The task notification that popped up in his view made Li Muyang blink.
There’s a save feature?
Does it mean that after dying next time, he could start the storyline from here?
Li Muyang looked at the trembling shopkeeper, then called out the equally trembling waiter, and under the arrangement of Glass Immortal Maiden, they carried the six bodies to the backyard and laid them side by side.
At this moment, the six Demon Cultivators had turned into a terrifying mix of half-human, half-monster, some covered in black scales, another’s head turning into a serpent’s head, it was like a bizarre animal fusion.
Glass Immortal Maiden frowned next to the bodies, “Since Master Qianye swept away the demons a thousand years ago, the land of the Nine Provinces has been free of the Demon Path for a thousand years. Where did these six Demon Cultivators come from?”
Glass Immortal Maiden crouched down to inspect the bodies of the Demon Cultivators.
Li Muyang stood by, not approaching.
The bloody appearance of these bodies made them look quite unappetizing, a side effect of the game’s overly realistic simulation.
The excessively realistic bodies and the pungent smell of blood in the air made Li Muyang frown; he had been dealing with half a month-old sheep and was almost suffering from blood smell PTSD.
If this were a game from his previous life, such realistic bodies and spurting blood would probably be rated 18+.
As expected of a mission inspector, Glass Immortal Maiden conducted a thorough examination and quickly came to a conclusion.
“They seem to be the infamous Blood Demon Cult followers from a thousand years ago…”
Glass Immortal Maiden frowned as she stood up and washed the blood off her hands with water.
Li Muyang recorded this information, “The Blood Demon Path that disappeared a thousand years ago?”
The classic game setting where the legendary Demon Lord reemerges a thousand years later, causing chaos at the end of a dynasty.
It seemed that the boss of the tutorial in Loushan City was likely a Demon Cultivator from the Blood Demon Path.
Li Muyang and Glass Immortal Maiden left the backyard and returned to the inn’s main hall.
The front door was opened just then, and a silhouette with a huge green health bar walked in with several followers.
[Guide].
This NPC also had a health bar, a middle-aged man clad in armor, slim with some white at his temples, appearing quite aged.
Upon seeing Glass Immortal Maiden, the guide quickly stepped forward to greet her, “Loushan City’s official, Zhao Erhu, greets the maiden.”
Glass Immortal Maiden nodded slightly, “Thank you for your troubles, Mister Zhao.”
Though she appeared aloof, Glass Immortal Maiden was still very polite.
The two apparently knew each other, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Glass Immortal Maiden asked Zhao Erhu to send his followers to handle the seven bodies in the backyard.
The trio then left the inn and boarded the waiting carriage outside; as the carriage’s wheels rolled, it headed towards Loushan City up ahead.
That was a great stronghold nestled between two mountains, with towering, majestic walls. The walls were flanked by steep cliffs soaring into the clouds.
It looked more like a military fortress than a city, truly a magnificent sight.
Zhao Erhu watched the setting sun gradually fade in the distance, sighing.
“Now, the city is anxious and unstable, the commanding officer has ordered the city to be closed, cutting off inside and out.”
“It is said that by the Emperor’s decree, the Demon Suppression Magus from the Astronomical Bureau is already on the way. If we wait for those Demon Suppression Magi to arrive at Loushan City, who knows how many innocent people will perish.”
Zhao Erhu was filled with worry, fearing those so-called Demon Suppression Magi.
Glass Immortal Maiden sighed, “Mister Zhao need not worry, as long as we ascertain the situation and eradicate the evil before the Demon Suppression Magi arrive, no innocents will suffer.”
“Although the Demon Suppression Magi are harsh, they would hold back if they could avoid killing.”
Glass Immortal Maiden and Zhao Erhu began discussing the situation in the city.
Li Muyang, watching the fading light outside, remained silent, waiting to enter the city.
Based on his gaming experience, this type of NPC conversation setting up the plot was generally safe.
Indeed, the carriage safely passed the deserted mountain path outside Loushan City and entered through the grand, robust city gates without any incidents.
But as the carriage bearing the three of them left through the city gate tunnel and entered the streets of Loushan City, Li Muyang’s mission pane updated again.
[Accompany Glass Immortal Maiden into Loushan City—Completed]
[Current Mission Progress Has Been Saved]
[New Mission: Survive Safely with Glass Immortal Maiden for Ten Minutes]
Seeing the mission log suddenly update, Li Muyang couldn’t help but grimace. It was the same old trick—danger awaited just as they entered the city.
Watching the countdown timer appear in the upper right corner of his vision, Li Muyang lifted the curtain of the carriage to look outside.
The streets were eerily silent and empty, devoid of any human figures under the moonlight, which added a sinister touch to the surroundings.
At that moment, the empty city under the moonlight resembled a deserted ghost town, and a faint smell of blood wafted through the air.
Li Muyang was all too familiar with this scent. He immediately turned around to look at Glass Immortal Maiden inside the carriage.
At that time, Glass Immortal Maiden was still talking to Zhao Erhu and had not noticed anything unusual outside.
Li Muyang spoke up to interrupt the two, “Maiden, something seems off about this city…”
The vast city, shrouded in eerie gloom with a scent of blood in the air and the ever-fluctuating countdown numbers in the upper right corner of his vision, all indicated that danger was imminent.
Li Muyang began to alert Glass Immortal Maiden, as in terms of cultivation attributes, Glass Immortal Maiden’s combat prowess was far superior to his, making her a reliable ally in battle.
But just as Li Muyang finished speaking, before Glass Immortal Maiden could respond, an intense vibration assaulted the carriage.
Inside the carriage, Li Muyang felt his body jolt violently, and the next second, he plunged into darkness.
“Damn! To die so arbitrarily?”
Back in the Refinement Demon Sect’s thatched cottage, Li Muyang suddenly sat up.
Opening his eyes in disbelief, the death had come too suddenly; he didn’t even have the chance to halt time or see how he died.
All he felt was the carriage being struck by something, and then he perished.
Sitting on the hard bed, Li Muyang closed his eyes, and the sinister CG image of Loushan City under the moonlight reappeared in his vision.
This CG scroll displayed several lines of large text.
[Would You Like to Continue the Tutorial?]
[Yes/No]
As Li Muyang was about to select [Yes], his stomach suddenly gave a loud “growl”.
He was hungry.
Engrossed in the game, Li Muyang then opened his eyes to find that it was already dark outside without his realization; he hadn’t had dinner and was now ravenous.
“Tsk… the last time I was this engrossed in a game was, well, the last time.”
Li Muyang sighed.
This game indeed had something special; he hadn’t been this absorbed for a long time, to the point where he even forgot to eat.
Getting out of bed, Li Muyang started to make a fire for cooking. As an Outer Sect Disciple of the Refinement Demon Sect, he was essentially like a handyman; a common disciple like Li Muyang with no background or status was at the very bottom, and he had to take care of his own meals and water heating.
Opening the empty rice bin, he scooped out two big spoonfuls of Spirit Rice, and began to cook.
Although his culinary skills were average, the Spirit Rice distributed by the Refinement Demon Sect was indeed a treat, even tastier than the Wuchang rice he had eaten in his previous life, and it also benefitted his cultivation.
But looking at the dwindling supply of Spirit Rice in the bin, Li Muyang hesitated.
“That… Have I been eating too much recently?”
While the Spirit Rice was indeed delicious, his appetite had indeed grown much larger than before.
It was only mid-month, and the newly distributed Spirit Rice was already running out.
Looking at the scant remains of Spirit Rice in the bin, Li Muyang suddenly felt the same financial panic he had experienced in college when he realized his living expenses were nearly depleted.
“I need to find a way to get some more Spirit Rice!”
