"Quick fight, finish them all!"
The members of the Scarlet Moon Knights were ruthless. Chen Xue, Ding Chi, and Rong Xing joined the pursuit. Despite Chen Xue being just a knight, she showed no mercy when killing. Her steel spear was like a life-taker, sweeping through the crowd. Ding Chi and Rong Xing, two highly skilled swordsmen, were a nightmare for the members of Prosperous Peony. Sword energy clashed, and skills like "Sweep the Army" and "Trace of Sword Qi" erupted amidst the crowd, leaving the opponents with no power to resist.
"We can't fight anymore, let's go!"
A sharpshooter from Prosperous Peony retreated, holding his war bow. But after a few steps, he suddenly stopped, blinded. A young assassin emerged from the void, dual blades flashing, and in an instant, he cut down the sharpshooter. Then, at full speed, he pursued and killed a Star Mage who was trying to escape.
Behind them, Meteorite spells and Fireball spells rained down. In an advantageous output environment, Lu Li unleashed her full firepower. Wielding her staff in her top-tier mage attire, she specialized in breaking defenses. For heavily armored players that Chen Xue, Ding Chi, and Rong Xing couldn't instantly kill, she took them down. Two Meteorite spells were all it took. Beside her, the demon hunter continuously hunted down players with low health. For a moment, the battlefield outside the city was drawing to a close.
"Let's go!"
Chen Xue glanced at the city. Quite a few reinforcements from Prosperous Peony were already chasing out of the city. The entire battle outside the city had lasted only about a minute and a half. It was fast!
"Move!"
Lin Zhao, holding his long sword, still had 75% of his health bar. His health was actually increasing as he fought. He had killed the most people in this battle, so Lin Zhao's red name was the most intense, almost black, yet he carelessly held the Qing Lu sword, covering the rear. His gaze swept over the people of Prosperous Peony within the city, and he chuckled, "Useless lot, come on?"
Instantly, the members of Prosperous Peony stamped their feet in anger, but no one dared to chase him out recklessly, fearing being instantly killed by this "white-clad god of death." Not even a full combo was needed; one of Lin Zhao's "Universe Toss" could instantly kill most of them. If it critically hit, it could probably even kill heavily armored players.
"Lin Zhao, let's go."
Chen Xue's name had also turned red. Holding her spear, she covered the rear with Lin Zhao.
"Let's go!"
The two followed the rest of the group, heading north.
Behind them, only a scattering of players from Prosperous Peony followed from a distance, but they dared not get too close. The tall grass outside Cloud County City was too abundant, and many had been scared by the "Three Swordsmen of the Grassland." The Scarlet Moon Knights were now more than just three swordsmen. With the addition of powerhouses like Chen Xue, Rong Xing, and Lu Li, for most players of Prosperous Peony, the grasslands outside the city had become even more of a no-go zone.
...
Traveling north for about half an hour, they arrived at a large patch of grass and prepared to log off in the largest clump of bushes.
"There's nothing else tomorrow morning, so let's all farm monsters to clear our red names."
Chen Xue's beautiful eyes looked at everyone and said, "Lin Zhao's red name is the darkest, so you need to be extra diligent. You should farm alone, while the rest of us will team up."
"Understood."
Rong Xing said in a deep voice, "Chen Xue, what time should we log in? It's best to set a time."
"Okay."
Chen Xue replied, "Everyone wake up early tomorrow. Lin Zhao and I will log in precisely at eight o'clock to scout ahead. After confirming there are no issues, I'll inform everyone to log in through our Scarlet Moon Knights private group?"
"Yeah, that works!"
Rong Xing smiled, "Then I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Alright, see you tomorrow!"
...
Around eleven o'clock, late at night, it was supper time for the Scarlet Moon Knights.
Wang Ju, wearing an apron, busied herself in the kitchen, cooking a pot of seafood congee for everyone. She also made some siu mai. She was indeed a woman with skillful hands, but unfortunately, her previous man didn't cherish her. After they had Little Juzi in their rented room, he couldn't bear the burden of life and left. He only left 50 general currency, saying it was for Little Juzi's milk powder money. After that, there was no news of him.
Now, Wang Ju, in a long dress and an apron, exuded the charm of a mature woman, and her figure was excellent, with all the right curves. Her voice was gentle as she spoke, leaving a very good impression on the Three Swordsmen in the studio. If not for her difficult life, and if they had met a woman like Wang Ju earlier, at least Ding Chi and Zhang Jun would have been willing to marry her.
As for Lin Zhao, he simply felt that Sister Juzi was a good person and that such a person shouldn't be treated so roughly by the world. That's why he stepped forward, using his meager income to help the mother and daughter with their living expenses. As for having any deeper feelings for Wang Ju, there were none. When it came to relationships and women, Lin Zhao felt that these were not things he should be thinking about. He should be considering how to get their next meal and how to make everyone live better, as if the mindset of Lin Zhao, the young boy from Tianchi Town, had already deeply taken root in his heart.
Beside him, Chen Xue was playing on her phone, typing rapidly. After chatting with a girl with a very cute avatar for a while, she turned and smiled, "Romance will arrive early tomorrow morning. She'll have someone bring her game pod, so we should be able to see her early tomorrow."
"Mm, okay."
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile, "Let's ask Sister Juzi to help tidy up her room when she arrives."
"Oh!"
Chen Xue pursed her red lips. Looking at Lin Zhao, she couldn't help but wonder if Romance, who was also very beautiful, especially her face, which was delicate and could captivate many with a little makeup, would make Lin Zhao fall for her once she arrived at the studio. Moreover, Romance was quirky and mischievous; what if Lin Zhao liked that type?
As she thought of this, Chen Xue couldn't help but feel a little worried. She had to consider her own future. With Romance's arrival, her position as vice-alliance leader might be at risk. If Lin Zhao got together with Romance, then the two vice-alliance leader positions would seem to be allocated: one to his best brother, Ding Chi, and one to the woman he loved most, Romance. Where would Chen Xue fit in?
Thinking of this, Chen Xue's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she felt a bit wronged. "When the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked." She truly felt like a bitter gourd in this world!
...
One o'clock in the morning.
In the top-floor suite of the Gate of Suzhou, a stunning woman in a silk nightgown as thin as cicada wings lay lazily on the bed. A tablet was propped on her legs, displaying a combat recording in holographic projection. It was the battle that had taken place outside the east city of Cloud County less than an hour ago. The total combat time was less than two minutes, yet she watched it intently.
"Rising Dragon Slash..."
Shen Xingchen furrowed her brows slightly. "Is this a self-created skill? Or a non-universal skill obtained from a quest or a wild drop? This is a knock-up and aerial control skill... it's quite interesting."
She gently paused the recording, then manipulated the screen to zoom in and carefully observe the face of the "white-clad" figure who was using the Rising Dragon Slash to lift a group of players. The face was unfamiliar; she didn't recognize him at all. When had such a formidable figure appeared in the national server? She had already made arrangements in all sixteen counties of Yunzhou, but she hadn't placed any pieces in Cloud County. Could something unexpected happen?
As she thought of this, Shen Xingchen felt a slight unease in her heart.
Just then, her communicator rang. It was from Su Xinghe.
She quickly pulled the covers tighter, concealing her voluptuous figure beneath the thin nightgown, before opening the communicator. Only her face was visible above the quilt. She smiled and said, "I'm about to sleep. Senior Brother has something? Oh no, Alliance Leader, you have something?"
Su Xinghe was a little embarrassed. "It's so late, I shouldn't be calling you, but... I couldn't resist. Xingchen, the Azure Dragon Guild in Hantai County is becoming dominant. If they continue to develop like this, they might monopolize all the player resources in Hantai County. Do we have a counter-strategy?"
"Yes."
Shen Xingchen replied, "In a week, the 'Spark of Succession' people will enter Hantai County, and there will inevitably be a battle with the Azure Dragon Guild. Even if Spark of Succession can't win, they can at least cause trouble for Azure Dragon and divert some resources. Don't worry, Azure Dragon won't be able to dominate alone. Once Spark of Succession and Azure Dragon start fighting, you can send people to secretly recruit from both sides."
"Mm, I understand!"
Su Xinghe continued, "By the way, we haven't made any arrangements in Cloud County. It seems like things are getting chaotic there these past couple of days. I heard that the vice-alliance leader of the Azure Dragon Guild, Xue Qiancheng, went to Cloud County and joined a guild called Scarlet Moon Knights."
"Mm, I'm looking into it."
Shen Xingchen said, "Currently, the Scarlet Moon Knights only have a handful of members. Theoretically, we don't need to pay attention to them, but... the alliance leader of the Scarlet Moon Knights, this person called 'White-clad,' is someone we can pay a little attention to. This person's strength is immense, and with Xue Qiancheng's assistance, they can hold their own against the numerically superior Prosperous Peony in Cloud County. Perhaps the Scarlet Moon Knights will truly rise."
"What's the strategy?"
"Let's see."
Shen Xingchen frowned and said, "If we can recruit the members of the Scarlet Moon Knights, Star River will be even stronger. This White-clad can lead a powerful team, and Xue Qiancheng can also lead a powerful team. They have the ability, and we have the teams. If we form a strong alliance, Star River's strength will increase significantly. I even think that White-clad and Xue Qiancheng, each leading a team, might be able to contend with a T2-level guild."
"Oh?"
Su Xinghe was surprised, "I know Xue Qiancheng's capabilities. Is this White-clad... really that formidable?"
"Mm."
Shen Xingchen nodded, "Let's observe for a while longer. When the opportunity arises, when the Scarlet Moon Knights suffer a heavy blow, I will personally go to Cloud County. If possible, we will bring the Scarlet Moon Knights under Star River's banner, treating them as our branch in Cloud County. We won't need to manage them directly; we just need to dispatch a few hundred people from the main alliance to bolster the strength of this branch. White-clad and Xue Qiancheng will help us build an exceptionally strong team."
"That's good!"
Su Xinghe smiled slightly, "Since you're going to sleep, I won't keep you any longer. Get some sleep early. I'll practice a bit more and then go to sleep too."
"Mm, okay."
Shen Xingchen turned off the communicator and gently rubbed her left temple with a finger. She smiled and said, "Sleep, sleep. Let them make noise in Cloud County for now. Early to bed and early to rise makes a healthy person. I still have to have hot pot with Ah Yan tomorrow~~~"