Earth’s Redemption: Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Feng Shui Treasure Cave (1)

Proofread by Cloud Chip Cake

“Congratulations to all players, this time is a story-driven game instance,” the customer service fish’s voice was cheerful. “There are two requirements for passing this instance. Completing either one counts as a pass, and completing both will earn a bonus reward. First, find the Feng Shui Treasure Cave of the Xing family. Second, uncover the truth behind the Xing family. I wish you all an enjoyable game!”

“This is perfect! Two tasks, we won’t be interfering with each other,” An Buli nearly laughed out loud upon hearing the requirements. “Ning Buwen, do you dare make a bet with me? If I win, you’ll give me back my name.”

“Gambling is illegal. Since I’ve joined a Legion, I must be a law-abiding citizen.” Ning Buwen wasn’t foolish enough to gamble with him. An Buli had nothing on him, so what would be the point?

“Ning Buwen, are you too scared?”

“It’s not about being scared or not.” Ning Buwen shrugged indifferently. “Since you’re so insistent, fine, I’ll play along. But if you lose, every time you see me, you’ll have to obediently call me ‘Gege,’ serve me tea, and massage my legs.”

“Aren’t you younger than me by half a year?”

“I’ve always liked having older people call me ‘Gege.’ Is that a problem?” Ning Buwen said mischievously. “So, do you want to bet?”

“The stakes are a bit uneven here,” Cao Qiu muttered on the side.

One bet a name, while the other bet dignity and freedom.

“Fine!” An Buli gritted his teeth. “I’ll be the winner. Once we enter the game, none of you are allowed to interfere with me. The Feng Shui Treasure Cave task is mine. Stay out of it.”

“I can promise not to interfere, but if I accidentally complete your task while doing the other, I can’t help it,” Ning Buwen replied, clearly trying to provoke him. Liang Fei was worried An Buli might throw a punch.

“Hmph, big talk. We’ll see.” An Buli sneered and was teleported out.

“We should meet up in the game when we can,” Liang Fei said, exhausted. “Story-driven tasks are easier when there are more teammates to gather clues.”

“Okay.” Ning Buwen had no intention of going solo. Why not use the others’ strength for free? He wasn’t as stubborn as An Buli.

Speaking of which, how could someone with a mind like that even commit fraud? No wonder he ended up in prison.

—

“Are we really going to send Xiao Er to the main household as a servant? Didn’t we agree before to sell him off since he’s good-looking? How much money does a servant bring?” A woman nagged beside him. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“The police outside are cracking down hard now. Those old masters don’t dare buy as freely. The Xing family needs extra hands for their ancestral rites soon, so they’re paying well for servants. Although it’s less than selling him to those masters who like little boys, Xiao Er’s growing fast. If we don’t sell him soon, we’ll lose out,” the man answered impatiently.

The air was damp and filled with the smell of cheap tobacco. The bed beneath him could barely be called a bed—it was more like a wooden frame, hard and uncomfortable.

It was obvious that the environment here was terrible.

Ning Buwen lay on the bed, pretending to still be asleep, quietly listening to their conversation.

From their dialogue, it was clear that this couple were human traffickers, kidnapping and selling children to wealthy people with special preferences. The body he now inhabited was from the same village as them. After leaving the village, he even brought along local products as gifts, hoping they’d help him find work. Who would have thought they planned to sell him?

Simply put, players entering a story had two possible scenarios.

One was to retain their own body and name, directly replacing a character in the plot. The other was to match the appearance and name of a story character exactly, which made it harder to recognize one’s teammates, but allowed them to confuse enemies.

The data provided by the Legion clearly stated that the higher the difficulty of the instance, the harder it was for teammates to recognize each other. Sometimes, they would even be on opposing sides and couldn’t reveal information. The demands on item cards and individual attributes also increased, where in some instances item cards below A-Grade couldn’t be used at all.

However, the instance they were facing hadn’t reached that level of perversity yet.  

Ning Buwen organized this information and prepared to “wake up.”  

He first called out vaguely, and the couple immediately stopped talking, walking over to Ning Buwen.  

“Xiao Er, are you okay?”  

Ning Buwen slowly opened his eyes, letting them adjust to the light before looking at the couple with their “kind” faces.  

“How long did I sleep?”  

“Not long, not long, just in time for breakfast,” the woman said with a smile. “Xiao Er, didn’t you say you wanted to work? We’re from the same village, so we found you a job with food, lodging, and pay.”  

“What job?”  

“You know the Xing family, right? They’re preparing for their ancestral rites and hiring temporary workers. Be diligent, and in a month, you’ll earn what you’d make in a year in the countryside!”  

“How could such a good job come to me?” Ning Buwen timidly asked. “I heard big families have a lot of rules.”  

The woman exchanged a look with the man, who immediately put on a stern face. “So what if they have rules? Rules bring money. Think about how you’ve lived in the countryside—do you even have enough to eat and wear? If you don’t want the job, I’ll find someone else.”  

“No, no, I’ll do it,” Ning Buwen quickly agreed, feigning reluctance. “Uncle, I’ve heard of the Xing family, but I don’t know much about them. I just vaguely heard that their ancestral grave has good Feng Shui, which brought them wealth.”  

Ning Buwen knew nothing about the Xing family, but since the customer service fish mentioned the “Feng Shui Treasure Cave,” it confirmed that the Xing family was indeed tied to such mystical practices. Besides, this should be during the Republic of China era, when ordinary poor people had little understanding of science or democracy. Seeing another get rich or gain power, they would attribute it to good Feng Shui.  

“Exactly, ancestral graves with good Feng Shui can protect descendants,” the man said, puffing on his tobacco pipe. “A hundred years ago, the Xing family were just poor shoemakers. But later, they saved a Feng Shui master fleeing disaster. That master supposedly used to work for the emperor. He helped them relocate their ancestral grave, and the Xing family rose to prosperity, still thriving today.”  

“Yes, the Xing family is wealthy. Xiao Er, work hard, and you’ll be able to build a big house when you return to the village.”  

“Okay,” Ning Buwen obediently replied, pleasing the couple.  

This couple had some connections. After Ning Buwen agreed, they quickly went out to contact the Xing family, taking him to press his handprint that very night.  

“Uncle, Aunt,” Ning Buwen stopped at the door. “My parents are gone, and you’ve shown me great kindness. When I make money, I’ll treat you as my real parents.”  

The woman replied cheerfully, “We’d love to have a good son like you.”  

“Can I call you Mom?” Ning Buwen wiped away tears.  

“Of course.”  

“Mom!” Ning Buwen shouted loudly, drawing attention from those around.  

“What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a family reunion?” the man shouted. “Xiao Er, send your earnings to us in the future. We’ll save them for your wedding. It’ll be worth calling us your parents.”  

“Okay, Dad.”  

The man and woman exchanged satisfied glances.  

Where could they find someone so foolish?  

Soon, the “family of three” cheerfully arrived at the Xing family’s door. Many others were also there to sell their children, but Ning Buwen’s clean, honest face quickly won him favor.  

“This is our son. You can beat or scold him as you wish,” the couple lied fluently, indifferent to others’ opinions.  

They had already agreed on this with Ning Buwen, who “naively” believed them.  

After pressing his handprint and receiving the money, the couple’s demeanor changed, and they quickly fled.

“You’re not bad-looking, much better than those gaunt refugees,” the steward said, somewhat satisfied with Ning Buwen. “Ancestral rites are a serious matter. We can’t have servants with such impoverished appearances offending the ancestors.”  

Ning Buwen lowered his head, remaining silent like an honest man.  

“Ah, you’re pitiable,” the steward sighed. “But our family doesn’t mistreat servants. You can consider yourself out of the wolf’s den.”  

“We’re short-handed right now, so there’s no time to teach you everything. You seem clever enough, so just follow those around you and lend a hand when needed.” The steward led Ning Buwen on a brief tour of a few places. “The young master and young lady have personal attendants. Don’t disturb them, or I won’t be able to help you. If you behave properly, you’ll eventually rise from being an ordinary servant, and your wages will increase. Understood?”  

“Rest assured, Steward, I understand.”  

“Good. I bought you, so don’t embarrass me,” the steward said with satisfaction. “Now, I’ll take you to meet another manager.”  

Meanwhile, the couple who sold Ning Buwen had taken the money, enjoyed a big meal at a restaurant, and leisurely returned home.  

“Xiao Er looks honest and clean. The steward gave a good sum. It’ll be enough for us to live comfortably for a while.”  

“Indeed. Too bad he didn’t come earlier; we could’ve sold him to some rich merchant for even more.”  

The drunken couple collapsed onto their bed upon returning home.  

The next day, they were dragged out of bed.  

“Your son borrowed a large sum from us and said he’d use your house as collateral. Pay up!” A group of thugs stormed in.  

“Sirs… you’ve got it wrong. We don’t have a son!”  

“Nonsense! We heard him call you Mom and Dad. Even your neighbors know it,” the debt collectors said, ignoring their protests. “Pay up!”  

The man and woman tried to resist, but these debt collectors had no respect for the elderly. One punch, and the world went quiet.  

At the Xing family estate.  

Ning Buwen lay in the servants’ quarters, feeling the silver coins hidden in his chest and smiling in satisfaction.  

Did they really think calling someone Mom or Dad was that easy? In these chaotic times, it wasn’t uncommon for parents to sell their children or children to sell their parents. That couple wouldn’t be able to trouble him for now—the Xing family was heavily guarded.  

Several other servants shared the same room with Ning Buwen. The communal bedding smelled unpleasant, but it was still better than living with that couple.  

“My name is Xiao Er. I was sold here by my parents. May I know what you Geges are called? Please tell me if there’s anything you need me to do,” Ning Buwen asked humbly, his voice louder than usual in the quiet night.  

“Newcomer, just go to sleep,” a man scolded. “What’s there to talk about? Speak during the day!”  

“Shh.” A boy lying next to Ning Buwen turned over and whispered, “Hui Ge had a hard day. His temper isn’t good. Don’t mind him. My name’s Guozhu. Just call me Zhuzi.”  

“Zhuzi Ge,” Ning Buwen replied obediently. “Were you sold here too? I just arrived and don’t know anything, so I’m a little scared.”  

“Don’t worry. The master treats us servants decently,” Zhuzi said in a low voice. “Everyone here was sold. It’s the same for all of us. Life here is better than outside. You’ll see during breakfast tomorrow.”  

“Okay.”  

The Xing family had only bought four or five new servants this time. Ning Buwen had briefly met them, but couldn’t tell if any were Liang Fei. He had to bide his time.  

“Zhuzi Ge, Zhuzi Ge.”  

“What is it?” Zhuzi sleepily responded.  

“I want to go to the toilet. Where is it?”  

“Turn left when you go out the door.”  

“Okay, I’m going.” Ning Buwen quietly got up and tiptoed out.  

The Xing family estate was large. Earlier, the steward had only shown him a few peripheral areas, not the inner sections.  

Ning Buwen wanted to explore the inner part of the estate that night but held back.  

He didn’t trust that the Xing family would be so careless with him.  

Just like when clearing the “spirit summoning” instance, the requirements for this clearance were likely confined to a specific small area. Since both were tied to the Xing family, it proved that the family’s affairs were deeply intertwined with mysterious forces, and the challenge would likely be far more difficult than any previous game he’d experienced.

Moreover, judging by the Xing family’s busy atmosphere, they must place great importance on this ancestral ritual. Since it’s such a significant event, the supervision of the servants had to be stricter. How could they possibly let him wander around freely?  

Ning Buwen stayed in the latrine for just a minute before returning, not lingering at all.  

On his way back, he happened to see Zhuzi.  

“Zhuzi Ge, you’re using the latrine too?” Ning Buwen looked at him in surprise. “If I had known, I would have waited for you.”  

Zhuzi looked a bit flustered but quickly calmed down. “Yeah, didn’t expect you to be so fast.”  

“The latrine was easy to find,” Ning Buwen said, lowering his head shyly. “Zhuzi Ge, you should go quickly.”  

“Haha, I felt like going earlier, but now it’s gone. Forget it, let’s head back to sleep early—we’ve got work tomorrow morning.”  

“Okay.”  

Ning Buwen lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.  

As expected, Zhuzi was watching him.  

One who shows excessive kindness without reason must have ulterior motives.  

Being extra cautious wouldn’t hurt.  

For the next two days, Ning Buwen worked diligently alongside the other servants, particularly industrious and saying little, gradually blending in with those around him.  

Who would dislike a newcomer who looked good, worked efficiently, stayed low-key, and didn’t compete for credit?  

Zhuzi quietly reported to the steward.  

“Xiao Er is very diligent, works hard, but maybe because he’s new, he always seems eager to do more, looking a bit uneasy,” Zhuzi reported truthfully.  

“Seems like there’s nothing suspicious about him,” the steward nodded. “Don’t worry about him anymore. With the ancestral ritual coming up, a lot of outsiders are trying to stir up trouble. The master takes this very seriously, so you need to perform well. Understood?”  

“Rest assured, Steward, I understand.”  

Ning Buwen’s few days as a servant were not in vain—at the very least, he had already figured out the interpersonal dynamics within the Xing family.  

The Xing family’s master had seven or eight concubines but only two daughters and no sons. Fortunately, the master had a younger brother who died early, leaving behind a son who was raised as the master’s own. Everyone tacitly acknowledged this former cousin as the future heir of the Xing family.  

This cousin, Xing Tianyou, seemed to be studying abroad and rarely came home. However, for such an important event as the ancestral ritual, it appeared he would be returning this year, as several servants had been assigned to clean his room in preparation for his arrival.  

As for the Xing family’s two daughters, the eldest daughter’s husband had passed away, and since she had no children, she returned to the Xing family to await remarriage. The second daughter was only thirteen and was reportedly being considered for marriage, though nothing had been decided yet. Because of the eldest daughter’s situation, her marriage was being handled more cautiously.  

On the surface, it all seemed normal, just like any ordinary wealthy family.  

But what was odd was that after several days, Ning Buwen hadn’t heard any servants gossiping about the Xing family’s ancestral ritual.  

That was strange.  

Normally, it would be impossible for servants not to gossip about the master’s affairs, especially since the Xing family was known to have a prosperous lineage. Even the current master used to have brothers, though they died young, and now he couldn’t have any sons himself.  

Moreover, ancestral rituals were usually shrouded in mystery, yet not a single word had been mentioned by the servants. That was the strangest part.  

Ning Buwen thought for a moment and decided to secretly pull Zhuzi aside.  

The reason he chose Zhuzi was that they currently had the best relationship, and Zhuzi seemed to have some influence among the servants.  

“Zhuzi Ge, I want to ask you something,” Ning Buwen asked cautiously.

“What is it?”  

“It’s about the process of the ancestral ritual,” Ning Buwen said with a bitter expression. “In my village, we have different types of rituals. If you want wealth, you burn more gold ingots. If you want children, you burn paper dolls. But I don’t know what the master’s family does. I thought people would talk about it, but no one says a word. I’ve been wondering about it for days but didn’t dare ask, so I had to come to you.”  

“Your village has these categories?” Zhuzi was stunned for a moment.  

“Life is hard for everyone. We can’t just burn everything,” Ning Buwen gave a complicated smile.  

“That’s true. There’s war everywhere, and it’s rare to have peace,” Zhuzi nodded. “You were right not to ask. The ancestral ritual is a big deal, and the steward forbids us from talking about it, fearing it might offend the spirits.”  

“What does this have to do with spirits? I… I wouldn’t dare say anything,” Ning Buwen seemed frightened.  

“It’s nothing to be afraid of,” Zhuzi looked around before lowering his voice. “The servants who gossip about the ritual all end up getting smallpox. They’re isolated and die within days. Everyone’s terrified.”  

Ning Buwen covered his mouth in shock. “It… it’s so scary?”  

“Exactly.” Zhuzi seemed uneasy as well. “Now that you know, don’t ask more. Once this period passes, it’ll be fine.”  

“Zhuzi Ge, thank you,” Ning Buwen said sincerely. “When I was packing up pastries earlier, I hid a few pieces. I’ll share them with you.”  

“Pfft, do you think I care about a few pastries?” Zhuzi laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re honest. As long as you follow me, I won’t let you suffer. The young master will be back soon. When he returns, everyone will want to serve him. I’ve met him a few times, so I might be assigned to him. If I do well, I’ll take you with me.”  

“Th-thank you, Zhuzi Ge.”  

“No need to thank me.” Zhuzi smiled and patted Ning Buwen’s face. “I like you.”  

Ning Buwen smiled on the surface, but in his heart, he was already thinking about how to kill this handsy bastard.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!🎊🎄🧑🏾‍🎄

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