NFBE Chapter 25 Bloodstained Town, Entering Hibiscus Street
Chapter 25 Bloodstained Town, Entering Hibiscus Street
[Swordsman, you have arrived at Crimson Town through the fragments of the void.]
[The fate of the world's martial arts rests on this single moment; the patriarch of military strategists, the god of ten thousand swords, alone possess eight-tenths of the power.]
Your existence once terrified those evil spirits, heretics, and demons.
Under your intimidation, demons dared not commit crimes, and gods dared not appear, bringing a rare thousand-year period of peace to the human world.
Li Qingchen had a bad feeling.
This garbage game, the more it's praised to death, the higher the mortality rate might be later on.
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However, since your fall, with the tacit approval of the gods, demons and insects hiding in the shadows have sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
They are like ravenous ghouls, eager to devour your martial fortune.
Bloodstained Town was originally just an ordinary, impoverished town.
But after absorbing a wisp of your martial fortune, this place underwent a dramatic transformation.
You stand at the entrance to the town and see a dark figure flash by in one of the alleyways.
It might be a disease-carrying mouse, or it might just be a weasel that happened to be passing by.
But it doesn't really matter, they're only interested in your flesh and blood anyway, you'll encounter them sooner or later.
[After all, it's a blood-soaked town; no joy is complete without bloodshed.]
[Swordsman, if you feel afraid, you can return to the Burial Mound via the Void Fragment.]
[Perhaps dying from being scared to death by a ghost bride is actually a better way to die than this.]
"Thank you, grandpa. You're really good at talking."
Li Qingchen complained.
Since we are surrounded by wolves and tigers, with no way to retreat, why not forge ahead?
[Despite your advice, swordsman, you still chose to enter the town.]
You're walking down the street, intending to ask someone for directions, but you find that the entire town is completely deserted.
No, perhaps they are just lurking in the shadows, secretly watching your internal organs.
You decide to wander around on your own for now.
【Swordsman, are you planning to go to the crisscrossing alleyways, the fragrant Hibiscus Street, or perhaps the bustling gambling dens?】
The game offers three areas to explore:
Alleyway.
Furong Street.
Gambling den.
You can't tell anything from the name alone.
Li Qingchen thought to himself that since he still had four chances, he could go sooner or later, so he might as well just pick one randomly.
You've chosen to go to Hibiscus Street, the most famous food street in Bloodstained Town, where the food stalls are absolutely delicious.
You arrive at Furong Street, and the aroma of various delicious foods makes your mouth water.
The clever vendor heard your drooling and kindly handed you a skewer of candied hawthorns.
It said, "Eat up, this skewer is free. If you like it, come back for more."
You took the candied hawthorn and wolfed it down. The texture of the hawthorn was a bit like glass dumplings; you ate them one after another, crunchy and delicious.
Li Qingchen had a bad feeling.
He didn't actually want to eat this damn candied hawthorn, but the system didn't give him any option at all, which was really mean.
These candied hawthorns are a drop in the ocean for a hungry person.
The more you eat, the hungrier you get. You ask the stall owner which restaurant has the best food, and he enthusiastically recommends "Xunhuanlou."
Starving, you stumble upon the pleasure house, only to find it practically overflowing with people; the first and second floors are completely packed.
The seated diners, like starving ghosts who hadn't eaten in a century, were all wolfing down their food.
Your instincts tell you something's wrong, but hunger often overwhelms reason.
After thinking it over, you decided to have a meal here first, rest, and then explore the other two locations.
"..."
Upon seeing this, Li Qingchen knew that he was definitely going to die soon.
They've all lowered my intelligence, how am I supposed to play?
Li Qingchen really wanted to turn off the game and go to sleep, but thankfully he managed to resist.
At least you should see how you died so you can avoid this pitfall next time.
You: "Waiter, bring the food!"
Waiter: "Here it is! Please enjoy your meal, sir."
One dish after another was served: boiled pork, braised fish... the dishes were exquisite, and the wine was mellow and fragrant.
You ate with great relish, claiming it was a rare delicacy.
After a satisfying meal, you slap some loose silver coins on the table and say, "Waiter, the bill!"
"Here it is!" The waiter glanced at your money, then his face suddenly turned ashen.
"Sir...we don't accept money from the living world here."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding diners suddenly stopped eating, turning their heads sharply towards you, their faces ashen.
The scene before your eyes suddenly changes.
You are horrified to discover that the meat they eat is actually pale human fat, and the meat they eat is actually paper-mache fish!
In other words, what you ate was also...
Your face turned ashen too.
You feel like vomiting, you vomit, and you find broken eyeballs among the food scraps you threw up.
[You immediately realize that what you're eating at the stall isn't candied hawthorn at all, but rather a human eye!]
The surrounding diners drew closer to you, captivated by the aroma of meat emanating from you. They said they wanted to eat your liver, your heart...
You finally realize that they really are starving ghosts, this is a haunted shop, this is a ghost street...
The waiter said impatiently, "No money? No money? No problem, we'll settle it with your head!"
You want to resist, but you lack the strength.
Your head was cut off and thrown into a pot...
[The swordsman who wouldn't listen to advice, you are dead.]
Current number of resurrections: 0/3
The diners in the restaurant, after drinking the soup you prepared, were so impressed by its delicious flavor that they raved about you.
"Damn it, that life died so easily."
This death was entirely a plot device, with very few options available to the player.
Li Qingchen cursed and swore.
I've used up all three chances, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow when my stamina refreshes.
Li Qingchen was just about to lie down and go to sleep.
However, at this moment—
[Hint: The "Strong Luck" talent has been triggered!]
Li Qingchen was numb.
No, my head has been cut off, how could I trigger such strong luck?
Let me see what opportunities this might present.
[Swordsman, due to the unique nature of the Ghost Shop, you did not die immediately.]
Your head floats aimlessly in the casserole, but your senses are still functioning.
[Then you hear those familiar lines again; it's the waiter's voice.]
"No money? No money? No problem, we'll settle it with your head!"
[Snap, snap, another unfortunate soul's head was severed and thrown into the pot.]
You examine the other human head in the pot.
The other person had a goatee, narrow, long eyes, and a slightly crooked mouth.
You maliciously speculate that he must have a terrible temper, and that his mouth must be crooked from anger.
Since you're already dead anyway, and with nothing else to do, you started chatting with this goatee-headed man.
You introduced yourselves to each other in the pot.
When it was his turn, he said he had no name; he was just an ordinary craftsman.
[Hint: You've encountered a master craftsman!]
…………