Trading Ghosts (Two-in-One Chapter)

I Want to Become Immortal: "What is it, Brother Feng?"

Hidden Moon Follows Wind: "Do you want to switch to the Hunter class?"

I Want to Become Immortal: "How? That hunter named Yang won't take apprentices. I asked Brother Wang, and he said I need a hundred-year-old ginseng to become a disciple. I checked the pharmacy, but that item hasn't spawned yet."

Hidden Moon Follows Wind: "I have a way to switch to Hunter, but I need to borrow your Ebony Sword. If you want to switch, let's form a party and do this quest together."

I Want to Become Immortal: "I'm coming right now."

Ye Luo: "You looking for me?"

Hidden Moon Follows Wind: "I'm going to do the ghost-exorcism quest. Can you help me locate the Ghost Servant?"

Ye Luo: "I can do that, but how do you plan to deal with it? I shouldn't have to remind you that physical attacks are ineffective against spirits."

Hidden Moon Follows Wind: "I have my own methods. Come to the Hunter's cabin, and we'll discuss the details."

The village was small, and it didn't take long for both of them to arrive.

When I Want to Become Immortal saw Ye Luo, he was startled at first, but then he brightened up and greeted her enthusiastically.

Ye Luo, however, remained quite cold, as if she had no interest in making friends.

Xiao Jie wasn't surprised; she had been the same way with him yesterday.

He didn't pay it much mind. Every player had their own habits; some players suffered from social anxiety and preferred to play alone even in MMOs, disliking party play. That was common enough.

Xiao Jie introduced the two to each other and then explained the quest he had accepted.

"This quest is supposed to be very difficult to complete, but I've calculated that with the abilities and resources the three of us possess, we can pull it off.

My Divine Wood Talisman can drive the Ghost Servant out of the Hunter's Wife.

Ye Luo can see spirits.

I Want to Become Immortal's Ebony Sword can slay ghosts. Judging by its HP, the Ghost Servant shouldn't have much combat power. If we work together, we can definitely take it down. Once the Ghost Servant is dead, Yang Baichuan should be able to accept apprentices normally, and we can both learn Archery and Dog Training."

I Want to Become Immortal was instantly excited; he had nearly been killed by three wild dogs earlier, so he knew exactly how valuable having a dog was.

Ye Luo, however, remained calm and asked, "And what's in it for me? I'm already Yang Baichuan's apprentice."

"How about being a good person? Yang Baichuan is your master; isn't it only right to help his wife? Besides, if he's happy, he might teach you a hidden skill."

"I've already handed in three Wild Ginsengs, and I've learned all the skills I can. Besides, this is just a game." Ye Luo was exceptionally level-headed.

Xiao Jie felt a bit helpless. Aren't girls usually more emotional? Was Ye Luo really this cold-blooded?

I Want to Become Immortal said, "How about I hire you? 200 copper coins." He was someone who didn't lack money and always tried to solve problems with it first.

"I don't need money."

"500 copper coins?"

"Even 1,000 wouldn't work. I told you, I don't need money."

Ye Luo was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Then what do you want?"

"I'll help you kill the Ghost Servant, but that sword goes to me."

Before I Want to Become Immortal could speak, Xiao Jie objected.

"Are you kidding? This thing is a magical artifact. You're asking for way too much."

"Exactly, exactly! I had a hard time getting this sword," I Want to Become Immortal added hurriedly.

Ye Luo replied indifferently, "This sword is useless to you. You can't see ghosts. Unless you plan to dump a bunch of attribute points into Perception and go for a Perception-based build, this sword is a complete waste in your hands.

How about this: I'll give you a skill book to make up the difference. You use axes, right?"

"I..." I Want to Become Immortal wanted to say he used a sword, but it seemed he hadn't learned any sword skills. He had, however, spent two days chopping wood and had learned Axe Weapon Proficiency.

"I guess so."

"That's settled then. This Stone Cracking Slash only requires 15 Strength to learn. You can use it if you add a few points to your attributes. It's definitely more valuable to you than the Ebony Sword."

"But I want to be a swordsman..." I Want to Become Immortal said weakly.

"There are no sword skills to learn in Ginkgo Village. You need to go to the Sword Hall in the provincial capital to learn Sword Mastery before you can learn advanced sword techniques. You haven't even left the Newbie Village yet; you can't learn sword skills here. Once you leave, there will be plenty of weapons better than the Ebony Sword."

Seeing that I Want to Become Immortal was still hesitant, Ye Luo added, "How about this: whatever the Ghost Servant drops, it all goes to you."

I Want to Become Immortal was finally tempted. He sent a private message to Xiao Jie: "Brother Feng, what do you think?"

Xiao Jie hummed noncommittally, falling into deep thought.

He hadn't really thought much of the Ebony Sword; how good could gear from the early game really be?

But seeing how desperate Ye Luo was to get her hands on it, he had a vague feeling that the value of the Ebony Sword might be far greater than it appeared—it wasn't just some minor high-quality item.

Its stats were average; the only unique thing about it was the Spirit Slaying weapon effect.

Wang Kai had previously mentioned that Magic Class professions were extremely rare in this game. This meant that the majority of players were physical-based, and physical classes struggled significantly against ghost-type monsters.

In this light, the Spirit Slaying effect of this sword became exceptionally valuable.

This was especially true for players following a Perception build, as this sword would allow them to farm ghosts.

However, Ye Luo wasn't wrong either; unless one intended to pursue a Perception route, this item was truly of little use.

"Do you intend to follow a Perception build?" Xiao Jie asked I Want to Become Immortal.

"Hmm... let me think."

I Want to Become Immortal couldn't help but flip open the Strategy Guide his brother had left behind.

Beyond information regarding the monsters in the Newbie Village, it placed great emphasis on the key points of stat allocation.

In this game, everyone had to invest in base stats, especially in the early stages; without them, the game was impossible to play.

If one wanted to transition into a Magic Class later on, they would need to deal with advanced stats.

Advanced stats were quite nuanced, and not every one of them was useful.

There were many different schools of magic in this game: Daoism, Immortal Arts, Sorcery, Divine Powers, Ghost Incantations...

Each corresponded to a different set of attributes.

Spirit: Increases maximum Mana, Mana regeneration speed, and resistance to mental skills like Charm, Fear, and Hypnosis.

This attribute could be considered a mandatory investment for all Magic Class professions. Adding points here was never a bad thing, and it was generally the secondary stat for magic users.

Spirituality: Increases the efficiency of absorbing the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth and the essence of the sun and moon, as well as the ability to learn and use Immortal Arts and Sorcery.

This attribute was primarily aimed at Immortal Arts and Sorcery; to learn these two types of magic, one needed to invest heavily in Spirituality.

Perception: Increases your alert radius, detection range for monsters, and your ability to sense invisible entities. A high Perception might attract the attention of ghosts and deities.

This attribute was relatively important for classes like Assassins and Hunters, and it was also required for learning Ghost Incantation spells.

Faith: Increases your ability to absorb the Power of Faith and your ability to learn and use Divine Powers.

This was a mandatory attribute for learning Divine Power-type spells.

I Want to Become Immortal naturally wanted to cultivate immortality so he could resurrect his brother, and for that, Perception was of no use.

"I don't intend to follow a Perception build."

Xiao Jie nodded; that settled it then.

"Since she wants this sword so badly, it must have its unique merits. Based on my experience, the most valuable aspect of this sword is its Spirit Slaying attribute.

The scarcity of Magic Class professions in this game means that weapons capable of dealing damage to ghosts are extremely valuable.

Of course, to slay a ghost, you must first be able to see it. If you were to follow a Perception build, this sword would be a top-tier weapon, worth a fortune.

If you aren't going that route, the sword's significance isn't quite as high, and you might consider trading it for something more suitable.

However, since the sword is yours, it's better for you to decide. I suggest you consider it carefully and don't agree easily just because of me."

Xiao Jie's analysis was crystal clear.

I Want to Become Immortal had a plan in mind, so he said to Ye Luo, "I can do it, but you'll have to pay more, otherwise forget it."

"This thing is of no use to you."

I Want to Become Immortal said confidently, "But it is very useful to you."

Ye Luo replied candidly, "That's true—tell me, what do you want?"

Xiao Jie had expected I Want to Become Immortal to ask for equipment or something similar, but to his surprise, I Want to Become Immortal said in a deep voice, "Information."

Ye Luo was slightly taken aback. "Hmm?"

I Want to Become Immortal explained, "I don't know much about this game, but you seem very familiar with it. You must know a lot of things I don't. I can give you the sword, but in exchange, if I have any questions about the game in the future and you know the answer, you must help me."

Ye Luo was silent for a moment. "No problem, it's a deal."

I Want to Become Immortal laughed upon hearing this. "Alright, it's settled. But let's be clear: the Ghost Servant's drops all belong to me; you aren't allowed to ninja my loot."

Ye Luo gave a light huff. "Don't worry, I'm not that petty."

Xiao Jie nodded to himself. I Want to Become Immortal's choice was quite clever. Compared to one or two pieces of equipment with limited value, information was undoubtedly more useful. Especially in a Death Game like this, where there was zero room for error and one wrong step could lead to total ruin, having more information would undoubtedly allow one to go much further.

This kid had grown up.

The three of them had gotten what they needed. Xiao Jie needed to complete the promotion quest to receive his rewards.

I Want to Become Immortal got his class change, the Ghost Servant drops, skill books, and game information.

And Ye Luo obtained the Ebony Sword.

With their plan set, the three returned to the wooden hut.

"Brother Yang, this is the helper I brought. He also wishes to become your apprentice. I wonder if that is possible?"

"As long as my wife can be saved, what does it matter if I take on one more apprentice?"

A prompt immediately appeared on I Want to Become Immortal's screen.

System Prompt: Player Hidden Moon Follows Wind is sharing the quest [Expel Evil Spirits] with you. Do you accept?

I Want to Become Immortal naturally accepted.

He turned and traded the Ebony Sword to Ye Luo, receiving the skill book Stone Cracking Slash in return.

The three of them took their respective positions, and Xiao Jie took out the Divine Wood Talisman.

"Get ready, I'm starting. Counting down: 3—2—1!"

Evil Purging Art!

Ebony Blood Oath!

The moment Xiao Jie cast the Evil Purging Art on Hunter's Wife, Ye Luo slowly drew the blade of the Ebony Sword across her palm. A layer of scarlet blood-aura immediately emerged on the sword, flickering with an ominous red light in the dim room.

A cold wind rose from all directions, and Hunter's Wife began to convulse violently. The moment she stopped, Ye Luo suddenly slashed her sword into thin air.

Awoo! A strange cry rang out from nowhere, clearly indicating that the strike had hit its target.

However, Ye Luo's expression changed instantly. "Not good, it's trying to run!"

She lunged forward, unleashing the combat skill—Triple Wave!

Swish, swish, swish! Three consecutive strikes landed in the empty air.

A ghostly shriek echoed through the air, followed immediately by a shockwave of cold wind that rippled outward.

Boom! Xiao Jie, I Want to Become Immortal, and Hunter were all knocked back two steps by the force. It was actually an AOE attack, but fortunately, the damage was low, only costing them a few health points.

Ye Luo, however, flashed her figure, using the movement technique—Assassin's Gait!

She dodged the shockwave directly.

Immediately following that, she unleashed a fluid, seamless set of sword moves.

Sword Dance: Flowing Cloud Thirteen Forms!

Swish, swish, swish, swish!

Ye Luo spun as she swung her sword, her movements like a dance. As the blade sliced through the air, strange, ghostly wails erupted continuously.

The two men watched in excitement, but they were completely unable to help and could only stare from the sidelines.

It wasn't until a shrill, miserable scream echoed from the air and something hit the ground with a clang that they realized the ghost had likely been finished off.

Ye Luo, acting with the self-awareness of a mercenary, retreated to the side.

A notification appeared on Xiao Jie's screen.

[System Prompt: Participated in killing the Ghost Servant, gained 76 Experience Points.] Because he had initiated the fight with the Evil Purging Art, he had actually managed to earn some experience.

I Want to Become Immortal, on the other hand, didn't earn a single point of experience, having been a spectator the entire time.

However, he didn't notice this at the moment; his gaze was entirely fixed on the object on the ground.

It was a yellow talisman paper with a strange humanoid symbol drawn in cinnabar, and there was a sword mark across the paper.

This is—

Xiao Jie picked up the talisman to take a look and casually handed it to I Want to Become Immortal.

[Broken Ghost Controlling Talisman (Quest Item)

Use: Give this to the hunter Yang Baichuan to trigger a quest.

Item Description: Legend has it that Ghost Curse Masters can use talismans to control ghosts, forcing them to serve and commit evil, illicit deeds. This is a dark art that bridges the yin and yang, and it has always been despised by those on the righteous path.]