Chapter 74

First, let me wish everyone a happy New Year! May you have a great year of the Monkey! May you be happy, have good luck, and make a fortune! May your career, love, and studies all be fruitful. I apologize for forgetting to upload the third update last night because I drank too much during the New Year's Eve family dinner. I'll make it up today! Wishing everyone a happy New Year.

Those higher-ranking members, like vampires, suck the lifeblood from the lower-ranking members and adventurers to fatten themselves. According to kg, the Red Flower Twin Sticks have a very high status. The Surgeon has so many terrifying tools and strong combat power, which is directly related to this substantial profit.

Lin Qing nodded.

He repeatedly verified the gang's jargon with kg.

The Hong Gang is a tightly organized group.

The Grand Dragon Head, also known as the Hall Master, has the code number 489. Because 4 + 8 + 9 equals 21, and adding 38 makes a "Hong" character, it signifies the leader of the Hong Gate.

The Second Route Marshal has the code number 438.

The Red Stick has the code number 426, abbreviated as "Twelve Bottom," because 4 × 26 + 4 equals 108, symbolizing the 108 heroes of Water Margin. The most outstanding among the "Red Sticks" are the "Double Flower Red Sticks."

The White Paper Fan has the code number 415, as 4 × 15 + 4 equals 64, symbolizing the 64 chapters of the I Ching, indicating clarity and numerical skills.

The Straw Sandal has the code number 432. 4 × 32 equals 128. In the late Ming Dynasty, 128 straw-sandaled monks resisted the invasion of the Xiru people, showing great loyalty and righteousness, hence this name.

The 49: Those who join through the initiation ceremony are called "49." All members must recite the "Thirty-six Oaths of the Hong Gate" to join. Those who do not advance after three years are called "Old 49."

Planning Department: Human character head.

Intelligence Department: Vertical ear.

Supervision Department: Blade edge.

kg required Lin Qing to remember these jargon terms firmly. When speaking with members of the Hong Gang, he must use the jargon. Any mistake would raise suspicion.

Lin Qing kept this in mind and asked kg how to respond to the mission.

kg seemed to have thought it through and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, Master."

Lin Qing smiled, "You don't need to call me Master, just call me Head."

kg said, "Head, I plan to return and tell the team that this mission was too difficult. Many brothers died to obtain the secret map of Bright Peak. Of course, this includes Gang Lao Da..."

A wicked smile appeared on his lips.

Clearly, due to Gang Lao Da's death and the completion of the mission, he was very likely to be promoted to Gang Lao Da's position, becoming the team leader.

Lin Qing nodded, "In the future, we should try to go on missions together. We can accomplish a lot."

kg nodded deeply.

Lin Qing and kg parted ways, letting kg walk into the city alone.

According to the principles of the Hong Gang, the Red Flower Twin Sticks only meet with ordinary Red Sticks and Blue Lanterns during missions. They usually act alone, not subject to anyone's control, and cannot mingle with ordinary members or reveal secrets, which would result in severe punishment.

kg left.

Lin Qing remained at the spot, waiting for Li Meilin and her daughter.

Time should not be wasted, so Lin Qing began practicing the White Eyebrow Eagle Claw Kung Fu.

This D-level technique lacks power but is very suitable for Lin Qing.

After considering his future development in techniques and skill trees, Lin Qing decided to focus on close combat.

It's not that he dislikes the high power and safety of ranged attacks or the coolness of them, but after comparing, he believes that in a fight between kg and Gang Lao Da, Gang Lao Da would ultimately win.

Gang Lao Da has superior survival capabilities.

Although kg can cause significant trouble for Gang Lao Da at the beginning, Gang Lao Da can rely on his defensive talents to push kg to his death!

Lin Qing realized that in the space, no profession is particularly powerful; otherwise, there would be no balance.

But it depends on what each person is suitable for.

He likes close combat, the feeling of charging into battle and engaging in close-quarters combat.

He may not become like Gang Lao Da, but he doesn't need to imitate him.

He has his own path!

A control-type close combatant!

In several battles against strong enemies, Lin Qing used the White Eyebrow Eagle Claw Kung Fu to overcome stronger opponents, twice restraining the terrifying Surgeon, giving him great confidence.

Control-type skills may not be the most powerful in terms of output.

But don't forget, he has the special ability to exchange for female protagonists!

Zhou Zhiruo, Li Meilin, and Yan Ran.

Women are not suitable for close combat, standing at the front as tanks, but they are absolutely suitable for output from the back and sides.

If Lin Qing can control strong enemies, with the combined output capabilities, his team can defeat anyone!

Everything depends on Lin Qing's close combat skills.

Grapple skills are what Lin Qing believes to be the most suitable combat technique for him.

In several battles, he has grown to like the feeling of subduing enemies under his control, the sensation of being the butcher and the enemy the meat, the thrill of the kill.

This feeling is very satisfying!

Of course, defensive techniques like "Hard Qi Gong" can greatly supplement Lin Qing's skill matrix, giving him greater defensive flexibility and resilience.

After thinking about these techniques, Lin Qing began to consider how to allocate his 9 attribute points.

Grapple skills mainly depend on three values.

First is muscle strength, second is reflex agility, and third is skill level.

Lin Qing started to study the space's description of the six attributes.

Muscle: Strong muscles determine close combat damage and provide close combat defense to prevent being overwhelmed. The primary attribute for warriors.

Reflex: Agile movements determine attack speed, action speed, and dodging efficiency, as well as ranged attack power and accuracy. Many high-skill professions also require high reflexes.

Constitution: Determines only one thing, your health points.

Intelligence: Your comprehension ability determines your spell attack power, magic resistance, and priority. The primary attribute for clerics and mages.

Spirit: Determines your superpower/magic/energy value. For close combatants practicing martial arts, the spirit value is replaced by "internal energy," "superpower," or "fighting spirit."

Charisma: Determines your ability to persuade and influence others.

If Lin Qing is to follow the close combat path, he should invest points in the first three attributes. But how to balance them? These are the three main development directions for close combatants.

Muscle path: Focus on muscle strength.

Reflex path: Focus on agility and technique.

Constitution path: Focus on tanking.

The key is what you want and what you want to develop.

Close combatants are generally of four types: output, defense, agility, and other types. The focus of development varies.

After some thought, Lin Qing ultimately allocated 9 points, 7 to agility, and 2 to constitution, with no points to strength.

This arrangement made Lin Qing's attributes: 6 muscle, 11 agility, 6 constitution!

Although muscle strength could also enhance the White Eyebrow Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Lin Qing ultimately decided to follow the agility path.

Control the battlefield, all the way through!

He predicted that as skills improve, the requirement for agility would become more prominent, while the importance of strength would gradually decrease.

Because he had seen the White Eyebrow Eagle King in action!

This rare opportunity for observation gave Lin Qing great inspiration, clarifying his path.

Yin Tianzheng himself is not someone who relies on strength to win. His broad knuckles combine strength and technique.

After thinking it through, Lin Qing made this choice.

In the future, he would unwaveringly follow this agile control tank path.

Another important factor in Lin Qing's decision was the external environment!

After all, the vast and dangerous maze is the overarching environment surrounding the entire city!

In the constantly changing maze, what is more important than speed?

Lin Qing speculated that half of the adventurers focus on ranged attacks, increasing their reflexes and speed, directly related to this environment.

Lin Qing had entered the maze several times and was already wary of the maze's changes during earthquakes, not daring to underestimate it.

With higher reflexes and speed, survival in the maze would also improve.

However, Lin Qing found that his progress in practicing the White Eyebrow Eagle Claw Kung Fu was very slow.

Four hours of training only increased the proficiency of the third level by 2%.

After all, under the guidance of Master Extermination, he could improve by 50% in a day!

Lin Qing missed Master Extermination.

After a while, as the sun set, Lin Qing began to consider his safety in the maze.

The maze at night would likely be very dangerous.

Should he return to the shelter first?

As Lin Qing hesitated, he saw a flash of light, and Li Meilin and Yan Ran emerged from the plot world.

They were somewhat fearful but relaxed when they saw Lin Qing, excitedly running over.

"You came out so quickly?" Lin Qing frowned. "Did you encounter any trouble?"

"Probably the plot time and space time flow at different rates," Li Meilin quickly realized.

Lin Qing nodded, "It seems so."

"Let's not talk about it. We need to get back quickly. The terrain is about to change again!" Li Meilin said urgently.

Lin Qing nodded and led the mother and daughter, rapidly heading towards the shelter.

Fortunately, this plot maze was not far from the shelter, and the open city gate could be clearly seen from here.

As long as they followed the road and didn't get lost, it would be easy to get out.

However, the plot world's time flows faster, so the space time might have only passed one or two days.

He had killed Fang Lingcheng, and the aftermath of this event had not yet subsided.

It was uncertain whether the Nan Shan brothers would set up spies at the city gate, waiting for the three of them.

While Lin Qing was thinking about how to handle this, Yan Ran giggled and pulled out three exquisite human skin masks from her chest.

"Where did you get these?" Lin Qing was pleasantly surprised.

Yan Ran pointed at Li Meilin, "Of course, it was my meticulous mother who thought about how to avoid capture when we return to the shelter. She used the righteous reputation points we earned to exchange for some exquisite masks from the skilled disguisers of the Beggar Gang. These three masks cost us 900 righteous reputation points, which we earned with great effort."

Lin Qing was grateful. Li Meilin was indeed very considerate and meticulous.

Having this woman around saved him a lot of trouble.