Chapter 4: One Gold, Three Purples, the Yao Family
Chapter 4: One Gold, Three Purples, the Yao Family
Yang Shan, a renowned online pianist in real life, found himself completely flustered by a single question, his keyboard slipping from his hands.
Fencing?
This hulking brute wielded an endless blade, all attack and critical strikes. Touching him would be like courting instant death.
Yang Shan forced a smile.
The timing of his reincarnation was just too delicate—he hadn’t even prepared a strategy for this scenario yet.
He still had a golden quest waiting in the city. If he failed this challenge, he’d be forced into the Pang or Chai families, wasting precious time and losing his chance to join the Mithril Yunshuang Branch!
How to proceed?
He was already drenched in sweat.
Yang Shan’s eyes darted around, scanning for inspiration. Suddenly, his gaze landed on the bulging contours of the strongman’s low-cut, skin-tight shirt.
He snapped his fingers.
That’s right! This version didn’t have the “Guan-Bao Friendship” system implemented yet! That meant anything related to that mechanic was a system “sensitive zone”!
A wicked grin spread across his face.
“If you let this good sir and I book a room at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, and then we do some mysterious activities to let me achieve that thing…”
His words accelerated into a blur.
Pang Yan and Chai Wenjing’s faces turned whiter by the second.
Ten seconds later, every Npc fled in panic.
A paper materialized in Yang Shan’s hands.
Title:
“Network Health Questionnaire!”
A 100-point test with fifty multiple-choice questions.
Yang Shan scraped by with exactly 60 points.
One more point would’ve been an insult to the concept of “yellow” content!
After submitting the form, Yang Shan regained control of the game.
No one could stop him now!
He rushed into the city, straight to the Mercenary Guild.
The Mithril Family was one of Gamara Empire’s three great clans. Even the Yunshuang City branch wasn’t easy to access. Yang Shan needed at least 10 favor points from a high-ranking member to establish a connection.
Conveniently, the guild’s golden quest was issued by none other than a Mithril Yunshuang Branch executive!
The Mercenary Guild was massive—over 800 square meters, three stories tall.
Inside the lobby, Yang Shan casually took a number.
Npcs bustled around handling business, mostly low-level adventurers. True powerhouses were rare.
Gamara Empire, a distant realm on the northwestern continent, had a relatively low level cap. Even its top ten warriors were still below the Emperor of Fighters tier. A Great Dou Master could easily lead a major clan.
Even an unremarkable Battle Master held prestige here, capable of commanding a small mercenary band.
At the front desk, the current available quests glowed on the board:
Top row: “Zephyr Bird Egg” in gold.
Rows two to four: three purple quests.
Below were blue, green, and white.
Five colors signified rarity—gold supreme, white lowest.
Golden quests rarely appeared in any city’s Mercenary Guild, sometimes offering “meta-breaking” rewards far superior to the current version.
In his previous life, every golden quest sparked a bloodbath among top players.
Purple quests were rarer, refreshing monthly. The rest refreshed continuously.
Though many details of the game’s launch had faded, Yang Shan still remembered key events.
At launch, only Yunshuang City in Gamara’s northeastern five cities had a golden quest. The others offered purples.
The second golden quest in those cities appeared two months later in Wutan City.
As his turn arrived, Yang Shan approached the counter.
The clerk was stunning—large, sparkling eyes and a bashful demeanor.
After five seconds of silence, she stammered, “Sorry, handsome! I got distracted… Do you want to take a quest or submit one?”
All guild clerks, alchemy assistants, and auctioneers were AI-generated beauties from Tianyao Corporation’s database. The system even matched male players with female clerks and vice versa. They’d open with “handsome” or “gorgeous,” always sincere.
Their dialogue subtly implied admiration for the player’s looks. How could any player resist?
Once the romance system launched, players could even book after-hours “dates” with clerks for a modest fee, exploring “life’s mysteries” in a quiet inn!
In a neural-linked VR game, sensory realism was everything…
In his past life, millions of players sank into this blissful abyss.
For a mere 88 yuan, you could enjoy a night with a virtual beauty—realistic sensations, perfect looks, no health risks.
Was Sky Brilliance Co. really profiting? They were practically doing charity!
No wonder the game’s adult services faced backlash after its first year’s launch, leading to protests demanding their removal.
But Yang Shan, now a self-proclaimed “post-event sage,” barely noticed the clerk.
Before a golden quest, there was no time for flirtations!
Beauty would only slow down my progress!
He’d schedule dates after completing tasks!
“Gorgeous, I want the Zephyr Bird Egg and Bamboo Viper Gall quests.”
The golden Zephyr Bird Egg and purple Bamboo Viper Gall.
The clerk hesitated. “Normally, you can only take one quest at a time.”
Yang Shan feigned disappointment. “Aw, I really wanted both…” He slid five Spirit Stones across the counter. “Babe, let’s bend the rules. Dinner’s on me.”
The game prioritized immersion—rules existed to be bent.
“Well… it’s not about the stones. You’re just too handsome,” she said, pocketing the stones. “But taking two quests requires a large deposit and tight deadlines.”
Yang Shan waved it off. “I’ll handle it.”
Early-game players rarely took two quests at once—the deposit was steep.
Fifty Spirit Stones, half a beginner’s funds. Failure could cripple early progress.
But high risk meant high reward.
His quest log updated:
Zephyr Bird Egg (Golden Unique)
Lady Yao of the Yao family needed a level-two Crimson Gale Bird (Hundred Beast King) egg to stabilize her pregnancy.
Reward: Yellow Tier Advanced Martial Art (Golden, attribute choice)
Time Limit: 5 in-game days (24 real hours)
Bamboo Viper Gall (Purple)
Lord Yao, a notorious lecher, needed 100 level-one Azure Bamboo Snake (Elite) snake galls for his waning vitality.
Reward: Premium Weapon (Purple, style choice)
Time Limit: 3 in-game days
Mercenary Guild quests scaled with player strength. Martial arts naturally surpassed basic combat techniques. A golden-tier Yellow Tier Advanced Martial Art was worth more than low-tier Xuan-class techniques.
In the original story, same-tier characters varied in strength. Four-star Douzong Xiao Yan could dominate a five-star Douzong like Ling Quan.
Similarly, in-game items of the same rank had hidden quality levels—white, green, blue, purple, gold.
Golden items, regardless of type, represented the pinnacle.
A golden Yellow Tier Advanced Martial Art’s power was nearly double a white-tier version.
Premium weapons outclassed standard blacksmith gear. Even a purple-grade weapon could elevate a Douluo to Battle Master status.
Completing both quests would set Yang Shan up for success in this early version.
In his past life, players in Gamara’s northeastern cities shared quest details online. Yang Shan had devoured those threads, both envious and determined.
Now, with both quest locations nearby, he relaxed. His memory served him well.
Three hours later, a broad-shouldered strongman stomped in.
“Those two Npcs were all over me! Probably planning to steal my kidneys! Good thing I faked a bathroom break and escaped,” he muttered.
Spotting the purple quests, he grinned. “The Player’s Handbook said purple quests were good!”
Approaching the counter, he declared, “Gorgeous, give me a quest!”
The clerk’s eyes sparkled at his muscular frame.
Ten minutes later, the strongman exited, walking pigeon-toed, muttering:
“Are Mercenary Guild clerks this forward? Maybe those city gate girls weren’t trying to kill me after all… Did I miss something?”
Regret flickered, but he shrugged. Two purple quests for some flexed pecs? A bargain!
Whiteleaf Root (Purple)
Lady Yao’s concubine Xiao Juan needed rare herbs to conceive.
Reward: Yellow Tier Mid Martial Art (Purple)
Bullroot (Purple)
The Yao heir needed a Feral Bull (Elite) root for “health purposes.”
Reward: Premium Weapon (Purple, style choice)
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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