However, Liu Yuan was smart enough not to say such reckless words aloud.
He followed up on Li Yuqing's remarks with a few flattering comments, then politely ushered her out.
"Big Sis, it's getting late. You should really focus on leveling up. Don't let me waste the precious time of a divine expert like yourself."
Liu Yuan grinned with an overly flattering smile.
Li Yuqing snorted playfully, "Brat, I'll let you off the hook this time. But next time you've got a question, ask me directly! Got it?!"
Liu Yuan nodded hastily and only after escorting this formidable woman out the door did he close it, leaning against the back, his eyes shifting as his expression slowly turned odd.
'Big Sis is only Level 5?'
Reliable internal sources say even top-tier powerhouses are only Level 6?
'But I'm already Level 10!'
Am I... basically a living super-god now?
'Stay low… stay low!'
It's only the beginning.
These days, plenty of people start off god-tier, crash mid-game, and get wrecked late-game.
'I gotta play it safe.'
If I start showing off now and crash later, I'll be a laughingstock for life.
Just thinking of Sister Qing's sharp tongue made Liu Yuan shiver. He quietly locked the door, slipped into the game capsule, and logged in.
When his eyes opened again, he was still at the execution platform — only now it was packed with death row convicts, all waiting for Liu Yuan to swing the blade.
"My lord, you're here. All the prisoners are ready. Shall we begin...?"
Seeing Liu Yuan appear, Wu Ming looked slightly surprised but quickly walked over and spoke in a low voice.
As for why Liu Yuan suddenly appeared, Wu Ming was tactful enough not to ask.
'Executing people, huh?'
Honestly, not a bad idea.
Liu Yuan nodded and raised his hand.
In the distance, the ghost-head broadsword embedded in the ground flew straight into his grasp.
As it landed in his hand, a terrifying aura burst forth.
Smiling, Liu Yuan grabbed one of the prisoner NPCs and brought the blade down.
One clean stroke — head and body parted.
But in that moment, Liu Yuan's smile froze and slowly faded.
[Ding! Notification: Player has reached the threshold for class advancement. No further experience will be gained until the transition is completed.]
Liu Yuan: What the actual—#@￥％dick-headed-cunt-pussy-cucumber￥#@％*@# you dev team...
He felt like ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his chest. He was this close to passionately cursing out the game developers' ancestors.
"Forget it, I'm tired today. No more chopping. Take them back to the prison. I'll deal with them when I have the time."
Liu Yuan waved his hand dismissively, clearly not in the mood anymore.
Wu Ming opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. He simply signaled the soldiers to escort the prisoners away.
"Oh right, Lord Liu — Master Zhang would like a word with you when you have time," Wu Ming said, as if remembering something.
"Old Man Zhang wants to see me?" Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow.
'Old Man Zhang?'
Wu Ming swallowed hard and didn't respond.
When he's useful: Master Zhang. When he's not: Old Man Zhang...
"Yes, Master Zhang is asking for you," he repeated, deliberately stressing the word Master.
"Lead the way."
Liu Yuan gestured for Wu Ming to go ahead.
He happened to have a few questions he wanted to ask that reclusive old man.
'Zhang Yingjun?'
More like Zhang Pretty-Boy, honestly.
Suppressing the doubts in his mind, Liu Yuan followed Wu Ming toward the kitchen quarters.
After the big battle, Liang City was still in shambles and rebuilding.
Only the kitchen was thriving.
Zhang Yingjun lounged outside on a chair, holding a giant ladle. Inside, smoke curled lazily from the stove.
"Now this is the life an old man like me deserves," he stretched lazily, exuding slothful vibes.
Suddenly, he looked toward the entrance and saw Liu Yuan approaching with Wu Ming, one brow arching slightly.
'This kid's leveling up fast.'
"You've arrived," Zhang Yingjun said, glancing up at Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan plastered on a big smile, "You called, old man. How could I not come? What can I do for you today?"
"I've got a good job for you," Zhang Yingjun said, giving Liu Yuan a thorough once-over.
'A good job?'
Could this shady old man really have something good?
"Please enlighten me," Liu Yuan said respectfully.
"Though Liang City survived today's siege, the threat still lingers. If I'm not mistaken, Li Yuanba's army is camped in the nearby mountains, just twenty li away."
{1 li is roughly equals to 500m}
"Tigers at the gates, no reinforcements in sight — Liang City is in grave danger..."
Zhang Yingjun let out a long, sentimental sigh, looking every bit the fallen hero drowning in melancholy.
After a moment of silence, he composed himself and looked at Liu Yuan.
"That's why I need you to go to Ping City and deliver a letter — call for reinforcements!"
'Reinforcements?'
'Deliver a letter?'
Are you sure that's not just a fancy way of saying go die?
One's a top-tier warrior backed by tens of thousands of troops.
The other's a fresh-faced noob who hasn't even class-changed yet.
Is this even remotely comparable?
"Uh, old man, I think I've got a stomachache… Where's the latrine? I'm about to explode."
Liu Yuan clutched his belly, his face contorted in distress.
"Heh..." Zhang Yingjun let out a mocking chuckle and turned to glance at Liu Yuan.
"You don't have to go, of course. But if you don't... you'll be missing out on a great opportunity."
"A great opportunity?"
"Yes — a huge one! If I'm not mistaken, you've hit a class advancement bottleneck, haven't you?"
Zhang Yingjun's smile widened, eyes sparkling as if he were watching a fat fish take the bait.
Liu Yuan didn't deny it and nodded.
"Do you know who the city lord of Ping City is?" Zhang Yingjun asked, putting his hands behind his back.
A gentle breeze lifted a few strands of his hair, making him look like some enlightened sage.
Seeing him act so theatrically, Liu Yuan raised an eyebrow but didn't bite. He simply answered, "Zhang Jiao."
"You know the Yellow Turban Army is—"
Zhang Yingjun was about to continue his next question, but abruptly froze, eyes widening in disbelief.
'This brat is not playing by the script!'
He actually guessed correctly that Ping City's lord is Zhang Jiao? He really is a player from beyond the world!
Zhang Yingjun's surprise only lasted a moment.
Zhang Jiao, the self-styled Immortal General, was the founder of the Yellow Turban Army. Armed with the scripture Taiping Essentials, he created the Taiping Sect and was revered as the Great Benevolent Teacher. His power rivaled — if not surpassed — Li Yuanba's.
"So I'll get straight to the point," Zhang Yingjun said. "If you deliver this letter to Zhang Jiao, I'll personally ensure you get a portion of the Taiping Essentials legacy. How's that sound?"
Like a thunderclap, this bombshell nearly knocked Liu Yuan off his feet.
'Taiping Essentials?!'
That's Zhang Jiao's core technique!
Why could the Yellow Turban Army rampage across the land?
Why was Zhang Jiao undefeated in battle?
Because of the Taiping Essentials!
Rumor says it's a celestial art passed down by the legendary Immortal Nan Hua!
Immortal... Art!
A massive opportunity!
Turns out his luck today is off the charts — he's triggered a hidden class advancement quest!
"You can make that call?" Liu Yuan asked, slightly suspicious.
Was he underestimating the old man?
Zhang Yingjun's brows shot up. His face turned stern as he puffed out his chest and huffed,
"What a joke! I'm Zhang Jun— no, Zhang Yingjun. Zhang Jiao is my son!"
"Wouldn't my son listen to me?!"