Chapter 140 - 18 Plot Analysis - Two Storylines

Chapter 140: Chapter 18 Plot Analysis - Two Storylines"Granny Li is lying!" I Want to Be Immortal declared emphatically. Hearing I Want to Be Immortal say this, Xiao Jie was somewhat surprised. Not because Granny Li was lying—that was obvious, considering the story was full of holes. What surprised him was that I Want to Be Immortal could also see through the lies. It seemed that the kid wasn’t completely foolish after all. "Oh, why do you say that?" "Isn’t it obvious? First of all, these merfolk are so weak once they come ashore. There’s no way they could have killed so many people back then. A granny has been able to live by herself all these years, so it doesn’t make sense that so many fishermen from the village would fall victim to a group of merfolk that became useless once they came ashore." "Anything else?" "That carp, carp are freshwater fish. Why would Li He go out to sea to catch a golden carp? Besides, since Li He never returned, how could Granny Li know that he had fished for three days and nights and caught nothing?" "Continue." Encouraged, I Want to Be Immortal went on, "Moreover, there’s a fatal flaw in Granny Li’s story. She never mentioned herself from the beginning to the end. How could she know all of this without any explanation? So there’s only one truth—she lied!" Clap—clap—clap! Xiao Jie clapped a few times into the microphone. "Not bad analysis, eh?" "Hehe, just average." "Stop being so smug. You didn’t have such sharp thinking when we met the River God this morning," Xiao Jie said with a hint of frustration. When would this kid ever get rid of this problem? "That was just getting carried away for a moment. That was an Orange Weapon, after all. What if it was for real..." Xiao Jie said impatiently, "It wasn’t for real. Have you considered what would happen if you really took that Orange Axe?" "Er... wouldn’t it be like the woodcutter’s friend in the story, ending up with nothing?" "I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Fortune quests often come with risks alongside opportunities. If you really took it, you might just trigger those risks. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio has many such stories where demons use gold, silver treasures, beauties, and the like to tempt victims. Once the victims take the bait, they’re headed down a dead-end street. I always feel there’s something strange about that River God. If she’s really some sort of demon or ghost, maybe the moment you take the Orange Axe, a battle would be triggered." "Ah! Surely not that extreme," I Want to Be Immortal said, but his voice lacked confidence. "The chances aren’t 100%, but even if it’s 50% or 30%, would you still be willing to take that risk? Don’t forget this is a death game." "Ah, I didn’t think of that..." I Want to Be Immortal said sheepishly. Xiao Jie didn’t continue to berate him. Instead, he sighed, "In fact, your reaction isn’t surprising. The reason is simple: you haven’t been beaten down by society, so you still harbor unrealistic fantasies about many things. The more beatings you take, the more you learn to recognize their flavor. Like me, I wouldn’t believe 100% in the chance of an Orange Axe falling into my lap." "Feng, that sounds like you speak from experience. You’re right. I do have some fantasies, knowing full well they don’t make sense, but I just can’t help wanting to believe. What’s up with that?" "Have you ever touched fire with your hands?" "I have." "Why touch it? Didn’t you know before touching that the fire would burn you?" "Er..." I Want to Be Immortal was temporarily at a loss for words. "The reason is simple. Only after you touch the fire and get burned by it do you understand the danger of fire and that it’s not to be touched. As long as you haven’t been burned, the danger of fire is an uncertainty to you. No matter how aware you are of the danger of fire, without a direct feeling, you can’t help but want to touch it. Only after getting burned do you learn your lesson." "It’s like only after being beaten down by society do you realize that pie-in-the-sky opportunities are unrealistic." I Want to Be Immortal had an epiphany, "So, I need to take a beating to correct this problem?" "Exactly. The only issue is, the beatings in this game could very well be the death of you. In society, the worst that could happen is losing your job, but in this game, a beating could cost you your life." "I understand, Feng. I’ll be careful this time!" The voice of I Want to Be Immortal was very serious. Xiao Jie was uncertain how much attention the other would really pay, and for how long, but in such matters, he could only give a reminder. Whether it could be done or not would depend on I Want to Be Immortal himself. "Alright then, your life is your own. You’ll have to bear the consequences—now, let’s continue with Granny Li’s story. While your deduction was good, you missed a few points. First, Granny Li probably isn’t from the fishing village. She said she has been trapped here for over a decade, which suggests she settled down here only after Li Bao was born. Secondly, and most critically, why wouldn’t Granny Li leave the fishing village? She knew that the merfolk were coming to capture her grandson, yet she stayed in the fishing village with Li Bao, which is clearly illogical. Therefore, she must have had a reason that prevented her from leaving, and that reason was very likely related to Li Bao himself. Have you noticed? Li Bao needs to drink a large scoop of water every now and then, which is exaggerated even for someone who has eaten too much salted fish. There must be something wrong with him, possibly some sort of curse that prevents him from being away from a water source, and that’s why they remained in the village..." Xiao Jie was not only analyzing for I Want to Be Immortal but also for himself. "Moreover, regarding the story of Yu Niang, although Granny Li certainly lied, some parts are likely to be true. Like the origins of Yu Niang, mysteriously appearing on the beach, unable to speak, and after marrying, she doubled the catches of the fisherman, Li He. Therefore, she must possess some sort of extraordinary ability. Considering these factors, guess who I’m thinking of?" "The Little Mermaid?" I Want to Be Immortal was unusually sharp this time. "Nice, how did you guess that?" "I just saw the new movie that came out a couple of days ago." Xiao Jie thought no wonder, "Exactly, the Little Mermaid. Plus, ancient Chinese legends also have similar stories like the Tianluo Girl repaying a debt of gratitude. Maybe this beauty is some kind of spirit or even a Dragon Girl from the sea. Because Li He saved her, thus she transformed into a beauty to repay him. So, Li Bao is actually half-human, half-spirit—yes, that would make sense. That’s why he’s so desperate for water." The more Xiao Jie analyzed, the more hidden details in the story were gradually revealed. Although everything was conjecture, he felt he was very close to the truth. "However, there’s something I still can’t figure out. If Yu Niang were a spirit, it doesn’t make sense that she would die in childbirth, does it?" I Want to Be Immortal curiously asked, "Why can’t spirits die during childbirth?" Whether spirits or Dragon Girls, their constitution is far superior to humans. Merely giving birth, how could she easily perish? There must be another reason for her death. And the purpose of the River God leading us here is likely to reveal what happened fifteen years ago and to speak the truth at the critical moment three days later. That’s what she meant by ’Honesty’. So, the adventure we are on should ultimately lead to two different ending routes. Ending 1, we either failed to discover the truth or didn’t speak it out. We merely helped Granny Li protect her grandson and finally received the reward of the Mysterious Treasure Orb and some money. This should be the surface ending. Ending 2, we conduct an investigation, uncover the truth, and announce it at the critical moment three days later, honestly speaking the truth. And this truth might cause us to lose the reward given by Granny Li for completing the task, which is exactly the purpose of the test with the golden axe and silver axe. The River God wants to ensure that we won’t lie for a bit of profit. As long as we do this, the River God should give us an even better reward. That’s the true ending." Having said this, I Want to Be Immortal was stunned; he hadn’t expected Feng’s analysis to go so far as to predict the various endings the quest might have. It seemed pretty far-fetched. Is this the strength of a professional player? However, such analysis excited him. This way, he would benefit in the end, regardless of the outcome; it was merely a matter of more or less. "A reward better than the Mysterious Treasure Orb, could there really be an Orange Axe?" "Hahaha, what are you thinking about? But at the very least, we might get some Purple Equipment, right?" Honestly, Xiao Jie was also looking forward to it—what if, in the end, they really got the Orange Axe, Purple Axe, and Iron Axe for I Want to Be Immortal? But experience from countless reality checks told him that was entirely impossible. I Want to Be Immortal ruefully said, "Purple Equipment is good too—too bad everyone in the village has disappeared, or else we could’ve gotten some information from the villagers." Xiao Jie smiled faintly, "Indeed, all the villagers have perished, but that doesn’t mean there are no clues left. You go watch the lake, and if the merfolk show up, call me. I’ll go investigate." "Okay, then I’ll head to the riverside." Hearing about the potential for Purple Equipment as a perfect reward, I Want to Be Immortal immediately filled with energy. "Don’t get close to the water’s edge!" Xiao Jie couldn’t help but admonish as he watched I Want to Be Immortal hurry off with great earnestness. "Got it, got it, don’t play with fire, right? I understand." Watching I Want to Be Immortal run off to the lakeside, Xiao Jie shook his head helplessly. The worry never seemed to end. Seizing the opportunity before a new wave of merfolk landed, he began his own investigation. Having analyzed two possible story developments, he naturally aimed for the one with the highest reward. Without people to glean information from, he thought he might as well ask animals; Xiao Jie reckoned he could certainly manage that much—after all, the village couldn’t be completely devoid of animals, could it? "Luobo, go see if there are any animals around, and come back to tell me if you find anything." Xiao Jie gave an order to Luobo beside him, who was completely unreliable in battle but might finally be of some use in the investigation. With a snort, Luobo acknowledged and slowly turned to leave. Meanwhile, Xiao Jie began his investigation among the dilapidated straw huts in the vicinity.