Chapter 6: Charm benefits

A male player immediately stood up and protested to the widow shopkeeper.

"This isn't fair! Why does he get to cut in line? We've been waiting for so long, and now you're even offering to help him with a quest? This is too unfair! We protest!"

However, the widow's attitude toward him was completely different from how she treated Lin Jichen.

She looked at the male player with disdain, and instead of trying to smooth things over, she mocked him outright.

"Before you protest, go take a good look at yourself in the mirror. I like handsome little brothers—is that not allowed? I want to take care of him. If you have a problem with that, you can leave. No one is begging you to take quests from me."

The male player was so furious he almost spat blood. In his entire life, he had never been judged as ugly by an NPC. Cursing under his breath, he stomped off angrily.

After witnessing this, the other players who felt disgruntled dared not speak up. They were afraid of upsetting the widow and losing the chance to get quests from her.

Besides, who could handle the public humiliation of being ridiculed by an NPC?

Thinking about what had just happened to that poor guy, everyone suddenly felt a deep sense of secondhand embarrassment.

Once the crowd quieted down, the widow put on a radiant smile again—but this smile was reserved solely for Lin Jichen.

"Little brother, have you thought it over?"

Lin Jichen hadn't expected that maxing out his charm stat would grant him such special treatment.

He felt that if he wanted to, he could build up his relationship with this charming widow.

In just a few days, he might even… engage in dual cultivation with her… *ahem.*

Of course, that was just a joke. Lin Jichen wasn't that kind of guy!

Faced with the widow's enthusiasm, he politely declined, "Maybe next time. I have other things to do right now. I'll come find you for a quest later."

The widow looked disappointed but had no choice but to sway her seductive hips back to the tailor shop, visibly sulking.

She looked as if Lin Jichen had toyed with her emotions and then abandoned her.

Not wanting to remain the center of attention, Lin Jichen quickly maneuvered through the crowd and hurried away.

Thankfully, only female NPCs who cared a lot about looks acted so eagerly toward him.

Other NPCs weren't as over-the-top as the charming widow.

However, due to his Transcendent Immortal Appearance trait, every NPC's first impression of him was overwhelmingly positive.

As he passed by, they all greeted him enthusiastically.

Lin Jichen started to feel like he wouldn't have to put in much effort in this game.

Maybe he could find a high-ranking female cultivator obsessed with looks, cling to her, and live a luxurious life without lifting a finger.

…That was actually a valid playstyle in "Eight Desolations"…

As he approached the edge of the village, Lin Jichen finally spotted a weapons shop.

In front of the shop stood a burly man, his muscular upper body bare and drenched in sweat.

He was positioned in front of a furnace, hammering away at an unfinished weapon, the sound of metal ringing through the air.

At first glance, his hammer swings had the wild, uncontrolled style of Disorderly Wind Hammer Technique.

Inside the shop, several players were trying to talk to him, hoping to get a quest.

But the blacksmith ignored them completely, focused solely on forging.

"Damn, is this guy deaf?"

"Looks like it. Let's go."

"No point wasting time on a deaf NPC."

"Hey, I heard the widow at the tailor shop is handing out quests. Let's head over there!"

Realizing they wouldn't get a response, the players all gave up and left the weapons shop.

Lin Jichen approached, glanced at the burly man, then looked at the furnace.

He said nothing. He didn't even attempt to talk to the blacksmith.

Instead, he sat beside the furnace, grabbed the bellows handle, and started pulling.

At once, the flames roared higher, and the temperature shot up.

The blacksmith, who had been staring intently at his unfinished weapon, suddenly brightened. He muttered, "Ah, of course! The temperature wasn't high enough."

He then continued hammering the weapon in the fire.

Lin Jichen, as if he hadn't heard anything, kept working the bellows.

About five minutes later, the blacksmith let out a relieved sigh. "Finally, it's done!"

Only then did Lin Jichen stop.

The blacksmith turned to look at him and burst into hearty laughter.

"Thanks for helping with the bellows. My apprentice isn't here today, so there was no one to manage the furnace. No wonder the fire wasn't strong enough."

With that, the blacksmith added, "Since you helped me, I should repay you."

He pointed at the weapon rack behind him.

"Pick any weapon from here. You can borrow it for a day, but you must return it afterward."

If any other player heard this, they would have cursed him out.

Damn it! After all that effort, you're just lending me a weapon?

But Lin Jichen remained calm and nodded. "Thank you. I'll take a sword."

The blacksmith nodded, took an iron sword from the rack, and handed it over.

Lin Jichen accepted the weapon and checked its stats.

[Common Iron Sword]: A basic iron sword. Strength +3.

"Young man, I'm lending you this sword for a day. But if you can bring me 10 pairs of Bamboo Viper fangs within that time, I'll reward you with a special opportunity."

"No problem. I accept."

Lin Jichen grinned.

He had officially stepped onto the path of the sword cultivator.

After taking the quest, he left the shop immediately.

Some players lingering outside, still trying to figure out how to get a weapon, were stunned when they saw him exit with a sword in hand.

"What the hell? How did he get a weapon?"

"We're still using our fists, wooden sticks, and even rocks, but he already has a sword?"

"Hey, bro, how did you get that? Tell us!"

"Yeah, don't even think about leaving unless you spill the secret!"

"That's right! If you don't tell us, we'll block you from leaving!"

Unfazed by their questioning, Lin Jichen casually pointed at the shop.

"Go find that big guy and sing him a song. If you can move him with your voice, he'll give you a weapon."

"Really? That simple?" Someone asked, skeptical.

Lin Jichen nodded and explained, "That blacksmith just broke up with his girlfriend and is really heartbroken. You have to sing a sad breakup song with deep emotion."

The group believed him and immediately rushed into the shop, surrounding the blacksmith and belting out their 'moving' melodies.

"Aah~ Give me a cup of love-forgetting water~ So I won't cry tonight~"

"It's a pity it wasn't you~ Who stayed with me till the end~"

"Wanting to stay but unable to is the loneliest feeling~ Aaahh~ Unspoken tenderness turns into a farewell song~~ (voice cracks)"

"Breakup happiness, I wish you happiness~"

A group of players stormed the blacksmith's shop and wailed tragic songs at him.

Their voices… sounded like roosters being strangled and sows going into labor.

The players outside were dumbfounded.

What the hell is happening?

Is that a weapons shop or a karaoke bar?

The most confused person, however, was the blacksmith himself. His ears were practically bleeding.

"You all… GET OUT!"

Without exception, every player was thrown out of the shop.

The spectators outside laughed so hard they could barely breathe.

"It didn't work? Maybe you didn't sing with enough emotion. Try again?"

"Try my ass! That bastard tricked us!"

"Where is he? I need to settle this!"

"He's long gone."

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