Guo Yun: Plays Ye Shunguang, teammate Ye Shiyuan

……

"Are you still putting on a brave face? You know perfectly well what will happen if you continue like this..."

'████████……'

"I really hope you'll stop worrying about them. You can truly live peacefully here, without having to worry about anything else..."

'...████'

"Tsk... I can't persuade you anymore. Don't try using a sword anymore; it's completely pointless."

……

[Playing ability value increased by 10%, current playing ability value: 45%!]

Consciousness seemed to rise slowly from the deep sea, passing through the thick layers of water, little by little, breaking free from the embrace of darkness.

The faint chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind were gentle and rhythmic, a long-lost sound that brought peace of mind.

Beneath me was a firm, solid texture, like some kind of woven fabric, carrying the dry scent of sun-dried goods and a faint herbal aroma.

The covering was somewhat heavy, but soft and warm, enveloping her weary body.

My eyelids were very heavy, and it took several attempts to finally open them up just a crack.

Soft light entered my eyes, carrying an orange glow reminiscent of dusk, casting dappled shadows throughout the room. Dust motes floated slowly within the beams of light.

This is a room that looks completely unfamiliar at first glance.

Ye Shunguang blinked, trying to focus his blurry vision.

The right arm felt the tight bandage and a dull ache, but the tearing pain and the cold, corrosive sensation in the meridians had disappeared, replaced by a warm, soothing feeling, like soaking in warm water, which was slowly repairing the damaged tissue.

My muscles were sore and weak all over, as if all my strength had been drained. Even moving a finger felt difficult, but at least I no longer had that feeling of being on the verge of collapse.

Where am I...?

Master... Zhe... Ling...

She subconsciously tried to sit up and check her surroundings. This slight movement aggravated her aching muscles, causing her to let out a very soft groan and move her body slightly.

"Xiao Guang?! You're awake?"

A woman's voice, seemingly filled with surprise, urgency, and forced hushed tones, seemed to come from the side immediately. She looked up at her almost instantly.

Ye Shunguang turned his head at the sound, his vision still a little blurry, and he could only see the outline of a figure sitting on a low stool by the bed.

The figure, who had seemed to be resting by the bedside, suddenly sat up and moved closer, blocking some of the light so that Ye Shunguang could see her face more clearly.

It was a familiar face, now filled with worry and exhaustion, but the moment I saw her open her eyes, those emotions were immediately replaced by immense joy.

Her eyes were a little red, as if she had been crying, and her hair was a little messy, with a few strands sticking to her forehead, but her round eyes were surprisingly bright, staring at her without blinking.

After a moment's hesitation, his memory quickly matched the name and identity.

"Senior Sister...?" Ye Shunguang asked, his voice dry and hoarse, as if his throat had been rubbed with sandpaper, only managing to utter a few breathy sounds.

"It's me! It's me!" Ju Fufu nodded repeatedly, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. She immediately turned to grab the water jug ​​and bowl from the low table, her hands even trembling slightly with urgency. "Don't move, don't talk, drink some water first!"

She carefully helped Ye Shunguang up, letting her lean on her not-so-broad but very stable shoulder, then picked up the rough porcelain bowl and brought it to her lips.

The water in the bowl was at a comfortable temperature, with a slightly sweet taste, as if honey or some kind of herb had been added.

Ye Shunguang took small sips of water from her senior sister's hand. The warm water soothed her parched throat and mouth, and also cleared her muddled mind. While drinking, she glanced around the room and Ju Fufu out of the corner of her eye.

The eldest sister also looked rather disheveled, her clothes covered in dust and dark stains, with minor abrasions on her arms and face. However, she seemed to be in relatively good spirits, though a deep weariness lingered in her eyes. How long had she been guarding this place?

The bowl of water was quickly emptied. Ju Fufu gently put down the bowl, then carefully placed Ye Shunguang back on the pillow, tucking the blanket in carefully. Her movements were so gentle, unlike her usual impulsive and boisterous senior sister.

"What am I doing...?" Ye Shunguang asked again.

Her gaze swept across the room, clearly confused. "Just observing? Master... brought us back?"

"Yes! We're just observing!" Ju Fufu nodded vigorously, sat on the low stool by the bed, and unconsciously clasped her hands together. She began to explain quickly, "Not long after you fainted, Master came back with two people—a Bangbu and an injured girl, who should be Zhe's sister, named Ling."

Master carried us back in a blue-water bird. This is a side room in the temple. Master settled you here, healed your wounds, and instructed me to take care of you.

By the way, Master actually accepted them as disciples!

She paused, carefully examining Ye Shunguang's complexion. Finding no obvious change, she cautiously asked, "Uh... how are you? Are you feeling alright? Is there anything particularly uncomfortable?"

Master said your main problems are exhaustion, some damage to your meridians, and external injuries, but nothing serious. You just need to rest for a while. There's no need to worry too much.

Ye Shunguang snapped out of her daze, checked her physical condition, and shook her head: "I'm alright... just weak. Is Master... alright? And Zhe and Ling, how are they?" That was what she cared about most.

"Of course Master is alright!" Ju Fufu said immediately, her tone filled with complete trust in her master. "When she came back, she was calm and composed, and her clothes weren't even messed up. Zhe and Ling... Miss Ling was a little frightened and had some minor injuries, which Master treated, and she's resting in another room now."

Zhe... Zhe himself isn't there. He said he'd come to the temple after he packed his things, but Master said she'd fly to Wildfire Town to pick him up later.

"Where is Master now?" Ye Shunguang asked again.

"After Master settled everyone in, he went to pick up Zhe." Ju Fufu looked at the sky outside the window. "It's about 5 p.m. now. You've been unconscious for almost two hours! Junior Brother Pan and the rest of your team are in other parts of the temple. Master said they should rest here for now until you've all recovered a bit."

Ye Shunguang silently processed this information. He also glanced at the room's decor... so many sticky notes! So this is... my room...?

"Oh, right!" Ju Fufu suddenly stood up as if she had just remembered something. "I need to go knock on the door to tell Master, and also let Junior Brother Pan know you're awake! You lie there and don't move, I'll be right back!"

With that, she dashed out of the room like a gust of wind, her footsteps fading quickly into the distance on the wooden corridor outside, calling out, "Junior Brother Pan! Xiao Guang's awake! Make her something good to eat!"

Pan Yinhu's voice could be faintly heard from outside the door, seemingly coming from a distance: "Understood, Senior Sister! I'll get some food as soon as I finish distributing the porridge!"

The room fell silent again.

Ye Shunguang lay alone on the bed, his gaze slowly sweeping over this unfamiliar "home". The light of dusk grew softer, gilding the simple room with a warm golden edge.

His body was still exhausted, but his consciousness was growing clearer. The images from before he lost consciousness kept replaying in his mind... Heiya's terrifying figure, the despairing storm of sword light, the reassuring presence of his master when he appeared, and the complex, indescribable look in his master's eyes before he collapsed from exhaustion...

Master seems to know something?

She said at the time, "I'll explain when we get to Suibian Guan," but what was she going to explain? ...Was it about what happened in this world before...? ...Or was it about her, "Ye Shunguang"?

A strange tension and a vague anticipation intertwined in her heart.

She was both afraid of hearing some unbearable truths from her master and eager to unravel the mysteries of this body, this life, and why she had traveled here.

.........

Thinking too much in an instant, her head started to ache again. Ye Shunguang closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind, but the subtle noises from the outside world felt like needles, constantly probing her tense nerves.

From a direction further out of the temple, faint voices could be heard. Although they were some distance away and not very loud, in the relatively quiet twilight, especially when she had just woken from her coma and her senses were particularly sensitive to the slightest noise, the quarrel-like commotion was quite noticeable.

The voices were intermittent, and the specific content was unclear, but it was possible to identify that there was more than one person. Their tone was unusually excited and impatient, and their accents were... a bit strange. They didn't sound like the locals' standard Mandarin with an accent, nor were they the voices of any of the senior students or Captain Ye.

"It sounds like it's coming from the front yard?" Ju Fufu, who was standing guard nearby, had obviously heard it too. Her voice was wary. "Junior Brother Pan is preparing food in the kitchen... This voice doesn't sound like him. Could it be Captain Ye and the others?"

Ye Shunguang tried to sit up, but the movement aggravated the injury on her right arm, causing her to gasp in pain. However, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain, listening intently.

Pan Yinhu had previously mentioned that the Dragon Kingdom team was resting elsewhere in the temple, but given Ye Jianguo's calm demeanor and Chen Jianjun's meticulousness, it was unlikely they would cause such a disturbance. So who could it be? This is Suibian Temple, Master's place; outsiders shouldn't be allowed to arbitrarily intrude and make a scene.

Could it be that the people in the vicinity have encountered trouble? Or... is it related to those damned voids and skeletons? This thought made her heart tighten.

Anxiety drove her.

She struggled, using her still-functioning left hand to grip the rough edge of the bed, her fingertips turning slightly white from the effort.

Little by little, extremely slowly, he moved his weak and powerless body, trying to sit up straighter so that he could hear more clearly.

Every slight movement aggravated the aching muscles and unhealed wounds, and a fine layer of cold sweat quickly appeared on his forehead. A dull ache emanated from under the bandage wrapped around his right arm.

She gritted her teeth, suppressing the painful groan in her throat, but her breathing became rapid and heavy.

I can't just lie here. Something's not right outside.

This simple act of getting up almost completely exhausted the last bit of strength she had just regained. Her vision blurred, and she felt a slight ringing in her ears. But she forced herself to stay upright, relying on her willpower to prevent herself from collapsing again.

……

Looking casually at the front courtyard, near the side room next to the rockery, a tense atmosphere that seemed completely out of place with the tranquil atmosphere of the Taoist temple was palpable.

This area was originally a corner inside the temple where firewood and miscellaneous items were piled up, and it looked rather messy.

After returning from the cave, Pan Yinhu saw that the temple buildings were quite spacious, so he asked his master Yixuan for permission to temporarily tidy up the place and set up a simple "relief point".

An old wooden table, a few crooked stools, and a large iron pot placed on a simple earthen stove were all the family's possessions.

It's not that Guan is so wealthy that he can openly help the homeless. Chenghuiping is located in a relatively remote area, but precisely because a grandmaster like Yi Xuan, whose strength has reached the "Void Hunting" level, is stationed there, it has become a rare and reassuring "safe zone" compared to the dangerous and frequently empty urban areas and suburbs.

Recently, as the "hollows" in the city have appeared more and more frequently, there seems to be an increase in the number of monsters roaming in the wild. Many poor people whose homes have been destroyed and whose relatives and friends have been separated have begun to migrate to places that may offer shelter in despair.

Chenghui Ping, and the small Suibian Temple on the ping, gradually came into the view of some refugees.

Pan Yinhu was kind-hearted and always kept in mind his master's teaching that "those who cultivate the Tao should have a heart to help the world," so he took out the little money and food he had saved up from exploiting others...

It wasn't much, but it was enough to cook several large pots of thin vegetable porridge at a fixed time each day and distribute it to those who passed by the mountain gate, looking pale, thin, and bewildered.

The portion is small and not enough to fill you up, but at least it's a hot meal that can temporarily relieve hunger and cold, and give you a glimpse of human warmth.

At this moment, the hour of You (5-7 PM) has passed, and the time for distributing porridge is almost over.

Underneath the large, dark iron pot in front of the relief point, the firewood had long since gone out, leaving only a little residual heat on the pot's walls and bottom, emitting faint, almost invisible steam.

A thin layer of thin broth settled at the bottom of the pot, with the rice grains clearly visible. On the old wooden table next to it were several empty wooden buckets and a pile of clean, neatly stacked coarse earthenware bowls and chopsticks.

The last two elderly men who received the porridge were sitting on the stone steps not far away, sipping the warm porridge from their bowls, their faces showing gratitude and a weary peace.

Standing in front of the wooden table, facing off against Pan Yinhu who was clearing the dishes, were three men and women who looked extremely disheveled.

They seemed out of place with their surroundings, even with the two elderly men quietly drinking their porridge.

The leader was a man who was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was not tall, and his body was thin and even somewhat gaunt.

He was wearing a dark blue tracksuit, which was now covered in black and yellow mud and grass clippings. There were several tears on his knees and elbows, revealing the chafed skin underneath.

His hair was greasy and matted, with strands sticking to his forehead and temples. His face was pale and stiff, a result of a long period of panicked escape. His eyes were sunken and his lips were dry and chapped.

But at this moment, there was little relief of surviving a disaster in his narrow eyes. Instead, they gleamed with obvious dissatisfaction, irritability, and an almost instinctive, sharp scrutiny and assessment, though this sharpness was somewhat clouded by fatigue.

The man and woman beside him were slightly younger, probably in their early twenties. They were also dressed in rags, their faces were as haggard as paper, and their eyes were filled with lingering fear. They stood uneasily half a step behind the lean man, like fledglings seeking protection, or like scapegoats afraid of being pushed out. Their eyes darted around, not daring to make direct contact with Pan Yinhu's calm gaze.

These three are the contestants representing South Korea in this mysterious forbidden area—Kim Min-jun, Park Ji-yeon, and Lee Jong-seok.

As for Choi Eun-hee, the other member of the original team, her whereabouts are currently unknown. The live broadcast did not show her, and it remains unclear whether the national fortune system has announced her death.

So... he probably... didn't die.

In fact, their journey into the forbidden area started "smoothly." After the initial panic, they discovered some lone, weakest G-class monsters—such as slow-moving corrupted ground squirrels and palm-sized poisonous stinging beetles.

Relying on their numerical advantage and the alloy daggers they had acquired, they successfully hunted several times. Although the process became increasingly chaotic and some people even sustained injuries, they managed to accumulate some initial points with great difficulty.

After redeeming these points for basic food and water supplies, the group's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and they even felt a bit smug, thinking, "It's nothing special."

After all, the viewers in the live stream were watching, and they felt their performance was "acceptable."

However, the cruelty of the forbidden area soon gave them a resounding slap in the face.

Just last night, while they were trying to find a place to spend the night in a ruin, they accidentally startled an F+ level "Cracked Claw Beast".

The monster resembled a magnified hyena, but with longer limbs, inverted joints, and claws like poisoned black hooks. It moved with ghostly speed, and the foul-smelling saliva dripping from its mouth had a slight corrosive effect.

The moment it pounced out of the shadows, its aura, ten times more ferocious than that of a G-class monster, terrified the four of them.

There was absolutely no cooperation whatsoever.

The moment the Clawed Beast locked onto them with its crimson eyes and let out a low roar, Kim Min-jun, who was the best in the team and considered himself the temporary leader, went blank. His survival instinct overwhelmed everything. He didn't even utter a warning before turning around and sprinting backward at top speed!

Park Jiyeon and Lee Jong-suk were stunned for half a second by his actions. When they saw the monster suddenly pounce, they screamed in terror and scrambled to escape.

Choi Eun-hee, who was lagging behind, didn't even fully realize what was happening. He only felt a foul stench hitting his face and managed to yell, "Damn it! You bunch of bastards!!" before desperately taking another step.

However, hesitation at the start is fatal. The Crackclawed Beast clearly prefers to pursue its prey that falls behind.

At the start of their escape, Kim Min-jun, who was running in the lead, even glanced back. When he realized the monster was close behind Choi Eun-hee, still some distance away, a shameful sense of relief flashed through his mind. To alleviate his fear and distract himself, he even turned back and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Can't understand Korean!"

This phrase, transmitted with crystal clarity through the live stream, spread across the globe and became an extremely popular, globally viral meme.

The desperate chase lasted for most of the day until they broke into a complex, partially collapsed factory pipe area. With the help of the crisscrossing steel pipes and the strong smell of rust, they barely managed to shake off the terrifying Cracked Claw Beast.

The three collapsed in the dirty corner, panting like fish out of water, their faces covered in sweat, tears, and dirt.

Only then did they realize that Choi Eun-hee hadn't followed. Fear gripped them again; they dared not go back to look for her, nor even linger. With their bodies nearly broken, they carried their meager supplies and frantically searched the ruins like headless flies.

Hungry, exhausted, and terrified, they were completely disoriented, knowing only that they needed to get as far away from the place where the monster roamed as possible.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, just when they were about to despair and collapse, they saw the outline of what appeared to be a building on the mountainside in the distance. At dusk, even wisps of smoke were rising from the chimneys! At that moment, the indistinct Taoist temple was nothing short of paradise in their eyes.

They scrambled up the mountain, and as they approached the gate, a faint, long-lost aroma of grain wafted into their nostrils. There, they saw a tall, upright figure dressed in a simple gray robe... a panda, serving porridge to the last two frail old men.

The porridge looked plain and watery, but to Kim Min-jun and his two companions at that moment, it held an unparalleled allure. Hunger gnawed at their stomachs, and the desire for safe food overwhelmed all reason and courtesy.

They didn't even get a good look at Pan Yinhu before crowding forward like hungry wolves, stretching out their empty jugs or broken bowls and yelling for food in broken, heavily accented Common.

Pan Yinhu stopped what he was doing and looked up at the three uninvited guests.

Their tattered clothing was completely different in material and style from the local migrants, their faces and demeanor also had a distinct exotic feel, and their accents were even more peculiar.

Although he had doubts, seeing the almost tangible hunger and exhaustion in their eyes made Pan Yinhu temporarily suppress his questions.

He silently picked up a wooden ladle, scooped three bowls of thin porridge from the bottom of the pot, and handed them over. The porridge was very thin; the sunlight reflected off it, and you could almost see the few grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl, but it was warm.

The problem lies precisely in this "bowl".

Kim Min-jun practically snatched the bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped down the scalding hot porridge, ignoring the numbing sensation on his tongue.

After finishing the bowl, my empty stomach felt somewhat comforted, but it was soon overwhelmed by an even stronger feeling of hunger.

He licked his chapped lips, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the side. The thin, bony old man, sipping his porridge from his bowl, seemed to have a slightly thicker consistency than his own? And perhaps a few more grains of rice in it?

Moreover, several other young Taoist priests were whispering to the old man, their manner gentle, and they even patted the old man's back lightly.

A surge of anger, a feeling of being treated differently and looked down upon, suddenly ignited in Kim Min-jun's heart!

The pent-up frustration, fear, the sense of defeat from hitting walls everywhere in the forbidden area, and the hidden guilt of abandoning teammates that he absolutely refused to admit—all these negative emotions found a seemingly reasonable outlet at this moment!

It was this poor, shabby Taoist priest! He looked down on us! He kept the good stuff for his own people, only giving us outsiders dishwater to drink!

"Hey!" Kim Min-jun slammed the empty earthenware bowl he was holding onto the wooden table with a loud "bang," splashing a few drops of soup.

He still used that strange accent in Common, but anyone could hear the aggression and dissatisfaction in his tone. "What do you mean by this? You only give us this little bit of watery soup, but give them so much? Are you looking down on us?" He pointed his finger rudely at the old man quietly drinking porridge next to him.

Pan Yinhu was bending over to clear away the other bowls and chopsticks when he heard the sound. He paused, slowly straightened up, and turned his head.

His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, his gaze calmly settling on Kim Min-joon's face, which was contorted with excitement.

"...? My friend," Pan Yinhu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a steady, rock-like quality, his words clear and distinct, "The porridge is limited, everyone gets a bowl, there's no favoritism." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Park Jiyeon and Lee Jong-seok, whose eyes were darting behind Kim Min-jun.

"The temple is also not well-off. The porridge is only provided as an emergency measure to temporarily relieve our immediate needs. If you find it insufficient, you may go and find your own food."

"One bowl per person?" Kim Min-joon scoffed as if he'd heard a joke, his laughter dry and grating. He pointed his finger heavily at the old man again, almost hitting his face. "His bowl is fuller than ours! And he has more rice! Do you think we're blind? Or do you think we're easy to fool?"

Park Jiyeon, feeling Kim Min-joon's gaze, shrank back but still whispered in agreement, "Yeah... we're starving, what's wrong with giving us a little more? Aren't monks supposed to be compassionate?"

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of grievance and moral blackmail.

Lee Jong-seok remained silent, only pursing his lips and looking at Pan Yin-hu with a complicated expression, then at Kim Min-jun. He shifted his feet slightly, as if wanting to distance himself from the argument.

Pan Yinhu followed Jin Minjun's finger and glanced at the little porridge left in the old man's bowl, which was indeed a bit "thicker" because it was at the bottom. Then he looked away and returned his gaze to Jin Minjun's face, which was full of "I want more" and "you're bullying me if you don't give it to me".

The doubt in my heart turned into understanding.

This person wasn't fighting over a few grains of rice; he was fighting for pride, for a sense of superiority that "I must be treated specially," or perhaps he had been wronged elsewhere and came here to seek revenge.

This was not the first time Pan Yinhu had seen this mentality. His master had said that in chaotic times, people's hearts are easily changed. Some hardships can inspire people to do good, while others can amplify the worst aspects of human nature.

"Firstly, the old man is frail and has difficulty traveling, so it is only reasonable and proper to offer him some thick porridge." Pan Yinhu did not want to get entangled in such trivial matters. His voice remained steady, but his tone lowered slightly, revealing an undeniable coldness. "Secondly, since the three of you have already eaten, please make yourselves at home. This is a place for quiet cultivation, and it is not appropriate to make noise." He made a "please" gesture, pointing towards the mountain gate, his intention to see the guests out was all too clear.

These words were like adding fuel to the fire for Kim Min-jun! His calm tone turned into contempt, and his "please" gesture into a gesture of dismissal!

He was proud and arrogant to begin with. In his original world, he was a well-known and popular figure in certain circles thanks to some tricks and packaging. He had never received this kind of "treatment".

He was being chased like a dog by monsters in the forbidden area, and the whole world might be watching! He couldn't vent his humiliation on the monsters.

Now, he's arrived at a dilapidated and shabby Taoist temple, and even a poor Taoist priest who's distributing porridge and looks younger than him dares to treat him like this? Dares to disregard him?

"Damn it!" Kim Min-jun finally couldn't hold back and swore in his native tongue. His anger completely overwhelmed his remaining rationality. "A place of seclusion? I think it's just a dilapidated Taoist temple! It's dirt poor, what's with the airs it puts on!"

His voice rose, laced with sharp mockery, "We've been chased by monsters, barely surviving, and finally found a place with people, and you're feeding us this pig-swill? Huh? Do you know who we are? We..."

He almost blurted out, "We are elite athletes representing South Korea! We are the focus of attention of hundreds of millions of people!" But at the last moment, his pitiful understanding of the system's underlying rules and his real situation made him swallow those words back, leaving him feeling suffocated.

After all, in the forbidden world, directly revealing one's "player" identity is an extremely foolish act in the eyes of normal people. This may bring unnecessary attention, alienation, or even hostility. This is an unspoken rule that everyone who has ever socialized understands.

However, the meaning has been conveyed: after saying all that, isn't he just saying that he's not an ordinary person? That's very unusual, after all, such an exceptional person is truly rare.

"A statement that defies all reason."

"……I do not understand."

"Don't even mention it, I don't understand either."

"Wow, my God! This move... I'm stunned."

"Still complaining about the porridge being too thin? It's obvious you've been influenced by Eastern forces, and then the country has protected you too well because it's so morally upright!"

"You're lucky to have anything to eat, why are you being so picky? Korean contestants, you're unbeatable! I'm utterly ashamed of myself!"

"The key is... it seems like they can't afford to mess with this place. Putting Ye Shunguang aside, everyone here seems to be her senior brother or sister! When the three of them were wandering around here before, it seems like none of them called her senior sister."

"Damn it! What are those three idiots doing?! I'm just... damn it... the government needs to send them a message!"

"Damn it! Kim Min-jun, that idiot! What the hell is he doing?! Is he even human?!"

"Shut up! Apologize now! Get out of there!"

"Didn't they recognize that Taoist priest? He's the senior apprentice of the contestant from the Dragon Kingdom!"

"Oh no, oh no! Ye Shunguang is so powerful, how could her senior brother be an ordinary person?"

"Why hasn't the national-level alert arrived yet?! Tell them to get lost!"

When Pan Yinhu heard about the "monster chase," his eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked at the three of them more carefully.

They did indeed bear fresh marks of being scraped and running in the rough environment, and their breathing was weak and chaotic, clearly indicating that they had suffered considerable fright and exhaustion.

But apart from that... Pan Yinhu keenly sensed that although they were in a sorry state, they lacked the kind of vigilance and latent explosive power that agents who had truly struggled on the edge of life and death for a long time possessed.

Their panic was more superficial, like... an ordinary person suddenly thrown into a dangerous environment, who escaped by sheer luck and physical strength.

As for what kind of "people" they were, Pan Yinhu didn't care at all.

If this "connection" is accompanied by greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt, or by resentment and insatiable demands, then it is not a good connection. There is no need to force it to stay, much less to indulge it.

"No matter who you are, where you are, or what you seek," Pan Yinhu's voice turned completely cold, like a mountain stream's chill, each word clear and distinct, "here, everyone is treated equally. The porridge has been distributed, and our friendship is over. The three of you, please leave."

His fingers gripped the rim of the bowl with a slight pressure, his knuckles turning white, indicating that he was not as calm as he appeared.

The wound on his right arm throbbed with pain despite the tension, but he stood straight as a pine tree, his gaze fixed intently on Kim Min-jun.

"You...!" Kim Min-jun was so speechless by this unyielding and unreasonable attitude that his face turned from red to green, and then from green to white.

He felt as if his face was being trampled and rubbed repeatedly on the ground, especially when there might be live cameras and he felt like there were invisible eyes watching, which amplified the humiliation.

He suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Pan Yinhu. His chest heaved, as if he wanted to intimidate the other party with his aura, or... wanted to make a move.

But when he got closer and met Pan Yinhu's calm yet deep and sharp eyes, when he noticed that although the other was wearing a wide robe, he could still see that the other's figure was well-proportioned and upright, especially the other's right arm that was casually hanging down and wrapped with blood-soaked bandages, a chill suddenly ran up from his tailbone.

That bandage...is it an old wound? Or a new one? Is this Taoist priest really just an ordinary, easy-to-bully porridge-giving Taoist priest? Jin Minjun's impulse was instantly suppressed by fear, and his raised fist froze in mid-air, unsure whether to drop it or retract it.

Park Jiyeon and Lee Jong-seok, standing behind him, were even more frightened by Pan Yinhu's sudden cold aura and the vague sense of danger. The two of them took a small step back in unison, their eyes darting around, their lips trembling. They wanted to persuade him but dared not, and could only utter weak, feeble voices: "Brother Kim... never mind..." "Should we... or should we leave..." They were afraid that things would escalate, and even more afraid that this seemingly unapproachable Taoist priest would actually make a move.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the direction leading to the backyard.

Ju Fufu rushed over like a small whirlwind. She could hear the strange noise in the front yard from afar and was worried that Pan Yinhu couldn't handle it alone.

Upon arriving, they saw three unfamiliar men and women surrounding Pan Yinhu, with one of the lean men almost touching Pan Yinhu's body, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Junior Brother Pan, what's going on?" Ju Fufu walked quickly to Pan Yinhu's side, looking at Jin Minjun and the other two warily.

Kim Min-joon was in an awkward predicament when he saw another young woman arrive. She looked even younger, had animal ears on her head, was petite, and even had dust and small scratches on her face. His contempt and a twisted desire to get back at someone "weaker" resurfaced.

This dilapidated Taoist temple really doesn't have any capable people. What skills can an injured panda man and a short, beast-eared woman possibly have?

"Is this how your Taoist temple operates?" Kim Min-jun immediately turned his attention to the seemingly "easy-to-bully" Tachibana Bok-bok, his voice rising again as he found a new target to vent his frustrations on, filled with exaggerated accusations.

"You're stingy even when you give us some porridge, treating us differently! We've been fleeing all this way, enduring wind and rain, almost losing our lives! Is it too much to ask for more food? Huh? Is this the compassion of you monks? Believe me, we'll tell everyone about your shady dealings, let everyone know what kind of place your shrine is, and see who will come here again! Who will believe you!" He tried to use public opinion and morality to exert pressure, after all, he was best at playing this trick before he came here.

Ju Fufu was so angry she almost laughed when she heard that!

She was already secretly angry because she hadn't been able to protect her junior sister properly, and now she was even more furious.

"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting!" Her voice was clear and bright, filled with undisguised anger, instantly drowning out Jin Minjun's shouting. "Junior Brother Pan kindly cooked porridge for those in need and didn't accept a single grain of rice from you! You're not only ungrateful, but you're also here making trouble and spouting nonsense!"

There's only so much porridge, first come, first served, and once it's gone, it's gone! I've scraped the bottom of the pot clean for you to see! If you want to eat well and be full, if you have hands and feet, go and earn it yourselves! What are you doing, throwing a tantrum and acting tough with us?"

She spoke quickly and urgently, yet her arguments were clear and logical, leaving Kim Min-jun speechless for a moment.

"Well said! Senior Sister is awesome!"

"Ahhh, Senior Sister is unleashing her power! So cool!"

"Clear logic, satisfying criticism! That's how you deal with shameless people like this!"

South Korean viewers: We can't bear to watch anymore...

Kim Min-jun: I was stunned by the insults.

"They look so cute, but they're incredibly powerful!"

"No problem!"

"Well said!"

"That was really satisfying to yell at!"

"My insult is number one: I absolutely love him!"

"Uh... there's no need for that upstairs. It's just a verbal argument; they haven't even started fighting yet. We can still defend ourselves when they do make a move."

"In fact, verbal disputes can also kill people; just look at Zhuge Liang for examples."

"South Korea's national-level warning: Attention! You must not provoke them at this time! Please stop here!"

Kim Min-jun's face turned red and white as he was scolded. In all his life, especially after becoming a "contestant", he had never been so harshly and mercilessly rebuked to his face by a woman, especially a local indigenous person.

A strong sense of humiliation made his blood rush to his head, and his ears were ringing.

In particular, when he caught a glimpse of the two elderly men who hadn't left yet, and two figures further away who seemed to have been startled and were peering out of the window of the side room, their gazes felt like needles pricking his pride.

A surge of rage shot directly at him, making him instinctively want to vent his anger before he could even think!

"Fine! Fine, so-called first come, first served! Fine, so-called self-reliant work!" Jin Minjun laughed in fury, his smile twisted and ferocious. He pointed at Ju Fufu and then at Pan Yinhu, cursing indiscriminately, "A stupid orange cat! A stinky bear! You two monsters, I bet you've hidden a lot of good food in this dilapidated temple, haven't you? Where are the dry rations you gave those old guys? Did you think we were outsiders and easy to bully? Hiding all the good stuff for your own people?"

"If you don't give us an explanation today, if you don't give us what we're owed, we won't leave! Let's see what you can do about it!"

As he spoke, as if to prove his "determination" or simply blinded by anger, he bypassed Ju Fufu and suddenly reached out to grab the large iron pot that was mostly empty except for a little soup base!

Judging from their posture, it seemed they wanted to overturn the pot, or at least make a bigger commotion to force the other party to give in.

"How dare you!" Pan Yinhu and Ju Fufu shouted in unison!

Pan Yinhu moved even faster! He was already on high alert, and the moment Kim Minjun's shoulder moved and his intention was revealed, he took a half step forward with his left foot, his body as slender as a pine tree facing the wind, slightly to the side, his injured right arm naturally hanging down to protect him, while his left hand moved like a snake emerging from its hole, his five fingers slightly bent into a claw, carrying a gust of wind, and precisely grabbed Kim Minjun's outstretched wrist pulse point!

"Snapped!"

With a soft click, Kim Min-jun's wrist was firmly locked. Pan Yin-hu's fingers, though seemingly large, contained the strength and skill honed through years of martial arts training. This lock, like an iron band, instantly severed the force in Kim Min-jun's arm, and a tingling, numb, and throbbing sensation shot from his wrist straight to Kim Min-jun's head.

"Ah!" Kim Min-jun cried out in pain, both shocked and furious. He struggled desperately, but found that the other person's hand was as if welded shut, not moving an inch. He was both shocked and frightened, and screamed in a show of bravado but with a weak heart: "Let go! Let go! You stinking Taoist priest, what do you think you're doing? You're hitting people! This fake Taoist priest in the temple is hitting people!" He wanted to attract more attention and create chaos by shouting.

Park Jiyeon and Lee Jong-suk were also terrified by the sudden attack, screaming in terror, their voices distorted with fear: "Let go of Kim Hyung!" "How dare you lay a hand on me!" "Help! Murder!" They dared not step forward, only jumping up and down and shouting in place.

The scene turned into chaos and utter pandemonium.

"Not a buddy? You actually dared to go for it?"

"unbelievable!"

"My God, this is truly defying the heavens."

All this noise—Ju Fufu's crisp rebuke, Pan Yinhu's cold rebuke, Jin Minjun's sharp curses and struggles, and the panicked shouts of the other two.

They mingled together, their voices drifting intermittently, carried by the evening breeze, past several buildings, stubbornly slipping through the window of the secluded wing in the backyard, reaching the ears of Ye Shunguang, who was straining to listen.

Piecing together these fragmented pieces of information, Ye Shunguang immediately understood the farce unfolding outside—someone was not only trying to freeload, but also complaining that the amount given was too little, and then verbally abusing his senior brothers and sisters, and even attempting to cause trouble.

An indescribable sense of annoyance and anger slowly rose from the bottom of my heart.

Having just experienced a life-or-death battle with a monster of "Black Ya's" level, and witnessed true terror and despair, looking back at the greed, savagery, and ugly faces displayed in the safe haven for a meager meal, she felt an almost absurd sense of disgust and exhaustion.

The actions of these people were even more...filthy to her than those monsters who only knew how to kill.

What bothered her even more was the accent and tone of the troublemakers as they shouted, and those few vague foreign words... A faint yet incredibly clear sense of familiarity and disgust, like a cold snake, quietly crept up her spine.

It seems... a long time ago, or in some not-so-distant, equally unpleasant situation, she had heard a similar voice and seen a similar expression... When was that? The fog of memory stirred slightly.

……and many more.

Ye Shunguang suddenly opened his eyes wide.

That thief!

Previously, when she was trying to improve her acting skills in Linjiang City on Blue Star, a suspicious-looking man with shifty eyes kept crowding around her and tried to reach out and touch her tail several times, but she dodged him warily.

She immediately noticed that the man's eyes were off, so she paid special attention to him.

Later, she went to the rest area to get a drink of water and temporarily placed her small bag on the chair next to her. She only turned around to say a few words to her friend, and when she turned back, the bag was gone!

Never mind everything else, the badge is inside!

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the man who had tried to touch her tail earlier, now hurriedly squeezing through the crowd, seemingly clutching something in his hand.

She immediately chased after him and stopped him in a relatively secluded corner outside the exhibition hall.

At first, the man denied it, his eyes darting around, and he spoke in a mumbled foreign language that she couldn't understand.

But when she pointed out a specific charm on the bag and said she would ask security to check the security footage, the man panicked and actually ran away!

She was so angry that she chased the man for three blocks.

In the end, during the struggle and shoving, the man, seeing that he could not escape, became enraged and suddenly grabbed her tail hard!

The stinging pain and the nausea of ​​being violated were etched in her memory! Just then, the man clearly uttered a few angry curses, the tone of his language... so similar to what she was vaguely hearing in the front yard!

Later, security guards arrived, and the man with the bruised and swollen face was taken away. Ye Shunguang overheard from the security guards that he was a habitual offender who frequently took photos and stole items at anime conventions, and that he was a foreigner, I think... from South Korea?

South Korea.

So, those three troublemakers outside, with strange accents, greedy and arrogant... are they Korean players?

A cold, sharp anger replaced the previous annoyance.

If that's the case, they're not only insulting their senior brothers and sisters and provoking Suibian Guan, but they're also triggering an unpleasant memory deep within Ye Shunguang's heart.

Once the thought arose, it became incredibly strong.

Her blood was surging so badly that she didn't even feel any pain. She jumped out of bed, opened the door, and quickly walked outside.

The setting sun, as red as blood, cast long shadows of everyone in the courtyard, intertwining on the bluestone slabs and the muddy ground.

The lean man, Jin Minjun, whose wrist was being held by Pan Yinhu and who was struggling and cursing in vain, suddenly turned his head toward the moon gate, perhaps because of the struggle or some kind of intuition.

Their eyes met suddenly in mid-air.

Ye Shunguang leaned quietly against the door frame, the afterglow of the setting sun outlining a blurry golden edge around her pale cheeks and slender body.

It was as if a mute button had been pressed.

All sounds—Kim Min-jun's cursing, Park Ji-yeon and Lee Jong-suk's meaningless shouts, even the sound of the wind and the chirping of insects—came to an abrupt halt at that moment.

Time seemed to stretch out and freeze. The light of the setting sun seemed to dim for a moment, just to focus on the girl standing by the door.

Kim Min-jun opened his mouth wide, as if a wad of waterlogged cotton had been stuffed into his throat. All his arrogant scolding, aggrieved accusations, and bluffing threats were stuck there, and he couldn't utter a single syllable.

His eyes widened, his pupils contracting violently from extreme shock and the overwhelming fear that followed.

He recognized the face.

Or rather, anyone who watched the video or clips of that "empty death battle" that swept across the homepages of global live streaming platforms and was flooded with countless bullet comments and discussions just an hour ago would hardly not recognize this face—Ye Shunguang, the Chinese girl player who resolutely went against the tide of the destructive storm of swords to buy precious chances for her teammates and was finally saved by a mysterious powerhouse!

Her image and her name have long been deeply imprinted in the hearts of countless people along with that thrilling battle. Although Kim Min-jun was exhausted from running around, he would still glance at the other teams' live streams through the system with great fear during his breaks (mainly to confirm which places were safer or more dangerous).

However, it was precisely because she was so beautiful that Ye Shunguang's highly recognizable face and her terrifying performance left an extremely deep impression on me!

How did she get here? This dilapidated, unremarkable Taoist temple... how could this be her place? The panda-like Taoist priest who grabbed her wrist, the beast-eared woman who cursed her... were they her... senior brothers and sisters?!

A terrifying thought, so terrifying it almost froze his blood, exploded in his mind like a thunderclap! All his previous arrogance, contempt, grievances, and anger now transformed into boundless fear and absurd dread!

He not only trespassed on the territory of one of the strongest contestants in the Dragon Kingdom, but also insulted her fellow disciples and even tried to overturn the pot... This is simply... This is simply dancing a tap dance in front of death, as if he doesn't want to die soon enough!

Ye Shunguang leaned against the door frame, quietly watching the incredible, ever-changing expressions on Jin Minjun's face, like a spilled palette of colors.

From shock to disbelief, from disbelief to realization, from realization to extreme fear, it finally settled into a deathly despair and absurdity.

...Good-looking...unique.

Pan Yinhu and Ju Fufu also saw Ye Shunguang suddenly appear immediately, and both of them were startled.

Pan Yinhu subconsciously loosened his grip on Jin Minjun's hand slightly, but did not let go. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were full of worry.

Ju Fufu was so anxious she almost jumped up: "Xiao Guang! Why did you come out! Your injury!"

Ye Shunguang shook his head slightly, the movement was very light, but it carried an undeniable persistence.

Her gaze remained fixed on Kim Min-joon's deathly pale face, as if trying to deeply imprint his current disheveled state and fear.

Then, in her still hoarse and weak voice, yet exceptionally clear due to her extreme calm, she asked softly, word by word, her voice not loud, but like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, clearly echoing throughout the suddenly silent courtyard:

"Senior brother, senior sister..." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the stiff Park Jiyeon and Lee Jong-suk, finally settling on the deathly pale Kim Min-joon. "...I heard their unreasonable demands, so, what do you plan to do about it?"

Kim Min-jun felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and his legs went weak. If Pan Yin-hu hadn't been holding his wrists, he would have collapsed to the ground on the spot.

It’s over.

It's all over.