Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 43: Chapter 1 Settlement

Editor: Larbre Studio

“`

Countless mottled lights and shadows twisted and danced before Li Yan, like flames leaping in a gusty wind.

Cha Chai, Cheng Hunan, He Andong…

One after another, figures flashed by crazily.

The gloomy and cramped fortress, the fat rats scurrying through the filthy sewers, the tumultuous boxing ring with sewage flowing everywhere, the girl’s half-turned face rising beneath the angry, antenna-crossed, smog-filled skies…

The blood-stained weapons, the dusky gun muzzles sparking with fire, the men’s roars and laughter, finally freezing on the image of a colossal python leaping towards the sky, its fierce fangs in clear sight.

Li Yan stared dumbfounded at his right hand, his fingers intact, all the wounds on his body vanished without a trace, and even his mental state was surprisingly good!

Li Yan had no time to look around as a voice sounded in his ear.

Neither male nor female, instantly forgotten after hearing it, yet it was definitely not the hoarse and deep male voice Li Yan had heard before.

“Under certain conditions, Walker’s state restoration does not require any points.”

The settlement report is as follows:

“Upper Auspicious” evaluation settlement Yan Fu points: 500 points (Base 200 points with 150% bonus)

Purchasing authority quota: 195% (Personal action 76% + Full completion of Yan Fu event 30% + Three unfinished chapters excluding Gu Huo Bird 30% + Killing the Predator 59%)

“You also possess one of the remaining Yan Fu relics, which you can contribute to this settlement to enhance your purchasing authority.”

It referred to a relic that Li Yan had found in Li Jiangyu’s residence after killing him, a piece of rice paper painted with a shark.

“There is a mermaid in the reed pond. She transforms every five days, sometimes into a beautiful and exotic woman, and sometimes into a man; her transformations are exceedingly diverse.”

“By contributing the Yan Fu relic, your purchasing authority quota increases by 10%, reaching the peak value of 200%, and you are compensated with 500 Yan Fu points.”

“You have exchanged for Gold, and your current Yan Fu points total 3204.”

Special reward for completion of the Yan Fu event: The content of this Yan Fu event is the Gu Huo Bird, and you will randomly draw an item infused with the Power of Gu Huo Bird (including but not limited to consumables, skill scrolls, oddities, inheritances).

Given that this is your first time completing a Yan Fu event, this reward will be forcibly deemed as an inheritance, and this inheritance cannot be traded.

A burning heat surged through Li Yan’s chest as the impressive drawing of the Gu Huo Bird spontaneously ignited before he could react, burning away without a trace. Li Yan lifted his clothes to see a burn mark on his chest, with strands of golden-red flames burrowing into his wound. He instinctively pressed on it, but couldn’t touch even the tail of the flame, and the next moment, the burn on his chest vanished without a trace.

“This…”

[Inheritance: Spirit of the Gu Huo Bird · Hook Star]

Gu Huo Bird revival status: 9%/100% (The inheritance is tied to the Walker’s fate; increasing the revival status will enhance the Walker’s lifespan and physical fitness. Full revival doubles lifespan.)

The holder gains a permanent solidified state: Hook Star.

[Hook Star]: Enhances the holder’s 90% explosive power and attack speed (passive skill).

[Blood Dip]: Use your own blood as a primer to lock onto an enemy, accumulating all damage inflicted on them to subsequently determine and detonate at will. The more damage dealt beforehand, the greater the Blood Dip damage.

[Blood Dip Damage dispels demons! Filthy Gods! Slays ghosts! Banishes apparitions! Corrodes Dragon Tiger Qi!]

After Blood Dip damage takes effect, the power of Hook Star temporarily disappears, with the duration depending on the Blood Dip damage dealt.

During the disappearance of the Hook Star state, Blood Dip cannot be activated.

Li Yan tried jumping around and burst into laughter, “Doesn’t feel all that special.”

But he wasn’t disappointed. Just being alive and well was the best outcome, and as for extending one’s life, who knows when they’ll die?

Only then did Li Yan begin to observe his surroundings.

He stood on dark stone bricks, in a room with nothing but a bed. In front of him were two doors, one half-open. The other was tightly secured with iron chains.

That half-open door felt incredibly familiar to Li Yan.

It was the way back home.

“I want to view my purchasing permissions.”

Li Yan murmured to himself in a low voice, as if addressing a clerk at a bank or government department.

“Your purchasing permissions have been listed. Please note that items can only be purchased in this room and you may not make purchases once you leave.”

A quick scan by Li Yan revealed many things that surprised him.

For example…

Cold weapons:

“[Nameless Han Sword], with qi forming myriad landscapes, the blade bends into a dragon. A sharp weapon meant for killing. It costs 10 Yan Fu points. Such items bear no special properties and can only be carried on one’s person.”

Li Yan, after returning, indeed couldn’t stop thinking about the Han Sword. He owned several sharp weapons, some crafted by contemporary masters and worth a fortune, yet none were as handy as this nameless Han Sword. Not being able to bring it out was a small disappointment.

“Ten thousand yuan, quite cheap.”

The black ripples converged, and a Han Sword wrapped in rhinoceros hide with a gleaming cold light appeared in Li Yan’s hand.

Li Yan gripped the sword handle and swept it forward with a twist of the wrist, emitting a crisp slicing sound like water hitting pebbles.

The love sword practitioners have for a fine blade is indescribable, true through the ages.

The Li Clan of Hejian was famed for being unrivaled in both spear and sword. Li Yan had practiced the sword for ten years and the spear for fifteen, confident that his swordsmanship was approaching perfection, and his spear skills had reached a considerable level.

“Qi forming myriad landscapes, the blade bending into a dragon; I shall call you Ring Dragon.”

“`

Li Yan caressed the back of his sword and flicked it gently.

Ring Dragon Han Sword.

In addition, the Zi Wu Mandarin Duck Axes Li Yan once used, along with all kinds of long and short weapons, were all available, but Li Yan simply glanced over them without much interest.

Li Yan continued looking down.

Firearms category:

“[Colt M1911], magazine capacity: 7+1 rounds, muzzle velocity: 253 meters per second, rate of fire: 50 rounds per minute, operating mode: short recoil barrel.

It is worth mentioning that this model, said to be the most produced automatic pistol in the world, originated from Colt’s old rival John Browning of FN.

Note: Pistols are impressive, but trust me, in the Yan Fu world, they’re not worth overestimating.

You can spend 15 Yan Fu points to exchange for it and it comes with two magazines. One Yan Fu point can be exchanged for five magazines, with no upper limit.

[Type 82-1 plastic ball-bearing grenade without a handle], filled with 62 grams of TNT, effective killing range of 6 to 10 meters.

You can spend 8 Yan Fu points to exchange for it. The limit is twenty pieces.

[RPG-18 Rocket-Propelled Grenade Launcher] comes with ten rockets.

You can spend 200 Yan Fu points to exchange for it.

Please note that these items possess no special abilities and can only be carried on your person.

Please note that only firearms purchased with Yan Fu points can be brought into Yan Fu incidents, any other firearms will be stripped away upon entering Yan Fu incidents.

Similar firearms were abundant. Li Yan also saw some guns with usage requirements, such as large-caliber sniper rifles.

Li Yan didn’t plan to exchange for powerful firearms, at least not right now. Cold weapons can be said to be collectible, but how would you explain bringing a rocket launcher back to a music store? They’re not easy to hide either.

It made sense to Li Yan that these items were available for exchange, after all, there wasn’t much incredibly unbelievable about this experience. What Li Yan encountered the most were still fists and weapons.

However, the items that came next piqued Li Yan’s interest even more.

Exotic items, consumables

Fighting Essences!

[First Level Muay Thai Fighting Essence]: Enhances close combat specialization by 3%, only effective for those with less than 60% close combat specialization. (Specializations below 30% not shown)

10 Yan Fu points each.

[First Level Karate Fighting Essence], [First Level Free Combat Fighting Essence]…

Li Yan swiftly scrolled through the options.

[Second Level Maga Art Fighting Essence]: Enhances close combat specialization by 5%, firearms specialization by 3%

Effective only for those with less than 70% close combat specialization.

50 Yan Fu points each.

[Second Level Ancient Martial Arts Essence (Foot Poke)]: Enhances close combat specialization by 6%, other descriptions as above

[Second Level Ancient Martial Arts Essence (Wing Chun)]: Same as above

Useless to me…

Li Yan’s own Ancient Martial Arts specialization had already reached 83%, clearly these lower-level items couldn’t be used,

[Fifth Level (max) Ancient Martial Arts Essence (Bagua Palm)]: Enhances close combat specialization by 10%, cannot be used to break through the bottlenecks of 70%, 80%, 90%. No other restrictions

To exchange for it, you need 200 Yan Fu points, limited to one piece.

This is…

Li Yan understood.

The items in the Yan Fu incident would become his purchasing permissions, including the opponents he faced.

After spending 200 points to exchange for this essence, Li Yan casually bought four [Second Level Firearms Essences] to make his shooting a bit more accurate.

Five streaks of light, four large and one small, surged into Li Yan’s body.

“You have unlocked Firearms Specialization.”

Current Firearms Specialization: 38%

Current Ancient Martial Arts Specialization: 89%+4% (suffix not shown)

Unable to break through the 90% bottleneck.

Li Yan suddenly thought of Zhang Mingyuan; his Ancient Martial Arts specialization was 69%, apparently he, too, was stuck at a bottleneck.

Additionally, Li Yan exchanged for a Colt Pistol and magazines, trying to fire two shots at the shrinking gate.

Two flashes of fire passed without surprise, having no effect, but Li Yan did feel that he was more skilled when holding the gun.

This was a level of proficiency usually attained through thousands of trials and tribulations.

Li Yan clenched his fists, the items that followed grew increasingly inconceivable.

Exotic items, Hongmen Tattoo enhancement!