Chapter 58 - 58 55 Tian Family's Daily Records

58: Chapter 55: Tian Family’s Daily Records 58: Chapter 55: Tian Family’s Daily Records Xiao Jie had made preparations for a tough battle, but when the door opened, the great hall before them was empty, presenting only the vast, hollow expanse of the hall to both him and “I Want to Be Immortal.” Due to the tightly shut windows and lack of light, coupled with the fact that it might have been sealed for hundreds of years, the interior of the Tian Family Mansion took on a dim, gloomy, and decaying atmosphere. Everything was coated in a layer of gray, giving off an ominous aura that made Xiao Jie feel as if he were back to the days when he stayed up all night playing Dark Souls. “Rou Qiu, go in and take a look!” Xiao Jie commanded. This was when the value of a pet really showed, for the dangerous task of scouting ahead was naturally suited for the dogs. Rou Qiu whimpered and crept in cautiously. Broken Teeth followed suit, both dogs circling the hall from left to right without triggering any combat. Xiao Jie didn’t let his guard down; it stood to reason that in hidden maps opened through quest lines, there was bound to be a task boss. He and “I Want to Be Immortal” followed the two dogs from a distance and began searching through the entire Tian Family Mansion. Xiao Jie wasn’t one to miss out on loot that crossed his path; whether it was a decorative vase or an incense burner on a guest table, he stuffed everything into his backpack. The hall had nothing but some destructible tables, stools, heavy furniture, and a side room that was also completely empty. Then there was the kitchen, where they found a few useful items—kitchen knives, plates, porcelain bowls—all of which Xiao Jie unceremoniously packed into his bag. Even if it was as little as a mosquito, it was still meat, and selling them to the store could at least fetch a few copper coins. Seeing this, “I Want to Be Immortal” followed suit, not letting any item that could fit into a backpack pass by. Unfortunately, the rice bins only contained ‘rotten grains’ and ‘rotten apples,’ which obviously wouldn’t sell for anything, even as trash. Next came the bedroom, which did have some items; ‘worn cloth clothes,’ ‘worn leather jackets,’ ‘worn leather boots,’ ‘worn trousers,’—emphasizing an entire worn-out series. Xiao Jie still took everything, and to his delight, he found a document in a cabinet by the bedside. [Land Deed of the Tian Family Mansion (Task Item)] That easy? Xiao Jie was pleased to pocket the item. Although this task was an add-on to gathering intelligence, it might well offer some quest rewards. The two scoured the entire Tian Family Mansion. Most rooms had nothing of value, the best loot being some scattered copper coins from a few wooden chests, and some old clothes, attribute-less jewelry, and the like that might sell for a few coins at the store. In a room deep within the old mansion, they finally found the cellar door, which was indicated to be locked. Xiao Jie didn’t rashly open the door but said, “Keep searching.” After combing through two more rooms, when they opened the last room, they discovered it was a study. “Wow, so many books.” Within the small study were several rows of bookshelves. Xiao Jie clicked to search them individually, finding a few books he could flip through. Strange People Travelogue Hundred Herbs Scripture Nine States Records Mountain and Sea Atlas… Xiao Jie collected them all, noting that many games created original texts and books for players to read, which often added detailed descriptions to the game’s story background, making the whole game world seem more realistic, and sometimes revealing hidden quest clues. Plot researchers loved to study these things. Of course, Xiao Jie usually searched directly for guides, but since this game had none, it didn’t stop him from playing the game scholar for a bit. Huh, “Tian Family’s Notes”—is this Tian Youcai’s diary? Xiao Jie was excited when he saw the name of this book. He clicked to read it, and the document contained records of the Tian family’s daily matters, most of which were meaningless, simply mentioning raising a cow one day and slaughtering a pig the next. However, as he read on, he discovered some useful details. Tian Family’s Daily Records Section thirteen: June thirteenth. That Taoist came again, constantly spouting his crooked doctrines—how a great calamity was imminent, how the world would face disasters. He even showed me some kind of Taoist Scripture, filled with illogical gibberish and wild speculations. Hmph, such deceptive claptrap. Does he think I’m some uneducated rural rich man? It’s clear he’s trying to deceive me, coveting my family’s wealth. Section Twenty-Seven: Third day of the Eighth Lunar Month. More troubling news came from beyond the valley: it was said that the State Mansion was in chaos. Demons roamed everywhere, people were dying, and corpses were seen walking in the wilderness in broad daylight. The wild beasts had all gone mad, and perhaps that Taoist wasn’t entirely wrong in what he said. Section Fifty-Nine: Third day of the Fifth Lunar Month. I encountered that Taoist again who offered to sell me a “Divine Talisman”, claiming it could summon Heavenly Soldiers and Generals for 300 taels of silver—this was decades of savings for the Tian family. However, to protect the family’s assets, I must take this gamble and hope he has not deceived me. Section Sixty: Fifth day of the Fifth Lunar Month. The straw men have come back to life; those “Heavenly Soldiers”… are nothing but moving puppets, akin to some trickery akin to bizarre mechanisms, but they do serve some purpose after all. The mad beasts outside were driven away, so at least I didn’t suffer a loss. Section Sixty-Two: Seventh day of the Fifth Lunar Month. Today one of the servants died; it seems he was killed by a straw man. The other servants begged me to destroy the Divine Talisman. These fools don’t understand what’s at stake—having the talisman is the only way to protect our estate. What does the death of one or two people matter? As long as we are careful, there will be no trouble. Section Sixty-Three: Ninth day of the Fifth Lunar Month. Alas, poor Yu Lian, who had been with me for more than twenty years and shared life’s ups and downs, was killed by a straw man. What kind of “Divine Talisman” is this? It is clearly a “Demon Talisman”. No, I must destroy this “Demon Talisman” today. But suddenly, I had an idea: since this Divine Talisman can bring straw men to life, I wonder if it could also resurrect my wife. I’ll give it a try, and if it doesn’t work, then I’ll destroy it—it won’t be too late. Section Sixty-Four: Tenth day of the Fifth Lunar Month. It actually worked! Hahaha! This “Divine Talisman” truly is a treasured item. With this magic treasure in hand, I no longer fear death or the obliteration of my clan. Section Sixty-Seven: I can no longer remember what date it is today. Yu Lian has been acting strangely lately, talking to herself, claiming she can hear ‘Immortal Sound’. She doesn’t eat during the day, and at night, I’ve seen her secretly drinking fresh blood. This “Demon Talisman” truly is a curse. Section Sixty-Eight: All the servants have fled, those useless wretches. Why, has that Taoist deceived me? Section Sixty-Nine: I’m feeling something is not quite right. The power of the talisman is affecting me; I’m seeing many strange things, and my body is acting uncontrollably. Da Niu looks at me with suspicion in his eyes, this ungrateful child—could he be plotting to steal my Divine Talisman? Section Sixty-Eight: That damned immortal, that harlot, and that ungrateful child all want my Divine Talisman. I won’t give it to them. I absolutely cannot let others have this talisman. I drove them all out, hoping it’s not too late. I sealed off the main gate so they can’t get in anymore. Section Sixty-Nine: So noisy, there are voices everywhere in my ears. Who is speaking? Section Seventy: I must destroy this thing, not let it harm anyone else, but why can’t I bring myself to do it? It’s as if a voice is stopping me. Section Seventy-One: The “Divine Talisman” is mine; no one can take it. Yes, I must hide it—perhaps the cellar is a good place… This book ends here. Having read this far, Xiao Jie finally gained a clear understanding of the story. Obviously, when the great catastrophe came, this Tian Youcai bought a “Divine Talisman” from the Taoist, capable of reviving the dead, turning straw men into so-called ‘Heavenly Soldiers’ to guard his mansion. Little did he realize it could also resurrect the dead and seemingly affect the mind, causing madness, driving his family away, and eventually hiding in the cellar with the talisman. And his family, they all transformed into demons, lingering around the Tian Family Mansion, attracted perhaps by the Demon Talisman or by some other reason. So, Tian Youcai has likely turned into a demon by now. And he must be stronger than those three demons encountered earlier. Possibly a boss. And that “Divine/Demon Talisman” must still be on him.