Daoist Priest Li

Chapter 41: Daoist Priest Li

'Weasel01: That friend of yours is probably just you.'

'Weasel01: I checked your posting history. Two days ago, a user named "Super Strong Super" posted recruiting help to deal with Xenomorphs, and you replied to sign up, even revealing you held a Card. After that, a giant unknown creature nest was discovered in Jiangkou City. User "Super Strong Super" has been offline ever since and never reappeared.'

Feng Ling was surprised.

No wonder this big shot was a data mover—he was incredibly sharp with all kinds of information, tracking down her activity traces on the forum in such a short time.

Feng Ling carefully crafted her reply:

'Bean Paste: Yeah, I signed up.'

'Bean Paste: What should I do now? I'm so scared T﹏T'

The big shot replied quickly:

'Weasel01: Don't be afraid. Pack your bags now and get to Yunhai City as fast as you can.'

'Bean Paste: Go to Yunhai City?'

'Weasel01: Yes. Yunhai and Yanjing are currently the safest cities in the country. The strongest Supervision Warriors are concentrated there, suppressing Xenomorph activity. Your IP address is in Qingjiang City, which is relatively close to Yunhai City, so I suggest you take shelter there.'

Feng Ling thought it over.

She couldn't go to Yunhai City. She had to find the Maze.

That 29% Corruption Value couldn't just be left alone.

'Bean Paste: Is there any other way? Yunhai City is so expensive to live in. I don't have any money—I can't afford to eat or stay there, boohoo...'

An ordinary person reading this reply would probably lose their temper: Is money more important than your life?!

But this forum big shot was exceptionally patient.

'Weasel01: Don't cry. If you can't make it to Yunhai City, that's fine too. First, go reply to your post and say you've decided to go stay with a friend who works at the Yunhai City Supervision Bureau. That should throw them off a bit.'

Feng Ling frowned slightly.

What did that mean... Did Xenomorphs browse the Exo-Star Forum too?

It was certainly possible.

Xenomorphs had strong learning abilities. The early-log-in Xenomorphs, having lived in the human world for over half a year, had already learned to use phones and computers. It wouldn't be strange if they stumbled upon the Exo-Star forum, registered as users, and lurked there.

Feng Ling followed Weasel01's advice, went back to the post she had just made, and added a reply at the bottom:

'Bean Paste: (^▽^) Thanks everyone for your concern! I've already discussed it with the big shot, and I'm heading to Yunhai City right away to take shelter!'

After replying, she switched back to the private chat interface and found that Weasel01 had sent several more messages:

'Weasel01: Would you mind telling me what information the Xenomorphs have gotten about you?'

'Weasel01: Do they know your specific address?'

'Weasel01: Try to find a safe place to stay if you can. If money is tight, I can lend you some. It's not much, but it should cover a few days' rent.'

Weasel01 even sent his phone number, asking her to add him as a contact for the transfer.

Feng Ling was a bit stunned.

She knew this person was a good guy—after all, collecting, organizing, and moving data took a lot of time and effort. To keep at it for over half a year without stopping was pure selfless dedication.

But she hadn't expected him to go so far as to directly send her money.

This made Feng Ling wary, and she couldn't help wondering if this guy was... some creep?

Now he wanted her to add him as a friend. Next step, would he ask for photos, videos, or something more?

Feng Ling scrolled back through her own posts.

Her online persona was a bit split. She liked using repeated words and emojis, and her profile listed her gender as female, age 20. It would be easy to mistake her for a naive young girl, which might attract weird uncles with ulterior motives—that seemed plausible enough?

Feng Ling bit her lip, feeling troubled.

--Could I be judging a gentleman's heart with a petty mind?

What if he really was a pure, flawless good person with no hidden agenda?

Forget it.

Instead of guessing back and forth, she might as well add him and see what happened.

She put the phone number into her contacts, added him on WeChat, and tentatively sent a "Hello."

No response from the other side.

After waiting a full two minutes, a transfer notification suddenly popped up.

"He's actually giving me money?" Feng Ling's eyes went wide with shock.

She tapped to open it. Inside was 1,350 yuan.

Feng Ling: "..."

What kind of number was that?

She'd seen people transfer 1,000, or 1,500, or even 1,314, but she'd never seen a weird amount like 1,350.

"Sanqing Palace - Daoist Priest Li Qing (Blessings, Divination, Talismans): This is all I have for now. Take it to tide you over."

Feng Ling was startled again.

She had been so focused on the transfer amount that she only now noticed how strange this person's name was!

"Aisha: Are you Weasel01?"

"Sanqing Palace - Daoist Priest Li Qing (Blessings, Divination, Talismans): You're Bean Paste, right? Go ahead and accept the payment."

This WeChat name was genuinely hard on Feng Ling's eyes, so she took a moment to add a note for him: Daoist Priest Li.

Daoist Priest Li sent a long voice message.

Feng Ling tapped it.

The voice was unexpectedly young—very steady and gentle, with a few clear bird calls in the background.

Daoist Priest Li: "Take the money and rent a place outside. Stock up on some food and water. Don't go out for the time being. If you run into any trouble in life, feel free to contact me anytime. I'll do my best to help you figure something out. No need to rush paying me back. Don't be afraid. Xenomorphs aren't as all-powerful as the internet makes them out to be. As long as you protect yourself, you'll be fine."

Feng Ling: "..."

She really had misjudged him...

Daoist Priest Li: "But the safest option is still to go to Yunhai City. The cost of living there is indeed a bit high, but you could try applying to become a supervisor. That way, you can afford the expenses of a big city and have some security. I've learned that some of the clerical staff inside the Supervision Bureau have pretty good benefits. Since you hold a Card, it should give you an edge in the application."

Feng Ling thought to herself: He wants me to apply for a clerical job—probably because he thinks I'm too weak and pitiful from my split, not the type to fight. He's surprisingly considerate.

But really, how strange. A Daoist priest, yet so familiar with Xenomorphs and Cards?

Just out of interest? Or is there another reason?

Even Su Yuqing and Zhou Diao didn't know about the Hidden Boss. She posted it on the forum, and everyone questioned her. Only this Daoist priest believed her. Why?

Could he really be some naive sweetheart who believes anything he's told?

No...

No way.

No, no, no.

Feng Ling tilted her head, propped her chin on her hand, and thought it over seriously.

Only one possibility came to mind—

This Daoist priest named Li Qing could see the Player Forum.

Because he could see the Player Forum, he knew the players were preparing to move against the Hidden Boss.

Because he knew the players were about to act, the moment she posted, he believed her—and without hesitation, he transferred her the money!

Feng Ling suddenly felt a strong curiosity about this person.

Interesting. Very interesting.

—Meticulous in his actions, willing to help, generous with his resources, expecting nothing in return, with knowledge of Xenomorphs and Cards far beyond the average person, and suspected of holding a Card with the special ability to see the Player Forum.

What would someone like that look like in real life?

Feng Ling kind of wanted to ask him for a photo, maybe video chat and have a conversation, or even meet in person for an in-depth exchange.