Yao Yang City - Land of CPs and Gossips

[Congratulations on completing your Newbie Missions. You have proven yourself worthy of Dong Yang Sect! Check out your rewards and new functions!]

Lucas was bombarded with a series of notifications about new functions that were now unlocked. The system prompted him to click on new maps, missions, dungeons, and weapons but he already knew them by heart. He was only interested in one item on his newbie rewards:

- Dong Yang Sect Uniform x 1

Anything was better than the plain white robes that got him killed on the very day he arrived in this world. Opening up the [Avatar] screen which he could now access, he saw the selection of clothes, hairstyles, and accessories that were available for him:

- Newbie hair [Free]

- Plain white robes [Free]

- Dong Yang Sect Uniform [Free]

He looked at his avatar on the screen - everything about him was lackluster. Even after wearing the Dong Yang Sect Uniform, he felt like one of those NPCs roaming about the sect. Once, he wore the most expensive robes with golden linings and could purchase any item he wanted with just a click. He browsed through the selection of clothes for sale:

- Cape with Golden Crane embroidery [7999 Golden Leaves]

- Dragon Robes [7999 Golden Leaves]

- Sliver Blue Snow Coat [3999 Golden Leaves]

Scrolling through the pages, everything was way beyond his limits. His entire fortune was only 300 Silver Leaves after completing his newbie missions. He couldn't even afford to upgrade his dumb-looking newbie hairstyle. Anyway, it was more important to use the credits he earned for upgrading weapons and armor. If only he could link a credit card to this account...

A thought struck him. If he was able to find his buddies, would they believe him and try to help him? Hold on, did they even know he was dead? Was there any news about his death? What happened to him in the real world? Did they find his body or...?

Being inside the game, he had no way of finding out what was happening in the human world. There was a chance though - Yao Yang City. It was the city where players from different servers congregated to chat, meet new friends, and exchange news. Most of the so-called 'news' was gossip about other players or the latest happenings. Some players even call it the 'Matchmaking City' as there was always someone trying to look for a new boyfriend or girlfriend every day. Lucas hated that place because every time he went there, girls and even guys who spotted him would try to get on his good side. Everyone wanted to befriend Ash Knight because who doesn't want to get to know the highest ranking player in DOJ? Just like in the real world, everybody wanted to establish a connection with his family.

Having completed his newbie missions, he could now access Yao Yang City. That was his best bet to try and find out what was going on in the real world. He opened the map and was transported to the city in an instant.

[Welcome to Yao Yang City. Let us guide you through what you can expect to find here! You can access the Chat and Forum which connects players from all the servers in Dreams of Jianghu. You can also purchase...]

He let the system blabber on while he wandered around the familiar city. Yao Yang City resembled a prosperous town in ancient times where traders, pugilists, and people of all kinds gathered. The bustling city was populated with players and all sorts of NPCs. Some were selling buns, performing tricks, and poaching customers.

"Hot, steamy buns! Come try!"

"Delicious tang hulu!"

"Do you want to watch a performance, sir?"

Lucas wondered if he could eat one of those buns. It also dawned on him that he didn't feel hungry or tired after traveling around for almost a day. Surely, he didn't need to pay for any food here? He stood in front of the bun seller who greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hot, steamy buns! Come try!" That was the only line he had. Lucas stretched out a hand and reached for one of those buns - it was the first time he could touch a bun in the game! And it was indeed steamy hot. Does this mean he could eat all the food in the game? Curious as a cat, he took a bite, chewed, and swallowed it. It tasted good. The bun seller continued to smile at him, repeating the only dialogue that was created for him, "Hot, steamy buns! Come try!".

Whatever he just did wasn't possible for any other players. Players could perform actions like eat, drink, and sit in the game but they'd just be repeating these actions like an NPC. Lucas was delighted could have a buffet here without paying a single cent. A plain bun tasted great, he couldn't wait to try other foods in the game. But he'd better be discreet or some player could find out this oddity.

He sat down on an empty table in the tavern and began looking at the Chat. In the past, he wouldn't have a quiet moment like this. Now, he was merely a low-level newbie that blended into the surroundings. He used to be invincible but now he was as good as invisible. No one bothered to pay any attention to him.

As expected, the Chat was full of players looking for dates or gossiping.

"CPDD, anyone?"

"Looking for CP, DM me!"

"Virtual date, anybody?"

"Anyone has tips to share about the new dungeon?"

Lucas sighed. There was nothing about his family or his kidnap. Hot news about the elite society usually spread like fire in this chat. People always liked to admire the rich and then complain about how they flaunt their riches. He reckoned that news about his death should be a trending topic here.

He tried the Forum which he rarely went to. Scrolling through the topics, he saw nothing new. Then, something caught his eye.

[Vote: Top 10 Rich Guys You Want You Want to Date]

For some reason, he was compelled to check out this forum topic. He clicked into it and saw a list of nominees:

- Travis Chung [69%}

- Louis Mayer [59%]

- Paul Wayne [49%]

...the list of names went on. Near the very bottom of the poll results, he saw:

- Lucas Yang [0.9%]

Lucas wasn't sure how to feel about this. Not bad, he had made it to the list of nominees but was ranked at the very bottom. There wasn't much information or photos about him online. He wondered who this 0.9% of people who voted for him were.

He sip onto some tea and thought he should take a nap although he still felt energetic. He guessed there was no need for resting in the game unless it was to recharge his HP. As long as his HP was healthy, he wouldn't feel tired at all.

Just when he thought he could enjoy some peaceful moments, an announcement blasted through the system:

[Dream Heroes Clan has announced a war at Knights of Freedom. The battle will begin tomorrow at 11 PM.]

Clan wars. Great, just great. This would be the first time in history that Knights of Freedom ride into the Clan wars without their leader.