DSMC Chapter 63.1

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“Holy shit, so Tang Shi and Liang Yu actually have plot relevance? What storyline did our Kitty Baby trigger? Can some pro explain why Tang Shi has a Revival Stone?”

“His adoptive parents also got a Revival Stone. After they died, Tang Shi received it and has been researching its origins ever since. Even after going to college, his curiosity about the Revival Stone never changed. Otherwise, why do you think he didn’t stay in the big city and returned to a small town instead? Given the setting of this era, college students should be pretty precious.”

“So he really is someone who opposes Liang Yu? In the original instance, would he die at Liang Yu’s hands?”

“I don’t remember. It depends on Liang Yu’s mood and what storyline the player triggers. Sometimes Liang Yu casually disposes of players or NPCs who try to snatch the Revival Stone from him. As long as Tang Shi tries to take the stone, he can’t escape. Liang Yu basically attacks indiscriminately. He’s the protagonist of the original instance and the biggest boss in it.”

“Ahhhh why isn’t Tang Shi saying anything? If he doesn’t explain, Liang Yu will definitely assume he’s on the opposite side. Isn’t it supposed to be Tang-vs-Liang? How is this going to be explained?”

“They can’t fight, right? This isn’t the original instance, and they’re Mimi’s NPCs.”

“Our Kitty Baby can’t control Liang Yu, how could they not fight? Lol, I’m actually looking forward to seeing them fight.”

At this moment, even Yan Jiyun felt nervous.

Why wasn’t Tang Shi answering? Was he thinking about an excuse, or something else? Or did he have some unspeakable reason?

Yan Jiyun looked left and right. This really put Tang Shi in a tough spot. He had to break the current deadlock.

Yan Jiyun glanced at the stone in Liang Yu’s hand, then suddenly jumped, swatting the Revival Stone out of Liang Yu’s hand and onto the floor. Then he started batting it around on the ground. One swipe left, the stone slid forward, he chased after it, and another swipe sent it rolling again. In this way, the Revival Stone was batted right out of Tang Shi’s bedroom.

Seeing this, Tang Shi immediately chased after Yan Jiyun. This was a perfect chance to avoid a head-on clash with Liang Yu.

“Oreo, you can’t play with that stone!”

But Yan Jiyun not only played, he played with gusto. The Revival Stone bounced down the stairs with a series of thuds.

Liang Yu: “…”

His hand was still raised. Then he rubbed his nose and chased after them.

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“Never in a million years did I expect this development…”

“Hahahaha you can never predict what Meowmeow will do next!”

“I’m dying! Our poor Kitty Baby still has to pretend to be stupid to dissolve the conflict between his own NPCs.”

“Hahaha!! Everyone else’s NPCs: fight fight fight! The Kitty Baby’s NPCs: chase the Revival Stone! If they don’t hurry, the Revival Stone will be gone!”

“What Revival Stone? That’s the Baby’s toy, I’m screaming!”

To help his NPCs get along, and to let them shine, Yan Jiyun played with the stone all the way from upstairs to downstairs. Tang Shi finally caught him on the second floor and reclaimed his Revival Stone.

Liang Yu also came downstairs by then, and his expression was no longer as dark as before.

Yan Jiyun knew that many developments happen because of misunderstandings. How could something like that happen under his watch? Impossible.

Better to break the tension, give them both space to think, and then sit down calmly to talk. That’s the proper way to get along. As for such idiotic misunderstandings, those belong in trashy romance novels. What misunderstandings do we need in a game? If you’ve got something to say, just say it!

The opportunities he created were meant to teach them to use their mouths.

Yan Jiyun once again conveyed his intent to Tang Shi. Tang Shi, who had been struggling inside, looked at the Revival Stone in his hand.

“Liang Yu, I know you’re looking for the Revival Stone. I saw you slip the one from Uncle Ming’s house the other day.”

Yan Jiyun: “…”

A true master hiding his depth!

Liang Yu hadn’t expected to get hit head-on like this. His earlier momentum deflated by half.

Before Liang Yu could speak, Tang Shi continued: “I don’t know why you’re looking for the Revival Stone. If you trust me, I hope you can be honest with me. I’ll tell you everything I know as well.”

Now Yan Jiyun fully understood. Tang Shi knew everything. He had simply been silently observing every move Liang Yu made.

Turns out the most frightening person isn’t the one with overwhelming strength, but the one who stands quietly behind and one day tells you he knew everything all along.

If his opponent were that type of person, Yan Jiyun would be terrified just imagining it. Fortunately, Tang Shi never used this approach on him. Otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

Liang Yu had thought everything was in his grasp, but Tang Shi was the unexpected variable.

Liang Yu asked, “When did you start knowing I approached you on purpose?”

Tang Shi: “From the first time we met at school. I don’t remember meeting you as a kid, but you kept intentionally or unintentionally telling me you’d been to Qingyun Town when you were young. But back then, Qingyun Town was only a village, not yet a town. Whose house did you stay with? Who were your relatives? These things can be deduced. You never lived in Qingyun Village as a child. Or if you did, it wasn’t Qingyun Village but somewhere else.”

Yan Jiyun: “…”

A full-blown detective scene. No, a full-blown public face-slapping scene for Liang Yu.

Liang Yu sat on the sofa like a deflated balloon and even deliberately tugged on Yan Jiyun’s fur. Yan Jiyun swatted his hand away with a kitty punch and hopped onto the chair beside Tang Shi, lying down. He did not want Liang Yu pulling out his fur and making him bald.

Liang Yu asked him, “Why didn’t you expose me?”

Tang Shi: “Because you were invited to Qingyun Town by Chen Xiaoyu. I had no need to meddle.”

Liang Yu: “What about afterward? Why did you keep quiet and even let me live in your house?”

Tang Shi tossed the black stone in his hand. “Everyone has curiosity. I’m no exception. I wanted to know your purpose in coming to Qingyun Town. Then I found that you were very interested in the Revival Stone. Maybe you even came here for it, right?”

Liang Yu said, “Not entirely. How did you know it’s called the Revival Stone?”

Tang Shi: “I heard it from the elders. My adoptive parents were often away, so they’d give the neighbors money. Whoever had time would cook for me for a while, or I’d go eat at their place. I bummed meals everywhere growing up and heard a lot of things. Didn’t you approach me because you noticed I knew more than most people?”

Liang Yu shrugged. “Not entirely.”

Tang Shi said, “Alright, my turn to ask. Why do you want this thing? You even asked the butcher uncle for that whetstone.”

Liang Yu went slack. “You’re so smart. Can’t you guess?”

Tang Shi looked at Liang Yu’s expression and reasoned, “There’s treasure in Qingyun Town? But that seems unlikely. If there were, it would’ve been dug up ages ago. The only thing left is whatever relates to the castle.”

Liang Yu heard him redirect the topic back to the castle again and couldn’t help saying, “Still couldn’t hide it from you. As expected of a top student who made it out of Qingyun Town.”

Tang Shi rolled his eyes at the half-hearted compliment. “Thanks. I’m just a rural bumpkin. Even if I enter the city, I’m not going to turn from barnyard chicken into phoenix.”

Yan Jiyun: Someone who doesn’t want to become a phoenix man. Very admirable. He approves of Xiao Shi! (refers to men who soars upwards in quality of life thanks to his marriage to a rich woman)

Liang Yu got up from the sofa and closed the balcony door, the door connecting to the living room, and the one on the second floor.

Only then did he start being forthright with Tang Shi about his purpose for coming to Qingyun Town. He had observed Tang Shi and even had Detective Gao investigate him, so he knew Tang Shi’s personality and conduct.

Liang Yu: “There’s actually nothing much for me to hide. This matter is extremely serious, and I originally didn’t plan to tell you. But since you’ve already discovered it, and you’ll figure it out sooner or later, I might as well explain it myself.”

Yan Jiyun: ‘That’s more like it. My hard work pretending to be dumb wasn’t wasted.’

Tang Shi straightened his back, preparing his posture to listen to a story.

For the first time, Liang Yu felt the urge to talk. He had prepared for revenge for many years, but had never told anyone.

Liang Yu: “You know the Siyun Castle, right?”

Tang Shi: “I know it.”

Liang Yu: “Then do you know the Siyun couple had a child?”

Tang Shi nodded. “They should have, right? I saw a children’s room in the castle.”

Liang Yu: “But the brochures here say the Siyun couple had no children. It’s blatant lying. Do you know why they’d promote it that way?”

Tang Shi: “To make the story sound extra romantic?”

Liang Yu: “No. They wanted to cover up the truth. You grew up here. You must’ve heard stories about the castle.”

Tang Shi: “Occasionally I’ve heard some old folks mention it, but everyone is extremely reluctant to talk about what happened in the castle. Very few old people are willing to bring it up. Only once, I heard an old granny and grandpa arguing, and they mentioned something from the past, but it was vague.”

Then, he paused. “Go on.”

Liang Yu: “What they mentioned by accident was the truth. When the Siyun couple first lived here, everything was peaceful. But one side was a luxurious castle, and the other was a poor village. One living in heaven, the other in hardship. Even the simplest villagers couldn’t help but imagine the heavenly life inside the castle. Within a few years, the villagers began eyeing the castle. To them, the castle’s owners were rich beyond measure. With that money, they could stop being farmers bending over the fields, they could become local tycoons.”

Tang Shi picked up the thread. “So they began plotting to kill for wealth?”

Liang Yu nodded. “Yes. The Siyun couple was killed, and the man’s younger brother fled Qingyun Village overnight with their child.”

Tang Shi frowned. “But that doesn’t add up. Wasn’t the castle inherited by the couple’s nephew? If the couple died unnaturally, how did the nephew inherit the castle? If it had been a major murder case, it couldn’t have been covered up. The surrounding villages would’ve talked. I get what you’re suggesting, that you’re the child of the Siyun couple, but their nephew would be your cousin. Why would he inherit the castle instead of you? That part is contradictory.”

Tang Shi voiced the same doubt that Yan Jiyun had. Yan Jiyun purposely posed as if dozing off, giving Liang Yu a side-eye.

Liang Yu: “But I don’t have an uncle from my father’s generation, only a younger uncle¹clarification: Liang Yu is saying that his paternal uncle is much younger than his father, probably can look like his older brother rather than uncle. That’s the reason why the “castle story” mentions the Siyun couple’s “nephew”. who developed autism from childhood. His room is on the fourth floor, and there are still paintings and items belonging to him. I have no need to lie about this.

Tang Shi: “That’s true. I’ve visited the castle myself, and there’s indeed a room no one can explain.”

Liang Yu: “Are you questioning my identity?”

Tang Shi: “No, I’m confirming it. I’ve always found it strange that the castle was handed over for the village chief to manage.”

Liang Yu: “So, can you help me uncover the truth behind my parents’ deaths?”

Tang Shi: “Does that also include uncovering the truth behind the Revival Stone?”

Liang Yu: “Naturally. My uncle told me the stone was a treasure left to me by my parents. It was said to have been acquired as my twentieth birthday gift and contains secrets. I want to unlock them.”

Tang Shi liked Liang Yu’s story. He made up his mind. “Alright. I’ll help you.”

As soon as they cleared things up, shouting and hurried footsteps sounded downstairs. Yan Jiyun originally thought players were stirring up trouble again, but this time it didn’t seem to be players. It seemed they were here for Liang Yu.

Someone downstairs called out. “Is Liang Yu inside?”

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  clarification: Liang Yu is saying that his paternal uncle is much younger than his father, probably can look like his older brother rather than uncle. That’s the reason why the “castle story” mentions the Siyun couple’s “nephew”.