Meeting Up and the Other Players

Although there were no other Player around, Li Nian almost blurted out "Zhu Ming," but she managed to hold it in.

Even without other Player present, Li Nian knew that it was best to make it a habit to keep addressing Lin Yu the same way until the end of this [Instance].

But...

"Sister Yao, I didn't expect you to find me so quickly. We really are on the same wavelength!"

Li Nian smiled and took Lin Yu's arm.

Lin Yu looked at Li Nian helplessly and said in a low voice, "My current persona doesn't allow for such an intimate relationship with you."

Li Nian pouted and said, "Since there are no other Player around, it's okay to be a little intimate, right?"

"That's true, but what if we suddenly run into those three?"

As Lin Yu spoke, Li Nian pondered for a moment, then came to an answer, "Let them think that we were the first to meet and something happened between us, which is why our feelings for each other deepened."

"For example, you saved me... well, it's actually true, you really did save me just now."

Lin Yu sighed upon hearing Li Nian's words.

"I clearly saved that petty thief."

He grabbed Li Nian's hand, which was already gripping the Utility knife tightly.

If Lin Yu hadn't kicked that guy away first, Li Nian would have definitely slit his throat with a single blow.

Although Li Nian mostly displayed little positive ability and preferred to avoid combat, given her current reaction speed and the fact that she could take down a petty thief with no special abilities at close range, she was absolutely capable of killing him with a single strike.

Li Nian feigned a pained expression. "Oh dear, I thought you were concerned about me, worried about me..."

"But, Sister Yao, so you're actually the kind of person who's so compassionate and worried about the lives of innocent Native?"

Lin Yu's lips twitched. "How could that be? -- I just think that since this 'Willow Town' is a past illusion created by 'Karma Threads,' it's best not to take such radical actions as 'murder' before we understand how this town works."

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Li Nian nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. You've thought of everything. I hadn't considered that at all."

While the two were chatting, the town's officials arrived.

Although each town in the Prison Mountain Realm is basically an independent entity, it still has an "Order and law" based on the rules set by the Daoist Sect and expanded by the town's own rules. Of course, there are also "law enforcement agencies".

Smaller villages and towns rely on clan rules for enforcement, and have patrol teams and local militias. In some places, a Martial Arts School is simply used to maintain order.

Larger towns often have town mayors or even government offices—institutions inherited from the time when there were Dynasty and Two Mountains and Six Hells, and naturally, they also have more formal positions such as constables and soldiers.

Willow Town was once the largest town in the Fire Hell, and it was no exception.

Soon, the officials learned the details of the incident from the surrounding onlookers and arrested the thief who had just recovered.

As for Lin Yu and Li Nian... naturally, they don't need to do anything extra.

The Prison Mountain Realm is, after all, a world that resembles ancient times. Its unique environment and the existence of martial arts make acts of bravery commonplace.

It's perfectly normal for a thief to be beaten half to death after being caught stealing.

The difference was that Lin Yu had nearly killed him in one move—but that only made the officials exclaim "What impressive skill!" when they put him in handcuffs.

After all, the constables weren't modern Police; they didn't need to take Lin Yu back to the station to make a statement.

Soon, the crowd dispersed as the thief was taken away, and the Street returned to its lively but not crowded state.

After dealing with the officials, Lin Yu and Li Nian prepared to leave.

"Let's go, let's find the others and meet up as soon as possible," Lin Yu briefly told Li Nian about his guesses and plans. "But, have you figured out your identity in this town?"

"It's pretty easy to guess. She's probably the daughter of a small shop owner on this street," Li Nian waved her hand. "Many of the onlookers seemed to recognize me. When I got to the thief, many of my neighbors who had stalls greeted me and asked if I had eaten... But no one called me by name, so it's hard to guess exactly which family's identity I'm using."

"And you, have you figured out your place?"

Lin Yu shook his head helplessly. "I don't know. I just entered Willow Town, right at the town entrance, all alone, and there was no one around who seemed to know me."

Li Nian looked Lin Yu up and down. "Hmm... the fabric of your blue dress is quite nice silk. Perhaps you are from a well-to-do family?"

"Also, this dress suits you very well, it's very pretty—which suggests that you must come from a wealthy and noble background."

As Li Nian analyzed the situation, Lin Yu also felt that there was some truth to it.

"Then let's find the other Player and Xuan Yunzi later, and start by inquiring about the major families in Willow Town."

"That being said... I'm afraid finding other people won't be easy either."

Li Nian said with some pessimism, "This town has a population of one million!"

Lin Yu nodded. "If it's a carpet search and relying on luck, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. After all, our identities are probably randomly assigned... But don't forget, although our starting point is random, our destination is the same."

"You mean... Zhu Qiansi!"

Li Nian suddenly realized.

"That's right," Lin Yu nodded. "If we find Zhu Qiansi now, we should be able to find other Player nearby who will come to meet us—at least, we should be able to find Snowy Owl, Gao Shan, and Xuan Yunzi."

"Xuan Yunzi goes without saying. That old Daoist might have some mysterious methods that allow him to locate us directly. He might even run into us on the road."

"Captain Shan seems to be an experienced and Wisdom person. He must have realized that we have a 'common' goal," Lin Yu said, holding up a finger. "Therefore, he should make the same judgment as us—going near the final target, 'Zhu Qiansi,' will most likely allow us to rendezvous with the other Player."

"Snowy Owl, on the other hand, has a more straightforward and impulsive personality. So if she can't see her teammates, she might try to go and meet Zhu Qiansi or do some scouting first... That's why we should get there as soon as possible. In my opinion, contacting Zhu Qiansi is more dangerous than killing someone. The sooner we find her, the less likely she is to do anything too risky!"