Huh? Isn't this an adventure kingdom building game?!-Chapter 197: Winning Without a Move

Jiang Yuan returned to the general store after collecting the task item sachet and carefully reviewed the list of tasks hanging there.

Main Task: Construct a Level Four Home. Reward: Great Wilderness Heart Method

Task 1: Upgrade all buildings to Level Two. Reward: Unlock the Mall’s Scenic Area

Side Task: Stolen Goods

The Yin Mountain Woman ordered two top-quality hearts from the Demon Realm, which were stolen during transport. Please assist her capable agent, Hu Zhile, in solving the robbery case to find the missing items and receive a special reward.

Task 2: Investigate the rumors in the Cyan Fish Mountain Market to find useful clues (0/3). Reward: Foreknowledge Technique +1

Time-limited Task: Help the Mysterious Jewelry Merchant find the missing guest

Search Technique skills are in learning mode, awaiting activation

"The Yin Mountain Woman lost two top-quality hearts. If I successfully complete the side task, could I retrieve the missing items? If I find them, can I take advantage and craft a piece of well-made equipment?" He neatly put together the paper figurines in his hand, counted the inventory again, and thought he might be able to push the main task forward a bit.

The wooden bridge at the entrance was far too dilapidated. Upgrading other buildings required a large number of iron ingots, copper ingots; the Melting Workshop was really overwhelmed. But upgrading the wooden bridge only needed some planks, wood, and a special material, so he decided to start with the simplest task.

Requires repair materials: Wood X100; Planks X80; Slime X10; Moonlight Pearl X1; Proceed with repair?

Clicking to proceed with the repair, the planks clanked onto the old wooden bridge, and in a matter of seconds, the old bridge looked brand new, not very pretty, but solid enough, with a simple lamp post added at the bridge’s end.

The warm yellow glow illuminated a large area of the courtyard, much stronger than the light spilling from the window of the general store.

Jiang Yuan circled the courtyard, jotting down the materials needed to upgrade all buildings to Level Two, preparing stones, planks, fibrous hay, and a Moon in the Water to upgrade the well to Level Two at once.

The new well kept the same area but featured a more beautiful design, complete with carved patterns on the handle.

Level 2 Well: Excellent water quality, safe for drinking, can randomly increase Physical Strength by 10% when used for cooking. Water quality randomly improves upon upgrading

"The Melting Workshop is still short of plenty of Profound Iron Ingots, waiting is the only option." Jiang Yuan took the ground incense materials from the mill and began making incense sticks according to the Incense Chart.

When Bai Yunqi led Yun Mo and Wan Mingchuan back amidst their weariness, they quickly noticed the changes in the little courtyard.

Especially the rundown bridge at the entrance, which seemed on the verge of collapse, was suddenly repaired, complete with a thoughtfully prepared lamp.

"Strange, what’s the origin of the Venerable Family? Never heard that the Shennong Sect could farm, cultivate Spirit Medicine, and master cooking and construction, even practicing Alchemy and Incense Making, such diverse Cultivation Techniques."

Despite his curiosity, Bai Yunqi kept it to himself, pretending not to see.

Otherwise, being a Great Demon that’s thousands of years old and not able to uncover even this much of their background, how embarrassing would it be?

Wan Mingchuan, straightforward and quick to speak, rushed to look at the new wooden bridge as soon as he landed. "Master, you’ve repaired the bridge! I was just thinking, Brother Mo, being so big, walking on the old bridge made me worry he would tread it down. Now it’s fine, a sturdy new wooden bridge, quite beautiful!"

"I am a Demon Cultivator, not some foolish creature lacking spiritual intelligence, how could I tread it down?" Yun Mo’s attention was certainly not on the suddenly appearing wooden bridge; ever since coming to the courtyard, he had seen enough strange things to ignore the trivial.

With a flap of his wing, he pulled out several dry twigs and handed them to Jiang Yuan, saying, "Sir, I’ve read little and know even less, but I discovered these unknown plants in the southern valley earlier today. Senior Bai said they might be dried Spirit Medicine with lingering Spiritual Power. Yet, I think they could be Spirit Medicine, naturally growing in this form, please take a look and give your insight."

Jiang Yuan did not recognize them either, but he had a system.

Mutated Withered Phoenix Vine: Derived from mutated branches on Phoenix Vine Trees in the Wilderness, containing faint Spiritual Power, suitable for refining Low Level Weapons

"Both of you are right and also wrong, for starters, this isn’t Spirit Medicine but material for Artifact Refining." He explained as he learned from the system, "But it indeed is a dried branch with a hint of remaining Spiritual Power, naturally growing in this form, as mutated branches of the Phoenix Vine Tree. With these Mutated Withered Phoenix Vines, I can craft a simple weapon for Mingchuan."

Bai Yunqi’s mouth twitched, thinking to himself, "He can even practice Artifact Refining Technique?"

A young person learning such a hodgepodge, now hiding in such a remote location, could it be fleeing from those chasing after him for stealing knowledge?

"Ah? Master can even craft weapons for me?" Wan Mingchuan’s eyes sparkled with excitement, mimicking his master’s wave with a few gestures, saying, "I think Master using staff techniques presents a refined approach, seemingly simple with no forms, yet unleashing great power—like Brother Long often mentions, formless overcoming form, I want to learn staff techniques from Master too!"

Jiang Yuan thought to himself, "It’s not formless overcoming form, it’s because I haven’t learned any forms at all. No matter how the system determined the attack, that’s what counts—and that’s something you can’t learn."

"It’s better to use a sword." After pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, "A knife can work too. At least a weapon with a blade has higher attack power than those without, and when practicing Sword Flight in the future, you ought to have a handy long sword."

Wan Mingchuan remembered that when apprenticing, the master mentioned not passing down specific instructions, what can be learned depends entirely on one’s insight, so staff techniques might not be taught.

Since Master says knives and swords are better, trusting him wouldn’t be wrong!

"To craft a long sword, I still need to find some Artifact Refining materials; I’ll keep an eye out in the coming days." Jiang Yuan thought about creating a decorative long sword for Yaoguang, the Mermaid, for a trade, potentially exchanging for techniques like Stepping on Water Without Trace.

The Mysterious Jewelry Merchant was scheduled to visit the Golden Carp Lake Market in a few days; if Jiang Yuan wanted to purchase face accessories and belts, he first needed to solve the problem of walking on water.

As night deepened, the courtyard fell completely silent.

Jiang Yuan continued making incense and paper figurines in the general store, waiting until dawn when he heard a rhythmic knock on the door.

"Third Sister, is the Young Gentleman at the general store?" Miss Hu Jiu, striving to improve her Cultivation and manifesting human form with the aid of the Spirit Core Pill, carefully dressed and stood breathing nervously with her elder sister at the door of the general store.

Hu Zhile patted her shoulder, quietly reminding, "Be clever, say more when needed, hold back when uncertain; smile shyly, and if not, twitch your ears, wag your tail—humans adore cute and clever foxes."

Miss Hu Jiu nodded, indicating she remembered the advice.

Sure enough, the door of the general store, which had long thwarted inquisitive eyes, opened, revealing the tall and handsome young gentleman standing aside to let them enter.

"Sir, this is my little sister who shared hardships with me before. Since she hasn’t successfully established a foundation, she hasn’t been named; in family order, she’s called Hu Jiu." Hu Zhile introduced as they walked in.

Jiang Yuan closed the door before removing the Black Cloak, then turned to carefully observe the silver-haired, fox-eared damsel dressed in a luxurious purple palace outfit.

This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦