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Zuo Chengan didn't respond directly. Instead, he pointed at the black sheep in the pen and asked, "Can I take a closer look?"
Wang Guangfei shrugged indifferently. "If you can catch it, be my guest. Look as much as you want."
There was no trick to handling these sheep—they simply wouldn't cooperate.
He knew better than anyone just how strong these sheep were; after all, he had personally herded them back. To put it bluntly, they were as formidable as wild bears.
If not for his decent physical condition, even a gentle nudge from one of these sheep could've shattered his internal organs, leading to a grisly death.
Two of his ribs were still fractured from the ordeal. Every breath sent a dull ache radiating through his chest.
Fortunately, these sheep seemed to be neutral entities in this strange world, unlikely to attack players unprovoked. Otherwise, when Wang Guangfei had first stumbled upon the flock in the wilderness, he might've been sent straight to the afterlife.
His childhood experience herding cattle gave him a surprising edge in dealing with these creatures.
Zuo Chengan climbed into the pen, moving carefully toward the black sheep.
But the stranger's approach made the flock uneasy. They began to trot in circles around the enclosure, with some attempting to leap out. The pen buzzed with chaos, like a pot of jumping beans spilled across the ground.
Seeing this, Wang Guangfei frowned, already regretting his decision. He had no desire to see his morning's hard work go to waste. Without hesitation, he rose to intervene.
“Why are you really here?” he demanded, his impatience clear. “I'm pretty sure your quest has nothing to do with catching sheep.”
His face practically screamed, "Get lost."
Ignoring the hostility, Zuo Chengan seized the black sheep by its coarse fur, forcing it to the ground with a burst of strength.
The sheep thrashed, its legs kicking wildly in the air, bleating pitifully, "Baa~ Baa~."
"Its voice was odd," Zuo Chengan noted.
The sheep's strength wasn't to be underestimated either. Its power easily translated to seven or eight points of strength—more than a novice could handle.
Yet, pinning the black sheep yielded no in-game prompts or clues.
Could the key to the quest lie elsewhere?
"What are you looking for?" Wang Guangfei's gaze turned curious, as though he had just recalled something.
The spectators were left equally perplexed, only able to see the players' actions but not the details of their quests.
[Wait, didn't the black sheep have a bell around its neck when it was in the wild? Where did it go?]
[You're right! I remember that cute little bell! I wanted to buy a bell of similar design for my dog back home!]
[Some of you left the livestream midway. I've been watching this guy the whole time. That bell was a special item that he had pocketed soon after he saw it.]
[A special item? Lucky him! I wish I had one of those. People from lower-tier worlds really don't deserve such treasures.]
…
The chat messages confirmed Zuo Chengan's suspicions. The key detail was likely tied to that bell, now in Wang Guangfei's inventory.
Just as he was about to ask Wang Guangfei for the bell, the sound of pounding hooves filled the air.
From the direction of the cattle barn, a thick cloud of dust surged forth, followed by a stampede of bull-like creatures the size of vans. Their labored breaths and heavy steps sent shivers through the ground.
At the forefront of the chaos was a frail figure, sprinting for her life—Fu Yu, battered and bruised, clutching a mop as if it were her lifeline.
Spotting the two men in her escape path, she waved frantically and shouted, "The bulls have gone berserk! Get out of the way!"
Zuo Chengan, moving at full speed, leapt onto the shaded roof of the sheep pen. Wang Guangfei wasn't far behind—after all, speed was his strongest attribute.
When Fu Yu reached them, Wang Guangfei grabbed her hand and helped her scramble up to safety.
The three sat on the roof, watching the frenzied herd thunder past. Relief washed over them as they realized they'd narrowly escaped disaster.
Zuo Chengan glanced at his palm. Moments earlier, he had felt the distinct texture of leather around the black sheep's neck. But now wasn't the time to investigate.
As the dust settled, Zuo Chengan observed the path the bulls had taken. Their movements seemed deliberate, as though meticulously planned to cover the entire farm in the shortest time possible. Even more curiously, they avoided damaging any buildings.
It didn't seem like a random stampede. It felt like a calculated obstacle, designed to disrupt players' tasks.
The chaos had another consequence: the sheep in the pen took advantage of the disorder and escaped.
Wang Guangfei was frantic. As soon as the bulls passed, he leapt down to round up the scattered flock.
Fu Yu followed, her worry evident as the stampede's path headed toward the chicken coop—where her sister was stationed.
As the sun sank lower, urgency hung in the air like a weight. Time was running out.
Left alone on the roof, Zuo Chengan sighed. "Why do things always go wrong at the worst moments?"
Since his own quest had been completed, he joined Wang Guangfei in corralling the sheep back into the pen.
...
"One, two, three... 18, 19!" Wang Guangfei counted repeatedly, unable to deny the truth.
Another sheep was missing.
The stark white of the remaining flock made it obvious—the missing sheep was the black one.
Not only had the original 21 sheep not been fully recovered, but now the total had dropped even further. Wang Guangfei was exasperated, while the chat buzzed with speculation.
[Did anyone catch where the black sheep went?]
[No idea. I was too busy watching the bulls trampling the tomatoes. That poor girl was crying her heart out!]
[+1, I was there too. Her two baskets of tomatoes were completely ruined. It's already dusk, and time's running out.]
[Does anyone have a bird's-eye view of the pen?]
[No need to look, I saw it jump out on the west side. It's long gone—I swear on my life!]
The chat's vehement claims lent them credibility. But where exactly in the west had the black sheep gone to?
[Damn it! I don't care if this guy lives or dies—I just hate being kept in the dark!]
[I've switched perspectives so many times and still can't find it. It's maddening!]
[Same here! If I'd known this dungeon was so frustrating, I wouldn't have bothered joining the watch!]
[Not me—I actually enjoy the slow reveal. It's like unraveling a mystery piece by piece.]
[Found it! The black sheep ran into the tomato warehouse. Why would it go there?]
...
Zuo Chengan was examining the spot where the black sheep had last stood.
Then, as luck would have it, a glance at the chat revealed the clue.
Before heading there, though, he had one last thing to take care of.