Chapter 4

As he made his way around the village, Zhou Yi obtained a set of robes from the tailor, a green sword from the blacksmith for protection, and a gourd of Xiaohuan Pills from the pharmacy. After returning to the elder to complete the task, he received a 20-slot backpack and a thousand coins, and also learned the name and location of the village.

The village was called Ping'an Village, located in the northern part of Central China. Just a few dozen miles away was a large city called Mianchi. Traveling east from Mianchi, one could reach the Eastern Capital, Luoyang, a major human city where player NPCs gathered.

Guided along the way, Zhou Yi saw quite a few players. Some smiled and nodded, while others ignored him, each doing their own thing. The world of "Pian'an" was vast, with countless users, and no one paid much attention to these things. To ensure a perfect experience, all numerical values were hidden, and no names appeared above anyone's head, except for some system prompts. It looked almost identical to reality, so it wasn't strange to brush shoulders with people in the crowd.

After completing the guidance, Zhou Yi opened his character attribute panel and took a rough look:

Character Basic Information:

Character Name: Zhou Yi

Cultivation Level: Level 1

Affiliation: None

Basic Attributes:

Insight: 8

Constitution: 40

Fortune: 40

Health: 17

HP: 120

MP: Sealed

Physical Attack: 10

Magical Attack: 0

Physical Defense: 5

Magical Defense: 0

Experience: 0/100

Cultivation Attributes:

Good Deeds: None

Dao Tradition: None

Cultivation Technique: None

Cultivation Time: 0 years, 0 months, 0 days

In addition, there were a series of arcane statistics and hidden values, all of which were zeros. There was nothing much to analyze. After looking over his attributes, Zhou Yi respectfully asked the elder, "May I ask, is there a temple dedicated to the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance near Ping'an Village?"

"Lord of Deliverance?" The old man stroked his beard, puzzled. "Recently, many wandering knights like you have asked about the temple dedicated to that Lord. It's quite strange. Anyway, from Ping'an Village, travel west for twenty miles, and at the foot of Xiaoshan Mountain, there is said to be a Daoist temple dedicated to the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance. However, the journey is dangerous, with some monsters along the way. Please be careful, young knight."

"Traveling west for twenty miles... It seems many have discovered the benefits of the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance, and they are all hiding it, not even mentioning it on the forums..."

Zhou Yi mentally noted this, bid farewell to the old man, and left Ping'an Village, following the country path. The vegetation was lush, and before long, he reached the leveling area for new players. Many players were teaming up to slay peach spirits and willow monsters, which were level 6. Zhou Yi remembered this clearly but didn't linger, bypassing the leveling area and heading onto the main road. He stopped a passing carriage, paid 10 coins, and rode west.

Along the way, he encountered some wild dogs and mountain cats, all level 1 or 2 monsters. Zhou Yi reacted quickly, jumping off the cart before the driver could, and easily dispatched the monsters, gaining the experience points himself.

Twenty miles was quite a distance, especially for new players who couldn't fly. Zhou Yi couldn't bear sitting in the carriage for more than half an hour. Suddenly, he saw a large wilderness area by the road, where many players were killing monsters and leveling up. To the right of the wilderness was a small land temple, about ten feet wide. In front of the temple was a wooden table, with a person sitting behind it and three players standing in front. Seeing this, Zhou Yi jumped off the cart, dismissed the driver, and approached the temple.

"Even if you're traveling from Chengdu to Mount Emei, you can't do it without a Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman. If you want to buy, buy; if not, please leave. What does it have to do with me if you want to join Mount Emei? I'm not looking down on you, but those who can join Mount Emei are already formal disciples, not like you, who are like headless flies."

As Zhou Yi approached, he heard the person behind the table say this. The three players in front of the table became angry and drew their swords to attack, but their swords were deflected by an invisible force. The other two quickly supported their companion.

"Still want to attack? Don't take the land god lightly."

The person behind the table fanned himself, looking quite at ease. "What can you do to me? I'm doing business for the land god, and I have divine protection. Want to get rough? Do you think you're a sword immortal?"

Zhou Yi found this scene quite normal, as in his previous life, there were always veterans who would tease new players. He simply walked around the three players, stood under the temple eaves, and smiled at the person behind the table. "Congratulations, Fellow Daoist. You have the leisure to tease new players, which means your business must be good!"

The player behind the table raised an eyebrow. The term "Fellow Daoist" indicated that Zhou Yi was either a new player or a mixed profession player. In the world of "Pian'an," real users and NPCs coexisted, and following the rules of the real world would cause many troubles. Therefore, all teams in "Pian'an" adhered to the rules of this world to avoid complications.

Zhou Yi had learned this style of speaking and acting gradually. No one became a veteran overnight; everyone had to learn the ropes through experience.

"Early in the game, I just accumulated some funds. It's not really a business," the player waved his hand and smiled, clearly indicating his player status. "Fellow Daoist, if you're here to buy talismans, I won't beat around the bush. Just tell me what you need."

Seeing the two of them talking harmoniously, the three players nearby looked somewhat awkward. Zhou Yi ignored them and said to the talisman seller, "One Ten-Mile Teleportation Talisman, directed to the temple of the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance at the foot of Xiaoshan Mountain; one Hundred-Mile Teleportation Talisman, directed to Hangu Pass; and one Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman, directed to Qingyang Palace in Sichuan."

The clear and specific requests left the three players stunned. The leader frowned and said, "This game is really unfair. These veterans know everything. Let's go! Don't embarrass ourselves here!" He put away his sword and left with the other two, looking dejected.

The talisman seller was also surprised. After the three left, he whispered, "Fellow Daoist, are you sure about this? The game is now in full operation, and things are different. I can't see the purpose of your journey, but I must advise you: don't act rashly without solid information. You might face rejection and be left empty-handed when you need to act, which could be dangerous!"

The talisman seller clearly thought Zhou Yi was a veteran and felt the need to give some advice.

"Ten-Mile Teleportation Talisman for fifty coins, Hundred-Mile Teleportation Talisman for two hundred coins, and Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman for five hundred coins." Zhou Yi didn't respond but opened the trading panel and quoted the prices.

"He's so confident. Does he know some secret?" The talisman seller thought, then realized something and said, "Fellow Daoist, the price is wrong. A Thousand-Mile Teleportation Talisman costs eight hundred coins, and..."

Zhou Yi smiled, watching the talisman seller's reaction. The prices he quoted were the official prices set by the land god. This clearly meant that he knew the ins and outs of the business.

However, the talisman seller wasn't convinced and said after a moment, "If you're so capable, why don't you become a talisman seller yourself instead of buying from me?"

Zhou Yi carefully examined the talisman seller. He wore ordinary Daoist robes, and his name and level were hidden. He looked honest, but his greedy nature was quite the opposite.

"You're not ready to compete with me yet!" Zhou Yi thought, but said, "I've been a talisman seller before. If the prices were different, where would I have known? This is my second character. My first character entered the game on the first day of full operation and was lucky enough to be trained by an NPC and become a registered disciple of Lingjiao Palace. Unfortunately..."

Seeing Zhou Yi's dramatic act, the talisman seller inwardly sneered but put on a curious face. "Your experience sounds good! What's the 'unfortunately' part? It's not hard to become a formal disciple!"

"It's because of the talisman sellers!" Zhou Yi shook his head and sighed. "Since the full operation, things have changed a lot!"

"Selling divine talismans, how can there be risks? Don't try to fool me!" The talisman seller looked skeptical.

"Tell me, do you sell more than fifty talismans at your high prices?" Zhou Yi asked seriously, and the talisman seller was half-convinced.

"Definitely not. What happens if I sell more than fifty?" The talisman seller continued to press, and Zhou Yi didn't answer directly.

"Divine talismans are for new players below level 10 to visit distant masters. After level 10, they become useless. Does your land god's talisman have any special properties that make it an exception?"

"Of course, it becomes useless after level 10. Don't keep me in suspense. Please be clear."

Seeing the talisman seller falling into his trap, Zhou Yi remained calm, looking at the row of talismans on the table. The talisman seller understood and thought, "The land god can produce as many talismans as needed. Selling them at cost won't be a loss. But what this guy says is worrying. I might as well buy some peace of mind, even if it means being tricked. Trying to get benefits from veterans is a dream anyway."

With this thought, the talisman seller initiated the trade. After the transaction, he asked, "What's the risk? Don't keep me in suspense. Even if I'm tricked, I'll accept it!"

"If I say you're tricked, won't you come after me?" Zhou Yi thought, seeing the talisman seller's impatience. "All goods can be divided into two categories: necessities and luxuries. Selling divine talismans isn't risky in itself, but divine talismans have been designated as necessities by the system."

"Necessities?" The talisman seller's face changed. If what Zhou Yi said was true, there was indeed a risk. He had planned to make money from new players but didn't expect this item to be designated as a necessity.

For professionals in "Pian'an," understanding the difference between necessities and luxuries was crucial. Selling or dumping necessities was illegal, and the consequences could be severe, including freezing of user accounts and even legal charges in the real world.

Worse, the threshold for illegal activities was unclear, and the interpretation was in the hands of the government. Even a brief involvement could lead to irreparable consequences.

"You're lying! Divine talismans are famous luxuries for new players! How can they be necessities?"

The talisman seller suddenly changed his tone and shouted. Zhou Yi ignored him, activated the Ten-Mile Teleportation Talisman, and was instantly transported to the foot of Xiaoshan Mountain, where the temple of the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance was located.

A circle of light enveloped Zhou Yi, and he arrived at his destination in an instant. He heard the talisman seller shouting, "Have the guts to leave your name!" but the scenery changed, and a Daoist temple appeared before him. The grand hall stood majestically, with the sign "Temple of the Heavenly Lord of Deliverance" shining brightly. A gentle breeze blew, and the grass bent. Behind the temple, a towering mountain range stretched into the clouds, and the temple was filled with incense smoke, rising to the sky. The sound of combat could be heard from within.

"Leave your name? If you don't believe me, what's there to say? Indeed, some people still don't understand that what is a luxury for ordinary people is a necessity for the wealthy!"

With the talisman in hand, Zhou Yi easily teleported away, criticizing the talisman seller to himself. He brushed off the dust and walked confidently towards the temple's main gate.