Steam from the instant noodles seeped through the gap in the lid, rising slowly into the air.
Xiao Nanchu’s hands were unconsciously clenched together as he stared blankly at the wafting steam. From a distance, he looked like he was simply dazing off. However, his furrowed brow revealed that he was deep in thought.
He wasn’t actually as calm as he appeared when listening to Luo Taozhi’s words. He just didn’t want to show it in front of her.
He hadn’t forgotten the way Luo Taozhi had instinctively adopted that high-and-mighty posture back at the mall. Luo Taozhi herself might not have realized it, but as a bystander, he saw it clearly. While she seemed unchanged when speaking to him, that was only because it was him.
A person’s instinctive movements and gaze when facing strangers couldn’t lie. When she looked at ordinary people, it was more like she was looking at a pet rather than a human being.
She had truly changed.
It came back to the same old problem: he didn’t know what Luo Taozhi had experienced in Another World to transform a person who was once plagued by deep-seated inferiority into what she was now. But there was no doubt—if even she had become like this, the other Cultivators would definitely be difficult to deal with…
Xiao Nanchu sat at the table for an unknown amount of time. The instant noodles in front of him stopped steaming, and the noodles themselves had absorbed all the water, turning bloated and soggy. They tasted terrible.
—
**[Welcome Player Xiao Taozhi back to Novice Village No. 001!]**
Stretching her stiff body, Luo Taozhi opened the Level Leaderboard. Since she had been offline for so long, those two “gold mines” should have reached Level 10 by now.
**[Level Leaderboard]**
1st: Xiao Taozhi — Level 10
2nd: Tiger Regiment Leader — Level 10
3rd: Li Dong — Level 10
4th: Woshuobaile — Level 9
5th: Feifeifei — Level 8
6th: Bibilabu — Level 8
7th: Xiazhi — Level 7
As expected, those two had already reached Level 10. The moment she logged in, both of them immediately sent her private messages.
Tiger Regiment Leader: “Hello, everything is ready on my end. May I ask what time we can start the Dungeon?”
Li Dong: “Hello? Big Shot, I’m all ready over here! When are we forming the party?”
Li Dong: “Also, I didn’t expect your quest to have a feature that unlocks a Hidden Class Change!!! [Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up][Thumbs Up]”
Li Dong: “Don’t worry, Big Shot. Since there’s an extra benefit, I definitely won’t let you lose out. I’ll add 5,000 to the previous price for each slot, how does that sound?”
Although the two sent their messages almost simultaneously, Li Dong’s messages clearly made her more inclined to reply!
Xiao Taozhi: “?”
Li Dong: “Ahahaha… Just kidding, Big Shot. How about I add 10,000 for each spot?”
Xiao Taozhi: “??”
Li Dong: “…Sorry, Big Shot, I’ll stop joking. I’ll add 50,000 per spot. Although this price is still a bit low, considering I’m buying several, could you give me a small discount? [Rubbing Hands][Rubbing Hands][Rubbing Hands]”
Xiao Taozhi: “…”
Li Dong: “Think about it, Big Shot. I’m buying three spots. 50,000 per spot isn’t low, right? That’s 150,000 total. This is just a Novice Village quest, after all. The forums say every Novice Village is the same.”
Li Dong: “Besides, Novice Village No. 001 only has my guild and the Tiger Regiment. I might as well tell you—the Tiger Regiment is basically an official force. Everything they do has to follow a process, and they can’t approve too much budget. That means only I will be buying at this price.”
Looking at Li Dong’s private messages, Luo Taozhi raised an eyebrow. No wonder the Tiger Regiment Leader always sounded so formal; it all made sense now.
Li Dong was being very sincere and realistic. Currently, Novice Village No. 001 didn’t seem to have many wealthy players. Aside from the Tiger Regiment, the Four Seasons Guild was indeed the only one capable of buying these spots. Furthermore, they had already reserved them. Even if her price was a bit low, having enough money for her needs was fine.
While she was interested in money, that interest was mostly due to her current situation of not having a single cent. 150,000 would be enough for her and Xiao Nanchu to live comfortably for a while.
Just as she was about to reply to Li Dong to agree, another message popped up.
Li Dong: “Haha, Big Shot, how about this? Let’s be friends. I’ll pay 100,000 per spot, but you have to keep me on your friend list, okay?”
Luo Taozhi was stunned. ‘What a damn rich tycoon, he can even double the price?!’
Li Dong: “Big Shot, I really can’t go higher. The highest price in other Novice Villages is only 88,000. I’m offering 100,000 because I really want to make friends with you. [Crying][Crying][Crying]”
Xiao Taozhi: “Deal. No problem. I just didn’t see the message earlier.”
Luo Taozhi agreed decisively. Although she felt she could squeeze him for more, she decided to quit while she was ahead so she could fleece this “gold mine” again in the future.
Li Dong: “Great! No problem, Big Shot. When can we enter the Dungeon? My people are ready.”
Xiao Taozhi: “Let’s do it now. I’ll wait for you all near the Village Chief.”
After replying to Li Dong, she sent a message to the Tiger Regiment Leader as well. Luo Taozhi then stood by the Village Chief, watching the World Channel while waiting for Li Dong and his group to arrive.
Novice Village No. 001 wasn’t large to begin with, so Li Dong, the Tiger Regiment Leader, and the others arrived before the Village Chief very quickly.
The first to arrive was a middle-aged man who looked very rugged. He walked fast and was wearing familiar equipment—the Prajna Set from the Forest of Rebirth. Although there were differences between the male and female styles, the aesthetic of the gear was unmistakable.
Unlike Luo Taozhi, the equipment on this man was clearly a complete set. This was very interesting. It hadn’t even been a full day since Luo Taozhi defeated the Large Hannya, and the second night had not yet arrived.
Logically, the second Large Hannya shouldn’t have spawned yet. Unless… the mob spawning mechanics had changed after her first kill!
“To collect the full Prajna Set so quickly—impressive!” Luo Taozhi said as she stepped forward, looking at the man with the name Tiger Regiment Leader over his head.
The Tiger Regiment Leader wasn’t surprised to see her and spoke very politely. “It’s nothing. My subordinates pooled it together. The Dungeon only allows one team per day, and it just so happens my subordinates were the earliest to enter.”
Luo Taozhi nodded. Looking at the bright sky, she calculated that the subsequent Large Hannya must no longer be restricted to spawning only at 12:00 AM.
The two had only chatted for a few moments when the player with the ID Li Dong walked over.
“Hello, you two! I’m Li Dong!” Li Dong greeted them with a smile as soon as he arrived. “Oh right, it’s written over my head. My bad, my bad~”
He quickly realized that his ID was visible to everyone. This player named Li Dong seemed very approachable, appearing to be the same type of person as Xiao Nanchu. Given that he was a rich “gold mine” who had just paid her, Luo Taozhi’s impression of him was quite favorable.