It takes a villain to tame another villain!
This phrase seemed to carry a powerful magic spell.
The three A Piaos instantly lost their anger.
They looked at each other, and for a moment, they could not find any counterargument.
[Confidence from Jimmy Navada, Sera Wade, and Song Ling +3]
[Collect ten instances of positive emotions mobilized by you (3/10), Reward: Temperament Three]
Does that really work?
When a villain can also bring positive motivation to others, lesson learned!
Lin Bai looked at the three A Piaos who had transformed back to human form with satisfaction. Such an innocent family. If they knew that before I came, they didn't have any enemies...
Forget it. Let's not push them too hard.
After all, we now have a common enemy. Everyone has moved from being adversaries to comrades in the same trench. This is a good thing.
The Emotional System not only provided the names of the A Piaos but also their latest emotional states, which allowed Lin Bai to clearly understand their changes in emotional state. He finally didn't have to worry that the A Piaos would play tricks behind his back.
Lin Bai sighed with relief and said, "The three of you, I've turned this place into a restaurant. I run the business during the day, and you come out at night, so we can basically avoid disturbing each other. As long as we coexist peacefully, the negative impact you've caused will gradually disappear over time. The sins you've committed will eventually fade away as well."
"Would that work?" Sera Wade asked hesitantly. Their long-term isolation from the world caused them to naturally fear the outside world, not to mention the difference between humans and ghosts.
"Well, you don't come out during the day anyway," Lin Bai said with a smile. "Besides, long-term isolation isn't good for character development. Song Ling is still young and needs to interact with the outside world. This will be beneficial to her growth in the future..."
"No, big brother, you're not a bad person," Little A Piao Song Ling's eyes lit up, and she said, "You're a good person."
What an accurate judgment!
Lin Bai nodded, accompanied by a gentle smile.
"I killed someone, and I turned into a fierce ghost," Jimmy Navada said, his face showing difficulty and regret. "Once I lose my true nature, it isn't good for anyone."
"Do you remember what I said earlier?" Lin Bai asked, yawning.
"..." The three A Piaos looked confused. They had been listening to him speak all night, so how could they know which sentence he was referring to?
"The birth of a fierce ghost depends on one's own heart," Lin Bai said with a smile. "You feel that by killing someone, you will become a fierce ghost, but what if the one you killed wasn't human?"
Jimmy Navada was surprised.
"Go and look at the person you killed again," Lin Bai reminded.
Truthfully, he didn't know what the game's refresh mechanism was. The death of Dragon Breath was also an opportunity for him to understand Player characteristics.
Jimmy Navada floated away and came back after a while. In his hands were a broken kitchen knife and some Copper Coins. His expression was strange as he stammered, "Shopkeeper, he... that person is gone! He was still there just now, but in a short moment, his body disappeared, leaving only this kitchen knife and these Copper Coins..."
Lin Bai looked at the kitchen knife in Jimmy Navada's hand and subconsciously raised his guard. A Piaos could throw things out of the store. What if they got irrational and attacked him with it? It wouldn't be worth it.
Dragon Breath, who was 1.8 meters tall, was like a doll in Jimmy Navada's hand. If he were to throw a kitchen knife with that much force, the impact would definitely be significant.
However, Lin Bai's worry was unnecessary.
All of Jimmy Navada's thoughts were on the mysteriously vanished Dragon Breath. He never thought of killing Lin Bai by throwing the kitchen knife; he wasn't that kind of person.
WHIZZ! WHIZZ!
Sera Wade and Song Ling also disappeared.
A moment later, they returned. Little A Piao Song Ling looked incredulous, her eyes darting nervously left and right. "He really disappeared! What if he also turns into a ghost?"
Hua Sheng, you've discovered the blind spot!
Lin Bai glanced at her and did not respond.
A Player's corpse vanishing after death, and items scattering from it, fits the design of most games...
So, even during the novice period, death isn't without its losses.
This setting is pretty good. Whether his invested kitchen knife came back is a small matter. In the future, if he's out of money or Magic Treasures, he can find a way to harvest Players.
This is a path to riches!
Lin Bai smiled. "Old Song, give me the items! Now, you can rest easy. Even though you killed him, he didn't actually die."
Jimmy Navada carefully laid the kitchen knife and the Copper Coins at the door. "I don't understand," he said.
"Hmm, how should I put it? They are a special group of people." Seeing Jimmy Navada obediently handing over Dragon Breath's "remains," Lin Bai sighed in relief and explained, "Just like the old Taoist who trapped you, they have some magical abilities. Although they're still very weak, they're not someone you can kill with your current strength."
"..." Jimmy Navada was lost in thought.
Lin Bai looked up at him and said seriously, "But don't think this means you can kill people indiscriminately. You can't tell which of them are The Chosen Ones and which are ordinary people. If you accidentally kill one, the situation Song Ling mentioned could very well occur. The other party might also become a ghost and be trapped in this shop, plunging you into endless trouble..."
A third ghost appearing in their marriage?
The thought of the glib Dragon Breath becoming a ghost horrified Jimmy Navada. He feared for his wife and daughter – it was terrifying!
The dark energy swirling around Jimmy Navada fluctuated. "It won't happen..."
Before he himself became strong, Lin Bai had to coexist peacefully with the three A Piaos. Naturally, he didn't want them to become uncontrollable fierce ghosts. He had to bind them with layers upon layers of shackles. Thanks to the old Taoist who had laid the groundwork for him, deceiving these negotiable ghosts was almost too easy.
"But Dragon Breath said he would come back to get rid of us," Sera Wade said anxiously. "What if he comes back?"
"I'll handle it." Lin Bai yawned again. It was past midnight, and even after using the Four Energies, he couldn't fight off the heavy drowsiness.
"What if you're not around?" Sera Wade pressed anxiously. "We are active at night. By that time, you should be sleeping..."
"If you want to throw him out, then throw him out. If you don't want to, then play hide-and-seek with him!" Lin Bai glanced at them, laughing. "There are two floors in here. If he comes in the door, you go to the second floor. If he goes upstairs, you come downstairs. Don't tell me you still stick to the habit of using the stairs to go up and down!
For now, his strength is no match for yours, and you can't kill him either. However, he has more important things to do and can't afford to waste too much time on you. Once he realizes he can't kill you, he will naturally leave.
Of course, remember the most important thing: don't have any conversation with him. Your family doesn't seem very bright; the more you talk, the more likely you'll expose your weaknesses..."
Alright then!
The three A Piaos looked at Lin Bai in astonishment; they never expected him to come up with such a strategy.
They began to wonder, could partnering with such a man really help them deal with that Taoist of great Divine Skills?
And what did he mean by 'for now'?
Did that mean that, over time, the one called Dragon Breath would find a way to destroy them?
Good heavens!
Not only did they have a major enemy appearing seven years later, but now they also had a growing enemy...
They were just minding their own business at home, and not even a full night had passed, yet the world suddenly seemed so dangerous?
But having been trapped in the shop for three years with no outside contact, Jimmy Navada's family's thinking had become somewhat rigid. For the moment, they couldn't think of any better ideas and could only nod reluctantly.
"That's it then. I'm going to find a place to sleep. You all do what you need to do!" Yawning again, Lin Bai returned to the inn with sleepy eyes to replenish his energy.
「Resurrection Point.」
Dragon Breath rummaged through all his pockets but couldn't find a single Copper Coin. His face instantly turned ugly. "All items and money are dropped upon death! What kind of hellish setting is this? Isn't this forcing people to delete their accounts and restart?"
Returning to the inn to retrieve the dropped Copper Coins and kitchen knife was clearly unrealistic; he couldn't beat the BOSS inside. Going there would be a suicide mission.
Ask the Shopkeeper for reimbursement?
Considering that NPC's stinginess, it's highly unlikely.
Moreover, how could a Chosen One who couldn't even afford food gain an NPC's trust?
The game had hunger and fatigue levels. If the hunger level reached its threshold, the fatigue level would increase drastically, and mere rest wouldn't be enough to recover.
So, if he wanted to continue playing with the Dragon Breath account, he had to solve the food problem before his hunger level ran out.
Otherwise, his only option was to delete the account and start over!
After wracking his brains without finding a suitable solution, Dragon Breath opened the forums and posted a plea for help: "Lost all money after death. How to survive without deleting the account?"
Immortal World had garnered massive attention. Shortly after he posted, his thread received numerous responses.
"Delete your account! There's no other way."
"Steal. As long as your technique is good, you won't be discovered. What you steal is yours, you won't get a red name, and no one will pursue it." [Dingus Explosion]
"I don't recommend robbing. Level 1 accounts have limited stamina. You might have a chance against women and children, but if you encounter a strong man, you'll most likely be caught and sent to the Government Office." [Left Foot Steps on Right Foot to Heaven]
"This trash game's pursuit of realism has gone insane! You lose everything you're carrying when you die, no matter how much it is. I seriously suspect the game developers don't want people resurrecting after death, as it would cause unnecessary panic in society. Cherish your life; stay away from violence and robbery." [Well Does Not Move]
"Bro, did you get yourself killed? I've discovered a money-making method, personally tested and 100% effective. If interested, offline transaction. Contact Email: #￥￥%%%@baiyin.com" [Money Filled Storehouse]
Most of the advice was impractical. With a skeptical heart, Dragon Breath went offline and contacted the seemingly reliable 'Money Filled Storehouse', spending 300 yuan to acquire a unique guide.
"Find a secluded place, take off your clothes, and hide them well. Commit suicide. After resurrecting, you'll receive a new novice shirt that doesn't disappear when your corpse respawns.
Repeat this process. Then, go to a pawnshop and pawn the extra clothes...
Through testing, the most profitable outcome is achieved by dying eight times, which can get you over 800 Copper Coins from the Novice Village Pawnshop.
If you have too many clothes, the profit margin will drop sharply; the effort won't match the reward. Friendly reminder: make sure you die completely each time, or you'll just be torturing yourself. Remember this well, remember this well!"
"..." Dragon Breath looked at the guide in his hand and couldn't help but slap his thigh in admiration. Awesome! Fleecing the game developers themselves! This guy is a genius!