Chapter 92: Jiang Family Village

Xiaoyao Sheng stood firm at the forefront, and no one dared to step forward any further.

Although Jian Rufeng was boastful and combative, he knew well that he could gain no advantage under the hand of the second strongest in Xiliang. Seething with anger, he shouted, “Xiaoyao Sheng, we’ll settle this one day! Sooner or later, I’ll have my revenge on you!” With that, he waved his hand and led his group of a dozen or so battered soldiers, fleeing toward Wuwei City. Their enemies were too many, and with their severe injuries, they feared being taken advantage of for retaliation, so they dared not linger outside the city.

Xiaoyao Sheng didn’t take Jian Rufeng’s threat seriously in the slightest.

Zhan Xiaobai asked, “Brother Xiaoyao, since you’re at odds with them, won’t that cause any trouble?”

Xiaoyao Sheng shook his head. “Those are mere jumping clowns. What tricks could they possibly pull? Wuwei City is full of powerful figures; those few can’t even make the cut.”

Zhan Xiaobai was curious about Xiaoyao Sheng’s special move and asked, “That move you just used—did you learn it from a master?”

“No, I learned it by stealth. I was born in a wild military camp, where I once saw an NPC general practicing his martial arts. Out of curiosity, I watched for a while. To my surprise, I managed to learn that special technique. Unfortunately, I was soon discovered by a patrolling NPC soldier and died, only to be reborn near Wuwei. Later, when I read the move’s description, I realized that NPC was Hua Xiong.”

“Heh, General Hua Xiong isn’t just any ordinary NPC. Even learning one or two of his moves is enough to dominate among players.”

“Ha! Though strong, this move has its weaknesses; otherwise, I’d really be unstoppable.”

“Weaknesses?” Zhan Xiaobai inquired.

Xiaoyao Sheng shook his head, declining to say more. Some weaknesses are best left unspoken.

Zhan Xiaobai pondered for a moment and guessed the secret. Such a fierce technique, based on vital energy, must consume a massive amount of inner strength. After Xiaoyao Sheng used it just now, he likely had very little internal energy left. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let Jian Rufeng and his gang escape so easily.

Zhan Xiaobai estimated Xiaoyao Sheng’s strength. Zhang Feng’s sword energy slash could cut down a line of bandit minions, but Xiaoyao Sheng could only heavily injure players, meaning he was somewhat weaker than NPC Duke Zhang Feng. Roughly, his level matched that of Boss Wang Lao Hu from Tiger Head Mountain Stronghold. As for who was stronger between him and Wang Lao Hu, only a duel could decide.

Even so, Xiaoyao Sheng’s power was formidable among players.

Holding the reins, Zhan Xiaobai smiled. “Brother Xiaoyao, I owe you a favor today. If you ever need help, just come find me in Xiaobai Village!” Saying this, he spurred his horse onward.

“All right. When I have time, I’ll come visit,” Xiaoyao Sheng replied.

Xiaoyao Sheng leisurely fanned himself with a folded paper fan as he strolled around the city gates, settling disputes among players. The government task he had received was no trivial matter—it was to maintain order outside the city. This mission was troublesome, time-consuming, and aggravating, often offending others.

...

Zhan Xiaobai rode hard with the NPC little beggar, galloping far away from Wuwei City. Only when they reached a sparsely populated area and felt safe did they slow their pace.

Wuwei City was no place to linger. Located at the heart of Xiliang, it was a den of all kinds, with countless hidden powerful players.

For the first time, Zhan Xiaobai deeply understood why Cao Cao always surrounded himself with the fierce guards E’Lai, Dian Wei, and “Tiger Fool” Xu Chu. Without such formidable bodyguards, Cao Cao alone in Wuwei City would surely be harassed to the point of helplessness by local thugs and ruffians.

“Next time, I’ll never travel alone without bodyguards. Dying is a small matter, but delaying tasks is a huge problem,” Zhan Xiaobai muttered under his breath.

After about two hours of travel, the little beggar, cheerful as ever, rubbed his growling stomach and called out, “Sir, I’m hungry! Time to eat some steamed buns!”

“Hungry?” Zhan Xiaobai halted his horse and looked around the barren wilderness. Alas, in their haste, he had forgotten to buy buns for him.

“There’s no village nearby. How can we find food out here in the wild?”

The little beggar quickly said, “I know a village not far from here. When I used to wander, I went there once. The village chief is kind and can get us some food.”

Zhan Xiaobai nodded. “Good. Which direction? Lead the way.”

The courier horse followed a fixed path toward Xiaobai Village automatically. If they strayed too far, the horse wouldn’t recognize the route, and they might get lost.

The little beggar happily led the way, and the two left the fixed path, heading toward the village he had visited before.

After about ten minutes, crossing a small dirt hill, the landscape suddenly opened up before them—a classical village appeared in sight.

Surrounding the village was a sturdy wooden palisade stretching for miles, with a broad gate. At the gate, over ten militiamen holding thick wooden shields and long spears stood inside, while ten more, clad in beast-skin armor and wielding iron swords, stood outside. In addition, four tall basic arrow towers rose beside the gate, each manned by two bowmen, totaling eight archers.

At the top of the tallest tower fluttered a flag embroidered with a single character: Jiang.

From the hilltop, Zhan Xiaobai could faintly see the village’s layout in a grid pattern, with paved stone roads separating orderly residential and production buildings, farmland, a marketplace, and a craftsman’s district—all arranged neatly.

The entire village was heavily fortified, with patrol squads seen everywhere.

Zhan Xiaobai was taken aback.

A medium-sized village? How was that possible? Which player was strong enough to upgrade a small village into a medium one? And why had the system given no notification? Such a significant event—according to default rules—should have been broadcast throughout the system.

His mind raced.

The little beggar noticed Zhan Xiaobai’s astonishment and proudly said, “Sir, you see this village? When I first came here, I was shocked too, almost didn’t dare enter. But the villagers treated me well—didn’t drive me away and even gave me a meal, a piece of pork.”

“Ah Le, do you know who the village chief is?”

The little beggar shook his head. “I don’t know, only that his surname is Jiang. Everyone in the village is named Jiang.”

Zhan Xiaobai realized quietly: with all the villagers sharing the Jiang surname, this must be a system village. Yet, he remembered that this game did not have system villages at the start! To understand the truth, he would have to investigate in person.

“Let’s go, Ah Le, let’s take a look.”

Taking the lead, Zhan Xiaobai guided his horse down the hill and approached the village outskirts, with the little beggar following behind.

Outside the village, many players had gathered, bustling with activity, though it was unclear what they were doing.