Song Que and Wei Shu walked to the woman’s side one after another. The woman’s name was Yunniang.
When they stopped at Yuniang’s side, she lifted her head to look at them. That glance was like shimmering waves, full of seductive charm. TShe was indeed an extremely beautiful woman, but unfortunately, facing these two wooden men—let alone Song Que, even Wei Shu—she only liked girls who were obedient and gentle. Facing Yuniang, both of them were absolutely certain of her beauty, yet neither of them felt the slightest stir of desire.
When Yuniang saw the two stop, she lowered her head slightly, her black hair spread out, revealing a small part of her snowy white neck.
“May I ask if you two are willing to pay to buy Yuniang? Yuniang is willing to be a servant, only hoping to give her father a proper burial.”
This was a classic line from an NPC selling themselves to bury their father. If you chose to buy, there were two side stories. One was to buy her freedom, which increased your charity points and the NPC’s favorability. The other was to buy her and have her follow you, but such an NPC, aside from being beautiful, had very low stats. Not only would she not be helpful in combat, but if you neglected her and she died, it would increase your evil points. In the past, some players, attracted by the NPC’s beauty, tried to do inappropriate things. After system adjustments, this route was completely blocked. So, that “selling oneself to bury their father” street event was mainly used to farm charity points.
Wei Shu didn’t think there was anything particularly special about Yuniang in front of her.
Song Que clicked “accept,” and the money in his backpack was automatically deducted. Yunniang in front of him bowed gracefully, revealing her slender waist. She placed her hands on the ground and saluted the two men.
“Thank you, benefactor. Once I have properly buried my father, I am willing to follow both of you as a servant.”
Wei Shu waved her hand and said, “It’s not a big deal. There’s no need for that. Just give your father a proper burial—that’s enough. Consider it our good deed for the day.”
The imagined charity points did not appear. Yunniang firmly shook her head and said, “Since I have already agreed to sell myself to bury my father, I cannot take advantage of my benefactors. You have paid the money, which means I now belong to you both. In this world, there is no reward without sacrifice. Please allow me to stay by your side to repay your kindness.”
Wei Shu glanced at Song Que. This NPC was indeed somewhat different. She scratched her head, wondering. Should she just agree? Or should she insist on refusing, possibly earning double the charity points?
Song Que said, “Do you know how someone who has truly lost their father and loved him enough to sell themselves for his burial should behave?”
Wei Shu said, “There you go again! But the game company might not have designed it in such detail. Look at the other ordinary girls selling themselves to bury their fathers—they aren’t emaciated either; they’re still lively and beautiful.”
Song said, “Yes, but those other girls wear mourning clothes—loose and tied with a simple sash, making them look as if they’re wrapped in a sack. When they kneel and bow, their figures don’t appear delicate and slender. But this Yunniang—her exceptional beauty is natural and can’t be judged. However, her mourning attire is deliberately form-fitting, making her look fragile and slender-waisted. Now, look at her hands—her nails are smooth and well-kept, indicating she hasn’t suffered from poor meals. Her hands, overall, don’t look like those of someone accustomed to hard labor. Yet, there’s a distinct callus at the base of her left thumb—something that only forms from practicing swordsmanship with the left hand. Everything else could be dismissed as a lack of detail in the game’s design, but this detail doesn’t lie. A beautiful woman skilled in martial arts, kneeling in the streets to sell herself for her father’s burial—do you still think this ‘special encounter’ isn’t about her? ”
Wei Shu was convinced.
The kneeling Yunniang’s face turned green.
Wei Shu stepped a little closer to Song Que, just in case Yunniang suddenly attacked. She wasn’t as skilled in combat as Song Que, and since everyone had their own specialties, of course, she’d hide behind him. Wei Shu poked her head out from behind Song Que and said, “What is your purpose in disguising yourself as a weak and helpless woman?”
Seeing Wei Shu’s movement, Yunniang misunderstood her intentions and came up with a plan. Suddenly, she sprang into action, drawing a silver-threaded soft sword from her belt and lunging straight at Song Que.
A soft sword was different from an ordinary sword. it might have appeared to be aimed in one direction but could suddenly change course at any moment. This type of sword was extremely difficult to master, but once perfected, it became a formidable weapon. Moreover, most people were accustomed to using their right hand, making this unexpected left-handed swordplay even more disorienting. With both factors combined, this Yunniang was truly not an easy opponent to deal with.
Even Song Que couldn’t completely get used to Yunniang’s fighting style. that was all—it was merely unfamiliar, nothing more.
The soft sword suddenly changed direction, seemingly about to bypass Song Que and strike directly at Wei Shu. Reacting instantly, Song Que turned and swept his arm, pushing Wei Shu out of the way. Wei Shu was caught off guard and was sent flying out of Yunniang’s attack range by Song Que’s forceful shove.
Wei Shu’s face was covered in blood.
Yunniang sneered and said, “How considerate of you. But I wonder if your little lover can appreciate it—will she come rushing back in worry when she sees you at a disadvantage, only to walk straight into her own death?”
Before she could finish speaking, Wei Shu had already set up a barbecue grill nearby.
She knew that Song Que would win. She also knew that he had knocked her out of the fight because she couldn’t handle Yunniang. But still, she was furious—being sent flying in front of so many people was utterly humiliating. So Wei Shu decided to grill some food on the side. Hopefully, the delicious aroma would drift over to Song Que, tormenting him with the scent while he couldn’t eat any of it—just to annoy him. Besides, Chef Li had specifically told her to practice diligently!
Seeing Yunniang’s frustrated expression, Song Que couldn’t help but laugh and calmly deflected her soft sword, even as it suddenly changed direction. After exchanging dozens of moves, he had already figured out how to counter Yunniang’s techniques.
“She is different from what you think, and I may not lose.”
Yunniang heard a hint of affection in his words, but if Wei Shu could hear these words, she would know that they were actually mockery.
Song Que had taken a liking to the silver-threaded soft sword in Yunniang’s hand. He imagined that if he wielded a standard two-handed sword in his right hand and this soft sword in his left, his techniques would become even more varied and unpredictable—making him even harder to counter. He reflected on the bonds he had formed with those players through battle. Naturally, he had to be strict with himself, always striving to bring something new to their duels. After all, it was the least he could do to honor the experience points they lost beneath his blade.
If those players had a chance to know what Song Que was thinking, they would definitely shout in denial: Who wants those new tricks?! We just want to kill you once and show off, okay?!
Song Que had already mastered the two-handed sword to an exceptional level, incorporating many of his own movements. These moves were considered basic attacks with minimal damage, but they seamlessly linked his skills together. As a result, Yunniang found herself unable to evade the powerful, high-damage abilities. Even attempting to mitigate the damage through movement proved difficult.
A sword pendant dangled from her silver-threaded soft sword, swaying gently. As Song Que’s blade swept across, seemingly about to slice the pendant off, Yunniang unexpectedly spun around, bringing the soft sword to her chest in defense—completely exposing her unguarded back. Even though Song Que pulled back in time, his blade still lightly grazed her, leaving a thin cut. Blood quickly seeped into the white mourning attire.
Yunniang stood still, seemingly lost in thought. Song Que hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and tying her hands with a hemp rope.
A passerby took one look and thought: What the hell? Is this even possible? Isn’t this considered NPC abuse?
Seeing the way the onlookers were looking at them, Wei Shu sensed something was off. She rushed over, holding the fish skewer she had been grilling. Before she could even say a word to shoo them away, the delicious aroma had already diverted the crowd’s attention.
There was food in the game, and it tasted good, but compared to the dishes Wei Shu made, most in-game food could only be rated as mediocre at best.
Someone asked, “Beautiful lady, how much is this?”
Wei Shu asked in surprise, “You want to buy it?”
The person hesitated guiltily and asked, “Why? Is it expensive?”
Wei Shu quickly shook her head and said, “Well, if you want to buy, come over and pick one. I’ve grilled plenty.”
On this side, Wei Shu had somehow drawn a crowd of onlookers to buy grilled fish. Seeing this, Song Que chuckled and said, “As expected, food is the people’s priority.”
He spoke in a relaxed tone, but his hands moved with absolute precision. Ignoring Yunniang’s struggle, he tightly bound her hands behind her back. Not just her wrists—even her forearms were securely restrained.
Yunniang was so furious she nearly started cursing: “You little brat! Do you even know how old I am? Have you no respect for your elders?!”
Song Que replied sincerely: “I really don’t know. But ignorance is no crime, so please forgive me.”
Yunniang trembled with anger and said: “I am forty-one now. I’m old enough to be your mother! Let me go!”
Song Que left a length of rope trailing, making it easier to lead her along. However, with the knot positioned behind her, pulling the rope would force her to stumble backward. With this in mind, Song Que said: “My apologies, senior.”
After saying that, he looped the rope around once more and tied another knot in front of Yunniang, keeping a good distance between them.
Song Que sent a message to Wei Shu, who was still surrounded by the crowd, then tugged Yunniang along toward the medical clinic. Yunniang cursed nonstop along the way, her temperament so bold and unrestrained that Song Que almost felt like raising a white flag in surrender.
The injury on Yunniang’s back was not serious. The female physician at the clinic treated it with a simple procedure, and it was all taken care of.
Right in front of Yunniang, Song Que casually took two cotton balls and stuffed them into his ears. Then, he sat down across from her, completely at ease.
Yunniang was both furious and frustrated. After yelling so much, her throat hurt, but she refused to show any weakness.
Song Que noticed her discomfort and poured her a glass of water. Then, he sat to the side, determined to wait until Weishu arrived before speaking.
Wei Shu came in carrying a bag full of coins. Her mood was clearly excellent—even her footsteps seemed light and carefree.
She was startled at the sight of Yunniang being tightly bound. Noticing this, Yunniang threw her a flirtatious wink, causing Wei Shu to jump back in fright.
Song Que chuckled as he removed the cotton from his ears and said, “Our Wei Shu is truly innocent.”
Wei Shu glared at him angrily and said, “Why did you tie her up?”
Yunniang seized the opportunity and said, “It seems that your sweetheart has some improper thoughts about me. That’s why he tied me up and won’t let me leave.”
Wei Shu had grown overly accustomed to hearing the term “sweetheart”. By now, she didn’t even bother to lift an eyelid.
Instead, Song Que respectfully replied, “Senior, you are already forty-one, you’re more than qualified to be my mother.”
The once flirtatious Yunniang instantly froze, looking as if she wanted to tear Song Que’s mouth apart.
Wei Shu said, “Alright, I know you wouldn’t tie her up for no reason. So, why did you?”
Song Que handed something over and said, “Look at her sword pendant.”
He confiscated Yunniang’s weapon, removed the sword pendant, and tucked the soft sword into his belt, mimicking how Yunniang had carried it.
Wei Shu examined it carefully for a long moment before a vague memory surfaced. She suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t this the same sword pendant Yuan Qing was wearing in his portrait?”
Song Que nodded, and the two of them turned to look at Yunniang. Yunniang’s expression was a little complicated when she heard the Yuan Qing, but when she noticed their gazes, her expression turned back to arrogance. She let out a cold snort and said, “What are you looking at? Yeah, I had an affair with that old bastard, but who knows where he is now? You little brats planning to reminisce with me on his behalf?”
She still refuses to admit that Yuan Qing might be dead, and she only said that they just had an affair?
Song Que and Wei Shu exchanged a glance.
