Chương 11: Armguard's Secret Voice

After a full night of solid rest, the tension and exhaustion that had built up over the previous day had completely faded. Morning light streamed through the window of his small rented room, warm and bright. Yang Fan felt refreshed and energized, his spirits high. He put on his game helmet and logged back into Mystic Wasteland Dao Realm. With a flash of white light, his character materialized on the bustling bluestone streets of Baishi County.

The streets were lively, with shops lining both sides and vendors calling out their wares. The hum of conversation and laughter filled the air, thick with the atmosphere of a thriving town. Yang Fan did not head straight to the county office to turn in his quest. Instead, he deliberately avoided the crowded areas and slipped into a quiet, secluded alley on the western side of the county. The alley was narrow, its walls covered in mottled green moss. Weeds grew along the base of the walls.

Few players or NPCs ever passed through here. It was quiet, safe, and free from prying eyes. Yang Fan took a deep breath, opened his backpack, and pulled out the pair of bronze Abyssal Spring Armguards he had looted from the Black Snake lord's body. Their blue glow pulsed faintly, the surface engraved with fine, ancient patterns. They felt cool and smooth to the touch, their quality far beyond ordinary Bronze equipment. He stared at the pair, his curiosity burning. These were no ordinary starter items.

The stronghold lord, a hidden boss whose level he could not even read, had died instantly the moment he put both armguards on. If they could kill a high-level powerhouse, they had to contain some incredible secret. Yang Fan turned the armguards over and over, examining every detail, from the surface patterns to the edges and joints. No matter how closely he looked, he could find nothing unusual. No abnormal fluctuations, no hidden prompts, no secret attributes. They appeared completely ordinary.

He stood in the quiet alley, frowning, torn with indecision.

"They look completely normal, but they killed a boss instantly. If I put them on and trigger whatever curse they carry, will I just die on the spot and lose a level?" The cost of dying was real, but he had already died several times. Losing a bit of experience was nothing. If he could unlock the secret behind these armguards and gain the ability to instantly kill high-level enemies, he would be unstoppable. Fortune favored the bold.

Yang Fan made up his mind, took a deep breath, and slid both bronze armguards onto his arms. The moment the pair clicked into place, a deafening hum exploded inside his skull, like a thunderclap striking his very soul. Blood trickled from his eyes, nose, and ears, the warm, sticky liquid running down his face. Then, an ancient voice, heavy with millennia of sorrow and defiance, echoed in the depths of his being.

"My grandfather led our tribe through the ancient age, fighting men, beasts, and heaven itself. We won every battle, but the cost was unspeakable. Only the old, the weak, and the wounded remained. And even they could not escape the curse that slowly withered them away. What was the point of such a victory? I rose to become the chief official of the White Tiger Temple, but the soldiers under my command were all foreigners. Our tribe's sacrifices had bought nothing but rule by outsiders and our own slow extinction.

How absurd. I resigned and traveled across the Kunlun Mountains, searching for a way to break the curse and preserve our people. I found nothing. Was our ancient bloodline truly doomed to vanish? I raged against heaven itself, and heaven answered, offering a single solution. How ironic. After all my wandering, I had returned to where I started. Perhaps she was right all along. Perhaps I was the wrong one. But will walking that path really save us? I am leaving now, and I will not return.

I leave behind this pair of bronze armguards. Whoever finds them, deliver them to my only disciple, Ying Yao." The ancient voice faded, the ringing in his skull subsided, and the bleeding stopped. A crisp system notification followed.

"You have triggered a hidden ancient secret. Epic quest received: Return the Bronze Armguards." Yang Fan snapped back to reality, his eyes blazing with excitement. He could not help but burst out laughing. This was no ordinary item. It had given him an epic hidden quest! His laughter was cut short as the movement pulled at the still-tender wounds on his face, and he winced in pain. He quickly opened his status panel. His max HP was 50, and he had only 10 remaining. Just accepting the quest had cost him 40 HP.

He recalled the stronghold lord from the day before. The man must have already been heavily wounded, his HP below 40, and the armguards had finished him off. But even at low HP, that lord was still a boss-level monster. A level 6 weakling like him would not have lasted a single exchange.

"Chief official of the White Tiger Temple..."

"Ancient curse..."

"Disciple Ying Yao..." Yang Fan muttered the words to himself, his mind full of questions. The owner of that voice had to be a top-tier NPC. Even a lingering echo of his words had drained most of his health. But the quest gave no clue about Ying Yao's location. How was he supposed to find someone with no leads? He thought for a moment and came up with a plan. The magistrate of Baishi County knew the region well. If anyone had information on Ying Yao, it would be him.

Plus, he still needed to turn in the investigation quest. He turned and walked quickly toward the county office at the center of town. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. The wide bluestone streets were bustling with activity, shops and stalls lining both sides. Yang Fan walked briskly through the lively crowds and soon reached the imposing county office. The moment he stepped through the threshold, the magistrate looked up from his desk.

A broad smile spread across the official's face, and he rose from his seat, walking quickly to greet Yang Fan with enthusiastic warmth.

"Remarkable, young hero! Set Sail! I knew I had judged you correctly! Beneath your unassuming appearance lies a peerless warrior! Yesterday you ventured into the mountains alone, like a tiger descending from its lair, and you slew the lord of the Black Snake stronghold, a menace that has plagued our borders for years! With his death, every outlaw in the region now trembles in fear! On behalf of the people of Baishi County, I thank you for ridding us of this scourge!" Yang Fan stood frozen, utterly stunned.

A flood of system notifications followed.

"Congratulations. You have perfectly completed the main quest: Investigate the Black Snake Stronghold's Collusion with the Mianzhu Rong Tribe."

"Quest Rating: Legendary."

"Rewards granted: Complete Qi Clan Bronze Equipment Set."

"Rewards granted: Imperial Military Rank: Hundred Commander." The rewards kept coming, and Yang Fan's mind went blank. He had done nothing. He had slipped into the stronghold, pretended to be a loyal follower, and watched the lord die from his own equipment. He had not lifted a finger. And yet, he had cleared the quest with the highest possible rating. Listening to the magistrate, it seemed the official was attributing the lord's death entirely to him. What incredible luck.

He had been frustrated yesterday at falling behind the main player base, but now it seemed all that effort had been worth it. While others mindlessly ground for levels, he had risen from a commoner to an imperial officer. He mentally reviewed the empire's military rank hierarchy: Soldier, Squad Leader, Section Leader, Banner Leader, Hundred Commander, Five Hundred Commander, Major, Prefectural Commander, Deputy General, General, Grand General, Pillar of State.

It was a steep, rigorous ladder, and most players would spend ages climbing from the lowest ranks. Yet he had jumped straight to a Hundred Commander, a figure who commanded one hundred soldiers. A true leap through the dragon gate. Pushing down his excitement, he opened his backpack to inspect his new equipment. Attribute Value Name Qi Clan Standard Sword Quality Bronze Physical Attack 30 Level Requirement 10 Note Forged by the Qi Clan's exclusive smith. A standard, high-quality family blade.

Attribute Value Name Qi Clan Chest Armor Quality Bronze Physical Defense 30 Magic Defense 30 Level Requirement 10 Note Forged by the Qi Clan's exclusive smith. A versatile and sturdy chest piece. Attribute Value Name Qi Clan Leg Guards Quality Bronze Physical Defense 15 Magic Defense 15 Level Requirement 10 Note Forged by the Qi Clan's exclusive smith. Lightweight and durable. Attribute Value Name Qi Clan Armguards Quality Bronze Spirit 15 Level Requirement 10 Note Forged by the Qi Clan's exclusive smith.

Standard-issue armguards. Attribute Value Name Qi Clan Boots Quality Bronze Agility 15 Level Requirement 10 Note Forged by the Qi Clan's exclusive smith. Enhances speed and maneuverability. A full Bronze set, offering comprehensive boosts to attack, defense, spirit, and agility. At level 10, it would be practically unbeatable. Yang Fan's excitement grew, but then his eyes caught the notes on each item. Qi Clan. Every piece came from the Qi Clan.

And the stronghold lord from yesterday, the mysterious boss, was clearly a member of that clan. A new question surfaced. He turned to the smiling magistrate and asked cautiously, "May I ask your family name, Magistrate?" The magistrate stroked his beard and replied calmly, "My surname is Cheng. My ancestors were a branch of the ancient Jiuli tribe." So he was not from the Qi Clan. Yang Fan grew more curious.

"Since you are not from the Qi Clan, how did you come by this Qi Clan equipment?" The magistrate's smile remained.

"Hundred Commander, after you slew the stronghold lord yesterday, chaos erupted within the stronghold. The second and third bosses fought bitterly over the leadership, each backed by their loyal followers. In the end, both died in the infighting, and the stronghold's elite forces were decimated. Our county troops seized the opportunity, marched in, and wiped out the remnants. We recovered this equipment from the lord's body. The lord was slain by you, so the credit belongs to you.

It is only fitting that the equipment be yours as well." Yang Fan listened to the full story and could not help but shake his head with a wry smile. He had never expected the game's storylines to be so dramatic. The second and third bosses had destroyed each other over a succession dispute. It was hard to believe. The lord's bizarre death had triggered a bizarre internal war, which in turn had delivered him a monumental reward, a full Bronze set, and an official imperial title. This game was truly fascinating.

The freedom of its narrative was astounding.