Ulterior motives

Lin Feng was in no hurry to head out and investigate.

He had not forgotten that he had three lives in this game.

Besides, he would not really die in the game.

Why rush?

Figure out the situation first.

The first act for new players had made it clear that this game was not simple. On the contrary, it was seriously hardcore.

As the saying went, haste made waste.

Lin Feng considered it carefully. Judging by the game conditions, clearing the second act, Gestation, required him to meet at least two conditions.

[Find the Thirty-Six Stockades Map while you and at least one teammate remain alive.]

First, at least two people had to survive.

He did not yet know whether the guide counted as a teammate, but the people present should all count.

Then there was finding the Thirty-Six Stockades Map.

So first, he needed to understand the game's background, the factions' spheres of influence, and their purpose for coming here. Ideally, he would also find out what the Western Hunan Blood God was so he could take precautions.

He also needed to know what means and skills everyone present possessed, and what the Thirty-Six Stockades Map looked like.

All of that mattered.

Later, when it came to clearing the act, every second would count.

Although this mission appeared to have no time limit.

If they dragged things out, however, Lin Feng felt that something bad was bound to happen here.

Because of the game's name: Gestation.

That word alone vaguely suggested to Lin Feng that they had better not stay in Clear Spring Stockade too long.

Whatever was gestating, and wherever it was happening, Lin Feng felt that the creature this game brought forth would be nothing good.

Otherwise, there would not have been a prerequisite that two people survive.

After exchanging a few words, Lin Feng immediately noticed something.

The people present were loosely divided into two sides.

One consisted of him and Hundred-Household Officer Zhu.

The two could cover each other's flanks and support one another.

One was a Hundred-Household Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Di's personal troops; the other was a Daoist from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, a direct disciple of Dragon-Tiger Mountain. Both belonged to the imperial court of the Central Plains, and both served as its eyes. They were natural allies. Unless Hundred-Household Officer Zhu was a traitor, their fortunes were tied together.

On the other side were Peng Tianli, Liao Chi, and Third Lady, who obeyed only the local Tusi.

The guide fell somewhere between the two. He was a born-and-bred local.

Whether it was the local magistrate or some minor underling of the Tusi, either could snuff out his life and kill his entire family. He could not afford to offend either of these two giants.

If he had to say which side the guide leaned toward.

It would probably be the Tusi.

The guide stood off to one side, playing deaf and dumb.

Lin Feng understood.

Although the Tusi Peng Wanli was willing to bow to Emperor Hongwu Di and acknowledge himself as a subject, in reality, in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan region, the Tusi remained the uncrowned kings.

Throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties, dozens of Di had sought to implement the policy of "Replacing Native Chieftains with Imperial Officials," abolishing the Tusi system and bringing these lands under the Central Plains' administration.

The Tusi of these regions had their own plans, too, and rebelled frequently.

Relations between the Di of the Central Plains and the Tusi on the frontier were not as harmonious as they appeared.

This damn game was too realistic. It was already hard enough, and now it had thrown faction politics into the mix.

That made it even harder!

But more challenging, too!

Lin Feng grew excited instead.

The harder it was, the more reason to take it on!

After sweeping his gaze over those present, he examined Clear Spring Stockade's Shrine.

Sunlight streamed inside. A peculiar fragrance hung in Clear Spring Stockade's Shrine, something like mugwort, yet also like mint. Aside from that fragrance, the Shrine faced south with its back to the north and let in plenty of light.

It was also the only building in the stockade that was not built on stilts.

There was no fear of insects or snakes here.

There was no unnecessary furniture inside the Shrine, only a few woven meditation cushions on the floor. The people on the Tusi's side occupied them. Lin Feng could not tell what material they were woven from.

The most conspicuous piece of furniture was probably the altar table visible as soon as one entered.

Something had once stood on it.

It was probably the small Shrine in which Clear Spring Stockade enshrined its deity.

Lin Feng walked over and carefully examined the marks on the altar table. He concluded that a Shrine must have stood there for a long time, but someone had taken it away recently.

Only the marks left by its presence remained.

Lin Feng bent down to inspect the table.

Peng Tianli stopped talking as well.

His eyes stared fixedly at the young Daoist.

Behind Lin Feng, the taciturn Hundred-Household Officer Zhu stood up and began explaining things to the young Daoist from Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

Just as Lin Feng had guessed, he naturally felt an affinity with Lin Feng.

Hundred-Household Officer Zhu said that when they set out, their party had consisted of more than just the people present.

On the imperial court's side alone, there had been Hundred-Household Officer Zhu and two other Hundred-Household Commanders, accompanied by six squad leaders.

There had also been local veteran soldiers and a head constable.

They had numbered quite a few.

Unfortunately, all those others had died along the way, leaving him the only Hundred-Household Commander.

“You people from the Central Plains Dynasty weren't skilled enough. You deserved to die.”

Peng Tianli cut in.

He seemed intent on stirring up trouble.

Lin Feng acted as though he had not heard him.

Hundred-Household Officer Zhu did the same.

He was sparing with his words.

Peng Tianli's expression soured further.

However, the forces on Peng Tianli's side had not emerged as unscathed as they appeared, either.

Nine of them had set out, and six capable fighters had fallen along the way.

Hearing this, Lin Feng inexplicably thought of the other characters he could have chosen.

If he had picked the veteran soldier, the constable, or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, would he have climbed the mountain with those people?

And the guide—if he had chosen the guide, would he have come up with the Tusi's people?

He wondered what they had encountered on the way.

Lin Feng was about to ask more when Peng Tianli said, "Hey, Daoist, save your questions for the road. Your Han officials said Clear Spring Stockade had a Thirty-Six Stockades Map. Hurry up and get it out.

"Once we have the map, we'll leave while it's still light. Otherwise, when darkness falls and the Yin God passes through, we'll all be in trouble!

"And you, little Daoist—we've been waiting all this time just for you!

"Who do you think you are!"

At those words, Lin Feng looked at Hundred-Household Officer Zhu.

Hundred-Household Officer Zhu had the map?

Hundred-Household Officer Zhu looked grim. He said in a low voice, "That's precisely the problem.

"We bribed Clear Spring Stockade's Grand Elder. He was supposed to give us the map of Bull-Head Stockade sometime over these past few days, but then..."

Lin Feng understood.

He knew why everyone had gathered in Clear Spring Stockade.

The map.

The mountains of Western Hunan were shrouded in clouds and mist, infested with venomous insects and miasma, and dotted with all manner of Yin God Forbidden Ground. Even the local Tusi could do nothing about some of the old stockades, let alone the Central Plains Dynasty.

Without a map of the terrain around the Thirty-Six Stockades, even an army of a million men would be truly helpless unless they could fly there.

The Thirty-Six Stockades were among the most mysterious places in the region. Their beliefs and traditions alike differed from those elsewhere.

They were unwilling to interact even with the locals.

Clear Spring Stockade was the least hostile to outsiders among the Thirty-Six Stockades.

It was also the only stockade that allowed itinerant peddlers to come and go.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had started with the peddlers. Lin Feng did not know what price they had paid to persuade Clear Spring Stockade's Grand Elder to hand over the Thirty-Six Stockades Map, but when the appointed date arrived, everyone in Clear Spring Stockade had met a violent death. Not even the chickens and dogs had been spared.

Was this a coincidence, or...?

Lin Feng looked at Hundred-Household Officer Zhu, who shook his head.

He indicated that this had been an unforeseen incident.