Earth.
Inside the room.
Li Zhen opened his eyes from the bed.
The first thing he did was look at his Attribute Panel.
【Li Zhen】
【Level 1 Life Protector】
【Origin Point: 1】
After completing this beginner mission, his Origin Points had indeed increased by one again.
“My goal is to copy the capabilities of a Fighter Jet. I need three Origin Points, so there is no rush for now.” This was what he had decided from the beginning.
Flying was the dream of every mortal. Moreover, after gaining the ability to fly, he could quickly escape any dangers he might encounter on the ground.
Therefore, he could not use his Origin Points recklessly.
Otherwise, using this one Origin Point to Copy a Level 1 Machine would be a complete waste.
If possible, he even wanted to save an Origin Point for emergencies in the future.
……
Then, during his usual free time, Li Zhen continued going to the mountain forest to practice sniping as usual.
However, this time he was no longer shooting stationary targets.
Stationary targets were no longer difficult for him.
He specifically studied materials on learning how to snipe and discovered that professional snipers all had to shoot live targets.
“That’s right. No enemy would stand there and let you shoot them. The Opponents I encounter in the future will definitely be very strong, so I’ll practice shooting live targets first.”
However, shooting live targets left Li Zhen in a difficult position.
He was kindhearted. His first choice of live targets was naturally Birds or running animals, but that conflicted with his conscience.
“There’s no need for false compassion. Every second, countless chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep die on Earth. Isn’t it ridiculous to pity animals here?”
“I can buy chickens and ducks and use them for practice. After all, purchased chickens and ducks are different from wild Birds.”
“Before Life, all people are equal. Could animals really be divided into high and low status?”
“They are all Life. There is no difference.”
“There is only the distinction between Beasts and humans.”
“Killing is done to protect Life. I’m killing these small animals now to improve my sniping abilities so that I can better protect human lives in the future. One human life is worth far more than an animal’s life.”
“Besides, by killing these animals, I might help them escape the Beast realm sooner and be reborn into the human realm.”
After consoling himself like this, Li Zhen indeed stopped feeling Entangled.
He was a kind person, but he was not purely benevolent.
“Bang, bang, bang~”
Gunshots soon rang out in the mountain forest.
A bird flying over the water was shot straight through the head, exploding into pieces as blood and flesh scattered everywhere.
Good!
Li Zhen discovered that shooting living creatures made him somewhat exhilarated.
The feeling was like a fish biting a hook.
Calm down. Calm down.
He could not let instinct control him.
After sensing his primitive instincts stirring, he quickly regained his composure.
The Gunshots startled many Birds in the nearby forest.
Li Zhen hit several Birds, but some of them escaped.
The latter few had only been grazed by bullets as they flew past.
Moving targets were indeed more difficult than stationary ones.
“Very good.” However, this further aroused Li Zhen’s competitive spirit.
For the next month, he practiced shooting live targets here.
Most of his targets were Birds flying in the sky. He shot small animals in the forest less often. After all, Birds were more conspicuous, while ground-dwelling Rabbits and the like were not only hidden and well-concealed, but also fewer in number than Birds.
Li Zhen’s progress was rapid. By the end of the month, he could hit moving targets with complete accuracy.
But he did not become arrogant.
His requirements for himself became increasingly strict, and his targets grew smaller and smaller, such as dragonflies over the lake or bees in flight.
A month passed quickly, and Li Zhen received his second beginner Mission.
Inside the room.
Li Zhen’s consciousness gradually blurred.
【Mission: Earn One hundred million taels of silver within one year】
When Li Zhen woke up again, he discovered that he had possessed the body of a young man named Huang Facai.
Huang Facai was a down-and-out merchant. Except for an old servant who followed him, he had no relatives at all. His Entire Body of possessions amounted to only a little over three hundred taels. Yet, like Kong Yiji, although he was destitute, he Still insisted on wearing magnificent clothes.
According to the memories in his mind, the common folk here earned roughly five to thirty taels a year.
A moderately prosperous household earned between fifty and two hundred taels.
A wealthy household earned between two hundred and one thousand taels.
Rich merchants earned more than one thousand taels per year.
“Earning One hundred million taels of silver within a year—this Mission is truly severe.” Li Zhen sighed inwardly.
This was certainly no small goal.
This place was likewise an era resembling the Tang Dynasty. Li Zhen took a Look around at the old servant beside him, pondered for a moment, and then had an idea.
Fugui was the old servant of the Huang Family. Ever since the Huang Family had fallen into decline, Fugui had not left. Instead, he had remained loyal to Huang Facai.
To him, once he had been a servant of the Huang Family for one day, he would be a servant of the Huang Family for life. Even if Huang Facai drove him away, he could not bear to leave.
At his age, where else could he go? The Huang Family was his home. Wherever Master went, he went. Even if they had no food in the future, he would beg for food for Master.
It had to be said that Fugui was a qualified servant.
And from that day onward, Fugui suddenly noticed that his Master seemed to have changed.
“Fugui, do not show yourself for now. I’m going to the village ahead to buy pigeons,” Li Zhen said to Fugui.
There was a village ahead. What made this village special was that nearly every household raised pigeons.
This was ancient times, and pigeons were crucial for sending letters, so raising pigeons was a profitable occupation with little risk of loss.
“Yes, Master.” Fugui did not understand why his Master, who had been perfectly fine, had suddenly stopped setting up a stall to write for people and instead run off to the village to buy pigeons.
Although he did not understand, he only needed to do as Master said.
Inside the village.
As soon as he entered the village, Li Zhen asked the villagers about the price of pigeons.
“One hundred Wenqian for a homing pigeon,” one villager replied.
At this time, a Steamed bun cost two Wenqian, while a chicken cost approximately thirty Wenqian. In other words, a homing pigeon cost roughly three times as much as a chicken.
It was undeniably expensive.
“How many pigeons does your family have?”
“Only ten that can fly.”
“I’m in a hurry. I’ll take all ten. Hurry up—I’ll give you one hundred and ten Wenqian for each.”
“Certainly, please wait.” The villager was overjoyed and hurried off to catch the pigeons.
Before leaving, he even sold Li Zhen a pigeon cage for ten Wenqian.
Soon, Li Zhen hurried away from there carrying a cage full of pigeons, making the villagers think he really was in a hurry.
After Li Zhen left, the villager went around the village showing off to the others.
“You don’t know this, but today there was a gullible fool who was in such a hurry that he spent an extra ten Wenqian buying my pigeons. Ten pigeons in total, earning me an extra one hundred Wenqian for nothing. He had nothing to put the pigeons in, so I sold him a cage before he left too. Hahahaha!” By the end, the villager was laughing smugly.
The other villagers were all extremely envious when they heard this.
Li Zhen carried the pigeons back.
“Master, you bought so many pigeons. How much did each one cost?” Fugui asked.
“One hundred and ten Wenqian each. Ten of them cost one thousand one hundred Wenqian in total, plus the cage, making one thousand one hundred and ten Wenqian.”
Hiss~
Fugui drew in a sharp breath. “Master, what are you going to do with so many pigeons?”
“I’m having you sell them in the neighboring village.”
“Go to the neighboring village and sell them for one hundred and fifty Wenqian each.”
“Yes, Master.”
Fugui thought his Master intended to engage in buying low and selling high, and he was rather hopeful.
Perhaps his Master really was born to be a merchant.
The next day, Fugui returned with a mournful expression and said to Li Zhen, “Master, they said the current market price for pigeons is at most one hundred Wenqian each. You told me to sell them for one hundred and fifty, so nobody will buy them.”
Li Zhen reassured him, “It’s fine. I want you to be unable to sell them. Don’t worry; just keep selling.”
Fugui felt that something was wrong, but this was his Master’s order, so he did not dare say anything more.
At worst, they would lose all their money, and he would eventually have to beg for food for Master. He had already prepared himself for that, so he was not afraid.
After several days, Li Zhen returned to the pigeon village and released the Message: “I’m in a hurry. I’m willing to pay two hundred Wenqian per pigeon for one hundred pigeons. Today only. No offers after the deadline.”
At first, everyone still refused to believe it.
The price of pigeons was at most one hundred Wenqian. How could anyone buy them for two hundred? Could this be a scam?
“It isn’t fake. It’s true. I sold them to him that day.” The villager who had sold the ten pigeons that day stepped forward and said this.
After learning the truth, the other villagers believed it as well.
They all wanted to sell their family’s pigeons to Li Zhen.
One household had ten, another had twenty. After gathering them from various sources, they soon assembled one hundred pigeons.
The villagers jumped for joy, while Li Zhen cheerfully carried the pigeons away.
After returning, Li Zhen gave the pigeons to Fugui. Fugui took them to the neighboring village and sold each one for two hundred Wenqian.
Half a month later, Li Zhen returned to the pigeon village to buy pigeons again, offering the astronomical price of three hundred Wenqian each.
This time he wanted far more—fully one thousand pigeons.
The villagers Exclaimed in surprise, followed by overwhelming excitement.
Those who had not sold to Li Zhen last time brought out every pigeon they had. Although the price was somewhat absurd this time, the villagers, already blinded by greed, did not think much about it.
As long as they could sell them, they would sell them all. The money was going into their own pockets, after all.
After Li Zhen pushed away a cartload of pigeons, the villagers remained immersed in their excited Mood.
As usual, Li Zhen handed this cartload of pigeons to Fugui and had him take them to the neighboring village to sell.
“Master, I haven’t sold a single pigeon after all these days. I’ve brought shame upon you,” Fugui said guiltily.
He did not think this was Li Zhen’s problem, placing all the blame on himself instead.
“It’s fine. You’ll be able to sell them soon. Don’t worry yet,” Li Zhen reassured him.
Another half a month later, Li Zhen went to the village to buy pigeons again.
This time, he directly offered the astronomical price of five hundred Wenqian per pigeon.
This price completely broke through the villagers’ mental limits. Although they found it utterly absurd, Li Zhen had paid them every time before and had not deceived them, so they did not doubt him.
Pity, all the pigeons in the village had been bought by Li Zhen last time. No matter how red their eyes became, there was nothing they could do.
“Don’t rush. Think of a way. I’ll come again in a few days. I hope that by then you’ll have prepared the pigeons I want. Remember, this time I want two thousand.” After saying this, Li Zhen swaggered away.
“I know someone in the neighboring village who is selling pigeons!”
After Li Zhen left, one villager stepped forward and said this.
They went to the neighboring village.
Thus, all the villagers hurried to the neighboring village. As soon as they arrived, they saw Fugui selling pigeons there.
“How much are your pigeons per bird?” a villager asked.
“Four hundred Wenqian each,” Fugui replied.
“Wow, that’s expensive.” The villagers were startled by the price.
But then they thought of Li Zhen’s offer of five hundred Wenqian per pigeon. If they bought them here and sold them there, they could earn one hundred Wenqian for free on every round trip.
After discussing it, everyone felt it was feasible.
Thus, they waved their hands generously and bought them all.
Fugui stared blankly at the frenzied villagers and the money they kept stuffing into his arms. Only after the villagers had all left did he come back to his senses.
The pigeons before him were already completely gone, while the money pouch in his arms was exceptionally heavy.
One thousand Wenqian equaled One tael of silver, and the pouch contained a full four hundred taels.
Most of it was in individual Wenqian coins, though there were also some One tael of silver pieces.
“I’m rich! I’m rich!”
He looked at the money in his pouch and stood there grinning foolishly.
That evening, when Fugui returned, he excitedly placed the pouch of money before Li Zhen. “Master, they’re sold! Every last one is sold!” His hands were still trembling with excitement.
On one hand, he was genuinely excited. On the other, he was happy because his Master was finally going to turn things around.
“Very good. Let’s go. We’re not staying here anymore.” Li Zhen said this to Fugui, then took him away that very night.
As for the villagers of the pigeon village, they waited and waited for several months, yet they never saw Li Zhen return.
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