Chapter 166
Lanhu Town
Lan Yunqing stood by the window, watching the dawn break through the dark night. His pale and weary face made him appear even more fragile.
A soft sigh escaped him.
He glanced at the glowing screen floating before him, then turned his gaze to the neatly stacked Lanhu leaves in the storeroom.
“Lord Lan…”
Little Risheng rubbed his eyes as he sat up from his bed. He looked at Lan Yunqing, then at the nearly empty storeroom, lowering his head timidly.
“Last night… I… the mysterious merchant…”
The child stammered incoherently, tears welling up in his eyes.
Lan Yunqing sighed and walked over to gently pat the boy’s head, speaking softly to comfort him. “It’s alright. This isn’t your fault.”
The mysterious merchant had not appeared in Little Risheng’s dreams for two consecutive nights.
The message was clear.
If Lan Yunqing refused to work for him, the mysterious merchant would likely never return. In this situation, Lan Yunqing had no room to negotiate.
After all, the healing potions and food, which were critical to their survival, came solely from the mysterious merchant.
How could he refuse?
Lan Yunqing entrusted Little Risheng to a servant’s care and left the storeroom, with his head guard, Lan Maolin, following closely behind.
“Maolin.”
Under the ancient Lanhu Mother Tree, Lan Yunqing spoke.
“My lord,” Lan Maolin responded respectfully.
“To save the Mother Tree, and for the people of Lanhu Town, I am about to make a very risky decision,” Lan Yunqing said quietly. “You must be prepared.”
Lan Maolin froze for a moment, then dropped to one knee in alarm. “What dangerous task do you intend to undertake? Please allow me to do it in your stead!”
Lan Yunqing shook his head and turned to face him.
“You know Little Risheng’s secret… That mysterious entity has now asked for my allegiance,” he said.
“I don’t know what challenges or disasters this will bring to Lanhu Town, so this decision is my own, not an act on behalf of the town’s leadership.”
Lan Yunqing’s voice was firm and resolute. “You are the person closest to the Mother Tree after me. If necessary, I will pass the title of Lord to you.”
The title of Lord of Lanhu Town was not granted by Qingmu Fortress, nor inherited through lineage or public election.
It was bestowed by the Mother Tree of Lanhu, who chose someone capable of controlling the entire forest.
This decision could not be overturned. Even if someone killed the current Lord, they would not become the new leader without the Mother Tree’s recognition. On the contrary, they would face the forest’s wrath.
Lan Maolin, once a competitor for the title, had failed in the past. His upbringing taught him to accept the outcome gracefully, and he had since become Lan Yunqing’s most loyal guard.
Technically, this made him the second in line to succeed the title.
But since his defeat, Lan Maolin had never dared to dream of becoming Lord again. At this moment, hearing Lan Yunqing’s words left him dumbfounded.
“This… This can’t happen!” Lan Maolin exclaimed anxiously. “Even if you abdicate, the Mother Tree wouldn’t allow it.”
The Mother Tree’s affection for Lan Yunqing was unparalleled. As someone attuned to its will, Lan Maolin understood this better than anyone.
If the Mother Tree’s fondness for other residents was a 10, it was a 20 for him—but a 99 for Lan Yunqing.
“I only need to die for it to happen,” Lan Yunqing said calmly. “If I am forced to harm the forest or Lanhu Town under the mysterious merchant’s control, I will choose to end my life.”
“I have already issued this command to the Lanhu Forest. You need not worry about incurring the Mother Tree’s wrath.”
“What nonsense are you speaking!” Lan Maolin’s eyes reddened with anger. “Let me take this risk! Let me deal with the mysterious merchant!”
Lan Yunqing shook his head lightly. “I only want you to be mentally prepared. This is the worst-case scenario, but it may not happen.”
He then looked at the glowing screen before him and selected [Accept].
[Congratulations! You have become a “Peace Grocery Store” salesperson.]
[Conditions unmet. Employee panel not yet unlocked.]
[Congratulations! You have triggered the beginner quest “New Employee Training.”]
[Description: Prove your sales skills to gain the mysterious merchant’s trust.]
[Quest Objective: Complete one profitable transaction with a customer (0/1).]
[Quest Reward: Unlock employee panel, gain 2 points.]
[Congratulations! You have triggered the long-term quest “Profit-Driven Sales.”]
[Description: As a store salesperson, you can complete up to three profitable transactions with each customer per day.]
[Quest Objective: Conduct profitable transactions.]
[Quest Reward: During the beginner protection period, earn 1 point for every profitable transaction.]
Lan Yunqing froze momentarily.
A beginner training quest? Points?
Though he didn’t fully understand, it seemed clear this was the mysterious merchant’s way of testing his capabilities—or perhaps his obedience.
Having accepted the position, Lan Yunqing chose not to dwell on it. Besides, the task seemed relatively straightforward.
He turned to Lan Maolin and said, “Now, I need your help to complete the mysterious merchant’s orders.”
Lan Maolin displayed a heartbroken expression before wiping his face and declaring with resolve, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give my all—even if it means fire and death!”
“Do you have any Lanhu leaves with you?” Lan Yunqing asked.
Although confused, Lan Maolin untied the pouch at his waist. Just as he was about to hand it over, Lan Yunqing added, “One leaf will suffice.”
“Yes!” Maolin retrieved a single leaf and passed it to him.
Lan Yunqing handed him a small bag of millet in exchange. “I’ll trade this bag of rice for it.”
“Oh… Oh, alright…”
Maolin’s resolute expression faltered completely, and he responded awkwardly.
[You’ve completed a profitable transaction with an “old customer.” Employee experience +1.]
[You’ve completed the normal quest “New Employee Training.” Reward: +1 point.]
[Congratulations! The employee interface has been unlocked.]
[The shop now offers “Rice” and “Wheat” for exchange. See main interface for details.]
[You’ve completed a long-term quest…]
Lan Yunqing stared at the new system messages in a daze.
This isn’t what I expected… He squinted at the term “old customer” and frowned.
“Have you encountered any outsiders recently?” Lan Yunqing asked.
Lan Maolin stammered, “Yesterday, a group from Chi Feng Town came to cause trouble, but we drove them off. Aside from that, there’s that fire elemental, Chi Hao.”
Lan Yunqing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Of course—Chi Hao knew about the mysterious merchant and was the one who suggested Little Risheng trade rice with them.
Could Chi Hao also be one of the merchant’s employees?
Lan Yunqing pondered as he opened the shop’s interface. Only two items were listed: rice and wheat, each available for 1 point per 100 grams.
He glanced at his points balance.
With 10 points from his base salary and 1 point from the quest, he had 13 points total—enough to redeem 2.5 kilograms of rice or wheat.
He tested the system by redeeming 1 point.
Maolin, still observing his lord’s increasingly peculiar behavior, watched as Lan Yunqing cupped his hands. Suddenly, a small heap of rice appeared in his palms.
Maolin’s eyes widened.
Has the Lanhu Forest developed a new ability? He knew the lord could move swiftly within the forest, appearing anywhere the Lanhu trees extended.
But this material-transfer ability was unprecedented.
“My lord?” Maolin called hesitantly.
A rare smile spread across Lan Yunqing’s face.
Having grown up seeing this expression, Maolin’s resistance to it was strong, so he only froze briefly before returning to normal.
“Prepare for today—I’ll personally oversee the grain sales,” Lan Yunqing instructed, carefully storing the rice.
Maolin blinked in surprise. “But I thought we weren’t selling the remainder?”
Due to high demand, Little Risheng’s previous batch of rice was now down to just over a thousand kilograms, so sales had been temporarily halted.
“There’s been a change in circumstances,” Lan Yunqing explained. “But the price has increased. One Lanhu leaf will now only exchange for a fifth of the usual amount. Make sure the townsfolk understand this.”
Maolin nodded, though he hesitated to leave.
“Is there something else?” Lan Yunqing asked, ready to delve back into his research.
“You won’t do anything rash while I’m gone, right?” Maolin asked, his eyes filled with concern. The earlier conversation had left him deeply unsettled.
Lan Yunqing shook his head. “I’ve said the circumstances have changed. Go make the arrangements—I’ll handle the sales personally.”
As Maolin finally left to prepare, Lan Yunqing’s thoughts returned to Chi Hao.
So that’s why he made such a strange request back then.
*
Peace Grocery Store, Desolate City Branch
“We finally have a managerial-level employee!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed excitedly as he reviewed the store’s employee list.
It was a historic breakthrough.
Excluding Xie Zhaori for now, most of the employees—apart from Chi Hao—were impoverished wasteland dwellers with few resources or influence.
But Lan Yunqing was different. As the leader of Lanhu Town, he was bound to be much more effective in conducting business.
“Let’s hope he’s willing to complete the points-based tasks,” Tang Yu’an said.
“He probably will,” Zhou Qi replied. “Chi Hao described him as a kind and compassionate leader deeply concerned for his people.”
In their earlier correspondence, Chi Hao had sung high praises for Lan Yunqing. The idea of not seeing him again seemed to leave Chi Hao unusually melancholic, as he often fell silent or crossed out words mid-conversation.
“Let’s hope so!”
Tang Yu’an nodded. As they finished breakfast, a new system notification popped up.
[Notification: “Green Glow Light Strip Lv1” upgrade complete. Please check the details.]
Wow! The fourth piece of Level 2 Magical Furniture is finally ready!
After upgrading the second Super Storage Cabinet two days ago, Tang Yu’an used the Glowing Stone purchased from the Seven-Day Flash Sale to upgrade the Green Glow Light Strip.
Notably, the second storage cabinet’s upgrade unlocked a new special effect: “Fresh Vegetables Forever.”
[Special Effect: Fresh Vegetables Forever]
[Vegetables stored in this cabinet will retain their original freshness indefinitely. Spoiled vegetables are not affected.]
This means even stored potatoes will remain fresh indefinitely. After naming it the East Hedge Cabinet, Tang Yu’an placed it in Room 501 at Store No. 1 for Grandpa Li’s use.
The upgraded storage capacity should suffice for a while, especially since the potatoes collected as rent are steadily being consumed. Once everyone tires of potatoes, they can start storing wild greens in the East Hedge Cabinet without worrying about spoilage.
Now, it’s time to see what the Green Glow Light Strip’s special effect is…
Tang Yu’an eagerly opened the details page.
[Green Glow Light Strip]
[Level: Lv2]
[Special Effect: Sunlit Glow]
[Description: In addition to absorbing wood-elemental energy, this item can now store solar energy to provide illumination.]
Tang Yu’an’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Brother Qi! We really unlocked a solar charging special effect!”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi’s lips twitched slightly.
They had already deduced that a magical furniture’s special effect correlated with the offerings used to “feed” the little spirit during upgrades. This time, they had purposefully used sunflower seeds, hoping for a solar energy-related effect.
Who would’ve thought their wish would actually come true!
Was it purely due to the sunflower seeds? Or was it because Yuanan’s wishes always seemed to manifest?
While Zhou Qi pondered the possibilities, Tang Yu’an happily took the upgraded light strip to Grandpa Li. Once fully charged, it would be perfect for the Interaction Room they were setting up.
In addition, he handed over 15 of the 20 glowing stones they had obtained the night before, keeping only five for their own use.
Afterward, Tang Yu’an returned to the ninth floor to begin his daily wind-element skill practice.
However, just as he was about to start, a new system notification appeared.
[Employee “Chi Hao” Payday Notice]
[The system will deduct the necessary points from your balance to pay your employee’s salary.]
[View Details] [Disable Notifications]
[Note: Disabling notifications will result in automatic salary deductions on all future payday dates. Please ensure sufficient account balance.]
Tang Yu’an blinked. “Huh? It’s Brother Chi Hao’s one-month work anniversary!”
“One-month anniversary?” Zhou Qi raised an eyebrow before realizing, “Oh, you mean he’s been your employee for a full month now?”
“Exactly!”
Tang Yu’an clicked to view the details.
[Employee: Chi Hao]
[Monthly total profit: 21,580 points. Performance goal met. Calculating salary.]
[Commission: 1,079 personal points + 2,158 procurement points = 3,237 total points.]
[Performance Reward: 1 Basic Healing Potion.]
[Distribute Salary?]
[Yes] [No]
Chi Hao had surpassed his set goal of 5,000 profit points and 50 transactions, both of which he achieved while in Lanhu Town. Apparently, his rewards would be distributed along with his paycheck.
Tang Yu’an tapped [Yes] to approve the payment. Afterward, his balance still showed over 90,000 points—a comfortably wealthy position.
With this in mind, he said, “Brother Qi, should we set a performance goal for Lanhu Town’s leader too?”
“Sounds good,” Zhou Qi nodded. “We’ve still got one last Basic Healing Potion to offer.”
“Alright!”
Tang Yu’an quickly set up the goal. Once Lan Yunqing achieved it, he would receive the reward. With this incentive, he should feel even more motivated to trade.
*
Lanhu Town
Lan Yunqing had just arrived at the granary to prepare for the day’s transactions with his townsfolk when a system notification popped up.
[In light of Lanhu Town’s current challenges, the Mysterious Merchant has assigned you a special performance goal.]
[Goal: Complete 1,000 transactions and earn 100,000 points in profit.]
[Reward: 1 Basic Healing Potion upon completion.]
Lan Yunqing froze, stunned.
Achieving this goal would earn him a Basic Healing Potion? It seemed almost too simple!
A joyful expression spread across his face, and the mental burden he had carried the night before suddenly seemed laughable.
This Mysterious Merchant truly appears to be nothing more than a businessman.
Lan Yunqing straightened his posture, his spirit renewed. The newfound vitality even softened the pallor of his previously exhausted face.
The townsfolk waiting in line to exchange their Lanhu leaves collectively gasped in admiration.
Their lord was breathtakingly beautiful!
“A single Lanhu leaf now only exchanges for one-fifth the amount of coarse rice?” one villager murmured. “That’s perfectly fair!”
“Honestly, I’d trade my leaves even if it meant getting no coarse rice at all—just for the chance to hand them to the lord and exchange a few words with him!”
Once Lan Maolin announced that the Lord himself would be distributing grain today, people of all ages rushed over with Lanhu leaves.
They surrounded the grain store, eager for a glimpse of their leader.
When Lan Yunqing finally appeared, the crowd fell silent, respectfully lining up under the guards’ instructions.
[You completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer: XP +1, Points +39.]
[You completed a profitable transaction with a new customer…]
[You completed a profitable transaction with a loyal customer…]
Lan Yunqing carried out transactions with his townsfolk while keeping an eye on the system notifications. Seeing terms like “returning customer” and “loyal customer,” he couldn’t help but muse to himself.
So it’s true.
Chi Hao must also be one of the Mysterious Merchant’s employees.
Lan Yunqing recalled that Chi Hao had once mentioned someone referring to the Mysterious Merchant as a savior.
Chi Hao had scoffed at the notion, and back then, Lan Yunqing hadn’t believed it either.
But as he watched his points steadily increase and saw the Healing Potion listed as a reward for meeting his performance goal, he found himself wavering.
Before long, the Message Board was unlocked for him.
While trading coarse rice for Lanhu leaves, Lan Yunqing multitasked, opening the message board to take a look.
[Greenish Blue]: Wow, I just got my paycheck!
[Pan Shi]: Whoa!
[Lu Wei]: Whoa!
[Fish in Water]: Whoa!
[Eastern Sugar Tang]: Whoa!
[Cloud Eagle]: What’s a paycheck?
[Greenish Blue]: You don’t know what a paycheck is? Clearly, someone didn’t read the employee benefits rules!
[Lu Wei]: I recall the base salary is 10 points, plus a 5% commission.
[Greenish Blue]: That’s right. The 5% is personal points, and there’s also 10% procurement points.
[Lu Wei]: What are procurement points?
[Greenish Blue]: They’re points you can use to stock up on goods. Anything bought with them is marked as “merchandise” and can only be used for trading—not personal use.
[Lu Wei]: How do you calculate procurement points?
[Greenish Blue]: Simple. What’s your total monthly profit? I’ll calculate it for you.
[Lu Wei]: Um… 38,547?
[Greenish Blue]: …Are you sure?
[Lu Wei]: Positive. That’s the number.
[Lu Wei]: Is something wrong?
[Greenish Blue]: Nope, not at all!
[Greenish Blue]: With that profit, your personal points should be around 2,000, and your procurement points about 4,000.
[Lu Wei]: Got it, thanks! 🙂
Somewhere in a forest…
Chi Hao stared at Lu Wei’s message, feeling his earlier joy over receiving his paycheck evaporate.
What’s going on? Lu Wei earned twice as much as I did? How is that fair?
As he thought about spending the next month traveling, with few chances to make deals, Chi Hao couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
To make matters worse, the Mysterious Merchant had just assigned him a new performance goal, offering another Intermediate Healing Potion (3 drops) as a reward.
The requirements were higher this time, but such a miraculous potion was well worth the effort.
Perhaps, if he ever returned to Lanhu Town, he could offer two drops to Lan Yunqing…
But before Chi Hao could dwell further, a new exchange on the message board caught his eye—and made his frustration skyrocket.
[Cloud Eagle]: Could someone help calculate mine?
[Greenish Blue]: Sure. What’s your total monthly profit?
Chi Hao glanced at the new messages, then froze.
[Cloud Eagle]: 150,480, I think.
[Greenish Blue]: Are you sure you didn’t add an extra zero by mistake?
[Cloud Eagle]: Let me double-check… Nope, it’s six digits.
[Greenish Blue]: …
Lan Yunqing, watching the exchange, was also stunned.
If 5% was indeed the commission rate, Cloud Eagle’s monthly personal points would total 7,524, with 15,048 procurement points.
Glancing at his own modest, two-digit balance, Lan Yunqing felt an undeniable sense of urgency.
With so much talent under the Mysterious Merchant’s banner, he needed to hit his performance goals quickly and earn those rewards!
Just then, another notification popped up.
[Congratulations! You’ve reached Lv5, unlocking the ability to post on the message board.]
[Reminder: Protect your personal information on the message board.]
[The Mysterious Merchant acknowledges your excellent performance and bestows upon you a new title: “Red Triumphs Fire.”]
Lan Yunqing paused mid-transaction, utterly perplexed.
“Red Triumphs Fire”? Why would he give me such a title?
A sudden thought struck him.
Based on this peculiar naming pattern…
Lan Yunqing’s bright eyes flickered as he glanced back at the message board.
Could “Greenish Blue” actually be…
Unable to suppress a chuckle, he smiled.
The townsfolk waiting in line to trade coarse rice were mesmerized by the sight of their radiant, smiling lord.
Meanwhile, back in the Peace Grocery Store, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were shocked to find that Lan Yunqing had rocketed to Lv5 overnight.
Tang Yu’an immediately gave him a nickname following their usual naming pattern.
But as he typed it out, a thought struck him.
If all the nicknames follow this reverse-pair logic, won’t it become too easy for others to figure out the pattern?
He decided that for future employees, nicknames would follow a different set of rules, but there was nothing he could do about Lan Yunqing’s nickname now.
“He’s already helping us complete daily tasks. Does he still need to go out and find customers for transactions?” Tang Yu’an asked Zhou Qi, but received no response.
Following Zhou Qi’s gaze, he noticed that Zhou Qi was staring intently at the hidden door in the basement.
