"Thank you."
Facing this woman who could slaughter a Disguiser like a dog, Yan Jing displayed perfect politeness.
[You have earned some goodwill from the inner world resident before you. This may aid you in future tasks.]
The Inner World System popped up.
"This is an Order Note."
The woman pulled a purple-gold note from her pocket, handed it to Yan Jing, and turned to leave:
"An Ze will bring you the remaining top-three rewards in a moment."
[You have received a gift from an inner world resident.]
[Item Name: Order Note]
[Quality: Purple][Tier Requirement: First Tier]
[Effect: Compels the Order Management Bureau to fulfill one request for you, provided it does not violate the Bureau's order.]
[Description: A note distributed by the main headquarters of the Order Management Bureau to reward those who have assisted them. However, this one seems slightly different; it appears to be someone's private collection.]
Yan Jing put the note away and watched the woman leave. The youthful boy remained where he was, smiling as he extended a hand toward Yan Jing.
"I'm An Ze. Come with me to the Bureau now, and I'll give you the other rewards."
"Thank you, Officer An Ze."
Yan Jing spoke with utmost sincerity, causing An Ze to scratch his head in embarrassment.
"I... I'm not exactly an officer..."
Yan Jing shook his head.
"You may not be one now, but you definitely will be in the future."
An Ze's eyes went wide.
"No wonder the boss was willing to talk to you. You really have a way with words for a human."
"Does that officer not like to talk much?" Yan Jing asked.
Hearing this, An Ze looked left and right before lowering his voice.
"Keep it down. The boss doesn't like people talking about her."
"Let me tell you, you really lucked out this time. The boss specifically offered this Order Note as a reward just so she could get a promotion. Back in the training camp, she had to take first place for fifteen consecutive terms just to earn it."
Yan Jing nodded.
"Then I'll have to treasure it."
"You bet."
An Ze nodded in deep agreement.
"Once the boss makes it big in the future, taking this note to her might just save your life. She places a lot of value on past favors."
"Let's go. I'll take you to get your things."
...
...
Rotten Vegetable Market.
Xu Weizhou found a protruding stone to sit on and wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead.
He hadn't rested once since entering the Dungeon, constantly searching for relevant clues.
But he had very little to show for it.
First, a clue already reported by someone else couldn't be submitted again. Second, they only had one chance to submit a clue.
The clues he had found so far didn't feel crucial, and he wanted to keep looking for something better.
He didn't dare hope for the top three rewards, but getting a few decent items would make this trip worthwhile.
He just didn't know why he hadn't seen Old Yan today. Perhaps the message he'd sent had worked.
"That's for the best."
He pressed his cracked lips together, staring at the ground as he muttered, "Old Yan, oh Old Yan... just go. Go as far away as you can. Stay away from this rotten circle."
"What are you muttering about all by yourself, Wei Zhou?"
Lin Mian's voice came from the side. Xu Weizhou hurriedly stood up from the stone and offered a sheepish smile.
"Nothing, Brother Mian. I just got tired from searching for clues and was taking a quick break."
Back in the Surface World, his Family had already forced him to bow his head and apologize to Lin Mian. After entering the Inner World, he had taken the initiative to apologize again, but clearly, Lin Mian wasn't going to let him off that easily.
"Are you very tired, Wei Zhou?"
A smile appeared on Lin Mian's face beneath his Black Robe.
"You're the only person in our team right now who isn't wounded. How can you call yourself tired?"
At his words, the four people beside Lin Mian immediately shot him hostile glares.
An Ranran even stepped forward and tossed a dirty towel she had just used to wipe herself down directly at Xu Weizhou.
"Wash this for me."
One of the aftereffects of growing black fur was excessive sweating, and the sweat was usually accompanied by a nauseating, fishy stench.
"Sure thing."
Xu Weizhou nodded subserviently and picked up the towel. He was just about to turn and leave when Lin Mian called out from behind him:
"Wei Zhou, did you see Yan Jing after coming in here?"
"N-no... I haven't seen him."
Xu Weizhou turned back around, a smile plastered on his face.
"Old Yan should be busy. After all, Brother Mian, as you know, he's just an ordinary person now. He's completely out of the loop on information, so just surviving in the Dungeon is already hard enough for him."
"Is that so?"
A ruthless edge seeped into Lin Mian's smile. "I actually think he's quite well-informed. Once we get our rewards, let's all go find him for a little chat."
"Agreed."
An Ranran laughed, and the others around them also revealed malicious smiles.
Xu Weizhou forced a few dry laughs, turned around, and walked toward a vegetable stall with a running faucet.
Listening to the jeering crowd behind him, the smile vanished from Xu Weizhou's face, his eyes turning as dark and gloomy as a deep pool.
He truly wanted to turn around and beat them all to a pulp, but he simply couldn't.
Setting aside how he would explain it to the Family, one against five left him with zero chance of winning.
And this was before any of them had initiated their Ritual.
He'd heard that Lin Mian's Family had paid a massive price to feed him crucial clues in advance this time. Once Lin Mian used a yellow-quality item to initiate his Ritual, the gap between the two of them would only grow wider and wider.
Those with more resources would only gain even more resources. This was the survival law of the Clans.
His grip on the towel tightened, then slowly relaxed.
'Forget it. Some things are decided at birth.'
He walked over to the faucet, crouched down, and let the icy water splash over his hands, his gaze somewhat distant.
Perhaps Old Yan was right. Should he just run away from home too? But without the Family's support, he might die in the very next Dungeon...
His future felt like a blinding fog, until a voice suddenly pierced his ears:
"All humans, attention!"
"All humans, attention!"
"All humans, attention!"
"..."
At once, the players around the market raised their heads, looking at a youthful boy standing on a wooden crate with a megaphone. They didn't understand what had happened this time.
"Ahem!"
The boy held a piece of paper in his hands, with a few words scribbled on it as a makeshift script.
This was clearly a spur-of-the-moment announcement, far less prepared than when tasks were normally issued.
"Thanks to the outstanding contributions of a certain human, the current crisis in Rotten Vegetable Village has been properly resolved. We hereby thank all humans for your assistance and hard work."
"For those humans who have already submitted clues, the Bureau will distribute the corresponding rewards."
"And for those humans who have not yet provided clues, in recognition of your hard work, the Bureau has decided to pull from our reserves and reward each player with 200 Eerie Coins."
"The names of all clue providers for this event will be publicly posted for one day. You may go to the Bureau to check it yourselves."
Having said his piece, the boy strutted off, leaving the crowd completely bewildered.
Soon, before anyone could react, Inner World System prompts popped up in front of them all.
[Due to the exceptional performance of a certain player, the crisis in Rotten Vegetable Village has been resolved early. The task 'I Have a Clue' has ended prematurely and is now undergoing settlement.]
[The task 'Dangerous Village' remains unchanged. Players, please continue your efforts to survive and live in Rotten Vegetable Village for over 24 hours.]
[Below is the list of players who provided clues (A copy of the Order Management Bureau's public notice)]
The crowd looked at the list, their expressions instantly turning blank with shock.
At the very top of the list, a single name dominated the top spot.
[Name: Yan Jing. Clue Provided: Identified the killer.]
"Yan Jing... who's that?" someone in the crowd asked.
But no one answered.
"What was the reward for identifying the killer again?" another person asked.
Although no one answered this time either, the question was like a massive boulder crashing into a deep pool, churning up waves throughout the crowd.
Everyone instantly snapped to their senses, breaking into heated discussions.
The reward for identifying the killer this time was the sum of all the top three rewards combined!
In other words, Yan Jing alone had just obtained three yellow-quality items with no tier requirement!!!
This was simply too absurd!
Using a yellow-quality item for the Day Selection Ritual would directly grant an extra ability compared to white and Green items. Such a massive gap meant its value was unimaginably high.
A yellow-quality item with no tier requirement like this was usually priceless and entirely unavailable on the market! Even with money, it was incredibly hard to buy!
Whenever one appeared, those from the great Clans would definitely fight over it. It was equivalent to manufacturing a genius out of thin air, letting them win right at the starting line!
"That's impossible!!!"
Lin Mian finally snapped out of his daze, gasping for air like a drowning man.
He stared at the name at the very top of the list in absolute disbelief, his features twisting into a hideous scowl.
Just a moment ago, he had been fantasizing about how he would ascend to the heavens in a single bound after securing that head for his Day Selection Ritual. But now, all of those dreams had burst like bubbles.
This was completely unacceptable to him.
On the other side, upon seeing this message, Xu Weizhou was first shocked, then overjoyed, but a second later, he fell into deep thought.
No, this wasn't good news just yet.
Realization dawned on him, and a wave of intense anxiety instantly surged in his heart.
'Old Yan, run!!!'
In a corner of the market.
Mu Wan adjusted her glasses and smiled at the muscular man beside her.
"Let's go. Let's find this guy named Yan Jing for a little chat. I admit, I might have misjudged him last time."
On a recliner at a stall, a man wearing dinosaur pajamas sat up. Listening to the thunderous snores of the stall owner beside him, he chuckled.
"I've finally pinpointed my target."
He hadn't planned on wasting his energy looking for clues to begin with. Yan Jing ending the task early was actually good news to him.
And at this moment, Lin Mian also finally realized the situation.
The crisis was resolved, but the 'Dangerous Village' task wasn't over yet. In other words, the rules of the game had changed.
"Yan Jing, is it..."
He let out a sinister laugh, the black horn on his forehead faintly visible.
"I hope those yellow items of yours are somewhat useful. Otherwise, you're going to die a very miserable death. I'll make you regret ever being born into this world."
"Let's go. Let's find our first-place winner for a chat."
Watching Lin Mian and the others already starting to search for Yan Jing, Xu Weizhou turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. He had to find Yan Jing before they did.
'Hide, Old Yan. Whatever you do, don't come out.'
...
"Congratulations, you can leave now!"
An Order Officer in uniform opened the door to the confinement room.
Inside the cramped space, a well-proportioned man in a white shirt sat on the single small chair.
The moment the door opened and the light poured in, the camera on his head seemed to light up as well.
"Thank you, officer."
He smiled, nodded, and stood up.
"May everything go smoothly for you."