Wang Kai referred to that kid naturally as I Want to Become Immortal.
Xiao Jie felt somewhat surprised, having assumed Wang Kai was the sort of businessman who cared only for money and nothing else, yet judging by his tone he seemed rather concerned.
"Didn't you say everyone has their own destiny? Since that kid chose this path, why bother fretting over it."
Wang Kai explained instead, "I'm mostly worried he'll drop dead in an instant and I won't have any business left to do later. It's rare to have a generous client, so he might as well stay alive if he can."
Xiao Jie asked curiously, "Then what do you plan to do? Go out of the village to find him."
This fellow had holed up in the village for three years, so even if he hadn't gained a single level, he surely must have improved in some way.
Xiao Jie simply didn't believe this Wang Kai lacked any strength whatsoever.
Who knew that upon hearing about leaving the village, Wang Kai would hurriedly deny it. "That won't do. Making a living is important, but a tiny life is even more important. From the day I entered the game, I swore I'd never leave the village."
Yet he suddenly looked over at Xiao Jie.
"Little Brother Hidden Moon Follows Wind, I can tell you're definitely an expert. Why don't you go help me find him instead? You don't even have to go too far; I figure this kid couldn't possibly have gone very far outside the village either. Just take a look in the woods near the village to see if he's still alive.
"If he's still alive, hurry up and call him back. It's going to get dark soon, and I forgot to remind him about that earlier."
Xiao Jie asked in wonder, "What happens when it gets dark?"
"Night Ghouls spawn when it gets dark, and that stuff is physically immune. Beginners stand zero chance when they run into it."
Night Ghouls? Xiao Jie thought to himself that this game truly featured monsters like so-called ghosts and spirits. The option had even been available earlier during the prayers at the Ancestral Hall.
Naturally, he had no intention of agreeing to Wang Kai's request.
"Haha, are you kidding me? You're afraid of death, so I'm not? Besides, I don't even know him that well." (And I don't seem to know you that well either.)
"Don't be like that. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, after all. Good people get good rewards."
"Spare me. You were the one who said everyone has their own destiny, and I think that makes a lot of sense. If you want to save him, go do it yourself."
"How about this? You go find him and bring him back, and I'll give you 500 copper coins."
Xiao Jie pondered for a moment. 500 copper coins was no small sum.
Working himself to the bone chopping trees all day today had only earned him a little over two hundred coins.
Trading 500 copper coins for RMB came out to five thousand yuan. With studio profits doing poorly these past six months, five thousand yuan was nearly equivalent to a month's salary for him.
Xiao Jie was indeed somewhat tempted. He had also been outside the village yesterday, and there weren't any monsters nearby, making it not overly dangerous. The crucial point was that he had just learned a powerful combat skill, boosting his confidence considerably, and he even felt a bit of an urge to test his skills against a monster.
If he could make a quick buck while conveniently doing a search quest, that wouldn't be bad either.
Still, Xiao Jie naturally wouldn't reveal his hand so easily. Besides, he didn't even have a decent weapon; it would be far too dangerous if he happened to encounter a monster.
He intentionally steered the conversation away. "Tell me, why are you getting so worked up over this?"
"Sigh, it's just that his older brother I Want to Seal the Heavens had a pretty good relationship with me back then. We're sort of old friends, and he even helped me out before. If we can look out for his younger brother, we ought to.
"How about this? I'll add another hundred coins for you. Six hundred is quite a lot."
"A thousand coins. Plus, you have to lend me a set of equipment. If I go out looking like this, aren't I just delivering free kills to wild monsters? The key point is needing a good saber—there's a Wild Goose Feather Saber in the Blacksmith Shop. If you can let me use that saber first, I'll take the job."
Upon hearing that, Wang Kai's face immediately twisted in inner conflict.
Yet time was tight, and he didn't dare hesitate for long. He grit his teeth. "Fine, a thousand coins it is! I'll sort out the equipment for you too, but don't you dare abscond with the cash. Shall we sign a contract?"
Xiao Jie was instantly left speechless. "I am utterly defeated by you. If you aren't afraid of that little brother of yours kicking the bucket, we can slowly discuss the matter of contracts."
"Alright, alright, no more talk of contracts. Just wait here, I'll go get your gear right now."
Wang Kai turned and bolted into the Blacksmith Shop, running back out in less than a minute.
Opening the trade window, the Wild Goose Feather Saber, a set of Leather Armor, five doses of Wound Medicine, and a bottle of Strength Pill appeared in the trading slots one by one.
Xiao Jie felt a wave of astonishment. "Damn, you actually managed to borrow them? Your master trusts you that much?"
"I happen to be Blacksmith Zhou's final closed-door disciple, with maxed-out favorability! Stop blabbing, hurry up and go. It's already five o'clock, and it'll be dark in an hour. If you don't go now, it'll be too late."
With that, Wang Kai directly clicked to complete the trade.
Xiao Jie clicked to accept the trade, feeling quite satisfied as he looked at the extra set of equipment in his inventory, and equipped all of it right away.
Wolf Skin Bracers, Leather Breastplate, Leather Leggings, Lightweight Leather Boots.
Of course, the most eye-catching piece was still the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand. A level-one alt holding this green-tier weapon with the sparkling blade gripped in his palm—he was truly the flashiest player in Ginkgo Village.
Xiao Jie figured this full set of gear had to be worth close to five thousand copper coins; Wang Kai had really pulled out all the stops.
With this equipment, coupled with his newly comprehended combat skill, what did he have to be afraid of?
It was just a pity they were only temporary loans.
He couldn't bring himself to swindle someone else's gear.
Without wasting any more breath, he immediately sprinted toward the outside of the village.
The time was already five o'clock. The sun hung low in the west, and the afterglow of the setting twilight spilled through the gaps in the trees along the edge of the valley. Though still quite bright, it nonetheless gave one a sense of grim desolation.
Coupled with the desolate and gloomy scenery amongst the woods, Xiao Jie didn't dare linger for even a second.
Ginkgo Village was located at the southernmost tip of Ginkgo Valley, and heading north left only a single path, meaning he didn't have to worry about failing to find someone. Moreover, Wang Kai was right: that I Want to Become Immortal shouldn't have ventured very far.
He wasn't planning on pushing himself too hard either; searching a circle around the village perimeter would suffice. If he genuinely couldn't find anyone, so be it—he certainly couldn't risk his own life.
Still, since he was taking someone's money to resolve their troubles, he couldn't just half-ass it.
As soon as he entered the woods, he spotted a wild dog foraging near the edge. Xiao Jie didn't dodge it, charging straight over instead—it was just the thing to test his blade.
Sensing footsteps, the wild dog abruptly raised its head to look at him, letting out a roar as if to make a show of force.
Its snow-white fangs were exceptionally striking, looking thoroughly vicious.
Xiao Jie didn't launch the first attack. Striking an opening stance, he slowly closed in—one step, two steps, three steps.
Seeming to sense the threat, the wild dog let out a low growl and suddenly leaped into the air, lunging forward.
Right now!
Xiao Jie moved in a flash, the Wild Goose Feather Saber in his hand tracing a lethal arc as he slashed outward right against the momentum of the wild dog's forward charge.
One Cut Two Pieces!
Swish! -63 (Critical Strike)!
The blade flashed past, and this single strike actually cleaved the wild dog straight down the middle into two halves, dropping it to the ground in a bloody mess.
The tearing sound of the blade biting into flesh filled Xiao Jie with a soul-deep sense of exhilaration.
One-hit KO—awesome!
A fine blade paired with a powerful combat skill truly made for sheer, unadulterated ferocity.
At that, any remaining fear in his heart vanished entirely. Following the path through the sparse woodland, he pressed deeper into the valley while continuing his search.
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