Chapter 11 Wohu Village
"New task released. Eliminate threat: Cover your tracks, handle the aftermath, and kill the two Observers who know your true identity. Task reward: Two chances at a low-level lottery. Punishment for failure: None (unnecessary)."
"Indeed, it's unnecessary. Failing this so-called test is like refusing an inevitable outcome." Qing Yu stared at the task notification before him.
If he didn't eliminate this threat and prove his capabilities, Mr. Mo naturally wouldn't trust Qing Yu to handle the struggle against the Four Great Families. No system punishment needed—failure spelled doom for Qing Yu.
Having decided, Qing Yu got up and left.
He walked out of the cave. The fire basins on either side were still fiercely burning, though it was unclear what they were using as fuel.
Outside, the sky was beginning to brighten. Looking ahead, Yang City was already coming to life, with street vendors starting to set up their breakfast stalls.
Walking on the street, Qing Yu glanced at a bun vendor, swallowing his saliva greedily. Unfortunately, he was broke. The money generously provided by a few kind-hearted people yesterday had all been spent at the inn. Ah, the pains of poverty.
"New task released. The first pot of gold: A single cent may stymie a hero, but you are no hero. By any means, acquire one hundred taels of gold or an item of equivalent value within a month. Task reward: Access to the system shop. Punishment for failure: You are stymied by money, it seems you're not cut out to be a villain, go be your hero, system uninstall."
The system popped in to make its presence felt again, making today feel particularly burdensome with tasks. Looking at another do-or-die task notification, Qing Yu said, "System, you are really stirring things up."
"Host, this system merely releases tasks based on your thoughts. All tasks originate from the host's own intentions," the system replied in its usual mechanical tone.
"Then give me an easy task now. Hmm, let the requirements be to stand in place for three minutes, with the reward being a high-grade lottery draw."
"The reward matches the task's difficulty. If the host desires a high-grade lottery, the system can issue the task: Kill Mr. Mo. Also, a reminder, tasks released are related to the host's own strength, otherwise given your previous murderous intent towards Mr. Mo, the system would have already issued this task."
"Ahahaha," Qing Yu scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly, ignoring the glances from people nearby.
"First, I'll go back and catch up on some sleep. It's the last day at the inn today, and it feels like a total loss not to sleep there again."
One day later, three miles away from Yang City towards the heart of Ling Province, on Wo Hu Mountain.
There's a stronghold on this mountain, rather perfunctorily named Wo Hu Village, a bandit's lair.
At that time, within Juyi Hall of Wo Hu Village, Qing Yu was sitting on the throne symbolizing the Grand Master, holding a white cloth, meticulously wiping the long sword lying across his lap.
The young man, dressed in black, his handsome face adorned with eyes shimmering like stars, stared intently at the sword in his hands. With a swipe of the white cloth in his left hand, the remaining fresh blood on the sword was wiped off, the cold gleam of the blade reflecting in the young man's eyes, which still held a hint of murderous intent.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, that hurts." Qing Yu exerted too much force with his left hand, overacting, and aggravated the wound on his left arm. His stern pose immediately collapsed, and he threw the sword aside.
"Bad call, bad call, why did I only think about making a sedative and not bother with some golden sore medicine?" Qing Yu pressed on the freshly bandaged wound, which to his misfortune started bleeding again as he bore the bitter fruit of trying to act cool when no one was around.
"Hope the wound doesn't get infected. I heard that King Fu Chai of Wu's dad, what was his name, something with two gates, got shot in the toe with an arrow, got an infection, and just gg'd, probably the most stifling death for a king."
Qing Yu slumped onto a Taishi Chair covered in unrecognizable fur, lamenting that the chair wasn't large enough to pull off a lounge pose like Ge You.
"Low, so low. The Grand Master's throne doesn't even have a tiger skin, thumbs down." Qing Yu, who should only recognize tiger skins with distinctive stripes, critiqued the Wohu Village, which had nothing to do with actual tigers. (Qing Yu: Nonsense, I also recognize zebra skin.)
Yesterday afternoon, after waking up, Qing Yu began taking an Elixir to open up his meridians. Fearing death, the first ones he opened were the Foot Shaoyin Ren Meridian of the Golden Wild Goose Skill and Divine Transformation. Then, due to a depleted balance, he got chased out of the inn by the owner. Luckily, while Qing Yu was wandering the streets, he met some kind-hearted folks who not only gave him money but also filled him in on the local culture and geography. It was these good Samaritans who told him about Wohu Village.
Afterwards, Qing Yu took the initiative and began seeking help from these kind-hearted folks. The iron sword he held was sponsored by someone worried about Qing Yu being alone and in danger. At that moment, Qing Yu couldn't help but comment, "These toughs really have the spirit of lackeys, finding someone who uses a sword isn't easy, no wonder they never make it to rich and handsome."
Then, financially buoyed, Qing Yu found a better inn where, after a night's work, he'd opened another meridian, this time the Yin Qiao Meridian, which belongs to the Extraordinary Meridians. Along with the previous meridian opened on Beicang Mountain, both the Yin Qiao and Yang Qiao Meridians were cleared. 'Qiao' signifies agility and agility. Opening these two meridians greatly benefited his Qinggong, meaning Qing Yu could run faster now, which was indeed cause for celebration.
It must be said, a world rich in Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi sure has its perks. You see, in the world of Juxia, Grandmaster Lao Yue, despite his hard work, is still stuck in the Postnatal Realm all his life.
Just as Qing Yu was lost in thought in the Juyi Hall, from outside Wohu Village came the sound of horse hooves, probably a dozen or so men galloping towards the village.
"Whoa," called out Sun Man, the Grand Master of Wohu Village, grabbing the reins and shouting, "Lads, open the gates."
Silence atop the watchtower.
A bandit captain behind him spurred his horse forward and said, "Grand Master, there's a smell of blood."
Sun Man unsheathed a big chopper, dismounted cautiously, and proceeded forward, followed closely by his fifteen men, all gripping their weapons tightly.
Slowly approaching the gate, Sun Man tightly grasped his chopper, waved his hand, and one of the bandits behind him reluctantly became a sacrificial lamb and stepped forward to push the gate.
As feared, it wasn't good—the gate had no crossbar, and the probing bandit easily pushed open the heavy door.
Sun Man led his men inside. The village was littered with bodies; without counting, Sun Man roughly estimated there were more than twenty bodies, about the same number as his men left behind to guard the village.
A wave of anger rushed to his head. Ignoring the cautious approach, he strode toward the Juyi Hall. If the enemy was still there, they'd surely be waiting for him.
The Juyi Hall, straight ahead from the main gate and not far; Sun Man charged into the hall.
There he saw a young man in black, sprawling on the Grand Master's throne with his upper body leaning forward, his right hand resting on his knee, holding a gleaming long sword tilted upward to the left. In his left hand, he held a piece of white cloth, wiping the sword blade, on which fresh bloodstains were visible. Upon hearing Sun Man and his group's footsteps, the black-clothed young man's eyes, which were focused on the sword edge, shifted to the main entrance of the Juyi Hall. Through the strands of hair scattered across his delicate face due to his posture, Sun Man caught sight of the young man's icy cold eyes.
Cold and stern pose number 2, online.