The studio, dinner.
Wang Ju heard that everyone had been having a rough time in the game lately, so she cooked a table full of delicious food to reward these young men and women. Her cooking had improved, and everyone loved it. Little Juzi ate a good meal with them too. In recent days, Little Juzi had started to gain some weight and no longer looked like the skinny little girl she used to be. This made Lin Zhao feel very relieved; this Little Juzi was how a young girl should look.
"How was it today?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Same old, same old," Ding Chi said, his chopsticks splayed at an almost obtuse angle as he picked up food, nearly taking the entire dish with him. He laughed, "From morning till now, we've gained about 90% of the experience points for our level. We'll level up tonight. The leveling speed is much better than in Fufeng County. All things considered, home is the best. Yunshang County might be a doghouse, but it's still home..."
"Indeed, indeed..." Lin Zhao was speechless for a moment.
"Brother~~~" Roman looked up at him and said, "Have you and Ah Xue decided? How long do we have to keep leveling up outside like this, sneaking around? Our gear is all repaired by Mo Yin's friends. One mistake... and we could lose everything."
"It won't be much longer," Lin Zhao said with a smile. "Eat more, Roman. You've lost weight recently."
"Really?" Roman puffed out her chest, checked to make sure it hadn't shrunk, and then, reassured, continued to eat her food daintily.
...
In the evening, logging in.
Lin Zhao and Chen Xue still hadn't gone out to level up. Instead, they sat in front of the Great Cathedral, chatting idly and looking forward to the future of the Crimson Moon Knights. In the eyes of others, they were both a little foolish.
"Swish!"
A white light shimmered within the teleportation array as a high-level swordsman named "Shaonian Luofanchen" descended upon Yunshang County. Immediately after, a large group of high-level players followed him through the teleportation array into Yunshang County. They were all players whose names started with "Shaonian" (Youngster), such as Shaonian Bao Qingtian, Shaonian Fang Shiyu, Shaonian Hong Xiguan, Shaonian Huang Feihong, Shaonian Ai mm, Shaonian Bu Chifan, and so on. Their names varied, but they all had the standard "Shaonian" prefix. Among them were men and women, some in their 20s, some in their 30s, and even some in their 40s. Especially the middle-aged group, their faces were full of wrinkles, but their eyes held a spark. Their gaze darted around Yunshang County, looking for any beautiful female players. They were greasy yet formidable. After all, men remain youngsters until death!
"Hmph, Yunshang County!" Lu Han drew his sword and glanced at Lin Zhao and Chen Xue not far away, acting as if he didn't know them at all. He pointed his sword towards the distant NPC guards and said, "Brothers, let's go. Change our bound main city to Yunshang County. It doesn't matter if we lose a little reputation and gold. We'll earn it back!"
"Alright, Guild Leader Brother!" A large group of people roared with laughter.
Thus, a large group of people surrounded the NPCs tightly, changing their bound main cities one by one.
The entire Hot-Blooded Youth Guild, comprising over 500 people, caused a great stir in Yunshang County.
...
Not long after, someone returned to the city. It was Youling Wang from Shengshi Mudan, accompanied by his two protectors, Fan Wang Zhi Xue and Bi Yi Jian Zhong. They headed directly towards the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild. Youling Wang walked at the forefront, appearing very polite. He smiled faintly at Lu Han and said, "So, Guild Leader Fan Chen of the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild has arrived in Yunshang County. We apologize for not welcoming you sooner!"
"Ah, it's my King. You're too kind!" Lu Han laughed heartily. "Is my King here to chat out of boredom?"
Youling Wang looked a bit embarrassed. "I wanted to ask, is your Guild planning to settle in Yunshang County?"
"Yes," Lu Han nodded with a smile. "We heard a while ago that Yunshang County is blessed with exceptional people and resources. Also, we heard that your Shengshi Mudan has completely scattered the previous Crimson Moon Knights, Bai Yi and Xue Qiancheng, and they don't dare to show themselves anymore. Therefore, a lot of the wild resources in Yunshang County have become available. So, our Hot-Blooded Youth Guild has decided to develop here in Yunshang County. Please forgive us for any disturbance, my King!"
"Not at all!" Youling Wang did not want to offend such a powerful Guild. "I represent Yunshang County in extending a warm welcome. I can't guarantee much, but as long as your Guild settles in Yunshang County, our Shengshi Mudan will ensure there are no conflicts. Perhaps... when everyone obtains Guild Establishment Tokens, we can even form an alliance."
"It's still a long way to Guild Establishment Tokens. Let's talk about it when they drop," Lu Han said with a slight smile. He cupped his fist towards Youling Wang and said, "My King, I need to take my brothers out to scout and level up. Farewell!"
"Farewell!"
...
"Brothers, let's move out!" With Lu Han's sharp draw of his sword and a low command, the over 500 members of the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild gathered on the East Gate Bridge, preparing to leave the city. At this moment, Lin Zhao and Chen Xue had also received a message from Lu Han. They quickly got up and followed behind the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild members. Blending into the crowd of over 500 people, the two were already difficult to spot.
Outside the East Gate Bridge, there were exactly 200 players from the Azure Knights blocking the way. They were currently only blocking two people: Lin Zhao and Chen Xue. For the sake of these two individuals, hundreds of people were spending their days like this. Honestly, everyone was a bit reluctant, but there was nothing they could do. The Guild Leader was "too aggressive," and many players from the Azure Knights were actually official employees of the Cangnan Transportation Group. In today's increasingly AI-driven transportation industry, many people were no longer working and instead continued to sign contracts with the group, joining the game under Chairman Li Canghai and transforming into members of the Azure Knights. In the metaverse, they were no different from official employees and could still support their families.
There were many such companies and groups, all of which were merely large studios backed by capital. Therefore, the players of the Azure Knights followed Li Canghai's orders without question, never daring to disobey. Who would offend the top leader?
...
At this time, the East Gate Bridge was already packed with players from the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild.
"Everyone!" Lu Han walked at the very front and plunged his sword into the city bricks with a "clang." He cupped his fists towards the crowd and said with a slight smile, "The Hot-Blooded Youth Guild is settling into Yunshang County. On our first day out to level and develop, we ask for the favor of our friends from the Azure Knights to make way."
"Hmm?" Today, the person in charge of guarding the East Gate was still the Vice Guild Leader, Jiu You Huang Quan. He frowned, never expecting a Hot-Blooded Youth Guild to suddenly appear. The name of this Guild was quite familiar. There were many mercenary groups at the "Guild" level in the national server, and the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild was among the more famous and powerful ones. Within the entire China region, the strength of such mercenary groups, including the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild, could rank in the top ten, and perhaps even challenge the top five!
"It's Guild Leader Fan Chen!" Jiu You Huang Quan smiled faintly and nodded in greeting. "Since the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild is passing through, there's nothing to discuss. We will let you pass. Come, everyone, clear the way and let the brothers of the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild pass!"
"Alright, alright!" A group of players from the Azure Knights who were responsible for blocking the gate and were on the verge of falling asleep nodded repeatedly. They had long wanted to let people pass. They had endured countless disdainful glances from players all day. People treated the Azure Knights as bullies in Yunshang County. Although the Azure Knights allowed other players to leave the city, blocking the gate like this every day was still quite an eyesore.
"No, boss!" Suddenly, a sharp-eyed player pointed into the depths of the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild crowd and shouted, "Bai Yi and Xue Qiancheng are mixed in with the crowd!"
"What?!" Jiu You Huang Quan narrowed his eyes. "Someone, bring them out!" Instantly, a group of Azure Knights drew their weapons.
"What are you doing!?" Lu Han, walking at the very front of the formation, lowered his sword and said sternly, "Is your Azure Knights going to attack us, the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild? Brothers, draw your swords and give them a good fight!"
"Wait!" Jiu You Huang Quan immediately explained, "It's because Bai Yi and Xue Qiancheng of the Crimson Moon Knights are mixed in with your crowd and trying to leave the city. Our target is not you!"
"What do I care about that?" Lu Han raised his eyebrows, speaking unreasonably. "Can you guarantee that you won't accidentally injure my brothers? If you injure even one, this feud will be settled."
"This..." Jiu You Huang Quan gritted his teeth. He wanted to focus fire on Lin Zhao and Chen Xue, but it was impossible to avoid collateral damage. Skills like Yan Bao Shu and Xing Ji Zhuo Ban were all AoE. Who would be responsible for accidental injuries? The Azure Knights had finally settled down in Yunshang County, dividing the territory with Shengshi Mudan. Once they clashed with this Hot-Blooded Youth Guild, they would definitely be at a disadvantage. After all, the Azure Knights allied with Shengshi Mudan in the past to suppress the Crimson Moon Knights. Now that the Crimson Moon Knights were in decline, would Shengshi Mudan remain wholeheartedly allied? Youling Wang was a particularly ambitious person! If they clashed today, the consequences might be too much for Jiu You Huang Quan to bear.
...
"Let them pass!" He suddenly waved his hand and said, "Circle around from both flanks, and as soon as there's an opportunity, instantly kill Bai Yi and Xue Qiancheng!"
"Yes, Vice Guild Leader."
As a result, Lu Han led the Hot-Blooded Youth Guild straight out of the city, their formation unbroken. Jiu You Huang Quan and the others never found an opportunity to attack. By the time they entered the grasslands, Lin Zhao and Chen Xue had already slipped away northward amidst the chaos. Once they emerged from the grasslands, they were like a dragon entering the sea or a tiger entering the mountains. No matter how capable the Azure Knights were, they couldn't hunt down mere two players in the vast territory of the county. Moreover, these two players had absolute advantages in terms of level, equipment, and personal skill.
After leaving the city, Lu Han led the Youth Guild members towards the northwest, while Lin Zhao took Chen Xue towards the northeast. Once they reached suitable leveling spots, they separated to level up individually.
"We're out..." Chen Xue's pretty face finally broke into a happy smile. "Next, we'll focus on doing quests, getting gear, and earning money. Once we earn the first sum of money, someone from Lu Han's side will come out and bring another guild for us. We need to heavily invest in building the second guild of the Crimson Moon Knights. After all, one Youth Guild is not enough."
Lin Zhao smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'll listen to you..."
...
Chen Xue smiled faintly. Those words sounded so pleasant.