Chapter 11

Hearing these words, Xiang Huaizhi was momentarily stunned at first, then couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle.

“Steamed buns?! Holy shit, this is way too much, not even a guaranteed reward? You can buy ten of these for one copper coin at the grocery store…” Seeing him laugh, Lu Hang said in alarm, “What’s wrong with you? Did you get angry to the point of losing your mind?”

“Nothing.” The game interface was still playing the story animation. Xiang Huaizhi shooed him away, “You’ve seen enough, time for you to go.”

“Damn, after using so many of my potions, you’re kicking me out right after?” Lu Hang clicked his tongue. “What a scumbag.”

Xiang Huaizhi: “I still remember the IDs of those three healers.”

“Alright, alright, I can’t mess with you, old man. I’ll leave now. There’s a basketball game at seven anyway—I hate playing at night the most. I can’t see a thing without my contacts, and I still have to fight with those grannies doing square dancing for the court.” Halfway through his complaint, Lu Hang’s gaze unconsciously drifted to Xiang Huaizhi’s calf. “Does your leg still hurt?”

“It stopped hurting a long time ago,” Xiang Huaizhi said. “Bring me back a cold skin noodle.”

“Alright.” Lu Hang quickly changed into his basketball jersey and went out with his phone.

As the dorm door closed, the game’s animation finished playing, and the screen returned to Luojia Mountain. They were surrounded by a crowd, with dialogue boxes overlapping each other, making it impossible to see what was being said.

At that moment, his friend icon was blinking incessantly.

[Friend] Chun Xiao: Once the killing is done, disband the team.

[Friend] Heart’sDesire: ?

[Friend] Chun Xiao: Our guild has five teams waiting outside, ready to kill Xiao Tian Jing.

[Friend] Heart’s Yearning: .

Xiang Huaizhi opened the team interface and glanced at the Little Fox Fairy in the party.

[Xiao Tian Jing threw you buns x99]

“Brother, I’m sorry, wuwu… I didn’t manage to get you any good loot.” Sweet Scenery’s voice came through the headphones. “I said I’d give you whatever I dug up, please don’t look down on them—they can at least restore some health.”

Xiang Huaizhi had never been one to meddle in others’ business. In all his time playing Nine Heroes, he had never even joined a guild. The teams he used for grinding experience were formed with random players he met in the wild, and even in the arena, he only ever played 1v1 matches.

Lu Hang had teased him more than once for turning a massive social MMORPG into a single-player game.

He closed the team interface and reopened the friend chat window.

[Friend] Heart’s Desire: Are you sure this account hasn’t changed hands?

[Friend] Chun Xiao: Confirmed.

[Friend] Chun Xiao: It has changed hands.

[Friend] Heart’sDesire: ?

[Friend] Chun Xiao: The original owner couldn’t pull off these moves, but we can’t rule out that she hired a booster.

[Friend] Chun Xiao: But regardless of whether they switched players or not, we’re still going to kill them.

[Friend] Heart’s Desire: Zone tyrant?

[Friend] Chun Xiao: Can’t claim that title. She previously destroyed our guild members’ equipment. If we don’t kill her, our guild members will complain.

Xiang Huaizhi closed the chat window and, along with the little fox spirit, ran toward the teleportation NPC.

[Friend] Chun Xiao: ?

[Friend] Chun Xiao: What do you mean? You’re interfering?

[Friend] Heart’s Desire: I have no reason to kick out my teammate just for you to kill them.

[Friend] Heart’s Desire: There are only two of us in the team. If you want to force a PK, go ahead.

[Friend] Chun Xiao: …

There are only two people this time. The idle members of Xianren Pavilion waiting outside for Xiao Tianjing are all core members of the guild. Five teams ambushing two people—the odds of success are very high.

But high success rates are one thing… what they truly fear is suffering a counterattack like Xian Mengmeng did before, even losing equipment in the process.

They’re all wearing top-tier gear—they absolutely can’t afford to take that risk.

On the other end, Jing Huan grabbed a freshly opened spicy strip nearby and took a fierce bite.

Damn GM, at this very moment, you are this spicy strip—already chewed up and swallowed by me.

After swallowing the spicy strip, he was just about to take stock of the potions in his account when a friend’s message flashed.

[Friend] Vitality Mosquito Coil: Sis! Why are you still strolling around Luojia Mountain?! Do you know there are five teams tailing you?! Just waiting to kill you!

Jing Huan looked back and indeed it was true.

However, as a fox immortal, why should he fear being chased? Besides, even if he really died, there was nothing valuable to drop from him.

Thinking of this, he turned on his microphone: “Brother War God, are you still there?”

“Yeah.” Xiang Huai Zhi led him to a safe zone before responding.

“How much for the transformation card and potions combined? I’ll pay you back.” Jing Huan opened the recharge interface in Nine Heroes.

Xiang Huaizhi declined: “No need.”

“That won’t do. You already helped me kill the Demon King—it doesn’t make sense for you to cover my potion costs too.”

Not wanting to drag this out any longer, Xiang Huaizhi said: “Pay whatever you think is fair. I didn’t spend any money.”

He paused for a moment before suddenly asking, “Have you played Nine Heroes before?”

“Never played it,” Jing Huan had long prepared his lie. “But I’ve played other games similar to Nine Heroes, so I found it really easy to get into. Did I do pretty well just now?”

Xiang Huaizhi responded with a single syllable: “Mn.”

Mn??

Jing Huan thought to himself, with that god-like move I just pulled off, who wouldn’t be amazed? Who wouldn’t give me a thumbs-up?!

And all you give me is an “Mhm”?

“Then, big brother,” the girl’s voice was cautious, even carrying a trace of humility, “can I… team up with you for dungeons from now on?”

Xiang Huaizhi: “…”

“I’m really accurate with my healing, you saw it just now! I can handle any dungeon, I definitely won’t hold you back!” Jing Huan paused, “Ah… big brother, or do you think me being hunted is too much trouble?”

Xiang Huaizhi: “The dungeon NPC has team recruitment. If you stay in the dungeon scene, you won’t get killed.”

The implication was clear—inside the dungeon, you wouldn’t be hunted down, so you could go find others to team up with.

The gentle rejection was obvious—most people would have taken the hint and backed off by now.

Jing Huan pouted and said, “…But I only want to run dungeons with you, gege.”

[Team]SweetScenery: [Wailing loudly]

[Team]SweetScenery: [Throwing a tantrum]

[Team]SweetScenery: [Whimpering]

Xiang Huaizhi had a headache from all these emojis flooding the chat, yet couldn’t help finding it somewhat amusing.

[Team]LongingHeart: ……

[Team]SweetScenery: [clinging to your thigh]

“Why must it be me?” Xiang Huai asked.

A faint rustling sound came through the headphones.

Unexpectedly, he would turn on his mic again. Jing Huan hurriedly put down his spicy stick, then in a nervous, shy, and utterly girlish tone, softly said, “Because… it’s all for you, brother, that I came to play Nine Heroes.”

Xiang Huaizhi: “…”

Xiang Huai Zhi: “We’ll see.”

With those words, the game character of Xiang Wang Zhi disbanded the party and flew away hastily from the crowd.

Jing Huan savored the words he had just spoken, shaking his head with a tsk.

Wonderful.

Thanks to Lu Wenhao constantly voice chatting with his cross-dressing wife every day, he had learned a lot from it—acting coy and cute came naturally to him now.

He was just about to return to his faction to do daily quests when a message suddenly popped up on his screen.

[Xian Mengmeng has set you as a private chat recipient.]

[Private Chat]Xian Mengmeng: Are you there?

[Private Chat]Sweet Scenery: [Confused]

[Private Chat]Xian Mengmeng: What’s your relationship with Heart’s Desire?

[Private Chat]Sweet Scenery: Uh, that’s none of your business, right? [Shy]

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: Haha, you want to chase him, don’t you.

[Private Chat] Little Sweet Scene: O-O! Ah!

[Private Chat] Little Sweet Scene: …Is it that obvious? [facepalm][facepalm]

Xian Mengmeng sneered at these two emojis.

Who are you trying to act cute with?

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: Save your breath, he’s not interested in you.

[Private Chat] Little Sweet Scene: That’s not for you to decide, sis [fidgets fingers]

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: ??

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: Who are you calling sister? Are we that close?

[Private Chat] Sweet Little Scenery: I just blew up your equipment two days ago, of course we’re not close. Isn’t this you who started the private chat with me? [pouting]

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: …

[Private Chat] Xian Mengmeng: Whatever, I won’t bother with you. I came to advise you – open your eyes wider. Heart’s Desire is a total scumbag, you’d better stay far away from him.

[Private Chat] SweetScene: Ah, sis, I thought you’d understand me.

[Private Chat] FairyCute: ?

[Private Chat] FairyCute: Understand what?

[Private Chat] SweetScene: Nice guys finish last. [shy]

[Private Chat] Little Sweet Scene: Sister, please don’t try to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up.

[Private Chat] Little Sweet Scene: In my heart, I already belong to Brother Xiang. [holding heart]

Jing Huan was solely focused on annoying Fairy Mengmeng, completely unaware that these three sentences of hers had already been broadcasted to a live stream audience of thirty thousand people through Fairy Mengmeng’s live feed.