Chapter 9

Du Yu immediately heard a cold and icy prompt: "Calculating, initial number of people entering the space: 30, number of people participating in the first stage task: 28, number of people completing the first stage task: 12. 16 people who failed the task, eliminated!"

He then seemed to hear several distant screams!

Although this sounded unbelievable, Du Yu had a firm intuition that if the prompt said 16 people were killed, those 16 people would definitely not live to see the next day!

In this bizarre space, human lives were as cheap as dogs, and they could be killed at will without any warning!

Du Yu recalled how he had barely managed to pass the task, and he was drenched in cold sweat!

However, he soon remembered that he still had two more tasks to complete before he could leave this perilous world.

"Second stage task initiated, adventurers from various schools will leave the mountains to complete their tasks."

Du Yu thought about the tasks of the others, which involved killing an enemy faction character and surviving for 90 days. They all had powerful sects to rely on, but he was alone, tasked with seducing one of Yue Lingshan, Ren Yingying, or Yilin, and obtaining the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* or the *Manual of the Sunflower*. It was no easy feat!

Since things had come to this, he needed to carefully plan his future actions.

For the second task, after careful consideration, Du Yu decided to focus on Yilin for three reasons:

First, in terms of distance, Yilin was close by, while Yue Lingshan was on Mount Hua, possibly already in Fuzhou, and Ren Yingying was either on Blackwood Cliff or in Luoyang, making it difficult to approach them.

Second, in terms of initial goodwill, Yilin already had 20 points of goodwill after a month, Yue Lingshan was definitely at -20, and Ren Yingying, being an antagonist, could have 20 points or zero.

Third, in terms of the strength of their protectors, Yue Lingshan had her father Yue Buqun, her mother Ning Zhongze, and Linghuchong, and possibly Lin Pingzhi, who had practiced the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual*. Ren Yingying, as the Holy Maiden, had control over the Sun Moon Holy Cult and many martial heroes, all of whom were formidable. Yilin, with her father the monk Bujie and her mother the mute old woman, was the weakest.

Thinking of this, Du Yu looked at the young nun Yilin and noticed that she had blushed deeply and her eyes were moist after watching the provocative show, making her look very alluring.

He felt a surge of emotion and approached her, bowing deeply: "Master Yilin, you are my savior. Please accept my bow."

Yilin, blushing, said, "I... you... your enemy isn't coming to kill you anymore?"

Du Yu chuckled, "I took the *Little Return Pill*, and my strength has greatly increased. I'm no longer afraid of him."

Yilin's eyes flashed with a hint of sorrow, "You are saved. I wonder when I can escape my suffering?"

Du Yu's heart stirred. To gain Yilin's favor, helping her escape Tian Boguang's control was a crucial step.

He quickly thought of how to accomplish this seemingly impossible task.

Force wouldn't work; Tian Boguang was a powerful martial artist, and even the *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey* technique he had practiced to the third level was taught by him.

He needed to use his wits.

Tian Boguang laughed as he walked out of the room, his arms full of the provocative costumes designed by Du Yu and sewn by Yilin. Inside, the courtesans were calling out, "Sir, I don't want money, just give me those undergarments..."

Du Yu was puzzled why the women didn't chase after them, but Tian Boguang laughed, "These women, once stripped of their treasures, can't chase us. Ha, these treasures were exchanged for the *Little Return Pill*, how could I give them to these vulgar women? Let's hurry and go!"

He grabbed Du Yu and Yilin, threw down a few silver notes, and ran out.

Du Yu had already made up his mind and laughed, "Brother, what are your plans next?"

"Nothing much, I'll give these treasures to my lover first. Do you have any good places to go?" Tian Boguang asked.

Du Yu slowly said, "Do you know where Yu Canghai, whom we met in Luoyang, has gone and what he's doing?"

Tian Boguang smacked his lips, "I really don't know."

"Then let me give you a piece of information," Du Yu smiled, "In Fuzhou, there is a Fuwei Escort Agency. The owner, Lin Zhenan, is said to have the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* passed down from his ancestor, which is incredibly powerful."

"Are you saying?" Tian Boguang's eyes gleamed, clearly familiar with the rumor, "Yu the Shorty is after the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* of the Lin family?"

"Most likely," Du Yu said, "And I heard that Yue Buqun of the Hua Mountain Sect also has ambitions for the manual. He sent his second disciple Laodenuo and his only daughter Yue Lingshan to Fuzhou. Other factions have long coveted the manual. Why don't we brothers join in? Even if we're not strong enough, we might still get the manual by taking advantage of the chaos."

A greedy look flashed in Tian Boguang's eyes. Martial artists had no resistance to high-level techniques, and many had lost their families and homes over such techniques, yet they still pursued them with great enthusiasm.

Du Yu's suggestion to go to Fuzhou, of course, had his own calculations. His third task was to obtain the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* or the *Manual of the Sunflower*. The *Manual of the Sunflower* was a private collection of Dongfang Bubai. To get it from Dongfang, with Du Yu's limited strength, it would be easier to compete for the favor of Yang Lianting. Therefore, the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* was a must-have for him.

Even so, taking the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* from Yu Canghai of the Qingcheng Sect and Yue Buqun of the Hua Mountain Sect was still incredibly difficult. Therefore, he needed to bring Tian Boguang along, even though this brother often lacked loyalty, he was still a significant figure in the martial world, and could help divert the attention of enemies.

Moreover, according to the plot prompt, 12 adventurers had completed the first stage and were out to execute the second stage task.

Du Yu was confident that most of them would head to the Lin family residence in Fuzhou's Yang Street!

Because in the world of *The Smiling, Proud Wanderer*, there were two places to quickly improve one's martial arts: one was to learn the *Nine Swords of Dugu* from Feng Qingyang in the cave behind Hua Mountain, and the other was to find the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* at the Lin family residence!

The former, though good, was impossible unless one joined the Hua Mountain Sect, like the bespectacled man with the white aura. Feng Qingyang had very high standards and would only pass on his skills to someone with exceptional talent like Linghuchong. The requirements were too high and hard to meet.

But the *Evil-Repelling Sword Manual* could be practiced by anyone, as long as they were willing to make the necessary sacrifices!

If he didn't want to castrate himself, as a priceless treasure, giving it to a plot character or returning to the space for an exchange would always yield great benefits.

Thinking of his evil faction identity and their task to kill an enemy faction member, Du Yu smiled bitterly.

As the weakest antagonist, once his true identity was exposed, he would surely be hunted down by the others!

If it weren't for the *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey* skill suitable for escape, and if it weren't for the task forcing him into a corner, he wouldn't have gone to Fuzhou's Yang Street!

After much consideration, Tian Boguang cursed, "To hell with it, I'll do it! Brother, lead the way! I can't miss this great opportunity."

Du Yu nodded, used his lightness skill, and led Tian Boguang and Yilin towards Fuzhou.

On the way, he felt as light as a bird, his steps light and swift, as if walking on cotton, and the wind was brushing under his feet, making him incredibly fast, more than twice as fast as before.

After checking, he found that 1 point of agility increased movement speed by 2 points. The third level of *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey* increased his agility by 3 points, and his movement speed by 6 points, totaling a 12-point increase in movement speed. With his own 4 points of agility, his speed reached 20 points, surpassing the 14-point speed of the Black Viper at his prime!

Now, his speed was equivalent to twice that of the world's best sprinter or a normal man, capable of running 100 meters in just over 9 seconds.

After testing, Du Yu was very satisfied. Learning the *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey* skill for running away was indeed the best choice for survival and guerrilla tactics!

No wonder Tian Boguang, despite his notorious reputation as a lecher, lived a good life. His *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey* was at the seventh level, with his own agility, his speed was at least 40 points, equivalent to running 100 meters in 5 seconds. Who could catch him?

Yilin, the delicate little nun, also surprised him. Despite her delicate appearance, her speed was not slow, showing the strict training of the Hengshan Sect and the high quality of its disciples.

The three continued on their journey. Du Yu constantly practiced the *Ten Thousand Miles Solo Journey*, trying to reach the fourth level as soon as possible, fully enjoying the thrill of being a martial arts expert. Five days later, they arrived in Fuzhou.

Du Yu found out the location of the Fuwei Escort Agency and hurriedly went there with Tian Boguang and Yilin. He was afraid that others would get there first and take the easiest opportunity.

In fact, Du Yu was overthinking. Everyone's first task was to learn at least three skill points within a month, or be eliminated. Under the pressure of time and the rule that they couldn't leave their sect, who would dare to travel a thousand miles to Fuzhou to steal the manual? At most, the 12 adventurers who completed the first task would arrive in Fuzhou around the same time as Du Yu.

Just as Du Yu arrived at the Fuwei Escort Agency, he saw a dark-skinned girl being harassed by two men in a tavern. An old wine seller was trying to stop them. Although these people were dressed normally, Du Yu's sharp eyes immediately recognized them as Yu Canghai's son Yu Renyan and his disciple Jia Ren. The harassed girl was Yue Lingshan, Yue Buqun's only daughter in disguise, and the old wine seller was Laodenuo, the second senior disciple of the Hua Mountain Sect, disguised as Old Man Sa.

The Qingcheng Sect sent Yu Renyan to cause trouble in the taverns around the Fuwei Escort Agency, calculating that Lin Pingzhi, the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency, lacking experience in the martial world, would intervene in the injustice, thus creating a grudge. Otherwise, the Fuwei Escort Agency's ancestors had done great favors for the Qingcheng Sect and paid an annual tribute of 10,000 taels of silver, and a sudden attack would damage their reputation. Yu Canghai was truly a despicable person.

The Hua Mountain Sect's Yue Buqun sent his only daughter and Laodenuo to open a tavern in front of the Fuwei Escort Agency, which seemed insignificant. His plan was similar to Yu Canghai's but more cunning. He intended to secretly monitor the Fuwei Escort Agency and take advantage of the chaos to get everything. Yue Buqun was a hypocritical gentleman.