Online Game: Me, with Unparalleled Comprehension

After finishing reading, Wu Feng stretched lazily, his joints making a soft cracking sound as he stretched, like long-dormant mechanisms re-engaging.

He looked up at the time display in the upper left corner of the game interface—Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The sky outside the window was already bright, and the morning light shone through the paper windows of the inn, casting soft spots of light into the room, while fine dust particles floated in the air.

"Time to log off," he muttered to himself, and with a thought, he chose to exit the game.

In the real world, the soft sound of the game pod's hatch sliding open was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Wu Feng sat up and rubbed his slightly numb cheeks.

After immersing oneself in intense reading and comprehension for a long time, even upon returning to consciousness, a strange sense of fullness lingers in the mind, as if the brain has been greatly expanded and thoughts are exceptionally clear and active.

My stomach started growling.

He got out of bed quickly, changed into loose casual clothes, grabbed his phone and keys, opened the door and went out.

The city was just waking up in the early morning, the air carrying a slight chill from the night's rest.

He walked familiarly to a breakfast stall that had been open for many years at the entrance of the residential area.

Several low tables were set up at the entrance of the shop, and the oil in the wok was sizzling. The aroma of fried dough sticks mixed with the steam from the soy milk wafted out.

"Boss, a bowl of wonton soup and a plate of dry-mixed pork and chive dumplings." Wu Feng sat down at the small square table against the wall.

"Okay, just a moment."

While waiting for his food, he took out his phone, unlocked it, and habitually tapped the official forum app for "Jianghu Dream" with his thumb.

The homepage feed scrolls by incredibly fast, with a dazzling array of headlines.

He quickly browsed through the posts, his gaze suddenly drawn to a post that was quite popular:

[Duan Yu actually returned to Dali City?! A brother saw it with his own eyes last night! Did the Four Evils kidnap nothing?]

The poster's ID was "Dali Night Wanderer," and the post read:

"Breaking news! Around 7 PM last night, a player witnessed Chu Wanli, Gu Ducheng, and other retainers of the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion escorting Young Master Duan Yu into the city near the south gate of Dali City! Duan Yu looked somewhat disheveled, but he was able to move freely, clearly having been rescued!"

"That's strange. The Four Evils caused a huge uproar in Dali during the day, kidnapping Duan Yu, but he returned at night? The plot hasn't even started yet! I suspect Duan Yanqing and his group came to test the fighting strength in Dali City, to see how quickly Tianlong Temple and Zhennan Prince's Mansion could react!"

The comments below were full of discussion:

"Possibly! Duan Yanqing is cunning and shrewd; he's probably here to scout the place."

"So Yun Zhonghe tying people up was just for show? Wait a minute, does tying someone up really need to be for show?"

"Maybe they ran into a tough opponent and were forced to let them go?"

"Who cares? Anyway, Duan Yu is fine. The plot will probably have to be changed."

"Waiting for further developments, there's definitely more to come."

Wu Feng read through them one by one, his lips twitching slightly, somewhat speechless.

"If I hadn't saved Duan Yu, would he have been able to go back?" he muttered to himself. "He'd probably still be tied up in that dilapidated wooden hut in Wanjie Valley."

As for Duan Yanqing... he scooped up a dumpling that had just been served and took a bite, the fresh aroma of chives and pork melting in his mouth.

"This bait is pretty good," he thought.

Duan Yanqing's high-profile appearance in broad daylight, facing off against the four eminent monks of Tianlong Temple alone, successfully drew away most of Dali City's high-end combat power, creating an extremely easy environment for Yun Zhonghe to attack.

Thanks to his sufficiently significant bait, which attracted all attention, Yun Zhonghe's end was able to proceed so smoothly.

"But it's probably difficult to repeat the same trick." Wu Feng shook his head and picked up the second dumpling.

The first time was by surprise; Dali was completely unprepared.

Now that Duan Yu has been rescued, Duan Zhengchun and the monks of Tianlong Temple must have learned their lesson.

If the same scenario were to be repeated a second time, the success rate would be extremely low.

He shut down the forum and stopped reading the speculation. He focused on his breakfast.

The wonton soup was clear and warming. The dry-tossed dumplings had thin wrappers and generous fillings; dipped in chili oil and vinegar, they were savory, slightly spicy, and very appetizing.

He finished eating in a flash, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.

He scanned the QR code to pay, nodded to the shopkeeper, and got up to walk back.

The morning breeze caressed my face, carrying the vitality of the city's awakening.

He strolled slowly back to his lodgings, letting the food digest in his stomach.

Back in his room, without delay, he lay back down in the gaming pod.

In the game world, in a guest room on the second floor of the Xibian Jiyuelai Inn.

The scene before my eyes changed from blurry to clear.

It was still the same simply furnished room, and the morning light shone through the paper windows, making it much brighter than before I logged off.

Wu Feng stood up, stretched his neck and shoulders, pushed open the door, walked down the stairs, and came to the inn's lobby.

Several tables of early risers were already seated in the lobby, mostly merchants and local residents, chatting quietly and eating simple breakfasts.

Wu Feng sat down at an empty table in the corner and said to the waiter who came to greet him, "One bowl of plain porridge, two meat buns, and a plate of pickled vegetables."

"Alright, please wait a moment, sir."

Soon, the food was served. The congee was warm, the meat buns were soft, and the pickled vegetables were refreshing.

He ate slowly, but his ears were keenly attuned to the scattered conversations in the lobby.

Two tables away, a middle-aged man dressed in a silk robe, looking like a merchant, was asking the waiter something in a low voice, while handing him a small piece of silver.

The waiter's eyes lit up. He quickly put away the silver, glanced around, and leaned closer to the merchant, lowering his voice even further:

"Sir, you ask about Dali City? Well, something big happened yesterday! The Prince of Zhennan was kidnapped during the day, but was miraculously rescued last night! I heard it was a mysterious master who intercepted and killed Yun Zhonghe, one of the Four Evils, in Wanjie Valley and rescued him!"

Wu Feng paused slightly in the hand holding the steamed bun.

The waiter continued, his voice low, but Wu Feng's exceptional hearing made it clearly audible:

"Yun Zhonghe is dead! His body was found early this morning on the outskirts of Wanjie Valley, with a bloody hole in his chest. He died a gruesome death! The news has spread far and wide. They say a chivalrous hero has appeared in the martial world, one who specializes in punishing evildoers, even daring to touch the Four Evils! The Dali government and the Zhennan Prince's Mansion are said to be recommending this hero for commendation..."

Wu Feng listened, and was stunned for a moment.

"No wonder there are rewards like reputation and prestige points." He suddenly realized, "So that's what they mean."

He didn't publicize it at all, nor did he leave his name; the system simply gave him a kill reward according to the rules.

How come the news spread so quickly after just one night? Even the waiter at this little inn was telling the story in great detail.

The speed at which these rumors spread is terrifying.

"I hope Duan Yanqing and his gang won't target us." Wu Feng shook his head helplessly.

Killing Yun Zhonghe meant he had now formed a grudge against the Four Evils.

Although he was masked at the time, a seasoned veteran like Duan Yanqing could easily find clues if he really wanted to investigate.

I need to be extra careful when operating in the southwest region in the future.

He finished his breakfast in a few bites, wiping the porridge from his bowl. He tossed a few copper coins on the table, got up, pulled his straw hat down, and walked out of the inn.

Today, he plans to visit Dali City again.

The backpack also contained the [Ten Fragrant Tendon-Softening Powder] that I had taken from Yun Zhonghe; this might come in handy.

Tenryu-ji Temple is heavily guarded, and it would be unwise to force our way in, but if we could use some tricks, we might have a chance to sneak in and explore.

Even if I can't get the Six Meridians Divine Sword, it would be good to learn some One Finger Divine Skill or find other advanced techniques.

While he was thinking, he had already left the town and arrived at a deserted place outside the city.

With the Lingbo Weibu mental technique flowing through his body and combined with the leaping and bounding of the Tiyun Zong, his figure suddenly unfolded, transforming into a light blue streak, and sped towards Dali City!

The wind whistled past my ears, and the scenery on both sides rushed past.

In just over half an hour, the towering city walls of Dali City came into view again.

But the scene before us is completely different from yesterday.