Temporary Skill Point: A gold item of inferior quality. When used on a skill below B-rank, it raises the skill by one rank for 2 minutes. Uses remaining: 11. Can be exchanged for 1,000 points.
The moment he saw the golden glow, Gao Xu held his breath. But once the properties of the Temporary Skill Point appeared, he couldn't help feeling both amused and exasperated.
There was no denying that the Temporary Skill Point was an extremely valuable item. But he had yet to learn even a single active skill, so how could he raise one by a rank?
After organizing his gains, Gao Xu hurried to the stone chamber entrance. The others and the girls who had been captured were already waiting for him. Even the young lady of the Lin family stood quietly, showing no impatience.
Gao Xu apologized to everyone, then turned to the girls, who were weeping with joy, and smiled gently. "Everyone, I'm truly glad you made this choice. When you get home, if anyone gossips about you, just remember the life-or-death choice you made today. Compared to that, no hardship or danger will be too much to bear."
Snakes were lustful by nature, and these girls had been kidnapped by the Snake Demon at least several months ago. Once they returned home, it was inevitable that some people would spread rumors that they had been violated by monsters. In an age when a woman's reputation was held in such high regard, the pressure they would face might be heavier than they could imagine!
The others quickly understood the meaning behind Gao Xu's words. The girls, led by Xuehui, were even more grateful to him. Even Lin Yueru's gaze had changed, a strange light in her eyes. The newcomers, however, were less impressed. They figured that completing the mission was enough—why worry about all that?
Including his previous life, Gao Xu had spent years traveling through the worlds of the Reincarnation Space. He had long since come to see the characters in those stories as real people, with flesh and blood. Many Reincarnators thought that having foreknowledge let them manipulate the characters like puppets, or treated them as nothing more than data generated by the Space. In the end, they always paid for it.
Gao Xu made no effort to advise the newcomers. He knew that, for now, he was a newcomer too. If he shared all the so-called wisdom he had gained, they wouldn't listen; they'd only laugh at him behind his back and call him an idiot. What would be the point?
With the young lady of the Lin family among them, no one seemed afraid, even though most of the group were injured or helpless young women. They all believed the road ahead would be smooth.
As they talked, Gao Xu learned that his earlier guess had been right: Xuehui was the cousin Xiaohui that Dongmei had mentioned. As long as he escorted her back to Lin Family Fort, the side quest would be complete. This would not only affect Dongmei's favorability, but also raise his completion rating. There was plenty to gain.
Just as Gao Xu thought they'd have some peace for a while, Su Mei's frantic voice rang in his ear. "Big brother, come quickly! Father and Mother are in danger!"
Gao Xu stopped at once, torn by indecision. The escort mission had already begun. If he followed Su Mei's plea and returned to the cave, he would be giving up two optional missions and a side quest—a tremendous loss. But if he didn't go back, he couldn't imagine this crisis going so smoothly without the little fox Su Mei, who had helped him so much. He might not have escaped unscathed, either. Was he really going to betray someone who had helped him, all for a few paltry rewards?
If he acted like the other Reincarnators, he would surely ignore Su Mei now that she was no longer useful to him. But when Gao Xu recalled the little girl's adorable smile, he couldn't bear to let her lose both parents and embark on the path of vengeance from the story. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
When Gao Xu turned back, the newcomers first looked baffled, then seemed to understand. Did he mean to hunt down the badly wounded Snake Demon and Fox Demon? That was some appetite!
The others tried to dissuade him, but when they saw he was determined, they said no more. Only Lin Yueru watched him go, a thoughtful look in her eyes.
Following the Snake Demon's trail, Gao Xu soon found the family of three. The sight before him made his heart sink.
On the way, he had considered several possibilities. The worst was that Lin Tiannan might have found the Snake Demon and Fox Demon again!
The Snake Demon and Fox Demon had mentioned that Lin Tiannan was being held up by the Nine-Headed Snake. But Lin Yueru had been lured there by Gao Xu, and might have run into her father along the way. If father and daughter joined forces, those little snake demons would surely be no match for them. That meant Gao Xu had already changed the original story, in which Lin Tiannan never appeared. He could only hope he hadn't brought this trouble upon himself.
Lin Tiannan stood with his hands behind his back before the Snake Demon and Fox Demon, who lay sprawled on the ground, utterly unable to fight. He didn't even seem to consider using force. Instead, he said coolly, "You've brought this on yourselves through all your misdeeds. How many lives have you taken? Did you ever think this day would come? Now disperse your demonic power and kill yourselves! I don't want to kill two demons who can no longer resist."
"No, please! I beg you, spare Father and Mother!" Little Fox Su Mei stood with her arms outstretched, shielding her parents like a mother hen protecting her chicks. She pleaded through her tears.
"Blood debts must be repaid. It's only right!" Lin Tiannan shook his head slightly, then pointed at Su Mei. "You haven't done anything evil yet. Leave now, and there's still time. If you insist on this, don't blame me for wiping you out root and branch. I won't have you hold a grudge and harm the innocent later!"
"No!!!" Su Mei trembled with fear, but her feet stayed rooted to the spot. Her tear-filled eyes remained fixed on Lin Tiannan.
Seeing this, Gao Xu sighed inwardly and glanced at the items he had just obtained from Tang Mei'er's chest. A look of grim resolve crossed his face as he strode forward.
The moment Gao Xu appeared, both sides focused on him. Su Mei burst into tears as if she'd seen a lifeline, while Lin Tiannan's expression softened slightly. He gave Gao Xu a small nod.
"Did Lin Tiannan hear about me from Lin Yueru?" Gao Xu was a little puzzled by his attitude. He had assumed that, in the eyes of the leader of the southern martial arts world, he was just some passerby, but it seemed he had some standing after all. Since Lin Tiannan already seemed to like him, Gao Xu might as well try to resolve the conflict.
But Gao Xu had clearly overestimated his own importance. He hadn't even spoken; he had only moved a little closer to Su Mei when Lin Tiannan's expression darkened. He barked, anger tinging his voice, "Boy, why haven't you killed the demons? What are you waiting for?"
Lin Tiannan's words put the Snake Demon and Fox Demon on their guard. Su Mei stopped crying and stared at Gao Xu in disbelief, shaking her head. Then she grabbed his sleeve anyway and gazed up at him imploringly.
"Little girl, I'm going to take a huge loss for your sake. But what can I say? We hit it off the moment we met." Gao Xu gave a carefree smile, drew his newly acquired Flying Rainbow Sword, and took up a stance. "I hope Lord Lin will reconsider his order. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to offend you!"
Compatibility was another factor in the interactions between Reincarnators and story characters. Unlike favorability, which was quantified as data, it was simply a matter of whether someone liked you at first sight. It couldn't be influenced or changed later through items or actions.
Some people met for the first time and immediately clicked, sharing the same interests or even falling in love at first sight. Others had never met before but quickly took a dislike to one another, clashing repeatedly and avoiding each other whenever possible. Perhaps this was the work of fate.
With high compatibility, it was possible to win over even a character from an opposing faction. Conversely, no matter how high someone's favorability was, they could still turn against you.
Reincarnators with high Charm could sense their compatibility with story characters in certain ways. When Gao Xu first met Su Mei, for instance, he had decided to rely on the little fox precisely because their high compatibility gave him confidence.
Now it was time to return the favor!
"You—you're really going to fight me for a few wretched demons? You've disappointed me so—" Lin Tiannan stared at Gao Xu in disbelief, glaring as he continued to scold him. But Gao Xu had already launched his attack, following the principle of striking first.
Gao Xu knew there was no way he could defeat Lin Tiannan. But the first two main missions were already complete, and he could reach the required points for the third at any time. As long as he wasn't killed instantly, all he had to do was stall long enough for Su Mei's family to escape. Then he could return to the Reincarnation Space, and his life should be safe.
He would lose out on some rewards, but his first journey through a story world would be free of regrets. He could face the challenges ahead with a fresh mindset. Wasn't that worth it?
Once Gao Xu had made up his mind, he never hesitated. He couldn't afford to be careless when facing the leader of the southern martial arts world. His sword thrust toward Lin Tiannan's chest, fierce and sharp. It had no skill bonus, but it still carried the essence of the Five Heavenly Blaze Swords—a swordsmanship insight etched into his bones, one he would never forget in any lifetime.
Even so, Gao Xu expected the strongest this strike could do was buy him two or three seconds against Lin Tiannan. He could only hope Su Mei's family still had the strength to flee!
But something happened that he hadn't expected. As the Flying Rainbow Sword reached him, Lin Tiannan neither dodged nor drew the Dragon Spring Sword at his side to defend himself. He simply stared into Gao Xu's eyes, a mysterious smile on his face.
Pfft!
The sound of the blade piercing flesh rang out. Gao Xu's expression shifted, and he gave a bitter smile. He had more or less guessed what had happened.
"Benefactor, you didn't disappoint Mei'er!" The Fox Demon's charming voice sounded behind him. She seemed full of energy, her voice strong and lively—not at all like someone on the brink of death. "We sincerely apologize for testing you so rudely!"
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