Livestreaming To Fame In An Infinite Flow World Chapter 92

​​​​Chapter 92: Folklore Horror (22)

Perhaps seeing Jian Yuntai’s expression darken, the senior brother suddenly began rummaging through his belongings, speaking as he did: “Oh! Although we didn’t completely annihilate the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan this time, we did inflict enough damage that it’ll take them years to recover to their former glory. When they migrated, they carried quite a few treasures—jewels, spiritual items of all kinds. Take a look at this.”

As he spoke, the senior brother extended his hand.

‘Clink.’ A small jingling sound followed, and a red cord wound around his fingertip. A jade pendant shaped like a little fox slipped free and fell. The pendant swayed lightly in the wind, its luster dazzling in the morning light.

—It was the Celestial Fox Jade Pendant.

Jian Yuntai looked up, speechless, staring at the senior brother.

Ten years later, Fuzhu had once given him a jade pendant, which he had returned to Fuzhu ten years ago. That meant in this timeline ten years earlier, there would now exist two identical fox jade pendants.

It was a paradox.

How would this paradox resolve itself?

“Here, I picked it up from the fox camp. The elders said it has no special powers—just looks pretty. Still, it’s probably high-quality jade and worth a fair amount.” The senior brother laughed heartily and casually tossed the pendant into Jian Yuntai’s arms. “Wasn’t your birthday a couple of months ago? I, as your senior brother, didn’t have a proper gift, so just take this.”

“Thank you, senior brother.” Jian Yuntai clutched the pendant tightly, drawing a deep breath. It took several seconds before he exhaled slowly.

In the end, the pendant had returned to his hands once more.

Once again, causality was self-consistent. He would take this Celestial Fox Jade Pendant, untouched by Fuzhu, back to his own time, carrying it into a timeline it didn’t belong to.

The familiar instance system’s voice rang in his ears:

【Side quest updated!】


【Congratulations, player, on completing Side Quest Step 3:】


【Investigate the Truth】


【The demon hunter removed the contracted demon beast’s core for reasons of necessity. The player must investigate the past. Your past is—To save the contracted demon beast Fuzhu, you were forced to excavate his core and distract the enemies. This is your “reason of necessity.”】


【The reward for this task will be an unknown item, to be settled upon completion of the instance.】


【Player attention!】


【Player attention!】


【You must find the contracted demon beast Fuzhu before the Night of Gratitude, explain your reasons to him, and ensure he is present. Failure to do so will maximize your mortality risk!】

The hand clutching the fox jade pendant was the same one that Fuzhu had scratched. Gripping the pendant so tightly, the sharp tip pressed heavily into the wound. Jian Yuntai’s fair palm was already a bloody, mangled mess—so grotesque it was almost unbearable to look at.

Yet he seemed not to feel the pain.

Daylight had come, but his vision kept blacking out in waves—this was the final struggle of Sun Bin’s skill about to end. For the first time, Jian Yuntai finally lifted his eyes, looking in the direction where Fuzhu had departed.

“I’ll wait for you ten years from now,” he murmured.

※※※

The dark dungeon remained as it had been before—pitch black, no sunlight, filled with the damp stench of rot.

Jian Yuntai opened his eyes slightly and saw Fatty clutching the iron bars, shouting loudly: “Food! Where’s the food? My brother can’t skip a single meal! Are you trying to starve us to death?!”

Then he turned his gaze elsewhere.

Sun Bin was lying on the ground. He could now sit up weakly, covering his stomach and saying, “A sinister spirit type in the dungeon has already awakened and treated me. You—won’t be able to sprinkle salt on me, even if you wanted.”

“……”

Jian Yuntai paused for a moment, remembering that when he had threatened Sun Bin earlier, he had jokingly mentioned “sprinkling salt.”

He immediately felt a bit exasperated. “Just kidding.”

“That’s good… that’s good.” Sun Bin exhaled in relief and hesitated before glancing at Jian Yuntai. In the dim light, he couldn’t see Jian Yuntai’s expression clearly, but he could sense that his emotions had remained relatively calm.

After thinking for a while, Sun Bin couldn’t help but ask, “So… who excavated Fuzhu’s demon core?”

“……” A long silence filled the dungeon, as heavy and inky as a thick brushstroke. Flickering candlelight danced along the walls as Jian Yuntai’s throat tightened.

Only now did he remember something.

There was a theory called the “grandfather paradox”: you cannot go back in time to kill your grandfather, because if your grandfather died, your father would never be born, and neither would you, so you couldn’t have traveled back in the first place.

He had used Sun Bin’s skill to travel ten years into the past, intending to change the fact that Fuzhu’s core was excavated. Yet because of his interference, a twist of fate caused Fuzhu to be excavated anyway.

If Fuzhu had not had his core removed and had returned safely to the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox clan, he would never have met Jian Yuntai. Jian Yuntai would never have traveled into the past before dreaming.

Causality had self-consistency; the grandfather paradox.

Interwoven together, it had led to the current situation—trying to change Fuzhu’s fate through time travel had instead made Jian Yuntai an essential part of it.

He swore never to use Sun Bin’s skill again.

With that thought, Jian Yuntai looked expressionlessly at Sun Bin and said coldly, “I did it.”

Sun Bin’s mouth hung open in shock. “You… said what???”

This wasn’t fair!

The rabbit demon’s core hadn’t even been excavated by him, yet he had been beaten up badly for returning it, stacked with a heavy injury buff. Why was it that for Fuzhu’s core, Jian Yuntai had excavated it himself and was now sitting safely with no injuries?

Sun Bin felt jealous to the point of tears. Comparing the two cases, he felt utterly miserable. He could only sulk and ask, “So… Boss, you had no real reason at all?”

“I did it to save him,” Jian Yuntai said without elaborating, simply stating the truth. He then lifted his palm and looked down.

In his hand rested a little fox jade pendant, with a faint pale scar along its edge.

It looked like a small scratch from a ballpoint pen, nearly three centimeters long.

Before he had entered the dream, this scar did not exist.

It was left by Fuzhu ten years ago.

“How did this happen?” Fatty strode over, frowned after looking for a moment, and said, “It even left a scar. You’re not prone to scars, so how did this happen? At least it didn’t hit your face, or your fans would have been heartbroken.”

Fatty guessed wrong. Even though the scar wasn’t on Jian Yuntai’s face, the livestream viewers were in an uproar of “awww” and “sob sob sob”:

“Damn, that’s a mark left by little Fuzhu! Jian Dadan will carry this scar forever. Every time he sees it, won’t it remind him of Fuzhu?”

“Fuzhu was brutal when he first attacked, much worse than I imagined. I saw Jian Dadan act like nothing happened and thought the injury wasn’t serious.”

“During their first encounter he hit so hard, yet later when Jian Dadan excavated the core, it hurt so much—Fuzhu couldn’t bring himself to fight back. I’m crying just thinking about it, sob sob sob.”

“Fuzhu doesn’t remember this part of the past now. He probably doesn’t even know why Jian Dadan took his core and rescued him from the demon hunter sect. It’s heartbreaking imagining it, like being betrayed by the one you love most, tat.”

“Ahhh, I don’t care! They have to meet before the Night of Gratitude and clear this up!”

Jian Yuntai carefully hung the fox jade pendant back around his neck and tucked it securely into his collar.

The warm, radiant jade pressed against his chest, filling him with a comforting warmth.

“How long have I been asleep?” Jian Yuntai asked.

Sun Bin shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.

Fatty said, “About six or seven hours, I’d say. There’s no way to tell time in this hellhole, but it was long enough.”

That sounded about right.

By calculation, Jian Yuntai had also been in the past for six or seven hours, from nighttime until just before dawn.

Just as he thought this, the instance system’s voice rang out:

【Only five hours remain until the Night of Gratitude!】

The announcement echoed through the dungeon, shattering the tense atmosphere.

The female players were gradually waking up. They had barely managed to secure spots in the C-level 

instance, only to have the tower stolen at the start and been trapped here ever since, unable to do anything. Naturally, they were unwilling to accept this.

“We have to figure out a way out!”

“We’ve already spent four days inside this instance. Neither the side quest nor the main quest has been completed. If in the end all we get is the minimum survival time, then this trip would have been for nothing.”

“But how do we get out?”

The dungeon’s iron bars were sturdy. Several Sinister Monster Types had tried to test them, but none could bend them open. Instead, their attempts had drawn the priests to release poisonous gas inside the dungeon, leaving everyone unconscious the whole time.

Deng Ran stepped forward, patted her pants, and sat down on the floor. “I heard the Mother Goddess disguised herself as me?”

Fatty: “…”

Deng Ran sneered. “You can’t even tell the difference between me and the Mother Goddess? How did you even get into the Livestream Team? Don’t tell me it was just because you’re a Sinister Ghost Type?”

Fatty rolled his eyes. “What, are you jealous that I’m a Sinister GhostType?”

Deng Ran snorted again, too lazy to continue arguing. She turned to Jian Yuntai. “Cha Huafeng lost to you in the last instance, right? So you should know a way out?”

“Huh?” Jian Yuntai didn’t understand her logic.

Deng Ran said matter-of-factly, “Cha Huafeng is known for her intelligence. If she were trapped in this dungeon, she would’ve already figured out a way to get out. I don’t think you’d be worse than her.”

Jian Yuntai didn’t answer her question. Instead, he threw out a new one. “Then… how did you disappear during the banquet that day?”

Thinking about it made Deng Ran equally puzzled. She scratched her head in confusion and said, “Huh—I don’t remember. I just remember that when the food was served, I was eating. Then suddenly everything went black, and the next thing I knew, I was in this dungeon.”

“…” Jian Yuntai frowned slightly.

This was very strange.

Why had no one noticed the female players being abducted that day? Were the priests’ methods really that miraculous?

“Could it have been the demons helping?” Fatty spoke, coming to the same thought as Jian Yuntai. “There are all sorts of weird demons in this instance. Maybe there’s one that can… teleport! Directly move the players from the room.”

Jian Yuntai thought for a moment and shook his head. “Fuzhu once said there’s no demon like that.”

Fatty continued guessing. “Could the village committee have had a secret room? The priests could’ve stuffed the female players inside, then sent them through a hidden passage to this dungeon. Wait, that can’t be right! If that were the case, the whole mountain range would have been hollowed out, and the Mother Goddess Village would have collapsed long ago.”

Jian Yuntai nodded. “That’s the strange part—how the priests managed to move the female players here without anyone noticing, without leaving a trace.”

If it were really like Fatty guessed—using ‘instant transfer’ or some similar ability—then this situation was terrifying.

It would mean a player was assisting the priests. Only a player could have such a skill, and it had to be a Sinister Ghost Type.

Just like in the first instance with the Six Suns, when Jian Yuntai had activated the hidden instance quest, his objectives were completely opposite to all the other players’ objectives inside the instance.

So it wasn’t impossible that something similar was happening this time.

Fortunately, Fatty quickly spoke up. “In this instance, there’s only me as a Sinister Ghost Type. With you, that makes two.”

Jian Yuntai wasn’t a Sinister Ghost Type, but he didn’t deny it either. Lowering his eyelids, he thought silently.

At this point, three hypotheses had emerged: demons helping, secret rooms, or player assistance. Yet none of these could stand up to scrutiny.

How had the female players been abducted without anyone noticing?

Just as Jian Yuntai pondered this, the sound of rolling wheels came from outside the dungeon.

Creak—


Creak—

Everyone immediately went silent. In the dark, cavernous dungeon, the wheels became the only sound, occasionally hitting the walls and echoing.

Under this tense atmosphere, the white candlelight flickered slightly, revealing two priests dressed in shamanic garb. Their faces were still covered with gilded beast-pattern masks, and the bronze mirrors on their chests jingled with every step.

Even though their bodies were fully concealed, their agile movements and exposed necks made it clear that both priests were still young.

One of them suddenly shoved a girl in front, scolding, “Haven’t eaten? Move faster!”

Nong Lingling stumbled from the push but bit her lip and continued to push the large wheel cart, her face pale.

The wheel cart was huge, far beyond what a sixteen-year-old girl could handle. She pushed with extreme effort, and by the time she reached the dungeon bars, she was drenched in sweat and exhausted.

Upon seeing her, many immediately recognized Nong Lingling. They were surprised and delighted, but their smiles froze quickly.

Nong Lingling lifted the cover on the cart with both arms. Inside the round container was coarse food. She pulled out disposable plastic bowls from under the cart and began scooping rice into them.

“Nong Lingling!” someone shouted loudly.

The spoon in her hand trembled violently. Her face went even paler. She dared not look at anyone in the dungeon, keeping her eyes fixed solely on the coarse rice.

It was as if it were the most delicious food in the world.

From time to time, voices in the dungeon offered scolding or puzzled questions:

“You were abducted too! Why are you helping the priests hurt others?”


“Think carefully! You’ve gone down the wrong path!”


“Let us out, just let us out, and we’ll help you escape this hellhole. You won’t have to suffer at the hands of the priests anymore!”

“….…”

From start to finish, Nong Lingling didn’t speak a word.

The two priests also remained silent, simply watching with interest. Bringing Nong Lingling here was exactly what they wanted—they were entertained by the scene.

The final deadline of the Night of Gratitude hung like a sharp blade over all the players’ heads. Tempers were already frayed, and seeing Nong Lingling’s stubborn, unyielding stance, the players stopped reasoning and directly shouted insults.

“You’re so selfish! Selfish and cowardly!”


“We came looking for you because of the search notice, and you stabbed us in the back! Nong Lingling, be honest with yourself—do you think you’ve done right by us? By yourself?”


“Still not talking? Are you even human?!”


“You’re hopeless. Rot in the Mother Goddess Village! I knew someone from the garbage heap couldn’t be good. You’re trash too!”

All these insults piled onto Nong Lingling’s back like tons of weight, bending her spine further. She didn’t defend herself, tears streaming down her pale face.

Clang! Clang! Two loud sounds rang out. Once all the coarse food had been placed on trays and pushed across the dungeon floor, Nong Lingling finally spoke for the first time since arriving:

“Eat quickly. The food is fine. The priests only kept you alive because you’re useful—they won’t starve you.”

“……” Stubborn and unyielding!

No matter how much they tried to reason with her, it was useless. The players looked at each other helplessly, frustrated by her obstinacy yet utterly powerless.

No one dared touch the food on the ground.

In this situation, who would even dare to eat?

Tap tap. Two light sounds echoed as all eyes turned to Jian Yuntai. He rose from the corner of the wall and walked toward the bowls of coarse food as if he were strolling through a courtyard, then stopped in front of them.

Everyone assumed he was about to bend down and pick up a bowl, but Jian Yuntai defied all expectations.

His face remained calm and casual, but his movements were sharp and precise. Amid a chorus of shocked gasps, Jian Yuntai’s hand swished through the iron bars with one motion and firmly grabbed the collar of Nong Lingling.

With a loud clang, he lifted her entirely, pulling her close.

The dungeon’s iron bars shook violently.

Clang! Clang! The echo resounded repeatedly. Nong Lingling’s face pressed against the bars, her cheeks squashed and deformed, her eyes wide with panic.

“…?!” Nong Lingling cried in terror. “I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, wuuuuhhh…”

She thought Jian Yuntai was going to hit her.

The players were shocked. Livestream viewers assumed Jian Yuntai was venting his anger on Nong Lingling. But this action was anything but blind rage—it could only be described as “controlled precision.” Jian Yuntai never acted out of impotent fury.

He tilted his eyes slightly, leaned close to Nong Lingling’s ear, and spoke softly, a faint smile in his voice.

It was just a single sentence.

Nong Lingling’s previous restraint vanished instantly. She stared at Jian Yuntai in stunned disbelief, as if struck by lightning, unable to find her voice for several heartbeats.

“What are you doing? Get away!” The priests rushed forward to push him, but just before their hands could touch him, Jian Yuntai released Nong Lingling and stepped back.

He lowered his gaze to her. In his clear eyes, there was a maturity that seemed beyond his age. This time, his voice was not lowered.

“You will die,” he said.

“……”


“……”

As Nong Lingling moved away, her expression remained dazed. The moment had been far too brief. By the time everyone reacted, Jian Yuntai had already returned to the corner and sat down.

“You should have punched her just now!” someone shouted angrily. “I’d feel better if you’d hit her once!”

The players in the dungeon didn’t understand Jian Yuntai’s style, but Fatty knew him well.

“Did you just say something?” Fatty asked.

Jian Yuntai nodded. “Yes.”

Fatty leaned back on his arms and sighed. “With her like that, nothing would work anyway. Cowards only stay cowardly. Relying on her is pointless—better to rely on ourselves.”

Jian Yuntai didn’t respond.

Three hours later, when the priests returned to deliver food, Nong Lingling was still the one pushing the wheel cart.

Inside the cart was coarse, foul-smelling food that looked disgusting—like leftover scraps mixed together, reds, whites, and greens churned into a nauseating mash.

After the initial anger, the players no longer held grudges against Nong Lingling. Only a few lingered near the bars, trying to reason with her. But even after the cart was fully loaded and pushed away, Nong Lingling didn’t respond, leaving the players to step back in frustration.

No one touched the food on the ground.

First, they didn’t want to eat—it looked too disgusting. Second, they didn’t dare eat—it could have been poisoned, which explained why the food had ended up like this.

After two rounds of delivery, no one moved.

Sighs and groans filled the dungeon. Only two hours remained until the Night of Gratitude, and it would take time just to reach Mother Goddess Village!

Thinking like this, there was no way to complete the main quest. This instance was a total failure.

Amid the tense atmosphere, Jian Yuntai stood and walked toward the scattered plastic bowls. Fatty followed, wrinkling his nose. “Man… you’re not hungry again, are you? You can’t eat that stuff—who knows if the priests laced it with something?”

“I’m not hungry,” Jian Yuntai replied.

Ever since drinking Fuzhu’s blood, he hadn’t felt this sense of fullness in a long time. Judging by the current situation, he could easily hold out for a while longer.

He didn’t voice these thoughts, which made Fatty look incredulous. “Not hungry… then what are you doing here?” he asked skeptically.

Time was short. Jian Yuntai didn’t bother explaining and squatted, quickly lifting the lids of the plastic bowls.

In no time, the coarse food spilled across the dungeon floor. The sour, rotten stench filled the air.

“This is insane…” a confused player muttered. “Looks like C-level instances are really terrifying. Even the Boss can’t handle this, so he takes it out on the food.”

“Yeah… I feel like the difficulty here is way too high. The Boss has every right to be angry—he probably hasn’t faced a situation this hopeless before.”

The players murmured in awe, quietly remarking how even the Boss, when angry, was just like an ordinary person—he threw things in frustration.

Hey! In a way, that made him feel surprisingly relatable!

Everyone watched Jian Yuntai’s back as he ‘threw things,’ never feeling so close to him before. Yet under all those gazes, Jian Yuntai suddenly paused.

Then he stood up. Beep beep—

The sound of a remote control echoed. To the players and viewers, caught completely off guard, the dungeon’s iron bars suddenly rumbled and lifted.

The bars that had seemed unbreakable just moments ago now obediently withdrew, and the space before them opened up.

Tap tap.

Jian Yuntai took long strides and calmly stepped out of the dungeon.

“???” The players’ mouths hung open, their faces full of shock.

Wait… what just happened?

They had only been staring blankly!

Countless astonished eyes followed Jian Yuntai’s back. Moments ago, they had seen the Boss vent his anger by throwing things.

And now… damn, he actually feels so down-to-earth.

If they had tried to intervene just now… they would have caused a total social disaster. All the players froze, realizing that any attempt at advice would have been a humiliating fail.

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