2: Golden Legend

Does it see that I was a good person in my past life, giving me such solid goods right at the start? Qin Feng's heart couldn't help but race. This might be his only hope to establish himself in this cruel world, or even reverse his desperate situation!

He did not hesitate for a moment.

"Open!"

The golden treasure chest opened as requested, light swirling, eventually condensing into a line of shimmering golden text branded deep within his consciousness:

[(Gold) Three miles north of Star South City, there is a Mountain God Temple that has been abandoned for many years. Enter the temple gate, walk straight ahead twenty-eight steps, and beneath the dilapidated offering table directly facing the shrine, there is a hidden compartment containing a foot-long, silver-white metal small sword. This object seems ordinary yet extraordinary, like a treasure yet not quite, perhaps containing an Opportunity.]

Gold information! A suspected treasure!

Qin Feng's heart pounded wildly. Although the description was vague, the "Gold" quality itself represented immense value! Perhaps it was a fragment of some divine Sharp Weapon? Or some kind of Legacy token? Regardless, this was definitely a huge Opportunity!

The abandoned Mountain God Temple to the north... he had an impression of it in his memories; there truly was such a place, its incense long extinguished, overgrown with weeds, and usually deserted. Once his injuries healed, he had to go retrieve it immediately!

A flame of hope ignited in his heart, dispelling some of the haze brought by the Transmigration's confusion and the pain of his injuries.

He suppressed the urge to crawl to the Mountain God Temple immediately; reason told him that in his current physical state, let alone three miles, even walking out of the city gate would be a struggle. The top priority was healing his injuries and getting money!

His gaze refocused on the System's main interface.

[Would you like to refresh today's information?]

"Refresh!" He was full of anticipation.

The interface shimmered, and three new pieces of information emerged, emitting glows of different colors.

The first one was an ordinary white:

[(White) The Host has internal injuries. If you go to "Huichun Medical Hall" in the north of the city and pay thirty silver coins, you can purchase their special "Stasis-Dissolving Powder" and "Qi-Regulating Soup." Taking them for three consecutive days can heal about eighty percent.]

Thirty silver coins! Qin Feng sucked in a breath of cold air.

According to this body's memories, the currency exchange in this world was: one hundred copper coins equal ten silver coins, which equal one gold coin. Previously, working as a handyman, he only earned thirty copper coins for a hard day's work, and a meal with even a hint of grease cost about ten copper coins. He had scrimped and saved, accumulating a little over twelve silver coins in private savings, which was still more than halfway short of thirty!

This information pointed out a direction for treatment, but the steep price instantly brought him back to reality.

The second piece of information was also white, but its content left him somewhat speechless:

[(White) The fetus in the womb of Concubine Liu, the most favored concubine of Wealthy Man Li from the Royal City, is not of Wealthy Man Li's Bloodline, but actually belongs to his personal guard, Zhang Long.]

This... high-society secrets? It sounded explosive, but what did it have to do with a little handyman lying in a broken shack waiting for money to treat his injuries? Could he actually go blackmail Wealthy Man Li or that guard? He'd probably die without even knowing how.

The third piece of information was still white, and its content was even more direct, even crude:

[(White) Widow Wang, who lives alone in Willow Alley in the east of the city, has been feeling unbearably lonely lately. If the Host is in urgent need of money, you can go "comfort" her; you might receive a gift of one silver coin per visit.]

Qin Feng almost spat out a mouthful of blood. What on earth was this! As a former firefighter with a good education, he had an instinctive aversion to selling his body. Moreover, one silver coin per visit? With his injured body, he feared that instead of "comforting" her, he'd end up dead on her bed.

Three daily pieces of information: one pointed out a clearly priced but unreachable treatment plan, while the other two were completely useless gossip and... a guide to the flesh trade?

Qin Feng felt a deep sense of helplessness. This System was generous with the Gold information, but the daily information was so unreliable? He could only wait for tomorrow's refresh to see if there was a turn for the better.

Just then, with a creak, the dilapidated wooden door was gently pushed open.

A middle-aged man wearing a patched gray short jacket, with dark skin and a face etched with weathered wrinkles, walked in, carrying an oil-paper package and a small medicine jar. It was his Second Uncle, Second Uncle.

"Xiao Feng, you're awake? How are you feeling?" Second Uncle's voice was tired and raspy, his eyes filled with concern. He walked to the bedside and opened the oil-paper package, revealing several warm coarse-flour cakes and a small strip of sliced braised meat; the aroma instantly filled the cramped room.

"Second Uncle..." Qin Feng's throat felt tight. In his memory, Second Uncle usually couldn't bear to eat a single bite of meat himself.

"Quick, eat some while it's hot. This is some injury ointment I just bought; I'll rub it on for you in a bit." Second Uncle handed the cakes and meat to Qin Feng, then placed the cheap-looking jar of ointment on the bedside table. "Don't worry about your wages; the dock manager said you can go back once you're better. Just rest well these few days; I can still hold things together."

Looking at Second Uncle's hands, covered in calluses and small wounds from long-term bamboo weaving, and seeing the hidden bloodshot veins and the faint look of worry in his eyes, the words "Second Uncle, can you lend me some money?" rolled around in Qin Feng's mouth a few times before he finally swallowed them back.

Second Uncle ran a small stall with a meager income and had to cover the rent for both of them plus his medical expenses; he likely had no savings left. How could he ask?

"Thank you, Second Uncle." Qin Feng lowered his head and took a large bite of the coarse-flour cake. Mixed with the salty aroma of the braised meat, the taste wasn't actually that good, but it made his eyes prickle.

"Silly boy, why be so polite with your Second Uncle?" Second Uncle chuckled honestly and reached out to feel Qin Feng's forehead. "It's good that you don't have a fever. You stay lying down; I still have to go to my stall. I'll come back to see you later."

After saying that, he gave a few more careful instructions before turning around, his back hunched, and gently closing the door as he left.

The room fell silent again, leaving only the sound of Qin Feng chewing his food and the faint, throbbing pain in his chest and abdomen.

Thirty silver coins... the unknown silver-white small sword in the Mountain God Temple... and tomorrow's unknown information.

The road ahead was difficult, but at least he had a direction, the System, and a Second Uncle who cared for him.

He slowly clenched his fists.

Once his injuries were slightly better and he could move around, he would definitely go get that item from the Gold information!

Until then, he could only hope that tomorrow's information would bring some real "windfall."