"Heh heh, as expected of a nerd."
"Stop laughing. He heard it." Xu Xin quickly lowered her head with a red face.
During the month, she had heard quite a lot of news regarding Chen Kaixin in secret. It was rumored that he had never gone to class again, and the lecturers never said anything. Many people went to talk to their lecturers about excusing themselves from classes as well, but in the end, all of them returned rejected and crestfallen.
It was very simple.
The teachers had brought out a set of course completion test papers from the previous year and told them to do it.
Hence, some rumors about Chen Kaixin studying by himself until he could complete the course completion tests and even obtaining the qualifications for graduation spread through the university. This news made Xu Xin curious about him, and admiration bloomed in her. She was also slightly delighted about this.
The only thing that made Xu Xin slightly dejected was that after that incident, she never met him on any of the roads or anywhere else. If it were not that she had heard that he would appear in the canteen during noon, she would have thought that he had been deeply traumatized by the accident which along with the pressure from the rumors caused him to withdraw from the university.
To ensure that wasn't true, she had taken the initiative to suggest eating in the canteen.
What she hadn't expected was that Happy would still be very energetic, and his gaze was much brighter and more confident than before. At the moment he walked into the canteen, he did not seem to be affected by the strange gazes around him. He appeared to be very relaxed and in his own environment.
However, the girls beside Xu Xin seemed to have seen through her. When Happy arrived, they increased the volume of their voices, though it was hard to say whether they did so deliberately or not. A few gazes swept toward them. They were filled with curiosity and passion, and it made Xu Xin feel incredibly awkward. She badly wanted to find a hole and crawl into it.
"What's wrong, Sweet Little Xin Xin, are you feeling sorry for him so soon?"
"No way? Are you seriously feeling sorry for that nerd?"
"Luo Luo, what's with that tone? He's considered handsome too, you know?"
"So, Young Ya, you like studious looking handsome guys, huh? Hey, Xin Xin, why don't you help her score a boyfriend? Go and create a chance for her." The girls instantly laughed together. Their chatter and giggles were loud, and they showed no signs of lowering their voices at all.
The boys by the side felt depressed.
The Three Lonely Wolves glared at a certain person as if they shared a common hatred for him. That certain person was Happy!
"Young Ya is pretty good too."
"Happy, you're lucky."
It was only then that Happy realized that the department princess, Xu Xin, for whom he had pined for a long time, was also among the beautiful flowers that were talking to each other. He could not help but be stunned for a while.
"Sweet Little Xin Xin, the studious handsome guy is staring at you."
"Anymore nonsense from you, and I won't wait for you."
Xu Xin glared at Luo Luo while disappointing everyone by swiftly casting a glance at Happy's direction. Just as everyone expected, she met Chen Kaixin's stunned gaze, and she lowered her head while blushing.
For some reason, when he met Xu Xin again, Happy actually became calm.
This was the department princess he had a crush on for a long time, but nothing had ever come out of that crush. She was still as gentle, attractive, shy, and pure as before. He wondered just which lucky bastard would ever be able to hold her in their embrace.
That person was not him though.
When he thought of this, Happy nodded and smiled at Xu Xin instinctively. Then, he discreetly looked away and sat down in between the Three Lonely Wolves, who had suddenly become silent.
Everyone was stunned speechless.
Happy's sudden bright smile caused the girls at that table to suddenly lose their voices.
And over at their table, the Three Lonely Wolves had been observing the changes in Happy's emotions all the while. At this moment, they looked as if they had just seen a UFO during daytime. Their mouths hung open in shock, and this expression seemed to have been fixed on their faces.
Half a month ago, this brother of theirs had nearly committed suicide because of how embarrassed he was. How could he be so calm and composed when he was so close to Xu Xin?
"Are you still Happy?"
"Young Bai, check the level of alcohol in his blood." The solemn look on Chen Fan's face caused Happy to roll his eyes at him.
"Could you stop talking nonsense? By the way, if any of you need in-game money, I have some with me." While he had spent nearly three thousand taels of silver crumbs for drinks the day before, he still had nearly six thousand taels of silver crumbs in his savings account. It could be considered quite a huge sum.
"Don't even think about changing the topic, brat." Qi Ci revealed his intentions straight away. He slapped the table and looked like a police officer who was offering a suspect a lighter sentence if he told the truth. "Tell us the truth, are you… really not drunk?"
"Just go away."
Happy rolled his eyes and began to leisurely deal with the food on his plate.
'Hmm… since there's a beautiful girl by my side, I still need to take care of my image. Ah, what the heck, I'm such a fake.'
While he cursed himself, Happy still tried to put up on an act of wolves in gentlemen's clothing with the Three Lonely Wolves…
Happy did not know whether it was their intention or not, but they chose to leave on the lane by his side.
Even more surprising was that Xu Xin actually walked to their table with a slight flush on her cheeks.
"Chen Kaixin." There were hints of embarrassment in her gentle voice. "Could you come over for a while? I would like to speak to you."
"Alright."
When he saw that she wanted to say something, Happy quickly and politely got up from his seat. Under the countless surprised, envious, and jealous gazes from the wolves in the canteen, he went to the snack shop next to the canteen with the girls.
The Three Lonely Wolves watched the group leave while shoving the remaining grains of rice into their mouths through gritted teeth.
"Traitor. He's a hoes before bros kind of guy."
"We'll teach him a lesson when we get back."
"That's right."
The three girls from Dorm 203 took the initiative to be scouts at the snack shop beside the canteen so that they could create a chance for Xu Xin and Happy to be alone. However, the girls kept their ears open so that they could eavesdrop on their conversation, just like the gossip-loving girls that they were.
"Honestly, I've been trying to look for a chance to apologize to you all this while. I've been too rash back then. It must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?"
Happy took the initiative to open up the topic of conversation. When he remembered how silly he had been, a faint smile appeared on his lips. He did not expect that he would be able to get a chance to resolve the awkward situation from his previous life.
The feeling of redoing everything was… actually pretty good.
Right after he finished speaking, Xu Xin turned around. There was a slightly apologetic look on her ethereally beautiful face. "I should be the one apologizing. If I had a chance to explain things, there wouldn't be so many rumors around. I heard that… you drank a lot of alcohol after that. You must have been very unhappy."
"Not really. At the very least, I'm very happy right now. If it weren't for those rumors, I wouldn't have had the chance to talk to the department princess alone, right? Speaking of which, heh, I have to thank them," Happy said calmly, and a faint blush appeared on Xu Xin's fair cheeks.
Chapter 35 - Tomb Robbers’ Revenge
Once Chen Kaixin spoke to Xu Xin, he felt that the regret he had in previous life was gone, and he felt relaxed, as if a pair of shackles in his hea
rt had been released. Even though they only talked about him stopping his classes and doing self-studying, it still felt pretty good.
Once he returned to his dorm, he naturally could not avoid being interrogated through a series of "tortures" by the Three Lonely Wolves who stood as a united front!
When the Three Lonely Wolves satisfied their boring d.e.s.i.r.e to know about Chen Kaixin's personal life and also felt happy that he did not get the girl, Chen Kaixin put on the VR helmet again and entered World of Martial Arts to continue being the eldest senior brother of Murong Clan.
He believed that before the end of the day, the news of his conversation with the department princess, Xu Xin, would spread through the university. And there might be a time when things will no longer be peaceful for him.
...
In the backyard of Murong Mansion was a room that could be considered as Happy's private room. This was a benefit the people would receive after they became Murong Clan's disciples. When Happy came out of his room, he saw a few messenger pigeons circling around it. The sounds of their wings flapping reached his ears, and they flew toward him.
[Senior Brother Happy, we went level grinding. If there's anything good, remembered to tell us!] When he opened the letter on the messenger pigeon, Happy read the message from Whirlwind Young Li and the others.
He replied to their messages one by one until he remembered that he still had something to do!
He had completed the quest to save Xiu Niang and prevent Water Revival Village from being destroyed. However, he had yet to go to the government office in town to receive his reward.
If he remembered correctly, it was around two thousand taels of silver crumbs.
Even though he had six thousand taels of silver crumbs with him, he would never complain about having too much money.
With the Noble Sword in hand, Happy left Murong Mansion and charged toward the government office.
"Are you Happy?"
"Yes, sir."
Even though this was just a mere formality, Happy still acted based on how World of Martial Arts operated. He raised his head and puffed out his c.h.e.s.t. Then, he answered without being haughty or humble.
A hint of admiration and satisfaction appeared on the governor's stern face.
"Not bad! I have heard many things about Black Wind Mountain for a long time, but these wanderers have quite a few organizations backing them up, and they are quite skilled as well. They hide themselves in mountains, and our soldiers can do nothing against them. I feel incredibly relieved that you were able to kill two of Black Wind Mountain's bandit chiefs and dozens of mountain bandits by yourself. You have also saved the people of Water Revival Village by doing it."
"Sir, you praise me too much."
The governor nodded again. "You have done a meritorious deed by saving Water Revival Village. You killed two bandit chiefs and ensured that the Black Wind Mountain Bandits will not dare to attack other villages for a period of time. I have decided to reward you with two thousand taels of silver crumbs as encouragement for you."
"Thank you, sir."
Happy turned around and received the money the attendant beside him handed to him. He received it without any reservation and was about to bid farewell when the governor changed the topic of conversation, much to his surprise.
"Happy, I heard from your butler that a few days ago, one of the tomb robbers who came from the north perished under your hands. Is this true?"
Happy found himself unable to say anything. He was stunned.
Why did the governor suddenly think of this?
"Has this matter not come to an end?"
The governor pulled a long face and sighed.
"I, too, thought that was the case, but those accursed tomb robbers brought terrible things to Gusu City. Yesterday, not only was the corpse of the tomb robber you killed stolen, a line of words that heavily imply a threat were left behind his tomb after it was dug out."
"What?"
Happy was stunned, and an ominous feeling instantly rose in his heart!
"What words were those?"
Happy's thoughts raced. He did not expect that the tomb robbers would not be terrified into leaving. They actually stayed in Gusu City, and they even had the guts to steal Tomb Robber Third's corpse. Now that the governor mentioned it… could it be that those criminals who could be somewhat considered as members of the world of martial artists want to seek revenge against him?
Happy had killed Third, who had been as close as a brother to them. The two remaining tomb robbers had decided to spare no effort and find a chance to seek revenge. They wanted to bring his head and offer it up as a sacrifice to Third, whose soul was in heaven! And they had told him to sit still and wait for his death.
When he said this, the governor paused for a moment and stared into Happy's eyes.
"That is how it is. I have yet to have the time to notify Murong Clan about this, but since you are here, I thought you needed to know."
"Thank you for the reminder, sir."
"Alright." The governor nodded. "Regardless of whether you are Murong Clan's disciple or not, you are first and foremost a citizen of Gusu City. I am responsible for your safety. As for the two tomb robbers we failed to catch, I have already sent orders to my subordinates to increase the number of people investigating this matter."
Happy nodded without a word, but he did not think that the governor would be able to catch the tomb robbers.
If the government officers searched for martial artists, even if they managed to find them, they would just startle them, but not be able to catch them. In the end, Happy would still end up being the one who had to deal with it. By the looks of it, his act of completing the tomb robber quest with an exceptional performance had actually made him trigger a hidden storyline!
However, regardless of what would happen in the storyline, Happy thought nothing of the threat.
The two tomb robbers who avoided being captured would at most be at the peak of Gate Realm. Even if they appeared at the same time in front of him, with his lancet knives in hand, he did not need to be too worried about them.
"Of course."
The governor used a gaze that could see through a person's heart and stared into Happy's eyes.
"Since you have easily killed Black Wind Mountain's second and third bandit chiefs, I believe that the two tomb robbers will no longer be able to be a threat to you. If you can arrest the two tomb robbers for Gusu City and bring them to justice, I promise you that I will reward you greatly, regardless of whether they are alive or dead!"
'Knew it. It's a quest.'
But once Happy changed the way he thought, he understood why the governor would ask him to come over.
Many of the royal tombs in Gusu City had been dug out and robbed of their burial goods. The pressure on Gusu City's governor was easily imaginable. If he did not capture the tomb robbers, bring them to justice, and make them hand over the burial goods within a short period of time, he could kiss goodbye to his days of being a governor…
It was clear that the governor had only spoken about the matter because he had no clues about the tomb robbers. That was why he decided to rely on Happy.
Once he changed his train of thought, Happy did not agree nor disagree with the governor's suggestion immediately. Instead, he put on a troubled expression.
"Sir, this humble citizen is of course willing to help the court and capture those thieves, but it has only been a while since I joined Murong Clan, and I am still weak. I cannot handle them alone. If you can send some people to help me—"
"I am afraid that is not possible." The governor put on a troubled expression. "The tomb robbers are cunning and devious. With the slightest hint of action from us, they will leave. They can tell who are government officers."
"Then I have no way of helping you." Happy put on a regretful face. "With my strength alone, it is impossible for me to fight against two expert tomb robbers! Sir, please choose another capable person for this task."
"Sigh… I also know that this request is a little too much, but I have no other choice." The governor appeared to be in agony. "Those two are too skilled at hiding. If even you refuse to accept going out of the city on your own free will to lure them out, then the descendants of the royal family will definitely shift their anger on me, and they will say that I do not do my job well."
Happy fell silent.
The governor hesitated for a while before he said decisively, "How about this? If you can successfully capture the two of them, I will take matters into my own hands and reward you with a Small Reversion Pill."
'A Small Reversion Pill?!'
Happy's eyes lit up.
"That is the deal!"
Small Reversion Pills cost around one thousand taels worth of gold crumbs! Even though they could not compare to the miracle medicine—Big Reversion Pill—that could increase the user's qi, they could still restore the user's qi and stamina within a short amount of time.
The pill's healing effects were also shocking. In the beginning of the game, Small Reversion Pill was almost the same as an extra life, and it was very rare. Happy would absolutely take the risk and try to capture the two robbers for it.
Chapter 36 - Luring the Snake into the “Trap”
Once Happy accepted the quest, he bade farewell to the governor and took a stroll through Gusu City.
He first went to the ironsmith and requested five small and exquisite Flying Iron Hooked Ropes. Each of them had to be able to carry the weight of several a.d.u.l.t men, and the length of the rope was to be thirty feet. They were also to be sturdy and firm.
Then, he went to the weapon shop next door and bought another ten sets of lancet knives before he went off to the sundry shop to purchase a few large bags of lime powder.
He stuffed all those items into his Universe Bag and left Gusu City with his sword to head to Cold Mountain Temple.
In truth, the favor the governor asked of him might be troublesome, but it was not very dangerous. Even if he had not offered the Small Reversion Pill, Happy would still have accepted the quest.
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