Chapter 11 Ancestor Blessing
Chapter 11 Ancestor Blessing
"Old man, may I bother you for a moment?" Xiao Jie looked at the old man in front of him and asked respectfully.
The old man obviously remembered Xiao Jie. He bowed and said, "I'm Huang Shidao, the village chief of Ginkgo Village. You can call me Uncle Huang. I wonder what you want to ask, young man." After saying that, the words 'Huang Shidao (Village Chief of Ginkgo Village)' appeared on the old man's head.
"I'm new to your place, and I'm unfamiliar with the place. I'd like to get some information. Could you please explain it to me?"
The old man nodded and said, "Of course. Oh, by the way, where is your companion? I saw you two leaving the village yesterday, but why didn't I see him today?"
"He's dead, hacked to death by bandits." Xiao Jie said dejectedly.
"Life and death are determined by fate, little brother, please don't be too sad. I wanted to remind you at that time, but...
The world is very difficult nowadays, with demons and ghosts running rampant outside. If you don't have some ability, I think it's better not to go there and do some odd jobs in the village. You can always make a living. The population of Ginkgo Village is declining now, and labor is needed everywhere. Ask around, you can always find work."
Xiao Jie listened to what the other party said, but felt something was not right. If he continued along with the conversation, he could certainly find a job, but he would confirm his image as an incompetent person.
The old man's words "what can I do..." clearly contained some complaints, he was trying to control himself.
Such subtle tone and conversation actually aroused Xiao Jie's desire to challenge the game.
He burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha, there's no need to comfort me, old man. My brothers and I returned to our old land to slay demons and save the world. From the day we came back, we were ready to sacrifice our lives for our cause.
Although my brother is dead now, his will still lives on. Since the world is full of demons and ghosts, someone must stand up to save the world and uphold justice.
Although I am not talented, I am willing to give it a try.
A real man should wield a three-foot-long sword and accomplish unparalleled feats, even if he dies in the wilderness, wrapped in his horsehide, he will have no regrets. "
Xiao Jie's impassioned speech was certainly not without purpose.
Three parts of his words were sincere, but seven parts were performative. In many games that Xiao Jie had played before, he could gain the favor and help of NPCs through dialogue, or achieve some unexpected results. In some games, he could even use mouth cannon to kill the final BOSS, the so-called mouth cannon to pass the level.
Since the NPCs in this game are so smart, Xiao Jie naturally has to make the most of them.
Maybe it will trigger some hidden plot or special rewards.
Especially since Han Luo did die at the hands of bandits yesterday, there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he said.
The old villager looked solemn after hearing what Xiao Jie said, as if he was quite touched by his heroic spirit.
After a long time, he suddenly let out a long sigh.
Huang Shidao (Chief of Ginkgo Village): "I have seen quite a few people returning home during this period. Most of them are greedy and aggressive. They are not polite to me and ask strange questions like 'Where can I go to kill some'.
Before leaving the village, he was arrogant and made grand speeches, but when he met his enemy and suffered a defeat, he became as panic-stricken as a dog that has lost its home.
Or they would try their best to please me and try to gain benefits from me.
It is rare to find a young man like you who knows how to advance and retreat and has ambitions, especially one with such unyielding passion, which is something I have never seen in my life."
System prompt: Huang Shidao's favorability towards you has increased by 20 points and is now 70.
"Forget it. Since you are so determined, I can't persuade you anymore. But it is fate that you were born in our village. Maybe you are the descendant of our village. I have a stick of incense here. You can go to the ancestral hall of the village and burn some incense for your ancestors. Maybe it will be of some benefit."
[System prompt: Obtain item [Incense].]
It actually worked! Xiao Jie was quite surprised when he saw the prompt. It seemed that the game had a high degree of freedom and players had a lot of room to play.
I opened my backpack and took a look.
Incense (consumable)
Use: Pray.
Item Description: Incense made of plants and wood is a ritual item for prayer. It is said that the misty smoke can communicate with ghosts and gods, and can even convey human beliefs to deceased ancestors, praying for protection and blessings. 】
"Thank you very much, old man." This time, Xiao Jie expressed his gratitude from the bottom of his heart.
Xiao Jie thanked him and excitedly came to the village ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall is located in the center of the village. It is the most respectable building in the village. Next to it is a huge ginkgo tree, which is hung with talismans and other things.
The sunlight from the shade of the trees falls on the eaves, making the ancestral hall look more intimate.
Xiao Jie walked into the ancestral hall and looked at the layers of tablets. He felt a sense of familiarity, as if they were vaguely related to him. He lit the incense and inserted it into the incense burner, then bowed three times.
I couldn't help but recite it silently in my heart.
My ancestors, if you really are still alive in heaven, please protect me and prevent me from dying in this game.
The smoke floated away and dissipated into the air.
An option box suddenly popped up in front of Xiao Jie.
[1. My dear ancestors, please protect me from being disturbed by ghosts and gods.
2. Ancestors, please bless me with a smart mind, sharp ears and sharp eyes.
3. Dear ancestors, please bless me with good health and immunity to all diseases.
4. My dear ancestors, please bless me to be rich.
5. My dear ancestor, I, Yin Yue Sui Feng, have been striving for self-improvement all my life. Today I just come to say hello to you and have nothing to ask for. 】
Xiao Jie immediately perked up when he saw the five options in front of him. The background of this game was about gods and ghosts, so praying to the ancestors would probably have some effect, which was very important to him who was penniless.
Option 1: No ghosts or spirits? From this description, it seems that there should be ghosts or spirits in this game, and they will attack the players.
But generally speaking, ghosts are likely to appear in cemeteries, tombs, or the wilderness at night.
If you look at it this way, you won't be able to use it in the short term.
Option 2 and Option 3 have similar effects as one is to improve the mind and the other is to strengthen the body, so they can be listed as alternatives.
Option 4 should be the most intuitive in the short term. You can get a sum of money. With the money, you can buy equipment, learn skills, and fight monsters to level up. However, I always feel that it is disrespectful to ask the ancestors for money directly.
And it is not certain how much can be given.
Xiao Jie simply ignored the fifth one. This kind of choice of not wanting anything usually has only two results, either giving nothing or giving a very special reward.
If it were any other game, he would probably choose the fifth one. If he made the wrong choice, he would just have to reload the save file. Even if it was an online game and the save file couldn't be loaded, the early rewards wouldn't be too important anyway, so it wouldn't be bad to see what this hidden option gave.
But in this game, Xiao Jie doesn't dare to gamble at all.
Money can be earned slowly, it’s just a matter of time, so you can pass up the fourth option.
Then there are only two options left: 2 and 3.
Strengthen the body or strengthen the brain.
If you are going out to fight monsters and level up, strengthening your body is undoubtedly the most useful. However, since you are planning to develop in the village for a while, you should choose to strengthen your brain.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Jie had made a decision.
[Option 2: Dear ancestors, please bless me with a smart mind, sharp ears and sharp eyes.]
As Xiao Jie finished clicking, a golden light fell on him.
[System prompt: Your ancestor has appeared, and you have gained the enhancement effect [Enlightenment]. You have been blessed by your ancestors, and your understanding has increased by 8 points (lasts for 7 days).
[System prompt: Since your comprehension has reached 20+, you have gained a level of [Enlightenment]]
Xiao Jie checked the description of the enlightenment BUFF.
[Enlightenment: Your understanding is so high that you enter a mysterious and wonderful state. In your eyes, the operation of all the laws of reality becomes clearer, and you have a higher chance of gaining enlightenment (after your understanding exceeds 10 points, your enlightenment level will increase by one level for every 10 points you increase).]
Huh? What is this thing good for?
Comprehension is of course a very important attribute, as you can see from the fact that it cannot be improved with attribute points, but it is a bit useless with only seven days. The key is that I don't have any skills now, how can I get enlightenment? I can't get enlightenment out of thin air, right? I feel that this effect should be more useful later, such as learning some advanced skill books.
Now, it’s more or less given away in vain.
However, Xiao Jie did not worry about it for too long. Having it is better than having it nothing. Who knows when it may come in handy.
Next, it's time to start looking for work.
(End of this chapter)