020 Preparation

Long after the events had passed, Mengzhu once asked Duan Qing out of curiosity why he had walked over to that little boy that afternoon, leading to that miraculous encounter. Duan Qing’s response was quite characteristic of him; after stripping away all the self-aggrandizing and boastful fluff, the core meaning was essentially: his intuition was sharp and his luck was exceptional.

Of course, Duan Qing certainly had his own genuine reasons for that incident, but those were thoughts he kept to himself, and Mengzhu would likely never know them. As for the series of events that followed and the consequences they brought about, those were far beyond what Duan Qing could have anticipated at the time.

Right now, they were in the middle of extensive preparations.

According to Mengzhu, if they wanted to venture deep into the Emerald Forest, they had to plan for the long haul. Bringing their own food and water was a given. Moreover, "Free World" did not have anything as physically impossible as an inventory bag from anime; while the system would not stop you from carrying whatever you wanted, you had to be able to carry it yourself. Therefore, how they distributed their gear was crucial.

The village night was quiet and distant, with the chirping of insects drifting from the corners. Most of the houses still had lights shining from their windows—at this hour, most people had not yet gone to sleep, but that might change soon, so the two of them had to make the most of the limited time to gather resources.

Initially, they ran into some trouble. The usual way players obtained food was to buy it from villagers or trade for it. However, Duan Qing and Mengzhu did not have much loot on them, and they couldn't go hunting late at night. When Mengzhu tried to ask for some food and was rejected, the two of them became worried about their rations.

In the end, the problem was solved unexpectedly. While trying to ask another household for food, they accidentally let slip their intention to go deep into the Emerald Forest to find someone.

The attitude of that household changed instantly.

"You’re going to the Emerald Forest to find someone? Oh my, that’s a very dangerous place! I’ve never been there myself, but just hearing what others say about it makes me feel terrified... You adventurers are truly remarkable. Back in my younger days, I wouldn't have dared to do such a thing, ha ha ha..."

And so, they received a gift from that family: a few pieces of hardened bread.

"The depths of the Emerald Forest... Many have gone there and never returned. You two... sigh, never mind, I’ll give you some bread..."

"Little Mengzhu is actually going to the depths of the Emerald Forest? That won't do, that place is far too dangerous, no, no, even with ten more people it wouldn't be safe... You’re determined to go? Alright, alright, since you’re so resolved, there’s nothing more for me to say. Wait a moment... I can't do much, but take these biscuits for the road..."

It was as if they had triggered some hidden mechanic. Upon hearing that the two were traveling to the depths of the Emerald Forest, the villagers of Greenstone Village expressed their concern one after another, providing them with varying amounts of food and water as support. It was unclear whether this was their genuine sentiment or a deliberate design by the system. However, in Duan Qing’s eyes, the earnest expressions of the villagers as they offered their goods felt somehow awkward.

It felt as if they were watching people insist on walking to their deaths, and they were kindly offering them a final send-off.

"Do we really look like people going to die?" Duan Qing asked with a helpless sigh as he packed the pile of supplies into his bag.

"We won't actually die, so what are you afraid of?" Mengzhu curled her lip. "Besides, it's all free, free! Getting things for free feels great..."

With the food and water settled, the next item was a tent. Mengzhu said it was for camping and was necessary for safety at night. But no one would give them that for free, and they couldn't craft one themselves, so they had to buy it from the general store in the village square. The two pooled their assets together, barely scraping together nearly nine hundred Ebri coins. They could afford the smallest tent for five hundred, but that would have to wait until tomorrow, as the store was likely closed by now.

Thinking about how the money they had painstakingly gathered was about to be pushed in front of that sharp-featured, monkey-faced shopkeeper, Mengzhu’s face scrunched up like a steamed bun, giving Duan Qing a stomachache just looking at her.

"It's just money! We'll go to the forest, run a circle, and earn it back in minutes..."

"Sigh, that's why you big-spending men..." Mengzhu looked at Duan Qing powerlessly. "You never understand how hard it is to earn money. Those are gleaming, hard-earned coins! I saved for such a long time..."

"Why are my eyes filled with tears? Because I love these coins so deeply..." The young girl put her hands together, performing with great emotion, though there wasn't a single tear in her eyes.

As for the torches needed for lighting, they were meant to be used for illumination. But according to Mengzhu, once they reached the depths of the Emerald Forest, even the daytime would be shrouded by towering trees like the dead of night. So, if possible, it would be best to obtain long-lasting lighting equipment, such as an oil lamp or a magic lamp. The latter was a high-end luxury that was hard to come by, while the small oil lamps that hung from one's waist were cheaper and sold at the general store, so that was an option. But even the cheapest oil lamp was currently beyond their budget—they still needed to save some money to upgrade their gear and hire help at the village entrance to the south.

The girl once suggested doing the herb trade again, but Duan Qing stopped her.

"It's better to hurry; I have a feeling that something big is going to happen in the next few days," Duan Qing explained.

As he said this, the two were sitting at a round table in the inn’s main hall, discussing their itinerary for the next day. Duan Qing looked from time to time at the people coming in and out of the inn. Most were players returning from adventures; some looked normal, while others were beaming with joy, presumably having had a successful day. Occasionally, a few players would call out loudly and sit together, appearing to be acquaintances. Others were alone, either sitting in a corner with a stone-faced, emotionless expression, or looking lost and deep in thought, likely having encountered some misfortune.

Amidst the flowing crowd, there were a few people who had been sitting at a round table, never moving. Duan Qing could recognize some of them, and he felt the girl sitting across from him could also recognize those former teammates, but she said nothing.

Every now and then, a few players would enter through the front door, walk up to those people to whisper a few words, and then others would leave. After a while, a different group would enter to discuss something with the people at the table. A hurried expression often appeared on the faces of those coming and going, while the person in the middle—who appeared to be the captain—would act as if he were orchestrating a grand strategy, saying a few words to calm them down, then lecturing them with a stern face, looking quite self-righteous.

Of course, due to the distance, Duan Qing and Mengzhu could not hear the specifics. But as Duan Qing held his teacup to mask his glancing, he clearly saw the double-wing emblem on their shoulders.

It was the emblem of the League's second-largest guild, "Wings of Freedom."

The coming and going of subordinates, the frequent communication, and the serious expressions on the faces of those at the table... all these signs, combined with Duan Qing’s rich experience, told him one fact: they were planning something big.

"We had better start our mission tomorrow. I’ll handle the matter of the oil lamp," Duan Qing set down his teacup, his gaze tinged with a hint of seriousness and faint anxiety. "I hope... we don't get dragged into anything."

******************

"There is nothing to worry about; we have prepared for so long..."

"Yes, the preparations for the event, the responses to various contingencies, and... the way we welcome our old friends, all are within our plan. By all accounts, there shouldn't be anything unexpected happening..."

At another table, several leaders of the Wings of Freedom squad were discussing their upcoming arrangements. Sitting right in the middle was the person who appeared to be the captain, the same one Duan Qing had seen the other day during the incident with Mengzhu.

"But I heard that 'Jianghu' has also sent people. It seems that Duan Shanyue is leading the team himself..."

Several people began to whisper.

"Duan Shanyue..."

"The second-in-command of Jianghu..."

"I heard that in the game 'Ancient War God,' he defeated the world's second-ranked player, Yun Jingbu..."

"I wonder how his strength is now..."

Although their discussion was very quiet, a certain feeling of insecurity permeated the conversation. The captain scolded them a few times and then began to boost the morale of his people.

"Duan Shanyue has already retired to the second line, what are you afraid of! And even if they have experts leading the team, do we not? The first team has been out for several days; by my calculations, they should be arriving soon. You all know the strength of the 'Goddess of Ice and Snow.' They have already completed several high-level missions. In terms of strength, we are definitely not afraid of them..."

The captain pressed both hands on the table, looking full of confidence. The expressions of the others at the table gradually relaxed. It seemed the name "Goddess of Ice and Snow" still gave them some confidence. Two more people came to report the situation, and after hearing them out, the captain gave them further instructions before preparing to make the final arrangements.

"If our main force arrives tomorrow, we will act according to the first part of the original plan. The intelligence we have collected and screened will be handed over to them. We only need to do our part to ensure the smooth implementation of the subsequent plan... Don't drag your feet! Don't create any side issues! At this juncture, anything that might cause an obstacle must be eliminated."

He pressed his hands forward on the table again, exuding an aura of cold ruthlessness. "Regardless of whether the obstacle comes from the outside... or from within."

"The importance of this mission, I think everyone is already well aware. So... don't think too much, just do your work. Meeting adjourned."

********************

Duan Qing and Mengzhu logged off to rest, calculating the time in the game and agreeing to meet at dawn. After that, they would need to find teammates to help them.

The two arrived at the player market at the village entrance. Due to the high foot traffic, it was not just a place for trading, but also a good spot to find people to collaborate with. The Emerald Forest was the best place for exploration here, and its danger was well-known, so many people wanting to enter the forest would look for teammates here.

Duan Qing and Mengzhu set up a stall in a corner by the village entrance. This stall, of course, was not for selling goods. In this game, when someone wanted to form a party with strangers, players preferred to lay a cloth on the ground and place some pebbles on it to signal their intention to group up. Naturally, you could use stones to spell out "looking for party" or "looking for a carry," and the current convention was largely a simplified version of the method invented back then.

As for why it was like this? Because the game had no public channel for chatting or shouting, and standing on the street shouting felt stupid...

Of course, a place like the newbie village was poor, so advanced methods like pen, paper, and wooden signs were relatively luxurious. Once they reached the towns, these methods of promotion would become mainstream, and many people would use this to invent more businesses in the Free World, but those were stories for another time.

Duan Qing didn't need these methods right now. He just sat in the back, looking bored, leaving all the negotiations to Mengzhu—this was also something Mengzhu volunteered for. Originally, she didn't want to sacrifice herself for that "uncle," but after watching Duan Qing’s communication style once, she had turned pale and told him to go to the back to rest.

The process of that previous conversation was as follows:

"Name? Oh, it's right there above your head, fine, that's not important... Level? What, you're only level ten? Do you know what we're going to do? We're going to the Emerald Forest to slay gods... ah, no, to find someone! It's at least a few hundred kilometers away, what use are you at level ten..."

Then the person called him a psycho and walked away.

Mengzhu lectured him for a long time in frustration, the gist of it being that acting pretentious was useless. Duan Qing, however, assumed the posture of a master, showing great foresight: "You said it was dangerous to go deep into the forest, wouldn't it be unsafe not to find a 'carry'..."

Carry, my foot! Where in the newbie village are you going to find a carry for yourself...

So the girl had no choice but to let the uncle sit aside while she personally greeted the "applicants." The one she was currently entertaining was a young man with a buzz cut.

"...Going in to find someone, right? No problem, I'm best at this. I know exactly who lives in every house in our neighborhood..."

"Er, we are going to an unfamiliar place..."

The task of finding someone wasn't the most dangerous task one could take into the Emerald Forest. Among the few who had come before, some were quite interested in this task, but they eventually refused. The reason was still that Duan Qing and his partner... were too poor.

Find someone? This naturally wasn't dangerous. Go deep into the Emerald Forest? Well, if they could actually make it in, that would be good, but the wages they offered... or even a share of the loot... What? You don't know what the reward is? You expect me to work for free?

Previously, the two had planned to use some of their own items to subsidize teammates, but their budget was simply too tight. Aside from that pair of gloves, they had nothing else of value or appeal among their personal assets. Mengzhu wasn't good at lying or bluffing, so until this person, no one had agreed to go with them.

However, this naive young man gave Mengzhu some hope.

"Don't worry, miss... oh, wait, comrade. In our circles, this kind of business is common. Whether the person owes money or caused trouble, we can handle it. Trust me, I'm very professional..."

So he was a fool, and one who thought he was "in the life"... The girl smiled on the surface, but she was dismissive in her heart. The rule of law and public security in this era were very high, and the path of the underworld was almost non-existent. The young man in front of her was probably suffering from "middle-school syndrome," and the way he spoke so convincingly suggested the illness was quite deep.

"Er, we don't have anything good to pay you with..."

"It doesn't matter, brothers in the life value loyalty. After doing business a few times, we'll be friends. As for the requirements... my requirements aren't high, just keep me fed, ha ha ha..."

"That's easy enough, ha ha ha..."

The two laughed awkwardly at each other, and the scene couldn't have been more embarrassing. Duan Qing, sitting behind them, watched the girl frantically waving her hands behind her back in a fit of rage, and he chuckled to himself.

Then, a familiar voice reached Duan Qing’s ears.

"Ah, isn't this Brother Mo? It's been some time since we last parted. I wonder how you've been doing lately, and if you need a helping hand from this young master?"

The two in front were interrupted by this voice. Duan Qing looked toward the source, and that figure covered in holes appeared before his eyes once again.