Chapter 3: Clearly Nothing Has Changed, Yet Everything Is Different
At this time, Xiao Yu also introduced the middle-aged man, “Mr. Zhao, this is the heir of our Chen Clan, the current Chen Family Head, Chen Han.”
“So you are the Chen Family Head.” Zhao Kang immediately greeted him warmly.
Although in modern society it feels a bit strange to still use titles like family head, after seeing the skill the other party had just displayed, he instead found him a bit mysterious.
“Mr. Zhao, hello.” Chen Han replied with a smile and also welcomed him to visit the Chen Clan.
After that, he looked at the Sect residence Construction Tablet in the warehouse to check the requirement information:
10,000 money (32,000/10,000). 10 reputation value points （12/10）.
Sure enough, reputation had increased by 12 points.
Just now he had been thinking about how to gain reputation, and now there was an unexpected surprise.
Manifestation before people, was this not exactly what the Emei Sect often did in the Shu Shan World.
He had not expected that what he had just done would become a manifestation before people.
Carefully counting, the group with Mr. Zhao totaled 13 people, one little girl and 12 adults. This should mean that, excluding the little girl, each of the 12 adults had provided one point of reputation.
As for why the little girl could not provide reputation, it should be because she was too young and lacked the relevant awareness and discernment.
Thinking of this, Chen Han deliberately, in front of Zhao Kang and the others, flipped his palm and turned his hand, and put that stone back into the warehouse.
Having learned that he could obtain reputation this way, he naturally wanted to farm another wave of reputation.
After all, since a game had such a setting, there would certainly be many places later where reputation would be needed.
It was like pay-to-win in games: since they designed pay-to-win, they would try every possible method to make you pay.
Unfortunately, this time he did not gain any reputation.
It seemed that gaining reputation from the same person was limited; there was no loophole to exploit one person indefinitely.
He was a bit speechless. When the game system treated the little earth dog as a dog demon it did not care about rigor, yet now it suddenly became strict with him.
He suddenly felt like he was facing a double-standard dog.
Zhao Kang and his group were once again drawn to him, unable to resist checking him all over, trying to figure out where the stone had been hidden.
Normally, this kind of performance did not really make the stone disappear, but hid it somewhere on the body.
Yet the other party wore only a simple T-shirt and jeans; there did not seem to be anywhere to hide it.
Even Xiao Yu had started searching on her senior brother, very curious where he had hidden the stone. There was nowhere to hide it. Suddenly, she glanced at a certain part of her senior brother, recalling a TV series plot where a bomb was hidden in the crotch.
Could senior brother have hidden the stone in his crotch?
But the shape did not look like it.
Thinking this, she felt a bit ashamed and quickly looked toward Zhao Kang and the others. “Mr. Zhao, I will first take you to complete the accommodation procedures, then I will take you to the vegetable garden to choose ingredients for dinner. Tomorrow I can guide you around the entire ancient architectural complex.”
Tours of the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex included accommodation, countryside experience, dining, and sightseeing in one; this was also an essential function for rural tourism. As for whether it could attract tourists, that would depend on solid content.
For example, the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex primarily featured ancient buildings, so these ancient buildings were the core. Then, adding some foundation and a touch of fantasy on this core was what the Chen Clan needed to do.
So on the Chen Clan’s side, they had also set up a very long sightseeing corridor with old photographs and some story introductions on it.
As Zhao Kang and his group walked past, they saw that the story was roughly about the origin between the Chen Clan, a Daoist Sect Heritage Family, and the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation.
For ordinary people, the title of Daoist Sect Heritage Family already sounded very mysterious.
Under normal circumstances, when ordinary people saw this kind of story, they would not think much of it. After all, many scenic spots brag about themselves, and here they were even linking themselves to the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation.
Modern atheism is the mainstream.
But after seeing the young family head display that skill, Zhao Kang and the others inexplicably felt that the Chen Clan was not simple.
“So there is such a foundation; no wonder.” Zhao Kang could not help sighing.
The photos were all very old photographs, taken when members of the Chen Clan organized young and strong men from the surrounding ten miles and eight villages to fight bandits. It was said they were taken with the help of a young lady from the county.
Here, Xiao Yu also told Zhao Kang and the others that the Chen Clan’s tradition of organizing young and strong men to fight bandits and resist rebel soldiers could be traced back 1,000 years.
At this time, Zhao Kang and the others also learned that the Chen Clan had an inheritance of true kung fu.
They then thought of the skill shown by that young family head. Could it be that he possessed true kung fu, so his speed was so fast that they could not see the trick at all?
Even the way they looked at Xiao Yu changed a little.
Because in her Douyin videos, this girl always filmed sword dances and various fist techniques. At a glance, she was clearly not simple.
The more they thought about it, the more Zhao Kang and his companions could not help taking out their mobile phones to photograph those photos and story introductions, not forgetting to post on Moments with the caption, “Today I had the honor to visit the mysterious Chen Clan; it truly broadened my horizons.”
Chen Han had already returned to the main residence area of the Chen Clan. The people living here were all from the Chen Clan. When he was a child, it was very lively here, but now the young people had all gone out to work, and only some elders stayed behind.
As the family head, he had his own large courtyard and an attic, with an area larger than a typical detached villa.
Lying down on the reclining chair in the courtyard, he once again took out the Sect residence Construction Tablet.
The conditions for use were now satisfied, and he wanted to know how the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex would change after the renovation.
【Would you like to use the Sect residence Construction Tablet to renovate the current Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex?】
Chen Han directly chose yes.
In the next moment, he saw the Sect residence Construction Tablet in his hand light up. Under his shocked gaze, it turned into a beam of bright light that shot straight up and then spread out in the sky, turning into a light curtain that enveloped the entire Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex.
Chen Han was completely stunned.
He truly had not expected such a big commotion; this might well cause a fantasy incident.
There was no way to explain this at all.
“Xiao Han, what would you like to eat tonight?” A thin middle-aged man walked in and asked.
Chen Han looked at his uncle, who had come in without noticing anything unusual, and could not help saying, “Uncle, look up.”
Chen Lin looked up doubtfully. “Two sparrows just flew by.”
“…” Chen Han did not care whether sparrows had flown by. He had just obtained an important piece of information: his uncle could not see the light covering the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex.
He immediately walked out of the courtyard.
Seeing this, Chen Lin hurriedly called out, “Xiao Han, you still haven’t said what you want for dinner.”
“Uncle, something light is fine.” Chen Han answered, and then he met several clan members and went to look at Zhao Kang and the other tourists. They were already in the Chen Clan’s vegetable garden enjoying the fun of picking vegetables, and they also could not see the light.
It seemed only he could see it.
Back in the courtyard, he kept observing the light covering the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex. This light lasted for a long time, still enveloping everything even when his uncle called him for dinner.
When Chen Han arrived at his uncle’s place, his uncle had prepared three dishes and one soup, all very light.
After he sat down, Chen Lin asked, “Xiao Han, you keep eating light. Have you been feeling unwell recently? Your complexion looks a bit pale.”
“Uncle, it’s nothing.” Chen Han quickly covered it up.
Because of lung cancer, he had only one month of lifespan left. If in the end there was no way to survive, he would just grit his teeth and endure it himself. He did not want others to worry.
As he spoke, he began to eat on his own.
There were only him and his uncle at the table. When his uncle was young, he had been hurt in love, and never married or had children. So Chen Han felt he should find a time to tell his uncle to take a wife.
At his uncle’s age, he should still be able to have children; otherwise, if he did not survive in the end, their branch would face the crisis of having no descendants.
At this moment, Chen Lin suddenly said, “Xiao Han, you are the sole heir of our branch. You ought to start a family early and carry on the line. I think Xiao Yu is quite good. She helps you so wholeheartedly. Why don’t you marry her; your uncle can talk to her for you.”
“…” Chen Han really was not in the mood to talk about this and found himself preempted like a general charging ahead.
He quietly focused on his meal, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his lungs. He hurriedly said a word to his uncle and returned to his own place.
Locking the door tight, he rushed into the restroom and could no longer hold it in, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Right after that, the pain became even more intense. Almost trembling, he fumbled for the painkillers, forced them into his mouth, and swallowed with effort.
In the late stage of cancer, the cancer cells would act up from time to time, making life worse than death. In his condition, he could only use painkillers for relief. Every episode left him completely drained and weak all over.
It seemed that he had overexerted himself today, and the attack was even more severe. He struggled onto the bed, curled up, and fainted in a daze.
When Chen Han regained consciousness, he vaguely heard an empty, ethereal prompt in his mind:
【Congratulations, the Sect residence Construction Tablet has completed the renovation of the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex. You now possess your own sect residence, and the sect residence information has been unlocked!】
Chen Han opened his eyes and immediately took out his mobile phone to check the time.
Six in the morning; a whole night had passed.
Then he suddenly looked around his room in surprise. The entire room seemed different.
Though the furnishings and layout were unchanged, it felt as if everything had been washed clean. The former age and dust were gone, and there was now a subtle, simple and unadorned aura.
Was this the simple-and-unadorned +2 attribute?
Thinking of this, he hurriedly left the room and checked all around the ancient architectural complex. Everywhere was still the same complex as before, with some places even retaining old cracks, yet there was a sense that all dust had been wiped away.
If earlier it had been like an old man in terrible shape, on the verge of collapse, now that old man had suddenly transformed into someone with an immortal-like demeanor.
Just seeing it gave people a feeling of simple and unadorned beauty, with great ornamental value.
This should be the ornamentality +2 attribute.
With this attribute added, the contrast was extremely direct and strong. It was hard to believe it was the same place; the entire ancient architectural complex felt completely different.
At this time, he saw his uncle walk out with a face full of doubt. Seeing him, his uncle said, “Xiao Han, do you feel something different around us?”
Chen Han understood what his uncle meant and replied with a smile, “Uncle, isn’t everything around us the same? Nothing has changed. What would be different?”
Chen Lin nodded, but still muttered, “Yes, clearly nothing has changed, so why does it feel different?”
On the other side, Zhao Kang and the other tourists were also waking up one after another.
Zhao Kang had come with his wife. After the two got up, they planned to wash up. His wife suddenly said, “Huh, why does the room feel a bit different all of a sudden? The layout clearly hasn’t changed, but it looks more aesthetically pleasing, with better ornamental value.”
“You feel that too?” Zhao Kang was very surprised. He had felt the same just now when he got up, but had thought it was just his imagination.
