282: Dingguoxi's Novice Village

The Fourth Scourge.

This was a term Jiang Feng knew from his previous life.

It originated from a sci-fi grand strategy game, suitable for all ages.

In older versions of that game, as game time progressed, players would face one of three great scourges, or even all three simultaneously.

Each scourge was powerful enough to drive new players to despair.

However… these three scourges would eventually be utterly defeated by the players.

And what players did in the game was often more scourging than the scourges themselves, highlighting their utter ruthlessness.

Thus, players were also called the Fourth Scourge.

Later, this term quickly spread beyond the gaming community, becoming synonymous with players.

In web novels, there was also a genre called the Fourth Scourge genre.

It referred to a protagonist who packaged an otherworldly realm as a game, then invited fellow Earthlings to play.

In Jiang Feng's current life on Bluestar, the Fourth Scourge meme had not appeared, nor were Bluestar people aware of Fourth Scourge web novels.

Therefore, when the state-stabilizing seal announced a game content update,

the players of the Xuanhuan World, though shocked and bewildered, felt something was amiss.

But they could never quite articulate what exactly was wrong.

If an Earthling were here, he would surely realize that the state-stabilizing seal was clearly trying to be the protagonist of a Fourth Scourge novel… The Last Great Jiang Person.

He was a player who enjoyed role-playing.

His previous character had made a living in Great Jiang Imperial City and later unfortunately perished in the turmoil.

Out of sentiment, his new character was named “The Last Great Jiang Person,” and he had his armor, swords, and other equipment forged into the style of the Great Jiang Tiger Wolf Guard.

He even wanted to rebuild Great Jiang Imperial City, but had to put the matter aside due to lack of funds.

On this day,

the sky was clear and the Qi was fresh.

The war in the Great River region of the Immortal Dynasty had temporarily concluded.

The state-stabilizing seal sent out a message to all directions, instructing players to head to a large city.

He called it “Season Two's Main City.”

Players found this quite odd; what kind of NPC would name a city like that?

If there were more main cities later, how would this name differentiate them?

Would they really be called “XX Season Main City?”

So, players brainstormed to give this main city a proper name.

The Last Great Jiang Person had gained some prestige among players due to the previous war.

He suggested that since the city was by the Great River, it should be called “Great River City.”

It happened to be a homophone for “Great Jiang,” which could also be considered rebuilding Great Jiang Imperial City.

This proposal was quickly approved.

Thus, the Human Race players' Season Two main city, “Great River City,” was freshly launched.

When The Last Great Jiang Person arrived at Great River City, he was utterly bewildered.

This city was created out of thin air by the state-stabilizing seal, perfectly square, vast in area, yet with clear functional divisions.

Near the city gate, there were distinct block-like areas, where NPCs dispatched by the state-stabilizing seal were gathered.

They had set up stalls and hung signs, specifically marking blacksmith shops, stables, Medicinal Pill stores, bookshops… The Last Great Jiang Person couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Well, I'll be.

The Xuanhuan World had been running for so long, and finally, a proper MMORPG main city appeared.

The Last Great Jiang Person, clad in armor and wielding a longsword, clicked his tongue in admiration.

He stepped into the main city and, sure enough, saw the update announcement prepared by the state-stabilizing seal:

【Season Two · state-stabilizing seal Private Server · Update Announcement】

【A major version update will be implemented in 3 days】

【Currently in the preseason stage】

【Players can proceed to the Newbie Village via the main city to receive Newbie tutorials】

The Last Great Jiang Person exclaimed, “Well, I'll be!”

The Xuanhuan World had been operating for so long, and even Golden Core Experts had emerged among players.

Only now were they introducing a Newbie Village and Newbie tutorials?

Truly Heaven-Defying.

The Last Great Jiang Person himself was an Immortal Foundation player; he thought that a Newbie Village was something anyone with hands could manage?

Soon, he followed the guidance of the city guards and headed to the Newbie Village area.

It turned out to be a teleportation array.

He stepped into the teleportation array, and a flash of light swept by.

Subsequently, The Last Great Jiang Person appeared at the other end of the teleportation array.

He felt a little dizzy; the quality of the teleportation array didn't seem very good, built somewhat hastily.

He looked up, a bit stunned.

Before him appeared a dilapidated village.

Traces of human habitation were faintly visible, but there were more broken wooden houses and abandoned well fields.

A desolate wind carried forlorn leaves, and everything made one feel a little eerie.

The Last Great Jiang Person looked forward, and a burst of light appeared before his eyes.

This was a method of the state-stabilizing seal; he could bestow imperial edicts before his subjects, and now he was using this to guide players.

【Newbie Quest One】

【Raise hand, raise foot, forward, backward】

【Perform basic movements】

The Last Great Jiang Person's mind was filled with black lines, and he said, “Can I skip this content? I already know all of it.”

The “screen” before him flickered.

It quickly transformed into new content:

【Newbie Quest Seventeen】

【Proceed to the target point and investigate what exactly happened in the village】

A map appeared before him, and a cursor guided The Last Great Jiang Person forward.

He couldn't help but click his tongue; something so common in normal games, suddenly appearing in the Xuanhuan World, why did it feel so incongruous and strange?

“What exactly does the state-stabilizing seal want to do?

“Is he really just trying to win over new players and teach them?

“Could this thing have been created by that scoundrel Jiang Feng?

“Ultimately, for an NPC to come up with a private server version update, a Newbie Village, and Newbie tutorials, it's just too strange…”

The Last Great Jiang Person found it bizarre, but his body instinctively followed the arrow forward.

He didn't even realize that he had a mysterious trust in some visual UI interfaces.

Just give him a map, mark a random spot, and provide an arrow for guidance.

He would happily run over.

And the state-stabilizing seal, it seemed, was testing these very things, only the players didn't know it.

The Last Great Jiang Person continued to advance and saw a dilapidated house.

This house was larger than the surrounding ones, like an ancestral hall.

He stepped forward, pushing through the withered wooden door, just as he crossed the threshold.

Suddenly!

An impassioned voice abruptly rang out.

Battle-roaring background music exploded in his ears.

The Last Great Jiang Person froze.

A long, red health bar suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Then.

In the main seat of the ancestral hall, flashes of light flickered.

A wolf demon with blood dripping from its mouth slowly appeared.

The wolf demon first slowly moved its paws, then slowly advanced.

The Last Great Jiang Person's eyes showed the opponent's name.

It was in vivid red font:

【Enemy · Newbie Wolf Demon】

At this moment, a pop-up window suddenly floated in the lower-left corner of his vision:

【Quest Updated:】

【Defeat the Wolf Demon!】

The exciting BGM, the long, oppressive health bar, and the clear quest prompt.

Everything made The Last Great Jiang Person's blood boil.

He picked up the longsword in his hand, leaped out, and began to fight the wolf demon!