Chapter 81: The Grief-Stricken Langli BaiTiao
As soon as Langli BaiTiao stepped into Carron's Place, the most renowned tavern in Bathor City, every Player in the room turned to stare—and burst into laughter.
“Langli BaiTiao! You’ve been killed again!” someone jeered.
Langli BaiTiao didn’t respond. He simply turned to the counter and said, “Two pints of beer, and a grilled sausage.”
As he laid down nine Copper Coins, the familiar ritual unfolded.
Carron’s Place was widely recognized by veteran GuidePlayers as a reliable source of stamina recovery—food and drink that could keep a weary adventurer on their feet.
The crowd grew louder. “You must’ve stolen something again!”
Langli BaiTiao widened his eyes. “How dare you slander my reputation like this…”
“Your reputation? I saw you myself yesterday in the mine shaft—using Mage Hand to steal a Royal Power Guild Magic Ring! Got cornered at the Respawn Point and died seven times in a row!”
Langli BaiTiao turned crimson. Veins bulged on his forehead as he stammered, “Stealing Gear doesn’t count as stealing… Gear! …It’s not the same as stealing real goods…”
“Is it really not stealing when a Rogue does it?” someone shot back.
Laughter erupted. The air filled with the joyous clamor of players mocking the moment.
Then, the door creaked open.
Stuffed Bun strutted in, clad in his full Constable Uniform. The intricately engraved longsword at his side drew envious glances from every Player in the room.
Langli BaiTiao’s eyes lit up—overwhelmed with excitement, yet at a loss for words. “Ah… Stuffed Bun.”
“—You’re here?”
For eighteen days, Langli BaiTiao had scurried through the Mine Shaft, stealing odds and ends, often crossing paths with Stuffed Bun during his stint as a laborer. Now, with so many memories and grievances swirling in his mind—Mine Shaft, Great Goblin, Ogre, blocked exits, Grinding—he longed to pour them all out in a flood of words.
But something held him back. A wall. A silence.
He thought, Now that Stuffed Bun’s made it, maybe I can finally get a few gold coins from him?
“Hey, isn’t that our old friend, Wandering Beast?”
“Long time no see! How’ve you been?”
Stuffed Bun grinned, removing his helmet with warm enthusiasm.
Langli BaiTiao let out a heavy sigh, his expression heavy with sorrow. “Not good… The Royal Authority Guild is unbearable. I worked hard with my own hands—everything I earned… they just took it all.”
Stuffed Bun slammed his fist against his chest, his voice booming with righteous fury. “What did they steal? Let me go get it back for you!”
“Robbery’s a serious crime!” he declared. “As a Peacekeeper, my duty is to punish all criminals—whether they steal or rob!”
He emphasized the word theft with a pointed tone.
Langli BaiTiao shuddered.
He knew.
The barrier between them was no longer just distance. It was now a wall of iron—cold, unbreakable.
“N-nothing serious… I already got it back.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact.
Stuffed Bun grabbed him by the arm, pulling him close with a hearty laugh. “No worries, Wandering Beast! If anyone wronged you, just tell me! I’ll make it right!”
“I, Stuffed Bun, will stand by you!”
But Langli BaiTiao, a fragile Trickster Rogue, couldn’t resist the strength of a true Warrior.
Tears welled in his eyes. “You don’t need to do anything, Stuffed Bun. It’s not worth it.”
“Just a little thing.”
Then, from the back of the tavern, a voice piped up, eager to stir the pot:
“Wandering Beast stole again! Watched him get chased and beaten—hahaha!”
“Yeah! Royal Power’s stuff too? Pfft, what a disgrace.”
“Should’ve died already, that one.”
Langli BaiTiao strained to break free, eyes blazing. He glared at the crowd and shouted, “How dare you accuse me without proof—”
“Hah! The forum has a video. Go check it yourself,” growled a Player who’d once been victimized by Langli BaiTiao’s thievery.
“Is it true?” someone else asked. “And… wasn’t it you who stole that Healing Potion from the Mine Shaft?”
Stuffed Bun’s expression darkened. A sly smirk curled at the corner of his mouth.
Langli BaiTiao froze.
Oh no…
He remembered now—the time he’d quietly pocketed a Healing Potion meant for Stuffed Bun during their shift. He never thought the man would remember… all this time?
His heart sank.
Time to run.
“I didn’t—”
“Stuffed Bun, what are you doing?”
“Sorry, Wandering Beast,” Stuffed Bun said, his voice heavy with regret. “But I’m in this position now. I can’t help it.”
Without hesitation, he seized Langli BaiTiao again and snapped a finely crafted Silver Bracelet onto his wrist.
“Citizen,” he announced, voice sharp and official, “you are under arrest for theft. I am taking you into custody.”
On his Character Sheet, a new notification flashed:
[You apprehended a criminal. Earned additional Faction Contribution: +150 points]
Stuffed Bun grinned. “Easy as stealing candy from a baby.”
Langli BaiTiao stood motionless, his face a mix of shock and despair. His lips trembled, but no words came out.
Then, his voice cracked—raw, furious, heartbroken.
“Stuffed Bun… you bastard—”
A damp towel was shoved into his mouth.
“Citizen, please refrain from provoking a Peacekeeper,” Stuffed Bun said smoothly, as if this were routine.
The tavern exploded in laughter once more.
That night, Langli BaiTiao leaned against the cold, unforgiving wall of Bathor City Prison, idly scrolling through the Player Forum. Three days remained before his release.
Then he saw it—a trending post:
“Stuffed Bun’s Just Arrestment of Wandering Beast [Video]”
Comments flooded in, full of glee:
“First time I’ve ever liked Stuffed Bun.”
“Support Stuffed Bun!”
“There are still good people like him in the world!”
“Who’s laughing? Just drag him away!”
Langli BaiTiao scrolled, his face burning with rage. His jaw clenched.
Hmph… you bastard, Stuffed Bun…
Then, his eyes landed on a Guide Post from Singo—detailing the Tiefling homeland: the cursed, blood-soaked fortress of Northwind Keep.
His fingers paused over the screen.
Me? Langli BaiTiao? A villain of the age? I’m not meant to rot in this petty little Bathor City.
He stared at the cold, unyielding prison bars.
And in that moment—something inside him hardened.
…
The next morning, the Prison Guard discovered the cell door had been pried open. The room was empty.
Just one line, scrawled in shaky handwriting on the wall:
“Golden scales aren’t meant for ponds—when wind and storm come, they rise as dragons.”
The writing was messy, but the spirit was undeniable.
The Guard just stared at it, then wiped it off with a rag, mistaking it for a stain.
Meanwhile, the Player Forum erupted with a new post:
“Can Bathor City truly hold me, Langli BaiTiao? The Northwind Keep Chronicles of the Wandering Beast!”
“Whoa—Wandering Beast left the Capital City?”
“Damn, the legend’s real!”
“No worries—Wandering Beast will inevitably die and respawn soon enough.”
“Good news: crime rate in Bathor City has dropped significantly since he left.”
“Everyone, scatter! Wait for him at the Respawn Point.”
As players debated, Langli BaiTiao was already sprinting across the edge of Storm Ridge, pursued by a pack of grotesque Hill Giants.
“What the hell is this—?!” he howled, his Rogue Sprint active, legs blurring into streaks of motion.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
