Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 170

Green faction, Peach Blossom Legion base, inside a small country cabin.

Ke Yuxiao was inspecting the clues Qi Liuxing had found during his investigation there.

After some time, someone knocked at the door.

The messenger had just rushed back from Liuguang Street. Upon seeing Ke Yuxiao, he quickly relayed Feidu Legion’s message: Xu Yang and his group wished to fully defect to the Peach Blossom Legion, just to secure a chance at survival.

Ke Yuxiao smiled.

He didn’t answer Xu Yang’s request immediately. Instead, he turned with interest to Qi Liuxing beside him.

“I invited you to join Peach Blossom earlier and you refused. But did you hear what he said? So many people want to join Peach Blossom but can’t. Don’t you think you were a bit ungrateful?”

Qi Liuxing kept his head down, examining clues, not even looking up. His face was completely calm. “No need to ask such pointless questions. I won’t join, and you won’t let me. What’s the point of me joining the Peach Blossom Legion? So you can kill me again? Or do you just really want me to kill you this time?”

Ke Yuxiao laughed, as if he’d heard something amusing. He looked at Qi Liuxing and said, “Xiao Qi, you can’t kill me. You know why?”

There was a twisted, morbid edge in his eyes and tone, but Qi Liuxing’s mind had already begun blocking out everything related to Ke Yuxiao. He didn’t pick up the implied meaning and just remained silent.

Ke Yuxiao looked at him with fascination. “I suddenly think killing you might not be as fun. Maybe it would be better to make you willingly join Peach Blossom and serve us. The more unwilling you are, the more I want you to stay. What do you say?”

Qi Liuxing ignored him. The subordinate at the door, however, prompted, “Uh, Captain…”

Perhaps due to Qi Liuxing’s silence, or something else entirely, Ke Yuxiao’s expression darkened. He said with a sneer, “Someone like Xu Yang thinks Peach Blossom is some place he can just stroll into? He and his trash subordinates… Peach Blossom doesn’t need them. And a man who serves three masters… who would ever trust that? He’ll get what he deserves.”

At the door, the subordinate hesitated before adding, “But Xu Yang claims they’ve destroyed all their wristbands. Also, they’re willing to hand over their weapons on the spot for inspection. If we don’t want the weapons, he’ll shoot out all his bullets right there.

“He says Zhou Qian firing blanks made both factions think he wasn’t a threat and start fighting each other… and that made him realize something: if he gives all his bullets to you, he becomes no threat. If neither he nor Zhou Qian threatens you, then obviously, you’ll choose to kill Zhou Qian first. Lastly…”

The subordinate paused, then added, “They’re also willing to hand over Hidden Blade and He Xiaowei.”

This finally sparked Ke Yuxiao’s interest. He looked at Qi Liuxing and said, “Then I’ll just take your friends. If you won’t join Peach Blossom, I’ll kill you again.

“And not just you, I’ll kill Hidden Blade and He Xiaowei too. That way you’ll have company on the road to hell. Right, Xiao Qi?

“Looks like Zhou Qian’s finally stumbled. In other instances… Sure, he could flip the whole game on his own. But now? How can he compete with two whole legions? He’s too naïve. All of you are too naïve. This time, I’ll wipe out every last one of his people!”

……

Meanwhile, Xu Yang sat on a barren patch of land.

After sending his subordinate, he’d been waiting for news.

During the wait, he looked up at the gray-blue sky, then down at the gun in his hand, his expression briefly dazed.

But soon, his gaze hardened into one of grim determination.

It was the kind of look someone has when they’ve hit rock bottom and must survive at any cost.

He had to hang on. If he collapsed, the whole legion would fall.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Yang tightened his grip on the gun.

Originally, when planning with his subordinates, he’d wanted to bury the extra wristbands and weapons to leave himself a way out.

But in the end, he decided to keep the weapons on him, just in case.

He could always claim the extra wristbands had been destroyed.

Even if Peach Blossom wanted to investigate the matter and find them, it wouldn’t matter much…

Wristbands can’t kill. Peach Blossom would realize Feidu just wanted a safety net. And even then, the wristbands might be useless unless their colors matched Peach Blossom’s core members.

But if Peach Blossom found he had no weapons, they would definitely question his sincerity.

Now that he needed their protection, Xu Yang had to either hand over the guns or shoot out every bullet in front of them.

“Thank you, Zhou Qian…” Xu Yang muttered to his gun, “You taught me: sometimes, having nothing at all can turn weakness into strength. A barefoot man isn’t afraid of someone wearing shoes. So this move… I learned it from you.

“Now, just like Peach Blossom, I only want you dead.”

……

Soon after, Xu Yang saw Shan Sheng, Zhang Datie, Yun Xiangrong, and another Peach Blossom team captain named Ren Yi arrive with their men.

Xu Yang and his remaining subordinate handed over five guns and their spare green wristbands.

Xu Yang said, “My sister still has three more guns. When she gets here, we’ll give those too. Together, that’s everything Feidu has left.

“If you’re willing to let us join Peach Blossom, we’ll transfer over now. If not… it’s fine. We’re out of weapons. I’ll still help you and share all the intel we have.”

“Not everyone qualifies for Peach Blossom. You do. Your subordinates… we’ll see. But this matter isn’t urgent, we’ll return to it later. Let’s get back to now…”

Shan Sheng looked at Xu Yang and said, “You say that’s everything. That’s just your word. I’ll need to verify. How about gathering everyone? Shouldn’t take long. You’ve probably explored this whole area, right?”

“Sure. I was planning on that anyway. Already told everyone.” Xu Yang sent his subordinate to round them up. “Bring them all here.”

“Thanks for cooperating,” Shan Sheng said.

After the subordinate left, Xu Yang asked, “That guy Yu Huang… what happened to him?”

“Yu Huang? He’s dead. All his men too. He’s the one who leaked secrets to you, right? You two were working together?” Shan Sheng added, “Our captain executed him personally.”

“But…”

Xu Yang glanced at Shan Sheng, then at Ren Yi, and suddenly wondered…

Was one of them the real source of the intel? He couldn’t be sure.

Zhou Qian’s logic made sense.

Yu Huang gave him fake info, tricked him into entering the instance recklessly. Xu Yang, in turn, had framed Yu Huang as a traitor and sowed chaos in Peach Blossom. Then Zhou Qian leaked his movements, causing Zhang Datie to hunt him down. It all lined up.

Either way, Xu Yang couldn’t afford to offend Shan Sheng or Ren Yi now.

Even if he had doubts, he had to swallow them.

At this moment, Xu Yang didn’t expect that the real blow had yet to come.

……

The meeting point between Xu Yang and Shan Sheng was Liuguang Street. It was a place where both sides could retreat if needed.

After the subordinate left to gather everyone, he rushed all over calling them to the meeting. By the time he reached the manor where Xu Feiyu was, it was nearly too late.

While waiting, Xu Yang kept glancing around anxiously. Slowly, his team began arriving, along with many of the players they’d recruited. The narrow old street soon filled with people.

With everyone except Xu Feiyu and two guards present, Xu Yang turned to Shan Sheng. “There are a lot of us. Why don’t you start inspecting now? Maybe we’ll have time to explore more areas later.”

“Alright. Thank you for your cooperation, Commander Xu. Let’s go one by one,” Shan Sheng said.

But then something unexpected happened. Xu Yang’s subordinate came sprinting back, drenched in sweat and panic all over his face. He looked like he’d seen a ghost.

He reached Xu Yang and whispered through a private chat device. “I dug the wristbands back up… all five. But things have gone really wrong!”

Before Xu Yang could ask how, he saw something that made his stomach twist in agony…

Hidden Blade walked out in front, leading a line of captives. Behind him were He Xiaowei and four others.

Xu Feiyu and her two guards were all tied up, strung together like fish, the rope held by He Xiaowei.

Behind him stood three unfamiliar players holding three guns; guns that should have been Xu Feiyu’s.

Where did these people come from? Why were they holding her guns?

Then he saw Hidden Blade glance toward the Peach Blossom team and lock eyes with someone.

He pulled out a scroll.

It unfurled in midair and hovered above everyone.

Xu Yang instinctively looked up and was stunned by what he saw.

The image first showed scenes of him and Xu Feiyu recruiting for the Feidu Legion, gathering players and searching for clues, everything exactly as it had happened.

Then the story raced forward with the plot progressing rapidly, soon reaching the final ending…

Xu Yang, Xu Feiyu, and three subordinates suddenly switched from purple wristbands to orange.

Then they pulled out five guns and massacred everyone else.

Blood, corpses, laughter—the five celebrated their victory, drunk on power.

The image was so vivid that Xu Yang almost believed it. It felt real, like he’d already won.

But he knew it was fake. Two of those subordinates were already dead.

What was that scene just now?

Wait…!

What about the others? Had everyone else seen it?

What would they think?

Cold sweat poured down his back making him look like he’d been caught in a downpour.

And just then, he heard Hidden Blade speak loudly to the crowd. “You see? This is what the Feidu Legion brought you in for. Once they get your info, they’ll kill you. They’ve done it before to set an example.”

“Most of you don’t even have legions. Join our Invincible Legion—we welcome you!

“If you do have a legion, I’ll buy you a transfer card. Even Peach Blossom and Feidu members, we welcome all who want to come over!

“I believe many of you were forced into this. It’s not too late to turn back!”

“Our leader wears the white wristband, the true symbol of victory!

“Follow us if you want to win! Green, violet, any other color will just kill you.

“But white—white can redeem you!”

As his words ended, everyone heard a loud retching sound. It was Xu Yang, coughing up blood from sheer fury.

…….

Elsewhere, on the peak of Purple Mist Mountain.

Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou sat together atop a towering tree, gazing into the distance.

Zhou Qian had been watching through binoculars for a while.

“This sky’s too dim to see clearly,” he said, “but that dark cloud… that should be the ‘You Start with a Picture, Everything Else You Make Up’ I gave Hidden Blade. Looks like they pulled it off.”

He’d anticipated Xu Yang would gather everyone. If not, Shan Sheng would force him to.

Once gathered, Hidden Blade would use the item to tell a damning story and absorb Xu Yang’s followers.

It was a dirty trick.

And the dirtier it was, the more Zhou Qian grinned.

Putting down the binoculars, he looked at Bai Zhou with bright eyes. “Zhou Ge, do you think Xu Yang’s coughing blood right now?”

“I’d bet on it,” Bai Zhou replied. “He’s not the first you’ve done that to. Remember Zhu Qiang? He died horribly.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian laughed. “That instance where you were Sarah one moment, then Ryan the next… I thought you were just playing your character. But you were watching me the whole time?”

Just then, the system issued a message…

[The 10-hour timer is almost up. All players must gather at Purple Mist Mountain within 1 hour. Anyone who fails to arrive will die immediately!]

The mountaintop wasn’t steep. It was broad, with a huge flat area.

One hour later, players from all across the instance gathered there.

This was the area marked by the system.

Zhou Qian specifically glanced at Xu Yang, and saw a huge bloodstain on his chest.

Yep. He really had coughed up blood.

Then the ground rumbled with thunderous noise. The entire mountain shook.

No one knew what was coming.

Bai Zhou gripped Zhou Qian’s hand tightly.

And then…they watched as two massive iron pillars erupted from the earth, rapidly enclosing them. Above them, the pillars stretched and fused together, as if they were alive, forming a massive iron prison.

All remaining players were trapped inside this iron prison!

Above, below, front, back, left right, they were surrounded by the indestructible iron pillars. They had no escape!

Then came the sound of dense footsteps, as if there was an army marching…

A horde of dark figures approached.

At the front of the crowd, Zhou Qian spotted an old acquaintance: Ruan Mei.

[System Announcement: The exhibition has officially begun.]

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