I speedrunned the fairies' game!

Chapter 7 Goodwill
Chen Ran breathed a long sigh of relief.

The Blackwater Fox was defeated, and its Foundation Establishment Demon Core was obtained.

After three months of planning, the mission was accomplished, and the "million-person evacuation" was successfully completed.

"The Qi State's Ningzhou Prefecture, where Tai'an City is located, is the first beginner map in the game. It seems vast with countless side quests, but in reality, apart from 'Tang Family Fortress' and 'Tai'an City,' where the protagonist Tang Haotian was born, most of the side quests are repetitive and tedious, with lackluster rewards—purely the standard features of a canned game."

"And the Xuanwu Treasure Cauldron, one of the four spiritual treasures of Tangjiabao, is already in my hands."

"As for Tai'an City, apart from killing the Blackwater Fox, there are only a bunch of small opportunities like running errands that reward you with silver. You might as well not bother with them."

"It seems it's time to leave Tai'an City and test my skills against the various fairy ladies."

"Next stop—Cihang Sword Sect!"

Chen Ran made up his mind.

Outside the dark room, Zhou Cheng's voice could be faintly heard: "Brother Ran! Madam Tang is here to see you again!"

I just stepped out of the dark room.

A skinny, eighteen or nineteen-year-old beggar boy darted out from the nearby bushes. "Brother Ran, Brother Ran, how is it? Did the Master reprimand you?"

"You'll know when Steward Liu finishes cleaning the floor. By the way, where is Madam Tang?" Chen Ran asked.

Zhou Cheng glanced at the door to the secret room and whispered, "Madam Tang didn't come. I was afraid that the leader would make things difficult for you, so I deliberately used her name."

"However—Madam Tang just sent a letter!"

He added, taking a letter from his pocket.

Chen Ran unfolded the letter and saw that it was written in elegant small seal script: "The wind sways the bamboo shadows, the moon soaks the window screen. The night is quiet, my thoughts of you are like a tide, I long for you to quench my thirst."

"hiss--"

Chen Ran suddenly felt his legs go weak.

This otherworldly older sister's stats are way too overpowered.

This young heartthrob from Earth simply couldn't handle it.

"Okay, I understand. By the way, Cheng, I'm going back to my room to pack some things. I won't be staying at the gang's place tonight."

Chen Ran patted his friend on the shoulder and looked around at the familiar courtyard.

Despite the dilapidated state of the place, the atmosphere among the fellow disciples was still relatively harmonious and warm, as it was their first base after transmigrating.

As the time to leave approached, a sense of reluctance arose within me.

"Brother Ran, are you... planning to leave Tai'an City?" Zhou Cheng asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Chen Ran nodded. "Now that this matter is settled, I must embark on the next stage of my life's journey. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood!" Zhou Cheng laughed. "If any other fellow disciples had said this, I would have certainly laughed at them, but as for you, Brother Ran, I knew long ago that this small city of Tai'an couldn't hold you back!"

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, took off the bundle on his back, and handed it over: "By the way, Brother Ran, this is for you."

"What is this?" Chen Ran did not immediately reach out to take it.

"This is the strange—no, peculiar—robe you wore on the day you descended from the sky, making your heroic debut, Brother Ran!" the young man said with an honest smile. "You haven't been in the Beggars' Sect for long, so wasn't this robe stolen?"

"I saw that Brother Ran was very worried about this, so I searched the surrounding area and finally found it in the mountain stream. However, the contents were gone; it was probably stolen by thieves."

"That's it."

Chen Ran opened the bundle and subconsciously squeezed the pocket.

Sure enough, the phone, which had only one bar of battery left, was dead.

What a waste of those ten gigabytes of his "Chen's Choice"!

Whatever.

This time, it's for real!
With his mind at ease, Chen Ran looked up at Zhou Cheng, his eyes filled with a touch of seriousness: "Brother, thank you for your thoughtfulness."

After a moment's hesitation, he added, "Actually, you can come with me. I plan to travel west to Mount Shu to seek immortality and enlightenment."

"Huh?" Zhou Cheng was stunned for a long time, then smiled and waved his hand: "No need, Brother Ran."

"You're not going?" Chen Ran asked in surprise. "Didn't you say that you most admired those sword immortals who could fly on swords?"

The boy chuckled and said, "Just as you always say, Brother Ran, everyone has their own unique path. Thanks to your enlightenment, I have also seen my own path clearly."

"Oh? What is it?" Chen Ran asked curiously.

Zhou Cheng looked at the Beggars' Sect emblem on the plaque above the main hall entrance. "I will start as a second-class disciple and gradually grow into a respected and benevolent King of Beggars!"

"I will make the Beggars' Sect great again!"

"You have ideals." Chen Ran gave a thumbs up: "In that case, let's each settle down and meet at the top in the future."

After saying that, he hesitated for a moment, then drew a sharp blade from his waist and cut the black fox's "demon core" in two. "You can keep this half."

"Brother Ran, what's this?"

"Deacon Liu will tell you later," Chen Ran said solemnly. "Next, you and Liu Azheng will deliver this item to Chief Chen of the Ningzhou headquarters. This man is a great hero who is fair in rewarding and punishing, and upright in his conduct. This merit is enough for you to be promoted to a four-bag disciple and come into contact with the inner martial arts of the Beggars' Sect. After that, the road ahead is up to you."

"Yes! I understand!" Seeing his brother's serious expression, Zhou Cheng, though he only half understood, took the item and nodded emphatically.

Chen Ran turned around and waved: "See you another day, little brother."

See you again someday, brother!

As he watched that dashing and unrestrained figure walk further and further away, Zhou Cheng's eyes reddened slightly.

He gritted his teeth and finally couldn't help but say, "Brother Ran, we've been brothers for a long time, and I don't want to hide it from you in the end. Actually, my name isn't Zhou Cheng. My real name is Ji Cheng, and I am... I am the eldest grandson of the former emperor of the Great Zhou Empire!"

Chen Ran, who was in the distance, couldn't help but shudder.

"Is he Ji Cheng, the legitimate son of the missing former crown prince and the cousin of Ji Ni Chang, one of the female protagonists and the Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

"I don't remember this side quest being in the game?"

He turned around and looked back, but the boy had disappeared from the thatched bushes.

There are still two hours until midnight, the time agreed upon with Luo Shenggu.

Inside the dilapidated, detached thatched hut.

Chen Ran temporarily put Zhou Cheng's mysterious background aside and focused on packing his luggage.

It was called luggage, but it was mainly silver and spirit stones.

In the past three months, he earned a lot of reward money from Madam Tang through his own abilities, and most of this money was exchanged for spirit stones, the common basic currency in the cultivation world.

The four essentials of spiritual practice are wealth, companions, Dharma, and environment, with wealth being the most important.

The reason we were able to instantly kill the Black Water Fox was thanks to the Fire Separation Talisman, which we purchased at a high price on the black market.

Once you officially begin your cultivation, these spirit stones will be of even greater use.

After sorting and taking inventory.

Chen Ran was already drenched in sweat, and his back ached.

I was thinking of taking a bath, changing my appearance, and saying goodbye to my beggar identity for good—

A creaking sound came from the pile of thatch behind the door.

Immediately afterwards, the soft, alluring moans of a woman could be faintly heard!
"What kind of demoness are you? Show yourself at once!"

Chen Ran drew his bronze short sword from his waist, becoming fully alert.

"Tsk, you heartless little bastard, you can't even recognize my voice?"

A sweet, mature voice came from behind the haystack, carrying a hint of coquettishness and a touch of sweetness.

Immediately, a petite but still voluptuous and beautiful woman emerged, swaying her rounded hips and walking with a graceful gait.

"Mrs. Tang?"

Seeing this elegantly dressed, most noblewoman in Tai'an City appear in his dilapidated beggar's hut, Chen Ran was somewhat dazed: "Wait, what are you doing here?" "Hmph, you heartless little brat, you still have the nerve to say that!"

Madam Tang's lips pursed, and a hint of resentment appeared on her exquisitely made-up, round oval face: "During the day, you were so perfunctory, I could tell something was wrong at a glance! Tell me honestly, are you going to see another woman tonight?"

"puff."

Chen Ran couldn't help but chuckle, and then sighed, "Given my current ragged appearance, among all the women in the world, I'm afraid only my wife would care for me."

"Tch, you're quite perceptive."

Madam Tang gave a soft snort, and the corners of her downturned lips couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Without any disgust, she rolled up the young man's dirty sleeve: "Look at my new clothes today, don't they look good on me?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ran also took a step back and examined the situation carefully.

Today, Madam Tang's makeup was even more stunning than before.

She wore a gorgeous crimson high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with slender shoulders and a slender waist. Although she was petite, her ample bosom made the dress appear full and rounded.

The most outrageous thing was that, as a socialite from one of the local top aristocratic families, she boldly cut the already low-cut neckline even lower, so that from his angle—

The skirt was clearly tailored, and as the sash fluttered, a pair of plump, beautiful legs—not particularly long, but with fair, smooth skin and excellent maintenance—suddenly appeared.

"How is it? Little one, isn't it cute? Say something!" The beautiful woman in her late twenties blinked her bright eyes, full of anticipation.

Her expression resembled that of a young girl experiencing her first love.

Chen Ran said seriously, "I want something beautiful."

"Tsk tsk, I knew you little pervert would like that!"

Madam Tang's beautiful eyes sparkled with joy.

Then, she deliberately lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing her smooth, fleshy thigh, and winked seductively. "Hey, you little rascal, you love looking at legs, so this time I'm not wearing stockings. Take a good look!"

"Huh?" Chen Ran was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled.

The next moment, he squatted down and looked up.

"Madam, you..."

Chen Ran gave a thumbs up: "Awesome."

"Hahahaha!"

Madam Tang laughed so hard she nearly fell over. Then, she reached out her fair hand, brushed aside the messy hair on the young man's forehead, and pinched the back of his handsome face, saying, "Don't get any ideas. I always wear a cloak to cover myself up completely outside. It's only tonight that I dressed up like this to come here under the cover of night. Humph, you little devil got off easy."

Just as she was about to say something, the young man suddenly spoke up: "Madam, I will be leaving Tai'an after tomorrow. Thank you for taking care of me these past three months."

As he spoke, he sincerely cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the other party.

In the game, Madam Tang is portrayed as the daughter of the richest man in Tai'an City, possessing immense wealth, beauty, intelligence, and competence.

If players sneak into her mansion's backyard in the middle of the night, they will see her sitting by the lake sobbing, triggering a quest called "Madam Tang's Heartache".

The task is to help the widowed Mrs. Tang find her beloved pet.

A Hakimi who sneaked out of the house.

After finding the item, you will receive a generous reward of silver coins. Madam Tang will also assign you some errand-running tasks to buy jewelry and pastries.

After that, there was no further interaction with the player.

Lady Tang made her last appearance in the third DLC, "The Empress's Rebellion".

At that time, for some unknown reason, she moved her entire family to the capital and transformed into the richest woman in the Great Zhou Dynasty—Xu Yan.

Chen Ran initially only wanted to get some travel expenses from her, but he never expected that Hakimi would return that very night—

The two hit it off!

now.

Madam Tang lowered her head and remained silent.

In the stillness of the night, only the night wind howled outside the window.

"Is it absolutely necessary to leave?"

After a long silence, she pursed her lips, her voice hoarse.

She had completely lost the playful and flirtatious tone she used to have in front of her lover.

"We have no choice but to leave."

Chen Ran looked directly into her eyes: "Madam, others may not understand me, but you know my ambitions. The Nine Provinces are vast, and I want to see a bigger and wider world."

"So...I'm sorry, madam, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, a pair of delicate, white hands covered his mouth.

"Okay, I know, no more noise."

Madam Tang lowered her beautiful eyes and said softly, "I won't stop you from making your decision; I will only fully support you. So, you—"

Will you still need me in the future? At that time, will you still remember me, an ordinary woman from a remote little town?

As she spoke her last words, she bit her lip lightly, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down her eyelashes.

Non-vegetation.

Even the usually straightforward Chen Ran was somewhat moved: "Don't worry, I remember, but I don't remember the wife of the Prefect of Tai'an City—"

He paused, then said, "She is Xu Yan, the daughter of the wealthy Xu family in Tai'an City."

"Oh, so you know my name?"

Xu Yan opened her eyes wide, and her dim, beautiful eyes instantly lit up, as if sparkling with starlight.

Since becoming widowed, she has always been addressed as Madam Tang.

Over time, even she herself forgot her real name.

Now, hearing the man I like call me by my real name, I feel a unique flutter in my heart!
Suddenly, she could no longer care about anything else. She gently cupped the young man's cheeks in her hands and said, "Then I'll tell you now, my marriage to the Prefect was a sham. The Xu and Tang families are old friends. We were both forced into this situation, so we agreed to just put on an act and didn't even have a wedding ceremony."

"Besides, my deceased husband also had someone he loved, and that person was a man. Do you believe that?"

"?"

Chen Ran's body trembled.

Wait, how come there's Sichuan Opera in another world?
"Madam, you..."

"Shut up." The petite yet voluptuous Miss Xu stood on tiptoe, cupping the young man's chin: "Just tell me, do you believe me or not?"

Meeting his gaze, Chen Ran replied without hesitation, "I believe you—"

The word "ah" hadn't been fully uttered yet.

A warm, moist touch came from my lips.

That rosy, charming oval face was now almost within reach.

She actually volunteered to take the lead.

As Chen Ran responded, he put his arm around the waist of the mature beauty.

In a hazy state.

His gaze inadvertently drifted downwards, and he saw his own dirty, large hand resting on the other person's waist.

At this moment, compared to the expensive and luxurious brocade around the noblewoman's waist, a sense of shame and desecration arose spontaneously.
"Wait, madam, let me tidy myself up so you can see the real me."

"No, I like you even when you're all sloppy—"

Chen Ran: o_O
(End of this chapter)