An S-rank mission made Lin Zhao feel a sense of rejuvenation; his leveling had finally gotten back on track. An S-rank mission requiring him to grind monsters at the narrow entrance of Snow Rock Valley for four hours wouldn't be too difficult.
...
He carried the Azure Pavilion Sword and returned the way he came, walking along the treacherous snowy mountains, trying his best to avoid monster packs. After about 20 minutes, he finally arrived at Snow Rock Valley. Just as the Thousand Cavalry Commander had said, the entrance to Snow Rock Valley was a narrow passage, easy to defend and difficult to attack. At this moment, Snow Lotus Fairies were flocking out of the valley like a flowing river. Despite their beautiful faces and slender figures, they were all fierce. They deserved a good lesson!
"Swish!"
Lin Zhao descended from the sky, piercing the narrow passage at the valley entrance like a wedge. He raised the Azure Pavilion Sword and charged into the monster pack. The monsters ahead parted like water meeting a protruding rock, quickly surrounding Lin Zhao from all sides. This was perfect, saving him the trouble of luring them.
Next, Lin Zhao entered an endless grinding mode. He was so focused that he sometimes didn't even bother to pick up the silver and gold coins dropped by monsters, nor did he have time to pick up equipment unless it shimmered with silver or gold light. He would endure the pain of being hit to rush over and grab it, then return to swinging his sword and unleashing various skills, aiming to level up all his skills to level 6 as quickly as possible!
Before noon, a golden rain of light descended and bathed him. He leveled up, reaching level 57. This was the kind of leveling speed he should have!
He became tireless, enjoying this immersive and joyful experience.
"Beep!"
At noon, 12:30, a video call came from Chen Xue: "Sister Ju Zi just cooked two fragrant wild mandarin fish for lunch. Come offline and eat, quickly."
"Huh?!"
Lin Zhao was startled. He immediately manipulated the view to show Chen Xue his current situation and said, "Ah Xue, do you see my current state? Do I have time to go offline and eat?"
"This..."
Chen Xue looked at the overwhelming horde of monsters, her face almost green: "You pervert... No wonder your leveling is so fast... What about you, you're not going to eat lunch, are you?"
"Not exactly."
Lin Zhao thought for a moment and said, "A little later. I'll finish this mission around 2:30 PM. When you go offline, can you help me reserve half a mandarin fish? And a few bites of other dishes. I'll come offline to eat around 2:30 PM..."
Chen Xue couldn't help but giggle: "That miserable, Guild Leader?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao looked helpless. "Please, Vice Guild Leader, show a little more compassion to this poor soul who is solely focused on grinding for levels."
"Hmph..."
Chen Xue shot him a glance. "I'm already showing you exceptional care, alright?"
"Really?"
Lin Zhao was busy killing monsters and said with a smile, "For now, I haven't fully felt it..."
"You don't know what you've got until it's gone."
Chen Xue smiled meaningfully. "If you experienced me treating other men the way I treat you, you'd definitely think I'm being too good to you. Hmph hmph..."
"Alright, go eat. Eat more. Remember to save some food for me. Half a mandarin fish is a must. And if possible, scoop out the best tasting meat from behind the fish's eye. Thank you, Ah Xue..."
Chen Xue rolled her eyes, no longer wanting to deal with him.
...
Outside, the voices of Ding Chi and Zhang Jun could be heard, shouting about getting off work, eating, and so on. Then Chen Xue also walked out of the game pod and went downstairs. Finally, a warm and soft little hand suddenly held Lin Zhao's hand, which was resting outside. It was Luo Man. She smiled and said, "Brother, I'm going to eat. You can continue starving..."
"Damn it..."
Lin Zhao directly slapped her hand away. "Get lost!"
"Hahahaha~~~"
Luo Man's triumphant laughter echoed from outside. She walked downstairs in her small high heels, the clicking sound accompanying her as she went to eat. One could imagine the scenery: small high heels, long, fair, and smooth legs, wearing a short skirt. It must have been a beautiful sight. Fortunately, Lin Zhao had a steady heart, otherwise, his soul would have long been captivated by that little vixen, Luo Man.
Lin Zhao was online, grinding like crazy.
Everyone else was offline, eating like crazy.
...
After lunch, Ding Chi and Zhang Jun wanted to digest their food and weren't in a hurry to log in. They decided to go to the activity room on the second floor to play ping pong. Ding Chi raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Ah Xue, Luo Man, come watch the fun together. See how I crush that noob, Da Jun?"
"What's there to see?"
Luo Man ignored him, looking uninterested.
"Don't be like that..."
Zhang Jun chuckled. "Two men playing ping pong with two beautiful girls watching will geometrically increase the combat power and excitement. Hurry up and grace us with your presence. I'll treat you to oden later, Zhang Jun Gege."
"Really?"
Luo Man stood up, her beautiful eyes filled with hope. "I love oden."
"Forget it."
Chen Xue leaned against the sofa with her arms crossed and said with a smile, "Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, you two go play. Luo Man and I have some girly talk to do. Don't mind us."
"Okay, you girls chat."
Ding Chi and Zhang Jun went upstairs.
"What do you want to talk about?" Luo Man asked with a smile.
Chen Xue glanced at Sister Ju Zi, who was tidying up the dishes nearby, frowned, and turned into Lin Zhao's room. "Come here. It'll be more convenient to talk with the door closed."
"Oh..."
Luo Man pursed her lips, followed her into the room, and went straight to the balcony. She looked at the sneakers Lin Zhao had hung to dry on the windowsill, then turned around, a different, meaningful smile on her face. "Ah Xue, why do we have to talk in private?"
"You know perfectly well."
Chen Xue leaned against the door, her arms crossed, her beautiful eyes calmly looking at Luo Man. "Luo Man, what do you really mean? Ever since the first day you stepped into the Scarlet Moon Knights' studio, you've been intentionally or unintentionally seducing Lin Zhao. Sometimes it's no longer just a joke; you've crossed the line. What's your motive? To take advantage of his status?"
"Ah?"
Luo Man's small mouth parted slightly, a smile curving her lips. She raised a slender hand to fan her pretty face. "Ah Xue, what do you mean by saying that? I don't quite understand."
"You know it clearly in your heart."
Chen Xue's brows furrowed slightly. "Lin Zhao is the leader of the Scarlet Moon Knights. His personal strength is immense. His comprehension and control in the game are almost S-rank, even approaching S+. Such a person's growth is unstoppable. And once the Scarlet Moon Knights rise with him, in this future meta-universe world, Lin Zhao will undoubtedly have the power to dominate. Your current seduction of him is all for a better future. If you become Lin Zhao's girlfriend, you can live without worries and even live a life superior to others, right?"
"In your heart, am I, Luo Man, that kind of person?"
Luo Man's smile gradually disappeared. "Ah Xue, to put it bluntly, I've experienced the kind of life where I don't know where my next meal is coming from, and I never want to go back. Every girl who has struggled and toiled outside, who wouldn't want to find a good haven? I want to be Lin Zhao's girlfriend, is that wrong? Or perhaps, are you jealous, Chen Xue? If you like Lin Zhao and want to be his woman, I absolutely won't stop you, and I'll try to reduce my contact with him in the future. After all, you and I are sisters. I won't steal your man."
"He's not my man."
Chen Xue frowned. "I just genuinely feel that if you're seducing Lin Zhao and becoming his woman solely for your own benefit, such strong self-interest is a harm to Lin Zhao and a disgrace to yourself. The Luo Man I know now is not the Luo Man I knew before."
"Self-interest..."
Luo Man smiled and walked forward, gently resting her pretty face on Chen Xue's shoulder. Her watery eyes blinked. "Without self-interest, what if I truly like him?"
"..."
Chen Xue's delicate body trembled slightly, unsure what to say.
"Alright~~~"
Luo Man chuckled. "I know, I know. I'll try to restrain my affections from now on..."
With that, Luo Man left.
Chen Xue frowned, muttering to herself, "What affections... In all these years, I've never seen you, Luo Man, truly love any man..."
...
At 2 PM, Lin Zhao, who had been fighting monster packs with all his might, had been grinding monsters mechanically for nearly 4 hours. The countdown on his mission log had only a few minutes left. Just as he cleaved a Snow Lotus Fairy to death with a single sword strike, a "beep" sounded. A message came from a stranger whose ID was "Bù Jiàn Xīng Kōng" (不见星空).
"Hello, White-Clad Guild Leader, I am Shen Xingchen of Bù Jiàn Xīng Kōng."
Her?
Lin Zhao frowned, recalling the woman who often accompanied Miss Leng in the town. She had even offered advice and helped him assassinate the demon clan's supreme commander, the great demon Yu Zhi, although it failed. How had she found him in reality now? Had his identity been exposed? Impossible, the people from the Youth Brigade had promised to keep silent and not spread it.
"Hello."
Lin Zhao opened voice chat and smiled. "I am Bai Yi. Is there something, beautiful Shen?"
He wasn't worried at all about Shen Xingchen recognizing him, as his current appearance was completely different from his younger self.
"Mmm."
Shen Xingchen's voice was gentle. "I've recently learned about the conflict between the Scarlet Moon Knights and the Azure Knights, and I also heard about the Scarlet Moon Knights' predicament. I truly feel indignant for you. So... I've contacted you this time to ask if you're interested in joining Star River. We'll create a 'Scarlet Moon Faction' for you separately and provide you with support and manpower, with you as the leader. As long as you agree, Star River will then dispatch three main factions to return to Cloud Prefecture with you and completely eliminate the Azure Knights and Prosperous Peony, getting revenge for you."
Lin Zhao frowned and remained silent.
Shen Xingchen smiled. "Of course, I believe everyone has dreams, and I respect your choice. However, the rewards Star River can offer you will be quite generous. As long as you and Xue Qiancheng, Yu Jin, Xiao Lu Luan Zhuang, Lu Li, and others join Star River, our monthly funding will be as high as 2 million universal coins. If possible, please consider it carefully."
"No need to consider."
Lin Zhao smiled. "Beautiful Shen, actually, I know a little about you. You, the beautiful strategist of Star River, have laid half of Star River's foundation, skilled in various open plots, ingenious strategies, psychological warfare, and siege warfare. Our Scarlet Moon Knights also need such talent... If you're willing, why not join our Scarlet Moon Knights? I'll offer you a monthly salary of... 1800 universal coins! The same as Chen Xue!"
Shen Xingchen's forehead turned black. "Then... we won't talk anymore. Goodbye, White-Clad Guild Leader..."
"Goodbye..."