Chapter 22: Large Civilian Stronghold

As he drew closer, Lin Mu noticed the farmers working in the fields. Observing the smiles on their faces and the lighthearted chatter they shared, he was able to make a preliminary judgment: this was a civilian settlement.

In a civilian settlement, farmers could laugh and talk freely in the fields without any sense of oppression; this was a scene that would never exist in a bandit stronghold. If it were a bandit stronghold, the farmers would essentially be captives, living under constant suppression and dread, and they would never display such carefree joy while working.

As he crossed into the territory of the settlement, Lin Mu received a system notification:

"System Prompt: Lord Lin Mu, you have discovered a large settlement. Population: 120,483."

"System Prompt: Lord Lin Mu, you have discovered a large settlement. Territory series quests activated. Territory Quest 1: Subdue or defeat any 100 Tier 2 soldiers from the four large settlements. No time limit. Reward: None."

Finally, the exclusive questline for lord players had been activated. Territory quests were the unique domain of lord players; whether by subduing, routing, or destroying, these actions all counted toward conquering the settlement. These quests offered no system rewards; the system was notoriously stingy.

Lin Mu’s goal for this settlement was to win it over. However, compared to his own tiny village, a settlement with over 100,000 people was like comparing a sesame seed to a watermelon—and Lin Mu was the sesame seed. For a watermelon to submit to a sesame seed was absurd, nothing more than a daydream.

So, how should he proceed?

In his previous life, Lin Mu had no experience in subduing large settlements. He had always followed the standard path: recruiting refugees, gathering displaced populations, purchasing citizens, or attracting players to join. For the more ruthless, one would simply use military force to attack, suppress, and capture them before forcing their submission. He had never attempted to win something for nothing. Lin Mu pondered for a moment, wondering if there were any prerequisites, but he remained at a loss.

Regardless of the awkwardness, Lin Mu and Xiao Hu soon appeared in the sight of the farmers.

"Hey, look at those two! They don't look like they're from our settlement," a sharp-eyed farmer remarked to those around him.

"You're right. We're in such a remote, desolate place. Could they be scouts for those bandits?" another farmer wondered aloud.

"I don't think so. Look at that person; he looks like the 'Outsiders' the Heavenly Sages spoke of!" When players arrived in the mythical world, the rules of heaven marked them in a way that allowed the local inhabitants to identify them. As for what exactly that mark was, it had always remained a mystery to Lin Mu.

"Oh, you're right, they must be Outsiders! Quickly, go tell the Settlement Chief that Outsiders have arrived!" With that, the farmer hurried off toward the settlement.

Lin Mu, having keen hearing, caught their conversation. He quickly asked politely, "Greetings. I am Lin Mu, the Village Chief of True Dragon Village, and an Outsider. You are from the settlement ahead, right?"

"Ah... oh, yes, yes," the farmers hurriedly set down their tools and returned a slight bow.

"Are you all civilians of the Great Han?" Lin Mu continued to probe.

"Yes, we are all displaced civilians of the Great Han. We fled our homes due to a plague and wandered until we were fortunate enough to be taken in by our kindhearted Settlement Chief, who provided us with a place to settle down," one farmer replied.

"May I request an audience with your Settlement Chief?" Lin Mu asked. Based on their words, he suspected the chief was indeed a benevolent person. This confirmed it was a civilian settlement; the chance of it being a bandit stronghold was zero.

"Of course, of course! The Chief has given orders to welcome Outsiders to our settlement!" the farmer said happily. They were finally seeing the Outsiders the Chief spoke of—the ones supposedly invited by the Sages from beyond the heavens, blessed with immortality. It was truly enviable.

To Lin Mu's surprise, he easily met the kindhearted Chief the farmers had described.

The man was middle-aged, dressed in a scholar's robe. He was refined and handsome, with a light beard, a ruddy complexion, and sharp, intelligent eyes. Though not physically imposing, his gait was steady and powerful.

The Chief spoke first: "Are you the Outsider?" he asked with a look of curiosity and certainty.

"I am Lin Mu, and I am indeed an Outsider," Lin Mu confirmed.

"Haha, good! The Sages say that although Outsiders have frail bodies and are like duckweed without roots, their potential is boundless. Some have futures that cannot be measured. I have finally lived long enough to see one with my own eyes," the Chief said, stroking his beard with delight, as if the rumors about Outsiders had long been known to the locals.

"I am the Chief of Qingfeng Settlement, Gao Hai, courtesy name Yuanrang," he introduced himself.

Lin Mu was slightly surprised; to have a courtesy name meant he was a man of some standing.

"I am Lin Mu, currently the Village Chief of True Dragon Village." Since he was introducing himself, he might as well declare his status. His small title didn't amount to much, but it put him on equal footing with the Chief, granting him the right to a peer-to-peer conversation.

In "Mythical Three Kingdoms," class divisions were stark. From commoners and humble families to noble clans, official families, royalty, and in-laws of the Emperor, the social hierarchy was rigid and profound.

Even the circulating currency reflected the class distinctions of the Great Han Empire.

As the saying goes, "Gold and silver are treasures!" The officials and nobles of the Great Han usually treated gold and silver as precious items to be hoarded. They would rarely use them to trade with the lower classes, relying instead on copper coins—which the NPCs simply called "money." For example, 10,000 "money" meant 10,000 copper coins. They referred to silver and gold coins as "silver" and "gold."

Of course, transactions between officials—such as bribes or tributes—were conducted using gold, silver, jewelry, and rare gemstones to show respect. Among the upper echelons, such as court officials, eunuchs, and powerful clans, the most valuable currencies were [Gold Biscuits] and [Han Imperial Gold Biscuits].

Leaving the [Han Imperial Gold Biscuits] aside, a single [Gold Biscuit] was worth 100 gold coins. However, if a player wanted to exchange for one, the cost was always higher than 100 gold, depending on their relationship with the official or noble. True wealth was held by the upper class.

Lin Mu remembered a joke from his past life regarding such bribes: A wealthy player once went to the imperial capital, Luoyang, to bribe a eunuch for an official position. Instead of exchanging his wealth for gold coins or biscuits, he brought dozens of carts filled with copper coins. It drew a massive crowd, as the spectacle of a "tycoon" trying to buy an official was a major event.

The NPCs used physical currency, unlike players who could represent wealth with virtual numbers. The dozens of carriages covered in cloth rolled to the eunuch’s mansion. The guards, seeing the commotion, immediately knew what was happening and reported to the steward. Expecting a tribute of high value, the steward was delighted—the master would get the lion's share, and he would get the scraps. In his excitement, he didn't even check the contents.

The player was later kicked out, and all his copper coins were confiscated. The mission failed, and he lost nearly ten million coins, leaving him weeping and beating his chest in regret.

The steward had roared in fury: "You base wretch! To attempt to bribe my master with such filthy, copper-smelling trash! How dare you! Get out of my sight!"

The players eventually learned the secret: the upper class looked down on copper. It showed that their corruption had "taste" and "artistry." Using copper was seen as an insult—the player was lucky not to have been killed. If he had used gold coins or biscuits, given the insatiable greed of the imperial officials, he might have succeeded.

At the time, many had laughed at the story, and Lin Mu had laughed too after seeing the recording on the battle-net. But it reflected the rigid, suffocating class system of the Great Han Empire.

Social status and reputation were, in any era, the fundamental requirements for a conversation between equals.