Cat 183: Main Quest 1-1

Chapter 183: Main Quest 1-1

In truth, Yan Jiyun found that it wasn’t just the Cheng family’s second young miss, Cheng Yingxue, who felt out of place—the entire town carried an air of incongruity.

His mission was to leave Jiangnan Town, but Liu Jingxi had shown him just how difficult that would be. First, there were man-made obstacles. Second, natural barriers surrounded the town. To escape, one would have to scale mountains and cross wilderness.

He mused that players capable of entering an intermediate-level scenario wouldn’t likely try to leave by trekking over the mountains, would they? If anyone did, they were either terribly stubborn or would end up facing the monsters in the hills head-on.

Yan Jiyun also wondered why he hadn’t encountered any other players. Of course, it was entirely possible their paths simply hadn’t crossed yet.

Jiangnan Town sprawled over a wide area. If 100 players were each dropped in 100 different households or spread out among separate villages, it would be nearly impossible to find one another.

This time, they were playing a true level-four difficulty scenario. Everyone would act more cautiously than in the beginner fields, most likely blending in with the town’s residents, especially since the characters they embodied were based on player-created personas assigned by the system.

After the butler left, Yan Jiyun watched Cheng Yingxue. She had stopped burning spirit money, tossed the remaining notes into the brazier, and flopped onto a straw mat, rubbing her legs with an expression utterly devoid of respect for her late husband. When her legs had regained feeling, she got up, circled the coffin, and studied Liu Jinghao’s corpse with something like curiosity, even tapping her fingers on the lid a few times as if appreciating a work of art.

With a sigh, she murmured, “A widow on my wedding day. What luck.”

Yan Jiyun heard footsteps drawing near the mourning hall—hurried, tearful. From the sound, he could guess at once: Liu Jinghao’s mother.

Cheng Yingxue heard as well. Unhurried, she retook her seat and resumed tossing paper money toward the fire.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t help but silently admire her acting.

Within the blink of an eye, Liu Jinghao’s mother appeared, throwing herself sobbing over the coffin, muttering desolately to her dead son. She was clearly on the verge of breaking down.

Following behind was the butler whom Yan Jiyun had just seen at the door—close to fifty, and a bit out of breath from his rush. Though he tried to steady his breathing, Yan Jiyun’s keen hearing caught the edge of exhaustion.

The butler glanced at the dutifully burning Cheng Yingxue, then approached the still-beautiful madam, even at forty-five.

With genuine concern, he said, “Second Madam, please accept my condolences.”

Softly stroking her son’s face, her sobbing subsided. “He was my boy—I raised him for over twenty years. How could he leave just like that?”

The butler cast another look at the bowed Cheng Yingxue, then lightly patted the madam’s shoulder. “I’ll see to it that the truth behind Third Young Master’s death comes to light.”

Her body swayed tragically toward him, her voice muffled with grief. “Butler, you must find the truth for my son’s sake. You watched him grow up too.”

From their intonation and gestures, Yan Jiyun sensed a hint of intimacy—something more than propriety—in their relationship.

Could it be that Liu Jinghao wasn’t even the old master’s son?

Between shoulder touches and subtle leanings, it was impossible not to suspect. The answers seemed practically handed to him.

[“AspireToBeHuman” Livestream Channel:]

“Cat Cub is amazing at sniffing out the truth. I’ll bet one cucumber, the butler and the second madam are having an affair!”

“I’ll raise you two cucumbers: there’s no way the dead young master is Lord Liu’s real son. Absolute soap opera!”

“Three cucumbers the third young madam married in on purpose—her behavior is way too odd.”

“You’re all focused on the story, but is Cat Cub okay after eating those wontons?”

“Same concern here, but everyone’s so caught up in drama I was shy to ask. Cat Cub should be alright…right? Last time he had barbecue he threw up!”

Yan Jiyun’s health felt stable enough for now—nothing to worry about. He had no time to dwell on it; the tangle of relationships in the Liu family was truly eye-opening. The only one who seemed genuinely clean was the supposedly careless Liu Jingxi. The rest, for all their refinement, likely hid secrets and darkness beneath polished facades.

Yan Jiyun checked his task—“veiling vigil.” He still didn’t know what exactly this meant: Was he to merely observe the plot unfold, solve an incident, or discover a hidden clue?

For now, this level-four scenario was proving anything but simple.

Tonight promised to be anything but peaceful.

With the butler present, the second madam’s cries faded to low whimpers. However, the look she cast Cheng Yingxue brimmed with venom.

She strode over and pushed the young bride down. “You jinx! You killed my son! Oh, what misery!”

Cheng Yingxue calmly brushed off her skirts, her head bowed as she spoke unhurriedly. “Second Madam, the marriage was arranged by Lord Liu and my father. I married and lost my husband on the very first day. Now the entire town knows I’m bound to this family—who’s worse off?”

Second Madam snarled, “All you did was marry. I lost my son, my only support!” She twisted the bride’s arm hard. “It’s all your fault!”

The butler, taking second madam’s side, watched quietly from the wings, doing nothing.

Cheng Yingxue was not the passive sort. After enduring a moment, she paid her respects; once it was clear the madam intended to abuse her further, she fought back, pushing Second Madam away. The older woman, thrown off balance, nearly fell against the coffin—if not for the butler’s quick catch, she might have ended her night on top of her son’s casket.

Second Madam shrieked in fury, “You venomous witch! Trying to murder me now?”

Yan Jiyun couldn’t help but wince. Had he not seen the truth himself, there would be no way for Cheng Yingxue to defend herself—a perfect example of the ancient proverb: even the wisest judge finds it hard to settle family disputes.

As a lifelong singleton with zero romantic entanglements, Yan Jiyun had no desire to get anywhere near such messes.

Cheng Yingxue was about to retort when the group in the mourning hall heard the snap of a cane and the rattle of coughing from outside.

“Second Madam, I just saw—it was you who pushed the young bride first.”

No mistaking it—Liu Jingyi had arrived.

With her son gone, Second Madam bit everyone in sight. “You sickly thing, always sticking your nose in!”

“How dare you talk to the eldest young master like that!” another voice piped up—Ajuan, the maid.

What a complicated family, Yan Jiyun mused. It almost seemed like Ajuan was fond of the eldest—her devotion and constant defense suggested as much. Could they really be innocent?

“What right do you, a servant, have to speak here?” Second Madam, emboldened by grief, lashed out at whoever crossed her.

“Ahem, Second Madam, I just came to light some incense for my third brother,” said Liu Jingyi, uninterested in starting a quarrel.

“Don’t pretend! It was you, wasn’t it, Liu Jingyi? You wanted my son dead, afraid he’d steal your place!”

Even the butler found this hard to bear. Unlike the bride, the eldest son was his mistress’s treasure. He tried to intervene.

“Second Madam, mind your words. The eldest and third young master were as close as real brothers. Your accusation is unfair.”

She shoved him aside. “Ha, close as brothers? I’ll say this once and for all!”

The butler glared, a clear warning: “Second Madam.”

But, robbed of her only support, Second Madam was past listening. She’d always resented Liu Jingyi and Liu Jingxi, taking every chance to imagine them dead or exiled, so her own son could inherit everything.

Fate, however, had played a cruel trick—her own son lay dead, an old mother burying her child. After decades of swallowing indignity in the Liu family, this was the reward: grief, resentment, and nothing left to fear. The fearless have nothing left to lose.

Liu Jingyi spoke gently, “Uncle Zhang, it’s alright. Let her speak.”

Second Madam was past reason. She burst out with grievances, years in the making. “Jinghao studied hard, obeyed the rules, but you always held him back, never letting him help with the family business. Close as brothers—bah! All of you, hypocrites. You can’t stand to see us do well, can you!”

Liu Jingyi’s expression was calm, the butler ready to speak, but Second Madam refused to stop.

“And before, when lord Liu said Jinghao could help with the mine, why did you block him?”

Liu Jingyi coughed softly. “Why? Because he wasn’t mature or stable enough to lead—he wouldn’t have convinced the miners.”

Mining? Yan Jiyun was startled. So the family owned a mine?

If the Liu family owned the local mines, why would they be desperate enough to marry Cheng Yingxue for appearances? Was there another deal at play?

Second Madam had wanted her son to take over the mine, to become core to the family’s fortunes.

Still, Yan Jiyun doubted the mine had much to do with Liu Jinghao’s death. If anything, it would be more natural for Liu Jingyi to have an accident under those circumstances.

Wait—a thought struck him. Did Liu Jingyi’s earlier collision with a pedestrian have something to do with this? Or was it just coincidence?

Second Madam pressed on. “Jinghao could have led! He took over a failing restaurant and turned it around. What did he do wrong?”

Liu Jingyi glanced at the brazier. “Second Madam, do you really want to know how he made the restaurant profitable? Do you know what he did?”

As soon as he spoke, Liu Jingyi was seized by a fit of coughing, Ajuan frantically patting his back.

Second Madam didn’t want to know—she sensed the truth was even more unpleasant than she suspected, and refused to believe it.

Yan Jiyun was eager for the answer, but was left hanging as Liu Jingyi kept coughing.

Ajuan cried out, “Young master, you’re coughing blood!”

[Congratulations: Player has entered Main Quest 1-1: The Liu Family Restaurant]

Yan Jiyun cursed the system’s malice—the main story no longer progressed simply from one stage to another, but had branching subplots!

The Liu family’s secrets were multiplying. Had Liu Jinghao offended someone? Was there another cause of death yet undiscovered?

With so many guests at the wedding, perhaps someone had lingered to seek out Liu Jinghao—lured him out and killed him.

The situation was becoming increasingly tangled.

Liu Jingyi spitting blood, taken away by Ajuan before even lighting incense—here one moment, gone the next.

Second Madam seemed to think of something, fleeing from the mourning hall as the butler, worried, followed in pursuit, leaving only Cheng Yingxue and the hidden Yan Jiyun behind.

What a spectacle it was.

Cheng Yingxue returned to her straw mat, staring toward the doorway, lost in her own thoughts.

Suddenly, a gust of wind rattled the doors; Yan Jiyun shrank back instinctively.

After the wind died down, he heard a faint movement outside the side chamber. Quietly, he slipped through the window.

Someone tiptoed carefully through the darkness—clearly, they’d arrived before him.

Yan Jiyun gave chase without hesitation.

He absolutely, positively was not scared by the wind—no, not at all!