Chapter 23: Chapter 23 OO that XX
Really? Han Baiqiang was somewhat shocked after hearing that, a glint of understanding flashed in Sun Bin's eyes, but he said nothing. Xiao Buli also found it a bit exaggerated, yet it seemed there was no reason to lie about such a thing.
That hat-wearing man must indeed be someone special, or Qin Shimoon wouldn't be so anxious. But what exactly was going on? Although Xiao Buli considered himself highly intelligent, he was confounded this time.
On the second day, when he was finally able to access the computer, Xiao Buli entered the computer room and was met with a strong scent of air freshener, as if someone was trying to cover something up.
The computer room seemed to have been thoroughly cleaned from the inside out, giving off a shiny appearance everywhere.
Once he sat down and logged into the game, Xiao Buli forced his attention back to it. Today, as usual, was for Grazing. He'd grown quite skilled at it, and before noon, his Grazing Skill had already risen by 7 levels. He figured that at this rate, he may reach Max Level by tomorrow.
Just as he was determined to work even harder, he suddenly heard a timid voice from Li Baocheng across the room, "Li, could you come over and help me check something?" His tone was different from his usual open and slightly ingratiating one—it seemed he really encountered some trouble this time.
Li Jian had always been in the room, ready to help them with their questions, but since the four had gotten on the right track, he mostly spent his time playing his own character.
Xiao Buli didn't pay much attention, and his movements didn't slow down. At this moment, he had no idea that this question would bring about a significant change for everyone.
After Li Baocheng called Li Jian over, the two whispered back and forth, and the more they did so, the more it piqued curiosity. Han Baiqiang, sitting next to Li Baocheng, was all ears, occasionally hearing Li Jian's strange clicking sounds but unable to discern any specifics.
After a while, Li Jian chuckled bitterly and raised his voice, "I'm afraid I can't help you with this one. I've never seen anything like it, nor have I heard other teammates mention it."
Li Jian deliberately spoke loudly; after all, it wasn't good to hide such a situation—it might need to involve the others. Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xiao Buli couldn't help but become curious. As he had just completed another round of Grazing, he shepherded the flock back to the pen and looked up.
Having heard what Li Jian said, Li Baocheng's face fell, realizing that it was no time to worry about losing face. Li Baocheng raised his voice, "Guys, can you come to the pig farm? I have something I'd like to discuss with you, and by the way, there are some equipment rewards." Though the prospect of getting equipment sounded like good news, Li Baocheng's tone was far from excited—it was as if he had been stripped of his equipment.
This announcement not only piqued Han Baiqiang but also Xiao Buli and Sun Zibin's curiosity. They all found it odd and wondered what Li Baocheng was up to. He had just seemed to be in a predicament, yet now he mentioned rewards. However, getting equipment was incredibly appealing to them at the moment. No matter how poor the equipment, it held great value for the group, who were almost bare of any gear.
This was exactly why Li Baocheng had deliberately added that line to ensure they would come.
Xiao Buli and Master Yang requested leave, and they headed to the village pigsty. Upon arrival, Xiao Buli was the first to get there, not seeing the others yet. "Where are you?" he called out loudly.
"Come into the farmhouse; once you're inside, you'll see me,"
Xiao Buli was quite familiar with the environment of the farm, but he never knew one could actually enter the farmhouse. He was puzzled as the farmer always locked the door tight whenever he left, guarding it as if hiding some big secret. Xiao Buli had never seen the inside before.
He pushed the door open and went inside, only to be dumbfounded by the scene before him. The shrewd farmer, who often haggled with him, now lay on the ground covered in blood, his hefty stomach sliced open with a gaping wound, his intestines spilling out. Combined with the game's slightly realistic graphics, it made Xiao Buli's scalp tingle. On the bed not far away lay the seductive woman he had seen only once before, suspected to be the farmer's wife. She was naked, her chest covered in blood, her body pale and lifeless, already reduced to a naked corpse—it was quite the R-rated scene.
"Damn, what the heck? How did this happen?" Overwhelmed by shock, Xiao Buli didn't have time to type and blurted out loud.
As he screamed, Han Baiqiang and Sun Zibin also rushed over, and both of them were stunned as well. After a moment, Han Baiqiang turned and asked weakly, "Did you kill these two NPCs?"
Li Baocheng awkwardly grinned and nodded.
Turning back to the screen, Han Baiqiang felt a mix of amusement and disbelief.
"I wouldn't have guessed, Little Li, you're pretty hardcore. I didn't expect you to be into this kind of thing," Sun Zibin's voice carried a mix of sarcasm and schadenfreude, "After all, we're playing a game, right? It's just a game, eh?" His implication was clear: even in a game, could you not restrain your true swineherd nature?
The veteran gamers well knew that NPCs were always sacred and inviolable in games, or at least appeared to be. Although some games allowed you to kill NPCs from enemy factions, they typically didn't drop valuable loot, nor did they usually result in serious consequences. However, this game was different from any they had played before; everything seemed incredibly realistic. Compared to the "Ancient Scroll", famous for its freedom, where killing a chicken could lead to a villager's bounty and serious consequences, no one knew what the repercussions in this game might be.
"I really can't be blamed for this." Li Baocheng's voice was almost whiny, "I thought it was just a game, so what harm could it do? Besides, I thought maybe it was part of a quest."
Li Baocheng then gave a rough account of what had happened. After seeing Xiao Buli with his pet, he resolved to learn Taming Skills. So, during his spare time apprenticing for a hunter, he went to the farm with the goal of mastering these skills. He easily became a swineherd and learned the breeding skill. But before long, that seductive woman began to strut about, coming and going, provoking Li Baocheng's curiosity. He clicked on her, and she struck up a conversation with him.
As a longtime gamer, and having heard Li Jian mention the high degree of freedom in this game, Li Baocheng assumed there might be some hidden quest. So he began to flirt with the farmer's wife, using the same skills that usually worked on QQ, and to his surprise, the NPC responded. After a bit of chatting, she invited him inside to talk. Thinking he was onto something, Li Baocheng gleefully followed her in, only for the woman to start undressing once they were inside. Li Baocheng thought, since it had come this far, he might as well go through with it to see what would happen.
"Wait a second, are you saying this game has an... adult content system?" Han Baiqiang interrupted him to ask.
PS: There's another chapter tonight