Chapter 125: The Red Infant Troupe (Part 2)

Chapter 125: The Red Infant Troupe (Part 2)

Upon hearing Xie Fangcheng's words, the rest of the group couldn't help but show expressions of speechlessness.

Zhang E thought to himself, 'Is this really the time to worry about food? One won't die from three days without food, but failing to seriously contemplate how to clear this instance could indeed be fatal.'

But the man before him was no ordinary person; this was a big shot capable of overthrowing the Chaoyang Guild. Zhang E dared not voice his objections, instead rationalizing silently: 'Perhaps this is the big shot's strategy for clearing the level.'

Was this a case of strategically despising the enemy while tactically valuing them?

Perhaps the big shot was just saying this superficially? Maybe, he had a plethora of strategies swirling in his mind?

Since entering the game, Xie Fangcheng had frequently witnessed other players displaying faces of utter bewilderment and confusion. He couldn't be bothered to explain at this point.

Finding out whether meals would be provided was quite simple.

Xie Fangcheng directly exited the room. Before long, he returned.

"They are providing meals."

Xie Fangcheng stepped out and questioned an NPC, who displayed a momentary blank expression in response.

This NPC had been with the Red Infant Troupe for many years, where everyone was dedicated and constantly pondered on how to deliver exceptional performances. After all, failure to satisfy the audience was a matter of life and death.

No one had ever approached him with such concern about whether meals were provided by the troupe. Judging by this person’s expression, the matter seemed of somewhat greater importance.

Nonetheless, the NPC was quite amiable and quickly regained his composure to answer him.

“As long as you are part of the troupe, meals will be provided every day.”

Only then did Xie Fangcheng express satisfaction.

Seeing the content look on his face, the players couldn’t help but internally shout in disbelief.

He was really serious about this!

Everyone thought it was just a casual remark, who could have expected him to actually go and inquire!

“So... what should we do now?” Zhang E couldn't resist asking.

He addressed the question to Xie Fangcheng directly.

After all, it was established that the players were looking to Xie Fangcheng as their leader, effectively handing him the reins.

Despite everything, everyone seemed to view Xie Fangcheng through a 'big shot' lens, always suspecting that he harbored some grand, earth-shattering plan given his capabilities.

However, when Zhang E posed the question, Xie Fangcheng pondered for a while before finally uttering a phrase.

“Adopt a wait-and-see approach?”

What kind of plan was this?!

The group couldn’t help but mentally voice their complaints.

The big shot’s thought process seemed incompatible with theirs, prompting some players to finally decide to take matters into their own hands.

“How about we start with introducing ourselves? It’s only proper to get to know each other, irrespective of whether there is competition in this instance. At least until the situation becomes clear, we are companions,” one player suggested.

The person who suggested this began, “My name is Yu Cong, a lone wolf in the guild, having cleared seven instances.”

The remaining players followed suit, each introducing themselves in quick succession. Once done, all eyes couldn't help but turn towards Xie Fangcheng.

The big shot's identity was currently the subject of numerous rumors and speculations, with truths and falsehoods circulating wildly. Now that the person in question was present, everyone was curious about the real situation surrounding Xie Fangcheng.

Xie Fangcheng was quite cooperative: “Xie Fangcheng, cleared five instances, a member of the Ronghua Guild.”

Five times!

Once again, the group found themselves wearing blank expressions.

Although most players who could randomly enter a level one instance had less than ten clears under their belts, hearing it directly from Xie Fangcheng still left everyone struggling to wrap their heads around it.

Isn't that clear count way too low?

With such a small number of clears, how could this player be so powerful? Could he actually be using a cheat?

Xie Fangcheng had no idea what was running through their minds. He was highly adept at laying low. After introducing himself, he remained silent, his demeanor resembling that of an office worker relegated to the back row during company meetings and tucked in the farthest corner during karaoke team-building events — the quintessential invisible employee, adept at slacking off. Even when Yu Cong turned to look at him, Xie Fangcheng met his gaze with an encouraging look.

Yu Cong paused, somehow comprehending his intent without words.

“So... shall I take the lead?” Yu Cong asked cautiously.

Xie Fangcheng nodded cheerfully, “Sure, sure.”

Nobody had any objections; after all, Yu Cong had the highest clear count among them.

A higher number of clears indicated richer experience and potentially greater strength.

Having acquired the leadership role in such a bewildering manner, all Yu Cong could do was leverage the experience from his numerous instance clears.

“The information we have at hand indicates that we are to portray characters from ‘The Tale of the Black Basin’. However, Liu Shichang and the Zhao couple do perish in the script,” Yu Cong paused, observing the faces around him before offering a somewhat distracted consolation, “There's no need to worry so much, it's only our speculation that these three roles are dangerous. Maybe we are overthinking it, right?”

This statement was clearly insincere.

In such a terrifying game, being assigned roles of characters who die was a dangerous omen, even if it didn't guarantee immediate death, it likely wouldn't bring any benefits.

Yu Cong didn't dwell on this fact, instead he glanced outside the house.

In the expansive courtyard, about three to four dozen troupe members were diligently practicing, their serious attitudes indicating that they considered this practice as a paramount task in their lives.

“I think our primary concern now is, if the troupe doesn't provide us with props, how should we go about obtaining them?”

Besides the costumes required for the performance, how were they supposed to acquire the black basin mentioned in “The Tale of the Black Basin”?

Were they really expected to cremate the actor portraying Liu Shichang to ashes, to be used in crafting the black basin?

Yu Cong's mind was racing.

Everyone present was no fool; harboring their own calculations, they had all resolutely decided to vie for other roles, refusing to be cast in any of the three hazardous roles.

Particularly the role of Liu Shichang, who dies early in the story, this peril should be borne by other players.

“Here’s the plan, it’s getting late, and if the troupe is providing meals, breakfast should be served soon. Let's try to gather more information from other NPCs in the troupe while we eat,” he suggested.

It seemed there was no other option at this point.

Their knowledge was limited, and hastily assigning roles and starting rehearsals was not an option, as nobody wanted to be cast in one of the three perilous roles.

Initiating internal strife this early on was certainly not advisable.

Everyone harbored their own intentions, and indeed, the time for breakfast arrived swiftly.

The voice of the old man with a cane resonated from outside.

"Time to eat—"

Everyone stepped outside only to find that breakfast consisted of a bowl of rice adorned with a few strands of pickled vegetables, qualifying as a meal.

Xie Fangcheng couldn't conceal his disappointment upon seeing the food.

"Is it really this plain?"

The NPC who had answered his question earlier overheard and reassured him warmly, "It can't be helped. Once we leave this village, we'll have more to eat."

We'll have more to eat once we leave this village?

Why is there so little to eat within the village?

Yu Cong hurried over to inquire, "Excuse me, sir, why is there so little to eat in the village?"

The NPC hesitated, giving him a glance but shook his head without uttering a word.

Though the meal was simple, it was at least edible. Everyone grabbed a bowl of rice and squatted down beside the wall like the NPCs, trying to overhear what these NPCs might be discussing.

The surrounding NPCs chatted leisurely about mundane matters, resembling a normal troupe of actors.

Yu Cong and his group tried to glean any unusual information through subtle inquiries, but it seemed these NPCs were perhaps just background characters, offering no special clues or insights.

After the meal, these NPCs resumed their practice in the courtyard without any supervision.

Yu Cong hesitated for a moment before turning to Xie Fangcheng.

"Shall we explore the village? We might find some clues there."

Xie Fangcheng nodded in agreement, "Sure."

And thus, the group pushed open the grand doors of the theatre.

Yu Cong, who was leading the way, suddenly halted in his tracks.

Since entering this instance, Yu Cong felt an indescribable oddness about the place.

It wasn't until they pushed open the theatre doors and witnessed the scenery outside that he finally realized what was amiss.

It was too quiet.

It seemed as if the entire world was silent, except for the noises emanating from within the theatre. Despite being in a village, not even the faintest bark of a dog could be heard.

— Of course, that was because not a single living soul was present in the village.

"Damn... what kind of village is this?" someone muttered under their breath.

To call it a village seems somewhat inappropriate now.

For where houses should have stood, not a single one remained. Instead, there lay row upon row of squarely shaped coffins.

Sheets of joss paper were swept up by the wind, twirling before descending onto the streets once again.

"Shoufang Village... 'Shoufang' is a synonym for coffins," someone murmured, "This is literally a ghost village! Does that mean our audience... are ghosts?"

The entire settlement was adorned with white joss papers and black coffins, with only the vibrant and elaborate stage at the theatre entrance providing a surreal and grotesque contrast.

Yu Cong finally understood.

"No wonder these NPCs train so diligently. If the audience consists of ghosts, displeasing them... might result in immediate death!"

Everyone exchanged apprehensive glances.

None of them had experience in traditional opera, and putting together a performance that would satisfy ghostly spectators in a mere three days seemed like an implausible tale.

What should they do?

How can they pass this stage?

"We need to find that old man!" Yu Cong quickly realized, "To please the ghostly audience, there must be ways other than just delivering a good performance, right? There should be other methods!"

The NPCs in the courtyard seemed to be mere background props, indicating that the key NPC must either be the troupe leader or that old man.

"Let's go!" Yu Cong once again led the substantial group towards the troupe leader's room.

Upon reaching the room, they found only the old man; the troupe leader was still nowhere to be seen.

Any NPC in the yard could tell them about the old man's identity.

"Deputy leader," Yu Cong took the initiative to inquire, "We are new here and would like to learn more about the opera troupe and the audience, if that's alright?"

The deputy leader gazed at them with a somewhat mocking expression, then pointedly asked Yu Cong, "What, feeling uncertain about performing 'The Tale of the Black Basin' well? Looking for shortcuts to win favor?"

Yu Cong replied with a sheepish smile, "We just want to bring a little more joy to the audience, that's all."

The deputy leader snorted, "As it happens, there is a performance at midnight tonight. You are welcome to go backstage and observe closely."

Midnight, a time between eleven in the night to one in the morning, carried an undeniably eerie aura.

After exiting the troupe leader's room, Yu Cong looked towards the main entrance.

"Let's move. We should inspect the stage first."

At this point, Xie Fangcheng couldn't help but raise his hand, "What use is there in visiting the stage?"

Constantly moving back and forth—even with Xie Fangcheng's noticeable speed increase, who would want to waste time pacing around like a donkey tethered to a millstone?

Yu Cong hadn't expected this person to be so keen on shirking responsibilities, but he patiently explained, "Regardless, we will eventually have to perform on stage. It is crucial that we familiarize ourselves with the stage first and perhaps find some clues there."

The reason was too formal, too dignified. Jie Fangcheng couldn't possibly say "You all go ahead, I'm going back to sleep" at this moment. Therefore, he had no choice but to accompany the others to the stage.

The stage at the entrance resembled the most common rural theatre stage. The group went around it from left to right and then from right to left. After inspecting it for a round, Yu Cong started pondering again.

"This won't do, we can't just sit here waiting for doom! Time waits for no one. Let's go back and memorize the script for now. We can assign roles later, once we have a better grasp of the play," he suggested.

Thus, the group grandly returned to the courtyard once more.

Jie Fangcheng thought that this team-building activity was about to end, but then Yu Cong had another brilliant idea.

"I think, if we need to prepare our own props, perhaps we could have another chat with the NPCs in the yard? At the very least, we need to borrow costumes for that day!" he proposed.

Consequently, the six of them began engaging in lively conversations with the NPCs in the courtyard, fostering relationships, leaving only Jie Fangcheng.

A seasoned corporate employee skilled at slacking off, Jie had perfected the art of blending in with the group without truly participating. Without any other options, he reluctantly initiated a conversation with an NPC, making trivial small talk out of sheer boredom.

At this moment, Jie Fangcheng began to deeply miss his colleague in the office.

Zong Daoan was someone with a sharp mind; he would have grasped the situation with just a glance, sparing Jie Fangcheng from this awkward conversation with the NPC!

Suddenly deprived of such a valuable advisor, Jie Fangcheng felt somewhat disoriented and uneasy.

However, although the NPCs in the yard were easy to converse with, when the players asked to borrow their costumes for the day, the NPCs unanimously declined.

"Everyone must prepare their own costumes; you guys need to prepare your own too!" they exclaimed.

The players continued to inquire about how to prepare, but the NPCs only shook their heads in response.

"You'll know when the time comes," they replied enigmatically.

When the time comes??

"It seems all the answers will be unveiled tonight," Yu Cong said with a grave expression.

The group had no choice but to gather and continue analyzing the script.

The valuable first day passed uneventfully, and dinner was again just rice and pickled vegetables.

After dinner, someone came to brief the players.

"Since it's your first time in Shou Fang Village, the deputy leader asked me to remind you of the rules here. Do not light lamps at night. If you hear knocking at the door or someone calling your name, do not respond until after midnight. Also, maintain a low voice at night, even during the play, discussions should be kept quiet. If you have to go out at night, remember to close the doors and windows properly and do not look back while walking on the road."

Yu Cong and the others nodded in agreement before returning to their respective rooms, bracing themselves for the events of the night ahead.

When the moon was above the willow tips, Zhang E was the first player to hear knocking outside.

"Zhang E, Zhang E!" the knocker whispered his name, "Open the door, I need to discuss something with you."

The voice sounded perfectly normal, and had the NPC not warned them, Zhang E would have opened the door without hesitation.

The ghost at the door was incredibly patient, knocking for quite some time before finally, the sound at the entrance ceased.

Just as Zhang E was convinced that the ghost loitering at his door had departed, there came a creak, and the door swung open.

"Zhang E, why won't you open the door?"

Zhang E looked up in a knee-jerk reaction.

In the moonlight, he inadvertently locked eyes with the "person" standing at the entrance.

The ghost was dressed in a red undergarment identical to what the players were wearing. Its long hair, damp and limp, hung over its chest. However, the years of decay made it impossible to fill out the slightly loose garment, rendering it more skeletal than human. Its decomposing eyes fixated on Zhang E, with nauseating white maggots occasionally emerging from the eye sockets.

Damn it!

What to do now?

Zhang E quickly shut his eyes.

Having only cleared two instances, his acquired items and skills were considerably weak, making him no match for the ghost before him.

Although devoid of a warning skill, Zhang E inherently had a strong intuition towards perilous entities.

His intuition told him that the ghost at the doorway possessed strength equating to a minor boss level in this instance.

There was no chance of victory, he could only hope his actions hadn't yet triggered the ghost's killing intent.

A pungent, metallic smell gradually approached.

Zhang E's heart raced, his hand discreetly gripping his weapon—a poison-tipped dagger.

The putrid smell halted beside him.

The thought of such a creature standing beside him made Zhang E's hairs stand on end.

Closing his eyes only heightened his other senses.

Why hadn't the NPC who came to warn them mentioned that ghosts could directly push the doors open?

Having entered, what was this ghost intending to do?

The rank smell grew increasingly close until Zhang E felt something touching the tip of his nose.

His breathing came to a sudden halt.

"Zhang E, open your eyes and talk to me," the ghost's voice was alarmingly close, clearly in a face-to-face position with him.

Clenching his teeth, Zhang E endured the assaulting stench filling his nostrils, remaining utterly silent.

The ghost, persistently hovering before him, called out a couple more times. Seeing Zhang E's steadfast refusal to open his eyes, it eventually let out a faint sigh and departed.

Slowly, Zhang E exhaled a breath of relief.

At that moment, he heard with heightened alertness, the ghost that exited his room had moved to the adjacent one.

“Jie Fangcheng, Jie Fangcheng?”

It was the same voice and knocking pattern.

The ghost seemed to relish this procedure, methodically knocking thrice before persisting without signs of annoyance.

“Jie Fangcheng, open the door, I have matters to discuss with you.”

He wondered how the boss would react upon seeing this ghost. Would he also be terrified, breaking into cold sweats, lying on the bed, too afraid to move?

Just then, Zhang E heard the door of the neighbouring room open as well.

A hint of surprise flashed in his heart.

This ghost had an abundance of patience. It took a while knocking at his door earlier, yet it managed to get the next door to open so quickly...

“What’s with all the knocking? Can’t a person get some sleep?” A familiar voice of dissatisfaction reached Zhang E’s ears.

Zhang E opened his eyes in astonishment, fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to see anything but still couldn’t resist looking towards the door.

“You opened the door?!” The ghost exclaimed joyfully.

Jie Fangcheng had already drawn his massive sword, his mood significantly soured.

Ever since entering this instance, the food had been subpar and Zong Dao’an was absent. His days were spent either tirelessly searching for clues or being forced into discussions.

Moreover, Yu Cong was exceptionally diplomatic. Despite assuming the responsibilities of a player commander, he constantly reminded himself "Jie Fangcheng is the boss," seeking his opinions with every analysis, asking, “Isn’t that right, Brother Jie?”

Politeness begets politeness. Jie Fangcheng wasn’t a true brute, and since the others treated him with courtesy, he reciprocated accordingly. As a result, he felt more exhausted than a day spent in a level-five instance.

What was happening? Had he developed social anxiety? Was socializing always this draining?

Night finally arrived, and everyone retreated to their quarters. Lying down in bed ready to relish a good night’s sleep, Jie Fangcheng was instead greeted by continuous knocking and incessant calls, akin to soul-summoning chants, just as he was about to drift off.

Absolutely infuriating!

Overwhelmed with anger at seeing the ghost still cackling, poised to spout more underworld antagonist remarks, Jie Fangcheng didn't hesitate, unleashing his sword with a swift stroke.

“Ah!!!”

Following a scream that resonated throughout the entire theatre, to Zhang E's amazement, a figure was first flung out the door, screaming and scampering away upon landing.

Behind it, another shadow charged out in pursuit.

"Trying to run? Disturbing someone’s sleep and you try to run??"

Leaving these words hanging in the wind, the sounds of the chase gradually receded into the distance.

"Holy shit..." Zhang E stood agape and dumbfounded.

What just happened?

Was that the ghost screaming just now?

Did the boss just single-handedly slay the minor boss of this instance???

This cannot be!

No one on the forum has ever mentioned this being a possibility! Everyone has been fervently cautioning how formidable the NPCs in the instance are, how terrifying the bosses can be, urging players to flee at first sight!

No one ever mentioned that you could just straight up defeat a minor boss like that!

Is this truly something a player can accomplish? Such a formidable ghost! Being blasted away was outrageous enough, but to actually give chase is even more absurd!

Everyone saw it during the day, didn’t they? The village outside the theatre is filled with coffins, it's obvious that each one harbours a ghost; it's immensely dangerous!

How could he possibly dare?

Zhang E was anxiously scratching his head and pacing around, wanting nothing more than to open the door and peek out to witness what had unfolded.

However, the words of the NPC still echoed in his ears. Having a clear understanding of his own abilities, despite being nearly choked by curiosity, he continued to lie obediently on his bed, silently awaiting the arrival of midnight.

Amidst this agonizing wait, finally, a distant sound of a watchman’s rattle resonated from somewhere.

Soon after, other noises began to reverberate within the theatre.

It was the NPCs preparing to take the stage tonight.

Meanwhile, Zhang E's door was knocked upon once again.

"Zhang E! It's me, Yu Cong. It's midnight!"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Zhang E sat up from his bed and opened the door, indeed finding Yu Cong outside.

Yu Cong had a face marred by shock and confusion: "What on earth just happened? I see no one in Brother Jie's room!"

His room was a bit farther from this area, allowing only the screams and faint conversations to reach him, leaving him clueless about the exact happenings.

That scream didn't seem to come from Jie Fangcheng. Could it have been the ghost then?

Zhang E opened his mouth, finally speaking in an almost surreal tone: "Brother Yu, have you ever seen anyone entering an instance and directly killing a minor boss?"

"What?!" Yu Cong exclaimed in disbelief, "That's impossible!"

Zhang E looked towards the doorway: "But I think I saw Brother Jie... it seems like he went to hunt down the minor boss."