Heroine, don't turn back, I'm just a farmer.

Leaning against the wooden barrel, Lu Guomei opened the message.

【An Old Friend Returns Under the Moon (Completed)】

[Second Ring Trigger Condition: Complete the first ring, and Ming Suxue's trust level ≥ 0.]

A solitary figure, illuminated by a flickering lamp, guards the empty curtains; wolves and tigers lurk in the dead of night, their mouths watering. A sword, cold as frost, supports the frail willow; lest the beauty turn to ashes.

Little did I know that even the most slender willow conceals a sharp blade, and even the three-foot-long frost can pose a threat. Life's ups and downs are but a game of chess; this heart is hard to discern as truly mine.

Ming Suxue possesses the ultimate martial arts techniques of Tianluoxiang, namely the "Tianluo Scripture" and the "Tianmo Manual," making her highly skilled in martial arts. However, due to her betrayal of Tianluoxiang and the killing of its leader, she is now being hunted by both Tianluoxiang and the Wuji Demonic Sect. Recently, her whereabouts have been discovered by spies from the Demonic Sect, and her pursuers are closing in. Please assist her in dealing with this crisis.

She is no ordinary weakling; she is cunning and ruthless, yet loyal and devoted. She is now the mistress of Qingluo Manor, and your arrival may become an asset to her, and perhaps to someone in the imperial court.

[Reward (First Stage): 250 Achievement Points; Spirit Amulet (can withstand one fatal attack); Ming Suxue's initial trust level +20.]

[Achievements include: Conspiring with the Fox for Skin, Moonlit Confrontation, Four Kills in One Step, and Favor from the Lady.]

[Achievement Rewards: 300 Achievement Points, 1 Character Chest (The chest requires Achievement Points to open; opening it allows the character to synchronize with the player and gain the character's special ability.)]

……

• Encounter Reward (Second Ring):

• Achievement Points × 500.

• The first volume of the fragmentary Tianluo Scripture (containing the "Golden Phoenix Jade Dew" palm and the "Entangling Silk and Cutting Meridians" hand techniques).

• Ming Suxue's trust level +25.

• Initiate Ming Suxue's exclusive "Transfer of Skills" event.

……

"Hmm? So, it seems that after formally discussing cooperation with that Madam Xue, the first step is complete."

Lu Guo looked at the message and found that the adventure in the second ring had been updated.

What is in this character's treasure chest?

Do I need to use achievement points to unlock it?

Try?

I currently have 550 achievement points, so there's no harm in giving it a try.

In any case, achievement points in the game can be obtained through achievements, with each achievement worth anywhere from fifty to one hundred, so there's no need to be stingy with them.

Although it costs 100 achievement points to open a box, I'll exchange for one first to test the waters.

"Activate".

[Character Treasure Chest opened, granting the Thief ability: Telepathy.]

[A meeting of minds is all it takes to be a master thief; it means that nothing in the world is unattainable. Therefore, you need eyes that can see beauty.]

After opening the treasure chest, Lu Guo used his telepathic ability and noticed some different colored auras around him, along with some information that surfaced in his mind.

"Heavenly Fragrance".

"The Limitless Demonic Sect".

"Heavenly Desire Palace".

"..."

At a glance, they spotted spies from five or six different factions.

Good heavens, there are so many traitors in this resort?

What do you mean by "eyes that discover beauty"? This must be like pressing "V" to enter eagle-eye mode.

Knowing how to use it is enough. Lu Guo looked around and exited the telepathic mode. The little assassin had already set off for Jinling. Let's see what she experienced on the way.

[On April 4.13th, Su Wancheng encountered a misfortune in Qingzhou, losing 10 reputation points and 356 silver coins, but also obtaining the Tianqi Shark Gall Pill.]

[On April 4.13th, while exploring along the way, Su Wancheng unexpectedly discovered a spy from the Wuji Demonic Sect. After a brief exchange of blows, he defeated the spy and sent him away in defeat.]

【…】

[On April 4.13th, Su Wancheng practiced poison techniques at the inn.]

[April 4.14th, Su Wancheng is on her way to Jinling...]

The information was limited, but it roughly outlined Su Wancheng's movements, that Ai Mian had seen her again, and that she had fought with people from the Wuji Demon Sect on the road.

It seems that the Wuji Demonic Sect and the Tianluo Fragrance have met, and the Tianluo Fragrance seems to have a very clear bias towards him.

"It still needs to be observed."

Not only must they observe their own little assassins, but they must also observe the Wuji Demonic Sect.

While swordsmen cannot gather intelligence, the ability to communicate telepathically makes them well-suited for the role of a master thief.

After exiting the observation period, Lu Guo quickly washed up and changed his clothes.

As if he had received some order or confirmed something, the maidservant did not reappear. Lu Guo walked to the main hall and found that there were more things on the table.

A cup of tea.

Still warm.

Judging from the temperature, he seems to have been soaking in the wooden tub for a very long time.

There was a note under the teacup, written on fine Xuan paper in neat, delicate small regular script.

"The tea is an apology."

"What happened last night was also my way of testing you. I was not careful enough. I shouldn't have used that knife. It's a bad habit I've developed over many years of martial arts training. Please forgive me."

"If you really want to learn something, or experience something, just ask me. I have some martial arts manuals, though incomplete, enough to master. Come to the side hall after you've bathed, and I'll welcome you and wash you clean."

"Mingzi."

When did Lady Xue arrive?

How could I not have noticed?

The phrase "or perhaps you want to experience something" caught his attention. Lu Guo wondered if his past with the maid was...

What does this lady mean?

Let's go to the side hall first.

Lu Guo walked out of the room and headed towards the side hall, where Madam Xue was already there.

She sat by the window, her back to the door. The morning light shone from her side, outlining her slender figure. Her plain white dress was tinged with a faint gold by the light, revealing her slim waist and the shape of her shoulder blades through the fabric. The hairpin that held her hair back had come loose at some point, and a strand of hair fell to the side of her neck, swaying gently with the movement of her hand.

She didn't turn around, but she spoke.

"What are you standing there for? You're going to get cold."

Lu Guo walked over and sat down in front of her.

On the table were two baskets of glistening steamed fish slices, a dish of pickled vegetables, and two bowls of white porridge.

"Does Madam eat so little?" he asked.

Madam Xue did not answer, but instead used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish and placed it on the plate in front of him.

"While it's hot."

She picked up another slice, took a small bite, and her red lips, faintly resembling pink fish meat, looked incredibly luscious with the touch of oil.

Lu Guo lowered his head and drank his porridge.

He paused for a moment as he put the porridge in his mouth.

It is indeed plain congee—but it contains shredded ginger, very finely ground dried tangerine peel, and a few drops of sesame oil. Ginger is for dispelling cold, dried tangerine peel is for stimulating appetite, and sesame oil adds aroma. None of these three things are usually added to plain congee.

Lu Guo looked up.

Ming Suxue's gaze fell on the window, her expression indifferent, as if the matter of adding ingredients to the porridge had nothing to do with her.

"lady--"

"Don't talk while eating." Ming Suxue didn't look at him, and put another piece of fish on his plate.

Lu Guo then stopped talking and lowered his head to eat.

The fish fillets were perfectly seasoned, with springy flesh and crisp bamboo shoots on top. It's April now, and the mandarin fish still has a little bit of fat mixed in, which turns into a fresh juice after steaming. When you bite into it, it burns your tongue. The pickled vegetables are pickled mustard greens that have been fermented for some years, with a salty taste and a slight sourness that perfectly balances the sweetness of the fish.

He ate very quickly; it was rare for him to have such a decent breakfast.

Although it's a game mode, what he experiences is real reality.

When Lu Guo ate the third slice, he noticed that Madam Xue had only eaten half of her fish slices and drunk two spoonfuls of porridge. She seemed to be waiting for him to finish eating.

"Isn't Madam eating?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Then why two cages?"

Lu asked.

Ming Suxue finally turned to look at him. The morning light shone on her face from the side, making her eyebrows and eyes very clear.

Although I knew she was beautiful last night, that beauty was distant—like a person in a painting, beautiful but unreal. At this moment, however, this beautiful woman was without makeup, with a faint weariness in the corners of her eyes from not having slept all night, her lips a light pinkish-nude, and her jawline slender, which made her seem more real, not a game NPC, but a real flesh and blood.

"Because you need to eat."

Lu Guo was taken aback.

"???"