Money talks, and progress is fast.
The very next day, the Qi mansion's residence was ready, and Su Fan could move in directly.
Su Fan and his companions moved in that same day.
Su Fan himself didn't need such a large place; the primary reason was to buy back Qi Ling's home and also to provide a place for Cheng Yaoyin and the others to stay.
"You have all been pardoned for your past crimes as bandits. Wen Yan's situation is also under investigation. Don't engage in banditry again," Su Fan instructed Cheng Yaoyin and the others.
Xiao Jiu pouted.
"It's not as free here as it is on the mountain. It's so boring!"
Xiao Jiu suddenly found himself reminiscing about his days on the mountain.
Although everything was convenient here, it lacked the freedom and carefree nature of life on the mountain.
Now, stuck in the city with nothing to do, he was incredibly bored.
Su Fan's heart stirred.
He realized a problem: Cheng Yaoyin and the others were idle. If this continued, they would surely stray down the wrong path again.
"Do you want to do something? I can provide the capital," Su Fan asked them.
He wanted them to have something of their own to do, to avoid spending their days idly at home. This might make them less bored and perhaps even allow them to build their own careers.
"I'm strong. See what I can do?" Da Niu boasted, flexing his robust physique.
Uh...
"What's the use of just being strong? Digging latrines? You can certainly dig two more scoops than others, that's your advantage," Su Fan said speechlessly.
Relying solely on brute strength wouldn't get them far.
They needed a specialized skill.
"We only know how to rob. What else do we know?" Cheng Yaoyin scratched his head.
He genuinely couldn't think of anything else they were capable of.
"I remember Aunt Niu knows how to cook, right? How is her cooking?"
Su Fan thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he recalled a trade they could pursue.
"It's delicious! Aunt Niu's cooking is so fragrant. She could make a delicacy out of a pile of shit!" Da Niu chimed in eagerly, his mouth watering at the thought of Aunt Niu's cooking.
"It's not as exaggerated as he says. I used to help out in restaurants, so I know how to make some home-style dishes. They like them too," Aunt Niu said modestly.
It wasn't as miraculous as Da Niu described.
"If you think the taste is good, how about I fund you to open an inn?" Su Fan proposed.
"Aunt Niu will cook, Wen Yan will manage the accounts, Brother Cheng and Da Niu will be the servers. As for Xiao Jiu... he can do the cleaning," Su Fan assigned their roles after some thought.
"Hey! Why do I have to clean?" Xiao Jiu was displeased with Su Fan's allocation, pouting.
"You're clumsy. I'm afraid you'll steal the guests' food," Su Fan said calmly.
"You!"
Xiao Jiu was so angry he wanted to bite Su Fan.
"Can... can we do this?"
Cheng Yaoyin had some doubts about their capabilities. Could they really run an inn successfully?
"How will we know if we don't try? With Wen Yan here, I'm at ease," Su Fan had confidence in them. The most crucial aspect of managing an inn was income and expenses. With Wen Yan, that wouldn't be a concern.
It wasn't a grand restaurant. As long as Aunt Niu's cooking was up to par, there wouldn't be any problems.
"It's settled then. You go find a shop. Once you've found one, come to me for the money."
Su Fan believed that for opening a business, it was better for them to be hands-on. He would only provide the funds and not interfere with the details.
The group exchanged glances, still lacking much confidence.
"Go for it. First, let's find a shop. We can't keep relying on Su Fan for everything, can we?" Wen Yan spoke up. He understood Su Fan's intentions. If they had nothing to do, their group would eventually disband. Running an inn together would not only provide them with income but also prevent them from becoming a burden to Su Fan.
Scholars see things clearly.
They went off to look for a shop, while Su Fan headed to the Imperial Library.
Su Fan still had the opportunity to select skills at the Imperial Library.
This time, Su Fan intended to choose carefully, not only for use in the game but also for preparation in reality.
The people at the Imperial Library did not obstruct Su Fan this time. The Emperor had already issued a decree that the first three floors of the Imperial Library were open to Su Fan without restriction. Su Fan was now the first outsider in the entire Tianlong Dynasty, besides the royal family, to have unrestricted access.
Su Fan began selecting from various skills, primarily to enhance his strength in reality.
Therefore, Su Fan's goal was clear: no direct attack skills, no speed skills, and no defense skills. He was specifically looking for magic-based skills.
Only magic-based skills were so varied and unpredictable, and might have unexpected effects when brought into reality.
Su Fan hadn't found a skill for use in reality yet, but he spotted one that caught his eye and could be used immediately.
Invisibility Technique
Type: Magic
Enters an invisible state, consuming 50 mana per second. The state ends upon attacking. (Note: Being touched by an enemy while invisible will also end this state.)
Requirement: Level 40
Su Fan was struggling with how to infiltrate the Minister of War's residence. This skill came at the perfect time!
Although Su Fan currently only had over nine hundred mana, allowing him to be invisible for less than twenty seconds, it was enough. He didn't need to maintain invisibility constantly; he only needed it at critical moments.
Su Fan searched for a long time. For the skills he was looking for, he didn't need to check the requirements. Since they were for bringing into reality, only the effects mattered.
Soon, Su Fan selected two skills he deemed suitable.
Shadow Binding Technique
Type: Magic
Consumes 500 mana to activate Shadow Binding Technique. Enemies hit will become allied units, under the caster's command, for a duration of 45 seconds.
Requirement: Level 45, base Intelligence 100.
This was a divine skill that could control enemies for 45 seconds. If Su Fan had met the requirements, he would have learned it in the game as well.
Teleportation Step
Type: Speed
Consumes 300 mana to instantly move a certain distance, not exceeding 100 yards, and increases movement speed by 100%.
Requirement: Base Speed 150.
These two skills were a control skill and an escape skill.
Even if Su Fan encountered an opponent he couldn't defeat, he could use these two skills to control them and then choose to escape.
Especially the second skill, if its effect remained largely the same in reality, it would be equivalent to Su Fan mastering a spatial ability, a truly divine skill.
Shadow Binding Technique was the same; it would be like having two supernatural abilities.
Su Fan was very excited. He didn't find any other suitable skills. The skills on the first three floors were limited, and there weren't many powerful ones.
Furthermore, Su Fan didn't need direct attack skills. His "Art of Strategy" was already powerful enough, and he didn't need to increase his attack power further.
Besides, game skills might not significantly boost Su Fan's attack power. He had brought passive skills out before, and they had turned into cultivation techniques in reality. With "Art of Strategy," there was no need for that.