Chapter 128: The Qin Official

The commotion attracted quite a few people. The "Lineage Material: Spider" remained on the stall because of its high uncertainty and steep price, but the seven voodoo dolls were successfully sold.

The buyer was a woman wearing a black cloak, her face hidden beneath a hood, revealing only a sharp chin.
Lv2, Title: Wizard Apprentice.

The seven voodoo dolls each served a different purpose; for a modifier specializing in dark arts and curses, they were considered minor gems. Such individuals were rare in the rookie sector, and an Lv2 mastering these skills showed great potential. Two of the dolls were damaged and required repairs. Through the woman's negotiation, they settled on a price of 60,000, with the damaged ones discounted by half.

The woman also expressed interest in the "Lineage Material: Spider," offering to buy it for 200,000 points. However, she lacked the biological energy at the moment, so she took Yan Luo’s contact information, promising to purchase it after a few more worlds if it remained unsold.

After teleporting home from the Dream Space:
"Madi."
Yan Luo greeted his mount in the kitchen before heading to shower. This horse, having undergone extraterrestrial biochemical modification, possessed low-level intelligence, rock skin, and tunneling abilities. He had originally thought it was decent, but compared to the "Pipi Shrimp" mount of the Four Absolutes team, it was pitifully weak. He wondered if this horse would ever have the chance to return to its prime days in the Contaminated Zone.

After his shower, Yan Luo lacked the energy to practice "The Pillar That Holds Up the Sky." He lay in bed, set an alarm for 7:00 PM, and took stock of his assets before falling asleep: 65,838 biological energy, 6 gene points, the Lineage Material: Spider, the Panlong Staff, the Mandarin Duck Blades, five Macedonian spears, a gold chain, a marble statue, the demigod essence of the Black Reaper, and one horse.

Yan Luo hadn't yet decided what to buy with his biological energy. His abilities were relatively balanced; he lacked neither physical nor energy-based attack methods, and he had the mask of the Servant: Dark Scion as a trump card. Yet, thinking about it, there was still much he lacked.

His thousand-year-old peach wood sword was gone; if he encountered another supernatural boss, he would have to rely solely on the Olympian Holy Fire. Then there was his defense, which relied entirely on his hide; he had no wearable armor. It was like playing a game—while he didn't expect a Breastplate of Tyrael or a Lich King’s Frostcrown, he should at least have some cloth or leather armor. However, he reconsidered: the mid-level boss title he had obtained granted him the "Boss Armor" gene, which increased physical defense and energy resistance. Perhaps not wearing armor wasn't such a big deal.

"If I encounter a situation where I can't use weapons and need to fight hand-to-hand... I should sell a martial arts inheritance manual. I wonder who bought that 'Mad Eight-Style' ancient martial arts manual..."

He decided not to use his 6 gene points for now. One of the prerequisites for upgrading from Lv2 to Lv3 was having advanced genes. While typical modifiers upgraded their mid-level Strength, Constitution, or Agility to advanced, he needed to upgrade his mid-level Vitality. Upgrading primary Strength to mid-level cost 5 points, and to advanced cost 25. Upgrading primary Vitality to mid-level cost 10 points, and to advanced, it cost a staggering 50—double the cost. However, it was worth it, as it provided the combined effect of several other traits while occupying only a single gene slot.

Lost in thought, Yan Luo drifted off to sleep.

At 6:30, he was awakened by the doorbell. There was no one at the door, but a package lay on the ground. Opening it, he found a "Class-Skipping Permit" stamped with the bright red seal of the Bureau of Education, complete with several handwritten signatures from high-ranking officials like the Director of Education and the Mayor. That special department certainly acted quickly.

"Even the Minister of Education signed it? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration... it’s just skipping class... it’s like the golden bowl for begging by imperial decree in *Flirting Scholar*..."

But Yan Luo knew this was the special department showing goodwill toward a modifier. Making such a fuss over a small matter was also a way to demonstrate their formidable power.

He withdrew 100,000 from his million-point fortune, mounted his horse, and headed for the school. He wasn't going to class—it was nearly 7:00 PM—but rather to board his horse at Old Man Ma Jianmin’s place. The horse had gone hungry for another day.

Old Man Ma was home alone, drinking a little wine and eating fried peanuts. Seeing Yan Luo arrive with the horse, he said, "I was wondering why you didn't come today."

Yan Luo offered a brief explanation and handed over the money.
"100,000? Are you kidding? That’s too much, far too much!"
"It’s not much. I checked—boarding a riding horse, including feed, medical care, and labor, costs 4,000 to 5,000 a month. This is a heavy horse, so it costs more. This covers a year."

Ma Jianmin didn't lack money; he raised horses as a hobby for companionship. He declined a few times, but seeing Yan Luo’s insistence, he accepted, saying, "Then I’ll make sure the horse eats well and stays fat and strong."

Leaving there, Yan Luo found a secluded spot and spent 10 points to open a portal into the Dream Space. With some time before 8:00, he strolled through the commercial district and spotted a piece of equipment.

Cloth Armor: Missionary Robe.
The robe was pure white with a gold-inlaid belt and a cross pattern embroidered in gold thread on the chest. The robe was enchanted with a low-level spell: "Illumination," which was blindingly bright when activated.

In fact, missionary robes were typically black; this one was made white to complement the "Illumination" spell. Black absorbs light. To be honest, a white robe with gold embroidery was incredibly flashy—it was gaudy! And being enchanted with Illumination... imagine on a battlefield, activating a spell just to attract everyone's gaze to yourself? Generals rarely wore white armor on the battlefield because it made them easy targets for arrows—and this cloth armor was not only white but also came with its own holy light.

Yan Luo liked it not for its gaudy color, but because "Illumination" counted as a light-attribute spell; its radiance could even reveal invisible ghosts. Most importantly, it wasn't expensive—only 2,500 points. It was an enchanted piece of armor! If it had been enchanted with more practical spells like Haste or Magic Shield, the price would have been tenfold.

After purchasing the Missionary Robe, Yan Luo left the Dream Space and teleported to the coordinates provided by Chu Qingfeng. As the light gate opened and closed, he appeared in a new city. It was night, and the streets were dark, so no one noticed the light gate at the street corner or the young man stepping out of it.

Yan Luo looked up at a nearby restaurant with a flashing neon sign reading four large characters: "Gluttonous Red Sun."

Walking over, Yan Luo immediately spotted a familiar face in the restaurant lobby.
Chu Qingfeng.
The psychologist was still dressed in a suit with gold-rimmed glasses, but his level was Lv2? Yan Luo pondered the criteria for an Lv2 modifier: one gene upgraded to mid-level, plus one psionic power or one energy-based skill. The loser Wang Dongwei currently had internal energy and primary Agility; he only needed 5 more gene points to upgrade to mid-level Agility to become an Lv2 modifier. Leveling up wasn't difficult.

In any case, Chu Qingfeng must have gained significant benefits in that detective-themed world. The title above his head read: "Qin Official."

"Don't tell me he traveled back to the ancient Qin Dynasty and became a jailer?"