Huayin City

Wang Jingyuan had no idea what had gotten into him, but he acted as though he could not coexist with mules. Even Yue Lingshan's suggestion that she ride the mule while he rode the horse was rejected. In the end, Yue Lingshan could not sway Wang Jingyuan and went to the horse market to trade the mule for a horse.

The moment Yue Lingshan bought the horse, she wanted to continue on their journey, but Wang Jingyuan stopped her. "Did you forget something?"

Yue Lingshan thought for a moment. "No?"

Slapping his forehead, Wang Jingyuan complained with an exasperated look, "An NPC is an NPC. AI companions are just too dumb.

"When entering a new map, you always visit the blacksmith, tailor, apothecary, and general store first to see whether any new items have been unlocked. That's the rule!

"If you have time, you should also search around for hidden treasure chests or side quests."

"Junior Disciple Brother, you're talking nonsense again. Your sword isn't damaged, so why go to a blacksmith? Besides, that Green Light Sword of yours is a masterpiece Father acquired years ago. Even if it were damaged, an ordinary blacksmith would not be able to repair it.

"And I remember Mother stuffed plenty of spare clothes into your bundle..."

"Stop, stop, stop. I can't be bothered explaining. Just follow me."

Leading the horse, Wang Jingyuan casually stopped a passerby and asked where several shops were before heading straight there. Yue Lingshan had no choice but to follow.

Wang Jingyuan was undoubtedly disappointed when he reached the blacksmith's shop. There was no other reason...

"Hardcore. This is way too hardcore. Was I wrong to seek hand cannons and crossbows in a hardcore game? I should have realized when I saw that meticulously researched Ming Dynasty city upon entering."

Still, Wang Jingyuan had not come away entirely empty-handed. At least he had spotted something useful in the blacksmith's shop. "Boss, how much are these hammers?"

"Honored customer, these are hammers we use for forging. They're not for sale."

"One price. Twenty cash for a small hammer, forty for a large one." It was now the mid-Ming Dynasty; roughly seven hundred cash could buy one shi of rice, while one cash could buy a flatbread.

Hammerheads were not difficult to make, so the price Wang Jingyuan offered was already quite high. Naturally, the blacksmith could not bring himself to refuse. "How many would you like, honored customer?"

"I'll take however many you have. Wait, why did that sound weird?"

In the end, the owner was not so blinded by money that he sold everything. He kept one large hammer and three small ones for work rather than selling every last hammerhead to Wang Jingyuan.

Yue Lingshan had been wondering how Wang Jingyuan planned to travel with so many hammers of varying sizes when, after stepping out of the blacksmith's shop, Wang Jingyuan gave the hammers in his hands a casual turn—and they vanished.

"Where did you hide them?" Yue Lingshan circled Wang Jingyuan once. "I know you can perform magic tricks, but how did you hide something that big?"

Knowing that he could not explain it, Wang Jingyuan brushed her off. "Just assume I have a Four-Dimensional Ass."

Seeing Wang Jingyuan start spouting nonsense again, Yue Lingshan stopped asking.

The tailor's shop was the same. Wang Jingyuan found that the clothes there were purely cosmetic, the kind with no attributes. As for armor, forget it. One suit of armor was worth three crossbows; three suits of armor sent you straight to the underworld.

Still, skins were not entirely useless. Wang Jingyuan got himself a set of black clothing and specifically bought a bolt of black cloth. Though the tailor gave him odd looks, he said nothing.

What satisfied Wang Jingyuan most was the apothecary. Quite a few basic medicines were sold there as finished remedies. Even for those without prepared medicine, Wang Jingyuan could buy the raw ingredients and mix them himself.

As for why Wang Jingyuan knew how to prepare medicine...

"You know how to make medicine?" Yue Lingshan asked curiously as she watched Wang Jingyuan emerge from the apothecary carrying several large bags.

Yue Lingshan's question instead left Wang Jingyuan puzzled. "You're a Huashan disciple, right?"

Yue Lingshan shot him a glare. "I was born on Huashan, and the sect leader is my father. What do you think?"

"That's strange, then. The complete medical classics and secret prescriptions are all neatly arranged on the shelves in the storeroom. Have you never read them?"

Yue Lingshan looked a little embarrassed. "Daily training is exhausting enough. Who has time to read the books in that storeroom?"

"You train every day?"

"Enough! Let's go!" Then Yue Lingshan seemed to remember something and asked, "Wait, you've only been at Huashan for a few days, and you train every day. How could you possibly have finished all those medical books?"

"I didn't need to finish them, and I couldn't understand them anyway. I just took the books to your father and had him explain them to me casually. Then I got the skill, didn't I?"

"So it was Father who taught you well... No, wait! You're fooling me again. I never knew Father was proficient in medicine."

Wang Jingyuan waved a hand dismissively. "Whether he knows it or not isn't important. What matters is that he's an NPC who teaches skills. Just like Turtle Teacher at the Church of Vows. Can it cast those powerful incantations that only demigods can use? It can't.

"But that doesn't stop it from teaching me once it gets an incantation book."

"You're talking nonsense again! And my father is not some old turtle!"

"Tsk. Turtle Teacher is such a fine turtle. How could it possibly compare to your father?"

"Exactly... Wait! What do you mean by that?! Junior Disciple Brother, get back here!"

"Catch me if you can! If you catch me, I'll let you hehehe."

One ahead and one behind, they galloped hard the moment they left Huayin City's gates. Wang Jingyuan had been extremely cocky at first, but before long, he began crying for help. He was not some rich second-generation kid; when would he ever have had the chance to ride a horse, much less gallop at full speed?

Yue Lingshan finally caught up, helped him stop his horse, and scolded him, "You can't even ride a horse? Then how dare you charge around at full speed?!"

"I forgot about that for a moment. Right, how do you ride a horse again?"

Yue Lingshan sighed, but still said, "When sitting in the saddle, keep your body upright but relaxed..."

[Yue Lingshan is teaching you Riding Skill]

[Learn: Yes/No]

[Yes]

"Ah-ha! I've got it. Hyah!" Yue Lingshan had barely begun when Wang Jingyuan squeezed his legs against the horse's flanks and rode off. Judging by how skillfully he rode, he clearly had not been unable to ride at all.

Yue Lingshan realized Wang Jingyuan had fooled her again. Her pretty face flushed red with anger as she kicked her horse into motion to chase him. "Junior Disciple Brother, stop right there! I'm going to whip your ass until it swells!!!"

"What? You want to treat me to meat zongzi?" Wang Jingyuan pretended not to hear.

"Stop right now!!!"

"No!"

In the end, Wang Jingyuan did stop.

It was not because he truly thought Yue Lingshan would treat him to meat zongzi, but because someone had blocked the road ahead. A large tree bearing obvious marks of being cut down lay across the official road. No matter how one looked at it, it was not an accident.

"Tsk, does it have to be this cliché?" Wang Jingyuan shook his head helplessly, dismounted, and drew his sword.