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Chapter 3: Qin Man Is Here, Everything Will Be Fine
“Linger, quick, close the gates…” Xu Shenji rushed back to the camp.
“Dad, why are you back by yourself? Where’s the young master?”
“Sigh, that young fool’s already dead. If not for my own cunning and tactics, and also mostly my running speed, you may not have been able to see me anymore.”
As Xu Shenji spoke, he suddenly facepalmed while showing a pained expression.
“Dad, you can’t bring back the dead. Don’t be so sad.” Xu Linger sighed lightly.
“Sad, what do I have to be sad about? What I’m sad about is the horse. Such a shame. Sigh…” Xu Shenji shook himself out of it and continued, “We can’t stay here in the camp anymore. Check around for what we can take with us. I remember that there were still some beans left in the kitchen.”
…
Cheng Dalei was covered in sweat as he drove the horse forward in a mad rush. Behind him, Lin Shaoyu and the people with him chased after him unceasingly, coming closer and closer. If they managed to catch up to him, then he would most likely die for certain.
Beep. You gained reward draw 1x. Would you like to draw now.
“Go, go, go…” Cheng Dalei was whipping the horse onward with all his might.
Beep. Oh motivated youth, are you saying that to the horse or the drawing?
“I’ll freaking hit you.” Cheng Dalei blew his top. Is this system trying to kill me? With the current situation what it is, can’t it just be a bit more straightforward, “I want to draw my prize.”
Beep, beginning prize drawing.
Something that looked like a gachapon appeared in his head and started spinning. Cheng Dalei was burning with impatience though. To him, it’s like every single second stretched out to infinity.
Taking a peek behind, he saw that Lin Shaoyu, with bloodshot eyes, was getting closer and closer to catching up. If he actually did catch up, then he’d unquestionably stab his spear right through Cheng Dalei’s heart.
“System, my lord, can’t you please hurry up? I don’t have much time left.”
Finally, a capsule fell out of the gachapon. The capsule slowly opened up, releasing a flash of light before vanishing.
Beep, congratulations on receiving the nameless skilled hunter Qin Man.
Eh? This lottery could even draw living people, huh.
But, where’s the person in question? It was completely bare all around him, with not a single person to be seen. Is this person supposed to fall from the sky or something? Or does he need to speak some kind of incantation before that could happen…
“Pikachu, I choose you!”
“I command you in the name of Sakura, release!”
“Overwatch, assemble! Overwatch, assemble… Are you coming or not!”
“Clustering hopes will evoke a new horizon. Become the path its light shines upon. Synchro Summon! Road Warrior!”
“Balala energy, transform…”
He could hear the heavy pounding of horses behind him by now. Lin Shaoyu raised up his spear with clenched teeth and bloodshot eyes. He was only the length of a horse from the carriage.
“Have no fear boss, Qin Man is here. Everything will be fine.”
In the mountain trail in up ahead, a thickly built man stood at a height of 1.8 meters. He had a rough look and a long staff in his hands, giving off an impression of a man who could rival hundreds.
So that’s how it is. Cheng Dalei didn’t think anymore of it and just hurried the carriage past Qin Man’s side.
Lin Shaoyu charged forward on his horse, and just as he was about to run Qin Man over.
“Get out of the way, I can’t stop in time!”
“Get off!”
Qin Man roared out and slammed the staff in his hands onto the horse’s head. As the horse reared up in pain, Qin Man moved to its side, grabbed the reins, and strained with effort.
“I told you to get off of the horse.”
With a mighty pull, the horse and its rider were both pulled off their feet and onto the ground.
Cheng Dalei gasped. To be able to pull a horse down with just brute strength, that guy really is strong.
Huang Sanyuan caught up with his troops by now, but they two were shocked by the display. Thus, he gathered up his courage and spoke, “Hey, we’re men under the lord of Blackstone city. Release your prisoner if you don’t want to die. Otherwise, our armies will come and crush you utterly.”
Qin Man flicked a pebble from up the ground with his staff, flinging it into Huang Sanyuan’s mouth and knocking a tooth out.
“Get lost!” Qin Man was a man of few words.
The other side were terrified at the display and finally left in fear of Qin Man.
Qin Man came over to Cheng Dalei while dragging his staff and raised his hands up in a greeting, “Boss, Qin Man is here to join you.”
Cheng Dalei focused his attention onto Qin Man and a message popped up in his head.
Name: Qin Man (Nameless skilled hunter)
Age: 31
Skill: Plum Blossom Spear (Three blooms)
Hidden setting: None
A hunter that used to live near Blackstone city. Due to being wanted by the city, he came to the Toad Bandits to join you.
Cheng Dalei understood now. The system can’t just make a reward appear out of nowhere, it has to set up some logical reason for them to appear.
Qin Man used to be a hunter near Blackstone city, living with his wife. However, because the city’s lord heard of Qin Man’s wife’s beauty, he sent people to abduct her when Qin Man was out. The wife was forced to commit suicide via jumping off a cliff, and when Qin Man got back and saw her corpse, he killed several of the guards in a rage. Thus, he ended up wanted by Blackstone city, which is why he ended up here to join the Toad Bandits.
Looking at the man with a steel-like body show such a pained expression, Cheng Dalei couldn’t bare to keep asking about it. For himself, this might all just be character background information, but it was Qin Man’s real and actual experiences. Cheng Dalei let out a sigh. Just living on in this world… is truly hard.
At just this moment, the horse that Cheng Dalei originally left behind actually showed back up and ran up to him.
“Qin Man, get on. Let’s go home.”
…
“Linger, get that pot as well. Also check around and see what else we can take.”
“Dad, I can’t carry anymore.”
“You think I can then? But without these, how are we supposed to live on when we get down the mountain.” Xu Shenji rebuked his daughter.
“How about I give you a horse?” That was the view that greeted Cheng Dalei when returned to the camp: Xu Linger had a pot on her back and a string of garlic hanging around her neck. Xu Shenji was even worse. He even grabbed that chair.
“Boss… You didn’t die!” Xu Shenji was shocked before he sniffled, “The boss didn’t die. I’m so relieved. I know that you blame me for being so useless, so there’s no need to chase me out. I’ll leave on my own.”
“Go ahead then.” Cheng Dalei waved him off, “But when I reported my name, I used the name Xu Shenji. Those guys are probably searching for him as we speak.”
“You!” Xu Shenji’s eyes bulged out and he took a deep breath, “I might be old, but I still got a few bones left in this body. If they care to pick a fight with the boss, then I’ll go face them until these bones are shattered.”
Cheng Dalei rolled his eyes at him and tossed him the reins of the carriage.
“This is Qin Man. You guys get to know each other. Linger, take care of the horse. Qin Man, start up on dinner. Strategist, lock the person in the carriage in my room.” Cheng Dalei took a deep breath, “Tonight is going to be my wedding night.”
After assigning everyone their tasks, Cheng Dalie checked the system. He just finished a quest after all. Back then, he was too busy running away, so he hadn’t even looked at the rewards yet.
Base: Toad Camp (Ruined starter camp)
Population: 4
Skills: None
Beep. Completed first stage of quest, Stealing a Wife. Reward: One random person of faction shall awaken their hidden setting.
This is a random reward. Right now, there’s 4 people in the faction, so who knows who this reward will end up affecting.
“Boss. Terrible news, terrible news.”
Xu Shenji hurried over. When Cheng Dalei focused on him though, he was dumbfounded.
To think it’s this useless strategist who awakened a setting.