What Is an Old Offering?

Yang Qizhou hadn't paid much attention at first. If anything, he'd been a little impatient.🟡

His game character had reached the "Spring of Heaven." With a bit more effort and a few more taps, he might be able to obtain the King of Virtues' Sacred Offering. Just then, a group message popped up on his phone. It was like getting sent a video in the middle of a raid—who could possibly be happy about that?

But then his attention shifted to the message itself. The name "Ancient God of Judgment" seemed oddly familiar.

Wait.

Wasn't there a Judgment Cult among Dark Fog Town's Six Great Cults, one that worshipped the Ancient God of Judgment?

"Secret Cultivator really is something else, giving the group members animal names. What kind of weird hobby is that?"

"This 'Cheetah' must have encountered a choice in the game, and the Ancient God of Judgment's condition will affect the direction of the plot and the rewards down the line. That's why he was in such a hurry to message us."

"After all, other players don't have the Doom-Bringing Raven's ability to roll back time."

"If he chooses wrong, the price won't just be one of his lives. The later plot could keep veering off course until the whole story collapses, leaving his character dying at every turn and unable to make any progress."

Yang Qizhou once again gained a profound appreciation for just how powerful the Doom-Bringing Raven's bug was.

Without the ability to roll back time, there was no way the story would have made it this far. He'd also never have obtained powerful quasi-legendary items like the [Garment of the Hidden World] and the [Law Book of Windbell Town]. The Fire-Stealing Village would probably have already fallen to Aliceina at the very beginning of the game.

And without the protection of a novice village, he'd be stranded in the Wilderness, where the mysterious and unknown went hand in hand, and terror coexisted with the uncanny. The outcome was easy to imagine.

He probably wouldn't get more than a few minutes of play each day before using up all three lives.

He wouldn't fare much better than the Bureau of Occult Investigation's members.

Maybe even worse.

Yang Qizhou turned his attention back to the group messages.🟡

"Secret Cultivator Society isn't a secret organization with strict rules. It's just a platform Secret Cultivator uses to trade game information."

"I haven't been in the World of Weirdness for long, and there are still a lot of questions I need answers to. I could try trading information with this 'Cheetah.'"

"It'd also be a good way to test the waters of the Secret Cultivator Society."

With that, Yang Qizhou didn't hesitate. He tagged Cheetah right away.

[Honey Pot (Member): @Cheetah, I did learn the Ancient God of Judgment's current condition from a member of the Judgment Cult, but I can't guarantee the information is accurate. I can only guarantee that I got it from the game.]

[Cheetah (Member): @Honey Pot, who was the Judgment Cult member? Can you tell me?]

[Honey Pot (Member): The head of the Judgment Cult.]

[Cheetah (Member): I can.]

[Cheetah (Member): Image: "Tea for the expert" "Thank you, expert."]

[Cheetah (Member): @Secret Cultivator, group leader, I need to trade information with Honey Pot.]

Still in that towering skyscraper that seemed to reach into the clouds, Secret Cultivator sat in a rocking chair, the city's neon lights reflected across her face. She was like the queen of a city in the sky, gazing down at the countless lives below.

Secret Cultivator's attention was on the game. Just like Yang Qizhou, she'd started playing the moment it passed midnight and her lives refreshed.

Perhaps every player was the same.

When Cheetah first sent a message, Secret Cultivator had been just as annoyed. No one liked being interrupted while playing, especially when the game's plot had reached a critical point.

But when she saw that the message was about an information trade, her irritation vanished. In fact, she felt a little anticipation.

After all, according to the rules of the trade,

Secret Cultivator could get two members' pieces of hidden information for free.

"Is it Honey Pot?"

Secret Cultivator's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She had always been very wary of this newcomer, believing that Honey Pot had joined the Secret Cultivator Society for ulterior motives and might even be targeting her. So she paid special attention to his messages.

When she saw the full conversation, she was somewhat surprised.

"This Honey Pot's progress is way too fast. He's already met the head of a cult and even learned something about an Ancient God."

It was no wonder Secret Cultivator was so surprised. She considered herself a top player in the World of Weirdness. She'd eaten the flesh of an Ancient Dominator and had taken her first steps down the path of "Authority."

But in the upper-level towns, the highest-ranking NPCs she could currently reach were the town guard and the paladins.

As for a cult leader, that sort of person was still just a background character to her.

Yet Honey Pot had not only met a "cult leader" but also learned the Ancient God's condition, a piece of hidden information. His progress was far beyond hers.

To have someone like that set his sights on her...

Secret Cultivator's heart grew even heavier.

Perhaps she should find a way to make Honey Pot feel more favorably toward the Secret Cultivator Society, and try to keep him on their side.

After thinking for a moment, she sent Cheetah a private message.

[Secret Cultivator (Private Message from Group Leader): During the trade, you can reveal a little more information than usual.]

[Cheetah (Member): ???]

Cheetah was a little confused when he received the message. The group leader had never interfered in a trade before.

But he quickly guessed what was going on.

"As the group leader, Secret Cultivator must know the members' real identities. If she's saying this, it means the new member Honey Pot is no ordinary person."

"And there's more."

"His game progress is way too fast. His character has already crossed paths with a cult leader. No need to say more—he's definitely a big shot."

"Revealing a little extra information to earn a big shot's favor can only help."

Cheetah had already made up his mind. He privately replied to the group leader.

[Cheetah (Member): Got it.]

Secret Cultivator soon opened a private chat room and added Yang Qizhou and Cheetah.

[Cheetah (Member): Nice to meet you, big shot.]

[Honey Pot (Member): Uh, there's no need to be so polite. I'm not a big shot.]

[Cheetah (Member): Got it, big shot.]

[Honey Pot (Member): ...]

[Secret Cultivator (Group Leader): Cheetah is an old member and knows the rules of trading. Honey Pot, you haven't been in the group long, so you might have questions after reading the group files. Want me to explain them to you?]

Watching the group messages, Cheetah became even more certain that the new member Honey Pot was a big shot.

When he'd made his first information trade, the group leader, Secret Cultivator, hadn't been nearly so considerate or offered to explain everything herself. She'd only said, "The rules of trading are all in the group. Members who broke them have already disappeared from this world. Figure it out yourselves."

Is she questioning my reading comprehension? Yang Qizhou was very annoyed...

[Honey Pot (Member): Thanks, but you don't have to be so polite, group leader. Let's get started.]

[Secret Cultivator (Group Leader): All right. Let's begin.]

[Honey Pot (Member): Brother Cheetah, about the information you wanted... According to the head of the Judgment Cult, something may be wrong with the Ancient God of Judgment's condition. He can no longer respond to his followers' prayers in time. Sometimes, reciting the Ancient God's full title even draws the attention of other unknown, hidden entities, leading to terrible things.]

[Honey Pot (Member): Of course, I can't guarantee that something is really wrong with the Ancient God of Judgment. I can only guarantee that this information came from the head of the Judgment Cult.]

[Secret Cultivator (Group Leader): The oath hasn't been violated. The information is accurate.]

[Cheetah (Member): Thanks, big shot. I'm facing a choice that will affect the later plot, so this information is really important to me.]

[Honey Pot (Member): It's just an information trade. No need to be so polite, and don't call me a big shot.]

[Cheetah (Member): No problem, big shot.]

[Honey Pot (Member): ...]

Did everyone in this group like pretending to be a newbie? I've only been playing the World of Weirdness for three days. I'm the newbie here. Yang Qizhou watched Cheetah call him "big shot" over and over and felt completely helpless.

He just didn't know that Cheetah was a veteran member of the Secret Cultivator Society, and was very arrogant in front of everyone else...

[Cheetah (Member): Big shot, it's your turn. Is there any hidden information you want to know?]

Hidden information he wanted to know? Yang Qizhou pondered.

He had far too many questions.

What would happen if he recited the full title of a hidden entity from the Ancient Earth in the real world?

How could he counteract the negative effects of an Old Day Item?

And so on.

But the thing he most wanted to know right now was probably the "Old Offering."

[Honey Pot (Member): I do have a question. I'd like to know: what does "Old Offering" mean?]