Chapter 117: Guilty Conscience

"What on earth are you all doing?" Fang Qi's face twitched. Were people really dressing up as zombies just to come to the internet cafe?

"And you two," Fang Qi added, scanning Nalan Mingxue and Lanyan from head to toe.

Seeing that they weren't real zombies, Jiang Xiaoyue finally let out a sigh of relief. She glared at them and said, "Take those off quickly! What if you scare the customers?"

Beside them, Young Master Chen silently gave a thumbs-up, tears streaming down his face. "Little girl, you understand me too well!"

"Has the academy banned you from playing games at my shop?" Fang Qi's eyes rolled slightly.

"Boss, why do you seem completely unfazed?" Jiang Xiaoyue looked at Fang Qi suspiciously.

Glancing at the blistering sun outside, Fang Qi mumbled, "Isn't it just the standard rule of being strictly forbidden from entering internet cafes, arcades, or swimming in rivers on the way home from school? What's so strange about that?"

"Boss, what are you talking about?" The group looked at Fang Qi, their faces full of confusion.

"Nothing," Fang Qi said, rubbing his nose. "So, you all snuck out to come here?"

"Of course! We had to expend quite a lot of effort just to sneak in safely!" Lin Shao laughed heartily.

"I bet Old Ghost Qin has his men watching right outside the door! Say no more, we're going to play games first!"

"..."

Watching the group pay their money and head for the computers, the little girl Jiang Xiaoyue felt deeply moved. "Boss, the customers here are so good! They risk such great danger just to support the shop's business."

Fang Qi's face twitched as he said awkwardly, "That's only because you haven't seen those who faced even greater perils just to go online."

"There are people who faced even greater perils...?" Jiang Xiaoyue tilted her head and looked at Fang Qi, murmuring suspiciously, "How come I've never seen them?"

"You already have." Fang Qi casually picked a computer and sat down. Looking at the young boys and girls whose faces beamed with youthful enthusiasm, he couldn't help but recall that this had once been his own life. From an internet-addicted youth to a professional career, he had endured countless cold glares along the way.

Reminiscing about the battlefields and teammates that once belonged to him...

He subconsciously shook his head and smiled self-deprecatingly. "Just an old retired guy now, why am I thinking so much."

...

Meanwhile, Xiao Yulu, who was standing behind Su Tianji watching her play, glanced at Song Qingfeng and the others playing games while wearing masks. His eyes shifted slightly. "So this works too...?"

A look of deep thought appeared on his face, followed by a sudden realization as his eyes lit up.

...

On the other side, Young Master Chen finally got his wish and began playing this game that supposedly "wasn't a good thing." To meet his request, Fang Qi had recommended two games—one was Counter-Strike and the other was Diablo—both of which could be played in a team.

To his surprise, this fellow activated both games at once, and even casually activated Counter-Strike for several of his lackeys.

After all, spending money that wasn't his own didn't hurt. Young Master Chen patted his nearly empty pockets. "I'll just ask my old man for more tomorrow."

"Hahaha! This thing is awesome!" Holding a gun on the screen, he fired wildly in a mad sweep, causing his lackeys to hop around and flee frantically.

"Xiao Wu, hurry up! Go call Young Master Yang, Young Master Yu, and all the rest over here!" Chen Xiaolang shouted while laughing maniacally. "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da!"

...

Diablo II was currently the least popular among all the games in the entire internet cafe. However, this was not because it wasn't fun, but rather because the significance of the Sword Control Technique to all cultivators and martial artists was simply too immense.

Now that some people were gradually mastering the Sword Control Technique and only lacked refinement, a few veteran players were slowly showing signs of returning, and naturally, fresh blood was being injected into it as well.

For instance, Nalan Hongwu and Elder Fu.

As well as Song Qingfeng and his group.

Compared to Legend of the Sword and Fairy, the omnipresent vicious creatures in Diablo, hidden in the darkness at all times and ready to deal a fatal blow to players, allowed players to better experience the perils of the battlefield and the thrill of adventure.

Every game in the system's remastered edition would try its best to preserve its authentic elements. For example, Diablo's skill combinations and the various spells and sword techniques in Legend of the Sword and Fairy possessed far greater power compared to the martial arts or techniques the players knew themselves.

Coupled with all kinds of bonuses in the game, along with some settings that fitted better, using the skills in the game naturally offered far more advantages than the things the players knew themselves.

Take Fang Qi playing a Paladin for example. With Holy Shield activated, he could chug potions and tank damage head-on, casting Blessed Hammer until the entire horde of monsters lay dead. Why would he need any other flashy maneuvers?

Therefore, when killing monsters and bosses, players only needed to use their skills proficiently to handle most situations.

This also prevented lower-strength players like Song Qingfeng and his group from being unable to proceed when encountering high-level bosses.

However, this did not mean the things the players knew themselves were entirely useless.

When Nalan Hongwu and Elder Fu played Diablo, they consciously combined their own combat techniques with the game's skills to accelerate their monster-killing speed or to handle certain special situations.

And the reason Song Qingfeng and his group specifically set aside an hour to play Diablo was not just because it was suitable for leveling up, but also for this very reason.

If they had held a playful attitude before, now, they had adopted a slightly more serious stance.

"Lin Shao, see if you can learn these few basic skills!"

"Don't we still have to learn the Sword Control Technique? Just one is overwhelming enough!" Lin Shao immediately complained.

"Then just one!"

"Also, change your combat style for killing monsters! You won't be able to use skills you haven't learned during the official competition!"

"..."

...

By the time the group finished their full six hours of playtime, night had already fallen.

When Song Qingfeng and the others put on their masks again and walked out of the internet cafe.

Lin Shao opened the door, peering outside stealthily like a thief.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Lin Shao said in a low voice.

"Move, move, move! Get out of here quickly!" Song Qingfeng waved his hand hurriedly. The group bolted out of the internet cafe's doors in a flash, and then pretended as if nothing had happened as they walked toward the other end of the street.

Outside Fang Qi's shop, in a dark corner around the bend, two men smiled faintly upon seeing several oddly dressed young people emerge from the internet cafe.

Instructor Qin had instructed long ago that there would be a hefty bonus for every disciple caught entering this shop. "These fellows... look suspicious. They might really be the ones!"

"This outfit is a bit too deliberate. Let's follow them first."

"Oh no, Young Master Song, I feel like we're still being watched!" Lin Shao's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he spoke in a low voice.

Having been in highly intense battles within the games for a long time, the group seemed to have become sharper at detecting hidden dangers in the dark.

"Quick, rent a top-tier beast carriage and leave. They won't catch up!" Song Qingfeng whispered.

"Mother of God! It really is an academy instructor! They're chasing us!" Lin Shao looked back and saw two dark shadows catching up under the illumination of the internet cafe's outdoor lights, scaring him into an immediate exclamation.

"My goodness! The wind is tight! Bolt!" The faces of the group turned green instantly. Like mice spotting a cat, they greased their soles and fled for their lives!

"Run, run, run! Run faster!" How could they be so unlucky to bump into them right after stepping out?

"A guilty conscience flees. Pursue them quickly!" The middle-aged male instructor leading the way rejoiced instantly. Having been deployed to squat in this ghostly place for an entire day, he hadn't expected to actually catch them!

Meanwhile, Nalan Mingxue and Lanyan walked out of the internet cafe with absolute composure, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

The male instructor at the back glanced toward the storefront and spotted two dark figures, saying strangely, "Two more came out."

"Miss Nalan, is this really fine?" Lanyan trembled slightly, almost giving herself away.

"It's definitely fine." Nalan Mingxue continued walking.

The middle-aged male instructor glanced backward and saw the two incredibly composed figures. "They don't look like them. Chase the ones in front. The ones in front are definitely it! Don't let them escape!"