Chapter Ten: The Great Scholar Li Pisun

Under the command of Huang Batian, the one who waits for rabbits by the tree, his servants seized the four players. Clutching two iron balls in his hand, he strode up to them and declared, “Where did you thieves come from, daring to trespass into a private residence? First, give them twenty lashes, then we’ll talk.”

Several gatekeepers, fierce as wolves, pressed the four players to the ground, and thick rods unmercifully landed on their buttocks. This was the infamous rod of Huang the Skinner, who deliberately left the back door ajar. If anyone mistakenly entered the courtyard, they would first suffer twenty lashes to instill fear, followed by an extortion of money.

In the game “War,” there was a pain setting; players could adjust it between thirty and one hundred percent. However, when interacting with NPCs or triggering plot events, and if the pain remained within a bearable range, the system would automatically default the pain to one hundred percent.

“The Back Door of Huang the Skinner’s Residence” was a quest suitable for level fifteen players, yet these four had triggered it prematurely. The pain from being beaten by Huang’s servants fell within the players’ tolerance, making the experience no different than being beaten in real life.

After twenty lashes, Huang spun the iron balls in his hand and said, “You four foreigners have trespassed into my mansion with ill intent. I have given you a minor punishment, and next I shall send you to the authorities for justice.”

Among the four, the leader, Harmonious Shuanghui, endured the pain and pleaded, “We entered your residence by mistake. Please, Master, spare us.”

Huang the Skinner snorted coldly. “You entered my estate intending to steal, caught red-handed by my guards, with both the culprits and the stolen goods present, and you still dare to deny it? Do you wish to settle this privately or publicly? If privately, each of you must pay ten silver dollars. If publicly, I’ll send you to the county office.”

If players killed someone or were imprisoned by the authorities for other reasons, their days would be miserable. In prison, food was scarce and the conditions harsh, with the chance of illness increased tenfold. Few ever emerged alive. Thus, faced with such circumstances, most players chose suicide—dropping a level and respawning elsewhere was better than languishing in jail.

But even suicide was not a perfect solution. Players who broke the law and escaped prison by suicide were marked as fugitives; upon respawning, if they appeared in the city where they had been imprisoned, they would be attacked by soldiers or constables. So those who escaped by suicide had to build their lives in another city, but in the early stages of the game, most players were poor and could not afford the travel expenses.

Harmonious Shuanghui and his three companions were stunned. Ten silver dollars equaled a thousand copper coins—how could they possibly pay? Yet being imprisoned was an unpredictable fate, so, resigned, Harmonious Shuanghui forced a bitter smile and said, “Master, we don’t have ten silver dollars, not even ten copper coins on us. Please, be merciful.”

Batian snorted, turning to his chief gatekeeper and commanded, “Zhao Lei, if they can’t pay, send them all to the authorities.”

Zhao Lei was about to act when Huang Batian’s advisor whispered something in his ear, making him nod repeatedly. Huang Batian cleared his throat and addressed Harmonious Shuanghui’s group: “I should send you to the authorities, but I have a compassionate heart. I’ll give you one chance: serve as laborers in my household for one month, and I’ll let you go.”

At the start of the game, everyone was eager to level up, and the prospect of a month’s labor was unappealing. Yet compared to imprisonment, they had no choice but to accept.

While Harmonious Shuanghui and his companions’ buttocks blossomed with pain and their miserable cries echoed, Chen Hao smiled brilliantly. But as joy turned to misfortune, when he turned to slip out the back door, a sudden shout rang out behind him: “Where did this thief come from, daring to trespass into the Li Residence? Seize him at once!”

Over a dozen servants, wielding brooms and wooden rods, rushed at him. Chen Hao knew he was no match and did not resist. The burly man who had shouted escorted him to the front hall, where a lean, robed, middle-aged scholar awaited.

The burly man saluted the scholar, “Master, this foreigner harbors ill intentions. He climbed over the wall into the backyard. Please, mete out justice.”

Chen Hao protested his innocence, “Master Li, I am wronged! I saw four foreigners lurking near your residence, and the neighbors all speak highly of Master Li as a figure of heavenly talent. How could I let thieves steal from you? I followed them, and when they disappeared in the alley, I feared they’d entered your backyard with evil intent, so I came at once to report.”

The middle-aged scholar was named Li Pisen, precisely the renowned scholar Chen Hao sought. In his memories, he had studied in Li Pisen’s household for three months, and Li Pisen’s mischievous fourteen-year-old son had dug out a brick from the backyard wall, often sneaking out to play. Thus, when pursued by the four players, Chen Hao had skillfully used the wall’s hole to toy with Harmonious Shuanghui’s group.

Li Pisen was a famous scholar in Dengzhou Prefecture, known for his gentle character. As long as one had a reasonable excuse, entering his residence would not result in punishment. Chen Hao had already planned his excuse when he decided to lure the four pursuers between the Huang and Li households; not only would he avoid punishment, he would leave a favorable impression on Li Pisen.

Li Pisen was flattered to hear Chen Hao compare him to a celestial talent. He turned to the burly man, “Li Jia, is what this young man says true? Did you see anyone enter the residence?”

Li Jia shook his head. “Master, this lad is clearly intent on stealing. Since the backyard borders Huang Batian’s house, we’re always cautious. There were no four foreigners entering the residence.”

Li Pisen’s expression darkened. He addressed Chen Hao coldly, “Young man, not only do you steal, you lie shamelessly to deceive me. Confess the truth at once, or I’ll send you to the authorities for punishment.”

“Master Li, what I say is absolutely true. I dare not utter a single falsehood. Perhaps those four foreigners entered the neighboring house…” While Chen Hao tried to explain, a servant ran into the front hall and reported, “Master, I heard a commotion from Huang Batian’s house just now, and after asking around, learned that four thieves entered Huang’s backyard to steal and were caught by him.”

Li Pisen nodded, “Huang Batian never locks his back door, always scheming for extortion. Those four thieves won’t have a good outcome in his hands. So, it seems the young man speaks the truth. He learned that thieves might steal from the Li Household and risked danger alone—such chivalry! I thank you.”

Chen Hao answered respectfully, “I have always admired scholars like Master Li. To be of service is my honor. If the four thieves weren’t here to steal from you, I am relieved. I shall take my leave.”

Li Pisen smiled gently, “No need to hurry. I see your speech is clear and refined. Have you ever attended a school?”

Chen Hao shook his head, “I have read some books and can recognize a few characters, but have never attended school.”

Li Pisen pondered, “I have an introductory book here. Can you transcribe it from memory? If you can, I will accept you as a disciple. Do you wish to try?”

“Player Chen Baxian, Scholar Li Pisen has issued you the quest ‘Enter the Academy.’ Quest objective: successfully transcribe the introductory text ‘Three Character Classic’ from memory. Quest reward: the opportunity to study culture under Li Pisen.”