Chapter: Return
Cheng Yu walked into a room in the wooden house. There was a half-meter-high stone tablet in the room. The tablet's surface was covered with dust—a line of small characters could be vaguely seen.
"Read the code phrase [Order, the cornerstone of social stability] to the stone tablet, and you can leave the labyrinth."
Cheng Yu read the code phrase to the stone tablet. Whoosh! He turned into white light and left the ninth floor of the labyrinth.
A few seconds passed.
Cheng Yu appeared in the woods outside the labyrinth.
The air was fresh and pleasant. The afterglow of the setting sun stretched the shadows of the trees long.
"Finally out."
Cheng Yu took a deep breath, smiled, and walked quickly toward the labyrinth.
I haven't seen Mina and Ivennie for several days. I really miss them.
There were many adventurers from nearby major cities in the open space in front of the labyrinth.
Adventurers set up stalls in the open space to sell gold and silver jewelry, weapons and equipment, magic tools, monster crystal cores, etc. obtained in the labyrinth. From a distance, it looked like a lively market.
The weapons, equipment, and magic tools found by these adventurers were all low-level magic items from the first or second floor of the labyrinth.
Arriving at the "bustling market" in front of the labyrinth, Cheng Yu walked to the tent he'd built before, opened the tent curtain—didn't see Mina and Ivennie.
He looked around again.
Glancing around, he saw Mina and Ivennie standing in front of the huge stone gate.
It was evening now. Adventurers were coming out of the labyrinth one after another.
Mina and Ivennie stood on tiptoe, stretched their necks, and looked for something in the crowded crowd.
In the days when Cheng Yu had disappeared, the two had waited at the labyrinth entrance every day, hoping to see Cheng Yu come out.
Cheng Yu walked behind them quietly, patted Mina and Ivennie on the shoulders from behind, and said with a smile, "Beauty, do you want a date?"
"Dead hooligan! Get out!"
Mina scolded fiercely.
In the past few days, she'd met many people who came to hit on them—made Mina very disgusted.
But the next second, Mina recognized Cheng Yu's voice and turned her head to look behind her.
The moment she saw Cheng Yu, Mina's eyes widened. Unprecedented ecstasy appeared on her face. She jumped on Cheng Yu excitedly, hugged his neck with her slender arms, clamped his waist with her legs, and wagged her tail happily.
"Cheng Yu, I thought I'd never see you again!"
Mina rubbed Cheng Yu's cheek affectionately with her head.
Cheng Yu remembered when he used to study in the county and went home once a month during holidays.
Every time he went home, the dog at home would run to greet him from a distance, jumping beside him, tail wagging almost spiraling up to the sky.
Mina's enthusiastic reaction was a bit like the dog he'd raised before. Maybe this is the so-called canine girlfriend.
Ivennie wasn't as enthusiastic as Mina, but she was still very happy to see Cheng Yu. She hugged Cheng Yu's right arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's so good that you can come back safely."
"We'll continue to sell barbecue tomorrow," Cheng Yu looked at Mina's light-red eyes before him.
"Okay!"
Mina nodded and pressed her cheek against Cheng Yu's cheek.
"When I came here just now, I saw that grove over there was more secluded. Let's go to the grove over there tonight."
"What are we going to do in the grove?" Ivennie asked puzzledly.
Ahem~
Cheng Yu coughed twice tactically. "Look at the stars."
Ivennie looked at the grove not far away and became more confused. Can you really see the stars in such a dense forest?
The sky in the east was pale. There was a chill in the air.
Early in the morning, the adventurers began exploring the labyrinth again.
Cheng Yu set up a barbecue stall at the labyrinth entrance—green smoke and the smell of meat everywhere.
Adventurers passing by the barbecue stall couldn't resist buying two skewers.
[Positive Emotion Value +4]
[Positive Emotion Value +7]
[Positive Emotion Value +5]
[System Task Progress: 2,523/10,000]
At that moment, fourteen people in uniform walked to the barbecue stall—the Order God Cult members.
The old priest Valk asked Cheng Yu with shock in his eyes, "Friend Cheng Yu, didn't you accidentally enter the sixth floor of the labyrinth? How did you get out?"
Cheng Yu couldn't tell Valk he'd cleared the labyrinth and taken away the most valuable treasure in this labyrinth's secret realm.
So he made up an excuse. "I wandered around the sixth floor for several days and finally cracked a mechanism. I used that mechanism to leave the labyrinth directly."
"Didn't you encounter any ferocious monsters during that time?" Valk was a bit incredulous.
Cheng Yu pretended to smile. "I was lucky and didn't encounter any."
Fierce monsters? He'd bribed the monsters in the labyrinth with barbecue. Without those monsters' help, he'd never have been able to pass the labyrinth.
"Such good luck. Are you a believer in the God of Luck?" Valk guessed.
People who believed in the God of Luck usually had better luck than ordinary people.
"No. I'm just lucky."
"Congratulations on your safe escape."
Valk was also happy for Cheng Yu. "We each want four skewers of barbecue—fifty-six total."
"No problem."
Cheng Yu started grilling.
Barbecue cost twenty copper coins per skewer. Fifty-six skewers were one thousand one hundred twenty copper coins. Valk took out eleven silver coins and twenty copper coins and gave them to Ivennie.
"My friend Cheng Yu, your seasoning bottles are messed up again. I'll help you sort them out."
Valk felt uncomfortable when he saw the messy arrangement of seasoning bottles on the grill.
He placed the seasoning bottles in order from small to large.
Then he took out a ruler and measured the distance between each seasoning bottle to ensure equal spacing—satisfied smile on his face.
Ten minutes later, Cheng Yu gave the fifty grilled skewers to Valk and the others.
Valk and the others left.
Looking at Valk's departing back, Ivennie asked Cheng Yu in confusion, "Why does Mr. Valk help you arrange the seasoning bottles every time?"
"He's sick."
"What illness?"
"Obsessive-compulsive disorder."
While Valk and the others were walking and eating barbecue, Cheng Yu gained positive emotion value.
[Positive Emotion Value +6]
[Positive Emotion Value +5]
[Positive Emotion Value +7]
[System Task Progress: 2,600/10,000]
After Valk and the others left, a team of three adventurers came over.
One of the young men with gorgeous long hair smiled. "Friend, we meet again. I want five skewers of barbecue."
Cheng Yu recognized the long-haired young man—Roy, son of the Snow City Lord, a famous poet in Snow City. They'd taken the first-tier mage test together last time.
"How do you three divide five skewers of barbecue?"
"I'll eat three skewers. The two of them will eat one skewer each," Roy replied.
The two were Roy's followers.
"Okay. One hundred copper coins total."
Ivennie was responsible for collecting money. Roy took out a silver coin and gave it to her.
"By the way, did you find any treasure?" Cheng Yu asked.
"The treasure I'm looking for is different from others. I've gained a lot."
"What treasure are you looking for?"
"The exquisite reliefs in the labyrinth, the mysterious and ancient statues—all contain rich cultural heritage and are excellent materials for writing poetry."
"Uh... the treasure you're looking for is indeed different from others."
Other adventurers entered the labyrinth to find weapons and magic tools, but Roy was more like a tourist.
Cheng Yu grilled five skewers for Roy.
Roy and the other two left.
Cheng Yu continued to sell barbecue. His positive emotion value increased rapidly...