Chapter 102: Wang Wu Departs

Chen Hao organized the strategies for the Infiltration Field based on his memory, sending one copy to Ban Qianqian and another to the group known as the "White Monster" and his five companions. In the game "War," players can choose to follow a lone-wolf path or a construction path. Since individual strength is limited, Chen Hao, having decided to focus on his own development, realized he needed a few capable assistants.

The White Monster and his five friends were not top-tier players, nor did they have any ambition for hegemony. Chen Hao had observed them for a long time and deemed them trustworthy, so he hoped to help them improve their strength quickly. In a few months, the Eight-Nation Alliance would invade the capital; while the six of them would be unable to help with the infiltration of the capital, another crucial plan required their cooperation to succeed.

After sending the Infiltration Field guide, Chen Hao warned them not to leak it—a test of their character. Even if someone were to leak the guide, it would take time for others to master the infiltration techniques. By then, Chen Hao would have already secured the 40 attribute points available from the field, rendering any leak inconsequential to him.

With four months remaining until the large-scale mission, Chen Hao’s daily routine was highly disciplined. He spent time seeking guidance on blade techniques from Wang Wu, studying culture under Li Peisen, and reloading ammunition to sell to the "Honest Merchant" for profit. Additionally, he spent several hours each day leading the White Monster and his group through dungeons. Relying on his memorized data and superior analytical skills, he never failed a dungeon raid under his command.

Although Chen Hao spent less time grinding levels than the other six, his constant leadership kept him at the highest level. After two months of practice, he reached level 17, remaining firmly in the top tier of players in the China region, while the others had all surpassed level 15.

Leading the team through A-rank dungeons daily involved minor skirmishes, but the accumulation of experience increased his Strategic Analysis by 3 points and Tactical Execution by 4 points. By maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding injury or illness, he gained an additional 12 points in Strength. Combined with the 3 points gained from mastering the Plum Blossom Fist to an advanced level, his Strength reached 32.

If players are injured or fall ill, their physical attributes may drop by 1 point upon recovery; death results in a guaranteed loss of 1 to 3 points. Chen Hao had been careful from the start, eating and sleeping well, and avoiding death, which ensured a steady increase in his Strength. This attribute boosted his combat, speed, and damage resistance, significantly elevating his individual capability.

Through daily studies with Li Peisen, he mastered "The Great Learning" and "The Analects," earning 6 Culture attribute points. His Culture attribute stood at 46, and he was currently studying the final book of the Four Books, "The Doctrine of the Mean." With Li Peisen's annotated version of the book in his satchel, his Culture reached 49, just one point shy of the requirements to accept the mission for the "Imperial Mind" special skill.

On March 26th in game time, after finishing his morning archery and blade practice, Chen Hao bought a meal from a tavern and returned to his courtyard. Halfway through his meal, Wang Wu suddenly said, "Baxian, your blade technique has reached an advanced level. To become a grandmaster, you must rely on your own insights. My leg injury is mostly healed, so I plan to leave Penglai for Zhili today."

"Master, I intend to go to Zhili in a while. Can you wait for me so we can travel together?"

Under Wang Wu's dedicated guidance, Chen Hao had mastered the Five Tigers Severing-Gate Blade. Using the broadsword provided him with an additional 6 Combat attribute points. He had grown accustomed to Wang Wu's presence. According to the game's plot, Wang Wu was destined to die at the hands of the Eight-Nation Alliance. If possible, Chen Hao wanted to change this, so keeping Wang Wu in Penglai was the best course of action.

"No," Wang Wu shook his head. "I have old friends in Zhili, and I wish to see them. I will contact them first, and when you head to Zhili, I will introduce you to them."

Seeing Wang Wu's resolve, Chen Hao stopped trying to persuade him. With several months left before the invasion, he would have time to find a way to save Wang Wu once he reached Zhili. Despite his reluctance, he handed over the Wild Goose Feather Blade: "Master, this is your blade."

Wang Wu shook his head again. "Once your blade technique reaches the grandmaster level, the weapon matters little. Your technique is not yet fully perfected; the Wild Goose Feather Blade is of more use to you. Keep it. Just give me your Horse-Slaying Blade."

"Thank you, Master." Chen Hao knew that since he was infiltrating the capital, higher Combat attributes were vital. The Wild Goose Feather Blade not only provided 6 Combat points but also possessed a "severing" effect, which was incredibly useful.

After the meal, Wang Wu packed his belongings and strapped the Horse-Slaying Blade to his back. Chen Hao took 100 silver dollars from his satchel, but Wang Wu took only ten for travel expenses, returning the rest. "Ten dollars is enough for the road. You earn your money with difficulty."

Knowing Wang Wu's character, Chen Hao didn't insist. "Then I will go find a carriage for you."

As he stepped outside, he bumped into the White Monster, who was beaming with excitement. "Brother Chen! I pulled off an eighty-kill streak in the Infiltration Field today! I gained 2 attribute points!"

After receiving the guide, the White Monster had entered the field daily. Initially, he was kicked out after only a few kills, gaining only 3 points in a month. Having finally internalized the guide, he had struck gold today.

Chen Hao poured cold water on his excitement: "With my guide and all those deaths, you only managed two points? You have a lot of nerve bragging about that."

The White Monster replied gloomily, "Except for you and that kid Chen Feng, getting 5 points is quite an achievement. By the way, Brother Chen, how many kills can you get now?"

"Far worse than you. I can't even get a single kill now."

The White Monster looked skeptical. "Don't kid me, Brother Chen. With your skill, you should be getting hundreds."

Chen Hao replied impatiently, "Why would I lie? The field caps the extra points at 40. I’ve already maxed mine out, so I’m just an observer now—a god's-eye view. I can't intervene."

"No way! You're too OP, Brother Chen. To get 40 points, you must have killed thousands!"

Chen Hao had indeed killed thousands. He had entered the field only four times; the last time, he needed a 3,100-kill streak to earn his final 10 points. He had spent 12 days in the field—three days in reality—which had earned him a long lecture from Ban Qianqian.

The White Monster soon accepted this, realizing that someone capable of writing such a guide would naturally have such stats. He patted his head. "I was so excited I forgot the point. Chen Feng says the dungeon today is Flower Tower Village. I'm here to go with you."

Chen Hao shook his head. "My master is leaving today; I must see him off. You six go ahead and see if you can clear it."

Chen Hao didn't want them to become overly dependent on him. Once they reached level 20, he would be busy with the "Imperial Mind" mission and would need them to operate in the Northeast. Without independent experience, they would never succeed.