Chapter 94: Xianglan Private Club

After realizing the Silent Council had not yet noticed him, Chen Shicheng closed the bounty post and calmly browsed other content.

Besides some newcomer notices issued by the state organization and posts requiring new players to register at the local Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the rest is basically players' chaotic free-for-all.

Everything from forming couples, local hookups, to offline equipment trading is available.

He basically skips such nutritionally worthless posts, showing no interest.

Of course, not all posts are like that useless content; after sifting through, he actually found a post that interested him.

"For sale: Map of the entire Great Yu territory (rough version)"

The poster's ID is "Traveler", and there is a certified icon marked by the forum after the title, proving the map is genuine.

After seeing the post, Chen Shicheng immediately thought of Hui Siye.

For now, aside from monsters still marching in droves toward Bu Xian Shan, his affairs in Huangchi County Town are basically settled.

However, the unclear incidents inside Bu Xian Shan are expected to take some time to brew, and he has no idle time to wait here, so sending Hui Siye's remains back home also needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

As a modern person, even with navigation and landmarks in the city he occasionally gets lost, let alone the ancient wilderness, so a map is crucial for him.

Although it's only a rough version, being able to mark the locations of all county seats ensures he won't go off in the wrong direction.

With this thought, Chen Shicheng opened the post.

But instead of entering right away, a notice popped up saying "This post is set for paid reading", clearly marking the payment amount as "500000".

"Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands, five hundred thousand!!!!"

Chen Shicheng thought he was seeing things, counted back and forth several times before confirming the amount was correct—it really was five hundred thousand.

This person must be crazy—charging five hundred thousand for a rough map, is that not extortion? He knows that while working he had saved a bit of money, only a few thousand, which can't compare to peers who have millions in savings on certain platforms, but it's enough to keep him fed and clothed.

Previously, his expenses for staying at various inns and daily meals relied on these savings.

He had planned to rely on this money to get by until he became strong, then improve his life according to circumstances, but he never expected that a mere map would make him experience what it means to be penny‑poor.

Could he really have to trade game coins with Shuigu Tang? No way!

As soon as that idea arose, Chen Shicheng rejected it outright.

Shuigu Tang is now entangled in trouble; he had just decided to stay away, so he cannot go back on his word.

But if he doesn't trade game coins, what items does he have that could fetch a decent price?

Chen Shicheng opened his storage box and began taking inventory of the items he could show.

Tai Sui Blood is absolutely out—players are buzzing on the forum about where it ends up, and producing it would be self‑incriminating.

Yinxiang Incense is also unusable for now; without absolute strength, producing something comparable to a teleportation array is just asking for death. So Chen Shicheng looked at the various other incenses he bought from Chu Ma Xian Po Po and decided to start with those he currently doesn't use, though deciding whom to sell them to is still a troubling matter.

After thinking, he searched the forum for players' trading posts and finally found an organization called the Gold Money Gang.

He had heard from Shuigu Tang that this guild seemed to be a top‑tier force in coastal cities, and besides the state, it is the only trading platform recognized by players.

The guild's reputation on the forum is excellent; since its founding, no major trading disputes have arisen, and even if minor issues occur, it provides adequate compensation afterward, making it seem safe to trade with.

He found the Gold Money Gang's post, which listed offline trading locations for cities across the country.

Unfortunately, because C City has had no active players until now, no trading point was set up there; the nearest place with a trading address is the neighboring provincial capital J City.

Chen Shicheng immediately noted J City's offline trading location, then took stock of the incense he carried.

【Concentration Incense*9: A special medicinal material mixed with sandalwood that calms the spirit and qi, refined by a special method; using it grants +20% experience when cultivating techniques.】

【Incense of Nourishment*9: Made by blending various spiritual medicine powders; when lit, it slowly heals injuries of targets within range.】

【Qi Supplement Incense*9: When lit, all targets within range recover True Essence speed +50%.】

【Exorcising Incense*9: Randomly dispels one debuff on the target, including but not limited to bewilderment, weakness, bleeding, imprisonment.】

At the in‑game gathering, to make up the price difference, he gave one stick of each incense to Yin Hu, so the quantities aren't whole numbers, which makes Chen Shicheng, who has mild OCD, feel a bit off.

After thinking, he took out four more Soul‑Attracting Incense sticks, bringing the total to a neat forty, and then he relaxed.

Aside from Concentration Incense being of little use to players, the other several incenses should be able to fetch a suitable price.

After confirming the trade items, he didn't waste time, directly put on the mask, affixed the Illusion Body Talisman, and left.

After hitching a few rides along the way to reach the station, Chen Shicheng imitated his third brother's operation, hanging on the high‑speed rail and being blown by the strong wind for over three hours before finally arriving at J City's offline trading venue, the "Xianglan Private Club".

On the way, when bored, he looked up information about the club and learned it is one of J City's top‑tier private clubs, and the building before his eyes lives up to that top‑tier rating.

The massive building stands at the heart of J City, where every inch of land is precious; its exterior is typical Victorian style, but it has no windows, so the interior cannot be seen from outside—only through the front revolving door can one glimpse the splendid, luxurious hall within.

Even when no one is entering or leaving, two rows of beauties in cheongsams stand at the entrance, smiling as they await guests.

And in the parking lot before the gate, a variety of luxury cars are parked; pulling out any one of them would cost more than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime of hard work.

Ordinary passersby would likely assume this place only receives top‑tier tycoons, but only a few in the know realize that entry isn't granted by wealth alone—only players have the right to come and go freely.

Chen Shicheng found a deserted alley, removed the Illusion Body Talisman from himself, then, wearing the mask, he walked slowly toward the gate of Xianglan Private Club amid the astonished gazes of passersby.

(End of chapter)