Chapter 135: To Love Her, To Marry Her (Monthly Pass Bonus)

The wall was coated with white plaster, as pristine as a field of freshly fallen snow, so clean that not a single speck of dust could be found.

There was no sign of a door or a frame; not even a crack as fine as a strand of hair was visible.

What was going on?

Wen Nan was certain that the back door through which Erin had led him earlier had been right here. Had someone sealed it back up and recoated it with plaster? But surely it wouldn't have dried that quickly.

In his spare equipment slot, he still carried the key he had received from the side quest. He remembered the message that had accompanied it clearly: "This hidden place is one I never share with outsiders, but for you, I am always waiting."

So much for waiting for him. Was welding the door shut their way of waiting?

Seeing Wen Nan pacing and touching the wall with a perplexed expression, Yu Shujun emerged from the shadows of a corner behind him. He stopped at his side and said, "If you wish to enter, I can break through the wall, Master."

Wen Nan turned to look at Yu Shujun, considered it for a moment, nodded, and took a step back. "Go ahead, give it a try."

Yu Shujun offered a warning: "Step back further."

Wen Nan reluctantly retreated two more steps.

Only then did Yu Shujun draw his long sword from behind him.

*Shing—*

A flash of golden light streaked through the air.

In an instant, a long, thin fissure appeared on the wall. From that crack, a dark, greenish-black sludge began to seep out, like thick, black blood oozing from a wound, staining the previously flawless white wall.

"Wait!"

Wen Nan suddenly called out, stepping forward to raise his hand and stop Yu Shujun from delivering a second strike.

Yu Shujun tilted his head slightly to look at him.

Wen Nan pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Forget it. I don't want to go in anymore."

With that, he turned and headed straight toward the elevator hall at the end of the corridor. "Let's go."

Yu Shujun watched the other’s retreating figure, his brows knitting slightly. Finally, he sheathed his sword and followed in silence.

The two walked into the elevator hall one after the other. Just as Wen Nan pressed the button for the top floor, the person beside him spoke: "Master."

"Yes?" Wen Nan turned to look at him.

"Yang Mingzhong has returned to that same café," Yu Shujun said. "Do you need me to send someone to keep an eye on him?"

It must have been the café clerk, who had colluded with Yu Shujun earlier, sending word.

Wen Nan thought for a moment, canceled the top floor selection, and changed it to the ground floor. "No need. I’ll go myself. There are some things that perhaps should be discussed properly, and this is as good an opportunity as any."

...

Opposite the north gate of the Erin Group lay the café. Just like last time, Yang Mingzhong was sitting alone at a window seat, staring blankly at a cup of coffee.

When Wen Nan appeared before him, he slowly looked up and smiled. "Guild Leader." His expression was as if he had expected the other to come and had been waiting there all along.

Wen Nan sat in the seat opposite him. "Shall we talk?"

"Of course," Yang Mingzhong replied, his demeanor as gentle as before. "What would you like to drink? My treat."

Wen Nan smiled back. "Let me handle it this time."

Yang Mingzhong nodded, teasing half-jokingly, "If the Guild Leader is paying, I suppose I’ll have to drink more."

Wen Nan heard this and smiled without a word. Knowing what Yang Mingzhong was hinting at, he decided to stop playing games. He accessed his system's spare equipment slot, pulled out a small vial, and set it on the table with a sharp *clack*.

Everyone knew exactly what was in that vial.

The coffee was soon brought to the table. Wen Nan took a sip and cut straight to the point: "Are you here for Li Shuyi?"

Yang Mingzhong maintained his gentle smile. "I am here for my deceased wife."

Wen Nan paused. "Coincidentally, Li Shuyi also believes she has a deceased husband."

Yang Mingzhong let out a bitter laugh. "You went to the scene of the accident?"

Upon receiving a confirming nod, Yang Mingzhong added, "To have guessed it so quickly—Guild Leader, you truly live up to your reputation."

As he spoke, Yang Mingzhong glanced at the Truth Serum on the table before looking back at Wen Nan. "My story is a bit long, Guild Leader. Would you be willing to spare the time to hear it?"

Wen Nan smiled. "Since you’ve already completed the main quest ahead of schedule, I certainly have some time to listen to your past."

Yang Mingzhong nodded. Dropping the pleasantries, he went straight to the point:

"Before I deleted my account, my name was Wei Junjie."

...

[Holy crap, he actually deleted his account to start over? Damn, I bet on the wrong outcome again. Lost 25 gold coins, what a pain.]

[You managed to lose a bet on such an obvious outcome? Buddy, take a piece of advice: don't bet in this livestream anymore. The waters here are deep, and I'm afraid you can't handle it.]

[Seriously, even veterans like us are getting wiped out here. Someone like you is going to lose everything down to your underwear eventually.]

[By the way, who is this Wei Junjie? Anyone who can delete their account to start over must be some kind of big shot on an alt account, right?]

[Never heard of him. But "Wei Junjie"—that name sounds like someone who knows how to play the game!]

[Ugh, what a lame pun.]

【Star User *Shorty* has entered the livestream. Welcome!】

[Shorty, why are you only just getting here?]

[You missed the most exciting reveal!]

[*Shorty*: Uh, no, I didn't miss anything. I just came over from Yang Mingzhong's livestream.]

[*Shorty*: I went to his stream because he looked familiar, and it turns out... it really is him!]

[Who?! You know him, big shot?!]

[*Shorty*: You guys must have heard of him, right? Jade-Faced Peach.]

[Holy crap?!]

[That legendary elder who founded the Ghost-Tamer Alliance?!]

[That's a big shot among big shots, someone who could call the leaders of the six major guilds his brothers.]

[I thought he was at the half-step Gold rank? He could have just waited a bit longer to buy an alt-account token and keep his main account to enter this dungeon. Why rush to delete his account now? That’s such a waste.]

[Wait, that doesn't sound right. I heard Jade-Faced Peach was, as his name suggests, dashing and handsome. This middle-aged guy is old, bald, and ugly...]

[He deleted his account and started over, so he must have changed his physical shell, right?]

[*Shorty*: No, he actually still looks somewhat like his former self. And if you look past the face, don't you think he's still quite dashing? Just a bit bald.]

[Damn, now that you mention it, looking only at the face, he is still kind of handsome.]

[It just goes to show that a man's true essence is a thick head of hair. Once you go bald, no matter how handsome the face is, it just doesn't work.]

[True, look at Guo Donglin and JJ Lin.]

[Damn.]

[So why did he pay such a high price to come back in such a hurry? Really for a female ghost?]

[Isn't the core tenet of your Ghost-Tamer Alliance that female ghosts are slaves and dogs, and can never be on equal footing with their masters?]

[By that logic, who would call their dog "wife"?]

[Stop yapping, they're talking right now. Watch the stream!]

...

Yang Mingzhong’s voice remained gentle and steady:

"Three years ago, I walked out of the trial map, filled with infinite longing for this game. I came to this dungeon, met her, fell in love with her, married her, and then... lost her."