At this moment, despite Li Yuqing being well-read and thoroughly versed in all the in-game data and information, she couldn't find the words to express how she felt.
Alas, even a cultured person sometimes lacks the words—so she settled for a simple:
"Holy sh*t!"
Liu Yuan rolled his eyes and helpfully reminded her, "Sis Qing, you're swearing."
Li Yuqing shot Liu Yuan a fierce glare. It took her a moment to calm her heaving chest before she stared straight at him and asked seriously, "What you just said—was that true?"
"Sis Qing, of all the people I could lie to, you'd never be one of them, right?" Liu Yuan grinned.
"You're sure you want to sell them?" Li Yuqing took a sharp breath and asked.
"Not necessarily. If you need them, I can just give them to you," Liu Yuan replied.
Over the years, Li Yuqing had taken care of him—he ate, drank, and lived in her home without paying a cent. They weren't blood relatives, but the bond was closer than family.
"Alright then. These four spears—thirty thousand each. I'll take them," Li Yuqing said with a smile, holding up three fingers.
At her words, Liu Yuan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped, falling into stunned silence.
What the hell?
Thirty thousand each?
Weren't these going for just over ten thousand on the game forums?
How did the price triple the moment his sis showed up?
Was it because of their relationship?
No—that couldn't be it!
Liu Yuan quickly dismissed that thought.
Li Yuqing might be like an elder sister to him, but she had principles. She'd never do business at prices way above market value.
"SIs Qing… four spears… 120,000 coins! They're really worth that much?" Liu Yuan asked, completely shocked.
"The weapons you said are worth that price," Li Yuqing replied with a serious nod.
"120,000… deduct the 100,000 for your game pod. That leaves 20,000. I'll transfer the rest to your bank card in a bit," she added.
And with that, without waiting for Liu Yuan's reply, she stood and returned to her room.
Leaving Liu Yuan alone, sitting on the stool, with a table of dirty dishes in front of him.
He blinked. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.
In the early stages of the game, when resources were scarce, having one good weapon meant a significant boost in strength.
Especially now, during this critical period of training militia and boosting combat power—one more weapon meant one more layer of security.
One fast step led to many fast steps.
No top-tier player ever rose to prominence by luck alone.
Liu Yuan understood this. And Li Yuqing understood it even better.
With these four spears, the combat power of the militia in her territory would rise drastically.
Field hunting would become more efficient, and experience points would be gained faster.
She might even dare venture into that place she'd never had the courage to go before.
Lying in her game pod, Li Yuqing glanced toward the door and cursed with a smile:
"That brat's luck is off the charts! I don't know where he got those four spears, but I'll gladly accept this generous gift."
"Damn NPC scum! Picking on me because I had no gear, huh? Just you wait!"
"I'm gonna flatten your whole village today!"
In the dining room, Liu Yuan dutifully washed the dishes, then returned to his room, climbed into the game pod, and logged in.
Opening his eyes, he stepped out of his in-game room and looked up at the sky.
The sky was gray and overcast.
He walked straight toward the edge of Ping City's main street. There, a massive carriage stood, and in front of it, a smiling coachman welcomed passersby.
A large banner fluttered beside the cart: [Courier].
This was the in-game courier system, spread all across Jiuzhu.
When players built their own territories, the courier post was a must-have structure.
The usual trade process went like this:
Two players would agree on a trade through the chat window. The courier service would handle the delivery for them, taking a cut as commission.
Seeing Liu Yuan approach, the coachman greeted him with a wide grin.
"Good sir, will you be sending a person, or a package?"
"A package. Send these items to this address," Liu Yuan replied.
With a wave of his hand, four spears appeared. He handed them to the coachman and provided [Qingyu Lullaby]'s player ID.
He then reluctantly handed over one string of copper coins as the delivery fee.
The coachman's smile widened as he accepted the payment. "No worries, sir. These items will be delivered in half an hour. Please make sure someone is there to receive them."
Liu Yuan nodded and turned to leave, grumbling to himself.
Damn crooks!
It's just a delivery!
A thousand copper coins?
Even the real-world postal service isn't this greedy!
After mailing the items, Liu Yuan didn't return to his room right away. Instead, he wandered around Ping City.
And it was this wandering that gave him a pleasant surprise.
All around Ping City, he could hear the sound of people chatting, shouting, bickering—it felt like stepping back into ancient times.
But Liu Yuan also noticed something strange.
Back in Liang CIty, which was also under siege by enemy troops, everyone was in a state of panic. Gates were shut tight, and except for patrol soldiers, the streets were empty—no civilians, no noise.
He pulled over a passing auntie and asked, "Auntie, can I ask something? Aren't you afraid with the Tang army outside the city? Why's everyone still laughing and chatting like nothing's happening?"
"Oh, you must be new to the city, young man! Afraid? Why would we be afraid? We've got the Grand Master! The Tang army? Pfft! He could wipe them out with a flick of his fingers!" she said with a toothy grin.
Then she looked toward the city lord's mansion, her eyes glowing with admiration and full of confidence.
The Great Teacher, Zhang Jiao, is here!
What's there to fear from some measly Tang soldiers?
Before leaving, the auntie patted Liu Yuan on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry, young man. As long as we're here for the Master, he'll never lose; and as long as the Master is here for us, we'll never lose either!"
With that, the NPC auntie swung her basket over her arm and walked away.
Liu Yuan didn't stop her. He just stared in the direction she left.
Suddenly, his vision blurred.
He could vaguely see something rising above her headstreams of clear aura.
No, it wasn't just her.
Every NPC he could see had similar streams of aura rising skyward.
Some beams were thick, some thin; some bright, some dim...
They shot into the clouds, intertwining and merging into a massive dome of light that enveloped all of Ping City.
And the biggest, brightest pillar of them all originated from the city lord's mansion.
In that moment, Liu Yuan felt like he finally understood what the auntie's last words had meant.
"Didn't expect your talent to be even better than I imagined—already grasping the basics of Divination in such a short time."
A lazy voice spoke nearby. Liu Yuan turned and saw that the head of the Taiping Dao had appeared beside him without a sound.
"Daoist, you flatter me. It's a crude little trick—nowhere near your profound cultivation," Liu Yuan replied modestly.
Zhang Jiao shook his head and looked at Liu Yuan. "No. Your cultivation surpasses even mine. A visitor from beyond the heavens, born with rare gifts—entrusting you with the Taiping Essentials puts my mind at ease."
Liu Yuan remained silent.
This old Daoist was taking all the good lines—what was he even supposed to say?
Be humble?
What if the old man thought he was pretending and struck him down with lightning?
Accept it calmly?
What if the old man thought he was arrogant and fried him anyway?
Forget it… silence is golden.
As long as I don't speak, I won't accidentally say something stupid.
Liu Yuan smiled politely at Zhang Jiao—but then he noticed the meaningful smile on Zhang Jiao's face.
"Would you like to try a taste of Thunder Magic, young friend?"
Mind reading!
Holy sh*t! I let my guard down!