Unrivaled Miracle Doctor: The God-Defying Demonic Consort novel Chapter 580

Chapter 580: Chapter 15: Never Bully the Poor Youth!

"Floating guests, a special group existing in the Middle Ancient Realm. The so-called floating guests refer to rootless drifters without families, having no settled residence, forming alliances based on interests, and living by taking on various tasks. Floating guests have no family names, only titles. These people, although lacking familial backgrounds, are extremely ruthless due to their long-term lives living on the edge..."

At the corner of the courtyard wall with the plaque of the Floating Guest Clan, a scrawny old man squatted on the steps, speaking spiritedly and spitting while addressing a group of children.

The children around him were entranced, either by his words or the handful of candies in his hand, listening attentively and occasionally exclaiming, ’Wow! Wow!’

Mu Qingge paused to listen for a moment, then looked up at the open gates of the busy Floating Guest Clan, and stepped inside.

At this time, a voice came to her ears, the voice of the scrawny old man, "This Floating Guest Clan is the place where floating guests select tasks. Also, it’s a place for people to post tasks. As long as you can afford the price, no matter what kind of business it is, there will be floating guests taking it on..."

When Mu Qingge entered through the gates of the Floating Guest Clan, the old man’s voice already blurred and eventually faded away.

She stood in the forecourt, observing the people coming and going with great interest.

The people here seemed more rugged than those outside. This ruggedness referred not to appearance, but to their aura. Almost everyone carried a faint scent of blood.

Almost all were men here, rarely were there any women, let alone women of unparalleled beauty.

Xie Ya’s appearance immediately drew the attention of the floating guests. Their eyes, laden with aggressiveness, swept over Xie Ya and Mu Qingge, yet they did not take any drastic actions.

These floating guests, who had lived on the blade’s edge for many years, understood the times and knew how to read the situation better.

Mu Qingge and Xie Ya, dressed in extraordinary attire, boldly walked into the Floating Guest Clan; these were not individuals to provoke lightly. Perhaps, they were heirs of some family.

Not getting into conflicts with families was a principle for floating guests!

Because in this world, it’s a world where families are supreme, and the power represented by a strong family is incredibly terrifying.

The presence of Mu Qingge and Xie Ya caused some commotion in the forecourt of the Floating Guest Clan.

Under the eyes of the floating guests, they walked further inside.

Gradually, Mu Qingge felt that this place had the nature of a post house. It wasn’t just receiving and posting tasks, but also providing lodging and other conditions for floating guests.

This place was like the home of the floating guests, no wonder it was called the Floating Guest Clan.

The first main hall was crowded with people.

Upon stepping over the threshold, Mu Qingge and Xie Ya were attracted by the signs hanging on the walls. These signs were made of special materials, allowing tasks to be added or erased on them.

Mu Qingge slowly browsed around, with no one paying her any heed. Actually, it was the same for everyone here. If you were a floating guest, after selecting the task you wanted, you’d just head to the side hall to find a dedicated person to handle the paperwork.

Publishing a task was even simpler; enter the second main hall, also find a dedicated person to publish the task, and pay a deposit.

There were no receptionists here.

[Recruit a floating guest team led by someone at the Gray Realm Second Layer, to escort medicinal materials to Baile City.]

[High reward for finding Seven-star Orchid Pearl Grass.]

[One hundred low-level spirit stones for the head of the flower thief Xiao Chunfeng.]

[Deliver intelligence to Golden Sea Prefecture...]

Various tasks unfolded in Mu Qingge’s eyes.

There were no taboos here.

Murder, revenge, conspiracies... all sorts of unspeakable things were declared outright. And floating guests seemed to have no distinction of good and evil, only choosing tasks they had confidence in, then earning commissions.

Mu Qingge stood for a while, watching as tasks were occasionally erased and then new ones were filled in.

Those that were erased must have been selected by someone.

"Little brother."

Suddenly, a friendly voice came from behind Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge turned around and saw a middle-aged man, dressed in samurai attire, standing in front of her. On his back, he carried a Mystic Ruler Heavy Sword.

Seeing Mu Qingge turn sharply, the person’s smiling eyes suddenly turned into amazement.

For a moment, he couldn’t say a word.

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked, "Do you have business with me?"

"Uh!" The man awoke from his daze, his eyes sweeping over Mu Qingge and Xie Ya. Seeing their prominent appearances, a trace of disappointment arose in his eyes. Yet, he still smiled and said, "Oh, my name is Gan Xiong, and I am the leader of a Floating Guest Team. I saw you looking at tasks over here and thought that you might want to take on a task, so I came over to ask, wondering if you have joined a Floating Guest Team."

"Then why disappointed?" Mu Qingge asked playfully, keenly aware of Gan Xiong’s moment of disappointment.

"Uh..." Gan Xiong said awkwardly, "Seeing you in splendid attire, I guessed you might not be a Floating Guest. I was presumptuous." Saying this, he cupped his fists towards Mu Qingge.

His frankness unexpectedly made one have a good impression.

Mu Qingge was quite curious about the Floating Guest clan, and now someone came forward to solve her confusion, how could she let the opportunity slip away?

She smiled at Gan Xiong and said, "My name is Mu Qingge, and it’s my first time venturing outside from the family for training. Many things are ones I’ve only heard of, but never seen personally. I’m also quite half-baked about Floating Guests, I wonder if Brother Gan has time to enlighten me?"

Xie Ya stood quietly behind Mu Qingge and was naturally taken as Mu Qingge’s exclusive companion.

Many people around who heard their conversation ridiculed inwardly.

They mocked Mu Qingge truly as a rich young master, going on an adventure yet not forgetting to bring such a beautiful woman along.

Gan Xiong initially regretted his rash attempt at conversation, but seeing Mu Qingge not showing the usual arrogance of family scions, he smiled instead and said to her, "In that case, how about coming to my room, so we can chat slowly? Too many people here."

"Pardon my intrusion," Mu Qingge nodded. She brought Xie Ya along with Gan Xiong and left the place.

The accommodations provided by the Floating Guest clan for the floating guests are all at the back courtyard.

As Gan Xiong led them in, he began a simple introduction, "Living here doesn’t require money. Depending on the team’s level, the living conditions differ. If you’re a Heavenly Level Floating Guest Team, you can live in the courtyard over there." As he spoke, Gan Xiong raised his hand to point.

Mu Qingge followed his gesture and looked, and at the best location stood a locked residence. The courtyard wall distinctively different from other places seemingly highlighted its uniqueness.

"Floating guest teams are divided according to Heaven, Earth, Dark, and Yellow levels. Heavenly Level Floating Guest Teams are very rare; in the entire Middle Ancient Realm, probably less than three teams. They take on big tasks and have fixed employers, so they barely come to such small places, meaning the houses remain vacant most of the year. Still, even if they’re uninhabited, preparations are always made. After Heavenly comes Earth, then Dark Level, and finally Yellow Level." Gan Xiong said while gesturing backward towards himself, grinning, "I am part of a Yellow Level Floating Guest Team." His demeanor showed no hint of embarrassment, nor did he think Yellow Level was a disgrace.

"Below Yellow Level, there are no hierarchically equal Floating Guest Teams." As he spoke, Gan Xiong already brought the two to a simple and modest courtyard. Its size naturally couldn’t compare to the courtyard seen earlier from afar. "I live here, please come in."

Gan Xiong pushed open the half-closed door, and a faint musty smell drifted out.

Mu Qingge did not show any discomfort and followed Gan Xiong into the house.

The furnishings inside the house were very simple, and the appliances were a bit worn, having been used for an unknown period.

"Floating Guest Teams without any level can only stay in shared quarters. So, my place here is still relatively nice. However, you can choose not to stay within the Floating Guest clan, and if you have money, you can always stay at inns outside." Gan Xiong moved a stool, placed it in the sunlight, wiped it with a cloth, and invited Mu Qingge and Xie Ya to sit, then poured them tea before sitting down himself.

Xie Ya took the teacup, and the tea within should be described as tea scraps. Evidently, life for Gan Xiong as a Floating Guest wasn’t going too well, yet he seemed quite content. Since the moment they met, he’d not voiced a single complaint.

"Mr. Gan, where are your team members?" Xie Ya asked while holding the teacup.

Gan Xiong seemed somewhat surprised that Xie Ya would speak up first. In his view, this was a little against the norms of hierarchy, but seeing Mu Qingge not displeased, he answered, "They went out to have fun, probably won’t be back until late."

Mu Qingge placed the teacup on the table and asked, "Brother Gan, how many people are in your Floating Guest Team?"

Gan Xiong said, "I have few people, mostly fellow townsmen. Including me, just five of us. We mainly take on simple and easy tasks to earn a living. Even though our progress is slow, it’s stable and safe."

As Mu Qingge listened, she nodded, "Then how are these Floating Guest Teams formed? Are there any restrictions? How do they level up?"

Gan Xiong treated Mu Qingge’s question as curious and earnestly explained. "Forming a Floating Guest Team is simple, as long as there are three people, you can apply. Applying is easy too; just choose a name, then register within any Floating Guest clan, stating who is in charge, how many members there are, the highest cultivation level, and list five members’ cultivation levels and names. Of course, if there are only three people, then write all three’s information. About leveling up, non-ranked teams start without levels and must rely on doing tasks to accumulate experiential points to get rated."

"Experiential points?" Mu Qingge asked.

Gan Xiong nodded, "Actually, for each task, when you go to accept it, the person responsible for task handover will inform you of the level of the task and the experience points you can earn. Once completed, the experience points are naturally yours. From no level to Yellow Level, only 500 experience points are needed. From Yellow Level to Dark Level, 2,000 experience points are required. From Dark Level to Earth Level, 3,000 experience points, and for Earth Level to Heavenly Level, you need 10,000 experience points. Moreover, if the task is not completed or causes damage, some experience points will be deducted. To become a Heavenly Level Floating Guest Team, unless all the tasks you accept are highly dangerous and yield high points without fail."

Mu Qingge silently contemplated Gan Xiong’s words in her heart and found that the Floating Guest Team’s system was actually quite straightforward and ruthless. Simply put, it’s like those online games from her previous life, slaying monsters for points and then leveling up.

However, if the task fails or causes damage, points will be deducted. It sounds fair, but in reality, it’s somewhat of a trap.

This means that Floating Guest Teams are not allowed to make mistakes or even fail. Otherwise, the scores accumulated through hard work will be deducted, and there’s a risk of demotion, let alone leveling up.

However, she appreciated such competitive conditions!

Mu Qingge’s eyes flickered slightly as she asked, "Brother Gan just mentioned that tasks of different levels offer different experience points?"

Gan Xiong nodded repeatedly, "That’s right. Generally, ordinary tasks earn a few points each time, at most no more than ten. But Yellow Level tasks can offer between ten and fifty points. Dark Level tasks range from fifty to a hundred points. Earth Level tasks are higher, and Heavenly Level tasks are exceedingly high. However, despite the high points, few dare to take them."

"Do you need a corresponding level to take a task?" Mu Qingge asked.

This question made Gan Xiong shake his head with a wry smile. His smile contained a hint of wistfulness. "This is the cruel part of Floating Guest competition; even if you’re a newly registered Floating Guest Team, you can still take on Earth Level or even Heavenly Level tasks. No one will care about your life or death. They’ll only think you’re courting death."

Xie Ya listened intently. Gan Xiong’s words seemed to have opened a new world for her.

After listening, Mu Qingge nodded almost imperceptibly and agreed, "Yes, indeed. However, lacking self-assessment and rashly undertaking tasks that are impossible to complete is irresponsible to oneself and the team."

Gan Xiong looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected such words from someone from a noble family.

Gradually, the surprise in his eyes turned to appreciation. "That’s right! Therefore, as the leader of a Floating Guest Team, one must be responsible for their subordinates and not be rash or greedy."

"You’re right," Mu Qingge nodded.

After a while, Mu Qingge curiously asked, "Who governs the Floating Guest clan? And how is order maintained among the Floating Guests?"

This was a crucial question. Whichever force controls the Floating Guest clan essentially controls all the Floating Guests of the Middle Ancient Realm.

"I don’t know!" However, Gan Xiong gave Mu Qingge an unexpected answer by shaking his head.

"You don’t know?" Mu Qingge was taken aback.

Gan Xiong nodded and explained, "The Floating Guest clan has existed for a long time; no one knows who originally created it. It’s only known that the three current Heavenly Level Floating Guest Teams manage it together to maintain the clan’s order. However, management is all they do. Among Floating Guests, there is a rule that if you become a Heavenly Level Floating Guest Team, you gain the right to manage the clan. Each completed task allows the clan to take thirty percent of the commission to maintain clans around the realm. If there’s anything leftover, it’s divided among the three Heavenly Level teams."

Mu Qingge squinted her eyes, lost in thought.

After a while, she asked, "What are the names of the three current Heavenly Level Floating Guest Teams?"

Gan Xiong knew this detail and quickly provided the answer. "Xuan Yue, Bailian, Giant Spirit."

"Xuan Yue, Bailian, Giant Spirit," Mu Qingge muttered these three words silently.

She had learned quite a lot about the Floating Guest clan.

A vague plan in her mind was gradually becoming clear.

Mu Qingge collected her thoughts and said to Gan Xiong, "Brother Gan, why did you call out to me earlier?"

Upon mentioning the matter, Gan Xiong seemed a bit embarrassed and said, "I previously accepted a task, but we don’t have enough manpower, so I thought of temporarily finding a few Floating Guests to complete the task with us."

"Is that possible?" Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed with surprise.

Gan Xiong laughed heartily a few times and nodded, "According to the rules, a Floating Guest cannot form a team alone. But there are many Floating Guests who can’t find suitable people for a team, so our established teams can hire them. After completing the task, they get a share of the commission. Moreover, if both parties are satisfied after working together, they can be absorbed into the team and become official members. If not, after the task is complete, they can go their separate ways."

"I see." Mu Qingge nodded with a smile.

After chatting with Gan Xiong for a while, Mu Qingge had a rough understanding of what kind of organization the Floating Guest is.

She then asked, "How about if you want to issue a task? Can you also buy information from the Floating Guest clan?"

Mu Qingge visited the Floating Guest clan not just out of interest but also because she had something important she hoped to accomplish through them.

"Buy information? That’s definitely possible!" Gan Xiong replied, "Information is also considered a task, so just approach those who handle task selection. Once completed, there’s no need to come back here to collect it. The Floating Guest clan spans across every state and city in the Middle Ancient Realm, with its own information network. If the information isn’t too complicated, it can be provided immediately. If time is needed to investigate, you’ll be notified once the task is taken, and you can acquire it from any Floating Guest clan location at an agreed time."

"That’s quite convenient," Mu Qingge smiled.

Gan Xiong nodded and asked again, "Does young brother Mu want to buy information?"

Mu Qingge did not hide her intentions and nodded, "Yes, I want to inquire about a family."

"Family information?" Gan Xiong thought for a moment and said, "That depends on which family. If it’s just an ordinary one, the information is almost always readily available within the Floating Guest clan. If it’s an Ancient Clan, basic information is easy to get, but digging deeper would require time."

Ancient Clan!

When Mu Qingge heard this term, her heart skipped a beat.

Once, this term seemed so distant from her, yet now she appeared to be standing before it.

Her mother’s maternal family, the Sang Family, was one of the Ancient Clans.

Yet, she’s not in a hurry now. She first needs to resolve another matter, "The family I’m inquiring about isn’t an Ancient Clan; it’s a Le family from the Southern Continent." She also wanted to investigate Mu Yi’s family, but there was too little information, which might take some time, so she didn’t mention it.

Moreover, when Mu Yi appeared in Linchuan Realm, someone pursued closely but then mysteriously disappeared.

No one knows what interconnection there might be. If she rashly inquired about Mu Yi from the Floating Guest clan, it might alert some forces. If Mu Yi is still alive, it’s uncertain whether he would be affected.

Therefore, after some thought, Mu Qingge decided to resolve the Le family’s matter first.

Besides the Floating Guest clan, there was another excellent place for buying information in the Middle Ancient Realm! That was the Wanxiang Building!

After all, she also needed to go to Wanxiang Building to deliver the Earth Emperor Pill and could inquire about Mu Yi’s information then.

"Le Family?"

Gan Xiong’s surprised voice drew Mu Qingge’s attention.

"Brother Gan knows?" Mu Qingge looked at him.

Gan Xiong’s expression suddenly became awkward as if he didn’t know whether to speak or not.

But under Mu Qingge’s clear eyes, he bit his lip and spoke, "There is only one Le Family in the Southern Continent, and we happened to take on a task issued by the Le Family this time."

Mu Qingge was dumbfounded and thought to herself, ’What a coincidence!’

No wonder Gan Xiong looked troubled.

Mu Qingge quickly understood the dilemma Gan Xiong faced just now.

After all, the Le Family was their task’s employer; she was inquiring about the Le Family without him knowing why, and naturally, he felt uncomfortable disclosing more.

Gan Xiong ultimately chose to speak, which was already quite respectful.

"Brother Gan, could you tell me which city the Le Family is in?" Mu Qingge directly asked.

"This..." Gan Xiong hesitated.

Mu Qingge didn’t press him further and just waited patiently.

After a while, Gan Xiong shook his head apologetically, "Brother Mu, I don’t know if you have a bond or a grudge with the Le Family. But they are my employers now, so I cannot do their task and divulge their information at the same time. I’m sorry."

This answer was within Mu Qingge’s expectations, so she didn’t show disappointment. "Brother Gan, you don’t have to feel that way. I was indeed asking too much."

Gan Xiong grinned, seemingly feeling guilty towards Mu Qingge, so he thought for a moment and said, "The Le Family is just an ordinary family. Their information should be readily available within the Floating Guest clan. If you want to know, you can take a look upfront."

"Thank you, Brother Gan." Mu Qingge stood up, "Then I’ll take my leave for now. I’ll remember your help today. If you need assistance in the future, I will do my best."

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