Chapter 214 - 66: It’s Already Noon

Chapter 214: Chapter 66: It’s Already NoonAbout a certain distance from the square, Xiao Jie said to Yuan Bai, "Big brother, I’ll go alone from here. You find a hidden spot near the square to cover for me." Yuan Bai nodded and his figure vanished in a flash. When Xiao Jie arrived at the square, he was kind of dumbfounded. He had thought this was just a duel between him and Cloud Guest, with perhaps members of the World Association watching. That’s why he had specifically chosen the square for the duel, to prevent a desperate attack en masse—the square was surrounded by many NPC guards, and even the World Association wouldn’t dare to make a move here. But the turnout exceeded his expectations. In front of him was a sea of people, easily numbering two or three hundred. Not only were there many vendors, but also lots of idle spectators gathered in groups, seemingly waiting for something to happen. He could even catch snippets of their conversations. "When is that Hidden Moon Following Wind going to show up?" "Any minute now, it’s almost noon." "Do these two have some deep hatred to settle it with a life and death duel?" "Haha, why do we care so much? Just enjoy the show." "If you ask me, we play games to get benefits from them, why bother with all this fighting and killing?" "Hey, hey, hey, why are there so many people here today?" "To watch the duel, I heard someone’s going to have a life and death fight today, Cloud Guest against—holy crap, Hidden Moon Following Wind!" The man who spotted Xiao Jie’s name above his head couldn’t help but shout excitedly. At the mention of the name Hidden Moon Following Wind, the crowd around him stirred and looked over. "Where, where—eh, only Level 15?" "Damn, this kid is only Level 15? Is this a joke? How’s he gonna fight?" "Buddy, are you the one dueling Cloud Guest? The level difference is too big. Take my advice, don’t be a hero, just get out of here." "Come on, what nonsense are you spouting, great warrior don’t listen to him, go on, we all support you from behind." "Calm down, man. They’ve got a guild backing them up, don’t be foolish as a solo player!" "What’s all this nonsense, this is about not backing down without a fight, just do it, right, brother?" Xiao Jie was somewhat speechless with the crowd’s noisy encouragement; he hadn’t expected things to escalate this much. Some were eager for a spectacle, while others offered earnest advice. It takes all kinds to make a world. Xiao Jie asked curiously, "How did you all know I was coming here to duel?" "The World Association has been parading around since morning, announcing that Cloud Guest and you were going to have a duel to avenge their fallen brothers." A cold snicker filled Xiao Jie’s heart—Xiong Ba was using him to establish authority, or perhaps setting him up to damage his reputation. It didn’t matter, he thought, as you wish. Seeing the crowd was too tight, Xiao Jie didn’t bother replying to each and flew up into the air, heading for the inner part of the square. Flying Cloud Chasing Moon! In an instant, Xiao Jie flipped over the crowd, leaping into the sky. "Wow, what cool Qinggong." "This kid’s got some skills!" In this game, only basic Martial Arts could be learned in the dojos; Advanced Martial Arts had to be obtained by completing special quests or defeating bosses. Moreover, these skills often came with high prerequisites. When Xiao Jie executed Flying Cloud Chasing Moon, he immediately demonstrated his prowess. The players, who generally hadn’t been optimistic about him, now had a growing sense of anticipation. Now in the air, Xiao Jie looked down and instantly saw the World Association’s crowd, a large group huddled together. Huh, the Dragon Soaring Knights are here too! Huh—was that Xia Yi the Unrivaled? ———————— At this moment, in the center of the square, a heated argument was underway. "Xia Yi the Unrivaled! You dare to show your face!" Xiong Ba bellowed at the man before him. "Why shouldn’t I show up? You’re dueling my friend, how could I not come in case you play dirty by outnumbering him? I think this duel is quite good. Speaking of which, Xiong Ba, what kind of skill is it to bully a lower-level player? How about we have a match ourselves?" "Hmph, you’re Level 33, I’m Level 29, you outclass me by a whole rank. Wouldn’t that be bullying?" "And Cloud Guest is a whole rank above Hidden Moon Following Wind too; aren’t you bullying as well?" Cloud Guest added weakly from the side, "It was your friend who sought me out for a duel, don’t pin this on me." "Enough!" Long Xingtianxia, who had been watching coldly, snorted, "Xiong Ba, what are you playing at? Inflating this business of a minor character with a life and death duel? Are you trying to make this game even more chaotic?" "Chairman Long, I had no choice. They killed so many of my brothers; I’ve got to give everyone an explanation, or it doesn’t look good." In front of others, Xiong Ba was arrogant and domineering, but in front of Long Xingtianxia, he immediately put on a wronged tone. Xia Yi the Unrivaled taunted him, "If you hadn’t ambushed my brother first, why would I even bother killing your trash gang? Unhappy? Let’s have a one-on-one." "Xia Yi the Unrivaled!" Long Xingtianxia raised his voice sharply. "Haha, Chairman Long, don’t get worked up. I’m just talking tough. With you here, I wouldn’t dare to act out. I’m quite sensible, not like some people..." Xia Yi the Unrivaled chose to back down, and Long Xingtianxia said no more, turning to look at Xiong Ba again. "Xiong Ba, you think I don’t know about all the nasty things your World Association has done? You’ve caused so much trouble for so many low-level players, and now that you’re being counter-killed, it’s what you deserve. You should have anticipated this possibility. Continuing this strife will only make everyone in the game feel endangered. As a member of the gaming community, I will not allow anyone to disrupt the harmony and order of the game." But someone beside him interjected, "Chairman Long, I think this isn’t such a bad thing—it’s better than settling personal vendettas in secret." "Exactly, exactly. If you don’t let them fight, they’ll just go outside the city and there will be even more deaths. It’s better to let them have it out now." Long Xintianxia swept a glance at those few people. Anyone who could interject here wouldn’t be of low level—they were all the kind who enjoyed watching trouble unfold without concern. People who play this game tend to be somewhat dismissive of life, anyway. If they are willing to risk their own lives, naturally, they wouldn’t take others’ lives seriously either. Hearing about a life and death duel, everyone rushed over to watch the excitement. Long Xingtianxia snorted with disgust, feeling helpless about the current situation. Just then, there was a sudden exclamation from the crowd, and as everyone looked up, they saw Xiao Jie descending from the sky. Xiao Jie executed a Flying Cloud Chasing Moon and landed in the middle of the arena, right in front of everyone. The first thing he noticed was the domineering general clad in Mystic Iron Armor and wearing a Dragon Tooth Helmet. Dragon Soaring Knight (general), Level 39, Life Value 1250. So strong! Truly befitting a top guild leader, with a Life Value comparable to a minor boss. A Level 39 player was the highest level he had ever seen, even three levels higher than Wentian Wuji. Although it was a pure Physical Profession, no one dared to underestimate him. Behind him stood four guards in iron armor, standing at the ready with lance in hand. Gale Knight (Dragon Soaring Knight’s guard) Level 28, Life Value 600. Beyond these, there were more than twenty members of the Dragon Soaring Knights, all mounted on horses. They formed two rows, one on each side. On the left, all were in white horses and robes; on the right, all were in black horses and armor, an impressive sight that stood out in the square and subtly commanded the situation. The second person he noticed was Xiong Ba. Xiong Ba (Qi Gong Master), Level 29, Life Value 680. This guy was wearing a black robe embroidered with dragon patterns, and what shocked Xiao Jie the most was his appearance; he actually looked just like the Xiong Ba from the movies, with long black hair, black beard, and an imposing presence with sword-like eyebrows. This game didn’t have a face customization feature, and the characters players created would be quite similar to their own appearance. Either the player used some special face-customizing item, or he actually looked like this in real life. The third person, naturally, was Xia Yi the Unrivaled. After not seeing him for a few days, Xia Yi the Unrivaled had turned into a white name and was waving at him. "Am I late? Oh, Xia is here too?" Xia Yi the Unrivaled said, "I heard you were going to duel someone, so I specifically brought a few friends to help boost your momentum. Are you sure you want to solo duel Cloud Guest? If you’re being forced, just blink at me. With me here, there’s no need to be afraid." Xiao Jie was somewhat touched. He hadn’t mentioned the duel to Xia Yi the Unrivaled; mainly because he thought it was not good to trouble someone he had met by chance, and also because he was confident in handling the duel himself. He didn’t expect Xia Yi the Unrivaled to come nonetheless. "Xia, don’t worry; I have it under control." At this moment, Long Xingtianxia also looked over and said warmly. "Young brother, if you are being coerced by someone, you can tell me. With the Dragon Soaring Knights upholding justice, no one can play the underworld games here in Xiaofeng City." Xiao Jie had to admit that even though he knew the other party had somewhat of a reputation-seeking motive, it still felt reassuring to have someone uphold justice. An ordered society, even if that order is maintained through martial force, always feels safer than a lawless one. "Thank you for the kind offer, Chairman Long, but I must settle my grievances with the World Association. Instead of wasting energy being on guard in the future, I prefer a fair and square life-and-death duel now. Let swords and blades determine right and wrong." Xiong Ba suddenly burst into laughter upon hearing this, "Kid, you’ve got some guts to actually show up to the meeting. I’ve grown a bit fond of you for that courage. But don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. Right here in front of Chairman Long, if you bow down and admit your wrongs to our World Association, we’ll call it even." Xiao Jie thought to himself, ’As if I’d believe you. Who knows if you’d seek revenge later.’ He understood very well that these matters had to be resolved quickly and decisively because they could become an ongoing threat. There’s no such thing as a thief guarding against theft every day, and only in this city environment could he handle them one-on-one. The World Association wouldn’t dare make a move in the city, but in the wilderness, it would be different. If a group came at him all at once, even with supreme martial arts, he wouldn’t be able to withstand them. ——Moreover, if I don’t deal with them today after spending so much to upgrade my martial arts, then it would all be in vain. Xiao Jie was well aware that supreme martial arts were powerful but not invincible. The Big Move, Illusion Shattering Bubble Shadow, would be most effective the first time it’s used. Once people see it and word gets out, they’ll be prepared, making it harder to achieve instant kills. Therefore, if he had the choice, the best move would be to instantly eliminate a powerful enemy. Rather than wasting it on a small fry like Cloud Guest, Xiong Ba would be a better choice. That was why he sought a duel with Cloud Guest in Xiaofeng City, even knowing the World Association’s members were there—to draw out Xiong Ba. Now, hearing Xiong Ba say that, Xiao Jie let out a chuckle. "Haha, to talk about bravery is unnecessary. Do I need courage to deal with the World Association’s bunch who only bully the weak and fear the strong? You’re Xiong Ba, right? You sure look like a bear. I’m in a hurry, so let’s cut to the chase——what do you say? Why don’t you come at me? Killing a waste like Cloud Guest might dirty my hands. I might as well take you down first. What do you say, with all your brothers watching? A life-or-death duel today. Are you brave enough or not?" As these words left Xiao Jie’s mouth, everyone around was stunned. Murmurs spread through the crowd. "Damn, this kid is wild." "This guy is looking for death. It’s bold enough for a Level 15 to fight a Level 21. And now he wants to challenge a Level 29?" "Hahaha, brother, you’re awesome! Xiong Ba, don’t be a coward, go for it!" Long Xingtianxia and Xia Yi the Unrivaled were both at a loss for words. Xia Yi the Unrivaled hurriedly sent a private message: "Brother, don’t be rash." Long Xingtianxia also let out a sigh, not knowing how to persuade them at this point. As for Cloud Guest, he was ecstatic. He thought, ’With the boss stepping in, do you even stand a chance?’ Although he was confident he could defeat a Level 15 newbie, the newbie’s arrogance made him a bit nervous. If the boss stepped in, then he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. After all, it was a life and death duel, better avoided if possible. But Xiong Ba suddenly bellowed in rage, "Cloud Guest, kill him!"