1RomanceEB Chapter 95 The Dragon Crossing the River
Chapter 95 The Dragon Crossing the River
Chapter 95 The Dragon Crossing the River
In this world, news travels faster than people. Even riding a steed can't outrun a carrier eagle that can traverse thousands of miles in a single day.
Once those powerful figures who can stir up a storm appear, their whereabouts are always quickly discovered by those who are interested.
The Grandmaster of the Heavenly Ranking is undoubtedly such a great figure.
Lin Zhuo set off from Tiannan Prefecture northwards, passing through towns along the way. There were many eyewitnesses, and his daily itinerary and actions were collected by the media.
What has he been doing these past few days?
Naturally, evil should be dealt with swiftly and decisively.
The places they passed through were teeming with people. Although most of the dead were villains who would only elicit cheers, there were also some local tyrants who, despite their oppression of the villagers, were not infamous and instead enjoyed a good reputation in the martial arts world.
If Lin Zhuo hadn't discovered the truth about this hypocrite, they could have lived in peace. But if any common people cried out for justice, he would immediately come knocking on their door. Any grudges would be settled on the spot, with the lightest punishment being the loss of martial arts skills, and the heaviest being beheaded and having their property confiscated.
Lin Zhuo himself felt relieved, but the murder cases and grudges on his hands kept piling up, his ferocity was rising, and he caused even more fear in the martial arts world.
In this world, few of the lower-level sects are completely clean; most are tyrannical and oppressive, with gangster-like tendencies. Those local sects that take protecting their homes and people as their mission, adhere to the righteous path, and maintain chivalry are often in a bad situation.
One can imagine the upheaval caused by Lin Zhuo's sweeping advance, leaving local sects in his path feeling insecure.
The same task performed by a young hero on the Hidden Dragon Ranking has a completely different meaning than when performed by a Grandmaster on the Heavenly Ranking.
The young heroes on the Hidden Dragon List can be manipulated and beaten by a group of senior martial arts practitioners, but the Grandmasters on the Heavenly List can do whatever they want and go wherever they want.
When bandits flee at the mere sight of the enemy, mountain bandits abandon their weapons and return to their hometowns to farm, and local tyrants pack up their valuables and move away, the sects that have no other choice will find a scapegoat and push him in front of the people to be severely punished. They will then spend money and food to win people's hearts, using both soft and hard tactics to ensure that the people will not complain to any outsiders.
For a time, wherever Lin Zhuo went, the government was clean and efficient, the people were happy and peaceful, and the common people and the military were all in harmony. No matter what, no one could find fault with him.
So after the initial bloodshed and violence, the journey quickly became uneventful, and the group members each had their own opinions on this.
Jin Xiaohu had long since stopped commenting on Lin Zhuo's futile efforts. It would usually lend a hand, and in any case, it could earn some disaster coins and experience points.
The Taoist priest Qingde was greatly encouraged and praised Master Lin for his immeasurable merits. "Look at the eyes of these children. They have seen a true hero sweep away evil spirits and must have planted a seed of chivalry in their hearts. If someone is able to learn martial arts in the future, they are more likely to inherit the spirit."
Tie Yingjie was deeply shocked. He had been accustomed to the plight and ugliness of the lower-class people in the martial arts world since he was a child. He never expected that when faced with the terror of a Grandmaster passing by, these hypocrites could behave so politely and kindly. "Alas, as soon as Brother Lin leaves, these people will still go back to their old ways and revert to their old ways."
Lin Zhuo said with regret, "I can't find a reason to kill him."
He certainly didn't expect that his trip would bring peace and prosperity to the world, but seeing these superficial improvements still brought him some comfort. At least in the places he passed through, the people had indeed benefited—a little more rice in their bowls, a few more pieces of cloth in their homes. These small improvements might help some poor people get through the coming winter.
Although Lin Zhuo would definitely have exited the instance by the time true winter arrived, and he would be unable to participate in the future of this world, it didn't matter.
Leaving Tiannan Prefecture, we arrive at Yunze Prefecture to the north. Legend has it that in ancient times this area was a vast expanse of water. Now, with the changing times, Yunze Prefecture is mostly fertile and abundant plains, rich in resources. Only scattered fragments of the ancient marshes remain, forming wetland landscapes.
One of the spiritual materials Lin Zhuo sought, the Brocade Ramie, originally came from the ancient Yunze, but it is now extinct. Fortunately, the precious garments woven from this Brocade Ramie have been passed down to this day and are hidden in a farmer's cellar.
Originally, finding the Brocade Ramie required players to go through a series of treasure hunts and puzzle-solving, but since there was a guide in hand, Lin Zhuo could simply go to the farmer's house and buy the treasure garment, skipping all the preliminary steps. The advantage was that it saved time, but the disadvantage was that he would miss out on a task reward.
Just as he picked up the ramie robe, a new message popped up in front of him.
[Network Notification: The quest "Goddess of Craftsmanship" has been triggered]
Goddess's Craftsmanship: Collect four kinds of spiritual thread materials scattered in the world (1/4) and ask a mysterious weaver to weave them into one. Difficulty: Easy Description: Legend has it that the people in the celestial palace ride dragon chariots to invite the blue sky. The silk thread that can bind the real dragon is woven from four kinds of rare materials. The craftsmen who are capable of weaving such precious ropes are hard to find in ancient and modern times. They are all called the celestial weavers descended to earth.
"Brother Lin, is this garment really made of ramie? It looks like it's made of gold thread."
"That's right, how can gold thread be so light?" Lin Zhuo carefully folded the precious garment and put it into his storage ring. The most valuable part of this garment was the material itself. To obtain the fine ramie fabric, one would have to find a skilled craftsman to disassemble the fabric into threads.
The "Goddess's Craftsmanship" quest may seem simple, but it's actually quite challenging. None of the four types of spiritual materials are easy to obtain. The brocade ramie needs to be unstitched, the silkworm silk is only produced in the Valley of the Undying, the seven-colored cloud cotton is located in the remote western region, and the dragon tendon is a component of the Beggar Clan leader's token.
Gathering these four items is already quite difficult. Then, handing them over to a mysterious weaver, who then painstakingly weaves the golden rope, exhausting herself in the process until she passes away, involves an extremely complicated series of steps.
Lin Zhuo's assessment of this side quest was that it was a complete mess.
He only intended to collect the thread; the final rope-making process could be handled by professional players on the network, which would only cost a few Disaster Coins. The meager reward for this task was negligible; there was no need to take a life.
After obtaining the ramie, Lin Zhuo led his companions southwest, their destination being the Valley of Immortality located on the eastern slope of the Cloud Break Mountains.
Just a few days ago, Zhu Baixuan and Shu Yuliu had also completed the [Where is the Spirit Medicine] quest, and Zhou Fuhu's spoiled son from Liquan Town, after suffering a great loss, had vowed to reform himself, bringing the matter to a satisfactory conclusion. Fang Qingjun took the opportunity to invite these two companions back to the valley as guests, and they are now being treated to good food and drink.
Lin Zhuo's trip to the Valley of Immortality will allow him to reunite with his teammates, obtain silkworm silk, and purchase medicine to send to the disaster area in Shuanghe Prefecture—a triple win.
"Oh no, oh no, this is terrible!" The next day, after learning of Lin Zhuo's movements, the current Valley Master of Undying Valley paced anxiously in his study.
"What troubles you so much, my husband? Why don't you tell me?" the Valley Master's wife urged from the side.
"Do you know who the sixth-ranked 'Fierce Star' on the Heavenly Ranking is? He's heading this way! Look at this, he even sent a messenger hawk with a visiting card beforehand!"
As the saying goes, a person's name is like a tree's shadow; the Valley Master's wife's face immediately changed color. "Alright, alright, that's all!"
Their frantic wandering attracted their unsuspecting children and trusted elders. When they finally learned that Lin Zhuo was coming to visit the valley, they were completely bewildered.
At this moment, Fang Qingjun arrived with Shu Yuliu. "Father, my good friend said her senior brother is coming to visit tomorrow. Shouldn't we prepare in advance?"
"Qinghan, Young Master Shu, no matter who comes tomorrow, we will be too busy to receive them. A remarkable hero is coming to visit."
"Really?" Fang Qinghan narrowed her eyes, looking at the forced smiles on the faces of her family and friends. "Just to clarify, Sister Shu Yuliu's senior brother is named Lin Zhuo."
"Oh dear! Which Lin Zhuo?!"
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