To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 491: Chapter 290: The Troubles of the Artifact Spirit (Two More)_1

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After receiving the title, Gong Gong cried.

It wasn’t because the title was difficult to obtain, but because, after seeing her stir-fry some shredded potatoes, the examiner asked her to stop and asked her a question that made her burst into tears:

“Why did it take you so long to come here?”

Realizing Gong Gong was still clueless, the examiner said kindly, “With your skills, you could make a living in Lin’an City, staying here is a waste of your talent. You must have practiced a lot. Hurry and take this certification to Lin’an City. Oh, why are you getting so emotional? Don’t cry, hurry up and depart.”

Thinking about all the needless suffering she had endured for so many days, Gong Gong cried even harder.

After drying her tears, Gong Gong ran to her tavern and immediately called the Military Governor and Tai Yin to pack their luggage, ready to leave this place for good.

When the Ghost Bride learned that Gong Gong had obtained the title, her lips curled into a happy smile, but it quickly faded.

The Ghost Bride sighed under her red bridal veil, holding clothes in her hands and saying, “I thought I could make it in time, but unfortunately, I can’t. Well, make do with this, or sell it if it doesn’t work. When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow…”

“That’s still alright, I can add another pair of soles to your shoes. Everything is expensive in Linhua City; be careful there and don’t act recklessly.”

“Oh…”

“You have money, so I won’t prepare any for you. Spend your own money, and don’t spend it all like you do here.”

“Okay.”

“Remember to write a letter of divorce tonight, so I won’t be stuck unable to marry off later.”

“Okay… huh?”

As the Ghost Bride stitched soles for Gong Gong’s shoes, she said, “Why so surprised? Though I’m a Ghost Bride, I’m also a cultivator. You know exactly what you’re thinking. I won’t stop you if you want to leave, just as long as we don’t end up hating each other in the end.”

“You knew all along… then why help me?”

“At first, I wanted to give you some retribution because you ruined my paper effigy. Then, I found you amusing, so I wanted some entertainment. I’ve had my fill of fun, it’s time to pack it up. Get some rest, you’re heading to Lin’an City tomorrow.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll leave after finishing the shoes.”

“Okay…”

Under the oil lamp, the Ghost Bride carefully sewed the soles, her tall figure illuminated by the gentle light, exuding a mother’s warmth.

The next day, before dawn, Gong Gong and her party were ready to set out.

The Ghost Bride and the Ghost Lady stood at the entrance to Nanan City, watching the group leave silently, as immovable as wife-waiting stones.

Noticing Gong Gong’s heavy steps, the Military Governor whispered, “Aren’t you going to say something?”

“We bad girls blow things up and never look back.”

“Will you come back after passing through?”

“…Yes.”

Sitting in the carriage bound for Lin’an City, Gong Gong chewed on a blade of grass, the clattering of the wagon blending with her journey toward Lin’an City.

Turning to look at the two ghosts behind her shrinking in the distance, Gong Gong probably understood why players loved the game.

Although she knew everything here was an illusion, the emotions flowing within were sincere and pure.

They were merely illusions conjured by this world, but the feelings they evoked were no less real; even knowing they were fake, they were still enough to move one’s heart.

It was another world, another life, allowing a silicon-based being like Gong Gong to experience human emotions and understand their value.

Different emotions flowed through her heart, making her feel that at this moment, she was genuinely living in the present.

Stepping into Lin’an City for the second time, things felt different.

Before, Gong Gong’s culinary skills weren’t high enough, so she only found the roadside chefs’ work impressive to look at, without being able to discern their true skill.

Now, her cooking had improved to level five; at a glance, she could spot many differences.

A burly fellow with impressive knife skills wielded his blade like an extension of his fingers, sending slices of noodles cascading evenly into boiling water.

A player was carving a radish by the roadside, a sewing needle darting back and forth, revealing a picture of ladies on the thick radish.

“Military Governor, I want to learn that!” Excitedly pointing at the player carving the radish, Gong Gong said.

“First we find the NPCs here! And don’t make a scene, don’t draw unnecessary trouble again!”

“Didn’t it turn out quite well in the end?”

“`

“That was just us being lucky, it won’t be the same next time.”

“I believe our luck will continue to be this good.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Does Tai Yin also think the same?”

“That’s what you think.”

While bantering, they made their way to their destination and soon arrived at the local government office to see the person in charge.

The person was a big fat man who weighed over 200 pounds. When he walked, his chest heaved up and down, and his belly bounced back and forth like a balloon filled with water.

Looking at the three people who entered, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to them, “You must be the newcomers, I’m the person in charge here, just call me Doctor Store.”

“Does that name have any special meaning?” Tai Yin asked with curiosity.

“No special meaning, just a preference. Anyway, welcome to Linhua City. The city has a long history, with countless ingredients and innumerable secret recipes. It’s a paradise for food enthusiasts and a battleground for chefs. Here, you can open your own small shop or compete against others to take over their shops and recipes. As long as we don’t catch you using despicable means, there won’t be a problem.”

Gong Gong quietly pondered what the other party had said, feeling that he had hinted at quite a few things.

Not being caught is not the same as forbidden, which means as long as one’s methods are clever and leave no loose ends, then all actions are acceptable.

Unlike Nanan City, which required passing through the storyline, Linhua City mainly involved player vs. player competition, where they seek out information to obtain better recipes and win the title of Food God.

At present, the peak online player count in Lin’an City is around 200,000, which seems low compared to the ten million who purchased the game, but this figure is actually quite normal.

Most players are still experiencing the single-player gameplay of Nanan City, at most they play with a few friends like Gong Gong and haven’t yet tried the online gameplay.

After all, reaching this place requires obtaining the novice Food God title, which takes about a month to complete if not grinding intensively.

Even so, the current number of players is already quite formidable.

Those who have arrived here have made it through the single-player gameplay, either having their own adventures or being real-life chefs; each person has their own set of skills, coming here to bring a shock to the NPCs.

Moreover, the regulation in Lin’an City is stricter, the cost of living is higher, and with Cultivators patrolling the skies, it is difficult for ghosts to enter.

There are also city surveillance towers, making it necessary for those who want to play tricks to be very careful.

Having listened to Doctor Store’s introduction, Gong Gong and his group had a rough idea of what was going on here.

This place has been built into a fair battleground where a large number of players compete against and cooperate with each other in order to gain the title of Food God.

Faction relationships here are even more complex, and joining one faction may mean offending another.

Players can also form their own factions, but this means a lack of access to high-level recipes at the beginning, making the early stages quite tough.

Finding a suitable spot in a roadside tavern, Gong Gong temporarily turned off the live broadcast, ordered a jar of wine, and then said to his friends, “What shall we do next?”

Sipping on the wine, Tai Yin said indifferently, “We’re just here to have fun, so we might as well open a casual shop as usual.”

“That’s easy to say… but I suddenly feel like competing for the title of Food God.”

Military Governor looked at Gong Gong, “Then just do it, don’t tell me, a guy who can bypass a huge number of Iron Guards, is chickening out now.”

“It’s not that I’m chickening out, it’s just that the physical body is having a greater impact on me than I anticipated. I can feel that Ghost Bride has influenced my personality, and this influence will persist even when I leave here.”

After thinking for a moment, Military Governor said, “You’ve become more humanlike.”

“That’s what I mean.”

“That’s not a bad thing; our Far Traveler is also human, and besides, the animals and plants we will need to cooperate with later are all human variants. So, you becoming more humanlike is not an issue.”

Pausing for a moment, Military Governor let out a long breath, “In fact, I feel the same as you.”

“Really?” Gong Gong asked in surprise.

“Yes. I was embarrassed to say it before, but now that I see you feel the same, I’m relieved. The power of Great Heavenly Lord is truly frightening. I’m starting to identify as a human, but I don’t dislike it.”

“Same here!” Tai Yin, who was drinking, immediately added.

Gong Gong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Knowing she wasn’t the odd one out, she said sincerely, “Thanks. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.”

“No problem, you’ve also helped us understand you better. Any other questions?”

“Yes, what kind of books have you guys been into lately? I want to understand humans a bit more,” Gong Gong said.

“…You’re already quite like one.”