Livestreaming To Fame In An Infinite Flow World Chapter 72

​​​​Chapter 72: Folklore Horror (2)

The bus rocked and swayed.

When the geological survey team of fifty had left, none had carried anything unusual. By the time they returned, every single person had brought along a “little pet.”

Black Dog tour guide didn’t seem surprised at all. He didn’t ask a single question and simply motioned for everyone to get on the bus.

“It’s going to get dark soon.” Black Dog glanced at the sky outside, pressing the accelerator anxiously.

With a roar of the engine, the bus surged forward at off-road speed.

Under normal circumstances, the players probably would have complained immediately, but with all the demon beasts crammed inside the bus and the players’ minds heavy with worry, nobody paid attention to the speed.

All the demon beasts had been severely injured when captured by the sect and now slept unconscious on the bus. Jian Yuntai placed Fuzhu on a small black bag, his gaze fixed steadily on the fluffy little snowball.

The little fox was pure white, no longer than Jian Yuntai’s forearm. It curled up pitifully at his feet, tucking its entire head beneath its tail. Only two soft ears stood upright.

As the bus rocked violently, the little fox swayed from side to side, occasionally banging its head against the chair legs in front. It seemed dazed, but didn’t cry out. It struggled to readjust its position, only to thump its head against the leg again.

The livestream viewers melted at the sight:

“Ahhhhhhh, so cute! I just want to pet that fluffball!”


“Jian Dadan, pick him up! You handle Jinjin so smoothly, why treat the little fox differently hhh”


“Maybe because the little fox is dirty, with blood on his tail and paws. He looks so pitiful tat”

After about half an hour, the bus finally stopped.

Outside, the sky was dim. The sun and the moon hung on opposite sides of the mountain peak—one rising, one setting.

Only then did Jian Yuntai bend down to scoop up the little fox, sling the bag over his shoulder, and step outside.

The fluffy creature in his arms occasionally wriggled, resting its face against his chest. Its pale vertical pupils followed him without blinking.

Then its big tail tentatively wrapped around his waist. Seeing that Jian Yuntai didn’t resist, it slowly and carefully coiled around him, not daring to tighten too much for fear of smearing him with its blood.

After doing all this, the little fox’s eyes curved slightly. It looked like a once-stray, long-suffering animal who had finally found a safe harbor—someone willing to shield it from the wind and rain.

Every strand of fur radiated happiness.

The livestream erupted with squeals:

“I! AM! DEAD! AHHHHHH! How can he be this adorable?! That demon before said Fuzhu was all looks and nothing else. Well, he’s cute, isn’t that enough?”


“Right right, let Jian Dadan handle all the fighting and killing. He’s the best at that hhh”


“Every time the little fox appears on camera, the likes in Jian Dadan’s livestream spike! When he’s not on, the likes barely move. Has Jian Dadan fallen out of favor with you guys hhhhh….?”


“Damn, I didn’t notice the likes before. This is ridiculous hhhh, but Jian Dadan will be thrilled. He’ll probably show the little fox even more—after all, it’s a sudden jackpot (doge)”


“hhhhh Because the wife’s always so pretty, we got used to it and forgot to like. But the little fox is fresh, a dream fox. Can he shapeshift? I want to see how beautiful a legendary fox spirit can be.”


“This instance was opened once before. Some players’ contracted demons shapeshifted. The little fox should be able to too. Ahhh, I’m so excited! A fox spirit of breathtaking beauty, hurry up and show us!”

While the chat was chaotic, the atmosphere among the players was frozen in tense silence.

A tall wooden sign stood in front of the stones, inked with the words “Mother Goddess Village,” faded by the passage of time. Behind it, thick cobwebs had formed.

Occasionally, insects scuttled past the sign.

Black Dog led the group of players deeper into the village.

The path was muddy. In just a few minutes, their climbing boots were caked in dirt. The houses on either side had their doors tightly shut, and people were scarce. A few doors opened briefly only to slam shut as the players approached.

Through the slightly open door cracks, residents could be seen standing inside. Some even pressed against the door, peering out, their murky eyes filled with a strange wariness.

“They’re all outsiders.”


“Outsiders have come.”

Murmurs like these came from inside from time to time. The atmosphere felt eerie.

“The villagers here are pretty superstitious.” Fatty held the cat demon in his left hand, hugged Jinjin with his right, and whispered to Jian Yuntai as they walked: “Look at their doors—all kinds of yellow talismans. I’ve seen old villages stick door gods on doors to keep demons out, but I’ve never seen doors covered like this. It’s crazy.”

Jian Yuntai didn’t fully agree: “The instance’s background is related to demons. From a contextual perspective, this might not be superstition at all.”

Fatty asked, “If it’s not superstition, what is it?”

Jian Yuntai answered, “Maybe it really is to ward off demons.”

“Whoo—” Fatty gasped, shivering, goosebumps running down his arms. “Before entering the instance, it sounded fine. Now inside, it actually feels kind of scary.”

Just as he finished speaking, several light, quick footsteps echoed ahead—tap tap, tap tap.

Since entering Mother Goddess Village, the players hadn’t seen a single living person besides Guide Black Dog. They instinctively tensed.

But when they saw who was coming, they all breathed a sigh of relief—it was a group of seven- or eight-year-old children.

About a dozen in total, each wearing new clothes and with rosy cheeks, jostling and laughing as they ran.

As they approached, they spread out.

Three or four children immediately surrounded Jian Yuntai’s side, holding hands and spinning around, reciting to Fatty:

“Brother Fatty’s head is bigger than a five-story building!”


“Brother Fatty’s hands are thinner than sugar snap peas!”

After a couple of rhymes, Fatty finally reacted, waving impatiently: “Go, go, go—go play over there.”

The children ignored his scolding, still grinning mischievously, their voices growing louder:

“Big and fat, head huge, arms thick. No chicken in heaven or earth will marry you—”

At first, Fatty could tolerate it.

But the kids relentlessly chased him for over ten meters, repeating similar insulting rhymes. They mocked him as fat as a pig, then ridiculed him for being unable to get a wife.

Finally, Fatty lost his patience, shoved Jinjin and the cat demon aside, and charged straight at them.

Jian Yuntai held the three fluffy creatures in his arms: “…?”

“Meow~” Jinjin stepped onto the little fox’s head.

The cat demon perched on the little fox’s back, silently licking its paws. Then, without any warning, it swatted at Jinjin.

Jinjin’s fur bristled, and stamping on the little fox, it angrily raised its paws to strike back at the cat demon.

The two cats pounced on each other, and Jian Yuntai felt a flurry of fur in his eyes, blinding him. The little fox in his arms had been stomped on multiple times and accidentally injured, yet it hadn’t uttered a single sound. Its pale vertical pupils remained calm and serene.

“….” Jian Yuntai simply threw the cat demon off.

His gaze shot a warning at Jinjin as he said in a deep voice, “If you’re going to fight, fight. Otherwise, stay still and don’t move.”

Jinjin let out several plaintive meows, then wriggled a few times in Jian Yuntai’s arms. After pushing the little fox aside, it comfortably settled into a new position.

It purred, wagged its tail, and even nuzzled against Jian Yuntai.

Normally, the livestream viewers would have gushed over Jinjin’s cuteness at this moment—but now, everyone had a new favorite.

“Wuwuwu, the little fox is so well-behaved, just curling up and staying still. Even when the most coveted spot by the owner was taken, he didn’t dare whimper~”


“The cat demon even grabbed him just now!”


“Must be because his previous environment was so harsh. Like a stray cat finding a new home, he’s too scared to make mistakes, afraid he’ll be abandoned again. So obedient, it breaks my heart.”

The viewers’ analysis was partially correct, yet still off.

Yes, the cat demon had grabbed the little fox a few times, but the little fox never once looked at it. From start to finish, he had kept his gaze fixed on Jinjin. After Jinjin climbed near Jian Yuntai’s neck, rolling and acting cute, the little fox’s pale pupils darkened slightly, and his fluffy tail coiled even tighter around Jian Yuntai’s waist.

Yet he still made no move.

He simply watched Jinjin fawn over his master.

“Damn, faster than a speedster!” Fatty stomped back in anger, scooping Jinjin back into his arms.

By now, the player group had descended into chaos.

Many children sneered and teased the players, and with the number of Sinister Monster Types in this instance, catching one or two kids would’ve been easy.

But even if they caught them, what could they do?

They’d have to let them go anyway.

The instance only had about five hundred locals. Killing local children right at the start would be asking for trouble.

They could only suppress their anger.

Yet once the child they caught was released, even though they had just said “We won’t do it again,” the next second the kids were holding hands with their friends and continuing to mock the players.

“You’re so big and strong! Why are your arms like tiger claws?” one child pointed at a Sinister Monster Type player, giggling: “Could it be your mom had an affair with a demon? Teehee, shameless~”

The Sinister Monster Type player turned red with anger, veins bulging.

Fatty had felt the same before, and now he could barely hold back. He snarled, “Savage lands breed unruly children!”

“You’re an adult and still getting angry at kids?” Jian Yuntai comforted him: “I don’t think you’re fat.”

Fatty’s eyes sparkled: “Really?”

Jian Yuntai nodded: “Really. Just pretend these kids don’t exist. Our objective this time has nothing to do with them…”

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden tug hit his back. With a muffled crack, the strap of the small black bag snapped. Jian Yuntai turned expressionless.

A small boy in a green vest was grinning mischievously, rifling through his bag.

Inside the bag were only missing-person notices and two pieces of bread.

The boy glanced at a notice, quickly lost interest, and tossed it into the mud, stomping on it a few times. He then grabbed a piece of bread and, without hesitation, tore open the wrapper and bit into it.

“That’s right, since this has nothing to do with the main quest, it’s best not to complicate things.” Fatty walked ahead, surrounded by the noisy environment, unaware that his brother’s rations had been stolen.

Not only stolen—they were eaten.

A few meters further, Jian Yuntai still hadn’t followed.

Fatty turned back, puzzled—

Jian Yuntai was holding the little fox with one hand, and with the other, lifted both the boy and the bag, hanging them against the wall.

Boom! Boom! Under Fatty’s nearly suffocated gaze, Jian Yuntai tore away the bricks from the wall by hand, digging a half-meter-deep hole, and shoved the panicking, screaming boy inside.

Finally, he moved a large stone to block the entrance.

“???” Fatty almost split in half on the spot.

The livestream viewers were already in stitches, having begun laughing when the boy had snatched the bread:

“Hahahahaha, what did you do to him?”


“That was such a precise move. If he had yelled a few rhymes, Jian Dadan wouldn’t have gotten mad. But the kid stole the bread—hahahaha, asking for trouble?”


“I considered many ways to handle it, but never imagined Jian Dadan would wall the brat up like this. Nicely done. Serves him right for stealing wife’s bread!”

After doing all this, Jian Yuntai’s expression remained calm as he walked slowly to Fatty. He asked, puzzled, “What did you just say? I didn’t hear.”

“….” Fatty: “I said not to stoop to the kids’ level.”

Jian Yuntai nodded in agreement: “You’re right.”

“Hey! What’s he doing now?” Black Dog had just calmed the anger of the Sinister Monster Type player and turned to see Jian Yuntai’s swift action.

Meanwhile, muffled cries came from inside the wall: “Let me out! It’s so dark in here! I want out!!!”

Black Dog hurried over, wiping sweat from his forehead: “The village kids don’t understand. Since you’re generous, just let him out.”

After repeated urging from Black Dog, Jian Yuntai approached the boulder.

He tapped it lightly: “What’s your name?”

“Xiao Liuliu,” the boy inside replied timidly, his voice still high-pitched and shrill, almost like a little girl screaming, piercing and noisy.

Xiao Liuliu seemed to be the ringleader. Once he was caught, the other children dared not act up and scattered into corners, peeking secretly.

Jian Yuntai asked again: “Full name?”

Xiao Liuliu obediently said: “Nong Liu.”

Note: Chinese peopole have a lot of names, basically childhood name, pet name, nickname, so please familiarize yourself with all of these names….

The viewers immediately went wild with excitement:

“‘Nong’? Is that the same Nong I’m thinking of?”

“Damn, in a way, Jian Dadan really got lucky. He caught a key figure of the instance on his first try.”

“It’s not luck. Jian Dadan did it on purpose. Think about it—after entering Mother Goddess Village, all the houses had their doors tightly shut, and only a group of kids rushed out. Doesn’t that seem suspicious? These kids must be tied to the instance’s background. They can’t harm the players, so they’re not just here to annoy them randomly.”

“I get it. So Jian Dadan wasn’t angry about the bread. He realized Xiao Liuliu was the ringleader. Catch the leader first—capture Xiao Liuliu before doing anything else!”

The livestream viewers were thinking the same thing, and the players inside the instance instinctively moved closer.

Xiao Liuliu? The missing girl from the village was Nong Lingling!

Could there be a connection between them?

An impatient player immediately asked, “Nong Lingling… what’s your relation to her?”

“…………” Xiao Liuliu remained silent.

The question acted like a signal. Before he could answer, the doors around them suddenly bang-bang swung wide open.

To the players’ surprise, several well-built middle-aged men stepped out of each house, silently carrying stones. Their wives hugged smaller children, retreating to the back of the rooms, pale-faced.

Once the stones were moved, Xiao Liuliu dashed off quickly. The other children scattered as well.

Everything happened in near-silence. By the time the players reacted, the sturdy men had returned to each house and slammed the doors shut.

Whoosh—

The temperature difference on the mountaintop was extreme. November nights brought gusts of icy wind that blew through everyone’s short sleeves, crawling down into their bodies.

Goosebumps immediately sprang up.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the strange, eerie atmosphere.

Black Dog shouted, “It’s almost dark! Move quickly—don’t stop. The village road ahead is where you’ll be staying these next few days. The Mother Goddess Village Committee specially cleared an empty street for you. The houses aren’t lavishly furnished, but they’ve been cleaned in advance. Let’s go!”

With that, Black Dog strode ahead.

The players had no choice but to follow.

Fatty gave Jian Yuntai a knowing look, quickly stepped forward, and clapped a hand on Black Dog’s shoulder, smiling as he asked, “Hey brother, can I ask you something?”

Black Dog grinned: “Go ahead.”

Fatty asked bluntly, “Is there a family named Nong in this village? Did they lose a daughter?”

“Well…” Black Dog scratched his head, looking puzzled. “I’m really not sure about that.”

“You don’t live here?”

“I do,” Black Dog said with a smile. “I’m a local.”

Fatty’s smile didn’t change. He patted Black Dog’s shoulder meaningfully and then returned to Jian Yuntai’s side.

“That guide named Black Dog isn’t right either,” Fatty said before Jian Yuntai could speak. “Mother Goddess Village has just over five hundred people. Everyone who’s lived here for generations must know each other. Even if it were a school of over three thousand students and one went missing, the news would spread in less than a morning.”

He glanced at Black Dog’s back and snorted, “Just five hundred people and he says he doesn’t know? Bullshit.”

“Yeah, that’s bullshit.” Jian Yuntai shifted the little fox to the other arm and thought aloud, “Why would Black Dog hide something like this…”

“Maybe he just doesn’t want to get involved?” Sun Bin’s voice came from behind them.

Seeing the two turn, Sun Bin smiled ingratiatingly: “Bosses, can we stay together tonight?”

Fatty looked at him in puzzlement: “Don’t you have bodyguards?”

Sun Bin’s expression was lively as he said, “Bodyguards? Bodyguards can’t compare to you two bosses! If you even twitch your fingers, poof, no more bodyguards.”

“…………”

Fatty gave Sun Bin a strange look and asked a completely unrelated question: “Your dad really is political elite?”

“Of course,” Sun Bin immediately straightened up, beaming with pride.

Fatty stared at him for a few seconds and muttered: “Damn… I can’t tell at all.”

While the two talked, Jian Yuntai quietly observed Black Dog’s back.

This wasn’t just about avoiding involvement, as Sun Bin suggested.

There had to be a deeper reason.

What could it be?

He still hadn’t figured it out by the time they reached the empty street.

By now, the sun had fully set behind the mountains, leaving a bare moon hanging in the sky. The night was dark and starless, as if black ink had been poured over the heavens.

Black Dog stopped and turned: “All these houses are three-bedroom units. You can choose your roommates, but only three people per house. No extra beds.” He paused, glanced at the players and their ‘pets,’ and added, “Of course, if you want all fifty-plus people crammed into one house, no one will stop you.”

Before the players could respond, Black Dog’s expression suddenly darkened. His tone grew serious: “There’s one thing you must take to heart. You absolutely cannot violate this rule.”

All along, Black Dog’s face had been filled with a calculating smile, but this was the first time he looked so serious. The players naturally straightened up.

The empty street suddenly became deathly silent.

The cold wind swept past, sending tin cans and plastic bags rolling across the ground, clanging repeatedly. Bang!

A can struck a door, making everyone flinch.

Finally, Black Dog spoke: “No matter what happens, you absolutely, absolutely cannot go out at night in Mother Goddess Village.”

His piercing gaze scanned every face. He continued, “Your three daily meals will be delivered, but no one will bring midnight snacks. If someone knocks at your door during the night, you must open it—but do not invite them in.”

Must open the door, but cannot invite them in?

The rule sounded extremely strange.

The players exchanged uneasy glances, feeling a subtle chill along their faces and backs.

Someone asked, “Who would knock at the door in the middle of the night?”

Black Dog fixed his gaze on the person, sending shivers down their spine. Then he relaxed his expression and said jokingly, “I don’t know. The villagers don’t go out at night. If someone knocks… maybe they’re… not human?”

“……”


“……”

The players fell silent.

The livestream viewers felt as if they were right there:

“Damn, I quietly pulled my feet back under the covers and shut the door.”


“Sister, closed the door. Aren’t you scared someone might knock?”


“…Ahhhh! Don’t even say that. I turned on every light in my house. Bright light just feels safer.”


“The space under the bed isn’t bright. Maybe when you’re lying in bed watching the stream, someone under the bed is watching you too…”

While the livestream viewers panicked, most of the players could still maintain some composure. Of course, a few were naturally afraid of supernatural things.

Like Sun Bin.

He hugged himself weakly, trembling. Suddenly, he saw the two in front exchange glances.

Jian Yuntai said, “Hopefully the slit-mouth woman comes to knock tonight.”

Fatty paused, then recalled Young Master Xue and agreed, “Better if she comes on her own. Otherwise, we’ll have to go find her at night. Feels unsafe to go out in the dark.”

Jian Yuntai hummed and casually said, “If she doesn’t come, we’ll have to go out to find her.”

“……” Sun Bin froze, his face blank.

Why? Why, aaahhh!

Were all the livestream team members like this, or just Jian Yuntai and Chen Sanxian?

How could they speak such terrifying things so casually, with no hint of hesitation?

Sure enough.

Not just anyone could join the livestream team.

Before leaving, Black Dog seemed to suddenly remember something and said, “Oh, right! Starting tomorrow, Mother Goddess Village will celebrate its annual Mother Goddess Festival. There will be a ceremony and a banquet. Make sure to show up and join the fun—it’ll be lively.”

After saying that, Black Dog hurried off, as if afraid of the coming night.

※※※

Generally speaking, slots for instances linked to the livestream team were extremely limited. Very few players could enter in a team.

Even if they could, it was usually only two or three people—for example, Sun Bin and his bodyguard. This was only because Sun Bin’s family was wealthy and influential. Ordinary players didn’t get such privileges.

Even so, Sun Bin refused to stay with his bodyguard. Stubbornly, he insisted on squeezing into Jian Yuntai’s room.

Others either temporarily shared a room with a team or, if they were more cautious, chose a room for themselves.

Inside the room.

The furnishings were simple. The living room had only a large dining table and three stools. Each of the three bedrooms was extremely basic—just a single bed and nothing else, not even a window.

“This is suffocating!” Sun Bin complained.

Jian Yuntai glanced at him and said with amusement, “You should be glad there’s no window, otherwise at night the ghost might lean on it—”

Before he could finish, Sun Bin quickly covered his ears. “I can’t hear, can’t hear, I can’t hear—”

Jian Yuntai ignored him and sat at the table, motioning to Fatty: “Come over.”

Fatty was making the bed. “What for?”

Jian Yuntai said, “Class time.”

“What?”

Fatty walked over, confused. Sun Bin, ever alert, quickly joined as well.

The two sat side by side at the table.

“The group of kids causing trouble just now— they were all boys. I observed them closely. They’re rough-and-tumble outside, dirty from playing, but their clothes are made of new material, and their rosy complexions show they aren’t lacking food.”

As he spoke, Jian Yuntai used a clean towel from the room to wipe the little fox.

The little fox wasn’t covered in much blood; the contrast between its pure white fur and the red stains made it seem worse. A few swipes with the towel transformed it into an even prettier little snowball.

After being wiped, the little fox didn’t jump off Jian Yuntai’s lap. Its pale vertical pupils watched him for a few seconds. Secretly, it wrapped its tail around his wrist, the tip circling lightly in his palm.

Ticklish.

Jian Yuntai furrowed his brow, thinking it was just a wild animal playing. He continued, “After Xiao Liuliu was pressed into the wall, all the nearby house doors were open. If you looked carefully, you could see little girls inside, wearing worn clothes—some even patched. Their faces were pale, showing they hadn’t seen much sunlight over the years.”

Sun Bin stared blankly. “Weren’t you talking to Xiao Liuliu at the time? How did you even have the energy to notice the girls?”

Jian Yuntai raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘energy’? You see it in a glance. No effort needed.”

Sun Bin: “….”

No! You can’t just notice that in a glance!

The environment was dim, and any normal person’s attention would be on Xiao Liuliu and the strong men who dashed out, constantly worrying about getting in trouble. Who would be looking at the house interiors?

Fatty focused differently. He slammed the table in frustration: “Damn it, is this instance favoring boys over girls? I hate these five-six nonsense things!”

Note: five-six: high-and-mighty, pretentious bullshit.

He spoke in dialect. Jian Yuntai didn’t understand “five-six” exactly, but could tell it was an insult.

Note: China is big and there are a lot of dialects verses from one region to another and they’re entirely different from each other in pronunciation and meaning, for exam Sichuan dialect and Mandarin are different, Sichuan local people can understand Sichuan dialect but can’t understand Mandarin.

He shook his head. “It’s probably not favoring boys over girls. The women inside the houses seemed precious, holding their little girls tightly as if afraid we’d take them. The clothes were patched but still relatively clean. The styles were just old-fashioned, like clothing from a previous generation, preserved for the girls now.”

They bought new clothes for the boys, but not for the girls.

Yet it wasn’t really favoring boys over girls.

Conflicting.

Tap-tap. Jian Yuntai lightly tapped the table with his index finger and raised a very strange point: “Also, all the instance’s villagers are either elderly, middle-aged, or children. What does that indicate? It indicates there’s a gap in the youth.”

“……”


“……”

The room fell silent.

These things could be noticed through observation, but people’s subconscious automatically ranks the importance of information. When more pressing details appear—like Xiao Liuliu’s surname being Nong—less important things get overlooked.

Once Jian Yuntai pointed them out, Fatty and Sun Bin belatedly realized: it was true!

The livestream chat scrolled rapidly:

“If Jian Dadan hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have noticed. All the villagers we just saw were either elderly in their 70s-80s or middle-aged in their 50s-60s. There wasn’t a single youth around twenty!”

“Then where did these kids come from?”

“And their parents?”

Sun Bin and the viewers thought simultaneously and quickly said, “Could their parents have gone out to work? I heard—just heard, never experienced it—that young people in poor areas leave home to earn money for the family. Could that be true?”

“It is,” Jian Yuntai said. Growing up in the slum, he had seen it often. Yet he shook his head: “That’s not the case in this instance. I looked into the houses that were opened; some even had family portraits hung in the hall, facing the door. No youth appeared in any of them.”

Sun Bin was confused. “Then, if there are no youths, where do all the village’s kids come from?”

“You actually asked that question? I’m surprised.” Jian Yuntai glanced at him. Sun Bin thought it was praise, but actually Jian Yuntai was just shocked at his stupidity.

The answer was obvious:

“All the children here were born to parents who had them in middle age. Every mother was of advanced maternal age.”

The moment those words were spoken, the room fell silent again.

Even the scrolling speed of the livestream comments slowed noticeably.

Fifty years old—if their children had married early, people that age could already have been grandparents. But in this instance, fifty-year-olds had children who were only seven or eight.

Some had even just been born, still wrapped in swaddling cloth.

“Why is it like this?” Sun Bin asked, voicing the confusion shared by all the viewers. His face was full of bewilderment.

It was also the very thing Jian Yuntai had been puzzled about.

In the entire village, Nong Lingling was sixteen. There was no one else of her generation.

Or perhaps there had been—but like Nong Lingling, they had all “disappeared.”

A living, breathing person had vanished just like that, yet Guide Black Dog had said he “wasn’t too sure.” What exactly was he hiding?

Just as the three of them were thinking this over, the cat demon suddenly let out a miserable shriek.

They turned to look. While they had been talking, Fatty had been wiping the mud off the cat demon. Even after the topic deepened and the cat demon was already clean, Fatty forgot to put it back down and instead picked up Jinjin.

So Jinjin bit the cat demon’s tail hard.

“Jealous?” Fatty hurriedly put the cat demon back on the floor and reached to pick up Jinjin.

But Jinjin let out a sharp “meow” and growled at him. Its golden-red vertical pupils were filled with grievance and sadness.

There were four little darlings in the room.

The little fox was on Jian Yuntai’s lap.

The little cat demon was on Fatty’s lap.

The little rabbit was on Sun Bin’s lap.

Only little Jinjin was on the floor. It had been meowing there for nearly half an hour, and no one had paid it any attention.

Half an hour ago you treated me like dirt; half an hour later I’ll be beyond your reach—Jinjin angrily whipped its head away and turned its backside toward Fatty.

The next instant, it saw the little fox quietly watching it.

Rustle—

Its fur bristled all over in an instant. Territorial instinct, buried deep within, was provoked. Jinjin arched its back, its tail swishing rapidly from side to side like a fan blade.

It was a sign that it was about to attack.

Before the people in the room or the livestream viewers could react, Jinjin suddenly lunged forward, aiming to claw at the little fox.

The little fox nimbly leapt aside, its snowy white tail swaying in the air, and in a flash it bounded toward the doorway. Jinjin charged after it again, growling furiously without pause.

“Hey—why are they fighting?!” Fatty jumped up anxiously, about to rush over and stop them.

But Jian Yuntai grabbed him first.

Fatty glanced at Jinjin, who was being led in circles by the little fox, then turned back anxiously. “What is it?”

Jian Yuntai dipped his finger into the water bucket and quickly wrote a word on the table—

Mortal nemesis?

He even added a question mark at the end.

Just now the demonic beasts had been sticking close to the players, so Jian Yuntai hadn’t been able to ask out loud.

He was very curious whether it was only him, or if all players in this instance had started with the identity of their contracted beast’s mortal nemesis.

The room stayed silent for several seconds. Sun Bin didn’t even get a clear look at the words on the table before Fatty swiftly wiped them away. Then he nodded heavily. “Me too!”

“…………”

Jian Yuntai couldn’t help pressing a hand to his forehead.

No wonder during the last half hour of the trip to Mother Goddess Village, the bus had been driving like it was about to take flight, yet all the players had looked preoccupied and couldn’t be bothered to deal with the black dog tour guide.

It seemed all the players were the same.

What could he say? If it had only been Jian Yuntai, he would have genuinely wanted to curse.

But if everyone was in the same boat, he suddenly felt more balanced—after all, everyone’s starting line was at rock bottom.

“What do we do?” Fatty whispered.

Jian Yuntai whispered even more softly, “Hide it if we can.”

“Can we hide it?” Fatty whispered even, even more quietly.

“What are you two talking about? Can you speak up a bit?” A thunderous, simpleminded voice sounded beside them. Sun Bin shot them a baffled look and leaned in eagerly. “Did you find something? Count me in!”

It had to be said—Sun Bin’s luck was ridiculously good.

He hadn’t done anything, hadn’t thought about anything, yet he had accidentally gotten in on it.

At the same time, the instance’s background system voice rang out in all three of their ears:

【Player has triggered a hidden side quest.】

【STEP1: Beast Transformation.】

【If your contracted demonic beast consumes another beast’s inner core, it can take human form and become a greater source of assistance.】

【Please note: Hidden side quests do not grant survival time rewards. When the hidden side quest progress reaches 100%, the player will randomly receive one clear-stage reward item upon completing the instance.】

【This instance’s main quest and side quests did not affect each other. Any choices regarding the side quest would not alter the main quest. Players, keep it up!】

The livestream viewers perked up almost instantly:

“The moment I heard ‘hidden quest,’ I knew something good was coming, hahaha! C-level instance items are guaranteed quality. Even if the item doesn’t suit Jian Dadan, selling it will still make a fat profit.”

“Damn… I’m so jealous of Sun Bin. He literally just brushed into the hidden side quest. Feels like he might even get some main quest progress too.”

“When this is done, don’t we have to call Political Elite Daddy to give Jian Dadan and Fatty three hundred million? Hahaha, amazing!”

Excitement filled the chat.

Thump thump—

The little fox jumped onto the table, stretching a paw up under Jian Yuntai’s eyes, its pale pupils unblinking as it stared at him.

“It scratched me.”

It was Fuzhu’s first time speaking.

Even with its mystical power sealed, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox line of the King of Ten Thousand Demons still carried a natural elegance.

A refined, husky male voice floated out from nowhere, slipping quietly into Jian Yuntai’s ear.

It was like a soft breeze brushing against the heart—

That familiar, tingling sensation crawling across one’s mind again.

And this alluring voice carried a subtle, almost imperceptible tone of grievance.

It sounded as if the fox were complaining to Jian Yuntai directly.

“Meow! Meow! Meow!” Jinjin shouted angrily, circling anxiously at the side.

—That naughty little fox!

It had deliberately let itself be scratched. Originally, Jinjin could have easily caught it. But when Jian Yuntai wasn’t paying attention, the little fox had purposely gone forward and taken a swipe from Jinjin.

And then, it even deliberately showed the wound to Jian Yuntai—so mischievous, utterly mischievous!

Jinjin was nearly furious.

Watching Jian Yuntai lift Fuzhu onto his lap, Jinjin grew even angrier. That was its former spot.

Now it was occupied by a naughty little fox.

Not only was its spot taken, but the fox now looked down at it with pale vertical pupils, tail flicking lightly, proudly showing off.

Bragging, without a doubt, pure showing off!

Jinjin was about to launch another rapid attack when Fatty suddenly clamped its mouth shut.

Index finger raised: “Shhh.”

Bang bang—


Bang bang—

In the dead silence, there came a knock at the door.

In the quiet darkness, the sound carried a strange, eerie weight. Each knock was slow and deliberate, as if the knocker’s limbs were stiff and rigid.

A chilling sense of dread slowly crept through the room.

No one inside responded.

Bang bang—


Bang bang—

The knocking persisted.

Sun Bin shrank weakly under the table, hiding tightly like an ostrich. His helpless eyes scanned Fatty and Jian Yuntai. “Do we open it?”

He spoke in a hushed, breathy voice.

Jian Yuntai stared at the door, licking his lips with anticipation.

Of course it had to be opened.

This door had to open.

He gave Fatty a glance. The two of them moved to either side, forming a flanking formation as they approached the door.

The little fox in his arms shifted slightly, rubbing softly against the nape of his neck. Its soft white ears brushed against his lips. Jian Yuntai thought the fox was scared, so he held it closer, cradling its soft belly in his hand.

The little fox rested against his chest.

Listening to the steady beat of his heart.

Its snow-white ears gradually blushed pink.

Master smells so good.


Master is so sweet.

It could still smell the cat, but that didn’t matter. It would cover it up little by little.

One day, Master would belong only to him.

Fuzhu relished this warmth, but the warmth had no desire for him at all.

Jian Yuntai’s gaze fixed tightly on Fatty’s hand.

He watched as Fatty’s fingers slowly turned the doorknob.

Creaaaak—the door opened—

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