Chapter 29: Causing a Sensation on Your Very First Day in the City?

"What? How could something happen? Aren't they all sleeping?"

"No, two players snuck out in the middle of the night, went to the city gate while the guards were dozing off, stripped them of their armor, and stole their swords!"

"And then?"

"And then they were caught red-handed! They’re locked up in the City Lord's dungeon now, and the City Lord has sent soldiers to demand we pay for their release!"

Su Qingyue: "?"

Are you kidding me? You’re causing trouble in the middle of the night?

You’ve only been in this city for a single morning, and you’re already hell-bent on making my life a living nightmare?

Fine, just great. I’m truly defeated!

Speechless, she had no choice but to resign herself to going to the City Lord’s mansion to pay for their bail.

A while later, the two players followed her out. They scratched their heads and muttered:

"So we really can't steal equipment? I thought the gear on the soldiers was just provided by the game company for us!"

"It’s pretty realistic, haha. I knew it wouldn't work. They said this is an ultra-realistic game recreating an ancient, cultivation world—if we could just steal things for personal use, that would be a problem!"

"Then why did you tell me to do it?"

"Oh, come on, we were just testing the waters, right? Even if we got killed, we could just respawn."

Su Qingyue: "..."

If it weren't for the need to maintain her image as a cool, aloof, snow-clad fairy, she would have started cursing!

Do you have to test *everything*?

You went to the cliffs to see if there was an invisible wall, just to jump off one by one. You stuffed wild mushrooms and berries directly into your mouths.

And now, you’re robbing guards of their armor and swords in the middle of the street!

Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised by anything these players did anymore.

Su Qingyue thought numbly: Even if they tried to assassinate a Great Ascension stage cultivator while still in the Qi Refining stage, it would be perfectly normal.

They’re players, after all. If they didn't cause trouble or pull stunts, could they even be called players?

After all, in their eyes, this world is just a game.

As long as they can respawn, they have no fear!

Unlike Earth Online, where you only get one life to clear the game, and death means having your data wiped and your account deleted.

She had just taken a few steps out of the City Lord’s mansion with the players when a soldier rushed up behind her, his expression extremely strange:

"Um, Immortal, I'm afraid you'll have to come back inside."

Su Qingyue: "?"

She had paid the bail and apologized. What now?

"Well, several more of your companions have been caught."

***

Su Qingyue returned to the dungeon and stared in silence at the players, who were lined up like skewers, laughing and chatting as if they were at a barbecue.

"Hahaha, one-day tour of the dungeon!"

"Wow, the Sect Master came to bail us out so soon? I haven't finished taking screenshots yet! It’s not every day you get to be in a dungeon!"

The players were very disappointed. One player picked up a rat and shouted:

"Whoa, everyone look! A real, live rat!"

The other players crowded around to observe the dusty, grey rodent.

"It's alive! I've never seen a live rat before!"

"It feels a bit coarse, kind of prickly, and it’s dirty and not even cute. Not as good as a hamster!"

The city-dwelling otaku and fangirls truly had never seen a rat before.

It was the year 2040, and with the standard of living so high, even those in the villages rarely saw rats.

For a moment, the players were shouting and clamoring at the rat, their screenshot keys clicking away.

Su Qingyue: "..." They are so loud!

In the past year—no, ten years—I haven't been as speechless as I have been in these last few days! Can we please be normal?

She felt exhausted. The soldier looked at her with a hint of pity:

"These people don't seem to have all their wits about them. It must be very hard for you to be in charge of such a group, Fairy!"

"Oh, it's alright," Su Qingyue said, forcing a smile.

She had summoned these eccentric players; she would have to see it through even if she had to do it on her knees.

What else could she do? Kick them all back to the modern world? Forget it. Life is short; just endure it and it will pass.

A Golden Core stage cultivator only has a lifespan of three or four hundred years—wait, three or four hundred years?

"What was it for this time?"

"Oh, trespassing in a private residence. They were rummaging through drawers and cabinets right in front of the owner, swaggering about as they took things from the house."

Su Qingyue thought: She understood this; it was looting for resources. She had done it herself once, but this was a holographic game!

She had said countless times that it was highly realistic and not to offend the NPCs. Stealing right in front of them—they deserved it!

She felt an urge to just stop caring about them.

But considering that if she didn't, the players might get bored of the dungeon and commit mass suicide.

If the floor were covered in dead bodies, it would probably scare the City Lord and his soldiers to death, right?

Forget it. Better not to plague the locals.

The players were still laughing and looking around the cell as if they had discovered a new continent, checking in and taking photos, extremely excited.

Su Qingyue and the City Lord looked at each other, staring blankly for a long time.

To be honest, in all his years as City Lord, he had never seen so many "Immortals" thrown into the dungeon.

And for such strange reasons, like stealing guards' armor and looting commoners' belongings right to their faces.

The most terrifying part was that there were so many of them.

***

The City Lord sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Fairy, it truly is hard for you to manage such a group of companions!"

Su Qingyue was silent for a moment before saying, "Can I get a discount for bailing them out in bulk?"

"That can be arranged!" The City Lord smiled broadly. Business was booming!

It was rare to get so much money from cultivators; they were big clients, and a discount was definitely on the table!

After some haggling, both sides were satisfied. They signed a handwritten agreement and prepared to leave the scene quickly, fearing the other party might change their mind.

Another soldier rushed over: "City Lord, it's bad! Those Immortals in the dungeon have dismantled the cell door!"

Su Qingyue: "..."

The City Lord looked at her silently.

She kept a smile on her face: "Now, let’s discuss the cost for installing new doors!"

How wonderful. The players’ first morning in an ancient city was spent in total chaos!

Su Qingyue shed tears of excitement. Does she look happy? Haha, just keep smiling and living.

She led the group of troublemaking players back to the inn.

The players had no sense of having caused trouble; they chattered and exchanged stories all the way back, looking quite happy.

"The dungeon tour was actually pretty fun, though I wish our leader had bailed us out a little later!"

"I didn't get to take enough apart! The iron bars dropped iron chunks when I broke them—I wonder what those can be used for!"

Upon returning to the inn, Su Qingyue saw Lan Ling and Xiao Mo carefully counting the two carts of sulfur and saltpeter delivered by the merchant.

She revealed a look of relief. As expected of the professional players she had picked, they were much more reliable than these troublemakers! They were focused on the work!

Both the players and the merchants were extremely happy.

Merchant: "Useless broken stones traded for hundreds of taels of gold! Run, run fast!"

Players: "Broken glass sold for thousands of taels of gold and so much sulfur and saltpeter! Run, run fast!"

Both sides felt they had made a killing and that the other was a total sucker.

They ran off as soon as the deal was done, fearing the other would go back on their word.

Lan Ling put the items into her storage ring and looked back to see her leading the crowd of players, stunned:

"Hey? Did you go on some quest?"

Did they go on a quest with the main NPC?

Xiao Mo, the cat-girl, looked up and waved her fist: "Hey, why didn't you bring me along for the good stuff? That's not very friendly!"

A player shrugged: "We were just testing if we could loot in this game. We got thrown in the dungeon, and the Sect Master had to bail us out!"

"..." The people in the inn looked at them with newfound respect. Although they had wanted to test it too, they hadn't dared to actually try blatant robbery.

The NPCs were just like real people—wasn't that the same as stealing in the real world? They had never done something like that!

You guys are way too brave! You actually tried robbing people to their faces!