... I have no regrets!"

However, ever since he decided to begin his 'National Martial Arts Tour', he had already cast aside all thoughts of life and death.

Feng Ping had just said one sentence when he suddenly felt incredibly nauseous and doubled over to vomit.

"To think that all of them..."

Feng Ping widened his eyes.

Although the removal of activity levels was something to celebrate for a player like him who was about to hit zero.

Hong Gouyi hurriedly rummaged around, grabbed his phone, and saw the previous game record:

【You have arrived at 'Huang Mei Cun'... you have come into contact with a pair of Mysterious mother and daughter.】

【Incomplete Ritual: By the time you regained consciousness, the wild wolf had already been skinned and deboned, its blood scattered on the ground with a sense of sacred Ritual... you watched the Ritual Array painted in blood and gained some insight!】

"My Eight Punishment Fists were inherited from..."

Hong Xing struck a pose, wanting to be polite for a few words, when his face suddenly made contact with a hard fist, and a sound echoed in his ears:

"A-dah!!!"

We are all thousand-year-old foxes, why play at telling ghost stories?

Feng Ping had just wanted to say something else when his expression suddenly changed, and he hurried out of the venue.

"Then... what do the Daxin authorities say?"

Another high-level official asked the question everyone cared about most.

【Just as you defeated the opponent, a sudden mutation occurred on Wang Erdan... #@!... your Rationality Value decreased by three points!】

Perhaps after the next settlement, his game character would die.

He flew through the air and fell off the ring.

【The wild wolf used 'Wolf Bite', you have suffered heavy injuries...】

Lao Cai Bang Zi's emotionless voice came through: "Our Association will continue to exist as a non-governmental organization, assisting the Public Security Bureau in their work... as for the matter of fully transitioning into official government status, it is temporarily shelved..."

"Now, I am assigning a mission to you all: at any cost, find the root of the mutation in the Ancient game!"

(End of chapter)