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Chapter 24

As it turned out, the pit of choosing “don’t help” at that time occurred here!

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When Jiang Chen went online, Fang Jingxing was standing to the side, waiting for him.

The vein lines on the Master of Darkness’ forehead marked a pale face, giving the person an icily arrogant and wicked aura. It extremely suited this Forest of Despair.

A moment later, however, he was greeted with a smile in passing, which diluted the characteristic aura.

“Here?”

Jiang Chen then adopted the Seal Master’s refined face and indifferently said, “En.”

He heard Fang Jingxing narrate the happenings and asked, “How come you do not use your own voice?”

Wandering Dream had a lot of voices to choose from, but players also did not need to use them and could instead straightforwardly use their own voice.

This thing’s voice, it was a pity to not use.

Fang Jingxing said, “Too many fans; I’m afraid of them recognizing it.”

He had always been very perceptive, and from this sentence, he could make a rough guess. Based on this Seal Master’s temperament, intentionally asking him this was most likely because the other felt his voice sounded better.

With a smile, he asked, “Do you think it’s pleasant to hear?”

Jiang Chen honestly did not want to praise him and refused to admit it. “Just so-so.”

Fang Jingxing naturally did not believe him and subconsciously thought about switching back to his original voice to pull a wave of favorability.

However, just as his arm raised up to return the taste, he felt it was inappropriate and would attract suspicion instead. He thus abandoned the idea.

Jiang Chen was even more unbothered by this trivial matter. After asking, he turned his head and headed into the depths of the forest with the other. He knew Escape Empath and the others had gone and talked to the NPC and said, “I promised Xie Chengyan we will wait to hit it with him.”

Fang Jingxing smiled and said, “You’ll understand when you get there and see.”

The duo soon arrived at a large tree, where Escape Empath and the others were.

Jiang Chen saw them all looking up and also raised his head. He saw, exposed by a chink in the leaf canopy, a white cocoon. He remained silent for a moment. He did not know how many times he felt that this hidden plot was truly cheap.

Fang Jingxing said, “It is fine to send someone up to chat with him. If Halite is here, he would just be watching from below.”

Jiang Chen nodded.

This type of situation, they could complete the mission in advance.

King Flying Bird had already climbed up the tree.

The tree trunk was covered with a lot of vines that could be used as footholds, making it only slightly troublesome to climb. He took some time climbing up, stayed for two minutes, and then came back down.

Everyone in the party saw the new mission, which was to collect venom.

King Flying Bird said, “He said he was trapped here by a large spider at dawn. The spider’s venom can be used to dissolve the spider silk.”

Careless Magnificence asked, “Where’s the spider?”

King Flying Bird replied, “He said it went to sleep in the cave and will crawl out again at night. While it admires the full moon, it will eat him.”

It could still celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Everyone remained silent before walking out together.

After half a minute, Fang Jingxing suddenly stopped.

Everyone else turned to look at him. Escape Empath asked, “What’s the matter?”

Fang Jingxing said, “I am thinking……the game time is synchronized with reality.”

King Flying Bird did not understand why he brought this up and said, “Yeah.”

The others’ brains churned quite quickly, and they all understood.

Based on this hidden plot’s urinary nature, that phrase “at night” was most likely not casually said.

If they received this mission at night, they would probably directly encounter the spider if they turned their heads. And if they received it during the day, due to not knowing when it would come out at night to eat, if they came out too late, it might have already admired the full moon and digested the target.

Everyone immediately backtracked and went to collect the venom to get the target released early.

Jiang Chen and Fang Jingxing sized it up and felt that the target and Ling Huai were blood-related siblings. At the very least, hair color and eye color were both the same.

Jiali’s attire was simple and crude, cutting quite a sorry figure.

When he saw Ling Huai’s pendant, his eyes turned very red. He led them back to a grass hut and hoarsely said, “I received a curse and cannot leave these woods.”

The seven players stared at him in unison.

Jiali said, “Can you help me break the curse?”

OK, settled.

They received the new mission and could finally leave the forest for the time being. After some discussion, they decided to hit instances. 

It was very easy to hit the instance. The atmosphere was especially harmonious as they effortlessly fought.

The excitement and energy from killing the Lion King in the morning was still there. King Flying Bird and co were now watching the two bosses fight monsters and recalled those moving clouds and flowing water movements.

King Flying Bird asked, “You two are so awesome, how come you’re not playing professionally?”

Fang Jingxing’s eyelids flew up. He thought, stepped on a mine.

He took the initiative to say, “Drop the subject. I got into the training camp, stayed for two months, and then left.”

This sentence was the truth.

His progress during those two months advanced with lightning speed, to the point where he became a substitute.

But King Flying Bird and the others did not know this and simply assumed he did not meet the standard required, making them all sympathize with him.

Careless Magnificence consoled, “Maybe it has something to do with the mode. I feel that you are very awesome in the virtual reality edition. Maybe you can give it another try.”

Fang Jingxing secretly kicked Escape Empath before lightly sighing. “What awesome, those were just some basic skills, nothing more. No more talking about this; change the subject.”

King Flying Bird and the others heard the gloominess in his tone and suddenly realized they might be jabbing at his sore spot. They quickly began talking about something else.

Escape Empath silently glanced at his kicked leg and swept his gaze toward the Seal Master, who had stood to the side without uttering a word the entire time. He had a flash of realization. Knowing a certain person had the shortcoming of defending someone despite knowing that a person was in the wrong, he thus sent each member of the party a message one by one, telling them to not mention the pot that didn’t boil^[1] in the future.

Jiang Chen naturally could see Fang Jingxing was helping him out of trouble. He glanced at the other as he casually killed a mob. He then followed the map and moved forward along the path, without actually holding back.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: What’s your brain making up?”

Fang Jingxing saw he actually wanted to bring it up and was a bit surprised.

He cautiously replied: Not making anything up.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: I’ll listen.

Fang Jingxing pondered for several seconds and then inputted in a probing sentence: You should have had a brush with professional playing and received standard training, right?

Jiang Chen nodded.

Fang Jingxing was neither stupid nor blind. This matter fundamentally could not be concealed.

Upon seeing this, Fang Jingxing then knew this subject was, for the time being, not a landmine and continued to converse.

[Private Message] Darkness: I previously guessed you might not have accomplished your ambitions, perhaps suffering a misunderstanding or unfair treatment — causing you to become discouraged toward this industry.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: Now?

[Private Message] Darkness: I now think this is impossible. If you really have suffered in anger, I have an olive branch. When you join my club, you will definitely be able to abuse your old club on the field.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: En.

Fang Jingxing laughed.

This Seal Master’s character really was very much to his liking.

[Private Message] Darkness: So, I guessed it is either because playing professionally brought about a relatively big regret or because of your body, making you not compete.

Jiang Chen gave another “En.”

[Private Message] Darkness: Can I help?

[Private Message] World Annihilation. Can’t.

[Private Message] Darkness: At the moment, Wandering Dream released a virtual reality edition. The competition mode will inevitably switch from keyboard to virtual reality to follow the trend. The virtual reality greatly reduces the threshold for hand speed, prolonging a professional player’s career significantly. No longer will the industry be solely for the youthful. Your strength is complete within virtual reality. If you have any misgivings, you can speak of them with me. I will do my best to help you fight for it.

Jiang Chen understood what he was reading.

This thing probably thought he might have a physical defect.

Fang Jingxing saw him remain silent and hesitated for a second before taking a dose of courage.

[Private Message] Darkness: I have some things I want to confess to you.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: Speak.

[Private Message] Darkness: If you get angry, get angry, but can you not blacklist me or disappear from the game?

[Private Message] World Annihilation: Okay.

[Private Message] Darkness: I researched those in the closed beta. Yesterday, I saw your account in Chengyan’s equipment and tried to ask Aunt Jiang about you. She didn’t tell me.

Fang Jingxing wanted to tell this Seal Master that he knew the other was within the city and knew there was just Jiang Shilan separating them. If they wanted, they could meet up to talk, so there was actually no need to have too much apprehension.

Jiang Chen silently eyed this thing.

No wonder his big nephew insisted so much on recognizing him as a younger brother. As it turned out, it was like this.

Fang Jingxing saw him raise his arm and hastily reminded, “You said you won’t blacklist me.”

Jiang Chen regretfully lowered his arm.

After thinking for a moment, he thought about telling the other that he guessed correctly, so he unhappily raised his arm again, saying, “I am replying.”

Fang Jingxing restrained the smile his lips were curving into. “En, you reply.”

Jiang Chen looked at his string of words, fixed the phrasing, and then gave the truth.

[Private Message] World Annihilation: Because of my body, I temporarily cannot compete. It is not that I don’t want to compete.

[Private Message] Darkness: Serious? Can I visit you?

[Private Message] World Annihilation: No need, wait for me to discharge, and then the first thing I will do is think about your club.

[Private Message] Darkness: Good.

Fang Jingxing looked at the chat record and felt that he had taken a large step forward.

He originally thought it would take a very long time for him to be able to bring this up; he didn’t expect to do it accidentally and to actually be answered.

He then contacted Escape Empath.

[Private Message] Darkness: You go pull those few into a group.

[Private Message] Escape Empath: I’ll tell them one by one, don’t worry.

[Private Message] Darkness: I’ll transfer you money. You look for an opportunity to send it to them as a bribe.

Escape Empath: “……”

Your face changes so fast?

He, however, was not stupid either and knew Fang Jingxing was afraid he would seize an opportunity to talk about this with the Seal Master.

He felt that he had been very wronged, so he paid back the kick.

They hit an instance in the afternoon and then returned to the Forest of Despair to leave the game running, going offline.

At half-past seven at night, they were all present and began helping Jiali remove the curse. He had been trapped in the forest for nearly ten years. The key to lifting the curse was in a small tribe nearby. That tribe had a holy stone; they just needed to steal it.

The holy stone was naturally being guarded by someone. The guard was walking back and forth along a patrol route. There were also a lot of obstacles on the road. As long as the slightest mistake was made, they would be hunted down.

This matter appeared troublesome, but to Fang Jingxing and Jiang Chen, this couldn’t be simpler. Fang Jingxing effortlessly strolled in, and after seizing the holy stone, they ran toward the forest together, successfully leading Jiali out.

Squeezing Purple: “Hey, didn’t the gate-watching uncle say his younger sister and Jiali are together? Where is his younger sister?”

Careless Magnificence: “Who knows; did he mention it previously?”

King Flying Bird: “No, he said he was caught by the spider.”

Jiali still did not mention the guard’s younger sister. After they left the forest, they soon reached Glazed Light River and saw Ling Huai come out of the water. She was shocked. “You……how come you……”

Ling Huai wailed. “Wa——” She rushed forward to hug him. “Brother!”

Jiali’s reddened eyes caught sight of her. His lips trembled for a moment before he voiced an “En.”

The siblings cried into each other’s shoulders. Jiali felt endlessly distressed upon learning she was trapped within the river. He stroked her head. “Wait here for me. I’ll think of a way to save you.”

Ling Huai cried and said, “I don’t want to separate from you again.”

Standing to the side and watching, the group understood.

So while the siblings both chatted about domestic trivia and such, they ran errands.

However, the truth was that they thought too much. Jiali insisted on personally running the task, saying, “You be obedient. These heroes and I will definitely rescue you. You just wait.”

Ling Huai sobbed. “……okay.”

Jiali then let her go and returned to the players’ side. “Let’s go.”

The group looked at the taskbar and saw it did not refresh. They reckoned that they should follow him for the time being, and so they obediently walked off.

As a result, just as they took two steps, an indistinct, low mumble suddenly echoed from behind them. It was Ling Huai’s voice, but it was somewhat cold.

“Do you really believe them?”

The group stumbled and turned around instantly.

They saw Ling Huai with her head lowered, her expression not clearly visible or deciperable. She said, “I naturally believe; he is my brother.”

“But for all these ten years, he did not come find you.”

A black fog seeped out of her and gradually condensed, forming another Ling Huai. “Not just him, those best friends of yours also did not come. They……simply do not care about you.”

KingFlying Bird was shocked. “What the fuck, a heart demon?”

Jiali sucked in a breath. “This is curse-colored. She also has a curse on her; right now, it’s confusing her mind!”

The original Ling Huai struggled. “No, they simply did not expect me to be in the river!”

The curse taunted, “You have walked back and forth down Glazed Light River countless times during these ten years and had never seen their silhouette, isn’t that so?”

“Maybe……we just happened to miss each other,” Ling Huai said. “I believe in these people. They will save me!”

The curse pointed at the players, suddenly raising its voice. “Them?”

She sneered. “They initially did not want to help you, did you forget?!”

Ling Huai was immediately silenced, her head lifting little by little.

King Flying Bird instantly shouted out, aggrieved. “Haven’t we been helping you all along? How can you accuse people wrongly?! Wake up, missy!”

Jiang Chen: “……”

Fang Jingxing: “……”

As it turned out, the pit of choosing “don’t help” at that time occurred here!

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Footnotes:

[1] mention the pot that didn’t boil: to touch a sore spot, to talk about somebody’s weak point

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