Chapter 83: The Beginning

Not long after leaving the Dragon and Tiger Gate, night fell!
Under the light of torches, Happy and his group continued to search for lone giant wolves. Xi Men Qing, Windy Li, and Cang Lang used these wolves to practice their martial arts. Uninterrupted for several hours, they reaped significant gains.
As dawn broke, still no one came to disturb them. Neither the Dragon and Tiger Gate nor the Tian Ba Gate was in sight. This continued until after 3 a.m. Under Happy’s protection, the three Xi Men brothers trained against advanced giant wolves, causing their martial arts levels to soar rapidly. Each of them saw two of their skills rise from the ninth level all the way to the Grandmaster level.
Happy also gained a lot—besides hundreds of giant wolf pelts, claws, and tendons, he obtained a golden wolf claw with extremely low chance of appearance. There was a particularly prominent note attached: this claw was astonishingly hard and could be forged into the legendary weapon “Dragon Tooth Sword that Shatters Emperors.”
It wasn’t until the next day, when doves with white wings fluttered outside the combat arena, that they stopped practicing.
“Let’s go.”
After ending the life of the last giant wolf, Happy checked the note on the dove’s foot, frowned, then turned to the three of them and said, “An urgent mission from our sect.”
“So are we.”
Xi Men Qing and Cang Lang, who weren’t disciples of the Murong Family, couldn’t help but show strange expressions upon learning they too had received mission orders from their own sects.
“What’s going on?”
“My mission is to rob a convoy. What about you?”
Windy Li had just finished reading his note. “Rob a convoy? Could it be targeting me?” He looked shocked and held up his note: “The sect wants me to protect a tribute box out of Gusu City and deliver it to the Eighth Prince’s residence in the capital.”
After saying that, he instinctively looked at Happy.
“Elder Brother?”
Although he was somewhat surprised to learn about Happy’s age and student status, his long-held habit prevented him from changing his address.
Of the four people present, only Happy didn’t show any surprise at the content of their notes.
A convoy protection mission!
On the emperor’s birthday!
Under the emperor’s authority, all prestigious families and most legitimate sects sent their disciples to protect the tributes on their way to the capital—this was the convoy protection mission.
But…
Some evil factions took this opportunity to target these tributes.
Of course…
In addition, rival sects would also secretly send people to attack their opponents’ tributes. By seizing the opponent’s tributes, they could not only damage the rival sect’s reputation but also strain the relationship between the rival sect and the imperial court.

As a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, Ximen Qing received a mission to raid the tribute of the rival sect, “Sky Eagle Fort.” The reward for seizing the rival sect’s goods was even greater than that for successfully escorting them. Of course, it wasn’t meant for just one disciple from a sect to carry out—the usual number of players assigned to such missions was roughly equal to the number of members in the rival sect. “Escort missions are boring; it’s better to keep practicing here.” Glancing at the mission details again, Xiao Li, the Whirlwind, showed little interest and suggested that they all give up the mission and stay to train. At this pace, they should be able to reach the Creation Realm soon, and they could also earn money quickly. Cang Lang and Ximen both raised their eyebrows, somewhat tempted by the idea. Seeing this, Kai Xin immediately wore a wry smile and couldn’t help but analyze the situation for the three of them: “Don’t you find it strange? At the same time, the four of us received the same sect mission. If I’m not wrong, there will definitely be some major event or plot-driven mission coming up in ‘Jianghu.’ Are you sure you want to miss out on this opportunity for mere short-term gains?” His words left the three of them hesitant. “At least I won’t give up,” Kai Xin said firmly. “Money can be earned anytime, and training can take place anywhere. Don’t let temporary comfort and profit cloud your judgment. Actually, even without this event, I plan to leave Gusu City and explore the outside world. From now on, you three need to be careful in Gusu City.” “Explore Jianghu?” “I like it!” The three’s eyes lit up. “Don’t look at me. I like challenging my limits. The place I’m going to is extremely dangerous and not suitable for taking you along,” Kai Xin quickly dismissed their thoughts. “Oh.” The three understood at once. Kai Xin’s strength was indeed beyond that of ordinary players; they weren’t his match. “So, shall we go back now?” “Mm.” Kai Xin lowered his head and continued packing up the loot. “There are over 130 giant wolf pelts. Each of you can take one set, and the rest will be divided equally among us. Each of us will get around 30 sets. The money from making ‘Giant Wolf Fur Sets’ will be enough for you to make it through a long time.” “We can’t share this.” The three’s expressions changed. After all, it was Kai Xin who had killed the giant wolves; they had only helped out and trained for free. They already felt they had taken advantage enough—how could they expect to share the loot too? “Stop talking nonsense. There’s no place to spend the money anyway. Consider this an investment from a brother. You three stay safe in Gusu City. Who knows when we’ll be able to return after going out this time. Be careful.”

Hearing Happy say this, the three of them immediately stopped talking, moved to tears. Back in Gusu City! The city was in an uproar. Countless players, carrying various weapons, rushed around, coming out of pharmacies and entering armories. Almost all players, upon receiving escort missions, thought first of strengthening their equipment and weapons, as the rewards for these missions were extremely generous—ranging from up to 2,000 taels of silver and three secret techniques to a relatively advanced weapon, as well as innate attribute bonuses from their sects. With turmoil everywhere, all players hoped to use this opportunity to stand out in the martial world! When Happy and his group returned to the city, they still attracted a lot of attention… Besides the Dragon and Tiger Gate and the Heaven Conquering Gate, there were also many unfamiliar players. Without exception, everyone stared at the Qiankun Bag hanging around Happy’s waist, their eyes gleaming like those of bandits eyeing a money truck. After entering a tailor shop, several players dressed elegantly followed behind them. At first, Happy didn’t pay much attention. But when complete giant wolf pelts were handed over to the tailor, the intensity of the stares around him soared! “Brother,” one person tried to approach Happy, but was stopped by Canglang, who watched him warily, his face showing embarrassment and tension. “Who are you?” “Brother, I… I have something to say to Happy.” Happy was taken aback. He turned to look at the player approaching, noticing beads of sweat on his seemingly honest face and a forced smile in his eyes, looking quite comical as he gazed at him eagerly. “What do you want from me?” Though he didn’t know him, out of courtesy, Happy still asked. “I, um, I’m Ma Liang, a merchant. I bought a shop over there…” In front of Happy, the chubby player appeared very nervous, wiping his sweat frequently. His eyes lit up, and Happy glanced at Ma Liang again. “A merchant player?” His tone showed some interest. The merchant profession could have a significant influence in the martial world, and purely in terms of wealth, it couldn’t be ignored. However, in Happy’s memory, Ma Liang wasn’t on either the list of the top ten richest people in later generations nor on the list of extravagantly wealthy individuals. “Yes, I want to do business with Senior Brother Happy.” “Oh?” Happy stretched out his voice, his eyes flickering to the giant wolf pelt in his hands as a faint smile appeared on his face.