Ancestral Blessing

"Sir, may I trouble you with a few questions?" Xiao Jie asked the old man before him respectfully.

The old man clearly remembered Xiao Jie. He cupped his hands and said, "This old man is Huang Shi Dao, Village Chief of Ginkgo Village. You may call me Old Man Huang. What would you like to ask, young man?" As he spoke, the words "Huang Shi Dao (Village Chief of Ginkgo Village)" appeared above his head.

"I've only just arrived here and am unfamiliar with the area. I'd like to ask around for some information. Would you be willing to explain a few things?"

The old man nodded. "Of course. Oh, right, where is that companion of yours? I saw the two of you leave the village yesterday. Why isn't he with you today?"

"He died. The Mountain Bandits hacked him to death," Xiao Jie said gloomily.

"Life and death are fated. Young brother, don't grieve too deeply. I wanted to warn you at the time, but alas..."

"These are difficult times. Outside, Demons throw the world into chaos while ghosts and monsters run rampant. If you don't have some ability, young brother, I'd advise you not to wander about recklessly. Stay in the village and do odd jobs. You can always earn enough to eat. Ginkgo Village is short on people these days, and labor is needed everywhere. Ask around, and you'll surely find work."

Listening to him, Xiao Jie felt that something was off. If he followed along with the old man's words, he could certainly find work, but that would confirm the image of him as a useless nobody.

That "but alas..." had clearly carried a hint of reproach. The old man was trying to put him in his place.

That subtle tone and manner of speaking instead stirred Xiao Jie's competitive spirit toward the game.

He suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Old sir, there's no need to comfort me. My brother and I returned to Old Earth to slay Demons and monsters, save the world, and uphold justice. From the day we returned, we had already prepared ourselves to die for the cause.

"My brother may be dead now, but his will lives on. Since Demons throw this world into chaos and ghosts and monsters run rampant, someone must step forward to set the world right and uphold justice.

"Though I may lack talent, I am willing to risk my life and give it a try.

"A true man should wield a three-foot sword and achieve immortal deeds. Even if I die in the wilderness and my corpse is wrapped in horsehide, I will have no regrets."

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

Three parts of what he said came from the heart, but seven parts were performance. In many games Xiao Jie had played before, dialogue could be used to gain NPC favor and assistance, or achieve unexpected results. In some games, you could even talk the final boss to death—the so-called silver-tongued route to clearing the game.

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

Maybe he could trigger some hidden plot or obtain a special reward.

Especially since Han Luo really had died at the hands of the Mountain Bandits yesterday, there was nothing wrong with what he had said.

The old Village Chief's expression turned solemn after hearing Xiao Jie's words. He seemed deeply moved by Xiao Jie's heroic spirit.

After a long while, he suddenly let out a deep sigh.

Huang Shi Dao (Village Chief of Ginkgo Village): "Sigh, this old man has met quite a few Returnees lately. Most were greedy, hotheaded fools obsessed with proving themselves. They were not very polite when speaking to an old man like me, always asking strange things like, 'Where can I kill a few?'

"Before leaving the village, they held their heads high and made grand declarations. Yet when they suffered setbacks against enemies, they panicked like homeless dogs.

"Or else they went to great lengths to flatter me, hoping to obtain benefits from me.

"A young man like you, who knows when to advance and retreat and still has ambition, is truly rare. Especially with such unyielding passion in your heart—I have seen its like only once in my life."

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

"Fine. Since you possess such determination, I won't try to dissuade you further. Still, being reborn in our village is a kind of fate. Perhaps you are descended from a branch of our village that left long ago. I have a stick of Incense here. Go to the village's Ancestral Hall and offer it to the ancestors. It may be of some benefit."

[System Notification: Obtained item [Incense].]

It had actually worked! Xiao Jie was pleasantly surprised as he looked at the notification. It seemed this game truly offered a high degree of freedom, giving players plenty of room to perform.

He opened his inventory to take a look.

[Incense (Consumable)

Use: Pray.

Item Description: Incense made from grasses and wood, a ritual item used for prayers. It is said that its drifting smoke can communicate with ghosts and gods, even conveying human faith to departed ancestors in the hope of receiving protection and blessings.]

"Thank you, sir." This time, Xiao Jie's gratitude came from the bottom of his heart.

After thanking him, Xiao Jie eagerly headed to the village's Ancestral Hall.

The Ancestral Hall stood at the very center of the village and was its most respectable building. Beside it stood an enormous Ginkgo Tree, covered with Talismans and similar objects.

Sunlight filtered through the shade of the tree and fell upon the upturned eaves, making the Ancestral Hall seem a little more welcoming.

Xiao Jie entered the Ancestral Hall. Looking at the layers upon layers of Ancestral Tablets, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, as though he truly had some hidden connection to them.

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

He could not help silently murmuring in his heart.

Ancestors, if your spirits truly watch over us from heaven, please bless me so that I do not die in this game.

The smoke drifted through the air before gradually dispersing.

A selection window suddenly appeared before Xiao Jie's eyes.

[1. Ancestors, please bless me so that I will not be disturbed by ghosts and gods.

2. Ancestors, please bless me with intelligence, sharp ears, and keen eyes.

3. Ancestors, please bless me with a strong body, free from all illness.

4. Ancestors, please bless me with wealth.

5. Ancestors, I, Hidden Moon Follows Wind, have striven all my life to improve myself. Today, I merely came to greet you. I ask for nothing.]

Seeing the five options before him, Xiao Jie immediately focused. This game's setting included immortals, ghosts, and gods, so praying to one's ancestors would probably have some real effect. That was extremely important to someone as poor as him.

Option 1, freedom from the disturbance of ghosts and gods? Judging from the description, ghosts and gods would likely appear in this game, and they might attack players.

But generally speaking, wandering spirits would probably show up in graveyards, tombs, or the wilderness at night.

In that case, he would not need it anytime soon.

Options 2 and 3 were similar, one improving the mind and the other strengthening the body. Both could be considered alternatives.

Option 4 would probably be the most immediately useful in the short term. He could obtain some money, and with money, he could buy equipment and learn skills, then kill monsters and level up. Still, directly asking his ancestors for money felt somewhat disrespectful.

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

Xiao Jie directly ignored the fifth option. Choices where you asked for nothing usually had only two outcomes: either you received nothing at all, or you received the most special reward.

If this had been another game, he would probably have chosen the fifth option. If he chose wrong, he could just reload. Even in an online game where he could not reload, early-game rewards usually were not that important, and it would be nice to see what such a hidden option gave.

But in this game, Xiao Jie did not dare to gamble.

Money could be earned slowly. It was only a matter of time, so the fourth option could be passed over as well.

That left only options 2 and 3.

Strengthen his body, or strengthen his mind.

If he were going out to kill monsters and level up, strengthening his body would undoubtedly be the most useful. But since he planned to develop in the village for a while first, he should choose to strengthen his mind.

After thinking it over for a moment, Xiao Jie made his decision.

[Option 2: Ancestors, please bless me with intelligence, sharp ears, and keen eyes.]

As soon as Xiao Jie made his selection, a beam of golden light descended upon him.

[System Notification: Your ancestors have manifested. You have gained the buff [Sudden Enlightenment]. You have received the unseen protection of your ancestors. Your comprehension has increased by 8 points for 7 days.

[System Notification: Since your comprehension has reached 20+, you have gained one stack of [Enlightenment].]

Xiao Jie checked the description of the Enlightenment buff.

[Enlightenment: Your comprehension is so high that you have entered a profound and wondrous state. In your eyes, the laws governing all things in reality have become clearer, granting you a higher chance of attaining Sudden Enlightenment. For every 10 points of comprehension beyond 10, your Enlightenment level increases by one.]

Huh? What exactly was this thing for?

Comprehension was certainly an important attribute. He could tell from the fact that it could not be improved with attribute points. But only seven days made it somewhat underwhelming. More importantly, he did not have any skills right now, so how was he supposed to attain Sudden Enlightenment? He could not just comprehend the Dao out of thin air, could he? This effect would probably be more useful later on, such as when learning profound skill books.

For now, it was more or less wasted.

Still, Xiao Jie did not dwell on it for long. Something was better than nothing. Maybe it would come in handy someday.

Next, it was time to start looking for work.