touchnovel Chapter 48: Let him go ahead and scout the way.
Chapter 48: Let him go ahead and scout the way.
Chen Fu had previously heard Zhou Jianbang say that Zhang Mingyuan came to Jiangcheng to test whether the game's plot would change after the region changed, and incidentally to resolve the issue of the strange rocks in Sidu Lake.
It seems the game has really become sentient; it's managed to lure players from Yanjing to the Wedding and Funeral City.
On second thought, could this be related to the IP address?
When Chen Fu was choosing his career path, he had a similar guess, and after seeing other professions, his guess was confirmed.
Zhang Mingyuan has now arrived in the City of Weddings and Funerals. Just like in other games, the location displayed by the system changes in different places, it's like being parachuted in.
Chen Fu: "I've reviewed the information, no suggestions. What were the game's prompts when you arrived at the Wedding Funeral City?"
He planned to ask about the situation first before making a decision.
During this time, Chen Fu ordered fried rice at a stall he frequented in the food street and waited quietly for Zhang Mingyuan's reply.
Zhang Mingyuan: "Then I'll upload the information so that other players can be mentally prepared."
Zhang Mingyuan: "The game text is similar to the prompts in Yanjing, saying that there are some monsters and demons here, and you can choose to go left, right, or straight."
Zhang Mingyuan: "I saw the ending through the skills. Going either way would result in death, and only going straight would allow me to survive, so I chose to go straight."
The fried rice was served quickly, and Chen Fu ate while checking the news.
He discovered that his game text was indeed different from others. There was so much information about the Wedding City, but Zhang Mingyuan only mentioned it briefly, and there were only three options.
This further confirms the immense advantages represented by paranormal events.
To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy.
While other people's game options are only up, down, left, and right, he can not only sing and dance but also do backflips, and sometimes even perform a martial arts dance. It's really amazing.
Zhang Mingyuan: "The straight road leads to a place called the Reincarnation Stage. The first three times I went there, I was choked by people hiding at the entrance. The fourth time, I met a ticket seller who didn't say anything, just smiled at me, and I laughed so hard I almost died."
Chen Fu glanced at it and thought, "Putting aside the options, your experience is pretty much the same as mine." However, because he had letters and titles, he didn't encounter the person hiding at the door, and in the end, he died because he was broke.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Fu typed, "Try bringing some money with you next time; you might have a different experience."
After sending that message, he realized why Zhang Mingyuan could die four times. Could it be because of the stamina bottle?
Zhang Mingyuan: "Okay, I'll try it once my physical punishment is over."
Zhang Mingyuan: "How do you know that just paying money is enough? Are you also working at a wedding funeral parlor?"
Chen Fu didn't think revealing the game's progress was a big deal, so he casually replied, "Yeah, in the Wedding City, your stamina potions were upgraded several times. How could you die so many times and still be able to play?"
Zhang Mingyuan: "It has been enhanced four times and can restore stamina for sixteen hours. I posted the method on the forum before, you can take a look when you have time."
Chen Fu was just curious. His stamina bottle had also been enhanced, and he knew that it required the Burial Foundation Seed.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Fu thought of something.
Since Zhang Mingyuan is also in the Wedding and Funeral City, could we ask him to scout ahead and gather information about the ghost bride?
At this stage, only the two of them are in the Wedding and Funeral City; other local players in Jiangcheng have not reached this level.
Chen Fu didn't want to be discovered by the ghost bride too early, so he needed someone to scout ahead.
Zhang Mingyuan, you arrived just in time.
But this matter cannot be stated explicitly, otherwise it is very likely to provoke opposition.
Zhang Mingyuan: "It seems you've made more progress in exploring the Wedding and Funeral City than I have. What exactly is inside the Reincarnation Stage? Can you obtain any items there?"
Chen Fu looked at the message sent by Zhang Mingyuan and immediately had an idea. He started typing.
Chen Fu: "It's very fun inside. You'll know once you go. The owner of the stage is called the Crying and Laughing Spirit Official. He's the Ghost Bride's subordinate. You can find the Ghost Bride by following this line. She's the boss of the Wedding Funeral City."
Chen Fu: "Besides that, you can also see the Ghost Bride at the Soul Returning Wine Shop. As long as you can survive in her hands, you can get the best props and treasures in the Wedding Funeral City."
Chen Fu was not lying; the leader of the Crying and Laughing Spirit Official was indeed the Ghost Bride, and the Resurrection Wine Shop was also inextricably linked to the Ghost Bride.
Whether you can get the item or not depends on how lucky you are.
Zhang Mingyuan: "When I was using my skills to see the future, I did see a woman wearing a traditional Chinese wedding dress. I never expected that she was the boss of the wedding funeral city."
Zhang Mingyuan: "Tomorrow I'll try your method. First, I'll go to the Reincarnation Stage, then to the Soul-Returning Incense Shop. If I can find the ghost bride along this path, I'll share half of what I gain with you!"
Chen Fu was overjoyed. Wow, this person is really smart and has super strong initiative. Now he just needs to wait behind and doesn't have to worry about encountering the ghost bride.
Zhang Mingyuan: "Can I post this information on the forum? You know, that incident still has some impact on my reputation, and I want to restore it."
He was referring to the incident where someone sentenced Chen Fu to death without ever having met him, which was later ridiculed by Baidatong.
Chen Fu: "I don't see anyone discussing this on the forum anymore."
Zhang Mingyuan: "That's because I gave them a red envelope to stop them from sending any more."
Chen Fu: "Oh~"
As they were chatting, a red envelope appeared in the WeChat group. Chen Fu casually opened it and received 128 yuan.
The other people who had been watching without saying anything also made their selections, and the amounts they received varied.
This group of people is really going too far with their diving... Chen Fu finished the last bite of fried rice, stood up and walked back to the dormitory.
It wasn't until then that these people, seemingly too embarrassed to speak up, started to post in the group chat.
Li Xintong: "Aren't you two having a conversation about something too high-level for me to understand? But there's something else I want to ask you, @Chen Daguanren, did you take the treasure from Blood Blade Town?"
Li Xintong: "When I logged in today, I received a text message saying that I could join other players to conquer Blood Blade Town. But after working hard for a long time, I didn't get anything except experience points."
Zhou Jianbang: "Hey, Xiao Li, I'm in the same boat as you, but I arrived late and have no experience at all."
The two began to discuss the matter, while Bai Ruhua watched silently. She was confined to the Forbidden City and couldn't venture outside. Du Fanyu looked on with envy, his desire to become a player growing even stronger.
Zhang Mingyuan occasionally expresses his opinions, but there is no substantial evidence to prove that they are Chen Fuqian's; we can only make reasonable speculations.
Chen Fu was walking and didn't look at his phone at all. By the time he got back to his dorm, he already had 99+ messages. He only replied after reading them all.
Chen Fu: "I took it. There was only one skill book, which is a perfect match for Captain Zhou's current skills. I'm planning to find an opportunity to let him use it."
He concealed the matter of Tang Hengdao, so that Bai Ruhua wouldn't find out. He wanted to see the girl awkwardly picking her toes, preferably until she could pick out a three-bedroom, two-living-room house!
Bai Ruhua felt something was off. How come she only got one skill book after clearing a map? But she couldn't get out, and she hadn't communicated with other players. In the end, she could only assume that the map was too small, and she didn't think about anything else.
Li Xintong: "It really is you! Do you know how miserable I am right now? The road north of Blood Blade Town is full of funeral or wedding processions; one touch and you're dead. It's impossible to get through!"
Li Xintong: "You have to make it up to me! Quickly send out the red envelope you just grabbed!"
Chen Fu: "You can go look around elsewhere, you don't necessarily have to go north..."
He spoke with a lack of confidence, after all, he was the one who took away the greatest treasure of Bloodblade Town.
Li Xintong: "Where else can I go? To the south is a dilapidated temple, and there's no way to the east or west. Where else can I go besides north? I don't care, just send me the red envelope now, or I'll wait for you at school! Don't run away after school!"
The sentence was followed by a red envelope, but it wasn't sent by Chen Fu; it was sent by Zhang Mingyuan.
Li Xintong managed to grab 102 yuan and stopped pursuing Chen Fu.
She was just joking and didn't really intend to go to the school to confront Chen Fu.
Zhang Mingyuan: "Um... right now the forums are all talking about Blood Blade Town. We just need to know this, but let's not expose Chen Fu."
After what happened before, he is now completely convinced of Chen Fu's abilities. Spending a little money to maintain a good relationship is better than anything else.
Li Xintong: "What do you take me for? Chen Fu is my teammate, how could I betray him? I was just joking!"
Zhou Jianbang: "I accidentally deleted the chat history, and it seems like it can't be recovered."
Du Fanyu: "I was just taking a shower. What were you guys talking about?"
Bai Ruhua: "I don't know, what happened?"
Zhang Mingyuan immediately realized he had said the wrong thing. Chen Fu's status in the hearts of the people in Wujiang District was even more important than he had imagined.
He then sent another red envelope, along with a picture saying he was drunk and it was just a joke.
Everyone silently started grabbing the items, and then the WeChat group fell silent.
……
Early morning. After finishing his 8 AM shift and having lunch, Chen Fu went to find Song Shuangwei to get his books.
The two discussed their current progress in the game.
After leaving the Legend of the White Snake instance, Song Shuangwei has leveled up to level 3 using the items she obtained. She is also one of the people who have pacified Blood Blade Town, and her experience points have reached 99%.
Chen Fu then brought up the matter of changing jobs, urging the girl to prepare as soon as possible.
Song Shuangwei also heard about this from the consortium. The True Martial Warrior represents a Taoist temple in Hubei Province. She plans to take a few days off to experience it, which may help her enter the dungeon next week.
Song Shuangwei thus learned of Chen Fu's purpose in borrowing the book and kept encouraging him that he would definitely pass the test smoothly.
Chen Fu thought to himself, "We're on the same level now. I've even explored more maps than you. How dare you encourage me?"
But he didn't say it out loud, fearing that Song Shuangwei would abuse him.
Having obtained the book, Chen Fu went to the Spirit Investigation Bureau, intending to teach Zhou Jianbang the Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Technique. However, the skills of the three players in Yanjing were still on cooldown, preventing them from communicating with the God of Wealth statue. They would have to wait until next month at the latest, so he had to put the matter aside for the time being.
Left with no other choice, Chen Fu began reading professional books. Thanks to the scholar's jade pendant, his learning ability was enhanced. Obscure and difficult professional terms became simple and clear, and he could even apply what he learned to other situations. His reading speed also began to increase.
Time passed by, and by evening, Chen Fu had finished reading all the books and gained a completely new understanding of anatomy.
He had more confidence in the beads left from dissecting the strange rock.
Chen Fu even had a feeling that dissecting the bead in reality would be helpful for the upcoming professional dungeon.
Zhou Jianbang's side was already prepared and ready to conduct the dissection at any time.
Chen Fu thought for a moment. He had no classes tomorrow morning, and both the Hundred-Patch Merit Robe and the Silent Mountain Range would be refreshed. To be on the safe side, it would be best to wait until tomorrow morning to take action.
He explained the situation to Zhou Jianbang, who said it was no problem at all. After making a plan, he returned to school.
The next morning, Chen Fu arrived at the Wujiang District Headquarters of the Investigation Bureau, picked up by Du Fanyu.
In the second-floor office hall, one room had been converted into an autopsy room. There were not many people involved in this autopsy; besides Chen Fu, there were only Zhou Jianbang and Zhang Mingyuan.
The main reason for doing this is that even if others come, they won't be of much help, and if unforeseen circumstances occur, the losses will be even greater.
Zhou Jianbang and Zhang Mingyuan are different. The former is a Vajra Monk with formidable defense; even bullets cannot penetrate his skin. The latter is a member of the Quanzhen Longmen sect, who can use his skills to see a short-term future and respond promptly to danger.
Before entering the autopsy room, Chen Fu changed into protective clothing. The Bureau of Paranormal Investigation always considers everything comprehensively; they'd never provided such treatment before.
Afterwards, Zhang Mingyuan used his skill to see the general trend, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he signal Chen Fu to begin.
Chen Fu took out the dissection instruments and began to work on the next steps.
He first took the bead out of the sealed box and placed it in a specially made shallow dish of saturated silver, then used pliers to gently bite and fix the two ends of the bead together.
The moment the jaws closed, the purple patterns on the surface of the bead flashed noticeably faster.
Chen Fu remained completely undisturbed.
The forceps among the seven dissected bodies are called the Soul-Locking Forceps.
Under the anatomical lamp, the soul-locking breath is captured, and a single clamp severs the flow of yin and yang. Shaped like a crane's beak, the clamp is tight, which can cause the object being clamped to freeze briefly, making it easier to observe.
After the bead was completely fixed, the speed at which the purple patterns on its surface shimmered gradually decreased, and eventually the mystical effect disappeared.
Chen Fu took out a saw with his other hand and gently placed it on the surface of the bead.
The opening saw, used before the coroner's table to open the soul's orifice, the saw body curved like a crescent moon, its teeth close together and cold, slowly turning the saw to separate the hard bone without damaging the inside in the slightest.
With even force applied, the saw blade began to make a soft sound on the surface of the bead, scattering extremely fine black powder. About a minute later, a slight "click" was heard, and the bead was neatly divided into two halves.
Upon closer inspection, Chen Fu discovered that the interior was not solid, but rather a small, murky water niche. The surface of the niche was covered with a sticky, dark purple gelatinous substance, emitting a pungent, putrid odor.
He began scraping along the outer wall of the water niche with a scraper. Where the scraper passed, the viscous gel was peeled away layer by layer, revealing the translucent material inside, which was a crystal the size of a grain of rice, as clear as a water droplet.
The scraping spoon, used in the morgue to clean the internal organs, scrapes away all the filth from the bones with a single spoon. The spoon's tip is like a crescent moon, with sharp edges, capable of restoring the original appearance of the dissected objects.
Chen Fu placed the gelatinous substance on the scraper into the shallow dish of silver, carefully examined the lens, and finally indicated that the dissection was complete.
Zhou Jianbang immediately stepped forward, sealed the gelatinous substance and water niche in a special container with ice, and then disinfected the entire dissection room before he felt relieved.
Then, the three of them began to discuss what these two things actually were.
Zhang Mingyuan was the first to voice his idea: "I know an expert in antique appraisal in Beijing. I can take pictures of the items and send them to him for a look."
"Is this person a player?" Zhou Jianbang grasped the key point.
Zhang Mingyuan nodded: "If they're not players, I wouldn't dare let anyone contact them."
Chen Fu felt it was unnecessary to go through all that trouble, having to reopen the items just placed to take a picture. He immediately offered his opinion: "Why not just put them in the small squares and let the game text provide the answer?"
His thinking was simple: if things in games can be brought into reality, then the reverse should also be true.
It's worth mentioning that there is actually a limitation here.
That means you can't bring things that already exist in the real world into the game, from small tools and tables and chairs to large firearms. Only things that are derived from the game, such as products from paranormal events, can be included.
This was something Chen Fu tested when he got the fire-making bag.
Both of them were taken aback for a moment, then clapped their hands and praised, "College students really do have quick minds!"
Chen Fu felt a little embarrassed, and then he saw the two of them push the things over to him.
"What?" He blinked, looking puzzled.
"You can take a look at the suggestions you made. You were the one who dissected it, so it should be yours, by all accounts."
Zhou Jianbang smiled, and Zhang Mingyuan nodded beside him.
How did this become mine... Chen Fu pouted, but didn't refuse. He took out his fire-making bag and put the sealed box inside.
He then opened the game, intending to figure out the function of these two items through the game text.
The game quickly generated a large amount of text.
"You have obtained the essence of resentment."
"You have obtained the essence of the Water Palace."
……