Chapter Seven: Acquiring a New Identity—The Wandering Minstrel

Purple aura?

Chen Ye felt somewhat surprised.

This was a sign of fortune related to “rising success”!

If it appeared above a person’s head, it meant that individual might bring him the help of a “benefactor.”

Moreover, Chen Ye noticed that above the Erhu old man’s head, aside from the swirling purple clouds, golden rays faintly shimmered within the purple light. At the top layer, a light azure stretched across the sky, encircled by misty white vapors rising in a haze, the blue sky washed clean, golden scales spiraling, an ever-changing spectacle of atmospheric phenomena...

“Could there even be a trace of golden fortune concealed within?”

Chen Ye was utterly astonished.

Gold signified the mandate of heaven.

The fortune aura surrounding the Erhu old man was incredibly rich!

White, blue, purple, gold...

A complex weave of various fortune auras intertwined, with even hints of gold mixed in. Could he be a master of destiny?

The Erhu old man’s identity suddenly grew mysterious.

Yet for some reason, when Chen Ye saw that fortune aura, he suddenly felt a sense of long-lost reunion.

That inexplicable warmth seemed to connect the aura with Chen Ye’s own field of fortune and energy.

It felt like coming home.

Suddenly, Chen Ye realized his gaze had lingered on the Erhu old man for some time.

The wanderer’s characteristic glare, which usually provoked hatred, hadn’t been triggered?

The Erhu old man seemed utterly indifferent to Chen Ye’s stare, merely playing his instrument as if to himself.

Chen Ye recognized the melody as “Lullaby” and was suddenly filled with nostalgia.

As a child, struggling to fall asleep at night, his whole family would squeeze into a cramped room less than forty square meters, drifting off to the soft hum of his parents’ lullabies.

The gentle melody floated softly, as if carrying memories back to childhood.

Only when the tune gradually ceased did the Erhu old man finally look up at Chen Ye, his face kind and gentle, beckoning him over with a wave of his hand.

Chen Ye hesitated for a moment, then observed with his fortune-seeing eyes. He found that the aura above his own head had not shifted toward the “black” or “blood-colored” hues associated with malevolent energy; instead, it subtly shimmered with a purple radiance.

Just now, the old lady selling chestnuts nearly engulfed herself in a blood-black malignant aura that almost shot straight up to her crown!

Yet facing the Erhu old man, such sinister auras were completely absent.

—

Even…

A purple aura had begun to emerge!

Combined with the wanderer’s traits, the more he traveled, the easier it was to encounter help from others who also wandered.

Judging from the Erhu old man’s clothing, he wore a tattered shirt that seemed decades old, weather-beaten and wrinkled beyond repair. Although it looked somewhat more intact than Chen Ye’s, it was still far from decent.

Surely, being a fellow wanderer was the reason behind such destitution.

According to the rules, receiving help from another was within the boundaries of the game’s laws.

Chen Ye obediently approached, not only drawn by the purple fortune aura indicating potential benefaction but also by that familiar warmth compelling him forward.

“Young man, you have great musical talent.”

The Erhu old man smiled as he spoke.

Uh… you mean my tone-deaf singing, off-key howls, and piano playing that once prompted the neighbors to come knocking?

Chen Ye silently mocked himself but thought better of uttering polite modesties. After all, now that he was in the “Bizarre Epoch,” what was the point of pleasantries?

So he hesitated briefly and said, “I’m not too bad…”

The Erhu old man smiled warmly and pulled an instrument from his pocket, handing it to Chen Ye.

“You have a natural gift on the path of music. This is a gift for you.”

Chen Ye looked closely. It was a double-reed woodwind instrument, topped with a slender copper pipe. The hollow body was made of sandalwood, and the bell-shaped end was yellowed and worn, the same color as the metal bowl used for begging.

A suona!

Chen Ye hadn’t expected the gift to be this “king of bawdy instruments” — famously crude yet spirited.

Moreover, the suona’s construction was peculiar.

It was hard to tell whether the old man had mounted a begging bowl onto the suona or had dismantled another suona to make a bowl for begging.

Faced with this “generous gift” from the Erhu old man, Chen Ye hesitated.

He did not suspect any ill intent but knew that according to the “Bizarre Epoch” rules, the principle of equivalent exchange was nearly everywhere.

If one did not abide by this principle, fate would exact a corresponding price.

Therefore, he did not accept the Erhu old man’s gift immediately and was about to decline when the old man smiled and said, “I’m old now, my breath is weak—I can’t play it anymore. This suona is useless to me.”

“You happen to lack a skill to earn your keep. Why not stay by my side and make a living with music?”

“Heh, I’m old and no longer useful. Perhaps one day I’ll have to rely on you performing to survive.”

“Consider it leaving an escape route for an old man like me.”

Chen Ye was taken aback; he hadn’t expected the Erhu old man to so candidly reveal his thoughts.

In this way, it did not violate the principle of equivalent exchange.

The Erhu old man’s meaning was to impart Chen Ye a livelihood skill, so that when he grew old, he would have a disciple to rely on.

Chen Ye currently lacked a stable food source; following the Erhu old man might help him through the early stages.

After all, this city was fraught with bizarre dangers. Just moments ago, the chestnut-selling old lady nearly ended him...

Chen Ye considered it and thought following the Erhu old man was not an unacceptable choice.

First, he lacked stable food sources. Although he possessed knowledge of the game’s internal rules from the beta test, after the blood-red countdown event, reality had merged with the game, and things here differed from ordinary dungeons.

For example, the old chestnut lady was clearly not friendly to beginners.

Without the Erhu old man’s help, he would have likely failed at the start.

Such a difficult “bizarre” only appeared in high-difficulty dungeons... forcing Chen Ye to rethink his situation.

Second, the Erhu old man was also a “wandering existence,” a kindred spirit with no fixed residence. Though they survived through music, they had no permanent stage, which suited the wanderer’s traits and allowed for steadily increasing the “bizarre value” through roaming.

Without a stable income, he couldn’t wander aimlessly 24/7.

By Chen Ye’s current judgment, following the Erhu old man was the best choice.

This was also an expression of the wanderer’s nature.

Finally,

Chen Ye accepted the suona from the Erhu old man.

“Ding!”

A notification suddenly popped up on his blood-red phone.

[Congratulations! You have gained the “Musician” trait.]

[Wanderer] + [Musician] = [Wandering Musician]!

[You have obtained a new identity – Wandering Musician!]

[Bizarre Value +500!]