All Things Are Contracts

Chapter 187: The Task Begins

Zhanyue felt a sudden spinning sensation and found himself in a mountain valley. He was about to curse that fox woman, wondering why she got so angry just because he said her name. However, something fell from the sky and hit his head. He picked it up and realized it was his identity token. This object was crucial for the trial, so he couldn’t lose it. Without thinking, he tried to put it into his divine ability space.

However, the usually smooth operation couldn’t be performed. Zhanyue panicked, realizing he couldn’t sense the existence of his divine ability space, something he had never experienced before. Then, he found that all his cultivation had been reset to zero, turning him into a completely ordinary person. He couldn’t use any divine abilities or battle techniques, and couldn’t even summon his contract object.

In his panic, the identity token emitted a beam of light, enveloping Zhanyue.

“Identity: Saint of Thieves; Cultivation: Sealed; Identity Abilities: World’s Best Lightness Skill; World’s Best Thieving Technique; Tasks Completed: 0; Current Task: Prevent bandits from massacring the village; Task Completion Condition: Annihilate the bandits, and ensure Village Chief Yu Dayou survives; Task Failure Condition: Yu Dayou dies; Perfect Task Evaluation Condition: Annihilate the bandits, and no one in Yunmo Village dies;”

After the light faded, much information appeared in Zhanyue’s mind. He felt as light as a feather and gained some new abilities. He leaped up and found himself jumping over ten meters high, then landing gracefully.

“World’s Best Lightness Skill, World’s Best Thieving Technique?” Zhanyue pondered this information, not underestimating these few words. He quickly analyzed a lot of information.

“My original cultivation realm has been sealed, and I can’t use any of my original abilities. The identity token has given me new abilities, seemingly hoping I’ll use these to solve problems. What kind of being is this Void Heaven Emperor, making us play a live-action role-playing game? My current lightness skill is called the world’s best, suggesting that the world I’m in now isn’t a fantastical one, but closer to a martial arts world. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called the world’s best lightness skill. Lightness skill and thieving technique? How can I use these to protect a village of common people? Never mind, let’s go to Yunmo Village first and see.”

Zhanyue thought as he walked towards the mountainside, where Yunmo Village was located on a flat area.

“The trial gives us 3 lives in total, and 3 chances for each task. Looking at it this way, life is more important. It’s not a big deal if we fail the task the first time, but we need to gather enough information.” As he walked, Zhanyue pondered about this trial. The Heaven Book Spirit had said earlier that each of them would be sent to different worlds.

“I wonder how little Meng Xiaodie is doing.” At this moment, Zhanyue wasn’t worried about Baizhi or MuMu Lixi, but was concerned about that little girl. She was too young. Could she really handle such a trial?

“The identity token will give each person corresponding abilities. I hope they’re lucky and get good abilities,” Zhanyue prayed. He couldn’t afford to think about others’ situations now. “Earlier I complained about being given the Saint of Thieves identity, but now I see I was ungrateful. With such lightness skill, at least I don’t have to worry about self-preservation.”

With Zhanyue’s current speed, it didn’t take long for him to find Yunmo Village mentioned in the task.

At the village entrance, a guard vigilantly watched Zhanyue approach. Zhanyue’s current clothes seemed too luxurious to them, his aura unlike ordinary people. Dressed in a white robe with medium-length hair, combined with a handsome and confident face, he lived up to the Saint of Thieves identity. A huge wooden fence stood between them.

“Stop! Who are you? We’re not welcoming outsiders at the moment,” the guard asked.

Zhanyue looked at the sturdy man before him, wondering why an ordinary village needed guards. It seemed this world wasn’t a peaceful place. He marveled at how real everything seemed, from each flower and blade of grass to the person before him. Was this really a trial illusion?

“Hello, I’m a mountain traveler, enjoying touring mountains and rivers. I’ve arrived here, and it’s getting late. Could I possibly stay here for the night?” Zhanyue asked politely. He didn’t have any money from this world, so he could only hope the village had honest folk.

Hearing this, the man looked troubled. It was getting dark, and if he sent this person away, he’d have to sleep outside. There were wolves in the valley.

Just then, another man walked over from outside the village. This man looked about forty, with a half-inch long beard, a fierce face, and a tall, strong build, a full head taller than Zhanyue. He wore a blue cloth vest with no undershirt, revealing strong chest muscles, and held a well-sharpened chopping knife.

“Little Five, let him in,” the man said.

“Yes, Village Chief,” the guard, seeing the man speak, opened a gap in the huge wooden fence from the inside.

“Village Chief?” Zhanyue had thought the Yunmo Village chief would be some white-bearded old man, not expecting such a burly man who seemed to know martial arts. He also felt relieved, thinking such a person wouldn’t be easy to kill.

Village Chief Yu Dayou walked up to Zhanyue, curiously looking him over, and asked, “And you are, young sir?”

“My name is Zhanyue, I come from afar,” Zhanyue replied.

Yu Dayou nodded, “Judging by your attire, you don’t look like a mountain rustic. What brings you to such a remote place?”

Zhanyue walked over and explained, “I’ve always enjoyed touring famous mountains and rivers. I’ve traveled here today, may I ask where this place is?”

“This is Wuyou Mountain, Yunmo Village. I’m the village chief, Yu Dayou,” Yu Dayou introduced, thinking to himself, these rich young masters, not enjoying their good lives but running around everywhere. What’s so fun about these mountains?

“It’s getting late. I hope to stay in the village for the night. Is that possible?” Zhanyue asked again.

“Hmm, it’s not very safe in these mountains. You can stay at my place tonight. We have an old room that can be tidied up for you to make do for the night. However, you should leave early tomorrow morning. Wuyou Mountain isn’t peaceful. Unlike us, who have been rooted here for generations and can’t leave even if we wanted to,” Yu Dayou said.

Zhanyue sighed in relief. Although Yu Dayou was rough and burly, he had a kind heart.

As Yu Dayou led Zhanyue back to the village, the villagers’ gazes often fell on Zhanyue. They hadn’t seen outside visitors for a long time. Yunmo Village wasn’t big, with only about two hundred people. Looking at these simple faces, Zhanyue felt emotional, knowing they were unaware that bandits would soon massacre them all.

“Mother, I’m back!” Yu Dayou shouted towards several small houses.

“Good that you’re back. I’ve prepared dinner,” an elderly woman with white hair came out of one of the houses. Seeing Yu Dayou safe and sound, she sighed in relief, then noticed Zhanyue beside him. Zhanyue’s demeanor and attire were so different from these mountain people that he naturally stood out.

“Who is this?” the old woman asked curiously.

“A friend I met outside. It’s getting late, so he’ll be staying with us for the night,” Yu Dayou said.

The old woman scrutinized Zhanyue warily before nodding. “Come in for dinner. I’ve made plenty. Young sir, if you don’t mind, please join us.”

“Thank you very much, madam,” Zhanyue said politely. He saw worry in the old woman’s eyes, perhaps the people of Yunmo Village weren’t completely unaware of the bandits.

Entering the house, the old woman brought bowls and chopsticks. On the table were two dishes, one stir-fried cured meat, one vegetable dish, and a pot of wild vegetable soup. As the village chief, and being so strong and capable, Yu Dayou’s family naturally lived a bit better than ordinary villagers, but only just.

“We mountain folk don’t have much to entertain distinguished guests. Please don’t mind, young sir,” Yu Dayou said.

“Not at all. I’m already very grateful that Brother Dayou is letting me stay. I’m not some pampered person,” Zhanyue said, eating the not-so-delicious food.

Seeing this, Yu Dayou’s good impression of him increased. Indeed, he didn’t seem like a pampered young master.

After dinner, Mother Yu tidied up the old room a bit and arranged for Zhanyue to stay there. She then pulled her son into their room to whisper.

“How could you entertain outsiders at a time like this? What if he’s with those people?” Mother Yu asked worriedly.

“Mother, we’re both old hands. You can see this young sir is clearly of noble birth. How could he be with those mountain bandits?” Yu Dayou replied.

“You! Don’t forget, it’s not just mountain bandits we have to deal with. This person appearing here at this time might not be a coincidence. Anyway, you must be careful,” Mother Yu said again.

“I understand. I’ll send him away early tomorrow morning anyway,” Yu Dayou said.

They didn’t know that their entire conversation had fallen into Zhanyue’s ears. His movement was ghostly, his footsteps silent. The two hadn’t noticed at all, living up to the name of the world’s best lightness skill.