HP - Chapter 29

Kingdom of Gods 07

"Welcome..."

Zhong Xu's voice gradually faded.

Watching the person who stepped into the tavern, her brow twitched.

Ning Zhi entered cloaked in the night, chose a corner seat, and ordered a non-alcoholic drink along with a simple meal.

"Your order is here."

"Thank you."

She appeared completely at ease, so Zhong Xu could only continue working mechanically.

At noon, Ning Zhi had confidently told their team leader that Zhong Xu was just an NPC. Yet by nightfall, she came to the tavern alone.

What was her intention?

Zhong Xu wasn’t sure for now; she could only continue playing the role of a dutiful server.

At first, she remained calm. But when 1 a.m. arrived and Ning Zhi still showed no sign of leaving, Zhong Xu could finally confirm that she had been targeted.

After Ning Zhi became the last remaining customer, she slowly approached the counter.

Zhong Xu: "..."

Such a familiar scene.

Are tavern servers always being watched?

She hoped Ning Zhi wouldn’t suddenly say she wanted to work here as a server—otherwise, Zhong Xu might soon be out of a job.

With that wry thought, she put on a practiced smile and spoke her scripted line:

 "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Ning Zhi maintained her smile. "After work, would you like to go for a walk?"

Zhong Xu: "..."

Perhaps her expression was too strange, because Ning Zhi thought for a moment, then said softly,

 "I already helped you at noon. Now I’m inviting you for a walk—you wouldn’t refuse, would you?"

So that’s how it was?

Ning Zhi had known she wasn’t an NPC, but hadn’t exposed her at the time, letting her escape punishment.

Zhong Xu raised an eyebrow.

"It would be too impolite to refuse."

There was still no moon that night—only the glow of neon signs from the shops.

They strolled through the narrow alleyways, dim streetlights stretching their shadows long, dust drifting quietly in the air.

"It looks like another heavy rain is coming," Ning Zhi said, sniffing lightly, her voice tinged with melancholy.

Zhong Xu recalled what the tavern customers had been discussing earlier that day.

 "Do monsters appear during heavy rain?"

Ning Zhi both nodded and shook her head, uncertain. She answered carefully,

 "The Pantheon’s research institute is still investigating. Right now, there are two theories. One is that monsters only appear during heavy rain—a kind of timed event. The other is that heavy rain breeds monsters: at first, only one or two, but later, more and more..."

"What do the monsters look like?"

"I don’t know, because I’ve never seen them," Ning Zhi admitted. Ever cautious, she added, "If I haven’t seen them myself and there are no photos, I won’t make assumptions."

It seemed to be quite a controversial topic.

While Zhong Xu was still lost in thought, Ning Zhi turned toward her, her gaze suddenly sharp.

 "Miss Server, you still haven’t told me—why did you lie?"

Zhong Xu smiled faintly.

 "Miss Righteous Judge, didn’t you also lie?"

Ning Zhi’s expression darkened.

 "Judgment Eye was only recently established. It needed to assert authority quickly to secure its position. So, sometimes... our methods became too harsh. But those ways—I don’t entirely agree with them."

She could understand Judgment Eye, yet she still held firm to her own stance.

Zhong Xu’s gaze toward her began to change.

In this world, those who could stand by their principles were few and far between.

"Oh..." Zhong Xu deliberately drew out her tone. "You were afraid I’d be punished, so you lied. But you didn’t want to betray Judgment Eye either, so you came to find me alone at night."

Ning Zhi nodded seriously. "Good that you understand. Your acting was too clumsy—I didn’t even need to use my ability to know you weren’t an NPC."

"..." Zhong Xu’s face twisted slightly as she scratched her head in confusion. "Was it really that bad?"

She thought she had done pretty well.

"If you were just a player, maybe you could have convinced me you were an NPC. But besides being a player, I’m also a game planner!"

Ning Zhi’s lips curled into a smirk; if she had a tail, it would surely be wagging right now.

Zhong Xu’s expression changed. "You’re the game planner for this game?"

"Huh?" Ning Zhi looked utterly confused. "What are you talking about? This game has planners? It already feels so unscientific—does it even need planners?"

Seeing her genuinely puzzled face, Zhong Xu’s expression softened. "You mean a game planner from the real world?"

"Of course! I thought you meant this world actually had planners," Ning Zhi said, barely suppressing a sigh before letting her complaints spill out. "Those planners are so unprofessional. I’ve been through two rounds of this game, and both were full of bugs and ridiculous flaws—completely unbearable."

Zhong Xu smiled knowingly, finding this righteous judge far more likable now.

"Then back to the main topic," Ning Zhi said, stopping in her tracks and lowering her voice. "Why are you pretending to be an NPC? What’s your card?"

By this point, Zhong Xu had already devised a countermeasure.

Let’s see, she thought, whether this so-called judge truly has the ability to detect lies.

Zhong Xu also came to a halt, lifted her gaze toward the sky, and spoke with a sorrowful expression. "My card... was stolen."

Ning Zhi froze, her expression gradually turning solemn.

Watching her carefully, Zhong Xu continued, "That’s also why I have to keep working. On one hand, it’s to survive; on the other, it’s for self-protection. Everyone else has divine power—everyone except me. I can only pretend to be an NPC, so I don’t end up dead in some alley one day."

"Do you believe what I’m saying?" It was Zhong Xu’s final question.

Ning Zhi found something oddly off about the phrasing, but since her thoughts were already consumed by the matter of the stolen card, she let it pass.

"I believe you," she said. "This group has recently begun operating within the city districts. They call themselves the 'Collectors,' under the name 'Tarot Path.' Their main goal is to gather as many Tarot cards as possible... Since each god corresponds to a single card, if they want more, they can only obtain them through theft."

Her expression grew grave. "I’ll report this to my superiors. What is your Tarot card? We’ll have a proper talk with the Collectors and make sure they return everyone’s cards."

It seemed Judgment Eye still didn’t realize that the Collectors’ true goal wasn’t merely to gather cards—they wanted to seize other players’ powers through theft.

A bit naive.

Zhong Xu had a premonition that the city districts were about to enter a period of profound darkness.

After all, the lower a person’s moral sense, the stronger their instinct for survival tends to be.

With that thought, Zhong Xu casually fabricated an answer. “My card is The Hermit.”

“Okay, I’ve remembered it.”

After saying this, Ning Zhi turned to leave, which actually took Zhong Xu by surprise.

“You believe me?”

Ning Zhi gave her a strange look. “Why do you keep asking if I believe you? My ability lets me discern the good and evil within others. You’re not a bad person.”

So—it wasn’t a lie-detecting ability after all.

But… not a bad person? Zhong Xu rubbed her chin. “Didn’t think I was such a good person.”

“You’re not a good person either,” Ning Zhi said bluntly. “You’re too chaotic.”

Zhong Xu’s mind immediately wandered. “Then how about a bowl of wontons?”

“…”

After Ning Zhi refused, Zhong Xu could only order delivery for herself.

It was still early, so she planned to eat at the tavern before returning to her dorm.

Besides, she was a curious person—and she really did want to see what the strange thing the tavern owner mentioned actually looked like.

“Your delivery has arrived.”

The automated voice of the delivery drone came from outside the tavern door.

Zhong Xu opened the door—only for a knife to suddenly flash before her eyes.

A hoarse voice barked, “Don’t move! Hand over your card!”

Indeed, one shouldn’t eat late at night.

Not only does it make you gain weight, but apparently, it also invites robbery.

With that thought, Zhong Xu swiftly sidestepped, grabbed the attacker’s wrist in a reverse hold, and after a sharp cry of pain, the knife clattered to the floor.

“You…” The assailant reached for his Tarot card, ready to activate his ability—but when he saw Zhong Xu’s face clearly, he blurted out in panic, “Boss Song, it’s me!”

Zhong Xu frowned. Looking closer, she realized it was Liang Qing—a player from the previous level.

His eyebrows were sparse and angled sharply, giving him a fierce look; even with an apologetic smile, his expression still carried that sly, shifty air.

Zhong Xu pushed him away in disdain.

“What a coincidence,” Liang Qing said, rubbing his sore wrist. “Boss, is your ability combat-related? Fits you perfectly.”

Though it was something she had mastered in the real world, Zhong Xu didn’t bother denying it. Instead, she gave him a half-smile. “So, you’ve turned into a professional robber now? The streets are crawling with Judgment Eye members—aren’t you afraid of ending up in jail?”

“Judgment Eye? Worthless,” he scoffed, then looked a bit embarrassed. “Didn’t know it was you earlier, so I apologize. I’ve actually been looking for you since I entered the city! Couldn’t find you anywhere, and who’d have thought we’d meet like this tonight!”

“Looking for me—for what?”

Liang Qing glanced around, then smiled ingratiatingly. “How about we go inside and sit? I’ll buy you a drink!”

“Is there something you can’t say out here? The tavern’s closed.” Zhong Xu’s tone was cool, her gaze calm. “This late at night, aside from robbers, there shouldn’t be any eavesdropping perverts.”

“…” This woman’s mouth was still as sharp as ever.

Liang Qing’s face twitched, but he restrained himself. Pointing to the delivery bag hanging from the drone, he chuckled. “Boss, you must be hungry too, right? Let’s go inside and chat while you eat.”

It seemed this guy wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted.

Zhong Xu glanced at the holographic clock projected on the wall and formed an idea.

She stepped aside. “Fine, come in.”

Sitting at the table, Zhong Xu took a sip of wonton soup and coolly stopped Liang Qing’s movement. “No smoking inside.”

Liang Qing paused again and obediently put away his cigarette pack.

“Boss Song, I’m not a robber—I’m a Collector.”

“…” Zhong Xu swallowed a wonton. “If a real Collector heard that, they wouldn’t be thrilled.”

“Boss, I knew from the last round you were a top-notch veteran player—sharp mind, steady hands. And this time, you even drew a combat card. You’re practically invincible!” Liang Qing leaned forward earnestly, revealing his true motive. “Join us. Be part of the Collectors.”

“Our group’s called Tarot Path—we specialize in gathering Tarot cards. Maybe you don’t know yet, Boss Song, but the cards we collect can be used by the one who holds them! That means one person can wield multiple divine powers! Unstoppable!”

1. 收集党 (Shōují Dǎng) - "Collectors Faction" or "Collection Party," a group of players whose goal is to amass Tarot Cards from others.

2. 塔罗道 (Tǎluó Dào) - "Tarot Path" or "Way of Tarot," the specific name or branch of the Collectors Faction.

3. 隐者 (Yǐnzhě) - The Hermit, a specific Tarot card (IX) that the protagonist falsely claims as her own, symbolizing solitude and introspection.

Characters / (Players)

• 终栩 (Zhōng Xǔ)

  • Role: Protagonist 

  • Game Role: Blank Card/Sinner

• 游戏制作人 (Game Producer)

  • Role: Creator of the game world; god-like figure

• 小蝴蝶 (Little Butterfly)

  • Role: Mechanical assistant 

~~~

尤少非 (Yóu Shàofēi) or Tomato Head: 寸头 / 番茄头 (Cùntóu / Fānqié Tóu)

Card: “Chariot”

冉冉 (Rǎn Rǎn)

Card: “Star”

光头 (Guāngtóu / Bald Man, nicknamed Dàn Gē)

Card: Unknown

双马尾少女 / 小幻 (Shuāng Mǎwěi Shàonǚ / Xiǎo Huàn)

Card: Unknown

季舟 (Jì Zhōu)

Card: “Sun”

油头男 (Yóu Tóu Nán) / Slick-Haired Man

Role: Leader of the Judgment Eye Investigation Team

Card: Unknown

宁稚 (Níng Zhì)

Role: Member of the Judgment Eye; tasked with identifying NPCs

Card: Unknown

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!