Primordial Heavenly Venerable's words seemed to sever "Call Me Queen"'s voice, her radiant face now etched with astonishment as she scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing from head to toe, her disbelief palpable.
As a seasoned veteran of the forums, she had heard countless tales of the Songhai Branch's prodigious talent, actively participating in discussions about him. Though still only a Level 2 Nightwalker, he was already a celebrity figure.
Yet she never imagined she would be matched with this legendary figure in the Spirit Realm.
"Primordial Heavenly Venerable... is it really you? Is it really you?" Queen exclaimed, her gaze darting between Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya in excitement.
Guan Ya nodded slightly. "It's him."
"I can't believe I got matched with you!" Queen's excitement surged upon confirmation from her Songhai Branch colleague. "When we return to reality, I'm going to brag so hard on the forums—telling everyone I got matched with Primordial Heavenly Venerable!"
"Primordial Heavenly Venerable..." Huode Star General's eyes lit up, his expression eager as he pressed, "Is that the Primordial Heavenly Venerable from the Songhai Branch?"
Before I knew it, I had become a leading figure in the Transcendent Stage, a major star. Zhang Yuanqing smiled faintly. "I doubt there's another Primordial Heavenly Venerable in the entire Spirit Realm."
Chi Ou, a slightly chubby young man with a round face, looked puzzled. "Primordial Heavenly Venerable? Brother, are you famous?"
As an unaffiliated Walker, Chi Ou couldn't access the Five Elements Alliance's Official Forum. Due to his low level, he lacked an extensive intelligence network and had never heard of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's renowned name.
Queen immediately chimed in, "He's our official genius! He cleared two S-Rank spirit realms consecutively. At Level 1, he single-handedly killed a Level 3 Seductive Demon. At Level 2, he took down a Level 6 Witchcraft Master all by himself. And recently, he fought Li Xianzong alone—almost died, but stubbornly survived!"
No, you didn't need to mention that last part, Zhang Yuanqing thought, his smug expression stiffening slightly.
The Earth Fiend Chi Ou heard the story with a completely different reaction. His mouth widened, his expression growing increasingly exaggerated as he stared at Zhang Yuanqing as if he were an unattainable legend.
Someone like this... I got matched with him?
Even "Grass on the Plain," with his melancholic and reserved demeanor, couldn't help but repeatedly glance at Zhang Yuanqing.
Normally indifferent to strangers, he found it impossible to ignore this peer, only a few years his senior, after hearing about his terrifying combat achievements and impressive resume.
Having cleared two S-rank spirit realms, mastered Nightwalker, and slain an Evil Class opponent above his level, Li Chunfeng immediately shed his pessimism and exclaimed in delight:
"So we've been hiding a true powerhouse in our team! With you here, our chances of victory have skyrocketed. This game is definitely worth playing!"
In truth, the team also included another formidable figure: Guan Ya. She had been deliberately suppressing her score, losing non-Death Type spirit realms whenever possible to keep her hidden rating low. Yet her martial arts prowess was absurdly high.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yuanqing declared:
"Then I'll take on the role of Captain. Rest assured, I'll lead us all to victory in Yin-Yang Town."
"No problem!"
No one objected, except for Huode Star General and Queen. To the others, the Captain's role was simply to improve efficiency and minimize unnecessary conflicts; who held the position made little difference.
Since the team now had a "powerhouse," it made sense for him to lead—he would command respect and ensure unity.
Call Me Queen pursed her lips and huffed, "It depends on your performance. If you make a mistake in command, I'll seize control."
She didn't press the matter further.
Zhang Yuanqing wondered how well he needed to command to earn the Faction Token reward. He glanced back at the small town behind them.
"Time's running out. Let's go in."
The group passed through the paifang archway and entered the Ancient Town.
At another entrance to the town, Li Xianzong glanced down at his two companions sprawled on the ground, then at the four silent members of their group. He grinned.
"I'll be the captain. Any objections?"
A bald man grunted, "If you'd said you were Li Xianzong earlier, no one would have objected."
A gaunt middle-aged man chuckled, "Still, with two Level 3s on our side—one of them being Li Xianzong himself—the Orderly Faction is likely to have some heavy hitters too, given the matchmaking system."
Li Xianzong said proudly, "That's what makes it interesting, isn't it? I hope we get matched against one of the top ten Transcendent Stage fighters from The Officials. I'll kill one in the Spirit Realm, then take out Primordial Heavenly Venerable when we return. That'll end this Trial Mission early, and I can prepare for the mid-year Instance."
If everything went smoothly, he could accumulate considerable "wealth."
The gaunt middle-aged man smirked lewdly. "I just hope there are some exceptionally beautiful women in the Orderly Faction. Nothing's more thrilling than humiliating them."
He had indulged in similar acts during his previous Multiplayer Spirit Realm expeditions.
"Enough chatter! Follow me!"
Li Xianzong led his team through the archway and into the small town.
As the seven-member group advanced along the wide stone-paved road, a prompt soon appeared in their ears:
[ Find Blacksmith Wang's workshop within ten minutes. ]
"Granny Wang?"
The Huode Star General, never one to shy away from asking questions, inquired, "How are we supposed to find Granny Wang? We saw cowherds outside just now, but they've vanished since we entered the town. Could this be an abandoned town?"
Their prompt instructed them to find Granny Wang's home within ten minutes.
Now, they walked through the silent streets of the Ancient Town—no birds chirping, no dogs barking. The doors of the houses on either side were tightly shut, as if they were the only inhabitants of this ancient place.
Li Chunfeng solemnly corrected the Fire Master's mistake. "If this were an abandoned town, why would we be tasked with finding Granny Wang?"
Huode Star General, too lazy to think, asked casually, "Where's Granny Wang? This Ancient Town is huge—who knows where she's hiding? We only have ten minutes. Hey, Queen, right? Didn't you read the strategy guide?"
"Call Me Queen" glanced around as she spoke:
"Oh, I forgot to tell you—Yin-Yang Town is a constantly changing instance. The main storyline remains the same: the Orderly Faction versus the Evil Faction. But the specific tasks vary. Some strategy guides had players searching for Blacksmith Wang, others solving town murders, and some even navigating mazes. The most terrifying one is the Midnight Instance."
"Midnight Instance?" Chi Ou, the round-faced youth, asked curiously. "Why is it the most terrifying?"
"If you enter the instance at midnight, it forces you to stay at the inn. Each night, someone dies, and you have to identify the killer to leave. You can't use any skills either," Queen explained.
"How long does that take? And they still didn't lose?" Li Chunfeng analyzed the situation, clearly surprised.
"The Evil Faction probably ran into even more trouble that time," Queen speculated.
"The core of this trial remains the same: resolve the incident, obtain the corresponding item, and we can leave this area. Otherwise, we'll be trapped here indefinitely.
"We don't know what incident we need to resolve this time. We'll probably only find out when we meet Granny Wang."
She turned her head to look at Zhang Yuanqing, her smile alluring.
"Heavenly Venerable, what's your take on this? We need to find Granny Wang within ten minutes, and we've already wasted four."
Seeing his teammates' expectant gazes, Zhang Yuanqing, as if prepared for this, replied, "This isn't difficult. I had a plan all along, just waiting for you all to finish your pointless chatter."
With that, he took a deep breath and roared, "Granny Wang, where are you?!"
He repeated the shout five or six times, his voice carrying farther and farther.
His companions stared in stunned silence, exchanging bewildered glances. Has he gone mad? Is this how you find someone?
Just then, from a narrow alleyway to their left, an elderly woman emerged. Her silver hair framed a wrinkled face, and she leaned heavily on a cane, her frail frame trembling.
Her back was slightly hunched, and her voice, raspy with age, croaked, "Who are you? What do you want with this old woman?"
This actually worked?! The team was dumbfounded.
"How did you know calling out to her would make her appear?" Huode Star General asked.
Zhang Yuanqing chuckled softly. "I didn't. I was just trying my luck. This Ancient Town is vast, and finding an elderly woman within ten minutes by searching aimlessly would be impossible. The Spirit Realm wouldn't present a guaranteed death scenario right from the start."
Huode Star General nodded in realization. "No wonder you're a powerhouse who's cleared two S-Rank spirit realms."
Zhang Yuanqing led the group forward. After waiting a few seconds and receiving no prompts from the Spirit Realm, he spoke up:
"Granny, we're travelers new to this place. We were wondering if we could trouble you for some water. We're also quite hungry and would be happy to pay."
In situations without prompts, players typically need to trigger the plot themselves.
"Travelers, eh?" Granny Wang's slightly clouded eyes swept over the group as she spoke slowly. "Guests from afar are always welcome. Come with me. No need for payment."
With a shaky turn, she leaned on her cane and shuffled into the narrow alleyway.
Zhang Yuanqing and the others immediately followed. The alley floor was paved with cobblestones, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Perpetual shade and dampness had allowed moss to thrive along the walls.
Similar alleyways crisscrossed the Ancient Town, forming a dense web like a spider's lair.
Guan Ya quickened her pace, whispering into Zhang Yuanqing's ear, "Did you notice she's not wearing modern clothes? I'm not very familiar with ancient history, so I can't tell which dynasty it's from."
Guan Ya had grown up abroad.
"It looks a bit like the Song Dynasty, but also a bit like the Tang Dynasty," Zhang Yuanqing said uncertainly.
Li Chunfeng, who was following behind, interjected, "It's from the early Ming Dynasty. Ming Dynasty clothing varied greatly between the early, middle, and late periods. The commoners' attire in the early Ming Dynasty imitated Tang Dynasty styles, but with slight deviations that make it easily identifiable.
"Moreover, the architectural style of this Ancient Town is also typical of the Ming Dynasty. It's certainly not like anything from the Tang or Song Dynasties."
As expected of a Scholar, his knowledge is truly vast, Zhang Yuanqing thought, turning to Guan Ya. "I was just about to say it looked like the early Ming Dynasty."
Guan Ya rolled her eyes at him, then whispered, "The Yin-Yang Wanderer was active during the early Ming Dynasty? That aligns with the Goddess of Sandaoshan's background."
Before Zhang Yuanqing could respond, Li Chunfeng added,
"In the Transcendent Phase, the Spirit Realm backgrounds are either modern or Ming Dynasty—only those two. But from what I know, Saint Stage Instances can feature the Song Dynasty. As for the reason, I'm not entirely sure."
The Instance backgrounds in the Transcendent Phase are limited to modern and Ming Dynasty settings, while the Saint Stage can include the Song Dynasty. Right, last time at the Sandaoshan Goddess Temple, the Temple Steward mentioned revealing a secret to the Master about the rise and fall of dynasties over the past millennium.
Whether that was just a ploy to deceive disciples or genuine remains uncertain. The Yin-Yang Wanderer and the Old Hag were contemporaries, so perhaps he left some clues here. I also need to keep an eye out for the hidden quest the demon lord mentioned, though I haven't found any leads yet.
Lost in thought, Granny Wang led the group to an ancient courtyard.
The courtyard's gate was dilapidated, its rusty door rings hanging from a copper lock.
After fumbling around for a while, Granny Wang produced a key and unlocked the gate.
The courtyard's architectural style was a classic courtyard house, with buildings on three sides surrounding an open space. The overhanging eaves formed a square skylight in the center.
The most striking impression of such houses is their dim, gloomy atmosphere.
The ancient wooden structure, weathered by time, was covered in signs of decay, adding to its eerie atmosphere.
Granny Wang, leaning on her cane, stepped over the threshold and glanced back from the shadows.
"Come in," she said.
Zhang Yuanqing hesitated briefly before Huode Star General, ever brash, strode across the threshold first.
The group entered the house and gathered beneath the courtyard. To the left was a spacious living room furnished with a round table and several round stools, all coated in thick layers of dust, as if abandoned for years.
"It's been many years since we've had guests," Granny Wang said, wiping the dust with her sleeve. "My old legs make it hard to keep up with the cleaning. Please make yourselves comfortable. I'll fetch some tea."
With that, she shuffled into the room to the right of the courtyard, her hunched back disappearing into the shadows.
Guan Ya lowered her voice. "Look up."
Up? Huode Star General instinctively tilted his head back and gasped.
Hanging from the rafters above were rows of skinned cats, suspended like a grotesque meat forest. Their eyes, wide and staring, were both eerie and terrifying.
Why is Granny Wang hanging so many cats here? Is she making cured meat? Zhang Yuanqing's wariness deepened.
Guan Ya continued, "Did you notice the door was locked earlier?"
"What's the problem with that?" Chi Ou, the round-faced youth, asked, munching on a lotus root.
Guan Ya shook her head. "Locking the door isn't the issue. But I estimated the distance from the main street to here earlier—it's only fifty or sixty meters. Is there really any need to lock the door for such a short distance?"
In a place like this, there's no concept of theft prevention. Granny Wang's mobility is limited. Why bother locking the door for such a short distance?
Call Me Queen understood immediately, her expression turning thoughtful. "She's afraid someone might sneak in while she's gone, or... perhaps she's afraid something inside the house might sneak out?"