novelhk Chapter 26 So you're the city lord, huh?
Chapter 26 So you're the city lord, huh?
Zhaocheng is very large; it took Chen You a full ten minutes to walk from the city gate to the city lord's mansion in the city center.
The buildings lining the streets are rugged in style, mainly constructed of stone and wood. The clanging of hammering metal and the sparks flying from the blacksmith shops are heard.
At the tavern entrance, a drunken orc was being supported by two companions, mumbling something incoherently.
Everything seemed vibrant and full of life, a stark contrast to the deathly stillness Chen You had witnessed upon their first meeting.
The guards at the city lord's mansion were clearly far more elite than those at the city gate.
They were clad in uniform armor, wielded long halberds, and had eyes as sharp as eagles.
As Chen You approached, two long halberds crossed, instantly blocking his path.
"The City Lord's Mansion is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering!"
One of the guards had a booming voice.
Without wasting any words, Chen You directly took out the ancient-looking [Zhaocheng Military Talisman] from his backpack.
The moment the military tally appeared, the expressions of the two guards changed drastically, their coldness quickly replaced by respect.
They immediately sheathed their halberds and knelt on one knee.
"Greetings, hero! The city lord has been waiting for you!"
This treatment left Chen You somewhat flattered.
It seems that those nine exorcism talismans... no, those nine million were well spent.
Led by the guards, Chen You passed through the heavily guarded courtyard and entered a spacious council hall.
At the far end of the hall, in the main seat, sat a middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe.
He had a refined appearance, a meticulously groomed goatee, and deep, penetrating eyes as he calmly watched Chen You enter.
This must be Gao De, the city lord of Zhaocheng.
"So you're the adventurer who purified the source of the vengeful spirits?"
Gao De's voice was gentle, sounding more like a well-read scholar than the ruler of a remote border city.
"It's me." Chen You nodded, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Very good." Gao De stood up from his seat, walked slowly down the steps, and had an approving smile on his face.
"On behalf of all the people of Zhaocheng, I thank you for everything you have done."
"You not only dispelled the evil that had taken hold of this place, but you also gave this city a new lease on life."
[Ding! You have completed the quest: The City Lord's Summoning!]
[Experience points gained: 3000!]
[Reputation with Zhaocheng has been raised to Friendly!]
[Reputation Points Gained: 2000!]
A series of system notifications popped up in front of Chen You's eyes.
The experience points were good, which directly leveled him up to level 4 (Qi Refining Level 1). He didn't hesitate to add the 5 free attribute points to attack.
There are still 2000 reputation points left!
I still don't know what it's good for!
"Your righteous act will be engraved on the monument of merit in Zhaocheng."
The voice of City Lord Gao De continued to come, and he patted Chen You on the shoulder, appearing very friendly.
"Our Zhaocheng is located in a remote area with scarce resources and limited military strength."
"During the last siege by vengeful spirits, if it weren't for your intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable..."
Gao De began to speak at length about the history and predicament of Zhaocheng, his words filled with concern for the city's future.
Chen You listened quietly, but in his mind he was comparing the analysis with that of the "pay-to-win" project team.
Just as Sun Feng and his team predicted, it was the standard official NPC dialogue flow: expressing gratitude, giving rewards, and introducing the background...
However, just when Chen You thought the meeting was about to end, City Lord Gao De suddenly changed the subject.
"Chen You, hero." His address became more solemn.
"Since you possess such immense power, capable of easily slaying the vengeful spirit general who even my most elite warriors were helpless against..."
"Would you be willing to provide guidance to the garrison of Zhaocheng?"
Chen You, who was still nodding, suddenly froze.
Ok?
The script is wrong!
He looked up and met the eyes of City Lord Gao De, which were filled with expectation and scrutiny.
The next second, a brand new task selection box suddenly popped up in front of him.
[The City Lord's Request: Lord Gao De of Zhaocheng deeply admires your strength and hopes you can make greater contributions to Zhaocheng's defenses.]
Option 1: Accept. You will instruct the garrison soldiers through live-fire exercises.
[Quest Reward: 5000 Reputation Points, and the special title "Friend of Zhaocheng".]
Option Two: Refuse. You will politely refuse the city lord's request.
[Task Reward: None. Consequence: City Lord Gao De's favorability towards you will decrease significantly.]
Chen You's pupils contracted slightly.
It's here! The data team predicted an extremely low probability event of 3.5%!
This isn't a request; it's practically putting him on the hot seat!
Rejection? A significant drop in favorability?
Looking at the city lord's smiling face, who knows if refusing him will turn goodwill into hatred, and he'll "reason with" him on the spot?
Chen You didn't dare gamble on an NPC whose level was a question mark.
accept?
Chen You's gaze fell on the words "real combat exercise".
Isn't this just a martial arts competition?
Although my defense is high, who knows how high the attack power of these NPC soldiers is?
He's now a billionaire, a vital national asset, and extremely valuable!
Even minor bumps and bruises are considered work-related injuries!
"What's wrong?" City Lord Gao De's smile faded slightly when he saw that Chen You remained silent for a long time.
"Does the hero feel that my soldiers... are unworthy of your guidance?"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.
The guards who had been standing at attention tightened their grip on their halberds, and unfriendly gazes fell upon Chen You.
An invisible pressure descended.
Alarm bells rang in Chen You's mind.
Damn, these NPCs can even use moral blackmail and coercion?
Li Guoan's serious face and those resounding words flashed through his mind in an instant.
"If needed, you can buy all the items in the shop and wipe the entire Zhaocheng off the map."
"Your life is more important than that city, more important than all of us."
pattern!
Yes, we need to broaden our perspective!
I'm a "super-rich" player here to spend money, not here to be your free practice partner!
Trying to get my labor for free? No way!
Although we don't know if these NPCs can be swayed by players, we have to try to find out!
In an instant, a warm, almost insincere smile appeared on Chen You's face, and he bowed slightly to City Lord Gao De.
"You flatter me, Lord City Lord."
"It's not so much about guidance, but more about mutual exchange and learning. It's an honor for us adventurers to contribute to the peace and tranquility of Zhaocheng."
Upon hearing this, Lord Gaode's tense expression relaxed, and he smiled again.
"So, the hero agrees?"
The hostility of the surrounding guards dissipated as a result.
"Of course," Chen You readily agreed, then changed the subject, a hint of "difficulty" appearing on his face.
"However... as you know, Lord City Lord, my profession is rather special."
"The fighting style is quite different from that of traditional warriors and mages."
"We don't rely on brute force, nor on magic, but on... uh, a unique energy called 'spiritual power'."
Chen You began to spout nonsense with a straight face.
"My attack methods mainly rely on some special 'talismans'."
"Like the one we used to purify the vengeful spirit general last time."
Upon hearing this, Lord Gaode's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he nodded.
"I've heard about it; it's a golden scroll imbued with divine power, and it's incredibly powerful."
"That's right!" Chen You slapped his thigh. "That's the thing!"
He spread his hands, his face contorted with pain, and said, "Lord City Lord, you may not know this, but these talismans are extremely difficult to make, and the materials required are incredibly expensive!"
"Each one represents countless hours of my hard work and...money."
"I used up all my supplies last time to purify Zhaocheng, and now I'm completely out of ammunition and supplies!"
Chen You sighed with great emotion, his acting skills comparable to an award-winning actor.
As Lord Gaode listened, his brows gradually furrowed.
He understood.
This kid is trying to play the poor card and ask him for favors!
He initially thought the other party was just a powerful but inexperienced young adventurer, and planned to use righteousness and reputation to manipulate him and get him to do some work for free.
Unexpectedly, they're incredibly cunning!
"You mean..." Lord Gaode narrowed his eyes, his voice turning somewhat cold.
"What I mean is!" Chen You's smile was as bright as a shrewd businessman's.
"How about... the City Lord's Mansion sponsors a hundred or two hundred gold coins first?"
"Now that we're rich, forget about guidance, I could just lead a team and wipe out those vengeful spirit spawn points outside the city!"
Lord Gaode's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.