92: Golden Channel Upgrade

"Old Shen Tou, I want to ask why? Are you unhappy here? Why are you risking your life for a bunch of old men?" Huang Liu asked, puzzled.

"Because I'm also an old man!" Old Shen Tou said, sticking out his neck.

"Uh, okay, isn't your life good here? You don't have to patrol, you don't have to train, you just need to stay in the back and make steamed buns. How many people dream of such a job?" Huang Liu continued to ask.

"Good? That's what you think is good, I don't think so!" Old Shen Tou said with some melancholy:

"I, Lao Shen, started making steamed buns with my dad when I was sixteen and stopped studying. I'm sixty-six this year, so I've been making steamed buns for fifty years.

I finally made up my mind to close the steamed bun shop and come here to retire. It just so happened that you were recruiting, and I thought that after working diligently my whole life, I'd finally live a life of punishing evil, promoting good, and settling grudges, so I joined you.

Every day I secretly practiced martial arts, thinking of going out with you, but I waited and waited, and you actually sent me to logistics!

I, Lao Shen, have been making steamed buns for fifty years, and I have to make steamed buns even in a game!"

Everyone was dumbfounded, never expecting the usually amiable Old Shen Tou to have such a dream.

"But the steamed buns you make are really delicious!" Huang Liu said weakly.

"Eat, eat, eat, all you know is to eat. You eat forty steamed buns every meal by yourself. Have you never seen steamed buns or never seen meat? Eating so much, it serves you right to get chopped up when you go out!" Old Shen Tou cursed.

Huang Liu's face turned red when he heard this, but he couldn't refute it.

Did he eat a lot? He thought it was okay.

"Then how did you become their spy?" Lin Yue asked.

"After their forces expanded here, I contacted them. When they heard I was here, they asked me to be an inside man, and promised me a leader's position after it was done," Old Shen Tou said.

"Alright, let him go," Lin Yue said. The Zang Ai Family of Heye City had been completely wiped out, so there was no need for him to make things difficult for an old man.

"Yes!" Wang Hu responded.

"Wait, are you really letting me go?" Old Shen Tou asked, somewhat disbelieving.

"Really, hurry up and go," Lin Yue said.

Then Huang Liu untied his ropes. Old Shen Tou, swaying, cupped his hands to Lin Yue and said, "The mountains are high and the waters are distant, we'll meet again in the martial world!"

Lin Yue nodded, watched Old Shen Tou leave, and then said, "Wang Hu, I'm leaving this to you."

"Understood!" Wang Hu replied.

"Feng Cai, let's go back to the village," Lin Yue said.

At this moment, Liu Sandao quietly stepped forward and said, "Lord, Ma Baoguo said that the Mountain Bandits of Black Tiger Stronghold don't have high combat power, and he wants to teach them his family's Ma Family Fist."

"That's a good thing!" Lin Yue laughed. "Tell both of them to stay here and train these Mountain Bandits well to improve their combat power.

They can return to the village after five days."

"Understood!"

Then the group grandly returned to the village.

"Lord, I just forgot to report something to you," Feng Cai said.

"What is it?" Lin Yue asked.

"There's been a change with that large brick you placed in the center of the village."

"What large brick?" Lin Yue was confused when he heard this, but then he suddenly remembered, the Golden Terrace!

He immediately spurred his warhorse and galloped straight to the village!

The Golden Terrace was acting strangely!

Although Lin Yue didn't show his Pay attention to to it, that was because he hadn't yet found a way to restore the incomplete Golden Terrace to its original form, not because he didn't know its value!

The Golden Terrace given by Han Tan was a special treasure with a unique attribute in the game. Although it was only in an incomplete form, it should not be underestimated.

Lin Yue spurred his horse to the village, with Liu Sandao following closely behind.

The two rode their horses directly to the center of the village. Lin Yue jumped off his warhorse before it had even stopped steadily.

[Golden Terrace (Incomplete): Imbued with the aura of the Golden Terrace, placed in the territory, absorbs dragon qi, can increase the probability of village talent by +1%, increase villager aptitude, and attract high-level or special talents by +1%. (Upgradeable, not stackable)]

[Golden Terrace (Incomplete): 10% (Upgradeable)]

"Upgrade," Lin Yue silently recited in his heart.

[Golden Terrace (Incomplete) upgrade requires one hundred taels of silver. Player, do you want to upgrade?]

"Upgrade!" Lin Yue said.

You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. He still had three hundred taels of silver, which was enough.

[Golden Terrace (Incomplete) begins upgrading... Upgrading... Upgrade successful!]

[Golden Terrace (Incomplete) upgraded to Level 1. Village talent probability +1.5%, villager aptitude slightly increased, probability of attracting high-level or special talents +1.5%, unlocked function: Recruit Talents!]

[Recruit Talents: Player consumes one hundred taels of silver to summon three historical figures (character level affected by Golden Terrace level). Player can choose one to recruit.]

"One hundred taels?" Lin Yue murmured to himself. No wonder it was called the Golden Terrace; it was destined not to be summoned unconditionally like the General Summoning Order.

[This upgrade was successful, granting one free summon opportunity. Player, do you want to start summoning?]

"Summon!" Lin Yue said. It was free, so why wait?

A golden light flashed on the Golden Terrace, and information about three people appeared in Lin Yue's mind.

[name: Li Wei

Martial Power: 38

Intelligence: 23

Command: 26

Politics: 18

Charm: 31

Introduction: A Tang Dynasty butcher who killed pigs in the bustling market for thirty years. His heart is as cold as the pig-killing knife in his hand!]

[name: Li Hong

Martial Power: 32

Intelligence: 42

Command: 30

Politics: 22

Charm: 51

Introduction: A Northern Song Dynasty craftsman, son of the village chief. His forging skills are superb, and he is cheerful but sometimes reckless!]

[name: Wang Qiang

Martial Power: 36

Intelligence: 42

Command: 41

Politics: 40

Charm: 81

Introduction: A Ming Dynasty fishmonger, meticulous in thought, fond of reading The Art of War!]

Lin Yue looked at these three historical figures, unsure which one to choose.

Li Wei had the highest Martial Power, but he was only a high-ranking Soldier. As for butchering pigs, their village was not yet rich enough to kill pigs every day, so recruiting him would be a waste of his butchering skills.

Li Hong's Intelligence and Command were decent. He was the son of a village chief and a craftsman, with superb forging skills, which would be perfect for managing the village's blacksmith shop and teaching other craftsmen some knowledge. However, he was sometimes reckless, which Lin Yue disliked, as he might cause trouble at any time.

Wang Qiang was quite good. His five attributes were the highest among the three, but he was a fishmonger, meticulous in thought, and liked to read The Art of War? The key was that his Charm was so high, almost catching up to Lin Yue's own. This looked like a rebellious character no matter how you looked at it! What if the whole village became his in the end?

"Choose Li Hong!" Lin Yue pondered for a long time before finally choosing Li Hong.

Li Wei was not capable, and Wang Qiang was too capable. He decided to choose someone who could honestly serve him and also improve the level of the village's blacksmith shop, after all, the blacksmith shop accounted for half of the village's income.

[Congratulations, player, for choosing Li Hong. This recruitment has ended. The next recruitment will be in three months!]

A white light flashed, and Li Hong walked down from the Golden Terrace, cupping his hands and saying, "This humble one, Li Hong, greets my Lord!"

"Rise quickly. From now on, you will work in the village's blacksmith shop," Lin Yue said, helping Li Hong up.

"This humble one will follow my Lord's Commands!" Li Hong said with a smile. He was very happy to be able to do his old trade.

Lin Yue, however, sighed a little. These three were actually not very impressive. If he had to spend a hundred taels of silver to recruit them, he would feel it was a bit not worth it.

But why be picky when it's free? Perhaps Li Hong could bring him some surprises!

"Lord!" Feng Cai arrived late, dismounting breathlessly and asking.

"You've come just in time. This is Li Hong, skilled in crafting weapons. Take him to the blacksmith shop," Lin Yue instructed. "Look after him often. If he proves capable, you can let him be in charge of the blacksmith shop."

"Understood!" Feng Cai responded.

"Go on, Li Hong, do well," Lin Yue said with a smile. Watching the two of them leave, he and Liu Sandao also walked towards their residence in the center of the village.

"My Lord!" As soon as he stepped into the mansion, he heard two soft voices.

"Xia Qing, Xia Lian, quickly prepare a room for San Dao," Lin Yue said with a smile.

"Yes, My Lord," the two sisters said with a smile, leading Liu Sandao to his lodging: "My Lord, please follow me."

"Thank you, both," Liu Sandao cupped his hands and then praised, "My brother truly has good fortune!"

At these words, the two sisters unexpectedly blushed simultaneously, shyly quickening their pace forward.

Seeing this, Liu Sandao felt he had spoken out of turn and said no more.

Lin Yue, seeing San Dao like this, smiled silently, then walked alone to his room to cultivate the Killing God Art.