On top of that, there were plenty of fox monsters in Fox Cave. They were not in the dozens or hundreds, but in the thousands.
Since Fox Cave was so dangerous and wreaked such devastation on the players, it should have been able to intimidate them into staying away, but unfortunately, there was a legend circulating within Immortal Fox Village. It attracted more and more people to the area like honey would attract bees. With every single day that went by, more people would come, and they would enter Fox Cave in a group larger than the day before.
The legend mentioned two divine weapons: Sunlight Sword and Moonlight Saber!
They were the weapons used by the wicked couple in Fox Cave. The two people had an infamous reputation in the world of martial artists, and as long as someone managed to kill them, they could obtain those two divine weapons.
The entire martial artist community burst into commotion after learning of it. Those with some power and ambition all flocked to Immortal Fox Village!
*****
When Happy logged off, he heard about it from the Three Lonely Wolves, and his reaction was to quirk his eyebrows a little before he calmly lowered his head to continue shoving food into his mouth.
"Hey." Chen Fan, Bai Lang, and Qi Ci exchanged a surprised look. "We're talking about the Fox Cave here, why aren't you giving us any reaction?"
To any player in World of Martial Arts, an unexplored place that was full of dangers, surprises, and excitement would excite their heart and make them look forward to visiting the place. This was the reason why Fox Cave could attract so many players every day. Besides, there were guaranteed divine weapons inside, and they were items that could drive every single player mad!
However, when Happy heard about Fox Cave, his expression made it seem as if he had just heard about a pigsty, while the divine weapons were just kitchen knives that could be seen everywhere on the market.
But who would truly know that Happy's vision and thoughts were placed on a wider and further spectrum?
Others might not understand Fox Cave, but there was no way he would not understand it.
A normal Blessed Realm Red Fox with the help of Great Phantasm Matrix had power similar to a martial artist who had just entered Mystical Realm, and their martial arts were all speed-based.
Happy was confident that he could handle one to two of them without a problem, but when he thought about the red and white fox monsters that covered the walls and ceiling of the tunnel, he felt a huge headache.
No matter how strong a person was, if they were surrounded by a group of fox monsters which had incredibly great speed, they would not be able to escape unscathed. Without sufficient strength, the only outcome for them would be death.
The battle replays that were continuously uploaded on the internet could speak for themselves.
Once someone entered the cave, no matter how big of a group they had, compared to the fox monsters, who had home advantage in terms of geography, they would be sorely lacking in strength! Besides, the monsters were also very tough. Because of that, there were always more human deaths rather than the fox ones.
Also, very few people knew that the main reason behind why an increasing number of players went charging to their deaths one after another was because of the few major guilds behind the scenes. They were the strongest guilds in the cities and towns nearby.
They knew the dangers of Fox Cave the best, but they were reluctant to give up on the high drop rate of the high-tier martial arts, which was why they continuously spread news of obtaining benefits in the cave to attract more mooks that would die in their place. They wanted to use their bodies to pave their path through Fox Cave.
When the situation became incredibly chaotic, they would enter to obtain benefits. Otherwise, it would be impossible for any organization to gain a firm footing in Fox Cave.
"I'm not attracted by that Fox Cave," Happy said in a calm voice. "Right now, what I lack is a high-tier body fortification technique and high-tier lightness skill."
That was his answer and explanation to the Three Lonely Wolves.
He did not dare to tell his real plan to his three brothers: his jade slit ring was to be used to open the third layer of Fox Cave, and he had long since placed that area as his next stop.
His Stormy Shadowless Kick had already reached the tenth realm, and soon, it would catch up to Flowering Knights' Song. It would then become Happy's first high-tier martial art to reach Grandmaster Realm.
With Stormy Shadowless Kick at Grandmaster Realm, Happy and the help of Wind Spirit Spin, Happy was confident that he could deal with the fast and vicious foxes. He was sure that at that time, he would be able to fight a skulk of them without losing.
However, it was not the time for it just then.
The numerous White Foxes and Red Foxes could never be found wandering alone. Fox Cave was not very wide to begin with, and they were always in a group. Hence, aside from his own strength, Happy also needed help from powerful companions to clear Fox Cave.
He already had two candidates in his heart.
But it was still far from enough.
Fox Cave was not a place that could be turned upside down by one or two people.
There was also an even more important problem!
There were quite a number of organizations who had ambitions toward Fox Cave. Most of them were quite powerful. Even some people from Class One Hall were in there. In the lawless world of martial artists, only with brute strength would anyone have the right to have their voice heard.
If anyone wanted to gain any benefits from Fox Cave and seize a portion of the pie from the various powerful and domineering sects and organizations aiming for it, perhaps even using these as chess pieces, that person would need even more meticulous planning, better preparation, and great strength.
None of the three could be missing.
It should be possible to stir up the powerful players' interest with the jade slit ring.
Happy smiled, lowered his head, and continued to shove food into his mouth.
Chapter 176 - Human Skin Masks
When Happy returned to the game, he noticed a strange atmosphere around him.
Little North chased after a middle-aged man with an unfamiliar face in a rage with his two precious zombies. He roared continuously while going after the man.
Lately, Little North had become very familiar and skillful in controlling the zombie puppets as he followed Happy around. His own abilities had increased greatly too, and now, trio complemented each other. Their teamwork could be considered great, and right then, Little North no longer had any problems with fighting against two Mystical Realm zombies at once.
However, the middle-aged man who had appeared in the mass grave was clearly no weakling. With a sword in hand, he moved about like an immortal, like a shadow and an illusion, despite not being Little North and his two zombies' opponent. Sometimes, he would move around as swiftly as lightning, and sometimes, he was as slow as a turtle. He moved around Little North with incredible body movement. Because of that, he seemed to have an advantage.
"Brat, take this!"
Little North was lacking in body movement when compared to his enemy, but he was not that easy to deal with…
Little North gritted his teeth and roared, "Take this!"
He had already gained a very deep understanding toward how to control his zombies and how to defend. Every single time one showed a weakness, he would immediately have the other jump over to cover it. With the zombies' fearlessness and their powerful and domineering bodies, his fighting strategy of trading a life for another life, he could always have his zombies protect each other at the critical moment. With that, the trio was never ambushed by the unfamiliar man.
It happened again right then. The Blessed Realm zombies came up from the side with their foul and rotten stench to stand in front of the unfamiliar, middle-aged man, blocking his path, albeit with great difficulty. They extended their palms, which were coated in poison, forcing the middle-aged
man to give up on attacking and choose to protect himself.
As they continued exchanging blows, neither side could do anything to the other!
Happy did not speak to interrupt their fight. He focused his attention on the fight and watched it for some time. In the end, his gaze landed on the unfamiliar middle-aged man, and a slightly puzzled look appeared on his face.
The figure was very familiar, and the body movements… were even more familiar!
'It's him!' A thought flashed in his mind, and Happy quickly connected the figure with someone he had been associated with for a period of time in the past. The puzzlement in his eyes instantly grew stronger, and he could not help but gasp softly. 'But why is he here?'
The unfamiliar middle-aged man's body movements revealed his true identity.
In the early stages of the game, there were few people who had high-tier lightness skills and especially those who had reached a high level. The middle-aged man's figure and demeanor were also incredibly alike to the person Happy remembered. He was definitely the unkempt swordsman, All-powerful Medicinal Stone!
"Big Brother Happy!"
At that moment, the two finally noticed that Happy had logged in. The enraged look on Little North's face faded away, and while filled with delight, he continued delivering his attacks.
"Hurry up and help me! This old coot has been wandering around the spot where you logged off in a very shady manner! He's definitely a bad guy! Bastard… He's really fast—"
As he spoke, the middle-aged man fighting against him shuddered visibly.
"Big brother?" As he spoke, he quickly swung his sword and jumped around thirty-two feet back. "Don't! It's a misunderstanding! I'm not here to go against Happy—" he began to explain, but was not given a chance.
"Bah! You're still saying that you're not! You're still here though!"
"I won't fight against you. I'm here to catch up with your Big Brother Happy to talk about old days."
He laughed while speaking and swiped at his face. It instantly changed into the image of a sleazy looking middle-aged man. The previous one was gone, and now he looked even more like a bad person.
Little North was dumbfounded by the sight. He stared at the item in the middle-aged man's hands before crying out in surprise. "A human skin mask?!"
He stood a few feet away from the middle-aged man, and the zombie puppets had stopped foolishly by his side. They did not continue to attack together.
"It's you?"
Happy pretended to be surprised.
When he saw that Happy had indeed recognized the person, Little North relaxed. The animosity on his face disappeared, and he retreated to Happy's side.
"Big Brother Happy, you know him?"
"Yeah."
Happy cast a glance at All-powerful Medicinal Stone's unforgettable face and nodded. He also looked at the incredibly smooth and lively human skin mask All-powerful Medicinal Stone held in his hand.
"You got it from the brocade box?"
When All-powerful Medicinal Stone tore off his human skin mask, his action let Happy become much more at ease. If he had continued to hide his identity, he would need to truly be careful and on guard so that All-powerful Medicinal Stone would not get close to him and steal his items.
"Heh heh…" All-powerful Medicinal Stone cackled. "Not bad, right? One human skin mask can clone three different faces. What about your brocade box? Don't tell me that you got some useless money. Based on my instincts, your luck could not be so terrible."
"What now, Mister Thief? Did you come from afar because you have your sights on my items?"
"No way." All-powerful Medicinal Stone giggled and put away his human skin mask before he walked over. "No matter what, we got acquainted with each other. Even if I feel like stealing, I wouldn't steal your stuff, you know?"
"Then you came over this time because…"
Happy did not believe that All-powerful Medicinal Stone had come to chat with him to get rid of his boredom. He sized up the middle-aged man's face and went straight for the main topic.
"I heard that you got into an argument with Class One Hall."
The smile on All-powerful Medicinal Stone's face did not disappear. He spoke with a careless tone. "In truth, once I separated from you at Mount Song, I also formed bad blood with Class One Hall. Damn them. They chased me for half a day for the stupid box. They surrounded me and blocked my path, and I nearly lost my life for it. So, I thought, why don't we form an alliance and deal with Class One Hall in the future?'
When that thought appeared in his head, Happy did not have a great change of expression and spoke calmly. "The fight for the brocade boxes only lasted for a while. Now that it's over, it's over. I don't see anyone from Class One Hall coming to cause trouble for me. If I go causing trouble for them of my own initiative, it'd be rather bad on my part."
"That's because the timing isn't ripe." When he spoke, All-powerful Medicinal Stone's usual calmness vanished. He gritted his teeth and said, "Besides, you also showed extraordinary strength when the quest ended, just like me. Damn it, not only did they chase me for an entire day, they've also been investigating my actions in secret. Every single time I go out of town, someone will follow. If I didn't rely on the human skin mask, I'd have been killed multiple times already. Don't think that you'll be safe for long."
All-powerful Medicinal Stone cast a glance at Happy's relaxed and composed look and rolled his eyes.
"I ran into a person while I was in Dengfeng. At that time, I heard something about you. Should I relay it to you?"
His mysterious expression stirred up Happy's curiosity. "What?"
"They said that they should set you up, but someone mentioned that their hall master said to temporarily leave you alone. Apparently, you're from the University of South China, and they coincidentally have someone from the higher management who is also in the University of South China. They're prepared to investigate you in reality."
After saying all that, All-powerful Medicinal Stone's mocking look froze, and he stopped speaking.
Little North had also noticed the temperature drop at that moment. He turned around to look and felt his eyelids twitch. He was shocked by Happy's face, which had suddenly darkened!
"What was bound to come has finally come."
Chapter 177 - Medicinal Stone’s Plan
Based on the information Happy gained from All-powerful Medicinal Stone, he could finally prove that "that person" and Xu Yao had indeed deliberately approached him after they received orders from Class One Hall.
After obtaining the information, Happy was angry, but he also released a breath of relief.
In truth, he was still hesitant on whether he should attack the bastard couple and Class One Hall, but based on what he could tell, he had to deal with them at all costs. He could also never forgive Class One Hall, since it was the real mastermind behind everything!
"What do you intend to do?"
Happy cast a look at All-powerful Medicinal Stone, already changing his future plans.
Since the man took the initiative to search for cooperation, Happy could include him as part of his plan to enter Fox Cave. He just happened to need two helpers right then. With All-powerful Medicinal Stone's fame as the Swordsman Thief from the previous life, it would not be a challenge for him to join Happy's venture into Fox Cave!
All-powerful Medicinal Stone looked at Happy in surprise, but soon, he came to a realization.
When he heard that there was someone who wanted to get close to Happy in reality, he became angry himself too. Even though they were in a society governed by law and terrifying scenes such as bloody murder due to benefits in the game would not happen in reality, it was still not a pleasant thing to be targeted by someone.
He could understand why Happy was angry when he heard the news.
While Happy though, All-powerful Medicinal Stone cast Little North a glance.
"Little North, train by yourself for a while," Happy said.
"Oh, okay."
Little North also knew that it would not be suitable for him to be around for the time being. He nodded quietly and left into the distance with his two zombie puppets.
Once Little North left, All-powerful Medicinal Stone turned around. "He's pretty good."
Happy nodded.
Little North did not have any fame in his previous life. He only knew how to make use of the simplest advantage—numbers. He did not even know how to integrate battle strategies into his fights and was only at the level of a normal player. However, as of right then, as long as he developed with his current trajectory, it would not be much of a problem for him to become one of the top-tier martial artists.
Little North was also one of the important candidates Happy considered training and bringing into Fox Cave. With the astonishing defenses of his zombie puppets, it would not be difficult for him to gain a steady footing in Fox Cave!
"How much do you know of Class One Hall?"
"I don't really understand them. More accurately speaking, my understanding of the game is very limited." All-powerful Medicinal Stone smiled bitterly. "Honestly, I entered the game because of a random flash of interest. Later on, once I got this thieving skill from Marvelous-handed Sect and ran into some fortuitous events, I trained my high-tier martial art until I got pretty good with it. It's only then that I became slightly interested."
Happy said nothing, only listening quietly.
All-powerful Medicinal Stone chuckled with his head lowered. "But my aspirations are not toward the fights in the world of martial artists. I enjoy the gaming life more. I've also become addicted to stealing with these hands. But once Class One Hall chased me for a long time, I became really angry! I might not like fighting, but I dislike being manipulated and extorted as much, or even more, than everyone else."
All-powerful Medicinal Stone had also behaved this way in Happy's previous life.
If it was a grudge caused by his thievery, he would never fight head-on against his enemies. He would run if he needed to.
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