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

You dragged your weary and hungry body to the side gate of the Shen family mansion.

Even the side gate, with its towering vermilion doors and imposing stone lions, testifies to the illustrious reputation of this prominent Jinling family.

You took out the copper coin engraved with the character "Shen" and handed it to the suspicious-looking gatekeeper.

The doorman's expression changed slightly; not daring to delay, he told you to wait outside and hurriedly left.

Chen Xuan looked at the prompt on the screen and let out a long breath.

That's it!

Regardless of how much benefit this so-called "Shen's promise" can bring, at least he has found his first safe haven after the beginner village. He is now not only nearing his physical limit, but his hunger is also causing his qi and blood to begin to decline.

Such a body was simply not strong enough to support him in searching for the so-called Golden Dragon Society's Ten Thousand Carp Hall.

Not long after, the text on the screen started scrolling again:

Soon, a steward from the outer courtyard of the Shen family, dressed in a silk robe and sporting a mustache, emerged, surrounded by a group of servants.

He looked you up and down, his brow furrowing slightly at your soaking wet and weak appearance, but for the sake of that copper coin, he still spoke in a nonchalant tone:

"Now that we possess the token left by the old master, the Shen family will naturally not break our promise. But the Shen family mansion does not tolerate idlers. Let's see what you can do."

[You have triggered the assignment of duties at the outer courtyard of the Shen family. Please choose from the following occupations:]

[Option 1: Outer Courtyard Guard (Requirements: Strength ≥ 5, Agility ≥ 4, mastery of any basic, low-level martial art. Compensation: 2 taels of silver per month, with the opportunity to learn low-level Shen family martial arts.)]

Option 2: Water-carrying, wood-chopping, and miscellaneous tasks (Requirements: Strength ≥ 4, Constitution ≥ 3. Compensation: 5 qian of silver per month, three meals a day included.)

Option 3: Errand Runner (Requirements: Agility ≥ 3. Compensation: 3 qian of silver per month, including two meals a day.)

Option 4: Accounting Apprentice (Requirements: Comprehension > 3, proficiency in arithmetic, a common market skill. Compensation: 8 qian of silver per month, room and board included.)

"..."

Looking at the screen full of options, Chen Xuan's initial anticipation instantly plummeted.

Seriously? Is this request for real?

Not to mention the outer courtyard guards, even the lowest-ranking men who carry water and chop wood need 4 points of strength!

What is his current attribute?

If it weren't for the mysterious jade pendant equipment with all attributes at 0, I probably wouldn't have even been able to leave the temple; I would have died of exhaustion on the way.

You remained silent for a long time, looking at all the businesses before you, and realized that you couldn't do any of them.

Your frail constitution is laid bare at this moment.

Seeing that you remained silent for a long time, the manager seemed to realize your predicament. His gaze, which had initially been businesslike, quickly shifted to undisguised disdain and contempt.

"You can't carry anything on your shoulders, you can't lift anything with your hands! You don't even have the strength to run errands or the brain to do accounting, what use are you?"

The manager snorted coldly, his previously polite tone turning extremely impatient.

"With the old master's token, I thought he was some promising young talent, but it turns out he's just a good-for-nothing who can't even beg for food! However, the Shen family keeps its word, and since we promised to give you food, we naturally can't kick you out."

He pondered for a moment, a strange light flashing in his eyes, then waved his hand and said:

"Perfect timing! Doctor Cao in the backyard needs a young apprentice to assist him with the medicine. With your physique, you're best suited for light work there. Go ahead!"

You have been assigned to "Doctor Cao's Alchemy Room" as a medicine apprentice.

You have received a set of servant's clothes and two steamed buns.

Seeing that he had received the steamed buns, Chen Xuan felt a little more at ease.

However, before he could catch his breath, the environmental description that popped up on the screen made his heart leap into his throat.

You notice that when the steward uttered the words "Physician Cao," the expressions of the servants and guards who had been watching the commotion immediately changed.

The way they looked at you changed instantly from indifference and disdain to undisguised sympathy and pity.

It was as if...we were looking at a dead person.

Chen Xuan's brows furrowed deeply.

Something is wrong!

This atmosphere is really off! This kind of text description is definitely a high-risk warning in a game!

You followed a maidservant to the backyard. You quietly inquired about Physician Cao's background.

The maid glanced at you, thought for a moment, and then lowered her voice to say:

"Physician Cao is a guest of the Shen family; he is a pharmacist and physician with a small reputation in the Jinling area."

"However, he has a strange temper and is ruthless in his methods! Once you arrive, you must not disobey him."

[At this point, the maid glanced at your face and then said regretfully:]

"Those who went to work for him were mostly servants who had made mistakes or, like you, lacked connections. Many of them didn't last more than three months; the shortest was only a few days before they died mysteriously."

"Everyone's whispering that Dr. Cao isn't making any legitimate medicine at all; he's using living people to test his drugs, or even practicing some kind of evil magic! You...you'd better pray for yourself!"

"Depend on!"

Looking at the text on the screen, Chen Xuan couldn't help but curse out loud in the quiet dormitory.

This is what they call the "Shen Family Promise"? This is clearly the "Shen Family Death warrant"!

I originally thought that joining a prestigious family would allow me to make a living and slowly develop as a fisherman, but I ended up stepping into a den of demons!

Chen Xuan felt helpless and wanted to turn around and escape from the Shen family right now.

However, he glanced at his pitiful stamina and his appalling attributes.

Escape? Where to escape to? Let alone whether he can escape from this heavily guarded Shen family compound, even if he does escape, given his current condition, even if he doesn't die in the outskirts of Jinling and manages to enter Jinling city by sheer luck, his situation will probably not be much better.

With a heavy heart, you were led to the front of a large, secluded courtyard in the backyard.

Before even entering the courtyard, a strong, bitter smell of medicine wafted towards you.

You forced yourself to go inside.

In the dimly lit alchemy room, you finally met the legendary "Physician Cao".

It was a gaunt old man, dressed in a large, greyish-black robe, seemingly hidden in the shadows.

His face was gaunt, and his complexion had a sickly bluish-gray tinge.

His gaze swept over you, making you look up and down.

"Is he new here?"

[Dr. Cao's voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like the cry of an owl.]

You forced back the chill in your heart and nodded.

At this moment, you also noticed everyone else in the alchemy room besides Physician Cao.

Those were five "colleagues" dressed in the same menial uniforms as you.

They mechanically fanned the fire or pounded the medicinal herbs beside the furnace.

However, their faces were all deathly pale, their eyes were black-rimmed, and their bodies swayed precariously. A deathly aura seemed to hang over each of them.

Chen Xuan sat in front of the screen, his palms already slightly sweaty.

If there is no way to break this deadlock, his account might not even make it to the "Trial of Origins" a month later, and he would become a corpse in this dark alchemy room, dragged out and burned!

However, Chen Xuan did not despair.

On the contrary, his eyes became incredibly sharp at that moment, and this tension quickly calmed him down.

Great opportunities are often hidden in desperate situations.

[Dr. Cao looked at you, her gaze gradually shifting from indifference to surprise:]

"Tsk tsk, I've been wandering the martial world for half my life, and I never imagined that there would be someone as frail as you, yet still alive..."

Looking at the large text on the screen,

Chen Xuan took a deep breath and, without hesitation, pointed his finger to the right side of the screen.

[You have activated your destiny ability: defying fate!]

[In the depths of your eyes, a faint, dark gold light rekindles. The threads of destiny and cause and effect gradually become clear before your eyes, like peeling back layers of an onion.]

[You begin to view all the special encounters that can be triggered by the character 'Doctor Cao' in front of you, and the trigger conditions...]