Su Mei joining him... ahem, becoming his companion was the biggest gain. The rewards of 3 random attribute points and 1 free attribute point were also nothing to scoff at.
For Reincarnators, the five primary attributes were the foundation of everything. Whether it was combat techniques or skills, all of them depended on attributes for support. Take Dongmei's sword dance earlier: without good physical conditioning, even the most exquisite swordplay would be full of openings!
As the name suggested, random attribute points were assigned by the Space to one of the five primary attributes at random. It all came down to luck. Free attribute points, on the other hand, could be allocated by the Reincarnator, who could distribute them as needed.
Gao Xu had saved the free attribute point for later. Once he returned to the Space, he could browse the market; perhaps he would find some equipment or skills he liked. If he didn't meet the attribute requirements, he could spend the point then.
The random attribute points were random anyway, so Gao Xu used them at once. The result left him at a loss whether to laugh or cry: only 1 point went to Strength, while the other 2 somehow went to Insight!
Gao Xu's Insight was already high enough. What he urgently needed now were Strength, Agility, and Vitality—all closely related to combat!
Fortunately, his Strength had reached 8 points, so he could finally wear the Black Iron Scale Armor. After equipping it, Gao Xu's primary attributes became:
Strength: 9, Agility: 7, Vitality: 9, Spirit: 9, Insight: 14, Health: 90, Defense: 9.5.
After roughly sorting through his gains, Gao Xu left the house, solemnly thanked Doctor Han and his daughter, then headed back toward Suzhou City with Lin Yueru.
On the way, Su Mei learned how much Lin Yueru had helped while they were gathering herbs. With Gao Xu's encouragement, she overcame her fear and gradually began chatting and laughing with Lin Yueru.
Lin Yueru stroked her chubby little cheeks, utterly charmed. Without even realizing it, her dislike of Snake Demons and Fox Demons had faded considerably, and she felt reluctant to part with Gao Xu.
Although she hadn't gotten to visit General's Tomb and see that Red Ghost King, Lin Yueru was still very satisfied with the past two days. Compared to the petty scuffles she usually got into around Suzhou City, where she bullied those hapless young martial artists who came to propose marriage, dealing with bandits, monks, demons, and monsters was far more exciting for the young lady of the Lin family!
So the closer they got to Suzhou City, the more slowly Lin Yueru walked. In the end, Xiao Jun, who had been protecting them from the shadows, couldn't take it any longer. He showed himself and called out to Lin Yueru, who was chasing butterflies with Su Mei. Only then did she reluctantly quicken her pace.
"No feast lasts forever, Miss Lin. Let's part here. Please let her parents know as soon as possible that Su Mei has recovered!" When the three of them reached Suzhou City and saw Lin Family Fort in the distance, Gao Xu finally spoke the words of farewell.
Lin Yueru gave a glum hum and gently shook Su Mei's little hand. Su Mei's eyes welled with tears as she threw herself into Lin Yueru's arms and cried, "Sister Yueru, I really don't want you to go!"
"Be good, Su Mei. Come visit me often, all right? I'm so bored at home..."
Gao Xu watched them say their tearful goodbyes and rubbed his nose, unable to get a word in. He had thought that with his Affection score with Lin Yueru as high as 75, some special scene would happen when they parted. Who knew reality would be so cruel? That adorable little girl Su Mei had stolen the whole show~
Fortunately, Lin Yueru hadn't forgotten him entirely. Of course, Gao Xu wasn't going to get the same hugs and cuddles. She simply gazed at him for a moment, then said softly, "Zhong Bo, are you there?"
An old man with white hair and a youthful face appeared out of nowhere. He looked at Lin Yueru fondly, handed her something, and chuckled, "Miss, you finally took the initiative for once. The Fort Lord will be so happy to hear about this~"
"Don't you dare tell him!" Lin Yueru blushed and stamped her foot. She tossed the item into Gao Xu's hands, then turned and walked away. Only after she was already far off did her clear voice drift back to them: "Kid, if you don't have time, don't come. But if you do, don't disappoint me!"
It was the first time Gao Xu had seen Lin Yueru looking shy. The spirited young woman had blushed scarlet, and the sight had a charm all its own. He glanced down at the item in his hand and realized it was an invitation.
Martial Arts Tournament Invitation: Special item. Lin Tiannan, the Southern Martial Arts Alliance Leader, held a martial arts tournament in Suzhou City every year to find a suitable son-in-law. Several tournaments had already been held. Using this invitation in the Space allowed entry to the Chinese Paladin world, where the main quest would be related to the tournament. Maximum number of entrants: 1.
Warning: Since this invitation was personally given to you by the story character Lin Yueru, she has placed great hopes in you. The main quest is fixed: defeat the other competitors and win the martial arts tournament. Success will immediately raise your reputation with Lin Family Fort to Revered and greatly increase Lin Yueru's Affection. Failure will reduce Lin Yueru's Affection to 0. This quest is extremely difficult. Please consider carefully before entering.
"Don't disappoint her, huh...?" Gao Xu turned Lin Yueru's parting words over in his mind. Her usual assertiveness had carried a trace of subtle tenderness that stirred his heart. How could he shrink back and run from a mere challenge when a beauty had made him such a heartfelt promise?
"Becoming the Lin family's son-in-law doesn't sound bad either... First, that Longquan Sword is an artifact-grade sword. It'd be perfect for my Sword Control!"
"Big brother, you're making a funny face. Are you thinking about something tasty?" Just as Gao Xu was lost in his own fantasies, Su Mei stared at him with wide eyes and leaned closer, curiosity written all over her face.
Even after becoming his spirit pet, she still called him exactly the same thing. He wondered whether she was simply too intelligent—or if the Space deliberately wanted to keep Reincarnators from enjoying the fun of having a cute little girl call them "Master"~
"Eating, eating, all you ever think about is eating! Do I look like such a shallow person to you?" Gao Xu said, his face awkward, as he chided the little fox. "I'm trying to figure out what we should do for the next few hours."
Su Mei nodded as if she understood, sniffed with her little nose, and chirped, "Then let's go try the delicious food in the city! Mother brought me here once before. It was so good—I've never stopped thinking about it!"
Gao Xu looked at the little girl who couldn't go three sentences without mentioning food and didn't know what to say. But then he realized there wasn't enough time left to pursue any side quests. He had some spare cash in his pocket, so he might as well raise the little girl's Loyalty.
After becoming a spirit pet, her Affection, which had previously been maxed out, had turned into Loyalty starting at zero. It was a fixed setting of the Space. No matter how close their relationship had been before, they had to start over.
Loyalty affected not only whether a spirit pet would betray its master and run away, but also the pet's innate skills. Gao Xu had never obtained a spirit pet in his previous life, but he had learned quite a bit about them from various sources.
Once a spirit pet's Loyalty reached 50, it would unlock a companion skill. These skills were usually related to the master's abilities and complemented them, greatly boosting combat strength. After that, for every 10 points—at 60, 70, and 80—it would have a chance to learn another companion skill.
At 90 Loyalty, a spirit pet would learn the skill Vitality and Spirit Transfer. It could channel its own Health and Spirit into its master, increasing the master's endurance in battle.
At 100 Loyalty, a spirit pet would gain the permanent buff "Unwavering Devotion." Its Health and Spirit would rise significantly, and in times of crisis, it would gain a corresponding innate ability to protect its master. It would also receive one chance to be reborn!
The benefits Loyalty brought were obvious. But for that very reason, it was much harder to raise than Affection. The first 50 points were manageable, but once Loyalty passed 50, supposedly every additional point came at a steep price.
Gao Xu didn't know the specifics beyond that. But as far as he was concerned, Loyalty and Affection were bound to have some things in common. Appealing to a spirit pet's preferences was certainly a good shortcut, so taking Su Mei out for a delicious meal was the natural thing to do!
Before you continue