Salted Fish Zombie

Chapter 54.1: Flower Servant (2)

July 10, 2023 by Wyrd

During night time at Furen County, the moonlight was bright, and the night breeze was slightly cool.

The water in the water prison was connected to the surface of the lake. As the night breeze blew, ripples of moonlight were formed.

The players were both surprised and immersed in contemplation of the worldview setting of this instance.

Their feet were still immersed in the water. Initially, they felt a slight chill, but over time, they felt the coldness creeping up from their feet and spreading throughout their bodies.

Accompanied by a clear and subtle sensation.

“But why would they do this?”

“It would make more sense if they were plant-like beings with hostile intentions, using human-like methods to exact revenge on humans. But the puzzling part is that they are actually humans themselves,” Zhu Shuangshuang said, expressing a deep sense of confusion and perplexity.

No player knew the reason.

They began to ponder the meaning of the instance name, “Flower Servant,” and tried to speculate on their current identities and what they were about to do.

“Excuse me, sir. What are they going to do to those who were taken?” the boy leaning against the corner of the wall asked the man in the neighboring water prison, who was also leaning against the corner.

“...”

This amazing periodic social skills.

Su Wangsheng thought it had been a long time since he witnessed this ‘special’ trait of Ning Su.

Under such circumstances, many people hadn’t thought about the fact that they could directly ask these numb and desolate people.

“You don’t about know about this? Where did you come from?” the person in the water prison on the other side said irritably.

Indeed, a good question.

Ning Su said, “Ah, I came from that obscure corner in the East, an orphan with no parents, plagued by an already cured disease. I was deceived and brought here without knowing anything.”

“...”

The man glanced at him and sighed. “What else can they do to them? They’re being taken away as sacrifices. Most of us will be treated as offerings. Only the form of sacrifice varies.”

The players’ hearts sank.

The word “sacrifice” was truly dangerous.

It meant that as soon as they appeared here; they were destined to be sacrificed, resulting in a fatal outcome.

Ning Su blinked. “What kind of sacrifice?”

The man had an expression of ‘how do you not even know this?’ on his face, but thinking of his pitiful state, he said, “What else could it be? Of course, we are sacrifices to the Flower God.”

“The Flower God’s ritual will take place on the thirtieth of next month. We are all flower servants, meant to be sacrificed to the Flower God and serve him.”

‘Flower servants’ finally appeared, confirming their current status.

So that’s what the name of the instance meant.

But was it just that?

Ning Su made a thoughtful sound, “But the Flower God’s ritual isn’t until the thirtieth of next month. Why are they taking those people away now?”

“Is your cured illness related to your brain?”

“Ah, indeed, it has also affected my brain. I used to be very smart.”

“I knew it. Even a three-year-old knows this. How could you not?”

“...”

The man explained to him as if he were enlightening a three-year-old with basic knowledge, “We can directly call upon the Flower God. When we perform the Flower God’s ritual, he will manifest. However, it’s also our responsibility to welcome him. This will officially begin on the twelfth of this month, marking the commencement of the welcoming period.”

Ning Su asked, “What’s the date today?”

“...”

Even the players felt that this question was a bit foolish.

There’s no way they wouldn’t think that.

Since the way that person looked at Ning Su made it clear that he meant ‘it’s a pity that he’s foolish’.

“Today is the tenth,” he said wearily.

Today was the tenth day, and the thirtieth of next month was the Flower God Festival. The time for the instance was 50 days, which meant that they had to, at the very least, find a way to see the god or catch a glimpse of him on the afternoon of the Flower God Festival.

There were two ways to clear this instance: finding a way to see the god or actually seeing him.

In other words, they had to choose between theory and practice.

According to this timeline and logic, they should work hard to find a way to see the god before the Flower God Festival. If they found the way or could confirm it, it would be their last chance to see the god during the festival.

If they still hadn’t seen the god by then, it meant the mission had failed.

The consequences of mission failure could be summed up as dying here.

Ning Su said, “It’s strange that the woman earlier said she would need it the day after tomorrow.”

The day after tomorrow was the start of the time for welcoming the god.

“Will there be many people coming to buy flower servants in these two days?”

When Ning Su finally asked a normal question, he replied, “Yes, these two days are the busiest. All the major families in Furen County will gradually prepare for the welcoming activities and buy them in these two days.”

At this point, that person also wanted to say something but helplessly hung his head.

Ning Su didn’t ask any further, either.

The players were also feeling heavy-hearted. Many people would be buying flower servants in these two days, which meant that many of them would also become strange sacrifices.

As the night grew deeper, the water in the water prison became colder and colder.

Zhu Shuangshuang also followed Ning Su’s example and gathered her belt skirt, squatting in the corner.

Suddenly, she raised a doubtful question, “Hey, where is Ning Changfeng?”

She saw Ning Changfeng hiding behind Ning Su, which made Zhu Shuangshuang feel somewhat bewildered.

In her heart, Shi Tianzhu was like an idol. Shi Tianzhu was already so powerful, not to mention Ning Changfeng, who was above her in the rankings.

He must be an extraordinary person, like a deity.

She felt that when she saw him fighting with Shi Tianzhu that day.

Many people followed him into this instance, and they, like Zhu Shuangshuang, would consciously or unconsciously pay attention to him.

Ning Changfeng was indeed outstanding.

Just as Zhu Shuangshuang was about to ask this question, a “colored” little snake swam into the lake.

Ning Su: “...”

It’s great to have a bloodline inheritance. He also wanted it.

Actually, could he use the gap between the wooden pillars to push Gui Sheng and Manman out and let them gather information for him?

As soon as the little snake entered, it transformed into a person under the cover of the crowd.

Ning Su asked him, “Brother, have you been to the warehouse? What did you see?”

Ning Changfeng replied, “Go to sleep. We’ll talk when you wake up.”

Ning Su was slightly stunned.

Su Wangsheng was also a bit surprised by how active Ning Su had been so far. “I haven’t seen him for one instance, and now he’s suddenly become proactive?”

Zhu Shuangshuang said, “Because he can only drink water here, he wants to get out as soon as possible.”

Su Wangsheng: “...I see.”

Many people in the nearby water prisons were already asleep, either squatting or standing.

They had become accustomed to this environment and adapted well.

Players thought it would be difficult for them to adjust like those people and doubted if they could sleep with parts of their bodies immersed in water. After all, they were humans. How could they sleep with water around?

But when they turned their heads, they discovered a young man already sound asleep.

“...”

Even if the system required them to respect local customs, they didn’t expect him to adapt so readily.

One by one, the players fell asleep, seemingly influenced by him.

The courtyard gradually sank into a deep silence, with only the gentle sound of flowing water and the air carrying a mysterious fragrance.

The next day, the players woke up with mixed feelings.

Their feet were not swollen, the cold did not wake them up in the middle of the night, and even sleeping while standing didn’t make their backs or legs ache.

They seemed to have adapted well, resting in the water like flowers.

But they were still human.

In this fifth-level instance dungeon, there was an uncontrollable force quietly transforming them.

Every world would transform the players’ bodies, mostly making them stronger and healthier, but the transformations in this world filled them with fear.

“Susu, you really look more beautiful now! That water the boss gave you is really effective!”

When Ning Su woke up, Zhu Shuangshuang was crouching in front of him, observing him.

The young man originally had impeccable features, but his complexion was too pale, and his expression was slightly frozen, as if some small nerves on his face had died.

His changes were like a withered flower that had traveled a long distance and had been revived overnight after being soaked in water.

His eyes were clear and lively, with a gleam of radiance when he blinked.

Ning Su: “Your skin seems to have improved too.”

The skin of all the players had improved; a group of rough men who had been tormented in many scripts no longer had such coarse skin.

The most noticeable change was in Fang Qi. Perhaps because of the ointment the boss gave him, the scars on his face had faded significantly, leaving only a faint pink mark.

As they lowered their heads to look at the water beneath their feet, they wondered if the transformation of their bodies was a power stemming from the essence of this dungeon, or if it was artificial.

As they continued to talk, the boss arrived.

He brought breakfast for them, and both Ning Su and Ning Changfeng had a bowl of green water.

Ning Su noticed that actually every player’s lunchbox had water, only the color was the same.

As the welcoming ritual approached, more and more flower servants appeared. They had just finished breakfast when someone arrived.

In the first batch in the morning, only two people came, one master and one servant, but they brought a large object with them.

It was a big and heavy book.

With the help of the people working for the boss, the heavy book was carried to the courtyard and placed on the sunny water platform.

On the dark wooden cover, there was a row of crimson runes shining with a bloody and eerie luster under the morning sun.

The middle-aged man said, “Boss Qi, I want to customize a bookmark for this holy book.”

The term “bookmark” made the players shudder.

They thought of a kind of bookmark made of flowers.

Mostly during middle school, in autumn, people would pick maple leaves and press them between the pages of a book. In spring, some people would cut flowers and press them in the book, resembling specimens.

In more romantic terms, it was about preserving the beauty, with aesthetics valued more than practicality.

Of course, the bookmarks made for this so-called holy book were also meant to serve a practical purpose. They believed that even those who had faith in the Flower God and read this type of book would still require bookmarks to mark important sections.

It was also for the sake of appreciation.

Essentially, it was to please whoever was looking at it.

It had to be made to look good, and it had to be thin when inserted into the book.

With the thickness of an ordinary person, it was impossible. They should at least have two layers of skin shaved off.

There were fewer people standing in front of the wooden pillar wall, with everyone hiding their faces and hoping not to be chosen.