Planning

For every event, the game developers were fairly "generous," offering lavish rewards to keep players motivated to play.

One Sword Opens the Heavens understood this well, too.

He hesitated a little, then said:

"Maybe this event was special? Or maybe it was a scripted kill?"

"Whatever it was, this sudden incident didn't really have much to do with us players."

Emperor of Sinking pursed his lips regretfully and said:

"Ah! What a waste. Such a great event-if we'd joined in, we could've hauled in a mountain of rewards!"

One Sword Opens the Heavens couldn't help rolling his eyes at Emperor of Sinking's heartbroken expression.

The guy was hopelessly obsessed with money.

Soon, players busy in other areas heard the news and hurried over.

The depths of the forest immediately became lively.

Everyone lamented the loss. Watching such a generous haul of rewards slip through their fingers was genuinely frustrating.

Just then, light flickered before them, and Ye Chen appeared.

Players immediately gathered around him, firing off questions.

"Village Chief, did you wipe out all the enemies here by yourself?"

Ye Chen nodded casually and said:

"Yes!"

A torrent of flattery immediately flooded Ye Chen's ears, each compliment more elaborate than the last.

The noise grated on Ye Chen's nerves, so he simply put on a serious expression and said:

"Quiet, everyone. I have a warning for all our villagers."

At the word "warning," all the players froze.

They had been playing this game for quite some time, but this was the first time they had heard that word.

The noisy gathering immediately fell silent.

Ye Chen was pleased with their response, but he deliberately kept his expression grave as he said:

"As villagers, our duty is to curb the powerful and protect the weak."

"You mustn't disregard the villagers who have taken such good care of you just because you're strong."

Ye Chen hardened his tone and said:

"All of you headed out this time, leaving the village undefended. The enemy nearly seized that opportunity to invade."

"I don't need to spell out what would happen if those unarmed villagers faced these enemies, do I?"

"If the villagers were slaughtered and the village devastated, wouldn't you bear some responsibility?"

Like an elder, Ye Chen sharply reprimanded the players.

And the players actually lowered their heads in embarrassment.

They remembered helping the various households earn contribution points when they first entered the village.

Though they knew perfectly well that these were NPCs, they felt far too real.

They couldn't help asking themselves:

That's right! If the villagers were all slaughtered, we'd have to shoulder that terrible responsibility, too!

Seeing everyone fall silent in thought, Ye Chen let out a long breath.

He had been afraid that speaking too harshly would make him fall outside the standards of an NPC.

What he didn't realize was that his emotionally charged delivery had given these players an even stronger sense of involvement.

Some players therefore took the lead in apologizing:

"Sorry, Village Chief. It was my fault for not thinking things through."

With someone taking the lead, apologies naturally rang out one after another.

Ye Chen smiled and nodded.

"Heh! There's nothing better than recognizing your mistakes and correcting them."

"Luckily, I noticed in time. Otherwise, we really would've been in trouble!"

Some of the players lowered their heads in shame again.

One Sword Opens the Heavens's eyes shifted as an idea occurred to him, and he suggested:

"Hey, Village Chief, you can't really blame us for overlooking it. We don't normally have to think about these things."

"We're upset about the surprise attack, too, but there must be a way to make up for it, right?"

Ye Chen smiled and praised him:

"This villager has thought things through. In fact, I've already come up with some ideas to address this incident."

At the same time, game system notifications sounded in every player's ears.

[Ding! The merit and penalty system is now live. All player merits and faults will be recorded. Merits will be rewarded, and faults will be punished. (Note: for details, please consult the Hidden Jun Village Merit and Fault Guide.)]

[Ding! The position function is now live. Players can register with the Village Chief to take on important village posts.]

[Different jobs offer daily quests through the position panel. Quest difficulty and rewards vary.]

[...]

The plans Ye Chen had already devised were converted into game notifications through the system, repeatedly sounding in the players' ears.

Emperor of Sinking's eyes immediately lit up, and he raised his hand.

"Village Chief, Village Chief! Are there any jobs with easy duties and high pay?"

Ye Chen smiled.

"Yes! Of course there are!"

Hearing that such a wonderful opportunity existed, all the players looked curiously at the Village Chief, waiting for him to continue.

Emperor of Sinking was even more impatient as he asked:

"What kind of job?"

The smile on Ye Chen's face deepened.

"Pig Keeper. Just tend the village's pigs, haul some manure, and provide postpartum care for the sows, and you can earn generous pay."

"Pfft..."

Someone was the first to lose control and laugh.

Then laughter erupted throughout the gathering, and everyone started horsing around.

Emperor of Sinking was thick-skinned enough to argue back without blushing or missing a beat:

"Don't look down on pig farmers, okay? When pork prices go up, you'll be the ones crying."

Everyone ignored him and kept teasing.

This time, even Emperor of Sinking rubbed his head sheepishly and laughed.

Ye Chen raised a hand to quiet the crowd.

Then he grew serious again and said:

"I also came to announce something else."

Hearing this, everyone stopped smiling and listened attentively.

Ye Chen continued at an unhurried pace:

"Kusagakure has repeatedly attacked our village. We cannot tolerate this any longer."

"Get ready, everyone. We're going to launch a counterattack on Kusagakure."

None of the players looked worried. Instead, excitement filled their faces.

They had already received ample rewards from the war between ninja villages.

And now that Hidden Jun Village was taking the offensive, the players would have another scenario battle.

Through that battle, they could rake in another generous haul.

Daoist Master Sanfeng's earlier feat of making a fortune from the war had already left plenty of players green with envy.

With another ninja village war about to begin, some players had already figured out how to profit from it.

Ye Chen chose that moment to dampen their enthusiasm:

"The enemy is formidable. Please make your preparations, everyone. Fighting could begin at any time."

Yet that little splash of cold water did nothing to quench the players' enthusiasm.

They howled excitedly, brimming with energy and itching to get onto the battlefield as soon as possible.

Ye Chen watched it all, rather speechless. There was something oddly captivating about this bunch of goofy players and their antics.

Ye Chen smiled without saying anything, then turned and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

The excited players returned to the village in a pack, whooping all the way.

Some bought equipment, while others bought materials.

Their ample contribution points were enough to arm them to the teeth.

It was also time to add some new merchandise to the shop.

Ye Chen simply put the set of B-rank Five Elements Ninjutsu he had received for his earlier breakthrough into the shop as well.

Besides that, this battle against a Kage Level opponent had given him a glimmer of insight.

He seemed to have found the key to advancing the Rasengan.

He would have to experiment before he could draw any firm conclusions.