novelraw Chapter 105: Money
Chapter 105: Money
The Dayong Dynasty ruled over the most fertile lands of the Nine Provinces in the world.
Over the past six hundred years, guided by nine generations of wise rulers, the dynasty had reached its most prosperous era. Its national power was robust, and the four seas submitted to its might.
The background introduction of the Void Shattering world surfaced in Su Yuan's mind.
His gaze fell upon the cracked bowl placed in front of him, meant for begging.
Upon entering the game, Imperial Citizen Players were uniformly assigned a lower-class identity within the world.
They could be destitute commoners or beggars like Su Yuan.
The purpose of this mechanism was to maintain the game's balance as much as possible.
Imperial Citizen Players were already like walking cheat codes upon entering the game. What if they also had prominent backgrounds?
No matter how powerful the Dayong Dynasty was, it could not withstand the repeated havoc wreaked by endless waves of Imperial Citizen Players.
'It is too realistic,'Although Su Yuan's eyes were fixed on the cracked bowl before him, the majority of his mind was focused on perceiving every detail of his surroundings.
The shouts of vendors in the distance, the whispered conversations of passing pedestrians, and more—it was virtually indistinguishable from the real world.
Furthermore, Su Yuan could sense the Extreme Yang power and Extreme Yin power permeating the heavens and the earth.
After his comprehension of the Extreme Yang power and Extreme Yin power reached twenty percent, Su Yuan could feel the presence of these two Cosmic Powers even without practicing his spearmanship.
It was just that practicing his spearmanship allowed him to sense them much more clearly.
'As expected of a virtual game that claims to lead life evolution,' Su Yuan thought to himself.
At least for him right now, there was absolutely no difference between this game world and the real world.
'Moreover...'
Su Yuan swept his gaze over the numerous pedestrians around him. These people were all Native Residents of the Void Shattering world. Although they were virtual creations, every single one of them was an intelligent lifeform with their own emotions and desires.
To these Native Residents, they had lived on this land since childhood, and everything they experienced was far from an illusion.
'In this world, the strength of experts is judged by ranks. The Ninth Rank is the weakest, and the First Rank is the strongest. Above the First Rank is the Void Shattering Realm, where one can shatter space and ascend in broad daylight!'
Su Yuan pondered in his heart.
Because the upper limit of physical fitness was fixed at the Level 1 Life Form tier, the basis for power classification relied entirely on actual combat ability.
For a Ninth-Rank expert, given a Level 1 Life Form physical baseline, their combat multiplier needed to reach 150 percent.
For an Eighth-Rank expert, with the same Level 1 baseline, their combat multiplier needed to reach 200 percent.
A Seventh-Rank expert required a combat multiplier of 250 percent.
A Sixth-Rank expert needed a combat multiplier of 500 percent.
A Fifth-Rank expert needed 600 percent.
A Fourth-Rank Expert needed 700 percent.
As for a Third-Rank expert? They already belonged to the Top Three Ranks, and their combat multiplier far exceeded 1000 percent.
With the exact same techniques and the exact same physical strength.
A Top Three Ranks expert could slaughter a whole group of Fifth and Sixth-Rank experts with ease.
'Currently, my combat multiplier has reached 710 percent. If my physical fitness reaches Level 1, I would be equivalent to a Fourth-Rank Expert...'
Su Yuan mused inwardly.
Even on the national scale of the Dayong Dynasty, a Fourth-Rank Expert was considered a formidable powerhouse, second only to the Top Three Ranks.
And within Green Xiang City, a Fourth-Rank Expert stood at the absolute apex.
This was one of the reasons why Su Yuan chose to enter the game at a specific time. By descending into Green Xiang City, as long as he safely survived the first few days, he would become an invincible overlord in the area.
If he had descended into the Capital City, where experts were as common as trees in a forest? Even as a Starry Sky Lifeform, he could easily die from a single misstep.
'Level 1 physical fitness...'
Su Yuan was not worried. Every Imperial Citizen Player capable of entering the Void Shattering world was at least a Level 1 Life Form in reality. Anyone below a Level 1 Life Form was not even considered a true living being by the standards of the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire, let alone eligible to become an Imperial Citizen.
Therefore, for the Imperial Citizen Players in the game, elevating their physical fitness to the Level 1 Life Form stage posed absolutely no difficulty.
They merely needed to absorb ambient energy, and within two days at most, their bodies would reach the upper limit.
Just as Su Yuan was deep in thought.
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
A horse carriage rolled to a halt a short distance away.
"Young Beggar!"
The carriage curtain was drawn back, and a slender arm reached out, waving at Su Yuan.
'The third young mistress of the Hua Family?'
Su Yuan's heart stirred slightly.
The Hua Family was a rather famous clan in Green Xiang City, and their third young mistress, Hua Ying'er, was particularly known for her kind heart.
She would often offer financial help to the young beggars on the streets.
And Su Yuan happened to be one of the young beggars she supported.
Su Yuan stood up and walked over to the side of the carriage.
"Young Beggar, these steamed buns are for you." Hua Ying'er brought out a few steamed buns and placed them into Su Yuan's hands.
At the same time, she slipped a thumb-sized piece of silver amidst the buns and whispered to him, "Once you save up enough money, go learn a proper trade..."
Su Yuan accepted the buns in silence.
The third young mistress of the Hua Family was still too naive. She actually believed that these buns and silver would remain in his possession.
The carriage slowly pulled away. A radiant smile graced the young girl's face, showing that she was clearly in a good mood.
"Miss, you are truly too kind," the Maidservant beside her remarked.
"I just think those young beggars are so pitiful. They lost their parents at such a young age, unlike me, who has a father to protect me..."
At the mention of her father, the smile on Hua Ying'er's face faded slightly.
As a major clan in Green Xiang City, the Hua Family was not as unshakeable as they appeared on the surface, at least not recently.
The Hua Family was currently facing intense pressure from the Money Gang.
The Money Gang was one of the three major factions in Green Xiang City, rumored to have the backing of the Authorities.
And the Gang Leader of the Money Gang had recently set his sights on a highly profitable tavern operated by the Hua Family.
The tavern's business was booming, making it one of the Hua Family's vital sources of income. The Family Head naturally refused to give it up.
Thus, the two sides had fallen into a bitter stalemate.
Su Yuan watched the carriage disappear into the distance.
Immediately after, several figures closed in on him.
These figures were Gang Members of the Beggar Sect, one of the three major factions in Green Xiang City.
All the beggars in Green Xiang City were under the jurisdiction of the Beggar Sect. Every single coin and scrap of food the beggars collected daily had to pass through the hands of the Beggar Sect members first.
Hua Ying'er thought that by giving him plain steamed buns instead of rich meats, Su Yuan would avoid being targeted.
But to the absolute bottom rung of society, even a simple steamed bun was incredibly precious. Buns made of refined white flour were something even ordinary commoners could scarcely afford.
"Heh heh, your luck is pretty damn good, kid, to actually catch the eye of the Hua Family's young miss."
"Let us have a look. How much silver did that Hua Family miss secretly slip you today?"
The Beggar Sect members crowded around him with malicious intent.
Su Yuan looked at the group, his expression completely unfazed.
If it were the original owner of this body, he would have obediently handed over everything to avoid a brutal beating.
But Su Yuan?
He tucked away the steamed buns and the silver, then spun on his heel and bolted.
The Beggar Sect members were momentarily stunned; it had been a long time since they last encountered a young beggar who dared to resist. Once they recovered from their shock, they flew into a rage and immediately gave chase.
With one fleeing and the others pursuing, they soon arrived at a Dead End Alley.
"You've got some nerve!"
Panting heavily, the Beggar Sect members glared at Su Yuan, who had stopped at the end of the alley. Thick malice contorted their faces.
Not only did this little beggar dare to pocket the silver for himself, but he also made them run all this way.
The Beggar Sect members had already decided to beat Su Yuan into a cripple. Putting a cripple out to beg would bring in even more money, and he would be utterly incapable of resisting them in the future.
Swish!
Su Yuan turned around, his figure vanishing without a sound.
By the time he reappeared, he was already standing right in front of the Beggar Sect members.
"No!!"
Before the Beggar Sect members could even react, Su Yuan effortlessly snapped their necks. Looks of sheer terror were still frozen on their faces.
Su Yuan withdrew his hands and proceeded to search the bodies of the Beggar Sect members.
Although Su Yuan's physical fitness had yet to recover to the Level 1 tier, his combat multiplier was a glaring reality. A 710 percent combat multiplier was more than enough for him to massacre dozens, or even hundreds, of such ordinary Beggar Sect members.
"Forty-two ounces of silver."
After finishing his search, Su Yuan gave a slight nod.
The currency in the Void Shattering world could be exchanged for Azure Surge Coins through out-of-game transactions.
Since all players started with extremely low-status identities, silver was incredibly difficult to acquire, pushing its value even higher.
According to the current exchange rate, these forty-three ounces of silver were equivalent to four thousand three hundred Azure Surge Coins.
'At least I recouped some of my costs.'
Su Yuan pocketed the silver.
Aside from being used for in-game transactions, silver had another crucial purpose: it could be used to purchase specific Martial Arts Manuals directly from the official Dayong Authorities.
And Martial Arts Manuals offered immense benefits for improving actual combat ability.
The method provided by the gray mirror indicated that the Void Shattering world was one of the realms that could drastically accelerate Su Yuan's speed in fully comprehending the Extreme Yang power and Extreme Yin power.
And that was entirely due to these Martial Arts Manuals.
'I need to leave immediately.'
Su Yuan walked over to a specific corner of the Dead End Alley and kicked the wall, revealing a hidden hole.
The reason Su Yuan lured those Beggar Sect members here was naturally not just because the area was deserted, but more importantly, because of the existence of this hole.
This opening led straight outside the city walls, allowing Su Yuan to completely escape the Beggar Sect's control over him.
Whoosh!
Slipping through the hole.
Su Yuan emerged into a stretch of desolate Wilderness.
For the Native Residents of this world, the Wilderness was naturally an incredibly dangerous place.
But as an Imperial Citizen Player, Su Yuan only needed to safely endure the first two days for his physical fitness to reach the Level 1 Life Form tier.
By then, he would be a Fourth-Rank Expert, which was more than enough to protect himself in this world.
'For these two days...'
Su Yuan glanced around. Following the guidance provided by the gray mirror, he made his way into a Mountain Cave.
For the next two days, this cave would remain completely safe, free from the harassment of any wild beasts.
Nor would it be discovered by other humans.
'Time to go offline and idle.'
With a flicker of thought, Su Yuan logged out and left the Void Shattering world.
As for the Young Beggar inside the game world, he sat cross-legged in the cave, automatically absorbing ambient energy to elevate his physical fitness.
Meanwhile.
Back inside Green Xiang City, the corpses of the Beggar Sect members were finally discovered.
A large group of Beggar Sect members gathered in the Dead End Alley, including a Beggar Sect Elder.
Anyone capable of becoming an elder in the sect was at least a Ninth-Rank expert. The strength and status of a Beggar Sect Elder were distinguished by the number of pouches hung at their waist.
Those wearing nine pouches were known as Nine-Pouch Elders, a position that required the strength of a Ninth-Rank expert. Those wearing eight pouches were Eight-Pouch Elders, requiring the strength of an Eighth-Rank expert.
And so on and so forth.
"Did that Young Beggar do this?"
The leading Nine-Pouch Elder frowned. "The kills were clean and efficient. Does that little beggar really have this kind of strength?"
"Elder, I saw the Young Beggar flee into this alley, followed by those gang members who were chasing him. When they didn't come out for a long time, I got curious and came in to take a look. That's when I found the bodies..."
A beggar explained, his face pale with fright.
The death of two Beggar Sect members was not a major issue in itself. However, as one of the three major factions in Green Xiang City, it was a slap in the face. Thus, they had dispatched an elder to investigate.
"If that Young Beggar shows his face in the city again, capture him immediately."
After pondering for a moment, the Nine-Pouch Elder issued his command.
He had also noticed the hole hidden in the corner of the alley. Seeing that it led outside the city walls, he deduced that Su Yuan had used it to escape into the wild.
But the wilderness outside the city was far too vast. They couldn't possibly mobilize a massive search party just because a few gang members had died, could they?
Back on Blue Star, after logging out of the Void Shattering world, Su Yuan casually browsed through the game's community forums.
Numerous Imperial Citizen Players had posted threads on the forums, sharing their harrowing experiences within the game.
"Damn it! My starting identity in the game was a beggar. I finally managed to beg for some silver, and some thugs actually demanded I hand it over?"
"I was so pissed off that I just killed the guy. But that immediately drew out a swarm of Beggar Sect Elders! Those bastards—a whole group of Level 1 Life Form elders teaming up to hunt down a newbie who just logged into the game..."
"Me too! I just stole a tiny little thing, and now I'm wanted by the Authorities. This is bullshit..."
"You guys have it easy. My starting point was in the Capital City. I just looked up at a passing prince, and his guards dragged me away and beat me to death! Is this trash game even meant to be played by humans?"
The Imperial Citizen Players complained endlessly. Once a character died in the game, they would have to pay another one hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins just to enter again.
Su Yuan read through the forum threads one by one, his mind perfectly calm.
Thanks to the gray mirror, he had thoroughly researched and understood everything about the Void Shattering world long ago.
The hidden rule of this game was Order.
The Dayong Dynasty inside the game was currently at its absolute peak. Its laws and order were incredibly strict, allowing no room for defiance.
This was the exact reason Su Yuan had lured those beggars into a deserted alley before making his move.
He needed to avoid committing murder in broad daylight on the main streets.
Killing someone openly on the streets of Green Xiang City? And killing members of the Beggar Sect, one of the three major factions, no less?
Without sufficient strength, it would be a guaranteed death sentence.
Especially for Imperial Citizen Players who had just descended into the game. Even if they were Starry Sky Lifeforms with combat multipliers exceeding ten times the norm, their initial physical fitness was simply too weak.
Facing a siege by a group of ranked experts, their chances of survival were practically non-existent.
'Once the secret of the Martial Arts Manuals is exposed, it will attract even more Imperial Citizen Players to join the game.'
Su Yuan pondered deeply. The fact that the Martial Arts Manuals in the Void Shattering world could increase combat multipliers and assist in fully comprehending specific Cosmic Powers... was currently still a well-kept secret.
A small minority of Players in the game already knew about this, but they shared a tacit understanding not to spread the word.
However, as time passed and more Players discovered the truth, it would inevitably become impossible to hide.
'I will continue practicing my spearmanship for now.'
Having made his decision, Su Yuan knew his in-game character was already passively elevating his physical fitness.
He had no intention of wasting these two days. Aside from his regular cultivation, he remained completely focused on practicing his spearmanship, deepening his comprehension of the Extreme Yang power and Extreme Yin power.