Zhang Pingfan was not being followed by a player, but by an NPC.
Since they were both NPCs, Zhang Pingfan could tell at a glance who was tailing him.
Zhang Pingfan looked left and right, and as he walked, he found himself at a dead end.
The NPC following behind Zhang Pingfan frowned.
His superior had ordered him to keep an eye on this village chief, but why had this guy come all the way here?
Zhang Pingfan turned back to look at the man.
"You've been following me for so long, what are you after?"
The NPC remained silent. His task was simply to follow.
This was because the four guards previously dispatched to Novice Village No. 88 had mysteriously disappeared, and those sent to investigate found no clues.
To avoid unnecessary unrest, the higher authorities had instructed that if the village chief of Novice Village No. 88 appeared in Seven Stars City, he was to be followed!
His mission was only to track; he had no other tasks.
"I don't know why you're asking me to track a mere village chief like you, sir. I could crush you with one hand, so why go through all this trouble?"
Zhang Pingfan was a bit speechless. This guy, only level 40, dared to say he could crush him with one hand.
Even though he was currently level 0, his attributes were not just for show.
Zhang Pingfan said with a somber expression, "Are you not planning to make a move here?"
"Heh, I don't even want to bother dealing with trash like you. Since you've come to me, just tell me your itinerary for today. It'll save me the trouble of running around with you!"
The other party acted as if he had Zhang Pingfan completely cornered.
Indeed, a level 0 versus a level 40. What else could this be but being cornered?
Zhang Pingfan said, "Are you investigating the whereabouts of those four guards? And you want to find out from me?"
Zhang Pingfan wasn't stupid. They were clearly monitoring him with a purpose. And the conflict between him and Seven Stars City, naturally, was about those four guards.
The NPC in front of him knitted his brows.
"So you know where Lord Wu and the others are?"
Zhang Pingfan beckoned with his finger, "Of course, I do. Come closer, and I'll tell you alone!"
The NPC in front of him had no defenses whatsoever. In his eyes, Zhang Pingfan was nothing more than an ant.
So, he naturally walked up to Zhang Pingfan.
"Speak. If you can find out where Lord Wu and the others are, perhaps there will be a reward from above!"
Zhang Pingfan chuckled, then lowered his head.
Zhang Pingfan leaned close to the man's ear.
"Then you can go down and see them!"
With a random swing, an axe was embedded directly into the neck of the NPC.
The NPC's face contorted in shock.
"Crack!"
His head fell to the ground before he could even react.
This NPC was completely finished.
Zhang Pingfan felt a surge of excitement. Had his base attributes become this powerful?
He had expected a tough fight, but it turned out to be an instant kill.
Looking at the NPC lying on the ground, Zhang Pingfan shook his head and then rummaged through him.
A money pouch appeared in Zhang Pingfan's hand.
Opening it, he found only two gold coins, some silver coins, and a small plaque.
"Pah! What a pauper!"
The plaque had the word "Seven Stars" on it, likely a symbol of identity.
Zhang Pingfan directly threw it into his storage. It might be useful later.
As for the corpse, Zhang Pingfan couldn't be bothered to deal with it. It would be refreshed in a while anyway.
Although there was a minor incident, it didn't affect Zhang Pingfan's mission to recruit NPCs.
When Zhang Pingfan emerged from the NPC market, his expression had changed.
"Damn it, recruiting 40 NPCs cost me 10 gold coins! This deal is a loss!"
With a sullen face, Zhang Pingfan returned to his village.
However, in front of the corpse of the NPC Zhang Pingfan had killed, several other NPCs were standing.
"Boss, the cut is very clean, a one-hit kill. He's a master!"
"Hmm, why would he provoke a master by watching over a village chief? Could the village chief have a master by his side?"
One of the subordinates shook his head and said, "Boss, we've investigated the village chief's strength. There's no master around him. He's just an ordinary bumpkin!"
"Alright, carry the body away. Old Six, find some time to check out Novice Village No. 88!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Zhang Pingfan, along with a group of NPCs, appeared at the teleportation gate.
The players who had been eagerly waiting all looked over.
Dou Youyou also came to Zhang Pingfan's side immediately.
"Master, the players have gathered. Some people might not be able to come due to other matters."
Zhang Pingfan nodded and said, "Yes, that's fine!"
"Master, why do you look so upset?"
How could he not be upset? It had cost him 10 gold coins, which, when converted, was equivalent to 100,000.
"These many people cost me 10 gold coins. If the village upgrade doesn't bring me any profit, I'll be at a great loss!"
Seeing his master's stingy demeanor, Dou Youyou couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Master, why don't you issue the tasks first? Everyone is getting impatient!"
Zhang Pingfan nodded.
"Yes, and by the way, your task is the same as last time: you're in charge of supervision!"
Dou Youyou said with a look of reluctance, "Master, can you assign someone else? I don't want to do this task anymore, it's too difficult!"
The key was that Zhang Pingfan only trusted Dou Youyou.
"It is a bit difficult, but you are the only one I trust in the entire village. Do you have anyone to recommend?"
Hearing that his master was willing to switch tasks for her, Dou Youyou was overjoyed.
"Yes, that fellow named Zhao Xin is quite good!"
Zhang Pingfan said, "Alright, Zhao Xin, step forward!"
When Zhang Pingfan called out, Zhao Xin thought he had done something wrong and was utterly bewildered.
Others also made way for Zhao Xin.
"What's going on? The village chief called out Zhao Xin as soon as he returned!"
"I don't know. I just saw Youyou say something to him earlier."
"We'll know soon enough. It's probably related to the task!"
Zhao Xin was not old, around twenty-five or twenty-six.
When he came before Zhang Pingfan, he was still a bit apprehensive, after all, who didn't know the village chief's temper? Moreover, he had been specifically named.
"Vill... Village Chief, I haven't done anything wrong, have I?"
Zhang Pingfan said, "I'm assigning you a task, why are you so nervous!"
"Ah?"
Zhao Xin thought he had misheard. Why did he have to be named if it was just to assign a task? It made everyone think he had done something bad.
"What 'ah'? Youyou didn't want to do this task, so it's your lucky day, kid."
[Ding! System Notification: The Village Chief has assigned you the task of expanding the village for the second time. You are considered the supervisor for this expansion. You are responsible for all matters, big and small, concerning the village expansion. Please complete the village expansion within one day. Successful completion of the task will reward you with 5 free attribute points and a level increase of two levels!]
Zhao Xin's heart skipped a beat.
"What the heck, Dou Youyou doesn't want such a good task? Is her brain short-circuited?"