[Option One: Go up and help the tofu pudding stall owner. Completion Reward: Five Fortunes Breathing Technique (Mystic Middle Grade)] [Option Two: Ask the nearby stall owners what happened. Completion Reward: Soulstealing Finger (Yellow Rank Middle Grade)] [Option Three: Leave this place. Completion Reward: Random Basic Skill Point +1]
After so many years of "training," Jiang Beiran had come to understand one principle: never underestimate anyone. Even a nobody whose cultivation was far inferior to yours could do anything once they truly hated you—poison you, hire assassins, lay traps. In short, they were impossible to guard against.
If one person could pose such a threat, then a gang was even more so. Every faction capable of surviving in one area for a long time had more or less some backing or means at its disposal. Otherwise, it would have been wiped out time and time again long ago.
And since Jiang Beiran was certain that this world was absolutely targeting him, all kinds of low-probability events were infinitely magnified. For example, someone might appear completely ordinary on the surface, yet secretly have an older brother at the Profound King level. It was simply utterly unreasonable.
So to Jiang Beiran, the options before him had already become a common sight. Nearly every town had some domineering local tyrants or Wandering Knights eager to prove their mettle.
Though these Wandering Knights carried the word "knight" in their name, they were actually just a pack of ruffians. Most of the time, they bullied the weak and preyed upon the countryside, though sometimes they valued loyalty and righteousness and occasionally performed acts of chivalry.
When Jiang Beiran first encountered these Wandering Knights, he felt they were like those Liangshan Heroes. They were the ones who helped the common people beat up corrupt officials, and they were also the ones who drank without paying. Some of the worse ones even opened shops selling human-meat buns or engaged in petty thievery.
Yet none of that stopped them from calling themselves knights.
As usual, Jiang Beiran directly chose Option Three. Grabbing Fang Qiuyue, who was preparing to rush out, he said, "I've told you many times already. Without my orders, you are not to act rashly."
Fang Qiuyue's face was filled with indignation. She turned around and shot Jiang Beiran a fierce glare. "And you call yourself a Returning Heart Sect disciple? Is upholding justice and helping the righteous not our duty!?"
Expecting Fang Qiuyue's reaction, Jiang Beiran replied, "The reason your Protector entrusted you to me was for me to teach you how exactly you should uphold justice and help the righteous on this Profound Dragon Continent."
"Hmph! I think you're just timid and afraid of trouble!"
At that moment, Liu Zijin stepped forward and pulled Fang Qiuyue back. "Qiu Yao, we've only just arrived. We don't know the people or the place, and we have no experience in the martial world. We should listen to Jiang Shixiong for now."
"I..." Fang Qiuyue took a deep breath after hearing that. In the end, she merely snorted coldly and returned to Jiang Beiran's side with a stiff face.
She was still young, after all.
Jiang Beiran did not actually dislike Fang Qiuyue's warm-hearted nature. After all, it showed that she was kind at heart. Unfortunately, kindness alone truly made it difficult to survive in these troubled times.
"Let's go. This place of conflict is not somewhere we should linger."
Based on Jiang Beiran's understanding of the system, since Option Three explicitly said to leave this place, it meant that something even more troublesome would definitely happen afterward.
Fang Qiuyue snorted coldly again after hearing that, but Liu Zijin still forcibly dragged her along after Jiang Beiran.
Unlike Fang Qiuyue and Liu Zijin, the Yu Family Three Sisters grew even more curious about Jiang Beiran.
The talented young men who had followed them in the past had all wished to encounter more such "good opportunities" to display their skills. Some even directed and acted out a grand show of standing up for justice themselves, making the sisters laugh until their branches trembled with blossoms, as though they were watching a monkey show.
But this Jiang Shixiong before them truly had no desire at all to show off in front of them. They had no idea whether he was genuinely cowardly... or simply hiding himself deeply enough.
How curious!
The Yu Family Three Sisters all fixed their gazes upon Jiang Beiran's back at the same time.
After turning through several streets in succession, Jiang Beiran and the others finally found an inn that looked relatively clean. At the same time, the system prompt sounded.
[Option Mission Completed. Reward: Forging +1]
"Waiter, do you have any vacant rooms?"
After entering the main hall, Jiang Beiran stopped a Shop Assistant and asked.
The Shop Assistant, who was busy delivering wine, froze. He had clearly been keeping an eye on the entrance the whole time, yet he had not noticed any Guests entering at all.
If the Shopkeeper finds out, he'll scold me again. He secretly glanced toward the counter. Only after seeing that the Shopkeeper did not seem to be looking his way did he breathe a sigh of relief, then hurriedly said to Jiang Beiran, "This lowly one was blind and neglected you all. Please forgive me. There are still many vacant rooms. Which kind would you like to stay in? Our inn has Heaven Grade Rooms, Earth Grade Rooms, Human Grade Rooms, side rooms, humble rooms, and communal bunks. If you wish, I can show you each one."
Just as Jiang Beiran was about to reply, he saw three options appear before him.
[Option One: Stay in a Heaven Grade Room. Completion Reward: City Character Eighteen Breaks (Mysterious Grade High Rank)] [Option Two: Stay in an Earth Grade Room. Completion Reward: Azure Light Treasure Sword (Yellow Rank High Grade)] [Option Three: Stay in a Human Grade Room. Completion Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1]
Sure enough, there was more wool to shear at the foot of the mountain. They had only been in town for a short while, and options had already appeared twice.
Jiang Beiran had encountered this sort of option quite a few times already. The reason choosing a room could trigger a Mysterious Grade High Rank treasure reward was predictably clichéd: he would most likely run into some prince or nobleman traveling for leisure who insisted that he give up a certain room.
Jiang Beiran had seen this sort of thing far too many times at inns. And these bastards were disgustingly vile. Even if you readily gave up the room to them, they would still stop you and sneer, "A dog like you thinks you deserve a Heaven Grade Room? You've truly dirtied this young master's mood for traveling. How about this—bark like a dog three times, and this young master will mercifully spare you."
And that would not even be the end of it. Even if you gritted your teeth and swallowed that humiliation, these people would still find every possible way to keep tormenting you. They simply had to find some displeasure in you, then laugh uproariously at your miserable state, gaining a twisted sense of superiority and satisfaction from it.
But that was also why Jiang Beiran did not choose to pitch a tent outside and stay away from people, instead coming to this place where fish and dragons mingled. Attribute Points were simply too enticing, and he did not want to waste them. Besides, after all these years, he had never encountered a situation where the system's options for these everyday trivialities were all high-difficulty choices.
After choosing Option Three, Jiang Beiran again asked the junior sisters how they intended to arrange their lodging. In the end, they decided on three rooms: one for Jiang Beiran, one for Liu Zijin and Fang Qiuyue, and one for the Yu Family Three Sisters.
Although Jiang Beiran reminded the Yu Family Three Sisters that the bed in a Human Grade Room definitely could not fit three people, the sisters said they had their own way. Jiang Beiran could only agree for now. They could simply book another room later if it was not enough.
Led by the Shop Assistant, the six of them first arrived at the Human Grade Room Jiang Beiran would be staying in.
With a creak, the Shop Assistant pushed open the door. The crude bed and the square table with a missing corner inside immediately made the Five Girls frown together.
Before any of the girls could complain, Jiang Beiran looked at the Shop Assistant. Just as he was about to dismiss him, the options popped up again.
[Option One: Directly dismiss the waiter. Completion Reward: Sweep Through Thousands of Troops (Yellow Rank High Grade)] [Option Two: Tip the waiter five Copper Coins. Completion Reward: Random Basic Attribute Point +1]
Now this felt good.
Jiang Beiran was immensely pleased to have triggered another option, though at the same time, he sighed that the foot of the mountain really was full of pits everywhere.
Jiang Beiran had not encountered the option of tipping a Shop Assistant very often, but based on his experience, the waiter before him was not the main reason behind the Yellow Rank High Grade reward. Rather, his failure to tip might trigger a chain reaction that would ultimately lead to trouble.
Of course, that was all merely Jiang Beiran's own speculation. After all, he had no intention of courting death out of curiosity.
Choosing Option Two, Jiang Beiran took five Copper Coins from the money pouch at his waist and said to the Shop Assistant, "You may go now. I'll call you if I need anything."
The Shop Assistant accepted the Copper Coins with a face full of delight, nodding repeatedly as he said, "Yes, thank you, sir. If you need anything, just ring the bell for me. I'll come right away."
"Alright." Jiang Beiran nodded.
"Then please rest first, sir. This lowly one will take his leave."
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