Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Protect Our Sect Leader! (One More Chapter)
Consort Shen?
Is she the consort he slept with? Which prince’s Old Mother is she?
Xu Nian paused for a moment and then turned to ask, "How much do you know about her?"
He really didn’t know much about Consort Shen, and he hadn’t received many memories from Luo Yushu. This mess, after all, was something he would have to deal with.
"Shen Rongyin is the Eldest Miss of the Jiangnan Shen Family, skilled in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age, and later became the disciple of National Master Li Baiyang. Rumors say her skill in chess is Number One in the World."
The Blood Demoness spoke up. "The Shen Family was originally one of the aristocratic families of Jiangnan, who built their wealth on smuggling salt. After Shen Rongyin caught the eye of His Majesty, the Shen Family’s status skyrocketed, becoming one of the Ten Great Clans in the land. Most officials in the current Imperial Court come from aristocratic families; you could even say that the court is entirely composed of aristocratic families. This time, Shen Rongyin has two Grandmasters from her family at her side, Heaven’s Defect and Earth’s Lack. These two were originally fugitives wanted by the Imperial Court but were removed from the wanted list thanks to the Shen Family’s intervention and have stayed with the Shen Family ever since. Shen Rongyin bringing them along probably means trouble, so be careful."
Are the Aristocratic Families really that powerful? Does His Majesty just watch as the Aristocratic Families run rampant and do as they please? That doesn’t seem right. From what he knew about His Majesty, this Cheap Old Dad tolerated no nonsense. How could he sit by while the Aristocratic Families occupied court offices?
"What a headache. Is there any more news about Shen Rongyin?" Xu Nian rubbed his temples.
The Blood Demoness chuckled lightly. "Of course, there is more. Shen Rongyin is also the mother of the Eighth Prince. I’ve heard that the Imperial Court has not attempted to block the search for the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure. On the contrary, they’ve sent Several Princes to compete for the treasure, led by the Ninth Prince who once drank with you. Other princes on this mission include the Eighth Prince and the Fifth Prince! It seems the Ten Great Clans are also interested in getting involved, but they appear to have made no overt moves."
TSK TSK!
Both mother and son joining the fray? He still suspected the Ninth Prince of setting him up, and now with Shen Rongyin and the Eighth Prince too... Three enemies arriving together? As for the Fifth Prince, he should be about to take up his fief, right? That the Nine Dragons Secret Treasure could attract so many participants meant the Players would certainly have their hands full.
Seeing Xu Nian’s expression turn ugly, the Blood Demoness jokingly said, "What’s wrong? Are you anxious about seeing your old flame?"
"Stop talking nonsense! I was framed!"
Xu Nian rolled his eyes. "Shen Rongyin being alive to this day probably means His Majesty doesn’t want her dead, either for the sake of the Aristocratic Family, or because of Shen Rongyin herself."
He had always found this puzzling. He was jailed, yet nothing at all happened to Shen Rongyin. The Shen Family gained the qualifications to become one of the Ten Great Clans because of her. If something happened to Shen Rongyin, the Shen Family would also be kicked out; anyone could see that. So, Shen Rongyin must be alive because of herself. Does this woman hold some secret? What kind of secret could it be that makes His Majesty turn a blind eye, resigned to the humiliation his son brought him?
[Task: Shen Rongyin’s Revenge]
[Synopsis: As the Eldest Miss of the Shen Family and an Imperial Consort in the harem, Shen Rongyin highly values her reputation. Ever since her indescribable relationship with Luo Yushu, the Seventh Prince, her character has turned vicious and malicious. She has come this time to seek revenge on the host!]
[Objective: Survive Shen Rongyin’s revenge.]
[Time Limit: One month.]
[Reward: Random Realm.]
[Hint: The host may delegate the Task to the disciples and may freely subdivide the Task. Rewards are limited to Contribution Points, and the reward for this Task cannot exceed 100 Contribution Points.]
HUH???
What the hell is this? Is Shen Rongyin’s revenge really that terrifying? It even alarmed the System. Does this woman really hate me that much? Just what unforgivable sin did Luo Yushu commit?!
Xu Nian felt a chill creeping up from his tailbone and couldn’t help but shiver.
Indeed, one shouldn’t mess with women. Their desire for revenge is too strong.
Xu Nian sat on the Cushion, displaying a look of utter despair.
「Outside.」
The Players who were working hard to earn Contribution Points also received the System Task at this moment.
[Task: Protect our Sect Leader.]
[Brief: The enemy of the Profound Yellow Sect Leader Xu Nian is about to arrive. This person is treacherous and wicked, with unfathomable schemes. Please ensure Sect Leader Xu Nian survives the opponent’s revenge.]
[Reward: 500 Contribution Points.]
Seeing this Task, all the Players were stunned.
They were not shocked by the content of the Task, but by the Reward...
500 Contribution Points!
This kind of Reward is only given for Large Tasks. Who is the Sect Leader’s enemy, able to trigger a Reward only Large Tasks can offer?
"Damn, here comes the Task, straight-up 500 Contribution Points!"
"HAHAHA! With these Contribution Points, we could cobble together an Ultimate Technique for ourselves."
"Whoever dares to touch the Sect Leader will have to step over my dead body!"
"Don’t celebrate too early. Our Contribution Points are only enough for Reincarnation once or twice. If you die and can’t reincarnate, you won’t even get the Reward!"
"..."
The Second Test Players saw the Task and became excited. But then they thought about it. It seemed this bunch of cannon fodder still didn’t have the means to stop anything.
I, Xuanqing, and Half-Leaf gathered with a few paying Players to discuss the situation of the Task.
"We still have more than nine hundred Contribution Points right now. How about we distribute some to the Players in the Hall?"
I, Xuanqing, suggested, "We need to ensure the completion of this Task. Then, with 500 Contribution Points for each person, we will have enough confidence to catch up with the First Test Players."
These Contribution Points were all bought by Half-Leaf and the other four.
Now that they had taken down two Halls, both had Postnatal Talents geared toward team battles.
[Unshaken Morale: The more Players there are, the more stable their spirits. When exceeding two hundred people, it triggers the military formation ’Only I Am Invincible’ buff, which increases all Players’ attributes by 50%.]
[Shared Grudges: Trigger this Talent when teaming up. Increase different grades of the Realm based on current Power; currently can be raised up to Fifth-Grade Martial Artist!]
They had taken over two Halls, and the accompanying Talents were also geared towards cooperation. As long as they were together, they could exhibit greater strength. It was an essential attribute for a battle group. With these two Talents, they would have to engage in team battle strategies in future Tasks. Numbers were their advantage, but they also had to rely on numbers to utilize their Talents.
"Okay!"
Half-Leaf nodded and said, "Let’s do as you said. Distribute Ten Contribution Points to each person first to ensure the completion of this Task."
Ten Contribution Points. Plus a few that the Players could earn on their own, that was enough for at least one Reincarnation. This meant that Second Test Players only had two chances! And still, it wasn’t enough to go around. After all, they had gathered nearly ninety percent of the Second Test Players together!
Too many wolves, not enough meat!