Chapter 250

Chapter 250: Serious Inquiries Only

“Helpless about it?” Zhao Ruoxi’s eyes widened in rage. “He Youcai, this is your mistake! You need to think of a way to fix this!”

At this moment, Ling Feilong stood out and interrupted, saying in a gentle tone, “Ruoxi, you know that this is only a small mistake. Something must’ve gone wrong with the system, so you can’t just put the blame on He Youcai.”

“Then what should Shi Feng do? Since you already know something went wrong, does that mean Shi Feng is allowed to go in now?” Zhao Ruoxi completely ignored Ling Feilong, directly asking He Youcai, “In any case, you can prove that Shi Feng has indeed registered for this event. Shi Feng also has no problem proving that he is a student of our school. Don’t tell me that this is still not enough?”

“Fellow student Zhao Ruoxi, I can indeed verify that Shi Feng has registered for this event. However, whether he can enter or not is not up to a Student Council President like me to decide. You have to ask this big brother security guard here.” He Youcai shifted his gaze towards the security guard leader, instantly pushing all responsibility on the security guard. He Youcai then revealed a bitter smile, making the situation seem as if it had nothing to do with him.

The security guard’s mouth clearly twitched when he listened to He Youcai’s words.

He Youcai obviously did not help Shi Feng register for this event to begin with, yet He Youcai was pushing everything on him now? If He Youcai insisted that Shi Feng be allowed into the hotel, what could a mere security guard captain like him do?

He Youcai had already made his intentions very clear.

Absolutely not allowed—that was He Youcai’s answer.

However, looking at Zhao Ruoxi, she too did not seem like someone he could provoke. Otherwise, why would He Youcai even bother making so many superficial excuses?

Caught in a dilemma, this security guard captain did not know which would be the wiser choice to make.

Currently, Zhao Ruoxi’s wrathful gaze had already shifted to the security guard captain. She asked in a grim tone, “What do you say?”

“Me?” Even though he had experienced many battlefields before, the security guard captain could not help but hesitate at this moment. In the end, however, he still said strictly, “I have my responsibilities. Miss, please don’t make things difficult for me.”

“You!”

“Class Monitor, it’s fine. This matter can’t be helped. If I can’t enter, so be it.”

Shi Feng held back the raging Zhao Ruoxi. He then beamed a smile towards He Youcai and the others who were really good at spoiling his good fortune.

“It is great that fellow student Shi Feng can understand my troubles. This was truly an accident. I guarantee that there will not be a similar situation like this the next time,” He Youcai sneered.

“Right. A situation like this won’t happen the next time,” Zhou Yuhu laughed loudly.

Ling Feilong sent a contemptuous smile at Shi Feng, before saying in a gentle tone to Zhao Ruoxi, “Ruoxi, let’s go. Uncle Jianhua has been anxiously waiting for you for a while now.”

“Why is Uncle Jianhua here?” Zhao Ruoxi was clearly surprised when she heard this name. However, when she thought about how Shi Feng’s problem still remained unsolved, a sudden inspiration flashed across her mind. “That’s right! Uncle Jianhua is one of the sponsors for the Fellowship Party! He should be able to get you in!”

“Shi Feng, wait here. I’ll ask Uncle Jianhua to come immediately. That way, you’ll definitely be able to enter.”

Shi Feng nodded his head in reply. He then watched as Zhao Ruoxi frantically walked into the hotel. In the next instant, however, Shi Feng noticed Ling Feilong sending a cold smile his way.

Shi Feng felt a bad premonition at this sight.

Seeing that Zhao Ruoxi had left, He Youcai revealed a mocking smile as he said, “Fellow student Shi Feng, please return from whence you came; this Fellowship Party is not fit for someone like you.” He then told the security guard leader, “Remember, he is not allowed to set even a foot in this building. Otherwise, you can just pack up and leave.”

“Understood.”

Finished speaking, He Youcai and the others walked back into the hotel, their laughter filling the air as they left. The security guard then fixed his gaze at Shi Feng. As long as Shi Feng dared come near this building, he would personally chase him out.

However, Shi Feng did not react in anger. On the contrary, he was feeling extraordinarily calm right now.

If you don’t want me to go in, then so be it. In any case, I don’t have to actually be in the party to do what I came to do . Shi Feng turned around and left, the corner of his lips raised slightly.

The Jin Hai Fellowship Party held at this time was the perfect chance for him to recruit new members for his Guild. If he were to miss it, who knew how long he would have to wait before another such chance arrived?

The reason why a small Guild like Shadow could survive in God’s Domain was mainly due to the group of people they had recruited at this event. This group of people had helped Shadow endure its hardest times. Otherwise, with the little manpower Shadow possessed, there was no way they could avoid annexation by a large Guild.

Although Zero Wing already had a powerhouse like Aqua Rose and also a group of elite players in its midst, a Guild could never have an excess of powerhouses and elite players.

Since he was not allowed to recruit inside the event venue, it should be fine if he did it outside, right?

Hence, Shi Feng visited a nearby printing shop. Soon after, he set up a large sign a short distance away from the venue of the Fellowship Party.

“Zero Wing Guild recruiting new members! Serious inquiries only!”

Although the color of the words on the sign was monochrome and looked somewhat shabby, it still clearly conveyed the meaning Shi Feng wanted. As to whether or not others would recognize the sign for what it was…

Shi Feng was not worried about that one little bit. After all, Zero Wing’s fame was not limited to just White River City, but the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. On the official forums of the Star-Moon Kingdom, Zero Wing’s popularity had long since gone off the charts.

Not to mention having eight players occupying the top positions on the Ranking List, the levels of these players had even exceeded everyone’s imaginations.

The lowest leveled player among them was Level 18. This was a level that elicited awe in others. Even when ranked throughout the entire Star-Moon Kingdom, these eight players would still be the top eight players. Not to mention a first-rate Guild, even an apex first-rate Guild could not achieve such a feat.

How could people not yearn to join such a Guild?

Hence, many independent players wished they could join Zero Wing. There were even thousands of threads posted on the forums by independent players, all of them expressing their intentions to join Zero Wing. However, Zero Wing only recruited members at White River City, so not everyone could actually join the Guild.

Shortly after the sign was raised, it had already started attracting attention.

“Little Hao, look at that sign! It’s actually Zero Wing recruiting members!”

“Zero Wing Guild? How is that possible? That Guild is very mysterious. I heard that the strength of the eight great experts of that Guild is several times more amazing than even the experts of first-rate Guilds. How could they be recruiting members at this place? If it really is Zero Wing recruiting, I will definitely be the first one to apply.”

The passersby who noticed this sign immediately started a discussion among themselves. After all, Zero Wing was simply too famous right now. They could only be described with words such as “mysterious” and “strong.”

—

Meanwhile, in one of the lounges on the tenth floor of the hotel was an old man dressed in luxurious clothing. Although the man was already in his fifties, he had a keenness that belied his age, his sharp gaze capable of seeing through people’s hearts. This person was none other than Zhao Jianhua.

“Second Uncle, why have you come here today?” Zhao Ruoxi smiled sweetly at this old man after entering the room.

Zhao Jianhua was the younger brother of Zhao Ruoxi’s father. He was also one of the board members of the Zhao Group. However, Zhao Jianhua did not have any children of his own, so he had always loved Zhao Ruoxi dearly as if she were his own daughter, treating her like the most delicate flower in the world.

“Of course I am here to take a look at you. You’re always staying at school recently, not bothering to even pay a visit back home,” Zhao Jianhua replied with a doting smile.

“Second Uncle, you’re one of the sponsors for this get-together, right? I have a friend who wishes to join this event as well. Could you let him in?” Zhao Ruoxi said sweetly, grabbing and shaking Zhao Jianhua’s arm.

“Are you referring to that Shi Feng?” Zhao Jianhua’s brows wrinkled, his expression sinking immediately.

“How did you know, Second Uncle?” Zhao Ruoxi asked curiously.

“I was the one who arranged for him to be barred from entering. He is merely a mediocre person that came from an ordinary family. You shouldn’t associate with such a person. You are the Zhao Group’s successor, an elite standing at the very top of the pyramid of society. Others will gossip about you if they learn that you are associating with this kind of person.

“I am very clear about people like this Shi Feng. People like him will do whatever it takes to get ahead, and there is no limit to the amount of flattery he’ll spout. He does not like you at all; he simply covets the assets of the Zhao Group. I definitely won’t allow him to continue tricking you. As for Shi Feng’s side of things, I will speak with him personally.”

Chapter 251: Great Trees are Good for Shade

Zhao Ruoxi was silent for a long time after receiving Zhao Jianhua’s lecture.

Zhao Ruoxi never would have thought that her second uncle, who had always pampered her to the extreme, would say such words to her. Moreover, he had described Shi Feng as such an ugly person. There was clearly a serious misunderstanding here; someone had definitely worked on him.

“Second Uncle, whom did you hear this from?” Zhao Ruoxi did not immediately refute Zhao Jianhua. Instead, she wanted to find out just what was going on right now.

“It isn’t important who told me about it. Ruoxi, in the future, you are not allowed to associate with people like Shi Feng anymore. This is also elder brother’s wish.” Zhao Ruoxi had already been corrupted by Shi Feng, and nothing he said would actually change her mind. Hence, he needed to take decisive measures to end their relationship once and for all. Afterwards, he would approach Shi Feng and have him completely distance himself from Zhao Ruoxi.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ruoxi found herself stuck between laughter and tears. She knew that her second uncle was saying these things for her own good. However, she and Shi Feng clearly weren’t in the kind of relationship her second uncle thought they were in; they were merely classmates. Yet, judging from her second uncle’s words, it sounded as if she and Shi Feng’s relationship had already reached the point where they were inseparable lovers joined together at the hip. Zhao Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh as she said, “Second Uncle, since when did you start providing cover for someone? Let me guess… this person must be Ling Feilong, right?”

“That’s right. It is indeed Ling Feilong.” Since Zhao Ruoxi had already guessed correctly, Zhao Jianhua did not contradict her. Instead, he straightforwardly argued, “Shi Feng is only a nobody. On the other hand, I feel that this child, Feilong, is not bad. Not only does he look good, he is also ambitious and possesses great skills in fighting. Nowadays, the popularity of God’s Domain has already reached never-before-seen heights, and I hear that Feilong brat is even in the upper echelon of the Shadow Guild. He also has a very good insight towards the future. Yet, instead of choosing a youth with good potential like him, you chose to go with an incompetent person. I am sure elder brother would stand together with me on this matter as well.”

“Second Uncle, you’re really misunderstanding things here! There isn’t anything between me and Shi Feng!” Zhao Ruoxi was utterly at a loss for words. Rather, she felt furious about Ling Feilong’s actions. However, she was inwardly rejoicing as well right now. Thanks to Shi Feng’s appearance, she could finally see Ling Feilong’s true colors clearly.

“Misunderstand? Your second uncle possesses discerning eyes, and I very much understand your situation. In any case, I will absolutely not allow that brat to enter this event. I am still capable of that, at least.” Zhao Jianhua did not believe Zhao Ruoxi’s words. He knew how very sly Zhao Ruoxi had been since her childhood. In any case, he refused to be fooled in this matter.

Zhao Jianhua was not some shrewd businessman, nor was he part of the Zhao Group’s management. Instead, he was a fighter that loved martial arts. Only afterwards did he start handling the security department of the Zhao Group. The real boss of the Zhao Group was Zhao Ruoxi’s father, Zhao Jianxuan.

Hence, Zhao Jianhua had always liked future professional fighters like Ling Feilong. After all, only a strong man could properly protect his own woman. Yet, what was Shi Feng? Zhao Jianhua had had Shi Feng investigated, and he discovered that Shi Feng was only a weakling who was constantly bullied by others. A person like Shi Feng was simply too unreliable. Hence, Zhao Jianhua was adamant at ending Zhao Ruoxi’s relationship with Shi Feng this time.

While Zhao Jianhua and Zhao Ruoxi were having their discussion, Ling Feilong, who was outside the door, eavesdropping on their conversation, secretly felt delighted.

Although he could not directly defeat Shi Feng, he could still play Shi Feng to death using a roundabout approach. In addition, he had also informed Zhao Jianxuan about this matter in advance. With both Zhao Jianhua and Zhao Jianxuan vehemently opposing their relationship, even if Shi Feng had seduced and captivated Zhao Ruoxi’s heart completely, the two of them could never be together. Hence, as long as he could develop himself in Shadow, becoming one of the core members of the Guild, Zhao Jianhua and Zhao Jianxuan would definitely support his pursuit of Zhao Ruoxi.

After obtaining the wealth of the Zhao Group, he could easily take control of the entire Shadow Guild. At that time, what would Shi Feng amount to? What would Zhang Luowei amount to? What would Lan Hailong amount to?

“Youcai, you’ve done well this time. I’ll put in a few good words for you when I meet up with Brother Zhang next time. After you graduate, just come to Shadow,” Ling Feilong said with satisfaction, patting He Youcai, who stood beside him in a deferential manner.

“This is but a trivial matter. In the future, I will be relying on Brother Long for support,” He Youcai said with a smile.

Although He Youcai, as the Student Council President, was indeed an amazing character in Jin Hai University, after he graduated from the school, however, he would only amount to nothing. Nobody in society would give a damn about him. Aware of this reality, He Youcai had no choice but to agree to Ling Feilong’s request to remove Shi Feng’s registration for the Fellowship Party. Furthermore, Zhou Jianhua himself had even instructed him not to allow Shi Feng entry into the event. Since he could satisfy both parties with just an action, killing two birds with one stone, why wouldn’t he do so?

Only, neither He Youcai nor Ling Feilong knew that, at this moment, the hotel’s surroundings had become extremely lively. Originally, the Jin Hai Fellowship Party was a well-known event throughout Jin Hai City. Hence, many reporters and media outlets would show up to cover it. There was also no lack of onlookers hanging around the event venue.

However, the outside of the event venue was much livelier compared to previous years. Instead of just a small crowd, there was a sea of people here. Young and old, tall and short, all kinds of people could be seen lining up on the streets. Some of the uninformed passersby even thought an international celebrity had showed up at this place. It made them wonder just what these people were lining up for.

“Little brother, what’s happening in front? Why are there so many people lining up here?”

“Huh? You don’t know? The Zero Wing Guild is recruiting members.”

“Zero Wing Guild? What’s that?”

“Of course it is Star-Moon Kingdom’s most amazing and mysterious Guild!”

“What’s Star-Moon Kingdom?”

“Crap! Have you even played God’s Domain before? You don’t even know that? Which hole did you crawl out from?”

“…”

The passersby mostly consisted of office workers, and they usually worked from 9am to 5pm. Their lives were mostly taken up by their work, so how would they find the time to play a game? Naturally, they would not know anything about God’s Domain. However, when these office workers looked at the hundreds of people lining up, many of them started feeling confused about the game called God’s Domain. They wondered just what sort of game God’s Domain was, to actually have such a strong influence on so many people.

It was simply a Guild from a game recruiting members. Yet, there were actually several hundred people applying to join. Moreover, the numbers were still increasing without end. In a short moment, the number of people applying might even break through to the thousands. However, the most unfathomable thing was that even the reporters from television stations were running over to carry out a live broadcast on this situation.

Just what sort of situation was this?

“Isn’t it just membership recruitment for a Guild in a game? You can’t even earn a cent from playing a game, so what’s the point of wasting so much time lining up? What foolish people,” one of the passersby who was a white-collared elite mockingly laughed.

The instant this white-collar elite said those words, many of the people lining up immediately turned contemptuous gazes at him, as if they were looking at an idiot.

“What an idiot. He doesn’t even know what membership recruitment by a Guild in God’s Domain means. No doubt he’ll be in the rat race all his life.”

“What are you minding him for? How would he know that when a Guild is recruiting members in reality, they are also recruiting professional players for the Guild’s gaming workshop. A white-collar elite like him would be earning four to five thousand Credits a month. He would naturally look down on us part-timers who can only make two to three thousand Credits a month.”

“What are you saying? That’s the salary for an outer member of a Guild. If we become official members, then we’ll have a minimum salary of 5,000 a month. Meanwhile, elite members could get at least 10,000. Zero Wing is also recruiting quite a lot of members this time. They’re recruiting 300 outer members, 100 official members, and 20 elite members. With so many available spots, we might even get a chance to join Zero Wing.”

“I guess you’re right. I also hear that core members get a base salary of 50,000 Credits. I wonder just how much the eight great experts of Zero Wing are earning each month.”

“I hear that their salaries are over 10 million. Previously, there had been a financial corporation that offered them an astronomical amount of 8 million, yet, none of the eight experts had even reacted to it. Zero Wing’s wealth is simply unimaginable.”

The players lining up started a discussion among themselves. However, the white-collar elite was no longer as calm as he was before. After all, he had only managed to obtain a monthly salary of 5,000 Credits after attending countless interviews and working for his current company for three years. Yet, he was barely comparable to an official member of a gaming guild. Moreover, these gamers were only working part-time during the night. Suddenly, this office-worker had the urge to join the queue as well.

While Shi Feng was interviewing player after player on the street, his actions had also attracted the attention of the guests participating in the Fellowship Party. It was especially true for the large-scale Workshops in Jin Hai City. Some of the professional fighters that planned to start their career in God’s Domain also grew interested by this sight.

“Hahaha! Zero Wing has actually showed up at this place! Attending this Fellowship Party this time wasn’t a waste of my time at all!”

“Zero Wing Guild? Let’s hurry up and meet up with that person! This is a great chance for our Workshop! Who knows how many people and financial corporations are trying but failing to meet someone in the upper echelons of the Guild. We are truly fortunate to be able to meet one at this event.”

Chapter 252: I am a Coward

On the highest floor, the 36th floor, of the Golden Bridge Hotel, the Jin Hai Fellowship Party had officially started.

Most of the participants present at this event were well-known figures from various sectors of Jin Hai City. On the contrary, only a minority consisted of students who were about to graduate from Jin Hai University.

The Jin Hai Fellowship Party held this year was the grandest one yet, and the number of people invited this year was also the highest compared to past occasions. As a result, the soon-to-be graduates of Jin Hai University were provided with more career prospects. This was especially true for players of God’s Domain. Many people from all walks of life had an optimistic view on God’s Domain’s future, because aside from allowing its players to experience battles and adventures, God’s Domain also allowed players to enjoy various lifestyles and forms of entertainment. The array of activities one could experience in God’s Domain was much more abundant than in the real world, and this aspect of the game allowed many corporations in the real world to integrate and develop themselves in the game.

Currently, there was an energetic old man in his sixties, who wore a white tunic, sitting at a corner of the event venue. Meanwhile, surrounding the old man were some of the most influential and powerful figures of Jin Hai City. Zhao Ruoxi’s second uncle, Zhao Jianhua, was seated among these powerful personages as well.

“Are they not here yet?” the old man in the white tunic suddenly asked He Youcai who stood beside him.

“They’ve already arrived, but…” He Youcai’s expression faltered as he hesitated on his words.

The elderly man before him was both the Headmaster and Chairman of Jin Hai University, Xu Wenqing, and he was a very influential man in Jin Hai City. The reason being, under Xu Wenqing’s tutelage, many students had graduated from Jin Hai University with outstanding achievements, and such a contribution made Xu Wenqing a well-known and well-respected character in the various sectors of Jin Hai City. Xu Wenqing’s influence was so great that he could easily send Jin Hai City into an uproar with his words alone.

“Speak,” Xu Wenqing suddenly said in a cold voice.

“They’re outside right now…” He Youcai answered feebly, the sudden pressure making the knees of an inexperienced youth like him go weak.

“Since they’re already outside, why aren’t they coming in?” Xu Wenqing questioned, “Don’t tell me they want this decrepit old man to invite them in?”

“Who do they think they are? They actually want Elder Xu to invite them in? Do they think that, just because they’re good at playing a game, they can disregard us?” Zhao Jianhua angrily said.

“You few, go take a look at the situation and call them up. Tell them that I said so.” Xu Wenqing felt that something was amiss after light contemplation. Aside from the professional players from gaming workshops, quite a few well-known figures from fighting competitions were still absent from the event as well.

“Yes.” Receiving the command, Xu Wenqing’s bodyguards, who stood by his side, immediately took the elevator down the hotel. These bodyguards wore black suits and black sunglasses, and all of them had tall and robust bodies.

“I don’t understand what is going through these people’s minds. What’s the point of staying downstairs instead of coming up? Has something happened downstairs?” Zhao Jianhua felt furious at the absentees, and his view of professional gamers lowered even further now. In his opinion, no matter how good a gamer was, they were, in the end, still gamers. Without corporations supporting and financing them, they would only remain as small fries in society.

“I, too, am curious. Just what sort of mentality do young people have nowadays? Maybe we old folks are no longer able to keep up with the changing times?” said a middle-aged man dressed in black martial artist clothing with a self-deprecating laugh. As if he was a great ocean, the man gave others a calm and gentle feeling, and one would not be able to find a hint of energetic spirit coming off this man.

However, nobody present in the room would dare look down on this middle-aged man. The reason being, this man was Jin Hai City’s well-known martial arts master, Chen Wu. Several years ago, Chen Wu was the reigning champion of Jin Hai City’s fighting competition. He was the uncontested number one back then. However, now that he was older, he no longer participated in any fighting competitions. Instead, he had started his own dojo in Jin Hai City, which was very well-received.

“Master Chen Wu must be joking. Young people nowadays just don’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. It is only a virtual reality game. With Master Chen Wu’s skills, if you entered that game called God’s Domain, you can easily become one of the apex experts there,” Zhao Jianhua said.

“The real world and the virtual world are different things entirely. Moreover, times have changed. The future belongs to the younger folk now.” Chen Wu shook his head. As a martial arts practitioner, he was very sensitive towards matters that occurred around him. He could clearly feel the change of an era approaching quickly. It was especially true with the appearance of God’s Domain. Ignoring the fact that corporations all over the world were already investing in God’s Domain one after another, just the number of players the game had already surpassed one’s imagination. Anybody could easily tell how huge a potential God’s Domain had. Moreover, there had to be yet another secret being kept hidden about God’s Domain.

Although Chen Wu did not know what exactly this secret was, he did know that it was a secret capable of attracting the countless corporations around the world to scramble madly over. The virtual reality game known as God’s Domain was definitely not as simple as it appeared to be.

Meanwhile, although the various major corporations in Jin Hai City had similarly invested in God’s Domain, they were simply like stray cats that smelled the scent of fish. They had no idea at all what sort of secrets God’s Domain possessed.

After Chen Wu and Zhao Jianhua chatted for a bit, Xu Wenqing received a call from one of his bodyguards.

“Elder Xu, the people down here say that they have an important matter they need to do right now. They will need some time before they can go up.”

“Important matter? What could be more important than the Fellowship Party this time? Don’t they want the sponsorship and support from other corporations anymore?” Xu Wenqing’s tone turned grim. Although he did not show it on his face, many who knew Xu Wenqing’s temper immediately realized he was angry.

“It seems that they are trying to meet with one of Zero Wing Guild’s upper management. However, there are too many people lining up right now, so it will be some time before they are done.”

“Zero Wing Guild? Is it a Guild from God’s Domain?” Xu Wenqing asked, curious.

Wasn’t it just a gaming guild? Was there a need for so many famous gaming workshops to try to suck up to it?

Could this Zero Wing Guild be a very powerful existence within God’s Domain?

Although Xu Wenqing did not play virtual reality games himself, he was still familiar with the well-known Guilds within the virtual reality world. Even so, Zero Wing was not among the famous Guilds he knew of.

“They say that Zero Wing is an extremely famous Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom. In certain aspects, Zero Wing is even superior to first-rate Guilds. Many corporations are also wishing to meet the upper management of Zero Wing. However, due to Zero Wing being overly mysterious, nobody has ever found a chance to make contact, so none of them want to miss this chance right now.”

“Putting it in such a way, this means that Zero Wing Guild isn’t an existence that can be ignored.” Xu Wenqing grew interested in this Zero Wing Guild, especially since such a Guild had appeared in a city like Jin Hai City. “To think that such an amazing Guild has appeared in our Jin Hai City without this old man knowing. Since it is so, invite this representative of Zero Wing Guild to come up and have a chat. This old man wishes to see just what kind of person this representative is.”

Moreover, it would not be a good thing to have so many participants of the Fellowship Party staying downstairs instead of being present at the actual event. He might as well have the representative of Zero Wing come up. That way, the guests from other gaming workshops could also participate in the Fellowship Party.

Everyone was shocked when they heard Xu Wenqing actually inviting an unknown guild representative to the Fellowship Party.

—

Meanwhile, outside the Golden Bridge Hotel, Xu Wenqing’s bodyguards had already met up with Shi Feng. They then relayed their employer’s intentions to Shi Feng, inviting him upstairs.

However, to these bodyguards’ surprise, Shi Feng immediately rejected the invitation.

“Mister Shi Feng, Elder Xu is wholeheartedly inviting you to join him upstairs. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed,” the leader of the bodyguards patiently persuaded Shi Feng.

“I understand. However, I am still not done with the recruitment here. Also, even if I do agree, you’ll have to ask the people lining up here if they’ll agree to let me go.” Shi Feng smiled as he pointed at the long line in front of him consisting of over a thousand people. He then continued, “Moreover, even if I am willing to go with you, someone inside will also chase me out again. I am a coward. That person has threatened me and said that I am not allowed to set even a foot in the hotel. I still have many people I need to interview, so please stop making things difficult for me.”

Xu Wenqing’s bodyguards were immediately rendered speechless. Wasn’t this just blatant disregard of them? However, they had no choice but to report this matter back to Xu Wenqing.

—

“What? Someone is threatening him from entering?” Xu Wenqing couldn’t help but laugh when he heard these words. He then said, “Then, tell him that, as long as this old man is here, I guarantee that nothing will happen to him in this Fellowship Party, and nobody will dare chase him out.”

“However, he still says that he doesn’t dare enter. He doesn’t wish to be chased out for a second time,” the bodyguard said helplessly.

“Chased out for a second time? Does that mean he was originally a guest of this Fellowship Party?”

“Yes.”

Xu Wenqing was stunned. However, anger immediately shot to his head when he finally reacted. Someone had actually dared to chase out a guest that he invited! Wasn’t this just giving him a slap across his old face?

“Who? Who dares chase away a guest I invited?” At this moment, Xu Wenqing’s voice turned extremely chilling. Although he was not a martial artist himself, the pressure he emitted caused many of those present to become fearful.

The bodyguard trembled as he slowly said, “He Youcai.”

Chapter 253: Five Demon Generals

“Good! Very good!” Although Xu Wenqing was smiling, the tone he spoke with was as chilling as the winter cold.

At this moment, even an idiot could tell that Xu Wenqing was furious.

Due to the conversation being held over the phone, nobody but Xu Wenqing himself could hear what his bodyguard had said. However, based on the words Xu Wenqing had spoken, the people around him knew that someone had done something to badly anger Xu Wenqing.

Where a matter such as chasing away an invited guest was concerned, neither Chen Wu nor Zhao Jianhua had such courage to do so, as doing so was equivalent to giving Xu Wenqing a slap across his face. Everyone valued their prestige. Since this person had dared give Xu Wenqing a slap, then this person shouldn’t expect Xu Wenqing to welcome it with a smile.

At this moment, Zhao Jianhua, Chen Wu, and everyone else started feeling pity for the person that angered Xu Wenqing.

This was practically bearding the lion in its den[1], a truly suicidal action.

However, they were also very curious about the person that dared to chase away an invited guest. They wanted to know just who this daring person was.

“He Youcai, come over here.” Xu Wenqing looked at He Youcai, who was cluelessly standing at one side.

Confused, He Youcai thought Xu Wenqing had some orders for him to carry out, failing to notice that Xu Wenqing’s chilling intent was directed at him.

“Go downstairs and invite that person up here. If he isn’t willing to come up, then you don’t have to come back, either,” Xu Wenqing said coldly.

“Headmaster, this…” He Youcai was utterly confused about the meaning of Xu Wenqing’s words.

“You’ll naturally understand after you go downstairs.” Xu Wenqing sent a glance at the bodyguard beside him. The bodyguard intuitively understood Xu Wenqing’s intentions, and he immediately grabbed He Youcai and dragged him towards the elevator.

“Headmaster Xu, there must be a misunderstanding somewhere! I really didn’t do something like that!” He Youcai shouted in a panic, the fat on his body jiggling.

Even if he was given a hundred lives, he would never dare kick out an invited guest. He was merely a student of Jin Hai University, and nobody among the invited guests was someone he could afford to offend.

If he had to name someone that he had really driven away, then the only person that came to mind would be… Shi Feng.

However, Shi Feng was simply a student that was not worth mentioning. He was not an invited guest at all. No matter how He Youcai looked at this situation, Shi Feng would not be related to it in any way.

“This brat sure has guts,” Zhao Jianhua said in an ambiguous tone. It was unknown whether he was actually praising He Youcai, or disparaging him. However, everyone else was in full agreement with Zhao Jianhua’s words.

The bystanders could clearly tell that this incident was caused by He Youcai.

This incident had truly given them a shock. He Youcai was merely a Student Council President—an insignificant existence—yet he had actually dared to recklessly abuse the little power he was given. If He Youcai did not deal with this matter perfectly, then his best option to save himself was to pack up and leave Jin Hai City. Otherwise, only a tragic end awaited him.

—

Meanwhile, Zero Wing’s recruitment location had already become the most eye-catching sight on this street. Before he knew it, Shi Feng had recruited many new people for his Guild. Some well-known Workshops in Jin Hai City were even included among them. The members of these Workshops were all relatively skilled. However, since they didn’t have a top-tier expert leading them, they had a difficult time obtaining good equipment in God’s Domain.

The reason being, a majority of the high-quality equipment could only be obtained from a Dungeon, while a minority came from Field Bosses. However, to a Guildless Workshop, Field Bosses were simply an unattainable dream.

This situation resulted in the Workshops having a hard time making money in God’s Domain. Hence, many of these Workshops wished to join a Guild, a powerful Guild, in particular. If they had a top-tier expert guiding them, Dungeon diving would become a much easier endeavor. Moreover, compared to groping in the dark by themselves, they could improve themselves with much greater efficiency by learning techniques from the said expert.

Meanwhile, the Zero Wing Guild was undeniably the best option available in Jin Hai City for these Guildless Workshops.

Currently, none of the Guilds in Jin Hai City had officially become a rated Guild.

In the past, if Shadow had not spent a humongous sum of money to annex a large number of Workshops and recruited some new members with great potential, it would have had no way to quickly become a third-rate Guild. In such a situation, Shadow would have also fallen in the competition over White River City, as this was the brutality of God’s Domain.

The Five Demon Generals have yet to show up even now. Could they be uninterested in joining Zero Wing? Shi Feng had already interviewed several hundreds of people. However, not a single one of the Five Demon Generals were actually among those hundreds of people.

In the past, the Five Demon Generals were the most powerful experts in Shadow. If their growth had not been limited by Shadow, they might have been promoted to a Tier 4 class or above.

These five people also played an indispensable role in aiding Shadow in obtaining the ten City States.

One could even say that Shi Feng’s main goal in attending this Fellowship Party was to recruit these five people.

Don’t tell me they’re afraid of taking the interview? Shi Feng felt that there was a very high possibility of such a thing happening. After all, the current Five Demon Generals were obscure existences right now, nobodies in God’s Domain. If they concluded that they would not be accepted into Zero Wing, they would naturally avoid taking the interview altogether, saving themselves the humiliation when they got rejected.

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng felt troubled.

It was very possible for these five people to be inside the Fellowship Party right now. Yet, he had no way of entering the actual event venue. So, how should he go about recruiting those five?

Just as Shi Feng was feeling distressed over this matter, He Youcai came walking over.

“Why is it you?” He Youcai was immediately dumbfounded when he discovered the person he had been sent to invite actually turned out to be Shi Feng.

In He Youcai’s opinion, Shi Feng was simply an ordinary student. His and Xu Wenqing’s statuses were worlds apart from each other, and it was impossible for Xu Wenqing to actually send a personal invitation to Shi Feng. Yet, the impossible had actually happened now…

Meanwhile, Shi Feng couldn’t help but shift his gaze to He Youcai. Suddenly, he asked with a smile, “President He, what brings you here? Don’t tell me you wish to chase me away from this street as well?”

“This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Fellow student Shi Feng, how could I possibly dare to chase you away? All of this is simply a misunderstanding! Previously, due to an error to the system, your information was not properly registered. However, everything is fine now. Fellow student Shi Feng, you can now participate in the Fellowship Party as well!” He Youcai said with a fawning smile.

“President He, I am a very cowardly person. Previously, you yourself, President He, had said that, as long as I dare set even a single foot in the hotel, you would immediately chase me out. I truly do not dare provoke a personage such as you. I also feel quite comfortable staying here. If you don’t have any other matters, then, please return to your event. I am still very busy right now.” Shi Feng smiled, shifting his attention away from He Youcai.

Hearing Shi Feng’s words, He Youcai’s face instantly paled. Even an idiot could make out the meaning behind Shi Feng’s words.

You chased me away without any hesitation before. Yet, now, you wish to invite me back? Do you think it’s possible that I will agree?

He Youcai really wished to say “it’s possible.”

He Youcai was merely a Student Council President. Now that Xu Wenqing had already spoken, if He Youcai did not deal with this matter properly, his future would be over. Moreover, with Xu Wenqing’s horrific reach, He Youcai did not even dare to think about having a future.

Noticing Xu Wenqing’s bodyguard coldly looking at him, He Youcai’s body shuddered with fear. Immediately, he did something that shocked even Shi Feng himself.

He Youcai immediately knelt before Shi Feng, hugging Shi Feng’s thigh as he cried like a little girl, saying, “Fellow student Shi Feng… No! Brother Feng! I was the one in the wrong! I have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Taishan[2]! I am deserving of death! How could I have been so blind to actually listen to the words of that bastard, Ling Feilong! Brother Feng, I apologize to you! Please! If it can help cool your temper, please beat me up as much as you wish! As long as Brother Feng is willing to go upstairs with me!”

Shi Feng wasn’t the only one shocked by He Youcai’s actions. Even the bystanders were dumbfounded by this scene.

Did he really think he was invincible just because he was shameless?!

TL Notes:

[1] bearding the lion in its den: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/beard-the-lion

[2] have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Taishan: to fail to recognize sb important or sb’s great talent

Some of you may know that this idiom should actually be “have eyes but failed to recognize Taishan,” but I’m going to go with the version that can be found on Baidu (Chinese version of Google) basically because it’s the commonly accepted translation of the idiom (many people do know that it’s incorrect, fyi). At this point in time, using the idiom without the word ‘Mount’ in it just sounds weird, at least to me it does…

Baidu link:

https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%9C%89%E7%9C%BC%E4%B8%8D%E8%AF%86%E6%B3%B0%E5%B1%B1/5594126

Chapter 254: The Young Will Surpass the Old

“As expected, it was Ling Feilong plotting behind the scenes.”

In truth, Shi Feng did not pay any attention to an insignificant character like He Youcai. He only wished to find out who was trying to make trouble for him. Since he was able to ascertain that it was indeed Ling Feilong playing tricks on him, he no longer had any use for He Youcai.

“Alright, save your crocodile tears. I’ll go up with you. However, my requirement is for you to clearly repeat the words you just said to Headmaster Xu. Otherwise, pray for your own future,” Shi Feng said calmly as he kicked He Youcai away.

“How could you do this to me?” Instantly, He Youcai recovered his previous smiling appearance, making it look as if none of the embarrassing scene from before had actually happened. However, there was a hint of hatred hidden beneath his eyes as he looked at Shi Feng.

He Youcai had already embarrassed Xu Wenqing. If he told Xu Wenqing of this matter, then he would be adding Ling Feilong to the list of people he had offended. Moreover, Ling Feilong was supported by Zhao Jianhua, who was an even more frightening existence. Even if Xu Wenqing were to forgive him, Ling Feilong and Zhao Jianhua would definitely not let him off.

A wolf in front, and a tiger behind—even if he did not lose his life, his future would be ruined.

Shi Feng was simply too cruel for wanting him to do such a thing!

“Why can’t I do such a thing? I am only asking you to tell the truth. Now, tell me, what is your decision?” Shi Feng smiled calmly, completely ignoring the poisonous glare He Youcai was sending him.

What comes around, goes around.

After some contemplation, He Youcai took a few deep breaths before coming to a decision. He then shifted his eyes towards Shi Feng, a malicious glint in his eyes as he said, “I can agree to your demands; however, you must allow me to join Zero Wing.”

“It seems that you still aren’t clear about your current situation. You wish to discuss conditions with me? Then let me tell you, you only have two options right now. You either speak or don’t. In my personal opinion, it’s best that you speak the truth. At the very least, you will earn the pardon of Headmaster Xu.” Shi Feng then raised his brows, stating, “My patience is limited. I will give you three seconds to consider.”

“Alright! I’ll speak!” He Youcai quickly made his choice. Compared to Ling Feilong and Zhao Jianhua, he was even more afraid of Xu Wenqing. After all, Xu Wenqing’s influence was simply too extensive.

Soon after, Shi Feng followed He Youcai and Xu Wenqing’s bodyguard into the hotel and took the elevator up to the 36th floor.

Shi Feng’s arrival at the event venue immediately attracted a majority of the participants’ attention.

Due to Xu Wenqing’s rage, many of the guests present had already found out about the incident concerning Shi Feng. They were very curious to see just what sort of person warranted a personal invitation from Xu Wenqing himself.

Under the bodyguard’s lead, Shi Feng and He Youcai arrived before Xu Wenqing.

When an ordinary youth in black sportswear appeared before them, everyone couldn’t help but widen their eyes. They started attentively evaluating Shi Feng, intent on discerning the secrets hidden behind Shi Feng’s ordinary appearance.

To their disappointment, however, be it Shi Feng’s attire or aura, both were similarly plain and ordinary.

“Shi Feng? Why are you here?” Ling Feilong couldn’t help but grow astonished. Originally, he had intended to use this Fellowship Party to form a deeper connection with Zhao Jianhua. However, he never imagined that Shi Feng could actually make it into the event. The current situation went far beyond his expectations.

“Everything has an exception to it, isn’t that so?” Shi Feng replied with a smile.

“Shi Feng, it’s great that you made it! Originally, I planned to go down and look for you, but it seems that won’t be necessary now!” Zhao Ruoxi said excitedly when she saw the new arrival was Shi Feng. Were it not for Zhao Jianhua holding her back, preventing her from leaving, she would have long since left this boring Fellowship Party.

Sitting beside Zhao Ruoxi, Zhao Jianhua immediately turned grim when he heard Zhao Ruoxi’s words. Previously, Zhao Ruoxi had pestered him endlessly for him to let Shi Feng come up, angering him greatly. Never would Zhao Jianhua have thought that, not only did this commoner not give up, he had actually entered the event venue now.

Did n’t I tell the ones below not to let him in? How did he manage to get in? Zhao Jianhua’s mind was filled with questions; he failed to realize that Shi Feng was none other than the Zero Wing representative that Xu Wenqing had invited.

“Young man, come over here and take a seat. This old man is called Xu Wenqing, the current Headmaster of Jin Hai University.” Xu Wenqing slowly stood up and formally introduced himself.

“Shi Feng, a fourth year student of Jin Hai University,” Shi Feng replied softly.

“You are a student of our school? Indeed, the young will surpass the old. So young, yet you’ve already entered the middle management of the Zero Wing Guild,” Xu Wenqing said, slightly surprised. He did not believe Shi Feng had a very high position in the Zero Wing Guild. However, normally, only those in middle management or higher had the right to recruit members. Shi Feng had yet to graduate from university, yet he had already managed to become a middle manager of a mysterious Guild. In the eyes of commoners, this could be considered a great achievement. At the very least, Shi Feng was much more successful than most of the students present at the Fellowship Party today.

Xu Wenqing’s amiable bearing and praise towards Shi Feng slightly surprised Chen Wu and Zhao Jianhua, who sat close to Xu Wenqing. They never thought Xu Wenqing would praise a younger generation like so, a plain and ordinary youth like Shi Feng, no less. For a second, they even thought that their ears were playing tricks on them.

Even when faced with Zhang Luowei, the person with the brightest future in Jin Hai University, Xu Wenqing had simply said the words “not bad”…

Although they were shocked by the fact that a person like Shi Feng was a middle manager of a Guild, an achievement like this did not warrant such praise from Xu Wenqing himself. After all, Xu Wenqing was a very influential character in Jin Hai City.

However, Xu Wenqing held an optimistic view on Shi Feng’s future. Shi Feng’s temperament, which was as calm as the great ocean, especially solidified this opinion of his. This was not something a youth like him should have, or to put it bluntly, it should be impossible for a youth like Shi Feng to possess such a temperament.

If not for the fact that Xu Wenqing had met with countless people, and had seen all sorts of people throughout his life, he too would not have discovered this particular trait of Shi Feng’s.

Being capable of entering the middle management of such a powerful Guild clearly showcased Shi Feng’s ability. Before long, Shi Feng would definitely enter the upper management of the Guild, hence why Xu Wenqing was being so courteous with Shi Feng.

“Headmaster must be joking.” Shi Feng laughed.

After Xu Wenqing exchanged a few words with Shi Feng, Xu Wenqing shifted his gaze once more to He Youcai, who was currently trembling where he stood. Xu Wenqing demanded coldly, “Speak. What happened?”

Although Xu Wenqing’s voice was soft, it was filled with oppressiveness. Frightened, He Youcai no longer dared hide anything from him.

“Ling Feilong was the one that told me to do everything! He said he did not wish to see Shi Feng entangled with fellow student Zhao Ruoxi! Hence, under his coercion, I did not register Shi Feng for the Fellowship Party.” He Youcai immediately pointed towards Ling Feilong, denouncing him. At this moment, he no longer cared about the consequences of his words.

Immediately, everyone’s attention shifted to Ling Feilong.

Ling Feilong instantly felt a huge pressure bearing down on him.

At this moment, Ling Feilong felt utterly powerless, his breathing faltering. He was at a complete loss for words right now; anything he said would easily offend others. He also never imagined that Shi Feng would have Zero Wing Guild as his backing.

“Since you have nothing to say for yourself, then please leave this place. The Jin Hai Fellowship Party does not welcome you,” Xu Wenqing said abruptly in a deep tone, the rage contained within his words clear for all to hear. Looking at Ling Feilong’s expression, it was obvious what He Youcai had said was the truth.

Following which, two robust bodyguards walked towards Ling Feilong, clearly intending to send Ling Feilong on his way.

“Elder Xu, please wait a moment,” Zhao Jianhua suddenly spoke up.

Meanwhile, standing beside Zhao Jianhua were two of Shadow’s major shareholders, Lan Hailong and Zhang Luowei.

Chapter 255: There is Only One Protagonist

Zhao Jianhua’s deep voice suddenly caused the splendorous and lively venue to go silent.

Everyone present knew that, once Xu Wenqing made a decision, nobody was allowed to interfere with it. However, Zhao Jianhua actually stepped in and tried to interrupt Xu Wenqing. Suddenly, the atmosphere within the event hall turned extraordinarily intense, like a minefield where a single misstep could trigger a massive explosion.

In reply to Zhao Jianhua’s interruption, Xu Wenqing did not speak any words. Instead, he merely stretched out his hand, halting the two bodyguards from dragging Ling Feilong away. He then returned his focus to Zhao Jianhua, his eyes carrying a questioning look. He wanted to know just what sort of reason Zhao Jianhua had for going against his decision.

Zhao Jianhua was one of the main sponsors for the Jin Hai Fellowship Party. He was also one of the directors of the Zhao Group, a major corporation in Jin Hai City. Hence, Xu Wenqing could not simply ignore Zhao Jianhua’s opinion.

“Elder Xu, I am the one who allowed Ling Feilong to prevent Shi Feng from entering this place. Moreover, I feel that I did not make any mistake in this decision. Please don’t make things difficult for Feilong.” Zhao Jianhua then added with a laugh, “As for the reason why I didn’t allow Shi Feng to enter, it was simply because I did not want him to continue associating with Ruoxi. Please understand my decision, Elder Xu.”

“Second Uncle, I’ve already said that our relationship isn’t what you imagined it to be!” Zhao Ruoxi argued immediately, her crescent brows slightly wrinkled.

Listening to the niece and uncle pair bickering with each other, Xu Wenqing, with his many years of experience, instantly figured out the crux of the matter. Suddenly, he laughed and said, “It is indeed good to be young. Since it is a matter between young people, then I will not intervene.”

Ling Feilong immediately let out a sigh of relief when he heard Xu Wenqing’s words. If he were truly chased out of the Fellowship Party, then his reputation would be in tatters. Fortunately, he had Zhao Jianhua on his side. Ling Feilong gave Shi Feng a look that seemed to say “So what if you received praise from Elder Xu? Aren’t I still completely fine right now?”

Shi Feng merely shrugged at Ling Feilong’s provocation, paying him no mind at all. Right now, his sole goal for coming upstairs was to look for the Five Demon Generals. Ling Feilong could do whatever he wanted for all Shi Feng cared. However, if Ling Feilong dared to actively seek trouble with him again, then he couldn’t be blamed for responding in kind.

At this moment, the elegant and handsome-looking Lan Hailong sent a glance at Zhang Luowei, who currently stood beside him.

“Fellow student Shi Feng, please wait a moment.” Zhang Luowei stepped forward, hurrying to Shi Feng as he shouted, “I have been looking forward to meeting with Zero Wing for a long time now. I never would have thought I would get the chance to do so at this Fellowship Party. I hear that Zero Wing has plenty of experts, and each and every one of them has extraordinary skills. Fellow student Shi Feng, as a middle manager of Zero Wing, I believe that you must definitely be skilled. Hence, I wish to seek some pointers from you. We can also take it as an entertainment for this Fellowship Party. I wonder, what is fellow student Shi Feng’s opinion on this matter?”

Hearing Zhang Luowei’s suggestion, glints flashed through Xu Wenqing’s, Zhao Jianhua’s, Chen Wu’s, and everyone else’s eyes. They felt that it was a good suggestion. However, they still chose to remain silent as this was a matter for the younger generation; it wouldn’t be good for old folks like them to intervene.

Among those who showed interest in Zhang Luowei’s suggestion, Zhao Jianhua was the most eager for it to take place. Zhao Jianhua knew very well how amazing Zhang Luowei was. After all, even a martial arts master like Chen Wu looked favorably upon Zhang Luowei. Within a few years, Zhang Luowei would definitely become the fighting champion of Jin Hai City. Meanwhile, if Shi Feng embarrassed himself in front of Ruoxi right now, at the very minimum, he could make Zhao Ruoxi understand how ordinary Shi Feng actually was. Once she knew that they were people of two different worlds, she might even decide to give up on her relationship with Shi Feng.

“Is this going to be a martial arts competition?!”

“Excellent! To think that I’ll get the chance to witness Jin Hai University’s champion fighter exchanging moves with an expert from Zero Wing; the money I paid to join this Fellowship Party is totally worth it!”

Anticipation started filling the eyes of everyone present within the event venue.

“Hahaha! Fellow student Shi Feng, see how everyone is looking forward to an exchange between you and Luowei! It wouldn’t be good to disappoint everyone, right? You can rest assured, though, since this is only an exchange of pointers, we won’t go too far in this competition. We are only doing this to liven things up at this party,” Lan Hailong chimed in with a laugh. He continued, “I am also a board member of Shadow, and in regard to a Guild as powerful as Zero Wing, I had always wanted to learn a thing or two from you all. I wish to take a look at the gap between us so that I can turn Shadow into a Guild that would not lose out to Zero Wing. I hope fellow student Shi Feng will not refuse this competition.”

The shrewd Lan Hailong was very good with his words. He had made the simple competition between Zhang Luowei and Shi Feng sound as if it were a competition between Shadow and Zero Wing. Lan Hailong was clearly intending to use Zero Wing to raise Shadow’s status.

Originally, the protagonist for the Fellowship Party should have been Shadow Guild. However, that role had been hijacked by Shi Feng midway, and now, Zero Wing had become the protagonist of the event. Moreover, Shi Feng had also managed to recruit plenty of new members with good potential. Lan Hailong and Zhang Luowei naturally couldn’t stomach such a scene occurring right before their eyes. Hence, they thought of using Shi Feng as a stepping stone. That way, Shadow’s fame at this event would instantly surpass Zero Wing.

Moreover, Lan Hailong’s plans weren’t limited to just this one point. He also intended to publicize Shi Feng’s loss, allowing everyone, both inside and outside of God’s Domain, to know that an expert from Zero Wing had lost badly to a player from Shadow. At that time, Shadow’s reputation would not lose out to Zero Wing by one little bit.

As for Shi Feng himself, he would definitely be expelled from Zero Wing after turning the Guild into a laughing stock. This could be considered Lan Hailong’s revenge on Shi Feng for stealing Shadow’s limelight at this event.

Also, now that the event had become so lively, with so many people cheering and calling out Shi Feng’s name, Shi Feng would not have an easy time declining the competition request.

“How could you say such a thing?” Zhao Ruoxi asked, dissatisfaction in her tone. “Shi Feng is a gaming expert, not some fighting expert. What point would there be for the two of them to have a match with each other?”

Immediately, many people among the audience came to a realization. Although Shi Feng was amazing inside a game, that did not mean he would be equally amazing at fighting in real life. Even if Zhang Luowei defeated him, that did not prove that Zhang Luowei was strong inside the game.

“Fellow student Zhao Ruoxi, you must be joking. God’s Domain is a virtual reality game, and every aspect of the game is extremely realistic; I believe that anyone who has experienced combat in God’s Domain would know this. Although being good at fighting in real life does not necessarily make someone good at the game, the same cannot be said for the opposite. If one is good at the game, then it shows that they are equally skilled at fighting in real life. In fact, I know just how amazing fellow student Shi Feng is. After all, he was able to defeat Zhou Yuhu, the student who placed third in Jin Hai University’s fighting competition. With such strength, it would be a pity for the two of them to not compete against each other.” Lan Hailong smiled calmly. Contrary to his words, he had absolute confidence in Zhang Luowei obtaining victory. As for Shi Feng, although he was relatively powerful himself, he was definitely not a match for Zhang Luowei. The reason being, Zhang Luowei had already reached the standards of a professional. He was on an entirely different level when compared to Zhou Yuhu.

“What?! That Zhou Yuhu was actually defeated by Shi Feng? No wonder he managed to become a middle manager of Zero Wing. As expected, Zero Wing is powerful!”

Many of those present in the event hall was shocked by this revelation, their anticipation towards the competition between Shi Feng and Zhang Luowei growing even more intense.

“It seems that I really can’t underestimate young people. To think that he would choose to keep himself hidden despite possessing such skills. It is truly rare for a youngster like him to have such a humble heart,” Xu Wenqing commented, his evaluation of Shi Feng rising even higher now. “With such a temperament, his future achievements would definitely be extraordinary. Chief Zhao, don’t you think your requirements are a little too high? You should just let the younger folk handle themselves; it wouldn’t be right for us older generations to constantly stick a hand into their matters.”

“It can’t be true, right? He managed to defeat Zhou Yuhu with a small body like that?” Zhao Jianhua looked at Shi Feng suspiciously. He had a good grasp on the standards of the fighting competition held in Jin Hai University. It was also the reason why he admired Ling Feilong’s achievement of obtaining ninth place in the competition.

“Alright, then. Since everyone is looking forward to it so much, how could I bear to refuse?” Shi Feng laughed.

Lan Hailong was still as good with words as he had been in the past.

Shi Feng had a very clear understanding of Lan Hailong. Lan Hailong was also the cause for his decade of hard work going to waste. Shi Feng remembered this point very clearly. Originally, Shi Feng had not intended to seek trouble with Lan Hailong in this life. After all, those matters had all occurred in his previous life. Hence, Shi Feng decided that, as long as Lan Hailong did not provoke him in this life, he couldn’t care less what Lan Hailong did. Yet, Lan Hailong just had to come looking for trouble. Since it was so, Shi Feng would not remain courteous with Lan Hailong. It was also a good chance for him to rid himself of past grudges.

Chapter 256: Demon

“The brat actually agreed. It seems he still has some courage to him.” Zhao Jianhua’s opinion of Shi Feng changed slightly.

Zhang Luowei was reputed to be a genius at fighting, and his mastery of Luohan Quan[1] was very high. Many professional fighters were not even his match. Meanwhile, Shi Feng was only a gamer. Although his achievement of defeating Zhou Yuhu was indeed praiseworthy, when compared to Zhang Luowei, they were still on entirely different levels.

Standing beside Zhao Jianhua, Zhao Ruoxi grew panicked.

Why is this Shi Feng acting so foolishly? Zhao Ruoxi was inwardly speechless at Shi Feng’s decision. Lan Hailong merely flattered him a little, yet he’s already acting so cocky. Doesn’t he know that Zhang Luowei is a real martial arts expert?

Meanwhile, Ling Feilong stood at a distance, sneering at Shi Feng. He had personally witnessed Shi Feng’s fight with Zhou Yuhu, so he knew Shi Feng was pretty skilled as well. However, he still had a long way to go before he was Zhang Luowei’s match. Moreover, Zhou Yuhu had taken Shi Feng lightly the last time, resulting in him being caught off guard and losing to Shi Feng in one strike. If Zhou Yuhu had paid more attention to the fight, the final result definitely wouldn’t have been so decisive.

Currently, Shi Feng and Zhang Luowei were no longer fighting as individuals. Instead, they were representing their respective Guilds in a competition. As long as Zhang Luowei defeated Shi Feng, in addition to Lan Hailong wantonly spreading the news about it, Shi Feng would definitely bring great shame to Zero Wing.

This was also the part Lan Hailong was brilliant at.

Death by overpraising!

First, he endlessly praised Shi Feng and spoke of how amazing he was in front of everyone else. Then he made Shi Feng sound as if he was representing his Guild in this competition, turning this normal exchange into a contest between two Guilds. Finally, once Zhang Luowei defeated this “amazingly powerful” Shi Feng, Lan Hailong would use this piece of information to showcase just how amazing Shadow was.

Even if Shi Feng was a middle manager of Zero Wing, he would definitely still receive a heavy punishment. After all, this matter concerned the reputation of the Guild.

Lan Hailong’s means were indeed cruel and decisive.

As the audience started cheering and discussing the competition, the staff members of the event went ahead with preparing a fighting ring for the competition.

“Who do you think will win?”

“Of course it is Zhang Luowei! He is my idol! During the university’s fighting competition, he obtained first place with great ease. None of the contestants could take three moves from him before being defeated. Although Shi Feng is also very strong, he doesn’t have much of a presence; I can feel nothing from him at all, as if he doesn’t even exist. Zhang Luowei, on the other hand, is like a cruel and ferocious beast. When I stood near him, I could feel a heavy pressure bearing down on me. When his eyes landed on me, I even felt a shiver go down my spine.”

“I agree. Shi Feng might be an expert in God’s Domain, but this is a real-life martial arts competition. It would be good if he could survive ten moves from Zhang Luowei. If this fight was held in God’s Domain, however, it would definitely be an interesting duel.”

—

While everyone was feeling pessimistic about Shi Feng’s chances of winning, Zhou Yuhu, who was resting at a corner of the event hall, walked up to Zhang Luowei’s side.

“Brother Zhang, you have to be careful when you are going up against Shi Feng. I’ve fought with him before. Although he doesn’t have remarkable strength, and his physique is no good as well, he is very experienced in combat. He has a very good grasp of when to take action, and his fists and feet are extremely nimble,” Zhou Yuhu said.

“Little Hu, you’re overthinking things. Even if Shi Feng has reached the level of a professional, I can likewise defeat him with ease. Don’t worry, I’ll return the shame he brought to you,” Zhang Luowei laughed as he clapped Zhou Yuhu’s shoulders. He was completely unaffected by Zhou Yuhu’s words. When one reached his level of skill, one’s determination would be as hard as steel.

Certainly, Zhang Luowei was not underestimating Shi Feng. He had simply reacted this way due to the arrogance of an expert. He would have confidence no matter what kind of enemy he faced.

“Brother Zhang…”

Zhou Yuhu knew that his advice had fallen on deaf ears. However, only those who had personally exchanged moves with Shi Feng would know how frightening he truly was.

If Zhang Luowei was described as a ferocious beast, then Shi Feng was like the great ocean. No matter how powerful a person was, they would be helpless in the face of Mother Nature.

In truth, Zhou Yuhu had wanted to dissuade Zhang Luowei from having a competition with Shi Feng. Only, after taking into consideration Zhang Luowei’s prestige, he had instead chosen to warn him to be careful. However, his words had clearly been in vain.

—

The staff members had very quickly enclosed an area for the martial arts competition. Although the fighting ring was somewhat smaller than one in an official setting, there was still a space of 100 square meters available. It was sufficient for two people to exchange punches and kicks with each other.

Meanwhile, Xu Wenqing, Zhao Jianhua, Chen Wu, and several other well-known figures in Jin Hai City sat in the section closest to the fighting ring. Everyone else could only stand several meters behind them to observe the fight.

In the ring, Shi Feng and Zhang Luowei stood five meters apart from each other. The former was an ordinary man who had no presence whatsoever, while the latter was like a muscular beast that looked as if he could swallow a man whole. The imposing aura Zhang Luowei emitted could cause others to tremble in fear.

A great battle between these two men could happen at any moment now.

Meanwhile, the audience around the ring started tensing up, their eyes locked on the two fighters’ every movement.

Unlike a fight between ordinary people, which would take a long time to finish, an exchange between experts would end in an instant. Hence, they were deeply afraid of missing out even the slightest detail of the brilliant exchange between the two.

In contrast, Xu Wenqing and the other influential characters were currently talking cheerfully with one another.

“Master Chen Wu, as an ex-professional fighter and a martial arts master, which of the two do you think will win in this competition?” Xu Wenqing asked, a small chuckle escaping his lips as he caressed his beard.

“I can’t say for sure. In a martial arts competition, strength and luck are both equally important. If I were to judge solely based on presence and physique, then Zhang Luowei is clearly a cut above Shi Feng. However, I have never personally witnessed how skilled Shi Feng is, so I can’t make a clear judgement.” Chen Wu shook his head, not providing a definite answer.

If it was anyone else, even if it was the first time for Chen Wu to meet them, he could still determine the person’s strength based on the presence he felt. He would then further evaluate the person’s physique and make a rough evaluation. In Shi Feng’s case, however, Chen Wu could sense nothing from him. Shi Feng’s presence was so weak that Chen Wu might overlook him.

If Shi Feng were just an ordinary person who had not defeated a combat expert like Zhou Yuhu, then Chen Wu would definitely conclude Shi Feng was a harmless white rabbit, an insignificant existence. Yet, defying all expectations, this little white rabbit had actually defeated a ferocious tiger like Zhou Yuhu. Hence, Chen Wu could not help but reevaluate his opinion of Shi Feng.

After all, if a little white rabbit could get rid of a ferocious tiger, who would believe that it was still a little white rabbit?

Even if Shi Feng was a little white rabbit, he was still a rabbit demon that was capable of killing a tiger.

If Shi Feng had truly cultivated into a demon, then his presence was merely a facade.

If one had cultivated into a demon, while the other was still an ordinary animal, the two would be on entirely different levels.

However, experts capable of cultivating themselves into a demon were extremely rare existences. The so-called “cultivating into a demon” did not refer to one becoming a demon physically, but spiritually; it also referred to wisdom. When an expert reached this realm, the martial arts they practiced would no longer be something inanimate; it would start to take on life. However, a youth like Shi Feng should not be capable of reaching such a realm yet.

Hence, Chen Wu could not determine Shi Feng’s degree of mastery.

“Master Chen Wu, how can your keen eyes fail to make a judgement? Both Shi Feng and Zhang Luowei are just youngsters. Although both of them can greatly improve in the future, you should have some indication of who will win, right?” Zhao Jianhua refused to believe Chen Wu’s words. After all, it was clear at first glance who was stronger, and who was weaker. Hence, Zhao Jianhua believed that Chen Wu was simply leaving some face for Shi Feng.

Unfortunately, Zhao Jianhua did not know that martial arts practitioners were usually forthright in their actions, even more so for a martial arts master like Chen Wu. He was always straightforward with his words, and he would never do something like twist his words around. He would only speak whatever was on his mind.

While the few of them were having their cheerful conversations…

The referee in the fighting ring sent a glance at both Shi Feng and Zhang Luowei, before abruptly swiping his hand down between the two fighters. Immediately, he shouted, “Begin!”

TL Notes:

[1] Luohan Quan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luohan_(martial_arts)

Chapter 257: Extraordinary

The moment the referee gave the signal, Zhang Luowei took action and immediately charged at Shi Feng.

However, Zhang Luowei did not rush forth like a normal person would, as attacking in a straight line would be too plain and predictable. Instead, he zigzagged as he moved, his footwork constantly changing as he swiftly weaved his way towards Shi Feng.

If it were any ordinary person faced with Zhang Luowei’s footwork, they definitely would not know how to react to it properly. They would be enthralled by Zhang Luowei’s erratic footwork and allow him to close in on them.

Aside from placing emphasis on footwork, Luohan Quan practitioners also stressed fast, accurate, and fierce punches. If one failed to block a punch from a Luohan Quan practitioner and received a hit to the chest, the battle would end right there and then.

Meanwhile, as a person of this modern era, and also as a professional fighter, Zhang Luowei had an arm strength of over 100 kilograms. Receiving a punch from him would be no different from being smashed in the chest with a hammer. Humans were also not made out of metal. Even if they were, after receiving tens of smashes from a hammer, they would still turn into scrap metal, needless to say what would happen to a body made of flesh. With Zhang Luowei’s physique, it would be no surprise if he broke most of Shi Feng’s ribs with a single punch, sending him flying back one to two meters away even.

However, Shi Feng was no ordinary person. Instead of retreating, he chose to advance and face Zhang Luowei head-on. Shi Feng utilized the Swimming Dragon Steps as he strode forward, his feet moving as if the ground was completely frictionless. Shi Feng immediately slid towards Zhang Luowei, catching the latter off guard. Zhang Luowei never thought Shi Feng would actually know such nimble and irregular footwork. Right now, he could not find any way to land a good punch on Shi Feng.

Shi Feng had over a decade of campaigning in God’s Domain. The combat experience he possessed far exceeded the imagination of an ordinary person. After all, there had been no dearth of martial arts masters and powerful Boss monsters to serve as his opponents in the past. On the other hand, Zhang Luowei did not even possess a thousandth of Shi Feng’s combat experience. Although Shi Feng’s current physique was no match for Zhang Luowei’s, Shi Feng made up for it by using the agility and fast reaction speed he gained from his years of battle. When fighting Bosses in God’s Domain, even the slightest mistake could cause players to lose their lives. Among the countless Boss battles Shi Feng experienced, there was many a time when he had to rely on his body’s instinctive reactions instead of his eyes to make decisions.

Such instinctive reactions were done under an unconscious state. If one wished to train themselves to this level, they needed to experience plenty of battles, regularly treading the line between life and death. However, one would rarely encounter such conditions for training in real life, even as a professional fighter. After all, when faced with a life-or-death situation in the real world, there was a high chance of losing one’s life, and once dead, there was no second chance available.

On the other hand, players could experience these life-or-death battles countless times without any risk of actual death. They could simply try again once they died in the game. This was also the reason why many professional fighters were obsessed with God’s Domain in the past.

Only when one was placed in a life-or-death situation would one be able to display one’s full potential. As long as they survived the battle, the insight they received from the battle could greatly increase their strength.

Why did so many experts in the real world train at precipices?

It was to experience the feeling of having their life hanging by a thread; they wanted to use the threat of death to stimulate their innate potential. However, taking such a course was extremely dangerous. Normally, only experts dared to do such a thing. If ordinary people tried it, ten out of ten, they would lose their lives.

Meanwhile, when a player died in battle in God’s Domain, they could just revive with an intact body.

An expert in a hundred battles. After experiencing a hundred battles, even an ordinary person could become a combat expert. Meanwhile, in regard to the countless battles Shi Feng had experienced in the past, even an idiot could become a demon. Not to mention, Shi Feng had learned plenty of martial arts in the past. He had been a top-tier Sword King in the past as well, and he had only been a thread away from being promoted to a Tier 4 Sword Emperor.

The reason he could not become a Sword Emperor, however, was not because his techniques had been lacking. After all, Shi Feng’s combat techniques had already achieved perfection at that time, and he could easily adopt many techniques to his battles, not limiting himself to just a single style of combat.

Although Zhang Luowei’s footwork was nimble, Shi Feng was clearly a cut above him. Be it a punch, a chop, or a hammer strike, Zhang Luowei sent fist after fist at Shi Feng. Zhang Luowei’s hammer strikes were especially deadly. If a bull received this strike, it would immediately fall to the ground and would not be able to recover within a short period of time. Unfortunately, every strike Zhang Luowei sent at Shi Feng would always rub past the edge of his clothes.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng was constantly drifting around Zhang Luowei’s side, revolving around him like a true dragon. No matter how Zhang Luowei tried to move, he could not escape from Shi Feng’s shadow.

After exchanging over a dozen moves, Zhang Luowei’s heart grew panicked. Never had he imagined Shi Feng to be a martial arts expert as well. When Shi Feng executed the Swimming Dragon Steps, he was like a true dragon traversing the nine heavens, advancing and retreating with ease. However, Zhang Luowei also knew that Shi Feng did not dare take him head-on. Yet, if Zhang Luowei continued his successive attacks, he would sooner or later exhaust himself completely and definitely be defeated.

“Scram!”

Zhang Luowei decided to use his finishing move, Fierce Tiger Pouncing on its Prey[1], springing at Shi Feng like a hungry tiger. Shi Feng immediately moved his feet, effortlessly dodging Zhang Luowei’s attack. Zhang Luowei took this chance to twist his body around, planting one of his feet forward as he swung his fists around, executing Twin Peaks Piercing the Clouds at Shi Feng’s side.

The moment Zhang Luowei’s fists struck out, those close to the fighting ring could clearly hear the sound of wind whistling. If Shi Feng was struck by this move, he would be either dead or crippled.

Contrary to expectations, Shi Feng reacted calmly and unhurriedly. He simply smiled in reply to Zhang Luowei’s vicious attack. Putting strength into his toes, Shi Feng immediately did a flip in mid-air. He then executed the move Swimming Dragon’s Stable Strike, using his body’s momentum to redirect Zhang Luowei’s fists away, letting them strike nothing but air. Immediately afterwards, Shi Feng’s fists opened up, and utilizing the centripetal force of his body’s rotation, he struck the major artery on Zhang Luowei’s neck with his palm.

Before Zhang Luowei could properly react, he suddenly felt a chill at his neck, his breathing becoming difficult. Due to his brain receiving a shortage of blood, Zhang Luowei’s limbs started to stiffen. However, Zhang Luowei was no ordinary person. He instantly knew he had received an attack from Shi Feng, causing the response of his four limbs to lag. As a last resort, Zhang Luowei rammed his head at Shi Feng, who was currently full of openings as he hung in mid-air. Zhang Luowei was fully intent on ending the battle in mutual destruction. If Shi Feng wished to attack him in this situation, Shi Feng would have to receive the ramming attack from him.

“Good!” Shi Feng first felt surprise, then joy.

Contrary to expectations, Shi Feng did not choose to retreat and give Zhang Luowei a chance to catch his breath. Instead, Shi Feng executed the move Dragon’s Palm, taking advantage of the situation to send another palm strike at Zhang Luowei’s neck. With this strike, Shi Feng immediately redirected Zhang Luowei’s all-out charge, completely neutralizing the latter’s attack. In addition, Shi Feng’s attack was further fueled by the force of his body’s rotation. As a result, Zhang Luowei’s body spun uncontrollably in mid-air after receiving the strike, just like a rotating arrow that was let loose. Right after that, Shi Feng planted his palm on Zhang Luowei’s chest and abruptly struck down. Zhang Luowei’s body landed heavily, a web of cracks appearing on the marble floor beneath him.

At this time, Zhang Luowei fell flat on his back, blood spewing out of his mouth. Shi Feng’s attack had fractured many of his ribs, and at this moment, he did not possess even the strength to speak. Zhang Luowei’s eyes were filled with disbelief as he lost consciousness soon after.

Although this series of complex actions sounded slow when described, in reality, everything had happened within an instant.

The audience was stunned into silence. Every one of them looked at the fighting ring with dumbfounded expressions.

The two in the ring were clearly locked in battle before.

Before anyone could react, Zhang Luowei’s body was already falling to the floor, his body not even twitching as he landed.

“He actually defeated Zhang Luowei? My eyes aren’t playing tricks on me, right?” Zhao Jianhua rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was hallucinating. However, the fact that Zhang Luowei lay on the floor, unmoving, proved that he was not imagining things.

A plain and ordinary person that did not possess the presence of an expert had actually defeated a combat genius. Who could believe such a thing?

“Second Uncle, how are Shi Feng’s skills?” Zhao Ruoxi proudly asked Zhao Jianhua, who was sitting beside her, her tone making it sound as if Shi Feng’s victory was her own victory.

“Strong, very strong. However, I still feel strange when I look at him. Even though I myself am a martial arts practitioner as well, I couldn’t tell what kind of technique he used to defeat Zhang Luowei,” Zhao Jianhua said, his heart filled with questions. He then asked, “Master Chen Wu, do you know what kind of technique he used?”

TL Notes:

[1] Fierce Tiger Pouncing on its Prey: one of the moves in Luohan Quan (or Arhat fist)

No. 17