Chapter 20

Su Peng and his two companions followed the Black Water Army, escorting the families of the bandits. Although they moved more slowly than when they came, they still returned to Jiangning County within two hours.

By this time, it was already the early hours of the morning. Su Peng estimated it was around two or three o'clock, and the season was late summer, nearing autumn.

The Black Water Army escorted the bandits' families into the city. The soldier who had received the gold left the main group and, along with Su Peng and the others, drove a carriage to a small courtyard in Jiangning County.

This was Han Tuo's residence in Jiangning County. The soldier and Su Peng's group unloaded the gold from the carriage and delivered it to Han Tuo's home.

"Sir Han does not have a family, and usually lives alone here. I will stay and guard these gains for Sir Han tonight," the soldier said with a smile to Su Peng and the others.

Su Peng and his companions naturally understood the soldier's polite way of dismissing them. Han Tuo had entrusted the key to his home to this soldier, clearly trusting him more. After all, Su Peng and his two companions were still unknown to him.

However, the soldier's words were considerate, and he did not make Su Peng and the others feel distrusted. He even gave Su Peng a wooden token, saying, "This is the Black Water Army's emblem. With this, you can find lodging in the city. You have some silver on you, so find an inn to stay at. Tomorrow, go to the Black Water Army training camp in the western suburbs to find Sir Han. He will certainly provide you with a way forward. At that time, we will be comrades, so please bear with us."

"Thank you," Su Peng said, taking the token. He felt that this soldier was astute and might have a promising future. He asked for his name, and the soldier was quite amiable, saying, "Sure, my name is Zhang De, and I am one of Sir Han's ten personal guards."

"Thank you, Brother Zhang, for your future care," Su Peng said, trying to build a relationship with the soldier. Then he bid farewell and left with Ji Ming and Sun Shijia.

The three walked down the early morning streets. The east had not yet brightened, and the moon in the sky was already tilting, though it still emitted some light, it was much dimmer.

There were no people on the city streets, and the sound of the night watchman's gong could be heard from time to time. Su Peng and the others were also feeling sleepy. Sun Shijia said, "It's so late, the inns might not be open. Let's just find a place to log out."

"Sure," Ji Ming shrugged, having also gained something from the mission tonight.

Su Peng had no objections, saying, "Let's find a place with no one around... I haven't tried logging in or out in public before."

Sun Shijia and Ji Ming agreed, and the three of them headed for a secluded street, quickly entering a dead-end alley.

"Hmm?" As they entered the alley, Su Peng suddenly saw a shop at the end, with two white lanterns hanging at the entrance, resembling ghostly lanterns.

"What... opening a shop here, can they even make money?" Sun Shijia and Ji Ming also saw the shop, with the white lanterns bearing the character "Shou" (longevity), indicating it was a coffin shop.

"Such a strange shop... we'll log out, Su Peng," Ji Ming said, glancing at the coffin shop.

Su Peng narrowed his eyes, as he noticed that the shop's decor was quite distinctive, with a beast's head at the entrance, making the entire shop look like a wild beast with a wide-open mouth. However, Sun Shijia and Ji Ming seemed not to notice anything unusual, which puzzled Su Peng.

"If you want to check it out... go ahead, we'll log out first," Ji Ming said, already activating the logout device.

Sun Shijia and Ji Ming's bodies gradually became transparent... after about two or three minutes, they disappeared from the game world.

Seeing that both had logged out, Su Peng slowly walked towards the coffin shop.

...

Su Peng quickly entered the coffin shop, pushing open the door. Inside, he found that the candles burning were green.

"Hehehe... hello, we meet again."

Inside the shop, a shopkeeper who looked like a steward was sitting there, drinking tea.

"It's you, sir..." Su Peng immediately recognized the shopkeeper, who was the same one he had met when he first entered the game.

"Hehehe... yes, how is it? It hasn't even been a month, and you already need a game card?" the steward-like shopkeeper asked Su Peng.

"Hehe... maybe, but sir, why do only I seem to recognize you and your shop, while my companions didn't seem to notice?" Su Peng asked the shopkeeper.

"Not everyone has the qualifications to enter this shop..." the steward shopkeeper smiled mysteriously and then said, "Since you're here, don't leave empty-handed. Look at what I have and see if there's anything you need."

As he spoke, the steward shopkeeper raised his finger, and Su Peng suddenly saw a green flame option board appear at his fingertip, with flame letters displaying items and prices.

"Really?... This game has always been realistic, but this situation feels more like a game..." Su Peng thought, looking at the menu. There were only five items listed.

'General Game Card 30 points', 'Exclusive Game Card 30 points', 'Mysterious Yellow Paper', 'Mysterious Talisman Paper', 'Ancient Torn Paper'...

The shopkeeper's list of items was just these five.

Su Peng looked and asked, "Sir, what's the difference between the general game card and the exclusive game card?"

"Hehehe... when you first entered this world, I told you that one game card represents thirty years of your future life... and the value of a game card is very high... The general game card, as the name suggests, is a standard card that anyone can use, but the price is very expensive, and a new player might not be able to afford it. That's why there are exclusive game cards... An exclusive game card can only be used by the buyer, making it relatively cheaper, and the difficulty of obtaining it is roughly on par with your level. Using an exclusive game card can help you smoothly transition through the beginner phase... However, you can only buy one exclusive game card per month."

"Also, once your strength reaches a certain level, you can no longer use exclusive game cards and will have to use general game cards," the steward shopkeeper explained to Su Peng.

"I see... it seems quite complicated..." Su Peng said, then looked at the prices, which made him gasp. A general game card cost one hundred taels of gold, while an exclusive game card cost only one tael of gold.

"Since I'm here... I'll buy an exclusive game card," Su Peng thought, handing over one tael of gold. He felt that the game wouldn't have such a useless design, and if he really ran out of game cards, his account might be deleted.

"Hehehe... here you go..." the steward shopkeeper nodded and gave Su Peng a game card, which he tore open, and the card turned into a flame and disappeared into his body.

"Sir, what about the yellow paper, talisman paper, and torn paper?" Su Peng asked, looking at the other items on the list.

"They are some side items... but these items are not ordinary items you can buy outside... take a look at the descriptions," the steward shopkeeper said. As he spoke, more text appeared behind the list, providing descriptions.

Su Peng read the descriptions: 'Mysterious Yellow Paper' was described as "a paper with a faint mysterious power, seemingly capable of making more advanced mysterious items." The price was one tael of gold for one hundred sheets.

'Mysterious Talisman Paper' was described as "talisman paper with different mysterious powers, a set of three, each with a specific effect depending on which one you draw." The price was one tael of gold per set, and only three sets were available.

The 'Ancient Torn Paper' was described as "a paper seemingly containing extraordinary power, though old, it still has some potency, with some strange characters on it."

This item was only one sheet, and the price was ten taels of gold.

"Too expensive..." Su Peng said, looking at the items.

"Your choice," the steward shopkeeper said.

Su Peng thought about it and was very curious about the mysterious powers of the talisman paper.

"It can't be a scam, and I have enough money for now, so I'll buy a set to study," Su Peng thought.

With that, he took out another tael of gold and handed it to the steward shopkeeper.

The steward shopkeeper nodded, and with a wave of his hand, a paper bag appeared in his hand, which he handed to Su Peng.

"That's all for now," Su Peng said, then exchanged some pleasantries with the shopkeeper and left the shop.

"It's been almost a whole night..." Su Peng walked out of the shop, looking at the moon in the sky, feeling a bit nostalgic, and then logged out.

...

Su Peng exited the game pod and saw that Lei Ming was still there. Seeing Su Peng log out, Lei Ming said, "The other two have already gone back to their rooms to sleep. You should do the same after finishing your task..."

Lei Ming then seemed to remember something and added, "By the way, tomorrow is a rest day, and you can go out, but if you do, you need to report to Shi Qianjun."

"Got it," Su Peng replied and left the computer room.

...

Su Peng went back to his room and slept for an hour, feeling refreshed. Bored, he did some Sudoku puzzles in his mind, feeling the time drag on until dawn.

At 6:30 AM, Su Peng went to the dining hall for breakfast and found Ji Ming and Sun Shijia were still there. They had become more familiar after last night's mission. Su Peng got his food and greeted them, then ate with the two of them.

"Let's go see Shi Qianjun after we finish eating. We haven't gone out in a week, and I'm feeling a bit cooped up," Ji Ming said to Su Peng. Su Peng nodded, and the three of them cleaned up their plates and went to Shi Qianjun's office.

Knocking and entering, they found Shi Qianjun playing on his computer. Seeing them, he nodded and said...

The page turned, and an ad began.

The page turned, and the ad ended.