There Were No Treasures in the Old Incense Storehouse

There Were No Treasures in the Old Incense Storehouse

The door to the Old Incense Storehouse swung open. There was no golden glow inside. No weapons. Nothing that looked valuable at a glance. There was only ash. The crowd outside had been holding its breath, but when they saw this scene, they nearly choked.

"That's it?"

"I thought there'd be some great treasure."

"Isn't this just a ruined warehouse?"

The moment the discussion began before the viewing screen, Lin Chuan saw the system panel flicker faintly. There was no new prompt. Only the icon of the Incense Lamp lit up for an instant. Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow. He did not mention it. Pointing it out at a time like this would ruin the fun. Whether they could notice it was up to the players themselves. Thick incense ash carpeted the floor. Eight broken lamps rested against the walls. Their wicks were charred black and gray with dust, as though they had been completely forgotten long ago.

Ma Hongjun looked disappointed.

"That's it?"

The Incense Lamp in Ning Rongrong's arms suddenly jumped. An extremely tiny spark split off from the main lamp and drifted toward the nearest broken lamp. The spark landed. The broken lamp did not light up. Its wick merely glowed red for an instant before dimming again. Tang San immediately said, "It needs fire." Xiao Wu looked at the eight lamps.

"All eight?"

"Not necessarily."

Tang San stopped before he finished speaking. The main lamp had become a little shorter. Ning Rongrong saw it too.

"Splitting the fire drains the main lamp."

Ma Hongjun immediately shut his mouth. Just moments ago, he had been complaining that there were no treasures here. Now he realized it was not that there were no treasures. They had to trade their chance at clearing the stage for them. Xiao Wu walked to the door and looked outside. The grass beyond was very quiet. The quieter it was, the more uneasy she felt. She lowered her voice. "Third Brother, should we make a note of this and come back next time?" It was a prudent suggestion. Enter the Land Shrine, clear the stage, claim the first-clear reward, then return to study the Old Incense Storehouse. It sounded safest.

But Tang San stared at the eight broken lamps, his brows still furrowed.

"This path might not be here next time."

Xiao Wu froze.

Tang San said, "Hidden evaluations in games don't necessarily wait for a second attempt." Those words crushed Ma Hongjun's last shred of hope. Many people before the viewing screen sat up straighter. The Land Shrine was right ahead, and clearing the stage was within reach. But lighting the broken lamps would weaken the main lamp. The system gave no answer. If they did not light them, they would be safe. If they did, they might gain nothing and even lose the clear they already had in hand. People in the shop anxiously slapped their thighs.

"Don't light them! Clear the stage first!"

"The first clear is what matters!"

"What do you know? The hidden evaluation is what pays!"

"What if the main lamp goes out?"

The shouting grew louder and louder. Lin Chuan tapped the counter.

"Don't shout while watching. They can't hear you. You'll only ruin your voices."

Only then did everyone remember. The people on the screen could not hear their regrets or advice. The choice could only be made by the team itself. Xiao Wu looked at Tang San.

"Do we light them?"

Tang San did not answer immediately. He looked at his teammates. Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth.

"We've already come this far."

Xiao Wu nodded.

"I vote yes too."

Ning Rongrong hugged the lamp tightly.

"I'll watch the lamp. If it gets too low, I'll tell you to stop."

The first broken lamp lit up. Footsteps immediately sounded outside the door. Not one set. A whole mass of them. Little Demons crawled out of the grass and rushed toward the Old Incense Storehouse along the trails of incense ash. The first one to reach the doorway did not swipe at anyone. It slapped straight at the newly lit broken lamp. The flame swayed. Ning Rongrong's expression changed.

"They're coming for the lamps!"

At that, even those outside who had been shouting about "hidden rewards" fell silent. The system was not simply giving them lamps to light. Light one lamp, and they had to defend one lamp. The more they lit, the more they had to protect. The weaker the main lamp became, the more Little Demons appeared. This was not a reward room. It was an extra test. Tang San immediately said, "Xiao Wu, take the left side. Draw them away, but don't go too far. Fatty, guard the door. Use only a little fire. Rongrong, call out the lamp status." Xiao Wu flashed forward, using Moonshadow Linked Steps to draw away the two Little Demons on the left.

She did not attack them.

She merely circled the storehouse entrance, keeping the monsters where they could not reach Ning Rongrong. Flames rose from Ma Hongjun's palm. As soon as they appeared, his agitation rose with them. The next instant, Breath-Calming Pure Flame pressed it down. The fire slid over the ground, burning only the dead grass around the Little Demons' feet. It did not touch the incense ash or the broken lamps. Ning Rongrong stood at the very back. She had no soul skill. Yet she was busier than ever.

"The main lamp is three and a half inches."

"The second lamp can be lit."

"Fatty, don't burn the one on the right. Third Brother can block it."

"Xiao Wu, take half a step back. The left lamp is about to go out."

She spoke quickly.

But not chaotically.

Tang San had been about to reinforce the right side. Hearing "don't burn the one on the right," he forcibly stopped and turned toward the entrance instead. Ma Hongjun also held back his fire. Xiao Wu looped around and returned just in time to kick away the Little Demon that was about to pounce on the left lamp. The movements of all three changed direction because of Ning Rongrong's few words. Before the viewing screen, the female disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect watched with shining eyes. At last, she understood why the sect master had insisted that she watch. Support-type soul masters were not meant to stand in the back and wait for protection. Sometimes, those in the back saw the clearest.

If they could see clearly, they could save those in front. Before the viewing screen, the two Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect disciples flushed red. For the first time, they clearly saw what support-type soul masters could do without the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. Read the situation. Call positions. Make sure everyone's strength was used where it belonged. The third and fourth broken lamps lit up. The incense ash on the walls suddenly stirred.

Ash lines gathered into a crude map. It was not a new map. It showed the Old Road of Black Wind Mountain. But beside several forks they had previously abandoned, small lamp shadows had been drawn as well. The Grandmaster's expression changed.

"So that's how it is."

Ning Fengzhi continued.

"Fully protecting the lamp doesn't just mean delivering the one in your hand to the finish."

Chen Xin looked at the eight broken lamps.

"You also have to leave fire where it belongs along the way."

When Yue Guan heard that, his eyelid twitched faintly. He suddenly felt that the Old Incense Storehouse was more than a simple game stage. It seemed to be mocking many teams. They only cared about charging to the finish. Only cared about the clear right in front of them. The positions neglected along the way, the people they abandoned, the rear they had "no time to deal with"—all of them had become little lamp shadows on the wall. If this were used to train Spirit Hall's teams, it would be quite interesting. Yue Guan looked at Hu Liena. Hu Liena was also looking at the route map on the wall. Clearly, she had thought of the same thing.

The fifth lamp lit.

Only two inches remained of the main lamp. More and more Little Demons gathered outside. Sweat beaded on Tang San's forehead.

"Can we keep lighting them?"

Ning Rongrong stared at the route map on the wall. There were no ash lines beside the seventh lamp. The eighth lamp was too close to the door. The sixth lamp corresponded to a fork they had previously missed. She bit her lip.

"Light the sixth lamp. Leave the seventh and eighth alone for now."

Ma Hongjun grew anxious.

"Why?"

Tang San had already reached out.

"Listen to Rongrong."

Those four words made Ning Fengzhi's gaze shift faintly. In the game, Ning Rongrong had no soul skills, no Spirit Rings, and could not even defeat a Little Demon. But now the team listened to her. They were not simply indulging her. She had seen something the others had not. The sixth lamp lit up. A boom sounded deep inside the Old Incense Storehouse. The incense ash on the ground parted to both sides, revealing a narrow path. There was no treasure chest. No weapons. That path led to the back door of the Land Shrine. Tang San's eyes lit up.

"Go!"

The four of them guarded the Incense Lamp, which had only two inches left, and rushed into the gray path. Behind them, the six broken lamps lit up at once. The firelight pressed against the crack of the door, forcing the pursuing shadows to slow by half a beat. A wave of low cries rose in the shop.

"It opened!"

"There really is a path!"

"Good thing they listened to Ning Rongrong!"

Ning Fengzhi said nothing. He merely let out a slow breath. If they had greedily lit the seventh and eighth lamps, the main lamp might not have held out. If they had not dared to light the sixth, the path would never have opened. Such balance did not rely on soul skills. It relied on judgment. For the first time in the game, his daughter had made a true decision for the team. Chen Xin glanced at him. Ning Fengzhi's lips moved slightly. This time, he did not hide the pride in his eyes. Before rushing into the narrow path, Ma Hongjun glanced back at the Old Incense Storehouse.

Six broken lamps were lit. The seventh and eighth remained dark. He suddenly felt a little unwilling to leave them.

"Can we light the remaining two next time?"

Tang San did not look back.

"Let's get out alive first."

Xiao Wu laughed.

"Fatty, just make sure you don't burn out the main lamp first."

Ma Hongjun muttered something, but he lowered his fire even further. The ash-gray door of the Old Incense Storehouse slowly closed behind them. As it shut, the fire shadows of the six broken lamps still lingered at the edge of the screen. They seemed to be reminding them that this path had not opened for free. If they could not protect the main lamp afterward, every choice they had made before would become a joke.