After the mission was complete, Gui Guzi ordered everyone to take over Greedy Wolf Forest. I didn’t stop him. For third-promotion players, Greedy Wolf Forest was a safe and experience-rich leveling zone. It was the reason why Mad Dragon fought so hard to monopolize it in the first place.

“Boss, should we ‘reserve’ this place for ourselves?” Gui Guzi asked.

I stared at the horizon before shaking my head. “No, it’s a distasteful practice. You can ban players from Mad Dragon from training here, but let’s go no further than that. Also, contact Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls and tell that Greedy Wolf Forest is available for grinding…”

“Got it!”

…...

After the battle ended, the players of Mad Dragon didn’t dare to revive immediately. Those that did used their return scrolls immediately and were teleported to the city. They had pretty much lost all their courage. Bloody Mercenaries didn’t have many players, but each and every one of them was brave and strong. Those serving under my dark generals, Gui Guzi and Beiming Xue, were especially powerful and impossible to stop by the likes of Mad Dragon.

I walked out of the valley with my sword in tow. Outside the valley, the stragglers were being split into three groups and cut down accordingly. In the distance facing toward Floating Ice City, a group of Mad Dragon players almost two hundred strong tried to fight their way back in and take back Greedy Wolf Forest, but they were stopped dead at the perimeter by a line of Snowy Cathaya players.

Beneath the banner, the beautiful leader of Snowy Cathaya, Wind Fantasy pressed a hand to her sword and smiled tauntingly at a sea of enemy players. Her eyes looked amazing, and her hair was dancing lightly to the wind. “Didn’t Mad Dragon say that they would annihilate all forces in Floating Ice City and reign supreme? Well, we’re waiting. Try and annihilate us if you can!”

The Mad Dragon players were so intimidated by the mighty Fruit Knife Goddess that not one of them dared to meet her challenge!

Lin Yixin was a goddess, but she was no goddess of mercy. Raising her sword, she cried out to her men, “Kill anyone with the words Mad Dragon in their name! Leave no one alive!”

The players behind her charged toward the Mad Dragon players and dealt a lethal blow despite being outnumbered two to one! Under the effects of Lin Yixin’s “beautiful leader aura”, their killing intent, tenacity, rage, courage and morale were absolutely off the charts!

There was no chance this second-rate reserve force could defend themselves from the onslaught of Snowy Cathaya’s elite troops. Even the main force of Mad Dragon would’ve collapsed under their might!

Sensing an opportunity, I turned on the recorder and recorded ten full minutes of the best moments of the battle!

Not including this, I had seven footages of Mad Dragon’s defeat in my video library already. Once they’re ready, I’m going to upload them all onto the official forums to humiliate them and advertise my guild. After all, Bloody Mercenaries were the ones who did most of the hard work, not Lin Yixin and Snowy Cathaya. They were at most the “kill securers”.

Lin Yixin didn’t take part in the battle. She simply stood atop a small hill and enjoyed the show from above. In fact, she had become a spiritual leader in more ways than one. All she needed to do was show her face, and her subordinates would fight to their death without question!

I felt a bit of complex emotion welling inside me. He Yi was also a leader like this. Back in Spirit of Grief, the reason many of our guild members stuck together through thick and thin was mostly because of her. Now that Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls was rebuilt, I was sure she could build something amazing with her personal charm!

Suddenly, I realized that Lin Yixin wasn’t standing on the small hill anymore. I tried looking around for her until I felt a small, tender hand patting me on the shoulder. Lin Yixin spoke from behind me, “You have too much time on your hands, don’t you, running all the way here just to grab some footage… Seriously, you have none of GX’s talent but all of his perversion...”

I turned around and stared at her. “How am I perverted?”

Lin Yixin puffed up her chest and said, “Oh you’re really asking? And where are you looking right now? You can’t even control yourself long enough to refute me properly!”

A motley ray of sunlight had pierced through the tree leaves and landed perfectly between her breasts. It was so dazzling and attractive that my eyes kept being drawn toward the spot, no matter how hard I tried to smother the urge. It was almost as if there was a mysterious gravitational force affecting my eyes!

Sigh. Is Lin Yixin really a goddess? Why do I feel like she’s more like a beautiful minx who steals people’s souls away?

“Gulp…”

I swallowed once before replying, “Well… okay fine, I’m a pervert. But how can you blame me when…”

Lin Yixin pursed her lips and turned her back on me. “How am I supposed to not treat you with disdain when you act like this…”

I smiled and walked up to her. We stood shoulder-to-shoulder and watched the distant battles taking place beneath our feet. Some time later, my eyes moved involuntarily toward Lin Yixin again as I asked, “Yiyi, are you actually a goddess?”

Lin Yixin stared into my eyes for a moment before smiling. “If I’m a goddess, then it is not my destiny to marry a mortal. I will hide in an unknown corner of the secular world, shine like the stars of the night, and smile in a way no mortal could ever resist. Then, I will become immortal.”

Her smile grew mysterious. “Do you still think I'm a goddess now?”

I shook my head immediately. “I’ve never thought that. ‘Minx’ fits you way more…”

“You’re a minx…”

Lin Yixin punched me lightly, but she was clearly smiling from ear to ear.

…...

The battle lasted for half an hour. When the dust was settled, Mad Dragon suffered the worst defeat since the founding of their guild in the hands of Bloody Mercenaries and Snowy Cathaya. Nearly everyone in their guild had been killed at least once!

After that, Lin Yixin left and went back to grinding.

Literally having too much time on my hands, I was about to find my own leveling ground when I received a phone call from real life. Oh well. I took out a tent, went in and logged out from the game!

By the time I returned to the real world and grabbed my phone, the call had already turned into a missed call. It was Murong Mingyue. I called back and got a response immediately.

“What is it, sister?” I asked.

Murong Mingyue said, “Eve just returned to Suzhou, Lu Chen…”

“Oh, I see…”

“That’s it?” I could almost see Murong Mingyue smiling from the other side of the phone. “Eve told me this morning that she dreamed about you again. She said she saw you covered in blood, and… and she cried until her whole pillow was wet with tears…”

Murong Mingyue let out a sigh before continuing, “Eve just can’t forget about you, so I think it’s about time you meet her. Don’t you think so as well?”

I nodded unconsciously. “I agree, but I…”

“No more buts!” Murong Mingyue cut me off before I could continue. “Eve will be performing an inspection at GGS’s industrial zone around 3 pm today. You know, the electronics factories not far away from the university? You… you should come. If you show up, I’m sure Eve will become the happiest woman in the world~~”

I considered her suggestion for a moment. “3 pm?”

“Mn. What is there to hesitate about?”

“I’m worried that…”

“Ai!” Murong Mingyue sighed. “Lu Chen, sometimes it’s better not to think too deeply. You are far more important to Eve that those three from the Ego workshop could ever be. Don’t you know? Just say the word, and she’ll sweep them out of the doorsteps immediately for you. She won’t even hesitate.”

Locking my brows into a deep frown, I replied, “Just give me a few more days. I’m planning to expand Bloody Mercenaries until we have 1000 high-level players. When that happens, I’ll return to Ancient Sword Dreaming Souls, okay? This way, I’ll be able to rise to boss’s expectations, and I’ll have enough capital to throw down with the Ego workshop!”

Murong Mingyue couldn’t help but smile. “You little... Alright, fine, do whatever you want. I’m just informing you that Eve will be visiting Suzhou New District around 3 pm later, and it’s completely up to you whether to visit her or not. Who knows, maybe she’ll have to fly back to the head office in the US as soon as tomorrow. Maybe you won’t be able to meet her for at least another half a month. But who cares? It’s not like you miss her anyway…”

Tap!

Murong Mingyue hung up on me, leaving me to stare blankly into thin air.

I don’t miss her?

Of course I do...

…...

It was 3 pm, and my heart felt as restless as a racehorse. I was sitting in the living room. The hot tea I poured for myself some time ago was completely cold.

Creak…

Beiming Xue opened her door and walked out of her room. She was wearing a loose T-shirt. Surprised to see me in the living room at this time, she asked, “Boss, why aren’t you online? It’s broad daylight!”

I gave her a smile and said, “Nothing. I’m just a bit tired and felt like walking around for a bit…”

“Oh, really?” Beiming Xue smiled brightly. “Then take me with you, okay? I feel suffocated too whenever I stayed inside the game for too long~~”

It felt like the excuse I needed. Why wouldn’t I take a member of my workshop out on a relaxing walk once in a while? Right? Right. I’m totally not using this chance to meet a certain beautiful leader!

So, I nodded quickly and replied, “Alright, let’s go right away!”

“Mn mn!”

Beiming Xue walked up to me and held my elbow with a smile. “Come on. Let’s go!”

“Er, Lil Beiming, isn’t this a... gesture between couples only?”

“It’s fine, we can pretend to be a couple...”

I gave up and nodded. What else could I say after that? Since Lil Beiming was way younger than me, I’ll just think of this as taking my younger sister on an outing.

The sun hanging bright and hot on the sky, we headed out and began strolling down the streets.

I had an ulterior motive, but Beiming Xue was as innocent as one could get. Smiling at the shops beside the streets, she talked to me about all kinds of things from her hometown.

I nodded from time to time in response to Beiming Xue, but my eyes were completely glued to the factory some distance in front of me. The name “GGS” was written in large font right at the entrance.

The main hall of the factory area seemed to be unusually busy. He Yi was probably somewhere inside, wasn’t she? It was at this moment I noticed a black sports car at the parking lot. It was a Lamborghini, the same car He Yi had driven over to fetch me that day. I remembered that it was her favorite car. Yes, He Yi was definitely somewhere inside.

We stopped at a roadside stall and bought two packs of cold drinks for ourselves.

Beiming Xue looked back and forth between me and the factory. Finally, she declared with great certainty, “Boss, you’re seriously distracted, you know that? Is it because your crush is inside that factory?”

Caught completely off-guard, I tried to cover up my embarrassment. “Wh-what are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense...”

“Hmph! Like hell I am. Your acting skills are even worse than Gui Guzi’s!”

Unable to refute her statement, I kept quiet and pretended to be a mute!

…...

I felt a little touched as I watched Beiming Xue drinking her cold drink.

However, a gigantic explosion suddenly hit our eardrums like a truck, and the ground shook like there was an earthquake.

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

A series of explosions later, smoke started rising from all over the factory. There was fire everywhere around the main hall!

“Wh… what’s going on?”

My voice shook as I rose to my feet. I felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart.

Beside me, the old man that sold us the cold drinks exclaimed in fear and shock, “Damn! The factory’s boiler must’ve exploded to cause this much commotion.”

“A boiler explosion?”

My eyes turned bloodshot instantly. Before I knew it, I was already running toward the factory. Behind me, Beiming Xue shouted, “Boss, where are you going? It’s dangerous!”

I hastily stopped in my tracks and shouted back. “Lil Beiming, stay there and wait for me, okay!?”

After that, I ran toward the factory again.

…...

The explosions hadn’t ended, and there was thick smoke everywhere. The main hall was in complete shambles, and all kinds of dangerous fumes spread through the place.

I could see people wailing amidst the fire. I could see ruins where entire roofs had been blown off and scattered across the ground. There was dust everywhere, and I could barely see through it.

People were panicking. There were many people running outside toward safety and even more lying on the ground and groaning in pain.

It felt like someone was torturing my heart as I half-fell and half-climbed my way into the burning building. The smoke was so thick that I could barely open my eyes, and none of the wounded I checked was the person I was looking for.

Dead! So many dead! Living people were literally dying right in front of my eyes, and yet I was powerless to help them!

The fire spread wildly and uncontrollably. They looked like they were about to devour everything.

My heart felt like it was burning to ashes as well as I collapsed to my knees and cried at the sight of the infinite flames in front of me. I shouted, “Boss! He Yi! He Yi…”

…...

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“I knew it… I knew you were still alive…”

I abruptly turned around and saw He Yi slowly climbing to her feet beside the rubble. Her footsteps were sluggish, and her shoulder was covered in blood. She burst into tears the moment our eyes met.