Chapter 14: The Mall Exchange Feature Unlocked (Please Vote for Recommendations)

After Hao Dahuo left, He Jiang could no longer argue with Wu Tian. Wu Tian paid He Jiang no mind either, carrying Xiao Hui away from He Jiang’s residence.

Ding!

Just as Wu Tian stepped out of He Jiang’s mansion, a familiar system notification sounded in his mind.

“Congratulations, player Wu Tian, you have triggered the main quest!”

“Main Quest: Find the mysterious person who attempted to assassinate player Wu Tian and uncover the true murderer of your master.”

“Quest Clue: He Jiang.”

“Quest Rewards: 100,000 experience, 10,000 silver taels, increase your Instant Kill value by 50 points. No time limit.”

Ding! Another system notification chimed.

“Congratulations, player Wu Tian, you have unlocked the system shop’s exchange function!”

With these two notifications, Wu Tian felt a rush of exhilaration. If his guess was correct, the confrontation with He Jiang had activated the main quest, and its rewards were indeed generous—one hundred thousand experience points, matching what he had earned from slaying the level nine demonic beast, the Black Dragon Python. On top of that, ten thousand taels of silver and an increase of fifty points to his Instant Kill value. Once his Instant Kill skill ascended, Wu Tian’s strength would reach new heights.

However, the main quest also told Wu Tian that the destruction of his meridians and his master’s sudden death were both connected to He Jiang. Coming here today had yielded unexpected insights. Wu Tian had resolved to avenge these wrongs from the moment he crossed into this world, and now, with the system providing clues, his determination to seek vengeance was stronger than ever.

But the greatest gain today was the activation of the shop’s exchange function. Wu Tian examined the system shop within his consciousness.

The shop contained everything imaginable: pills, cultivation techniques, weapons, skills, battle pets—anything one could dream of, it was there.

“Haha! Now I’m set for life! With the system shop, I can get whatever I want—divine artifacts, peerless techniques… damn it, they’re all mine!” Wu Tian laughed wildly, nearly delirious, but as he looked closer, all joy vanished from his face.

“Revival Pill: Heaven-defying grade, brings the dead back to life. Exchange value: 10,000,000 per pill.”

“Divine Dragon Armor: Heaven-defying grade equipment, immune to all physical attacks. Exchange value: 10,000,000 per set.”

…

All were items Wu Tian could not possibly afford. Exchange value could be converted from silver in his inventory: one exchange point required one tael of black gold. In the Divine Dragon Continent, one tael of black gold equaled one hundred taels of gold, and one tael of gold equaled one hundred taels of silver. After all his monster kills, Wu Tian had only amassed thirty thousand taels of silver, meaning he could exchange for just three points.

Three exchange points—he couldn’t even touch the fringe of these treasures.

These formidable items were utterly out of reach, forcing Wu Tian to seek lower-end goods. After searching for some time, he finally found items available for three exchange points, but when he saw them, he felt utterly deflated. They were all low-grade medicinal herbs, basic equipment, or beginner techniques, utterly useless to him.

Yet Wu Tian found solace in the fact that items he owned could be exchanged for shop points. For example, the sealed Black Dragon Blade in his possession was valued at thirty million points in the shop; if it were unsealed, its worth would be even greater. Of course, Wu Tian had no intention of trading such a treasure.

“Looks like I’ll have to earn more, hunt more monsters and find more loot. Once I build up enough exchange points, the bounty of the shop will be endless—ha ha ha!” Wu Tian laughed inwardly.

“No… don’t hurt the young master!” At that moment, the unconscious Xiao Hui in Wu Tian’s arms suddenly cried out.

Wu Tian snapped out of his joy at gaining the shop function and hurriedly carried Xiao Hui back to his quarters.

Upon returning, Wu Tian found his dwelling just as he’d left it—though shabby, it was clean and tidy. Clearly, someone regularly maintained it. In the entire Qi Tian Sect, no one cared for Wu Tian except the girl in his arms; it must have been Xiao Hui who kept this place in order, which was likely how Wang Xiaoshi had found her.

Back home, Wu Tian gently laid Xiao Hui on the bed and took a Blood Essence Pill from his inventory to feed her.

Xiao Hui had been injured by Wang Xiaoshi, but not severely. After consuming the pill, she regained consciousness within minutes.

As she opened her eyes and saw Wu Tian so close, tears instantly streamed down her face as she threw herself into his arms. “Young master, you’re safe! Seeing you unharmed is such a relief. Young master, I was so worried about you—so very worried!”

Wu Tian was deeply moved, gently patting Xiao Hui’s back. “Xiao Hui, I’m fine. But you—getting hurt is my responsibility. I promise, from now on, I will never let you suffer again.”

“Thank you, young master,” Xiao Hui replied, wiping her tears as they continued to flow.

Seeing Xiao Hui’s slightly swollen cheeks, a cold glint flashed in Wu Tian’s eyes. “Xiao Hui, your cheek must hurt badly, doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t hurt, it’s nothing,” Xiao Hui forced a smile for Wu Tian.

“That bastard Wang Xiaoshi—I’ve already severed his arm. If He Jiang hadn’t intervened, I would have ended his miserable life!” Wu Tian gritted his teeth, unwilling to let it go.

“Master, it’s enough. You’ve done so much for me; I am deeply moved.”

“It’s not enough—not nearly enough! Without you, I would be nothing but a wandering ghost by now.” Wu Tian shook his head, resolute. He meant every word; if not for Xiao Hui’s care over the past year, the old Wu Tian would have died long ago, and there’d have been no body for him to inhabit.

“All right, Xiao Hui, rest now. I’ll fix you something to eat. In two hours, I’ll need to head to the Hall of Punishment.”

Xiao Hui shuddered. She’d been unconscious and didn’t know what had happened, but she knew very well what going to the Hall of Punishment entailed.

“Master—it’s all my fault! I’ve brought disaster upon you. I’ll go at once to beg for mercy at the Hall of Punishment. It’s all my fault!” Xiao Hui felt she had caused Wu Tian’s troubles and was wracked with guilt.

“Xiao Hui, you did nothing wrong. Things aren’t as serious as you think. Even if I go to the Hall of Punishment, nothing will happen to me. Trust me!” Wu Tian comforted her.

“Really, master?” Xiao Hui asked as she sobbed.

“Absolutely. Truer than gold. Your master is no longer who he was months ago; no one can touch me now!” Wu Tian looked at Xiao Hui, his aura radiating a kingly disdain for the world.

Xiao Hui’s gaze dimmed. “I’m so useless—I can’t help you, master, and I’m even a burden.”

“Don’t be silly, Xiao Hui. How could you ever be a burden?” Wu Tian said earnestly. Suddenly, he thought of the shop’s exchange function he’d just unlocked. “Wait a moment, Xiao Hui. I have something for you.”

Her words reminded Wu Tian that, though he was confident he could protect Xiao Hui, if he wasn’t at her side, things could become dangerous. Xiao Hui had no cultivation and needed something to safeguard her life.

“Let me see what I can exchange for three points…” Wu Tian began to search the shop.