"Blessed Realm…"
"Your starting point is good."
"Brother Happy, you do indeed have a unique viewpoint. Your opinion is outstanding."
A wave of discussion instantly rose in the restaurant, and quite a number of people nodded in secret.
But Happy had not finished just yet.
He coughed and added, "Of course, I'm not saying that those who are below Blessed Realm can't enter. Mu Clan also welcomes those players who have a high level in their occupations, regardless of whether they are herbalists, ironsmiths, or tailors. We will welcome them all. As long as they have some degree of achievement in their occupation, we will provide resources for them to continue with their craft."
Once he finished speaking, someone among Shaolin Temple's thirteen staff-using monks could not help but speak. "Boss Happy, we're even inviting those who are focusing purely on their occupations?"
"That's right." Happy remembered that the speaker's name was Phecda, and he was the youngest among the thirteen staff-using monks.
"Do you want merchants as well? I have a friend who really likes conducting businesses, but she doesn't have a sect to protect her, so she's always bullied…"
"What level is she? Novice, Beginner, Skilled, or Manager?" Happy asked while looking at Phecda.
Phecda's eyes lit up, and he answered without hesitation. "She's at Skilled. I heard that she's going to reach Manager very soon."
"His level is pretty high. Alright, he can join. But we currently only have a limited number of members. We can't help him if he's too far away from us, unless he comes here to develop his business…"
"There's no problem with that. We have plenty of resources here. I'll immediately ask her to come over!" Phecda was so delighted he did not notice his twelve senior brothers' strange and mischievous smirks.
Upon seeing it, Happy smiled faintly and said nothing.
Merchants were regarded by many as an independent occupation that specialized in managing businesses and were not regarded with any importance. But they did not know that while sects could only perform internal trade, merchants could trade with all players. They could buy items at a low price and sell it to others at a fair price or a high price. They could also sell their own unique resources at an exorbitant price to others. During the later stages of the game, they became one of the components that many sects could not lack.
Happy had directly told all the players in Baokang that he would take in those focusing on occupations, and it was mainly because he had taken a fancy to the rich resources in the place along with the many occupations in the game!
Normal sect members usually developed slowly, but as long as they had a quiet environment, they could also develop quickly.
Even if they had just set up their clan, they could still shorten the gap between them and top-class sects. Happy was very confident about that.
But that might not be the case for occupations.
They needed a long time to develop, acc.u.mulate large amount of resources, and also use up a lot of those resources. If they joined the clan after they had begun their occupations a month or more ago, their achievements in the future could not be assessed.
If an ironsmith's crafting skill was ahead of others, they could make all the attributes of the weapons and equipment in the sect increase by leaps and bounds. They could then easily cover up the distance between them and powerful players.
*****
There were plenty of resources in Shennongjia, and Thunderous Battle and the others had not been idle.
Aside from getting experience from One Circle and the others, Thunderous Battle and Little North also exchanged many of the items they did not use into ingame money to fill up their clan storage. Then, after they came to understand the price for various resources in Baokang, they formed a detailed operating system that was similar to that of Beautiful Robes Faction.
Even though their headquarters had been built for less than two hours, they had already placed more than thirty million taels of silver in their clan storage. The contribution points and exchange rate ratio was also very detailed and clear for all the members who wanted to use the system.
Those who joined would instantly see how convenient it was to trade with the clan storage. They would then form an orderly contribution system within the sect!
*****
During the feast, Happy exchanged quite a lot of information and experiences with the local leaders of Baokang. They benefited greatly from each other.
Happy came to understand that there was a mysterious and terrifying Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Wood forest in the depths of Shennongjia, and it was very large!
It covered a circular area of one-third of a mile. The entire forest was red, dyed so by the blood of countless humans and wild animals. Not only was it Shennongjia's forbidden ground, it was also an unexplored, blank area on the map that all people wished to explore and uncover. But whenever someone approached the area, the weak vines from the Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Wood would quietly bind their limbs, and their blood would continuously flow out from their bodies.
When Happy heard of it for the very first time, he made sure to remember it, because those things would only stand guard around valuable herbs!
Normal herbs were accompanied by Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Grass, while high-level herbs were surrounded by Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Wood. The rarer the herbs, the more Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Wood would grow around them.
If the Blood S.u.c.k.i.n.g Wood forest was really as big as the sect masters claimed… then the rare miraculous herbs such as a Thousand-year Human-shaped Ginseng or Thousand-year Tuber Fleeceflower might be in there! Both of them were miraculous herbs that could instantly restore a person who had died to the peak of their condition!
While the feast went on in a lively manner, a commotion suddenly came from downstairs. Everyone heard loud stomps and frowned. Soon, big and built Embroidered Uniform Guards with chains in their hands charge up the stairs with a murderous air.
Chapter 336 - Alliance Between Five Sects. Met Silver Wolf
He could not even drink in peace!
Once Happy saw the group of familiar faces, he decisively finished all his wine. He then wrapped his fist in his palm and saluted the people around him.
"Sorry about that, everyone. They're here for me. Continue, don't have your fun destroyed because of me! Big Brother Thunder, I'll let you handle this. I'll be taking my leave first."
Once he finished speaking, he moved like a phantom, weaving in and out of the crowd, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were not easy to deal with. They instinctively wanted to flip the tables and chase after Happy, but they soon noticed that the atmosphere was not right.
The moment Happy left, the entire first floor of the restaurant became quiet!
Six hundred or so gazes stared at them with hostility.
In fact, some people even activated their body fortification techniques and stood up. They stared at them with animosity.
It was especially so for the table where Happy had sat. There were around ten powerful presences there. With such displaye, the group of sect masters managed to prevent the guards from getting involved in a farce of knocking over the tables and breaking the walls to chase after Happy.
"Down the stairs!"
"After him!"
The Embroidered Uniform Guards were not idiots. When faced with that sort of atmosphere, they decisively chose to go back from where they came.
Thud, thud, thud…
The group came and went in a hurry.
"Heh, it's fine. Everyone, continue drinking!"
Thunderous Battle, Little North, and the others were naturally notified a long time ago by Happy himself that he had a bounty over his head and was being chased. So in a moment, they became calm again and stood up to placate the group. "Once Happy shakes off those Embroidered Uniform Guards, he'll naturally come back. Palace Master Absolute, Sect Master Wu, Sect Master Blood, where were we
just now?"
"Hmm, even though the three great sects have retreated from Baokang, we can't be certain that they won't return and attack us. With their strength, if they really come back, it will be very hard for the four sects to fight against them. Besides, it's impossible for Happy to remain in Baokang all the time. I think that we should work together with our brothers from Chivalry Sect and form an alliance between five sects!"
When Wu Qing and Blood Rivers in Nine Heavens heard his suggestion, they nodded quietly.
Even though if they added another ally to join their alliance meant that their benefits in the future would be reduced, with their abilities, it was impossible for them, the three local sects, to monopolize the resources in Shennongjia. As for Mu Clan, they had not become truly strong just yet, and it was going to be a challenge for them to even defend themselves.
Absolute Nonsense had suggested drawing in Chivalry Sect because Chivalry Sect was the only one among the four great sects who did not join the attack on the three strongest local sects. It bought them quite a lot of favor from the three sect masters. Besides, Chivalry Sect had always been supported by the people with the way they did things.
"An alliance between five sects?"
Thunderous Battle was tempted when he heard it, and he looked toward one of the chiefs who had been sent over by Chivalry Sect as their representative to congratulate the establishment of Mu Clan.
The chief had an astonished expression on his face; he seemed to be surprised.
If they wanted to draw Chivalry Sect to their side, that was a good move.
As of then, the alliance of the great local sects had yet to take shape. In the immediate future, they would definitely suffer all sorts of setbacks, and the three great sects might return to take revenge as well. If Chivalry Sect joined them, the threat from the three great sects would be reduced by a lot.
And with the intimidation factor of Happy, Thunderous Battle, and Little North, Cold Moon Palace would definitely not dare to act recklessly. With that being the case, the three great local sects would not have to fear one of the three great sects.
"We might have to wait for Chivalry Sect's master to decide on this matter," Thunderous Battle said with a frown. After all, the representative from Chivalry Sect was just a chief. They might be talking about the distribution of resources on the surface, but they were talking about the major matter of fighting against the three great sects in secret.
The chief from Chivalry Sect naturally understood this. He smiled and said, "This is easy. In truth, our Vice Sect Master Red Dust and Vice Sect Master Lin Xiao have set out to come here when they heard that Happy and Thunderous Battle were prepared to form a sect. I think that they will be here in less than an hour. When they arrive, you can talk about this in detail with them."
"Oh!" Everyone's eyes brightened, and their spirits lifted. "That's great!"
If Lin Xiao and Red Dust personally came over to congratulate them, it served to show just how highly Chivalry Sect regarded Happy. There was a high chance that they could facilitate the alliance between the five sects!
The restaurant instantly became even livelier.
*****
When Happy ran out of Baokang while being chased by a group of Embroidered Uniform Guards, his mood was not great. There was a grand mob behind him.
Perhaps it was because everyone found it refreshing to see Happy being chased by Embroidered Uniform Guards that quite a number of players who had been watching the situation around Shennong Restaurant followed Happy out of the town.
By the end, a long dragon made of humans ran out of Baokang in a grand and magnificent manner.
He was forced to summon Hoof Shadow and go hide in the depths of Shennongjia.
"Happy, stop!"
When he was barely more than thirty feet away from Baokang after he summoned his horse, a purplish-red horse came charging at him.
If it were anyone else, Happy would have absolutely ignored them, but the incomplete silver mask on the person's face was incredibly dazzling under the sun. Happy felt that it was very sudden, and he was so shocked that he was left dumbfounded!
'Silver Wolf?! Why is he here?!'
"Whoa…" Happy tugged at his reins and slowed down. He watched Silver Wolf approach him swiftly with a puzzled look on his face.
Silver Wolf was originally not certain of Happy's identity, but when he saw the Hoof Shadow, he instantly cheered up. However, he also noticed the group of Embroidered Uniform Guards and hundreds of players who chased after him. He frowned and turned his horse around so that he could ride alongside Happy.
"I am Silver Wolf." Perhaps it was because Happy appeared to be amiable and approachable, or perhaps it was because he saw Happy's battle replay, but the lines on Silver Wolf's face became slightly gentler. While riding alongside Happy, he even took the initiative to wrap his fist in his palm to greet Happy. "I would like to take up some of your time."
"Pray tell."
"I want to fight against you."
"Urk." Even though he expected it since a long time ago, when Silver Wolf mentioned it on his own, Happy could not help but be stunned.
"Sir, if you came from far away to challenge me, you must have your reasons." When he saw the determined look on Silver Wolf's face, Happy did not immediately reject him. "I can agree to it, but while I would have immediately engaged in a fight against you during normal times, right now, you see what's going on. I have Embroidered Uniform Guards chasing after me, so I won't be free for a time being."
When he heard Happy's answer, a smile that was rarely seen on Silver Wolf appeared on his cold and callous face. "That'll be easy. I can help you kill them."
"If I could kill them, I would have done so a long time ago." Happy smiled bitterly. "Brother Silver Wolf, if you're not in a hurry, why don't we increase our speed and shake them off? Then, we can find a quiet place to fight."
Silver Wolf stared at Happy for a moment, then said, "Alright! You're even more forthright compared to Lu Mingyue!"
"Lu Mingyue?" Happy was stunned.
"Two hours ago, I met him in a small town to the north. My target at that time was him. I wanted to fight against him, but we couldn't decide on the victor. He was the one who told me where you were," Silver Wolf answered.
"Are you saying that your original target wasn't me?" Happy did not know whether he wanted to laugh or cry. He suddenly felt that he had been indulging a little too much in his own wishful thinking.
Silver Wolf did not notice Happy's reaction. While he commanded his steed to follow Hoof Shadow, he said, "The Reincarnation of the Killing Star Effect on you hasn't disappeared yet, which is why I gave up on trying to locate you a long time ago. I didn't expect that you're here, but when I learned about it, I came over to meet you. I didn't expect that you would be used to challenges though. By the looks of it, you didn't rely on only your luck to firmly stay at the top spot on the Famous People Rank!"
"... Hehe, thanks for the praise."
It was the first time the duo met formally, and each of them harbored different goals in their hearts while they conversed cordially. Together, they quickly left Baokang and entered Shennongjia.
Chapter 337 - A Strange Feeling
'What a strange feeling! And what a strange person!'
It was the first time they formally met, but Silver Wolf discovered to his disbelief that the young boy who was at least eight years younger than him gave him a strange feeling that made him want to get close to him.
Over the past few months since he entered the game, even though there had been people who had tried to befriend him because of his incomplete silver mask, and some had even declared themselves his brothers right when they met, he never regarded any of them fondly. As time passed, he remained alone, wandering across the land like a wolf.
He did not communicate with anyone, and neither did he try to acquaint himself with anyone.
Happy was truly a strange person. His gaze was serious, and he appeared to pay
attention to a person fully when he listened. He also seemed to understand him very well, which touched Silver Wolf for a moment.
That was right, he felt touched.
After all, Silver Wolf had done some calculations in regards to Happy, who was a boy who had managed to reach the top of the game at such a young age. With Happy's abilities, there were fewer than ten people on the Dragon and Phoenix Ranks who could fight against him. Of course, that was only if they considered the people on the Dragon and Phoenix Ranks.
Happy had also relied on the first-person-view pay-to-view battle replay system that was currently trending in the market to garner even more fame for himself. His battle at Common Reed Bank was still the hottest video, and the sales for it were still climbing up. With tens of millions of people who paid for the video, it remained indisputably at the top. Even if Silver Wolf calculated the lowest possible profit Happy might have earned, the youth was still a newly forged millionaire.
He was a man who was in possession of everything and enjoyed riches that countless youngsters would never possess in their life, and he had it all at such a young age. It could be said that Happy had the capital and strength to be proud!
But despite such great achievements, Happy remained humble. It something incredibly unbelievable, but on top of that, when Happy looked at him, he looked at him in the eye, and there was no hint of folly in his gaze. The amiable tone he adopted which made it clear that he did not look down on anyone and was just talking to a friend made Silver Wolf feel a faint hint of regret.
He suddenly regretted his decision and did not quite want to use Happy to satisfy his own d.e.s.i.r.es!
As they spoke, Happy naturally learned that Silver Wolf had run into some trouble and needed quite a large sum of money to handle it.
Sword Among Us c1-1268 Page 172
