Chapter 23
“We’re about to enter the dungeon. You’ve already read the manual, but I still need to remind you of a few things.”
Holding the territory dungeon key, Shen Li looked at Lu Chuan and Starry Sasha with concern. “This territory-dungeon is considered one of the lower-risk resources controlled by the Five Major Guilds. But since many of their players have already entered, we can’t predict how the dungeon may have mutated, or how its story may unfold.”
Lu Chuan nodded—he understood.
Special dungeons that could unlock “territory” or “lord” titles usually only dropped after clearing dozens of mutated A-rank dungeons.
This particular key, however, had come from an NPC still on good terms with the Five Major Guilds. That made it a shared, relatively low-difficulty resource.
Each year, the guilds received only three keys, and each key allowed just two to three players. After one year, the key expired automatically.
Yet even this “low-difficulty” dungeon had a 50% mortality rate.
“Sasha, this will be your last dungeon as a rookie. If you can earn the lord title, your ranking on the Newcomer Ranking List will rise further,” Shen Li said. He had wanted her to wait, but she insisted on coming—to contribute to the guild. He had no choice but to agree.
“The story with NPCs isn’t the hard part. The real trouble is running into other guild players. Time in this dungeon flows one-to-one with reality, so we can’t know if other players are already here. If anything happens, keep communication strong. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Got it.”
Sasha and Lu Chuan answered in unison.
Shen Li sighed inwardly. But he knew overprotecting them would do no good. A single dungeon could teach more than years of outside training.
“Once we enter, our appearances will change. Only players using the same key will recognize each other’s true faces. That’ll help us stay united. But remember, the same goes for our competitors—so don’t slip up.”
With his warnings finished, Shen Li wasted no more time. He drew out the key.
[Player [Walking Alone for Ten Thousand Miles] is using a dungeon key. Please state the names of accompanying players.]
[Arrival of the God of Wealth], [Lucky Star].
[Companions bound. Special dungeon opening…]
With a flash of white light, the three of them vanished from the open ground.
Inside the dungeon world—
The nickname [Arrival of the God of Wealth] lit up.
“Senior, the player you’re watching just went online. He entered a territory-dungeon.” Number 18 hurried to report, hoping his senior would set off at once.
These past days, for some unknown reason, Senior had been on such a killing spree that even his own merit points were nearly gone.
Hadn’t he said he’d step out for a while?
But this [Arrival of the God of Wealth] had still not left the dungeon, souring Senior’s mood.
“So it’s Li Family Village.” Number 9 glanced coldly. “Check who’s currently stationed in the Li Family Village dungeon. We’ll requisition their slot.”
Number 18 grinned. “Senior, just go ahead. I’ll handle it for you.”
What could a minor deity do—dare resist a Burial Squad?
“I’ll be watching closely,” Number 9 said.
The Burial Squads’ work was to carry out the tasks assigned by the Main God and eliminate potential infiltrators sent by gods of other worlds. But until an opponent’s identity was confirmed, every player was considered the Main God’s property, not to be killed casually.
“Safe travels, Senior.” Number 18 happily swished his tail—the nearby mountain was smashed flat with one swing.
Number 9 nodded, then disappeared.
*
On the other side—
Lu Chuan and his two companions were already sitting on a tour bus.
The tour guide was enthusiastically introducing their destination.
“…Dear travelers, we’re now heading to Li Family Village, one of our local highlights. The village has been preserved for nearly three hundred years, full of ancient charm and authenticity. And the annual Festival Day is just around the corner. I recommend staying a few extra days to truly experience it. Li Family Village is…”
Lu Chuan and the others smoothly opened their game panels to check the dungeon info.
[Territory Dungeon “Li Family Village”: Player cap 100. Note: Entry requires a key.]
[Dungeon Info: Li Family Village is a mysterious settlement, bearing countless traces of time-travelers. Its changes have always been beyond expectation.]
[Dungeon Requirement: Clear condition—successfully participate in one Li Family Village sacrificial ritual. If you fail, you may remain until the next ritual, or escape using an exit key.]
[Special Requirement (Random): To obtain the Lord title, you must find the Being capable of bestowing it. The number of Lord titles is limited—claim one quickly.]
[Dungeon Tip: With so many players and NPCs, scheming abounds. Hide your identity as a player—often, it is your own kind who will kill you.]
Lu Chuan smirked. As expected of a territory dungeon, it was clearly different from the rest. Not only was the player cap higher, but it outright stated the real danger came from other players.
Everyone came here for the Lord title, but there wouldn’t be many to go around.
Shen Li had already warned him: for every 100 players entering, at least 50 would likely die. Among the survivors, if 10 managed to get a Lord title, that was already lucky. Sometimes only one or two succeeded.
That scarcity was precisely why Lord titles held such value.
“The faith in Li Family Village is quite unusual. They worship hundreds of gods, changing each year. Only during the sacrificial ritual do they decide which god to serve that year, and their mode of worship changes accordingly. For example, one year they worshipped the God of Wealth, and all the villagers grew rich that year…” The guide chuckled as he teased the tourists.
Lu Chuan’s eyes lit up instantly.
Beside him, Shen Li tried to tug him back, but failed.
Hadn’t this kid just gotten ten billion? (Shen Li still believed it was “just” ten billion.) Did he really need to obsess over this?
Clearly, the guide was just spinning tales to entertain tourists.
“Mr. Guide, what exactly is the process for worshiping the God of Wealth?” Lu Chuan asked earnestly.
The guide, used to such questions, laughed. “That’s something you’ll need to ask the villagers themselves—they have their own ways. But honestly, I doubt they’d share their money-making secrets with us. Otherwise, I wouldn’t still be working as a tour guide.”
The whole bus laughed.
Lu Chuan nodded solemnly. “Once I reach the village, I’ll be sure to ask.”
Starry Sasha looked at Lu Chuan, then whispered to Shen Li beside her, “Big brother, should we ask too when the time comes?”
“Sweetheart, no need.” Shen Li tapped her forehead. “Just worship some god of health instead. May you grow tall and stay healthy—that’s good enough.”
This wasn’t his first time leading players here, but watching Lu Chuan still left Shen Li exhausted.
Li Family Village’s faith system was unusual, yes, but in truth it was just a mechanism the game used to keep refreshing the storyline. Each year the villagers would worship a new god, meaning the dungeon boss would change.
The first time Shen Li came, the chosen deity was one of fertility. That run, every player—male and female alike—was parasitized by the spawn of an evil god. They had to both rid themselves of the parasites and hunt down the culprit to gain the title. Only one person succeeded, and Shen Li himself failed—an unforgettable experience.
Now, with Festival Day approaching again, who knew what god they’d face this time?
[Host, this dungeon carries the aura of many gods,] #888 said in shock. [But they’re all low-level deities, fallen under the Main System’s control. They’re not in the same league as a conceptual god like the God of Wealth.]
“You’ve never been here before?” Lu Chuan asked, surprised at how much more stunned #888 sounded than him.
After a pause, #888 admitted sincerely: [Host, none of my previous hosts ever survived long enough to reach a territory-dungeon.]
Who else had a host like Lu Chuan—only on his third dungeon, already in a special instance, with an S-rank player personally leading?
Normally, hosts either climbed alone step by step, or were max-level veterans who knew every newbie dungeon by heart.
Only Lu Chuan relied on wealth and connections, always recruiting the strongest allies.
His reason for picking Starry Sasha was simple—if the dungeon storyline stalled, he could unleash Sasha’s power to draw in all the monsters.
Shen Li had likely guessed this too, which was why he stuck so close.
Because really—releasing Sasha’s ability in a territory-dungeon was practically suicide.
He was S-rank, not number one on the God-tier ranking. He simply couldn’t tank that.
*
Inside Li Family Village—
The players who had entered earlier were holed up in rooms, plotting.
“We failed last time and lingered here until now. We can’t delay any longer.”
“The tour bus will bring in a new wave of tourists—and players. Same as always: be cautious, observe carefully, find the new players, and eliminate them first. We can’t afford another failure.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Similar conversations echoed in other rooms.
“This new batch won’t be from our guild—I got no notice. If they’re from another guild, eliminate them all.”
“Anyone who enters a territory-dungeon is automatically our guild’s enemy. Don’t show mercy—they won’t spare you.”
“We have to move fast. Once the Lord titles are handed out, our run is doomed.”
“Yes!”
…
The tour bus arrived, and Lu Chuan’s group followed the tourists into an ancient-looking village.
To be fair, Li Family Village was remarkably well-preserved, carrying a genuine air of antiquity.
But up close, most of the people in the streets were modern tourists in mismatched clothes. Some were even cosplaying, giving the place a lively atmosphere.
“First, let’s find an inn and gather some info… Sister, where’s Second Brother?” They had agreed to pose as siblings in this dungeon to avoid suspicion.
“Second Brother said he saw a gold shop earlier, so he went to check it out—to exchange some money.” Sasha answered softly.
“Which shop? We’ll go too.” Shen Li was exasperated. Why look at gold shops in a dungeon?
“Gold price dropped to 580? Already? That fast?” Lu Chuan looked deeply troubled. He had so much gold—now that prices were plunging, his fortune was shrinking. Of course he’d be upset.
[Host, you really never change,] #888 finally broke its silence.
Host, you’ve got over seventy billion already—why fuss over pocket change?
“You must be mocking me in your heart,” Lu Chuan said knowingly. “You really disgrace the name of the God of Wealth. Don’t you see? To me, every coin is equal, whether large or small. I love every penny. So when my fortune shrinks, of course I’m sad. If you don’t love money, how will money ever love you?”
[Host, I’m a system. I don’t need money,] #888 sighed helplessly.
“Wrong. You do. Remember when I asked you for some gold and you dodged the question? If you had more wealth, you’d have bound with me much sooner.” Lu Chuan insisted firmly.
No, host—normal people don’t dive headfirst into money the way you do.
#888 was left speechless.
“That’s how it is, sir.” The gold shop owner gave an awkward laugh.
“Well, nothing to be done. I’ll just sell a small 500g for now. Give me cash—we’re going to Li Family Village, and it looks like they mostly use cash there.” Lu Chuan said calmly.
“Sir, you’ve been to Li Family Village before? Indeed, the gods they worship there don’t favor high technology, so people mostly use cash. But normally, tourists exchange cash with their guides—that’s also how guides make money…” The shop owner rambled on, but still exchanged quite a lot of cash for Lu Chuan, even thoughtfully giving him a small backpack of decent quality.
“Much appreciated, boss. I’ll be back to support your business next time.” Lu Chuan said with a cheerful smile.
Outside the store, Shen Li and Starry Sasha were waiting. When they saw Lu Chuan walking out with a pile of cash, Shen Li in particular looked conflicted.
“I didn’t even say we needed cash, and you already knew?”
“Yeah. When we got off the bus, I noticed lots of stalls didn’t have QR codes, and most people were using paper money. So I figured cash was necessary.” Lu Chuan nodded.
But they had only just gotten off the bus, hadn’t they?
Shen Li realized then—there was a reason Lu Chuan had two S-grades to his name. Even though this was a small matter, he had judged and acted on it so quickly. That kind of decisiveness and initiative was one of the most important traits for a player.
“In the past, we always exchanged cash with the tour guide and, at the same time, picked up some information. But I suppose your way is easier.” Shen Li glanced at the gold shop, then mocked himself inwardly. He’d been trapped by fixed thinking. The player who’d brought him here had told him to get cash from the guide, so he thought that was the only option.
Habitual thinking kills.
“What’s your plan next?” Shen Li decided to ask for Lu Chuan’s opinion first.
“Let’s play tourist for a few days.” Lu Chuan grinned. “Didn’t you say our identities are most likely to be exposed right after we get off the bus? We should establish our cover first.”
“Not bad.” Shen Li smiled. “That really is what we should focus on in the beginning.”
*
Pah.
Shen Li wished he could slap himself for agreeing with Lu Chuan earlier.
This guy—establish a cover, my ass!
Why was he running a business here?!
“Dear customers, new store opening discount today! All fruits 20% off, spend 100 and get a free bag of mandarins!” The NPC worker, temporarily hired, skillfully recited their sales pitch.
Meanwhile, boss Lu Chuan was lying down playing on his phone.
Starry Sasha was diligently weighing fruit and ringing up customers.
And Shen Li… was hauling bags of fresh fruit into the store.
Lu Chuan had not only exchanged cash at the gold shop, but also found out a storefront was being vacated. He immediately paid to rent it. Since renovation would take too long, he quickly decided on selling fruit. After all, fruit just needed a few shelves—business could start right away.
So at the entrance of Li Family Village, they opened a fruit shop, with their lodging right upstairs.
Lu Chuan even said self-righteously, “In tourist spots like this, prices are sky-high. We can sell fruit for several times the normal price. Making money isn’t shameful. Plus, it helps us blend in and avoid suspicion.”
But it limits our movements!
Before Shen Li could voice his rebuttal, Lu Chuan cut him off.
“If anything comes up, big brother, just go out and handle supply runs. We’re the owners—owners don’t have to stay in the store all the time.” Lu Chuan’s words neatly choked Shen Li silent.
Starry Sasha didn’t dare say a word and simply focused on selling fruit.
She had never done such work before, so she put in extra effort. With her sweet, cute looks in the game, nearby shopkeepers even started calling her “fruit girl.”
“Alright, big brother. Things are already set, so relax.” Lu Chuan said earnestly. “There’s still plenty of time before the sacrificial festival. Let’s just enjoy being shopkeepers for now. Honestly, pretending to be NPCs is pretty fun. I tried it—it’s great.”
As he spoke, Lu Chuan put up a sign:
“Special price today: Autumn pears, 29.9 per jin.”
Shameless profiteer! Autumn pears, that expensive?
And yet, business was booming. Not only did many NPCs come, but players too.
Yes—Shen Li could instantly tell they were players.
From an NPC’s perspective, players’ disguises still had too many flaws.
Like the one who just entered—unlike other NPCs carefully comparing fruit, he kept looking around, even trying to strike up conversations with other customers.
“Little sister, this shop is new, isn’t it? Never saw you here before.” The suspected player casually picked a bag of fruit and tried probing Starry Sasha.
“Big brother, our little sister’s ability isn’t just for show. Even with cloaking items, she still draws in players and NPCs.” Lu Chuan genuinely praised her to Shen Li.
What a handy ability! Just by sitting here, the storyline delivered itself right to their doorstep.
So refreshing.
Next time, he’d definitely bring Sasha again.
“This is still early game. The ones drawn in now are manageable.” Shen Li rubbed his forehead. “Later on, Sasha might attract enemies we can’t handle.”
[Lucky Demon]was a rare ability, but few guilds bothered cultivating it.
One such member was enough—more would just sabotage the guild itself.
“We used to run a clothing shop,” Starry Sasha answered with their set backstory. “We were born in Li Family Village, so my brothers and I came back to rebuild our hometown and earn a little. Your fruit costs 88 yuan. We only take cash.”
“88, here.” The player glanced at the bag—just a few peaches and pears, sold at such an outrageous price. What a scam.
But players never lacked money. Whether 88 or 888, it was nothing.
“Little sister, any odd rules in this village you can tell me about?” The player pressed further.
Starry Sasha thought for a moment, then replied as Lu Chuan had instructed: “Before we left, the village was worshiping the God of Wealth, so we all cared about making money. If you want to learn more, just spend more in our villagers’ shops.”
The player took her words seriously.
The less reliable it sounded, the more likely it was true.
“I see. Then I’ll buy some more.” The player, convinced this was key to building trust with NPCs, happily spent more.
And so, every time a player approached, Sasha repeated the same lines.
By nightfall, their fruit shop had sold out.
Latecomers could only sigh in frustration.
Upstairs—
Shen Li watched as Lu Chuan happily counted money.
“…Shouldn’t we be gathering intel?” Shen Li looked at the piles of cash. He couldn’t understand it. What kind of player spent half a month outside the village gates just selling fruit, without even stepping inside?
“Haha, Shen bro, what are you talking about?” Lu Chuan looked at him in surprise. “With our business booming, don’t you think other shopkeepers will come tomorrow to probe us for info?”
In his runs, information always came to him. Why demean himself by going to dig for it?
Author’s Note:
Lu Chuan: “So good. Players’ money is just too easy to earn.”
Number 9, secretly observing: ……stays silent.
