Chapter 36: Crouching Tiger, Shen Que
On the player forum, posts were flying everywhere.
Damn! God-tier player Half-Journey Through the Mortal World directly clashes with Dongning Pavilion’s vice guild master, Only I Am King! Hurry over and watch.
Matters of the Jianghu: The Three Major Guilds Suffer Defeat Before Treasure Bowl.
Dongning Pavilion is buying equipment in bulk. Friends with equipment in hand, come over!
...
Posts fell like snowflakes, but the thread marked with the large words “Hot” and “Featured” still remained pinned at the very top of the entire forum.
Almost every player on the forum was discussing what had happened inside Treasure Bowl, and the matter quickly fermented online.
At some unknown point, it reached Shen Shuyi’s ears as well.
Because of this, the major streamer specifically sent Xiao Wen a message asking about his current situation. At this moment, Xiao Wen was wandering around Luoyang. Seeing Shen Shuyi’s message, he immediately replied a few times and told her not to worry.
After that, Xiao Wen continued wandering through the city. From time to time, he stretched lazily, looking rather bored.
As he walked like this, he casually passed by a clothing shop. When his gaze landed on the shop’s owner, Xiao Wen immediately stopped.
This owner...
I know him!
Colonel Director of Retainers, Shen Que.
The Colonel Director of Retainers, anciently known as Crouching Tiger, was the official post in charge of intelligence during the early main storyline of the game. Shen Que, who held this position, was also the current emperor’s trusted confidant, walking through Luoyang as the emperor’s eyes and ears.
He could be considered an extremely important NPC.
When Xiao Wen looked at Shen Que, Shen Que also turned his gaze toward Xiao Wen at the same time.
“Young brother, would you like to come into the shop and take a look? The clothes in my shop are quite proper. Why not try some?” Shen Que grinned as he looked at Xiao Wen, a few traces of liveliness in his eyes.
Hearing this, Xiao Wen was stunned, but he did not hesitate for long. He immediately walked into the shop and calmly looked at Shen Que standing ahead of him.
“I wonder what good items the owner has in this shop. Why not take them out and let me have a look?”
Shen Que smiled faintly and pointed at the silk garments behind him.
“Can these clothes not enter your eyes?”
“They’re good items, but unfortunately, I’m a rough man. I can’t wear them,” Xiao Wen replied.
“So that’s how it is. I do have something good here. I imagine young brother should like it. Please wait a moment. I’ll go find it for you.”
As he spoke, Shen Que turned and walked into the inner room.
By the time he left and returned, Xiao Wen heard a prompt ring beside his ears.
Ding! Congratulations, player Half-Journey Through the Mortal World, for successfully triggering the hidden quest—The Colonel Director of Retainers’ Gaze.
Prompt: Complete the quest to obtain the Stalker Set.
Quest requirement: Spend money to purchase it.
The crisp prompt rang in Xiao Wen’s ears. Xiao Wen froze, looking somewhat stunned.
As expected, when a person was handsome, he could trigger hidden quests wherever he went.
Putting aside everything else, this Stalker Set was exactly like someone delivering a pillow when he was sleepy.
If he really got this item in his hands, then afterward, wherever this lord wanted to go, whatever this lord wanted to do in secret, wouldn’t it become extremely simple?
The only damn trap was that purchase option.
But that was no problem. This lord had plenty of money.
Xiao Wen silently thought this in his heart. Then he saw Shen Que carry out a wooden box and place it in front of him.
Opening the wooden box, a black night-travel outfit appeared before Xiao Wen.
[Stalker Set]
Type: Clothing Set
Grade: None
Attributes: 0
Effect: Conceals aura and blends with the environment. Can hide from NPCs below level 35.
Overview: A Stalker Set originating from the Colonel Director of Retainers. It has the effect of concealing aura.
Good item!
Xiao Wen secretly nodded and made his judgment aloud. He immediately reached out, wanting to grab the item in his hand.
However, before Xiao Wen’s hand could reach over, Shen Que closed the wooden box ahead of time, then looked at Xiao Wen with a smile that was not quite a smile.
“Young brother likes it?”
“I like it,” Xiao Wen said.
“For a mere five thousand taels of silver, you may take it away.”
Shen Que smiled faintly and stroked his mustache, giving off quite the air of a profiteer.
The corner of Xiao Wen’s mouth twitched.
A mere five thousand taels?
Uh...
Five thousand taels truly was not much for this lord.
But you damn well are purely treating this lord like a sucker!
“I must respectfully decline. Farewell!” Xiao Wen cupped his hands and immediately turned to walk outside.
The item was a good item, but it was too expensive.
This lord was not lacking money, but that did not mean he was a sucker.
Moreover, as for Shen Que’s personality, Xiao Wen could not say that he understood it extremely well from his previous life, but he did know a thing or two.
This man was a money-grubbing old fox!
Seeing that Xiao Wen was about to leave, Shen Que hurriedly spoke up and stopped him.
“Young brother, slow down, slow down!”
“Not leaving? Can the item become cheaper?” Xiao Wen raised a brow and pretended to be angry.
“The item naturally cannot become cheaper, but I can give young brother an additional item,” Shen Que said with an apologetic smile.
“What item?”
“A recommendation letter.”
Shen Que spoke, then silently took out a letter from his sleeve and placed it in Xiao Wen’s hand. Along with that, he even patted Xiao Wen’s wrist.
Ding! Congratulations, player Half-Journey Through the Mortal World, for obtaining the Colonel Director of Retainers’ Recommendation Letter x1.
Xiao Wen froze. He lowered his head and glanced at the envelope in his hand, stunned for a moment. Then he looked up, his gaze landing on Shen Que, and he smiled as well.
He exchanged five thousand taels of silver notes from his account and placed them in Shen Que’s hand.
After that, he took the envelope and wooden box, held both items, walked out of the shop, and disappeared into the distance.
After Xiao Wen’s figure vanished, a figure appeared behind Shen Que, knelt on one knee, and bowed.
“My lord, should we keep an eye on that person?”
“No need. There is a different kind of temperament on this person, always giving this official a somewhat familiar feeling. Let him go. I have already given him one Crouching Tiger recommendation letter.”
“As for the remaining few letters, find a few rich... Ah, pui! Destined people and send them out. Do not delay that lord’s proper business,” Shen Que said.
“Yes. This subordinate understands.”
The figure behind him nodded, bowed with cupped hands, then turned and left.
On this side, Xiao Wen carried the wooden box and held the envelope as he left. He appeared expressionless, but in truth, he was greatly shocked in his heart.
The scene just now made him involuntarily recall an extremely important hidden storyline from the game in his previous life. It was even a storyline related to the direction of the entire game.
According to the descriptions of later players, to enter this game storyline, the recommendation letter in his hand was indispensable.
It was just that even Xiao Wen did not know exactly how this recommendation letter was obtained, or where it came from.
Perhaps everything lay in the word “fate.”
He truly had not expected that after living one more life, he would obtain the entrance ticket to this storyline from a clothing shop in Luoyang. It was rather interesting.
However, the entrance ticket was a matter for later. This Stalker Set was what this lord currently needed most.
You want to kill with a borrowed knife?
This lord can also go along with your wishes!
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