DLMSWSHH Chapter 46

TL: Hua

Chapter 46: Town

This statement caused a significant stir among the players below.

A player stuffing handfuls of cash into his pockets gaped and said to the young man beside him, “Kim Won, your time for revenge has come.”

The young man named Kim Won leaned against the corner, watching the player scoop up money. He turned around and smiled slightly at the player: “It’s alright, I don’t mind anymore.”

The player was speechless. He leaned down, grabbed another handful of cash, and muttered, “You’re such a nice guy.” The player looked at him with a hint of exasperation. “You won’t survive long in the game like this, you know that?”

Kim Won seemed to know his behavior appeared cowardly. He didn’t argue, just lowered his head and gave a submissive, gentle smile. His mild and refined profile reminded one of the warm, soft sunlight of winter.

Several gazes of either pity or sympathy were cast toward him from the crowd.

After these few days, the players had gradually come to know this poor, handsome Korean guy. His glasses had been crushed by Shen Weinian’s group, he was severely nearsighted, and he wandered the mansion every day covered in injuries with a dazed look in his eyes. It was hard not to notice him.

Regarding such a handsome guy who clearly wouldn’t live long, everyone felt a bit of compassion. Almost no one went out of their way to cause him trouble.

Now, seeing how kind he was, refusing to kick those who had bullied him in the past, their opinion of him improved even further.

On the other side, the sports students realized their last hope of survival had been cut off. A massive breakdown overwhelmed them instantly; someone’s legs gave way, and they collapsed straight onto their knees.

Shen Weinian crossed his arms, looking down at them from a height to appreciate the expressions on their faces. But truthfully, he had never once taken this group seriously, so watching them fall apart wasn’t even that interesting.

Losing interest, he withdrew his gaze, shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, and turned to Terry, who understood Mandarin. “Let’s go; time to eat.” The Southeast Asian youth gave a simple, honest nod.

After all that tossing and turning so early in the morning, Shen Weinian felt a bit tired and let out a yawn as he walked up the stairs. However, at that moment, he seemed to notice something and suddenly looked up toward a spot on the third floor.

“!”

Ye Qing was instantly startled into a cold shiver, nearly screaming out loud as she clamped her hand tightly over her mouth.

“Don’t be afraid.” Zhong Ming pressed down on her shoulder, looking down at Shen Weinian, who had suddenly raised his head. “This is a blind spot; he can’t see us.”

Sure enough, Shen Weinian only gave a shallow glance before withdrawing his gaze. He lowered his head, scratching the back of his neck as if slightly puzzled, and continued downward, humming a song as he walked into the main hall.

At the same time, the paper bills scattered across the hall floor had been mostly picked up. One by one, the players looked up, staring at the few sports students collapsed in the hallway.

The tables had completely turned.

The former hyenas had become sheep. And now, new hunters were looking up at them from downstairs.

The corners of Zhong Ming’s mouth tightened slightly. He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

–

To avoid drawing attention, Zhong Ming took the back kitchen stairs to the third floor.

There was still half an hour until his ten o’clock appointment with Matthew. Zhong Ming glanced out the window; a sharp north wind blew through the woods, making the last few withered leaves on the bare branches rustle loudly.

Without realizing it, the weather in the valley had gradually shifted from late autumn into winter.

It looked cold; Zhong Ming felt he needed to add a layer of clothing.

He returned to his room. In the fireplace, charcoal was burning warmly, adding heat to the room. Zhong Ming walked to the wardrobe and pulled open the door. Inside, besides his usual suit jackets, there hung a thick wool coat and a soft scarf.

Zhongming’s gaze lingered on that coat.

He had grown accustomed to new things appearing in his room from time to time.

That Duke didn’t do any important work, but he did a whole bunch of trivial things.

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, put on the coat, and turned to go downstairs.

Matthew was waiting at the door, wearing a leather jacket and leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Seeing Zhong Ming come down the stairs, he straightened up, a small smile appearing on his face:

“Come here, quick.”

Matthew waved to him. Zhong Ming glanced at him and walked unhurriedly to his side, scanning the surroundings.

“Where’s Feng Tang?”

“He went ahead to prepare,” Matthew said. His gaze fell on Zhong Ming’s face, half-hidden by the camel-colored scarf. A surge of affection rose in his heart, and he said with a smile, “You look very good in that coat.”

Zhong Ming withdrew his gaze and said, “Let’s go.”

The weather outside was just as cold as Zhong Ming had expected. Matthew and Zhong Ming walked one after the other along the small path leading to the lakeside. In the early morning, the grass around the mansion was frosted over; as the temperature rose, the frost gradually melted into dewdrops, making a crunching sound when stepped on.

Zhong Ming followed quietly behind Matthew. The other man’s body blocked most of the cold wind. Looking at Matthew’s back, he noticed the man was carrying a very large bag.

Noticing his gaze, Matthew looked back: “What is it?”

Caucasians tend to have thinner skin; Zhong Ming looked at his cheekbones, which were reddened by the cold wind, and asked, “Why are you carrying a bag?”

Matthew replied, “Because there are things we need to buy.”

Things to buy? Hearing this, Zhong Ming’s eyes widened slightly. If they could buy things, it meant the place they were going had at least one shop.

They passed through the black forest and arrived once again by the gray lake.

Zhong Ming took a short breath and looked at the calm surface of the lake not far away. In late autumn, the color of the water seemed even deeper.

While he was observing the color of the water intently, the sound of something cutting through the lake reached him. Zhong Ming looked up and met a pair of amber eyes.

Feng Tang was walking toward them along the lakeshore, holding a hemp rope in his right hand.

The other end of the rope was attached to a small boat. The wooden boat, floating on the gray water, was being pulled toward them by the man.

Even though the weather was freezing, Feng Tang wasn’t wearing a coat. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his wrists, revealing muscular forearms. He stood in stark contrast to Zhong Ming, whose face was almost entirely buried in a scarf.

Seeing the boat, Zhong Ming realized they were going to cross the lake by water.

Of course, there were boats. Zhong Ming stared at the lake, lost in thought. Why hadn’t he thought of this before? The first time he came to the lakeside, he had assumed this was the edge of the map.

He was a bit dazed, not noticing Feng Tang’s gaze lingering on him.

“Matthew,” the man’s low, raspy voice suddenly rang out, “go get the oars.”

Matthew nodded: “Okay.”

Zhong Ming snapped out of his daze and glanced to the side; Matthew had already walked away. He was stunned, not understanding why, after just a few seconds of zoning out, it was now only him and Feng Tang left.

Zhong Ming looked at Feng Tang, who was looking down to tie the rope to a wooden stake. He lowered his eyes uncomfortably.

The atmosphere grew heavy and stagnant.

Zhong Ming listened to the slow ripple of the lake water nearby and slowed his breathing, wishing in his heart for Matthew to return quickly.

Fortunately, Feng Tang didn’t seem to have any intention of making small talk; he was bent over checking the boat. Perhaps because of the provocation from the other day, Zhong Ming noticed that the aura around Feng Tang had turned cold again.

It’s fine if we don’t disturb each other, Zhong Ming thought with downcast eyes.

However, the next moment, the man’s deep voice sounded: “Who gave you those clothes?”

Zhong Ming froze and looked up to see Feng Tang standing by the boat, looking at him. The man’s face was cold, his eyebrows raised high.

“The Duke again?”

Zhong Ming inexplicably heard a trace of mockery in his voice. He was someone who hated direct confrontation unless absolutely necessary, so he didn’t answer, instead tucking his face further into his scarf.

Seeing his silence, Feng Tang’s expression instantly became uglier than the gray lake behind him. His brow furrowed tightly, his thick dark eyebrows pressing down over his eyes, giving off an oppressive feeling of an approaching storm.

Zhong Ming didn’t know how he had offended him again and took a small half-step back. Unluckily, he stepped right on a withered leaf, making a rustling sound.

The crisp sound was exceptionally clear by the silent lakeside.

It was as if Feng Tang was suddenly triggered by his movement; he frowned and took a step toward Zhong Ming.

Zhong Ming was startled and almost wanted to turn and run, but fortunately, Matthew returned just then, carrying the oars.

Feng Tang’s footsteps paused. Zhong Ming immediately took half a step to the right, hiding behind Matthew.

Unaware of the silent battle between them, Matthew set down the oars and said to Feng Tang, “Let’s head out.”

Feng Tang withdrew his foot, glanced at the corner of Zhong Ming’s coat peeking out, and a brief, cold sneer appeared on his face. But before Matthew could see it clearly, he looked away and signaled for Matthew to get on the boat.

Thus, Matthew boarded with the oars. Zhong Ming followed closely behind him, feeling Feng Tang’s gaze stuck to his back the whole way.

The small boat wasn’t large, with three longitudinal wooden planks inside. Matthew sat at the bow, Feng Tang at the stern, and Zhong Ming inevitably sat in the middle between the two rowers.

Zhong Ming: “…”

He felt, somehow, that things were going a bit poorly.

As the oars pushed through the current, the small boat drifted further out. Zhong Ming looked at Matthew; the man leaned against the boat, hands on the oars, a gentle smile appearing on his handsome face.

“What’s wrong? Are you cold?”

The temperature on the lake was lower than on land. Zhong Ming buried his slightly red nose into his scarf and shook his head.

Matthew kept a smile on his face; though he was rowing, his gaze remained fixed on Zhong Ming. Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, simultaneously feeling a piercing stare glued to his back.

He really wanted to keep facing the friendly Matthew, but at the same time, he didn’t want his back turned to Feng Tang.

Zhong Ming had no choice but to turn slightly to the side and look at the distant scenery.

The gray lake water flowed quietly, and the faint scent of fishiness drifted into Zhong Ming’s nose. He watched the rolling mountain ranges in the distance recede as the boat moved; the undulating outlines of the peaks reflected on the water, a sight that could be called pleasant.

Zhong Ming looked down at the gray lake water lapping against the hull. He leaned over slightly, reaching out his hand toward the water.

“Wait, don’t touch it!”

Matthew’s voice rang out. Simultaneously, a hand gripped Zhong Ming’s wrist.

Zhong Ming’s eyes widened slightly as he turned his head and met Feng Tang’s angry eyes.

“Do you want to die?”

Feng Tang seemed to have lunged forward in a panic; the oars were messily discarded behind him, and because the movement was so abrupt, some water had splashed into the cabin.

His grip on Zhong Ming’s right hand was very tight. Staring at the youth’s surprised face, he ground out through clenched teeth, “God dammit, do you want me to tie your hands together?!”

Zhong Ming’s eyes were wide, and he winced slightly from the pain, his brow furrowing: “…Let go of me; it hurts.”

Feng Tang wasn’t the type to let go; not only did he hold on, but he also leaned closer. However, in the next instant, Zhong Ming suddenly looked up and said reproachfully, “Besides, you never told me the water couldn’t be touched.”

He tried to pull his hand away but found he couldn’t. He looked down, his voice sounding a bit aggrieved: “If you don’t tell me, how am I supposed to know I can’t touch it?”

Feng Tang froze abruptly. The youth’s pale profile was reflected in his eyes, and he instinctively loosened his grip. Zhong Ming snatched his hand back with a whoosh, immediately moving further away from Feng Tang, and looked down to rub his wrist, which had already turned red.

Seeing this, Matthew immediately frowned and looked at Feng Tang, not understanding why the man was so agitated. When he looked, however, he found Feng Tang looking stunned, almost confused.

Zhong Ming continued rubbing his own wrist.

A moment later, he heard Feng Tang’s voice: “…You don’t remember anything?”

Zhong Ming’s heart jolted, but when he looked up, his face was a mask of confusion: “What?”

Feng Tang looked at him fixedly, frowning: “About this lake… you don’t remember a single thing?”

Zhong Ming’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but his expression showed no flaw as he asked puzzledly, “What on earth are you talking about?”

Feng Tang stared at him. After a moment, he lowered his head and scratched his forehead with his finger: “…Maybe it’s better that you forgot.”

Zhong Ming caught those last few whispered words.

Feng Tang looked up, his aggressive aura significantly weakened. He gave a light cough and said, “Anyway, don’t mess around with the water. Just sit still.”

Zhong Ming pursed his lips and turned his head away, not really wanting to acknowledge him.

Feng Tang’s face immediately took on a stifled expression. Seeing this, Matthew raised an eyebrow. For a moment, the atmosphere among the three became quite subtle.

Zhong Ming turned his head, gazing at the distant scenery and thinking quietly. He had confirmed that the person in his memory who had carried him out of the gray lake on their back was indeed Feng Tang. Currently, it seemed this man was the only one besides the Duke who knew his origins.

Furthermore, Feng Tang seemed to have a loose tongue.

Despite his dislike, Zhong Ming silently moved Feng Tang’s name up one rank in his mental list.

Half an hour later, the silhouette of the lakeshore grew distinct. Beneath the continuous mountain range, the blurred outlines of a town slowly emerged. Zhong Ming’s eyes widened slightly as he watched their boat drift toward a berth in a port.

It was a rather bustling small town. Rows of low buildings painted in vibrant colors stood quietly at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, while pedestrians in a hurry moved along the flagstone paths between them. An orange-yellow glow emanated from the ovens of a roadside bakery, and dense steam diffused into the air. Outside a smokehouse hung a large, temptingly colored cured ham; the entire town was brimming with the breath of daily life.

Zhong Ming looked at the pedestrians and saw they were all dressed in old-fashioned European attire. Women wore long skirts with scarves wrapped around their heads, and men wore shirts and trousers. Zhong Ming even spotted an elderly man holding a massive tobacco pipe.

He stared at the scenery reminiscent of a European tourist town, feeling somewhat dazed.

Is this town also part of the dungeon? Zhong Ming knit his brows imperceptibly. His gaze swept over the town’s substantial area. Without a boat, players would have no way to bypass the lake to reach this place. Furthermore, according to Li Yizhi, most players couldn’t even reach the gray lake before dying in the forest. Was it really logical to construct an entire town just for them?

Zhong Ming’s heart was filled with doubt.

Just then, Matthew’s voice rang out: “Zhong Ming.”

Zhong Ming snapped out of it and saw Matthew standing on the pier, reaching a hand out toward him. “What are you thinking about? I called you several times, and you didn’t answer.”

Zhong Ming regained his focus and looked at him: “…It’s nothing.”

He reached out his hand, intending to take Matthew’s, when he was suddenly grabbed by the waist from behind.

Feng Tang lifted him up onto the pier, let go, and let out a “tsk.” He forced his way past Zhong Ming onto the dock, muttering, “Dallying around, annoying as hell.”

Zhong Ming stumbled from the shove, his eyes widening in sheer shock. He looked at Feng Tang’s retreating back and pursed his lips.

At that moment, a lady carrying a bamboo basket passed by. Catching sight of the three, she revealed a surprised expression: “Matthew, Feng.” She smiled kindly at the two of them, then looked toward Zhong Ming. “Does the Duke have a new servant?”

“Yes, Madam.”

Matthew smiled at her and pulled Zhong Ming to his side. “He is our new companion.”

The woman nodded and said, “How rare. You haven’t recruited anyone new in a long time. What a beautiful—”

Her gaze traveled downward, pausing in slight confusion at Zhong Ming’s trousers. She looked back up at his face, pondered for a moment, and finally reached a conclusion.

“It’s a young lady, isn’t it? Are you married?”

Zhong Ming: “…”