Side Quest

Volume II: The Yellow Turban Rebellion - Chapter 3: Side Quest

Lin Maoxian and Old Man Sun sat into the large basket one after the other. Although the basket swayed precariously and looked quite dangerous, Lin Maoxian didn't pay it much mind. The city wall was only seven or eight meters high; with his current attributes, even if he fell, he would at most sustain an injury. His life would not be in any danger.

After the basket swayed for a while, Lin Maoxian and Old Man Sun were finally pulled up to the top of the wall by the soldiers above.

Once they were up, one of the soldiers said to Lin Maoxian, "Since you've come to join the army, head to the recruitment office in the south of the city. They've been taking in people these past few days. As long as the Yellow Turban bandits don't launch an immediate assault, there will be someone there to process you. Whenever you decide to enlist, just go there."

"Many thanks, Officer. I understand. For now, I wish to escort Old Man Sun home first, then I shall head to the recruitment office."

Lin Maoxian thanked the officer, then left the wall with Old Man Sun and headed toward his clinic.

Perhaps because the Yellow Turbans were about to attack, the streets appeared exceptionally deserted. Old Man Sun led Lin Maoxian through several turns before stopping in front of the Sun Family Clinic. "Benefactor, this is my family's ancestral clinic. Please, come inside."

Lin Maoxian followed Old Man Sun inside. No sooner had they entered than a middle-aged woman walked over. "Father-in-law, you've returned. Were you able to find the herbs?"

Seeing it was his daughter-in-law, Old Man Sun would usually have scolded her for being so impolite in front of a guest, but this time, he didn't even have the heart for it. "Sigh! Don't even mention it. I had actually gathered the herbs, but I never expected to run into Yellow Turban soldiers. In my haste to escape, I lost the herb basket. If not for this benefactor saving me, I fear I wouldn't have made it back alive!"

After speaking, he turned to Lin Maoxian and said, "It is most rude of me, but due to the shock of what happened, I even forgot to ask for my benefactor's name. I truly deserve to be cursed."

Lin Maoxian shook his head and said nonchalantly, "It is no matter. My surname is Lin. Because I enjoy traveling and going on adventures, I simply call myself Adventure; I have no courtesy name."

"So it is Benefactor Lin. Please, rest in my humble home while I treat you properly." After saying this, Old Man Sun instructed his daughter-in-law, who was standing to the side, "I intend to treat our benefactor well. Go prepare some good food; do not neglect him."

The daughter-in-law acknowledged the order and went inside to prepare.

Watching her leave, Old Man Sun said to Lin Maoxian with an embarrassed expression, "Benefactor, my son is still bedridden. I would like to go see how he is doing."

"Go ahead. I shall rest here for a while before heading to the recruitment office," Lin Maoxian said dismissively, gesturing for Old Man Sun to attend to his son without worrying about him.

Taking advantage of the time while Old Man Sun was inside, Lin Maoxian took out the ball of white light he had previously stored in his inventory to examine it. After inquiring with the system, he learned that this white light was the essence of a living being. The stronger the individual, the higher the drop rate. It could contain equipment, medicine, skills, or other items—it was essentially a jack-of-all-trades, and anything could come out of it.

Lin Maoxian opened the ball of light and found a single, steaming bun inside.

Steaming Small Bun (Common Grade): After using this item, the adventurer immediately recovers 20 HP, followed by 2 HP per second for the next 10 seconds. Cannot be used during combat.

The restriction that it could not be used during combat made the item significantly less valuable. Fortunately, Lin Maoxian hadn't held high expectations; after all, could he really expect a great item from a target he had finished off with a single punch? Hadn't the other four dropped absolutely nothing? Having this bun was already a bonus, and it might prove useful in a pinch.

Lin Maoxian put the bun back into his inventory. Not long after, he saw Old Man Sun walk out, sighing heavily.

Seeing the old man's expression, Lin Maoxian knew his son's condition must be poor, or Old Man Sun wouldn't be so despondent. "Old Man Sun, is your son's condition not ideal?"

"I will not hide it from you, Benefactor. My son's illness is worsening. If I had that specific herb, I could have cured him, but now I fear he won't last much longer." As Old Man Sun spoke, tears streamed down his face. It was a tragedy for a father to bury his son, and since the Sun family had been a single-lineage for nine generations, he feared the line would end with him. How could he face his ancestors after he died?

Hearing that the herb could cure the old man's son, Lin Maoxian guessed this must be a quest. There was still plenty of time before his main quest deadline, and he was curious why there were Yellow Turban soldiers on Dilong Mountain, so he wanted to investigate. He said to Old Man Sun, "Old Man Sun, do not despair. Didn't you say the herb could cure him? If I go to Dilong Mountain and retrieve that herb, won't your son be saved?"

Although tempted, Old Man Sun replied, "Benefactor, there may still be Yellow Turban bandits gathered on that mountain. Wouldn't you be walking into the tiger's den? I cannot let you take such a risk. If something were to happen to you, how could I ever live with myself?"

I can't exactly tell him that the system might issue a side quest, or that I'm just curious about Dilong Mountain, Lin Maoxian thought. He put on a righteous air and said, "Old Man Sun, what are you saying? Men of our standing cannot be deterred by the mere possibility of danger. Besides, you have seen my skills. As long as there are no experts there, I am confident in my ability to survive."

Old Man Sun still frowned. "But... this is none of your business, Benefactor. How can I let you take such a risk?" He was moved, but felt uneasy about his savior risking his life for him.

"Rest assured, Old Man Sun. Just tell me clearly where you dropped your basket and where the herbs were gathered. Even if I don't find the basket, I can pick another one for you," Lin Maoxian continued to persuade him. He felt his life was truly hard; he wanted to help someone, yet he had to convince them to let him do it. It was quite frustrating.

Seeing Lin Maoxian's resolve, Old Man Sun stopped insisting and revealed the location. "My basket was dropped where I was gathering herbs, near a cliff. I had just finished picking them when those Yellow Turban bandits charged at me from out of nowhere. I was focused on escaping and dropped the basket in my panic. If you don't find the basket there, you can simply pick another herb."

Hearing that the locations were the same, Lin Maoxian breathed a sigh of relief; it would be much easier to search. However, he still asked, "Old Man Sun, what does the herb look like? If I can't find the basket, it will be easier to pick one."

Old Man Sun stroked his long beard and said, "The herb is golden in color and very easy to recognize. Because it only grows on Dilong Mountain, it is called Dilong Grass. There is a large patch of it above the cliff. It is not a rare or precious herb, but because it is a specialty of Dilong Mountain, it is a bit troublesome to get."

Although he hadn't received a system prompt for a side quest yet, Lin Maoxian stood up to bid farewell. Investigating Dilong Mountain was his goal anyway, so he would have gone even without a quest, though it was a pity.

Old Man Sun bowed to the standing Lin Maoxian. "Many thanks, Benefactor. Regardless of whether things go smoothly, as long as you return safely, I will surely reward you handsomely. Please, take care of your own safety."

Just as Old Man Sun finished speaking, Lin Maoxian received a system prompt: "Adventurer has triggered a side quest—Retrieve the Dilong Grass. Difficulty: Normal (C-Rank)."

"Quest Description: Old Man Sun's son does not have much time left. He hopes you can go to Dilong Mountain to retrieve his lost herb basket and the Dilong Grass, or, if the basket cannot be found, pick a fresh stalk of Dilong Grass to bring back to Old Man Sun."

"Quest Objective: Adventurer must retrieve the Dilong Grass and deliver it to Old Man Sun within 24 hours."

"Because the adventurer saved Old Man Sun's life, there is no penalty for failure, but the relationship with Old Man Sun will reset to neutral (Stranger). The reward for completion will be provided by Old Man Sun; the system will not provide a reward."

After receiving the prompt, Lin Maoxian knew he had struck gold. This quest was not difficult at all, and with his current strength, completing it would be a breeze. As for Old Man Sun's unknown reward, it was likely a bonus for saving their lives, which was something to look forward to. Even if the reward was mediocre, the bonus to his final evaluation score would be substantial.

After bidding farewell to Old Man Sun, Lin Maoxian followed the route he had memorized and returned to the city wall.

Seeing Lin Maoxian return shortly after leaving, the soldier walked up to meet him.

Before the soldier could ask, Lin Maoxian spoke directly, "Officer, I am preparing to leave the city. Old Man Sun's son is critically ill and urgently needs Dilong Grass from Dilong Mountain. I have promised to retrieve the basket he dropped there, so I ask for your cooperation."

The soldier looked Lin Maoxian up and down, and seeing he didn't look like a Yellow Turban bandit, he said, "You are kind-hearted. However, given the current situation, I fear the Yellow Turbans will launch a full-scale assault soon. The city gates will be completely sealed within days, and no one will be allowed in or out. Be careful; if you aren't back within twelve hours, you might not be able to get back in."

Lin Maoxian thanked the officer for the warning. He now understood the benefits of high Charisma; at the very least, people had a good first impression of him and wouldn't make things difficult for no reason. If someone with low Charisma were doing this quest, they would likely face all sorts of trouble just getting in and out of the city.