The game becomes reality: Black Myth invades the real world.

Chapter 45 Past Events of Blood Blade Town

In the end, Zhou Jianbang abandoned his plan to use the Sanskrit chanting to summon spirits from He Lingxue.

Firstly, he was unsure whether repeatedly using the skill on the same person would cause irreversible damage. Secondly, it wasn't really suitable to use it right now.

He Lingxue is treating them like bad guys! The Spirit Investigation Bureau is a legitimate organization and we absolutely cannot let the people misunderstand us!

Zhou Jianbang decided to clarify things and had He Lingxue sign a confidentiality agreement.

He originally wanted to bring people to the office to talk, but He Lingxue absolutely refused, thinking that he wanted to ambush her, and insisted that Chen Fu go with her.

"Girl, have you forgotten who I am...?" Chen Fu silently complained, and could only carry He Lingxue, who was clinging to him like a koala, into the office.

Ten minutes later, He Lingxue understood the situation and her eyes flashed with excitement.

She hadn't expected such an interesting thing to happen, and nodded repeatedly, saying she could sign a confidentiality agreement. Then she asked in a low voice if she could join the Spirit Investigation Bureau.

This is a stable and interesting job; not only does it pay well, but it also fully satisfies her curiosity.

Zhou Jianbang replied that it was no problem, but it required two steps: an exam and an interview.

Du Fanyu was in the same situation back then, and the Spirit Investigation Bureau already had a solution.

He Lingxue nodded repeatedly. After learning that the recruitment process of the Spirit Investigation Bureau was the same as that of the provincial department, she prepared to go back and study hard.

The minor hiccup was thus resolved, and Chen Fu prepared to return to school. He Lingxue tugged at his sleeve, wanting to walk with him, looking as if she didn't want to be left behind.

Everyone else pretended not to see it, but Bai Ruhua was a little confused. Wasn't Chen Fu and Song Shuangwei a couple? What was the situation with this girl who suddenly appeared?

She didn't understand it, nor did she want to find out; she focused her attention on the game.

Bai Ruhua knew that she could only improve if her teammates improved, so as soon as she logged in, she started sending messages to ask her teammates when they would continue to upgrade their skills.

Chen Fu pretended not to see it, thinking to himself, "There's no such thing as land that's been overcultivated, only oxen that have died from exhaustion. Don't you even look at how much money I have left in my pocket?"

Du Fanyu drove Chen Fu and the other person back to school. On the way, He Lingxue asked all sorts of questions, eager to know more about the Spirit Investigation Bureau.

Chen Fu glanced at the girl and said that he had only recently joined and didn't know much about it, but if He Lingxue could treat him to a meal, he might be able to remember something.

He Lingxue's eyes widened; how could she not know what Chen Fu was thinking? She replied, "You just hugged me, what's wrong with telling me?"

Chen Fu felt greatly wronged. "I didn't hug you on my own initiative. You were the one who wouldn't let go. How can you blame me for this?"

He Lingxue immediately put on a wronged expression and said that he had already let her take such a big advantage, and she still said such things. No man is any good.

Upon hearing this, Du Fanyu, who was driving, disagreed. "You two should sort out your own problems. Don't bring all the men along. I'm a very upright person."

Chen Fu raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by that? Just because you're upright doesn't mean I'm not? I'm a model student and a member of the Communist Youth League, and I get scholarships every year, okay?

The three of them arrived at the gate of Jiangda University amidst their bickering and commotion.

He Lingxue eventually treated Chen Fu to a meal, which didn't cost much, and it was a good opportunity to find out about the Spirit Investigation Bureau.

Du Fanyu shamelessly ate a meal, much to the dismay of the ghost groom floating beside him.

When did my brother become so shameless? They're just a young couple having a meal, why are you meddling in their fun?

Fortunately, the ghost groom didn't say it out loud; if Chen Fu had known, he would definitely have refuted it.

Don't talk nonsense. What do you mean by "young couple"? My relationship with her is completely innocent!

Master Chen is destined to become the Lord of the Mortal World. What kind of status does the Lord of the Mortal World have? He must have a harem of three thousand beauties. How could he possibly be hung up on just one person?

After dinner, Chen Fu strolled back to his dorm. The three geniuses were there. Wei Niangniang was video chatting with her girlfriend, while the other two were either scrolling through Douyin (TikTok) and laughing non-stop, or lying on their beds, fast asleep.

Chen Fu took a shower, felt refreshed, lay on the bed, and started playing the game.

The physical punishment is almost over. Let's see if the descendant of Qiaosheng Gong has managed to find any clues about the treasure map.

"Chosen One, you have once again set foot in Bloodblade Town. You have discovered many unfamiliar faces in the town, and they exude the same aura as you."

Hmm? Have new players joined again? Chen Fu felt that probably so, as time goes by, many players will catch up.

It wasn't a big deal to him anyway, since newcomers would definitely get their heads chopped off and experience their heads flying off again and again.

What he needs to do is to figure out the secret of the treasure map as soon as possible, pass through Blood Blade Town, and move on to the next map.

"Because of the unfamiliar faces, Blood Blade Town began to liven up, and both the townspeople and Wu Kun of Blood Blade were enjoying a long-awaited feast."

"Where are you planning to go this time? Will you wander around the town, head to the pig farm, or investigate Blood Blade Wu Kun's residence?"

There is no trace of the successor of the Master of Skillful Sage, but there is an additional option to go to the residence of Blood Blade Wu Kun.

Chen Fu was a little undecided. He felt that going to Wu Kun's house would probably yield something, but it was too dangerous, and he might get beheaded.

Sticking to his long-held idea, Chen Fu decided to take a stroll first and see if he could run into a descendant of the Master of Skillful Arts.

"You were strolling around town when you suddenly spotted Blood Blade Wu Kun."

Oh my god, what I feared most has come to pass. Is he going to chop off my head? Chen Fu's fingers trembled, and he almost dropped his phone in his face.

"Blood Blade Wu Kun was sucking the brain marrow from the two heads and didn't notice your presence at all. He left to find other heads."

"Thank goodness, I can take a few more, as long as they don't come after me..." Chen Fu breathed a sigh of relief.

"You've met the descendant of Master Qiaosheng, who happens to be looking for you as well."

"The descendant of the Master of Skill said that many players are asking him to make stamina potions, which keeps him very busy, but he has already done what he promised you."

"He pulled a treasure map out of his stomach and placed it in your hand."

"You've obtained the treasure map."

"The treasure map is quite different from before. It clearly marks the route, and the final location points to the kitchen of Blood Blade Wu Kun's residence. Would you like to go and explore it directly?"

Huh, it's in Wu Kun's house! The text said he wasn't home, so this is a good opportunity to investigate... Chen Fu's eyes lit up, and he selected "Yes".

"You have arrived at the residence of Blood Blade Wu Kun. There are no guards or servants here. After searching around, you arrive at the kitchen."

"Deep inside the stove, you dug out a long, rectangular oilcloth bag. On the back of the bag were written in blood: 'The blade's veins have awakened; it will devour its master and feast upon him.'"

"During the reign of the Lord of the Mortal Realm, there was a sinister rumor about the mass grave outside Bloodblade Town: that a group of rebels were buried there in sword coffins, the burial goods of seven evil blades forged from the spines of the defeated. Every new moon night, the mass grave would be shrouded in a blood-red mist, and the faint sound of footsteps dragging swords could be heard within the mist."

"The older generation says that it is the breathing of a knife coffin, the manifestation of a malevolent spirit's obsession. Anyone who gets involved with it will lose their mind, become insane, and eventually die suddenly."

"Wu Kun was just twenty years old that year. He and his six brothers encountered the blood mist on the night of the new moon. They were hotheads and didn't believe in evil at all. They cut down seven people in the mist, took their knives, and then took an oilcloth bag from the arms of a headless armored man. They turned around and ran towards the town."

"After returning safely to Bloodblade Town, the seven men divided the knives and spread out the oilcloth bag around the stove. Inside, they found large swathes of writing that looked like tadpoles. The moment the writing was exposed, it began to wriggle like living creatures, crawling along their fingertips and into their flesh."

"The seven people went completely mad on the spot, attacking and killing each other. In the end, only Wu Kun survived. He discovered that he could actually understand the obscure tadpole-like characters. It was a rare technique called 'Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Technique'."

"The riot alarmed the rest of the town. The pig castrator was the first to arrive. He glanced at the corpse and was so frightened that he scrambled to his feet. To keep his secret, Wu Kun altered most of the 'Blood Gluttony Inner Landscape Technique' and gave it to him as the 'Blood Gluttony Inner Landscape Fragment,' saying that as long as one cultivated it, one could resist the bullying and humiliation from outsiders."

"Those who arrived later also obtained the fragments and were given knives. To thank Wu Kun, the townspeople honored him as their mayor, and under his leadership, they embarked on a path of self-isolation."

"But strange things started happening frequently. The seven knives would howl on their own at night, the clay statue in the town's earth god temple would silently break into seven pieces, and all the townspeople would start to enjoy chopping off heads and eating brains. The older generation knew they couldn't escape, so they had to stay in the town. All the young people were sent out to become bandits, robbing people on the road to support themselves."

"Do you want to open the oilcloth bag and obtain Bloodblade Town's greatest treasure?"

Tsk tsk tsk, Chen Fu thought to himself that Blood Blade Town, which seemed dilapidated and whose people were vicious, actually had such a story hidden inside. If he hadn't asked Old Chuan to decipher the secret of the treasure map, he really wouldn't have known about these things.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The world described in the game's text is far more bizarre and strange than Chen Fu imagined. However, because he can only see text, his other senses are greatly limited.

Could this be one of the curses that the chosen ones bear? Compared to others, which can only be explored through words, this thought is starting to feel terrifying.

You opened the oilcloth bag and found several items inside.

"As you count them one by one, the most eye-catching item is a strangely shaped Tang-style sword, along with a piece of paper that looks like human skin, a piece of rhinoceros horn incense, a simple map, and several letters exchanged between people."

"The Taotie Tang Hengdao (Legend) is a sword that swallows six souls and never returns to its sheath. At midnight, one often hears the cries of brothers. This is one of the seven swords that Taotie Lord loved the most. Because Taotie Lord always carried it with him, it seemed to have a spirit. When it finally saw the light of day again, it swallowed six souls that had gone mad. In battle, one can summon a wisp of remnant soul from the sword to assist in battle, but every night one must endure the pain of six ghosts sucking out one's marrow and the sword's own wailing and howling."

"The Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Technique (Legend): The greedy and ferocious spirit must be pierced through the skin. This is the most prized technique of the Gluttonous Lord. By combining it with the incomplete Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Manual, it can be completed. The practitioner is like someone sleeping with a blade in their hand. When they move, the enemy's head will surely fly off. At critical moments, they can unleash a bloodthirsty aura and strike a desperate blow."

"Rhinoceros horn incense (legend) is said to be something that a live rhinoceros cannot burn, but when burned, it emits a strange fragrance. If it touches clothing, one can communicate with ghosts. If one lights it, one can see a wisp of a soul that is attached to oneself, and mandalas will grow from withered bones."

"Map of the Wedding and Funeral City (Ordinary): A red sedan chair enters and a white banner exits; this city has never been divided. This rough charcoal sketch on hemp paper is crookedly marked with the Wedding and Funeral City, eighty miles north of Blood Blade Town. This place is eerie; during the day, joyous music and funeral suonas compete in the streets. The bride's veil is covered with a talisman for the dead, and the coffin is wrapped with a love knot. If you go here, you must be extremely careful."

"The correspondence (ordinary) records the affairs between Blood Blade Wu Kun and certain important figures in the Wedding Burial City. The words are full of slang: Blood Gluttony raises the blade, the Wedding Burial City sells stolen goods, the Great Road is complete, and the port will open in the new moon. Carrying these letters will allow you to have certain usable resources and status in the Wedding Burial City."

"Chosen One, do you want to choose selectively, or take them all?"

There are five items in total. The Tang Hengdao is Wu Kun's weapon; he probably doesn't use it because there are six brothers inside, and Wu Kun is afraid of being affected. The Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Technique is a skill book, which requires fragments of the Blood Gluttonous Inner Landscape Manual to complete, making it very suitable for Zhou Jianbang. The map and the correspondence correspond to the next map, the Wedding Burial City.

As for rhinoceros horn incense...

Chen Fu was somewhat reluctant to accept it.

There's no problem carrying this thing around, but if you light it, you'll see ghosts, specifically ghosts that are attached to you.

Right now, who wants to see him? Definitely the ghost bride!

Chen Fu had not forgotten the existence of this wronged spirit. After finishing the Legend of the White Snake instance, his initial strategy was to have enough trump cards to deal with the opponent.

Otherwise, if a ghost bride appears before you and you have no way to mediate, are you really going to become a ghost husband?

He could place his hopes on the monkey. Judging from its recent performance, the monkey is very powerful and can handle any situation.

However, when dealing with the strange rocks of Sidu Lake, the monkey was buried among the monsters and did not break free immediately.

This made Chen Fu waver; relying solely on the other party might not be safe.

You still need to be strong enough yourself!

So what should we do? Of course, we should work hard to improve.

Based on what we have now, the initial strategy we set earlier is beginning to have a clearer direction:

The guidance and referral letter obtained from the Legend of the White Snake can be used to directly select a class dungeon and gain an advantage in the early stages. This also aligns with what Zhang Mingyuan mentioned. If you can clear the dungeon, you will definitely gain a huge boost.

Using the map of the wedding and funeral city and the correspondence between them is key to moving to the next map and helps in discovering other usable items.

In comparison, rhinoceros horn incense not only fails to provide any help, but is more like a time bomb.

Chen Fu was already afflicted with the snake demon's blood-red curse and had no desire to add another one.

After some thought, he took all the props except for the rhinoceros horn incense.

The fire attack pocket was quite large; even though Tang Hengdao was very long, it didn't make much of a difference when it was inside. After collecting everything, Chen Fu waited for the game text to update.

During this period, following the established direction, he began to think about the details of how to do it.

First, we must slaughter Blood Blade Town! So you can stop cutting off my head every day!

Then, travel to the Wedding City via the map, obtain resources through letters, and collect as many items as possible.

If you can't use it, just sell it. The point is to keep improving your capabilities.

Finally, before the dungeon opens next week, you need to gather information about the dungeon on the Spirit Bureau forum to prepare for your job change.

All of these actions revolve around one goal: to acquire the power to fight the Ghost Bride as soon as possible!

Chen Fu didn't want to wait until the snake demon's blood-red curse wore away the stone monkey's gaze, as he was still helpless when facing the ghost bride.

Once the details were finalized, the game text was also updated.

"Coroner's Walker Ability, triggered."

"You've encountered a paranormal event."

……