Chapter 1 Prestige Points
The winter sun gently enveloped the entire Luming Town!
In a corner of the main street, bustling with various shops, two figures sat upon stone stools, weathered by countless adversities — an elderly man and a youth.
The youth, merely thirteen or fourteen years of age, had a delicate face with a pair of clear, unforgettable eyes. Clothed in a blue brocaded robe, he was clearly not the offspring of a poor family.
The elder facing the youth, however, was dressed rather shabbily, his robe —, its original color indiscernible —, laden with patches.
Despite the elder's somewhat immortal bearing, a closer look revealed that his was a visage of malnutrition, rather than spiritual transcendence.
Divine Guidance!
A white cloth, barely discernible as such, hung from a bamboo pole, likely purloined from some farmer's lot, with the words scrawled unevenly upon it.
"Master, there is something I do not understand and I have come to seek your wisdom," the youth bowed to the elder and said earnestly.
The elder's eyes lit up, and he smacked his lips, steadying his trembling legs —, a result of the slight cold —, with great effort.
"Second Young Master, if there is anything you wish to ask, just ask away. If this old man knows it, he will hold nothing back from you."
"May I ask, Master, what is Prestige?" As the youth spoke, he stared intently at the elder, as if he wished to extract the answer from the man himself.
"Prestige is primarily associated with important figures, such as your father, Lord Zheng Gongxuan, who is the most prestigious person in our town!" The elder spoke calmly, exuding an aura of a lofty hermit, before flattering the youth in the next breath.
Of course, he hoped that the youth would give him a little more divination gold later, so that he could have some hot soup to drink.
"Then, Master, do you know how one can obtain Prestige?" The urgency in the youth's voice grew.
The master pondered for a moment before replying, "Second Young Master, although Prestige is a single term, in my opinion, it can be divided into two meanings."
"One is reputation, the other is authority. Only by combining reputation and authority can one truly possess Prestige!"
"Many people are well-known, but they do not necessarily command authority; therefore, they can't be considered prestigious. Take your father, Old Master Zheng, the Town Leader, as an example. He has both reputation and authority, which is why he is regarded as one of the most prestigious individuals in our town!"
The youth's eyes brightened even more; he leaned closer to the master and asked, "Master, how does one acquire authority?"
"Authority comes from being respected and esteemed, just like your father, Old Master..." The elder began bowing again, preparing to sing praises of the youth's father when he noticed the youth's face had darkened.
Although this Second Young Master was the most benevolent person in the town, the master dared not upset him, especially since he hadn't eaten well for two days.
"To gain authority, apart from being respected, there is another way —, make people fear you!" His grumbling stomach caused the master's head to spin slightly, leading him to stray from the prepared topic.
Yet, no matter, as one who made his living by his wits, the master quickly improvised, "Prestige, you see, is about being well-known and feared by others!"
"Reverence will bring you prestige as will fear, and dominance. Moreover, prestige can be contested. When you defeat someone prestigious, their Prestige Points will essentially become yours!"
The youth was momentarily stunned, while the master discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead, silently admiring his own cleverness.
"With a word from the master, I have understood!" The youth stood up from the stone stool, his eyes filled with admiration.
Although the master appeared indifferent on the surface, inwardly, he was overjoyed. To have bamboozled the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family was quite an achievement, and it might even lead to a position in the Town Chief's household.
"Master, there is another matter for which I need your assistance," the youth said earnestly.
"The Second Young Master is being too kind. Whatever you need help with, just say the word and this old man will oblige," the master replied with a wave of his hand, full of vigor.
The youth, with some reluctance, glanced at the master but ultimately steeled himself and said gravely, "Since you are so generous, Master, then I shall not hold back."
As he spoke, the youth swung his fist, delivering a Skyrocket, that struck the master's frail body forcefully.
Already weakened by two days without proper food, the master was sent crashing to the ground. His agonizing scream immediately drew the attention of the people around.
Although the youth appeared uneasy, his fists did not falter, targeting meatier parts of the master's body. In a short time, the master's screams grew even more heart-wrenching.
"Master, are you afraid of me now?" After throwing three more punches, the youth asked solemnly!
The master was in turmoil, experiencing both physical pain and mental confusion. He couldn't comprehend why the Second Young Master, who had been conversing so pleasantly moments before, had suddenly turned to pummel him so mercilessly.
He hadn't done anything to offend the young master!
"Afraid! The old man is indeed afraid of the Second Young Master!" the master, abiding by the principle that it is better to bow than to break, cried out repeatedly.
The youth pondered for a moment, then his fair face flushed with anger, "You are lying through your teeth —, why doesn't my Prestige Points increase when you fear me?"
With those words, the youth's fist came crashing down on the master again.
Although the strikes still targeted fleshier areas, the master distinctly felt the pain double.
The master was baffled; he understood the first two words but the meaning of "Prestige Points" eluded him!
What troubled the master even more was how the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family could think his "Prestige Points" would increase by beating him up?
Confusion notwithstanding, the master's fear of the Second Young Master —, who had always been seen as a civilized and sunny figure by everyone in town —, grew threefold.
It was only three seconds after fear appeared that the youth waving his fists came to a halt, his eyes brimming with surprise.
"Let me buy you something to eat!" the youth threw a hand of copper coins and then strode away, yet his eyes were filled with ecstatic joy.
"Humph, Wu Banxian, that old guy, must have said something he shouldn't have. Otherwise, why would the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family beat him up?" a bystander who enjoyed the commotion said.
No sooner had the man finished speaking than others who were watching joined in, "The Second Young Master of the Zheng Family, he's the best person in our whole town. Last year when I had a stomachache and couldn't walk, he carried me to the clinic and even paid for my medicine!"
"Exactly, the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family, he's the best person!"
"Wu Banxian, you scoundrel, what exactly did you say to the Second Young Master, to make our town's model young man unable to help but hit you!"
Before long, the gossiping men and women had all joined in the condemnation of Wu Banxian. Though his divination wasn't very accurate, Wu Banxian was still a figure in Luming Town. At this moment, however, he'd become a rat crossing the street.
Haggard and exhausted, Wu Banxian, who finally escaped the siege, collapsed in a decrepit alley, tears streaming down his face, silently questioning the heavens.
Why?
Why did the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family, famed as a model young man, beat him up? Why, despite being the one who got beaten up, did those gossipy men and women turn against him? Why?
And what are Prestige Points?
...
"Hahaha, prestige, damn, I finally understand the true intent of prestige! It turns out that I've been stuck in a rut all these years!" shouted Zheng Ming with a hearty laugh by the riverside, just outside Luming Town.
Fortunately, there were no women washing clothes by the river at the time, otherwise, people would certainly think that the Second Young Master of the Zheng Family had gone mad.
Zheng Ming wasn't crazy; he was perfectly lucid!
He was behaving this way because he had finally figured out the answer to a question that had plagued him ever since he came to this world.
Prestige Points!
Since coming to this world, not only had Zheng Ming arrived with the memories of his previous life, but he had also brought along a set of cards – a set of Hero Cards that existed in his mind!
In his previous life, Zheng Ming was an orphan without a father or mother. Besides struggling to survive, his only hobby was playing card games like "Three Kingdoms Kill" or "Heroes Kill".
But even the best games become tedious after a while. In search of similar games, Zheng Ming stumbled upon a small website.
A card and board game that surpassed "Three Kingdoms Kill" and "Heroes Kill," encompassing heroes and warriors from ancient times to the present from both domestic and international sources, promising the ultimate gaming thrill, so exhilarating that you'd feel like you'd explode with excitement...
Zheng Ming still remembered the introduction, almost a thousand words long. But just as he entered the game interface, and the dialog box of the game had just popped up with a welcome message: "Welcome to the game, the system will award you 100 Prestige Points to help you activate the game", the earth trembled. Then, Zheng Ming felt himself plunging into darkness.
When Zheng Ming woke up, he became the Zheng Ming of this world, and what accompanied him, aside from his memories, was that yet-to-be-activated game.
After studying the set of cards that claimed to include all heroes from modern, ancient, and prehistoric times, both domestic and international, Zheng Ming discovered that in this world, he could exchange for the abilities of all the hero characters on the cards.
And what he needed for the exchange were Prestige Points!
Ever since coming to this world where the strong were revered, Zheng Ming had been thinking about how to earn Prestige Points. However, for the first six years in this world, he barely did anything.
That was because, for the first six years, his focus was on growing up.
After he turned six and was determined to have an ordinary Body Refinement constitution, one that would make it hard for him to attain a high Rank, Zheng Ming began his journey to earn Prestige Points.
Initially, he thought that prestige should be tied to a good reputation. Thus, he helped with babysitting, assisted the elderly across the street, and even led a group of kids helping widows with fetching water and delivering firewood...
Zheng Ming did a bushel of good deeds and earned the title of the town's best young man. However, the Prestige Board that had entered his mind along with the cards showed no change whatsoever.
Zheng Ming, who believed in the adage 'perseverance leads to success,' persisted in doing good deeds for seven or eight years, yet his Prestige Points remained at zero.
When he discovered that Ahua, the maid who took care of him, had a Prestige Score of five, he completely lost it!
That's when he sought out the master to vent the frustrations in his heart.
The reason he sought out the master, aside from him being the only fortune-teller in town, was because through the Prestige Board in his mind, Zheng Ming saw that the master's prestige was ranked fifth in the town!
The first place, naturally, belonged to his father, Zheng Gongxuan!
Finally achieving breakthrough from zero was a historical progress for Zheng Ming.
However, in order to activate the set of cards in his heart and exchange Prestige Points for the abilities of the characters on the cards, he still needed ninety-nine more Prestige Points.
Didn't the master say Prestige Points could be plundered? He had already given the master a good beating, so why did he only receive one Prestige Point from the master's more than three thousand?
After mulling it over for a while, Zheng Ming couldn't figure it out, but this wasn't a problem for him.
If being a villain and making others afraid could earn him Prestige Points, then so be it, he'd have to start acting the part of a villain in town!
And to be a villain, the first thing to do was to commit bad deeds!
Thinking about committing bad deeds, Zheng Ming's heart, for some reason, started racing with a bit of excitement!