Chapter 7: The Fate Merchant

Lin Mu, after reviewing the attributes of his territory, had a clear understanding and arranged for Chang Yin to manage the refugees and organize the overall situation. Feng Zhong was to patrol the surrounding area of the territory first. For a village-level territory, there was only a simple, low-defense, and low-durability fence. If fierce beasts attacked, there would be no effective defense, and there were currently no soldiers, making the security very poor.

Moreover, Lin Mu was still puzzled about many aspects of the village established by the divine Village Establishment Decree [Yellow Dragon Decree]. Many of his past experiences might not apply here.

The territory was located in this isolated wilderness, and it was certain that many wild beasts would attack the village, so precautions were necessary.

In his previous life, many players built their territories in the wilderness, attracting numerous ferocious beasts that ravaged their lands, preventing the people from working in peace and killing all the soldiers. It was a tragic scene, and Lin Mu knew about such tragedies, so he needed to prevent them from happening in his territory.

With Feng Zhong, who was like a divine general, guarding the place, Lin Mu felt very reassured. Although Feng Zhong was only at the初级武将 level, it was still relatively stable.

After arranging everything, Lin Mu went to another building in the territory.

After successfully using the divine Village Establishment Decree [Yellow Dragon Decree], five types of buildings appeared in the territory: a village council hall, a residential house, a初级 mining site, a初级 refugee camp, and the place where Lin Mu was now—the [Dragon Temple].

The初级 mining site was likely an additional product after the system rewarded special ore veins.

The [Dragon Temple], according to Lin Mu's speculation, was a special product after the successful use of the divine Village Establishment Decree [Yellow Dragon Decree]. Otherwise, with his years of experience, he had never heard of such a thing. Lin Mu realized he was truly ignorant and reminded himself not to be arrogant and to act cautiously.

Lin Mu looked at the [Dragon Temple] and was immensely impressed. The [Dragon Temple] occupied an area of about half an acre. The door on one side of the temple was about one meter larger than a regular door, making it roughly four meters wide and four meters high.

The door was large but exquisitely crafted, with many dragons carved on it. Some were fierce and terrifying, some were riding clouds and mist, some were soaring in the sky, and some were sleeping, all exuding a sense of mystery and grandeur. The door frame was also intricately carved with auspicious beasts, making Lin Mu's eyes dazzle.

Most astonishingly, the top of the [Dragon Temple] could not be seen, with countless yellow clouds swirling above, creating a mysterious and awe-inspiring atmosphere, as if a colossal creature resided there, making people feel a chill. Lin Mu looked up and felt as if he could hear the dragon's roar echoing through the heavens, resonating deep within his soul, leaving him deeply moved.

In his previous life, Lin Mu had never seen such a sight, even in the divine capital Luoyang!

The [Dragon Temple] gave Lin Mu an overall feeling of luxury, auspiciousness, and mystery, with a solemn and majestic atmosphere, as if a giant creature was lurking inside.

Lin Mu slightly composed himself, thinking that no matter how mysterious it was, since it appeared in his territory, it belonged to him. He had time to explore its secrets. With this thought, he pushed open the door, which made a loud creaking sound, echoing inside. Lin Mu stepped in without fear, full of anticipation.

Two rows of yellow wooden seats were neatly arranged, and in the center of the front was an altar, filled with red wooden plaques, arranged in an orderly manner. The plaques seemed to have some text on them, but Lin Mu could not see what was written, as if he was not yet qualified to understand their secrets. He did not mind this.

What surprised Lin Mu the most was that a person was sitting calmly at the bottom of the right row of seats. In such a solemn place, the person must be extraordinary. Lin Mu quickly looked around and walked towards the person.

The person, upon seeing Lin Mu approach, also stood up to greet him.

Lin Mu bowed slightly and politely said, "I am Lin Mu, the lord of this village. May I ask who the distinguished person is?"

"I greet you, Lord. I am just a humble merchant, not worthy of such a title. You can call me 9527 or Yuan Zhi," the person replied.

9527, Lin Mu thought with a slight smirk, it would be better to call you Tang Bohu. He recalled an old classic movie from the past era.

"—System Notice: Lord Lin Mu, congratulations on being the first person in the world to encounter a Fate Merchant. You are blessed with great fortune. Reward: 10,000 reputation points, and the ability to trade with the Fate Merchant is unlocked."

It's actually a Fate Merchant!!!

A Fate Merchant, as the name suggests, is a merchant who appears like fate. They are very special merchants in the world, buying and selling anything, as long as certain conditions are met.

To receive 10,000 reputation points as a reward was a pleasant surprise. Establishing the second village in the world only rewarded him 200 reputation points, and now he had 50 times that amount. Lin Mu's face lit up with joy.

It seemed that this hidden achievement was very precious to players, truly like fate.

In his previous life, Lin Mu had also encountered Fate Merchants, but he did not know how many people had encountered them before him, and there was no such reward. He realized he had missed out on many things in the past, but he would make up for it in this life.

Yuan Zhi, the Fate Merchant, was surprised to see Lin Mu suddenly smile broadly.

"May I ask if you are the legendary Fate Merchant?" Although he had heard the system notice, Lin Mu still asked the person, partly to make conversation and build a relationship.

"Ah, Lord, have you heard of us?" Yuan Zhi was also surprised. After all, his group was a special type of merchant, only appearing after the goddess Nüwa created the world and instructed them to descend to the land of China, later than the arrival of other beings. For this lord to already know about them was truly remarkable, and for him to possess the divine [Yellow Dragon Decree] was an extraordinary achievement, indicating great potential and insight. Yuan Zhi thought that he would need to rely on this person in the future.

Yuan Zhi also smiled and praised, "I did not expect Lord to have such broad knowledge, a wealth of wisdom, great fortune, and outstanding strategy and bravery. You are a man of great charisma, a friend to women, and a friend to wives..." He continued to flatter for several minutes, speaking non-stop and becoming a master of flattery.

Lin Mu's face turned black with the endless praise, and he was almost in tears, finding it increasingly absurd. He wanted to ask, "Where is your integrity? Where is your divine halo?"

It was not Yuan Zhi's fault. After all, Lin Mu had this extraordinary encounter, obtaining the divine [Yellow Dragon Decree] early in the game. In Yuan Zhi's eyes, he was a remarkable person. Knowing his own background, he was just a merchant under a sage, and he would need Lin Mu's help in the future. The more extraordinary Lin Mu's abilities, the more his own performance would stand out, and the more rewards he would receive from the goddess Nüwa.

Regardless of Yuan Zhi's thoughts, Lin Mu found it both amusing and frustrating that such a high-end group of Fate Merchants would fawn over him and flatter him so much.

In his previous life, when Lin Mu encountered Fate Merchants, he was just a minor general, and later a county lord. In the vast land of China, there were countless talented people, and he was not considered significant. Fate Merchants, who were highly respected by players, were usually aloof and arrogant. However, no matter how arrogant they were, they were meticulous and dedicated in their business with players.

Fate Merchants were a very special type of merchant, selling everything, including divine artifacts, but their trading currency was unique, such as reputation and the fortune of lords, not gold or silver coins.

They had a high-end and prestigious image, and players, even if they were lowly, would fawn over them to obtain divine artifacts. Lin Mu was no exception, and he was willing to lose his integrity for such artifacts.

Thinking about the contrast between his past and present, Lin Mu could only laugh bitterly…

"You don't need to be so formal. If you call me Lord, I'll call you Yuan Zhi. Let's not be so polite!"

"Alright, I'll be under your command from now on!" Yuan Zhi appreciated the lord's politeness, knowing that a harmonious relationship would benefit his work in the long run.

"Yuan Zhi, what items do you have for sale now? Do you have any divine artifacts?" Lin Mu immediately got to the point.

"Um, I am currently at the初级 merchant level and do not have the right to sell divine artifacts. However, as your territory grows and our trading volume increases, I will be promoted. At a higher level, I will have the right to sell divine artifacts. I hope you will support my business," Yuan Zhi explained with a bitter smile, unsure how to respond to the immediate request for divine artifacts.

"Hehe, I was just joking!" Lin Mu was too excited and forgot that Fate Merchants also had different levels, laughing awkwardly.

Fate Merchants had different levels, from high to low: Heaven, Earth, Mystery, and Yellow. Lin Mu had not heard of any higher levels.

Divine artifacts were available for sale at the Earth level and above, but even as a county lord in his previous life, he did not have enough reputation to purchase them, indicating the difficulty of such transactions.

Lin Mu chatted with Yuan Zhi and opened the trading interface, which, as expected, had six options: [Lifespan], [Weapons], [Equipment], [Items], [Resources], and [Other].

The [Items] and [Resources] categories were very complex, with many items that Lin Mu could not remember.

However, the first option, [Lifespan], was something he could never forget, not even in his lifetime.

[Lifespan] was the ultimate goal that all players pursued and aspired to.

All levels of Fate Merchants had this option displayed:

[Lifespan]

One unit of destiny can exchange for 100 years of lifespan * soul, stackable (requires a foundation of destiny; if destiny is exhausted, exchange is not possible).

One unit of national fortune can exchange for 1 year of lifespan * soul, stackable (requires a foundation of destiny; if destiny is exhausted, exchange is not possible).

…

The items marked with "soul" indicated that they could be applied in the real world. For example, if 100 years of lifespan were exchanged in the game, the player would also gain 100 years of lifespan in the real world, driving many people to madness.

It was truly madness. When this information was exposed, countless people rushed into the game, leveling up and investing heavily. Many large corporations, wealthy merchants, politicians, national elites, and social elites had already received secret information and were continuously investing in "Mythical Three Kingdoms," leading to its rapid and prosperous development.

"Mythical Three Kingdoms" had become a huge arena of interests!

The world is bustling with people seeking profit, and the world is crowded with people pursuing gain!

(End of Chapter)