During the time they set up camp and rested, the quest temporarily came to a stop, and they could leave the game during that time.
"Damn it, what is with this quest?!"
The moment he took off his VR Helmet, Happy heard Qi Ci curse angrily in the dorm. He was raging against the storyline quest launched by the official developers.
Happy jumped down from the bed and exercised his body. He then asked, "What's wrong?"
When he heard movement, Bai Lang turned his head around and cast Happy a glance while sitting in front of his computer.
"What else? Our tribute was stolen."
Happy was stunned, then he instinctively comforted Qi Ci. "If it's stolen, then let it be. Just think of a way to steal it back."
"Heh heh."
Bai Lang looked as if this matter had nothing to do with him. With his ankle on his knee in front of his computer, he answered in place of Qi Ci in a frivolous manner.
"The main point is that Old Seven was supposed to be the one stealing, but once he stole the tribute, his group lingered around like noobs, and in the end, his target called the brothers under his master and killed them after surrounding them. They lost their stolen goods, and the group protecting the tribute fled without a trace."
Happy stopped moving, stupefied. He stared at Qi Ci incredulously while the latter smiled bitterly with an awkward expression. He truly could do nothing about this if that were the case.
He had lost his tribute and was killed, and his target had even fled into the distance. He lost everything in terms of the climate, geography, and the support of his group. Basically, Qi Ci could already announce giving up on the quest ahead of time.
"I didn't expect that they would catch up so soon. I just wanted to see if I could make him drop his weapon…" Qi Ci covered his face in shame.
"Alright. Forget about the quest this time. Go back, search for a place, and just train. While the rewards for the quest are good, you have very few chances to practice your martial arts. It'll be better if you seize the time to increase your qi realm and nurse yourself back to health. At least you got something good out of your misfortune," Happy said in a voice full of resignation.
Qi Ci sighed. "Ah, that's the only thing I can do."
"There's no point in you sighing about this. I have to say, there are quite a lot of people who have ended up the same as you." Bai Lang remained seated in front of his computer while he scrolled down with his mouse and spoke without turning his head back.
"The players who successfully stole the tributes will have a bounty placed on their heads, and all players will know about this until the thieves bring the stolen goods back to their sects or clans to report and complete the quest. The thieves' precise location will be known to all. And as long as the players manage to kill those who stole the tribute, they can get that tributes themselves… Tsk, tsk!"
Qi Ci's eyes lit up once he heard this, and he quickly went over to look.
"Where's the information? Let me see."
"Here."
When Bai Lang clicked the thread, Happy moved to their side with a calm expression. He swept through the general contents of the thread and came to a realization.
'Not bad…'
Players could make the quests they received from their sects or clans—which asked them to steal the tributes from their enemy—progress to the point where they could snatch all the items that were to be offered as tribute. The quest would then be named Greedy Ambition!
The players could get to know the value of the items offered as tribute once they got their hands on the tribute. Then, they would get a notification from their Evil Conscience [1]. [Steal the tributes from the other sects and claim them as your own.]
Even though this was a notification from the Evil Conscience, it still meant that the system had greenlit their path, and they could legitimately snatch more benefits and treasures!
It had to be known that the tributes were all valuable items.
Happy remembered that when he received the news last time, all the players in the game had been stunned, and then they descended into madness because of it!
Countless players joined in, regardless of whether they received the quest to protect the tribute or to steal one. Those who were tasked to protect the tributes took the initiative to 'lose' the tribute, and they would madly chase after the thieves in the game. Regardless of which sect they belonged to, whether they knew them, and where they were, once they found their target, their eyes would become bloodshot with l.u.s.t, and they would rush to seize the benefits before them.
In the end, before the storyline was revealed, the world of martial artists became a bloody mess, and the players slaughtered each other until the game was in a state of chaos!
Just when all the sects and clans killed each other until no one could get the upper hand, the people from the Forest Union, who were the people who had been manipulating the scenes for the tributes, quietly extended their hands, and with absolute power, they instantly swept away most of the tributes from the players' hands. Because of the constant fights, most of the players' fighting power had been reduced, and they could only watch helplessly as the Forest Union butted in this matter. They could do nothing to fight back.
It was also because of them not being able to fight back that the storyline quest of banditry spreading across the land was officially launched.
Countless players who had been blinded by temporary greed and ambition began to reflect on their actions. Then, under the call of the major sects and the court, they pulled themselves together and regrouped for battle! They began to engage Forest Union in battles of wit and courage!
In the end…
At that time, Happy did not pay any attention to the harsh battle that lasted for months.
However, he remembered that two powerful players would swiftly come into prominence in and become brilliant comets that led the world of martial artists for a period of time. One of them was one of the thirteen aces—Wind Void—and the other was one of the three kings—King Asura. They would establish a foundation and strength that the people later on would find very difficult to shake.
"Whoa, if we manage to snatch a few tribute boxes, doesn't that mean that we'll make great headway in the game?!"
When he saw the shocking news written on the thread, Qi Ci's breathing instantly became quick. He grew incredibly excited.
Before Happy could speak, Bai Lang calmly said, "What's so good about getting the tributes? The players who received the quest to either protect or steal them number to millions or tens of millions. With so much good stuff there, it'll destroy the balance in the game! Didn't you notice the remarks written on the tribute boxes? Until the emperor's birthday, all the tributes cannot be used or placed in the bank."
When he heard Bai Lang's analysis, Happy felt his eyes brighten, and he cast Bai Lang another glance. It was full of surprise and curiosity.
He did not seem to remember Bai Lang ever saying this before. Could it be that the rapid advancement of South China Martial Artists Ranking Board had made Bai Lang's thought processes and view of the overall situation change as well?
The two people did not notice Happy's change.
"What do you mean?"
Once Bai Lang gave Qi Ci the hint, Qi Ci seemed to have realized something.
"We can't take those things. Don't even think about it. You just died once, so don't join in the mess. If you aren't strong, even if it's really something good, you won't be able to get it. Why don't you just set your mind on practicing your martial arts? Your rewards might be greater than other people's."
"I agree," Happy voiced his agreement from the side.
*****
However, Happy was reminded of a matter because of the information online. Once he dealt with dinner, he quickly returned to the game.
Right then, the news of being able to snatch an endless supply of tributes had already spread across the net. Not only was a tribute in even greater danger now, no one would b
e able to avoid the bloodbath. All the people would be dragged into the mess, and when he thought about the chaotic and dangerous situation that would erupt after the battles that were bound to descend on them, Happy became anxious as well.
'No matter what, I have to think of a way to survive through this storm!'
Chapter 92 - Zhou Yu
When Happy returned to the game, he wasn't the first to mention the matter, but Xu Lang.
Right after logging in, Happy saw the five players sitting in a circle while talking to each other. When they saw Happy, Xu Lang immediately rushed to him impatiently.
"Senior Brother Happy, did you hear about the news online?"
"What?" Happy decided to be ignorant.
"It's about stealing the tributes. After we lose the tribute, we can chase after the thieves and snatch the tributes from other sects. We talked about it just now. After all, the journey is long, and the rewards are not great. It'd be better if we lost it and searched for a chance to snatch other players' tribute. I heard that once the emperor's birthday is over, the tributes will become ours! Right now, there are plenty of players who are doing this."
Xu Lang's eyes shone brilliantly, and there was indescribable excitement and enthusiasm in them.
"What do you think?"
Happy swept his gaze over the other members.
The four of them looked at each other before nodding. Eleventh Crane said, "I believe with the current trend, someone will set their sights on us sooner or later. It'll be hard for us the further we progress down this quest. Instead of remaining on the passive, it'd be better if we readily lose our tribute in the next wave of attacks. Then, let's search for a place to train, and we'll show up when the emperor's birthday is around the corner and search for people with tributes in their hands."
Happy nodded in his heart.
At least Eleventh Crane did not have the intention to be blindly dragged into the mud. Just this alone made the rewards he would gain later in the quest to be greater than most of the players who entered the chaos from the start, even if he did not have any tribute!
When he thought of this, Happy nodded and immediately agreed to it.
"Eldest senior brother, you agree to it? That's great!" The joy in Orchid Researcher's face could not be hidden. "But won't the next group of people who get our tribute benefit from this?"
"Yup. Regardless of whether it is players or mountain bandits from the strongholds, just hand the tribute over."
Once he finished speaking, Ghost's Worry cast a glance at the four guards near the carriage, and the look that flashed in his eyes showed that he did not have the heart to watch them die.
"Don't worry. If all of us run, they'll run as well," Xu Lang said to comfort him.
He had already investigated this matter. All guards would act according to the players' will. If the players fought, they would definitely fight with everything they had as well. If everyone in their party fled, they would lose their moral to continue putting up the act of protecting the tribute.
The party's hearts were at ease after they heard it.
Beyond Yangzhou City was a fortress named Fortress in Clouds.
Over there was an empty piece of ground surrounded by smoke and dustA young man with a sheathed, hiltless, black longsword strapped to his waist stood there. He was bald and dressed in a Daoist robe while his fingers were hooked around his belt in a frivolous manner.
He moved about dozens of corpses, occasionally biting down on a green foxtail in his mouth. He was looking around and using his foot to kick a corpse from time to time to check whether he had missed any spoils of war.
The elements of not being saintly, not being moral, not being normal, and not being elegant were all rolled into one in that person, but they did not make him look grotesque. Instead, there was a strange harmony, which was quite intriguing.
"How poor."
The young man walked around the corpses once before he spat out the green foxtail in his mouth in disdain. The green foxtail was now a messy ball. He smacked his lips, which now tasted bitter, and grumbled under his breath, "No wonder you lot always went out to rob others."
Right after he finished speaking, light and relaxed footsteps came from behind him.
The young man quirked an eyebrow before he turned around.
"So, did you get anything?"
But the young man seemed to ignore all that. He cast a glance at the woman in the long gown and sighed instead.
"Let's not even talk about it. This stronghold had fallen earlier. Before I even came here, it was already ransacked by someone else. Only a few mooks are left. What about you? How many goods have you robbed?"
"None." The girl in the long gown looked very charming when she walked forward in a catwalk. When she heard what he asked, she spread her arms. "I listened to you and delivered the goods I stole."
"Smart girl." When the young man heard what she said, he finally gave the woman in the long gown another glance, and he put on a faint smile. "Everyone says that my little sister is smart, but I never thought so over the years. Today, you finally did something smart people do."
"Enough. I know you're smart, alright? Tsk… Are you supposed to act like this as my older brother? You only know how to make things hard for your little sister." The woman in the long gown rolled her eyes at the man in vexation before she turned to the side. Then, she said spitefully, "I got news about the Gate Realm player you asked me to check, the one named Happy."
"Oh?"
When the young man heard this, he looked up. "Are they in Yangzhou now?"
The woman in the long gown became even angrier. She glared at her older brother with her almond-shaped eyes.
"Zhou Yu! Why does it feel like all of your opponents are more important than your own sister?! How could you be like this?! Here I am, running around as your lackey for so long to get news for you, and you can't even spare a single sentence to comfort me and show your concern for me?"
"Comfort? Are you hurt?" The young man who named his in-game character Zhou Yu put on a very exaggerated look of bafflement. "My dear sister, you don't need any of my concern, do you? Who in World of Martial Arts can stop you from running away and manage to hurt you? This is me showing my trust in my younger sister. But if he can stop you from running away, it'll be good. At least you can avoid not getting married." The final sentence was spoken under the man's breath in a very light tone.
"What did you say?"
The woman in the long gown glared at him again. She had very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e hearing.
"I mean that I believe that no one in the world can stop you from running away. By the way, you said the boy has entered the territory of Yangzhou? You didn't attack him to test his strength, right?" Zhou Yu changed the topic.
'It's one of your old tricks!'
The woman in the long gown snorted lightly, but she answered without a hint of inattentiveness.
"He has indeed come, but he's not that good. There were only a few Blessed Realm players who joined that offline martial arts tournament, and they were all very weak. I don't understand why you should be paying so much attention to a Gate Realm player."
"Don't try to stir me into action. If you really think he's nothing, you would have attacked a long time ago to test him and kill him. You wouldn't have waited until now." Zhou Yu looked at his sister with a smile. "If you had truly attacked, I would have definitely showed my concern for you as your older brother."
"Hmph." The woman in the long gown snorted contemptuously. She regarded this as beneath her attention. "With his abilities?"
Zhou Yu fell silent. He no longer spoke.
When the woman in the long gown saw that her brother had stopped speaking, she instantly found the situation much more boring, and a thought rose in her mind. "They'll come here soon. Brother, our clan quest this time is to steal the Murong Clan's tribute. Are you going to attack later?" Once she finished speaking, she looked at Zhou Yu with a face full of hope.
Zhou
Yu brought out another green foxtail as if he had just conjured it out of thin air. He placed it in his mouth and chewed on it, making the green foxtail bob up and down.
"You know the answer yourself," he said frivolously.
"How would I know what's in your mind?"
The woman in the long gown turned her head to the side vindictively, but her ears were open and attentive.
Zhou Yu could do nothing else but shake his head and sigh. "I'm in the middle stage of Blessed Realm, and I have a high-tier martial art in the ninth realm. My body movement skill is at Grandmaster Realm, and my body fortification skill is also at Grandmaster Realm. If I attack a Gate Realm player right now, even if I win, it won't be honorable."
"Then why are you here?" the woman in the long gown asked in an incredibly disappointed tone.
She had always been very vexed by the results of the offline martial arts tournament. The champion had been snatched away by a brat in Gate Realm, and she regarded this in great scorn. She initially wanted her brother to kill Happy and upload a battle replay to whittle down that brat's prestige, but by the looks of it, her big brother clearly did not share this thought.
Zhou Yu's act of chewing his green foxtail paused for a moment, and a profound smile appeared on his stubble-covered face.
"It's quiet here."
Chapter 93 - Yangzhou City
Under the combined efforts of Happy and his group, the tribute of the Murong Clan was stolen by a group of nameless mountain bandits while they were in the territory of Yangzhou. The four guards had very happily and readily ran off and disappeared without a trace once Happy and his group fled, causing the group of people who had received the quest to steal their tribute to receive news that their quest had changed.
Since the tribute had been stolen, their target shifted from the Murong Clan's carriage to the mountain stronghold. They were to enter the stronghold to steal the tribute, which increased the difficulty of the quest by leaps and bounds!
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