Chapter 458 - 439: Two Options!!
Su Ling’er followed behind Lin Qingfeng, her heart unsettled.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Her shoulders slumped unconsciously, and her pace slowed.
Staring at the back in front of her, she finally couldn’t hold back any longer and quickened her pace to catch up.
"First Senior Brother..."
"Where... are we going?"
Lin Qingfeng heard her and, with his hands still behind his back, answered casually, "The sect just opened a new place called Nabo Garden. We’re not doing anything anyway, so let’s go check it out."
’Time to explore! The devs finally unlocked a new building, so of course I have to go have some fun!’
However, when those two words reached Su Ling’er’s ears, she felt a jolt in her heart.
’Na... bo... Garden?’
Su Ling’er mentally broke the name down, mulling over its every nuance.
’Na, as in to receive tribute, to accept.’
’It implies a superior demanding from a subordinate—a greedy, gaping maw that only takes and never gives.’
’Bo seems to mean ’vast’ or ’diverse,’ but it can also mean ’to gamble.’’
’In this game, who is the house, and who is the gambler waiting to be fleeced?’
’And Yuan, a garden, is a place for penning up beasts.’
’Put it all together... Isn’t this a gluttonous trap disguised under an elegant name, one that views everyone in the world as lambs penned up for slaughter and even makes them offer tribute willingly?!’
Su Ling’er’s pupils constricted.
’Is First Senior Brother personally taking me to witness the darkness buried within this new building in the Guixi Sect?!’
’Within this demonic sect, enemies are everywhere. He is the only one who remains clear-headed.’
’To protect the path in his heart, he was willing to become a wicked dragon. Now, to enlighten his unworthy junior sister, he’s even going to personally reveal the tip of the iceberg of this demonic den to strengthen my resolve.’
’Sigh, First Senior Brother trusts me so much. In this dark, demonic den, the two of us can only rely on each other to uncover these unspeakable truths.’
She took a deep breath, forcing down the overwhelming sense of gratitude. Her expression turned serious again as she followed Lin Qingfeng.
"I understand," she replied in a low voice, prepared to face anything.
Before long, a building appeared before them.
The structure was built against a mountain, covering a large area, with green bricks and black tiles throughout.
The main gate was towering, supported by twelve massive, crimson pillars. Though their paint was mottled and peeling, they still exuded an air of majesty.
In front of the gate stood two statues of unidentifiable, exotic beasts.
’The game’s art team is really getting better and better.’
Lin Qingfeng muttered to himself, quite satisfied with the building’s appearance.
’This level of immersion is what I’d expect for all the Spirit Stones I’ve poured into it.’
He led Su Ling’er to the entrance. His high spirits, however, were instantly cut in half when he saw the person sitting behind a plain-looking desk.
It was that face again.
Qian Buyu.
A muscle in the corner of Lin Qingfeng’s eye twitched.
’Are you kidding me? Didn’t the official patch notes say they were updating the NPC model library for sect buildings to get rid of the copy-paste faces? Why is the gatekeeper still this recycled NPC model?’
’So the main gate doesn’t count as being *inside* Nabo Garden, is that it? And to save resources, they just threw another recycled NPC at me?’
Lin Qingfeng felt a sense of frustration. He had been looking forward to something new for so long, only to find it was the same old thing. It gave him a bad feeling about what was to come.
He couldn’t help but wave a hand in front of Qian Buyu’s face. The man remained as unresponsive as ever.
’Sigh, I just hope that when I get inside this Nabo Garden, the NPCs aren’t all Qian Buyu.’
’Not that there’s anything wrong with old Qian, but seeing the same face over and over really ruins the immersion, you know?’
However, to enter the Nabo Garden’s trial, one first had to "donate" ten items with a value of no less than one hundred Spirit Stones each.
’It needs an entry fee, huh.’
He grumbled to himself as he casually pulled items from his storage pouch. After all, this was just an exploratory run; he didn’t want to risk anything too valuable.
As the last item was placed, a glow emanated from the tray.
Qian Buyu stepped aside, clearing the path to the main gate.
"Let’s go."
Lin Qingfeng called out and stepped over the threshold.
Su Ling’er took a deep breath and followed close behind.
As the two of them stepped through the gate, their clear field of vision immediately began to change.
Su Ling’er felt the world spin and her stomach churn violently. Before she could even circulate her energy to resist, she suddenly felt solid ground beneath her feet.
The feeling of weightlessness vanished.
When she opened her eyes again and steadied herself, she found that her surroundings had changed.
They were standing before the gate of a quaint, antique-style mansion.
The moon overhead seemed rounder and brighter, illuminating the black and gold-lacquered plaque on the lintel, which bore the two words "Lin Mansion."
’Is this some kind of extremely profound illusion?’
Lin Qingfeng, on the other hand, was quite calm. He had seen plenty of scene transitions like this before.
He tried to raise his hand to scratch his head but found his arm wouldn’t move at all.
Only his eyes seemed capable of movement, but even his line of sight was locked within a specific range.
’Great, a forced cutscene.’
’Games often do this to tell a story—make the player take on the role of a certain character and experience a piece of their past. It’s normal.’
’Alright then, let’s see what they’ve cooked up.’
He gave up struggling, relaxed, and prepared to be a spectator.
But Su Ling’er didn’t know any of this!
She discovered to her horror that her body was completely unresponsive to her commands!
She wanted to draw her sword and be on guard, but her hands hung meekly at her sides. She wanted to ask what was happening, but her mouth was clamped shut, unable to move even her tongue. She couldn’t even use voice transmission.
A force was controlling her body. Her feet moved against her will, following behind her First Senior Brother toward the "Lin Mansion."
’Who is it?!’
’Who is secretly controlling my body?!’
’The methods of this demonic sect are so bizarre!’
Countless Evil Cultivator Secret Techniques flashed through her mind.
However, when her panicked gaze darted to Lin Qingfeng beside her, she saw that his expression was normal, without a trace of alarm.
’Wait...’
’First Senior Brother... Why is he so calm?’
A thought drilled into Su Ling’er’s mind, clarifying everything.
’It’s First Senior Brother!’
’Could it be that First Senior Brother is using the Thousand Silk Puppet Skill to control my body?!’
’First Senior Brother must have sensed the great terror lurking within this "Nabo Garden" and feared I wouldn’t be able to handle it, so he acted preemptively, taking control of my body with a Puppetry Technique!’
’First Senior Brother would rather expend his own mental energy and divide his focus just to ensure my safety!’
’He really... Oh, I could just die!!!’
Once she figured this out, the panic in Su Ling’er’s heart vanished, replaced by a warmth and gratitude that filled her chest.
The two of them, their bodies not their own, walked into the Lin Mansion.
They passed through several courtyards, wound around rockeries and streams, and finally arrived at the main hall.
The cutscene continued.
Lin Qingfeng found himself being made to sit in the host’s seat in the main hall, with a cup of tea placed in his hand.
Su Ling’er, meanwhile, was positioned to stand slightly behind him to the side, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed slightly. She looked exactly like a pretty handmaiden attending to her master.
𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Su Ling’er stared at the bizarre scene. Although her body couldn’t move, her inner monologue never stopped for a second.
’What is First Senior Brother’s intention with this move?’
’Making me play the role of a handmaiden? Is this to make us appear weak to our enemies, or to allow me to observe the situation from a bystander’s perspective?’
Before she could think any further, the scene progressed.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps accompanied by the strained creaking of the wooden floorboards echoed from outside.
A man dressed in a long robe of dark-patterned brocade entered, leading several attendants.
Although the man was dressed like a merchant, the way he walked with his nose in the air revealed the arrogance of someone long accustomed to basking in borrowed glory.
The moment the stout man entered, his gaze locked onto Lin Qingfeng in the host’s seat, and an enthusiastic smile bloomed on his face.
He clasped his hands in a salute. "Ah, Mr. Lin! I hope you’ll forgive my sudden visit! On my way here, I saw the splendor of the Lin Mansion. It truly is a family of great wealth and prestige in these parts. You live up to your reputation, you truly do!"
Though his words were polite, he walked up to Lin Qingfeng with an air of over-familiarity and, without waiting for a reply, pulled up a chair and sat down on his own.
"I have come today on behalf of the dynasty’s higher-ups, specifically to deliver a piece of wonderful news to the Lin Mansion!"
The stout steward then picked up his teacup to wet his throat and began his speech, spittle flying from his mouth. "These are peaceful times, and the great figures above, in their compassion for the common folk, wish to build this Nabo Garden. It will gather the world’s treasures in one place for all the city’s people to admire."
"This is not just about gathering cultural artifacts; it is about enlightening the minds of the people and demonstrating the magnanimity of our city-state! This is a monumental achievement for the ages, a benevolent act that will benefit generations to come!"
He grew more and more animated as he spoke.
"Once this Nabo Garden is complete, even the common folk will be able to see treasures that, in the past, only nobles such as yourself, Mr. Lin, could enjoy. This is a great service to their education! Wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Lin?"
Lin Qingfeng just sat there, grumbling internally: ’This NPC talks way too much, and the guilt-tripping is off the charts. Why doesn’t this cinematic game have a skip or fast-forward button? This must be the new, unfinished building system they just launched without even properly developing it. One star!!!’
Seeing that Lin Qingfeng wasn’t speaking, the stout steward didn’t seem awkward at all. He lowered his voice and stated his purpose, his tone laced with a hint of persuasion and suggestion:
"I’ve heard the Lin Mansion is a century-old family with an extensive collection. Those esteemed officials have said they encourage talented individuals from among the people to donate generously and contribute to this unparalleled achievement."
"Mr. Lin, as a scion of a great clan, you ought to set an example for the business community."
"From both a public and private standpoint, this is a great deed that will bring honor to your ancestors! If you donate generously, who knows, perhaps certain people will be pleased and bestow upon you a plaque for being a ’House of Accumulated Virtue.’ After that, wouldn’t all your business dealings in this city be smooth sailing?"
As his voice fell, a semi-transparent interface popped up in front of Lin Qingfeng.
On the interface, ten item slots were neatly arranged. Inside them were the very ten "donated items" he had offered outside to enter this new sect building.
And below the item slots, two options awaited his decision.
[Option 1: The steward is absolutely right! I have been nurtured by this land, so what are a few mere worldly possessions? Take them all! Use them to add splendor to Nabo Garden and provide a feast for the eyes of the city’s people! It would be my honor!]
[Option 2: You must be joking. Once such treasures enter your esteemed garden, when will they ever see the light of day again? Rather than a public exhibition, it sounds more like an opportunity to fill someone’s private coffers. I may not be brilliant, but I know what happens when you throw a meat bun at a dog—it’s never coming back. I’m not donating the items.]