Baqi City was enormous, bustling with people coming and going. Traders and peddlers called out without pause, and there was no sense of urgency at all, despite an enemy army supposedly being on the verge of laying siege to the city.
Just as Chen Feng reached the palace, a Reincarnator dressed in plain clothes was thrown out, beaten until he was a bloody mess.
"You little punk! Spreading false rumors that the Orcs are coming to attack the city and stirring up trouble? You'll pay with your life!" After saying that, the guard turned and left.
"Idiot. You have no reputation at all, and you went and tried to deliver such important news. Who would believe you?"
"What is this, the fifth or sixth one? Do they really think Side Quests are that easy to get?"
Several Reincarnators nearby pointed at the beaten man and whispered among themselves. Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd seen someone go to the palace to report that the Orc Army was invading, only to be thrown back out.
The Baqi Imperial Palace probably hadn't received any news about the Orcs' movements yet. These Reincarnators were dreaming if they thought they could use that information to get a reward. Why would anyone believe them?
Just then, a soldier hurried into the palace. Before long, a commotion broke out inside, and the Reincarnator who'd been beaten so badly he couldn't get up was carried back into the palace.
Not long afterward, a notice written in large red characters was posted on the noticeboard in the center of Baqi City.
It stated that the Orcs in Woma Forest had begun to gather and might well march south to attack the city. It called on the warriors to clear out the Orcs near Baqi City before the enemy army marched south.
The tusks of slain Orcs could be exchanged for merit points, which could then be traded for all kinds of equipment, weapons, skill books, and more.
There were large numbers of Orcs near Baqi City. If these scattered Orcs weren't cleared out, they would surely join the Orc Army when the time came. They might as well be eliminated first.
One long Orc tusk was worth one merit point, and each Orc had two long tusks, meaning two merit points in total. Twenty merit points could be exchanged for a low-level Skill Scroll, such as Basic Swordsmanship or Fireball Technique.
In other words, killing ten Orcs would earn a Skill Scroll. That was far more worthwhile than killing zombies in the Mine Cave, where they might not drop anything at all.
What was more, looking at the notice activated a Side Quest: Clear Orcs.
"Side Quest: Clear Orcs."
"Quest Description: Before the Orc Army arrives, the Baqi Imperial Palace wants the Orcs near Baqi City cleared out."
"Quest Requirements: Kill Orcs. Each Orc killed grants 10 Reincarnation Points, each Orc Warrior killed grants 100 Reincarnation Points, each Orc Hero killed grants 1,000 Reincarnation Points, and each Orc Commander killed grants 10,000 Reincarnation Points. (When a target is killed by a group, you must deal at least 20% of its damage to receive the corresponding points.)"
"Quest Duration: None."
"Tip: Completing Side Quests can increase your rating. The higher your completion rate, the greater the increase."
All the Reincarnators in Baqi City grew excited. After seeing the city's grandeur, they had gained a great deal of confidence that it could be defended.
Now there was a Side Quest offering points, too. How could they not be excited? As for those Orc Heroes and Commanders, they didn't even consider going after them.
The Side Quest would remain available until the Main Quest ended, but the option to exchange Orc tusks for merit points might change once the Orc Army reached the city.
After all, once the enemy was at the gates, tusks could no longer be used to record merit. They might switch to a different method.
According to the system's prompt, it would take two more days for the Orc Army to finish gathering. Marching south to Baqi City would probably take another four or five days, leaving plenty of time.
Chen Feng had no intention of going into the forest to take his chances and compete with other Reincarnators for Orcs. His target was Woma Forest itself.
He went to the jewelry shop first and sold the necklace. Then he used the money to have a tailor make him a large backpack. He spent what remained on a night at an inn and some provisions, leaving him completely broke.
Early the next morning, feeling refreshed, Chen Feng left Baqi City with the large backpack on his shoulders.
Woma Forest was easy to find. Baqi Province was divided in two by a great river, and the water in Baqi City's moat was diverted from that river.
He just needed to follow the river north until he reached the sea, then continue along the coast to Woma Forest.
Baqi City was already fairly far north on the map, and Chen Feng hurried as fast as he could. It took him half a day to reach the river's mouth. As soon as he arrived at the coast, he spotted a dozen or so Orcs nearby, fishing with wooden spears.
When one of the Orcs saw Chen Feng, it let out an excited roar. The whole group immediately charged at him.
After all, killing Chen Feng was much easier than catching fish. One Chen Feng was worth more meat than quite a few fish, and they'd have their day's work done.
Since this was an expedition, provisions were essential. The Orc Commanders had intelligence no less than that of humans, and they had already ordered their subordinates to gather all kinds of food. This group of Orcs was made up of the old, the weak, and the sick, so they had been sent far away to the coast to fish.
Chen Feng showed no mercy to the dozen or so charging Orcs. He killed them with a single palm strike each, and before long, every one of them was dead. Each Orc had granted him 10 Reincarnation Points.
Afterward, Chen Feng didn't let his guard down. He knew he had entered the territory of Woma Forest, where a large number of Orcs had gathered. One careless move, and hundreds or even thousands of them could surround him.
Chen Feng found a secluded spot, ate some provisions, and recovered his strength. Then he gathered up some of the fruit the Orcs had collected. As for the dried meat, he wasn't going to eat it without knowing what kind of meat it was.
He waited for a while, but didn't see any other Orcs. Chen Feng decided to continue toward Woma Forest. As for the Orcs' teeth, he thought collecting them would just take up space. If he had storage equipment, he might have considered it.
He continued along the coast, and a vast, dense forest appeared before him. A dozen or so Orcs were still fishing by the shore. Nearby, an Orc Warrior stood watch to stop them from stealing their own catch.
After observing for a while, Chen Feng confirmed that there were no other Orcs in the area. He charged straight at the Orc Warrior keeping watch over them.
This Orc Warrior wasn't like the elderly Orc Warrior Chen Feng had killed earlier. It had already prepared to fight when Chen Feng rushed out, and brought the bone club in its hand straight down on him.
Chen Feng liked dealing with straightforward creatures like this. They couldn't keep up with the strange footwork of Lingbo Weibu. By the time the Orc's bone club came crashing down, Chen Feng had already dodged behind it and struck its lower back with a palm.
Thud! Chen Feng felt as if he'd struck a rear tire.
The Orc Warrior stumbled several steps forward, then turned around as if nothing had happened and charged at Chen Feng again with an angry roar.
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