For example, Wang Pengpai had already crossed the line when heâd snuck into the Extremely Dangerous-level Intoxicating Xiangxi tour, and the Maoshan Sectâs sealed talismans he had carried had been used to seal his murderous intent by stacking layer after layer of talismans. These talismans had forcibly suppressed his abilities to High-rank. And An Xuefeng, who was able to enter the Difficult-level tour this time, had turned into a snow leopard with no human consciousness at all. It was actually very dangerous to enter lower level tours.
Therefore, big tour parties set up their own tour groups and actively recruited talented newcomers, just to extend their âtentaclesâ of exploration to the middle and low level tours. One had to know that it was possible to obtain clues in middle and low level tours. For example, the videotapes related to the address of the Shambala Cave obtained by Dream Chaser had accidentally been obtained by a tourist who had received his help during a Dangerous-level tour.
But if you wanted to harvest this kind of clue from the middle and low level tours, the only way was to complete the branch task attractions, and this kind of thing was too difficult for the middle and low-level tourists. This was why Wei Xun had received the attention of countless newcomers scouts of big tour parties.
Newcomer! Extraordinary talent! The first time this newcomer had entered the scenic spot, he had completed the first part of the branch scenic spot and obtained a gold-plated, silver-inlaid skull and a wet corpse with a golden eagle head! Moreover, Wei Xun was not the kind of person who needed to rely on his teammates and could act alone!
Wei Xun was a pure newcomer, and a super rare talent. Although with his current strength, he was still weak, it was only a matter of time before he reached the top. And he could at least go through several Difficult-level and Dangerous-level tours before ascending to the top. If he could complete a few branch scenic spots every time, wouldnât he be a big treasure vault!
In fact, similar to how large tour parties paid attention to newcomers, naturally there were people in the tour guide alliances who paid attention to newcomer tour guides. Their modus operandi towards newcomer tour guides was the same as how large tour parties scouted newcomer tourists. But to be honest, compared to newcomer tourists, newcomer tour guides found it hard to thrive.
The ones chosen to be tour guides were people who were dying. It stood to reason that when they entered a tour, they would try their best to open up new scenic spots and earn points to top up their countdown to death. However, the deaths of their tourists allowed the tour guides to earn points.
Would you go all out to prolong your life, or let strangers die to prolong your life?
Most of the tour guides who had kind intentions and could not bear to oppress tourists, and who went to explore on their own, died.
On the contrary, tour guides who led comfortable lives by oppressing tourists had a tendency to survive more. Innately, the Travel Services set a high status and a more favorable environment for tour guides. Unlike the tourists who were oppressed by both the tour guide and the tours, the tour guides were even less willing to take risks.
After all, opening up new scenic spots meant facing danger. Those new tour guides had weak titles, few props, and few points. If you wanted to improve your strength, you could only reduce your countdown to death and go all out. However, they had originally gone to the Travel Services to top up their countdown to death.
Now, in order to get points, one had to take the initiative to self-harm to reduce oneâs countdown to death and take risks. Wasnât this putting the cart before the horse?
People were selfish in the face of death. If IV-1 was really fearless about death and failed the test of survival, he would not have become a reserve tour guide at all.
As long as those who had a strong desire to survive lived in this deformed environment, sooner or later they would be forced to die or degenerate into something they didnât want to become, and they would join forces with those in the darkness.
IV-1 was a rare low-level tour guide who was very hardworking and ambitious, so he could attract the attention of some tour guide alliances. It could be said that if he could really open up a new scenic spot this time, there would definitely be many big tour guide alliances extending a hand of friendship to him.
In fact, even though Wei Xun had toyed with him from beginning to end, IV-1 âs desperate attempt to hook the black stone jade skull with his claws in such a critical situation received the approval of some big tour guides.
IV-1 was ruthless enough, to both tourists and himself. A tour guide who was ruthless enough would have a bright future, and a person who was greedy and ambitious enough was easy to control.
If it hadnât been for IV-1, who had been lucky enough obtain a gold box, stupidly handing it over to the descendant of the eagle flutist, there would have been more tour guides who âappreciatedâ IV-1.
âDarling, donât you think this IV-1 is really stupid?â
A glamorous woman in a purple cloak lifted the chin of the maid next to her, and she laughed so much that her body trembled. She was overjoyed.
âHe actually dared to show the gold box to the descendant of the eagle flute? Seeing that after the descendant of the eagle flutist saw IV-1âs face, he didnât even let him say anything, and immediately drove him away, I can assume this IV-1 is already on his assassination list.â
She scratched the maidâs chin like the maid was a cat. The woman was reclining on the sofa, wantonly stretching her perfectly proportioned body and supporting her head with her hands. Her full lips curled up, and with a charming smile, she said, âOr IV-1 did this because he had other motives. When I saw him act, I wanted to bring him back to be a comedian. In ordinary times he can keep me entertained, and he can be partners with you, II-49.â
â49, am I right?â the glamorous woman asked with a chuckle.
In her palace-like house, in addition to many maids personally serving her, there were also many dolls in different poses and costumes standing in the distance. These dolls were either sitting or standing, and their faces were exquisite and lifelike. They were posed in various poses, in groups of three or five.
The three dolls on the left were dressed in Western medieval dresses, sitting around a small pure white table, and holding tea cups in their hands, as if they were enjoying afternoon tea. On the right side were dolls dressed up as several sailors, who were carrying various items as if they were about to sail off into the sea. The dolls were so numerous that they almost filled the house, and it was impossible to see the end of the house at a glance.
The dolls were different from the maids who served by her side, whose movements were natural, but their eyes dull. Those puppets did not move at all, like sculptures, but their eyes were alive, and every now and then, their eyes revealed how deadly numb they were.
âYour esteemed self is right. Given my ability, I can only amuse your esteemed self.â
The hair of all the puppets made a sound at the same time, and the male voice tried to be respectful, but it was difficult to hide his pain. His body had mutated into a monster, and he had forcibly been divided into hundreds of wigs to be used by the dolls. This was not only a physical torture for the hair ghost II-49, but also a blow to his self-esteem. He felt that his esteem had gotten pulled down so low that it was as lowly as dust.
However, he had screwed up two tasks handed to him in a row, so it was no wonder that he was punished.
âActually, Iâm very curious. 49, how did you pretend so well that I only just found out that youâre a trash who canât amount to much?â
The woman was deeply puzzled and said, âIn the Shepherd Alliance, you can be regarded as someone whom I used lots of resources to train, but look at yourself. You canât compare with III-9, and you canât find the whereabouts of III-250. Could it be that I, Puppeteer, have really lost my mind? Are you really only worthy of giving my dolls wigs?â
III-9 had opened up a new scenic spot of the 30th Parallel North and became famous in one swoop. In contrast, II-49, who was extremely embarrassed and had almost lost his life in Intoxicating Xiangxi, was completely shameful.
The wigs didnât dare to speak, and every strand of hair trembled with fear, as if this beautiful woman was the most terrifying devil.
âItâs almost the year-end celebration, and itâs time to see Black Widow again. I heard that Devil Businessman, the newcomer of the Rising Star Tour Guide Leaderboard in the Western region, has defected to her. During the year-end celebration, itâs estimated that heâll stand behind Black WidowââSince Devil Businessman will be standing behind her, I want III-250 to stand behind me. Thatâs not too much to ask for, is it?â
Puppeteer sullenly added, âFate Jester has refused to participate in the year-end ceremony for several years, and Dream Chaser isnât friendly. As a I-ranked tour guide in the Eastern region, I have to get some face for us no matter what. And I canât lose face, right?â
Puppeteer acted coquettish, playing with her fingernails as she chatted, âIf youâre really trash, then I can only let you kill Wei Xun. The strongest newcomer, eh? I heard that many large tour parties want to recruit him, but Iâve developed a liking for his head. Itâs fucking good looking. Even if it was placed on my doll, it wouldnât seem too out of place.â
âSighâââ
Puppeteer sighed and said earnestly, âI am kind enough to you. At first, I thought that I would have a tour guide standing behind me who could make it to the Return Leaderboard, but unfortunately you lost to III-9. Later, I thought that III-250 could stand behind me, but unfortunately, you couldnât find III-250. Now I just want Wei Xun to be my new puppetââII-49, can you do it?â
âI guarantee that I will complete the task!â
II-49 spoke decisively, and every strand of hair on top of the puppets was filled with determination.
âThatâs good.â
Puppeteer hooked her long fingers that were as white as jade, and the wigs on the top of the puppetâs heads flew up and gathered together, forming a tangle of thousands of hair strands that kept squirming and screeching. The hairs kept emitting ear-screeching sounds like a huge monster. Just looking at it could make one lose SAN. She smashed a bottle of SAN recovery potion, and the squirming hair monster finally returned to human form.
âI want you to get ahead of that tour party, infiltrate that tour, and bring me the head of that lad, Wei Xun.â
Puppeteer giggled and applauded softly. âIf you canât do this, then you can simply become a wig for IV-1, and during the year-end celebration, the two of you will debut as comedians together and let everyone have a good time. That would be your only value.â
Hearing her say this, II-49 shivered, and his sallow face turned pale. He didnât dare to say more, lowering his head and clasping his fists at Puppeteer, and hurriedly disappeared. Moments before leaving the virtual hall, II-49 glanced at the livestream screen, and saw that Wei Xun, who had left the team, had found an intact secret passageway leading to the ancient Xiangxiong palace in the Ruins of Xiangxiong Kingdom.
.
Back to when IV-1 was still staring at Yue Chenghua and the others eating fish for breakfast.
At that time, Wei Xun had already left the team. As nimble as a blue sheep, he climbed the steep mountain with the snow leopard, and disappeared from the sight of the other tourists in an instant.
Xiangxiong Kingdom was built on Qianzong Mountain, which was in the Dago mountain range. The road to the ruins wrapped around the mountain. Because there were a large number of rock piles blocking the road, one would have to circle around them and walk a longer distance. One had to walk more than 15 kilometers of mountain roads to reach Qianzong Mountain, and then walk 5 kilometers up the mountain to the main location of the Ruins of the Xiangxiong Kingdom.
The mountain road was rugged, and all the tourists had to carry their luggage. It took at least two hours to walk 20 kilometers, and there was no time to rest. They were already moving at the speed the Red Army had used when they had seized the Dadu River (10 kilometers per hour). However, the tourists had their own titles, and those selected by the Travel Services were also physically fit. As long as there was no infighting, the tourists helped each other and headed out early, they would be able to walk to the end.
However, Wei Xun didnât have this problem. He and the snow leopard took a shortcut together. The snow leopard opened up a path and chose a relatively safe road. No animals dared to approach them. Wei Xun was possessed by the fox fairy, and he always paid attention to the movements of the snow leopard when he was climbing, while pondering carefully in his heart.
It would really be good to transform into a snow leopard, and Wei Xun also cherished this rare opportunity to get along with a wild snow leopard. If he couldnât grasp the opportunity this time, Wei Xun was afraid that he would have to go to the zoo if he wanted to see a snow leopard.
The Tibetan mountains were harsh. Although traces of commercialization had grown in recent years, there were few traces of modern humans in such large mountains in northern Tibet, especially since the snow leopard was leading the way. Basically, this couldnât be considered a âpath,â because behind it was a drop of several hundred meters. Looking down from the cliff, one would feel dizzy. There was not much vegetation on the mountain and by observing the surroundings, one could tell that they were rather desolate.