Chapter 94: Why Pay When You Can Get It for Free by Right?

The corpse is speaking?

What does that mean?

Are my actions dangerous?

If there's danger, why didn't the parchment respond?

We have a contract!

Fang Yue pressed further, but the parchment gave no reply.

Damn, it feels like this parchment got way more arrogant since entering the game.

Suppression! Must suppress it!

Thinking of this, Fang Yue threatened: "If you don't explain clearly, I'll tear you up!"

Yet the parchment showed no reaction whatsoever.

Even so, Fang Yue could never bring himself to tear the parchment, so he resorted to his old trick again.

"Won't cooperate? Fine, then I won't read your text! Not a single word for a month!"

Almost the instant Fang Yue finished speaking, a line of text suddenly appeared in his mind.

【The same trick won't work on the great and supreme parchment lord, hehehe!】

What?!

Fang Yue's eyes widened in shock.

"How—how can you just appear as text inside my mind?!"

"Then why do I even need to look at your parchment?!"

The sensation of text appearing in one's mind was deeply awkward and strange.

Like a normal thought or mental process suddenly interrupted by a line of text—jarring, unnatural, glaringly obvious—and somehow, without knowing why, he instantly knew it was the parchment's words.

The parchment fell silent again.

But once Fang Yue calmed down and thought carefully, he vaguely guessed the answer.

This might be tied to the contract; the sensation of text appearing felt similar to soul-binding.

And before signing the contract, the parchment had no such ability—otherwise, it couldn't have been threatened in reality back then.

Fang Yue grew unhappy.

He seemed powerless against the parchment for now, so he grumbled:

"Parchment, tell me why you can bypass the contract and refuse to help me."

"And what did that phrase 【The corpse is speaking】 mean? Was it dangerous for me to patrol at night, or was it dangerous for me to provoke Lin Ling?"

"Answer these two questions, and I'll give you 2g of Black Ember—I don't have it now, but I'll give it after I kill the anomaly. Can I pay on credit?"

The parchment seemed to consider whether to accept credit, but after savoring the long-missed flavor, it couldn't resist and finally displayed text again.

【My foolish self makes a humble and greedy plea: O great and supreme parchment lord, with your benevolent heart, grant me this one-time credit!】

【My foolish self, overwhelmed with gratitude, receives the divine reply from the great parchment lord—a gentle oracle—because this is a game! Idiot, fool, dumbass, retard, moron, ahooga!】

Fang Yue:!!!

I fucking—

Fang Yue was stunned; it took him a long moment to react, and then he burst into tears from sheer frustration.

Damn it, I got tricked by the parchment!

Because too many bizarre things had happened in reality, and because the parchment had entered the game from reality, Fang Yue had subconsciously sensed danger, feeling threats everywhere.

But in truth… I'm in a game right now!

Recall the contract terms.

【Unscrupulous Fair Contract: Fang Yue will do his utmost to protect the parchment's safety within his ability; in return, the parchment will strive to help Fang Yue survive any danger!】

Am I in danger?

I'm playing a game; I'm in danger within the game.

But in reality, there's not a single damn danger!

Even if I die ten thousand times in the game, I just respawn with a new body—where's the danger?

It's not like I'll forget to eat, drink, or use the bathroom and die outside—there's a system alert, and Yuan Jie's watching—there's no way I'd end up like that.

Even if no one reminded me, when my real body faced real danger, the parchment would step in—but it'd only be to tell me to go eat.

Damn it! That's the trick!

And "danger" has no detailed rules—it's entirely up to the parchment's judgment: is it danger as I perceive it, or danger as the parchment perceives it? Two completely different concepts.

Fortunately, it's certain: if there's a life-or-death crisis in reality, the parchment will definitely help.

But in the game, I must pay a price.

Understanding this, Fang Yue grumbled: "Then what about the other question? Which part of my earlier actions was dangerous?"

【My humble self, enlightened by the oracle, is utterly awestruck by the great parchment lord and humbly asks a second foolish question.】

【The great parchment lord, with the boundless compassion of a wise being, bestows sacred words to guide my path.】

【When I put away the parchment and went to relieve Lin Ling, I told him I loved Hua Wuye, that I intended to pursue her and marry her.】

【The next day, at dawn, clear weather, bright sunshine—I stepped outside and was killed by Lin Ling.】

【My corpse was impaled on the stone lion at the front gate by a spear.】

【The whole village hired professionals, chose an auspicious day, and gave me and Chen Mu a grand funeral with feasts, drums, and gongs—joyous, truly joyous!】

Fuck, I'm dead—why are you so happy?!

So it was because I mentioned Hua Wuye to Lin Ling that I got killed.

Lin Ling is so brutal—I never noticed, but he's actually a lovesick fool! One word out of place and he kills me over a woman!

The most terrifying thing is, this guy even knows to bother me during the day—if it were at night, I might not be afraid of him at all.

Fang Yue silently prepared himself, while mentally picturing the subsequent scene described by the parchment.

It would probably go like this: after I take over, I tell Lin Ling I intend to pursue Hua Wuye; Lin Ling pretends not to care, but later grows angrier and angrier, fixates on it, and when daylight comes, kills me…

That doesn't make sense! Lin Ling doesn't seem like that kind of person…

Suddenly, Fang Yue's mind stirred—he remembered the "mole theory" Lord Han had once proposed.

Could it be… Lin Ling is the mole?! He had planned to hide forever, but now, seeing me take Hua Wuye away, jealousy flared, and he revealed his cruel mole nature without restraint, killing me?

This—this—this is terrifying!

As Fang Yue was wildly speculating, the parchment still couldn't resist adding one more line.

【September 3, 2050, night, clear skies, I owe the great Parchment Lord 2g of Black Ember. This note serves as proof of debt. Signed—Parchment, signed ___】

Fang Yue: …

I'm fighting for my life here, and you're demanding my signature on a debt note?

The information I got from the parchment for free—why should I sign a debt note?! No signature!

As if sensing Fang Yue's thoughts, the parchment suddenly grew angry.

【I didn't sign the debt note, my reputation is ruined, remembered by the great Parchment Lord, holding a grudge, holding a grudge, holding a grudge, holding a grudge, holding a grudge, holding a grudge…】

The repeated "holding a grudge" scrolled endlessly, like someone accidentally hitting the A key while typing a text file, spewing AAAAAA endlessly.

The most terrifying part was, after filling the screen with "holding a grudge," the parchment erased the earlier text and restarted from the beginning, spewing "holding a grudge" again—as if repeating it could convey how furious it was.

Fang Yue: …

(End of Chapter)