Chapter 005: The Ranking of Demonic Figures
Song Ye thought to himself, if Qin Xiyi is a woman of great significance, perhaps her name can be found on the “Xuan Ying Continent’s List of Legendary Figures.” Immediately, Song Ye opened the game interface and located the relevant subpage. This list was divided into two main categories: the List of Righteous Figures and the List of Demonic Figures. Each category featured a hundred names, all of them individuals capable of stirring the winds and clouds across the continent.
Song Ye carefully combed through the list but could not find “Qin Xiyi.” However, the fifth-ranked name on the Demonic Figures list was “Qin Xuanxi.” Could it be that Qin Xuanxi and Qin Xiyi were, in fact, the same person? Their names were strikingly similar. The fifth rank on the Demonic list surely belonged to an extraordinary figure. In short, if they were indeed one and the same, then Qin Xiyi's true identity would be that of the notorious female demon of the continent.
Was he about to marry a demon NPC? Unfortunately, the ranking only displayed names and no images, so Song Ye couldn't confirm whether Qin Xiyi and Qin Xuanxi were actually the same person. Perhaps Qin Xuanxi was even a man! So the question had to be set aside for now.
...
The next morning, Song Ye rose early and set up his modest tea stall. Then he opened the novice village quest list to see what new tasks would refresh today. Not long after, Constable Zhao arrived again. As yesterday, Zhao Zhigao drank a bowl of tea, then asked for a refill without charge. When it came time to settle, he counted out eighteen copper coins for Song Ye.
Song Ye looked at the coins and said, “Zhigao, you’ve given me too much.”
Zhao Zhigao replied, “Tomorrow, five students from Cheng County will be passing through here on their way to Xuanqing Palace for their studies. When they arrive, pour each of them a bowl of tea, and don’t charge them.”
Song Ye smiled, “Alright!”
He recalled that he too had received an invitation to Xuanqing Palace from Master Su a month ago, but since he couldn’t leave the village, the invitation was useless.
At that moment, a villager came running over, face tense, shouting as he ran, “There’s a big wolf in the west of the village! Folks, keep an eye on your children and your livestock!”
Zhao Zhigao immediately picked up his saber from the table and stood, “Let me drive the wolf away for the villagers!”
Song Ye followed, for the villager had cried out “big wolf”—perhaps it was the wolf king, which would yield five hundred experience points, more than several quests combined.
Arriving at the western outskirts, there indeed prowled a massive wolf king. Zhao Zhigao did not hesitate; he turned and ran, shouting, “Villagers, take cover! I’ll go back to the office and fetch more men!”
Ordinary wild wolves he could handle with his hefty blade, but faced with a wolf king of such size, he would not foolishly risk his life alone.
To Song Ye, however, the wolf king was nothing more than five hundred experience points. As soon as Zhao Zhigao left, Song Ye took the rusty novice iron sword from his game pack and struck toward the wolf king.
Heaven-Shattering Earth-Splitting Slash!
Three fierce crimson sword energies struck the wolf king, and in an instant its body disintegrated into dust, fading away in the air.
“Ding! Player has slain a wolf king, experience points +500.”
A month ago, Song Ye would’ve turned and fled from such a threat, just as Zhao Zhigao did. But now, he could dispatch it with a single blow.
As a player, as long as his “Vitality” attribute was high enough—even without any cultivation—he could be as resilient as diamond, overwhelming all with sheer force.
Song Ye stowed away the iron sword.
Returning to the tea stall, Song Ye saw Qin Xiyi standing at the entrance, waiting for him, holding a large, barely alive bird in her hand. The bird’s eyes were blue, and its feathers golden.
He had never seen such a species before.
Qin Xiyi caught sight of Song Ye and smiled, “My little husband, you’re back.”
Song Ye paused, surprised. Though they had an engagement, she had not formally entered his home, yet she addressed him as husband—adding the word “little” before it, for reasons unclear.
“Mm,” Song Ye replied coolly.
Qin Xiyi lifted the golden-feathered bird and said, “Aunt Sun tells me you’re quite the cook. Help me stew this bird, let me recover my strength. Once I’m well, on our wedding night, you’ll be able to show your prowess!”
Song Ye suspected she was flirting, but found no proof, so he simply said, “Alright.”
He took the bird from Qin Xiyi and found it still alive, barely breathing. Back in the kitchen, Song Ye grabbed a chef’s knife and swiftly ended its suffering.
Just then, the game prompt sounded:
“Ding! Player has slain a high-tier beast, Blue-Eyed Golden-Feathered Bird, experience points +100,000.”
Immediately, golden radiance flashed over Song Ye’s body.
“Ding! Congratulations, player has reached level 16!”
“Ding! Congratulations, player has reached level 17!”
“Ding! Congratulations, player has reached level 18!”
...
“Ding! Congratulations, player has reached level 30!”
Good heavens! He’d only dispatched a bird and jumped from level fifteen straight to level thirty!
The bird he’d finished off was called a Blue-Eyed Golden-Feathered Bird, a high-tier beast. Had it been healthy, Song Ye at his low level could never have killed it.
Since Qin Xiyi had given him the bird, it meant she possessed terrifying power—she could easily catch a severely injured Blue-Eyed Golden-Feathered Bird, a beast of such high caliber. After a night’s rest, her cultivation had surely recovered considerably.
Song Ye thought, once she fully healed, she would surely leave. Her talk of marriage was likely just offhand. If Qin Xiyi was truly the fifth-ranked Qin Xuanxi from the Demonic List, then to her, Song Ye—a mere villager from Autumn Whisper Village—was like an ant.
If you were her, would you marry an ant?