After Yan Wei turned and walked in, he wanted to look at Yan Mingguang’s expression but felt that he had maintained his composure all this way, and turning back now would seem like he was losing his momentum. Yan Mingguang wasn’t doing this for the first time. Back in the Puppet Castle, this man had already started helping him while keeping him in the dark. At that time, Yan Wei had gotten slightly angry, but as his memories and data gradually returned, the matter had been left unresolved.
If he let Yan Mingguang off the hook so easily this time, would there be a next time?
Or perhaps… that lingering unease he had always felt, that suspicion he knew deep down but never voiced, that small fragment of memory that seemed to be missing—could it all be related to Yan Mingguang’s self-imposed sacrifices?
He wasn’t really a person who got angry easily, and even when he did, it never amounted to much.
Rather than being angry, it was more about showing Yan Mingguang an attitude, letting him know where he stood.
So, with his back straight, Yan Wei walked into Mr. Bai’s courtyard with an outwardly calm demeanor, his Perception subtly spreading out to gauge Yan Mingguang’s reaction.
From behind, he seemed to hear a brief exchange between Yan Mingguang and Lin Qing. Yan Wei focused his hearing, catching Yan Mingguang asking a few short questions about the previous night’s events. Lin Zhen was also nearby, and while Lin Qing didn’t say much, it was mostly Lin Zhen who recounted the details. Yan Mingguang’s steps were steady, occasionally responding with a soft “Mm.”
Lin Zhen, as always, was reliable in critical moments. Although he mentioned Geng Liang, he followed Yan Wei’s instructions and didn’t reveal in front of everyone that Geng Liang was one of their own.
However, after Lin Zhen finished speaking, Yan Mingguang fell silent for a moment, not even offering a simple “Mm.”
With Yan Mingguang’s intelligence, even if Lin Zhen didn’t say it outright…
—Yan Mingguang should know why he was upset.
Feeling reassured, Yan Wei was about to retract his Perception when, from behind, a sharp yet gentle wave of Perception suddenly collided with his own before he could withdraw it.
Yan Wei: “…”
Caught off guard, he stumbled over the threshold in front of him, lurching forward. The person behind him reacted quickly. Before Yan Wei could steady himself, Yan Mingguang had already caught him.
The young attendant nearby said, “Be careful.”
Yan Wei glanced sideways at Yan Mingguang.
“Sorry.”
He always apologized so quickly.
Yan Wei averted his gaze, shaking off Yan Mingguang’s hand, and said indifferently, “I’m not angry.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
It sounded too much like a pointless tantrum. Yan Mingguang seemed to understand every one of his reactions, knowing both what he was upset about and the fact that he was putting on a front—they had walked through life and death twice, after all. They were the ones who understood each other best.
In truth, they both knew everything.
Yan Wei suddenly felt that questioning and getting angry were meaningless. He knew why Yan Mingguang kept things from him, and Yan Mingguang knew how he would react. Everything was clear. He stopped talking, straightened his robes, and continued following the attendant.
The group remained silent, save for Zhong Bufan’s incessant chatter as he hovered around Song Cheng’an, asking this and that.
Mr. Bai’s courtyard was located at the back of the academy, down a small path surrounded by snow, quiet and secluded. On either side were rock formations, with some greenery still visible, though in the depths of winter, only barren stones remained, adding a touch of desolation. Ahead was an open bamboo hut, inside which only a low couch and a tea table could be seen. Mr. Bai was already sitting there, waiting, the surroundings clean and sparse.
The entire Guanyin Town had this atmosphere—cold and desolate, with a hint of eeriness. But Mr. Bai’s place felt only vast, devoid of any human presence, unlike the lofty and virtuous air of the Guanyin Academy. This residence didn’t seem to carry any emotion at all.
Next to the bamboo hut was a simple stage.
Yan Wei paused slightly as he looked at the stage. The attendant, without needing to be asked, answered his unspoken question, “The master enjoys listening to operas, but in recent years… the town has been unsettled, and there aren’t many stages left outside. So he built one himself. When he has free time, he occasionally invites the few remaining opera troupes in town to perform, to pass the time.”
“Mr. Bai certainly has refined tastes.”
“Of course,” the attendant smiled. “The master is the most learned person in Guanyin Town. Even the monks at the Guanyin Temple hold him in high esteem. But with great prestige comes great responsibility. In these years of unrest in the town, the master has been deeply troubled and worried. Not just him, who isn’t worried? I tremble every night when I sleep, afraid that some evil thing will come for me.”
Yan Wei looked away from the stage and said, “It will be resolved.”
He followed the attendant to the bamboo hut. The attendant called out, “Master, they’ve arrived.”
“Come in directly.”
The attendant stepped aside.
Yan Wei entered first. Mr. Bai was sitting by the tea table, waiting for them. A pot of wine was heating on the stove, the air filled with its intoxicating aroma, masking the chill of the snow outside.
Mr. Bai was dressed in simple robes, his hair tied up, with no additional adornments. His features weren’t particularly striking, but he could still be considered handsome, with a strong scholarly air, entirely different from the common folk Yan Wei had seen these past few days.
The tea table already had the exact number of cushions laid out.
Yan Mingguang, knowing Yan Wei’s fastidiousness, patted a cushion clean and handed it to him. Yan Wei took it and, as he sat down, noticed Yan Mingguang naturally taking a seat beside him.
To discreetly observe the details, Yan Wei had chosen the seat at the very edge. Song Cheng’an walked in, saw Yan Wei’s position, and reluctantly took the center seat, engaging in small talk with Mr. Bai.
Zhong Bufan, though usually annoyingly talkative, proved useful in moments like this. He and Song Cheng’an exchanged a few words with Mr. Bai, breaking the ice in the room.
Yan Wei took advantage of the time to look around.
He didn’t sense the presence of any Items. Apart from daily necessities, the room was filled with paper, brushes, and books. There were especially many books, with an entire shelf dedicated to a wide range of topics. From highbrow classics to popular opera scripts, everything was there.
Mr. Bai poured each of them a cup of wine to warm them up.
Yan Wei took a sip, then stood up and walked around casually. Holding the warm cup, he approached the bookshelf, scanning the titles. He wasn’t well-versed in the literature of this era, recognizing many titles from memory but not knowing their contents, nor was he particularly interested.
Instead, he was more familiar with the opera scripts, spotting titles like “The Heavenly Match” and “The Butterfly Lovers.”
“Could you do me a favor?”
Yan Wei was startled and turned to meet Mr. Bai’s gaze.
Mr. Bai didn’t mind Yan Wei’s casual browsing and said, “Since you’re already standing, could you fetch a book for me?”
Yan Wei nodded, “Sure.”
Mr. Bai pointed to a spot on the bookshelf, and Yan Wei pulled out a book.
As soon as the book was removed, everyone except Mr. Bai had a subtle change in expression—it was an Item!
“I feel guilty for disturbing you all. Some of you have come from afar with evil-warding artifacts, and yet I… failed to bring back the monk.” Mr. Bai pointed to the book Yan Wei had taken out. “Over the years, I couldn’t bear to see so many people die mysteriously, so I searched for a long time and finally found this method to resolve the Black Sea issue. This book contains the ritual to suppress the evil using artifacts. The items are all ready, but I’ve been to the Shen Estate in secret, and the coffin is filled with Resentment. It must be purified by a monk before the suppression ritual can be performed. But the monk met with an accident, and now only the Guanyin’s sacred water can purify the Resentment.”
Mr. Bai’s eyes were filled with worry. “I don’t want to involve you all in Guanyin Town’s troubles. I’ll ask you to leave the evil-warding items with me, and I’ll think of another way. You can check the method in this book to verify if I’m telling the truth. As for these items, I can exchange them with what I have. You can leave Guanyin Town first, to avoid being targeted by the evil.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the instance’s notification sounded in the minds of everyone in their faction.
[Congratulations, players. You have fully understood the Black Sea dilemma in Guanyin Town and discovered the source of the problem. All players in this faction have gained 10% progress on the main quest. Your faction currently has more main quest progress. Please strive to maintain this.]
[The instance has entered the next stage. Please note that your current task is—to suppress the Resentment.]
[This task is the same for both factions. Only the first to complete it will receive the progress reward and successfully resolve the situation.]
The group exchanged glances, understanding the implications.
Mr. Bai suggested they leave first because he was an NPC. Their task was to take on this responsibility and resolve the evil haunting Guanyin Town.
Song Cheng’an looked at Yan Wei, who nodded. Song Cheng’an then said, “Since we’ve come this far, leaving now and leaving the problem to you alone would be too irresponsible. If you don’t mind, why not entrust this ritual to us? I’m in this line of work, and I’ll think of a way with everyone over the next few days.”
Song Cheng’an wasn’t wrong.
His skill was setting up formations, and his role in this instance was that of a Taoist priest, making him the most suitable to take on this task.
When he proposed it, Mr. Bai considered it seriously and said, “If there’s any danger, please let me know immediately.”
The task was thus accepted.
Yan Wei handed the ritual to Song Cheng’an. In this area, Song Cheng’an was more skilled than him.
They needed to race against time to find the Guanyin’s sacred water and capture the female ghost formed from Jiang Jingyun’s Resentment. There was no need to linger here. The group made a show of taking their leave, and as Yan Wei slowly stood up, he heard Mr. Bai say to him, “It’s cold outside. Finish this cup of wine before you go.”
Yan Wei wasn’t much of a drinker, but the cup wasn’t large, so he didn’t refuse and downed it in one go.
The strong aroma of wine filled the air, intoxicating the senses.
Mr. Bai saw them out. As Yan Wei stepped over the threshold, he suddenly said, “Master.”
The lofty scholar turned to him, a gentle smile on his face, “Yes?”
“I’m not a person who can settle my mind easily. I haven’t read much, and many of my views are based on what I’ve seen and heard. Most people around me are the same. This is the first time I’ve met someone as well-read as you, and I suddenly want to ask a question.”
Mr. Bai looked at him.
Yan Wei didn’t know why he wanted to ask an NPC this question. He had always been somewhat indifferent to NPCs. No matter how vivid or real they seemed, they weren’t from his world. But he suddenly remembered Yan Mingguang’s words—to these NPCs, they were the ones passing through.
Perhaps, in their eyes, the players were the incomplete ones, the fleeting strangers.
No one was illusory.
He asked, “Master, you want to resolve the evil in Guanyin Town, but in truth, you could leave Guanyin Town. With your wealth, it wouldn’t be difficult, right?”
Mr. Bai seemed taken aback.
“When it comes to the individual versus the many, have you ever made a choice?”
This time, Mr. Bai chuckled.
“The world’s books and manuscripts are countless. Even if my bamboo hut were filled with books, I couldn’t claim to have read them all. But among the books I’ve read, there’s no answer to this question. When you ask this, are you seeking my guidance or my decision? But if this question truly had a fixed answer, it wouldn’t be a question.”
Outside, heavy snow had begun to fall. Standing at the door, the cold wind from outside clashed with the warm aroma of wine inside, leaving him both clear-headed and dazed. Snowflakes drifted down, one landing on Yan Wei’s eyelashes, slightly blurring his vision.
At that moment, Geng Liang sent him a message.
He blinked and said, “It seems you’ve thought about this question too. I’ll go search for the Guanyin’s sacred water.”
Yan Wei stepped out from under the bamboo hut’s eaves and walked into the snow, heading toward Yan Mingguang, who was waiting for him at the courtyard gate. The snow was heavy, and in just a short while, a few flakes had already settled on Yan Mingguang’s shoulders. Yan Wei instinctively reached up to brush them off.
“Not angry anymore?” Yan Mingguang asked.
Yan Wei gritted his teeth, “I was never angry.”
“Alright, you weren’t angry, but I’m sorry. I was worried about putting you in a difficult position.”
“I know what you’re thinking, and I won’t act rashly or give up this final instance for you. The instance’s notification didn’t say what would happen to the losing side. As long as we don’t take unnecessary risks, at worst, we’ll just miss out on some rewards. After successfully resolving the situation, players who didn’t die but failed will return to the Tower World. If I manage to exchange for Pandora’s Box, everything will be the same. We’ll just be missing one Pandora’s Box.”
Yan Mingguang took his hand, warming Yan Wei’s ice-cold fingertips.
Yan Wei leaned in closer and whispered, “Just now, Geng Liang—oh, the one who ‘switched’ factions with you, our ally—sent me a message. Your faction has information about the sacred water. The monk who helped the Shen family back then had the Guanyin’s sacred water. He took it to the Shen Estate but died before he could use it. So, the sacred water is actually in the Shen Estate. It’s just that neither of our factions has found it yet. They’re in the Shen Estate, so they have the advantage. We need to find a way to sneak in and seize the sacred water.”
“You’ve already thought of a way.”
“The Shen family is planning to take a few girls from the Ten Thousand Flowers Brothel these next couple of days. Feng Xian is dead, but the brothel still has to provide girls. Don’t you think they’re probably scrambling to find a replacement who can go to the Shen Estate?”
As he spoke, his eyes sparkled, locking onto Yan Mingguang.
Yan Mingguang’s gaze flickered, and he sighed, “Still saying you’re not angry? Isn’t this just taking advantage of the situation to get back at me?”
“So, you’re agreeing,” Yan Wei said, his fingertips lightly scratching Yan Mingguang’s palm, “Miss Yan.”
