Chapter 5: Yang-Yin River
Su Qiong lifted his cloak, revealing three small, rectangular holes cut near the hem.
The full name of his item was the Mimicry Cloak. Its purpose was to slightly blur the perceptions of anyone looking at him.
When Su Qiong wore the cloak into Gangan Village, everyone subconsciously assumed he was a normal player. When he cut pieces off the cloak and handed them to the bus driver, the driver subconsciously assumed the ragged scraps of fabric were stamped tickets.
Watching from afar, the system bat was speechless. A low-level item can be used like that?! If the system had known, it never would have given the cloak away for free. What a massive loss!
Shi Yuntian smirked. “Well, look at that. Even trash can be useful sometimes.”
Lu Shufan praised him warmly, “Even though Su-su is a useless little pastry, he’s still a system NPC after all!”
“You two,” Yu Qimiao interrupted, giving them a sharp look. “Don’t forget what you promised him.”
“Don’t worry,” Shi Yuntian curled his lip. “I never owe anyone a favor.”
With that, Shi Yuntian shot a dangerous sideways glance at Those Who Obey Me Win. The murderer suddenly felt a freezing chill run down his spine. Before he could figure out why he was suddenly terrified, Yu Qimiao walked smoothly up to him.
“Let’s make a deal. I’ll get you on the bus,” Yu Qimiao offered.
Before Those Who Obey Me Win could answer, his followers jumped in. “Boss Yu, can you get me on too?!” “And me!”
The followers had just been whispering complaints about how Those Who Obey Me Win wasn’t as invincible as he claimed. Hearing them beg someone else enraged him. He was used to being the center of attention. His ego swelling, he demanded, “Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to negotiate with me?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Shi Yuntian casually reached back and patted the hilt of his massive sword.
Those Who Obey Me Win swallowed hard, genuinely afraid of the giant gamer, but he refused to lose face in front of his followers. He grandly pulled out the bloody 200 yuan he had stolen from his dead fake father.
“I’ll take all of you on the bus! Driver, tickets!”
The massive driver, a cigarette hanging from his lips, snatched the bloody bills. “Hurry up. We’re leaving.”
“Hmph!” Those Who Obey Me Win snorted. He brushed past Yu Qimiao, strutting onto the bus with his nose in the air.
Yu Qimiao remained perfectly composed, showing no anger at the insult. He gently guided Su Qiong to the back row and sat down.
Shi Yuntian sat heavily next to him, lowering his voice. “I told you we should have just killed him instead of wasting words.”
Su Qiong quickly typed a reminder: [In IF, a player’s combat power increases exponentially with their level. Direct confrontation carries severe risks. Under equal conditions, one Level 2 player is stronger than four Level 1 players.]
“Tsk,” Shi Yuntian scoffed in disdain.
“Don’t rush,” Yu Qimiao said calmly. “He’ll come begging me soon enough.”
“You still have another move?” Lu Shufan asked curiously.
“Mm. I deliberately forced him to spend his only money just now,” Yu Qimiao smiled serenely. “Do you think we won’t need tickets for the ride back tonight?”
“…” Capitalists really were blackhearted.
The bus seemed capable of bending space. After only five minutes, an entirely different world appeared outside the windows. The crumbling mountains were gone. Instead, traffic flowed smoothly through paved streets lined with towering skyscrapers. Everything screamed wealth and prosperity.
The passengers poured off the bus. “The last bus back is at 6:00 PM!” the driver shouted, and then the bus vanished into thin air.
The players, who had just gotten used to the freezing decay of Gangan Village, were dazzled by the glamorous city. For a moment, they just stared.
“The city must have the conditions we need to complete the main quest,” Yu Qimiao said, pulling them back to reality. “Let’s split up and look around.”
The city was exactly like a major metropolis in the real world, packed with job opportunities. But since the game only lasted five days, they couldn’t take any jobs that paid monthly or required long-term commitments.
Lu Shufan, the team’s social butterfly, easily found the nightclub district. He returned an hour later with two clues.
“There are plenty of odd jobs, but no one will hire people from Gangan Village,” Lu Shufan explained, spreading his hands. “A bartender told me that Gangan villagers are considered the lowest class of scum. They’re only allowed to do filthy, exhausting, humiliating work.”
“Tsk.”
“That’s normal,” Yu Qimiao nodded. “Throughout history, whether it’s slave owners and slaves, colonizers and the colonized, or high castes and low castes, the tactic is always the same: exploit them maximally, and ensure those beneath you never gain the strength to resist.”
“Well, don’t rush to conclusions yet,” Lu Shufan raised two fingers. “My second clue: I discovered that the city currency is totally different from the Gangan Village currency.”
“What’s the big deal? So the money is different,” Shi Yuntian shrugged.
“If the currencies are different, that is a massive problem,” Yu Qimiao said grimly.
Shi Yuntian didn’t get it. Why was it a big deal? The others didn’t know how to explain it simply.
Su Qiong calmly held up his screen: [Is the money you use to buy groceries the same as the paper money you burn for the dead?]
Shi Yuntian choked on his spit, his face flushing red. You look so soft and sweet! Why are your words so vicious?!
Su Qiong typed another sign: [The system ONLY recognizes Gangan Village currency. You cannot use city money to clear the game.]
Yu Qimiao felt a wave of despair. Even if they earned the 100,000 in the city, it wouldn’t count toward their main quest.
Su Qiong typed again: [City currency can only be exchanged for Gangan Village currency through your mimicry NPCs at home.]
“Wait. Don’t tell me…” Lu Shufan gasped.
Su Qiong nodded slowly, dropping the cruel truth: [Players who killed their mimicry NPC cannot complete the main quest.]
“As I suspected. Murder is never the correct way to clear a puzzle game,” Yu Qimiao breathed a sigh of relief.
The three men agreed to meet up at the bus stop later and split up to make money.
Lu Shufan went back to the nightclub district. While he couldn’t get formally hired, he was a famous gaming streamer. His greatest talent was sweet-talking wealthy people into giving him tips.
Shi Yuntian carried his massive sword to the underground arena district. The arena was filled with wealthy, impeccably dressed elites who paid huge money to watch “low-class scum” fight wild beasts or slaughter each other. The fights were terrifying and always ended in death, but the payouts were massive.
Yu Qimiao borrowed some of Lu Shufan’s “sweet-talking” money and went to the betting windows at the arena. Using his genius-level calculation skills, he multiplied the money wildly in just twenty minutes. He returned Lu Shufan’s principal, then turned to Su Qiong.
“I’m going to the stock exchange. Are you coming?”
Su Qiong shook his head. “I want to search for clues.”
Compared to the money quest, Su Qiong was far more interested in the terrifying mysteries of Gangan Village. His logic told him the system wouldn’t create this massive city unless there were plot clues hidden here.
“Alright. Be careful.” Yu Qimiao pulled out his own dagger and tucked it safely into Su Qiong’s bandage sash. Since Su Qiong had zero attack power, he needed a weapon.
Su Qiong looked down at the blade. It was Yu Qimiao’s only weapon. That morning, Yu Qimiao had helped him braid his bandage fingers, so Su Qiong had given him a bus ticket. Now, he was giving Su Qiong a dagger. Was this a down payment for the bus ride back tonight?
Su Qiong was just computer code, and Yu Qimiao was a ruthless capitalist. In both their worlds, emotions didn’t matter—only equal exchanges of benefit.
“I’ll get all of you tickets tonight,” Su Qiong promised.
Yu Qimiao froze for a second, then smiled warmly. “Alright.” He thought to himself happily: So this is what it feels like when someone cares about you!
With their transaction complete, Su Qiong floated away with a clear conscience.
The city was massive. Su Qiong spent most of the day exploring alone, but didn’t find much besides the fact that everyone here was insanely rich.
Had the game system really built an entire city just to make the players realize how poor Gangan Village was by comparison? Why bother? The village was already a hellhole.
As the sun began to set, the city’s nightlife woke up. Su Qiong floated near a high-end club, watching several beautiful young women walk past.
They were dressed beautifully. And they were from Gangan Village.
Su Qiong immediately floated forward and blocked their path. Because city security was strict, the women didn’t panic, but they looked at him warily.
“Who are you?” one asked.
Because Su Qiong still couldn’t speak, he tried showing them his NPC bracelet, but they couldn’t see it.
“Are you a customer?” a woman in a floral dress asked gently, noticing his panic. “If you need something, come inside the club tonight. We aren’t allowed to entertain privately on the street.”
“A customer? I’ve never seen him before,” another woman winked seductively. “Next time you come inside, make sure you ask for me~”
From those few sentences, Su Qiong realized what kind of work they did. The village women had no other way to survive in a city that despised them. But from what Su Qiong had seen, Gangan Village was incredibly traditional. Doing this kind of work must be painful and humiliating for them.
He desperately wanted to ask: Why do you endure this humiliation? Why don’t you just go home?
Unable to speak, Su Qiong rushed forward as they tried to leave. He used his new bandage fingers to trace two words in the air: Gangan Village.
The moment they realized what he was writing, pure disgust and revulsion twisted their beautiful faces.
“Gangan Village? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “If we knew you were from that place, we never would have spoken to you.” “What rotten luck. Every man in that village deserves to rot in hell!” “Pah! Don’t touch me!”
They avoided Su Qiong like he was a disease and stormed away.
“…” Aggrieved, Su Qiong watched them go. He had been unfairly insulted! He wasn’t even a man, he was a marshmallow!
He memorized the name of the club, planning to bring the players back here to question the women later.
When Su Qiong floated back to the bus stop, he heard Lu Shufan shouting. “Little Pastry! Perfect timing! Hurry!”
Lu Shufan grabbed Su Qiong’s arm and dragged him over to where Shi Yuntian was standing. The giant gamer grabbed Su Qiong’s hand and forced it onto the hilt of his massive sword.
“Did you not eat? Put some back into it!” Shi Yuntian barked.
Su Qiong nervously pushed down on the hilt. He only then realized the blade was resting directly against the neck of Those Who Obey Me Win. The murderer’s head was already half-severed, blood pouring onto the pavement, but he wasn’t fighting back.
“Stop dragging it out and finish me off!” Those Who Obey Me Win screamed in agony. Unable to take the pain, he grabbed his own head and twisted his neck with a sickening crack.
[System Notification: KPI +3]
“He murdered two more players today, so he’s Level 3 now,” Yu Qimiao explained hurriedly. “You can buy the voice feature now. Hurry.”
Still confused, Su Qiong opened his shop menu. Lu Shufan excitedly tapped the screen for him, buying the voice upgrade.
The bloody corpse vanished, and Those Who Obey Me Win instantly revived on the pavement, rubbing his neck in terror. “Don’t forget what you promised me!” he snarled.
“What did you promise him?”
Su Qiong thought the question, but to his shock, the words actually left his mouth. The moment he spoke, all four men snapped their heads to look at him.
“You…” Shi Yuntian coughed, turning his head away. “Your voice sounds… pretty good.”
“So cute!” Lu Shufan squealed. “Little Pastry, say something else!”
“Stop it. He’s not a toy,” Yu Qimiao scolded them, though his own eyes were shining with anticipation, clearly hoping the little marshmallow would talk again.
Su Qiong began questioning his existence. He was computer code! His voice should have been a cool, robotic synthesizer! Damn trash system! You could have picked any voice in the library! Why did you give me the soft, sweet voice of an adorable young boy?!
Su Qiong tried to sound imposing and authoritative. “Don’t treat me like a child!” But even when he yelled, it just sounded like a cute kid throwing a temper tantrum.
Help. He just wanted to go back and lie in his coffin.
“Before you got back, he came begging Little Yu for a deal,” Lu Shufan explained, pointing at the murderer. “He killed his mimicry NPC, so he can’t exchange his money. We’re the only ones in the whole game who can help him now.”
“Oh,” Su Qiong nodded, his soft voice chiming. “I understand.”
“So cute,” Shi Yuntian mumbled unconsciously.
“…” Su Qiong regretted everything. Did the System Shop offer refunds?
Yu Qimiao’s cold capitalist heart fluttered at the cute voice. Forcing himself to stay professional, he turned to the murderer. “That kill just now only pays for your bus ticket tonight. Helping you beat the game costs extra.”
“You’re raising the price on the spot!” the murderer yelled, his face red with anger.
“Sir,” Yu Qimiao flashed a chilling, perfect smile. “Let’s be clear. I offered you a fair deal this morning, and you insulted me. You refused to cooperate first.”
“What?” Shi Yuntian cracked his knuckles. “Got a problem with that?”
“N-no.”
“Since you don’t object,” Lu Shufan beamed, “whenever Little Pastry needs more KPI points, remember to bring us your head!”
“…Fine.”
Su Qiong: ? Was no one going to ask my opinion about this?
On the bus ride back to the village, the Orphan Alliance compared their daily earnings.
“I made 30,000!” Lu Shufan bragged. “And I charmed some rich ladies who promised to introduce me to more clients. I’ll easily make the 100,000 next time.”
“Fifty-five thousand,” Shi Yuntian spat blood out the window. “The arena takes way too much of a cut. Damned capitalists.”
The capitalist sitting next to them adjusted his cuffs. “I earned enough.”
“!!!” Everyone turned to stare at him.
“And I left a chunk of my assets invested in the securities market,” Yu Qimiao added casually. “When we come back in three days, the interest alone should be enough to let every single player in the village pass the main quest.”
“Dad! You’re my real dad!” Lu Shufan lunged across the aisle, aggressively massaging Yu Qimiao’s shoulders. “If I knew you were this good, I wouldn’t have wasted time flattering rich women! I should have just flattered you!”
“Get off me,” Yu Qimiao pushed him away and looked at Su Qiong. “What about you?”
“I didn’t earn any money,” Su Qiong answered honestly, his sweet voice making it impossible to be mad at him.
Not that they expected a marshmallow to get a job anyway. Yu Qimiao even patted his head, telling him that coming back safely was enough.
“But I did find the young women from Gangan Village,” Su Qiong added.
“Really?!”
If their theories were correct, finding the missing women was the real key to the plot. Su Qiong was just about to explain what happened when the bus screeched to a halt at Gangan Village.
The sun was setting. The village entrance looked exactly the same as yesterday. The same filthy old bachelors were loitering by the dirt road, their eyes burning with greed.
The creepy nursery rhyme they sang echoed through the air, drilling into the players’ skulls like a headache. But if they listened closely, the lyrics had changed.
Gangan Village, nothing but bare branches. Where is my mountain of gold? Ask my mother, ask my sister. Where is my mountain of gold?
“Are you sick?! Stop singing!” “You don’t even work! You want a mountain of gold? Keep dreaming!”
The song made the players dizzy and nauseous. Since Su Qiong didn’t have ears—or a human brain—he was totally unaffected. Disgusted by the muddy old men, he carefully floated around them. As he drifted past the broken stone monument at the entrance, he stopped. He stared at the jagged edge of the stone for a long moment.
He floated over to Yu Qimiao and whispered a few words in his ear.
“I understand,” Yu Qimiao nodded seriously. “I’ll come back out with you tonight.”
“Little Yu! Little Pastry! Help me!” Lu Shufan groaned, stumbling off the bus. He reached out to grab a villager to steady himself, but realized he had grabbed a massive, terrifyingly muscular man.
“You came back just in time. Pay your debts!” the giant man roared.
“I don’t owe you anything! Why are you coming after me?!” Lu Shufan yelled.
“Because every single household in Gangan Village owes me money!” The giant man dragged several terrified villagers forward as witnesses.
Only then did the players learn the horrifying truth: every single family in Gangan Village was drowning in massive, unpayable debt.
Su Qiong’s bracelet buzzed. He opened it to read a new rule: [Players may only clear the instance AFTER repaying all their household’s debts.]
The players panicked. Damn dog system! Can’t you be fair for once?!
“I expected this,” Yu Qimiao said calmly. “People always say that 20% of the population controls 80% of the wealth. But that’s a lie. The truth is, the top 20% controls 150% of the wealth, and the bottom 80% bears 50% of the debt. That is exactly how the lower classes are kept poor forever.”
Mortgages, car loans, and credit cards made poor people think they were enjoying life. In reality, they were just selling their future labor to pay interest to the rich.
“Oh my god… how is this happening?” “Is there even a way to clear this game?!”
“Yes,” Su Qiong said firmly in his sweet voice. “There is more than one way to clear it.”
But his words only made the silence heavier. The system said there were multiple ways to win, yet they hadn’t found a single one that actually worked.
That night, the atmosphere in the caves was suffocating. After a miserable dinner, the exhausted players went to sleep, losing the will to fight back.
Only when the village was completely dark and silent did four shadowy figures sneak out of Granny Li’s cave and creep toward the village entrance.
“Are we sure we should do this? This village is definitely haunted. What if we anger something?” Lu Shufan whispered.
“You’re a grown man, are you seriously scared of ghosts? Give me a hand,” Shi Yuntian grunted. He wedged his massive sword under the stone monument at the entrance, using it as a lever to pry the heavy rock out of the dirt.
Yu Qimiao and Lu Shufan helped lift it. Following Su Qiong’s directions, they quietly carried the heavy monument all the way through the village to the riverbank.
“The broken edges match perfectly. They fit together,” Su Qiong instructed softly. “Turn the entrance monument upside down and place it on top of the river monument.”
Because it was night, the river monument currently read Sun-Moon River.
The moment the top half—which read Gangan Village—was placed onto the jagged break, something horrifying happened.
Thick, dark red liquid slowly began oozing from the top stone, dripping down and soaking the words on the bottom stone. Before their eyes, the blood warped the carved characters.
The words Sun-Moon River twisted and changed, transforming into: Yang-Yin River.
The smaller, faded characters beneath it suddenly became clear, painted in fresh blood. Su Qiong finally saw the full warning:
Men Must Not Enter This River.
Beneath the warning, the blood formed the first two lines of a new nursery rhyme. As the orphans stared at the bleeding stone, the faint, sorrowful voices of countless weeping women echoed in their ears, singing the chilling words:
Gangan Village, nothing but bare branches. Your wife is over there. At the riverbed, in the barren hills, wronged souls lie beneath the snow for eighteen years.
