"Holy cow..." He Yucheng hid among the crowd by the city gate, gaping as wave after wave of intense Drawn Blade Slash energy surged toward the entrance like relentless tides.
He didn’t bother counting the red-named players surrounding Radiant Imperial City. Though not overwhelming, their numbers were significant. Ordinary players attempting to leave were instantly slaughtered by the continuous slashes.
Glancing up, He Yucheng spotted figures meticulously scanning the skies for anyone trying to escape via the "sky path." Worse, every watcher on the walls was a Curser. They’d formed arrays, weaving a near-transparent dome over the entire city.
Originally just an Invisibility detection skill, this dome now acted like a net. Touch it, and He Yucheng would be exposed instantly.
Brutal...
He finally understood Nai Xiaodu’s warning. Trapped like this, escape seemed impossible without cheating. Even max-level gear and skills wouldn’t cut it. This guild alliance went this far for a newbie? Were they insane?
Wouldn’t this spark outrage? After observing longer, He Yucheng noticed those who charged out died once, underwent "inspection," then got escorted from the "danger zone" by Curser teams.
So thorough. No wonder they ranked fifth server-wide. He was impressed—but the blockade wasn’t even full strength yet. Some must be blocking Eternal Night City too. If they’d stoop this low to target him, stealing mobs would be trivial.
Thanks to his Concealment Jade, He Yucheng didn’t appear on mini-maps. The blockers grew extra cautious, letting not even a fly slip through.
Land escape was hopeless. Air? With so many decent PvP players watching, flying would make him a target.
"Tsk tsk. Hit a steel wall." He checked all four gates. Radiant Imperial City was completely surrounded.
"Sigh..." He opened his friends list, staring blankly at Nai Xiaodu’s ID.
...
In a posh restaurant, Shallow Peace deftly sliced her steak. Across the table sat Xin Qian, noticeably shorter.
"Sister, what’s wrong?" Xin Qian asked softly, noticing Shallow Peace’s distracted gaze.
"Huh? Oh... nothing. Eat up before it gets cold." Shallow Peace snapped back, forcing a smile.
Xin Qian frowned slightly. "Sister, you’re not... jealous, are you?"
"Hm?" Shallow Peace snorted at the jealous tone. Xin Qian’s face flushed crimson instantly.
"I was just checking if anyone bullied my cute sister. What silly thoughts are you having?" Shallow Peace said fondly. Xin Qian looked away, muttering, "Just eat already."
Shallow Peace smiled faintly. She pulled her phone from her lap.
A message read: "Is Xin Qian doing well?"
She closed the email, locked the screen, set the phone down, and resumed eating slowly.
...
"Churan, your food." Song Qian entered the hospital room with two lunch boxes, handing one over.
Churan, scowling at his screen, took it absently. Seeing the good meal, he asked, "How much?"
"My treat. Since when do you wait for meals? Did the sun rise west?" Song Qian opened his box and peeked at Churan’s screen.
His half-chewed chicken leg dropped back into the container when he saw the waves of Drawn Blade Slash energy outside the city walls.
"Impressive, huh? This ‘Butterfly Shadow’." Churan ate with a bitter smile.
"NB. No wonder he’s Shen Junyao’s boyfriend—both shameless." Song Qian heavily "praised" Lichou.
"Sigh. My Concealment Jade’s useless now. These guys have too much free time. How do I level?" Churan sighed deeply, sipping soup.
"If I get you out, what’s my reward?" Song Qian raised an eyebrow slyly.
Churan’s face twitched. If he couldn’t solve this, Song Qian—worse at PvP—surely couldn’t.
"Keep bragging. Blow a cow to death, and we get beef for dinner." Churan savored a bite of beef.
"Ugh. You never believe me." Song Qian gave up.
"Fine. Get me out, and I’ll admit defeat. Happy?" Churan finished eating and set down his box. Song Qian did the same, pulling up the game window.
...
He Yucheng found a quieter corner—not the last spot, thanks to Sentinel Tomb’s guild leader. If Recomposed Words saw him again, he might grab a scalpel straight from the hospital...
Such a beauty causing trouble...
Leaning against a tree, He Yucheng waited. Recomposed Words finally ambled over ten minutes later.
"You really take your time."
"Just browsed some stalls. Found good stuff." Recomposed Words said it like it was He Yucheng’s fault.
"Hmm?" He Yucheng recalled the unpaid "reward." Moonshadow and Recomposed Words had helped; they deserved compensation, especially Moonshadow.
"Name your price. This boss was poor." He checked his inventory. Rushed, he’d only grabbed valuable materials—like over ten cinnabar pieces, worth a yuan each. A full team’s dungeon haul.
(Though his own bounty was 2000 cinnabar...)
Recomposed Words smirked. "Just hand over the 2000 cinnabar from your bounty."
"... " He Yucheng smiled wryly. "Sure. Bring a ‘Full Reward Commission Scroll,’ kill me, and take your cut."
If Recomposed Words had the scroll, He Yucheng would stand still. Dying once for 2000 yuan was profitable. But he didn’t have it. Mess with He Yucheng, and he’d kill him 2000 times.
"Ah, cinnabar’s common. Top players farm it daily. Got anything else? Costume weapon scrolls? I can buy them."
"Costume weapons?" He Yucheng remembered his stash—five initially, two used, one gifted to Lengjiang. Two left.
"Oh? How much?" His eyes lit up as he leaned close.
"... " Recomposed Words froze. "You actually have them?"
"Two. Name your price. Fifteen percent discount." He Yucheng grinned slyly. He’d nearly forgotten his goal: making a living from this game. High-value drops and materials made merchant life viable.
"Two?! Damn! You hid treasures like this? I’ll buy them! Discount? You’ve got a conscience... fifteen percent?"
"Take it or leave it." He Yucheng said smugly. He knew Recomposed Words—lavish spender, would buy anything he wanted.
"Scumbag merchant!" Recomposed Words grumbled.
He Yucheng chuckled. "Kidding. First, tell me how to reach Eternal Night City."
"I suddenly don’t feel like talking..." Recomposed Words pouted.
"... " He Yucheng’s face twitched. "Fine. I’ll take your scroll out. If I die and lose it, not my fault."
"Bro! Let’s talk! This way, please!" Recomposed Words instantly bowed like a flunky.
"That place... Han Mansion?" He Yucheng eyed the key quest spot in south Radiant Imperial City, far from the gate. Why there?
"Tsk tsk. Trust me. You can leave from there—no teleport needed. Teleport won’t reach that far." Recomposed Words explained as He Yucheng hesitated.
Half-believing, He Yucheng followed.
