Chapter 24: The Terrifying Beginning

In the game.

Gu Yue Cun.

Chen Fu, guest room.

The warm sunset fell upon the face of a young man.

Fang Yue slowly opened his eyes.

"The sun hasn't set yet?"

Fang Yue felt annoyed—the sun hadn't set, so night hadn't arrived.

He got up and tried moving his body.

To his surprise, although his status bar still showed Heavy Injury, his body could now move freely.

He just couldn't exert force or make large movements—he had to move slowly, like a sickly man, or else a damage prompt would instantly appear above his head.

Even so, Fang Yue was delighted—he no longer had to lie helplessly in the room like a paralyzed patient.

Checking his condition, Fang Yue found many messages in his friend list.

Shi Wuliao: "Ye Ge, I heard you got Heavy Injury—I wanted to bring people to visit you, but Captain Chen stopped us. Are you okay?"

Niu Niu: "Ye Ge, did the villagers screw you over? Give me a name—I'll crush them once my divine art is perfected!"

Zhanshu Huxi Hu: "Ye Ge, I didn't spread the rumor that you were crippled—I only said you had Heavy Injury. By the way, is Meridian Disorder really incurable?"

Others had also sent numerous messages of concern.

These messages all came in just moments after he went offline.

Further down the messages, about two or three hours ago.

Some people sent messages again.

"Ye Ge, still not online? Any way to get Yang Shou? Online waiting, it's urgent!"

"Big Brother Professional Player, I want to buy Yang Shou—do you have any for sale?"

"I'm paying high for Yang Shou—or any method to obtain it. Ye Ge, any advice?"

Clearly, the players Fang Yue had brought into the village were now also troubled by the Yang Shou issue.

Yang Shou was like a character's death countdown, making these players frantic as ants on a hot pan.

But Fang Yue hadn't been online at the time, so naturally he didn't reply, and they stopped messaging.

Only Shi Wuliao had suddenly sent another message half an hour ago.

"Ye Ge, log on and contact me immediately! I have a business deal for you!"

Business?

Fang Yue sent a message back in confusion, and Shi Wuliao instantly replied with delight.

"Ye Ge, you're finally online!"

"Hmm, what's this business you mentioned?"

"It's like this—I and Niu Niu and some other players teamed up and took a task from the Patrol Team…"

As Fang Yue read Shi Wuliao's message, he quickly understood their intent.

Several players in Gu Yue Cun had been driven to desperation by the looming Yang Shou countdown.

From Niu Niu—who was a reserve member of the Patrol Team—they learned that accepting Patrol Team tasks rewarded Yang Shou, so they formed a team to take on the tasks.

At first, Niu Niu planned to take the task alone, but later, for safety reasons, he brought in Shi Wuliao, who then recruited others.

The news inevitably spread, and now it had become a situation where five people had jointly accepted the task.

But Shi Wuliao still felt it was unreliable, so he thought of Fang Yue, the professional player, and wanted him to lead the team.

The professional player who got the first kill on a weird thing could surely handle this small matter.

"Flat rate: 50,000 yuan! The Patrol Team has six members—we five each pay 10,000 yuan to hire Ye Ge to ensure our safety and complete the patrol mission! If we encounter a weird thing and you can handle it, I'm willing to pay 10,000 yuan per weird thing for the final kill right!"

Looking at their offer, it would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.

But the problem was—Fang Yue himself was now useless; how could he protect their safety?

"It's not that I won't take the job—I'm currently suffering Heavy Injury, my combat power is down, and I can't guarantee your safety. I'm sorry."

"Is Ye Ge's injury really that severe…? When will you recover?"

"Uncertain. Maybe I'll recover tonight, maybe I'll never recover."

Shi Wuliao fell silent at this.

One possibility: recover tonight. The other: never recover.

That's a huge difference.

"If you recover tonight, roughly what time?"

"Uncertain. Maybe right after nightfall, maybe just before dawn."

Fang Yue spoke honestly.

This time, Shi Wuliao didn't reply.

Just as Fang Yue thought he had given up, a message suddenly came.

"Ye Ge, here's the deal—we'll lower the fee to 5,000 yuan plus 50 cash, and ask you to join our team to ensure our safety. Don't refuse right away—this price doesn't require you to be at full strength. Just join our temporary Patrol Squad and keep us safe."

Was there such a good deal?

Fang Yue felt a twinge of guilt—it felt too easy to take this money.

"Ye Ge, don't stay silent! We can pay upfront! You're a professional player—you can't turn down a job, right?"

They could pay upfront?

"I'll take this job!"

Fang Yue instantly replied, then comforted himself mentally.

"Have faith in 【Breath of Night】—it's a Human-Grade talent, you know. It'll definitely be fine."

Shi Wuliao saw the message and was overjoyed at once. He hurriedly sent his location, telling Fang Yue to rush over quickly.

Fang Yue didn't dawdle either. He pushed open the door and was about to head out.

Creak.

The moment the door opened, a sudden "Ah!" rang out from the doorway, followed by a crash—the sound of a ceramic cup shattering on the ground.

Fang Yue looked down and saw a well-dressed middle-aged woman sprawled on the floor, staring at him in astonishment.

"Madam!"

"Madam!"

Behind the middle-aged woman, two maidservants rushed forward in a panic and helped her up.

Madam?

Isn't that Captain Chen's wife?

"Lady Chen, are you all right?"

Fang Yue asked with concern.

Lady Chen had already collected herself by then and smiled gently.

"I'm fine. But Young Master Ye, your injuries haven't healed yet—where are you headed?"

"I feel much better, so I won't impose on the residence any longer."

"But Doctor Hong said…"

"Lady Chen, I'm truly much better. For us martial artists, wounds heal fast."

"Well then, I can't stop you either. As for my husband, when he returns, I'll let him know."

"Then thank you very much, Lady Chen."

Fang Yue thanked her, then passed by Lady Chen and walked outside.

The two maidservants glared furiously at Fang Yue's retreating back.

"So ungrateful. Madam specially brought the medicinal soup herself, and that vagrant has the nerve to act like this."

"Exactly! Can't appreciate kindness! Ungrateful wolf!"

Lady Chen shook her head and said nothing.

She held no particular feelings toward Fang Yue's rudeness; it was simply that her husband had shown Fang Yue extra care.

Curious, she had personally carried the medicinal soup to meet him.

Now that she'd met him, he was just an ordinary person, nothing more.

Lady Chen bent down before the cup's shards, extended her fair right hand, spread her five fingers, and reached for the fragments on the ground, preparing to tidy them up.

(End of Chapter)