Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 664 A Great Kindness Seems Like a Great Enemy

The next morning, Xiao Ran and her group gathered in the lobby of the inn.

Omeprazole and his team were already sitting upright in their chairs, waiting as if they were at a meeting.

Once Xiao Ran and his group had all arrived, Omeprazole and the others couldn't wait to ask, "Boss, when do we set off?"

After a day of rest, everyone in Xiao Ran's team had recovered. Xiao Ran told Omeprazole and the others not to rush, and then looked at Dai Long.

Dai Long understood and stood up, taking out a large map and placing it on the table. This map was not a modern map, but rather one resembling an ancient map.

The route includes not only major transportation routes, but also mountain paths, as well as post stations and villages along the way.

This map is an ancient map that the company copied from the National Archives. Although it may deviate slightly from the actual location of the labyrinthine city, the general route will remain the same.

Dai Long pointed to a location on the map and said to Omeprazole and the others, "Yesterday, I already asked Li Xiangyang and the others. Our current location is in Chuzhou, which is close to Nanjing in reality. We need to travel northwest for about 500 kilometers."

Upon hearing this distance, everyone looked troubled.

It's not that it's far. Even if Omeprazole and his group are novices, they are still beginners. They may not be faster than horses, but they can probably arrive in about ten days at full speed.

But this is only a theoretical statement. Who can guarantee that they won't encounter any evil spirits along the way during a ten-day journey?
Who knows how much trouble we'll encounter along the way?

If you're unlucky, you might even encounter a strange tale or a group of evil spirits shortly after you step outside.

With the strength of Omeprazole and his team, these people would all be wiped out there.

"My goodness, this... this is like the journey to the West! There are so many trials and tribulations, when will it ever end?" Jili sighed as he looked at the map.

Omeprazole and the others also had long faces, and some of them were already having second thoughts. It's better to live a miserable life than to die. If they stayed here, they might be able to survive indefinitely. Besides, after this battle, most of them had already paid back their debts, and some, like Omeprazole and his group, were even quite wealthy.

Thanks to these contributions, they can live quite well here without worrying about food, drink, or resources.

If they were lucky, some of them had already completed two side quests. They only needed to complete one more side quest to escape from here, so there was no need for them to take risks with Xiao Ran and the others.

Xiao Ran took in all their expressions and understood their thoughts perfectly. He nodded to Dai Long, signaling him to continue.

"So, I have two options for you. The first option is to stay here. Li Xiangyang and the soldiers can still be under your command. As long as you don't encounter any more evil spirits, you can manage here."

After Dai Long finished speaking, he waited for a moment.

Even Omeprazole and the others were tempted, but they still patiently asked, "What about the second one?"

"Secondly, you will set off again in ten days, heading north along the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, passing through northern Anhui and southern Henan, all the way to Ruzhou."

Dai Long drew a path on the map and explained to Omeprazole, "We'll start along this path first. If we encounter any evil spirits along the way, we'll deal with them and do our best to clear obstacles for you. We'll leave special marks for you along the way. Below is information about this area that you can refer to."

"Boss, can't we go together?"

Omeprazole looked at Xiao Ran.

Xiao Ran shook his head and said, "There are too many of you, and you are carrying a lot of supplies. I can't guarantee the safety of each of you. In fact, we may have to run away if necessary, and then we won't be able to take care of you."

"Huh?? Weren't we... supposed to be traveling together??"

Hearing Xiao Ran's words, Omeprazole and the others were taken aback. They had thought that Xiao Ran would take them away together, but now it turned out that they would go their separate ways.
"Boss, actually we ran pretty fast too..."

Someone whispered, wanting Xiao Ran to lead them again. The others who had been in the same team as Huang Le looked at Huang Le.

"Brother Changcheng, we've been through thick and thin together, could you... could you take me with you? I really... sob sob sob... Brother, I really want to go home."

The speaker was a female student named QQ, who had previously been on Huang Le's team. Before she could finish speaking, tears were already welling up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Huang Le's heart softened, and he glanced sideways at Xiao Ran.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ran's expression suddenly turned cold, and her eyes flashed with a contemptuous light as she looked at the group of people.

"You may have misunderstood something." Xiao Ran's sharp eyes caught everyone off guard. "My relationship with you was merely a transaction, and that transaction ends here!"

“I’ve given you a way out. If you don’t want to leave, stay here. If you want to come with me, that’s fine too. But if you join my team, be prepared to be a trailblazer. Think it over.”

Xiao Ran's voice carried a sense of mental pressure, instantly clearing the eyes of Omeprazole and the others.

"You guys go and discuss it yourselves, don't get in my way, and now get the hell out of here!"

Xiao Ran's tone and demeanor were completely different from before. His stern expression made Omeprazole and the others dare not say another word and they all got up and left the inn.

"That...I..."

Huang Le was also taken aback by Xiao Ran's change and stood there for a moment, at a loss for what to do.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Ran stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, even the greatest kindness can turn into a great enmity. There is always a bottom line in everything. Once you cross that line, even the greatest kindness will turn into a huge resentment."

Huang Le was momentarily stunned, as if his mind hadn't quite caught up yet.

Seeing this, Jin Chanzi walked to Huang Le's side with a smile and stuck a talisman on Huang Le's body.

With the talisman, Huang Le immediately felt his five senses rapidly increasing, and he could hear everything around him, from the slightest breeze to the smallest noise.

"Who are these people? They look so fierce. They're just taking advantage of the fact that they came in earlier than us. If I had become a beginner like them earlier, I would be stronger than them now."

Huang Le was taken aback. It was the sound of QQ. These people hadn't gone far. He could hear Geely, Land Rover, and Mercedes-Benz were also there.

"Exactly. They make it sound nice, like they'll clear the way for us, but who knows where they'll end up? I think it's just an excuse; they have no intention of helping us at all."

"Forget it, forget it, all of you stop talking. They helped us out, so let it go."

"Pah, what the hell are you pretending to be a good guy for? Even if you pretend to be a good guy, no one will appreciate it. That fatso used to be all smiles in our team, but he turned his back on us when it really mattered. It's a shame we were all on the same team before. Now that he's climbed up the social ladder, he doesn't recognize us anymore."

"It can't be that bad. We've been through thick and thin together. They won't really abandon us. Should we go and talk to Brother Changcheng again? We can just follow at a distance behind the group."

"Hey, you still don't get it. We've all been used. They'll definitely earn way more than us after they complete this mission. I wonder how many good things they can exchange for those contribution points."

The speaker was a college student in the group, called Jili. As if he had already seen through Xiao Ran and his group's tricks, he said with a sense of dejection, "It's pitiful for us. We risked our lives for them. Chery and Dodge are both dead. They are the ones who killed us."

Hearing the whispers in his ear, Huang Le's face flushed red, and his fists clenched tightly. "Damn it, these bastards!!" he couldn't help but curse.

If she hadn't spoken up back then, Xiao Ran wouldn't have needed to pay any attention to these people; she could have easily caused some trouble and taken Huang Le away.

share weal and woe??
Where do these people get the audacity to say they were used? What use are they anyway?

These people didn't dare to directly insult Xiao Ran and the others, so they quickly turned their anger towards Huang Le.

"In the end, it's all because of that bastard Changcheng. He seemed honest enough on the surface, but I never expected him to be the most cunning of all."

"Heh, I still have one side quest to complete. Don't let me get out of here. I heard his family is trapped in a maze. Heh heh, once I get out, I'll kill his family first!"

Hearing these people's insults escalate to the point of targeting his own family, Huang Le's eyes turned red.

"Damn them! I'm going to kill them!" Huang Le said angrily, and charged out to fight.

At this moment, Wu Man walked over and put her hand on Huang Le's shoulder: "Brother, I'm not good at managing daily life, but when it comes to being a good person, you're no good!"

Huang Le blushed deeply, speechless for a moment after being rebuked by Wu Man, wishing he could disappear into the ground.

"Then I'll leave it to you. Just be careful."

Xiao Ran glanced at Wu Man without saying anything, but they both understood each other implicitly. After all, it was better to leave this kind of thing to Wu Man, who was good at dealing with people.

Huang Le was confused, but seeing Xiao Ran's attitude, he didn't say anything more and obediently went back to his room with his head down.

This incident clearly dealt him a significant blow.

But a blow is also a good thing. It's not just a blow to Huang Le, but also a warning to him, allowing him to have a point of reference for himself.

Xiao Ran didn't want the idea of ​​"a little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment" to exist in her team.

The next morning.

Omeprazole and his team arrived quite early.

"Huh? Just the few of us??"

Omeprazole looked around but didn't see Land Rover, Geely, or the others. Given their incompetent nature, they shouldn't have given up so easily.

But even at this hour today, they still haven't shown up.

Just as Omeprazole and the others were wondering, the door to the room was pushed open.

A rich aroma wafted out along with the door.

Wu Man walked out carrying a soup ladle and pushing a large pot.

"Hey, you've come at the perfect time. You're here so early. Haven't eaten yet? Come on, here's some freshly made mutton offal soup."

Having already tasted Wu Man's cooking, Omeprazole and his companions naturally didn't stand on ceremony and immediately stepped forward with smiles.

The broth in the pot was milky white, and every now and then a few thick pork bones bobbed up and down with the steaming broth.

Wu Man chopped the stewed meat into small pieces, and each person received a large bowl of mutton, sprinkled with chopped green onions, cilantro, and a spoonful of chili oil. Once the steaming broth was poured over it, the aroma filled the air, making everyone's mouths water.

"Here are some biscuits and cereal; you can soak them and eat them."

"Thank you, boss."

Omeprazole quickly thanked Wu Man.

After serving the steaming hot mutton soup and soaking some flatbread in it, one bite makes your taste buds feel alive. Paired with the stewed mutton, it's fragrant but not dry, tender and delicious. Having a bowl of this mutton soup first thing in the morning makes you feel incredibly comfortable.

"Hey boss, where are the durian bosses?"

"Oh, they've already set off, about an hour ago. I'll wait here for your news and see what your plans are."

"They've already set off??"

Upon hearing this, Omeprazole and the others suddenly found the mutton soup in their hands no longer appealing.

Actually, they came today hoping to try again and see if they could use other means to get Xiao Ran and the others to take them along.

But now it seems they were overthinking things.

“We are willing to wait ten days to travel along the route to Ruzhou.”

This time, Omeprazole didn't hesitate to express his thoughts, which were the result of a whole night of discussion among them.

The City of All Beings is not safe now. Even though the souls of the people in the city have been redeemed, it also means that it is an empty city.

There's no point in them staying here, and they won't receive any support.

Most importantly, King Wu sent Li Xiangyang with his elite ghost soldiers to attack, but now the ghost soldiers have all disappeared. King Wu will certainly not let this go easily. When King Wu arrives with his troops, what will they be able to use to stop him?

So they planned to use up their extra contribution points today, then leave the City of All Beings with their supplies, find a place to hide, and set off ten days later according to the route Dai Long had pointed out to them.

"Alright, since you've made your decision, then you can have this."

Wu Man took out a stack of ghost money and handed it to Omeprazole: "Whenever you see a place on the road where this white paper is scattered, take out a piece of ghost money and burn it. Then you will get some information left by us."

"Oh, okay, we'll keep that in mind."

Although the method of using omeprazole was strange, I didn't bother to find out why. I figured I'd understand once I tried it myself.

"By the way, what about... Gilly and the others?"

Omeprazole asked instinctively.

Wu Man smiled slightly, put down her soup spoon, and said with a smile, "They have more guts than you. They set off long ago..."

(End of this chapter)