Chapter 1301: Mental-Type Instance Grounds
The light outside the courtyard dimmed, and the wind weaving through the fruit trees seemed to stop. The rustling of leaves and the chorus of birds and insects vanished simultaneously. The only clear sound in the air was Zhuang Shanbai's chopping of vegetables.
"Old Master Zhuang must have his reasons for forbidding the Zhuang family's descendants from becoming players, but in my opinion, you're no ordinary person," Xu Huo said. "A Gray Player?"
"It's likely that the Zhuang family members didn't leave because of discord or an inability to adapt to life here, but rather for self-preservation."
"Although Zone 001 is relatively safe, even after several decades, the Zhuang family's descendants won't truly fade from the Han family's sight. Even if the previous generation of the Han family could maintain friendship with the Zhuangs, future generations will be a different story... isn't that right?"
"Your family members might have already gone to other districts, but to avoid drawing attention, you couldn't all disappear at once."
"Can the Zhuang family's descendants really not become players?" Xu Huo circled back to the topic. "Or did Old Master Zhuang arrange a better path for them?"
Zhuang Shanbai paused his chopping, his back to Xu Huo. "What better path could there be in the game? If there is one, tell me about it."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow, seemingly oblivious to the changing environment around him. "I have no hostility, nor am I interested in the matters between your two families. I just want to find a convenient entrance to the mine vein."
Only then did Zhuang Shanbai come to his senses. The light outside the window had grown heavy, like a storm about to break. The oppressive air seeped into the room from outside. He stood there like a pillar, utterly still, sinking into the shadows.
"Then you should go to the Han family," he said in a low voice. "The Zhuang family hasn't had direct dealings with the Han family for decades."
"I've already been there," Xu Huo said frankly. "As you can see, my player level isn't high, making it difficult to move around in the Directly Administered District. However, the mine entrance is covered by Spiritual Power, and without the correct key, it's hard to get in."
"But I don't necessarily have to enter the mine."
"Since the entire Directly Administered District is under the coverage of Spiritual Power, I'd like to borrow Old Master Zhuang's power to handle some matters."
"What do you want?" Zhuang Shanbai glanced out the window, his eyes suddenly sharpening. "How dare you!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire room began to surge inward from the walls, rapidly compressing the space in an attempt to trap Xu Huo in a narrow area!
But just before the room completely closed in, Xu Huo had already moved outside through the door, standing beside the little bald-headed boy who was munching on a fruit.
Spiritual Interference concealed his presence. The boy didn't see him, only his father emerging from the house, and immediately ran toward him.
The child's carefree smile stood in stark contrast to Zhuang Shanbai's suddenly tense expression. While carefully protecting his child, he also kept watch on Xu Huo. Not being a seasoned instance player, his defense was somewhat stretched thin, and his concern for his son's safety made him hesitant to go all out.
Xu Huo stood still until the little boy grabbed his father's leg before speaking. "Since you're so worried about him, why let him stay?"
Zhuang Shanbai pulled his son behind him and warned, "Whatever you're planning has nothing to do with the Zhuang family. I can't help you either. Leave."
Xu Huo shook his head with a faint smile.
"Before coming here, I visited the Directly Administered District multiple times and tried to breach the mine entrance. But there was one question I couldn't figure out: Old Master Zhuang is dead. No matter how powerful he was in life, it's impossible for him to still control the mine entrance with Spiritual Power after death... Seeing you, I understand. What he left behind might not be his own Spiritual Power, but rather a Mental-Type Instance, just like this place."
Zhuang Shanbai's eyes turned dark and menacing in an instant, but Xu Huo remained unfazed. He pointed behind him at the little boy peeking out. "Old Master Zhuang created a peaceful life for his descendants. Are you going to destroy it in front of the child?"
Without waiting for Zhuang Shanbai's response, he called out to the little boy.
The boy could sense the tension between the adults. He looked at his father and didn't move.
So Xu Huo brought out Digger 114.
The moment the tall, metallic robot landed, the boy's eyes lit up. With a "wow," he ran out and circled the machine.
The tense atmosphere seemed to dissipate. Zhuang Shanbai didn't stop the child but gestured for Xu Huo to come inside and talk.
Xu Huo authorized the robot to the boy, taught him a few simple operations, and then returned to the house.
The furnishings inside hadn't changed. Zhuang Shanbai had lost his appetite for cooking and got straight to the point. "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Since you've guessed that the mine entrance is controlled by an Instance, you should also know that the Instance can't possibly be in the Zhuang family's hands. Otherwise, the Han family would be unable to sleep or eat. How could they have let the Zhuangs leave Fresh Flower City?"
"That's true..." Xu Huo replied lightly, but he believed it was an ownerless Instance ground, and because it had been occupied by the upper echelons of Fresh Flower City all along, it had yet to gain a new holder.
Besides the Han family, several other enterprises jointly held the mining rights. If the Instance ownership were in any one of their hands, the current situation would be impossible to maintain.
But an ownerless Instance, not controlled by the Han family or any single entity, meant that the Instance's interior must have been deliberately modified—when a holder dies, some Instances may retain their original rules and become ownerless, with the game issuing tickets to players. Others may revert to Instance grounds, suitable or unsuitable for becoming new Instances depending on luck.
Old Master Zhuang was a Super Player and a Mental Super Evolver. He must have anticipated the situation after his death and made targeted modifications to the Instance, resulting in the current state where the Instance ground remained but hadn't reached the point of issuing tickets to players.
The Zhuang family must know the inside story, and there had to be other hidden circumstances.
"Would it be convenient to take a look at your father's belongings?" he asked again.
Zhuang Shanbai had already returned to his previous demeanor, though his attitude was cold. "First room on the left. Everything's in there. Look as you please."
With that, he lost all interest in conversation and went back to the kitchen to continue cooking.
Xu Huo entered Zhuang Shanbai's father's room and opened the boxed documents one by one.
There were quite a few news clippings and other information about Old Master Zhuang, but the major events had mostly been written into books. After he became a high-level player, his information was classified, leaving only fragments here.
Moreover, information about Old Master Zhuang's preferences was scarce. It only mentioned that during his school days, he liked a certain home-cooked dish. After becoming a player, he rarely ate in public. On the few occasions he dined with his family, he ate everything equally, showing no discernible preference.
(End of Chapter)