The city was riddled with narrow winding alleys. Manager Cao twisted and turned through seven or eight of them, but the players, unfamiliar with the terrain, barely kept up by channeling their lightness skills.
They simply didn’t dare follow too closely, for fear of alerting him.
“Quick, quick—the NPC’s heading out of the city! Everyone, follow him!” “Captain, I’m lost. Can you come get me? There’s an arched bridge here.” “You again! How many times have you gotten lost?”
Manager Cao’s face burned with apparent anxiety. He soon left the city, mounted a horse, and galloped straight to Hanging Spring Waterfall, over ten miles beyond the dock. To the players’ surprise, he merely shook a bell twice, and a lift encircled by iron chains descended from around the waterfall.
The players exchanged glances, realizing they had lost him.
They had no choice but to return and report to the young manor lord.
Ruan Xuezong was not surprised in the least. After all, he knew the players’ skills were little more than amateurish flailing.
At that moment, he had just risen from bed, clad only in a white undergarment. His ink-black hair cascaded loosely down his back like flowing water, unbound by any pin or clasp. He stretched his arms lazily, and a maid immediately stepped forward to drape an outer robe over him and straighten his attire. Another maid, nimble-fingered, combed and tied his hair with deft precision.
From behind a screen, the players could make out only the vague silhouette reflected upon it. Once Ruan Xuezong was fully attired, he picked up the mask resting quietly on the table and secured it over his face.
When he stepped around the screen, the young manor lord had returned to his usual form: white robes, black hair, impassive mask—an ethereal figure far removed from the mortal realm. A stretch of neck as pale as snow gleamed with a lustrous sheen under the lamplight, tempting in its exposure.
Sichuan Pepper Little Bunny couldn’t hold herself back. “Hubby! You’re finally out!”
Ruan Xuezong: “?”
“Young hero, what did you just call me?”
Sichuan Pepper Little Bunny panicked, inwardly cursing how she’d lost control of her mouth and blurted out a private tease in front of an NPC. “It was my accent! I meant… Old Zong! Yes, Old Zong—a term of respect!”
Ruan Xuezong accepted the explanation. After a brief silence, he replied, “I may wear a mask year-round, but my age is roughly the same as you young heroes’. No need for such formality—you’re making me sound ancient.”
The game’s models put female young heroes at around sixteen or seventeen, males nearer twenty. Ruan Xuezong’s claim was close enough to the truth.
That slip from Sichuan Pepper Little Bunny had briefly convinced Ruan Xuezong he was seventy or eighty.
“G-Good!” Beneath the players’ scorching stares, Sichuan Pepper Little Bunny flushed crimson and ducked her head. The matter seemed resolved.
Later, she endured a torrent of condemnation from the other players. “Hubby? You think you can just call him that, you little flirt? Show some restraint!”
“Your excuse was absurd—calling Zongzong ‘Old Zong’? He must have been crushed!”
“Sorry QAQ.”
…
Under the players’ guidance, Ruan Xuezong reached the waterfall’s mouth. One glance told him the entire story.
He stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the treacherous site, and sneered. “Granny Liu was right after all. Jiangnan Dock does have a ‘River God.’ With him watching over things, cargo ships pass smoothly. But he took a fancy to the merchant caravan’s goods and unleashed his magic to capsize the fleet in one stroke.”
He knew nothing untoward would befall him personally. From one life to the next, he possessed far too many things worth coveting.
The players let out an “Ah?”
It wasn’t a true question—just an attempt to trigger Ruan Xuezong’s passive trait of answering everything.
This time, however, Ruan Xuezong offered no further explanation. He gave simple instructions. “The Flood Dragon Gang Water Stronghold lies behind this waterfall. Hanging Spring Waterfall is merely a smokescreen for outsiders. I know the way in. Knock out a few underlings, don their clothes, and infiltrate with me.”
A quarter-hour later, dozens of skilled players had changed into rough short tunics and pants.
In a flash, the dashing young heroes became dockside fishermen, though the keen daggers at their waists betrayed their deadly purpose.
At Ruan Xuezong’s command, the first team slipped inside and lowered the iron-chain lift to ferry up the rest.
The stronghold occupied a perilous perch—easy to defend, hell to assault—with staircases snaking endlessly. Perhaps due to a VIP guest that night, torches blazed throughout, turning the place into a sea of light and pinpointing the main hall’s location.
The group lurked in the shadows. Overhearing NPC chatter soon clarified Ruan Xuezong’s “River God.”
Jiangnan teemed with bandits and river pirates, their strongholds scattered like stars across the landscape. The mightiest were Smoky Water Stronghold and Flood Dragon Gang. These local tyrants shook down passing merchant ships at the docks for “passage fees.” Pay tribute, and your voyage faced fewer mishaps.
With Smoky Water Stronghold’s core crushed, survivors had fled to Flood Dragon Gang.
Leader Li Sheng, ever the shrewd operator, welcomed his rivals’ remnants, swelling his ranks overnight. He claimed Jiangnan’s waterways unchallenged.
Flying the flag of “avenging brothers,” he still dispatched men to scuttle Heart Washing Merchant Guild ships post-tribute—child’s play to disguise as “driftwood” accidents in Jiangnan’s perilous currents.
“Shiver-inducing—over a dozen NPC lives lost. These pirates are insane!” Former coroner players balled their fists, righteous fury blazing; they yearned to charge in and thrash the lot.
“It chains together like this?” Those who’d razed Smoky Water Stronghold gaped.
“Chaining? It’s world-line convergence!” The incident proved Jianghu’s factions weren’t static. Players’ every move rippled through the entire jianghu!
Posing as tray-bearing serving boys, the first-team players shuffled low-eyed toward the main hall but were halted. “Hey, kid—you look new around here.”
Sichuan Pepper Little Bunny froze for an instant. Clutching her wine jar, she rasped in a gravelly tone, “I-I’m from Smoky Water Stronghold, come to join up.”
Damn, this NPC was perceptive. The others sweated for her.
The pirate grunt eyed her dubiously. “Smoky Water refugees to our boss—sixty, seventy strong, but no one like you. That voice… sounds like a girl’s…”
Torch raised, he leaned in for a closer look—then a blow from behind felled him. “Ah!” Eyes rolled back; he crumpled.
Linghu Xiao lowered his stone with a wicked grin. “Move! That was close!”
The rest recovered, dragging the grunt to a corner. Ready for more queries, they’d repeat as needed. It grew familiar, even thrillingly addictive.
As servants with wine jars, they neared the main hall and caught Manager Cao conversing with a bushy-bearded man.
Ears perked—the players knew plot dialogue when they heard it!
“Manager Cao’s an honored guest of Flood Dragon Gang. Serve the wine, lads!”
Players poured and withdrew obsequiously, heads bowed but ears straining. Some slyly activated screen recordings.
Manager Cao spoke. “Leader Li, today the young manor lord sent odd young fellows demanding the flower register. He’s been shrewd and calm since boyhood. He must suspect I’ve colluded for embezzlement…”
Truth be told, he’d done little—just aided Flood Dragon Gang in engineering escort “accidents,” dosing food and water to make them miss the run. Drownings were the river’s work, hull breaches the gang’s. Manager Cao was blameless!
Cao Jinrong had been strong-armed the whole time!
“No issue. Heart Washing Manor’s a husk—not a tenth its former glory. That orphan, scarred wreck Ruan Xuezong can’t touch Peacock Manor. What splash can he make beyond patching holes?” Li Sheng lounged in the head seat, his meaty palm slamming the armrest with earth-shaking force, every bit the brute.
“This world’s eat-or-be-eaten: minnows devour trout, trout whales. Timid starve, bold gorge! Heart Washing Manor hollowed, it’s ours for the taking—guilds, escorts, taverns, capital trades all. You’ll be vice manor lord! My stronghold’s buried in Hanging Spring Waterfall depths—impenetrable sanctuary for life. No jitters needed, Manager Cao.”
Heart Washing Manor brimmed with prizes. Beyond the generational estate and elixir-rich back mountain lay a youth-preserving, power-boosting hot spring—coveted for decades, squandered on a frail invalid!
Loyal retainers too: imperial-chef scion Chef Shao, miracle healer Elder Shen Qionghua, ace escort Chen He— paragons of skill and fealty.
Their words ignited the players’ blood, breaths heaving in fury.
River scum slandered their hubby and eyed their manor’s spoils? Fat chance!
“But…” Manager Cao wavered, betrayal gnawing at him—until Li Sheng’s show eclipsed the dread.
“No buts. Manager Cao, behold our take.” A clap summoned chests from storage. Lids flew: Tianshan ginseng, exotic pelts, treasure pearls—dazzling radiance bedazzling the eye.
Manager Cao gasped, scrutinizing a pearl. Unseen, hall grunts gawked likewise, provincials all.
Pearl verified, his thrill ebbed. Closer inspection soured his tone. “That ship carried twenty-plus chests. Four from you, Leader Li? The rest?”
Li Sheng arched a brow, sneering. “Four too few? Family-less you ignore feeding my crew’s silver drain. Lion’s share mine. Third to Linglong Treasure Ship for scentless poison incense… What!? Who roughed you up?”
A battered pirate burst in mid-sentence; Li Sheng trailed off, aghast.
“Them!” Swollen-faced, slit-eyed, he jabbed at the disguised players.
Manager Cao and Li Sheng blanched. Spies amid them, privy to all!
Li Sheng roared, “Men!”
Rough-clad thugs surged in.
Players reeled too.
“Who botched that stun? Dazed too brief—face shots worthless. Rookies, bench next time!”
“Cliffhanger mid-tale!” Plot-diehard recorders groused.
Commanders barked, “Array up! Cover blown—Plan A! Team A severs walkways, avalanche mode. Team B gates—no escapes. Four teams stall minions; BOSSes last!”
“Zongzong hubby! Calling Zongzong hubby!”
Ruan Xuezong materialized from shadow. Lightness skill godlike, he sauntered skyward, strides serene. Bronze mask danced fiendishly in fireglow, oppression palpable.
Horror gripped Li Sheng and Manager Cao.
Ruan Xuezong endorsed the ploy. Cold from the mask: “Pin the rabble. The rest mine.”
One traitor, one pirate chief—easy prey.
The 007 System knew no brag: lore-cast Ruan Xuezong’s Pushing Heart Palm reigned supreme one-on-one. Ten stances; first three—[Separate Mountain Hit Cow], [Vast Rivers and Seas], [Angry Dragon Emerges from Water]—remote singles, pulverizing pavilions afar like with Lan Cangfeng. Fourth, [Peach Grove Phantom], nine phantoms one true, eight feints one strike—AoE devastation.
Enraged, Ruan Xuezong dwarfed Li Sheng’s extra decades; twin mauls quaking Jiangnan? Futile.
Blind to fortunes, Li Sheng’s manor-lust foredoomed him: one lives, one dies.
Minnow dreams big—fails, reaps tempest.
Manager Cao watched ghostly transit crush crowds to Li Sheng; sweat iced his spine. One thought: Flee!
Players, electrified, howled. “Young lord’s here! Charge!” Fresh arts clashed dagger grunts in frenzy.
Chaos reigned.
Recorder, mic-brandishing amid dodges, narrated: [Behold, first post-update team war: Flood Dragon Gang Water Stronghold. Command: Linghu Xiao, Salty Fish King—refined from Smoky Water novice errors. Bloodbath Combat tests all; bathe in battle!]
[Settlement looms—slackers shamed.]
“?”: Five-Colored Mottled Black, fresh from Jiangnan Dock respawn, camera-grazed: “Shading me?”
Recorder: [Perish notion—we’d never shade the Luck King!]
“Hmph, gaslighting!” Five-Colored Mottled Black mugged “Palm Quality” for cam, then “Waaagh!” rejoined fray.
Two palms; Li Sheng clutched chest, crashed. “Clang!” Hammers untouched, earthbound.
Manager Cao near-death pale. Ruan Xuezong’s gaze arctic gale. Imploring: “Mercy, young lord! Reasons—I only poisoned, I…”
Voice severed. Disbelieving stare, bloodlip, slumped.
Ruan Xuezong’s hand withdrew, icy.
Traitor: first blood.
Dawn melee claimed Flood Dragon Gang—second aquatic empire felled post-Smoky Water.
Exhilaration netted dual levels; upgrade gold misted sweetly, growth incarnate. Coin and exp bounties sparked jubilation.
Five-Colored Mottled Black alone bewailed DPS nadir. “Glitch? Bottom DPS again? Protest!”
“No glitch. Formula: tier, inner force, accuracy, crit, vitals. Weakspot crits spike…” Bloody Baron, forum sage, formula-flogged him senseless.
Five-Colored Mottled Black conceded tearily: grind shortfall!
【Ding, task “Find the Traitor” completed】
【Ding, task “Recover Goods” triggered】
Fanfare pierced the air; players unearthed four chests and looted the hold, netting twelve for the warehouse.
However, the task stalled at “16/24”.
A debate flared. “The third chest is AWOL. Li Sheng mentioned it was at ‘Linglong’ something? It was too far—I missed it. Did anyone hear it?”
Heads shook. The recorders cued their logs.
Ruan Xuezong neared. “Linglong Treasure Ship.”
Porcelain fingers proffered red mask, flower note—vivid crimson offset alabaster allure. “Jiangnan legend: nightly river phantom, fate’s finders board. Scholar, magnate, official, rogue, warrior—invites via mask, note claim the ‘fated.'”
“Masked anonymity, disembark prosper—ship secrets sealed: ‘beyond common ken.'”
“Veiled identities, inconceivable venue—brothel?!” Whispers birthed:
【Ding, plot task “Night Exploration of Exquisite Treasure Ship” triggered】
【Task intro: Ruan Xuezong unearthed Flood Dragon Gang leader Li Sheng’s study invite—from Linglong Treasure Ship. Last eight chests beckon; morrow’s moontip probe! Young heroes, accompany!】
【Slots: Unlimited】
【Rewards: 10,000 exp, 50 silver, 100 Heart Washing Manor contrib, +10 Ruan Xuezong favor】
Moon midway zenith, vigor surged.
Rewards this plush—liver ache? Bliss!
