The Protagonist

As soon as I jumped out of the window after that incident, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Oh, Yang Lei, you're in for it now! Hahaha!

It was quite a comical situation, really. Yang Lei wanted to find a gift for his father's birthday, but since he was in a training camp, and can't just leave it, Yang Lei came up with the brilliant idea of disguising himself as a woman to avoid being recognized. Who would have thought that someone would still recognize him? Hahaha! But then again, I am the protagonist! Interesting things are bound to happen around me.

After entering a bar and ordering a drink, I activated my Protagonist System.

[Protagonist System]

Name: Ye Chen

Base Attributes:

*Strength: 12

*Agility: 8

*Intelligence: 11

Cultivation Base: Strengthening of Foundation, 5th stage

Skills: Celestial Dragon's Ascendancy level 1, Protagonist Aura, Light Plot Armor

...

In reality, I reincarnated into this world after finding a mysterious pearl and offering it to a goddess. Oh, how beautiful she was! Ah well, I'll become so powerful that I can add her to my harem! I made a wish to become a protagonist in the world of cultivation, and how right I was. It's an amazing feeling to grow stronger, save damsels in distress, and, of course, find myself in such strange situations. "Rest in peace, Yang Lei," hahaha!

Now, let's see what quests I have.

[Quest: "Find Information and Sell" - Discover the location of the tiger's den and determine if there are any tiger cubs. Deliver the information about the existence or absence of tiger cubs.] [Reward: 1000 Spirit Stones, unlocking a quest chain for childhood friend]

Ding! A light sound rang in my head.

[Quest chain available for childhood friend: "Hello Sect, Long Time No See"]

[Three quest options available]

[1. Join the Eternal Flame Sect, "There will be a recruitment event soon, and you will have to pass the trials to join. Simple, right?" Reward: "Information about childhood friend, acquaintance with childhood friend, advancement of Celestial Dragon's Ascendancy technique to level 2" Punishment for failure: "Your PP won't function for a year. You'll become more easily and strongly aroused but won't be able to relieve stress."]

[2. Join the Whispering Gale Sect, "There will be a recruitment event soon, and you will have to pass the trials to join. Simple, right?" Reward: "Information about childhood friend, acquaintance with childhood friend" Punishment for failure: "Your PP won't function for three months. You'll become more easily and strongly aroused but won't be able to relieve stress."]

[3. Travel to another province, "Why bother with this swamp? I'd better go to another province and join a different cool sect." Reward: "Information about childhood friend, Celestial Dragon's Ascendancy to level 3" Failure: "Your PP will never bring joy to anyone again and wither away."]

I couldn't see any reason to decline the quest. After all, I needed to start building my harem, and my childhood friend must be a part of it. What kind of protagonist would I be without my childhood friend in my harem?

The third option offers a good reward, but it only provides information about my childhood friend, not an actual acquaintance. Someone might take her away while I search for her later. It's not an ideal option, and there's also the risk of failure. If I fail, my PP won't function, and what's the point of a harem without it? It's better to play it safe.

So, it comes down to either the first or the second option. Both sects have simple trials for joining. The Eternal Flame Sect is stronger, and ambitious individuals are likely to join, which means there will certainly be beauties who may appear cold but will passionately love me in the end. Plus, they will enhance my technique, accelerating my cultivation. It's settled then.

"System, I choose the first option" I declared.

***

I asked the bartender, "Hey, why is the bar next to yours closed? It was open yesterday, right?"

"Oh, you asked the right question" the bartender replied. "In short, there's a new owner, and I believe they decided to do some renovations before reopening. If you're interested, I can tell you all the details for an extra fee. Trust me, it's worth it, buddy."

"Hmm, okay" I said, taking out a couple of Spirit Stones and handing them to the bartender.

With a graceful motion of his hand, the bartender made the stones disappear. "Haha, he could have been a magician" I thought to myself.

"You know that the gang with the Red-faced used to own that place, right?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah, they used to take orders there, if I remember correctly," I replied.

"Exactly. Well, rumor has it that the Red-faced guy is no more, buddy. They say he got eaten by a Dodo," the bartender said, lowering his voice.

"No way!"

"Yes, it's true. They say his second-in-command took care of him, just like that. He dealt with him and all the witnesses."

"But where did the rumors come from, then?" I asked.

The bartender paused, deep in thought.

"Well, I heard it from my son-in-law, and he heard it from his brother, who claimed he saw people heading towards the Dodo farm at night. And in the morning, they found only bone remains there, and the Red-faced guy was nowhere to be seen. He say the second-in-command and a few others were seen there, along with some woman."

"Then the second-in-command came back alone, completely gray-haired. They say he came back wasted, mumbling something incoherent," the bartender continued.

"It's unclear what exactly happened with the red-faced guy and the others, but overnight, the second-in-command turned gray-haired. Now they call him the Silver-Haired Devil," the bartender concluded.

"Wow, those are some news. You were right; it was worth paying for the story," I replied, amazed by the revelations.