Chapter 62

In a small inn in Yingchuan, Liu Yao sat at a table, drinking wine.

"May I ask for the esteemed name of this brother?" Liu Yao asked, knowing the answer, and poured a cup of wine for Xu Shu.

"Unworthy, unworthy," Xu Shu waved his hands nervously, a hint of hesitation in his eyes. "This humble one is Shan Fu from Yingchuan, paying respects to Your Highness."

"Ha ha." Liu Yao shook his head, feigning disappointment. "I treat you with such sincerity, yet you still don't tell me the truth."

"This..." Xu Shu felt guilty. Not only had Liu Yao saved his life, but he had also treated him with such respect. He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, I changed my name out of necessity, not wanting to involve others. My real name is Xu Fu, later changed to Xu Shu, with the courtesy name Yuanzhi."

"Ha ha ha, Yuanzhi, that's better. I've heard of your name long ago. As for involving others, do you think anyone would dare, given my status?" Liu Yao said with a smile.

Xu Shu smiled bitterly. Even without considering Liu Yao's status, the thousand elite soldiers outside were enough to deter anyone from acting against Liu Yao. Of course, the previous Zheng Jian was an exception.

"I didn't expect Your Highness to know of my humble reputation. I am truly honored. But I heard that Your Highness should be suppressing the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan. Why are you here?" Xu Shu asked curiously.

Liu Yao did not directly answer Xu Shu's question. He drank a cup of wine and said, "Yuanzhi, do you know that the Han Dynasty is in grave danger?"

"Spit, cough." Xu Shu sprayed out his wine, completely surprised by Liu Yao's words. He hastily said, "Your Highness, how can the Han Dynasty be in danger?"

"Of course it will be in chaos. Not to mention the Yellow Turban Zhang Jue with his million-strong army. Even the powerful clans now control much of the power. They buy and enclose land, forcing the people to live in misery. The Yellow Turban Rebellion is largely due to these powerful clans," Liu Yao said angrily.

Xu Shu nodded, deeply agreeing. Over the years, he had traveled far and wide, seeing countless common people suffer at the hands of the powerful clans.

"Yuanzhi, I know you want to right the wrongs of the world with your sword. Perhaps you can save one or ten people, but you cannot save the world," Liu Yao said.

Xu Shu nodded. This experience had shown him that his sword could kill one evil person, but he might also fail. Moreover, it was just a small matter compared to Liu Yao's efforts to defend against foreign invaders. "Please, Your Highness, teach me how to save the people of the world," Xu Shu said respectfully.

Liu Yao smiled. "I see that you have a sharp mind. Why not abandon martial arts and study governance? Travel the world, learn the skills to govern, and then assist a wise ruler. Use your talents to bring fairness and justice to the world."

Liu Yao's words were like a sudden enlightenment for Xu Shu. He said firmly, "Thank you, Your Highness. From today on, I will abandon martial arts and study governance. If I achieve something in the future, I hope Your Highness will not abandon me."

"Good, good, good." Liu Yao laughed heartily. His goal was to make Xu Shu abandon martial arts for governance. Xu Shu was now just a warrior, but if he went to study, he would become the wise advisor he was destined to be. "Yuanzhi, there's no need for such formality. It's too early to talk about this. If you achieve something in the future and think I am a worthy ruler to assist, I will definitely have a place for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xu Shu said, deeply moved. Liu Yao did not bind him with favors, showing his noble character. "Since that's the case, I will take my leave and go to study."

"Wait, Yuanzhi." Liu Yao called out, stopping Xu Shu, who turned back in confusion.

"Leaving is simple, but what about your elderly mother?" Liu Yao reminded him.

"This..." Xu Shu was stunned, feeling guilty. As a filial son, he had forgotten about his mother, which was unforgivable.

"If you trust me, why not let me take care of your mother? I will treat her as a distinguished guest. If you think I am not worth assisting in the future, you can come to Youzhou and take her back, and I will not stop you," Liu Yao said with a smile.

"How can I do that?!" Xu Shu exclaimed, deeply grateful. He had already received so much from Liu Yao, and if Liu Yao were to take care of his mother, he would not know how to repay such a favor.

"It's no trouble, just a small matter," Liu Yao said casually.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Xu Shu said gratefully, determined to repay Liu Yao's kindness if he achieved something in the future.

After bidding farewell to Liu Yao, Xu Shu returned home to explain everything to his mother. Liu Yao, on the other hand, returned to his room, wanting to figure out the issue with the tattoo that had saved his life today.

In the room, Liu Yao touched the tattoo, and it fell off, transforming back into an ancient book.

Before Liu Yao could speak, a line of text appeared on the book: "Detected danger to the host. Ten draws completed, system upgraded. Gifted three additional draw opportunities."

Liu Yao looked at the book with a mix of frustration and helplessness. He never expected the book to upgrade, and it required him to be in danger to do so. If not for this incident, he would never have upgraded. However, the three additional draws excited him.

He asked excitedly in his mind, "Ancient book, what new features do you have after the upgrade?"

The book slowly displayed a line of text: "System upgrade added a mission system and an exchange system. The system will issue missions. If the host completes them, they will receive draw opportunities. The host can also use draw opportunities to exchange for desired blueprints."

Liu Yao read it, organized his thoughts, and asked nervously, "Are the missions mandatory? What happens if I fail?"

"The host can freely choose whether to accept missions. If you fail, you will lose double the reward. If the reward becomes negative, the system will leave the host."

Liu Yao sighed in relief. It was good that there was no penalty for failure. However, he would not allow the ancient book to leave, as it was a powerful tool and a significant advantage in his future ambitions. He decided to be more cautious when accepting missions.

"Ancient book, do you have a list of blueprints?" Liu Yao asked curiously.

The book flashed green, and Liu Yao opened it, revealing a list.

Liu Yao scanned the list and was shocked. He thought three draw opportunities were many, but the cheapest item required three draws. The most expensive required hundreds or even thousands, which he ignored. The stirrups and repeating crossbow he had previously drawn required three and ten draws, respectively, while the crude steel-making process required fifteen draws. Liu Yao couldn't help but feel lucky.

He closed the book, not wanting to look at it anymore. The feeling of seeing something desirable but unattainable was too painful. After some thought, he understood the situation. The draws and exchanges each had their benefits. The exchanges allowed him to choose what he wanted, but the prices were high. The draws were uncertain, but the prices on the list and his limited opportunities made him feel heartbroken.

Liu Yao shook his head, stopped thinking about it, and quietly went to sleep.

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