"Greedy" Damn Shining Players, Even Bullying an Orphan!

Xu Xi never expected that she would be assigned to the same team as the Tall, Thin Man.

He had assumed he would be with the Young Man in a Duckbill Cap, but the young man instead chose to team up with the Young Woman in a Long Dress to investigate the Shamaness's residence.

Man in a Suits also chose to join them.

He and the Tall, Thin Man naturally became a team to investigate the clinic.

The two silent individuals tacitly agreed to this.

For Xu Xi, investigating any location was the same; it was just a matter of how many people died, how few died, or whether they survived.

The Tall, Thin Man was simply indifferent, or perhaps he was genuinely more interested in the clinic.

Although it was daytime, no one intended to waste any time.

What if the Shamaness is at the Mountain God Temple during the day?

Watching the three figures disappear into the distance, the Tall, Thin Man turned to Xu Xi and suggested, "Since Gao Zhuang was at the clinic during the day, we can go check on his place now."

Xu Xi naturally wouldn't disagree.

After asking Village Chief Zhu for directions to Gao Zhuang's residence, the two headed in that direction.

Xu Xi was still a little unaccustomed to the journey.

The Young Man in a Duckbill Cap, who was used to talking every now and then, suddenly found himself in the presence of a quiet, taciturn, and Tall, Thin Man, and the atmosphere became awkward.

Wait... um?

Xu Xi stopped in her tracks instinctively.

The Tall, Thin Man standing nearby also stopped.

Not far from the two, a thin figure carrying a straw basket walked slowly forward.

It's Awang.

"This direction... is his mother's grave."

The Tall, Thin Man had followed Awang once and knew his route well.

"Should we go with them?"

The Tall, Thin Man seemed to be asking casually, but Xu Xi couldn't help but glance at him.

The other person kept staring at Awang's back, clearly wanting to follow him.

"Let's go." Xu Xi thought for a moment and agreed.

In truth, they had hardly paid any attention to this boy.

Especially after they began to suspect the Shamaness, they practically ignored her completely.

Although he didn't understand why the Tall, Thin Man wanted to follow them again, it would only take a little more time, as long as they finished investigating Gao Zhuang's house before five o'clock.

The two followed Awang to a secluded hillside.

The first thing that caught Xu Xi's eye was a lonely little mound of earth, with a wooden plank standing on it, covered with crooked and uneven carvings.

This must be the tombstone that Awang carved for his mother. Indeed, as the Tall, Thin Man had said, it looks simple and plain.

They watched as Awang gently squatted down, unloaded the straw basket from his back, and took out bunches of wildflowers of various colors, carefully replacing the flowers in front of the grave whose colors had gradually faded.

After doing this, he stared silently at the grave.

Witnessing this scene, Xu Xi couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions.

He lost his father at birth, and his mother perished in a fire when he was seven. Not only did he have to survive on his own at such a young age, but the villagers also wanted to sacrifice him to the Mountain God.

Even after her mother's death, she was used as a shield by malicious people and was not even allowed a decent burial plot.

Xu Xi found it strange that this Dungeon was actually not driven by Awang's mother's resentment.

Even if things go wrong, it's quite plausible that Awang is the mastermind behind it all.

The mere presence of those rumors and gossip was enough to drive this boy to the dark side.

However, based on the current clues, the village's misfortune clearly has nothing to do with this mother and child.

Just as Xu Xi was thinking that this Dungeon was completely different from the horror novels he had read, the Tall, Thin Man had been standing quietly to the side suddenly bent down and picked a few dandelions.

Awang was looking down, seemingly lost in thought, when suddenly a splash of white appeared among the colorful wildflowers before him.

He paused for a moment, then looked up blankly.

The Tall, Thin Man didn't offer any words of comfort or ask any questions; he simply seemed to be offering his heartfelt sentiments.

Xu Xi stood there for a few seconds, and finally followed the Tall, Thin Man's example, picking two dandelions and placing them in front of the simple tombstone.

His parents divorced and remarried when he was in elementary school. After that, he was like an unwanted burden, being kicked back and forth between the two families until he chose a boarding school in junior high school, which ended his life of living under someone else's roof.

Accustomed to being a familiar stranger to both families, he also viewed the relationship between parents and children with extreme indifference.

However, although he never experienced family affection, it did not prevent him from having a unique fondness for Awang's mother, who raised her children alone.

The two men's actions clearly left Awang somewhat bewildered.

After a long while, he whispered:

"... Thanks."

[What's going on? Why did it suddenly become so sentimental?]

To be honest, Awang is really quite pitiful.

[But they're in Dungeon right now, they could die in a heartbeat, so it's probably best not to have any extra sympathy for them.]

[I can understand their behavior. You guys haven't seen the player profiles posted on the official website, have you?]

[What? The official website even has player profiles?]

[... Have you been asleep for a year and still haven't woken up?]

[I already checked their family background on their official website, it's incredibly tragic.]

[Cheng Xu's parents divorced when he was young because his father cheated on him, and not just with one woman, but even openly brought another woman home when his mother went back to visit her parents.]

[Wow, so arrogant???]

[Yes, later his mother found out and wanted a divorce, but his father disagreed, so they went to court. However, Cheng Xu was awarded to his father.]

[His father is quite wealthy, but he's a terrible person. He abandoned his son to his ex-wife and didn't care about him at all. He's also incredibly stingy with his ex-wife and son, constantly delaying tuition fees and refusing to provide living expenses.]

Cheng Xu's mother didn't remarry; she raised her son by working odd jobs.

No wonder Boss Cheng Xu sympathized with Awang; he understood his feelings.

Anyway, Cheng Xu and his mother had a tough life, but his mother loved him very much and is still alive. Compared to Awang, they were still fortunate.

[But Cheng Xu, the big shot, was chosen for the Dungeon, facing a near-death experience. His mother must be devastated.]

[That's for sure, there's no way around it, the God Hunt selects players randomly. If I could be the first one chosen, I'd find a way to get his dad in.]

[Wait a minute, when did the official website start providing such detailed player profiles?]

[Ahem, okay, actually someone specifically investigated the exposed information, just to make Cheng Xu's father a symbol of shame.]

[That person wouldn't be you, would it?]

[...]

[What about Xu Xi?]

[An orphan raised in an orphanage]

[???]

[At least Cheng Xu has a loving mother, Xu Xi doesn't even have a mother??]

[That damn Shining Players, he even bullies orphans!]