Chapter 446: A Chinese Ghost Story: The Scholar's Side Quest
"It's not a battle...? A trap, then?"
Akainu's arm began to glow with Flame Demon tattoos, his face hesitant as he considered whether to strike.
Can corrupted creatures be reasoned with?
Of course they can. In the past, the Wandering Reaper of the Underworld and the Vampire Baron had both spoken with players.
However, most players typically chose to refuse conversation and instead went straight for a violent approach, smashing corrupted monsters into item drops.
But in this case, the Tree Demon Matriarch was far too powerful. Without interacting with dark creatures and gathering intelligence, they'd have little chance of completing the mission.
So...
"Let's check it out. Might be something worth gaining."
Orochimaru stared intently at the old woman who had welcomed them, sensing her aura was odd but not particularly threatening.
Besides, his survival abilities were exceptional. If things went south, he could always escape quickly.
So he wasn't afraid of what seemed like a trap.
"Hmph..."
Akainu, Smoker, and Borsalino exchanged glances and nodded in agreement with Orochimaru's suggestion.
As for Iron Fist Garp?
As long as he followed the team and played the brute, there was no need to waste brainpower on plans.
One by one, they stepped across the threshold.
The old woman remained in her welcoming posture until they had all entered the Ning Residence. Then, like a puppet on strings, she slowly straightened up, the corners of her mouth splitting in an eerie smile as she shut the doors tightly behind them.
"Master Ning is in the innermost chamber. This way, please..."
Her body moved weightlessly ahead of them, her twisted gait unnaturally odd.
Orochimaru turned his head.
He noticed the necrotic curse snake he had sent in earlier now hanging from the branches of a thick peach tree in the courtyard.
Its internal flesh and necrotic energy had been drained dry—now it was nothing more than shed snakeskin.
"My apologies. Master Ning dislikes strangers probing around the estate."
The old woman didn't look back but somehow knew where Orochimaru was looking and offered an explanation.
Orochimaru grinned, licking his chin with his tongue. "No problem at all."
The Ning Residence was enormous.
After crossing two wide courtyards the size of football fields, and passing through two more long corridors, they finally reached a door sealed shut with iron chains.
As they stepped into the deepest courtyard,
The temperature plummeted. The air was saturated with bone-chilling demonic energy—every breath pulled it deep into their lungs.
"Phew..."
Smoker inhaled deeply, drawing the last of his thick cigar and exhaling a mist of purplish-red vapor.
The toxic fog spread out like a membrane, wrapping around the Navy Alliance team and pushing away the heavy aura.
[Neurotoxic Fog Lv. Max].
A deadly poison capable of disrupting biological nervous systems—just a trace could kill a mighty prehistoric tyrannosaurus.
At the same time, the poison stimulated neural activity, boosting Smoker's and his teammates' physical and mental attributes.
"Nice poison..."
Both agility and spirit stats saw a temporary increase.
Orochimaru's old habit of collecting rare specimens began to stir. He gave Smoker a greedy glance before quickly averting his gaze.
If he ambushed and killed Smoker, converting him into a necrotic venom construct, he could easily make him a division commander of the Death Legion.
But now wasn't the time for infighting, so he suppressed the impulse.
Clatter...
The old woman unfastened the chains, and the worn gate creaked open.
Compared to the grand courtyards they had passed through, this inner yard was cramped and bleak—bare trees, decaying walls.
In the center sat the [Demonic Robe Scholar].
His face was uncovered now. Judging by his features, he appeared to be nearing old age.
His gray, withered hair looked like autumn leaves on a dying tree—so sparse you could see the wrinkled scalp beneath.
His face resembled a withered peach tree—layer upon layer of folded skin and lifeless flesh, almost covering his sunken eyes.
They recognized him as the Demonic Robe Scholar by the robe he wore—identical to the ones worn by monsters bearing that title.
Despite his frail appearance,
Every member of the Navy Alliance team broke into a cold sweat.
The overwhelming demonic energy engulfing the entire residence was coming from this aging figure—it was on par with the Abyssal Evil God they'd once faced.
And yet...
The Evil God had been a mindless monstrosity, a malformed being born of force. Even so, it had taken combined efforts from players across two worlds to bring it down.
The figure before them—Lord Ning—was a dark boss with intelligence. That doubled the threat level.
Even the strongest among them, Orochimaru, looked visibly wary, unsure if he could withstand the pressure radiating from this foe.
"Don't be so tense, guests from another world. As long as you don't act with killing intent, I won't harm you."
The old man, as if waking from a deep slumber, raised his head. His clouded eyes settled on the group.
"If your goal is to slay the Tree Demon Matriarch, I might be willing to work with you."
His gaze swept across the five of them.
Just as expected...
Orochimaru's eyes flickered. He had dared to step into the Demonic Robe Scholar's domain on a hunch—that the dark bosses weren't necessarily on the same side.
Now it was confirmed: internal conflict existed among them.
"We're here to kill—"
Garp began to speak, only to be silenced by Smoker covering his mouth.
Clearly, the situation had taken an unexpected turn, and Garp's bluntness might ruin it all.
Smoker explained, "Yes, our goal is to defeat the Tree Demon Matriarch. If you can help us, we're willing to cooperate."
The Tree Demon Matriarch was the final boss.
They had originally come to this dimension to kill the Demonic Robe Scholar, thereby weakening her.
But if he was offering help, that changed everything. With a dark-gold-tier boss aiding them, the hunt would be far easier.
As for what came after...
If the Demonic Robe Scholar was still around when they were done, they could always kill him later for his loot.
"Clearly, you can see the state I'm in. I can't leave this residence."
Lord Ning lifted his oversized sleeve, revealing arms like dried tree branches.
His limbs were riddled with tiny holes, from which roots extended deep into the ground, connecting him to a dying peach tree.
The Navy players exchanged looks,
All silently evaluating the scholar's true condition—and the odds of killing him right now.
In the end, they refrained.
If he dared to show such vulnerability, it likely meant he was prepared for betrayal.
"Once, I stumbled into the ghost temple. I escaped with my life, but the Tree Demon Matriarch planted a demonic seed in my heart. That's how I became... this."
"I need your help gathering two hundred Ghost Tree Hearts. With them, I can temporarily seal the demonic seed's power. Then I can detach from this peach tree—and help you kill the Tree Demon Matriarch."
[Side Quest Activated: A Chinese Ghost Story – Scholar Chapter]
Quest Objective: Help the Demonic Robe Scholar collect 200 Ghost Tree Hearts.
Quest Reward: ???
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