23: Chapter 23

The moment he passed through the portal, Zhen Lu felt his feet touch solid ground.

It was real soil, slightly sinking underfoot, carrying the dampness of morning dew.

He looked up.

Before him was a street paved with bluestone slabs; the buildings on both sides were made of wood, with black-tiled roofs and upturned eaves, and carved patterns on the doors and windows.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the shops on the street were not yet fully open; only a few breakfast stalls were steaming, selling steamed buns and wontons, or soy milk and fried dough sticks, with owners dressed in coarse cloth clothes, using long chopsticks to flip fried items in oil pans.

The air was filled with the aroma of food, the scent of dew, and a faint smell of sandalwood drifting from afar.

There were not many people on the street; occasionally, one or two peddlers carrying poles walked by, their cries drawn out long.

In the distance, one could see a tall city gate tower built of gray bricks, with a flag hanging from it, bearing a character that Zhen Lu did not recognize.

"Don't just stand there, keep up." Old Chen walked in front, his voice not loud.

Zhen Lu snapped back to reality and followed the group forward. Including him and Sun Yi, there were eleven people in total in this group.

Old Chen walked at the very front, his pace not fast, but he was very familiar with the roads here; after twisting and turning through two alleys, they arrived in front of a large vermilion gate.

The gate was closed, and two young men dressed in cyan short-sleeved outfits stood at the entrance, with sabers hanging at their waists.

Seeing Old Chen, they didn't speak, just nodded and stepped aside. Old Chen pushed open the door and led everyone inside.

Inside was a courtyard. The ground was paved with green bricks, with a row of wooden houses directly opposite and wing rooms on both sides.

In the corner of the courtyard grew a locust tree with dense foliage, and on the stone table beneath the tree, a teapot and teacups were set out.

The sky was still a bit dark, and the lanterns under the corridor were still lit, their orange light appearing very warm in the morning mist.

There were already some people standing in the courtyard, gathered in twos and threes, dressed similarly to Zhen Lu and his group.

Some wore ordinary casual clothes, while a few had already changed into dark robes like Old Chen's. Zhen Lu roughly counted; there were forty or fifty people in the courtyard, and more were still coming in.

"Wait here for now." Old Chen said, then walked into the house in front.

Zhen Lu and Sun Yi stood under the locust tree, surveying their surroundings. Wei Guoliang was not there, and the only person Zhen Lu knew was Sun Yi.

Sun Yi, however, knew quite a few people; from time to time, someone would come over to greet him, chat for a few sentences, and then leave.

Zhen Lu didn't speak, leaning against the tree trunk, observing quietly.

Basic Reconnaissance skill was operating automatically.

He was organizing information: most of the people in the courtyard were players, not natives. The few wearing robes were likely those who had already entered and possessed status.

The guards at the door and the servants walking under the corridor were native NPCs.

The layout of the courtyard was accessible from all directions, with more than one exit; the main gate faced south, and there should be a side gate in the back. The walls were over two zhang high, which ordinary people could not climb over.

After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, Old Chen came out from the house in front, followed by a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was about forty, tall and thin, wearing a stone-blue robe, with a jade pendant and a copper waist token hanging from his belt.

His steps were very steady, and he walked with almost no sound; when his gaze swept over the people in the courtyard, Zhen Lu felt as if he had been scraped by something.

"Everyone," Old Chen clapped his hands, "This is our Lord Liu, a Centurion Liu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. For the next ten days, everyone will follow him."

Centurion Liu stood on the steps, his hands behind his back, his voice not loud, but everyone in the courtyard could hear him clearly.

"You are all people found by the Prince, so I won't say too many polite words." He paused, "You all know the Prince's intentions. After the matter is accomplished, what was promised to you will not be lacking. For these ten days, you are ordinary officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, living and eating here, and daily tasks will be arranged by someone. When you need to take action, we won't let you go empty-handed."

He beckoned, and a subordinate beside him walked over carrying a wooden tray, on which was a stack of papers.

"These are temporary identity documents, one for each person. Take the documents to the back to collect your clothes and waist tokens. There is also some silver for daily expenses," Centurion Liu said.

"Additionally, the Prince has prepared two temporary skills for everyone—Basic Saber Technique and Basic Lightness Skill. Having joined our Embroidered Uniform Guard, it wouldn't be right if you didn't know these two things. The Skill Scrolls will be distributed uniformly in a moment; just use them yourselves."

Some people below whispered a few words. Zhen Lu didn't speak, but his heart stirred.

Basic Saber Technique, Basic Lightness Skill. Saber technique can be used for fighting, and lightness skill can be used for running away and chasing people. These two skills were given very practically.

Centurion Liu said a few more precautions, such as not acting alone, not causing trouble, and using system messages to contact if an emergency situation is encountered. After finishing, he waved his hand to dismiss everyone.

Zhen Lu followed Sun Yi to collect the clothes, waist token, and silver. The clothes were dark blue, the fabric neither good nor bad, and they fit just right when worn.

The waist token was made of copper, with the characters "Embroidered Uniform Guard" engraved on the front, and a string of numbers and his name, Zhen Lu, engraved on the back. He touched the waist token; it was copper, cool, and had a little weight.

After collecting the clothes, they went to collect the Skill Scrolls.

The scrolls were rolled-up paper tubes, with a red label pasted on the seal, on which were written "Basic Saber Technique" and "Basic Lightness Skill" respectively.

Zhen Lu took them, and following the prompts, he first unfolded the scroll for Basic Saber Technique; a white light entered his chest, and his mind gained techniques for using a saber, how to hold it, how to hack, and how to control force.

Then came Basic Lightness Skill; a white light flashed, and his body seemed to become a bit lighter, the feeling in his knees and ankles was different, and he would automatically dissipate force the moment he landed.

He opened his personal panel.

[Skills: Basic Spear Technique, Basic Combat, Basic Formation, Proficiency in vehicle repair, Pain Suppression, Basic Reconnaissance, Basic Force Application, Basic Balance, Basic Coordination, Basic Riding, Basic Dodge, Basic Tracking, Basic Saber Technique, Basic Lightness Skill]

Two temporary skills had been added. After ten days, they would be his permanent skills.

After the Skill Scrolls were distributed, someone led them to their living quarters.

Behind the courtyard was a row of wing rooms; each person's room was not large, with a bed, a table, and a chair, but it was much better than Beehive Apartment; the windows were paper-pasted, and pushing them open revealed a small bamboo forest in the backyard.

Zhen Lu placed his things on the table, sat on the edge of the bed, and touched the bed sheet; it was coarse cloth, washed until it was faded, but very clean.

Sun Yi lived next door. He came over, knocked on the door, poked his head in, and said: "We'll have breakfast in a while, and after breakfast, there might be a meeting to get to know the people in our squad."

Zhen Lu nodded.

Sun Yi said again: "Are you nervous?"

"A little." Zhen Lu said.

"I am too." Sun Yi smiled, "But since we're here, we're here."

The two of them went to the dining hall together. The dining hall was on the east side of the courtyard, a large room with a dozen long tables, on which were white porridge, steamed buns, pickles, and boiled eggs.

Quite a few people were already eating, with tableware consisting of coarse porcelain bowls and bamboo chopsticks. Zhen Lu took a bowl of porridge, two steamed buns, and a dish of pickles, and found a corner to sit down.

He ate while thinking.

Ten days, neither long nor short. The morning in reality, those two suspicious people downstairs, he couldn't worry about them for now.

First, complete the task at hand, obtain the martial arts skills, and then worry about the rest when he goes back.