"Grandpa!"
The Young Man in Green flushed red and protested, "How am I any worse than him?"
"Think before you act!"
The Village Chief snapped, "Whether he's a fraud or not, this benefits Redfang Village!"
"Trading material possessions for a chance to secure your future is the wisest course! Did all your studying go to waste?"
After leaving the latrine,
Wu Yu stretched and narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the reception room.
The family and its retainers were all made up, of course!
When traveling away from home, you gave yourself your own identity.
Wu Yu hadn't been spouting complete nonsense, either. His boasts were based on information he had gathered in Redfang Village and the Evil Tiger Stronghold.
The old Village Chief probably saw through me but chose not to say so. As long as he understood what I meant, that's enough.
This is an unexpected bonus!
He felt a little pleased with himself.
If he had approached this like a game, as the others did, he might never have had much interaction with these natives.
He had only wanted to give it a try. He would be leaving soon anyway!
Once I have the goods, I'll see whether I can kill that Mountain Lord! If I can, I'll do my best to finish him off. If not, I'll head straight for the Evacuation Point.
Wu Yu took out the Bronze Token and opened the [Map] for a look.
He had plenty of time!
There was an Evacuation Point near "Lostway Cave," so he wouldn't need to take a detour afterward.
Inspector Liu and the others probably left ages ago!
Should I stock up on more [Bi Fang Sigils]?
Wu Yu checked his Inventory. He still had over fifty pebbles inscribed with [Bi Fang Sigils].
That left him feeling a little anxious about his lack of firepower!
From the moment he set out for the Evil Tiger Stronghold until his return to Redfang Village, Wu Yu had never stopped inscribing [Bi Fang Sigils].
But too many factors affected his vital energy. The better his condition, the faster he could inscribe them.
Conversely, the worse his condition, the slower the process!
That was why he had eaten "Exquisite Food" along the way and later started drinking "high-grade spirit wine," until his stomach had nearly burst.
I'd better rest properly. If I can't hold it in when I meet the Mountain Lord, I'm done for.
And there's that Chief's Token...
Wu Yu considered it briefly, then strode toward the reception room.
Inside the reception room,
The Village Chief was drinking tea, without the slightest trace of anxiety on his face.
Beside him, the Young Man in Green held a brush as he copied a book.
Seeing Wu Yu enter, the Village Chief smiled and asked, "Young friend, is there anything you need help with?"
"Village Chief!"
Wu Yu began, "During the battle at the bandits' stronghold earlier, the Chief escaped, but he dropped something when he was wounded."
"I'm not sure what it is..."
As he spoke, Wu Yu handed over the [Chief's Token].
"Oh?"
The Village Chief took one look at it, and shock immediately spread across his face.
"How is this possible?!"
"Village Chief?"
Something stirred in Wu Yu's mind. He realized this was very likely related to a quest.
"To tell you the truth, young friend, this is the identity token of an inner disciple of the [True Essence Sect]. How could a mere bandit from a little stronghold be a sect disciple?"
"This cannot belong to the Chief!"
The Village Chief stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "If you return to the city, young friend, you can contact the [True Essence Sect] and return this!"
"The [True Essence Sect] is an honorable, orthodox sect. They certainly won't treat you poorly."
When the Village Chief uttered the words [True Essence Sect], Wu Yu kept his expression calm, but he noticed someone's breathing grow heavier behind him.
Wu Yu looked at the Village Chief without turning around, immediately understanding.
"Thank you for telling me, Village Chief."
Wu Yu didn't put on much of an act. He simply reached calmly for the token.
The Village Chief stiffened slightly, then chuckled and placed the token in Wu Yu's hand.
"Grandpa!"
Behind him, the Young Man in Green couldn't help speaking up, his face burning with eagerness as he stared at the token.
The Village Chief glared at him, then said helplessly, "Forgive this embarrassing display, young friend."
"You're too polite!"
Wu Yu shook his head and toyed with the token.
The Village Chief frowned slightly. After a long hesitation, he finally said, "Oh, very well. You would find out sooner or later."
"Since this appeared in a bandit's possession, a sect disciple must have died here! With a little maneuvering, you could use the credit for returning it to enter the [True Essence Sect] as an outer disciple!"
At that point, the Village Chief glanced at the Young Man in Green, his expression complicated.
"This unfilial grandson of mine has poor aptitude. He has no chance of entering the [True Essence Sect] through his own talent. But if he had this as proof of a meritorious deed..."
"You'd like to trade for it, Village Chief?"
Wu Yu smiled.
"Exactly!"
The Village Chief said frankly, "As the scion of a family, young friend, you naturally have no shortage of martial dao inheritances, spells, or divine abilities!"
"But we are mere villagers. To us, this token represents an incredible opportunity!"
"Since you brought the token here, young friend, I imagine you already had something in mind!"
As he spoke, the Village Chief gave Wu Yu a meaningful look.
"I simply wonder what has caught your eye?"
Before Wu Yu could react to those words, a panel actually appeared between them!
Wu Yu's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked at it.
"Notice: Hidden quest [Lost Token] triggered!" "Notice: Completing the hidden quest grants an unexpected reward and also affects the True Great Ruins!"
"Lost Token" Type: Quest. Quality: Gold. Description: You discovered an identity token from the [True Essence Sect]. Will you keep it for yourself or trade it to the Village Chief for a treasure?
Choice 1: Take back the token and turn it in to the [True Essence Sect] yourself. Reward: A place as an outer disciple of the [True Essence Sect]. Choice 2: Trade with the Village Chief. Reward: Choose one gold-quality item.
This was the first time Wu Yu had triggered a quest, and the information displayed was astonishing!
Since there was a "True Great Ruins," could this [Newcomer Secret Realm] be fake?
Like an instance, with no connection to the real world.
And then there was this hidden quest...
Wu Yu didn't dwell on it. Both options seemed good, but in reality, only one was worth choosing.
Regardless of how many benefits came with becoming an outer disciple of the [True Essence Sect], a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush. Wu Yu felt somewhat uneasy about the future.
The arrival of the Mysterious Tower would likely unleash a tremendous storm in the real world!
By the same logic, could the Tower's interior also consist of separate instances? The [Newcomer Secret Realm] could be a series of instances too!
There might be far more Tower Climbers than just the nine of us!
That would be best. With more people, we'd be less likely to be singled out.
Wu Yu thought for a while, then made his choice with a thought.
"Notice: Hidden quest completed! The Village Chief's treasures have been upgraded. All are now gold quality. You may choose one!" "Notice: You have affected the True Great Ruins! The Human Dao has taken greater notice of you!"
The quest panel instantly marked the quest complete!
That easy?
Wu Yu was a little stunned, and a bold idea suddenly popped into his head.
What if I backed out of the trade now...
No, forget it. I shouldn't do something that suicidal.
The idea of exploiting a bug had only surfaced for an instant before Wu Yu abandoned it.
Only by playing it safe could he make it to the end!
Before you continue