Salted Fish Zombie

Chapter 53.1: Flower Servant (1)

July 06, 2023 by Wyrd

【No. 5-9107 “Flower Servant” opens for the first time.】

【In the distant kingdom of Shigen, there is a legend that tells of a method that allows people to catch a glimpse of a god and receive divine blessings. Countless individuals here dedicate themselves to see the god, studying diligently and praying devoutly, all in the hopes of beholding the true visage of the god.】

【Welcome, players, to Furen County, the most beautiful and sacred place in the Shigen kingdom. Legend has it that a saint once encountered the Flower God here, who bestowed blessings upon Furen County, resulting in favorable weather and a serene beauty.】

【Instance mission: Discover the method of how to meet the god.】

【Instance duration: 50 days (10 days in base time).】

【Friendly reminder: Please respect the customs and beliefs of Furen County.】

【Wishing players a delightful and enchanting journey.】

Ning Su opened his eyes, only to find himself before an ancient city wall.

The city wall exhibited a dark, almost black color, concealing the original hues of the bricks and stones. Thick green moss covered its surface, giving off a damp and gloomy atmosphere that contrasted with the system’s description of beauty and serenity.

However, upon looking inside from the entrance, vibrant colors could indeed be seen.

Drawing from the experience of the previous instance, Ning Su first lowered his head to examine himself and noticed that he was wearing a white and red robe. Suddenly, he heard an exclamation.

“You look so good!”

Ning Su raised his head and saw a beautiful young girl.

She wore a white thin veil with a cross-collar design, a layered skirt in cherry blossom pink, and her long hair cascaded behind her, resembling a Tang or Song dynasty lady. The wide waistband around her waist, adorned with special embroidered characters, emitted an ancient and exotic aura.

Because it was so different from the usual, Ning Su took a moment to react before recognizing that the girl was Zhu Shuangshuang.

The clothing on the surrounding players had also changed.

Everyone was looking at each other in astonishment, while Zhu Shuangshuang’s gaze was fixed on Ning Su.

She had already noticed that the clothing on a hundred players was divided into only two styles, one for men and one for women. All the male players wore the same attire, but Ning Su’s outfit stood out exceptionally, displaying his remarkable beauty.

The young man was dressed in a red straight-collared robe, with a glimpse of it revealed under a white round-collared garment. His fair skin contrasted sharply, and a wide red symbolic belt wrapped around his waist, emphasizing a slender waistline that was even thinner than that of most female players.

His shoulder-length hair swayed gently in the wind, brushing past the corners of his peach blossom eyes. When he looked up, he looked like an enigmatic young man who had emerged from a mysterious ancient realm.

It was all because Ning Su usually dressed casually, often just wearing a white T-shirt and black trousers to go out. But now, in this elegant attire, he almost deterred people from approaching.

Before Ning Su had a chance to speak, a cry of pain came from behind him.

“Ah— It hurts!”

A burly man held a black and red whip, striking heavily on the leg of a chubby player. “Hurry up, don’t waste time!”

The burly man was dressed in a gray short coat and pants, and there were many others around them dressed in a similar manner, each holding a whip and watching them.

“Only hit the lower legs, don’t hit the thighs!” someone advised. “Sometimes the thighs are still useful.”

“Do not hit anyone who looks good!”

These two statements carried a significant message, causing players who considered themselves less attractive to feel a sinking feeling in their hearts.

“Hurry up, or we won’t be able to enter the city later.”

The players hurried toward the city gate, not daring to linger any longer, their discussions hushed.

Ning Su didn’t see Gui Sheng and Ah Fei. He looked up and didn’t see any weapons on the other 99 players. He had a good guess why the two children didn’t appear.

In the inventory section of the system page, he saw [Gui Sheng] and [Manman]. He activated the energy within his body once again, making sure he could keep them from being controlled by the system and release them at any time. Only then did he feel at ease moving forward.

Three ancient, twisted characters were written on the old city wall: Furen County.

Passing through the spacious city gate, the scenery inside the city became completely new.

Just like last time, they entered the base at dusk, when white and black were about to interchange. The sky appeared dim and mysteriously beautiful.

The wide streets have already been adorned with lanterns of various colors. People dressed in exquisite attire and tall carriages were bustling back and forth, creating a lively and harmonious scene.

The players were being hurriedly escorted by the men in gray without attracting much attention. It seemed that this kind of thing was quite common here.

They were brought to an underground market where many people wearing similar clothes to theirs could be seen.

Although it was an underground market, it was neither dirty nor dim, and everyone’s faces and clothes were very clean.

The men in gray brought them here and went ahead to communicate with the people here.

Zhu Shuangshuang and Su Wangsheng walked to the side of Ning Su and secretly observed the surroundings for a while.

A man who was already here asked them, “Newcomers? Where are you from?”

The latter question was difficult to answer. Zhu Shuangshuang vaguely nodded and said, “We’re from a small village in the east.”

The man looked them up and down and remarked, “The soil in your village seems good. It produces people of your grade.”

The three of them didn’t know how to respond. The terms “soil” and “grade” sounded strange to them.

“You look good too,” Zhu Shuangshuang said.

A faintly bitter smile appeared on the man’s face.

According to the standards of normal human aesthetics, he didn’t look bad, but he’s not outstanding either.

Zhu Shuangshuang wasn’t sure if her words were inappropriate.

Just then, Fang Qi approached them.

The man glanced at the scar on Fang Qi’s right face and paused for a moment. “Someone would employ a person like you?”

“...”

The man shook his head. “What a pity. Why didn’t you protect your face? It’s your life, after all.”

Combining the words of the men in gray outside the castle, they have basically determined that in this instance, appearance, or rather having a good-looking and intact face, was important. However, they were still unsure about the specific importance of it.

Fang Qi’s complexion didn’t look good. Regardless of how he performed in the previous two instances, he was still an eighteen-year-old high school student who screamed loudly on the bus on the way to the game base.

In a level five instance, it was difficult to maintain a relaxed expression upon hearing such obvious unfavorable words.

Zhu Shuangshuang wanted to continue probing, and the person who was talking to them followed their group and walked forward.

Immediately after, the person in the grey clothes also led them forward, reaching a brighter place.

“Stand straight, don’t lean on each other!”

The players immediately stood upright.

This was a level five instance with an unclear situation, and no player would rashly defy the command of an NPC.

Soon, a person who looked like a boss walked over and walked past them one by one, scrutinizing each of them.

When the person reached Fang Qi, he raised his chin and shook his head.

When the person reached Ning Su, his eyes brightened.

He carefully pulled Ning Su out and inspected him from head to toe, saying, “Good, good face, long legs, slim waist, excellent!”

Ning Su’s face went slack.

Something didn’t seem right.

The boss continued to look forward, and Ning Changfeng received the same treatment. When the boss pulled him out to inspect him, he gave Ning Su a proud look.

Ning Su didn’t understand what he was proud of, so he continued to have a slack expression.

The boss said something to the person in the grey clothes, but the person shook his head and replied, “No, if you want them, you should buy them all. Otherwise, just find another group.”

The boss hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Afterward, the person in the grey clothes left, and the boss took them away.

“We... were sold?” Zhu Shuangshuang asked softly.

Ning Su made a sound of “Hmm.”

Su Wangsheng: “What is the boss buying us for? Since he judged based on appearance, could he be the owner of a brothel?”

Zhu Shuangshuang: “Why is this Taoist priest so unconventional?”

Su Wangsheng: “Where am I being unconventional? I’m just making a reasonable deduction.”

Ning Su: “...”

The boss didn’t prohibit them from chatting, and along the way, the players were discussing their current situation. The atmosphere was relatively relaxed.

The boss led them to a courtyard, which was exceptionally large, even bigger than the castle in the previous instance. The courtyard could be compared to a grand garden.

The center indeed had the beauty of a garden, with rooms surrounding a huge circular lake. There were artificial mountains and a white jade bridge by the lake, and there was even a pavilion on the lake.

There were only five houses surrounding such a large lake, four of them resembling water prisons, each capable of accommodating hundreds of people.

The boss led them into Water Prison No. 4. “Rest here for a while.”

The players looked at each other. There were no beds or chairs to rest here. Did resting mean standing in the water pool?

The boss didn’t leave; he stayed in the pavilion, sometimes looking at the account book and portraits on the table, and other times looking at them.

Before long, a few people arrived, led by a middle-aged woman bedecked in gold and silver. “Boss Qi, the people I ordered can be prepared now.”

Continuing after “soil quality” and “grade,” they heard another strange term, “people order.”

The boss smiled and took her to the first water prison.

The room looked similar to a water prison, with ankle-deep water inside. The walls on all sides were smooth wooden planks with gaps that allowed arms to reach through, but only the arms.

Unlike a real prison cell, this place was very clean with crystal clear water. There was no dirt on the walls, and there was a faint scent of incense in the air.

When the boss brought the woman to look inside, some of the people in the first water prison looked at them through the gaps, while others hid in the corners without raising their heads.

However, hiding was of no use. The boss already had someone in mind. He went into the prison and pulled out a girl who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. He asked, “What do you think of her?”

The woman nodded.

The boss pulled out another girl, and the middle-aged woman continued to nod.

One after another, he pulled out three more girls, and she was satisfied with all of them. But when the fourth one was pulled out, the middle-aged woman became a bit dissatisfied.

“This isn’t very good,” she said, her fingers touching the young man’s face as if selecting merchandise. She remarked, “He looks a bit rough.”

She withdrew her hand and glanced towards Prison Four where she saw Ning Su. She looked as if she had discovered a treasure. “Oh!”

There was a bright gleam in her eyes, hinting at some kind of madness. “I want him!”

“Uh-oh, little brother, you’ve caught the attention of a rich lady.”

A voice sounded from behind Ning Su, its altitude slightly lower. Ning Su didn’t need to turn around to know it was Ning Changfeng hiding behind him.

When Zhu Shuangshuang and Su Wangsheng saw who was behind Ning Su, they were momentarily dazed.

Ning Su raised his heels in anticipation. “Ah, indeed, she looks very wealthy.”

“...”

Unfortunately, the boss rejected the rich lady. “Please choose from this side. It’s prepared for you.”

“But I think the room with the lake view has a better grade.”

“You’ve seen the appearance of that young man. He’s not someone you can easily afford.”

“Then I’ll buy him as a flower servant. Name your price.”

The boss gestured, indicating a price. The woman was taken aback, feeling quite reluctant.

The boss sighed. “Alright, let me go to that room and find you two fresh options. As for that young man, we’ll discuss it later.”

The middle-aged woman reluctantly nodded.

The boss dragged out two players from their water cell, one male and one female.