21: Chapter 21 Imperial Edict

Outside Chang'an City.

Jiang He appeared on an open space far from the city gate.

"Stop pushing! I was here first!"

"Bullshit! We all reached level 20 and teleported here at the same time. Why should you go first?"

The sight before him left him stunned.

Hundreds of people were gathered at the city gate, arguing about something.

Jiang He clicked his tongue in surprise.

So many people have already reached level 20... It seems I'm really not that fast.

The sense of urgency in his heart grew, and he walked over curiously.

He patted a Guardian at the edge of the queue and asked, "Brother, can I ask what's going on? What is everyone waiting for?"

"Get lost! Don't try to act all friendly! This spot is mine! Go queue at the back!"

Jiang He was pushed back a step, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Damn, are level 20 players always this hot-headed?

"Oh, isn't this the big shot of our Novice Village?"

A sarcastic voice, dripping with a sense of superiority, rang out.

Zhang Zixuan walked over, surrounded by a group of lackeys.

He held his chin high, his face full of smugness. "What? Want to enter the city? Get in line. I'm going to do my quest first, Hahaha..."

Jiang He stood there stunned. What was going on?

You have to queue to enter the city?

He asked around for a bit before finding out the truth.

To step through the gates of Chang'an City, one must accept and complete an entry trial quest from the guards.

Only by obtaining [Proof of Identity] could one officially become a resident.

He couldn't help but be shocked. Is the game using big data systems now?

In the entire main city of Chang'an, there were only two guards responsible for issuing quests.

Hundreds of players were currently fighting over two NPCs... This efficiency was simply despair-inducing.

How long would this take?

By the time Zhao Yun and Xiao Yao arrived, he'd probably still be in line.

Jiang He quietly walked to the edge of the crowd.

He rummaged through his backpack and took out two pieces of equipment, tossing them onto the ground.

"Holy crap! Is that... a Bronze Sword? Huh? And a Tier 2 Plate Armor? Who dropped those?"

After that shout, hundreds of players turned around in unison and rushed over.

"Where? Where?!"

"It's mine! I must have dropped it while I was pushing!"

"Bullshit! I clearly dropped it because I was in a hurry."

In that split-second opening, Jiang He dashed toward the city gate.

"Guard, I'm here for the entry quest!"

The guard didn't even look up as he pulled a stack of scrolls from his waist. "Random selection! You do whatever you pull, no exchanges."

Jiang He was about to reach out when a thought flashed through his mind.

Wait... that thing in my backpack... isn't its quest destination Chang'an City?

He immediately stopped and took out the imperial decree.

"Guard, excuse me, is this quest supposed to be handed in here?"

The moment the scroll unfurled.

The two guards felt their legs go weak, nearly collapsing.

"The... The imperial decree?"

"Heavens... Is it really the imperial decree?"

One of the guards pulled out a horn and blew it immediately.

The next second, the city gates swung open.

A dense crowd of guards carrying weapons rushed out, surrounding Jiang He so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

“...”

Jiang He was a bit dazed. This commotion... had he overdone it?

I was just asking about a quest, guys!

Just then, the players who had been fighting over the equipment returned and were stunned by the scene before them!

"Holy shit? What's going on?"

"Did that kid piss off the guards?"

At that moment, a clear voice rang out from within the city.

An elderly man dressed in purple official robes with salt-and-pepper hair and beard walked out quickly, surrounded by several civil officials.

His gaze immediately locked onto the scroll in Jiang He's hand.

"Greetings, Lord Prime Minister!" the guards saluted in unison.

[NPC: Prime Minister Chen Anhe]

"It's... it's real. It's His Majesty's imperial decree." He stepped forward quickly, stopping a few paces from Jiang He.

Just as Jiang He was about to speak in confusion, the Prime Minister interrupted him.

"I know what you want to ask. This is a matter of great importance. Follow me into the city first."

Immediately after, Jiang He strode through the city gates without any form of identification.

After the gates slowly closed, hundreds of players began to shout in protest:

"Fuck! Why can he go in without doing the quest?"

"Rigged! This is definitely rigged!"

"I'm going to report this! GM, come out and explain!"

The two guards immediately raised their weapons and pointed them at the crowd.

"To enter the city, follow the rules and take a quest."

"Anyone who dares to cause a disturbance will be executed."

Inside Chang'an City.

Before his eyes was a completely different scene of a prosperous era.

Smooth and wide bluestone roads stretched into the distance.

Silk shops, pawnshops, restaurants, teahouses, blacksmith shops... shop banners fluttered, and the shouts of shop assistants rose and fell.

Pedestrians were as numerous as weaving threads: wealthy merchants in fine silks, peddlers carrying loads and hawking their wares, and patrols of guards with sabers.

Meanwhile, after communicating with Prime Minister Chen, Jiang He learned the truth.

Three years ago, shortly after the Empress ascended the throne, she accidentally lost the scepter of the nation.

The Empress issued the imperial decree quest that same day, seeking capable individuals to find the treasure.

But three years had passed in a flash, and no one had come to claim the quest with the imperial decree.

This had left the Empress deeply worried.

Taiji Palace, Chang'an Imperial City.

Prime Minister Chen Anhe led Jiang He to an extremely magnificent hall.

Deep within the hall, the throne sat high.

A woman dressed in dragon robes stood leaning against a railing, her back to the door.

She pressed one hand to her brow, her shoulders slightly slumped as if a heavy burden of a thousand pounds weighed upon them.

"Your Majesty," Prime Minister Chen's voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly through the hall. "Your servant has brought the one carrying the imperial decree."

The figure stiffened suddenly, then turned around.

[NPC: Empress · Li Changge]

"You have the imperial decree?"

Jiang He took the imperial decree from his backpack and held it high above his head. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The Empress ran down from the dais in a few steps, came up to Jiang He, and excitedly grabbed his shoulders.

"Are you willing to accept the quest?"

At that moment, a system message popped up.

[Legendary Quest: Find the Lost scepter of the nation]

[System Tip: The Empress's Long-cherished Wish, Recover the National Treasure, Quest Difficulty: 7 Stars]

[Quest Description: Three years ago, the [scepter of the nation], which symbolizes the nation's fortune, was stolen by a mysterious great demon and hidden deep within the Mist Forest (Coordinates: 917.401). This location is extremely dangerous; all known historical explorers were wiped out.]

[Quest Reward: ????]

Jiang He frowned. Everything before this looked pretty impressive.

Why did the reward turn into question marks?

Thinking it over, this was a Legendary Quest, after all.

How could he not accept it?

[Quest accepted successfully. Obtained one Map.]

Before Jiang He left the palace, the Empress, with tears in her eyes, repeatedly urged him to bring back the scepter, promising a grand reward.

With the civil and military officials waving goodbye, Jiang He stepped out of the city gates.

Although order had been restored to the queue outside, the atmosphere was completely different.

Countless eyes stared at him—some curious, some jealous, some hostile, and some gloating.

"Pah, he's the one who went through the back door. How shameless."

"Hmph, so what if he went through the back door? Doesn't he still have to do a quest?"

"Exactly. I just saw someone get a quest to slay a hundred Ghost Monsters. Guess what happened to him?"

"What happened?"

"What happened +1?"

"What happened +10086?"

"Hahaha, that guy rushed into the monster mob for less than five minutes before he was sent back to town. He's probably back in the Novice Village grinding his levels again."

A collective gasp rang out from the crowd.

Even the entry quests are this insane?

Jiang He ignored them and continued on his way.

He gripped the map tightly, his heart not relaxing in the slightest.

The Empress had once sent troops to the coordinates on the map, but they were all wiped out. That place was definitely no walk in the park.

"Yo, Big Shot, where are you heading?"

Just then, a familiar and annoying voice called out.