In Yun Shen's past life, Zhao Ji was the eighth emperor of the Northern Song dynasty, remembered in later generations not so much for his rule, but for his eccentric passions. He was obsessed with calligraphy and painting, archery and polo, rare flowers and strange stones, exotic birds and beasts. It was said that anything unrelated to the duty of an emperor fascinated him.
Here, in this world, Zhao Ji was no longer merely an emperor of history—he had condensed divinity itself. His divine title: *Zheng He*.
Yun Shen never expected that, in his novice village of all places, there would appear a direct descendant of such a lineage. A *godling*, perhaps even the scion of generations of gods—though exactly how many generations removed Zhao Shuiyun was from Zhao Ji, Yun Shen could not tell.
Yet, at the thought of Dao Song Divine Domain's history, a pang of melancholy stirred in his heart.
The histories of this world bore uncanny resemblance to his previous one. Though the divine domains of the Dragon Kingdom had not all perished, several had long since collapsed into ruin. Dao Song was among them.
> "So the Zhao family of Dao Song still lingers here… Truly, our novice village is brimming with talent."
> "Beautiful lady, remember me! I'm both sweet and fragrant!"
> "Does your jade-like foot still lack a pendant? Don't pity me—trample me hard!"
And then came the discordant sneer.
Xu Xiaojiang: *"Don't forget who you are. A waste with a low-grade domain core—five hundred source crystals was already generous. You think you deserve a trade for an epic skill book?"*
Yun Shen froze at that. How could Xu Xiaojiang know the quality of his domain core?
He stared at Xu's avatar, rifling through memory, until at last it came back to him.
Outside the schoolyard, back before the trial began, one of Penguin's angel investors had come sniffing around. When that investor learned of his domain core's poor quality, the investment was withdrawn on the spot. And there, at the investor's side, was a young man laughing at his misfortune.
That young man was Xu Xiaojiang.
> "So, you know this Yun Shen?" someone asked.
Xu Xiaojiang: *"Not personally. Just recognized him from his profile. He wanted investment, but Penguin's angel investor shut him down."*
> "Pfft. A low-quality core trying to invest? Did he think he was Wu Ming, Lord of a Divine Domain?"
> "I thought he was somebody important, but he's just another nobody…"
After all, they were but sixteen- and seventeen-year-old youths. Immature, quick to take sides, eager to sneer. Most of the new lords stayed silent, neither helping nor offending, choosing the safety of neutrality.
Yun Shen, however, was beyond such childish games. Two lifetimes had tempered his mind; he had no interest in squabbling with adolescents.
What mattered was negotiation. Zhao Shuiyun had already hinted that a single top-grade blue item was not enough. If Yun Shen wanted her to even consider parting with her epic skill book, he would need to raise his offer.
Epic quality stood two full tiers above rare. Such things were hardly ever exchanged.
And Yun Shen *hungered* for it. His gaze drifted to the pile of loot at his feet.
Armor. Weapons. Materials. Blueprints. He picked through piece by piece, refreshing their attributes, weighing value. With only one affix allowed per item, he had to be precise. Too poor an offering, and Zhao Shuiyun would dismiss him outright.
The "Slender Gold Script"—Zhao family's unique legacy skill. Not meant for direct combat, but a versatile support ability. It was said that those of Zhao Ji's line cultivated a method in the mortal world which, upon entering the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Races, transformed into a multifunctional divine art.
For Zhao Shuiyun to put such a treasure on the table… Yun Shen suspected she was in trouble. Yet that was none of his business. All he needed was to close the deal.
After refining affixes for a while, Yun Shen resurfaced in the village chat.
Yun Shen: *"@Zhao Shuiyun, private chat."*
They exchanged friend requests and quickly became contacts.
As an afterthought, Yun Shen deleted Xu Xiaojiang.
Yun Shen: *"[Goblin Nest Blueprint (Rare)]."*
Yun Shen: *"If I add this to the deal?"*
Originally a common blueprint, but with the blue affix *[Sturdy Constitution]* attached, it had become rare.
Compared to elite troops, weaklings like goblins were perfect for novices—cheap to recruit, expendable, practical. High-grade troop structures might look impressive, but their costs were punishing and rarely worth it so early.
At this stage, most players only wanted to survive the trial. No one sane would gamble everything on raw power.
Zhao Shuiyun: *"That's an uncommon piece… luck must be on your side, Yun Shen."*
Yun Shen: *"I just pulled it from a chest."*
Zhao Shuiyun: *"Tempting, but still not quite balanced."*
Yun Shen: *"Then how about this? [Goblin Warrior Talisman (Excellent)]."*
When he had rolled the affixes earlier, fortune favored him. The talisman had gained a purple affix: *[Thick Skin]*.
Zhao Shuiyun: *"???"*
Zhao Shuiyun: *"You cleared a goblin nest already?"*
Yun Shen: *"Come now, Zhao. Don't joke. The server's barely open. All of this came from chests."*
Zhao Shuiyun: *"…True enough. The server's too fresh. Very well. I accept. I'll list the book on the Exchange."*
The [Trade] function flickered to life. Available to all lords, though still limited to the 5201314 Novice Village.
Yun Shen quickly spotted Zhao Shuiyun's skill book, tagged with her ID. He posted his three items and sent the request.
Moments later, confirmation. The deal was sealed.
A weight materialized in his hand: the skill book. Yun Shen whispered a single word—*"Refresh."*
One white, two blue. He pressed his lips thin, then tucked the book into his pack for later.
Meanwhile, in the village channels—
> "I just saw Zhao post her skill book on the Exchange!"
> "Did she really agree to a trade? What kind of offer gets you an epic skill book?"
> "Can't see the buyer's bid… who knows what he paid."
> "Feels like she got swindled. An epic book is worth more than anything a failed investor could give."
Xu Xiaojiang: *"@Zhao Shuiyun, you've been conned. Don't worry. Once we're back in the main world, I'll help you take revenge."*
Yun Shen, oblivious to the chatter, had no time to babysit children. His attention shifted elsewhere—for Jiang Lan had returned.
And she brought with her a mountain of loot.
Striding boldly, she hauled a nano-cloth sack over her shoulder. With a flick, the sack disassembled into swarms of nanobots, streaming back into her body.
She looked a little battered. Her silver-grey nano-suit bore scorch marks, charred edges.
From his schooling, Yun Shen needed no explanation. The nuclear blast earlier hadn't only annihilated the fairy nest—it had backlashed on her as well. A strike that hurt the enemy a thousand, yet harmed oneself eight hundred.
"You—" Yun Shen began, then stopped short.
A growl rumbled, not from his throat but from her belly.
*Guuuurrgle.*
Jiang Lan's cheeks flushed. A slender hand pressed instinctively to her stomach.
"Lord," she murmured, voice soft, "do you have anything to eat?"