43 NPC Patrol队

The blatant display of NPC militiamen by the Bloodfire Clan instantly provoked the other player guild leaders in Little White Village. If they didn’t respond, wouldn’t that mean letting themselves be looked down upon by those shameless Bloodfire guys? No way—if you buy, then I’ll buy too! Otherwise, if the Bloodfire crowd mocks us, where would our brothers put their pride?

Of course, the big shots all knew exactly where the Bloodfire Clan had gotten their militiamen. Barely ten minutes later, they all showed up at Zhan Xiaobai’s place, insisting on buying soldiers. They clamored that one wasn’t enough, two would be better, and three would be perfect.

Zhan Xiaobai agreed with a smile, “One per guild, clearly priced between 100 to 199 copper coins.” According to slight differences in the militiamen’s stats, he tagged each one with a different price, inviting the big shots to pick whichever they liked.

There was another rule he enforced: any small guild whose monthly operational funds didn’t reach 10,000 coins didn’t need to come buy—if they could afford to buy, they couldn’t afford to keep them.

Though Little White Village teemed with all kinds of player-created guilds, families, and alliances, there were only a few who could casually throw out tens of thousands just to show off. In the end, over a dozen militiamen were sold, and nearly every guild leader or family head in the village ended up with their own personal NPC militiaman.

All those sold were strong, robust, or particularly sturdy farmers, who could be transformed into powerful, resilient elite militiamen. Ordinary farmers, whose growth stats were mediocre, would only make second-rate militiamen, and Zhan Xiaobai had no intention of selling those. Even though some small guilds protested fiercely and offered higher prices, he still refused them. He didn’t want these small guilds to be crushed by the burden of maintaining an NPC militiaman.

Such displays of bravado caught on quickly. As soon as the forums started buzzing, the clamor spread like wildfire.

Other villages soon caught the militia fever as well. (It might not have started with Little White Village at all. After all, with the busy farming season over and the fields all sown, many villages had long been looking for ways to ease their grain burden. Selling soldiers was an excellent solution. If Little White Village didn’t sell, wouldn’t others do it too?)

In the blink of an eye, throughout the game, every guild leader greeted one another with feigned indifference but actually cared quite a lot:

“Hey, bro, how many soldiers do you have? What, none yet? Well, your guild isn’t even ranked, not in our league. See you around.”

And with a wave, a certain boss would walk away.

The mocked leader, red-faced and tongue-tied, would grit his teeth, then run off to the nearest village to buy a militiaman.

“How many soldiers do you have, brother? What, ten?! Wow, you’re really powerful! I’m truly impressed.” Outwardly, the boss seemed amazed, but inside, he was smirking at the other’s foolishness—ten militiamen? You’re doomed. Let’s see how you feed them all.

“Actually, the soldiers aren’t expensive—the real cost is their grain rations,” one boss lamented. Regret gnawed at him for buying too many at once, but the village chief who sold him the militiamen absolutely refused to take them back, leaving him extremely frustrated. He ended up buying copper coins with real cash on the trading market, just to get enough grain.

...

With the village in an uproar, Zhan Xiaobai, Li A-san, the Young Hero of Spring and Autumn, and the Disabled Veteran took a squad of five NPC militiamen to a secluded spot. This NPC squad would represent the pride and banner of Little White Village and was to be dispatched for patrol and law enforcement duties. Such a unit had to be formidable enough—not just a group that any player could easily defeat, or else the village would lose face.

Bloodsteel Militiaman No. 1—now properly called Bloodsteel Swordsman No. 1—had, after the farming season, been officially promoted by Zhan Xiaobai from militiaman to infantryman. He wielded a heavy sword, specially forged from over sixty pounds of inferior iron ore by the Disabled Veteran.

After his promotion, Bloodsteel No. 1, heavy sword in hand, exuded an imposing presence and the wild spirit of a Xiliang warrior.

Li A-san introduced Bloodsteel No. 1’s attributes to Zhan Xiaobai:

Bloodsteel Swordsman No. 1

Level: 23
Class: Two-Handed Greatsword Infantry Swordsman
Skills: Basic Sword Technique (Simplified Version)
Traits: Powerful, Swift
Crude Greatsword: 20 pounds, requires Strength 15 or above, +1 attack, heavy, two-handed use. Special effect: deflects light weapons.

Zhan Xiaobai nodded with satisfaction. Level 23 was already quite high. Of all the players in Little White Village, the highest level he knew of was the Young Hero of Spring and Autumn, who was level 21—and that was after consuming a mountain of healing potions. Most regular players ranged between levels 15 and 18.

The Young Hero of Spring and Autumn, level 21, was a one-handed sword infantryman and squad leader (bearing the Sword Soldier’s Badge).

He eyed the heavy sword in Bloodsteel No. 1’s hand with envy. “This guy’s combat power is terrifying. I wouldn’t dare take him on head-to-head—one mistake and I’d lose dozens of health points.”

Zhan Xiaobai wanted to test the strength of Bloodsteel No. 1 and the other militiamen. “Young Hero, why don’t you spar with No. 1?”

The Young Hero quickly replied, “Boss, there’s no point in me sparring with No. 1; I’m too familiar with his moves. Even though he’s two levels higher, he can’t beat me. Better let A-Fei try—then you’ll really see No. 1’s combat power.”

Zhan Xiaobai grinned. That was a good idea. A-Fei was just level 18, perfect for a trial. He sent Li A-san to fetch A-Fei and instructed Bloodsteel No. 1 to spar with him as soon as he arrived. Bloodsteel No. 1 immediately obeyed. Normally, NPC soldiers were forbidden to attack villagers unless the chief gave explicit orders.

A few minutes later, A-Fei rushed over with Old Li. “Boss, what did you need me for?”

Zhan Xiaobai didn’t answer. Suddenly, Bloodsteel No. 1 raised his greatsword and swung it viciously at A-Fei.

Startled, A-Fei reacted instantly, drawing his bronze knife to block. With a clang, his hands went numb, barely holding onto the hilt. Before he could utter a sound, Bloodsteel No. 1 was already swinging again, this time aiming straight for his neck.

“My goodness, am I not allowed to live? No. 1, stop!” A-Fei shouted, barely managing to block with his hands as another resounding crash sent his blade flying.

With the third strike, Bloodsteel No. 1’s sword landed squarely on A-Fei’s neck, pinning him down so he couldn’t move.

“Stop!” Zhan Xiaobai called out, making Bloodsteel No. 1 step back. He helped A-Fei up with a smile, having clearly seen the entire exchange—Bloodsteel No. 1 had used only three basic sword moves.

First, a forceful chop that nearly made A-Fei drop his weapon.
Second, an upward slash.
Third, he pinned A-Fei, leaving him helpless.

Bloodsteel No. 1’s swordplay was swift and seamless—a level of proficiency only achieved through long, relentless training.

A-Fei complained, “Why did No. 1 suddenly attack me? Ouch, my backside…”

Zhan Xiaobai just chuckled, then turned to say, “Young Hero, you were right—No. 1 is indeed formidable. How did you train him?”

The Young Hero grinned, “Heh, the veteran taught dozens of basic sword moves, but they were too complicated. I just picked five or six of the most practical ones for No. 1 to master. This way, his attack frequency is incredibly high and his moves are seamlessly connected—anyone unfamiliar with him would be caught off guard. See, A-Fei couldn’t even block three moves.”

“NPC soldiers don’t need too many techniques—practicality is enough. Train the other militiamen the same way.”

...

“You scoundrel, you set me up, didn’t you? I knew it! Take this!”

“Hey, that was the boss’s order—why are you blaming me? Counterattack!”

“If you hadn’t taught No. 1 those three moves, he wouldn’t have chopped up someone as heroic as me so easily! Your counterattack is useless. Prepare to die!”

“Help!”

...

A-Fei, in a huff, chased the Young Hero, swinging his sword.

Zhan Xiaobai laughed to himself. The Young Hero had suggested A-Fei try out the sword, so he deserved to get chased. After a good laugh, he said, “A-Fei, I’m assigning you and the Young Hero a task. Take the first NPC patrol squad of Little White Village and show them off around the place. Let everyone see that it takes more than just a badge to call yourself a soldier—our Bloodsteel Patrol is the real deal. And when you’re done showing off, don’t forget to level them up. Once they’re all swordsmen, that’ll be a top-tier NPC patrol squad.”

At this, A-Fei and the Young Hero stopped fighting and vied to lead the patrol.

Zhan Xiaobai shook his head with a smile and went off with Li A-san and the Disabled Veteran to inspect the village. Showing off was something A-Fei and the Young Hero could handle. As the chief, he had to think more about how to develop and build up the village.