Chapter 34
Chapter 34
As the unsettling gaze receded, the other guards regained their composure. The guard who had spoken out knelt in terror, pleading with Ming Zhuang for mercy.
Ning Wang stood right beside Ming Zhuang, watching the guard’s anxious expression.
Xie Ning said calmly, “There’s no need to get into a heated argument over a guard. Field Master Ming, let’s discuss the matter of the Vermilion Jade Grass.”
Vermilion Jade Grass grew beyond the frontier, but its growing conditions were so treacherous that one might not find a single stalk in the entire region.
Ultimately, out of deference to the Xie Family, Ming Zhuang and Xie Ning reached a consensus: whoever found the Vermilion Jade Grass first would claim it.
Xie Ning set off with his men. Ming Zhuang ordered his guards to scatter and search, but Ning Wang kept two of them behind.
Ming Zhuang remarked, “With an injured arm, you’ve become so weak that you need others to protect you…”
Ning Wang pushed those guards toward Ming Zhuang, cutting his words short. “…What do you mean by this?”
Ming Zhuang frowned in displeasure. “You know I was planning to take you with me to find it.”
Ning Wang shook his head. “If you take me, we will never find the Vermilion Jade Grass.”
Ming Zhuang gave him a deep look, pulled his cloak tighter, and let out a soft huff as he left. “Suit yourself.”
Once both parties had moved far away, Ning Wang headed in the opposite direction.
Since the rules mentioned a “choice,” it meant Ning Wang had to find the Vermilion Jade Grass himself first, and then the System would make him choose someone to give it to.
As it turned out, Ning Wang exerted a great deal of effort and finally managed to find the Vermilion Jade Grass, only for a blood-soaked Beast Arena guard and a Xie Manor guard-who was clearly on his last breath-to stumble toward him at the same time.
“Young Master… something has happened to the Master!”
“Sir, please, I beg you to save my young master!”
Facing this melodramatic “choose one of two” scenario, Ning Wang’s pupils dilated in shock. So, this was what the “choice” actually meant!
The two guards were pointing in completely opposite directions. Without hesitation, Ning Wang rushed toward Ming Zhuang.
He thought that by doing this, the “choice” would be considered complete.
However, upon arriving, he saw Xie Ning, dressed in red, slumped over Ming Zhuang in a protective stance, clearly suffering from severe injuries.
Ning Wang thought: *Even in this situation, the System dragged Xie Ning over, as if it’s afraid I won’t recognize that this ‘Xie Ning’ is a fake created by the System.*
The Xie Manor guard was still urging him, “Young Master Ning, my master suffered such grievous injuries to protect your master! Quick, give him the Vermilion Jade Grass!”
Ming Zhuang saw Ning Wang and mouthed: *He’s crazy. I could have killed those assassins myself, but this guy just had to throw himself on top of me. T^T*
…Impressive. He could even read an emoticon from the man’s lip movements.
The Xie Family guard continued to press him. Ning Wang stepped forward and, under “Xie Ning’s” hopeful gaze, unhesitatingly pulled Ming Zhuang up. “I found the Vermilion Jade Grass.”
After a pause, he called out that name again. “Ning Shuo, let’s go back.”
The colors of his surroundings receded like a tide, and a brilliant white light filled his vision, momentarily blinding him. When Ning Wang opened his eyes again, the Sika Deer was looking at them with a beaming smile. “Oh my, that was quite fast.”
It pointed toward the other team, who looked exceptionally disheveled compared to Ning Wang’s side. “Coincidentally, you all happened to come out at the exact same time.”
Ning Shuo also feigned distress. “Is that so? It seems both teams had to make so many ‘choices’ inside.”
The first time, Ning Wang chose to follow Ming Zhuang after winning.
The second time, Ning Wang chose Ming Zhuang when both Ming Zhuang and “Xie Ning” were in danger.
The third time, Ning Wang chose a safe Ming Zhuang over a dying “Xie Ning.”
He had chosen correctly all three times.
However, the rules only mentioned a “choice.” Did it really require choosing three times?
Ning Wang also sized up the other team suspiciously and asked Rao Lin, who was wearing a smiley-face mask, “How many choices did you have to make?”
Rao Lin cleared his throat. “Three times.”
Luo Li’s fingers tapped lightly on the back of Rao Lin’s hand: *Heh, it took you until the third time to find me.*
Rao Lin tapped back: *Good thing I used that item in advance. They can only leave once we do.*
Luo Li: *You have the nerve to say that? You wasted a rare item that can actually be used in the Rest Area!*
Rao Lin: *Just testing the waters, testing the waters. I’ll make it up to you with a better one later.*
Ning Wang saw their movements, but having never seen Morse Code before, he could only guess it was some kind of cipher.
Ning Shuo said, “Call me ‘Brother,’ and I’ll translate it for you.”
He was clearly getting back at Ning Wang for taking advantage of him verbally so many times.
Ning Wang felt no psychological burden, having already called him that many times before. “Brother.”
Ning Shuo tilted his head and hummed. “Morse Code. We should have been out very quickly, but they used an item, so we all came out together.”
Ning Wang asked, “Sent by the System?”
“Most likely.”
Ning Shuo had played many NPCs for fools since the start of Paradise; the System couldn’t even tell those NPCs that Ning Shuo wasn’t a Secret Mission Agent.
Since it couldn’t say anything, it decided to find some trouble for Ning Shuo and his companion.
The Sika Deer acted as if it didn’t see the undercurrents between the two parties at all, saying joyfully, “I didn’t expect it to be a tie! Let’s have an Overtime Match!”
It pulled out a stack of cards and said, “I will draw questions related to your partners from these. Each team must answer five questions correctly. If you get one wrong, you’ll need to pay me one hundred Heat Points!”
“Similarly, the first team to answer five questions correctly wins, and everyone on the team will receive one thousand Heat Points!”
While Ning Shuo and Ning Wang were considering strategies to counter potential interference from the other side, Rao Lin raised his hand and asked politely, “Can we withdraw?”
Ning Shuo: “…”
Ning Wang: “…”
Luo Li: “…”
Luo Li lowered her voice. “Are you crazy?! Did you forget the mission the System gave us??”
Rao Lin also whispered, “It’s not a mandatory completion! You know how low our chemistry is. Rather than losing without any grace, it’s better to just admit defeat from the start!”
“Is admitting defeat from the start graceful!?”
“It’s more graceful than a total defeat!”
Luo Li: “…”
Just as Luo Li was about to nod in agreement, the Sika Deer smiled and said, “You can withdraw on the spot, but you’ll need to pay ten thousand Heat Points.”
As Luo Li prepared to painfully open her wallet, Rao Lin’s expression turned serious. “We’re not withdrawing. Let’s begin.”
Luo Li: “…”
Luo Li reached her limit. “Are you sick!?”
Rao Lin replied, “If we lose five rounds, we only pay five hundred. Withdrawing costs ten thousand. Isn’t that a loss!”
While the “Coffee or Milk Tea, Which is Better?” team was having their internal conflict, Ning Wang whispered to Ning Shuo, “Were those two forced together by the System?”
Ning Shuo nodded solemnly. “Probably.”
Thus, after Rao Lin set his heart on losing this match completely, a comical scene unfolded-
Sika Deer: “Question for Ning Shuo and Li Hua: When does your partner usually sleep?”
Ning Shuo: “Any time. There’s no pattern at all.”
Rao Lin: “Kids sleep early. Nine o’clock!”
Sika Deer: “Congratulations to Ning Shuo for answering correctly. Li Hua, please pay one hundred Heat Points.”
Sika Deer: “Question for Ning Wang and Li Cuihua: What is your partner’s greatest regret from the past two years?”
Ning Wang: “Failing to save his best friend.”
Luo Li: “Spending a lot of time chasing his partner.”
Sika Deer: “Congratulations to Ning Wang for answering correctly. Li Cuihua, please pay one hundred Heat Points.”
Luo Li: “…”