Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Bang!

Han pushed open the gate of the inn's courtyard. Before he could even see who was inside, his own subordinate grabbed him by the collar and shoved him roughly against the wall.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, both shocked and furious.

Unfortunately, Eve was not intimidated by his aggressive display. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly, her beautiful face revealing a sharp, imposing intensity as she scrutinized the face largely obscured by a thick beard.

Though only his neck was restrained, Han felt as if a knife were slowly scraping across his face, silently sizing him up.

Once fear took hold, it became hard to suppress. Han swallowed hard and stammered, "...Are you going to hit me?"

Though he couldn't recall specific memories of interacting with these subordinates, Han felt he probably wasn't the kind of bad boss who would withhold wages or exploit his workers... probably, right?

By then, Yang Haibo and Yan Ning had finally caught up from behind. Eve had moved too quickly, pinning Han to the side before they even realized what was happening.

"What are you doing?" Yang Haibo exclaimed, startled. "He's a key NPC! How can you treat him so roughly?"

Couldn't he see the poor NPC's face had turned pale?

"Ah, whatever, if he dies, we'll just reload the save. Why are you so worked up? Move aside, move aside."

Yan Ning, however, had no such reservations. She pushed Yang Haibo aside and leaned in close to Han. Tucking a strand of her blue-purple bangs behind her ear, she smiled and asked, "Boss, mind if we ask you a few questions?"

Though her words sounded polite, her actions showed no intention of actually seeking his consent. Han forced himself to appear calm. "What do you want to ask?"

"Have you died before?" Yan Ning asked seriously.

"?!"

Han's face instantly drained of color. "Why are you asking that?"

"So you remember," Yan Ning said, pleased. "Then how many times have you died? Do you remember how you died the first time?"

This series of questions was utterly inhuman. The poor NPC was truly terrified now; even Eve could sense Han's crumbling mental state and his urge to flee.

She glanced at Han, instantly silencing him, then turned to Yan Ning. "He doesn't remember."

The confusion and fear in his eyes seemed genuine. When Yan Ning frightened him, every micro-expression and change in his cheek muscles revealed genuine panic.

That level of reaction couldn't be faked.

"He doesn't remember?" Yan Ning was greatly disappointed. "Then what do we do? Can we knock him out so he can't go home? Just end it outright."

"Probably not. Going home is likely a mandatory task; it can't be avoided," Yang Haibo said.

"But what are we supposed to do after we go back? So annoying. At least the last round had a clear objective. This round is just a mess. I hate these cryptic missions the most."

Frustrated, Yan Ning kicked a small stone on the roadside. The unlucky stone rolled along the ground before disappearing into another pile of stones.

Eve stared thoughtfully at the pile for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. She turned to Han and asked, "Were you planning to go home today?"

"......"

Having been forced to listen to their bizarre conversation, Han no longer felt like asking pointless questions like "How did you know?" He closed his eyes, resigned, and said, "What do you want? If you intend to harm my family, I can tell you now—give up. I won't yield to you."

"Hey, this guy!"

Already irritated, Yan Ning rolled up her sleeves, ready to throw a punch. But Yang Haibo deftly grabbed her under the arm and tossed her aside like a cat.

How is he so practiced at that?

Eve couldn't help but glance over. Yang Haibo remained expressionless and said calmly, "I raised Kishi Makoto when she was little."

"Uh," Eve recalled Kishi Makoto's various words and actions and reluctantly said, "You've worked hard."

She thought he was mature for his age, but it turns out he aged prematurely.

Yang Haibo: "...I have a feeling you're thinking something terrible right now."

Eve deliberately avoided the question and instead said to Han, "We won't actively harm your family. We just hope you'll cooperate with our arrangements after you return home. Though you probably won't believe us, we mean you no harm."

Han's gaze dropped to the hand still gripping his collar.

Understanding the unspoken meaning in his look, Eve promptly let go and even patted his collar apologetically. "Sorry, I was a bit impatient earlier."

"I don't know what you have to doubt," Yan Ning said impatiently, seeing the lingering suspicion on Han's face. "Only the weak need to scheme indirectly. With our abilities, we could act directly. What would we gain by making trouble for ourselves like this?"

Han: "Then what do you gain by helping me?"

Of course, it's to clear the level, though Han wouldn't understand even if they told him directly.

"It's the will of God," Eve repackaged the excuse. "Your family are His devout believers. From the peak of the Holy Mountain, He saw the red light of disaster fall upon the red walls of your home, like a catastrophic flood inundating the plains. So, He sent us to help you."

The localized deception tactic proved more effective. At the very least, Han's expression grew complex in an instant.

"Devout believers? How interesting."

He let out a strange, mocking laugh. Even Yan Ning sensed something off about his tone. Just as Eve was about to try and smooth things over, Han's attitude shifted.

"I can trust you," he said, straightening his clothes with a cryptic expression. "First, tell me your plan."

-

Below the Holy Mountain, Fuqiu.

Though called a "hill," it was merely a slightly elevated mound of land. Located at the foot of the Holy Mountain, it was a necessary pass for those seeking an audience with the deity. A devout believer's family lived there, and over time, it earned the beautiful name Fuqiu.

Murphy tossed an apple given to him by the maid up and down, sitting cross-legged and steady on the back of a large, fat sheep. He made idle conversation with Luo Wenzhou beside him, but his eyes remained fixed on the tall man not far away, swinging a rope as he herded sheep.

"Stubborn, so stubborn," he kept muttering. "I really don't understand what this country bumpkin is thinking. He's incredibly strong and holds the position of the eldest son, yet he doesn't fight for anything, just spends his days herding sheep. Is there any future in herding sheep? This young master is furious at his lack of ambition."

"Miss Lorraine said the task this time might not be about fighting for inheritance," Luo Wenzhou said, lying back on a sheep's back, squinting as he enjoyed the rare, intense sunlight. "We've rewound and started over. You'd better not cause trouble."

Murphy curled his lip. "How could I cause trouble? I just can't stand his pathetic attitude."

"Fine, let's not talk about him," Murphy's eyes shifted, and he tossed the apple into Luo Wenzhou's lap, cackling. "Let's change the subject. Can you tell me why Haibo came all the way from the capital star to Blue Star back then? I've been curious for ages, but he never tells me."

"If Brother Yang won't tell you, why do you think I would?"

"You seem much easier to handle than Haibo."

"...Though it's true, that's too blunt," Luo Wenzhou sighed. "Well, what if I said it was because of internal restructuring within the Luo family's industries, so the Yang family, one of the Eight Great Families, temporarily moved to Blue Star, and Brother Yang moved with them? Would you believe that?"

"No, I wouldn't. The Kishi family is also in an outer star system, but Kishi Makoto stayed on the capital star, right? And he didn't even go back for university. He definitely didn't want to return."

"Sigh."

Luo Wenzhou gave the apple a quick wipe on his clothes and took a crisp bite, mumbling through a mouthful of apple, "You already figured out he doesn’t want to come back, isn’t that enough? Why dig deeper?"

"I told you, I’m just curious," Murphy suddenly said unexpectedly, "He’s not hiding from someone, is he?"

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!!"

Caught off guard, Luo Wenzhou choked on the apple. He looked up in astonishment, about to ask how Murphy guessed, but the moment he met those smug, fox-like eyes, he realized: Murphy had just thrown out a random guess to trick him.

Crap.

He stared nervously at Murphy, afraid of what shocking words might come next, but Murphy only gave him a knowing smirk before turning his gaze toward a crimson figure running against the wind from a few miles away.

It was the female servant.

"Seems the second young master is back," Murphy leaped down amid the bleating of the sheep, casually patting Luo Wenzhou on the forehead. "Let's go, the second run has begun. Time for us to get to work."

It was unclear what differences this cycle would bring compared to the last? In the previous round, Han had died too suddenly, before even the students following him had appeared, and everything had reset.

Round and round, time circled back to this moment. Murphy was curious about which three unlucky people were assigned to this seemingly easy-to-die NPC.

The master had three sons. Though it was said they came to pay respects to their father, only two showed up. The youngest, usually spoiled by his parents, didn’t need to bother with empty gestures of filial piety.

He was also incredibly lazy. From the moment they entered this world, Murphy hadn’t caught a glimpse of this reclusive figure.

The eldest son, Shan, was a silent, capable man—though in Murphy’s eyes, he wasn’t much different from a donkey. The moment he received his father’s summons, he handed the sheep-herding lead rope to Murphy and the others.

Family matters were important, but the flock couldn’t be neglected. Quite naturally, Murphy shoved the rope into Luo Wenzhou’s hands: "As for me, I need to keep an eye on the NPC. The sheep here will be your responsibility for now, little Luo."

"Huh?" Luo Wenzhou was baffled. "But—"

"Then it’s happily settled!"

After dumping the task, Murphy turned and took off. Just kidding—Shan was incredibly strong, ten oxen couldn’t hold him back, and he was honest to a fault. How much trouble could following him be? As for herding sheep, no way—let Luo Wenzhou handle that hassle himself!

But Murphy’s smug smile didn’t last long.

This world had strict hierarchies. The master’s discussion area was off-limits to servants. The servants of the young masters could only wait outside the hall.

When the second young master, Han, arrived with his servant, Murphy gave him a closer look—this round, Han had suddenly shaved off his beard.

Without the bothersome facial hair, Han looked much younger, no more than twenty-four or twenty-five. Probably, he’d grown that rugged beard because, as a merchant, being too young would make him an easy target for bullying.

But compared to Han’s new look, the girl following him left Murphy even more stunned.

Her silver hair flowed like moonlight, swaying gently with each step. Her expression was serene, and at her waist hung a short, curved dagger in a gem-encrusted leather sheath. She was like that unsheathed treasure—all danger concealed beneath a gorgeous exterior.

"M-M-Miss Eve," Murphy’s eyes nearly popped out, his voice a mix of joy at seeing his goddess again and the weight of having to oppose her. "Fancy meeting you here, we ended up in the same round again."

Hearing this, Han sized up Murphy. Judging by his clothes, he was a servant of some standing in the household, yet he acted as though he knew Eve well.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"A friend," Eve gently pushed Han’s back. "You go in first. I’ll keep watch out here."

Remembering what she had said not long ago, Han instinctively clenched his fist, gave a stiff nod, and walked inside with a grim expression.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Murphy couldn’t act too familiar with Eve. He could only exchange whispers with her from a distance.

Murphy: "Is this your key NPC?"

Eve: "Mhm."

Murphy: "My teammates this round are Miss Luo Lin and Luo Wenzhou. They’re from your school, huh?"

Eve: "Oh."

Murphy: "Who are your teammates this time? Can you tell me?"

Eve: "Sure."

Murphy: "......"

Murphy: "Miss Eve, aren’t you being a bit short with me?"

"Am I?" Eve replied dismissively. "I’m busy right now. You talk, I’ll listen."

Keeping constant watch to prevent her mission’s key NPC from suddenly dying required intense focus, after all.

Truth be told, though the three people inside were nominally father and sons, they didn’t look much alike. Han was of average build, his physique honed from years as a merchant. His elder brother Shan was tall and robust, and stood nearly two meters tall. Their father was different from both—a lean old man. Their faces, too, seemed unrelated, with no trace of familial resemblance.

Han’s father, the master of this large red house, seemed very dissatisfied with Han. He scolded him sternly for a long time with a dark expression, while Han kept his head down, his emotions unreadable.

Just then, a maid approached with a golden tray carrying three cups of chilled tea. As the father and sons each took a cup and were about to drink, Eve suddenly sensed something terribly wrong.

The maid’s hands were trembling.

Upon closer look, the cup given to Han was different from the others. The father and eldest brother’s cups had floral patterns, while Han’s had scrolling grass motifs.

After watching for a moment, just as the rim of the cup neared Han’s lips, Eve subtly kicked up a stone from the ground. With a twist of her wrist, a gray pebble the size of a pinky nail shot forward like an arrow, shattering Han’s cup to pieces.

Crash!

The cup broke, tea splashing everywhere. Han looked stunned, but his father, more experienced, raised an eyebrow and shouted, "Slaves! Come clean this up at once!"

"Yes, yes!"

The servants answered fearfully, but Murphy let out a surprised "Huh?" nearby: "How did a perfectly good teacup break? The quality must be terrible."

The servants waiting outside immediately rushed forward with dry cloths and trays. Eve reached out and patted one of the maids on the shoulder, naturally taking the cloth from her hands. While agreeing and moving inside, she quietly confirmed the position of the curved dagger at her waist.

Besides, Han’s elder brother Shan also seemed very concerned about him. Shan pulled a thick, clean white cloth from his clothes. Just as he slowly approached Han, an immense force suddenly yanked Han, making him stumble sideways.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion.

What Shan drew from the white cloth wasn’t a toy or treat to comfort his brother—it was a gleaming silver knife. His strength was tremendous; when he slashed down fiercely, even Eve barely blocked the blow, her wrist stinging sharply.

"What are you staring at? Run!"

She shoved Han toward the door, then turned to parry Shan’s attack with her curved dagger. Murphy seemed not to have processed what was happening yet; he instinctively shielded Shan twice. All the servants seemed to shed their kindly masks, expressionlessly drawing knives, swords, clubs, and other weapons from their sleeves, attacking Han in the center.

Meanwhile, Eve threw the dry cloth in her hand over Shan’s face. The soft, fine fabric fluttered down like snow, covering Shan’s head and face. Seizing the moment while he was tangled in the cloth, Eve dashed out of the hall, grabbing both Han and Murphy’s hands amid the father’s furious shouts, and sprinted away.

"Capture them!" the master yelled.

The servants chasing after them no longer seemed quite human:

"Young master, stop running. Come back."

"Young master, wait for me!"

"This is the will of the gods, Second Young Master. You cannot escape—surrender now!"

"My god," Murphy couldn't help but glance back mid-run, shivering at the sight of those faces contorted with frenzy. "What's wrong with this family? And that god—is it even a proper deity?"

"Whether the god is proper or not, I don’t know, but this entire family is definitely not normal!"

Eve managed to reply in between breaths. Spotting a corridor branching off ahead, she called out, "We split up! Their target is Han. Staying with us will only put you in more danger. Run now!"

Murphy was nearly moved to tears. "God, Miss Eve, you’re truly a good person. Even in a situation like this, you’re still thinking of a way out for me."

"Three people running together—won't that be a hindrance?" Eve suddenly kicked him in the backside, she said, "Less talking, more running!"

Behind them, on a high rooftop, a young man drew his bowstring taut, aiming the sharp, gleaming arrowhead straight at the target’s back.

The bowstring twanged clearly.

Han had hardly spoken the entire way. Murphy thought the poor NPC was terrified by the sudden turn of events—and who wouldn’t be? Poisoned by his father, an assassination attempt by his elder brother, and now the whole family staging a manhunt. It was no wonder he was too shocked to speak. Feeling a surge of pity, Murphy was about to offer some comforting words before parting ways when a strange sound reached his ears.

Instinctively, Murphy turned his head and saw an arrow speeding toward them like a shot. He cried out in alarm, "Watch your back!"

At that speed, even Eve beside him wouldn’t have time to block it. Death seemed inevitable. The young man on the rooftop couldn’t help but smirk in triumph ahead of time—

But then, the biggest twist of the day unfolded.

In a move no ordinary NPC could ever manage, Han leaped into the air, spun halfway, and with a swift grab, redirected the arrow, hurling it back with equal force.

A soft thud followed as "Han" landed smoothly.

With Murphy staring in stunned disbelief, she flashed a mischievous grin. Then, like dust swept away by the wind, her disguise dissolved completely. A girl with blue-purple hair let out a cheerful whistle.

"Finally, my time to shine has come."

Anticipating her favorite part, Yan Ning felt a wave of exhilaration, as if the pain from being lectured by the old man for nearly half an hour had vanished. She clenched her fists excitedly. "So? Now that NPC should finally see the truth, right? Can we start the slaughter?"

Eve replied, "The timing isn’t quite right yet."

Before resorting to the simplest, most brutal solution, she wanted to uncover the root cause of it all. After all, figuring out the reason before clearing the mission would surely yield a higher score than just bulldozing through.

She was already fairly certain what the main task of Han’s storyline was.

"Slaughter? What slaughter? And what timing?" Murphy felt like a bystander who’d stumbled into a villain’s meeting. Despite overhearing their sinister plans, he was still completely in the dark. "Where’s the real Han...? Seriously, your team’s mission is really strange!"

It seemed like the most tragic escape scenario, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling—the main storyline was firmly in this group’s hands.