He did not gain any progress in his training. Instead, he was falling behind.
If it were not because Happy have a lot of experience from his previous life, his qi might have remained the same over the past half a month.
But now that he had accepted the quest, Happy could not help but drink alcohol to forget about his problems. He also sulked. 'Those stupid old men! I've been practicing so hard for more than a year, and you threaten to cripple me so that I can't practice martial arts anymore?!'
If they took away his Shifting Stars and Joined Finger, his qi would decrease by a full forty to fifty points, and he would lose two ultimate techniques. What was more terrifying was that his status and all that he had acc.u.mulated in the Murong Clan would also disappear.
The merciless old men were not as amiable as the clan leader or the Murong Clan Lady. In their eyes, it was only logical to use all the resources they could use and sacrifice all the leverage they could sacrifice in their path to resurrect the Great Yan Dynasty.
Coincidentally, Happy's current strength and status in the world of martial arts could help them do certain things.
*****
The stern system notification rose beside Happy's ears at that moment. "Warning! You are already a certain distance away from Yangzhou City! If you do not wish to fail the quest, please return to Yangzhou City immediately. You have ten minutes left."
"Alright, you win."
Just as Happy expected, he received a notification from the system. He rolled his eyes helplessly and turned around. He did not stop for even a moment on his way back, because he was indeed a little far away from Yangzhou City.
While in Yangzhou City, Happy still held the pot of wine he brought out from the restaurant as he sat alone at the riverbank and drank in boredom. He watched the sh.i.p.s and boats pass him by.
But soon, a Taoist who looked like an immortal and held a white flag with the words Divine Iron-mouthed Predictor walked to the riverbank. He occasionally shouted, "Those who want to have a promotion to become rich, who want to have children, who want to live longer, who want to have great fortune and avoid trouble, and those who are lost, come and have your fortune told!
"I am Divine Iron-mouthed Predictor, and if my words don't come true, I will not ask for money."
He redirected his gaze, and his eyes landed on the young man who ignored his words and continued drinking on the slope. He gasped softly and stopped for a moment before he turned and walked to him.
"Young master—"
Before he could finish speaking, he heard a loud thud, and a pot of wine shattered beside his feet. The diviner was so shocked that he quickly came to a stop, but before he could scold the youth, a piece of silver landed by his feet.
"Don't bother me while I'm drinking. I don't have time to listen to you."
The diviner who looked like an immortal scowled, but he suddenly looked around, and when he discovered that there was no one around him, he quickly bent his waist. With a speed that even martial artists could not hope to achieve, he grabbed the silver from the ground and stuffed it into the bag on his shoulder.
"Hehe, it seems that I have been rude."
This action instantly destroyed his image of someone wise and holy. But since he was too quick, once he completed his actions, he immediately put on airs again and regained his previous disposition. He looked away and continued walking forward.
"Stay where you are."
When Happy saw that the diviner was about to leave once he took the money, he called out to him. Under the diviner's shocked gaze, he lifted the hem of his robe and stood up from the slope before he patted his bottom in the face of the gradually setting sun in the distance.
"Since I'm free, you might as well read my fortune."
"Oh, what do you want to know, young master—"
"My fate with fortunem" Happy said the words he had prepared since a long time ago.
The diviner was slightly stunned, then he said without hesitation, "Young master, you must be joking. You view money as nothing, and your troubles are not beside you. These worldly items come and go at your beck and call. Your fate with fortune is not just great, it has already reached a stage where it goes against destiny, and no one can ever hope to reach your level."
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that your fate with fortune entirely depends on your thoughts. A normal person will not be able to read it."
Happy frowned.
'He's a psychic!'
Chapter 690 - One Thought
'A psychic!'
When that thought flashed in Happy's mind, the gentlemanly-looking psychic vanished from his sight. Happy quickly spread out his spiritual senses, but he was too late. He could no longer find the immortal-looking person with his spiritual sense, and the only thing he left behind was the silver on the ground.
When Happy saw that astonishing sight, he immediately understood that he had run into an amazing person.
Even though he did not know his identity, that person should be in charge of providing him guidance in the quest.
After all, that quest was not something that a normal person could receive and complete. Whoever did it required a lot of courage, strength, and charm.
Even though Happy had played the game for a few years, when he faced a quest of such a grand scale and with so many Myth Realm martial artists, he had to admit that he was a little shaken and uneasy.
But now…
"Your fate with fortune entirely depends on your thoughts… My thoughts…"
No matter what quest he faced and what he had to face in the future, all of them were more or less the same.
When he was at Blessed Realm, he could face Mystical Realm and Life and Death Realm martial artists. When he was in Mystical Realm, he could kill the Moksha Realm Ninja King.
Right now, he was already in Moksha Realm, and he had five ultimate techniques with him. He had equipment that other players longed for, so there was really no need for him to be hesitant.
'This is just a game.'
Happy had grown too serious and began to care about his losses and gains too much. He also treated his experiences and feelings from his previous life too seriously.
The threat and pressure from Myth Realm martial artists like Zhu Yuyan and Shi Zhixuan had been brought over from his old life into the new, and they restricted his movements when he dealt with the quest. They also made him really troubled.
'At most, I'll just die once.'
When he thought about the unshakeable position Mu Clan had in the Chinese server and how he occupied the top spot on Dragon Rank and Famous People Rank, he exhaled long and hard. While facing the setting sun across the river, he suddenly felt that he was no longer as melancholic as before.
*****
On that day, a huge p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat sailed around the river while surrounded by other p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats like stars surrounding a moon. The sight was incredibly grand.
'This is…'
When Happy logged in, he saw the sight on the river, and puzzlement appeared in his eyes.
Many martial artists stood by the riverbank with their breaths held. They could vaguely hear the sound of the flute coming toward them from the river.
"Brother, stay on steady feet. Don't fall into the river now."
Someone beside Happy kindly tugged at his arm.
It was only at that moment that he noticed that he was incredibly close to the river. The tips of his feet even touched the water. After all, there were simply too many people at the riverbank.
"Thank you."
"Haha, you're welcome."
"What are you watching?" Happy was unable to hold himself back from asking.
"Shi Qingxuan is playing the flute on the boat. The most popular girls from the brothels nearby and the people who are rather famous are there. I heard Shi Feixuan, Xu Zhiling, Li Shimin, and many elites inside as well."
Happy said nothing.
Since it was dark and he could not
see the other person, the man seemed just like a player who liked to gossip. While they stared at the boat on the river, the man continued to speak.
"During the day, someone saw that the key to Eunuch Yang's Warehouse had appeared, which is why many people guessed that in at most twenty-four hours, Eunuch Yang's Warehouse will show up. Look, the people who heard about it and came over have nearly congested Yangzhou."
"Is that so?"
Happy finally understood why there were so many people around.
Such a major event might really be the sign that Eunuch Yang's Warehouse was about to appear!
However, he was a little interested in the fact that Xu Zhiling and Shi Qingxuan had both appeared in the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat.
Xu Zhiling's strength at the end of the story was at the peak of Inaction Realm, and he could practically fight against those in Myth Realm.
It was the same for Kou Zhong!
But Shi Qingxuan—Shi Zhixuan's daughter—rarely displayed her strength. Her relevance to the plot right now was also vastly different from what it was in Happy's previous life.
He had the urge to go to the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat and see just what was going on.
"Why aren't you going in?"
"How can we? The area around the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat is surrounded by Inaction Realm evil cult elites and elites from other sects. There are also people from the imperial court. The entire area is surrounded, and plenty of people have already fallen into the river."
Happy cast a glance at the surface of the river, which was not too far away from him, and he could not help but laugh.
He had spoken unnecessarily.
The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat was not big, and it could not carry many people. If the people on the riverboats had gone up there, the boat would have sunken a long time ago. By the looks of it, no one would be able to get up there unless they were skilled.
Splash…
A black shadow rose from the river and jumped over people's heads in an incredibly pathetic manner. It landed on the street not too far away.
"What's going on over there? Did you manage to see what's going on clearly?"
Some people on the riverbank went over to check it out.
Happy's hearing was pretty good, so he heard their conversation clearly.
One of the people panted while answering impatiently, "Damn it! Forget it, I didn't manage to get anywhere near the big p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat. I couldn't even get past the small p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats. Each of them has an elite guarding it, and there are also pirates in the water.
"Thank goodness I'm good with water and managed to avoid the disaster, but the other guys weren't so lucky. Their stomachs were full of water when they went over, and now, they're probably at Guanlin Temple."
The speaker sounded a little smug about the last point.
The martial artists at the riverbank s.u.c.k.e.d in sharp breaths.
The p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats were very far away from the riverbank, and if they flew there, they would use up a lot of qi. Yet it was too dangerous to fight at the surface of the river.
Based on what the speaker said, there were people lying in ambush in the water as well. There were only a few people who could reach the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat in the world of martial artists.
"Class One Hall and Towering Palace seem to have some thoughts."
At that moment, Happy suddenly heard a conversation from the crowd that caught his attention.
He frowned and quickly spread out his spiritual senses to lock down on the person who had spoken. He traced the direction of their gaze and found two groups of people.
Men and women with Bamboo Hats stood in the crowd, but their outstanding presences made them incredibly eye-catching.
However, Happy could not be certain whether Blood Robes was among the people from Class One Hall.
As for Towering Palace, since they were in their own territory, they were in a favorable position and could move as they pleased. They did not need to hide like the people from Class One Hall and could occupy the spot they wanted with ease.
The people leading them were Musical Note and Clear Music. By their sides were Vice Palace Master Vast Heaven, Grim Green, elders Shangguan Lian and Hai Dongqing, along with other elites.
Their lineup was very impressive.
Chapter 691 - Forceful Entry!
The crowd surged at the riverbank of Yangzhou City. Countless pairs of eyes stared at the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats covering the river densely, along with the large p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat in the center. Their gazes burned.
Happy had just returned to the game, and he observed the situation by the riverbank for a long time, until he gained a general understanding of the situation.
The appearance of the giant p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat and the lively atmosphere was because the wanderers and the people from the imperial court had come to enjoy Shi Qingxuan's skills. Her unique status had attracted the people from both the righteous and evil paths.
Both sides were also coveting Eunuch Yang's Warehouse, so they came to gauge exactly what their enemies wanted to do.
After all, the key to Eunuch Yang's Warehouse was in the hands of Kind Boathouse's Shi Feixuan.
The players were the ones who had to carry out quests. Even though they had not been dragged into one yet, they were still greedy for Eunuch Yang's Warehouse and longed to see it.
That included Towering Palace, Class One Hall, and many of the sect alliances. All of them gathered in Yangzhou City to quietly wait for the next move from the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat.
Of course, there were also people in the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats.
The crowd constantly discussed all that happened, and Happy learned that aside from Xu Zhiling who had brought a player into the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat, the Twin Demons were also fortunate enough to join because they represented the evil cult.
There were also a few elites from One Hundred Demon Influence Rank as well as the Six Doors of the imperial court on the boats. However, there were not many people from the righteous path.
None of the players who entered the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boats were from the top-class player sects! And there were not many of them who were from Dragon Rank and Phoenix Rank. Those who entered were rising stars who had just recently showed up.
This gave quite a number of players who wanted to become outstanding figures a little more hope. At the same time, they also got a strong d.e.s.i.r.e to get on the boat to prove their worth.
Happy said nothing. He stood quietly in the crowd and listened to the discussions of the players around him while he used Nine Yang Divine Skill to pay attention to Class One Hall and Towering Palace's actions.
The feeling of watching others from far away was pretty good.
Someone Happy could not identify suddenly spoke in the crowd. "The sound of the flute stopped. Did something happen?"
Everyone, including Happy, cast their gazes on the river. The large p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat had indeed become much quieter. People moved about over there, and the beautiful lamps swayed in the wind.
"Shi Feixuan, if you do not hand over the key to Eunuch Yang's Warehouse, don't even think about leaving this place alive."
Soon, an angry shout that sounded like thunder came rolling over, which was enough to prove just how extraordinary was the speaker's qi.
Silence fell.
It seemed like an argument had broken out on the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat and people were about to fight.
Happy pursed his lips, which made him seem a little apathetic toward the situation.
After all, the gathering at the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat was mainly organized by the imperial court and merchants for Shi Qingxuan. No matter how preposterous the people from the evil cult were, due to their respect for the Evil King, they would not dare to ruin his daughter's meeting on the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat.
The quarrel only lasted for a brief moment before it suddenly fell silent.
Soon, a few people shot out of the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e boat!
Whoosh! Whoosh,
whoosh!
They moved like lightning and did not stop. All of them had great body movements, and they quickly approached the riverbank.
When they drew near by travelling on water, the people on the riverbank saw them clearly and recognized them as people from the evil cult. Their expressions were sour, and they snorted.
"If it weren't for Evil King, I'd definitely destroy her boat and… Hmph! She's just a woman! How dare she make such a ruckus when she's before me!"
The people who surrounded Sect Master Extreme Yin were all elders of the evil cult!
The appearance of a group of Inaction Realm martial artists caused the martial artists at the riverbank to suck in sharp breaths.
"Forget it. Don't be angry at Shi Qingxuan. It's more important for us to find Kuo Zhong!"
"That's right. Shi Feixuan obtained the key to Eunuch Yang's Warehouse, but she appeared with Li Shiming, so the rumor about her losing the key might be real as well! This is something that Kuo Zhong did."
"Among Kuo Zhong's marshals, only Xu Zhiling attended the gathering. Kuo Zhong and his group of strategists and soldiers are not around. There is a high possibility that they have gone to activate the real Eunuch Yang's Warehouse."
"Let's go!"
The elders of the evil cult did not bother to hide their conversation from the martial artists on the riverbank. It was as if they were deliberately revealing the information to them.
The martial artists on the riverbank instantly burst into a commotion.
"Kuo Zhong!"
Once the crowd heard the news, many eyes lit up. Without another word, players left the riverbank and ran into Yangzhou City in groups of three and five.
The large group of people who had been hesitating became impatient after seeing many others leave and quickly left the area too.
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