Chapter 3: D-Rank Inheritance

"Brother Li, is your poetry regarding spirit masters?" Xue Bing inquired with an interested expression. The others looked towards Chen as he shook his head.

"Stories and poems are different, Brother Xue. I dare convey my feelings for the noble profession of spirit master by stories but I dare not pen them. My poems originate from the courthouse of the Heaven Dou Empire. It illustrates the beauties and goddesses I had the pleasure of meeting."

While saying so, Chen looked at everyone with a universal look and whispered, "It also illustrates a few demonesses that only men can endure."

His words made the slightly empty hall echo with a loud gulp.

"Brother Li..." Xue Bing whispered. His face seemed slightly hesitant.

"Can you read us one of your poems?"

Chen smiled and shook his head.

"Brother Xue... some things, if discussed between brothers, can harm their relationship. My poems are to enrich a man's mind in his solitude. I just wish to sell my collection of poems, write something about this beautiful and warm village of yours and be on my way. Meeting people and forming bonds is the only thing I know."

Chen's current eloquence didn't simply originate from his past experiences. He was indeed a good speaker in the past but even his current self, in the past, was able to survive due to the glib tongue itself. He would roam in random villages and have lived the life of a nomad for the last 13 years!

The experience of being a federal rebel and a spirit outlaw made him way too scary at this point.

As expected, others slowly walked and stood around the counter, encircling Chen.

"Brother Li... I've heard that in Heaven Dou Empire, the beauties have long silky golden hair. Is that true?"

"Heavens revel in the light of gold. Why wouldn't the empire have goddesses with golden hair? Their skin is smooth and despite looking so pure, they are happy to be pursued! The men and women of the empire never hide their feelings for one another."

"Brother Li," one whispered with a slightly dry throat, "Is there anyone in particular who stood out in your eyes?"

"Haha, such matters are unsightly to be discussed, don't you think, brothers?" Chen chuckled, "I could never reveal my true intentions. I'm a mere poet. My heart is not to be filled with a woman alone. It belongs to nature 'and' women!"

Admiration flickered in the eyes of the gathered villagers.

It was a beautiful morning and these villagers were only beginning their day so late in the day. Of course, they were free and a free mind always breeds devils. Most of the gathered villagers were well-known hooligans of the village.

"Sigh, Brother Xue, just tell me where the market is. I have to try my luck and sell this collection of poems."

"Sell it to us!" One of the villagers suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah, Brother Li! We have already shared our interest in the... Empire! We are united citizens. We will happily help you!"

'Sigh... being a pervert really is the easiest way to find like-minded spenders,' Chen sighed internally but in reality, he shook his head.

"Brothers, any value I place now will be offending every one of you. I, Li Feng, cannot ask you to buy such a thing!"

"Don't worry, Brother," this time, a rather deep voice broke the flow of the conversation as Xue Bing's brother walked towards the counter. His eyes were slightly glazed.

"Poems about the beauties of the empire... how can it be so easy to find such valuable material? Even if the village is finally developing thanks to little Lang's efforts, it cannot be compared to cities, much less the capital. Brother Li, state your price. If it isn't much, we will all chip in and share your findings!"

Chen locked gazes with this humongous man.

"I see. Then," pulling out the worn journal, Chen placed the book on the counter and proclaimed.

"I, Li Feng, cannot take any money from these brothers! Although we've only met now, I regret not meeting you sooner and will have to leave soon enough. Let this journal of mine be a memory to all of you!"

Chen's words stunned those around him.

"Brother Li..." a man in grey robes seemed to have resonated rather deeply. His eyes grew blurry and his thin face trembled. "Everyone calls me Pervert Bai. I'm not a pervert! I didn't want to live my life being labeled with this tag. I... wholeheartedly wished to ask Hua Ling'er's hand in marriage but she openly disrespected me! I cannot get any work in the village. I have to forage in the Golden Fang Forest and risk my life!

And yet, they still call me Hooligan! I, Bai Jun, am not a hooligan! I have a name and it is not Pervert Bai! Brother Li, I cannot compare to others in terms of money but this... you must accept it. 4 copper coins is my day's earning. This day, to your name!"

With that, the man pushed the four coins into Chen's exposed left hand.

"This day, to your name! Brother Li, here you go!"

Everyone had low earnings and did not surpass ten coins but by now, Chen's fist was already filled with copper coins with a square cut-out in the middle.

"Well said!" Xue Bing laughed and stashed ten coins which he took out from his pocket.

"Although I'm a spirit master, I could never break into the higher realm. People regard us brothers as trash! But my name is Xue Bing!"

Chen looked at his left hand.

Clearly, he had achieved his additional objective by now. But...

'Damn, these people are nice...' Chen inhaled deeply.

"Then, thank you, brothers. This day, to our meeting!"

With that Chen placed the coins on the counter and gazed at the large vat set aside.

"Brother Xue, that barrel... open it!"

"Haha! You've got the coin now, of course!"

Xue Bing and his brother were even happier.

They were the earning party. But from the pile, Chen still had around 15 coins enclosed in his fist for further use.

The rewards of his mission trait aren't always random and can even be attributed to the nature of the mission. This makes earning money rather hard unless he sets his mission as to earning money in the first place.

[Objective: Find a place to stay.

1) Keep your identity hidden.

Rewards: Tang Chen's toothpick—Guide to Spirit Rings—Great Era of Spirit Beasts.]

Chen lied on the straw mattress. He gazed at the three 3-d models developing in front of his chest.

The first one to form was a small toothpick. As simple as it comes but Chen instantly threw it away. Used toothpick, what use would it be?

Then, Chen looked at the two leather tomes forming one by one and stacking upon his chest.

"Oof!" Chen grunted and moved the tomes to the side.

'Guide to Spirit Rings and Great Era of Spirit Beasts... let's see what good these books are.'

Everyone in Douluo Continent had a rudimentary understanding of spirit rings. Even ordinary villagers would come across a spirit master every now and then and the information would keep on spreading.

If Chen's world had traits and restrictions, then this world had martial spirits while the spirit rings acted as a method of restriction and enhancement.

Chen just knew this and nothing more. How the spirit rings functioned, he didn't know. Why they even appear is something that Chen didn't understand even a little.

So, the first tome he picked up was the Guide to Spirit Rings.

'Hmm, signed by Dragon Scholar? What's that?' Chen blinked.

His trait's functions were not that complicated.

The first function of his trait, as concluded by both his and his teacher, was World Scan. The moment this trait is born, it will scan Chen's surroundings. The extent of this scan is something still unknown. It may be as great as a continent, or the entire planet, or further.

This scan copies everything but living beings. The conditions as to what is determined to be 'living' are already complicated enough but as long as there is a form of consciousness within anything, it cannot be copied by his trait.

Since the rewards are the result of the scan and copy, it means that the tomes he has in his hands actually exist somewhere. In the world, there is a toothpick that belongs to a guy named Tang Chen. There is also the original journal of smut poetry by Li Feng, too!

'Are Dragons even real in this world?' Chen thought with a strange expression.

'Anyway... Spirit Rings... hmm, oh? To understand spirit rings, one must have a basic concept of spirit beasts. Let me just start my memory skill first,' Chen's gaze turned slightly dazed.

A self-hypnosis skill that he learned after a lot of hardships in his past life but once Chen got a handle of it, it was hard to... forget.

It's a memory skill, after all!

'Alright. Learning capacity is set,' Chen took a deep breath and dove into the tome once again.

His gaze turned slightly serious but within his green pupils, a hint of fascination couldn't be hidden. This tome was extremely comprehensive but it did not include rather technical subjects like biology. Instead, the tome accurately described various mystical situations and terms that one must understand about Spirit Rings in itself.

'Oh... every animal on this planet can be considered a spiritual beast, including humans. Just like how there is a small percentage of humans that can cultivate, similar is the case for spirit beasts.

Not all spirit beasts can cultivate spirit energy and those who can actually have a tedious approach to it.

But, the cause of spirit rings is definitely explained in this tome.

Spirit Beasts have a soul origin and this is the focus of Spirit Beast's cultivation. Once they are killed, everything except for this crystallization of their cultivation remains in the form of a halo-like spirit ring.

Meanwhile, humans have soul origin, too. It is represented by martial souls. But, humans cannot compete with the spirit beasts in terms of cultivation based on age so they rob other beast's soul origin and integrate it to themselves.'

The contents were then strictly about various forms of spirit rings. Their effects on body and mind. Cautions needed to be kept in mind before absorbing the spirit ring and the best way to absorb a spirit ring.

'Yeah... the moment I show the book that states that it is possible to convert one's first spirit ring into its crimson version, I'll be fucked sideways. This is a fucking inheritance!' Chen realized what the tome actually was.

It wasn't a run-of-the-mill abridged edition of some famed work. This was the real deal. An inheritance rewarded at a D-rank mission!

'Then what will I get for completing an S-rank mission?' Chen thought deeply.

Next, he skimmed through the Great Era of Spirit Beasts. It wasn't remotely close to an inheritance of any form but an actual depiction of historical facts noted down regarding various mystical beasts and their disastrous nature.

Once he was done, Chen stacked the two tomes and silently thought about what to do next.

'I've already gotten this room for the entire week for free. Instead of setting nightmare goals, I need to begin working on mid-rank missions to accumulate more basic techniques. I can compare them with my own battle skills.'

Chen began stretching his body and finally smiled.

"Practice Fluid Blood Qi Art. Additional Objectives:

1) Reach the second level of the practice in a day."

[Objective: Practice Fluid Blood Qi Art without stopping.

1) Reach the second level of the technique.

Rewards: Soul Meditation Art—Revitalized Blood Qi Art.]

'To reach the second level is already difficult enough in seven hours but it is considered a D-rank achievement in here? Killing the governor was a D-rank mission back then... but I was quite strong, too. But practicing techniques still rewards me with other techniques. That's good to see.'