Affinity Mechanism (I)

"Queen! Queen!"

In the distance, the Four Great Elders, Hua She'er, Yue Mei, and a group of high-ranking Serpent-People tribe all rushed over.

Hua She'er is a bit younger, and as the captain of Medusa Queen's personal guard, she has a special dependence on Medusa Queen.

Ignoring everyone else, she hugged Medusa Queen and started crying.

Yang Shan thought for a moment and then sent a message to Xiao Aotian.

Xiao Aotian was taken aback, but under Yang Shan's affirming gaze, he resolutely walked towards Hua She'er.

Grabbing Hua She'er's arm with one hand, Xiao Aotian said in a deep voice, "Let go."

Hua She'er didn't react; she was still hugging Medusa and crying.

Following Yang Shan's advice, Xiao Aotian spoke softly in a tone used to coax a child:

"Listen to me, let go first, the Queen is in terrible condition right now!"

Hua She'er then realized that Medusa's aura was indeed noticeably weak.

Hua She'er quickly released her grip. "Your Majesty, please forgive me, it was my rudeness."

Xiao Aotian sent Yang Shan a message: "Two points of favorability, wow, the name ' Sentimental Bro ' is well-deserved! I, Xiao Aotian, am truly impressed by you this time!"

Yang Shan didn't have time to reply to Xiao Aotian's message.

Yue Mei was standing nearby, and the look in her eyes as she looked at Yang Shan was incredibly complicated!

Yue Mei and other high-ranking Serpent-People tribe originally wanted to help Medusa, but they were stopped by the four elders.

They are ready to leave the Tagor Desert with their best members to continue the legacy of the Serpent-People tribe.

Those Dou Zong from the Lion Underworld Sect brought despair not only to Medusa but also to the entire Serpent-People tribe.

Although Yue Mei did not witness everything that happened at the Serpent-People Temple,

However, when she first arrived, Medusa had already sent a telepathic message to Yue Mei, instructing her to serve Yang Shan well.

Given Medusa's current condition, it's already quite remarkable that she can stand up.

Yue Mei truly never expected that it was the man in front of her who, single-handedly, made the other party slink away.

Goodness, they have Dou Zun backing them up!

Previously, Yue Mei simply thought that Yang Shan was rather domineering.

Now she understands that the word "barbaric" should not be applied to Yang Shan.

He's just supposed to be arrogant! He deserves it!

[Ding! Player, please note that Yue Mei is captivated by your handsome face and imposing figure, and is also grateful for your rescue of the Serpent-People tribe from dire straits. Yue Mei's favorability +10, current favorability: 66!]

Yang Shan was no exception to this surge in favorability.

To put it bluntly, if the story proceeds normally, the Serpent-People tribe will now have to face three Seven-Star Dou Zong, five early-stage Dou Zong, and more than ten Dou Emperor.

With this setup, even the Serpent-People tribe couldn't stop them.

Only then will the system determine that Yang Shan and Xiao Aotian are unable to help the Serpent-People tribe deal with the invading enemy.

That's why the storyline was extended to expose the crisis of the Serpent-People tribe to all players on the server.

The AI Nüwa follows the rules; it always adheres to the game logic and operates normally.

But Yang Shan, that Old Schemer, had long been used to playing some "tricks".

He not only forcibly prevented the original plot from happening.

They even directed and acted in their own drama! After all that trouble, reaping huge profits is only to be expected!

This is just about building up goodwill; Medusa will have to pay a hefty price later! Yang Shan glanced at Yue Mei indifferently. "Is there something on my face?"

Yue Mei then realized that staring at Yang Shan like that was somewhat presumptuous!

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency."

Yang Shan waved his hand. "No need to stay by my side. Take your queen to heal her wounds. Once she recovers, she'll have to settle the bill for me!"

"Yes, thank you for your understanding, Lord Zhenjun!"

Yue Mei was actually quite worried about Medusa Queen, but now that Yang Shan had offered to let her go, she felt relieved.

But I felt a pang of sadness in my heart.

It made it seem like Yang Shan disliked her and deliberately wanted to get rid of her.

[Ding! Yue Mei has developed some resentment towards you. Your favorability has increased by 1. Current favorability: 67!]

Yue Mei is beyond saving.

If you harbor resentment, your favorability rating will increase instead of decrease!

Yue Mei and Hua She'er supported Medusa on either side, while all the other high-ranking members also protected her.

Medusa is already struggling to stand. If she weren't the queen of the Serpent-People tribe, and had to hold on to give her people courage, she probably would have fainted by now.

"Little Friend Yang Shan, Xiao Tribute, and this King."

Yang Shan didn't even turn his head. "I'm going back to my room for tea. Remember to come find me when you're healed!"

Medusa Queen was somewhat helpless.

No matter how Yang Shan puts on a bad face, Medusa will manage her emotions even if she is truly dissatisfied.

There's no way around it; who can afford to offend someone valued by Dou Zun?

Yang Shan had just returned to the courtyard when Xiao Aotian followed him eagerly.

He was carrying two bottles of Wuliangye he had bought from the system store for a hefty sum (ten yuan each): "Want some?"

Yang Shan took out two jars of Apricot Blossom Wine from his Storage Ring:

"Have this!"

Xiao Aotian opened the lid, took three big gulps, and smacked his lips:

"This tastes pretty good."

Yang Shan: "Why are you here instead of going back to your own place?"

"Hey, Sentimental Bro, I've come here to thank you. Sentimental Bro's actions are truly extraordinary. With just a few pointers, Hua She'er's favorability towards me has increased by five points!"

Xiao Aotian was overjoyed. "This is the biggest increase in Hua She'er's favorability towards me ever!"

Yang Shan: "With the added bonus from the plot, it's normal to add more."

"Come, come, let's sit down and talk!"

This was clearly Yang Shan's courtyard, yet Xiao Aotian acted as if he were the master. After welcoming Yang Shan to sit down on a chair in the courtyard, Xiao Aotian personally poured wine for Yang Shan before asking:

"The Sentimental Bro"

Yang Shan smiled and said:

"It's one thing to call me 'Sentimental Bro' when you're joking around, but you clearly have something to ask me, so why don't you change how you address me?"

"My Lord! I have a question that I would like to ask you to answer!"

Xiao Aotian simply resorted to Yi Qingyang's excuse.

There was no way around it; he was just too curious about this question.

If he doesn't ask, if he doesn't know the answer, he really will have insomnia.

"Could you just tell me, what's your current affinity level with Medusa?"

Yang Shan: "Thirty-eight points."

Xiao Aotian had just taken a sip when he heard this, and he immediately spat out the wine in his mouth:

"Pfft! How much? Thirty-eight?"

Fortunately, Yang Shan reacted quickly. With a thought, the Sea Heart Flame ignited in front of him, evaporating the wine that Xiao Aotian had spat out.

Otherwise, wouldn't I get sprayed in the face with his spittle? Yang Shan: "Why are you reacting so strongly?"

Xiao Aotian: "No, Medusa did that to you."

Yang Shan: "What?"

Xiao Aotian: "Even though you keep giving her the cold shoulder, she doesn't get angry."

Yang Shan's tone was exceptionally calm:

"Oh, you've misunderstood. Medusa owes me so many favors that they're practically filling a book. Theoretically, even if she's standing and I'm sitting down talking to her, there's no problem."

Xiao Aotian gritted his teeth. "Will you die if you don't show off?"

Yang Shan: "I wasn't pretending. I was stating the facts. What was I pretending for? For example, if I had 100 million, would that be considered showing off?"

Xiao Aotian's eyes turned red:

"Holy crap! You have a hundred million?"

Yang Shan: "More or less."

The Heaven Flame Alliance is now fully operational and has begun to bring considerable benefits to Xiao Aotian.

But to say that he earned 100 million is still a bit too far off.

Xiao Aotian drank three large bowls of wine in a frenzy:

"Damn it, I shouldn't have been so blunt. I should have pressed on and continued to fight you for Medusa!"

Yang Shan scoffed:

"Compete? Even if I slap Medusa across the face right now and reduce her favorability to zero, you still won't be able to win him over!"

Xiao Aotian: "Damn it, don't look down on people like that, okay?"

"This is not a matter of whether or not we look down on them."

Yang Shan crossed his Erlang, and there was something off about his smile, "How about this, let's sign a contract. You'll help me out once for free, and I'll tell you why you can't win over Medusa!"

Xiao Aotian looked at Yang Shan's smile and felt something was off, "I have a feeling you're trying to trick me!"

Yang Shan: "Then let me tell you the reasons first. If you think the information I gave you is indeed useful, then sign with me."

Xiao Aotian asked in confusion, "No, aren't you afraid I'll renege on my debt?"

Yang Shan said nonchalantly, "Who are you, Xiao Aotian? A true man, upright and honorable, a man of his word. Would you renege on your promise?"

Xiao Aotian gave a thumbs up. "It has to be Brother Yang, you really have a good eye for people!"

Yang Shan: "It's fine if you renege on your debt. I can just kill you back to the Novice Realm. It won't take much effort anyway."

Xiao Aotian: "."

Yang Shan tapped the table. "What are you all standing there for? Pour the wine! Let me clear my throat before I talk to you!"

Xiao Aotian really wanted to slam his fist on the table and yell at Yang Shan, "Hey, I've got a terrible temper!"

But he was also afraid that Yang Shan might not stop and could really kill him instantly.

Yang Shan said seriously, "However, I still have to remind you that the contract I signed after telling you this information is a gratuitous contract. It's capped at nine stars. In other words, once I make a request of you, either you fulfill it, or your account has to drop to the maximum nine-star level!"

Xiao Aotian gasped after hearing this. "No, Boss Yang, we may not be best friends, but we are definitely business partners, right? It's only natural for me to want to compete with you for first place in the game. Are you going to use such a huge contract to restrict me?"

Yang Shan: "I'm not trying to restrict you. I don't even know when I'll be able to fulfill this contract. Besides, the information I'm giving you is worth the price. You can also choose not to listen."

After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Aotian finally said firmly:

"Alright! I, Xiao Aotian, will bet big today. I trust you!"

Although many players on the forum have already used "Yang Shan, you deserve to die" as a common phrase in their input methods.

However, it cannot be denied that Yang Shan has an excellent reputation.

He has never intentionally made things difficult for any other player.

The internal competition among this group of allies, including Xiao Aotian, is generally considered "healthy."

Yang Shan never hindered Xiao Aotian Xiao Aotian in the entire server.

Furthermore, Xiao Aotian was genuinely curious about what information Yang Shan possessed that made him willing to sign this unpaid contract! Yang Shan didn't want anything from Xiao Aotian, but he wanted Xiao Aotian to sign this contract, which was actually a plan for the future.

Even after Central Plains opens up, Yang Shan doesn't really know much about what it's like Central Plains.

But Yang Shan believed that with Xiao Aotian's abilities, he would definitely be able to make a name for himself in Central Plains.

Putting aside other things.

Xiao Aotian has a chance to become the Xiao Clan's "son-in-law"! Moreover, the Heavenly Flame Training Tower of the Jia Nan Academy is still there, and Xiao Aotian's Fallen Heart Flame should be related to Heavenly Flame Venerable.

After Yang Shan, there might really be a time when he needs Xiao Aotian's help.

Or rather, it requires the help of the NPC behind Xiao Aotian.

Of course, the information that Yang Shan revealed to Xiao Aotian was definitely "secret information," and it even involved the core of the game's operation, as well as the design and layout of Tian Yao Planner!

"Brother Xiao, let me ask you first, in the original novel, how did Xiao Yan win over Medusa?"

Xiao Aotian: "Anyone who's read Battle Through the Heavens knows the answer to this question! First, Medusa successfully advanced and transformed into the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, but her companion Snake Spirit took control of her body, and then..."

At this point, Xiao Aotian suddenly remembered something. "Wait! Snake Spirit!"

Yang Shan smiled and said:

"Yes, Xiao Yan Yi didn't initially have a good relationship with Medusa, but rather with her companion Snake Spirit! Then their souls merged, which influenced Medusa's thoughts, that's one reason."

Yang Shan continued:

"Secondly, what happened at the bottom of the Heavenly Flame Training Tower led to Medusa becoming pregnant with Xiao Xiao, which was not of her own volition!"

Xiao Aotian frowned. "So, if we want to win over Medusa, we have to go through this process too?"

Yang Shan shook his head. "You can't leave. Analyze it carefully yourself and you'll see! In the original work, Xiao Yan was able to win over Medusa, which is basically like exploiting a bug. The protagonist's halo was maxed out! According to normal logic, given Medusa's personality in the original work, it's impossible for her to be conquered. She didn't have that need in the first place. It was only when her companion Snake Spirit approached recognizing her as its master that her thoughts were changed!"

Yang Shan looked in the direction of the Serpent-People Temple and sighed, "When Medusa transformed into the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python before, didn't I say that I might have had the intention to woo Medusa before? But I didn't have time to say the second part. What I really wanted to say is that I have no intention of wooing Medusa anymore, not even a little bit!"

Xiao Aotian held the wine jar and tilted his head back to chug it down in one go.

The wine was almost finished when Xiao Aotian put down the wine jar. "Because of Medusa's transformation this time, the symbiotic Snake Spirit didn't come out, right?"

Yang Shan nodded. "Yes, I used to think that Tian Yao Company would use a trap, and that none of the main characters in the game could be romanced. But now that Ya Fei and Yun Yun are with me, I've overturned that judgment."

Yang Shan organized his thoughts:

"Well, Tian Yao Company must have made special designs for these outstanding characters in the original work. For example, a portion of the favorability points for these NPCs is deliberately allocated to a certain time point. If a player encounters the NPC at this time point and gains favorability points through the correct method, then the NPC's favorability value will be complete."

"But if you miss this time, it means you will permanently lose this part of the goodwill!"

"Take Medusa for example! Let's assume that you can gain 31 points of favorability from Medusa through her companion Snake Spirit. But as you can see, the companion Snake Spirit has probably already perfectly fused with Medusa. In other words, those 31 points of favorability are permanently locked, and the maximum favorability a player can gain from Medusa is only 69 points!"