53: Local specialties

"Put some effort into it, Little Yueer!"

"You need to perk up!"

Zhou Yan continuously cheered from the side, while "Han Yue" held a fan, fanning the fiercely burning giant furnace.

"Ding."

The furnace glowed golden. Zhou Yan merely pointed from a distance, and the golden light vanished, transforming into several red and blue Medicinal Pills.

"Blood-Activating Pills (Rank 1) *32, Qi-Supplementing Powder (Rank 1) *54."

"Things are looking up, everything's looking up."

Looking at the fruits of his diligent labor, Zhou Yan smiled like an old farmer after a bountiful harvest.

Meanwhile, "Han Yue" stood up and walked towards the room, her calm expression switching to one of anger.

"Alas, it's still not enough. How can having only one Family member help me improve further?" Zhou Yan fell into deep thought, looking at the Q-version Han Yue, who was maxed out on fatigue and had started striking again.

This was the first chosen worker Zhou Yan had gained after taking over as Clan Chief of the Family.

It was an AI automatically generated based on Han Yue's stats after she joined the Family.

In the family system, the Family members section can be divided into two types: Family Members and Family NPCs.

Family Members can be drawn from a gacha pool, or recruited from NPCs in the Great World. Additionally, when Family Members encounter special fortuitous events while adventuring, there is a chance to gain new Family Members.

As for the Q-version mini-characters, they can only be automatically generated based on initial values after acquiring a Family Member.

The relationship between the two is subtle: if a Family Member dies, the NPC does not die and can still perform Family tasks within the Family.

If an NPC dies after reaching its lifespan, the Family Member does not die and can still carry out external missions.

Aside from changing a Family Member's equipment or a Family Member's Rank increasing which affects their data, the Q-version mini-character has no relation to the Family Member and can only be considered a derivative.

The original intention of this operation was for the officials to trick players into spending money.

Perhaps one moment you had abundant Family resources and could freely draw cards.

But later, to greed for more resources, you sent top-tier characters to more dangerous maps, leading to the death of several top-tier characters.

To ensure your Family Rank doesn't drop, you might have to grind excessively or spend a lot of money.

It's also possible to gain members only through recruiting NPCs and fortuitous encounters, but then don't expect your Family Rank to make it onto the leaderboard.

As for why there's a leaderboard?

Zhou Yan also didn't know why they were so competitive in a casual mini-game.

Regarding this setting, Zhou Yan didn't know what the paying players were thinking at the time; perhaps they didn't care.

After all, it was just a mini-game module, and you could draw a bunch of cards by spending a little money to maintain your Rank.

And those like Zhou Yan, who didn't spend much or play this mode often, didn't care either.

Anyway, Zhou Yan only remembered that the mid-tier paying players cursed quite a bit back then.

Later, he heard from a friend who frequently played this mode that after the officials released a new feature, that monetization point became less exploitative.

So, ever since he acquired this Family-version Little Han Yue, he began severely exploiting her as child labor, making Han Yue frantically perform Alchemy.

It's just a pity that Han Yue's main body stats were too low, so after the first data synchronization, this AI only gained Single Spiritual Root data, slightly increasing her blue energy but with no practical change.

Essentially, she was still among the worst batch of NPCs, with stats so poor she couldn't even use the automatic Artifact Refining platform.

Even if Zhou Yan moved the Q-version mini-character to the automatic Artifact Refining platform, held its hand, and forcibly hammered iron, it would switch from automatic to manual, still unable to gain benefits from this function.

Therefore, Han Yue could only work next to the Pill Furnace, which didn't require any basic stats.

As for the Q-version mini-character's leveling up, Zhou Yan looked at Han Yue, who was in a gray 'away' status, and he couldn't be sure if he would ever see her again.

The Immortal Realm is vast; it would likely be difficult to meet again.

If data cannot be synchronized, this Family-version Han Yue will most likely remain at Rank 1.

Because of this, Zhou Yan decided he still needed to recruit more people; this Family mode currently seems to have great potential.

He opened the panel, looking at his equipment and a backpack full of red and blue potions.

After some thought, he also placed the title of Northern Prodigy into the title bar.

Although I inexplicably gained another title, I guess I'm worthy of this name now, right?

My health is very high now, so I won't be instantly killed. I have many red potions, so as long as I'm not instantly killed, I can keep healing.

Although there aren't many skills, they are all practical, and I have enough blue energy to switch to turret mode at any time.

"Hehehe, now I can call myself Little Wang Yao. No, rather, Wang Yao can call himself Little Zhou Yan."

The inflated Zhou Yan was about to click on the dungeon for a satisfying revenge, but as he was about to click the confirm button, his finger trembled slightly.

A scene suddenly appeared in his mind: Wang Yao opened with a straight punch that tore his beard.

"Forget it, I'm still preparing for Foundation Establishment recently, so it's not suitable for intense fighting. I'll let him off the hook for now."

He comforted himself verbally, but in reality, Zhou Yan was still unsure.

Indeed, novels are all lies. How do they go from ordinary people to instantly rivaling these overpowered monsters at the very beginning?

Why do I only have mechanics now, and not their highly maneuverable stats?

Forget it, let's take it slow.

After Foundation Establishment, my panel should increase tenfold. With 15,000 health plus equipment bonuses, that would be just enough... "Wang Yao, you're truly a dead piece of trash!"

Great Yu, Kaifeng, Censor-in-Chief's Residence.

"Are you there?"

"Master, it's me, Little Li."

A familiar light screen, but an unfamiliar conversation.

"Little Li, you're not a child anymore. You're an official of some standing in Great Yu now. Don't you know you should use your official title when conducting business outside?"

"Yes, Fourth Elder, Disciple was just too eager to see Junior Brother and momentarily forgot your teachings, Fourth Elder."

"Wrong, I am not the Fourth Elder now. Please call me Vice Sect Master."

Li Wenbo was bewildered upon hearing this. He had only been gone for a few decades, and his Master had already advanced further?

Didn't he always mind his own business?

Although his mind was full of questions, since Master had spoken, he couldn't let his words fall flat.

"Master is still amazing, having already risen to Vice Sect Master. I just called you by old habit; please don't take offense."

"From now on, I will remember your new identity, honoring you as Vice Sect Master and always recognizing you as my Master."

"Haha, you've been in officialdom for so long, you're even using your harsh tricks on your Master."

Fourth Elder could tell his Disciple was flattering him, but last time, after just showing off with the Sect Master's token, he was immediately given a legal lecture by Big Brother, the Elder of the Punishment Hall.

This left him feeling extremely displeased, as if his anger was only half-vented while holding that token.

Now, hearing Li Wenbo's words, his mood instantly improved significantly.

"According to his location, he should be arriving at Jiangzhou Prefecture soon. How are your preparations coming along?"

Hearing Fourth... Vice Sect Master mention this, Li Wenbo also took out a sandalwood box and placed it on the table.

"Vice Sect Master, rest assured, since Junior Brother is coming, I certainly won't neglect him. Everything is being arranged to the best standard."

"However, I thought all night, and giving money or people doesn't seem very convenient. But I have to stay in the capital and can't leave. Directly arranging others to help look after him might not satisfy Junior Brother."

"I am, after all, a Censor-in-Chief. It would be too regrettable if Junior Brother came all the way to Great Yu and left dissatisfied."

"So I specially prepared some local specialties from Great Yu, which should perfectly meet all the above conditions."

At this point, Li Wenbo opened the wooden box, turned it to face the light screen, and Fourth Elder glanced over to see a green robe and a black hat folded inside the wooden box.

Li Wenbo: "This local specialty should make Junior Brother's upcoming tasks more convenient."

After speaking, the two exchanged smiles through the light screen.