Chapter 32: Major Trouble

Liu Wei looked at Wu Chang with suspicion and asked, "Have you met me before, Hero Wu?"

Wu Chang smiled warmly. "I have not, but upon seeing you yesterday, I felt a sense of familiarity, though I could not quite place it. Only just now, hearing you speak, did I realize you resemble an old acquaintance of mine."

While muttering to himself that truly capable people were always eccentric, Liu Wei replied with a sudden realization, "So that is how it is."

To prevent Liu Wei from pressing the matter further, Wu Chang preemptively asked, "I heard from the village chief that you have all come to discuss moving up the date of the Year-End Ritual?"

Liu Wei nodded. "That is correct. Uncle Shan mentioned that you also agree with advancing the ritual."

"The seal on the evil entity is still holding for now," Wu Chang explained. "But if we delay another month and it manages to break free completely, subduing it will become a much more difficult task."

"Your insight is extraordinary; you are truly a young hero," Liu Wei said, cupping his hands in respect.

"You are too kind," Wu Chang replied with a smile.

Liu Wei changed the subject, his tone shifting naturally. "There is a matter I must trouble you with, though I am unsure if I should speak of it."

"Uh..."

The corner of Wu Chang’s mouth twitched behind his forced smile. He knew Liu Wei was up to no good.

"Pray, speak freely."

Liu Wei exchanged a glance with Liu Shan. After confirming their intent, Liu Wei continued, "Uncle Shan likely told you that a scholar passed through a year ago and improved our Year-End Ritual."

"He did mention it."

"When the scholar left, he bequeathed a palace lantern. It is the core of the improved ritual; without it, the ceremony cannot begin."

Wu Chang grasped the implication. "The lantern is not in the village?"

A look of concern clouded Liu Wei’s face. "We lent it to the neighboring Chen Family Village. According to our agreement, they should have returned it the day before yesterday, but we have heard nothing since."

"We would like to ask you, Hero Wu, to make a trip to Chen Family Village to see if they are in danger. If all is well, please bring the lantern back with you."

Wu Chang asked, "Is it possible that the people of Chen Family Village have fled with the lantern?"

"That is impossible," Liu Wei denied.

"The Four-Direction Palace Lantern is integrated with the Year-End Formation in our village. The formation provides the lantern with oil; once removed from the formation’s influence, the lantern will cease to function after half a month."

If Liu Shan had requested this, Wu Chang might not have thought much of it. But since it was Liu Wei issuing the task, he had to ask clearly to ensure Liu Wei wasn't harboring ulterior motives or planning an ambush.

"Since they lack the Year-End Formation, why did they borrow the lantern in the first place?"

"The Four-Direction Palace Lantern can command fire and repel demons. Chen Family Village used it to escort their women and children to a safe location, leaving only the able-bodied men behind to guard the village, just as we have."

Wu Chang fell silent for a moment, weighing his options. In the end, he decided to accept Liu Wei’s request.

In this moment, he finally understood the protagonists of various RPG games. He had always wondered why a legendary hero in a game would allow themselves to be ordered around by NPCs like a servant, running errands, fetching water, or chopping wood. He had often wanted to ask: did those NPCs have no hands of their own?

Now, he understood. When a protagonist must rely on NPCs to achieve a goal, even if they want to do the chores themselves, they dare not let the NPCs intervene. For instance, even if Liu Wei wanted to bring his village’s men along, Wu Chang would be worried that these ordinary people might attract demons mid-journey. To minimize variables for a successful "clearance," a hero must handle even the most menial tasks personally.

After obtaining a map from Liu Wei, Wu Chang said, "In that case, there is no time to lose. I shall depart at once."

Wu Chang retrieved his horse. Just as he descended the mountain and was about to set off, he heard a commotion in the forest at the foot of the hill. Following the sound, he found a group of youths from Huai Gu Village.

Most were around eleven or twelve years old, circling and tossing a rabbit back and forth. Trapped in the center was the village-guarding youth he had seen the previous night. The boy wore a vacant smile, running back and forth within the circle as the rabbit was thrown over his head. Every time he was about to catch it, the burly ringleader would kick him, sending him stumbling back into the center to continue the mockery.

*Bang!*

A thunderous gunshot exploded in the forest. The cotton cap on the ringleader’s head was torn open instantly, the bullet grazing his scalp and leaving a charred, bald streak across his head.

"What a fun game. Mind if I join in?" Wu Chang stepped forward, caught the rabbit tossed by the panicked ringleader, and smiled.

"Oh no, it’s the hero! Run!"

Someone shouted, and the village youths scattered instantly like birds and beasts, leaving only the ringleader—whose hair was now parted by the bullet—frozen in a kicking pose.

Wu Chang glanced at him sideways. "Not leaving? Planning to keep playing?"

The ringleader shook his head violently, crying as he ran toward the village, leaving a trail of yellow liquid on the path behind him.

Wu Chang shook his head. If you’re going to learn something, don’t learn bullying; did they think this dungeon plane had juvenile protection laws?

The village-guarding youth didn't even realize he had been bullied. He smiled foolishly at the ringleader and called out, "Why stop playing? Don't go."

Wu Chang handed the rabbit to the youth. "They have urgent business. Let's play another day."

"Oh," the youth replied dejectedly, stroking the rabbit in his arms. He whispered, "Don't be afraid. They were just playing with you."

The rabbit, which had been curled into a ball of terror, calmed down almost instantly under the youth’s touch.

A flash of surprise crossed Wu Chang's eyes. Was this boy a Druid?

Looking at the boy, who was dressed in rags with frostbitten hands and feet and wrapped in straw to keep warm, Wu Chang untied a bundle from his horse and draped the thick cotton coat Liu Shan had prepared for him over the boy’s shoulders.

"It’s not safe lately. Find a place to hide."

The youth stared straight at Wu Chang. "Can you play with me?"

"Not today. I have business to attend to," Wu Chang said dismissively.

The youth pointed to a mountain on the edge of Huai Gu Village’s territory. "I live there. You can come find me to play."

"Next time, for sure."

After this brief interlude, Wu Chang left Huai Gu Village and headed straight for Chen Family Village as marked on the map.

Huai Gu Village and Chen Family Village were twenty miles apart, but this was mountain terrain, with several dangerous areas in between that required a detour. At a normal pace, it would take the villagers three days to reach Chen Family Village—nearly a week for a round trip.

The Hundred-Mile Huai Mountains were complex, and outsiders easily lost their way. Without a detailed map, one could wander indefinitely. The player resentment points scattered evenly across the dangerous spots of the mountains were a testament to the cost of getting lost here.

Yet, it was precisely because of these resentments that Wu Chang had them to guide his way, no matter where he went. Through the remnants of these resentments, he could see the intelligence gained by his predecessors through their own lives. Relying on this, he could discern the movement patterns of demons in advance and save time without needing to avoid every dangerous zone.

Speeding along, he reached the area where Chen Family Village was located by the mid-afternoon, as the sun began to dip toward the west.

Chen Family Village was built against the mountain, near the intersection of two mountain paths. Though it lacked the sprawling valley and farmland of Huai Gu Village, its convenient location made it a trade hub for the Hundred-Mile Huai Mountains, and its conditions were no less favorable. The two villages complemented each other’s geography and were of similar size, hence their close relationship—close enough to lend out a magical artifact like the palace lantern.

Given such a close bond, Chen Family Village's failure to return the lantern had the people of Huai Gu Village deeply worried that they had met with disaster.

Wu Chang stood on high ground, cross-referencing the map Liu Wei had given him. He saw that the area where Chen Family Village should have been was now shrouded in a grayish-white mist, making it impossible to even discern the outlines of the houses.

Liu Wei and the others had guessed correctly. Chen Family Village had indeed encountered trouble—serious trouble.