Chapter 438: Mist‑Shrouded Corridor and the Silent Theatre

And so, naturally, we acted.

We just finished handling one wave, and the second wave has come.

She was busy worrying about whether these beastmen were obedient; if not for Xiong Ji's question, Cheng Shuili would have truly forgotten the main business.

She briefly told Xiong Ji the purpose of this trip.

When he heard that the other side of the cave was the king's territory, Xiong Ji's eyes lit up immediately.

He is unlike those shallow compatriots; he sees more than just a fertile piece of land. To him, the symbolic significance of this land even outweighs its practical value!

After the Rat King came to power, the major beast races almost divided all the land among themselves.

Under such circumstances, Cheng Shuili still managed to obtain a piece of land for herself, which shows how strong she is.

The more Xiong Ji looked at Cheng Shuili, the more satisfied he became, and his voice and tone grew increasingly respectful.

The bear clan is not like the wolf clan.

The wolf clan has deteriorated beyond repair; whatever Cheng Shuili does, it is to help this race revive.

The bear clan's development is good, even among the top few beast races.

Cheng Shuili does not fully understand the bear clan's situation; rashly deciding for them would actually lower the bear beastmen's living standards.

Since she became the king, she must be responsible for these clan members.

She definitely couldn't do such a thing.

Because of that, she talked with Xiong Ji for a long time.

In the end, Cheng Shuili decided to leave the matters here to Xiong Ji.

After all, when he originally begged Cheng Shuili to take on the Bear Fang, he promised to help her solve most of the problems.

Now this kind of "small matter" shouldn't be a problem for him, right?

Xiong Ji, counting the days each day and looking forward to retirement, thought: "…"

Can one not acknowledge one's own words?

He crushed his teeth and swallowed, smiling as he sent Cheng Shuili off.

Free of trouble, Cheng Shuili switched to wandering mode, strolling in her own safe‑zone backyard, occasionally picking a few perfectly sweet fruits to taste.

If everyday could be like this—tending flowers, planting vegetables, no need to drive or fight monsters—how comfortable would that be?

Cheng Shuili stood with her hands behind her, looking as if she were only a thermos away from being an old cadre.

She deliberately placed a basket inside the Abyssal Ring, stuffing all the cleaned fruits she wanted to eat inside.

Having picked a full basket, it was time to return to the vehicle and rest.

She looked at the lush crops in the field and returned, feeling content.

Regarding the big rat that occasionally appears in the field, Zhou Zhuxing had no strong opinion; after all, the whole area is the rat family's… no, Wuya Lao Da's.

If Wuya Lao Da wants to pick some fruit to eat, that must be fine!

An ordinary night passed peacefully under the twinkling stars.

In the dim morning light, Cheng Shuili woke up from the vehicle and stretched a long lazy yawn.

Yesterday was both fighting and planning; an ordinary person would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

But she is different; with high attribute points, her physical condition is excellent.

After everything ended yesterday, Cheng Shuili still had energy to stroll the territory, not to mention after having taken a good rest.

Feeling energetic and tidy, Cheng Shuili sat obediently in the car, waiting for Wan Yi's feeding.

For Cheng Shuili, each day's breakfast is like a blind box.

Wan Yi puts great effort into every meal; if Black Feather were to select the Employee of the Year, she and Xinxue would surely be on the list.

But compared to the two, Wan Yi is definitely superior.

Cheng Shuili is always a bit biased toward the head chef who has been with her since early morning.

Likewise, her head chef has never let her down.

For breakfast, simple is best.

A bowl of thick, fragrant porridge, studded with shredded green wild vegetables and lean meat, accompanied by a dozen side dishes.

Cheng Shuili ate leisurely, savoring the moment's tranquility and satisfaction.

Her stomach warmed, and her heart settled as well.

After breakfast, Cheng Shuili rinsed her mouth, tidied her clothes, and then walked to the territory at a relaxed pace.

The sunshine was perfect, and the air still carried the freshness of dew.

The land was level, the crops vigorous, and in the distance one could faintly see wolf clan beastmen laboring in the fields; everything was orderly.

She took a deep breath, feeling her body and mind considerably refreshed.

But before she could finish exhaling, her gaze froze.

She saw that on a small patch of ground not far from the cave entrance, a simple yet sturdy wooden fence had appeared at some unknown time.

Inside the fence, several obviously juvenile, fluffy, round little bear beastmen were clumsily play‑fighting, emitting a milky "awoo" sound.

Next to them, a tall male bear beastman bowed his head, carefully feeding them a mushy food with a stone bowl.

What… is this situation?

Has she turned this into a bear clan kindergarten?

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow and walked over.

The bear beastman, hearing the footsteps, raised his head alertly; seeing Cheng Shuili, fear and nervousness flashed on his face, his hand trembled and the stone bowl nearly fell.

He hurriedly set the bowl down, clumsily trying to kneel as the other bears had done yesterday, looking at a loss.

"No need to kneel," Cheng Shuili said promptly, stopping him, her gaze falling on the few cubs crowded together, their round black eyes curiously watching her, "What are these?"

The beastman, nervously twisting his rough fingers, stammered: "The king… is… it's Lord Xiong Ji who sent us here. He said… this place is safe, food is sufficient. He let us bring our cubs to stay first, and in our spare time do some work, so we can sustain ourselves."

He paused, secretly glanced at Cheng Shuili's expression, saw she was just listening, with no displeased look, and slightly breathed a sigh of relief, then continued:

"Lord Xiong Ji said, King, your land… you produce a lot, the cubs can eat well and grow strong, learn quickly. We, as fathers and mothers, have strength, can help with work—guarding, patrolling, building houses, farming, anything! We won't just eat and live off you!"

He spoke urgently, fearing Cheng Shuili would think they were here to take advantage.

A few bear cubs seemed to sense the adults' tension, stopped roughhousing, huddled together, timidly looking at Cheng Shuili, their round eyes full of curiosity and a hint of fear.

Cheng Shuili looked at these fluffy, endearingly clumsy little fellows, and felt no displeasure in her heart.

She could fully understand Xiong Ji's arrangement.

Around each beast clan's territory there are monsters; cubs of this kind need care in any world, so raising them in a safe zone works too.

But Xiong Ji, that guy, moves really fast.

Not only did he swiftly integrate the adult bears, he also considered the next generation's education, and even knew to let parents "work in place of relief", not keeping idle people.

This level of management is indeed commendable.

Cheng Shuili nodded, asked no more, and let her gaze fall back on the bear cubs.

She crouched, extended a finger, gently poked the soft belly of the cub nearest to her.

The cub let out an "Aoo" sound, and instead of fleeing, stretched its short forepaws, clasped her finger, sniffed curiously with its little nose, a wet touch reaching her.

Cheng Shuili couldn't help but smile. Younglings always soften the heart.

"What name do you have?" she asked.

The bear father froze for a moment, then realized the King was asking him, and hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I am Xiong Shi. These cubs— the biggest one is called Xiong Dundun, she is the daughter of the Xiong Dun family, the one in the middle is our…"

This guy had just been very respectful to her, but once the talk turned to children it never ended.

As soon as children are mentioned, these parents have endless things to say.

Cheng Shuili only today deeply realized this truth.

Until the Weaver Girl posted the announcement, Cheng Shuili finally found an excuse to leave, hurriedly said goodbye, and rushed back to her vehicle.

As soon as she stepped into the carriage, she ran into Su Rui, who was on her way to work; Su Rui raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why the rush? Were you chased by a dog?"

This question made Cheng Shuili pause, thinking seriously.

The bear clan's corresponding animal is the brown bear, so if you put it that way…

No, how could she think that of her own subjects?!

Cheng Shuili shook her head, straightened her expression, sat on the sofa, and looked at Su Rui with a slightly scrutinizing gaze.

This person has recently grown close to Wan Yi, and her tone leans toward Wan Yi.

Perhaps the customs of Wan Yi's region are so infectious that Su Rui has become much more open and generous lately.

Cheng Shuili never imagined this word could apply to her before.

Seeing Cheng Shuili's increasingly strange look, Su Rui instinctively felt the guy had nothing good to say, lifted her eyelids and turned back to the cockpit.

Cheng Shuili watched her clean, decisive departure, rubbed her nose, and felt she might be a bit paranoid.

She steadied herself, refocusing on the Weaver Girl's announcement.

This time, like the last, Instances are divided into server‑wide Instances and regional Instances.

Compared to the Weaver Girl's nonsense, Cheng Shuili was more curious why the Instance announcement system had become the Weaver Girl.

She… must have some special status?

Cheng Shuili guessed.

She had dealt with some systems before, like those that sold safe‑zone newbie protection; their names were numeric codes.

But the Weaver Girl is a system with a name; just from that point, she seemed much more advanced than those code systems.

Yet where does this "advanced" manifest?

Cheng Shuili couldn't figure that out for a moment, so she simply didn't trouble herself.

She opened the regional channel and glanced at what players in the Long Guo region were chatting about.

"Did you all participate in the last server‑wide Instance guessing contest?"

"I want to join; from the moment that damn Weaver Girl finished speaking to the Instance opening, how long was it? I've been studying for that long, but I still can't find how to join!"

"With our Wuya Dalao's skill level, joining the guess is just pure profit!"

"They even say there's cheering support; I looked everywhere but couldn't find it. Not that I'm saying, does the Weaver Girl's word really reliable?"

"Honestly, I think this Weaver Girl is worse than the previous systems. The old systems sounded mechanical but the info was authentic! This Weaver Girl is pure scam!"

Pure scam Weaver Girl: "……"

Her forehead's blue veins pulsed repeatedly as she looked at Tai Bai, who was kneeling on the ground apologizing, and said coldly, "You'd better pray these remarks don't reach Lao Da's ears, or else whoever's responsibility it is will be theirs."

Tai Bai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, shrank his neck and said, "It was originally arranged, you know why it was delayed. This isn't our internal issue; the root lies with that player, and I really can't solve it."

"So you're going to bring this up to Lao Da?"

Tai Bai immediately bowed his head, sincerely saying, "I was wrong, Weaver Girl Grandma."

The Weaver Girl, seeing Tai Bai's pathetic stance, softened her tone slightly: "Fine. Stop playing tricks here. No matter what method you use, before this server‑wide Instance opens, all players must be able to see and use the guessing and cheering functions normally. That's the bottom line."

"Of course." Tai Bai nodded, though he hadn't stood up yet, his expression turned serious: "It's already prepared; this time there will be no mistakes."

The Weaver Girl looked at his oath‑filled expression, and a sudden uneasy feeling rose in her heart.

She was silent for a moment, then decided to first report to Northern Star Boss, to avoid the blame falling on her.

The players were completely unaware of what was happening here; the announcement proceeded orderly, and after all the nonsense ended, the Weaver Girl finally began broadcasting the Instance information:

【Have you rested enough? The familiar moment returns! Now, we announce the details of the new server‑wide Instance!】

【Warm reminder: whether you're a thrill‑seeking warrior or a player who prefers stability, this Instance has a thoughtful experience prepared for everyone!】

【Instance details: Misty Corridor and Silent Juchang】

【Description: Shh, the curtain rises while the actors have vanished! A dense, impenetrable pale mist, a silent hallway that devours all sound, and in the misty shadows a stage where no one performs! Those who step here, remember three theatre rules: First, do not attempt to light any source; the mist despises light. Second, when the hallway walls begin to drip water, be sure to face away from the walls until the dripping stops. Third, if you hear applause from the stage, flee immediately, without looking back! Those who break the rules will sequentially lose their shadow, their voice, and finally become an eternal spectator statue in that mist theatre!】

【Special note: None.】

Cheng Shuili held her breath and finished reading the description; when she saw the special notice, she suddenly felt her head dizzy.

What does this mean?

If there's no special reminder, don't display this column, okay?

The regional channel just outright cursed it away.

"No notice, then no notice—are you deliberately saying it just to invite scolding?"

"It wouldn't have been there originally, but because we scolded her, she just stopped reciting it, right?"

"How could that be?! Even if the Weaver Girl is amazing, she's just a system; she would never deliberately skip reading, right?!"

Cheng Shuili can be said to be very concerned about this issue.

If a system really would change the announcement's content because of certain remarks—

Her thoughts paused, and she suddenly knew the answer to this question.