CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: WHY DID YOU GO AND CONFRONT CAO CAO BY YOURSELF...

EDITOR: DRAGON BOAT TRANSLATION

「Autumn, 193. Xuzhou.」

Ren Woxing and Ren Feifan were still employing "run-hit-run" tactics against a Ghost General troop that numbered over eighty demons. However, the enemy now also had "Bow Ghosts" capable of attacking from a distance and "Rider Ghosts" with exceptionally quick Movement Speeds, making the battle quite challenging.

As the game progressed, the combat power of the demons seemed to be increasing. Previously, the lowest-tier demons all had an Attack of 1 and a Defense of 0, considered trash. But after advancing to the year 194, while the weakest still had 1 Attack and 0 Defense, many now boasted 2 Attack and 1 Defense.

With the enemy’s strength increasing, the rewards in Spirit Crystals naturally rose as well. A quarterly Expedition could bring in at least 200 Spirit Crystals.

However, earning a lot isn’t much of a skill; the real skill is spending it quickly. Since the birth of Ren Xiaobai and the seclusion of the Taibai Plains Spirit, the Ren Family had not found another spirit they could engage in Spiritual Exchange with.

It wasn’t until 3:00 a.m., while playing in a dazed state, that Ren Suo accidentally clicked "Scout" when attempting to perform a "Cultivation" action.

In "Cultivation" actions, unless all Action Points were used for the same Attribute, the cultivation directions were randomly distributed among family members. For example, if Ren Suo selected 2 points for Attack and 1 for Scouting, it was possible for Ren Woxing to train Scouting, or for one of the other two to do so.

Therefore, unless Ren Suo chose to completely neglect other abilities and have the entire family focus on one direction, he couldn’t control who cultivated what.

Ren Suo had always wanted to add +1 Management to Ren Feifan so he could stay behind to manage the home. This would allow him to send Ren Woxing and Ren Changsheng, the two ranged DPS, to grind a wave of demons.

But the reality was that Ren Changsheng’s Management Attribute kept increasing, while Ren Feifan’s remained at 0—like the gap between a poor student and a top student.

After selecting to cultivate Scouting, Ren Woxing gained a +1.3 Scouting Attribute. The following quarter, when Ren Suo sent Ren Woxing and Ren Feifan to grind at Hulao Pass, the system suddenly displayed a prompt:

"Ren Woxing notices a mysterious aura to the northeast. Do you wish to explore?"

A new point suddenly appeared on the large map. Ren Suo immediately perked up and sent the Ren Family Brothers to investigate.

There, in the middle of a lake, they encountered the Spirit of the Lake, Lingbo.

Lingbo said, "Noble Immortal, powerful demons have been lingering nearby. With my insufficient cultivation as a lake spirit, I struggle to contend against them. May I ask for your help to drive them away and restore peace to the surroundings?"

Then, Dongjun to the northeast lit up, indicating it as a new destination for Expeditions. It also added a piece of information: "Contains a small number of demons (Easy)."

Only then did Ren Suo realize the apparently useless Scouting Attribute actually served such a purpose: it not only increased the odds of encountering anomalies on the large map but also ensured new Expedition points came with a difficulty description.

After returning from the Expedition, Lingbo Lake Spirit also appeared on the family hall’s Spiritual Exchange list, demanding 1,000 Spirit Crystals for the exchange—it was astronomically expensive.

And so, Ren Suo gained a clear understanding of the specific meanings of the six Attributes.

Attack: When battling demons, if Attack is greater than Defense, it’s an instant kill. If Attack is less than or equal to Defense, it inflicts damage equal to (Defense - Attack), weakening the enemy’s defensive power. For example, if Ren Woxing’s Attack is 1 and a Ghost General’s Defense is 3, one round of attacks would reduce the Ghost General’s Defense to 2.

Defense: This is effectively the Life Value of the Ren Family Cultivators during battle. Everything is fine until it drops to 0. After each battle, the Defense Attribute automatically resets.

Scouting: Probes enemy data and increases the chance of encountering anomalies.

Move: During battle, it determines how far a character can move in one turn. On the large map, it dictates the farthest distance the Ren Family Cultivators can reach. Indeed, if the target location is too far, the Cultivators on Expedition might not be able to return within a quarter.

Healing: During battle, it allows for the direct restoration of lost Defense and can even save dying kin. In daily life, it reduces the mortality rate of villagers.

Management: All affairs outside of combat are related to this Attribute.

Up to this point, Ren Suo felt very good about the game.

It was complex but not difficult to understand, fun, and offered many variations. Placing a game about family management and slaying monsters and demons against the backdrop of the Three Kingdoms was indeed very interesting.

Most places where demons appeared were historically significant battlefields with heavy casualties. Examples included Hulao Pass, where the coalition of eighteen lords fought Dong Zhuo. In Yanzhou, remnants of the Yellow Turbans severely defeated the official army. Xuzhou was the site of Cao Cao’s "Fengxiao Massacre."

Each location required the Ren Family Brothers to spend several quarters to resolve. Along the way, they encountered bandits, Yellow Turban Remnants, and lonely ghosts. In this chaotic world where Spirit Veins had revived, filled with venomous demons and treacherous human hearts, only Cultivators like the Ren Family Brothers could journey everywhere, slaying demons and ghosts.

"Let’s go to bed after finishing this area," Ren Suo said as he looked out at the already bright sky, feeling a sudden urge to equip "Unlimited Energy" and continue playing.

But after touching his hair, Ren Suo decided it was best not to do something that would upset both his liver and his hair.

Finally, after killing the big boss, the "Six-Armed Corpse Demon," the game displayed the battle summary:

"Battle over: After scouring the battlefield, you obtain 3 intact Straight Swords, 8 intact spears, 1 superior long sword, 120 bundles of Gold and Silver, and 250 Spirit Crystals."

However, at that moment, Ren Feifan suddenly spoke, "Big Brother, why... why were many of these demons just ordinary people in life?"

Ren Woxing explained, "When they died with great resentment and resonated with the Spirit Vein, they transformed into demons. Isn’t that quite normal? From the Inheritance Knowledge, you should also understand the distinctions within ’Demons and Ghosts’: some are animals turned bloodthirsty, others are humans fallen to depravity, Ghosts are born from the resentment of the dead, and Strange Creatures are mutations of Spiritual Energy."

Ren Feifan said, "I know... But these people were just commoners, like Xiao Cui, honestly farming the land. Why... why must they suffer such a fate, to be slaughtered and die with immense resentment!? Why did Cao Cao do this?"

Ren Woxing replied, "A massacre can terrify the enemy into submission. It also serves to vent the soldiers’ stress and Cao Cao’s anger. It’s said that Cao Cao’s father was killed in Xuzhou, so this military campaign was justified as Fengxiao’s expedition to avenge him."

Ren Feifan asked, "...So, is it all Cao Cao’s fault?"

Ren Woxing said, "You could say that... What’s wrong with you?"

Ren Feifan muttered, "Nothing..."

It’s clear Ren Feifan is up to something! Ren Suo frowned as he watched.

Sure enough, the next second the game flashed a prompt: "Ren Feifan has left the party."

「Winter, 193.」

In the family hall, Ren Feifan was absent. Ren Changsheng said, "Family Head, I have no idea where Third Brother has gone... Please instruct us on the plans for this quarter."

Ren Feifan is our only close-combat Cultivator, practically an indispensable tank, especially with demons getting stronger. How are we supposed to fight now that he’s gone? Ren Suo nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Fortunately, by the spring of 194, Ren Feifan returned. However, his hair had turned as white as that of a man in his sixties or seventies. His expression was tired, and he looked as if he were in his final years.

Ren Feifan said, "Big Brother, Second Brother... I’m back."

Ren Suo checked Ren Feifan’s Attributes and saw that his Lifespan had dropped to 18 years!

But he’s already 18 this year!

Thankfully, the game didn’t intend to leave Players completely in the dark. Ren Changsheng asked in shock, "Third Brother... How did you end up like this?"

Ren Feifan replied, "I went to kill Cao Cao and failed. Not only does he have Geniuses around him who have a rudimentary understanding of Spiritual Energy, but most importantly, when I tried to harm him, my body would just stiffen up... I tried three times and failed every time."

Ren Changsheng said, "It’s the shackles of our bloodline. Even though we’ve violated it once, violating it again strengthens the shackles. Our Champion Bloodline will intensify, resulting in a shortened Lifespan. Third Brother, why were you so foolish? Do we have a grudge against Cao Cao? Why go through such trouble?"

Ren Feifan said, "I don’t know... Anyway, whenever I close my eyes, I see those who died in Xuzhou, their endless resentment gathering, turning them into creatures neither human nor ghost."

"What did they do wrong? They were innocent, so someone must be at fault. Isn’t it right to punish those who are in the wrong?"

Outside in the courtyard of the family hall, spring was in the air, a gentle wind blowing under the beautiful sun.

Ren Suo glanced at the number of Spirit Crystals in the upper-right corner, chose "Spiritual Exchange," clicked on the Lingbo Lake Spirit, and selected Ren Feifan.

「Summer, 194.」

Ren Feifan, looking haggard but with a smile on his face, appeared in the family hall holding a child.

"This child shall be named Ren Buhui..." Ren Feifan said just that, and then the scene transitioned into a story cutscene.

"I have not failed my mission, Big Brother... I have continued the Ren Family’s bloodline..."

Supported by Ren Woxing and Ren Changsheng, Ren Feifan trembled as he spoke, "Unfortunately, I never learned how to cook. On the road, Big Brother, you’ll have to do the cooking... Yours really tastes terrible..."

"Second Brother, you’ve taken so much trouble for me over the years. I know I’ve relied on you for many things. Now I’ve offended Cao Cao, and I don’t know what kind of calamities that will bring. I have one last request, Second Brother: please find a good man for Xiao Cui..."

"Third Brother!"

"Third Brother, stop talking!"

Ren Feifan held his two brothers tightly and finally broke into tears. His face streamed with tears as his body flickered with a radiant light. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry... When I go, will you remember me?"

"We will!" Ren Woxing nodded fiercely. "I, you, Second Brother... none of us will be forgotten!"

"In the summer of 194, Ren Feifan died at the age of 18. His last words: ’Sorry, I left too soon.’"

In the family tree screen, Ren Feifan’s portrait turned black and white.

Ren Suo stared for a while before he suddenly remembered this was a game.

Damn, I haven’t saved! Ren Suo thought. He recalled that he had played for sixteen hours straight without a break and hadn’t bothered to save because the game hadn’t seemed very difficult.

When he opened the system menu, however, he found there was only an option to exit the game, no option to save!

Ren Suo chose to exit. When he selected to load a game, the save-game interface displayed this option:

"Immortalized in history, to be remembered for a thousand years."

You couldn’t save; you could only load or start over.

So that’s what makes this 2-star difficulty game so challenging... Ren Suo finally realized.

In his Ren Family save file, Ren Woxing would also die in 195, leaving just Ren Changsheng and two children who had yet to grow up. Ren Changsheng couldn’t leave; he would have to wait for the children to mature, and by then, he himself might have died of old age.

And the children, once grown, wouldn’t have the combat power to deal with the increasingly powerful demons.

Even if they did grow up, any character Ren Suo couldn’t control could act unpredictably. Not to mention Ren Feifan, even Ren Changsheng had once unexpectedly detached from combat during an Expedition to save a group of refugees, an act that almost cost Ren Woxing dearly.

Being unable to perfectly control potentially troublesome family members, facing ever-stronger enemies, sudden disasters, a shortage of partners for Spiritual Exchange, and the curses of premature death and lineage extinction—to continue the family line under these conditions for seventy-six years...

To put it simply, it was as difficult as a web novel author aspiring to achieve ultimate success with a single book.