◎Can You Call It Stealing When You’re a Player?◎
Nangong Yu was terribly curious. “What happened to her? What did she do? Did she run off with the demons too?”
“More or less, but she had even less shame than that.” The male cultivator curled his lip. He seemed to think even mentioning her sullied his mouth. “She fell in love with a demon spy, opened the sect’s barrier from the inside, and let a whole host of demons in. Qingyun Sect nearly suffered a massacre.”
Nangong Yu was startled. “Demons?”
This instance had demons in it besides the beastfolk?
“Little girl, demons and beastfolk are different.” The female cultivator explained seriously. “The beastfolk simply live apart from us humans, on the other side of the sea. There’s no generational hatred between us.”
“But demons were sealed in another realm ten thousand years ago. They hate humanity to the bone.”
Since this concerned the instance’s backstory, Nangong Yu listened attentively.
“Ten thousand years ago, most of the sages of our human race perished before they finally managed to seal away the demons, who were bloodthirsty by nature. Anyone who opens the barrier and releases the demons is a traitor to the human race!”
That was an inviolable bottom line!
Nangong Yu understood. “So, did that genius senior die?”
The female cultivator paused. “There’s been no word of it. Qingyun Sect covered up the matter, and no news has come out since.”
A cultivator at the next table cut in, “How could a sect’s disgrace be made public?”
They had been listening to other people’s conversation, so naturally, others had been listening to theirs as well.
“If it’s a disgrace, then how does everyone know about it?” Nangong Yu asked, puzzled.
The cultivator at the next table replied, “An incident that large couldn’t possibly be hidden. Countless disciples of Qingyun Sect died, and dozens of mountain peaks collapsed. How could they keep that secret?”
“So everything else couldn’t be concealed, but they somehow managed to hide the genius senior’s fate?” Nangong Yu was even more confused.
The cultivator was rendered speechless. “When you put it that way, I suppose they did.”
He chuckled with a hint of mockery. “A genius who formed his Golden Core at fifteen—and formed two of them at that—was blessed by the Great Dao. How could someone like that give up his life for a mere mortal?”
Qingyun Sect had kept the news under wraps and refused to spread it, but that didn’t mean other people couldn’t figure it out.
Anyone could have guessed it—one only needed a single strand of hair’s worth of imagination. That genius talisman cultivator had to still be alive.
It had been more than thirty years since the incident.
In another thirty-some years, how many people would still remember it?
“It’s hard! It’s hard being a rogue cultivator!” The cultivator at the next table shook his head, rose to his feet, and staggered away.
He had clearly been drinking something stronger than tea, despite what was in his cup.
“It’s hard being a rogue cultivator!” someone else echoed with a sigh.
All the glory belonged to other people. What did any of it have to do with rogue cultivators like them?
“The major sects set their admission standards too high. People like us can’t get in.”
“The minor sects have few resources, too many rules, and no appeal.”
“The aristocratic families only care about bloodlines. No matter how good our cultivation or talent is, we’re nothing more than hired muscle to them.”
The crowd commiserated with one another, then turned to discussing a certain secret realm that would open in another twenty years—a rare opportunity that rogue cultivators would be able to share in.
Some people were forming groups to venture into the desert.
Others were selling magical artifacts in exchange for what they needed.
No one noticed the mortal girl quietly slipping away from the corner.
At the same time, a gray, dusty figure appeared by the back gate of the Lin residence.
“My lord, do you have any work for me?”
Liu Shun had just returned from making purchases. One foot was already over the threshold when an eager voice called out to him.
He turned and saw a mortal girl dressed in the plainest sort of clothing, with patches sewn over her elbows and knees.
Even though she was washed clean, she was still an eyesore in the eyes of the steward of the Lin residence.
He lifted his foot and continued inside. Nangong Yu hurried after him. “My lord!”
“My lord, I can do anything!”
Liu Shun couldn’t be bothered to pay her any attention. But when she grabbed his sleeve, his brows drew together, and he raised a hand to strike her.
“My lord…”
The timid voice, along with several glittering stones exposed in her palm, brought his descending arm to a halt.
He arched a brow and finally looked properly at the audacious mortal girl who had stopped him. “Where did you steal those?”
How could a mortal have spirit stones?
Of course a mortal could have spirit stones. This was a city of cultivators, and spirit stones were its only currency.
Cultivators were proud and disdained lowly manual labor, so countless mortals lived in the city, performing all kinds of tasks.
“My lord, please give me some work.” Nangong Yu pleaded, “I’m very hardworking. I can do all sorts of things. You can pay me whatever you like—or not pay me at all. I only ask that you give me food and somewhere to sleep!”
Of the four great clans in Sunset City, Nangong Yu had spent three days loitering in the teahouse, and the Lin clan was the one people talked about most.
How could that not count as a sign?
Liu Shun looked down at the mortal girl who had dared to block his way. She had clearly washed and combed herself carefully, leaving her face clean and fair.
In a city filled with cultivators, where beautiful men and women were everywhere, she possessed a certain prettiness, but nothing particularly remarkable.
Yet when Liu Shun met her bright, limpid eyes, an inexplicable stir rose in his heart.
“You’re willing to work without pay?” he asked.
Nangong Yu nodded rapidly. “Yes, yes! Thank you, my lord, for giving me this opportunity!”
“All right, then.” Seeing how readily she had climbed up the pole he’d offered, Liu Shun gave a derisive chuckle and snatched the scattered spirit stones from her palm. “Once you enter the residence, you’ll do your work properly. If you dare mention your wages even once—”
Nangong Yu nodded like a pecking chick.
“Come with me.” Satisfied, Liu Shun turned and walked through the gate.
Nangong Yu followed behind him and successfully infiltrated the Lin residence.
Miss Lin Qi had reached Foundation Establishment, and the Lin clan was holding a banquet for her. With so many guests arriving, the residence was urgently in need of extra hands.
It was perfectly reasonable for her to pass herself off as a servant. As she walked inside, she casually removed the title she had just equipped.
[Just Listen to Her: While equipped, this title gives the target a chance to listen seriously to what you say.]
This was a title she had received after clearing an instance of intermediate difficulty.
Like [Why Are You Provoking Her?], it didn’t work one hundred percent of the time.
It couldn’t be used on a stubborn person. Otherwise, it would trigger Berserk without fail. Not only would they refuse to listen to her, they would beat her bloody.
Nangong Yu wasn’t worried about Liu Shun. For stubborn people, she had other titles.
The infinite-flow game was stingy. The farther one progressed, the less willing it was to provide useful items. It handed out plenty of titles that cost nothing, though.
“You’ll work in the kitchen from now on.” Liu Shun led Nangong Yu to a courtyard and pointed at the stacks of wood piled in one corner. “Start by chopping firewood.”
With that, he folded his hands behind his back and stood to the side.
Nangong Yu realized that he was testing her performance. If she did a poor job chopping wood, even this unpaid position would be snatched away from her.
“Yes, my lord.”
She walked over to the woodpile and deftly picked up the ax, raising it above her head.
Crack—
Crack—
Crack!
After three swings, a piece of wood as thick as a bowl had been split in two.
Liu Shun didn’t tell her to stop, so Nangong Yu continued chopping.
She maintained a steady rhythm without hurrying. At first, she split one piece every three strikes. Gradually, it took four strikes to split each piece.
Liu Shun’s expression grew rather dissatisfied.
“My lord, I haven’t eaten since last night, so I don’t have much strength.” Nangong Yu wiped the false sweat from her brow. “If I eat something, I’ll do a much better job.”
Liu Shun curled his lip and left her with a single instruction before walking away. “Finish chopping the wood.”
The pile of firewood in the corner was as high as the courtyard wall. Who knew how many years it would take to finish?
But he hadn’t said that she couldn’t eat, sleep, or take a walk until the job was done.
Nangong Yu was chopping vegetables at a leisurely pace.
"Newcomer, go pour out the swill."
"Newcomer, get me a stool."
"Newcomer, come here and fan me."
The busy NPCs in the kitchen all bossed Nangong Yu around, and even those who had arrived just two days earlier than her were no exception.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"
"If you keep slacking off, I'll tell Steward Liu!"
Nangong Yu casually grabbed a handful of spiritual sparrow eggs and stuffed them into her pocket. Then she picked up a spiritual vegetable that looked like a radish and took a crisp bite.
Tell on her? She was personally brought in by Liu Shun. If there was a problem on the first day, wouldn't it be slapping him in the face?
Most importantly, she did the work while Liu Shun got the money.
Whose side would Liu Shun take?
"You're quite bold. How dare you steal food!" an elderly servant shouted.
Nangong Yu looked up. "Haven't you all been eating?"
In the large kitchen, everyone was using excuses like "I'll taste if it's cooked", "I'll taste the saltiness", and "Is there something wrong with this dish today?" and never stopped munching.
If they could eat, why couldn't she? Nangong Yu was a bit annoyed. "Let me show you what real stealing is!"
Calling it stealing was such an ugly word!
For players, it couldn't be called stealing!
It was called gathering supplies!
Nangong Yu raised her hand, and wherever her palm swept, the ingredients vanished like magic.
Spirit - filled fruits, green and glistening vegetable hearts, spiritual flowers with intertwining glows, and crystal - clear spiritual beast meat with a jade - like sheen...
In this large area, vats of spiritual spring water and plates of ingredients simply disappeared right in front of everyone's eyes.
"——!!"
Finally, someone let out the first scream. "What are you doing?!"
"Help! Someone's stealing!"
"Quick, catch her!"
"You're a cultivator!" someone shrieked, finally noticing the key point. "You're not a mortal!"
When mortals hid things, they would put them in bowls, in pouches, or under firewood piles. There were always visible traces.
The way Nangong Yu hid the stolen things in an invisible place was a cultivator's method!
"Steward Liu! There's a cultivator!"
"A cultivator is stealing—"
This person was quickly covered by someone next to him. "What are you shouting about?!"
Daring to say a cultivator was stealing? Were they crazy?
Some people ran outside to fetch Liu Shun.
Some tried to stop them, hoping to keep the chaos within the kitchen, because after all, Liu Shun had a terrible temper.
Some others rushed towards Nangong Yu and surrounded her to prevent her from escaping.
The scene was extremely chaotic.
Nangong Yu calmly popped a cooked meatball into her mouth.
It was said that the meatball was made from the breast meat of young chickens that ate spiritual herbs and drank spiritual spring water. The meat was finely pounded and shaped into balls, then steamed in a high - broth made from thirty - six kinds of medicinal herbs.
Third Miss Lin loved this dish very much.
"Stop eating!" The servant in charge of this dish had red - rimmed eyes. "You can't eat any more!"
Third Miss Lin had a bad temper, but originally it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, which cultivator had a good temper?
However, Third Miss Lin was very generous and often gave out spirit stones. They could make a large quantity of this dish, select the best - looking ones to send to the miss, and keep the rest for themselves.
Was she just eating Third Miss Lin's meatballs? No, she was eating their share!
"Go eat something else!" Unable to stop her, the servant tried to divert the trouble. He immediately recommended other dishes to her. "Over there. That one is delicious!"
Nangong Yu was quite fair. She tasted every dish. If it was good, she would toss it into her space.
The servants in the kitchen felt as if they were going to faint, and then faint again.
