055 Bandits

Lush green grass spread everywhere, accompanied by the sweet singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers. By this time, the carriage had left the winding mountain paths and was now traveling along a broad avenue stretching across the open wilderness. Looking out as far as the eye could see, the passengers inside the carriage could catch glimpses of cattle and sheep roaming freely across the plains, along with occasional herds of other animals.

Such a beautiful and non-threatening wilderness was precisely the peaceful scene most players longed to see.

Perhaps influenced by the relaxed surroundings, or perhaps still immersed in the joy of the previous night’s adventures, Mengzhu hummed an unfamiliar tune near the window, happily taking in the scenery along the way.

Ever since that elderly man calling himself Gustan appeared before them, he had shown immense goodwill toward the members of the caravan. Even the stingiest merchants in the group had displayed great warmth toward the old man who wanted a free ride to the nearest town. This was not only because he had just saved members of the caravan and protected their property, but also because of the profession the old man claimed to have.

Kidd, the captain of the guards, was one of the most enthusiastic participants, going so far as to prepare the best seat and the safest service in the entire caravan for the seemingly blind old man. Yet, Kidd had never even heard the name Gustan, making the old man practically a complete stranger to him.

However, he had heard of the profession known as a Fate Weaver.

After persistent questioning, Duan Qing finally learned from Kidd that Fate Weavers were an extremely rare group of people across the Free Continent. Comprising men and women, young and old alike, whenever someone encountered them in the mountains, the wilderness, or bustling markets, they always appeared as travelers, whispering strange words filled with inexplicable philosophy before turning away and vanishing from sight. In short, the impression this group left upon the world, aside from mystery, was the formidable power they occasionally displayed.

According to rumors among those in the know, the most prominent ability of a Fate Weaver was the power to alter destiny. It was said that their abilities could even change a person's foundational constitution, turning the frail strong, or imbuing the robust with the traits of spellcasting.

So the stat-reset cheat circulating online actually refers to finding you people... Duan Qing's mouth dropped open upon hearing this, though ultimately he said nothing.

Any role-playing game with attributes invariably featured an indispensable system: the stat-reset. It provided players who had misallocated attribute points, or who simply wished to change their build, a chance at redemption. Yet in Free World, this system had been discovered very late, and as mentioned earlier, encountering NPCs capable of granting a reset was entirely a matter of luck. Not to mention that the natives of the Free Continent were so strong; whether they would even be willing to help was another question entirely. The very name Fate Weaver sounded immensely powerful, and asking them to alter a player's "destiny" would likely require paying a heavy price.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many people like Steel Resolve who chose to delete their characters and start over.

Unfortunately, Duan Qing’s group consisted of players who had just stepped out of the novice village and had no need for such services at all. If these wandering reclusive masters could pass on a move or two to players, much like in typical novels and games, that would be wonderful. But let alone these people, even the inhabitants of the Warrior's Home and the Mage Association hadn't taught players a single trick. Otherwise, this game wouldn't have maintained the record for having the fewest skills in virtual gaming history.

Of course, while he couldn't experience a "stat-reset" service firsthand, from Duan Qing's perspective, the rest of the rumors seemed fairly credible.

Following the introductions of that night, the blind old man had been invited into the caravan by Kidd and treated with the highest level of hospitality they could muster. Yet the old man showed no excessive gratitude for such treatment, appearing entirely accustomed to the way the world treated him. Beneath this unspoken difference in status, when he swept his cloth-wrapped eyes across his surroundings, anyone "seen" by him felt a sudden tremor of awe and trepidation.

Duan Qing and Mengzhu felt no such sensation, because when that pair of sightless eyes looked at them, the feeling was no different from ordinary moments. The young girl was even puzzled as to why this strange old man, who kept glancing their way amidst the flattery of the others, was constantly staring at the group of players.

The old folks in this game really are all strange... Mengzhu judged inwardly.

However, her attitude toward this eccentric old man changed dramatically soon after, because the old man seemed to possess divine insight, instantly perceiving their current dilemma.

"Fate tells me you wish to form an adventure team, is that correct?"

This occurred after everyone had set up camp to rest, following dinner. As Duan Qing and the other players sat together passing the time out of boredom, the old man leaning on his wooden staff had walked over silently.

Then, he posed this astonishing question.

The players stopped talking, staring in startled suspicion at the mind-reading old man. The night mountain breeze ruffled his white hair as he leaned both hands on his wooden staff, his cloth-wrapped eyes completely unbothered by the others' gazes as they "watched" them unblinkingly.

To be precise, he was looking at Duan Qing.

Amidst the oppressive atmosphere, everyone locked their eyes onto Duan Qing and the man named Gustan. After a long silence, as if finally snapping out of his daze, Duan Qing replied rather slowly, "Y-yes. May I ask..."

"If it's possible..." The unruffled old man stated his intention directly, "I can provide you with assistance."

He leaned slightly on his staff and bowed, drawing gasps of shock from the merchants eavesdropping behind them. The players felt no particular sense of being flattered; Duan Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and remained silent, seemingly trying to figure out the true motives of this suddenly appearing old man.

***

"I hold a certain reputation within the borders of the Grand Duchy." Seeing no response from the other party, the old man's tone remained unchanged, his voice old and steady. "If you go to Windflower Town and encounter Rama... mention my name, and it should prove useful."

Duan Qing pinched his chin and lowered his head, appearing to fall into hesitation. The uncle named Butcher with a Smile sat to the side, still saying not a word, while Baili Duyou wore an expression of disdain.

"Thank you for your kind intentions, but..." After a moment of consideration, Duan Qing still intended to refuse this pie falling from the sky. In his view, the identity of the old man before him was far too mysterious. Doing him this favor might conceal some hidden conspiracy behind it. Moreover, based on his understanding of Fate Weavers, people who danced with destiny rarely met a good end. If he were to get tangled up with them...

Yet the most fundamental reason was Duan Qing's confidence in his own abilities. In his eyes, Baili Duyou's previous words had been a bit exaggerated; he felt that those trials and tests were not insurmountable obstacles, so applying for an adventure team properly should not be too difficult.

However, before he could finish speaking, Mengzhu yanked him by the arm. The young girl pulled with such force that she nearly sent him stumbling.

"Hey! Such a great opportunity, don't just let it slip away..." Mengzhu whispered into Duan Qing's ear. Her voice was not loud, but her eyes were filled with anxiety. "Although I don't know why, but for an opportunity like this to be delivered right to us..."

"Pies never fall from the sky..."

"Oh, save money wherever we can..."

You can even save money on this... Duan Qing finally began to understand the young girl's train of thought, leaving him with no choice but to offer a wry smile.

"Right? If establishing an adventure team goes smoothly, think about how much money we can save... Uh, no, how much trouble we can avoid."

"......."

"The sooner we establish an adventure team, the sooner we can figure out ways to make money..."

"......." Duan Qing's expression had turned exceedingly peculiar.

"Number of members isn't a problem at all! I've already figured it out, we just need to find some idle people to round out the numbers, and the remaining issue is..."

"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it." Seeing that Mengzhu was about to enter full housewife mode, Duan Qing quickly cut off her wild imagination and agreed.

The two of them walked back to Gustan. Ignoring the faint smile lingering at the corners of the old man's mouth, Duan Qing said with composed calm, "Ahem, we've discussed it... It is our honor to receive your assistance."

The old man finally curved his lips into a full smile—which, to the players before him, looked as unsightly as a smile could possibly be.

He reached into his robe, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out an object. As the group stared closely, it appeared to be a wristband woven from red and black cords, the two colored threads winding around each other in a spiral. While the material looked ordinary enough, it simultaneously exuded a hint of eeriness.

"Choices determine destiny, and fate weaves the future." The old man uttered these words, then handed the wristband to Mengzhu. "I presume you will need some token of credibility."

The young girl nodded with a half-comprehending expression and accepted the wristband.

The old man smiled with satisfaction once more, then slowly turned around and paced away amidst the complex gazes of the others. Duan Qing covered his head and retreated to the side to nurse a headache, while Mengzhu cradled the wristband, stared at it in a daze for a long while, and then nodded happily before sliding it directly onto her wrist.

Consequently, throughout the journey the following day, the young girl kept waving her right hand adorned with the wristband, chattering away inside the carriage. This not only drew the coachman's attention, but also provoked the displeasure of the other two accompanying players.

Especially Baili Duyou; ever since the incident last night, the look he cast toward Duan Qing and Mengzhu had grown significantly less friendly.

It's not like I stole your thunder... Duan Qing ignored the strange, alien-like stares from across the seat, occasionally exchanging a word or two with the excited young girl to fuel her yearning for a bright future.

Whenever the young girl occasionally drifted into a trance, Duan Qing would look out of the carriage in boredom. By midday, the increasingly scorching sunlight beat down upon their heads, leaving the roads across the plains entirely unobstructed. Thus, passengers could admire the boundless scenery while also keeping a clear view of the road ahead and behind.

***

Duan Qing poked his head out and looked toward the front of the caravan. The carriages were moving very slowly, so even on the narrow road, there was little danger of an accident akin to a collision. Duan Qing shifted his gaze to a specific carriage near the front—one whose quality was noticeably superior to the rest, carrying the old man.

After a night's sleep, Duan Qing still couldn't figure out what possible reason could prompt a universally revered elder to rashly offer help to two ordinary, chance-met adventurers. No, prior to that, how had he known about Duan Qing and Mengzhu's future plans? Could it be that mind-reading or supernatural powers truly existed in this world? Although such characters seemed perfectly normal in a world of swords and magic, this was Free World...

This sensation of slipping out of control was something Duan Qing truly disliked.

A cold snort sounded from across the carriage. Without looking, Duan Qing knew it was most likely Baili Duyou again. The long-haired man was probably glaring at them with disdain, perhaps feeling resentful at seeing him acting so leisurely and confident while doing nothing. Yet how could he know that unearned favors of unknown origin... Hmm?

At the front of the caravan, the lead carriage seemed to have stopped.

"Trouble!"

A shout echoed from ahead.

The speed of the carriages gradually slowed down and then came to a halt. Duan Qing pulled his gaze away from the front and began scanning further into the distance. Along the narrow road, some strange dark shadows were vaguely appearing across the path.

"What is that? Tree roots? Carriage wheels? Or..." Because the distance was too great, Duan Qing could not make it out clearly.

"Anything's possible, obstacles anyway." The coachman sitting at the front answered Duan Qing's muttered question.

"Obstacles?"

"Yeah." The coachman jumped down from the carriage and fished a long saber out from beneath the driver's seat.

"What's wrong? What's happening?" The other players finally sensed that something was amiss.

"Don't worry, we see this kind of thing all the time." The coachman didn't look back, but his forward stride kept him hugging the edge of the carriage. "Should be mountain bandits."

"What..." Duan Qing could hardly believe his ears. "There are mountain bandits in a place like this?"

"Of course there are." The coachman, about to step out of their line of sight, glanced back. "We deal with them all the time, so... rest easy."

He flicked the blade in his hand and walked toward the front of the caravan.

"We... we've been attacked?"

Only then did the several players emerge from the carriage. The young girl rubbed her hands, stammering a question to Duan Qing beside her, and received an affirmative nod in response.

"Yeah," Duan Qing said with a bitter smile.

"It looks like... we've been waylaid."