Although evaluations from basic tasks weren't as useful as those from advanced tasks and had much less effect, accumulating little by little still worked. At the same time, task quantity was also an important indicator for wanderer advancement.
For example, if a wanderer completed a task above their level, this evaluation could originally allow that wanderer to advance. But if the task quantity wasn't enough, they would still be stuck at that level.
"Xiaoyao, I have a task for you today!"
When Xiaoyao wanted to look for tasks today, someone suddenly called out. It was a little girl he had been dealing with recently, because she was the task manager here. After completing tasks, he always had to report to her. However, she usually didn't publish tasks, so it was strange today, why was she actively publishing tasks?
"Miss Ma, what matter requires your special instructions?" Xiaoyao asked.
The little girl's surname was Ma, Xiaoyao only knew this. He didn't know her given name, and probably the young lady wouldn't tell him either.
"I've looked at your task evaluations. Everyone says you're very conscientious and excellent at your work. So today I'm giving you a special task. If you do well, you'll definitely prosper." Miss Ma said.
"Please tell me, Miss Ma," Xiaoyao was somewhat expectant.
...
...
"Yihong Courtyard wants someone to..." Miss Ma had just begun speaking when Xiaoyao immediately interrupted her.
"I won't go, I refuse," Xiaoyao immediately rejected it. Hearing the three words "Yihong Courtyard," Xiaoyao remembered that task hanging on the bulletin board that no one had accepted and had been there all along.
Therefore, Xiaoyao had reason to believe that the task Miss Ma wanted to mention was that unresolved task from above.
"Well, Xiaoyao, don't misunderstand. Having you go to Yihong Courtyard isn't that task. Yihong Courtyard has already canceled that task. Now they have a new task, they want someone to help accompany the top courtesan singer as a musical talent," Miss Ma said with a smile.
Xiaoyao was silent for a while, then said, "How is this different from the previous one?"
"There is a difference! Previously they just wanted a handsome young man skilled in music, but didn't specify what to do. Now it's clearly stated, just accompany the top courtesan singer. Also, the handsome requirement is dropped, or I'd have to consider whether to call you," Miss Ma said very familiarly.
"Damn, I am a handsome young man, just the handsomeness isn't very obvious." Xiaoyao argued, insisting he was a handsome guy.
"Pfft..." Miss Ma couldn't help laughing. Handsome but not obviously so, how could he say that with a straight face?
"Be serious, I'm very serious!" Xiaoyao said earnestly.
"Alright, alright, you're a handsome young man! I'm asking you, will you go or not? They only require accompanying once and will pay thirty taels of silver. Very good money." Miss Ma said.
"How do you know I understand music?" Xiaoyao was somewhat curious. Among his tasks, he didn't seem to have encountered music.
"You know music? That's even better," Miss Ma said very excitedly. Her words clearly told Xiaoyao one thing, she originally didn't know: Xiaoyao understood music.
Actually, she just wanted to randomly send someone over to deal with Yihong Courtyard, because this task had been posted for so long. If it remained unresolved, it would be very bad for the Wanderers' Alliance's reputation.
Among wanderers, there were quite a few who understood music, but generally those who understood music were from upper-class circles. They had status and position, how could they accept such work? So she could only randomly find someone to deal with it.
Originally, the other party hadn't specified what kind of person they wanted. If they weren't satisfied, the Alliance would just return their deposit and give some compensation.
The Wanderers' Alliance doing this was already quite good and wasn't being perfunctory, because some tasks were inherently unreasonable. Like this task, Yihong Courtyard's top courtesan wanting to find wanderers for accompaniment, wasn't this a joke?
Who didn't know who Yihong Courtyard's top courtesan was? With her status, ordinary musicians weren't qualified to accompany her. It had to be master-level, and would such people exist in the Wanderers' Alliance, a martial organization?
Therefore, this task was either desperate-measures type, or pure troublemaking.
If it were desperate measures, they could directly commission the Alliance to find people. So this task was more likely the latter, judging from the reward and level, it should be a boring little joke.
Because of this, the Alliance randomly sending someone to deal with it was already giving enough face.
Just like that, Xiaoyao was sent over. As Miss Ma said, he just needed to accompany once and could get thirty taels of silver, this money was quite easy to earn.
If the other party deliberately made things difficult, Xiaoyao could completely leave. The Alliance would handle the follow-up problems. A small Yihong Courtyard wouldn't dare directly confront the Alliance.
Not just Yihong Courtyard, even those sects and kingdoms, not many could confront the Alliance. The Wanderers' Alliance was simply too massive. Among their people, there might be wanderers from within.
—
For the Alliance, I must enter a brothel, no, visit a pleasure house!
"Young master, come, come! Is this your first time? You look so unfamiliar. Should I introduce you to a girl?"
After Xiaoyao arrived at Yihong Courtyard, he had only stood at the entrance for a short while when he was immediately grabbed by a beautiful young lady. If her words hadn't exposed her identity, it would have been very difficult to tell she was a solicitor for Yihong Courtyard.
Even the solicitors at the entrance had such quality, what would the girls inside be like? This made people's imaginations run wild and was very attractive.
This was also where Yihong Courtyard's popularity lay. The women inside were all full of charm. Even those serving tea were lovely young ladies. This was simply a man's paradise.
"Sorry, I'm not here to visit prostitutes... uh, sorry I misspoke. I'm not a client..." Xiaoyao hurriedly waved his hands.
"..."
Was there any difference between these two statements?
"Don't be embarrassed. This is your first time here, right?" the young lady said.
"Yes. But I'm not embarrassed. I really am not... not a pleasure-seeker. I'm a wanderer here on a task," Xiaoyao once again changed his wording, then stated his purpose for being here.
"A wanderer? What task?" The young lady's enthusiasm cooled, but she didn't give Xiaoyao a cold shoulder, it just became normal.
"It's for your top courtesan singer who wants an accompanist, a handsome young man." Xiaoyao raised his head with an expression of 'look at me, I'm a standard handsome young man.'
"Whether you can accompany her or not, I don't know. But whether you're some handsome young man, I can't tell." the young lady said.
"That's because you have no eye for talent! This is my token and task letter. Please give them to your manager or that top courtesan singer." Xiaoyao lost his good impression of the young lady, she actually couldn't see his handsomeness.
"Little Turtle, take him inside to find Sister Hong," The young lady didn't take Xiaoyao inside herself but called a nearby servant to take Xiaoyao to find someone in charge.
Xiaoyao followed the servant called Little Turtle. He asked curiously, "Is Little Turtle your name or your code name here?"
"Young master, you want to say I'm a little servant, right? Actually, I am. But Little Turtle is also my name. I've grown up here since childhood and have no other name," Little Turtle answered with a smile, not angry about this. Perhaps he had long gotten used to it.
"You're also an orphan? I was also picked up by someone since childhood and have been helping people work. We're about the same. As long as we work hard, we'll definitely have our moment to stand out." Xiaoyao began encouraging him.
"You're also a servant?" Little Turtle asked directly.
"Not quite. I work as a house servant." Xiaoyao answered.
"It's all the same, we're all servants. I think mine is better. I can see absolutely beautiful women every day. The girls here are all gorgeous," Little Turtle said with a smile, as if he enjoyed his work.
"That's true," Xiaoyao smiled. Everyone had their own life. Perhaps some people thought it was degrading, but from other perspectives, each had its own freedom.
Xiaoyao's house servant work, didn't some people also call it degrading? But he enjoyed it.
"Sister Hong, there's a wanderer here on a task," Little Turtle brought Xiaoyao outside a room and called out.
"Oh, the Wanderers' Alliance finally sent someone over. Let him in," Sister Hong's voice came from inside. From her words, Sister Hong knew about this matter.
"Yes, Sister Hong. Young master, please go in," Little Turtle opened the door, invited Xiaoyao in, then excused himself and left.
Xiaoyao walked in. The room had an elegant atmosphere, both olfactory and visual, and the person inside was the same, an elegant and beautiful noble lady.
"Hello Sister Hong. I'm called Xiaoyao, sent by the Wanderers' Alliance. Where is the top courtesan singer? Can we start?" Xiaoyao went straight to the point. He had no interest in staying here to look at beautiful women.
"Top courtesan singer... haven't you heard her name?" Xiaoyao's form of address made Sister Hong somewhat surprised.
"I have. Let me look, it should be on the task sheet. Huh, why isn't it there..." Xiaoyao began looking for information. Originally this should have been written clearly, but he discovered it wasn't there.
"It's not written above because everyone knows who our Yihong Courtyard's top courtesan singer is. It seems you really haven't heard. Well, I don't care if you're pretending or really don't know. I'll tell you, the top courtesan singer is called Hei Xue." Sister Hong, afraid that Xiaoyao might be rude in front of the courtesan singer Hei Xue, naturally had to give advance warning.
(End of Chapter)