98: Chapter 98 Only Dead Beggars Are Good NPCs! The Eldest Princess's Pledge of Allegiance

Boom—!!

Pitch-black tentacles, like a deep-sea leviathan awakening, instantly turned the entire long street into a meat grinder. Those once-aggressive City Guards were drained of their vitality the moment they touched the shadows, turning into shriveled corpses scattered across the ground.

[Killed City Guard Captain (Elite), gained EXP +120,000]

[Plunder Attribute activated: Strength +5]

[Killed City Guard Commander (BOSS), gained EXP +500,000]

[Plunder Attribute activated: Physique +10, obtained Passive Skill Fragment: Steel Skin (1/10)]

Golden streams of data frantically scrolled across Qin Ji's eyes, but his expression remained rippleless; he even shook the bloodstains off his Demonic Sword with disdain.

"Too fragile."

Qin Ji kicked aside the Commander's corpse blocking his path, his gaze sweeping over the players and NPCs around him who had long since collapsed in terror. "These are the elites of the Royal Capital? They aren't even fit to shine my shoes."

In the distance, players hiding behind building cover turned pale one by one, frantically typing in the World Channel.

"Holy crap! Is that Qin Ji? Is he massacring the city?!"

"He must be crazy! This is the Star Kingdom's Royal Capital, isn't he afraid of drawing out those old monsters?"

"What do you know? This is the weight of a top-tier powerhouse. Look at those guards, they're like paper in front of him!"

Just as Qin Ji was about to push forward and conveniently slaughter a few NPCs who looked like nobles to make up the numbers, a streak of icy blue light suddenly shot from the direction of the palace, forcefully severing the rampaging shadow tentacles.

The air suddenly froze, and the flying wood chips and blood droplets were fixed in mid-air by an invisible force.

"Enough."

A cold voice came from above.

Qin Ji looked up to see a woman dressed in deep blue palace attire and wearing a Star Crown floating in mid-air. She was tall, surrounded by three faint halos of Divine Power, and her indifferent eyes looked down upon this slaughterhouse from above.

Eldest Princess of the Star Kingdom, Princess.

"Yo, you finally decided to come out?"

Qin Ji showed no intention of restraining himself; instead, he rested the Demonic Sword on his shoulder, a hint of playfulness flashing in his purple-gold pupils. "I thought you were going to wait until I tore down this Royal Capital before showing yourself."

Princess slowly descended, her toes touching an unbroken stone slab, her gaze sweeping across the corpses on the ground before finally fixing on Qin Ji.

"I didn't intend to come, but I smelled the divine Aura of my God from afar."

Princess waved her hand to disperse the surrounding scent of blood, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather. "Qin Ji, I know you just killed that crazy woman Water Like Smoke and obtained the projection of the Goddess of Ice and Snow. But in this Royal Capital, slaughter alone cannot solve all problems."

"Is that so?"

Qin Ji sneered, pointing at the mountain of corpses behind him. "But I find slaughter quite useful. See, didn't it bring you out?"

Princess frowned slightly, clearly uncomfortable with such crude logic, but she quickly adjusted her emotions.

"I am a businesswoman; I do not like fighting and killing."

She extended a slender finger, pointing at the towering building behind her. "As long as you are willing to help me, the Peach Blossom Tower is yours. Once it's done, those two idiots, Qing Fuyun and Leona, can also be yours."

Qin Ji raised an eyebrow.

This Eldest Princess was much more sensible than Water Like Smoke, that woman who only knew how to shoot arrows. Offering a tower and girls right off the bat—this generosity indeed had a royal flair.

"Qing Fuyun is too straightforward and hard to use for great tasks; Leona has shallow foundations and has now lost the support of the Star Chamber of Commerce, making her a useless person."

Princess's tone was indifferent, as if she were evaluating two pieces of merchandise. "And I am the strongest of the three princesses, and the only one who can give you sufficient benefits. So, will you take this deal?"

Clearly, in her eyes, men were nothing more than creatures driven by power and beauty.

"Vision."

Qin Ji shook his head and wagged a finger in front of him. "Eldest Princess, what kind of person do you take me for? Am I the type of man who lacks women?"

Princess was stunned. "Then what do you want?"

"Only children make choices; I want the women, and I want the things."

Qin Ji grinned, revealing a row of forest-white teeth. "I heard your royal family holds several clues to the 'Blessing of the Gods'? I want those."

Princess's pupils contracted slightly.

The Blessing of the Gods was the foundation of the Star Kingdom and the key to the higher levels of the God Domain. Even as the first-in-line heir, she could not promise them lightly.

"Your appetite is large."

Princess looked deeply at Qin Ji. "I can give you the clues, I can even give you seven. But the prerequisite is that you must kill a certain existence for me."

"Who?"

"The Klinfiss Bird."

A flash of surprise crossed Qin Ji's eyes.

The Klinfiss Bird was a Level 50 Gold BOSS, and a special creature with a divine Bloodline. According to his memories from his past life, this thing was not only hard to kill but also mysterious in its movements, usually only existing in the depths of Hell-level difficulty dungeons.

"A letter of allegiance?" Qin Ji asked.

"You could say that." Princess nodded. "The time limit is half a month. Bring its head to me, and the seven clues to the Blessing of the Gods will be presented with both hands."

[System Notification: Princess has issued you a Unique Hidden Quest—Hunt the Divine Creature.]

[Quest Objective: Kill the Klinfiss Bird (LV.50 Gold BOSS).]

[Quest Reward: Blessing of the Gods Clue ×7, Star Royal Family Favorability +1000.]

"Accepted."

Qin Ji did not hesitate.

It was just killing a BOSS; for him, it was merely a convenient way to farm some attributes. Furthermore, seven clues to the Blessing of the Gods—this reward was absurdly generous. Once he obtained these blessings, the speed of his attribute stacking would experience a qualitative leap.

Seeing this, a hint of a satisfied smile finally appeared on Princess's face as her figure dissolved into starlight. "I will wait for you at the palace. Don't disappoint me, God Slayer."

Watching the direction where the Eldest Princess disappeared, Qin Ji rubbed his chin.

Although he had accepted the quest, he didn't plan to head to the dungeon immediately. If his memory served him right, there was an even easier-to-obtain 'Blessing of the Gods' clue hidden right here in the Royal Capital.

Moreover, the method of obtaining that clue fit his aesthetics perfectly.

...

Southeast corner of the Royal Capital, the edge of the slums.

This place was like a different world compared to the prosperous city center. Dilapidated shacks, foul-smelling ditches, and ragged NPCs could be seen everywhere.

At the base of a broken wall, an old beggar covered in filth was curled up.

At this moment, several players wearing novice gear were gathered around the old beggar, holding meat buns and copper coins, handing them over with fawning expressions.

"Old man, try this, these are the signature meat buns from Drunken Moon Tower!"

"Old man, I have money, just tell me whatever you need, as long as you give me a hidden quest!"

These players had obviously read guides or heard rumors. It was said that these inconspicuous NPCs often hid massive quests, and as long as one's favorability was high enough, Divine Artifacts and skills were not just a dream.

However, the old beggar just lazily took the items and ate them, without even a single favorability notification floating over his head.

"Is this NPC broken?"

"I've been feeding him for three days, and he hasn't given me a single hair!"

"Damn it, if it weren't for the fact that he's a special NPC, I would have hacked him to death long ago!"

Just as the players were complaining, a tall figure blocked the sunlight.

Qin Ji walked leisurely to the old beggar with his hands in his pockets.

[Mysterious Beggar]

Level: LV.15

HP: 2580/2580

Description: You might obtain unexpected benefits from him.

Looking at this familiar panel, the smile on the corner of Qin Ji's mouth grew more intense.

In his previous life, countless players were bankrupted by this description. Some gave money, some gave equipment, and some even gave girls, but this old beggar only took and never gave—a typical Pixiu attribute.

It wasn't until later when a sucker got so angry that he killed the beggar, resulting in the drop of the server's first 'Blessing of the Gods' quest scroll.

This was the dark humor of 'God Domain'—sometimes, violence was the only way to solve the problem.

"Young man, have some mercy, give me something to eat."

The old beggar raised his cloudy eyes, tremblingly extending a hand so dirty that its skin color was indiscernible. "I haven't had a full meal in three days..."

Seeing this, the players nearby were about to pull out more items.

"Don't be in a hurry."

Qin Ji stopped the warrior who was about to take out money, a 'kind' smile appearing on his face as he looked down at the old beggar. "Old man, you're hungry, right?"

The old beggar nodded frantically.

"Hungry is good."

Qin Ji's right hand gripped the air, and the pitch-black Demonic Sword manifested out of nowhere. The Evil Qi swirling around the blade caused the surrounding temperature to instantly drop to the freezing point. "I'm a kind-hearted person and can't stand to see people suffer. Since you're so hungry, I'll send you to a place where you'll never feel hunger again."

"What?"

The old beggar was stunned, and the players nearby were also stunned.

Before anyone could react, the Demonic Sword in Qin Ji's hand had already turned into a bolt of black lightning, piercing cleanly into the old beggar's chest.

Puchi!

-99999 (Lethal Critical Hit)!

Blood splattered.

The old beggar's cloudy eyes instantly bulged, filled with disbelief. Even in death, he didn't seem to understand why this young man didn't follow the routine.

"You..."

A gurgling sound came from the old beggar's throat, then his head slumped as he breathed his last.

The surrounding players were completely dumbfounded.

"Holy crap! He killed the NPC?!"

"This is a hidden quest NPC! If you kill him, won't the quest line be broken?!"

"What a waste! Is this guy sick in the head?!"

However, in the next second, all the cursing stopped abruptly.

The old beggar's ragged corpse did not refresh and disappear like a normal NPC's; instead, it slowly condensed into a cluster of dazzling golden light.

Clatter—

A parchment scroll emitting a holy Aura, along with a few gold coins, quietly fell into the pool of blood.

[System Announcement: Congratulations to player 'Qin Ji' for successfully killing the Hidden Imposter, triggering a Legendary Encounter! Item Obtained: Blessing of the Gods Scroll (God of Fire)!]

Dead silence.

The entire slum fell into an eerie silence.

The players who were just feeding him buns felt their eyes were about to pop out. They looked at the scroll on the ground and then at the calm Qin Ji, feeling as though their worldview had shattered into pieces.

So... this was the freaking correct way to open it?!

Qin Ji ignored the gazes of shock, greed, and jealousy around him, bending down to pick up the scroll and casually flicking off the dust.

"See,"

He turned to the dumbstruck players and pointed at the corpse on the ground, his tone as sincere as a guiding mentor. "I told you I'm a good person. He's not hungry anymore, and I got my item. Everyone has a bright future."

As the sun set, the dim yellow afterglow spilled over the broken wall. Qin Ji put the scroll into his backpack and strode toward the alley entrance, dragging the still-dripping Demonic Sword with one hand. Behind him, the old beggar's corpse finally dissolved into points of white light, leaving behind only a pile of ignored meat buns slowly growing cold in the wind.