Long-Term Shallowness

Yan Qing held the teapot, rinsed the first brew, poured it away, then poured the second brew, took a sip, initially slightly astringent, with a lingering sweetness, somewhat like Tieguanyin.

His life was getting better now, even acquiring a set of tea utensils. These past two days, it had been a constant banquet, with lavish meals every day. He had to drink some tea to cut through the greasiness, to avoid constipation.

Logically speaking, he should also be a game character, after all, his name was listed in the character slots, but why didn't other game characters need to poop, while he still possessed such a backward function?

Or did Night Four and Jiang Shi secretly poop when I wasn't playing?

Yan Qing pondered while watching 'Jiang Shi' return to the Qian Family carriage.

Qian Gongyu had just finished bathing, her hair emitting moisture, wearing a thin silk nightgown. When she saw 'Jiang Shi', she pinched her nose: "Covered in stinky sweat, go take a bath quickly, the water is still hot."

When 'Jiang Shi' went to bathe, the mist immediately obscured the entire screen, Yan Qing could only see a few parts such as the head, shoulders, and arms. At this time, Qian Gongyu walked in again, leaning against the tub and asked: "Jiang Shi, are you planning to go to the Jie Family or the Shang Family? It should be the Jie Family, after all, their conditions are better."

"You heard?"

"You were chatting at the door, I heard a little bit."

After the banquet, Shang Xin Lei and Jie Yuanshao very tacitly came to recruit 'Jiang Shi' one after the other. The treatment offered by Shang Xin Lei was undoubtedly the lowest, requiring service to the Shang Family for five years to be granted three Artifacts; Jie Yuanshao was much better, service for four years for four Artifacts, and these four Artifacts were self-selected, and could be chosen from the Jie Family treasury.

However, they both stated that this was only the minimum treatment, and once they contacted their families, they would definitely be able to offer even more superior conditions. They didn't need 'Jiang Shi' to agree immediately, and after the Wandering Star Forest three-day Secret Realm ended, they were sure that their families would pay more attention to 'Jiang Shi'.

Their recruitment was mainly to show that they valued 'Jiang Shi' as much as Qun Yushu did.

Yan Qing didn't care about serving the Noble Class. As a player who had been ravaged by single-player canned games, he was already used to helping NPCs clean toilets everywhere for a tiny bit of benefit. As long as the price was right, cleaning toilets for anyone was the same, right?

As long as the other party cooperated sincerely, Yan Qing was happy to exchange labor for rewards.

But these people were too stingy, each guarding and hiding their Artifacts, not giving them until a certain number of years of work had been completed. But Yan Qing needed Artifacts now to improve his combat power!

As for giving Artifacts after working for a year...

In the game "The Herald", even the most inept, casual, and idle players, as long as they insisted on playing for three hours every day, would definitely be able to reach Fourth Transition in less than half a year. Even if cultivating to Fourth Transition in this world was a bit more difficult, requiring twice the time, a year would be enough for Yan Qing to advance to Fourth Transition.

I'm already Foundation Establishment Fourth Transition, do I still need your ordinary whiteboard Artifacts that can only be sold in stores?

This was also why Yan Qing directly appraised the 'Guardian Jade Pendant' that Qun Yushu handed over—he certainly knew how precious the basic function in the game 'Discern All Artifact Information' was in this world, equivalent to becoming the only literate person among a group of illiterates, not to mention becoming a public intellectual, even becoming a prophet would be more than enough.

He also knew that exposing this ability of 'Jiang Shi' would attract more covetousness.

But as long as the benefits were in hand, that was enough.

Shang Xin Lei complained that 'Jiang Shi' shouldn't have shown his appraisal ability, and Jie Yuanshao bluntly said that 'Jiang Shi' was too short-sighted to be so arrogant and so sharp.

They couldn't understand why 'Jiang Shi' was so eager for Artifacts, why he didn't bide his time and seek long-term benefits.

After all, for most people, biding their time and accumulating strength was undoubtedly the right thing to do, after all, they only had one life, and people should look further ahead.

But their long-term was too shallow for Yan Qing.

What Yan Qing was pursuing was not a mere Foundation Establishment Fourth Transition, but the highest-level Seventh, Eighth, or even Ninth Transition of the version. As long as he could get enough equipment to get through the novice period, he didn't mind offending all the Noble Classes here—although it was said that the Noble Classes here monopolized resources, and robbing them of their gold coins was acting on behalf of Heaven, Yan Qing had no intention of putting a cloak of justice on his actions, he was simply unscrupulous.

Single-player gamers were like this, as long as the game mechanics allowed, whichever was effective, whether it was deception, theft, or robbery, they would use it. Game NPCs might call this kind of behavior a crime, while players called it efficiency.

"The conditions they offered are not good, I'll wait for them to offer more superior conditions after the Wandering Star Forest ends."

"These conditions are not good enough?" Qian Gongyu clicked her tongue, "But it's okay... then will you still live with me these two days?"

"Young Miss, of course."

"Hee hee."

"Young Miss, let's use the artifacts to spar tomorrow."

"Ah? Oh, um... alright."

Qian Gongyu suddenly remembered something, ran out barefoot, and ran back barefoot, with a box in her hand: "This is Spirit Jade that Xin Lei gave me. Now that Jiang Shi, you've become The Herald, let's split it equally!"

"This was a gift for you, not me, and I don't lack Spirit Jade."

"You don't lack it?" Qian Gongyu looked left and right, suddenly remembering something: "Oh, you're hiding the Spirit Jade in your storage artifact."

She lowered her head, looking at the box, her voice a little downcast: "I see, you have a blade artifact and a storage artifact. You must be a noble descendant with a high-ranking bloodline. How could you lack Spirit Jade like me..."

"But I won't refuse it for nothing."

'Jiang Shi' reached out and took half of the Spirit Jade from the box, "Just consider it the fee for Young Miss hiring me as a bodyguard."

Qian Gongyu was stunned, a little amused: "This fee is too high, spending three thousand Spirit Jade in just a few days."

"But I'm worth it."

Qian Gongyu blinked, watching 'Jiang Shi' by the edge of the tub, her eyes sparkling, and smiled softly: "That's true."

The next morning, the open space in front of the Wandering Star Forest entrance was divided into three groups.

The largest group was naturally the circle formed by the Esteemed Class descendants. The Wandering Star Forest is a three-day Secret Realm. Missing even one day is equivalent to automatic abandonment, so they still had to enter the forest today.

They occasionally glanced at 'Jiang Shi' and the others, their eyes full of envy, jealousy, and hatred, envying them for not having to suffer in the forest, jealous that 'Jiang Shi' could influence the Wandering Star Forest, and even more hateful that she didn't share this secret method with everyone—a mere Black Belt commoner, actually climbing above them with this, how could they not hate her.

The second group was Jie Zilong, Chen Lincuan, and Qun Yushu. They would enter the Wandering Star Forest together. If they were lucky, they would form a team. If they were unlucky, they would be on their own. So far, no one has been able to figure out the rules for team allocation in the Wandering Star Forest.

The last group was 'Jiang Shi' and the others.

"Let's go." Jie Zilong said, "Anyway, they've already formed their teams. Even if they enter with us, they won't be assigned to our team."

"Then we'll have to trouble the two seniors." Qun Yushu smiled.

Chen Lincuan took a large spear from a servant and took the lead into the dense fog of the forest, with the other two following closely behind. After they entered, 'Jiang Shi' and the others also set off, but even if they didn't enter together, they would still reach the same Shelter.

But Qian Gongyu didn't seem to know this, holding 'Jiang Shi's arm tightly. Seeing this, Shang Xin Lei held 'Jiang Shi's other arm, and Jie Yuanshao, noticing this scene, hesitated for a moment and reached out to grab Shang Xin Lei's sleeve.

Passing through the brief fog, the Shelter reappeared before them.

The Shelter remained in the state they had left it in, the Blade Warrior Statue, the Stone House, the destroyed Wooden Ballista, and the broken Wall. For some reason, after arriving at this dangerous place, Qian Gongyu relaxed completely, as if it were safer here than outside.

At the same time, new information popped up in the game:

"You have entered the Wandering Star Forest."
"Based on your level, you can currently obtain the following milestone information:"
"Bronze Hunter: You have passed the fifth level of the Wandering Star Forest."
"Silver Hunter: You have passed the tenth level of the Wandering Star Forest."

"Gold Hunter: You have cleared the twentieth level of the Wandering Star Forest."

"Forest Lord: You have cleared the ninety-ninth level of the Wandering Star Forest."