Chapter 8: I Have a Dungeon at Home

Lin Bai was weak and could not muster the courage to break into the house occupied by the ghost. He shoved the sesame cake into his mouth in two or three bites, glanced at his shop, and turned to walk into the night.

If you cannot afford to gamble with your own life, then gamble with someone else's.

Lin Bai decided to find a player to test the ghost's mettle; their lives were worthless anyway.

There was no curfew in Jiamu City, but due to the backward living conditions, the city was not lively at night.

The sky was darkening.

Most families still followed traditional ways of life: working at sunrise and working at sunset...

However.

Even the quietest city has its bustling places.

Night markets and pleasure quarters where scholars and poets lingered were only just beginning to get busy at this hour.

To find a player, going to a crowded place was sure to be right.

"Sweet peaches, freshly picked from the tree, two wen each. One bite and your teeth will melt from the sweetness; if they aren't sweet, you don't pay."

"Steamed Cake~ Steamed Cake~!"

"Small jujube—cut cake."

"Candied hawthorn sticks~"

"Master~~, come and play!"

Along the way, the sounds of hawking and peddling were endless.

Lin Bai had no heart to appreciate the lively scenery of the ancient night market; his gaze wandered through the crowd, searching for his target.

"Poor ghost, what are you doing at a brothel without money? Is this a place you can come to?"

Suddenly.

A shout reached Lin Bai's ears.

He looked toward the sound.

A young man was being shoved out of Yihong Courtyard by several brothel servants, stumbling out into the street as the people around him cast looks of disdain at him.

It was effortless to find him; above the young man's head, a name shone brightly: 【Longxi】.

Looking at the player, then looking up at the realistic pleasure house, Lin Bai felt infinite emotion. Look at other people's games; they say it's one hundred percent realistic, so it is one hundred percent realistic, even allowing players to come and have fun...

"Don't look at me like that just because you're kicking me out now. In a few days, even if you invite me with an eight-bearer sedan chair, I might not even get on your beds..." The young man was shoved out, but he wasn't angry, saying it cheerfully.

"Less bluster!" Lin Bai stood behind the player and spoke leisurely.

"What bluster?" 【Longxi】 asked subconsciously.

"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; do not bully the young because they are poor. In a few days, it will be your honor to lick my toes." Lin Bai looked at the brothel and spoke the Yihong Courtyard version of 'do not bully the young' with righteous indignation.

Ptooey!

The enchanting young ladies heard this and, giggling, all spat at the two of them.

"Wonderful! That's a good line, it's mine now." 【Longxi】 ignored the ladies' disdain, turned to Lin Bai, clapped his hands, and laughed, "I didn't expect such an interesting person among the NPCs. Interesting."

"N-what?" Lin Bai feigned ignorance.

"Nothing!" 【Longxi】 shook his head with a smile.

Can't even interact, boring!

Lin Bai sighed inwardly and smiled: "Little brother, in such a great time, what's the point of visiting Yihong Courtyard? I have something more exciting here, do you want to do it?"

"What is it?" 【Longxi】 asked.

"Let's talk as we walk," Lin Bai said.

"Fine." 【Longxi】 agreed readily; players were fearless, and he wasn't worried about suffering any losses at all.

"Young man, if I'm not mistaken, you must be a Chosen One!" After walking two steps, Lin Bai leaned close to 【Longxi】, lowered his voice, and asked mysteriously.

"What Chosen One?" 【Longxi】 was stunned and asked back.

"Don't pretend, I saw it long ago." Lin Bai's gaze seemed to pierce through everything. "A few days ago, I met an old immortal who pointed out to me that a group of Chosen Ones would enter the world recently, stirring up the world and shaking the heavens. Once encountered, treat them well, and you will surely gain infinite benefits."

"Holy crap! A plot NPC?" 【Longxi】's eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at Lin Bai in surprise, patted his chest, and said, "That's right, I am a Chosen One."

"To be fair, what we are about to do is very important, so don't lie to me." Lin Bai glanced at 【Longxi】 and said with extreme seriousness, "The old immortal told me that Chosen Ones wander the world, acting crazy and strange, sometimes spouting gibberish that no one understands. But they are bold because of their skills, and they are very helpful. As long as they promise something, even if they have to risk their lives, they will do it..."

"That's right, the old immortal was talking about me." 【Longxi】 stopped, suddenly tore off his shirt, ignored the gasps of those around him, and then went to take off his pants...

"Enough, enough!" Lin Bai had a headache and quickly stopped him. "I know you are one, you don't have to demean yourself like this."

"Strange enough, right!" 【Longxi】 chuckled, put his shirt back on, and said proudly, "Would a normal person dare to do what I just did?"

Damn pants-dropper!

Lin Bai had a headache; how embarrassing.

When playing the game, he hadn't felt anything, but this 'stripping at the drop of a hat' was truly an eyesore!

【Longxi】 didn't care at all about the looks from the people around him. He leaned over to Lin Bai and asked expectantly: "Tell me, what is it? Tell me, and I will help you do it even if I have to risk my life."

"With those words from you, I can rest easy." To be fair, in this world where he was a stranger, Lin Bai didn't really care about the opinions of others. In a world full of players, caring about face was just trapping oneself.

Looking at 【Longxi】, Lin Bai sighed and said bitterly, "This is a long story. I am a cook with an ancestral culinary craft. Who would have thought that my hometown would suffer a disaster, and I would be the only one left in my family? I took all my savings, wandered to Jiamu City, and spent all my money to buy a shop. I thought I could put down roots here and start a family, but who would have thought I would be deceived by a damn property agent..."

"A real plot NPC! I'm rich, I'm rich!" 【Longxi】 swallowed his saliva, listening to Lin Bai's story, his eyes shining brighter and brighter.

Lin Bai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth: "I hate that agent. They sold me a shop, but... but that shop is actually a Haunted House, and it's completely impossible to operate."

His expression suddenly turned lonely, and his tone dropped an octave. "The agent is a local bully. It's a pity that I'm a newcomer, a stranger in a strange land, and I can't even find a place to seek justice. There was no other way, so I had to come to this street to wander around and look for a solution."

Following that, Lin Bai changed the subject, looked at 【Longxi】, and his voice trembled slightly. "Fortunately, heaven does not cut off all paths. I actually found a Chosen One. May the gods bless me..."

"Hahaha, I finally have a quest!" 【Longxi】 finished listening to Lin Bai's story, suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed, roared crazily, and drew everyone's attention again.

Lin Bai was startled by this erratic guy. Being with this fellow was truly a challenge to his nerves!

He squeezed out a difficult smile: "Young hero, are you truly willing to help me?"

"It is my duty," Longxi said, cupping his hands.

"I hear those ghosts are very formidable..." Lin Bai said.

"No matter how formidable, they've met their match once they encounter me." A glow of confidence radiated from Longxi's face. "Stop dawdling, hurry and take me to your shop. The sooner we resolve this, the sooner you can open your doors for business."

You, a little newbie who just entered the game, with no Skills and no weapons—if you can fight ghosts empty-handed, I'll write the character 'Lin' upside down!

Do you want me to play a song called "Courage" for you?

Lin Bai grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, he wore a look of excitement: "The old immortal was right; the Chosen Ones are indeed all warm-hearted people."

"Right," Longxi stopped in his tracks. "I'm helping you fight ghosts, what reward will you give me afterward?"

Players aren't stupid.

A quest is a quest, but the rewards still need to be clarified.

"You want a reward?" Lin Bai looked stunned, stopped walking, and looked at Longxi suspiciously. "Are you really a Chosen One? If not, I advise you not to impersonate one. Everyone is born of a mother and father; it's not worth losing your life over a pittance of wealth..."

"Haha, I was just joking with you, why take it so seriously!" Seeing the quest he had in his grasp about to fly away, Longxi decisively pulled back. He lifted his head. "The Chosen Ones have chivalrous hearts and take helping others as their foundation. How could I let fierce ghosts harm the world for the sake of a mere reward? Rest assured, I've got your problem covered."

(End of chapter)