Chapter 269 To the Northern Continent! (Part 1)
The sun rose, basking the ruined village and everyone in it in golden light.
No one knew how long the sorrow would linger. Ye Ci stood in the village, feeling nothing but the endless irritability in her heart. She suddenly realized that the Duluo Tribe was truly destroyed.
In a tribe that had lost all its manpower and was left with only the old and frail, they were going to face natural selection whether they like it or not. They would either have to continue living strongly or disappear into the long river of history.
Ye Ci was suddenly overwhelmed by sorrow.
She felt as though she had done something she really shouldn't have.
Although she saved Dalufar, the entire Doluo Tribe might crumble or even vanish because of this incident. This might not be a good thing in the long run. The game has its own rules of survival. Is it really a good thing for me as a player to interfere with an NPC's way of life?
She had no idea, no idea at all.
Just when Ye Ci was lost in her thoughts, she heard the rustling of clothes. She turned her head around, only to see Dalufar had appeared before everyone in black robes.
He seemed to have aged a lot overnight. The tears in his wisdom-filled eyes weren't dried yet. It would seem like the incident earlier had caused him grief.
However, as a chieftain, and the leader of his tribe, he knew that he could not continue drowning in his own emotions. He knew that he must step up and speak to the remaining tribesmen.
The sobs slowly faded upon Dalufar's appearance. Everyone was looking at him in silence. Their faces were still stained by tears, yet their eyes were filled with hope when they saw Dalufar.
Due to the fact that Dalufar was a high-level NPC which owned a god-tier artifact, he was still alive despite a thousand year had passed. However, this wasn't the same for the other NPCs in Doluo Tribe. All of them were mortals, just like humans. The only thing that remained unchanged was their unwavering loyalty toward Dalufar. Of course, Dalufar's wise and just image was a direct contribution to such a fact, and his age was something that aided in this.
Originally, Dalufar's robes were not black. Now that he changed into black robes, Ye Ci could instantly feel his sadness towards the loss of lives.
"My dear friend, thank you for everything you have done for me and the tribe. However, there are now things that only concern our tribe. Would it be alright for you to recuse?" Dalufar looked at Ye Ci and spoke very respectfully. Ye Ci looked at her intimacy level with Dalufar and Doluo Tribe — they were both extremely high by now, especially the latter which had reached the level of "Respected". It was for this reason Dalufar no longer addressed Ye Ci as 'Elf' but 'dear friend' instead.
Ye Ci knew as well she would not be able to help for the rest of the matters even if she wanted to. Hence, it was better for her to avoid this place. So she nodded, left the tribe and made her way toward the beach.
Shortly after that, she found Lia who was basking in the sun on a rock. Ye Ci seethed inwardly at the sight of the lazy mermaid. Why hasn't the sun turned her into a dried fish yet?! All of a sudden, Ye Ci felt that she should have raised a cat. If she did, the cat would be very interested in this fish right now.
"Ohhh look who's here! It's the flat Elf girl!" Lia annoyingly propped her upper body and greeted Ye Ci.
Ye Ci suppressed her urge to beat the shit out of this mermaid and instead merely snorted in response to Lia. When Lia saw that her greetings did not provoke any reaction from Ye Ci, she felt a little curious. She curled her beautiful blue fish tail, propped her chin on her hand and looked at Ye Ci. "Hey Elf, you seem upset." Ye Ci rolled her eyes at Lia. "Unlike you, I don't bask in the sun all day doing nothing." Lia chuckled mischievously. "Do I smell jealousy?" Ye Ci rolled her eyes. Of course she was jealous of this stupid mermaid.
"What happened in Doluo Tribe last night? I was shocked by the great commotion!" Lia leaned her head to the side and kept her tail curled as she gazed at Ye Ci.
Ye Ci shook her head. She did not feel like talking about the event that transpired last night anymore. She climbed onto the rock and sat beside Lia as she gazed into the vast ocean. "Lia, what are you doing sitting here every day?"
"Keeping watch! I have to quickly inform my sisters if food is coming!" Lia blinked her big eyes. When she saw Ye Ci's gloomy face, she reached out and patted on her shoulder. "Rest assured, females are not food to us mermaids because their flesh tastes sour. We much prefer the flesh of males." Ye Ci laughed wryly. "Well thanks for that, I feel honored." "No worries at all!" As expected, Lia's face was way thicker than a city wall.
A beautiful song came out of Lia's mouth and echoed throughout the ocean. Although Ye Ci did not understand what she was singing, she could feel the sorrow in her song. It was a very emotional kind of sadness, and there were a few times Ye Ci she was touched by it. If Lia did not stop and repeatedly ask her for food, she would probably be moved.
"How was it? Give me more food. I sang so long for you!" Lia was obviously very interested in the aromatic lamb Ye Ci had on her. It was so much more attractive than a man, so Lia started to shamelessly pester Ye Ci for food every so often when singing.
Ye Ci watched as Lia devoured the meat with a gloomy face, thinking to herself that she would never believe mermaids were gorgeous and elegant creatures again. They were all gluttons — no different than a boor. "If I give you the harp, you will bring me away from here?"
"Of course. Didn't we agree on that before?" Lia licked her fingers as she savored the aftertaste of the smoked lamb with her eyes closed. It was simply delectable.
"What if I'm bringing someone else with me?"
"Someone else?" Lia looked at Ye Ci in puzzlement, then suddenly narrowed her eyes. She licked her lips with her pink tongue, then flashed Ye Ci the smile of a predator. "I can't let you do that if it's a man."
"I'm talking about Alaunar and his family." Ye Ci rolled her eyes. As expected, these mermaids were really gluttons. All she could think of at a moment like this was food.
"Huh? Alaunar's family? They're leaving with you too?" A surprised expression appeared on Lia's face, looking as though she could not believe that statement. "If they are sneaking away, then definitely no! You ought to know that my great-great-grandmother brought Khu'tak away from here when she was young. When Khu'tak died after that, the chief of Doluo Tribe came to find trouble with us. My great-great grandmother was punished very severely for it. Therefore, I will never allow you to bring Alaunar and his family away from here without Dalufar's consent!" Lia shook her head fervently as though she was a rattle-drum, showing Ye Ci that there was no room for negotiation.
Ye Ci grimaced at her words. Fortunately, she had thought of seeking Dalufar's permission. Otherwise, not only she would not be able to bring the family away, she might even jeopardize her chance of leaving this place.
After chatting with Lia for awhile again, Ye Ci gathered that Doluo people could travel to the mermaids' territories. Thoughts brewed in her mind as she planned to have Alaunar bring her there for a tour next time. She might just find something good there. However, she would have to leave this all till next time. Just when she was spending her time with Lia, Mara came and informed her that Dalufar wished to see her. Ye Ci was a little puzzled over this but did not ask anything else. She bid her farewell to Lia and followed Mara back to Doluo Tribe.
Only half a day had passed, but most of the corpses in Doluo Tribe had been cleared away. Even the huge crater made from the explosive was filled in. The collapsed tents and totem pole were gradually restored through the efforts of women, children and the elderly. Ye Ci followed behind Mara as she looked at the people hard at work, thinking to herself that she had wrongly judged the women of Doluo Tribe. There was no way they could be compared to women of other tribes because they were so much stronger than even the men of some other tribes.
It would seem like Ye Ci was worried for nothing.
She followed Mara into Dalufar's tent and saw Yolan and Alaunar standing inside. Dalufar was seated and still dressed in black robes. He stood up when Ye Ci entered, then greeted her with a nod. "My dearest friend, you have returned."
"Yes, Honorable Lord Dalufar."
"First, I am extremely sorry that I have to make you leave earlier..."
"Don't worry about it, Lord Dalufar. I understand. I am just worried if Doluo Tribe can return to its peaceful lives from now on." Ye Ci's question was vague, but she was sure Dalufar could understand her intention. After all, the dead Nuoba's warriors were from many families. Even if Nuoba was the one who tempted them, even if they had sold their souls to the devil, they were still family members no matter what.
However, now that Dalufar had killed them, it was hard to say if these people would bear any grudge against Dalufar despite their absolute obedience and respect toward him. Ye Ci only asked that question because she was concerned about it.
Dalufar was a highly intelligent NPC, so of course he would understand the intentions behind Ye Ci's words.
He nodded lightly and showed her a smile. "My dear friend, do not worry. Doluo Tribe has weathered through a great deal of problems up to this day, but each was very well handled through the efforts of every chief. Although I don't know if I can do as well as them, I'll definitely do my best to flourish Doluo Tribe even more through my own hands."
Since Dalufar had spoken, Ye Ci did not press further. This was never her problem to begin with, it was merely a form of formality. "May God be with you." Ye Ci bowed to him.
Dalufar walked toward Ye Ci, looked at Alaunar and his family then at her again. "My dearest friend, I was initially worried about leaving this family in your hands but I have changed my mind. Perhaps bringing them away from here with you is for the best." While speaking, he raised the staff in his hand and waved it around Ye Ci. She then noticed a buff called "Dalfuar's Permission" in her stats. "Now go find Lia. I believe she will definitely bring all of you home safely."
Ye Ci nodded. After expressing her gratitude, she heaved a long sigh. It seemed like with this, her quest had ended and she could finally return to Jiama Contient.
Just when everyone was leaving, Dalufar seemed to suddenly recall something. He turned around to retrieve a sheepskin scroll from the bookshelf, then passed it to Ye Ci. "Oh right, I have a map here, my friend. It was left by my brother long ago. I have done many research through books over the years and discovered that it was written in Elvish. I feel that you are the best person to keep this."
Ye Ci's eyes lit up when she accepted the scroll. Amazing! Isn't this the Fragment of Dau'er? Unexpectedly, she now had three of them. Only one left then she could report back to Natasha. I have a hunch that this quest has a great connection to my class, so I must take it seriously.
With this, Ye Ci could finally leave with Alaunar and his family. She handed over the harp to Lia and explained her purpose. Since she carried with her Dalufar's permission, Lia did not stop her. She very cooperatively led Ye Ci away from the map where she had spent too long in.
White light flashed by and Ye Ci appeared in Upwards Ho!'s base along with Alaunar's family. She led the other three into the conference room then soon after that, Bai Mo and Timely Rain reached too.
Since they knew about Ye Ci's encounter with Alaunar's family in Doluo Tribe, they welcomed them very warmly. Ye Ci handed Yolan and Mara over to Timely Rain so that he could make arrangements for them, and the two obediently left.
As for Alaunar, Ye Ci did not need him around her all the time since servants in the servant system were capable of independent action. They would only fight alongside their master when summoned, so Alaunar had great freedom. Ye Ci just told Alaunar the location of theShaman Academy and the library in Red Lake City before sending him off to do whatever he pleased. Alaunar did not decline Ye Ci's suggestion since he was filled with curiosity about this world, so he left everything he carried on the table in the conference room and left.
Ye Ci then took out the items in her own pocket, placed them on the table and told Bai Mo, "I have no time to appraise these items, you guys do it. I basically got them off level 80 monsters, so maybe no one can equip them right now. But keeping these in the store room may just be a good motivation for everyone."
Bai Mo nodded. These matters were best left to Timely Rain. "Are you still going to the Northern Continent?" He asked.
Ye Ci nodded. "Yes, even if it's not for Mithril, I still have another epic-tier quest waiting for me so I must make the trip." When she spoke up to that point, she noticed the strange look on Bai Mo's face so she asked, "What's wrong? You have something else to say?"
"According to our intel, I'm afraid that the Mithril ore vein in the Northern Continent has already been discovered.
Chapter 269 To the Northern Continent! (Part 2)
"It was discovered?!" Ye Ci sprung up.
"No, I mean to say that people have started doing the prerequisite quest." Bai Mo quietly looked at Ye Ci. He did not look surprised but just seemed like he was taking the matter as a fact. On the contrary, Ye Ci looked a lot more dismayed.
"People have started doing the prerequisite quest?" Ye Ci grasped her hair, appearing to be very agitated. "The Mithril ore veins in the Eastern and Southern Continents are now in my hands. The ore vein in the Western Continent belongs to Genesis while the one in the Northern Continent is out of my control..." She slammed on the table. "How did that even happen?!"
"Just two ore veins is enough for us. Besides, even if we got the northern Mithril ore vein, we wouldn't be able to guard it on a hostile continent like that. Even a large guild like Genesis couldn't guard it, let alone us. We're not going to take over it, even if the time and place is right. Therefore, let's not touch the Mithril ore vein in the Northern Continent." Bai Mo comforted Ye Ci with a smile when he noticed Ye Ci's frustration. Truth be told, he understood Ye Ci's frustration. It was not a problem about the ownership of the ore vein, but...
"The problem now is not whether or not we are able to guard it!" Ye Ci sighed. "If the Mithril ore vein is taken by others, then it will be exposed very soon. With our current strength, we cannot even guard a single ore vein. The moment they are revealed, we will never be safe...!"
"Calm down, Little Ci,." Bai Mo looked at Ye Ci who was extremely distressed and hurriedly clasped her hands in attempts to comfort her. "I understand what you mean but do not be too pessimistic. Perhaps things aren't that bad."
"Not that bad? How would it be?!" Ye Ci was no longer in control of her own emotions.
All of Ye Ci's pent up pressure exploded right at this moment, "Have you ever thought that we're very far behind in terms of manpower and the quality of our players? We also lack the number of Life Players that the other guilds have. So what if we have Mara and Yolan? They can't build us a fortress out of thin air overnight! They certainly can't do the same for the growth of our guild either! If a third party learns about the Mithril ore vein, we won't be able to hold the Lesser Demon Sanctum! Even if I'm holding on to the quest lock, the major guilds could simply flood the area with their players and stop me from continuing the quest!"
Bai Mo stood up. He embraced Ye Ci and stroked her long hair, just like he did when she was young, then spoke to her gently, "I know. I know all that. I know all these pressures on you. Stop thinking about them. Don't shoulder that much burden yourself. You still have us. You have to believe that Upwards Ho! is growing at a very rapid speed. Just focus on what you like to do and leave the rest to us."
Bai Mo's voice seemed to have the kind of magic that comforted people. Ye Ci calmed down very soon. She leaned against Bai Mo's chest, listening to his powerful heartbeats and felt a wave of exhaustion hitting her. She let out a long sigh. "I'm so tired, cousin. The Golden Age is coming, but we are still nothing."
"Don't worry, everything will get better." Bai Mo patted Ye Ci on her back as he gently consoled her.
"Old Mo! Are we clearing a dungeon tonight or do we continue to level up?" Let Go Of That Girl suddenly barged into the conference room. He looked at both of them, then apologized profusely while subconsciously retreating from the room. "Sorry, sorry. Please carry on, carry on."
Once out of the conference room, Let Go Of That Girl suddenly felt that something was off. Ye Ci and Bai Mo did not seem like lovers...
Just when he was trying to wrap his head around it, Ye Ci came out. She did not even seem awkward and only threw a glance at Let Go Of That Girl. "Where's Ideal?" she asked.
"O-Oh, s-she went off to make food." For some reason, Let Go Of That Girl grew nervous instead as he stammered through his reply.
Ye Ci snorted. "So you let your wife go to cook while you stay online to play game. What a nice man you are," she said before turning to leave.
Let Go Of That Girl did not know how to answer that, so he could only laugh dryly while scratching his head. After a good while, only then he looked up and wondered what just happened.
Then, Bai Mo came out too. He looked at Let Go Of That Girl, then spoke to him in his usual tone. "Those who are below level 60 will continue grinding. Gather up those who are here and find a suitable dungeon to grind."
When Let Go Of That Girl saw Bai Mo was acting normal, he called out to him. "Old Mo, Old Mo! Just who is Gongzi to you?"
"She is my cousin." Bai Mo looked at Let Go Of That Girl. There was not even a shred of ambiguity in his eyes.
"Cousin! You kissing and hugging so intimately as cousins?!" Let Go Of That Girl continued blabbing at a lower volume. "You're not trying to fool us right?"
"I didn't kiss her." Bai Mo gave Let Go Of That Girl a side-eye. "Her mother is the biological sister of my mother. I am related to her by blood!"
"Are you sure one of you isn't adopted...?" Let Go Of That Girl seemed like he was still skeptical. He just couldn't shake off his suspicions that Bai Mo and Ye Ci were more than just cousins.
"You watched too many Korean dramas." Bai Mo gave him an amused look. "This is how we always behave around each other."
"Oooooh!" Let Go Of That Girl nodded, then squinted and started prying more. "Won't your future wife or husband be jealous of your intimacy with each other?"
This was enough to make Bai Mo start rolling his eyes. Just what is this idiot going on about? "You're reading too much into it."
He was really reading too much into it... right?
Ye Ci walked along the street of Red Lake City. The sun was moving westward, basking everyone in warm twilight. The population in the city was growing. These people had settled down in Red Lake City. As residents, they undertook quests for the city and made a great amount of contribution toward the city's development. With all the quests they had completed accumulated together, Ye Ci believed that the Red Lake City would level up very soon.
She stood at the city's entrance and the guards greeted her. This was all she could get from her current prestige in Red Lake City. If Ye Ci's prestige in this city were to reach the Respected level, then these guards would act differently in her presence.
There were two paths before her now. One was to go to the Northern Continent while the other was for her to return to the Newbie Village.
Ye Ci's initial plan was to head to the Northern Continent as soon as she exited Doluo Tribe. However, she would have to push this plan to the back of her head for now. The fact that someone has started doing the prerequisite quest at the Northern Continent's Mithril ore vein was only known to those people and Upwards Ho. Of course, Ye Ci wouldn't find Green Hill's Moon to investigate this matter since she had to keep things under profile. She was rather conflicted about her next plan.
Ye Ci stood at the city entrance for a good while. All of the players that passed by were giving her looks of envy.
In the end, Ye Ci only sighed and decided to not overthink. She had never been like this. She wasn't sure if she was always overthinking before doing things due to having too many ideas now. Thanks to that, she had lost her decisiveness. Ye Ci shook her head. Bai Mo was right about only worrying about things when it happens. Rather than wasting time thinking about things that hadn't happened yet, she should just focus on properly doing the task on hand.
Ye Ci summoned Old Four, tossed it some meat then rode toward Elf's Newbie Village on its back.
Elf's Newbie Village was relatively much closer than the Northern Continent. Ye Ci looked at the arrow in her bag and instantly thought of Natasha the NPC arrow vendor. The Elf would definitely possess profound knowledge on this Tainted Arrow.
Natasha accepted the Tainted Arrow that Ye Ci handed over. It was strange that the arrow which painfully scorched Ye Ci's fingers did not seem to be doing anything to Natasha's hands. It was though she had some sort of magical power in her hands.
"Where did you find this arrow?" Natasha fixed her eyes on the arrow in silence. Surprise, doubt and agony flashed across her eyes before peace finally settled back into them. She lifted her head and looked at Ye Ci quietly. Her purple eyes were cold and rational, as though they were devoid of emotions.
Ye Ci immediately recounted all her recent encounters to Natasha without leaving any detail out.
Natasha nodded and let out a sigh after listening to her. She lowered her gaze to the arrow in her hand, then spoke to Ye Ci as though she was speaking to herself, "I didn't expect you to end up as a medium for Sha'jia to create the realm of illusion. This must have been a great humiliation to you."
For some reason when Natasha said that, Ye Ci thought she saw the arrow slightly quivered as though it agreed with Natasha. Then, the arrow remained at rest in Natasha's hand, as though it never moved. If it wasn't for Ye Ci insisting on believing her memory, she would nearly think her eyes were playing a trick on her.
"Do you know the history of this arrow?" Natasha suddenly spoke up, as she looked at Ye Ci solemnly.
Ye Ci shook her head. Of course I didn't, otherwise, why would I take the trouble to come and see you?
"This arrow belonged to Elven King Dau'er." Natasha seemed to have expected Ye Ci wouldn't know about the arrow, so she went on explaining its background without making much issues.
"What?!" Ye Ci was slightly shocked, but quickly recovered. Elven King Dau'er participated in the deadly battle against Dark Lord Naga and as Dark Lord Naga's pawn, Sha'jia, also participated in that bitter war. Hence, it wasn't too unbelievable for this arrow to be Dau'er's. "So that means Sha'jia was killed by our great Elven King Dau'er?"
Natasha shook her head. "Dau'er's arrow had indeed pierced Sha'jia's heart, but it didn't kill him. Sha'jia went into hiding along with this arrow." She caressed the arrow that was stained by black dried blood. "You must have not known the value of this arrow."
Ye Ci nodded. She had no idea at all.
"There were only five arrows in Elven King Dau'er's quiver." Natasha spoke quietly. "He didn't carry a lot of arrows like you all do."
Well of course. Ye Ci nodded. From the name alone, Elven King Dau'er sounded like a very powerful NPC.
Why would he use arrows that normal hunters use?
"These five arrows were the final products that the great dwarf arrow maker Cuilaihua spent several decades making, using the earth's molten core, the thousand-year frozen crystal, the thousand-year venomous viper raised at the Poison Lake, the sacred core in Tedar's Shrine and the dark core in Naga's old nest. Elven King Dau'er precious arrows weren't only deadly, but also capable of returning to the quiver at their own will. During the battle with Naga, Elven King Dau'er used the Holy Arrow. However, the Holy Arrow was enveloped by Naga's intense dark aura, stolen away and was ultimately lost amidst the chaos. Elven King Dau'er wished to be reunited with it but until his very last breath, his wish never came true.
Ye Ci listened to Natasha's story but did not take great interest in it. However, she coveted those five arrows instead. Oh dear. Based on Natasha's story, those arrows are definitely great treasures. I wonder what will happen if I manage to collect all of them.
"So this is the Holy Arrow that was stolen by Naga?" Ye Ci gazed at the dark bloodstained arrow that had completely lost its luster, unable to believe its powerful property.
"Yes." Natasha nodded, then handed the arrow to Ye Ci. "If it's possible, I wish you can journey to the Northern Continent. Find the Sacred Spring in the deepest part of the Sacred Snowy Mountain. Rid the filth of this arrow and let its light be witnessed by this world again."
"Alright, I shall fulfill your request." Ye Ci bowed to Natasha as she gained another strong reason to visit the Northern Continent. Since every request was pointing her to the Northern Continent, she had no choice but reluctantly make a trip there.
"Are you done collecting the fragments?" Natasha threw a glance at Ye Ci and suddenly asked.
"Not yet. Only one left." Ye Ci replied honestly.
Natasha nodded as she gazed into the sky. "Go now. May Elven King Dau'er be with you, from now until forever."
Ye Ci exited Natasha's hut bowing. She stood at the three forked road for a long while. Even now, there were still countless new players coming and going through here just like she did when she was a newbie. She took a deep breath, summoned Old Fourth then rode away from this place, leaving a trail of dust behind her and attracting the attention of many new players as a result.
"Wow, look! That Huntress is so cool!"
"Yeah! That's one huge dinosaur she's riding! She's so cool!"
"I'll have to do my best so I can be like that Huntress in the future!"
"You guys don't know who she is?"
"Who's she?"
"She's the Solo King of the Eastern Continent, Gongzi You! The awesomeness Huntress in our Eastern Continent!"
"Woooow! Then I must learn from her more in the future so I can become an even awesome hunter!"
Ye Ci had no idea that her image had been and was still a source of inspiration and motivation to many new players, because her journey was still far from being over.
Back at Red Lake City, Ye Ci repaired all her equipment. She replenished her supplies back at the guild and not forgetting to fill up her quiver either. Incidents like meeting Genesis and Fleeting Time would not happen during her upcoming trip to the Northern Continent this time. In the eyes of other players there, Ye Ci was an invader, so they would definitely not show any mercy to her. She would only have a short window to replenish her supplies when she use her Brooch of Deceit everyday. Even so, she must keep her guard up at all time.
Ye Ci could never be too careful in the unfamiliar and hostile continent.
"Why? You must make the trip to the Northern Continent this time?" Bai Mo smiled at Ye Ci.
"Yes." Ye Ci nodded to him. "All my requests are pointing me there. I have to make the trip."
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Ye Ci smiled. She knew what Bai Mo was saying. "You are the guild leader, Bai Mo. Why would I be pressured?"
She then turned around and walked toward the entrance of the guild base.
Amidst the setting sun, her shadow stretched on behind her.
Go forth Huntress, to the Northern Continent!
Chapter 270 Breeze (Part 1)
F City.
The wholesale market in the suburbs of the city was bustling with activities.
Vendors and distributors were gathered in the market. The noise level in the place could rival even that of a food market.
An expensive car was parked itself slowly in one of the alleys behind the market. The middle-aged man at the back of the car creased his eyebrows. Even through the windows of his car, the man could smell the pungent sweat of the workers scurrying about. He produced a silk handkerchief from the pocket of his suit and pressed it against his nose, "Zhang Ping, are you sure this is the place?"
"Yes, boss. This is the place." the youngster in colorful clothing who was seated in the front passenger seat nodded respectfully at the middle-aged man.
"Why would they be in a place like this..." the middle-aged man surrounded his surroundings. It was a mess. Are the people we're looking for really in a place like this?
"Boss, aren't you the one who taught us about not judging a book by its cover? I guess we shouldn't judge." Zhang Ping smiled and left the car.
The middle-aged man sighed. Well, might as well give it a try.
This place reeks of poverty. Thought the middle-aged man as he stepped out from his car, trying in vain to keep the smell out of his nostrils by pressing his handkerchief harder against his nose. "Lead the way." he said to Zhang Ping.
Just like how the middle-aged man was not used to the smell, the people gathered in the market were startled by the presence of the luxurious car.
Many of them stopped their work and were staring openly at the car. Some of them were trying to get a rough estimate of the car's price, while many more were wondering about the presence of the middle-aged man who was apparently rich.
Zhang Ping led the middle-aged man towards an old three-storey building after having a short conversation with the driver.
Such a building was a common sight near the market. The first floor of the building was a shop front selling a wide range of goods ranging from cigarettes, liquor, sugar, and even tea. One of the vendors of a stall outside the building was even blasting music through his loudspeaker.
It was apparent that the middle-aged man was overwhelmed by the spectacle. He had never been in such a horrible environment in his life. He was, however, able to calm his nerves rather quickly due to his excellent upbringing.
The middle-aged man followed Zhang Pin into the narrow stairways of the small building. It was apparent that hygiene was not the priority of the caretaker of the building. Trash littered the floor while the walls were covered with black and brown stains as well as a wide range of flyers.
"What are the second and third floors for?" asked the middle-aged man.
"They're usually used as storehouses for the vendors. But the rooms might also be rented to laborers working in the construction sites nearby." came the reply from Zhang Ping.
"I've never thought that I'd see such a sight in a city as developed as F City," a smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face, "Today is just-" and he stopped mid sentence. Despite his years of quality education, the man was lost for words.
"Places like this exist in every city, boss. It's only natural for you to not know about this. You don't mingle with people from places like this." explained Zhang Ping.
"Are we there yet?" asked the middle-aged man as he followed behind Zhang Ping with light steps. He was worried that the dust on the floor would dirty his shiny leather shoes.
"We're almost there. It's on the third floor."
The hygiene on the third floor was significantly better than the mess that was the second floor. It was obvious that the ground was cleaned regularly, although not as thorough. Despite its slightly better condition, the walls on the third floor were still covered with flyers and posters.
A metal door stood in the way of the duo. Zhang Ping pushed past the door, and motioned for the middle-aged man to follow.
The middle-aged man scrutinized his surroundings for a brief moment before finally following after Zhang Ping.
Despite the lack of odor, the third floor was still ringing from the music from below, a reminder that the duo was still in the poverty stricken suburbs. The middle-aged man looked out of a window from the corridor, and spotted the skyscrapers of F City standing tall under the bright sun. Heh, I was there in a meeting this morning. Can't believe I'm now in a completely different place even when I'm still in the same city.
A smile appeared on the man's face. Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get. He thought.
The clacking of high heels rang out in the hallway, drawing the attention of Zhang Ping and the middle-aged man. It was a young woman in short skirts. Her long legs were not covered by pantyhose favored by women of her age, exposing her thighs to the bright sunlight. The woman's hips were swaying as she walked on her shoes with heels that were 10 centimeters long. She wore no makeup, apparently confident in her natural appearance.
One could easily tell that the woman was cleaning up after a meal judging from the stacks of plates and bowls in her hands. She was momentarily stunned when she noticed the presence of Zhang Ping, "Are you Zhang Ping?"
"Yes, I am." Zhang Ping nodded with a smile, "I'm looki-"
The woman ignored Zhang Ping and shouted into the room behind her, "Go clean these up, Little Liu!"
"Alright, I'm on it!" a voice responded, followed by a young man in white t-shirt who took the dishes from the woman before brushing past Zhang Ping and the middle-aged man.
The woman pulled a wet wipe from her pocket and began cleaning her slender fingers as she made her way to Zhang Ping. She greeted the middle-aged man with a smile, "I'm sorry you have to see that, Mr. Shu, my name is Death Blossom."
Death Blossom! Zhang Ping, and even the man behind him were shocked. Death Blossom was a top-tier Rogue. It had been 10 years since the name had first appeared. The name was always among the top players in countless games until it abruptly disappeared one day.
Zhang Ping expected Death Blossom to be someone in her mid 30s, but the woman standing before him was in her mid 20s.
Is she simply very young, or she's just very good at maintaining her appearance?
"It's nice to meet you. How lucky am I to meet the famous Death Blossom here today." Mr. Shu extended his arm to shake the extended hand of Death Blossom. He smiled and nodded at the woman with sincerity written clearly on his face.
Death Blossom snickered in response, "I've always found gentlemanly men to be boring, but you proved me wrong. Now that I've met you, Mr. Shu, I think that a gentle man is the best type of man. Their words are so sweet that they can easily make a woman swoon."
Mr. Shu maintained a neutral expression despite hearing her words, "I'm wondering if you can bring us to Mr. Breeze."
Death Blossom pursed her lips and studied Mr. Shu up and down openly. She then brushed her hair to a side with her slender fingers and headed to a room at the end of the corridor, "This way please." she said with a smile.
Mr. Shu attempted to look into the rooms at both sides of the corridor, but his curiosity was left unsatisfied as most of the doors were closed while the entrances to the rest of the rooms were covered.
It did not take long for the duo to reach the room at the end of the hallway.
The room was the largest on the entire floor, and it was partitioned into two smaller rooms. The door of the inner room remained closed while the outer room was visible to all. The small outer room was fitted with a desk with a triple monitor setup and a chair. A man was sitting at the desk, and his face was obstructed by the monitor.
Sofas and a small coffee table were placed on the other side of the room. A small pot of bonsai sat on the table. It was apparent that the bonsai was well taken care of. The room itself was air conditioned, which liberated Mr. Shu from the afternoon heat.
The man continued staring at his monitor when Death Blossom stomped into the room, "Who did you get to wash the dishes this time? It's not nice of you to get these men to do the dishes for you all the time."
"Stop sounding so pompous, you never help out!" Death Blossom scoffed at the man.
"I'm busy today. Haven't I helped you out whenever you're free?"
"Bullshit! You're busy 360 days out of the 365 we get a year!" Death Blossom snorted, "By the way, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Shu are here."
The man sat up straight and stared at the men behind Death Blossom. His facial expression remained neutral as he greeted the duo, "Would you like something to drink? Maybe tea? Or perhaps plain water?"
Zhang Ping had been around his boss for a long time. He was used to the sight of his boss being treated warmly and with respect even when such treatment was not out of sincerity.
The man, however, seemed to be indifferent to the presence of his boss.
"I guess it's better if you get these gentlemen a cup of water each. They might not be used to our low grade tea." the man smiled at Death Blossom, "Get me a cup as well. A big one. Your cooking is too salty today."
Mr. Shu was not offended by the man's behavior. He was even looking at him with a hint of admiration.
Death Blossom rolled her eyes and stomped away, "Is it not enough that I'm cooking for you? I swear I'll lace your food with rat poison one of these days. You won't even get to eat at all!"
Chapter 270 Breeze (Part 2)
Breeze glanced at Zhang Ping, "Have you tried out the game, Mr. Zhang?"
The man clutched at his hair, slightly embarrassed by Death Blossom's words. He stood up and greeted Zhang Pin and Mr. Shu, "Don't mind her, she's always like this. I've pampered her too much."
"The happiest thing that a man could ask for is a woman that would cook for him. Her cooking might not be on par with those high end restaurants out there, but she made them just for you. Don't fret even if it's bad, and she'll be glad to cook for you for the rest of your lives."
"Wow, you have a good taste in women, Mr. Shu." the man responded with a laugh, and dragged his chair to take a seat in front of Mr. Shu and Zhang Ping.
Mr. Shu dismissed his words with a wave of his hand, "It's nothing. It's something that you'll understand once you've been married for long enough. You should treat your wife like how you'd caress a pet. Always move your fingers along the direction of their fur, or you'll be in for a huge trouble. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Learn to back off, and you'll enjoy a happy marr-." Death Blossom stomped her way back into the room before Mr. Shu could finish his sentence. He immediately shut his mouth and smiled at the man seated in front of him.
The younger man in his mid 30's was of average height, and was dressed in a very casual attire. Perhaps due to the hot weather, the man was only wearing a pair of slippers instead of proper shoes.
From the look of his fingers, Mr. Shu could tell that the man was used to physical labor. Despite his plain appearance, his piercing eyes were something that one would not easily forget. Mr. Shu would easily overlook such a man in the streets, but people like this tend to pose the most danger and are filled with the most surprises.
Death Blossom poured water into each of their glasses, and even chugged in a few cubes of ice and a slice of lemon each. It was apparent that she was an intelligent woman with a pure heart and spirit. The droplets of water on the tips of her fingers as she held the glasses made her even more stunning. She did not carry the scent of the perfume preferred by girls of her age, but instead had an enticing scent of fresh fruits.
Her attention to detail was made even more apparent when Mr. Shu took a look into his glass. While his drink was only decorated by a single cube of ice and a slice of lemon, he could see three cubes of ice in Zhang Ping's glass while half of Breeze's glass was filled with ice. She had even placed a plate of cherries on the table.
Zhang Ping, who had noticed the difference as well, voiced out his curiosity. "I don't know much about Mr. Shu, but a man his age should be mindful of his health. Some slightly chill drink is enough for him. As for the lemon... Well, it's to add a little bit of flavor." Mr. Shu was impressed. So this is how she remains undefeated. Her observation skills and ability to judge a situation is astonishing.
Death Blossom sat in a corner after the drinks were served, displaying no intention to leave while Breeze himself did not show any indication that the woman should not be in the room as well. It was obvious that there were no secrets to be kept between the two.
"Mr. Breeze, Fate's first major patch will be released in 10 days. How is the preparation on your side?"
Breeze shook his head with a smile, "This is not something that you need to know. I'm sure you've heard of our reputation. Why do you need to ask something like this? Just wait for the results like our previous employers."
"It's not the same this time, Mr. Breeze. Fate is not like any other game. This is why we want to know your progress." Zhang Ping shook his head, "Have you tried your hand in Fate before, Mr. Breeze? This game is said to have revolutionized the gaming industry. They're vastly different from the other Virtual Reality games in the market. I don't think you should too confident in your abilities."
Breeze glanced at Zhang Ping, "Have you tried out the game yourself, Mr. Zhang?"
Zhang Ping's face reddened. He looked at Mr. Shu before giving his reply, "I did."
"What's your current level? Or rather, how well are you doing in the game?"
"I'm not doing that good." replied Zhang Ping after some slight hesitation.
"How well do you know this game?"
"It requires a high degree of teamwork, and players are allowed more freedom in this game. Based on the information we have, quests in this game were divided into two types. Those that were available to all players, and those that were hidden. A hidden quest has the potential of affecting the outcome of main quests and the overall climate of the game. This is like a wild card in the game." Zhang Ping immediately shared his knowledge about Fate.
Breeze raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Mr. Shu on the other hand motioned for Zhang Ping to stop, "I believe that Mr. Breeze here has already had a good grasp about the game. In fact, he might know more about that game than we do. But tell me, Mr. Breeze, will you be using the human wave tactic that you've previously employed?"
"Well isn't that the most direct way?" Breeze shrugged, "From what I know, it has always been a very efficient way of ruining the game."
"It's a tried and true method that you've managed to pull off throughout the years. But for this particular job, I have a suggestion for you." Mr. Shu narrowed his eyes. At that very moment, the middle-aged man was like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.
"I'm all ears." Breeze stared at Mr. Shu with an expression that could not be discerned.
"Fate at its current state is mostly populated by players from China. While there is indeed a significant population of foreign players in the game, they are still far too few in comparison. This is due to the fact that the Glory Corporation has not started their marketing efforts overseas. But once they begin..." the ghost of a smile appeared on Mr. Shu's lips. It was rather obvious what the man was hinting at. Even if Excellent Era could send millions of players into Fate, their numbers would pale in comparison to the player population worldwide.
"So what are you suggesting, Mr. Shu?" Breeze asked after a short moment of silence.
"Instead of trying to get the job done with sheer manpower, why don't you use a... Slightly more intelligent method?" Mr. Shu smiled at Breeze, "i know you study Economics during your time in the university. I'm sure you're no stranger in this matter."
Breeze's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing his words.
And Mr. Shu continued, "I know, it's costly, but you don't have to worry about it. As long as you're willing to get the job done, I'll provide you with the funds. Even if you can't ruin Fate, you can at least delay their growth."
Breeze did not ask for Mr.Shu's motive. He knew that it would be better to know less. He was just a mercenary hired to take care of the problems of his employers. Their motives had never mattered to him. This situation, however, was special. The fact that the employer himself was meddling in his business before he even started the job meant that this would not be easy.
"What if I fail?" he asked after a brief moment of contemplation.
"Fail?" a hint of cruelty appeared on Mr. Shu's face, "That word does not exist in my dictionary. I hope you don't forget that." It was at this moment that Mr. Shu's intimidating aura finally broke through his facade.
Breeze glanced at Mr. Shu, then at Death Blossom, and shook his head, "If that's the case, I implore you to look for someone else to take the job."
Mr. Shu was taken off guard by Breeze's response, "Why?"
"The risks are too big."
"Don't you know, Mr. Breeze? The higher the risks, the greater the reward!"
"I'm a married man, Mr. Shu. I have a family, and I have to care for my men as well. Putting everything on the line is something I no longer wish to do. All I want for myself and my men is a low risk job that pays. I'm too old for this, and I'll be honest with you. I've never really wanted to take this job, but your pay is just too good. I was thinking of doing one last job for the sake of my men before closing down the business for good. But if I have to take such a huge risk, I'd rather not take the job."
And Breeze smiled, "We can even enter Fate not as the locusts that we were feared as. I think we can do some serious damage with our strength. It will be an arduous task, but at least we won't risk losing everything."
Mr. Shu remained silent, his thoughts unfathomable.
And Breeze chuckled, "Truth to be told, I can go according to your plans, but I hope that you leave us some room for error. You're paying us to take care of your problems, and we will do that once we get paid. But you have to know that change can always ruin a plan. My success is not guaranteed. This is why I'd rather back off than to take the pressure from you. If you want me to pay for breaching our contract, I can. That is my responsibility. But if you want me to take the blame for failing with your methods, I'm sorry. I don't think I can agree to your terms."
Mr. Shu stared at Breeze with narrowed eyes for a long moment before letting out a sigh, "You're a cautious man, Breeze. But know that I'm not someone who is careless."
Breeze of course could understand the meaning behind those words. He shook his head at Mr. Shu, "Do you know why I picked such a place as my headquarters?" The sudden question caught Mr. Shu off guard.
Breeze motioned at his surroundings, "This place is dirty and messy, and the public security here is abysmal. Quite a number of my men are honest and respected people. But why do you think I chose a place like this as the headquarters of Excellent Era?"
Mr. Shu narrowed his eyes. He could immediately tell the meaning behind Breeze's words.
"It has been 16 years since I started my gaming career at the age of 16. I created Excellent Era when I was 18 years old, and that was 13 years ago. Do you think I've not offended a lot of people during those years? But why do you think I'm able to survive. Do you think it's because of sheer luck?" Breeze stood up and gulped down the content of his glass, "Honey, more please." he said to Death Blossom with a smile as he handed her the glass.
Death Blossom rolled her eyes at Breeze and left to refill the glass.
"Are you threatening me?" Mr. Shu could smell the dinger in his words.
Breeze shook his head, "No" his expression was very sincere, "I'm merely telling you that I'm not afraid of trouble. Bear in mind that we're partners, and I'm not a pawn that you can order around. I have no obligation to play such a role."
Mr. Shu stared at Breeze for a long while and let out his breath, "Fine. I'm willing to compromise in this matter. All you have to do is to delay the growth of Fate for two years. If you fail, you'll have to pay me twice the amount of penalty that we've agreed on."
A smile immediately lit up Breeze's face, "Won't it be nice if we started off the conversation like this, Mr. Shu?"
Mr. Shu did not respond to his words, and instead gave Zhang Ping a meaningful glance, and the man immediately handed a stack of documents to Breeze, "Here you go, Mr. Breeze. This is the intelligence that we've gathered about the major guilds in Fate. Please have a look."
A smile appeared on Breeze's face as he read through the file, "Ahh... I see a lot of old friends in this list. I can't believe we'll be meeting each other real soon. Such luck. Think they'll invite me for a drink this time?"
Relief washed over Mr. Shu when he noticed Breeze's calm demeanor. Just then, the man's voice rang in his ears, "What guild is this?"
Breeze's movements stopped when he noticed the name of an unknown guild in the file containing the details of many major and well known guilds. A guild with less than 30,000 members was something that in conventional sense, was not worthy of attention. This guild, however, appeared on the list. He was shocked as he read into the information of that guild. Despite its size, the guild has secured ⅓ of the First Bloods in the Eastern Continent, and had a spot in the First Five of many dungeons.
He was shocked. How can such a small guild outcompete guilds like Tang Dynasty, Wolf Pack, and Battling The Heavens? Is there some sort of secret behind their success? And he pulled the two sheets of paper and cast a glance at Mr. Shu.
Mr. Shu saw the words "Upwards Ho!" on the piece of paper and rubbed his chin, "It's a guild newly created when Fate's server was launched."
"How can a guild like this secure so many First Bloods? Is it because of their equipment? Or the teamwork of their players?" Breeze was curious.
"They have very skillful players. It's strange though. Most of their elites are very good players that you'd expect to see in major guilds, but Upwards Ho! is collecting them like they're collecting stamps. And an even stranger fact is that these players were nobodies before they joined the guild."
"Oh?" Breeze's interest was piqued as he skimmed through the roster of Upwards Ho!'s elites, "They might be good, but they're not that much of a threat."
"By the way, there's also something else that made Upwards Ho! Famous."
"What is it?"
"They have an extremely skillful Huntress in their guild. She's known as the Solo Queen of the Eastern Continent. A true top-tier player." Mr. Shu was of course not interested in the titles given to the developers to its players, but it was information that he had to relay.
"She's that good?" Breeze was immediately interested in the Huntress
"I'm more proficient in doing business than I am in a game." Mr. Shu did not voice his opinion of the Huntress, "Mr. Breeze, if you're satisfied with the terms of our partnership, I'd like to invite you to my office tomorrow to sign a formal contract."
"Sure. I have no problems with that." Breeze smiled at Mr. Shu, "I'll see you at 10am tomorrow."