753 Chapter 753 - Leading to Tragedy (1/2)
”Full speed ahead. We're heading to Yunjiao Lakeside. We need to stop Thousand Miles Drunk's quest at all costs!!!!” This message from their respective guild leaders boomed across the guild channels of all four large guilds. Regarding Ye Xiaowu having played them for fools, only the upper echelon core members were aware of it. The four guild leaders found this to be utterly embarrassing, so they simply did not bother explaining themselves. The players from all the four guilds had been digging about in Yunjiao Quarry when they suddenly received the change in order to head back to Yunjiao Lakeside and stop Thousand Miles Drunk. They were all very confused, vaguely recalling how their guild leaders had said how they would rush over to Yunjiao Quarry and stop at nothing to prevent Thousand Miles Drunk's quest from advancing not too long ago.
”Just what is going on?” It was inevitable for some players to have such queries.
”There will be a debrief after we're done. Hurry up!” That was essentially the response that these people got.
The players from all the four large guilds surged out from Yunjiao Quarry, all of them on the march toward Yunjiao Lakeside. Back in Yunjiao Lakeside, at the same moment when Angus' eyes were closed, the sun slowly set, and the beautiful scenery was gone. Courtney once more gave Angus a long and deep embrace. But in the next moment, like it had made a firm resolve, Courtney placed Angus to one side and turned around and begin to dig out a ditch.
”Come help,” Gu Fei called on the other three players with him.
The four players and the NPC worked together and very quickly finished digging the ditch. Courtney picked up Angus' corpse and jumped into the ditch, gently setting it down within.
”It's not gonna bury itself along with it, right?” Royal God Call whispered.
”No,” Gu Fei said. ”It would be a little cramped for two.”
The two ladies glared at the two men. This time, Courtney was no longer reluctant to leave Angus' side while inside that ditch, jumping out after placing the corpse to rest down below. Still keeping its eyes trained, it finally started to scatter some dirt into the ditch.
”Uh, are we helping it or not?” Royal God Call asked.
”What are you asking me for!?” Gu Fei exclaimed, before turning over to Courtney. ”Do you need help?”
Courtney shook its head, so Gu Fei shrugged helplessly, and the four of them stood by and watched Angus' corpse get covered by the dirt bit by bit.
”None of those four guild leaders are anywhere nearby. Could they all have been tricked to leave?” Gu Fei quietly asked Xi Xiaotian.
”We may have tricked them away for now, but I believe they would be back here very soon. Do you really think that they won't leave anyone behind out here, and that we've managed to fool all of them to just abandon this place altogether, right?” Xi Xiaotian said.
”Our location is just too prominent,” Gu Fei looked to his left and right. This spot that allowed them to take in the beautiful landscape in front of them was similarly a place where anyone near Yunjiao Lake could see it. It was particularly eye-catching.
”It can't be helped. It's the NPC who chose this spot,” Xi Xiaotian sighed.
”Then they might be making their way back very soon. Can't that woman hurry up,” Gu Fei was anxious.
”There's movement in the reeds,” Royal God Call suddenly blurted.
”You saw something?” Gu Fei was delighted.
”Yup!” Royal God Call nodded.
”What's the coordinates!?” Gu Fei asked.
Royal God Call glowered back at him with a piercing stare.
”Just give me a rough estimation,” Gu Fei said.
That was when Royal God Call had a brainwave, and he fired an arrow out to pinpoint the location. Gu Fei lifted his sword and was about to dash off after it when Xi Xiaotian called out, ”There's of course going to be people in the reeds, so how do you know they're going to be someone from the four large guilds?”
Gu Fei froze mid-step when he heard her words. Hiding inside these reeds was not unique to the players from the four large guilds; lovers would also enjoy secreting themselves among the tall reeds here around Yunjiao Lakeside, so perhaps Royal God Call had only seen the movement made by a pair of lovebirds?
”I saw someone move,” Royal God Call truthfully related what he saw. ”If that had been a normal player, there's no need for them to be so sneaky?” There would be players who would get up from within the reeds, but people would be openly holding hands when they leave. There was no need for them to creep about and keep themselves hidden.”
”What you see isn't the problem, the problem is that we've no way of determining their identity when we get there ourselves,” Xi Xiaotian said.
”Scaring them a bit would be fine too,” Gu Fei's weapon was still raised.
”Are you getting restless because you can't get to slay anyone?” Xi Xiaotian asked.
”It's going to take a while before it's done burying!” Gu Fei said.
”I feel like we can help now,” Xi Xiaotian turned around and glanced over at Courtney, but discovered that after the dirt had completely covered Angus, its hands were starting to move faster, no longer as hesitant and deliberate like before.
”Let me try,” Gu Fei stepped forward and began scattering a handful of dirt.
Courtney did not respond to it, so the four of them quickly came forward and got busy. Soon, dirt filled the ditch and a shallow grave was made. Royal God Call was wondering if they would still have to make a tombstone when Courtney softly placed its necklace on top of the grave and took several steps back, her gaze lingering over it.
The four did not dare to disturb this scene, so they could only wait.
They waited until Courtney spoke up, ”Thank you, all of you.”
Gu Fei gave a long sigh. He reckoned the storyline of Courtney and Angus' love story had pretty much drawn to a close, so what's happening next should be the plot regarding the other relevant matters, and that would be what he needed to carry on his current quest!
”You're welcome,” Gu Fei had already given a lot of thought to how they would be continuing the quest, and he had already prepared a segway to stir the conversation, ”How did Angus mutate like that? Just what exactly went wrong with the Yunjiao Lake Water Storage and Drainage project? Why did you think he was already dead?”
”I don't know,” Courtney shook its head. This answer essentially left the four players thunderstruck when they heard it.
”However…” Courtney suddenly continued.
”I love 'howevers'!” Royal God Call was so moved at this moment that tears were streaming down his cheeks.
”Shut up, you” Gu Fei forbade him to make a noise as he listened to Courtney continue.
”Teacher's the one who had told me about Angus' death. He said that there had been a bit of accident during the Water Storage and Drainage project, and Angus had died underwater. That was why I became a ranger, in hopes that I could forever accompany him. That worked out very well now, knowing that Angus will forever lay here,” Courtney pointed to the grave. It had already been disheartened after all these years, and only a flicker of hope ignited when it heard Gu Fei mention how ”Angus isn't dead”. Even though Courtney was unable to see Angus alive in the end, it was nothing compared to thinking Angus' corpse had sunk to the bottom of the lake. Courtney was actually somewhat content, now that it had been able to hug Angus' corpse and accompany him in such close proximity like this.
”But why did Angus turn into that? If it was not for this, he would not have needed to die at all! Don't you want to find out what really caused Angus' death?” Gu Fei asked. Upon further consideration, it was very obvious that Angus' corpse had been attacked to death, but ever since Courtney discovered its corpse, it had never once asked how it died, who did the deed, and by its expression, it was evident it had no intention of asking at all.
”What's the point of knowing? What I want is to be able to be together with Angus. Even though he's already dead now, I will still stay by his side and protect him to the very end,” Courtney said.
”I failed…” Gu Fei was helpless and could only admit to the facts. ”Fine, actually, we need to investigate what had caused Angus' death. Do you have any clues you could provide to us?”
Courtney shook its head.
Xi Xiaotian interrupted at this time, ”You can't ask the NPC this way. Seeing how introspective it sounds, perhaps the clue here is something that happened to her, but it would not remember it to be a clue like that.”
Gu Fei pondered over this for a while. ”That log cabin by the lakeside. Is that place yours?”
”No. That is Teacher Guillermo's,” Courtney answered.
”Oh? When did he begin living there? Tell me more about him,” Gu Fei quickly asked.
”This is after Guillermo broke the news about Angus' death to me. After I left Teacher and went over to Yunjiao Lakeside to be a ranger, he would often stroll around Yunjiao Lakeside as well, and we happened to bump into each other like that. Afterward, he told me that he liked the quiet ambiance and scenery of the place, so he built that log cabin, often using it to do some research when he's over here. He would also come to ask me for help from time to time as well,” Courtney explained.
”What sort of research is it?”Gu Fei asked.
”The teacher said that the Water Storage and Drainage project was not perfect, so he needed to research and examine it so he could optimize it further.”
”That's right. In the notes you've exchanged with Angus, you once mentioned that the project was somewhat unsafe. What is it?” Gu Fei asked.
”I once, unintentionally, saw Teacher quarrel with someone because of the project, and I had never seen him so angry before! I only heard him profess that the project was absolutely impossible, but the project still carried on, so I found it to be a little strange.”
”Angus had previously mentioned that they were definitely using magic to solve some of the issues that cropped up with the project. Do you know why?”
”I don't know,” Courtney answered.
Gu Fei turned to regard the other three, ”Have you guys thought of any questions?”
”You've been here for so long, have you ever thought of searching for Angus' corpse in the bottom of the lake?” Xi Xiaotian asked.
Courtney nodded, ”Teacher told me not to give it a shot, but I had secretly done it by myself before. However, there seemed to be some sort of magical enchantment that sealed the project's entrance, so I had no way of getting past it.”
”How did you dive underwater?” Xi Xiaotian asked.
”During the course of the project, there were some special magical tools that we used to dive underwater. Angus had stolen some and gave it to me,” Courtney explained.
”Can we borrow them from you?” Xi Xiaotian asked.
”Of course you can,” Courtney nodded. ”I've left the tools by the forest in the north of the lake, where I live. You guys are free to retrieve it yourselves!”