Chapter Ten: The Point Farming Scheme

Seated on the chair, Sun Meng began to piece together fragments of information from his memory.

Although he relied on scattered recollections to confirm the world he was in, he could not remember many of the details. Earlier, he had sent people to search for the corpses of the envoys and princess from the Izumo Kingdom, as he distinctly recalled that both of them had been replaced by agents from Fusang on their journey. The princess was actually a man in disguise—a detail that had struck him as novel and memorable when he first encountered it.

Beyond that, his understanding was rather vague. The general outline was a struggle for power between Dragon-Guard Manor and the Eastern Depot, with Zhu Wushi ultimately defeating Cao Zhengchun. Yet, driven by his ambition, Zhu Wushi attempted to seize the throne and failed. The events spanned over a year.

Moreover, Sun Meng knew that if he wished to avoid triggering the main quest in this world, he would need to gather enough points and necessary items to leave within half a month.

Just now, when he instructed his subordinates to search for the Izumo Kingdom envoys, he triggered the false envoy quest: "Quest: The Truth of the Izumo Kingdom Envoys—Find the slain envoys and princess from Izumo, and expose the Fusang conspiracy. Time limit: three months. Reward: one thousand points."

It seemed that one did not need to actively seek out plot points to trigger quests. With this in mind, there were certain things he could do.

He stood up at the thought, but immediately sat back down. He was unsure what kind of quest his actions might trigger. If he contacted Zhu Wushi and activated a quest to eliminate Cao Zhengchun and assist Zhu in usurping the throne, he would be forced to abandon the main quest if he did not wish to complete it in this world.

Troubled, Sun Meng furrowed his brow and began pacing around the room.

At that moment, a line of red text appeared on the screen: "Contestant, did the information you just wrote trigger a quest? Are you still confident you can complete enough tasks within half a month to accumulate points and exchange for martial arts manuals?"

Although the words bore no reproach, Sun Meng couldn't help but feel stifled. He slapped the table, and four people appeared before him at once.

"Three tasks: First, in ten days, copy every martial arts manual in Dragon-Guard Manor and bring them to me. Second, I will write a letter shortly—find a way to deliver it to His Majesty. Third, seek out Guihai Yidao and tell him I know how his father died! Now, go!"

As he gave these orders, he triggered another quest: "Son of the Ming—Assist the Zhengde Emperor in seizing control of the court, eliminate Cao Zhengchun, and persuade Zhu Wushi to give up his rebellion. Time limit: one year. Reward: five thousand points."

"Hiss—!" Sun Meng drew a sharp breath. Indeed, danger and opportunity went hand in hand. If he could actually complete this quest in half a month, the rewards would be immense!

While he was pondering how to solve this problem, another line of red text appeared on the screen: "Contestant, are you having trouble? Tell us, and we'll help you."

Sun Meng looked at the screen. "A five-thousand-point quest. The situation is roughly as follows…" He briefly explained the current state of the imperial court in this world, summarized the power and influence of Zhu Wushi and Cao Zhengchun, and outlined the requirements of the quest.

Of course, he did not mention the fierce opposition to the marriage of Zhu Wushi and Suxin, as Wan Sanqian was unaware of that, though he knew Zhu Wushi had once captured Gu Santong. Gu Santong was likely the only one capable of defeating Zhu Wushi in direct combat, while Cao Zhengchun was at best an even match.

All of this, of course, referred to the present situation, not what happened later as events unfolded. Sun Meng gazed at the screen. "Do you have any good ideas?" If this quest could truly be completed, the benefits would extend far beyond himself—it was for the sake of Earth's civilization as well!

The national representative had yet to respond, but a flurry of bullet messages from other viewers quickly appeared. Most marveled at Sun Meng's luck, fantasized about the various martial arts techniques, and clamored for him to take them along to witness these wonders.

However, at such a critical moment, Sun Meng set these distractions aside and focused on waiting for the national representative's reply. At the same time, his mind drifted back over the world's events.

At first, aside from the matter of the Izumo Kingdom envoys, most conflicts revolved around the open and covert struggle between Dragon-Guard Manor and the Eastern Depot. Later events were centered on Zhu Wushi's rebellion, which could be divided into three stages: the elimination of Cao Zhengchun, preparations for the coup, and failure followed by his death.

Zhu Wushi's determination to rebel came not just from his merits in eliminating Cao Zhengchun, but also from his love for a commoner woman. Even as an imperial prince of humble birth, he was still a member of the royal family and bound to uphold its dignity. Having already seized all of Wan Sanqian's assets and with his ambition swelling, he no longer wished to remain a mere idle prince.

To make him give up the throne, either Suxin must successfully be with him and persuade him not to rebel while the current emperor promises not to suppress him—or Zhu Wushi must simply be eliminated.

Wan Sanqian himself had no martial prowess, so he had no choice but to rely on others.

Sun Meng's own strength in this world was also far from sufficient; he hadn't even reached the innate stage and couldn't defeat any of his four bodyguards.

Meanwhile, on Earth, in a conference room, a dozen people sat together reviewing the contestant's data on the screen.

"This is all the information we've received from the contestant so far. We've already researched the corresponding period in our country's history, and these characters roughly match these figures," a bespectacled middle-aged man said, as two relationship charts appeared on the screen. "But in our history, this emperor was a master strategist who secretly controlled the entire court. Here, not only are there supernatural powers at play, but the circumstances are different—we can't simply copy history."

"You, Xiao Yu, have passed rigorous tests and are a world-class expert in psychological analysis and strategic planning. Surely you already have a basic plan?" an elderly man in a white coat, also wearing glasses, said with a smile.

"I don't think we need to rush to reply," a man in military uniform said solemnly. "His performance in the mission world and in that 'Wasteland Treasure Hunt' was completely different from our expectations. I think we should reconsider our approach to working with him and how to maintain control."

Xiao Yu nodded. "Indeed, ever since he fainted that time and woke up, he seems less trusting of us. It's not that our directives caused him harm, but rather a kind of disdain for communication. I suspect he now understands certain things about the last mission world better than we do, and has found means to ensure he completes his tasks. Clearly, this is not normal."

He switched the screen to a series of screenshots. "These are images I recorded from the 'Wasteland Treasure Hunt.' From start to finish, the entire battle was under his control. Based on our information, eighty percent of participants who survived four months in the mission world had entered this scenario. Yet, judging from the performance of his four teammates, they did not seem to have drawn many tactical conclusions. The contestant, however, acted as though he possessed extensive combat experience: seizing the initiative, setting traps, and so on. Considering his performance on Earth, this is highly irregular—our planet doesn't even have games of this type!"

"So, something is wrong with him?" the military man asked.

Xiao Yu nodded. "Most likely, there's been a change in his memory. I suspect he may have acquired knowledge related to these system worlds and the Wasteland Treasure Hunt mode. Whether it's some form of foresight or something else, I can't be sure. After all, according to our deductions, the system's power may reach the level of the Heavenly Dao, so it's unlikely an outsider has taken over his body. The strongest evidence is the series of choices he's made since—he clearly favors our country, meaning we can trust he won't harm Earth's civilization and is a viable partner." He pushed up his glasses.

"In that case, what's the point of protecting his family? Are we to be at his mercy from now on?" the military man banged the table.

"Ahem, Lao Wu! You're too rigid. Ever since this game began, the times have changed. As long as his heart remains unchanged, we needn't be too concerned. You must remember, no matter what, he's a member of Earth's civilization. Our fortunes are tied together!"

Lao Wu snorted, took a sip of water, and fell silent.

Xiao Yu asked, "So, should I respond to the contestant now?"