The thin man knelt before the shrine, and as he lifted his head, he accidentally caught a glimpse of the distorted, blurred features of the stone statue. He quickly lowered his gaze.
Players who could enter this newly opened exploration dungeon were all seasoned veterans who had survived countless dungeons before.
One of the most well-known unspoken rules was: never look directly at the divine statues within a dungeon.
An unexplored dungeon with no successful clearances meant danger lurked everywhere. The thin man didn’t dare take risks, nor did he dare refuse the NPC’s request.
He mimicked the motions of worship carefully, not daring to make any wishes.
Making wishes to evil deities in dungeons often came at a steep price for players.
"People these days are under a lot of stress. Having a shrine for them to pray at gives them some peace of mind," Uncle Ming pulled Chao Musheng aside and whispered, "It’s like giving the tourists a spiritual anchor."
"Makes sense." Chao Musheng glanced at the tourists. The shrine had neither a donation box nor sold incense—it was purely meant to enhance the visitors’ experience. Couldn’t this be considered an effort to revitalize rural tourism?
He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a leftover piece of chewing gum. Once the thin man stood up, he stepped forward and placed the gum on the shrine.
"Wait—" Xiaoyou, who had been helped by this young man on the bus earlier, tried to stop him from offering a "sacrifice" to the shrine.
But he was too quick. Before she could speak, he had already placed it down and crouched before the statue, making his wishes aloud.
"May the Earth God and Earth Goddess bless me with great luck—let me pass all my final exams with flying colors, and also..."
As the young man continued his wishful rambling—even asking for divine intervention in winning every video game match—the players' expressions shifted from shock to numb resignation, their heads bowed in silence.
This was a divine statue, not a wishing well.
What more could be said?
If this guy was a player, his fate could be summed up in one sentence:
No hope left. Just wait for death.
"Done with my wishes." Chao Musheng stepped aside. "Your turn?"
As a local, he was willing to lead by example in this ritual.
Helping the village boost revenue wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.
The players had zero desire to participate, but with Uncle Ming standing nearby, they felt they had no choice.
Once everyone had taken their turn praying, Uncle Ming finally addressed the group. "I hope you all enjoy your stay in Chaojiawan. Our village is famous throughout the city as the 'Land of Fruits.' It’s a shame the peaches won’t be ripe for another month, but you can try the loquats and cherries grown on the mountain. Every visitor who comes here raves about our fruits."
The players nodded and smiled in agreement, not daring to voice a single objection.
"Musheng, take these tourists to the village committee and arrange their accommodations. I’ll head to Uncle Qiang’s farmhouse restaurant to pick up some cold dishes." Uncle Ming was pleased—these young tourists were so cooperative.
"Got it. You and Auntie come over soon." Chao Musheng dragged his suitcase along as he led the group into the village. "Brothers and sisters, follow me, please."
He noticed fresh flowers planted along the village path, red lanterns hanging at every doorstep, and stalls set up outside some homes with signs like "Descendant of Lu Ban" or "Generational Craftsmanship."
The signs looked brand new—as if they’d just been put up.
The aunties and uncles greeted Chao Musheng warmly as he passed.
"Musheng, you’re back?"
"Just got home, Auntie."
"How long are you staying?"
"Five days."
"Here, take some cherries we just picked from the tree. They’re sweet."
"Thanks, Uncle. I won’t hold back then."
The players grew increasingly suspicious. They had been in dungeons where they replaced NPC relatives before, but never had they seen a player blend in so seamlessly—as if they’d genuinely grown up here.
The fat man shot Xiaoyou a look, signaling her to probe Chao Musheng’s background.
This young man had helped her earlier. Whatever his identity, at least he didn’t seem hostile—for now.
Xiaoyou hesitated but ultimately shook her head and didn’t approach.
The thin man sneered inwardly. What could a woman accomplish?
"Hey, bro." He called out to Chao Musheng, stepping to his left and pointing at the nearest sign to make small talk. "What does this shop sell?"
Chao Musheng paused, glancing at the sign—"Descendant of Lu Ban."
He smiled at the thin man, his gaze flickering briefly to the man’s thick hair. "Uncle De’s family has been woodworkers for three generations. They sell traditional wooden handicrafts. They’re the only Lu Ban descendants in our village. Want to buy a couple as souvenirs for friends and family?"
Lu Ban was the ancestor of all carpenters, so Uncle De’s family claiming to be his descendants wasn’t wrong.
The only ones?
The thin man’s eyes darted. "I’ll come back later to buy." Then he joked, "If I drop your name, will they give me a discount?"
Chao Musheng kept smiling but didn’t answer. The others cursed the thin man inwardly—who dared to cozy up to someone whose identity they hadn’t even confirmed? Did he have a death wish?
"Bargaining over handmade crafts? Do you even know how much effort goes into making these?" The quiet couple suddenly spoke up, the girlfriend rolling her eyes at the thin man before turning to her boyfriend. "Go buy two for me right now."
The boyfriend sprinted off without hesitation, the epitome of an obedient partner.
Less than two minutes later, he returned holding two wooden figurines. When he handed one to his girlfriend, his cheeks were flushed, eyes gleaming.
The moment she took it, she understood his excitement.
[Item Effect: +5 favor with the carpenter’s family, +2 favor with villagers.]
"Your village is truly blessed with talent and hospitality." The boyfriend clutched the figurine tightly. "Such exquisite craftsmanship for just twenty bucks!"
"It’s just for fun, not really for profit." Chao Musheng discreetly averted his gaze from the "Grey Wolf" carving in the boyfriend’s hand.
The resemblance was… nonexistent. Even the animation studio wouldn’t bother suing for copyright infringement.
"If you can’t even afford this much, maybe you shouldn’t be traveling." The girlfriend raised an eyebrow, pulling her boyfriend a few steps away from the thin man.
The thin man glared at the couple, his expression dark. Only Chao Musheng’s presence kept him from lashing out. He forced a smile. "I was just joking earlier. Handicrafts this good are worth fifty, easy."
How dare they make him look bad to score points? If this dungeon weren’t so sinister, he’d make these two beg for mercy.
"You flatter us." Chao Musheng continued guiding the tourists, enthusiastically promoting the village’s specialties along the way.
This fruit improved eyesight, that one moistened the lungs, weeds could cure illnesses, the free-roaming chickens and ducks had the most tender meat—even the most ordinary hill wasn’t spared from his sales pitch.
What made it special? Well, as the saying goes: "No matter the mountain’s height, if gods dwell there, it’s divine."
By the time the players reached the village committee’s gate, they realized they’d been completely engrossed in his spiel.
Wait—how could they let their guard down like this in a dungeon?!
The entrance of the village committee was bustling with activity, children running around and playing. A few tourists, dressed in casual travel attire, followed a middle-aged woman as she stepped out.
"Musheng, you're back?" The woman paused her hurried steps. "Did you bring friends to visit?"
"Sister Ling, these are tourists visiting the village. Uncle Ming asked me to guide them here." Chao Musheng noticed Sister Ling was sweating profusely from the heat and handed her a tissue before introducing her to the group. "This is the head of the women's association in our village."
"Hello, Madam Chairwoman! Pleasure to meet you!" The chubby man and the others greeted her enthusiastically.
"Welcome to Chaojiawan Village! We’ll do our best to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable," Sister Ling said warmly. "How long are you planning to stay? I can help arrange accommodations for you."
Noticing the couple holding a wooden carving, her smile brightened further. "Our village lodgings may not be five-star hotels, but they’re clean and cozy—you’ll feel right at home."
While busily attending to the tourists, Sister Ling didn’t forget to remind Chao Musheng, "Go home and drop off your luggage first. Message me if you need anything."
"Got it." Chao Musheng wasn’t entirely sure how much the village’s tourism had developed, so he couldn’t be of much help.
After he left, Sister Ling pulled out travel brochures from her bag and handed them to the group. "Wishing you all a wonderful stay! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance."
The chubby man flipped open the brochure’s first page, where the village committee’s contact number was printed in bold red.
On the back were slogans like "Protect the environment, respect the crops." The system showed Sister Ling’s favorability toward him at 65.
Every villager he’d encountered so far had a favorability rating above 40. Even the driver, who had docked points earlier for not wearing a seatbelt, now rated him at 35.
It seemed the entire village welcomed outsiders with open arms.
As the players browsed the brochure, they simultaneously received a new quest notification from the system.
[Ding! Congratulations, players, on obtaining residency rights in Chaojiawan Village. Please successfully attend the funeral in two days to uncover crucial clues about the village’s treasure.]
Before Chao Musheng even reached home, he spotted Grandma waiting at the gate from afar.
Seeing him approach, Grandma called into the house, "Second Chao, your grandson’s back!"
"Grandma!" Chao Musheng rushed to her side in quick strides. Grandma handed his suitcase to Grandpa, who hurried out from inside, then cupped Chao Musheng’s face with concern. "How’d you get so thin after just two months at school? Is the cafeteria food that bad?"
"I didn’t lose weight," Chao Musheng protested, leaning closer. "Look, my face is rounder now. Grandpa, tell her—haven’t I gained weight?"
"Round? You’re skin and bones!" Grandma pinched his cheek lightly before pulling him inside.
Grandpa followed cheerfully, nodding along to everything Grandma said while hauling the suitcase.
Under Grandma’s orders, Grandpa bustled about—fetching crispy fried pork, snacks, even peeling loquats for Chao Musheng, terrified their precious boy might go hungry.
By the time Uncle Ming and his wife arrived with cold dishes, Chao Musheng had already stuffed himself with fruits and snacks. Yet, faced with a table full of delicious food and his grandparents’ doting gazes, he forced down two more bowls of rice.
Grandma, proudly wearing the new earrings Chao Musheng had gifted her, dragged Grandpa off to the village activity center to show off to her friends.
Bloated from overeating, Chao Musheng wobbled outside for a walk.
Red lanterns hung at every doorstep, and the fishpond area was especially lively with lights. The aroma of cumin-spiced barbecue wafted from a distance—likely tourists grilling by the water.
To the left of the pond, a small pavilion hosted a group of young men and women in Hanfu, busy taking photos.
Not wanting to disturb them, Chao Musheng detoured toward the other side of the pond.
Under the moonlight, near the reeds, a few children were scooping up crayfish with small buckets, their clothes so filthy the original colors were indistinguishable.
A lanky man shook mud off his shoes, watching the kids with a smile.
Then, footsteps approached from behind.
Under the pale moonlight, he recognized the face—it was the man Sister Ling had called "Musheng."
His cheek twitched before he forced a grin. "Hey there, we meet again."
Chao Musheng nodded at the man before yanking a child out of the pond. "Who said you could swim here?"
"Musheng-ge!" The kid, caught red-handed, avoided his gaze guiltily. "This uncle said he saw a golden fish here, so I wanted to check…"
Chao Musheng turned to the lanky man.
"I just mentioned it casually to someone else. Didn’t think the kid would take it seriously," the man chuckled awkwardly. "My bad. I’ll watch my words next time."
Chao Musheng stayed silent, pulling out his phone to call the kids’ parents.
The children shrieked, grabbing their buckets and bolting. "Musheng-ge, why’d you have to snitch?!" they whined as they ran.
"Uh, buddy, listen—" The lanky man fidgeted, studying Chao Musheng’s expression.
"Kids these days have no fear," Chao Musheng said cheerfully. "The pond’s swarming with mosquitoes at night—you should head back early too."
Relieved that the pretty-faced guy didn’t seem suspicious, the man discreetly exhaled and left.
The moment he was gone, Chao Musheng whipped out his phone and opened the "Love & Harmony Chaojiawan" group chat.
[ChaoChaoMuMu: Heads up, everyone! Keep an eye on that male tourist who just arrived today. Something feels off about him.]
Chao Musheng: All smiles to your face, reporting behind your back.
