Chapter 11

But upon further thought, what's the harm in risking one's life? With the help of the Primeval Relic's skill, it seemed that at level 0 one could solo kill swarms of level 1-2 monsters without taking damage. If one is careful later and avoids provoking higher-level monsters, could one avoid dying? Chen Shicheng glanced at his lifespan column with a strange expression.

【Lifespan: 25/77】

He still had 52 years of lifespan!

Even if he died a few times due to carelessness, it wouldn't be a loss for him, after all, before his skill upgraded, his lifespan was only 69 years in his sub-healthy state.

The extra eight years were entirely like a windfall; using them wouldn't cause regret, and future increases in skill or realm would continually bring him more lifespan.

If we look from another angle, isn't this the kind of problem that often appears on a certain sound app?

Would you trade one year of lifespan for one year's wages?

Many would surely choose to do so, and Chen Shicheng was no exception.

What can be exchanged now isn't just that trivial little bit; it's transcendence, immortality, longevity. No one could resist such temptation! Play! Must continue playing! Seeing Chen Shicheng's increasingly resolute gaze, how could the maid not understand his choice?

Who would easily give up a game that lets one transcend the mundane? So she didn't waste her effort; instead she told Chen Shicheng everything she knew about the game's precautions.

During that time, the courtesan and the food and drink had already been sent to the private room by the attendant, but Chen Shicheng kept only the food and drink, and the courtesan was promptly driven out.

Now is not the time for idle pleasures; knowing more about the game could mean dying less in the future.

Even if one year of lifespan isn't much to him, it's still better to die less; he's not the type who embraces death.

Just like that, one spoke whatever came to mind, while the other earnestly tried to commit it to memory.

After about half an hour, the maid, who really couldn't think of anything else, spread her hands, indicating she had told Chen Shicheng everything she could; only then did he, looking dissatisfied, stop his questioning.

"Right!" As if she had thought of something, the maid suddenly asked excitedly, "You dared to come in and spend money here, so you must be rich, right? Want to sell me some? One copper exchanges for 10 RMB, one tael of silver I'll give you 11,000, and if you have gold, even better—I'll exchange directly at a 1:15 ratio."

"Don't think it's cheap; this is already a high price on the market."

Damn!

This exchange rate is way too exaggerated! Chen Shicheng calculated in his mind how much gold he currently had, and came up with a figure that left him stunned: 440,000,000!!!

Before entering the game, he said he'd earn wealth freedom by grinding bricks in-game, but he'd only been in the game less than half a day and already was free—so casually! Though the urge is there, some key questions still need to be clarified.

Is this Trading in reality? Chen Shicheng asked cautiously.

"Nonsense, this game has no transfer function and doesn't support currency exchange; otherwise I would have sold my house already and wouldn't need to ask you here." The maid said helplessly.

"Then I won't exchange."

If it had been half an hour earlier, Chen Shicheng might have eagerly agreed, but now that he knows the game's secret, he dare not test human nature, even though this maid's information has helped him a lot.

"Tch, coward."

"Although I can't exchange, seeing as you've given me so much useful information, I can give you something."

Before the maid could finish speaking, Chen Shicheng pulled a small piece of gold from the interface and pushed it toward her in her incredulous gaze. Having been dunning for debts before, he loathed owing favors; given the ability, he still strove to be debt-free and light.

"Thanks for the gold, big shot!"

The gold wasn't big—just one tael, looking like a small nugget—but the maid seemed to have seen something good; without a word she snatched it away, and with a flip of her hand the gold vanished in her palm, so fast Chen Shicheng couldn't even see an afterimage.

Indeed, seeing the maid's gleeful, greedy expression, Chen Shicheng couldn't help but feel that a veteran player of three years in the game couldn't be a weakling.

I just don't know why, with such strength, she doesn't hurry to level up, but instead chooses to be an ordinary maid in a brothel.

Chen Shicheng, who figured out women's psychology, could only push that question to the back of his mind, silently chanting 'log out' in his heart.

【Log out immediately? (After logging out, the game character will remain in the game; please find a safe spot to log out.)】

【Train offline according to the cultivation method?】

Although Chen Shicheng was eager to confirm the real-world situation, seeing this prompt he still froze for a moment.

A safe place? "Excuse me, is this brothel safe?" Chen Shicheng asked.

Apart from the county office, this is the safest place; as an entertainment venue, the manager of Rolling Cloud Tower has hired a bunch of enforcers whose level is comparable to the city guards, and the women here aren't simple either—the courtesan's strength is even beyond my perception." The maid played with the gold, speaking casually.

"Then that's fine; I'm going to rest, you go attend to your duties."

Hearing that this place was very safe, Chen Shicheng no longer hesitated, ushering the maid out of the side room.

After stepping out, he also didn't forget to verify the truth of what the maid said, glancing around the interior of the brothel.

Indeed, in the hidden dark corners, some rough-looking men were on high alert; as soon as anyone drank and caused trouble, they would rush out immediately to stop them.

Furthermore, careful observation reveals that at the door of each side room, a maid constantly patrols to ensure no one can disturb the guests inside.

"Indeed, it's very safe."

Filled with a sense of security, Chen Shicheng let out a sigh of relief, then turned back and returned to the side room.

"By the way, there's one more thing I almost forgot to tell you—in the County Seat," the maid, already ready to head out, suddenly turned back to say something, but before she could finish, a loud bang came from behind.

Bang!

She turned her head in confusion and saw that Chen Shicheng had actually shut the main door directly.

"Damn, is he really this impatient?" This kind of 'unload the mill and kill the donkey' approach left her somewhat speechless.

She had wanted to knock on the door to continue speaking, but as soon as she raised her hand, several gazes locked onto her, making it impossible to proceed with the knocking.

Looking at the now-silent side room, she muttered softly, 'That person hasn't shown up in a long time; he's probably already left Huangchi County, so not mentioning it seems fine.'

After saying that, she thought of the one tael of gold that had been credited to her account, and left the side room's doorway feeling pleased.

(End of chapter)