The game comes true, starting with the wandering spirits and gods.

"It seems that even with the incense bearers, the shackles of the land still remain."

If Ayun were to disregard the amplification provided by the temple gods, she would be practically powerless.

This can be considered a disguised weakening of map exploration capabilities.

You stepped out of the courtyard; there was no one there.

Zhang Wenhao turned his view around and found a stone tablet by the roadside.

[You take a closer look]

[A mental strength level of 12 allows you to easily see words in the dark.]

"Yellowstone Road?"

A brand new road sign was lit up on the minimap in the upper right corner, standing out brightly amidst the thick fog.

The road, running north and south, meanders like a snake, leading to a village with scattered lights.

Unsurprisingly, the village over there is the home of the villagers who often come to make wishes.

The flood, the village chief administering medicine... almost all the early plot points likely took place there.

The village, though lit up, lacked any signs of human activity.

After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to go and take a look.

Ayun's physical and mental baseline values ​​are both 2, which should still be within the normal range even considering the fatigue from the long journey and her sub-healthy physical condition.

In comparison, his own growth rate was terrifying, far exceeding the realm of ordinary people.

Sure enough, the character moved very fast.

Although the girl is still walking in the picture, the village in the distance is getting closer and bigger at a visible speed.

Even Zhang Wenhao couldn't help but praise it.

This physical strength must be at least as strong as Wu Song's in the original "Water Margin".

Just then, from the inconspicuous bushes in the lower left corner, a dark shadow suddenly leaped out and crashed straight into them.

You've encountered a monster blocking your way.

Its sharp teeth bit into the arm of the person carrying the incense, tearing at it viciously.

Its molars were crushed.

The text, though only a few lines long, took a dramatic turn.

The sudden attack caught Zhang Wenhao off guard, startling him. He thought he had encountered some kind of ambush.

As a result, they couldn't even break through the defenses.

Under divine sense, the culprit of the attack revealed his true identity.

It was a yellow weasel with a missing tooth.

Its glossy black back and pale yellow tips of fur almost blend into the yellow earth.

Even on nights when it's not completely dark, it's difficult to detect its ambush.

In a sense, this raid was a success.

Unfortunately, A-Yun's physical strength is too high now, and direct physical attacks backfire on it.

"Little one, do you think I'm a human or a god?"

Seeing that the ambush was ineffective, the clever and perceptive weasel changed its tactics. Suddenly, it spoke in human language, asking in a cunning voice.

It's a weasel demanding an official title.

Generally speaking, when a weasel asks for a title, it is to borrow someone's breath to fulfill its own spiritual cultivation.

Children are not advisable, as they are too naive and will not benefit from it; the elderly are nearing the end of their lives, and having lived a full life, they are often cruel and will not gain anything in return.

It is most suitable for young people traveling at midnight.

If an export response is made, regardless of the size of the imperial decree, the individual will bear the corresponding karmic consequences.

[What's your answer, you fledgling, unorthodox adventurer?]

Zhang Wenhao saw the blank dialog box appear on the screen and realized that he was being asked to fill in the content freely.

I tried clicking other buttons, but none of them did anything.

It seems that a mandatory plot point has been triggered.

Okay, so what should I write about?

You look like a cute young girl wearing a yellow mink coat?

Or do you look more like the Jade Emperor to me?

Given such an exaggerated destiny, could the corresponding calamity cause the heavens to suddenly bestow lightning upon them, striking both of them to death?

In the end, after some thought, Zhang Wenhao wrote the most reasonable one.

"You look to me like a devout believer, a pilgrim carrying incense in an ancient temple on a dirt road, under a dim lamp."

【What?】

The weasel's voice suddenly rose, clearly stunned by Zhang Wenhao's sudden long and difficult sentence.

Before the words in the game were even finished, its body trembled.

The next second, blue smoke appeared out of thin air, slowly but undeniably flowing into the weasel's glossy fur.

As he spoke, Zhang Wenhao used "bitterness".

You used the skill "Bitterness" on the "Weasel Blocking the Road" (lv1).

The weasel stood still, its mouth drooling with happiness.

Intestines, heart, liver, and even a human skin to wear...

Countless things that one has longed for after enlightenment surge forth in its heart, weaving into a beautiful illusion.

At the same time, the punishment for defying the Empress's decree also arrived:

Ayun's frail body twitched slightly.

But his dull, chaotic eyes didn't show much dramatic change.

You are suffering karmic punishment on behalf of the person who offered incense.

Nothing happened.

You are merely a wooden sculpture, unbound by the cycle of reincarnation, residing in a place devoid of heaven and earth.

[Heavenly tribulation and destiny have long abandoned you, a wandering ghost, leaving you to drift aimlessly through the world.]

[Ding! You have acquired a "Fragrance Bearer"]

[Incense Power -> lv2 (137/1000)]

Zhang Wenhao looked at the motionless weasel and realized it was indeed very effective.

Low-level monsters, if afflicted with the Bitter Poison, are practically helpless without any external intervention.

However, this enlightened weasel only received 20 incense offerings, which is far less than that of a living person.

[The weasel, immersed in its illusion, accepted your decree without resistance and unwittingly became your incense bearer.]

The plan is in place.

Zhang Wenhao's eyes lit up.

Then, he manipulated the girl to look down and search, picking up a broken piece of blue tile from the roadside.

It slammed down on the weasel's head.

[External interference detected. Illusion state dispelled.]

It jolted after being hit and then fell straight backward.

The slender arm unleashed a physical strength of 12, instantly lulling the weasel, who was still dreaming, to sleep...

He was speechless for a moment.

In the game, I didn't know how to control the force. I originally just wanted to wake it up and gather some information.

After all, as the one who carries the incense, it cannot betray itself under the passive blessing of "restoration".

This is true in this life and the next.

As a small monster that roams near the village and has even gained intelligence, it is undoubtedly the best candidate for questioning.

"Never mind, since that's the case, let's keep going and wait until it wakes up."

Zhang Wenhao pondered for a moment, then clicked "Pick Up" and picked up the weasel whole in his hand.

Continue exploring the map.

And so, under the moonlight, a strange scene unfolded:

A seemingly frail young girl, carrying a weasel that looked like a chick in her hand and struck fear into the hearts of countless night hunters, walked alone on a dimly lit country road.

With those grey eyes, anyone passing by at night would probably be terrified.

What's the difference between this and bumping into a ghost on the road?

As the fog on the minimap was gradually dispelled by the route, Zhang Wenhao also noticed that A Yun's data panel had changed.

Both physical strength and mental power have decreased from 10 to 9 due to the temple god's blessing.