Everyone was overjoyed when they saw the message. It was like they were about to doze off and then found a pillow right next to them—who wouldn't say yes? So naturally, they all silently agreed.
"Obviously, I'm going to learn it. This d*mn system is finally doing something useful," Du Chen muttered, but even as he complained, he couldn't help but grumble a little more.
The red text on the screen refreshed again:
(Do you want to spend 2 levels of experience to learn the language? Yes/No)
What? You want experience points too? Du Chen couldn't help but glance at his avatar. In the days since leaving the forest, they had been leveling up by killing monsters, and they were all now level 5 or so. But for just learning a language, they wanted to take two levels of experience away? The system really is a scam! He couldn't help but wonder: if they had to learn anything else later on, would the system try to rob them again?
As Du Chen was lost in his thoughts, the red text started to fade, almost about to disappear. Panicking, he quickly clicked Yes. A moment later, the red text reappeared:
(New species language learned.)
Huh? That's it? Du Chen felt his chest and his head but didn't feel anything different. He asked in the team channel, "Did you all learn the language too?"
The other four nodded. Still unsatisfied, he said, "But I didn't feel anything."
"A language's not something you can 'feel,' dude," Sang Tian laughed at his words.
"Uh, I don't know… maybe like a cool sensation on my head, a buzzing in my brain, or a warm feeling in my chest or something?"
"Boss, you've been reading too many novels," Sang Tian teased.
"Yeah, at your age, shouldn't you be able to tell the difference between fiction and reality?" they all joked.
Cang Hai pushed his glasses up and said, "Apparently, the human brain can hold information equivalent to about 500 million books, which is like the contents of several U.S. Library of Congresses. So don't worry, learning a language won't break your brain."
"Really? I didn't know that." Du Chen scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I just thought learning a language was way too easy like this. Man, if the system had been around earlier, I wouldn't have had to stay up late memorizing English words... Ugh, I've taken the TOEFL four times and still haven't passed…"
"Hey, the English Level 4 exam isn't that hard. I passed it before the college entrance exams," Xiao Yue said casually. Before she could finish, Tong Xinfen yanked her back.
"Though, the Level 4 exam's pretty easy, we should still cut Boss some slack," Tong Xinfen whispered to Xiao Yue.
Du Chen shot them a resentful look and grumbled, "If you really want to cut me some slack, don't talk about it in the team channel. Fine, I'll let it go. But seriously, this system is a scam. Learning a language costs two levels of experience. What's next…?"
"Wait, I only had to spend one level's worth of experience when I learned it…" Xiao Yue started to speak, but was pulled back again by Tong Xinfen. The little ghost on her shoulder opened its eyes and shot her a glance. Tong Xinfen instantly felt a chill down her spine and quickly let go.
In the end, it was Cang Hai who summarized, "I only spent one level of experience, and everyone else…"
He scanned the others, and the rest nodded. "Looks like only Boss had to pay two levels. So the conclusion is, either the system is messing up, or you've got bad luck," he said with a grin.
After that, Cang Hai ignored Du Chen's shouting of "My luck is great, my luck's perfect!" and gave Sang Tian a knowing glance. The old man on the ground had been kneeling for quite some time without a response, and now he was visibly trembling.
Sang Tian stepped forward and said gently, "Old man, please rise. We're just young folks—how could we accept such a grand gesture from you?" She even lowered herself into a slight bow.
The old man, seeing the young woman approach and speak to him so kindly, felt his fear ease a little. When he saw Sang Tian bowing, he quickly scrambled to his feet, clasped his hands, and stammered, "I dare not! May I ask what the immortal family wishes of me?"
Hearing the way they were being addressed, the group exchanged puzzled looks. Cang Hai stepped forward and cupped his hands, saying, "You are too kind, elder. We've been traveling and haven't found an inn yet. Would you kindly direct us to one?"
The old man, seeing how polite they were, relaxed even more and bowed again, saying, "I dare not presume to direct you, but there are no inns for dozens of miles around Li Family Village. If the immortal family doesn't mind, you are welcome to rest at my humble home. I'll ask my cousin to help you find a proper place to stay."
"There's no need to trouble you, elder. Your home would be perfect," Cang Hai replied, exchanging a few polite words. The group followed the old man as he led them to Li Family Village.
Du Chen had been silent for most of the conversation, watching them speak so formally. Now he sidled up next to Cang Hai and clapped him on the shoulder. "Wow, didn't know you two were such experts in ancient language!"
Cang Hai adjusted his glasses and gave a small smirk. "I don't really know much about ancient texts. I've just been watching a couple of historical dramas with Sang Tian lately."
Du Chen immediately lost interest, and after a few more steps, he caught up with the old man. He stewed for a moment and then awkwardly asked, "So, uh, old man, what's your name?"
The old man, recognizing Du Chen as the one who had been speaking loudly earlier, felt a bit anxious. He forced a smile and replied, "I'm not worthy of a noble title. My name is Li, and I'm the second son in my family."
Du Chen blinked in confusion and asked the group in the team chat: "What does 'second son' mean?"
Everyone facepalmed. "It just means he's the second-born. You can just call him Li Er (Li Two)."
Du Chen nodded, understanding, then turned back to the old man. "Okay, Li Er, let me ask you something. How did you tell we were, you know, 'immortals'?"
Li Er looked flustered, lowering his head. "I apologize, I was too hasty earlier and mistook you all for bandits. I was so frightened... But then, when this immortal raised his hand, I immediately felt a sense of peace, as if my mind had cleared. I realized right away that it was some kind of immortal magic."
Du Chen nodded, stroking his chin. They walked in silence for a while, following Li Er over a few hills until they reached the edge of the village.
By this time, it was nearly dinner time, and the farmers had already gone home. There was no one walking around at the village entrance, but a few young children were playing by the roadside. When they saw the group approach, they all looked at them warily.
One boy, dressed neatly and clearly a bit braver than the others, raised his voice and asked, "Second Uncle, why are you bringing outsiders into the village?"
Li Er jumped in surprise when he heard this. He glanced at Du Chen and the others, then quickly scolded the boy, "Hush! These are immortals. You're just a child—don't speak nonsense!"
The boy, taken aback, turned and ran into the village.
Li Er quickly apologized again to the group and, just as he was finishing, the child who had run off earlier returned, now accompanied by an elderly man leaning on a wooden cane.
Li Er apologized once more to the group, then whispered a few words to the old man. The elder nodded and immediately approached the group with a deep bow, his voice trembling as he said, "I greet you, esteemed immortals. I am Li Chengfeng, the head of the Li family clan in Li Family Village. My humble door has been blessed by your arrival. I have failed to greet you properly, please forgive my negligence."
Cang Hai stepped forward, politely returning the bow and helping the old man up. "We are merely passing through and intend to rest for the night. We mean no disturbance to the peace of your village. There is no need for such formalities."
Li Chengfeng continued, "The village is simple and modest, I fear it may not meet your expectations. The clan's main house might be more suitable for accommodation."
Cang Hai declined, saying, "There's no need to trouble you. We've already arranged to stay at Li Er's house for the night."
Li Chengfeng hesitated for a moment, and then Li Er whispered in his ear again. The elder nodded and said to Li Er, "Very well then. Go ahead and clean the house and prepare the bedding. I will send someone to deliver them." Li Er nodded and hurried off. Li Chengfeng then invited the group to his ancestral house for a meal. When Du Chen heard there would be food, he was the first to respond eagerly.
Li Chengfeng was very considerate. Upon reaching the ancestral house, he immediately had servants prepare warm baths for the five of them, offering them a chance to freshen up. This gesture delighted the two women and the three men equally. After three days of eating on the go in the forest, it was a real treat to have a warm bath. Even though they could clean their clothes, they couldn't exactly wash off the grime from their bodies. After the rainstorm the previous night, a bath was a blessing, and the comfort it provided was almost indescribable.
The guys were relatively quick with their baths. Du Chen finished first, changed into the clothes Li Chengfeng had prepared for him, and walked out, rubbing his hair. As he touched the back of his neck, he realized his hair had grown long enough to reach his shoulders. He clicked his tongue and, walking past a screen, saw Cang Hai and Xiao Yue sitting at the table, drinking tea.
"We've been walking around the village, and everything's made of mud walls. This house is the only one that looks decent. The courtyard and rooms are all stacked up, and the house is quite big. But there's not much inside… Looks like their village is poor," Du Chen babbled as he approached them, thankfully remembering to speak in the team chat.
Without even lifting his eyes from his tea, Cang Hai tapped the red floral table with his finger and said, "It might not be so simple. We don't know much about the economy of this world yet, but just looking at the furniture in this house—good wood, great craftsmanship. And these tea cups—thin porcelain with a smooth glaze, delicate and elegant. This is not ordinary stuff. While I can't tell much about other things, I can say that the clan leader's family may not be rich, but they certainly aren't poor."
Du Chen tugged at his clothes, looking surprised. "No way, then why would they give us these plain cotton clothes? I thought people in the olden days wore silk?"
Cang Hai was about to answer when he saw Du Chen's clothes, nearly spitting out his tea in shock. He coughed for a while before pointing at Du Chen and saying, "You… you're wearing your clothes inside out…"
It was clear that expecting Du Chen to figure out how to wear ancient clothes by himself was a lost cause. Both Cang Hai and Xiao Yue walked over to help him put on his clothes properly. Du Chen, still a bit confused, turned to Xiao Yue and asked, "I get that Cang Hai the old scholar can wear ancient clothes, but how do you know how to do it?"
Xiao Yue hesitated for a moment and muttered, "Uh, uh, OX reminded me…"
"Oh, that's why. I was just asking casually, why are you blushing?" Du Chen grinned.
"..."
The three of them sat back down at the table. It was only then that Cang Hai decided to enlighten Du Chen: "In ancient China, common folk weren't allowed to wear silk or satin. Those were reserved for the high-ranking officials and nobility. Commoners had to wear hemp or ramie fabric, and even fine cotton wasn't exactly cheap. This was due to the low production capacity back then. The same kind of restrictions probably apply in this world too. Look at the farming tools displayed outside; they're all pretty outdated. But let's put that aside for now. At least the clothes they gave us are far more exquisite than what Li Chengfeng is wearing."
"So, like I said, it's not just about knowledge, it's about common sense. And if you don't have common sense, you should at least watch some TV," said Sang Tian as she walked in through the door, with Tong Xin Fen following behind. "Boss, I really worry about you. If you were alone in this world, what would you do? You'd probably be worse off than you were on Earth."
Du Chen, surprisingly, didn't argue. He thought about it seriously for a moment, then scratched the back of his head and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "You know, you're probably right. Forget TV, I don't even have an old TV in my doghouse. If it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't even be able to leave the forest and would end up stuck in that valley for the rest of my life."
Sang Tian, who was ready for a retort, paused when she heard Du Chen's self-disparaging words. She blinked, a little awkward, before turning her head and saying, "Well, I wouldn't go that far… You're actually pretty useful, Boss…"
Du Chen's eyes lit up when he heard her encouragement. "Oh, really? Like what exactly?"
"This—" Sang Tian hesitated, still thinking for an example.
Before she could come up with anything, Tong Xin Fen interrupted seriously: "If it weren't for you, the excellent MT, drawing all the aggro onto yourself, how would our team have gotten through the forest unscathed? You're definitely an irreplaceable part of our team. Your ability to pull aggro, especially your taunt skills, is just… invaluable!" She then gave Du Chen a thumbs-up with a completely neutral face.
Pfft. Cang Hai, who had been drinking tea, couldn't hold it in and sprayed some out.
Du Chen rubbed the increasingly thick stubble on his chin and glanced at the coughing Cang Hai. With a furrowed brow, he pretended to think deeply. "While I appreciate the compliments, why do I feel like you're mocking me?"
"No, absolutely not!" Tong Xin Fen said with a look of utmost sincerity. She then turned to Sang Tian and whispered, "What's going on? How did he figure it out? Could it be his beast-like instincts?"
"D*mn it! I told you so many times! If you're gonna give me face, at least don't say that stuff in the team chat!" Du Chen shouted in exasperation.
...