CH 24

Chapter 24 – Division of night and day

By the time they reached Tanye Temple, Aotian and Qingyue were already waiting there.

They had changed into the equipment that they had just received. Qingyue wore a pastel pink dress, covered with a white overcoat of light muslin, making her look even more young and lovely. She had also spent the points from her consecutive level-ups all on attractiveness, and now was an elegant young girl.

Aotian, on the other hand, wore unremarkable grey workman’s clothes, and his weapon had also changed from an ethereal-looking paper fan to a steel-spoked one. He no longer looked like a spirited young master, but more like a seasoned martial artist.

Black Cat looked the same, aside from his fur being much glossier than before. Even if he put on equipment, it wouldn’t show on his character, so they would only know what he had gotten when he took human form at night.

“Woah, your new clothes look really good,” Qingyue said, hopping up to Ye Zhou. “Not many people can pull off white.”

The lower-level equipments in Nine Heavens were all copied from the same templates and had the same styles, so only higher-level equipment would stand out. However, upon starting the game, each player could select a few of their favorite colors, which the game would take care to provide while awarding clothes to them. While filling in his basic information, Ye Zhou had only filled in the color white, so the game would only be gifting him white clothes. If he wanted a different color in the future, he would have to spend money on it.

“How come the materials of your clothes look way better than mine?” said Aotian, feeling the hem of Ye Zhou’s robe.

They were both humans, but Aotian’s clothes looked to be made from cotton, while Dugu Zhuo and Ye Zhou’s appeared to be silk. The material was smooth, glossy, and well-dyed, looking to be of a higher level than Qingyue and Aotian’s.

“They got lucky and rolled better materials, I guess,” Qingyue said, also looking at their clothes enviously.

Chatting idly, the group walked into Tanye Temple. While passing the healing booth, they saw that there were now three booths, with a snow lotus, a ginseng, and an egg lying on the tables. The number of sick NPCs had increased as well.

“They really will add more booths based on player number,” Aotian said, hiding a smile.

The way all the spirit players were waiting in the monk’s basket for their turn treating NPCs was just too amusing.

“I know the snow lotus and ginseng, but what’s that egg?” Black Cat asked curiously, extending a paw towards it.

Dugu Zhuo glanced at it. “That’s not an egg, it’s a qilin.”

“Do qilin lay eggs?” Qingyue asked. “They must give live birth, right? They kind of look like mammals.”

“They don’t lay eggs,” Dugu Zhuo said. “It’s a defensive magic for young qilin, which envelopes it in an outer layer of hard stone in order to protect the newborn qilin inside.”

“I thought it was bad enough to become a lingzhi or a ginseng, but I didn’t know you could also end up an egg,” Aotian said sympathetically. “If it was me, I would delete the account and make a new one.”

“These races are cooler, though,” said Ye Zhou. “And when we were fighting the veiled party, I noticed that their innate abilities were really strong, while the humans have nothing going for them in comparison. The only strong point about humans is that they can play without restrictions before level 20.”

“Makes sense,” Qingyue said. “I also heard that after a yao takes a human form, they’re one hundred percent guaranteed to be better looking than any human!” Qingyue gave Black Cat a once-over, as if she was considering what he might look like after transforming.

Black Cat’s hackles stood straight up under Qingyue’s gaze, and he quickly changed the subject. “The highest level on the leaderboard right now is a level 19 lingzhi. He’s so close to level 20, so how come today he could only gain three levels?”

“Embodiment is akin to completely reconstructing one’s body for yao or spirits,” Dugu Zhuo said. “How can it be that easy?”

“Makes sense,” said Ye Zhou. “There might even be some special quest you have to complete in order to reach embodiment.”

Since they had a task, the group faced no opposition walking into the temple. The old monk was still tapping on the wooden fish, exactly the same way he had been last night.

Dugu Zhuo brought out two plates of tofu. One of them was the safe one that Widow Yang had just made, while the other was the one he had taken from the washerwoman. “Great master, which one would you like?” he asked.

The old monk put down the wooden fish and first ate the tofu from Widow Yang. After he set down the plate, he said, “Such good tofu. What a shame. Chanyi?”

A young monk who looked like a fighter, with one arm exposed and a staff in hand, emerged from who-knows-where and stood before the old monk. “Master.”

“Widow Yang was lured astray by demons, and nearly harmed the washerwoman and her son. Her crimes do not warrant death, but she should be punished. Bring this thousand-year-old lingzhi to treat her son, so she has no lingering anxieties.” The old monk handed a plump lingzhi to Chanyi.

Those watching thought this lingzhi looked familiar. Wasn’t it the holder of the number one spot on the leaderboard, the now level 19 player?

The lingzhi sat obediently in Chanyi’s hand, looking around and saying proudly to the players surrounding him, “What’re you looking at? Never seen such a high-level player? After I complete this task, I can become embodied!”

Everyone: “…”

It was more like they had never seen a lingzhi with such a fat cap. Had he been fed fertilizer?

After Chanyi took away the lingzhi, the mission involving Widow Yang could be considered finished, but the party didn’t receive a notification that they had completed the task.

The old monk held up the plate of poisoned tofu and said, “Amitabha. I have devoted all my efforts toward maintaining the balance of night and day in Zhulong Town, but still there were underhanded parties attempting to harm the Xuan Sword’s wielder. Young heroes, thanks to your timely actions, this duo of mother and son didn’t end up on the most tragic path.”

“Great master, can you save him?” Dugu Zhuo asked.

The old monk shook his head. “I can save him for a time, but not his whole life. You should bring him back to the washerwoman. Just tell her, ‘The time has come’, and the decision after that will be left to her.”

After speaking, the old monk thrust a palm toward the plate of tofu. The tofu dissipated into smoke along with the yin energy, as Buddha’s light bathed the interior of Tanye Temple.

The party received the prompt that they had completed the “Buy Tofu” mission, and received a lot of experience and spirit stones, but the main quest still wasn’t over.

A flash of inspiration struck Aotian. “Old man, are you saying that Xiao Bao is the Xuan Sword wielder?”

The group thought about it. Their main quest hadn’t been to buy tofu or find Xiao Bao, but to find the fated wielder of the Xuan Sword, and give him over to the Qingtian Sect.

“Amitabha.” At this critical moment, the old monk started playing deaf again.

“‘The time has come’?” Dugu Zhuo muttered. “Let’s take Xiao Bao back to the washerwoman, then.”

Ye Zhou suddenly felt a pang in his heart, though it didn’t seem like a feeling that belonged to him.

Suppressing this strange emotion, Ye Zhou picked up Xiao Bao again and the party returned to the washerwoman’s house.

The washerwoman hadn’t fallen unconscious like in Dugu Zhuo’s memories, only waiting quietly at home to eat roast chicken together with Xiao Bao. The group recounted what Widow Yang had done and the old monk’s words to her.

“What does he mean by ‘the time has come’?” the washerwoman said, crying as she held Xiao Bao.

“If you don’t know, we’re even more lost,” Aotian said blankly.

The washerwoman gazed at her son’s face and suddenly wiped away her tears, as if she had remembered something. She dug around through her things until, a long while later, she found an exquisite and translucent jade talisman.

A reminiscent expression appeared on her face. “Back before I knew I was pregnant with Xiao Bao, I had already arranged a marriage with his father, but a month before the ceremony, he suddenly vanished. On the day of my wedding, I waited and waited, but my groom never showed up.

“My mother canceled the marriage and brought me to a manor in the countryside, saying she would bring me back in two years after the controversy had died down, and look into marriage again then.

“My personal servant girl and wet nurse were both back home, while at the manor there were only the year-round laborers and a few unwed menial maids. When my belly kept growing bigger, I and the maids didn’t understand what was happening and just assumed that I was ill.

“My parents were furious at me, so I didn’t dare to send for a doctor, and hid in my room without letting anyone see me. By the time my mother came to visit, I had been pregnant for seven months.

“By that time, there was no way to get rid of the child. I overheard my parents saying that when the child was born, they would drown it, then marry me to a widower.

“I was terrified, and took my things and fled that night. I came to this town, lost and confused, and decided to stay here.”

Qingyue was engrossed in the story and couldn’t help saying, “What kind of a father is that? He goes missing just like that, and we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.”

The washerwoman seemed to have not heard, still absorbed in her memories. “When the times were harsh, I have regretted before and wondered, if I’d just obeyed my mother and father back then, would I not have to suffer like this?

“But if I had done that, there would be no Xiao Bao. I would be having nightmares for my entire life, unable to forget this child I had lost.”

The washerwoman gently stroked Xiao Bao’s head. In a burst of strength, she shattered the jade talisman, and a streak of purple light flew into the sky, heading toward an unknown destination.

“About five years ago, a cultivator showed up and asked me for Xiao Bao. He said he could take Xiao Bao in, teach him cultivation, and bring him to see his father.

“I didn’t believe him, so the cultivator left this jade talisman behind, telling me that Xiao Bao would meet with a great trial at age ten, and at that time I would naturally give him over.

“The moment I broke this talisman, Xiao Bao would belong to the cultivation sects and need to break all earthly attachments. He and I will have no connection from here on.”

As she spoke, her tears fell one after another, and even as she said she wanted to send Xiao Bao off, her arms were firmly wrapped around the child with no intention of letting go.

Dugu Zhuo wanted to tell her, ‘You don’t have to send him away. I’ll rescue him. I’ll teach him cultivation,’ yet his hand passed right through Xiao Bao’s body.

He couldn’t touch Xiao Bao. That was his past self, and Dugu Zhuo was incapable of coming into direct contact with his own past.

Very soon, a handsome young cultivator with a sword on his back arrived before the straw hut. He extended his hands to the washerwoman. “Give the child to me.”

The washerwoman was crying. “Can you really save him? Can you really let him live a good life, without suffering any more?”

“He will be the chief disciple of Qingtian Sect, and in the future, a supreme elder, ranking first or second in the cultivation world,” the sword cultivator answered.

“I don’t wish for great riches and prestige for him. I just want him to live well.” With shaking hands, the washerwoman handed her child over to the sword cultivator.

When the cultivator took Xiao Bao, Dugu Zhuo didn’t move an inch.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but he couldn’t. The arrangements of fate were playing out before him, and he was incapable of changing his own fate.

The rest of the group, however, stood to one side discussing the sword cultivator, while snapping screenshots like mad.

“He’s so handsome, so good-looking! He’s just slightly below Dugu Zhuo!”

“He looks real badass. I wonder if I can be as impressive as him someday.”

“Mrow, he looks full of vital essence. I wish I could still steal people’s essence.”

As the three players blatantly spoke their own desires, Ye Zhou couldn’t help but look at Dugu Zhuo.

The swordsman exchanged a few more words with the washerwoman, then used a spell to dissipate the yin energy within Xiao Bao’s body, upon which Xiao Bao’s complexion instantly improved. The washerwoman wrapped up the still-warm beggar’s chicken and gave it to the sword cultivator.

“There’s no need,” he said. “I will naturally ensure he eats and drinks well.”

“But…” The washerwoman frantically stuffed the chicken into Xiao Bao’s arms. Before she could finish saying her words, the cultivator took the child and flew into the clouds, departing the little town.

The washerwoman stared into the sky in a daze. She said in a light voice, “I was thinking I could have a good meal together with Xiao Bao, and bid him a proper goodbye.”

Who knew whether Xiao Bao would get to eat that beggar’s chicken hastily shoved into his arms.

After the sword cultivator departed, a system notification rang out across the server. “Dugu Zhuo, Yi Ye Pian Zhou, Long @ Aotian, Qingyue love, and Jet Black have completed the first main storyline quest—Sending off a Child—and undone the Torch Dragon’s curse. Tonight, the game will be closed from hours 0 to 5 to undergo maintenance. After maintenance, the Netherworld map will be officially opened, bordering the northern side of town. Day and night will be once again divided, into the Eternal Night District and the Eternal Day District, so that humans and spirits can level up in the Eternal Day District, while demons, ghosts, and some yao can level up in the Eternal Night District.

“After both districts have been open for one week, the game will enter official release. All players will be able to register for the game by purchasing a VR helmet, and the currency exchange will be opened. We wish each player an enjoyable xianxia journey within Nine Heavens!”

“Wow!” players exclaimed one after another. “What a fresh mechanic!”

As the entire game was stirred into chaos by the server-wide announcement, Dugu Zhuo stared at his own hands.

The moment the system had announced the completion of the first main quest, that Earthly Soul he was missing had been restored.