Arc 3: Luodong Village
Chapter 27: Crossing The River
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
She casually picked one.
The other two unchosen cards quietly disappeared.
Only one was left, glowing faintly. It slowly turned in mid-air.
Luodong Village.
On the black card that symbolized death, the two words formed like flowing blood, then froze, making her eyes sting.
….
[Level 3 Dungeon] Detected
Participants: 10
Dungeon Name: Luodong Village
Clear Rewards: 60–200 points
Completion Condition: Escape from the Mountain God's control within seven days.
….
The clear river between the mountains looked like green jade glass, still and unmoving. Only when the wind passed through the mountains would it stir and make tiny ripples. The mountain mist was thin, like a soft white veil wrapped around the layers of village houses, adding a bit of tempting mystery.
There weren’t many people in this dungeon, far fewer than the crowd of internet addiction center trainees from the last round. All ten participants quickly gathered.
By the second level, there were no beginners. Everyone already had some experience and watched each other with guarded eyes. Those with teammates naturally stood together.
For some reason, the clothes and shoes they wore had quietly changed when they entered the dungeon. After taking in the surroundings, Tang Zihang was the first to react with a loud shout:
“Damn, why did my clothes change?”
The clean clothes on everyone had turned into short sleeves and loose black pants. Luo Shu’s eye-catching black dress and Tang Zihang’s ripped jeans were now all gone. He gave his pants a hard tug. Fit perfectly. That really was creepy.
Whispers began to spread among the crowd. Clearly, everyone felt uneasy about the sudden change. The dungeon didn’t let their confusion last long.
A moment later, a young man came out from the bushes nearby. He was holding a small flag and, seeing the group, gave a sheepish smile like he didn’t notice their wariness.
“Sorry about that, I had a stomach issue earlier. Let’s keep going to the riverbank. Someone will come pick us up.”
A tour guide?
He raised the little flag in his hand. The words on it said, “Shanxing Travel Group.”
Qin Dongwan’s doubts cleared up at that moment. Looked like this time, they were playing the role of tourists visiting this area. As for the guide, he was probably still a normal NPC for now.
By the second level, most players were already used to the rules. Once the NPC showed he was a guide, no one questioned him, at least not on the surface.
One group silently followed the guide, listening absentmindedly to his introductions. Qin Dongwan walked while deliberately lagging behind a little, starting to observe the other “fellow sufferers.”
There were ten people in this dungeon. Four of them were one team. Among the other six, one couple was clearly a team, and the other four were solo players.
The dungeon matching system in the Wheel of Death matched teams based on headcount. Like this time, after pulling in a 4 and 2 team, they filled the rest with four solo players.
After all, not every player could find a reliable team from the start. Rather than risk your life with someone you couldn’t trust, it was better to rely on yourself. At least no one would drag you down when it mattered.
Most of them looked ordinary. Only one tall, lean young man stood out.
He was also wearing the cheap travel outfit, but he somehow made it look high-end, like he was dressed in luxury brands. With long legs and a slim waist, he had perfect proportions. His face was also the kind that stood out clearly in a crowd.
While Qin Dongwan’s gaze wandered lazily, Luo Shu caught it right on the spot. She followed her line of sight, and her face darkened at once.
“What’re you looking at?”
“…Looking at those people.”
The scenery was full of clear waters and green hills, but to these “tourists” who weren’t really here for sightseeing, it had no charm at all. Instead of admiring the view, it was better to size up the people they’d be stuck with for the next few days.
Hearing Luo Shu’s question, Qin Dongwan answered carelessly. But then she saw the girl frown. She looked up at her with a glare that carried a hint of threat.
"You think there're still any small fish or shrimp in this dungeon that can be stronger than me?"
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5039729
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Her observing the people around actually got taken by Luo Shu as her wanting to find someone else to team up with. No wonder she hurriedly started fuming and glaring.
After explaining herself, Qin Dongwan quickened her pace to catch up with the main group. Step by step, she walked along the muddy path, leaving behind footprints both deep and shallow.
Soon, a few black dots could be seen gliding across the misty river surface. As they drew closer, the black dots grew larger—three small boats were slowly rowing over the water.
The people on board were wearing old, rough linen clothes, likely the ones sent to pick them up. There were no life rings or life jackets on any of the three boats. Their safety was questionable.
But the most eye-catching thing was a brightly feathered rooster tied tightly at the bow of one boat. Its fiery red comb was covered in the warm glow of the sunset, looking like a burning red sun.
"Get on, everyone. Each boat can take up to three people!"
The boatman at the front rolled up his sleeves and shouted hoarsely to the shore.
Wait… three people?
There were only three boats. This wasn’t a hard math problem—everyone quickly realized what it meant. With ten players and only nine spots, someone would be left behind, and the outcome wouldn’t be good.
Guarded looks built up in their eyes. Invisible walls went up. Everyone inched closer to the water’s edge, scared that being too slow would mean getting left behind.
The NPC tour guide stepped onto a boat as expected. No one dared fight him for it. Hua Qingjiu followed him up, and the one behind was the tall, handsome young man.
The first boat filled up quickly. Qin Dongwan and two others took the second. The couple took the third.
That left just one spot, and it became a fierce prize. The last three players broke into a scuffle.
While they fought, the boatman on the third boat blew a whistle. The boat carrying the couple began to drift away.
One of the men, strong and looking like he’d gone mad, grabbed a woman’s hair and yanked hard, flinging her aside and bumping another person off balance.
“Wait for me, wait for me—!”
His voice was hoarse and ugly from the panic. Right as the boat was leaving the shore, he leapt with all his strength, splashing water as he landed at the edge of the boat.
The boat rocked. The boatman rowing it frowned slightly, and his face turned gloomy.
“You two left behind, just wait here and don’t run around, alright? I’ll come back for you after I send the others off—forget it, look at that face. Ladies first, you go up first.”
As if he had strong human emotions, this NPC actually seemed gentle and understanding. Though he ignored the fight earlier, when he saw a man and a woman standing on the lakeside lawn looking hopeless as the boats left, he suddenly called out to stop.
The boatman rowing paused. From the second boat, Qin Dongwan could only vaguely hear some words of compromise, and the first boat turned back.
A moment later, the woman boarded the boat as she wished, looking relieved. Left behind were the tour guide and that man.
“You all hurry up and go. Come back for us,”
The guide waved them on, motioning for them to move quickly and not waste time.
The boatman silently picked up speed. The wooden oars stirred the water, breaking the mirrored mountain reflections with loud splashes.
Once on board, you could already see the houses in the mountains getting closer and closer.
No one spoke along the way, except for Tang Zihang, who looked around excitedly at the sky and water.
It wasn’t until the boats drifted close to each other and people started chatting that he pulled Qin Dongwan and Luo Shu toward the stern.
“This NPC’s actually not bad this time. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be dangerous for that player to stay back alone?”
“Not bad?”
Qin Dongwan looked worried and had the complete opposite thought. She stood quietly all the way, looking out into the distance.
The thin mist over there blurred the view, making it impossible to see clearly even if you tried.
“Remember the story about the wolf and the sheep crossing the river?”
The girl’s voice wasn’t loud, but that simple sentence stirred up a hidden fear.
When the owner ferries different things across the river, if the wolf and the sheep are left alone, the wolf that seemed tame in front of the owner will show its true nature and devour the sheep.
It’s an unshakable part of the food chain—and for them, it’s no different.
Even with the promise of “company” and someone coming back to pick them up, the male player left behind was very likely to become the first sheep to be slaughtered.
Every role in the dungeon always had a purpose. That tour guide wouldn't just be left onshore and not return.
Just as Qin Dongwan was slowly thinking things through, the boat suddenly jolted. The three boatmen who were just chatting fell silent at once, their faces turning serious. A hint of fear flashed in their eyes.
“Crocroooak—”
The sharp crow of the rooster pierced into their ears. The colorful-feathered rooster tied at the bow suddenly flapped its wings. Its weak struggle clearly couldn't change its fate.
Qin Dongwan saw one of the boatmen grab a small knife that had been prepared long ago and slash it hard across the rooster’s neck. The movement was swift and practiced, as if he had done it many times.
Hot arterial blood gushed out. Drops of blood fell into the river and spread out like thin threads, staining the water a bright red.
Screams rang out one after another. A chill crawled up her spine. Qin Dongwan stepped back slightly and stood back to back with Luo Shu.
Right after, she saw a pale face emerge from the still water. It stuck out a long, blood-red tongue and curled it toward the boat, then quickly shrank back as if scalded by the blood.
“Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, chicken blood shows its power. Expel demons, banish monsters. Mountain God bless us.”
One of the boatmen chanted loudly. The dark blood flowed across the boat deck, seeping into the deep cracks of the wooden boards.
Author's Note:
The story just started. The humans and ghosts haven’t even started showing off yet. This level won’t be as easy to brute-force like the ones before. I'm exhausted. Good night,
