Ancestors' Blessing

"Old man, may I trouble you for a moment?" Xiao Jie asked respectfully as he looked at the elder before him.

The old man clearly remembered Xiao Jie, for he cupped his hands and said, "This old man is Huang Shi Dao, the Village Chief of Ginkgo Village. You may call me Old Man Huang. I wonder what it is you wish to ask, young man?" As he spoke, the words "Huang Shi Dao (Village Chief of Ginkgo Village)" floated above the old man's head.

"I am new to these parts and unfamiliar with the area. I was hoping to gather some information; I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

The old man nodded. "That is certainly possible. Oh, by the way, where is your companion? I saw the two of you leave the village yesterday, but I do not see him today."

"He is dead. Cut down by mountain bandits," Xiao Jie said gloomily.

"Life and death are fated; do not grieve too deeply, young man. I had intended to warn you both at the time, but alas...

"The world is a difficult place now. Demons and ghosts run rampant outside. If you lack the necessary skills, I suggest you do not wander about blindly. Stay in the village and do some odd jobs; you will at least be able to earn a living. Ginkgo Village is short on people, and there is a need for labor everywhere. If you ask around, you will surely find work."

As Xiao Jie listened, he felt something was off. If he were to follow the old man's lead, he would certainly find work, but he would also be cementing his persona as an incompetent.

The old man's "alas..." clearly carried a hint of reproach; he was trying to manipulate him.

Such a subtle tone and manner of speaking only served to ignite Xiao Jie's desire to challenge the game.

He suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, there is no need to comfort me, Old Man. My brother and I returned to Old Earth for the sole purpose of slaying demons and upholding justice. From the very day we returned, we were prepared to sacrifice our lives for the cause.

"Though my brother is dead, his legacy remains. Since this world is plagued by demons and ghosts, someone must stand up to restore order.

"Though I am untalented, I am willing to give my life to the attempt.

"A true man should wield a three-foot sword to achieve immortal glory. Even if I am to be buried in the wilderness, wrapped in a horse hide, I shall have no regrets."

Xiao Jie's impassioned speech was, naturally, not without purpose.

His words were thirty percent sincere and seventy percent performative. In many games Xiao Jie had played before, one could gain favor and assistance from NPCs through dialogue, or achieve unexpected results. In some games, one could even talk a final boss to death—the so-called "talk-no-jutsu" victory.

Since the NPCs in this game were so intelligent, Xiao Jie naturally had to make the most of it.

Who knew? He might trigger some hidden quest or receive a special reward.

Especially since Han Luo had indeed died at the hands of bandits yesterday, his words were completely beyond reproach.

The old Village Chief looked solemn after Xiao Jie's speech, seemingly moved by his heroic spirit.

After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.

Huang Shi Dao (Village Chief of Ginkgo Village): "Sigh. I have seen many Returnees lately. Most are driven by greed, arrogant, and eager to show off. They are not very polite when speaking to me, always asking strange questions like 'where can I go to kill a few monsters?'

"Before leaving the village, they are high and mighty, speaking grand words, but once they encounter setbacks, they are as panicked as a Stray Dog.

"Or, they rack their brains trying to curry favor with me, hoping to extract some benefit.

"A young man like you, who knows when to advance or retreat and possesses such ambition, is rare indeed. Especially this unyielding passion—it is the first time I have seen it in my life."

[System Notification: Huang Shi Dao's favorability toward you has increased by 20 points. It is now 70.]

"Very well. Since you have such perseverance, I shall not try to dissuade you further. However, it is fate that you were reborn in our village; perhaps you are a descendant of those who left our village long ago. I have a stick of Incense here. Go to the village Ancestral Hall and offer it to the Ancestors; perhaps it may be of some benefit."

[System Notification: Obtained item [Incense].]

It actually worked! Xiao Jie felt pleasantly surprised as he looked at the notification. It seemed the freedom of this game was indeed high, giving players plenty of room to maneuver.

He opened his inventory to check.

[Incense (Consumable)

Use: Pray.

Item Description: Incense made from plants and trees, used for ritualistic prayer. It is said that the ethereal smoke can communicate with spirits and gods, and even convey human faith to the departed ancestors, seeking their protection and blessing.]

"Many thanks, Old Man." This time, Xiao Jie's gratitude was heartfelt.

After thanking him, Xiao Jie headed excitedly toward the village Ancestral Hall.

The Ancestral Hall was located in the center of the village and was the most respectable building there. Beside it stood a massive Ginkgo Tree, hung with various charms and talismans.

Sunlight filtered through the tree's shade, casting a glow upon the eaves and making the hall feel more welcoming.

Xiao Jie stepped inside and looked at the layers of Ancestral Tablets, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if there were truly some connection between him and them.

He lit the incense, placed it in the burner, and bowed three times.

In his heart, he couldn't help but mutter.

Ancestors, if you truly have spirits in the afterlife, please protect me so that I do not die in this game.

The smoke drifted and swirled, dissipating into the air.

Suddenly, an option box popped up before Xiao Jie's eyes.

[1. Ancestors, please protect me from the interference of ghosts and gods.

2. Ancestors, please bless me with a sharp mind and keen senses.

3. Ancestors, please bless me with a strong body, immune to all illnesses.

4. Ancestors, please bless me with wealth.

5. Ancestors, I, Hidden Moon Follows Wind, have lived a life of self-improvement. I have only come to greet you today and seek nothing.]

Xiao Jie perked up as he looked at the five options before him. Since this game's setting involved gods, immortals, and spirits, praying to his ancestors would likely have some real effect, which was crucial for someone as destitute as him.

Option 1, immunity to spiritual disturbances? Based on that description, it seemed that ghosts and spirits would appear in this game and likely attack players.

However, generally speaking, spooks like that would probably only show up in graveyards, tombs, or the wilderness at night.

Looking at it that way, he wouldn't have any use for it in the short term.

Options 2 and 3, one for improving the mind and the other for strengthening the body, had similar effects and could be listed as alternatives.

Option 4 would be the most intuitive in the short term, as he could obtain a sum of money. With money, he could buy equipment, learn skills, and start Grinding Levels, but it felt somewhat disrespectful to ask his Ancestors directly for cash.

Besides, there was no telling how much they would actually give.

Xiao Jie ignored the fifth option entirely; such "choose nothing" options usually led to one of two results: either you got nothing at all, or you received a unique reward.

In other games, he would have likely chosen the fifth one. After all, if he chose wrong, he could just reload his save. Even if it were an online game where he couldn't reload, early-game rewards usually weren't that important, so seeing what such a hidden option offered wouldn't be a bad idea.

But in this game, Xiao Jie didn't dare to gamble.

Money could be earned slowly; it was just a matter of time, so the fourth option could also be passed over.

That left only options 2 and 3.

Strengthen the body or strengthen the mind?

If he were heading out to grind levels, strengthening his body would undoubtedly be the most useful. However, since he planned to develop in the village for a while first, he decided to choose to strengthen his mind.

After a moment of thought, Xiao Jie had made his decision.

[Option 2: Oh Ancestors, please bless me with a sharp mind and keen senses.]

As Xiao Jie finished selecting, a golden light descended upon him.

[System Prompt: Your Ancestors have manifested. You have gained the buff [Sudden Enlightenment]. You have received protection from your ancestors from beyond, and your comprehension has increased by 8 points (lasts for 7 days).]

[System Prompt: Because your comprehension has reached 20+, you have gained one stack of the [Enlightenment] status.]

Xiao Jie checked the description of the Enlightenment buff.

[Enlightenment: Your comprehension is so high that you have entered a mysterious and profound state. The operating laws of reality have become clearer in your eyes, and you have a higher chance of experiencing a flash of insight (after comprehension exceeds 10 points, the Enlightenment level increases by one for every 10 points gained).]

Huh? What was the point of this thing?

Comprehension was certainly an important attribute—the fact that it couldn't be increased with attribute points proved that—but having it for only seven days felt a bit lackluster. The key issue was that he didn't have any skills yet, so how was he supposed to have a flash of insight? He couldn't just reach enlightenment out of thin air, could he? It felt like this effect would be more useful in the late game, such as when learning advanced skill books.

For now, it felt a bit like a waste.

However, Xiao Jie didn't dwell on it for too long; having something was better than having nothing, and perhaps it would come in handy at some point.

Next, it was time to start looking for work.