Chapter 384: A New Life (2)

The alleyway was just as dark as it was last time. The only difference this time around was that there was a ray of light from a lantern at the end of it. The fire within the lantern continuously flickered, as if it could be blown out by a stray gust of wind at any time. In spite of that, it continued to resolutely light the surrounding area. Accompanying it was the faint sounds of people speaking. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a man and a woman speaking to one another whose voices could be heard. One could even hear the sound of the woman’s delicate laughter.

The couple exchanged a glance before Shen Jingbin walked up to the door and gave it a rap. Someone from inside immediately replied, and fragmented sounds of footsteps could be heard.

‘Creak.’ The door was opened halfway, and a small and delicate face poked out.

“May I know who you’re… Ah! You’re the Heroine!” At first, the little lady only spotted Zhao Chengning. While posing her question, she noticed Shen Jingbin. After making out who it was, she cried out for her brother. “Brother, come quick! Look who’s come!”

“Coming. Who’s got you in such a tizzy?” A tall and well-built man hurriedly appeared before the door. “You’re the Heroine?! It’s really you! There really is a god! My sister and I were just talking about how we haven’t had the chance to repay you for what you did back then. Who would’ve thought that we’d get a chance to see you once again… Come in, come in!”

With that, Wu Lang and his sister ushered the couple into the house.

After entering, Shen Jingbin grabbed the lantern and gave Wu Lang a once over. He now looked a lot more rugged than he did back then, and he looked to be in much better spirits.

“Have you been well? We never got the chance to see you again after that day, so I didn’t get the chance to show my appreciation for your act of kindness. Not being able to do so has truly been a source of embarrassment for me.” While Wu Lang’s sister steeped tea for the couple, a look of shame appeared on his face, and he said, “This is Longjing tea that was picked before the Grain Rain that I obtained during my bodyguarding days. Would the two of you like to try some?”

They looked down at the brown tea that was encased within a white porcelain cup. Inhaling deeply brought a scent reminiscent of fresh and clean air after the rain. Without any hesitation, they brought it up to their mouths and took a sip of it.

“Congratulations, you’ve just drunk a cup of [Unique] Longjing tea picked after the Grain Rain. All stats increase by 3 (permanent). Note: This effect can only be obtained once and it doesn’t stack.”

Moments after imbibing the tea, a ‘ding’ from the system could be heard. Coincidentally, they glanced at each other once again. There was only one thing written in their eyes: how interesting.

Once they were done drinking their tea, out of curiosity, Shen Jingbin asked Wu Lang about what had happened after she’d left.

From Wu Lang’s retelling, she found out that Landlord Yang’s misdeeds were revealed after she’d saved his sister. Although the siblings were reunited, his sister had received grievous injuries. To afford his sister’s medical bills, he started a bodyguard service. Due to his honest personality, and being a man of some skill, he quickly become the number one bodyguard in Jiang City. By then, both officials and nobles were both scrambling to have him guard their goods. With the money earned from his bodyguarding duties, he managed to save enough to cure his sister, and their days got better from there.

Once their lives had improved, the thought that was on Wu Lang’s mind most often was how to repay his benefactor. However, he had absolutely no idea where she was. Later on, his sister mentioned that since this was where they’d first met, then maybe they should stay here forever. She was confident that there’d come a day when they met again if they stayed here.

One’s effort will always pay out. Sure enough, they bumped into each other once again.

As he said that, Wu Lang was overcome with gratitude. Shen Jingbin tried to calm him down by switching the topic back to what his life was like after she’d rescued his sister.

From there, Shen Jingbin found out that the battle against the Shinra Sect didn’t have much of an impact for a common man who wasn’t affiliated with the Six Great Sects, like Wu Lang. All he knew was that there was some upheaval going on within the world.

Shortly after, Shen Jingbin and Zhao Chengning said their goodbyes to Wu Lang and his sister. Wu Lang’s sister reluctantly sent them off and said that they definitely had to visit often. No matter what happened, the two of them would never move so that Shen Jingbin would be able to find them.

Shen Jingbin smiled and waved goodbye to the siblings. After passing through the doorway, she turned back and saw how happy and content the siblings looked as they chatted and made their way back into the house. The scene before her was so realistic that it didn’t feel like a game at all.

“Sometimes, I really can’t tell whether they’re real people or NPCs that are controlled. They live their own lives, and just like us, each and every one of them has their own fate guiding them.”

Zhao Chengning was also silently looking towards Wu Lang’s house. A long time passed before he finally replied, “<<Legends of Celestials and Demons>> has been released for a long time. The reason why it’s so well-received is due to both its entertainment value and its realism. All of the NPCs within this game act like living people, allowing the players to feel as if they’re living a different life rather than just playing a simple game.”

“How about accompanying me back to the Lich Palace?” Zhao Chengning suddenly asked. “I sort of miss that enchanting Master of mine. It’s been a while, so it’s high time I went back and paid my respects to him.”

“Alright,” replied Shen Jingbin when she thought of the amicable Guild Master.

They walked out of the alleyway, and heedless of whether they drew any attention, summoned their mounts and made their way towards the Lich Palace.

As they neared the Lich Palace, they saw a gigantic stone tablet that could be seen from far away. On it were characters etched in calligraphy of the highest order. When they drew closer, they found that the characters were actually the names of players who’d contributed in the battle against the Shinra Sect. The names at the top of the tablet even had a faint golden glow about them, almost as if it were trying to say that these were the people who’d contributed the most in the battle.

Zhao Chengning suddenly pointed at the upper left hand corner of the tablet. “Your name’s on it.”

Shen Jingbin looked in the direction that he was pointing and found that her name really was there. Coincidentally, Zhao Chengning’s name was just above hers. Their names were right next to one another, and they were pulsing with golden light at the same time.