Chapter 83: My Advice to You Is to Spend a Few More Years in the Schoolhouse

“Big brother, please go ahead,” Ruoshui replied hurriedly.

“I’ve heard that the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in Hanshan City recently closed down. If we want to attract customers, we need to catch their attention. I’ll teach you a few simple, catchy songs—sing them at the shop entrance,” Su Ji’an said.

He also cautioned, “Remember, the customer is king—above all else. Some guests have difficult temperaments; be careful.”

Ruoshui’s face lit up. “Absolutely no problem!”

Singing wasn’t a big deal to her. She wasn’t worried about embarrassment; after all, no one here knew her.

Besides, this place seemed more like a game… yet it felt so real.

Su Ji’an cleared his throat, suppressing his own awkwardness, and lowered his voice deliberately: “Big brother, big brother, welcome to you, thank you for coming here, he’s here, he’s here, riding clouds he enters!”

The tune actually suited their Immortal Guesthouse perfectly.

Ruoshui was momentarily stunned, imagining herself singing such a bizarre melody.

Suddenly, she felt mortified… her toes curling in shame.

At that moment, Key Immortal interjected, “Big brother, I can do it, I can!”

Su Ji’an glanced at him with utter disdain. “I don’t think you can. Why don’t you take a good look at yourself?”

Key Immortal: “……”

Luo Xiaomi looked at Ruoshui and said with a lighthearted tone, “My sister is so noble—how could she endure such humiliation? But I, as your younger sister, can share your burdens.”

Damn, such a sly little fox!

Ruoshui cursed inwardly; though she was reluctant, she finally agreed, “Big brother, leave it to me.”

At the same time, the details of the task appeared in her mind.

[Go to Hanshan City and attract customers to the Immortal Guesthouse in the eastern part of town.]
[Task reward: Five Fasting Pills.]
[Task penalty: Lose fifty years of life.]

But what were Fasting Pills?

They sounded like some mystical elixir. Her path to immortality was about to begin!

Ruoshui’s mood grew excited.

Su Ji’an instructed, “Don’t make a fuss about this—especially in the village. The path to immortality is elusive; whether you seize it depends on you.”

Ruoshui nodded. Quietly making a fortune—she understood perfectly!

She hadn’t expected this NPC to be so shrewd, even wary of village gossip.

Ruoshui asked, “Big brother, what about wages…”

Su Ji’an frowned. “We’re all family now—why nitpick over such things?”

At this moment, Luo Xiaomi seized the opportunity, “Brother, I don’t need any reward~”

Ruoshui forced a smile. “Don’t mind me, big brother—I was just asking.”

Seeing Luo Xiaomi’s eager gaze, Su Ji’an got straight to the point: “To be honest, I’ve also opened a new shop in the west side of the city, also called the Immortal Guesthouse. Would you be willing…”

Before he finished, Luo Xiaomi eagerly interrupted,

“I’m willing! I’m willing!”

Su Ji’an: “……”

Luo Xiaomi shook her delicate fist, earnestly promising, “Big brother, rest assured—I’ll work hard and strive for you to ride a… crane by year’s end!”

Su Ji’an, unwilling to be outdone, painted a rosy picture: “The new shop has just started, and we’re barely making ends meet. But once we grow strong, big brother will never treat you unfairly.”

With that, he issued a matching task to Luo Xiaomi.

Although Ruoshui and Luo Xiaomi didn’t see eye to eye, they chose to travel together.

The journey to Hanshan City was long for ordinary people.

Su Ji’an opened the player channel, changed his nickname to a random bystander, and said, “Man’s nature is inherently good…”

He was curious whether Blue Star was the same as his former home, Earth.

After all, Earth was also known as Blue Star.

Dust in the Wind: “Brother, such eloquence—these words have deep meaning. But why say them out of the blue?”

Ouyang Feng: “I advise you to study at a private school for a few more years.”

……

Su Ji’an quietly abandoned the idea. It seemed this Blue Star was not the same as the other.

Key Immortal pleaded, “Big brother, give me a chance?”

Su Ji’an sighed. “There aren’t many spiritual items left in my Hanshan City shop, but there are plenty in the surrounding forests. Though rare, if you search diligently, you’ll surely find some.”

Key Immortal was delighted. “I’ll go right away!”

He truly was the chosen one—his task was much easier than those given to the two women, and it was related to immortality.

Those who were assigned to help old men and women fetch water and chop wood couldn’t compare.

Su Ji’an didn’t waste words; he simply issued a task.

[Go to the nearby mountains and search for spiritual items. But Su Ji’an despises those who keep things for themselves; you must hand over all you find without reserve.]
[Task reward: Five Fasting Pills.]
[Task penalty: Lose fifty years of life.]

Key Immortal’s smile froze… this task seemed a bit off.

Su Ji’an smiled, “Three Scoundrels, if you can shed your lazy and idle ways, I’ll be very pleased. Work hard.”

Key Immortal: “……”

You’re the scoundrel! Who gave him this awful nickname?

He was destined to be an immortal.

Key Immortal calmly negotiated, “Big brother, can we use another name?”

Su Ji’an nodded, “Alright, Three Scoundrels.”

Key Immortal walked off in a complicated mood, but not before showing off in the player channel.

Perhaps he could win over two little fans.

Key Immortal: “Ruoshui, Xiaomi, you should follow me from now on. I’ve got one foot on the path to immortality—my fate is mine, not the heavens’!”

Ruoshui: “Speak plainly.”

Key Immortal: “That silly NPC saw my outstanding talent and gave me a task to seek spiritual items. Just think… once I find them, how far can immortality be? This is my last post—don’t miss me, curse this posting limit!”

Luo Xiaomi: “Brothers who took the sister’s task earlier, what rewards did you get? I only got five pretty useless Fasting Pills.”

Dust in the Wind: “???”

Mushroom: “???”

Emperor Ye: “???”

……

Su Ji’an thought for a moment, then opened the task board.

[There are thousands of roads, but only one life. Players who die due to reckless actions in the early stages will not be revived.]
[Task reward: None.]

He selected ten Blue Star players and issued the task.

Though these Blue Star players were inexperienced now, it was like a simulation game—as long as they were guided, they would grow quickly.

There were only ten players now, and it didn’t seem very useful.

But in the future, the number of players would be hundreds, thousands… and even more working for him.

His next step was to help them grow quickly, not to restrain their development.

To him, players were a form of wealth, in another guise.