Chen Tian, Wu Que Nan Fei, and Shu Zi were resting. The recent battles had left them in poor condition, and their skills were on cooldown.
During their rest, Shu Zi took out his Phoenix Blood and a fiery red phoenix egg. He then dripped a drop of the crimson Phoenix Blood onto the egg.
Instantly, the fiery red phoenix egg erupted with a brilliant crimson light, and the patterns on its surface began to glow. Within the egg, a tiny silhouette appeared, a dark shape that caught Shu Zi's eye.
Shu Zi was delighted, but then a message popped up, chilling him to the bone.
"What's wrong? Did it not hatch successfully?" Chen Tian asked with concern. Shu Zi put away the egg and waved his hand helplessly. "No, it needs two more drops of Phoenix Blood to hatch. I don't know where to get more."
Phoenix Blood was the blood of a phoenix, and phoenixes were ancient, powerful beings. Encountering one was rare enough, let alone demanding its blood. That would be suicide. They were divine beasts. If one was fearless, they could try, but humans and beasts were mortal enemies, constantly at war. Which phoenix would willingly give its blood without reason?
This drop of Phoenix Blood was obtained by Wu Que Nan Fei from a quest reward. He had kept it until now because he couldn't use it himself.
"You've rested enough. Let me tell you about this quest. You know adventurer quests are complicated, and this one is no different."
"This scroll has four stages. The first requires completing a storyline, the second exploration, the third gathering clues, and the fourth is the boss."
"I haven't even passed the first stage, which is why I came to you, Shu Zi. The first stage requires finding the hidden City Lord in Guangyuan City to trigger the quest. I've already been to Guangyuan City and met the City Lord, but the quest didn't trigger. I don't think this is a simple task."
"After some time, I still couldn't trigger the quest, so I had to come to you."
"Help me, Shu Zi."
Wu Que Nan Fei pleaded, utterly bewildered that the first quest was so difficult. He had met the City Lord, yet nothing happened.
Chen Tian listened and then asked, "So, we need to complete the first three stages before we can enter the fourth and face the boss?"
"Yes! This is a segmented, long-term quest that requires time to complete, but the rewards are huge."
"In adventurer mode, the more complex a quest, the better the rewards. It just takes too much time. I'm too lazy to grind for points."
Wu Que Nan Fei waved his hand, indicating he had no interest in grinding points; the quest was more important.
"Alright, let's go see that City Lord together. To Guangyuan City!"
Shu Zi rubbed his hands excitedly, then raised his left hand, his face brimming with enthusiasm.
Chen Tian had no objections. He only hoped it would be over within five days, or this clone would dissipate, and he would be sealed until the event ended.
Guangyuan City was a massive city, comparable in size to a city in the real world. Its silver walls stood tall on the land, reflecting the light like mirrors. The city walls seemed to be made of steel rather than earth.
The three walked through Guangyuan City, encountering countless players of all sorts. Chen Tian donned his black cloak; elves were too eye-catching. He needed to conceal himself while on the quest to avoid drawing attention. Otherwise, it might increase the game difficulty for Shu Zi and Wu Que Nan Fei, and they could face a mob if discovered.
Chen Tian and his companions walked along a serene road with silver ground, devoid of dirt. The surrounding buildings appeared real, and the shops were bustling with activity. NPCs and players conversed constantly. The trio arrived before the City Lord's mansion.
The City Lord's mansion was located in the center of Guangyuan City. The mansion alone occupied an area as large as a royal palace. It was a towering structure with silver walls. Soldiers stood like bamboo outside the gate, unmoving.
Led by Wu Que Nan Fei, Chen Tian and Shu Zi easily entered the City Lord's mansion. Since Wu Que Nan Fei held the quest, the guards did not dare to intercept or obstruct them.
Inside the City Lord's mansion, a vast hall stretched before them. At the front of the hall stood a magnificent man. He appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, with a face that showed his age but retained its dignity. His earlobes were fleshy, and his eyes held a sharp glint. He wore a blue t-shirt, had short hair, a high nose bridge, and a distinct aura that set him apart.
"My Lord City Lord, we have come by invitation! Apologies for the intrusion!" Wu Que Nan Fei bowed politely. The City Lord slowly rose and spoke, "Adventurer, the East has the Ghost Monument, disturbing the world. The West has the Town Beast, disturbing the peace. The East has the Sea List, with violent tsunamis. The North has the Stars, in chaos. The Center is in disorder, unable to execute."
After speaking, the City Lord fell silent and sat down again. Wu Que Nan Fei waved his hand. "See? This is what happens. No matter what I ask, this is his reply. It doesn't seem related to the quest, does it?"
"I've investigated all four directions, and the conclusion is that it seems unrelated to this quest. What do you think?" Wu Que Nan Fei looked at Chen Tian and Shu Zi, utterly confused by the City Lord's words.
Chen Tian and Shu Zi fell into thought. Then Chen Tian asked, "Wu Que Nan Fei, have you looked for any clues nearby?"
"No, this hall is so empty, I didn't think there would be anything." Wu Que Nan Fei looked troubled. Why was this first plot quest so difficult?
Chen Tian shook his head and began to survey the entire City Lord's hall. There had to be some clue, or these words would be meaningless. He wandered around, but found nothing. Wu Que Nan Fei impatiently said, "Stop looking, Chen Tian. There's nothing here. It's not like I haven't searched."
"Don't rush. There must be a clue; we just haven't noticed the details," Chen Tian murmured, his mind racing through various scenarios. Suddenly, a scene flashed in his mind.
Chen Tian smiled. This scenario had a high probability of being correct. He walked towards the City Lord. The City Lord's eyes seemed vacant as he looked at Chen Tian. Chen Tian noticed something strange. NPCs, even without consciousness, shouldn't act like this. This City Lord seemed like a puppet, which was peculiar.
He began to examine the City Lord closely and discovered a sunken floor tile beneath the City Lord's seat. Chen Tian slowly reached out and removed the tile, revealing a silver-white badge. The badge was silver-white, shield-shaped, with intricate silver patterns etched along its edges. In the center of the shield badge was inscribed: "Lie!"
Chen Tian looked around but found no other items. He then approached Wu Que Nan Fei and presented the badge. "See what this is. We can't inspect item information during adventurer quests."
"Alright!" Wu Que Nan Fei was surprised. There was finally a clue, but it was hidden so well. Under the City Lord's seat, who would have thought? NPCs were supposed to have thoughts. If one accidentally lowered their favorability, it could affect the quest. Favorability was a mechanism only present in adventurer mode. The higher the favorability with an NPC, the better the quests they offered, and the lower the favorability, the worse the treatment. Wu Que Nan Fei never considered offending the City Lord, as the quest still needed to be completed, and affecting the rewards would be bad.
Wu Que Nan Fei then tapped the silver-white shield badge, and an interface appeared, visible only to him. He then smiled. "This is the City Lord's Badge. With this badge, we can command a Holy Knight to protect us."
"Is that all? If this is the information, what will the Holy Knight do to help us?" Wu Que Nan Fei pondered. Chen Tian thought calmly and then understood. All the events and clues could now be partially connected.
"Wu Que Nan Fei, let's go find a Holy Knight. That should trigger the quest, if I'm not mistaken," Chen Tian said confidently. Wu Que Nan Fei nodded. Holy Knights were a branch of the knight profession. The guards at the City Lord's mansion were generally Holy Knights. So, Chen Tian and his companions would likely encounter them outside. As Wu Que Nan Fei approached a Holy Knight and was about to speak, Chen Tian stopped him.
"Wu Que Nan Fei," Chen Tian said calmly, "ask them who the most powerful Holy Knight here is. Perhaps these guards won't trigger the quest. I have a feeling it has to be the most powerful one."
"Alright!" Wu Que Nan Fei took the badge and approached a guard. He tapped the guard on the shoulder. The guard, startled like an animal, immediately came to his senses, drew his sword, and turned around. He saw Wu Que Nan Fei and sheathed his sword, speaking sternly, "Adventurer, is there something you require?"
"Hello, esteemed Guard. I wish to inquire who is the most powerful guard or commander here? I need to ask some questions." The Knight Guard's face was cold and expressionless. "Adventurer, I apologize, but Sir Dekai Knight only meets with the City Lord. I am not permitted to disclose such information!"
(The update for chapter ten thousand is too slow, so I'm changing it to three thousand characters per chapter. If the collection exceeds ten, I will increase today's update to six thousand characters for a burst update. I hope for your continued support. Thank you all.)