"Classmate, get some good rest. We'll be heading out first."
The two staff members felt that Ma Jun was mocking them. They had already logged what needed to be logged, so they turned around and left.
Ma Jun didn't care at all.
Everything he said was the truth.
Whether they believed it or not made no difference to him.
He closed the door and felt his stomach grow a little hungry again.
Before returning, he had just had a rather in-depth and friendly exchange with Akuna.
It had consumed a great deal of stamina.
Ma Jun decided to reward himself with a portion of egg-and-rice.
Make it two eggs.
Fight fire with fire.
Southwestern Military District.
Jiang Han stared expressionlessly at the noblewoman in front of her.
If one looked closely, they would notice a deep, hidden resentment buried within the woman's eyes.
The noblewoman was dressed luxuriously, yet her face was sallow with worry, and strands of white hair had already appeared at her temples.
She wore a flattering smile as she looked at Jiang Han.
"Xiao Han, just help Mom one more time. I'm begging you."
"Alright or not?"
Jiang Han struggled to control her emotions, forcing her voice not to tremble with anger.
"On what grounds?"
"This mission nearly killed you—you barely survived—and you only earned 500 gold coins. Why give them to that person?!"
The noblewoman glanced around in panic. After confirming no one was paying attention, she hissed sharply,
"What do you mean that person?!"
"She's your older sister!"
"She has no blood relation to me."
Jiang Han's gaze turned icy.
"Shut up!"
Tears streamed down the noblewoman's face as she shouted angrily, "Are you trying to逼死 me?!"
Jiang Han lowered her head helplessly, her fists clenching unconsciously.
Every time—it was always like this.
Her mother always used tears to force her hand, softening her heart.
Sometimes Jiang Han wondered why she had such a mother. She would rather have been an ordinary person, with an ordinary but warm family.
"Be good. Mom is doing this for your sake too."
"Once you've placated your sister, your father will treat you better. Your resources will improve then."
The noblewoman coaxed her patiently.
"Hah!" Jiang Han let out a cold laugh. "I've been giving way to her since I was little. Have my resources ever gotten better?"
"Everything I have now, I earned with my own strength!"
"And Jiang Xue—if I hadn't held back during the grand competition, she wouldn't even have qualified to get that position!"
The noblewoman's face turned deathly pale. She lunged forward, trying to cover Jiang Han's mouth, but Jiang Han lightly dodged aside.
The woman stomped her feet in agitation.
"How can you be so ignorant?!"
"What if someone hears this—"
"So what if they do?" Jiang Han lifted her proud brows. "I've already entered the horror game. One day, I'll prove myself with real strength."
"I'm not weaker than anyone!"
"And stop using the excuse that it's 'for my own good' to wrong me."
"You're clearly just trying to please them to make your own life easier."
"Don't ever tell me again that you're thinking of me. It makes me sick."
The noblewoman staggered slightly, her face flushing red, then white.
A sense of shame—her hidden thoughts exposed—washed over her.
She cried out resentfully, "Just one last time! Alright?!"
"Take out the 500 gold coins and help me one more time!"
"Heh." Jiang Han chuckled softly. "So you finally admit that I'm helping you?"
The noblewoman no longer cared about anything else.
"Tell me first—what are you using the money for?"
Pressed by Jiang Han, the noblewoman had no choice but to explain.
"Someone in the military district's black market discovered an epic-grade item that can increase constitution. It's selling for 5,500 gold coins."
"I thought Jiang Xue had only barely reached Level 2 this time, and she was suppressed by you. I was afraid she'd feel bad, so I used my quota to buy it."
"Now I'm still 500 short. If I can't pay it off, there might be trouble…"
Jiang Han stared at the noblewoman in disbelief.
"You want to use the 500 gold coins I earned by risking my life… to buy Jiang Xue an epic-grade item?"
If it weren't for her childhood memories, she would have seriously suspected that the woman in front of her wasn't her mother at all.
"Xiao Han, help Mom one more time. I'm begging you…"
The noblewoman began deploying her tearful tactics again.
Jiang Han's body trembled. She fought hard to keep herself together, refusing to let the tears of grievance fall.
"Fine!"
She clenched her teeth. "I'll help you one last time!"
"But I want to see exactly what that item is!"
Items that increased constitution were extremely rare.
Constitution was directly tied to defense—in other words, it had the greatest impact on survival rate.
Its importance to newcomers went without saying.
Those secret clans, noble families, and major military districts all spared no effort in buying such items—
To cultivate their own heirs.
Seeing Jiang Han agree, the noblewoman immediately brightened with joy.
She took out the epic-grade item she had purchased and showed it to Jiang Han.
"Exotic Pork Chop?"
Jiang Han glanced at its attributes, and jealousy surged in her heart.
+3 Constitution!
How long had she trained, how much suffering had she endured, just to raise her constitution by a tiny amount…
And now Jiang Xue could casually eat a pork chop and gain three points.
"Huh?"
She stared at the pork chop again. Suddenly, something felt off.
This pork chop—why did it look so familiar?!
Very quickly, realization struck her.
"This… this isn't—"
The pork chop in front of her—
Wasn't it the same one Ma Jun roasted every day in the castle?!
That aroma—she would never mistake it.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read 60 chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/Sanam123