https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-209-Cangling-Debate-of-Swords-17-/13547299/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-211-Cangling-Debate-of-Swords-19-/13547305/
Chapter 210: Cangling Debate of Swords (18)
Chapter 210: Cangling Debate of Swords (18)
While Feng Bu Jue and the others were exploring the mountainous area, Xiao Tan and Bei Ling's search operation was proceeding methodically.
Truthfully, there were no strict requirements for this task. Their mindset remained relatively relaxed. Even if they found nothing all day, it was simply how things were. The Terrifying Paradise scenario map worked like that—those with good luck might stumble upon a fine-grade equipment in some unremarkable corner, with no difficulty in obtaining it. Those with worse fortune might complete the entire scenario empty-handed.
They began their search from the eastern side of the town, checking each house and room one by one. Though most abandoned civilian homes were nearly empty, dusty jars, wooden boxes, beams, floors, walls, and even tattered beds couldn't be ruled out as potential hiding spots for artifacts.
In short, this kind of game required the same spirit of exploration as playing Zelda without a walkthrough.
"Hey... there's something I want to ask you", Xiao Tan said, lifting a large wooden lid on the kitchen stove to peer inside. Who knew what he was hoping to find—two silver coins?
"Fine, I don't have a boyfriend", Bei Ling replied, brushing dust off a spiderweb-covered cabinet without turning around.
"Huh... that's not what I meant."
"Huh?" Bei Ling responded absentmindedly, "What is it then? You're asking me in such a weird tone while we're alone?" She seemed to catch herself and added, "I'm warning you, I'm not some easy girl!"
"You're misunderstanding..." Xiao Tan said, "I just wanted to ask—Gu Xiaoling is your real name?"
"Hmm? Yes, why?"
"The ancient Gu clan's 'Gu'?"
"Right~ Right~" Bei Ling replied, "The 'Xiao' in Xiaogu means 'petty,' and the 'Gu' is like ghost's 'Gu.'" Her tone and phrasing while explaining her name revealed her uniquely eccentric personality.
"Hmm..." Xiao Tan frowned thoughtfully.
Bei Ling continued, "Beiling Xiaogu is just my name reversed with an extra character added. When my cousin calls me 'Little Bones,' you should've guessed my real name contains 'Gu.' Girls' names with 'Gu' are usually in the surname—either ancient Gu, valley Gu, or Gu like 'to take care of.'" She huffed impatiently, "You're so slow! Is your head just for decoration? Think things through!"
Xiao Tan didn't mind her teasing. Truthfully, his mind was preoccupied with other thoughts.
"Strange... My family has an ancestral rule—never befriend anyone surnamed Gu", Xiao Tan said.
"Huh?" Bei Ling froze, then burst into laughter. "What a coincidence! My family also has an ancestral rule—any descendant of the Gu clan who befriends a Wang should show no mercy. Beat them to death!"
"I'm serious", Xiao Tan said, his expression grave.
"So am I!" Bei Ling shot back with a teasing grin.
"Wang is such a common surname..." Xiao Tan muttered.
Bei Ling reached over and tapped his forehead playfully, "Exactly! Who takes those ancestral rules seriously? Idiot!" Her gesture held no malice, so the system didn't intervene.
Xiao Tan shrugged, "You're right. Probably some ancestor of mine had a grudge against the Gus and lost their mind, leaving behind this... oww!" He was interrupted by another tap. "What now?"
"Are you saying our ancestors were the ones who lost their minds?" Bei Ling glared.
"Alright, forget I said anything..." Xiao Tan sighed.
To avoid further head-taps, he vaulted onto the stove, pushed off, and leapt onto the ceiling beam. His agility-focused build now allowed him to handle such heights effortlessly.
"Actually, while we're alone, there's something I want to ask you too", Bei Ling said.
"I don't have a girlfriend either", Xiao Tan quipped, "And I'm quite easygoing!"
"Haha", Bei Ling dry-laughed sarcastically before turning serious, "Is Commander someone who never spends real money in games?"
"We generally avoid pay-to-win games. From what I've seen, he's never used Rmb artifacts", Xiao Tan explained, crawling along the dusty beam and tapping it inch by inch to check for hollow compartments. "But for games with subscription models, he often buys monthly or quarterly passes. Seems he dislikes the hassle of frequent top-ups."
"So he's not cheap—he just decides arbitrarily whether to spend money?" Bei Ling asked.
"Feng Bu Jue is complicated. His principles are hard to predict", Xiao Tan said. "It's like whenever he senses himself crossing a line, he creates a new boundary."
"Sounds like he's constantly lowering his standards", Bei Ling quipped.
"Haha—" Xiao Tan started laughing, but suddenly—
Crack! The beam snapped in half, rotted through by years of decay.
Xiao Tan had been kneeling on it, face downward, so his reaction was quick. He adjusted his posture mid-air and landed upright.
But as his feet touched the floor, the ground gave way beneath him. A series of crunching sounds erupted—the floor was collapsing.
The kitchen's floorboards were only half a meter thick, with empty space below. Years of wood rot and eroded supports had weakened the structure. While Xiao Tan and Bei Ling walking normally posed no problem, Xiao Tan's fall from the beam, combined with the weight of the broken beam sections, proved too much.
Bei Ling reacted instantly, grabbing Xiao Tan's wrist. But as a lighter female, she lacked the strength to counterbalance the collapse. Worse, the floor's destruction spread across the entire room, leaving her with no stable footing.
Down they went, plunging into pitch-black darkness. They fell dozens of meters—whether the depths held blade mountains, sword forests, or jagged rocks, they couldn't tell. Even if they landed on soft earth, survival odds seemed grim...
(End of Chapter)
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