ARTT Chapter 18

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Chapter 18 — Take Me Home!
I had originally thought that this was a gaming novel, who would have thought that it was a farming one!

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Edited by Planetes

 

 

 

“What? You’re saying that Li Zheng accepted Ji Meng’s little friend as his disciple?”

Dou Kou was extremely doubtful about the news brought back by the owner of the gorilla.

Fortunately, there were screenshots as proof. However, even if he did not have any physical evidence, 360˚ images of Li Zheng with a new title on top of his head had been captured and spread throughout the land. Dou Kou only had to open the main page of his social account, and he would be buried under mountains of discussion.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Dou Kou paced as he thought. “Both Ji Meng and Li Zheng are treating him especially well. This kiddo, other than being extremely aggravating, could there be something else rather special about him?”

 

 

His lackeys all looked down, not saying a word. Looking at them, Dou Kou got angry. “Don’t all stand there like fools, help to think about it!”

Everyone hurriedly threw out nonsensical suggestions.

“He’s especially beautiful?”

“Especially handsome?”

“Especially cute?”

There was also someone who gave a feeble answer. “For two benefactors to duke it out over him, people who are not in the know would have thought that he has a pink name.”

A pink name? An idea flashed through Dou Kou’s head. “Xinshan had released an announcement saying that a newcomer who can put on the collar has appeared. Could it be this kiddo?”

The more Dou Kou thought about it, the more reasonable he thought his speculation was. “They said that to protect their privacy, they would not announce the player’s identity. However, who is Ji Meng? He’s the nephew of Ji Taihuan, and if they say that he doesn’t have any inside information, who would believe it?”

Dou Kou sneered. “And he even shamelessly brags about how Xinshan treats all players equally. He had long learnt about the identity of this new player, and yet he’s still putting on a show for me, treating me like a monkey!”

 

 

 

The lackeys all quickly nodded their heads in agreement. “Clan Leader made a very logical deduction! However, how did Li Zheng find out?”

“Li Zheng? Li Zheng… He definitely has inside information as well. Why else could his face be edited to look so perfect?”

Lackey A: (quietly) It’s confirmed, Clan Leader is a fan of Li Zheng’s face.

Lackey B: Shh—

Other people had long made their moves, while he was still in the dark. Not only did he lose right at the starting line, he was even on the wrong path. If not for his intelligence, finding out the flaw in time, he might have ended up running a marathon!

Dou Kou was indignant. “What a Xinshan, with no spirit for fair competition! I’m going to make my complaints! I’m going to send them a lawyer’s letter!”

“Complain! Send a lawyer’s letter!” Everyone hurriedly cheered along brainlessly.

 

 

Again, someone spoke feebly. “Now that we know, should we send some people to catch him?”

“Nonsense!” Dou Kou scolded him. “If a pink name does not agree, even if we truss him up, there’s no use!”

The lackeys nodded. “The most important thing now is to repair the Clan Leader’s image in the kiddo’s eyes. The correct thing to do now is to improve their relationship!”

Dou Kou recalled the limited interactions he had with Ling Xiaolu. “Hold on, did I bring a group of people to obstruct him before?”

The lackeys nodded.

“Did I threaten him before as well?”

The lackeys nodded.

Lackey A: “You even put a bounty on him.”

Lackey B elbowed him.

Dou Kou glared fiercely.

Lackey A: OxO

The owner of the gorilla took in a deep breath. He wanted to say something, but after a moment, he decided to hold his words back.

So as not to stifle himself to death, he could only mutter in his heart. You even instructed the entire clan to kill him each time we saw him, to let him experience the cruelty of the virtual words as soon as possible. If there really was a meter to measure relationship, I’m afraid you have long sunk all the way down to the red.

 

In a temper, Dou Kou asked, “Does anyone know where the kiddo is now?”

The owner of the gorilla: “He left with Li Zheng. He’s probably been taken back to Beimang.”

Dou Kou braced himself. “Go, go prepare a deposit!”

The lackeys: ?

“No, that’s wrong, prepare a betrothal gift!”

The lackeys: ???

“That’s not right too… Who cares what it is now, prepare them all! Prepare many luxurious gifts, and follow me to Beimang to look for the kiddo and improve my relationship!”

 

 

In snow-covered Beimang.

Standing in the courtyard, dressed only in thin clothes, Ling Xiaolu asked, “Shifu, is your snow fake? I don’t feel the slightest bit cold.”

Li Zheng was seated elegantly in the pavilion, away from the snow. “Go to your sensory settings, adjust the environment sensitivity to the highest.”

Ling Xiaolu: ?

There was even such an advanced setting?

From the system settings, Ling Xiaolu found the sensory setting, and adjusted the environment sensitivity to the highest.

Li Zheng saw that Ling Xiaolu had fallen silent after the adjustment. “How does it feel?”

Ling Xiaolu was so cold that his teeth were chattering. He wanted to change the setting back, but his hands were frozen to the point where they could not move. “… Shifu… Cold…”

 

 

 

With a wave of Li Zheng’s hand, a pure white fur cloak settled directly on Ling Xiaolu’s shoulders.

“Thank you, Shifu.” After Ling Xiaolu warmed up, he adjusted the setting to something more suited to him. Now, he could experience the winter without becoming a frozen statue.

He looked down at the cloak Li Zheng had tossed onto him. “Do samoyeds shed so much fur?” It was even enough to make a cape…

The white wolf lying by the pavilion: …

“Anyway, Shifu, do I really have to really farm this entire plot of land?” The courtyards of benefactors were really big. Although there were also various garden decorations around, from what Ling Xiaolu could see, there were at least ten other similar sized plots of land like this empty space in front of him.”

“Mn.” Li Zheng was actually making a pot of tea in this wintery snow. “For now, I do not have anything else for you to do.”

Ling Xiaolu: … It’s fine even if there’s nothing to do, really!

 

 

“Shifu, why aren’t you farming your own courtyard?” Ling Xiaolu blinked as he asked the question with feigned innocence.

Li Zheng’s response came quickly and lightly. “It’s troublesome.”

This is the first time Ling Xiaolu had seen someone make laziness sound so refined and novel! The key thing was, the image of this person making tea was very beautiful, and even when he said the word “troublesome”, the aura he gave off was still so elegant. It really made one angry, yet there was no way he could beat Li Zheng in a fight, nor could he bear to scold him. There was a saying that if you have a trick up your sleeve, use it; if not, just await your death. Now, Ling Xiaolu really wanted to just die.

“Then, I won’t find it troublesome?” Ling Xiaolu grumbled.

Li Zheng lifted his lids. “I suddenly recall that I haven’t made an announcement after accepting a disciple.”

Ling Xiaolu: ???

“Should I make an announcement on my main page, so that people will take it more seriously? However, I don’t have any images captured during the occasion, other than the video of you getting drunk… It seems a little long, I should break it up into a few sections before uploading it.”

Ling Xiaolu: ?????

 

 

Why was this person like this? It was enough that he had taken video evidence of his embarrassing past, now, he was even taking it out to blackmail him with it?

With a face full of grievance, Ling Xiaolu asked, “Shifu, does anyone in this game know that you’re actually like this?”

Li Zheng remained composed as he drank his tea. “What exactly am I like?”

“…” Ling Xiaolu forced out, “A person who is the same both on the outside and inside!”

Li Zheng blew gently across his tea. Ling Xiaolu’s temper had dissipated, and could only plant the seeds, acknowledging his fate. While scattering the seeds, he muttered to himself, venting his emotions.

“I had originally thought that this was a gaming novel, who would have thought that it was a farming one!”

 

 

Under Li Zheng’s “dear” attention, Ling Xiaolu finished planting the seeds throughout the entire courtyard. When he went to check upon the first plot of land he started farming, there were actually tiny sprouts stubbornly making their way up through the snow.

A feeling of accomplishment from his labour welled up within him. “Shifu, I realise that farming is actually quite meaningful!” No wonder there were so many people who chose to do this sort of thing as their livelihood in the game.

If Li Zheng did not keep watching him, giving him immense psychological pressure, it would have been even better!

“Then I’ll leave it to you from now on.”

Ling Xiaolu: No wait what?

 

 

Borrowing the action of kneeling down to observe the growth of the plants, Ling Xiaolu sneakily pinched his earlobe.

 

Lu Bi: Ling Long, are you there?

Ling Long: I’m next to you!

 

Knowing that Ling Long was also being “watched” along with him, Ling Xiaolu felt a lot better.

Lu Bi: Quick, tell me! In the video, what exactly did my shifu ask at the end?!

 

Ling Long: …

Ling Long was silent.

Ling Long: You really have to know?

Lu Bi: I must! If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to sleep nor eat!

 

 

[Ling Long’s Recollections]

After Ling Xiaolu was done with his drunken fit, he hugged the white wolf tightly, refusing to let go. Looking rather groggy, it seemed as though he was about to fall asleep.

Li Zheng, who suddenly drew closer, scared Ling Long into nearly doing something that was out of the ability of the actions available in the system.

“Lu Bi.”

“Mn.” Half asleep, Ling Xiaolu mumbled. According to others, in such a situation, people would be the most unguarded, and whatever they were asked, they would respond truthfully.

“I’ll like to know…”

Li Zheng remembered that there was a camera pointing at them, and raised his hand to turn the recording function off.

“Who exactly are you?”

 

 

Ling Long’s heart was almost about to leap out from his throat. The semi-conscious Ling Xiaolu, after hearing this question, squinted and started laughing.

“That’s right, I’m that person you’re looking for…”

Ling Long’s heart stopped.

“… The man who can save the galaxy!”

Li Zheng: …

Ling Long: ….

[Ling Long’s Recollections End Here]

 

 

 

After hearing Ling Long’s recollections, Ling Xiaolu expressed: “…………”

At this moment, he could not decide. Was it better to have revealed the truth while drunk, or was it better to have embarrassed himself completely while drunk.

 

Lu Bi: But I don’t understand. How did he start suspecting me?

Ling Long: Do I have to even say it out? There’s only one possibility!

Ling Long and Lu Bi: Ji Meng!

 

The two of them simultaneously announced the answer.

 

 

Just now, when Ling Long revealed the truth of that night, Ling Xiaolu had already thought about it. If not for Ji Meng chasing him persistently (to beat him), how could Li Zheng have suspected an ordinary new player who was just passing by?

Li Zheng definitely must have thought that Ji Meng had insider information, and so kept testing Ling Xiaolu repeatedly. Thinking about it, Ling Xiaolu even felt wronged on behalf of Xinshan. This company had so many employees, and kept the secret so well, even hiding it from the relatives of their CEO. However, this relative of the CEO… was just too lonely!

However, although the culprit of this whole matter was Ji Meng, the person Ling Xiaolu missed the most now was still him.

 

 

 

Lu Bi: Wah wah wah, I shouldn’t have said those words in the morning! I really want to return to Dongye now!

Ling Long: You’re not afraid of Ji Meng anymore?

Lu Bi: I’ve discovered that being with Ji Meng is instead the safest option I can take. His intelligence is at most twice of two Leilulus.

 

Ling Xiaolu pulled a long face.

 

Lu Bi: Why did I have to argue with Ji Meng. With him, there’s not even a single bit of psychological pressure. Even if I finish the entire cabinet of pet food, he still won’t suspect a thing.

Lu Bi: However, look at my shifu, the difference between his intelligence and Ji Meng’s is at least ten thousand Leilulus! I keep feeling that he’s about to see through me any second!

Ling Long: To tell you the truth, I have the exact same sentiment as well. Especially when you were chasing after me, screaming “GM” the entire time, I felt that he was starting to suspect me as well… Ahh!! He’s looking at me again!!! So scary!!! QAQ!

 

 

The first plot of land had matured, and among the green leaves, there were red berries.

Pretending to be stretching, Ling Xiaolu pushed away his chatbox with Ling Long. “Shifu, what is this?”

“Pet food,” Li Zhen replied simply.

Ling Xiaolu scorned internally. What pet food was this? One look and he could tell it was poisonous, it sure wouldn’t taste good!

Li Zheng’s snake slithered out from his sleeve, winding its way on the ground. Following up Ling Xiaolu’s leg, it climbed onto his waist, and its long, red tongue flickered out.

Ling Xiaolu: … Although I’m not that afraid of snakes, it’s obvious that you’re trying to scare me!”

 

 

Ling Xiaolu picked a berry and fed it to the snake. Once the snake ate it, it crawled away, satisfied.

Just look at other people’s pet. Its appetite was at most 10% of Leilulu’s.

Ling Xiaolu suddenly felt that it was not a big deal to let Li Zheng know his true identity. Not only was he worse at fighting, his appetite was also bigger! There had to be something wrong with Li Zheng’s brain if he did not want the snake but him.

“Shifu, are we going to harvest everything here?” Ling Xiaolu asked.

“Yes.”

Ling Xiaolu’s actions were deft, and swiftly harvested everything. Other than a rich harvest of berries, there were even a few surprises, which were seeds labelled as “???”.

“What seeds are these? Can I plant them?”

“No.” Li Zheng refuted him resolutely.

Ling Xiaolu: whines.

 

 

“Things will grow depending on your luck. If you’re unlucky, the entire courtyard would be destroyed.”

How scary. “Then, can you give them to me?”

Li Zheng nodded slightly. He had agreed.

Ling Xiaolu kept the seeds. Then, he heard the sound of people outside the door, and there was not only one.

Ling Xiaolu was curious. “Shifu, you have guests?”

Li Zheng was also secretly surprised.

“Go take a look.”

 

 

 

The two of them went to the gate, only to discover that outside were the members of Ri-Dou-Culing You. They stood in two orderly rows, and right at the front was the benefactor, Dou Kou.

“Papa Dou, you’re too much!” Ling Xiaolu cried out in alarm. “You’ve actually brought along so many people to fight my shifu?”

“What does this have to do with your shifu?” Dou Kou frowned. “Kiddo, I’m here to look for you.”

Ling Xiaolu took half a step back. “You want to kidnap me right in front of my shifu’s eyes? That’s even more impossible!”

 

 

It was useless for Dou Kou to say any more. He clapped his hands together, and the two rows of lackeys bowed neatly together. “Hello, kiddo!”

Kiddo Lu: ???

The two lackeys standing at the back brought over an exquisite box respectfully. Upon opening it, they saw that it was filled with gold, armour and tools. Right on top was even a greatsword.

“These can be considered a gift for you for our first meeting,” Dou Kou spoke confidently. He believed that after seeing this, his favourability rating in anyone’s eyes would definitely shoot right to the top.

Ling Xiaolu thought that there was something wrong with his ears. “These are for me?”

“Just take it as a compensation and an apology for my previous rudeness.”

 

 

Ling Xiaolu’s senses were on alert. “I don’t want them, take them back.”

Dou Kou gave an understanding smile. “Is it too little?”

Li Zheng, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up, his tone icy. “Didn’t you hear him? My tu’er wants you to take them back.”

Towards Li Zheng, Dou Kou did not bother smiling. “Even if you’re very good looking, this matter has nothing to do with you.”

The lackeys: … Clan Leader, you didn’t have to mention the first half of the sentence.

With a radiant face, Dou Kou again turned back to Ling Xiaolu. “I do admire some moderate reservedness in a person.”

Screw you and your reservedness! Who’s being reserved with you! Ling Xiaolu really wanted to examine if Papa Dou’s brains had turned foolish from the King Kong’s kick!

 

 

“I-I… I’ll like to…” When Ji Meng came back online, he was still practising. However, upon opening the friends panel, he completely forgot what he was practising.

Why did this fellow run off to Beimang again?!!

 

 

Trapped between Dou Kou and Li Zheng, Ling Xiaolu suddenly heard a familiar roar.

“Lu Bi!”

Dressed in black and gold armour, Ji Meng was riding his fire-spewing dragon, arriving in an instant with a ferocious aura.

Fiercely, he jumped down from his mount, and on his face was written clearly, “Everyone here owes me money!”

“Why did you come looking for this fellow again?!” He shouted at Ling Xiaolu angrily.

Turning around, he saw that Dou Kou was there as well. “And you too?!”

 

 

Li Xiaolu was stunned by Ji Meng’s awe-inspiring entrance for a few seconds. His expression gradually turned aggrieved, and suddenly, it felt as though he was about to tear up. “Hubby!”

“W-what?” Ji Meng was flustered by Ling Xiaolu, who had suddenly pounced on him. His accusatory attitude dissipated. Feeling awkward, he did not know where he should place his limbs.

Ling Xiaolu lunged over, throwing his arms around Ji Meng’s neck. Tears were welling up in his eyes, and he looked very wronged. “Hubby, take me home!”

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