Volume 2: The Days of Playing with Monkeys in the Village
Andrew
Could they have ulterior motives for you?
Shen Maomao was stunned: “What the heck is going on?!” Yun Shengjin had actually found the exit before them?
“Fire borrows the wind’s power, wind aids fire’s might” (chengyu meaning circumstances working together to increase the strength or intensity of something). Lou Jingmo tucked her wind-tousled bangs behind her ear and said softly, “Don’t those two fire people look familiar?”
Shen Maomao looked closely and was shocked to discover that they were actually Wu Menghan and Shan Xiao!!
For some reason, she suddenly remembered when the five-person group first entered this side quest, Wu Menghan said she was afraid of this big locust tree, and Shao Mei mocked her, saying “It’s not like the locust tree can eat you”…
Little did Shao Mei know that her casual mockery would turn out to be a casual remark that comes true.
The old locust tree extended its branches, the still-burning twigs softened several times over, frantically beating the ground. Wu Menghan and Shan Xiao, in coordination with the branches, launched an attack on Yun Shengjin.
Yun Shengjin didn’t confront them head-on, looking for opportunities to dive into the tree hollow. After all, their task wasn’t to defeat the boss, but to escape the game.
Unfortunately, this boss’s combat power was very high, and stopped him several times.
Yun Shengjin’s hair curled up from the heat of the fire. He awkwardly dodged Wu Menghan’s attack, took a big step back, and said through gritted teeth, “If you’ve seen enough, come and help?”
Uh-oh — they’ve been discovered.
“Are you ready?” Lou Jingmo didn’t answer Yun Shengjin, but asked her instead.
Shen Maomao: “What?”
Lou Jingmo grabbed her hand: “Pick your direction, I’ll count to three, then you run forward with your eyes closed. I’ll hold your hand.”
Shen Maomao didn’t understand but didn’t ask. She knew Lou Jingmo wouldn’t harm her, so she listened, picked her direction, and closed her eyes: “I’m ready!”
“3—”
“2—”
“1—”
“Run!”
A great force came from her left hand, and Shen Maomao was forced to stumble forward.
Even with her eyes closed, the image of the locust tree remained clear in her mind, holding a huge attraction for her.
Tongues of flame licked her skin, and the sound of branches cutting through the air filled her ears. She was terrified, yet couldn’t control her emotions, unable to resist the urge to embrace its trunk and throw herself into this sea of fire.
However, before she could do anything, Lou Jingmo suddenly kicked her in the butt from behind.
“Ow—!” She lost her balance, her body leaning forward, her hands frantically grasping at the air.
At this point, she was still a short distance from the exit.
Just as she was about to fall flat on the ground, a wildly swinging branch struck her directly on the back, bringing a burning, stinging pain, and at the same time, a tremendous pushing force.
Everything happened in just a few seconds. The push sent her rolling forward twice, and just like that, she rolled out of the side quest under everyone’s watchful eyes…
Shen Maomao: “???” WTF???
Even many years later, Shen Maomao couldn’t forget her “heroic posture” as she rolled out of the side quest.
After a bout of dizziness, she found herself back on the hotel bed, the pain on her back completely gone. Lou Jingmo beside her opened her eyes at the same moment — and then continued her mobile game.
Shen Maomao jumped up: “Damn it, Sister Lou, how could you do that?!”
Lou Jingmo didn’t even look up: “Do what?”
Shen Maomao: “…” Too embarrassed to speak.
Should she silence Yun Shengjin who had witnessed the whole thing? Or silence him? Or silence him?
The mobile game quickly ended with Lou Jingmo’s intentional poor play. She put down her slightly warm phone and looked up, saying, “The situation was quite urgent at the time, I didn’t have time to take care of you.” This was an explanation for her actions.
After leaving the game, Lou Jingmo’s true appearance momentarily disoriented Shen Maomao, but she quickly came to her senses.
She wasn’t an ungrateful person — but she also wanted to hold on until the last second of the side quest, to see what kind of ending they had achieved!
And rolling out of the side quest was really embarrassing!!!
Before she could dwell on it for long, the game commentator Lou Jingmo volunteered: “Yun Shengjin and I joined forces to hold off the locust tree. The tree couldn’t hold on for long and was burned to ashes by the great fire.”
Shen Maomao was left with only one thought: “This fire is so badass?!”
Lou Jingmo said: “It’s Andrew.”
Shen Maomao: “??”
“The second disciple of God, the card skill should be related to heavenly fire.”
Shen Maomao was stunned: “Such a precious card, he used it just like that?!”
“Is life more important or the card?” Lou Jingmo said calmly, “Besides, used cards still count. If you collect them all, you can still meet the game creator, and they can still be fought over.”
So using a card in front of other players is equivalent to making oneself a living target.
Shen Maomao secretly cursed the game creator a few times, then asked, “What about Ye Tingnan and Shao Mei? Did they get out?”
Lou Jingmo smiled enigmatically: “So concerned about them?”
“Sigh—” Shen Maomao sighed, her gaze bright yet sorrowful, “I don’t know how to say this, vigilante justice is illegal, and as a patriotic, law-abiding citizen, I should do my utmost to prevent such situations from occurring…”
Lou Jingmo: “Aren’t you afraid that person can hear you?”
Shen Maomao immediately covered her mouth and changed the subject in a muffled voice: “So what happened in the end?”
“I brought them out while doing the hidden task.”
“Hidden task?! What hidden task? There’s another hidden task?!”
Lou Jingmo said: “Remember the old lady from the grocery store who didn’t worship any god? Her family used to worship the Monkey God too.”
But later she discovered that her beloved husband, who had been inseparable from her, changed after participating in the sacrifice, becoming like a monkey with her husband’s memories. So she smashed the idol, found the village chief, wanting to tell everyone about this, but was ostracized because of it.
“The hidden task was to help her find her real husband’s body. I took her to the back mountain.”
Again, so casually stated. But thinking about how dangerous the back mountain was, Shen Maomao could guess that it must have been a life-threatening experience.
“Goddess, you’re awesome!” she praised sincerely.
Lou Jingmo accepted her praise without the slightest modesty and said: “I’ve pretty much figured out the plot of that world — the Monkey God wasn’t a monkey, but that old locust tree. Lingyan Village had been making a living by selling various monkeys for a long time. Later, the resentment of the monkeys gathered on the locust tree at the village entrance, giving it spiritual awareness.”
After gaining awareness, the locust tree displayed great supernatural powers, intimidating all the villagers. It called itself the Monkey God but didn’t stop them from continuing to kill monkeys. It only placed restrictions on the villagers’ hunting — it required each family to catch only one monkey per year, and also hold a sacrifice. Families involved in the capture had to send someone who hadn’t participated in the sacrifice before to stay on the back mountain for a night. Those sent for sacrifice all received so-called blessings — they could make money, wouldn’t face retribution, and it could cure all diseases. Who wouldn’t like such a good deal?
Generation after generation, Lingyan Village devoutly worshipped the old locust tree. No one knew that on the night of the sacrifice, their family members turned into monkeys brought back to be killed or sold, while the real monkeys gained the memories of their family members and hid among humans, undetected.
“Karma goes round, retribution is inevitable”.
After several generations of this, the current village chief had discovered some clues but couldn’t give up this way of making money while lying at home. He deceived himself and others, pretending nothing had happened, maintaining a wealthy life while treading on the flesh and blood of his relatives.
Time continued to the day the players entered the game. Initially, the village chief repeatedly warned and prohibited players from participating in the sacrifice to avoid disturbing the god, but as strange events frequently occurred, his thoughts gradually changed…
From stopping players from participating in the sacrifice to actively asking them to take photos; from fearing their involvement to making them sacrificial offerings, it only took five days.
At the end of the game, the entire village was covered in a great fire, with the locust tree branches carrying heavenly fire deep into everyone’s homes, perishing together with them.
As for why selling one monkey could provide for a year, it’s probably that the game deliberately exaggerated this point, or was too lazy to add details.
Shen Maomao didn’t know how to comment on this matter. As humans, the perpetrators, whatever she said would seem pale.
Afterwards, the two didn’t say much else, both washed up and fell into exhausted sleep.
After sleeping until the next morning, Lou Jingmo went downstairs with her for breakfast.
Because some side quests overlap with reality, Lou Jingmo planned to look for the real Lingyuan Village and wouldn’t stay in Jiangcheng for too long.
Lou Jingmo was cold and aloof after leaving the game. If it weren’t for remembering how she played games, Shen Maomao would almost be too scared to talk to her.
Setting aside the relationship between contractor and contractee and returning to reality, their relationship was actually that of idol and fan!!!
She still had a signed copy of 《Stopping the Soul》 in her backpack!
Shen Maomao was so excited she couldn’t help but shake her leg.
Damn, from today on, she was the woman who had slept with Shu Kuang!!
Lou Jingmo looked at her changing expressions, was silent for two seconds, then said: “Do you have ADHD? Still not used to changing from monkey to human?”
Shen Maomao immediately stopped shaking. She silently sat up straight and asked: “Goddess, I have to go back to class in a while. How long are you planning to stay in Jiangcheng? Do you need me to come back and keep you company after class?”
Lou Jingmo refused: “No need, I’m leaving tonight.” Finally, she emphasized: “Remember, don’t reveal anything about the 《Confession Game》 to your best friend.”
“Okay…”
Although she didn’t think Ren Yue would harm her, it was indeed better not to let her know about such terrifying things.
After breakfast, Lou Jingmo condescended to accompany her to school. Shen Maomao was grateful, supporting her hand like attending to an empress leaving the palace.
She only wore a mask, exposing her beautifully shaped eyes — after all, it wasn’t hot now, and wearing sunglasses would be too strange.
An hour before class, Ren Yue sent Shen Maomao a message: 【Are you still coming to class?】
Shen Maomao replied: 【Yes! Coming right away! My goddess is going to accompany me to class hehe】
Ren Yue immediately replied: 【Is a big writer like her that free? Could they have ulterior motives for you?】
The author has something to say:
Dwindling stockpile of chapters, no regrets, wasting away for her sake, oh~ ヽ(〃▽〃)ゞ
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