Chapter 2

"......The game has started."

Awakening from his stupor, Jiang Chen calmly observed his surroundings. He found himself in an ancient inn, where the weather was very cold. These guests seemed to be temporarily trapped here for some reason, mostly huddled around a central bonfire for warmth. Only one person was curled up in a corner, snoring loudly.

At the same time, he noticed that although he could see and hear what was happening outside, a thin layer of light seemed to separate this place from the outside world, creating a distinct boundary.

Jiang Chen tried to touch the light barrier in front of him, but it felt like a solid wall, immovable. He frowned instinctively and was about to investigate further when a series of urgent hoofbeats approached. Before he could react, he felt his Samsara wristwatch vibrate, and then a stream of information flooded his mind:

"Samsara World Activated: The Return of the Condor Heroes;

Mission Start Time: Sixteen years after Xiaolongnü jumped off the Heartbreak Cliff;

Mission Start Location: Fengling Ferry, An Du Old Inn;

Mission Difficulty Assessment: Martial Arts Plot, Difficulty: Beginner;

Main Mission: Assist Guo Jing in defending Xiangyang. Ensure Xiangyang is not captured by the Yuan-Mongol army before the plot ends. Participate in the battle and kill at least one hundred Yuan-Mongol soldiers. Mission success: Receive one wish-granting dragon pearl and the qualification to enter the next Samsara. Mission failure: Annihilation;

Secondary Mission: Reach Xiangyang before the Beggar Clan Conference. Mission success: Gain the qualification to activate the wristwatch space. Mission failure: Weakness for three days;

Special Reminder: As a participant in the game, you have privileges granted by the Samsara. In each Samsara, you have three opportunities. When you kill a character from the plot, you can extract their abilities and double upgrade one of them...... So, young man, for the sake of your dreams and hopes, work hard!"

Apart from the basic mission information, a large amount of background information about the world, including various changes, was forcibly implanted into his mind, though not entirely complete, it covered the general outline.

Overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, Jiang Chen had not yet fully digested it when the faint light barrier in front of him disappeared, and he appeared in the sight of the guests. Strangely, they seemed to have already seen him, showing no surprise or astonishment at the sudden appearance of a person.

At the same time, with a few neighs, the thick curtain at the inn's entrance was lifted. A woman in her thirties, with a peach-blossom face and a beautiful appearance, wearing a dark blue brocade fur coat with a piece of sable fur at the collar, entered. Her attire was quite luxurious.

Behind her were a boy and a girl, both around fifteen or sixteen years old. The boy had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with a rough and bold expression, while the girl was elegant and beautiful. Both the boy and the girl wore light green brocade fur coats. The girl had a string of pearls around her neck, each pearl about the size of a thumb, emitting a faint glow.

Jiang Chen was taken aback. As a 100% Chinese person, he had rarely missed watching TV, and most people who watched TV had seen "The Return of the Condor Heroes." With the large amount of information the Samsara wristwatch had implanted, he was very familiar with this scene and could guess the identities of the two girls and the boy:

Guo Fu, Guo Xiang, and Guo Polu!

Taking a few deep breaths, Jiang Chen calmed himself. Everything was real; he was truly in the world of "The Return of the Condor Heroes"!

In the next second, Jiang Chen's mind began to calculate like a high-speed computer. He was considering how to become powerful in the shortest time possible.

This was a martial arts world, so the best way to strengthen himself was through martial arts. However, even if he had the most extraordinary martial arts like the Nine Yin and Nine Yang, he doubted he could learn them.

Thinking about this, a bitter smile appeared on his face. He really envied the so-called main characters who had innate language translation, text translation, and basic martial arts knowledge. They could basically become supreme martial artists just by picking up a divine martial arts manual and practicing for three years to achieve immortality.

But the reality was, were supreme martial arts that easy to master? Jiang Chen knew he didn't have that ability. Therefore, the most practical method he could think of to become powerful was to use the privileges granted by the Samsara, kill characters from the plot, and obtain their abilities!

Although this method was dangerous, it still offered a glimmer of hope, especially since he was familiar with the plot. He knew that a great opportunity was right in front of him.

"It seems I have to be a fan for once and follow the young Guo Xiang to see the Condor Hero Yang Guo!" Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile bitterly.

This journey would certainly bring great rewards, but it was also fraught with danger. First, there was the risk of the West Mountain One-Cave Ghosts attacking; then there was the danger of the beasts at the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor going out of control. Even Guo Xiang had almost died, and he doubted he would have the luck to have been raised on leopard milk, so this trip was extremely perilous.

However, if he wanted to become powerful in the shortest time possible, he had to take this risk. As the saying goes, great wealth comes with great danger. His future depended on this one gamble!

While his thoughts were in turmoil, someone in the inn started talking about the Condor Hero Yang Guo. Guo Xiang, delighted, took out her hairpin and invited everyone to a meal. Jiang Chen also benefited, feasting on the food. As he ate and drank, he listened to stories about how Yang Guo saved Wang Weizhong's descendants, killed Chen Dafang, judged Ding Dachuan, redeemed Song Wu, and avenged his father while saving his mother. Although Jiang Chen already knew these stories, hearing them in person made them even more exciting, and he couldn't help but be captivated.

Especially Guo Xiang, who, upon hearing from her sister that she had been held by Yang Guo as a child, felt a burning desire to see him. When she heard that he might not attend the Hero Conference, she couldn't help but sigh, saying, "Not all the people at the Hero Conference are heroes, and true great heroes and great men might not even attend."

Suddenly, there was a "pop" sound, and a person who had been curled up and snoring in the corner stood up. Jiang Chen knew this was the Big-Headed Ghost from the West Mountain One-Cave Ghosts.

The Big-Headed Ghost said, "It's not difficult for the young lady to see the Condor Hero. I'll take you to see him tonight."

Everyone was startled by his voice and even more surprised by his appearance. He was less than four feet tall, with a very thin body, but his large head, long arms, large hands, and large feet were much larger than those of ordinary people. His limbs and head were already disproportionate on a normal person, and his small stature made him even more bizarre.

Guo Xiang was delighted and said, "Great!" Jiang Chen also stood up, pretending to be timid, and said, "I, I want to go too."

The Big-Headed Ghost glared at him, but seeing that Jiang Chen, though afraid, did not back down, he laughed, "Fine, having one more person to see him off will do justice to his name."

At that moment, a faint, ghostly voice called from a distance, "West Mountain One-Cave Ghosts, nine out of ten are here, Big-Headed Ghost, Big-Headed Ghost! If not now, when?"

The Big-Headed Ghost was taken aback, then grabbed Guo Xiang with one hand and Jiang Chen with the other, and with a loud shout, the room went dark, and the Big-Headed Ghost, along with Guo Xiang and Jiang Chen, vanished.

Everyone was shocked to see the door broken through, realizing the Big-Headed Ghost had carried the two out through the door.

Guo Fu, terrified, leaped to chase after them. As she was about to pass through the door, it suddenly disappeared, and she had to stop mid-air, landing with her feet just a foot from the door. When she saw the Big-Headed Ghost blocking the door, his nose almost touching her chest, she was so startled that she almost screamed. She quickly leaped back, and a cold wind carrying snowflakes blew past her as the Big-Headed Ghost disappeared.

"Second Sister, come back!" Guo Fu shouted, leaping out the door, but only heard distant laughter. There was no sign of Guo Xiang.