Chapter 7: The Key to Mitier's Branch

Chapter 7: The Key to Mitier's Branch

The next morning, Crimson Gale Bird began squawking like a rooster at dawn.

The bird was in a terrible mood.

Though it laid eggs annually, this time had been unusually difficult—the egg was oversized. It had endured agonizing labor, even suffering anal fissures as a result! Blood still occasionally spurted during excretion.

After all that effort, a group of reckless one-star Azure Bamboo Snakes had stolen the egg yesterday, leaving not a single trace of its nest.

Now it had spent the entire night perched on a branch and needed to rebuild its home from scratch.

Perhaps the squawking had strained its throat, but after a brief rest, Crimson Gale Bird spread its wings to search for branches, determined to rebuild.

Flying only a short distance, it spotted an excellent dry branch on the ground.

As it landed to grab the branch with its beak, Crimson Gale Bird suddenly froze.

This branch carried the scent of its stolen egg! It was unmistakably part of its original nest!

"Chacha, ga!" the bird screeched, its eyes blazing red.

The thieves had ruined its nest and stolen its progeny—unforgivable!

Following the trail, Crimson Gale Bird soon found a second branch, then a third, a fourth...

It flew northward without hesitation.

Yang Shan had anticipated this. He’d dismantled the nest last night, deliberately scattering the branches to create this trap.

Rebuilding could wait—vengeance came first. After all, as a mere two-star magic beast, Crimson Gale Bird’s intelligence was limited.

Now fully committed to its fury-fueled pursuit, the bird never noticed Yang Shan had already reached the old century tree.

Yesterday’s battleground here lay strewn with at least four hundred Azure Bamboo Snake corpses.

Magic beasts killed by players dropped loot, but naturally deceased ones followed the "Rebirth Rule"—their bodies would vanish when new snakes respawned in the habitat.

Elite-level beasts typically respawned after two in-game days. If Yang Shan delayed even a day, all these efforts would be for nothing.

With Crimson Gale Bird’s return timeline uncertain, speed was critical.

Since the snakes weren’t player-killed, their bodies yielded no automatic drops. Yang Shan had to manually extract the Snake Galls.

Fortunately, Crimson Gale Bird’s ferocity had left the corpses riddled with holes, making the precious organs easy to retrieve.

Ordinarily, Azure Bamboo Snake meat and fangs could fetch decent prices, but time was against him.

For his own safety, Yang Shan limited himself to 100 Snake Galls before sprinting away with his satchel.

When he returned to Yunshuang City, four in-game days had passed.

Compared to its earlier desolation, the city now teemed with players. Though many still lingered in the Novice’s Secret Realm, having found it too comfortable to leave.

Forums buzzed with players sharing tips for post-Novice Realm progression. The Mercenary Guild had become an early advantage—players combined family quests from Npcs with parallel guild tasks for double efficiency.

While family quests remained central, overlapping objectives meant "one trip, two rewards." Though guild rewards were meager, every bit counted.

Now, Yunshuang City’s Mercenary Guild overflowed with people. Guards lined the entrance—uniformly bulky, muscular men at the Douluo peak. Their leader, a two-star Battle Master, barked orders:

"Fellows! I appreciate your enthusiasm, but form a line! Maintain order!"

The queue stretched half a street, but the guild’s eighth-floor hall (a spacious 800 square meters) could accommodate six hundred players. Sky Brilliance Co. had prepared for this—using "multi-layered space replication" to expand capacity.

Though the entrance only allowed ten at a time, the system kept waits reasonable.

Yang Shan wanted to avoid attention, but after fifteen real-time hours online, fatigue demanded rest.

Ignoring the jeers of queuers—"Hey, buddy, have some decency! Wait in line!"—he pushed forward.

The guards stiffened as Yang Shan approached their leader.

The captain frowned, ready to teach this rude line-cutter a lesson, but Yang Shan produced a golden token—the proof of completing the Zephyr Bird Egg quest.

"Brother, I’m here to submit a mission. Might I cut the line?"

The captain’s scowl dissolved into a grin faster than a melting snowflake. "A young master completing a golden quest? Please, follow me! Lord Yao himself is upstairs!"

As Yang Shan entered, the crowd erupted.

"What the bloody hell?!"

"What’s that golden token—a royal decree?!"

"Could he be an imperial prince?!"

"Pfft, look at his novice clothes! He’s just one of us!"

Seizing the moment, another player waved a blue token at the guards. "Let me in!"

"Away with you!" the guard snapped.

"Why him and not me?!" the player protested.

"Golden quest completers get priority", the guard replied.

"Golden quests weren’t available yesterday!"

"Kid, you’ve got a lot to learn."

Inside, the second floor transformed into a tea house ambiance. In the southeast corner, a plump, middle-aged man with a wide face sipped tea.

Lord Yao.

The guild’s hierarchy placed its captain (a two-star Battle Master) above ordinary seven- and eight-star warriors, yet here he bowed respectfully.

Yang Shan understood why. This man was Mithril Yunshuang Branch’s appraisal director—second only to the branch manager and guards commander. A true guild bigwig.

Yang Shan had dealt with him before joining the Pang family in version 1.1, when Mithril struggled against rival clans. The worse the branch’s situation, the more valuable Yang Shan’s "charity" became.

Mithril never lacked resources—Lord Yao himself was the critical gateway to joining the branch.

Yang Shan placed his large satchel on the table. Though the Zephyr Bird Egg and Bamboo Viper Gall quests were issued by Lady Yao and Lord Yao respectively, both reported to the same handler.

A silent guard behind Lord Yao checked the satchel—his level obscured by Yang Shan’s detection system. At minimum an eight-star Battle Master.

"Return and prepare the Snake Galls for medicine!" Lord Yao ordered before turning to Yang Shan.

"Everything’s in order. As per the quest, you may choose one Yellow Tier Advanced Martial Art and a premium weapon. Any preference?"

Yang Shan smiled.

“Hold on, Lord Yao,” Yang Shan said calmly, retrieving a small object from his sleeve. “I’ve got something of interest here—surely this deserves your attention?”

Lord Yao chuckled, his tone dismissive. “I’ve seen countless treasures in my time.”

The guardsman beside him scoffed. “Young man, Lord Yao is the appraiser-in-chief of Yunshuang’s Mitier Auction House. What could a mere Douluo like you possibly offer to impress him? Save yourself the embarrassment.”

Yang Shan wordlessly produced a dark green Spirit Core from his sleeve.

Lord Yao glanced at it briefly. “A first-stage Hundred Beast King-grade Wood Spirit Core. Not bad, not bad at all.”

Yang Shan smiled. “Might this Spirit Core persuade Lord Yao to sweeten the mission reward slightly?”

He deliberately avoided mentioning joining the Mithril Yunshuang Branch directly—Npcs had to initiate such requests. First, he needed to build rapport with Lord Yao and exchange the Spirit Core for rare items unavailable in ordinary shops. Once goodwill rose high enough, Lord Yao himself would beg him to join.

Yet the older man remained unimpressed. “That’s unwise. Complete the mission, and you may sell the Spirit Core at Mitier for Spirit Stones.”

“Spirit Stones are easy,” Yang Shan sighed. “But finding truly useful items? That’s another matter.”

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a glistening Azure Bamboo Python’s snake gallbladder. “As luck would have it, I harvested this after killing an Azure Bamboo Python. I know Lord Yao enjoys… enhancing vitality. A strong body ensures longer enjoyment of such pleasures.”

The snake gallbladder paled in value compared to the Spirit Core, but Lord Yao’s demeanor shifted instantly. His hands trembled slightly as he took it.

“This… this is truly exceptional,” he murmured.

“You’ve done me many favors already, Lord Yao,” Yang Shan said generously. “Consider it a gift.”

“Now, now, young friend—don’t presume I’ll accept so easily!” Yet Lord Yao clutched the item tightly, his fingers betraying his eagerness.

Ding! Player’s gift deeply pleases Lord Yao. Gained 10 goodwill points.

Ten points for a single snake gallbladder? A bargain indeed.

After a moment’s contemplation, Lord Yao relented. “Very well. I’ll adjust the mission reward—adding an extra first-stage Hundred Beast King Spirit Core. As for your original reward…” His gaze swept over Yang Shan’s satchel. “A high-quality Storage Ring. Acceptable?”

Yang Shan’s heart leapt. “Grateful thanks, Lord Yao!”

Gaining rewards through Npc favorability was standard game design—though typically, rewards only slightly exceeded costs. But Storage Rings? Rare and expensive due to scarce materials and complex crafting. Normal channels sold basic versions, but premium-grade ones like this were “non-tradable.” This ring likely surpassed the Spirit Core’s value by half again—exactly the worth of ten goodwill points.

“Now, choose your original reward,” Lord Yao prompted. “A Thunder Attribute cultivation technique, and… a blade weapon?”

“Correct,” Yang Shan confirmed.

Lord Yao rose. “I’ll arrange delivery shortly. Excuse my departure.”

The quest description had already hinted at his reputation. With the snake gallbladder as a tonic ingredient, the old lecher probably couldn’t wait to test its effects.

As the guards returned with the Storage Ring moments later, Yang Shan couldn’t resist a parting remark. “Lord Yao—safe travels!”

Ding! Congratulations! Unlocked eligibility for Mithril Yunshuang Branch missions!

He’d expected needing higher favorability. The snake gallbladder had truly delighted the old man.

In-game factions like Yunshuang’s Pang and Chai families would soon see players scrambling for their Npcs’ missions. But Yang Shan had already claimed his rewards: a [Refined Frostblade] with 30 attack (boosting his total to 88—a pleasing number), and the [Thunderclap Cultivation Art], a High-Rank Yellow Tier technique granting 20 Douqi potency and 100 Douqi capacity. Its description boasted origins from an ancient Gamara Empire Emperor of Fighters, its efficiency nearing Yellow Tier perfection.

With these, he needed no combat techniques to dominate early-game. After settling into a modest inn, Yang Shan admired his stats one last time before logging off—content, powerful, and ready to rise.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end