C5 Black Heart Merchant Shop
Zhou Ming suddenly sat up with a start.
“Girl… you’re finally awake.”
Seeing Zhou Ming's spirited reaction, Lin Xiaowu breathed a sigh of relief.
“Was it you who brought me back?”
Zhou Ming recognized that he was in his own room.
A bit sheepish, Lin Xiaowu explained, “When you passed out, it was already very late. I used your fingerprint to unlock your phone, found your address, and hailed a taxi. I didn’t have any money on me, so I had to…”
Zhou Ming understood the rest. In Getrall, everyone uses quick-pay systems; a simple fingerprint verification is all it takes. Lin Xiaowu must have used his phone to pay.
“It’s okay. I should be thanking you for bringing me home. But it’s quite late, don’t you think you should be heading home?”
Zhou Ming glanced at the wall clock. He had only helped Lin Xiaowu to complete a system task. Now that the task was done, there was no reason to have her stay the night. Moreover, it was late, and it wasn't appropriate for a man and woman to be alone together.
“I… I…”
Lin Xiaowu stuttered, clearly unsure of what to do.
“Oh, right. I’ll reimburse you later. Don’t worry, I can afford the cab fare to get you home.”
Zhou Ming smacked his forehead, remembering that she didn’t have any money.
“I don’t have anywhere to go,” Lin Xiaowu said in a small voice.
“You’re not thinking of staying here, are you?”
Zhou Ming frowned, sensing a complication. If she stayed, how would he explain it to his sister, Zhou Youyou?
The rent for this apartment was paid by Zhou Youyou. Although she wouldn't live with her brother, she kept a spare room for herself so she could look after him when necessary.
“No, no, I can find somewhere else to crash for the night. I’ll figure something out tomorrow.”
Lin Xiaowu hastily gestured, sensing Zhou Ming’s reluctance.
“Stay here for now,” Zhou Ming offered, resigning himself to the situation. “I’m Zhou Ming. Let me know if you need anything.”
Zhou Ming exhaled deeply. Lin Xiaowu was clearly a kind-hearted girl; she could have easily taken advantage of his unconscious state to steal from his phone. Instead, she had ensured he made it home safely, a testament to her integrity.
Certainly, Zhou Ming's decision to take in Lin Xiaowu wasn't driven by the reasons one might expect. The true catalyst was a sudden prompt in his mind.
Main Mission: Take in Lin Xiaowu. Difficulty: None. Reward: 10 dream value points.
"Thank... Thank you! Ming, you're such a good person!"
Lin Xiaowu was overjoyed, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She hadn't anticipated Zhou Ming's agreement.
"Good person?" Zhou Ming shook his head, correcting Lin Xiaowu, "To me, 'good person' is almost an insult. I'm not one."
"I know, I know. Ming, you're a cross-dresser..."
Lin Xiaowu blurted out, then suddenly realized her mistake and clamped a hand over her mouth.
Zhou Ming's face contorted with embarrassment as he recalled the humiliating incident of his transformation. Why on earth did I think of transforming into the small witch? Damn it!
"Ahem, there's an empty room here. You can stay there for now. We'll get your daily necessities tomorrow. There are toiletries in the room; they belong to my sister Zhou Youyou. If you don't mind, feel free to use them."
Zhou Ming, eager to escape the awkward memory, swiftly changed the subject.
"Mm-hmm, thank you, Ming."
Lin Xiaowu nodded, her footsteps light as she left the room.
She truly was an optimistic girl. Having lived two lifetimes, Zhou Ming could easily perceive that Lin Xiaowu was doing her best to conceal her true feelings.
...
Once Lin Xiaowu was settled, Zhou Ming finally had a moment to reflect on the day's events. Transmigration, a system, completing missions—it all felt like playing an RPG.
Yet, Zhou Ming was acutely aware of the reality of his situation. In games, you could respawn after dying, but here, pain and injury were real, and he suspected he had only one life to live. Given a second chance at life, he was determined to make it through in one go.
Zhou Ming was puzzled. The system had seemed desperate for him to save Lin Xiaowu, to the point where he wondered if she was some secret offspring of the system. Surely, a beginner's mission wouldn't carry the severe penalty of erasing the host. And the system issuing a mission specifically to take in Lin Xiaowu? That was just too preposterous.
Zhou Ming couldn't decipher the system's intentions, but he was aware that Lin Xiaowu might be of great significance to him.
Glancing at his phone's time, Zhou Ming silently invoked "Martial Merchant Shop." Red had subtly warned him of an impending threat to his life, prompting him to take precautions against future dangers.
Upon activating the Merchant Shop feature, a nine-square grid materialized in his mind. Attack and defense skills, agility skills, Mind Magic, and nostrums were visible in four illuminated squares, while the remaining ones were shrouded in darkness, revealing nothing.
System Notification: The host may select skills or items for purchase in the Merchant Shop. Once purchased, skills and heart sutras can be learned instantly, and items will materialize immediately. The host can view categories by mentally reciting them.
This felt incredibly cool. Could this mean he was on his way to becoming a martial arts expert? Haha! Zhou Ming never imagined he'd get to savor the thrill of being a knight-errant.
However, Zhou Ming's excitement turned to astonishment when he accessed the attack and defense skills section.
Instead of ancient manuals, he found only transparent text with descriptions.
Complete Broadcast Gymnastics: An entry-level defense skill that strengthens the body through full-body exercise and stretching. Daily practice will boost your body's defense. Dream value: 10.
Monkey Steals Peach: An entry-level attack skill that excels in surprise. It requires the user to have lightning-fast hands to defeat the opponent in one move, causing male enemies to crumble. Dream value: 10.
Yellow Dog Water Gun: A beginner-level attack skill that mimics a dog's water spray. Quick and timely execution can inflict physical and psychological damage on the enemy. Dare to approach? I'll drench you. Dream value: 10.
Salty Hand: A beginner-level attack skill that demands the user have an exceptionally thick skin. A combination of groping and grabbing, it's particularly effective against female enemies but likely to draw their ire. Use with caution. Dream value: 10.
After reviewing the list, Zhou Ming was visibly frustrated. The entry-level attack and defense skills were laughable, despicable, shameless, and downright lewd!
At that moment, Zhou Ming had only one thing on his mind: Damn it—oops, my apologies, the system has muted me once again.
With a deep breath to quell his rising anger, Zhou Ming turned his attention to the next set of skills.
Hugging Kill: An intermediate attack skill that uses strong, powerful arms to restrain an enemy from behind, crushing or suffocating them. If you love me, come on and try the Hugging Kill. Dream Value: 100.
Multi-Dimensional Palm Strike: An intermediate attack skill that hits the enemy from multiple angles, working best in conjunction with footwork. The collision of multiple palms can result in a critical strike. Dream Value: 100.
Immovable as a Mountain: An intermediate defense skill that allows one to stand firm like a mountain, unshaken by the fiercest winds or heaviest rains. Mastering this skill can enhance bone density and overall physical strength, though it does mean taking a few hits. Dream Value: 100.
Exploding Fist: An intermediate attack skill where a single punch shatters all defenses, overpowering multiple techniques at once. This punch focuses on a burst of explosive power, capable of obliterating any obstacle. Dream Value: 100.
Moving on to the intermediate skills, things seemed more reasonable, but their cost was still ten times that of the beginner skills, and the advanced skills were priced at a whopping 1500 dream value. And then there was the ultimate skill, which Zhou Ming didn't even dare to look at, fearing the astronomical figure might give him a heart attack.
