Samsara Space: They're all begging me to heal them one more time.

This was a battle with no suspense whatsoever.

On one side is the "transportation team," burdened by excessive weight and weighed down by their wealth, and whose trump cards were mostly used up when the palace's restrictions were broken.

On one side are the "Roadblock Bandits," lightly armed, fully buffed, and brimming with morale after recently experiencing a boss battle.

In just three minutes.

Captain Blood Wolf knelt on the ground, his greatsword broken in two, three arrows stuck in his chest, and Lin Qingyue's demonic blade against his neck. His teammates had all turned into corpses.

"Cough cough..." Captain Blood Wolf coughed up blood while clutching the vermilion box tightly, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness.

"You have no idea... This isn't just a prop! It's the only token to unlock the 'Hegemony Line' for Dong Zhuo's faction! Taking it will only make you hunted down by the entire world... What a waste!!"

"What a waste?" Zhang Yuan smiled and stepped forward, gently prying open his fingers to take the box.

"Perhaps. For you, this might indeed be a divine artifact that can defy fate and change your destiny, a priceless treasure."

Zhang Yuan glanced at the system notification that popped up with "[Forced Recycling: 3000 Points]", shrugged, and spoke in a relaxed tone as if he were discussing what to have for dinner.

"But to me... it's just a cash check for 3000 points plus a C-level sideline."

"But since these are reward points that I found, I might as well take them."

"You..." Captain Blood Wolf was so angry that he choked on his own blood.

What he cherished as his life, his "future," was merely "reward points" in the other person's eyes? This huge gap in values ​​left him with unresolved grievances in death.

But before he could react, Lin Qingyue's blade had already fallen.

"Whoosh!"

Filled with intense resentment and regret, his head fell to the ground, and Captain Blood Wolf would never have the chance to complete his "conquest storyline".

[Annihilate the enemy faction's D+ rank squad "Blood Wolf"! Gain 4500 reward points and 5 D rank side quests!]

[Loot Obtained: A Selection of Treasures from the Han Dynasty Imperial Palace!]

Zhang Yuan ignored the reward notifications flooding the screen and instead looked at the vermilion box in his hand.

Even through the barrier, Zhang Yuan could still feel the immense, chilling pressure emanating from the box.

That is the true destiny of the Han Dynasty, the condensation of the core laws of this high-level martial arts plane.

Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and used his mental power to unlock the lock.

A flash of golden light!

A piece of warm, white jade seal with a missing corner lay quietly in its box. Five dragons intertwined on the top knob, and the eight seal characters engraved beside it were enough to drive the world mad: "By the mandate of Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."

【Ding! 】

[Obtained Dimensional Core Item: Imperial Seal (Fragment)]

[Rank: ??? (Unique in this plane)]

Immediately afterwards, a series of red system notifications flashed across Zhang Yuan's retina:

[Item Description: This item is the central hub of the Qi (energy) of this plane, carrying the legal authority of the "Han Dynasty's Legitimate Lineage." The holder gains the "True Dragon Protection" status, increasing cultivation speed and command power by 100%, wielding immense power over all beings in this plane.]

[Restriction Warning: This item is a core storyline anchor and cannot be taken out of this plane!]

[If a reincarnated person forcibly returns with their original vehicle, the system will forcibly reclaim it during the train's settlement process!]

[Compensation for forced recall: 3000 reward points, 1 C-level side quest.]

"I see..." Zhang Yuan looked at the red warning line without any surprise.

This level of treasure might be something that an S-class or A-class expert could potentially extract and take away, but for the current D-class train, it's a massive bomb bound to the will of the world.

Just then, another golden notification popped up:

[Hidden side quest triggered: Destiny's Fate]

[Mission Objective: Deliver the Imperial Seal to its designated recipient (Sun Jian).]

[Mission Rewards: 3000 reward points + 1 C-rank side quest.]

[Bonus Reward: Sun Jian's reputation with the faction is raised to "Revered".]

Zhang Yuan pushed up his glasses, looked at the two options, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.

This is very interesting.

Option A – Embezzling the Imperial Seal. The consequences are:

The system forcibly reclaimed the account, and I received 3000 points + 1 C-level side quest.

During the period of holding the position, one would most likely be hunted down and killed by warlords from all over the world, such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao, and even Liu Biao.

There are no extra benefits; it's purely trading your life for money.

Option B – Give it to Sun Jian. The consequence is:

Complete the side quest and receive 3000 points + 1 C-level side quest (the rewards are exactly the same, not a penny less).

Get rid of this hot potato completely, let Sun Jian attract all the hatred and firepower of the world, and at the same time gain Sun Jian's loyal favor, turning this "Tiger of Jiangdong" into your own super henchman.

"Does this even need to be chosen?" Zhang Yuan closed the box and gently patted the brocade cover.

"It seems the system is also hinting to me that this hot potato should be handed over to the right person."

"As expected." Zhang Yuan glanced at the rapidly approaching flames and the sound of horses' hooves in the distance. "Speak of the devil and he appears... oh no, I mean Sun Jian, Sun Jian appears."

Rumble! The earth trembled as a cavalry unit broke through the fog like a whirlwind and arrived at the devastated battlefield.

The leading general, wearing a red turban, silver armor, and wielding an ancient sword, was none other than Sun Jian, who arrived at the scene immediately!

He was originally fighting a fire in the south of the city, but he sensed a strong energy fluctuation here. He thought it was Dong Zhuo's remnants causing trouble, so he fought his way here.

"This..." Sun Jian reined in his warhorse, leaped down, and stared blankly at the corpses dressed in strange clothes scattered all over the ground, the palace treasures strewn about, and the familiar figure standing amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood, dressed in white.

"The...the Imperial Advisor?!"

Zhang Yuan slowly turned around, his face devoid of any murderous intent, only displaying a weariness and holiness as if he had just finished exorcising demons. He held the vermilion box in his hands, as if waiting for some sacred ritual to be performed.

Upon seeing the vermilion box in Zhang Yuan's hand, Sun Jian's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! We've been ripped off!

Even an illiterate villager, upon seeing the extraordinary aura of the vermilion box, would realize that this treasure box was no ordinary item. How much more so for Sun Jian, a regional warlord, who had already done his homework on this matter?

The oppressive aura and purple light emanating from that box were clearly the Imperial Seal of the State that he had been dreaming of!

Although he held Zhang Yuan, who had an outstanding record, in high esteem, he couldn't help but feel a hint of greed and murderous intent when faced with such a treasure that could rewrite one's destiny.

Moreover, Sun Jian didn't say anything about Zhang Yuan taking over his camp at Suanzao Camp, but he still harbored some resentment.

"General Wentai, you've finally arrived." Zhang Yuan's eyes were clear as water, revealing not a trace of greed. He handed the box forward:

"I have been here for quite some time."