Free Web NovelAlthough there were no other players around, causing Li Nian to almost blurt out "Zhu Ming," she still forced herself to hold back.
Even if no other players were present, Li Nian knew it was best to form a habit—before this [dungeon] ended, she should maintain the same address for Lin Yu without changing.
But still...
"Sister Yao, I never expected you to find me so quickly. We really are connected by heart, aren't we?"
Li Nian grinned as she linked her arm through Lin Yu's.
Lin Yu glanced at her helplessly, lowering his voice. "My current persona isn't the type to be this intimate with you."
Li Nian pouted. "Since there are no other players around right now, a little intimacy shouldn't hurt, should it?"
"That's what you say, but what if we suddenly run into those three?"
As Lin Yu spoke, Li Nian pondered for a moment before coming up with an answer. "Then we'll just let them think that since we met first, something happened between us to heat things up." freewebnøvel.coɱ
"For example, you saving me... besides, that's even true. You did just save me."
Hearing Li Nian's words, Lin Yu sighed.
"What I saved was clearly that thief."
He grabbed one of Li Nian's hands; her palm was already clenched around the utility knife.
If Lin Yu hadn't kicked that guy flying first, Li Nian would have slit his throat without a doubt.
Although Li Nian mostly acted like she had no combat ability and was keen on avoiding fights, with her reaction speed and the short distance against a petty thief with no special abilities, she could definitely take him out in one strike.
Li Nian put on a heartbroken expression. "Oh dear, and here I thought you were actually worried about me..."
"But, Sister Yao, are you really the type to care about innocent natives' lives?"
Lin Yu's mouth twitched. "How could that be—I just think that since this 'Willow Town' is a past illusion created by 'Causality Silk,' it's best not to do anything radical like 'killing' before we understand the town's specific workings."
Hearing Lin Yu's words, Li Nian nodded thoughtfully. "Well said. You're the one who thinks things through. I completely didn't consider that angle."
In the brief moment they were chatting, the town's officials arrived. freewebnøvel.com
Although every town in the Prison Mountain Realm was basically an independent entity, they still followed rules based on the Daoist sects' regulations, expanded by each town's own bylaws, forming a system of "order and law." Naturally, there were also "law enforcement agencies."
Smaller villages relied on clan laws for enforcement, with patrols and militia-like roles. Some places simply depended on a Martial Arts School to maintain order.
Larger towns often had mayors or even yamen offices—remnants from the era when the Two Mountains, Six Hells still had dynasties and nations. Naturally, they also had more formal positions like constables and soldiers.
Willow Town, once the largest town in Fire Hell, was no exception.
Soon, the officials learned the situation from the gathered crowd and hauled away the petty thief, who had just barely recovered, in chains.
As for Lin Yu and Li Nian... naturally, no further action was needed.
The Prison Mountain Realm was, after all, a world reminiscent of ancient times. With its unique environment and the existence of martial arts, acts of bravery like this were commonplace.
A thief steals, gets caught, and gets beaten half to death—too normal.
The difference was that Lin Yu had taken him down in a single move—but that only earned a remark from the officials as they put on the cuffs: "What fine martial skill."
The officials weren't like modern police; they didn't need to take Lin Yu back to the station for a statement.
Soon, the crowd dispersed along with the thief being taken away, and the street returned to its usual lively but not overcrowded state.
Having dealt with the officials, Lin Yu was ready to leave with Li Nian.
"Let's go. We need to find the others as soon as possible and regroup," Lin Yu briefly shared his thoughts and plans with Li Nian. "But did you figure out your identity in this town?"
"Pretty easy to guess. Probably the daughter of some small merchant on this street," Li Nian waved her hand. "A lot of the people watching seemed to know me. Before the thief showed up, quite a few street vendors even greeted me, asking if I'd eaten... but no one called me by name, so it's hard to guess exactly which family the identity I've taken over belongs to."
"What about you? Did you figure out yours?"
Lin Yu shook his head helplessly. "No clue. When I first entered Willow Town, I was alone at the town entrance, with no one around who seemed to recognize me."
Li Nian looked Lin Yu up and down. "Hmm... judging by the material of your blue skirt—it's pretty good silk—maybe you're a noble lady from a prominent family?"
"Also, the skirt suits you well. It's beautiful—which also means your current identity should be from a wealthy or noble background."
As Li Nian analyzed, Lin Yu found it somewhat reasonable.
"Then let's find the other players and Mystic Cloud Master first, and start asking around about the big families in Willow Town."
"That said... the others probably won't be easy to find either."
Li Nian said pessimistically, "This town has a population of millions!"
Lin Yu nodded. "If we do a blanket search and rely on luck, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. After all, all our identities might be randomly assigned... but don't forget, although our starting points are random, our destination is the same."
"You mean... Zhu Qiansi!"
Li Nian realized suddenly.
"Exactly," Lin Yu nodded. "Right now, if we find Zhu Qiansi, we should be able to find the other players who came to rendezvous nearby—at the very least, we should be able to find Snowy Owl, High Mountain, and Mystic Cloud Master."
"Mystic Cloud Master goes without saying. That old Taoist probably has some mysterious method to directly locate us. He might even run into us on the road."
"Team Leader High Mountain seems like an experienced and wise man. He'll definitely realize we all share a 'common' goal," Lin Yu raised a finger. "So he should make the same judgment as us—head near the final target, Zhu Qiansi, and there's a high chance of meeting up with other players."
"As for Snowy Owl, she's more straightforward and aggressive. If she can't find her teammates, she might try to confront or investigate Zhu Qiansi on her own... That's exactly why we need to get there as soon as possible. In my opinion, contacting Zhu Qiansi is even riskier than killing someone. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can prevent her from doing anything too reckless!"
