Chapter 26 (1/2)
Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
“Among these people, I seem to have the lowest level…”
Li Ang thought to himself. “If players are unable to harm each other in Cooperative Quests, it would be a good thing to meet a highly-experienced player. At least, I could get a lot of information.”
When Xing Hechou saw everyone release their individual player information, he was relieved and he said with a smile, “Very good. All of you trust each other, which is a good start to completing the quest.
“Let’s introduce ourselves. I have carried out four Routine Quests and two Scripted Quests. I’m good at close-range melee and emergency medical treatment. You guys can call me Old Xing.”
Following his lead, Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles introduced himself as well. “I use the long sword. I know some martial arts and I am skilled in assassination. You guys can call me Brother Sword.”
Brother Sword… Li Ang scanned Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles’ greasy middle-aged face and frivolous beard but did not say anything.
Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles seemed to have sensed Li Ang’s strange gaze, as one corner of his mouth curled up. He then said with a stare, “What are you looking at? What’s wrong with calling me elder brother? I was born after the ’90s.”
What?
Xing Hechou couldn’t help but look at Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles, the monk’s eyes widening in disbelief. Even the cold-faced woman, who hadn’t said a word, also glanced at him.
“I was really born after the ’90s!” Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles was anxious and angry as he said, “I only look slightly older.”
Just slightly? Didn’t he look 20 years older at the very least? People would believe him if he said he was around 42 or 43 years old.
Without mentioning Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles, who looked panicked, the little monk put his palms together and said, “I am Hui Bing. I possess some strength.”
Chopped flatbread with stir-fried vegetables1?
I’m meat and bread soup then.
Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles mocked him deep down. As he looked at Hui Bing, who looked gentle and fine with his red lips and white teeth, his heart palpitated. He coughed and said, “Are you really a monk?”
“Yes, I am,” Hui Bing said with a faint smile. His perfect smile and the slightly-raised corners of his eyes made Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles only feel a cold wave pass behind him. He turned his face subconsciously to look elsewhere.
This monk was dangerous.
The cold-faced woman in her nightwear said, “Liu Wudai. I use a bow.”
Her voice was very pleasant, and her tone was very calm, concise, and cold.
It was time for Li Ang. He pushed the Face-Changing Mask on his face and said, “Hello, everyone. I’m personal mercenary Handsome Monkey King, who has trained for two and a half years. I love to sing, dance, and rap. Speaking of the Handsome Monkey King, the African warlord movie will premiere in the latter half of the year. I will continue playing the role of the Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong, and try to form a positive image by using the Monkey King’s artistic image. I’m proficient in both entertainment and physical activities and I promote the Chinese culture…”
Li Ang was eloquent. There was no end in sight when he spoke. Xing Hechou hurriedly stopped him and said awkwardly, “Um… Brother Li, you don’t have to say so much. You just need to introduce your specialty.”
Although people wouldn’t share all the information about them, he was the first one to talk big.
Who was Handsome Monkey King?
“I see.” Li Ang had made a lot of mental notes to introduce himself just now. When he heard that he couldn’t use them, he was very disappointed. He said with curled lips, “My little finger is extremely long.”
He stretched out his palm, clenched his four other fingers tightly, and revealed his little finger.
Xing Hechou lifted his eyebrow. “Not this one.”
“The fourth toe on my left leg is especially long.” Li Ang was prepared to take off his shoes to prove it.
Was this kid teasing him?
Xing Hechou took a deep breath and stopped Li Ang from taking off his shoe. He felt like the blood pressure index in his brain was rising. “Not this one either.”
“Oh, that one is very long.”
“Please don’t be a hooligan. Why are you creating a silent atmosphere for yourself?”
If the Special Affairs Bureau had not required field staff to attract as many players as possible, Xing Hechou might have used military force to subdue the ‘companion’ in front of him, who was suspected of being a mental patient.
Li Ang had not fooled around just for the sake of his own evil pleasure, but also because he suspected that Xing Hechou, who executed orders like a soldier and could provide investigation records of a professional level at any time, was a highly-experienced player with official background. Therefore, he deliberately used his clownish methods to seize this opportunity to conduct a behavior analysis on Xing Hechou and gather intelligence.
“Oh…” Li Ang frowned and pondered this. “I can activate my Spiritual Sense and differentiate between spirits. Are these considered specialties?”
“Oh?” Xing Hechou’s eye lit up. Activating the special ability to detect spiritual energy was extremely precious in the real world and in Scripted Quests.
“Yes, they are,” Xing Hechou said with a smile. “If you have such an ability, we will foresee supernatural elements in advance and evade danger to a very great extent.”
As a professional soldier and field staff member of the Special Affairs Bureau, Xing Hechou was responsible for recruiting civilian players encountered in Cooperative Quests. Originally, he had thought Li Ang was just a new Level-3 game novice who could not provide much assistance. It seemed like he needed to change the way he did things…
[Mainline Quest has been updated. Head to the Solitary Temple within 10 minutes.]
A system prompt echoed in everyone’s ears. Xing Hechou’s expression changed slightly. “10 minutes? Everyone, who is better at investigating?”
“Me.” Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles unhurriedly walked to a big tree by the roadside. He looked up at the treetop and took a light breath before his flip-flops stepped lightly on the yellow-earth pavement.
His whole body leaped into the air, and his ten fingers dug deeply into the tree trunk like a mountain-climbing ice pick with a sharp point.
Wood shavings splattered everywhere. Hanging Sword for Ten Thousand Miles looked like a vigorous monkey as he used his hands and legs to climb to the treetop with a few moves. After surveying everything left and right from an elevated position, he quickly slid down the tree trunk and dusted off the mud on his hands before saying calmly, “Head west along this road for about 700 meters. There is a dilapidated temple at the foot of the mountain that should be the quest location. There is rising smoke behind the low mountain in the east. It might be an ancient village or something.”
“A village?”
Xing Hechou nodded his head and took a small black suitcase the size of a briefcase out of his backpack.
He put the suitcase down on the ground and turned the combination lock to open it. Inside it was a silver-gray drone and some accessories, such as a high-capacity battery, a spare propeller, and a tablet remote controller with a display screen.
After Xing Hechou took out the silver-gray drone and placed it on the ground to calibrate its equilibrium, he picked up a tablet-shaped remote control and made the drone take off until it escaped into the clouds and was invisible to the naked eye.
While the highest-ranking player was operating the drone, he did not avoid the eyes of the others, who were peeking at the remote control screen, and generously shared the screen with everyone.
An ancient village was located on a vast plain when seen from above. The low mud-tile roof building made of blue brick and tile had smoke spiraling up, and the whole village was connected by a ribbon-like river that divided it into two.
The village was the center, while the fields spread outward. The vast fertile land had a panoramic view and it reflected golden rays of light at sunset.
There was an old man in a straw raincoat, some cattle on the farming path, a child wearing old-fashioned sackcloth as his mucus was dripping, a common farmer wearing a sackcloth top and pants with a turban and straw sandals while carrying a hoe…
All these elements composed the picture of an ancient Chinese village.