Chapter 16: Holographic Game (III)

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Chapter 16: Holographic Game (III)

“Guild Leader, the parties have been formed and have been working together for half a month. Randomly adding a player to the party would do more harm than good. Plus, his level is too low, far below the level requirement for Nightmare Mode Shadow Cell. By the time he can enter, we might have already cleared it.” XiaoxiangGentleman tried to convince Miao Lichen. Under the pressure of that beautiful yet undeniably masculine face, XiaoxiangGentleman gripped his fists until they turned pale.

“I believe in him. Since those parties still haven’t cleared Shadow Cell over the past two weeks, do you think they could clear it in a few more days? LunarBreeze just needs three more levels, so I doubt those professional players will be that fast.” Miao Lichen withdrew his hand from the handshake and frowned, feeling a bit displeased by XiaoxiangGentleman’s constant questioning.

The minimum level requirement for the Shadow Cell dungeon was 34, with 40 being the maximum. At level 48, Miao Lichen was clearly unable to participate. In Second World, where the average level for the first batch of players was 37 or 38, he was clearly far ahead.

“Understood. I’m wondering which party you would like him to join. The first party is the fastest; they have already defeated the third boss. The other four parties are stuck at the second boss, with two of them still exploring. However, with the first party’s strategy, they are confident they will be able to clear it quickly. The leader of party five seems to have some real-life issues and wants to take a few days off. I believe Breeze should be able to lead them.” Seeing that his first choice wasn’t working, XiaoxiangGentleman thought of another way.

To achieve the first clear of Nightmare Mode Shadow Cell, Miao Lichen hired fifty professional players. He divided them into five parties with the goal of selling the strategy as soon as they cleared it. He wouldn’t be selling it to the general public but to other guilds. The first sale alone would recoup his costs and even turn a profit. Additionally, he could organize people in his guild to farm equipment, so there were many ways to make money in the game.

However, the five parties were clearly uneven. The first four were relatively good; although there were some disparities in strength, they were genuinely dedicated to their job. As for the last party, they were all eliminated from the first four parties. They were either unreliable or incapable of working in teams. Since Miao Lichen sincerely hired these people, he couldn’t just let them go. Ten people weren’t a huge expense for him either, so he kept them.

“Xiaoxiang.” Miao Lichen frowned, his usual smile gone.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the first party or the fifth party, I’m sure the professional players won’t let me down.” Qi Yingfeng said as he placed his hand on CangChen’s shoulder, his expression unwavering. While he wasn’t aware of the situation in Cangqiong Palace, judging by CangChen’s reaction, the fifth party was likely the worst of the bunch. But that didn’t concern him. He wasn’t trying to clear the dungeon; his goal was to complete a hidden class quest. The Shadow Assassin’s quest NPC became accessible after the third boss.

He wouldn’t have wanted to join them if he hadn’t heard that they had already defeated the third boss. No matter how bad the fifth party was, they were professional players. They wouldn’t be so incompetent that they couldn’t clear the mobs between bosses three and four.

“Then it’s settled. LunarBreeze, welcome to Cangqiong Palace.” XiaoxiangGentleman declared, achieving his goal. His affectionate pet name “Breeze” was instantly replaced by his full name. He extended a hand to demonstrate his sincerity, his lips naturally curling up. At first glance, he truly looked like a gentleman.

“I am only participating in your party for the Shadow Cell clear, not joining your guild.” Qi Yingfeng said as he ran a finger across the blade of his short sword, not even glancing at XiaoxiangGentleman.

“How can you join our party when you’re not in our guild?” XiaoxiangGentleman shifted his gaze to Miao Lichen’s face and immediately felt supported by his frowning expression. If he didn’t join their guild, he couldn’t provide benefits to their young master. It would be strange for him to side with Qi Yingfeng.

“It’s fine. I already knew LunarBreeze would never join Cangqiong Palace.” Miao Lichen said, glancing at Qi Yingfeng. This seasoned gamer had been betrayed by his guild during his first online game experience and had never joined a guild since.

In the novel, he had many subordinates but was always a solo player. Even though he essentially led Cangqiong Palace after defeating Miao Lichen, it was given to Invite2Dream to manage. Throughout the novel, the in-game character LunarBreeze never had a guild name associated with it.

“Xiaoxiang, remember your identity. You are just one of the four guardians of the guild, not the leader,” Miao Lichen said gently, his tone devoid of any excitement. His face was relaxed, and the smile on his lips seemed brighter than usual. A gentle breeze blew through the forest, ruffling his red clothes beautifully. He truly was a unique and magnificent presence. Of course, this beauty did not soften the underlying message behind his words.

“How could I dare? Everyone knows the leader of Cangqiong Palace is the expert CangChen. Only you are suitable for this role, Young Master.” XiaoxiangGentleman’s proud expression instantly vanished as he struggled to maintain a smile. He harbored a level of resentment toward the realism of Second World now. If he broke out into a cold sweat right now, it would be tantamount to confessing his guilt.

“Alright, I know you are just as loyal as the family butler.” Miao Lichen said as he took a step toward the entrance of Shadow Cell, but then paused.

XiaoxiangGentleman hurried to follow, now afraid to say another word. However, he made another mental note against LunarBreeze. How could he have won Miss’s affection and even the favor of his Young Master?

Qi Yingfeng stood still, lost in thought. Alone with the wind tousling his black clothes, he appeared somewhat desolate. As the sound of their footsteps faded, he glanced back. Their figures were nearly out of sight. Faintly, carried by the wind, he caught CangChen’s soft voice. “LunarBreeze, I look forward to the miracles you will create.”

“Heh, I will live up to your expectations.” Qi Yingfeng replied with a raised eyebrow as they disappeared completely from sight. He sheathed his short sword at his waist and, with a single light step, appeared on a tree. If one looked beyond his level, his lightness skill alone would place him within the top five on the leaderboard. If anyone from Cangqiong Palace had seen him, they would have realized they had never seen this skill before.

∇ Capture Target Qi Yingfeng Favorability: 10.

With the perfect smile that had long been etched into his soul, Miao Lichen waited for the parties to emerge from Shadow Cell. He then apologized for the delay in distributing the guild funds. With that matter dealt with, he rubbed his forehead as he prepared to return.

XiaoxiangGentleman seemed particularly observant at this moment. “Young Master, are you feeling tired? Why don’t you log off and rest?”

“No need. Come with me to see Dream. Although she made a mistake, she is my fiancée,” he said as he stopped rubbing his forehead. “I have already dismissed her from the guild elder position, so there is no need for her to be under house arrest anymore. Please comfort her for me and get her to log off as soon as possible. I don’t want to worry Mother and Father.”

“Yes, Young Master. I believe Miss will understand your painstaking efforts. Although she is no longer a guild elder, as your fiancée, no one can surpass her.” XiaoxiangGentleman said with a smile as he followed closely behind Miao Lichen. Something seemed to flash through his eyes, but it left no trace. After the lesson he had just received, his tone was obviously more respectful.

“I hope so.” Miao Lichen said as he clicked on the city return scroll in his inventory. A bright light shone around him, causing him to squint. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in Chang’an City, one of the five major cities. Cangqiong Palace was the largest guild in this city. The five largest guilds in Second World were each located in one of the five major cities, holding administrative authority over a portion of their respective cities. As a result, conflicts among the five major guilds were rare, while smaller guilds within the same city often came into conflict.

Although Miao Lichen was the guild leader, Invite2Dream had more admirers than he did within the guild. Therefore, Miao Lichen did not use guild members to put her under house arrest, but instead used his privileges in Chang’an City.

He took the key from the guard and unlocked the door. A blue ball of light greeted him, which Miao Lichen dodged, but XiaoxiangGentleman behind him wasn’t so lucky. Unprepared, he was drenched from head to toe. Invite2Dream, also known as Miao Mengyao, was a Water Magician.

“Dream, don’t be so willful.” Miao Lichen chastised as he entered the room and took a seat across from Miao Mengyao. While the girl’s looks were not particularly remarkable, she exuded the gentleness and grace of a lady from a wealthy family. With her demeanor, she was undoubtedly the top choice to become the protagonist’s primary wife in his harem. Among Qi Yingfeng’s women, her background was not the best and could even be considered awkward. However, she appeared more frequently than any of the other women and could be considered the elder sister of the harem.

“A’chen, I am not being willful. Please let me out. I was wrong this time, but I just wanted to help my friend. From childhood to adulthood, I have had no friends besides you and An Yi…” Invite2Dream trailed off into silence, but one could feel her grievance.

“Yes, Young Master, Miss didn’t mean it. Like you, she was forced to learn all sorts of etiquette from a young age. It’s a rare opportunity for her to relax. Young Master, I’m sure you understand.” Hearing Invite2Dream’s sorrowful words, XiaoxiangGentleman pleaded on her behalf regardless of his own soaked clothes.

“We are fortunate to be able to learn many things that others can’t. Do you consider all those years of education from the Miao Family a burden? Do you see the family as a prison? Then, do you consider me an enemy?” A rare hint of sadness lingered in Miao Lichen’s voice, but it was fleeting, replaced by mockery.

“I don’t… I’m not…” Miao Mengyao became a bit flustered. She truly disliked Miao Lichen. Because of him, she had been denied the right to pursue happiness, which she believed was every girl’s right. However, she also knew that, having come from an orphanage, she should be grateful for the kindness the Miao Family had bestowed upon her.

“You don’t need to say anything anymore. You are no longer an elder of Cangqiong Palace, so go wherever you want. I won’t interfere. An Yi can follow you.” Miao Lichen turned and left, his red clothes looking even more stunning in the setting sun.

The two of them sat in silence in the room. Miao Mengyao bit her lower lip, flicked her sleeves, and walked out. She did like LunarBreeze, but she had already decided to consider him just a friend. Her lifelong partner would only be Miao Lichen. Wasn’t that enough? Why did he care so much? He had even expelled her from the guild. So what if she was expelled? She was still Invite2Dream, one of the Ten Great Beauties even without the guild.

“Miss, please wait for me. The Young Master still cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed me to stay and protect you…” XiaoxiangGentleman quickly chased after her, offering words of comfort.

Miao Lichen glanced at the setting sun. Without Cangqiong Palace as a plot device to drive the emotional narrative, would LunarBreeze still fall in love with Invite2Dream, who was no longer a guild elder? Without the narrative of a beauty who had escaped from her prison to brave countless dangers and chase her beloved for thousands of miles, would he still be moved?

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