Text-based martial arts: A nighttime rendezvous with the gang leader's wife in a dilapidated te

The sound of cicadas chirping came from outside the window.

The blinding sunlight and the sweltering heat left the entire Jiangnan University campus feeling deserted.

However, in the dormitory where he was left alone, Chen Xuan, enjoying the air conditioning, paid no attention to the weather outside.

His gaze was fixed on the tablet in front of him.

"Damn, these teammates are idiots. This ridiculous Elo system is absolutely disgusting. How can someone like this die 16 times just playing Yao?"

Compared to his roommates who went home for summer vacation, he, a local orphan born and raised in Jianghai, undoubtedly chose to stay at school to experience this long, and also the last, campus vacation of his life.

Fortunately, compared to his classmates who had already experienced the harsh realities of society, he didn't need to worry too much.

Before their deaths, Chen Xuan's parents left him a fairly nice house and a decent amount of savings in Jianghai, a place where land is incredibly valuable.

He occasionally does game boosting or playing games with clients, and now that he's rented out his apartment and lives on campus, he's managing to make a decent living in the city.

Angrily quit the game.

However, before he could even browse through a few pretty girls' videos, his tablet suddenly went completely black.

"Holy crap, something's broken?"

Chen Xuan patted the dark screen, and whether the patting had an effect or not, a light and an image appeared on the dark screen.

It was a bamboo grove and a stream, and beside the stream was a thatched hut.

Then, a line of blood-red text appeared before their eyes:

This is the most realistic text adventure game ever!

This is the most thrilling martial arts fantasy journey ever!

[No need to spend money or play with teammates here!]

What will be tested is your wisdom and courage, and perhaps a little bit of luck.

Every choice you make will affect your gaming experience.

This is "Martial Arts".

Are you ready to enter this special world?

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking at the two options beneath the blood-red text:

[Ready/Let's go!]

Chen Xuan smiled but didn't pay any attention, and directly clicked the "Let's go" button.

As a game (and internet) enthusiast, he has extensive experience with countless games on the market.

These pop-up mini-games can indeed be entertaining occasionally, as long as you don't spend money.

It has to be said that when his hobby became his job, Chen Xuan did indeed prefer some casual idle games to highly competitive ones.

This one in front of me seems pretty good? Putting everything else aside, at least it's my favorite martial arts and chivalry genre.

The previous scene vanished, replaced by complete darkness, and within that darkness, blood-red characters emerged:

[You have boldly chosen to proceed directly. You have one opportunity to generate your own unique destiny through the selection process.]

[Start choosing your 'Martial Arts' identity...]

1. Don't ask about the way you're going; instead, remember where you came from. What past flows in your veins?

[Young Master from a Prestigious Family: You were born into a family of great wealth and influence, your fathers either prominent figures in the city or scions of powerful sects. From a young age, you were pampered with fine clothes and delicacies, and received instruction in poetry, literature, swordsmanship, and martial arts from renowned masters. Yet, even high walls and deep courtyards could not confine the spirit of a young man.]

You initially receive one random yellow-grade martial art and a certain level of basic martial arts, +5 righteous reputation, and 20 taels of silver. However, you also receive a special quest called "Family Expectations": you must periodically complete tasks without extra rewards, in accordance with the family's will. Failure or refusal of these tasks will significantly reduce your reputation.

[You come from humble beginnings: You haile from the streets and alleys of the city, or from a farming family in the mountains. You may not have a distinguished family background, but you possess the wisdom to survive. Perhaps you once worked in a tavern, or perhaps you made a living by farming in the fields. For you, the world is both a way out and a challenge.]

You can initially choose one of the following street-smart abilities: 'Buying and Selling', 'Negotiation', or 'Theft'. You start with 1 tael of silver. You have no affinity quests.

[Your origins are shrouded in mystery: You remember nothing of your past. You carry only half a jade pendant and a brocade handkerchief embroidered with unfamiliar patterns. Your past is shrouded in a thick fog; every step you take is a search for your roots.]

You will initially receive one random yellow-grade jewelry item and an invitation letter from a local faction with a reputation below "Famous Town". You will also receive the special quest "Mystery of My Origins": Every so often, you will be chased by a group of men in black. Only by defeating them can you obtain the corresponding quest clues.

[Wandering on the streets: Childhood tragedy destroyed your family, leaving you homeless and forced to live on the streets, scrambling for food with stray dogs. Having witnessed all sorts of people, you've developed your own way of surviving in this cutthroat world.]

You initially acquire the initial destiny 'Survival Path': You have a certain perception of danger, and your hunger and stamina decrease at a 50% slower rate. Your initial relationship with some prestigious families is reduced by 10. You have no affinity quests.

Ok?

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down.

Taking every game seriously is his principle and belief.

He glanced at the four background options and then began to analyze them.

First, he immediately ruled out the prestigious family background. Obviously, in this kind of small game, even without spending money, it's not too difficult to acquire martial arts skills.

This so-called "yellow" level should be the relatively common "heaven, earth, black, and yellow" level classification in the game.

As the lowest level of martial arts, it's clearly not worth it to keep completing this so-called "bond quest" in this mini-game, which offers no reward and even incurs penalties for failure!

The second one is a fairly standard start, without any highlights or advantages, but a mediocre start is more suitable for exploring an open world.

This was one of Chen Xuan's preferred starting points.

The fourth one follows the same principle, but the route is somewhat different, seemingly leaning more towards the villainous faction in the game. However, reducing the rate at which hunger drops should be a rather useful attribute.

Also added to the list of alternatives.

As for the third one, it was almost the same as the first one, and he passed it off immediately. This bond quest was clearly a trap!

Chen Xuan, having grown up so much, considered himself not destined to be a protagonist burdened with such bitterness and hatred, nor capable of doing such a thing.

Moreover, this start is probably even worse than that of a prestigious family. This direct pursuit mission obviously affects the exploration experience.

With that thought in mind, Chen Xuan stretched out his finger and, without hesitation, clicked on... the third option.

Do you think you're playing a AAA open-world game on a steam engine?

A mini-game where you pay to get real money; if you don't want to play a game with linear quests, do you really want to explore freely?

What is there for me to explore? How can I make exploring more cost-effective by spending real money?

If I die, I'll just quit...

With this in mind, Chen Xuan looked at the next starting option:

2. Who is reflected in the mirror? Is it a young swordsman with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, or an unremarkable commoner?