The players truly craved some excitement. They had just plunged into a massive battle at Peacock Manor, drawn in by the ever-deepening plotlines and the bewildering web of rivers-and-lakes factions. This had everyone—from those in-game to forum lurkers—buzzing with feverish hype.
It was the perfect time to launch a new event and let them blow off some steam.
As the large ship docked at Jiangnan City’s wharf, Ruan Xuezong returned to Heart Washing Manor. Right on cue, the Jianghu game announced a server maintenance downtime of a few hours, promising fresh updates and a new event afterward.
“A few hours!” For these interstellar players, it was nothing short of a disaster. They had no idea how to kill time without the game—cut off from playing and from seeing Ruan Xuezong—beyond sleeping or doomscrolling the forums.
Worse still, the hyper-realistic immersion of the Jianghu game meant some players would rather sleep in-game than log off. From the inns’ big dorms to the guest rooms at Clear Wind Fishing Ground and Peacock Manor, they were determined to crash in every nook and cranny of the rivers and lakes. Wasn’t that way fresher than their monotonous real-life beds night after night?
System 007: 【……】
Couldn’t these players cut the drama? A few hours was already its absolute limit!
“Wahhh, this is killing me! Why did the devs pick daytime for the patch? Why not drop it in the dead of night?”
“Agreed, the planners’ sense of timing is way off.”
System 007: 【？？？】
Was it that it didn’t want a quiet nighttime update? The problem was that the hardcore grinders scattered across the world map were all insomniac night owls, buzzing with activity nonstop. Even after Ruan Xuezong logged off to sleep, they kept grinding day and night, ensuring the Jianghu game’s midnight hours were never truly empty.
The casual life-skill players were just as bad. For some reason, they loved heading to the riverbanks at the witching hour to fish, chop bamboo groves, or pore over medical texts.
No matter the slot, every timeframe would inevitably screw over a chunk of players. So System 007 might as well pick a time when Ruan Xuezong was still awake for the maintenance.
The players griped all they wanted on the surface, but they obediently waited out those few hours.
The instant “server maintenance” ended, the parched players swarmed back online. They logged in to find a slew of thrilling changes!
First up, they instinctively pulled up the world map and saw how the Jianghu game’s vast map—those edges shrouded in misty, endless mountain ranges—had suddenly peeled back its veil of mystery. A huge expanse of barren, sparsely populated land emerged, dotted here and there with oases, lakes, and natural snow peaks. At the top, in ornate foreign script, two characters proclaimed: “Western Regions.”
Two poems materialized alongside: “Grape wine in a luminous cup, the pipa urges on horseback as you drink,” and “Whirling sands dance over shattered rocks, the konghou strings stir Loulan City.”
The players were floored. “Ancient Earth’s Huaxia was seriously massive!”
“Western Regions gotta be the next big plot hub, right?”
“Oh man, this looks epic!”
The allure of this exotic vibe—so distinct from the Central Plains—ignited the players’ passion. Screenshots flooded the forums, sparking an instant frenzy.
The second update was the half-month-long Twilight Spring Festival Event. System 007 had tossed in some elegant copy: 【Twilight spring, when spring garments are complete… Breeze through the rain dance, chant and return home.】
Unfortunately, the players were clueless and struggled to parse it via the interstellar encyclopedia.
【……】System 007 hastily reworked it: “Twilight spring in Jiangnan—lush grasses, flying warblers, peach blossoms and new greens bursting with life. Young heroes, it’s time to don fresh outfits and dive into the event with gusto!”
Now they got it. Hype levels soared. “Fam, game event time, let’s gooooo!”
“New outfits? Sick, I’ve been hating this ragged newbie gear forever.”
Game events always dangled like rewards and pay-to-win hooks, and Jianghu was no exception.
Running half a month, it packed daily exp boosts. For instance, during the event, players tackling Heart Washing Manor’s caravan escort runs, gathering, farming, or daily gigs would snag 10% extra experience and 10% more manor contribution. Official nudge to go grind those jobs.
Hiring spots: merchant guilds, escort agencies, taverns, teahouses, Clearwater Pavilion… The common thread? All Heart Washing Manor businesses, teetering on the brink and desperate for fresh blood.
“No way, the devs are going all out!”
“Come on, squad up quick!”
Blissfully unaware of the subtext, the players saw “10% exp boost, 10% contribution” and tasks galore—exp for powering up, contribution for warehouse goodies. Both vital, so they charged in.
Lines snaked out from the merchant guild and escort bureau entrances, packed with players clutching guides. The other spots overflowed too; shopkeeps could barely handle the interviews.
The event’s second tweak targeted life-skill players: during the event, gathering drops up 5%, proficiency gains up 10%. Buffs locked in for half a month.
What did that mean?
It meant gathering a hundred bamboo stalks might net five extras. Hooking a hundred fish could bag five more. Cooking a hundred gourmet dishes might fill a hundred and five plates!
Proficiency was the real kicker—pure, hard-earned gains in Jianghu. A 10% boost meant this fortnight would supercharge cooking, medicine brewing, sewing, embroidery—whatever.
Overnight, life-skill mains across the eight professions erupted in cheers like it was New Year’s, redoubling their fervor for production.
Third up: the long-awaited “fashion” outfits.
Looks pack a lethal punch in any game. Players soon spotted the new category in Heart Washing Manor’s warehouse, slotted after 【a fine steed】, 【Blood Coagulation Pills】, 【double gold, one purple top-tier manuals】 (martial art manual Pushing Palm Technique, internal art Washing Dust, lightness skill Flowing Moon Remnant Fragrance), and 【Seven Evils Pressure Point Technique】.
Now: 【Fashion】.
Gasp city upon spotting prices—one set at 4000 contribution or a hundred taels of silver.
Damn, devs might as well rob the place! That uber-practical purple lightness skill Flowing Moon Remnant Fragrance only went for 3000!
“Heh, scatter! Total planner scam.”
“Don’t buy it, guys! Contribution’s from our blood, sweat, and quests—not worth blowing thousands.”
“Lime green like a rice dumpling, ugly as sin.”
Five-Colored Mottled Black was tempted at first—this green set nailed his tastes, price aside. But seeing the mob rage, he flipped: “Fine, if you ain’t buying, neither am I!”
The players mass boycotted… then went to greet Ruan Xuezong. Shock: Zongzong wasn’t in white today—a snow-green ensemble instead.
Spot on.
Ruan Xuezong’s face remained unchanged—eyes like pools of ink, lips richly colored, shoulders draped in snowy fox fur.
But beneath the fur? Not plain white, but snow-green. His ink-black locks loosely pinned with a green jade clasp, the front lapels light as willow wisps, sky-blue as if rain imminent. At times, the waist tassels swayed faintly, evoking ethereal grace…
When he lifted his gaze, his refined, elegant features seemed to embody an entire season’s worth of worldly spring splendor. Breathtaking.
Ruan Xuezong sans white evoked true spring’s return: eternal snows on heavenly peaks melting into gentle streams, a soul-shaking jolt. He hadn’t uttered a word, yet players were mesmerized, fainting in droves.
“Aaaaaaaaaa I’m dead I’m dead I’m dead—”
“Planners aren’t even hiding the ploy, aaaaaaaaa but it’s too gorgeous awsl. Model pick perfection—hubby’s a total clothes horse, rocks any color.”
“Forum fam, Twilight Spring Fest and Ruan Xuezong in new fits! [screenshot][screenshot][screenshot] I declare green the world’s finest hue!”
Those pics crashed forum traffic. The HD beauty thread got raided by hordes.
“My god, too perfect, suffocating—chugging oxygen.jpg”
“Were my kung fu higher, I’d be that brigand snatching a commoner hunk.”
“Upstairs beast, what you scheming?! Ruan Xuezong’s ours forever!!!”
An hour later, Five-Colored Mottled Black logged back in to a screen awash in green. Players in fresh fits bounded about; he, still in drab newbie rags, felt like an ugly duckling amid swans.
“You lot said green was hideous, not worth it, total boycott of the dev conspiracy—no new clothes, right?” Five-Colored Mottled Black wailed in betrayal. How’d they flip so fast? He’d been offline just an hour! No invite to match outfits? Rude!
The others schooled him: “Twilight Spring Fest’s a rare gem— what’s one fashion set?”
“We figured it out: power’s fleeting, beauty’s forever. Flashy is king!”
“C’mon kid, don’t be cheap. See something you love? Buy it. Contribution ain’t gone—it’s just hanging with you now.”
The blunt ones: “Beauty obsession? Guilty! Couple swag with the hunk? Sign me up!”
The diehards didn’t stop at fashion—they redeemed rare accessories like jade pins, pendants, sachets for head-to-toe Zongzong sync. Overnight, Heart Washing Manor drowned in a green sea.
Thus kicked off the Twilight Spring Festival Event amid fresh vibes, blazing full throttle. Jiangnan City teemed with players, grinding quests and contribution nonstop, day and night.
Meanwhile.
After a few days of grinding, Five-Colored Mottled Black sported his new green fit too. Spring screamed green! He itched to flex on the forums when he spotted the strategy team recruiting.
【World Channel】The moon waxes and wanes, but beauties don’t shift. Ruan Xuezong intel squad recruiting—jump in if keen! 29/30!
Not quite world channel—top players hitting level 35 had beefier inner force for channel blasts.
Five-Colored Mottled Black slammed join; squad filled instantly.
Five-Colored Mottled Black beamed: “I saw that origin storyline too—riddled with mysteries the devs won’t spill. You all teaming to quiz Zongzong direct?”
“Yup yup.” A strategy player nodded. “Our crew’s intel-hunting. Tons to ask, so we divvied one or two questions per person. We’ll rotate on Zongzong, see what he bites.”
Strategy pros, forever chasing the unknown.
“Five-Colored Mottled Black, you’re last in—so you lead off.”
He peeked at his slip: 1. Ask Ruan Xuezong if the peach-blossom petal birthmark’s legit—mind a peek? Pure curiosity on the official cutscene’s fidelity.
2. Probe Ruan Xuezong: How much favorability to hold hands?
Five-Colored Mottled Black’s hand shook, eyes bugging: These wolfish questions? Pushing Palm Technique to the face, guaranteed!
