Chapter 89 – The Corpse on the Cliff

As the city lights began to glow, heralding the prime hours of the night, Your Uncle naturally didn’t head to Audition Online. Instead, he continued searching the world with his comrades for the lost children. With the experience from the previous night, their efficiency had improved significantly. In less than an hour, all sixteen children were gathered, and the group, now trailing a small entourage of kids, went to report back to the Grassland Deity.

They thought delivering the children to the Grassland Deity would mark the completion of their mission. However, while the task was indeed finished, their levels remained stuck at 68, and their already maxed-out XP bars stayed frozen in place, just as before.

[System] Grassland Deity: Thank you for bringing back the children of the grassland. Unfortunately, there is one mother who will never see her son again. She was a hardworking mother who spent her days gathering herbs on the cliffs to pay for her child’s tuition, only to be bitten by a venomous snake. In her final moments, she still longed for her son’s return. This horn was tied around her son’s neck before he left home. I hope you can sound it by her ear to tell her that her child has come home. Though she may not hear it, her spirit in the afterlife will finally rest in peace.

[System] You have obtained a horn.

“Great,” Fang Zheng sighed. This was just the prelude to the crucial level 68 to 69 quest. “Everyone’s got a horn now, right? Guess we’ve got more to do.”

Your Uncle: “But blowing a horn in a dead person’s ear… that’s just creepy.”

438: “I wasn’t creeped out until you described it in such detail…”

Diamond: “Are we men or not? Let’s go, go, go!”

2B: “Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask—where the hell did you come from? You’re running around with an account that’s not even in our legion, yet you act like a die-hard member.”

“My account might not be in the legion, but my heart is 100% Ghost Server loyal!”

“Then why not just join with your own account?”

“I just went independent—haven’t had time to level one yet.”

“Well, if you’re interested, I’ve got an account…”

“Fighter Jet, my man!”

“For sale.”

“……”

Diamond’s heart shattered into tiny pieces. The Commander gave him a symbolic pat on the head before leading the entire legion toward the cliff. At this stage, nothing was more important than leveling up. The glittering grand prize was calling to them from the horizon!

The unfortunate woman hadn’t been buried. According to the Grassland Deity, her remains were still on the cliff—meaning, in the traditional sense, she wasn’t even cold yet, which was why her spirit needed peace even more.

In the vast, endless grassland, the so-called cliff didn’t have any obvious landmarks, making it somewhat difficult to find. But if the cliffside was crowded with members of the four major legions and countless solo players, then it became quite noticeable—

Under the azure sky, the grassland abruptly ended a few dozen meters ahead, as if sliced clean by a divine blade. The unnaturally straight edge was packed with people jostling for a look downward. From where the Ghost Server stood, they couldn’t see the situation below the cliff. Gazing into the distance, there was only emptiness, and beyond that, the line between sky and earth blurred into indistinction.

“Are all these people here for the quest?” 438 asked, puzzled.

Crossplayer replied, “I feel like this is more like the Six Major Sects besieging Bright Peak…”

Five Peaks Pavilion, War Banner, Huaxia Dominion, Meteor Blitz—conservatively, 60% of their members were present. War Banner, of course, had their full roster. Add in smaller legions and solo players without affiliations, and the rough estimate was at least a hundred, maybe even two or three hundred people. The scene was as grand as the battles at Desert Stronghold.

If they were just here for the quest, they should’ve left after completing it. Were they planning some kind of celebration, a server-wide unity event? But if they were here to fight, why were they just milling around the edge without taking action? Hmm, something was definitely fishy.

You stand on the bridge admiring the scenery, while those admiring the scenery watch you from the tower. Especially someone as conspicuous as the Ghost Server Legion Leader—how could he possibly be overlooked?

[Local] Harry Porret: The Ghost Server’s here too? This just got even more interesting, haha.

Fang Zheng noticed that the legion name above Porret’s head was gone. There was only one explanation—this guy had left his legion.

New emperor, new ministers.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: The first to break through level 66 is the last to arrive for this quest. How the tables have turned~~

Damn, rubbing salt in the wound!

Fang Zheng gritted his teeth, about to type a retort, when someone beat him to it—

[Local] Polly: Whitey, how are you still only level 68? (⊙o⊙)!

At that moment, most of the onlookers had just shifted their attention from the cliff to the Ghost Server Legion, only to be stunned by the Deputy’s overwhelming aura…

Even the Ghost Server’s own comrades were struggling to keep their composure.

[Legion] 2B Fighter Jet: Parrot, that emoji really doesn’t suit you =_=

[Legion] Refined Into a Demon 715: Awoo, the Deputy is terrifying TAT

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: Poor White Dragon Horse…

[Legion] Little Lucky Charm: Huh?

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: The pitiful ones always have something hateful about them!

[Legion] Crossplayer’s Blessing: This gives off serious Yang Bailao and Huang Shiren vibes¹Archetypes of oppressed peasant vs. cruel landlord. From the Chinese opera ‘The White-Haired Girl,’ Yang Bailao: a poor, old peasant who owes grain rent. Huang Shiren: a local landlord who exploits and abuses peasants.…

The ambiguous relationship between Your Sister and Your Uncle aside, let’s return to White Dragon Horse. After being glared at by the Deputy’s big, round eyes, the poor guy fell silent. In the end, it was Drink Till You Drop who stepped in to mediate—

[Local] Drink Till You Drop: You came at the right time. So far, no one’s been able to complete this quest.

[Local] Milk is Mom: So, are we putting aside disputes and working together now?

[Local] Drink Till You Drop: That’s the idea, but we’re still stuck.

[Local] Kill All Who Block Me: Drink, can you not talk to them like they’re the messiah? I’m getting goosebumps.

[Local] War-Sister Liuli: Put up or shut up, Milk Mom. Go!

With those words, all eyes turned to the Ghost Server Legion Leader.

Fang Zheng suddenly felt a sense of mission, as if he were a high-priced Brazilian import brought in to save Chinese soccer.

Pushing through the crowd to the cliff’s edge, he adjusted his camera angle. About twenty to thirty meters below, a stone slab jutted out from the cliff face. The long-dead woman lay there—the game didn’t go so far as to depict rotting corpses, so she simply lay peacefully, as if sleeping.

Fang Zheng could understand why the crowd was still at the cliff without completing the quest.

The Grassland Deity’s task was to sound the horn by the woman’s ear. To do that, they’d have to reach that protruding slab. But between the cliff and the slab, there was nothing but sheer rock face—no path, just a straight drop. The only way down was free-falling onto the slab, but that came with two possible outcomes:

1. If your HP was too low, you’d die on impact.

2. If your HP was high but your aim was off, you’d plummet to the bottom of the cliff.

That said, players with high HP and decent skills weren’t exactly rare. Take Drink Till You Drop—a Blood Warrior with thick skin and undeniable skill. Yet even he claimed to be at a loss…

[Local] War-Snow Wolf: Ghost Server, are you going down or not? If you dare, say so. If not, just leave.

Provocation might work on a true man of steel, but for the Ghost Server Legion Leader…

[Local] Milk is Mom: Now that you mention it, I’m kinda scared >_<

The entire crowd collapsed!

Damn, even if you don’t care about your own image, at least spare your legionmates the embarrassment! With a leader like this, the members must be under so much pressu—

[Legion] Refined Into a Demon 715: Commander, I’ve got your back! They’re definitely up to something!

[Legion] Little Lucky Charm: Commander, come back! Don’t play with them—they’re all bad people!

[Legion] Polly: My Commander, staying vigilant is the right call.

[Legion] Fifth Brother’s Trading Post: Diamond, since you don’t need that account anymore, why not give it a shot? Dying builds character.

[Legion] Milk is Mom: That’s a great idea~\(≧▽≦)/~

[Legion] Diamond Seller: Commander, couldn’t you at least pretend to hide your joy~~~

In the end, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Ghost Server Legion Leader shamelessly stepped aside, calmly letting his legionmate take the plunge. His shameless behavior and sleazy posture were truly unbearable for the onlookers.

Of course, Diamond didn’t jump blindly. As a top-tier pro gamer, he carefully compared the jump point and the slab’s position before leaping, ensuring a straight trajectory for his free fall.

If all went well, Diamond would land on the woman’s body, losing at least three-quarters of his HP in the process.

But that was a big IF.

In reality, halfway through his fall, Diamond collided with something and was knocked off course. The once straight fall veered two meters sideways, and from there, the slab might as well have been a thousand miles away.

Fifth Brother had inherited Your Uncle’s prophetic talent.

[Local] Drink Till You Drop: Forgot to mention—free falling doesn’t work. The cliff wall looks smooth, but it’s actually uneven. A few people already tried the straight drop and got bounced off.

Forgot, my ass!!!

Within moments, Diamond Seller had returned from the respawn point.

[Local] Milk is Mom: Now that’s what I call a pro—even his travel speed has the flair of a divine courier!

[Local] Diamond Seller: Stop flattering me. You just want to use me as a lab rat. What’s the next plan?

[Local] Milk is Mom: Since free falling’s out, how about a double jump?

In Huaxia Online, a double jump was a technique to prevent fall damage—using a mid-air foothold to adjust trajectory and angle for a safe landing.

Diamond Seller didn’t respond with a yes or no. Instead, he walked straight back to the cliff’s edge, carefully examining every possible protrusion on the rock face.

The crowd stilled, holding their breath as they waited for the warrior’s second attempt.

A gentle breeze rustled the grass at the cliff’s edge.

Finally, Diamond Seller moved!

This time, he didn’t aim directly above the corpse but shifted about a meter to the left before leaping!

Mid-plummet, his foot suddenly found purchase on a small ledge. In the blink of an eye—before anyone could even process it—he was airborne again!

Now! Adjust the angle! Aim for the slab!

……

[Local] Kill Gods If They Block Me: I think he overshot.

[Local] Summit of Mount Tai: That wasn’t the right spot for the double jump.

[Local] Big H: Would the right side be better?

[Local] War-God’s Follower: I think it’s worth a shot.

By the time Diamond returned from the respawn point again, his XP bar had taken a noticeable hit. He wanted to cry.

Out of all the legions here, was he really the only guinea pig they could sacrifice over and over?! Even if he was abandoning this account tomorrow, it still had sentimental value!!!

[Local] Drink Till You Drop: The glory of Huaxia Summit rests on your shoulders now. Go for it!

Screw you TAT

Diamond had never felt so miserable in his life. Even when he was just starting out and an unscrupulous boss withheld his pay, leaving him nearly penniless, at least he’d had neighbors to help him out.

Frustration aside, Diamond understood—for the players of Huaxia Summit, no, for the entire Huaxia Online player base, XP was life. Even if he hadn’t checked, he’d heard about the grand prize. Leveling up wasn’t just about grinding—it was about brute-forcing with XP. And right now, he was probably the only one here who didn’t need to hoard it.

Little Lucky Charm was right—they were all bad people TAT

As Diamond kept trying, the spectators weren’t having an easy time either. They had to keep their eyes peeled—who knew when he might succeed? If they blinked and missed it, his success would become an unrepeatable, one-of-a-kind feat.

To be fair, Diamond was being a little harsh on them. Though they treasured their XP, they weren’t complete misers. Before the Ghost Server arrived, they’d already tried everything they could think of, sacrificing plenty of XP in the process. But this quest wasn’t just about mechanics, judgment, or APM—it was more like a puzzle requiring a combination of factors. Brute force wouldn’t cut it; they needed finesse.

Time slipped by as Diamond kept experimenting, losing enough XP to drop a level. The spectators grew tired, restless, and eventually couldn’t resist trying themselves. Gradually, the cliffside was swarmed with players taking turns jumping. Want to leap? Get in line.

Fang Zheng’s fingers itched to try, but his attempt ended in a splat.

Birdy peered over the edge, thought it over, and decided against it—he didn’t want to die embarrassingly and ruin his image in front of his legionmates.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: No wonder no one’s hit max level yet in this damn game. This quest has to be bugged!

[Local] Vivian: Hubby, I’ve got your back.

[Local] Nicknamed White Dragon Horse: Wifey, I appreciate it.

[Local] War-Sister Liuli: It’s hopeless. That slab is clearly a divine-only zone.

[Local] War-God’s Follower: God just told me he’s stumped too.

[Local] Big H: Huaxia Dominion’s been awfully quiet. What’s up? New leader, new vibe?

[Local] Suave Not Sleazy: The leader changed, but the leader’s wife didn’t. Hahaha!

[Local] War-Sorrel: Must you gossip? You’re betraying your name! Hahaha!!

[Local] Suave Not Sleazy: Your “hahaha” just betrayed you…

[System] Drink Your Sister 3X sounds the horn.

Amid the rapid-fire chat, the system announcement went unnoticed.

Until—

[System] Corpse: I don’t really want to go~~

[System] Corpse: I really want to stay~~

[System] Corpse: Stay with you through every season~~

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  Archetypes of oppressed peasant vs. cruel landlord. From the Chinese opera ‘The White-Haired Girl,’ Yang Bailao: a poor, old peasant who owes grain rent. Huang Shiren: a local landlord who exploits and abuses peasants.