Return, Clearance Evaluation, Great Harvest!

The second update is here!

Thanks to everyone's support, the new book ranking has reached 11th place, finally making an appearance on the main page. I've added an extra chapter today, and I hope you will all help me solidify this position!

Additionally, the book is currently 16th in the category click rankings, just one spot away from making the list. I am shamelessly asking everyone to log in as a member and click on this book. Thank you!

******

While Su Mei was spiritedly tucking into her meal, Gao Xu was ruminating on the notification that had just arrived in his emblem.

Number 1897 has completed the C-rank hidden mission: Subdue the Monster-Eating Insect. Completion: Perfect. Rewards obtained: 500 points, Monster-Eating Insect x1.

Monster-Eating Insect: A living creature, a type of gu-insect. Its rank depends on the energy it consumes. A unique item from the Chinese Paladin world. It parasitizes a host to drain their internal energy. If it burrows into an ordinary person, it will make them feel incredibly hungry, as if they can never be satisfied; only when they are truly fed will the insect leave the host. It is said that Miao Tribesmen skilled in insect-repelling arts often use these to drain an opponent's internal energy for their own use, a method extremely sinister and vicious.

Having been well-versed in various side missions, Gao Xu had thought of the Monster-Eating Insect the moment he saw the boy, but he hadn't expected the task to be a hidden mission rather than a side mission upon completion.

As the name implies, a hidden mission provides no notification before it begins; the official announcement only arrives once the task is complete.

Therefore, for the same level of difficulty, the rewards for a hidden mission are significantly higher than those of a side mission. Depending on the process, the completion rating of a hidden mission varies: Perfect, Excellent, Good, and Qualified. Generally, even a "Qualified" rating offers better rewards than a side mission of the same rank, let alone a "Perfect" one.

Of course, without knowing the requirements of the mission, achieving a "Perfect" rating is easier said than done. Take the previous A-rank hidden mission, "Save Su Mei"—if he hadn't happened to encounter Mr. Yi and his group in Heishui Town and obtained the Ink Mystery Juice in advance, even with all of Gao Xu's efforts, he likely would have only managed an "Excellent" rating. Whether Su Mei could have become a spirit pet then would have been hard to say.

So, that hidden mission actually involved an element of luck, but this Monster-Eating Insect mission relied entirely on the knowledge and foresight Gao Xu gained in his previous life.

Don't let the simplicity of this mission fool you; it required no combat and no expenditure of resources, yet for other reincarnators, it presented two major difficulties:

The first was the trigger point. The young boy being beaten for stealing food in the restaurant was such a mundane, ordinary event that most reincarnators would likely have ignored it entirely, never paying it any mind.

Even if a perceptive reincarnator had sensed something was amiss, they would still have faced the second difficulty: money!

This young boy was a bottomless pit; it required at least ten taels of silver worth of food to fill him up—ten thousand copper coins. This is no small sum for a reincarnator; after all, Gao Xu had only managed to scrape together a few hundred coins after wiping out a whole nest of bandits.

Gao Xu was only able to act the part of an expert, bluffing the restaurant owner into letting him eat first and pay later, because he was certain of his success. Afterward, the man was so grateful he even waived the bill.

Other reincarnators wouldn't dare do such a thing. Given the scale of Linxiang Restaurant, it certainly had backing. One would have to weigh their own strength before trying to dine and dash here; otherwise, being swarmed by thugs or arrested by the yamen runners and thrown into jail would leave one with no tears left to cry.

Even if a reincarnator were powerful, acting recklessly without respecting the basic rules of the plot world would lead to a miserable end. Many predecessors had proven this with their own blood and tears.

Returning to the matter at hand, after Gao Xu and Su Mei finished their meal and strolled out of the restaurant, it was already late, and the pedestrians and stalls on the street had thinned out significantly.

The 24-hour stay was coming to an end!

As the sun set, Gao Xu and Su Mei walked hand-in-hand across the broad stone pavement. Their tall and short figures cast long shadows in the fading light. Occasionally, a wealthy person's carriage would pass by slowly, the sound of hooves and bells drifting ethereally, echoing with the faint flute and drum music from the Hundred Arts Troupe in the distance, strangely adding a touch of serenity to the bustling Suzhou City.

Su Mei seemed to sense that she was about to leave the world that had given birth to and raised her. Her eyes revealed a deep reluctance, and finally, she threw herself into Gao Xu's arms and began to sob softly.

Gao Xu said nothing, only gently stroking her back. As the last rays of sunlight spilled onto the street, their figures gradually faded until they disappeared without a trace, leaving not a single mark on this magnificent and fantastical world.

Perhaps, they had left many marks after all...

******

When the familiar sensation of weightlessness vanished, Gao Xu opened his eyes to find himself alone on a platform. Su Mei had already automatically returned to the spirit pet space.

The edges and the space above the platform were an endless void, shimmering with countless stars like a night sky, with a brilliant galaxy stretching directly overhead.

Gao Xu felt the surrounding points of starlight, as if he were surrounded by a dazzling, magnificent universe, a sight that left him unable to compose himself.

A massive screen slowly unfolded before him, playing scenes from the Chinese Paladin world like a passing parade, and finally, lines of large text appeared at the end:

Difficulty: First Tier.

Mode: Free Mode. Reincarnator-versus-reincarnator damage reduced by 30%.

Mission World: Chinese Paladin 1

Main Mission 1: Participate in the campaign against the Snake Demon initiated by Lin Tiannan, Master of Lin Family Fort. Kill eight small green snakes and four small red snakes within the Hidden Dragon Cave.

Completed.

Main Mission 2: Collect 10 venomous snake eggs.

Completed.

Main Mission 3: Obtain 300 points.

Completed.

Main Mission Difficulty: D+ rank.

Base Clearance Evaluation: D+.

Optional Mission 1: The 'Green-Shirted Guest' Xu Lang, 'Dragon-Capturing Hand' Shi Jun, and 'Yin-Yang Taoist' Luo Qi are martial arts experts invited by Lin Tiannan and the main force in the campaign against the Snake Demon. Protect them from mortal danger; you may gain their favor and receive guidance.

Completed.

Three plot characters were critically injured. Completion: Ordinary. Evaluation increased to C- rank.

Optional Mission 2: Rescue the young girls abducted by the Snake Demon to the Hidden Dragon Cave and escort them home.

Completed.

All girls survived. Escorted four girls back to Baihe Village. Completion: Excellent. Evaluation significantly increased to B- rank.

Optional Mission 3: Kill the Snake Demon or the Fox Demon.

Not completed.

Other influencing factors:

Completed B-rank side quest: Lin Yueru's Wager. Rating increased to B-rank.

Completed B-rank side quest: The Second Round. Rating increased to B+-rank.

Completed A-rank hidden quest: Save Su Mei. Rating increased significantly to A+-rank.

Completed C-rank hidden quest: Subdue the Monster-Eating Insect. Rating increased to S--rank.

Final clearance rating: S-

Rewards obtained as follows: 3000 points, 300 authority experience points, 3 free attribute points, 3 random attribute points, and one S-rank rating lottery chest.

Seeing the S--rank clearance rating, Gao Xu clenched his fists tightly, his mouth curling into a wild, unrestrained grin.

Relying on the advantage of his rebirth, as a newcomer, he had finally created a miracle out of the impossible, taking a solid step forward and laying a firm foundation for his future struggles.

Was it not? Just in terms of points alone, he had harvested a total of 9900 points—nearly ten thousand!

230 points (exchanged from minor mobs and excess Viper Saliva eggs in the Hidden Dragon Cave) + 2500 points (B-rank side quest Lin Yueru's Wager) + 100 points (Miao Warrior Tai Zhuonan) + 70 points (Miao Warriors) + 1500 points (B-rank side quest The Second Round) + 2000 points (A-rank hidden quest Save Su Mei) + 500 points (C-rank hidden quest Subdue the Monster-Eating Insect) + 3000 points (clearance reward), totaling 9900 points.

There were three pieces of blue-grade equipment: Flying Rainbow Sword, Black Iron Scale Armor, and Cicada Wing Cloak; several blue-grade items: Queen Bee Honey *3, Viper Saliva *5, Sound Transmitter *1, Scroll: Howling Gale *1, Osmanthus Hibiscus Cake *7, and Hundred Jujube Ginkgo Porridge *3; one Monster-Eating Insect, and one set of Palace Lady Dress.

In addition, there were 4 free attribute points, 3 random attribute points, 300 authority experience points, and one S-rank rating lottery chest.

A massive harvest!