Chapter 52 Wu Jueji Makes His Move

Jun Xiangbei didn't have time to delve into these emotions; economic pressure hung like a sword over his head.

His gaze quickly swept across the remaining task list, finally settling on a high-paying but vaguely described task:

[Repair the Barrier]: The protective barrier on the east side of the town has fallen into disrepair and is damaged. A person skilled in energy manipulation is needed to assist in its repair. Reward: 1000 yuan. (Note: There are occasional energy turbulence near the barrier; caution is advised.)

1,000 yuan is almost the highest reward for a single task currently available.

Although the notes warned of the risks, it was worth a try for the powerful Jun Xiangbei.

He possesses various superpowers, including the ability to repair barriers, making this mission a perfect fit for him.

"Wuyan, I'm going to the eastern barrier. You find a suitable mission on your own and be careful." Jun Xiangbei instructed the monk beside him, then accepted the mission and headed towards the eastern side of the town according to the prompts.

The silent monk clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and responded humbly. His gaze swept over the remaining tasks on the list, and he finally chose a task to help a farmer drive away a giant mole from his field, with a reward of 400 yuan.

Meanwhile, other players were also scrambling to raise funds for the first day.

Elena's team, with its large number of members, took on most of the easier tasks in the preparations for the mayor's banquet. Although the pay per event wasn't top-notch, it was stable and the total pay was considerable.

Han Chunhua used her "flowering" ability to decorate the banquet venue beautifully, earning extra praise and a bonus from the butler.

Ji Changyu used his ability to "modify probability" to slightly increase the probability of receiving a task to "help the tavern owner inventory the cellar" (reward: 600 yuan).

Players who opted for low-paying, seemingly simple tasks quickly discovered the problem.

Finding an old lady's cat might take a long time because the cat has hidden in a dangerous abandoned house; helping a farmer harvest crops might involve encountering poisonous insects hidden in the crops.

Cleaning sewers is a nightmare, with its nauseating smells and potential sewer creatures... Low pay doesn't mean low risk or low cost; in fact, it can be counterproductive due to inefficiency.

In this fairytale town, there is no simple positive correlation between task rewards and the level of danger.

Gu Yunqing had already manipulated Wu Jueji to move closer to her, and then led Wang Hu to the only general store in the town.

The shop was small, with shelves displaying everyday items and seemingly ordinary tools.

The boss was a thin, bespectacled old man who looked somewhat shrewd.

"Boss, we've accepted the mission of 'acquiring Moonlight Cedar'," Gu Yunqing stated directly.

The grocery store owner pushed up his glasses, glanced at him and Wang Hu a few times, and nodded: "The moonlight cypress is in the dark woods to the west. That place... isn't safe. Are you sure you want to go? 200 yuan per tree, I'll take as many as you can get."

"I'm sure." Gu Yunqing said confidently. "Also, boss, do you have any information about the Dark Woods, or... about the 'uninvited guests' at night?"

He tried to uncover more intelligence.

A strange glint flashed in the boss's cloudy eyes. He lowered his voice and said, "The wild animals in the woods are fiercer than those outside. As for the things at night... hehe, I've heard they hate light and certain smells."

"I have some excellent torches and incense for warding off evil spirits. Would you like some? I'll give you a discount since you're patronizing my business."

Gu Yunqing understood; there was indeed hidden information, but she couldn't necessarily trust what the NPC said.

However, he still spent 100 yuan to buy several specially made torches and a bundle of incense that was said to be effective in warding off evil spirits.

This money is both an investment and a way to validate our guesses.

With everything prepared, Gu Yunqing, Wang Hu, and Wu Jueji, who had silently followed them without anyone noticing and still looked like he hadn't woken up yet, arrived.

The three set off towards the dark woods west of the town.

The closer you get to the woodland, the dimmer the light becomes, the taller and more twisted the trees grow, and the air is filled with a mixture of damp humus and a faint fishy smell.

Wang Hu nervously swallowed, following closely behind Gu Yunqing.

Wu Jueji remained the same as always, with his hands in his pockets, walking slowly as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

Following the boss's directions, they quickly found their target—moonlight pine—in a relatively sparse clearing in the woods.

This tree has a pale silvery-gray color throughout, smooth bark, and its leaves seem to emit a hazy glow in the dim light, which is quite magical.

"This is it. Wang Hu, prepare to cut down the trees. Mr. Wu, please keep watch." Gu Yunqing assigned tasks, while he stood slightly back, his sharp eyes scanning the surrounding dark jungle.

Wang Hu took out an axe from his system inventory and began chopping down a small moonspin pine.

Wu Jueji yawned, lazily took a few steps forward, and stood between Gu Yunqing and Wang Hu and the depths of the jungle. In his half-closed eyes, there seemed to be a very faint glint of light.

Halfway through the logging operation, a sudden change occurred.

"roar--!"

Two low, violent roars rang out almost simultaneously from the dense forest on the left and right sides, followed by two huge black shadows shooting out like cannonballs.

They are two strange bears!

They were much larger than ordinary black bears, with ominous dark red fur, bloodshot eyes, thick saliva dripping from their mouths, and claws and teeth gleaming coldly. They charged forward with a frenzied ferocity.

"Ah!" Wang Hu screamed in fright, almost dropping the axe.

Gu Yunqing's pupils contracted, and she reacted extremely quickly, grabbing Wang Hu and pulling him back rapidly while shouting in a low voice, "Mr. Wu!"

Almost the instant he finished speaking, Wu Jueji, who had been looking lazy and listless, started to move.

His movements still didn't seem fast, even somewhat sluggish, but with each step, he precisely blocked the path of the two strange bears' charge.

He didn't use any weapons; he simply raised his hands, which looked bony yet somewhat rough.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two muffled thuds.

The monstrous bear on the left struck with tremendous force, while the monstrous bear on the right bit down viciously, almost simultaneously landing on Wu Jueji's raised arm and parrying leg.

An astonishing scene unfolded.

The attack, powerful enough to shatter rocks and bite through steel, struck Wu Jueji as if hitting an invisible barrier.

Wu Jueji's body swayed slightly, and fine cracks appeared on the ground beneath his feet, but he did not retreat even half a step.

At the same time, the two strange bears seemed to be shaken by their own power, letting out a painful roar and their attack faltering slightly!

50/50 ability activated!

Regardless of the opponent's strength, the power of the strange bear was forcibly balanced by the rules to a level that Wu Jueji could withstand and partially rebound from.

"Keep cutting down the trees! Quickly!" Gu Yunqing calmly ordered the terrified Wang Hu, while keeping a close eye on the battle.

Wu Jueji was caught in a pincer attack by two crazed monster bears, and the scene looked extremely dangerous.

The monstrous bear's sharp claws grazed his clothes several times, and its foul breath almost hit his face.

But he always manages to narrowly avoid fatal attacks at the last second with his seemingly clumsy yet exquisitely skillful footwork and parries, or use the power of the "50/50" rule to neutralize or deflect the force of the attack.

His movements were anything but graceful; they were even somewhat clumsy, like a drunkard caught in a brawl who somehow managed to stay upright.

Occasionally, he could find an opening and, with a seemingly light slap or kick, use the force of the rebounding rules to cause considerable trouble for the strange bears, making them even more frantic but helpless.

A barrage of amazed comments flashed across Gu Yunqing's live stream:

"Holy crap! This guy's got some skills!"

"They look so pathetic, but they just can't be defeated!"

"Gu Yunqing is sitting back and doing nothing; she doesn't need to lift a finger."

"Wang Hu was terrified, haha, but he still had to cut down trees as hard as he could."

Urged on by Gu Yunqing, Wang Hu suppressed his fear and continued chopping down trees, his hands trembling.

He knew that the only way to save him now was to complete the mission and evacuate as soon as possible.

As for why Gu Yunqing wasn't allowed to cut down the tree?

Wang Hu was a sensible man; since Gu Yunqing didn't want to cut down trees with him, she must have her reasons.

Wu Jueji single-handedly held off the two strange bears, remaining undefeated thanks to his supernatural abilities. His half-closed eyes still held a lazy indifference, as if the fierce battle before him had nothing to do with him.

"Enough, retreat!" Gu Yunqing gave the order decisively as Wang Hu felled the sixth moon cedar.

After Wang Hu stored all six moonlight cedars into his system space, Gu Yunqing raised her hand and threw out several smoke bombs she had bought from the system store. Thick smoke instantly filled the air, obscuring her vision.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wu Jueji feinted an attack, then used the force of a strange bear's attack to push off in the opposite direction, drifting backward to rejoin Gu Yunqing and Wang Hu.

Without hesitation, the three turned and ran wildly out of the forest.

The two monstrous bears roared and charged angrily through the smoke, momentarily losing their target.

After a series of close calls, they made their way out of the dark woods and back to the relatively safe edge of the town, where they stopped to catch their breath.

Wang Hu sat down heavily on the ground, his face pale, still shaken.

That was so exciting!

Wu Jueji leaned against a tree, his listless demeanor returning, as if he weren't the one who had withstood the attack of the two ferocious beasts for so long.

Gu Yunqing tallied his haul: six units of Moonlight Cedar. A satisfied expression appeared on his face.

Although it cost 100 yuan (torch and incense for warding off evil), the income was 1200 yuan, resulting in a net profit of 1100 yuan.

This doesn't even take into account the potential informational value of exorcising ornaments.

"Let's go back and turn in the mission." Gu Yunqing said casually, and took the lead towards the general store.

Wang Hu looked at Gu Yunqing and Wu Jueji's retreating figures with awe in his eyes.

This Mr. Gu not only has a keen eye for talent, choosing this high-reward mission, but he also has a seemingly unreliable but very capable companion by his side... I really made the right choice in following him.

When Gu Yunqing handed over the six units of Moonlight Cedar to the grocery store owner and received 1200 yuan, the live stream's evaluation of Wu Jueji quietly improved.

This seemingly颓废 and lazy uncle proved his ability with a battle.

Meanwhile, Jun Xiangbei successfully repaired part of the damage to the eastern barrier and received a reward of 1,000 yuan.

And at this moment, night is about to fall.

The real test has only just begun.