"Lord Xianli ..." Reyhan inside the carriage nodded his head deeply to the youth, Dian Xianli nodded back and waved his hand lightly in respond. Reyhan then said, "Let's go, Nicholas!"
"Then, we shall go," Nicholas said with a smile holding the horse rein.
Dian Juewang had prepared their traveling expense. She also took great trouble and told the stable master to prepare a carriage. Nicholas assumed his identity as a butler then took the role of a coachman, while the mage Reyhan disguised as a Young Master. The two perfectly matched this identity as if it was natural.
Dian Xianli headed back to his courtyard. Therese who was all smiling followed right after, she was in a great mood because of the outcome from her making her Lord compromise. And Rebecca who was squatting on the side watching the flower also stood up and caught up with them.
"Young Master Xianli, may I ask who are these people? Where are they come from? And since when they are here?" Dian Juewang asked.
She was holding back to ask this since earlier to not disturb their talk. Thus she waited until the group of two men departed.
"That's three whole questions you got there ...," Xianli looked at the maid with a surprised face. "Hmmm, even if you ask me that ... the only thing you need to know is, they are my subordinate. I summoned them from a faraway land, and besides Allescar and Therese, they just arrived here."
"From far away land ...? Can Young Master be a bit more specific?" Dian Juewang asked once more.
"Therese ..., you tell her where were you come from!" Dian Xianli passed the matter to the Priestess, with a simple nod at that order as an answer from her. He then took a look at the elf girl and frowned at how inappropriate her cloth was. "And Juewang ..., when you finished, please help this Rebecca to clean up, give her a new dress or whatever, dress her in proper clothing."
"This servant obeys, Young Master." Dian Juewang bowed slightly receiving the order.
Dian Xianli then headed back to his room. He no longer had the mood to chat with them.
Dian Juewang looked at her Young Master's back with a curious gaze before she turned her attention to the Priestess and the Archer.
"Shall we go to the bathhouse, Ms. Therese, Ms. Rebecca?"
"Alright ..." Therese agreed with that with a smile. While Rebecca just followed the two of them in silence.
Back into Dian Xianli's room, he was contemplating something. The problem he was facing still the damn crystal. It was impossible for him to get a large amount of it in this short period of time.
He got one crystal per hour from the [City(V)] Land Card. And with the mana regeneration he had, he could get one crystal per thirty minutes.
He really wanted to absorb the knowledge from the Cultivation Method on the Book Card, so he thought about saving some crystals for the future. But Xianli thought that the speed was too slow.
'Catherine, tell me another way to get crystals? Or, how to make the mana regeneration faster?'
[... if it's just to make regenerate faster, then how about do some Meditation? It can enhance the inner energy(magic power) regeneration in your body depending on how good your cultivation method is. As for how much the effect is ..., now calculating ..., It enhances for about 10,92% compared to the original. With this speed, Host could generate one magic power for 2 minutes 40 seconds.]
It was a bit time saving, though still, he needed at least 26 minutes to get one Crystal. It was not that he was unsatisfied with that, he would do that, the meditation later on. It made the mana regeneration faster after all. But, just in case, he asked for another way if there was exist.
'Is there any other way?'
[How about ..., doing some quest?]
'Quest?'
[Yes, as per today, Host has never done any quest given.]
'But it's you who never give me a single quest!'
[... has Host check the Quest Window?]
'I did, and it's just empty box with a "You have no quest available at the moment"' protested Xianli on his mind to the A.I Catherine.
But the A.I. pretended she didn't make a mistake with a shrug of her shoulder.
[I don't know about that, but I clearly put something there ..., why don't Host take a look? If you can't find any, refresh the tab, perhaps it hasn't finished loading.]
Xianli clicked the Quest Window and there were milliseconds of blankness before there was some new quest added ..., that undoubtedly the A.I added just now.
[New Quest Available: Novice]
[New Quest Available: Class]
[New Quest Available: Faction]
[New Quest Available: Alias]
[New Quest Available: Duel I]
[New Quest Available: Summoner I]
[New Quest Available: Cursemancer I]
[New Quest Available: Enchanter I]
[New Quest Available: Magician I]
[New Quest Available: Heroes Calls I]
[New Quest Available: Well Equipped I]
[New Quest Available: Artifact Wielder I]
[New Quest Available: Land Owner I]
[New Quest Available: Resourceful I]
[New Quest Available: Book Worm I]
With a string of small text floating from his sight, it was too much irritation for him. It was clear that she just put all of this new quest into his Quest Window. Dian Xianli wanted to raise another grumble for that but in the end, he just sighed. He then checked the details of these quests.
[Novice:
Quest Objective: Reach Level 10 (5/10).
Quest Reward: Basic Random Card Pack (x1), Gold Coin Card (x100)]
[Class:
Quest Objective: Pick a Class (0/1).
Quest Reward: Class Related Equipment Pack (x1)]
[Duel I:
Quest Objective: Win 10 matches in a Duel mode (0/10).
Quest Reward: Gold Coin Card (x100), Colored Basic Card Pack (x1)]
...
Xianli frowned with how simple the quest was. It was a simple task that he could easily complete given enough time. In fact, one of them was already completed.
[Quest Completed]
[Summoner I:
Quest Objective: Summon 10 Creature Card (10/10).
Quest Reward: Basic Creature Card Pack (x1)]
[You get a Basic Creature Card Pack (x1) as the Quest Reward.]
[New Quest Available: Summoner II]
'So that's it? That's so easy! Alright then, show me the quest with Crystal as the reward!'
[I'm sorry Host. For now, it's unavailable.]
'It's you who recommended to do it in the first place! Why is it unavailable?'
[Of course, there is exists such Quest with Crystals as a reward. But for now, there isn't any available.]
'And like I said, why did you recommend this if it's unavailable for me at the moment? What's the point then for you to tell this to me?'
[As I said, it certainly exists, the Quest. But Host can't attempt it at the moment.]
'But why? Why the hell can't I?'
[Host doesn't fulfill the condition to unlock the Quest?]
'Why question tone? What's with that unsure questioning tone?'
[...]
Catherine remained silent and just shown the usual three dots. Xianli felt his energy drained with this conversation. But still, he was grateful that now the Quest tab could finally in function. He sighed and forgo this matter.
'..., fine then. Tell me quickly if you have a new quest with that as a reward.'
[Certainly Host.]
Xianli then retrieved the Basic Creature Card Pack from his inventory and opened it. Adding 5 new Creature Card to his collection. He asks why it wasn't 12 like before, and she explained that different pack contains different amounts of cards inside.
The Colored pack had 12 cards inside, Creature and Equipment pack had 5 cards, Heroes and Artifact pack had 3 cards, the Effect, Enchantment, Magic pack had 4 cards inside, Land and Book pack had 6 cards, Resource pack had 18 cards, and lastly cultivation-method pack had 8 cards inside.
Why the content was different?
If the colored pack contain random card all category, then categorized card contains only that category. It was natural that the price and amount of cards would be fixed.
Shrukk ..., Shrurukk ..., shrukk!
The sound of a blade splitting the air. A figure of a young maiden in a training suit could be seen silently training with a sword on a quiet backyard. Her long hair tied in ponytail swung around following her graceful sword dance.
Advance, stab! Retreat, turn-around, swing, diagonal slash, stab.
Her graceful movement was a major contrast with her decisive attack added with a fierce expression. Her footwork was reminded of a rabbit scantily jumping around in a wide grass field. The fragile limb of her arms was moving around in an agile fashion.
After a series of movements, she finally ended the sword dance with almost impossible jump high with a twist and turn in midair. She landed on the ground and put the sword back on its scabbard and closed eyes. Inhaling a plentiful of fresh air, she felt refreshed.
She opened her eyes and put a beautiful smile on her flawless face.
'This will be enough for today.'
Dian Xinyue put the training sword back to the hanger on the wall. She took a towel and wiped the sweat accumulated after long hours of physical training. She was a cultivator on Intermediate Warrior - 2, but only reached this level last year when she was 16.
In the Dali City and Dian family, she was considered as a rare talent. Although her cultivation Talent only on Rank 4, she could achieve this level only through hard work.
Yes, the Dian family was never that rich because of the situation they were in these past few years. Thus, they were unable to give preferential treatment to the younger generation of the family. And even if they had resources to spare, it would end up in the hand of Dian Xianli as the male heir.
Dian Xinyue couldn't join into a sect like her first and seventh sister. It was not that she was weak or her talent was bad. But there weren't any sects in this region who were interested in having her as a disciple.
In the Dian family, it was only two from the younger generation who joined a sect. They were the First Daughter, Dian Lianyu, and the Seventh Daughter Dian Lanyan.
Two years ago, there was a tournament in Xianjing City. This martial tournament was attended by Honorary Elders from the five major sects and other minor sects. It was a great opportunity to be noticed by people from the sect and entered their fraternity. Thus, the martial tournament became a big event in the Dongfeng Region.
Of course, Dian Family also joined the cohort by sending their younger generation. This group from Dian family was the first batch of the Dali City Lord's daughters, starting from the first daughter to the sixth daughter joined this tournament to try their luck. The seventh daughter Lanyan joined in this farce because of another reason.
The result? All six of them failed while the seventh daughter who joined this tournament as an extra managed to get a slot to a major sect.
Xinyue at that time was only a Minor Warrior - 9, and she was thoroughly defeated in the 10-men battle royale. And as for the other sisters? Some were lucky enough to enter the big-32. But they were defeated not long afterward.
Dian Lianyu was a talented person who had Rank 6 Talent and a Torrential Water Spiritual Root. She already entered Intermediate Warrior Stage when she was 14. When she attended the tournament, she was already Intermediate Warrior - 2. She loses in the semifinal after defeated by Gu Fei, a member of Xianjing City's Gu Clan.
But even with that, her performance caught the eyes of an elder. Some of the minor sect's elders tried to get her to join their sect. But and elder from the Sailing Sunshine Sect gave her a recommendation letter and if she interested in joining the sect, she could use this to participate in the enrollment test in spring.
Dian Lianyu, of course, would choose the Sailing Sunshine Sect over the minor sects. She then prepared the enrollment test. She managed to enter the sect in the spring, a year after the tournament.
The first daughter's journey to enter a sect was not that incredible if we take the seventh daughter as a comparison.
In the Dian family, this seventh daughter was a monster. Born with a beast-like strength and brutal personality, since childhood she was a troublemaker who made a mess. In fact, Dian Xianli also has a trauma with her and he always tried to not getting her ire.
When her talent was assessed, the result was not that great, only a Rank 5 Talent. But even with that, with her pure strength, she could topple the higher-level talent or even the higher level cultivator.
At the tournament in the Xianjing City, she was only 13 years old and with the cultivation of a Minor Warrior - 8, barely pass the prerequisite of the tournament of level 7. Although she was a bit fast with her cultivation looking at her age, when everyone who participated was almost Intermediate Warrior, she would end up as a joke. This made her a laughingstock of the spectators from the city and other contestants.
But in the end, she punched her opponent mercilessly until no one dares enough to say a bad word to her. And even some of them were in a comatose state after the match. Many of the contestants feared her, and some even forfeited the match before it even began.
She managed to make it through the final, her final opponent was Gu Yuhua, the Gu Clan's First Young Mistress who at that time was 15 years old. The fight was in a stalemate. The balance was broken when Gu Yuhua used her clan's secret battle technique. Her barrage of fire-punch sent Dian Lanyan to a difficult situation. She loses the final and became a runner up of the tournament.
At the end of the tournament, the Mountain Earth Sect and Phoenix Rebirth Sect sent her an invitation.
The Mountain Earth Sect was a sect who specialized in pure strength behind one attack, a true demolisher. And for Phoenix Rebirth Sect. Although it was initially a sect who was a fire technique as its forte, then it became a woman-only sect who accepted everyone as long as it was a female and had a talent in cultivation. Regardless of what spiritual roots they had.
Dian Lanyan chose the Mountain Earth Sect because she thought that their robe was cool and pleasing to the eyes.
It was two years since then, and even after all of that Xinyue or other daughters never had the chance to take enrollment tests on a sect. The reason was that their parents never got the money to get them a spot for the test.
Don't even think that entering a sect was easy and free. A sum of money must be paid to the sect if one wanted to get a spot in the enrollment test. Though, this payment was unneeded if one had the recommendation letter.
With her father becoming less and less influential in the royal court in the state of Bai, and he was accused as a corrupt official. His wealth also diminished bit by bit, to pay the fine and a few other things to keep his noble seal. He went broke to the point that he couldn't afford to buy a spot at the enrollment test for his own daughters.
Xinyue who was 17-years-old this year could only train diligently in the mansion in the capital city. It was because she had nothing better to do and she did not like lazying or fooling around like a certain wastrel.
'Well, that little monkey is getting better these days.'
She was not the only one who noticed the change in the most notorious troublemaker of this family, Dian Xianli. Even she was constantly observing that little brother of hers at the time of diner. And she noticed his strange change of behavior.
He became a bit spoiled to his mother, and his way of speaking also changed. He also had a strange power that could make him summon a thing and person into this world. Personality-wise, he was not arrogant and ignorant who care less about other people like him before.
'Doesn't make trouble to the servant, and I see that he's getting along with that Juewang girl. It's indeed surprising, I thought she hates him to death. But look, aren't they getting along just fine.'
In fact, Dian Juewang was the maidservant who made a mistake and was lashed by him in the past. If only Dian Xinyue not around at the time, perhaps there would be a permanent scar on her body. But looking at them for the past days, it seemed that he already apologized to her after what happened before.
A rare smile showed on her face for a second. She then tidied the training equipment and then after she finished she went to the bathhouse.