121 Joining the Carefree Valley

As per usual, I make three requests! Please vote, please recommend, and please add to your library—please, please, please, please add to your library!

Upon hearing the woodcutter’s words, the crowd dispersed in a flurry, with the Xu brothers using their lightness skills to flee the scene immediately. Recalling the opening plot of the game, Yang Tang drifted with the tide, jogging until he reached the vicinity of the hunting grounds before stopping.

"Help!" a girl cried out.

Given Yang Tang’s nature, he wouldn't necessarily rush in to play the hero, but knowing this was part of the opening sequence, he hurried toward the sound. After a brief verbal exchange, Yang Tang learned that the bandit leader was named Qiu Ba. Yang Tang introduced himself and urged the girl who had called for help, Qi Li, to flee while he held the line. Qiu Ba attempted to block her, but fortunately, Gu Yuexuan, the eldest disciple of the Xiaoyao Valley, leaped out, ushered Qi Li away from the fray, and declared his admiration for Yang Tang’s character, offering to fight by his side.

The battle commenced.

"Insight reached: Formal combat scenarios utilize a turn-based system. Fixed attack skills 'Scar-Fisted Strike' and 'Sniper Aim' are unavailable!"

Damn it, isn't this just like a game? Yang Tang cursed inwardly, but there was no helping it; he had to abide by the rules of the dreamscape. Fortunately, his dodging and "Celestial Sound Purification" were still usable. He discovered that the dreamscape categorized "Celestial Sound Purification" as a "tactical" skill, but since its tactical point cost was zero, it could be activated at any time. While not as potent as the "debuff removal" effects found in certain internal arts, it was decent enough.

The rest was simple. With Gu Yuexuan protecting him, Yang Tang and his companion easily took on Qiu Ba and his minions. The key was that Gu Yuexuan’s internal energy was monstrously powerful. His combat style had three effects: "Peng Soars a Thousand Miles" restored 6% of health and 5% of internal energy each turn, with 20% of damage absorbed by internal energy; "Peng Spreads Wings" protected allies within one square; and "Peng Counterattacks" granted "Tyrant Body" after a counterattack was triggered!

Yang Tang stayed close to Gu Yuexuan, relying on his own dodging and the protection of Gu Yuexuan’s techniques, leaving Qiu Ba and his lackeys to focus their attacks entirely on Gu Yuexuan. Finally, Qiu Ba was knocked unconscious by Gu Yuexuan’s "Wu Song Beats the Tiger" technique and captured.

"Battle Won: Health +8, Internal Energy +2, Attack +1, Defense +1."

Yang Tang was stunned by this Insight notification. He had previously ambushed the Old Beggar, Wudian, and Dongfang Weiming without any such prompts. So, he had to be in a formal, turn-based combat scenario to receive these "rewards"? Realizing this, he was both surprised and delighted. He began to ponder how to engage in more "formal battles" in the future—not for the meager health gains, but for the attack and defense stats. Once those exceeded a thousand, combat would essentially boil down to the power of one’s "techniques" and "internal style."

What are "techniques"? What is an "internal style"?

Techniques refer to the moves learned in a martial art—such as fist, leg, sword, or staff techniques. The most common example is the Tai Chi practiced by the elderly in public squares; the entire set is the technique, while individual movements are the moves.

As for the internal style, it is essentially the special effect of one’s internal energy. Practicing internal arts primarily strengthens internal energy, which in turn nourishes the health, strengthening the body and increasing one's ability to attack and resist damage. Thus, the direct result of practicing internal arts is an increase in health, internal energy, attack, and defense. However, arts that only increase these four attributes are bottom-tier. More advanced internal arts come with special effects, such as health/internal energy regeneration, mimicking other arts, or immunity to poisons. The most exceptional ones can push speed to the limit, like the "Sunflower Manual." All such effects are collectively termed "Internal Style."

For instance, the "Xiaoyao Heart Method: Peng Style" that Gu Yuexuan practiced was a superior internal art in *Legend of Heroes*, especially with its three powerful internal style effects. In contrast, trashy techniques—like the "Golden Goose Art" Yang Tang had drawn as a reward—only had two effects: "Golden Goose Across the Sky" provided a fixed 20% dodge bonus, and "Sunset Goose Flight" increased movement range by one square and action level by one.

Wait a second. Does "Golden Goose Across the Sky" really provide a fixed 20% dodge bonus? Yang Tang’s thoughts wandered. If it really did, combined with his own passive dodging, wouldn't he be invincible? Wait, what was the percentage of his own innate dodge skill?

"Brother, little brother!" Gu Yuexuan, having finished tying up Qiu Ba, saw Yang Tang lost in thought and nudged him. "What is it? Is this your first time fighting others? Are you still unsettled?"

Coming back to his senses, Yang Tang played along, cupping his hands. "Indeed, Brother Gu. If not for your protection today, I, Yang Tang, would likely have met my end!"

"Brother Yang, you speak too modestly. Upholding justice is our duty. It is you, despite your low martial prowess, who showed such courage—that is truly rare."

"You are too kind, Brother Gu!"

After the Luoyang constable, Shi Gang, arrived to haul Qiu Ba away, Gu Yuexuan accompanied Yang Tang to meet the "rescued" girl, Qi Li, and the three of them were officially acquainted. Afterward, Qi Li was called away by Guan Wei. Yang Tang and Gu Yuexuan decided to travel to Luoyang together. Before leaving, Yang Tang wanted to browse Dukan Village a bit more. Gu Yuexuan had no objections and kept him company.

Yang Tang had been in the village for days and had bought most of what he needed, but he hadn't seen the tavern selling wine. He decided to check again after the formal scenario unfolded. Sure enough, the tavern now had a full selection of spirits. He bought them all and drank them down, gaining a few dozen points of health and internal energy—better than nothing.

Next, Yang Tang retrieved the Tiger Whip from his inventory and gave it to Zhaodi, receiving the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" score in exchange. He also gathered chicken, wild boar meat, and carp, traded for a jade pendant from Aunt Fang at the East Village gate, and went to the warehouse by the flower garden. He encountered the severely injured Xiao Kai and, being well-off, bought him the "Millennium Polygonum" (not ten-thousand-year) and received the "Han Guang Sword" as a thank-you.

After completing these tasks, Yang Tang followed his memories from the game to finish the remaining village quests, bought a pill that added 50 attack power from the fortune teller Guo Da, and finally went to the cave, where Gu Yuexuan defeated "He," one of the Four Evils of the Jianghu, opening a few unremarkable treasure chests.

Seeing the time was right, Yang Tang and Gu Yuexuan set off for Luoyang. After admiring the statue of Little Shrimp, they went to the tavern to eat and drink. Yang Tang feigned ignorance of the poison in the wine and drank it first, eventually collapsing to the ground unconscious. When he woke up, he was already in Xiaoyao Valley.

Then began the so-called game cultivation mode. In early September, Yang Tang was officially accepted into Xiaoyao Valley as Wuxiazi’s third disciple. In early September, he learned the Xiaoyao Heart Method. In mid-September, Wuxiazi helped Yang Tang open his Baihui acupoint, adding 100 points each to health and internal energy. In late September, Yang Tang began practicing one of the six basic skills—lightness. By the end of September, he had learned the Xiaoyao Fist, Sword, and Blade techniques.

In October, Yang Tang learned two more basic skills—Hard Gong and Soft Gong—and sparred with his second senior brother, Jing Ji, gaining 1 point each in attributes and combat experience. Since it was a formal spar, his health, internal energy, attack, and defense also increased by a few points.

Afterward, it was a period of intense training. By early November, after a month of hard work, most of Yang Tang’s attributes had risen above twenty, and his internal energy had exceeded thirty points upon entering the valley. His tea ceremony skill even surpassed fifty points, so his master, Wuxiazi, taught him the hidden weapon technique, "Life and Death Talisman"!

Yang Tang was overjoyed. He wondered if the "Guitar Black Evil" could solidify skills, so he asked Insight if it could be used here.

The reply from Insight was like a bucket of cold water: "The selected skill matches the solidified object by 50%. Do you wish to proceed?"

A 50% match? That’s only half! What kind of match rate is that? If he solidified it, who knows what kind of monstrosity it would turn into!

However, having already started, Yang Tang tried to solidify all the techniques he had learned. The results for fist, blade, and sword techniques were even lower—20% to 30%—not even worth looking at.

Frustrated, Yang Tang suddenly remembered something. "Wait! The Black Evil is a musical instrument. What if I solidify a zither technique onto it?"

Insight prompted: "Currently no zither techniques learned!"

Yang Tang: "&"

If there were no zither techniques, he would just have to learn them. Yang Tang wasn't in a hurry, as Xiaoyao Valley had always been on good terms with Wuyou Valley, and one of the Seven Sages of Wuyou, Celestial Sound, was a master of zither techniques. Besides, Yang Tang had to meet another of the Seven Sages, the Flower Addict, to collect her voice!

Right, right, and Wuxiazi’s voice too. Yang Tang truly felt that his cheap master’s voice sounded like a broken gong; how could it possibly be a "perfect voice"?

As it happened, an accidental success occurred. One day, Yang Tang was feeling stiff from training and was wandering around Xiaoyao Valley. He inadvertently saw Wuxiazi fiddling with his flowers and went over to offer a few comments. Finally, Wuxiazi sang to the flower pot: "A little flower!"

Yang Tang covered his ears and tried to flee, but a prompt from Insight appeared: "Wuxiazi has displayed his most emotional singing voice. One of the four perfect voices has been collected!"

Oh, come on! What the hell? That was it?! Can you give me a heads-up next time? You nearly made me wet myself with that high-pitched screech!

Back in his hut, Yang Tang was still shaken, but he had a plan. It seemed that people like the Flower Addict and Gandharva would have to sing their hearts out, and he would have to be present to collect their voices.

Yang Tang pondered deeper and realized that collecting the Flower Addict’s voice wouldn't be difficult, but Gandharva—the famous Hangzhou courtesan Xiang'er—would be slightly harder. The most ridiculous one was Kinnara; that person barely appeared from start to finish. How was he supposed to collect his voice?

A new week, please add to your library, please add to your library, please add to your library!!