Chapter 245: Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!

Chu Yiping is very anxious.

Although from the very beginning of entering this bizarre competition, he has always been very anxious.

But now, he is even more anxious than before.

Anxious, anxious, anxious.

No other reason.

The Eastern Wasteland is about to lose.

He knows that since the other side took the initiative to propose such seemingly fair conditions, they must have a backup plan in the shadows.

He knows this, but he did not take the other side's schemes and tricks to heart.

Chu Yiping prides himself on being an aristocrat of the Eastern Wasteland; the arrogance of being a member of the Chu Family made him choose to agree even though he knew the other side was being deceitful.

Nothing but petty tricks.

Not to mention, in order to tempt him into agreeing, the other side even brought out a massive stake.

National Fortune.

The fortune of a nation—no one is unclear about what this implies.

If he could successfully obtain this National Fortune, it would bring incomparably huge benefits to the Eastern Wasteland, to the Chu Family, and to himself.

Therefore, Chu Yiping was tempted.

One wrong step, and he walked into the chess game designed by the other side.

"One wrong step, and every step is wrong."

He should not have, under any circumstances, fallen for the other side's provocation.

"No, perhaps, it wasn't just there; it was before that."

"On the long street, that nightmarish scene, meeting that mysterious youth."

"Perhaps, at that time, I had already unknowingly walked into the other side's trap?"

"No, perhaps... even earlier."

Perhaps, all of this was wrong from the very beginning.

It wasn't even from the first meeting...

When Jiang Mingzhi's Soul Lamp flickered and he went out to search, he and his group had already fallen into the great net the other side had long since woven.

"So despicable..."

Once again, he cursed in a low voice using Eastern Wasteland slang, and Chu Yiping shook his head forcefully.

Complaining blindly is meaningless.

He is not a child; he should have known long ago that the other side is not a person of good character who can be bullied.

"It is my own stupidity that led to falling into this current state."

Slap!

Chu Yiping gave himself a fierce slap, trying to make the consciousness in his mind clearer.

"Cannot go on like this anymore."

Cannot be led by the nose by the other side anymore!

Since things have reached this point, he can only discard the negative emotions of wanting revenge and first strive to overcome the immediate difficulty.

He absolutely must not continue to degenerate further.

After suffering setbacks with Jiang Mingzhi and Chu Hairen, although Chu Yiping was unwilling, he still chose to set those two aside for the time being.

"Since I cannot take shortcuts, then I shall proceed steadily."

Sure enough, after Chu Yiping shifted his focus to others, unexpectedly, he did not encounter many problems.

It could even be said that it was unexpectedly simple.

Perhaps it really was just his bad luck that he chose the two most difficult ones right from the start.

Although the remaining disciples of the Eastern Wasteland had different identities, they did not cause much trouble.

As long as he let them hear familiar words or mentioned things they had experienced, there was a probability they would wake up.

Although the keywords for these few people were all different, which cost Chu Yiping some effort, there was at least some progress.

After waking up and sending off another person, Chu Yiping silently sensed the progress of both sides.

"Up to this point, seven disciples of the Eastern Wasteland have awakened, Beigan... have only four awakened?"

At this moment, the progress of both sides was unexpectedly not far apart, and his own side's speed was even a bit faster than the other side's.

In fact, in the time he took for seven people on his side, the other side had only awakened two.

This is a speed more than three times faster!

But having had the previous setbacks, Chu Yiping did not dare to be careless at this moment and did not lower his guard.

Chu Yiping pondered for a while; regardless of whether the other side was hiding their strength or was truly like this, what he needed to do remained unchanged.

"Nothing has changed."

No matter what insidious schemes the other side had waiting for him, what he needed to do right now was to proceed steadily.

With his thoughts flashing like lightning, he arrived at a new illusion and began searching for this disciple—Pang Lixing.

If possible, he really did not want the Pang Family members to be ranked before the Chu Family members.

But since his own nephew had become like that, he really had no other way.

"This is..."

Unlike the previous few times, this illusion was a dilapidated village.

The summer sun was scorching, and the village at high noon was unusually quiet; no idle people could be seen walking outside.

This seemed to be a settlement of the Human Race, though compared to the traditional tribes of the Eastern Wasteland, the level of civilization was higher.

At least they know how to use bricks and stones to build walls, instead of just finding a few branches to put together.

After walking a few steps along the street, Chu Yiping, having gained nothing, did not act rashly again, but instead stopped and narrowed his eyes.

Having had the experience of the previous few times, he had also summarized some patterns within the illusions.

For example, although these illusions seem complete and are indistinguishable from reality in every detail, the characters within them do not seem like fake people.

But the previous seven illusions all had one thing in common.

Those illusions all unfolded around a central character.

The person being tested is the eye of the illusion, and everything that unfolds is closely related to him.

After sensing for a while with his eyes half-closed, Chu Yiping truly found a clue.

Clang, clang, clang...

A faint knocking sound came from the most remote house at the head of the village.

"It's right over there."

As he walked over, the sound became clearer and clearer; although the knocking was faint, it sounded like it carried a certain inexplicable rhythm.

Pushing open the rotten and dilapidated door, Chu Yiping walked slowly into the room, then was pushed back out by the smell inside.

"Ugh..."

The heavy smell of alcohol and sweat made this Chu Family Marquis, who lived in luxury every day, almost vomit the bitter water in his stomach.

There is an ambush here!

"Who is outside?"

Hearing Chu Yiping's retching, the knocking inside the room stopped, and a youthful inquiry came out.

Before long, a young boy not very old poked his head out from the door, cautiously sizing up the stranger in front of the door.

"Who are you? Are you here to find my dad to forge farm tools?"

Although the boy was not old, his eyes had the maturity and alertness of an adult.

Chu Yiping looked at the boy, who was still immersed in the illusion and had not woken up, and shook his head slightly.

He knew that he was already being deeply guarded against; he could not use force at this time, otherwise, he would waste a lot of time just like before.

With a decision in his heart, Chu Yiping decided to first close the distance with the other party.

He revealed a kind smile and started making small talk:

"What is your name?"

The boy narrowed his eyes and did not answer.

Being looked at with such suspicion, Chu Yiping coughed and continued to ask:

"Forging farm tools? Is your father a blacksmith? Hehe."

Unfortunately, his dry laugh did not make the boy relax his vigilance; instead, he became even more guarded.

Pang Lixing stepped back cautiously, one hand on the doorknob, and the other hand gripping a kitchen knife hidden behind his back.

"Look at the sign written at the door, isn't this a waste of words? If you have nothing to do, hurry up and leave!"

"My house doesn't welcome beggars!"

Chu Yiping was a bit confused.

A beggar?

Who is he talking about?

His face twitched; Chu Yiping, who was already unhappy in his heart, could barely hold it together now, and it took great effort to maintain the fake smile on his face:

"You... are saying I am a beggar?"

"Heh, what else? With your shifty-eyed look, could you be any kind of good person?"

Saying this, Pang Lixing was about to lock this guy, who looked like he had ill intentions, outside the door.

"Wait a minute!"

Not expecting to be guarded against like this, Chu Yiping raised his hand to block the door, stuck his foot in the door, and said hurriedly:

"Listen to me first!"

Having had the experience a few times, he understood that at this moment the other party still firmly believed in his identity within the illusion.

Saying anything verbally was useless; he had to make the other party experience a huge stimulus.

"Pang Lixing! Stop messing around! Wake up, old man!!!"

And Chu Yiping did not expect that his slip of the tongue in his impatience would make Pang Lixing's expression change abruptly.

"You really do know my name!"

"Old man, just because of this sentence, you already have a path to death!"

Chu Yiping:???

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Open the door and come with me quickly!"

The last three people were still just as difficult.

"Already seven people? Hehe, it seems his progress over there is going quite smoothly."

Unlike the anxious Chu Yiping, Ren Yidao was still slowly experiencing the local customs and practices in various instances.

If you were to ask him why he wasn't in a hurry...

"I've worked hard for so long, what's wrong with enjoying myself?"

"Besides, aren't I doing proper work too?"

Under the worshipful gaze of a Li Family disciple whose name he could not recall, Ren Yidao smiled nonchalantly.

"No need to see me off; we shall have a day to meet again."

Declining the other's respectful send-off, Ren Yidao departed gracefully, leaving behind only a mysterious silhouette.

"Mr. Feng Yao is truly a master!"

Watching Ren Yidao disappear, the Li Family disciple sighed repeatedly:

"What a pity, he was unwilling to stay."

"To think he could actually calculate the details of my first half of life, both big and small."

The Li Family disciple lamented, taking out the Brocade Pouch that Ren Yidao had handed him before leaving.

"However, why must this Brocade Pouch be opened only after a while?"

He looked left and right, feeling as if a kitten were scratching at his heart, and he desperately wanted to open it and take a look.

Gulp.

He looked around, then toward the direction where Ren Yidao had disappeared, and finally, his gaze fell back onto the Brocade Pouch.

"How about I just take one look?"

Just one look, really!

He dismissed the others, returned to his room, and secretly opened the Brocade Pouch alone.

"..."

After a long while, the Li Family disciple suddenly burst into tears and let out a long sigh:

"Only today do I know that I am me..."

Then, his figure vanished from where he stood.

"Oh, another one gone."

"Another impatient one; they really are disobedient."

Do you have any idea what a rare opportunity for experience this is!

A completely different life, a precious existence—do you have any idea how much benefit this will have for your cultivation!

To think you don't know how to cherish it.

A waste of Heaven's gifts!

What a waste!

"However, never mind the others' experiences; for the rest, I must ensure their immersive experience goes without a hitch."

For instance, that red dragon and the Cthulhu investigator—the sense of immersion for them will definitely be maxed out at one hundred percent.

And then, this one right here.

"Hello, Miss Shi, are you doing well?"

Pushing open the door with a face full of smiles, Ren Yidao looked beamingly at the little kitten he had kept in captivity.

Clang.

Tilting his head to dodge the washbasin thrown at him, Ren Yidao kept his smile and nodded with satisfaction:

"Seeing you so full of spirit, I am relieved."

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Throwing several miscellaneous items in succession, Shi Xue said angrily:

"Li Fengyao! What exactly are you trying to do to me!!?"

Rattle...

Shi Xue tugged at the chains on her wrists and ankles, glaring with fury at the young man who had entered.

It had already been three days.

Ever since she woke up in this room, three days had passed.

At the beginning, Shi Xue was worried about her chastity and was constantly on guard against him using force.

But by the time she made it to the second day, she discovered with a sense of dejection that he seemed to have no interest in her.

Yet, after her heart settled, a sense of indignation began to rise within Shi Xue.

Why?

Why are you not interested in my chastity?

Do you look down on me?

Is this Knight-Thief not charming enough?

Of course, these were merely fleeting grievances in the depths of her heart, and she did not reveal them to him.

All in all, although these chains had been added to her hands and feet, her personal freedom had not actually been restricted to any great extent.

Her three meals had not been skimped on either; frankly speaking, she was eating even better than she had in the first half of her life...

After a few days, not only had Shi Xue not lost weight, but she had actually become a bit rounder.

Although life here was not bad, she had ultimately lost her freedom, and Shi Xue did not feel at ease.

Having finally waited for Ren Yidao's arrival, she was determined to get to the bottom of his intentions.

"You kidnapped me—what exactly do you want to do?"

"Let me tell you first, if you're after money, you're going to be disappointed. I have no money, and neither does my master!"

The righteous and generous Knight-Thief basically never had money that lasted overnight; it was either given away to the poor or spent on wine for herself.

Of course, Ren Yidao, who was clear on her settings, was not here for that either.

"No, no, no, how could I be after money? I never expected to rely on you to exchange for a ransom anyway."

Ren Yidao's reply was quick and firm, which instead made Shi Xue feel somewhat uneasy.

"Then... what are you after?"

Watching the other person's flickering gaze, the spirit that Shi Xue had originally relaxed began to tense up again.

If not after wealth, then was it after her body?

Rustle...

She slowly moved her feet backward, wanting to put herself in a state of ease.

But before she could escape, Ren Yidao grabbed her wrist and pulled her directly over.

He said:

"Of course, it's for the thrill."

!!!

"Let me go!?"

In a daze, she felt herself crash into a broad chest, and Shi Xue, already nervous, struggled with all her might.

With her arms lifted high, Shi Xue was forced to stand on tiptoe, looking at the smiling face close at hand.

"What are you afraid of?"

"Worried that I might do something to you?"

Ren Yidao smiled, narrowing his eyes as he whispered:

"Don't worry, I won't do anything so low-class..."

"Because your value is even greater than you imagine."

Shi Xue:???

"To use an analogy, you are the Princess snatched away by a wicked dragon, the bait used to lure a hero here."

"Only if you are intact do you have value."

Wicked dragon? Bait? Hero?

What is all this nonsense?

Ren Yidao smiled mysteriously, then asked a question:

"Have you ever thought about what place this is?"

Just as the confused Shi Xue frowned in thought, she suddenly heard a somewhat familiar sharp cry:

"Li Fengyao!"

Li Qiushui shouted urgently:

"Hurry and return Xiaoxue to me!!!"