Chapter 64: Watching the Boss Play

I raise my cup to invite the bright moon, and with my shadow, we become three.

Drinking alone beneath the moonlight was indeed an exquisite affair. Clad in robes of spun gold, Ji Wuyou sat within the courtyard, facing the radiant wheel of the moon high in the heavens. He poured himself a cup of fine wine; its liquid, like translucent amber, caught the lunar glow and shimmered with a brilliant luster.

He lifted the vessel, savoring the vintage with slow deliberation. His every movement retained the absolute composure and elegance demanded of royalty. Even in the profound solitude of his surroundings, his bearing wavered not a fraction, as though such grace were a habit ingrained into his very marrow.

Precisely then, a figure entered the courtyard where he sat. Moving like a phantom, the form materialized before his wine table.

The intruder dropped reverently to one knee.

"Is there news?" Ji Wuyou inquired placidly.

The dark shadow drew closer and whispered a few words into his ear.

"Nalan Hongwu?! You say he visits that little shop every single day?" Ji Wuyou set his cup down, finding the revelation utterly preposterous. "First it was Nalan Mingxue, followed immediately by Nalan Jie rushing inside, and now even Nalan Hongwu..."

His countenance darkened, a trace of solemnity creeping into his doubt. "Nalan Hongwu has always allowed the younger generation a free hand in their affairs. To bring the two of them together now—could the old man have discovered something?"

"The power of the Nalan clan would be a monumental boon to our cause. My covert assistance in Jiangnan to secure Nalan Jie's position as the clan heir was meant to ensure success... Nothing must go awry!"

"And what of that shop? Have you uncovered its nature?!" Ji Wuyou demanded further.

"Not as yet," the shadow replied. "The establishment possesses a mysterious origin; none know the background of those who stand behind it. Rumor has it that even the Nalan family failed to uncover anything."

Ji Wuyou narrowed his eyes, a glint of chilling sharpness flashing within them. "Just what are the origins of this shop? To be capable of drawing Nalan Hongwu, Nalan Jie, and Nalan Mingxue together... what exactly are they plotting?"

...

Compared to these trivial matters, the event that commanded the greatest attention today was the purchase of a rune with crystals in An Cheng.

As a veteran player of Resident Evil, Liang Shi remained immersed in the biohazard world even though he had long since beaten the game. He did so for no other reason than to achieve the coveted first speedrun using only a combat knife.

Carving a path through the game with nothing but a blade was a supreme test of a player's patience and skill. Lately, their discussions had centered mostly on these incredibly precise techniques of practical combat, but today proved different.

"I heard that when Song Qingfeng and his lot were playing Diablo today, they dropped some kind of rune and it actually sold for five crystals?!" Hei Da asked, his face a mask of utter incomprehension. "I wasn't there at the time—is it true?"

"Absolutely true," Liang Shi confirmed. "I was standing right beside them and saw An Cheng pay five crystals with my own eyes."

"No way?!" The current Cloud Mountain Tavern had virtually transformed into a base for gaming discussions. The majority of the regulars who frequented this place were also regulars at the Origin Internet Cafe.

"If that's truly the case, it seems the exorbitant price of Diablo II isn't without reason!" someone remarked, smacking his lips in wonder.

Act I of Diablo II cost a staggering eight crystals just to activate, which was clearly far more expensive than Resident Evil. But now, it had to be said, many people had slightly altered their perception.

"If we go play as well and manage to drop a few more runes, wouldn't we recover our costs and even make a tidy profit?!"

Liang Shi shook his head and laughed. "How could anyone possess such luck to just happen upon one? Furthermore, you'd have to encounter a wealthy patron like An Cheng! Otherwise, if everyone can get their hands on them and wants to sell, who would be the buyer?"

"But in any case, the fact that items inside a game can actually be bought by someone is truly a novelty!" Hei Da grinned.

"An item in a game sold for five crystals?" Originally, only the regulars of the Cloud Mountain Tavern occupied Liang Shi’s table, but at this revelation, even those who seldom visited prided their ears up. "What kind of object is so expensive?!"

In truth, it was not merely the Cloud Mountain Tavern; the Lingyun Academy and the Pavilion of Clear Wind and Bright Moon were also abuzz. Such a novel occurrence naturally captured the attention of many.

"The Young City Master spent a grand total of five crystals just to purchase a virtual item from some game called Diablo II?"

"The City Master himself was on the scene, and far from stopping him, he actually wanted to spend twenty crystals to buy the thing?!"

"How is that possible?! What on earth is it?! A fake item actually fetched five crystals?!"

The initial reaction of nearly everyone who heard the news was one of utter disbelief.

Meanwhile, An Cheng, the instigator of this entire affair, was currently hosting a banquet on the third floor of the Pavilion of Clear Wind and Bright Moon.

The invited guests totaled five individuals, all of whom were scions of the nobility and influential families within or near Jiuhua City.

Amidst the exchanging of cups and toasts, a young master of extraordinary birth, clad in a scarlet robe secured by a jade belt, remarked, "Word has it that Young City Master An squandered crystals today for the sake of a mere plaything, and now you host a feast for us here at the Pavilion of Clear Wind and Bright Moon. I wonder what joyous occasion prompts this?"

"A plaything?" An Cheng laughed heartily. "Since that is the case, consider it as myself inviting my dear friends out for a bit of sport!"

"Oh?" the scarlet-robed young master replied. "Young City Master An possesses such an elegant humor today?"

An Cheng was in an exceptionally fine mood today. He had obtained excellent equipment that even his old man had scrambled to buy, leaving even Nalan Hongwu green with envy!

Unfortunately for his father, Nalan Hongwu's party still required his presence as a powerful mage. The runeword staff could naturally not be sold to An Huwei, and since Nalan Hongwu himself was a warrior, acquiring it would serve him no purpose whatsoever.

Thus, whenever he beheld the envious stares of those around him and witnessed his own explosive damage output within the game, An Cheng felt that this venture was truly worth every coin.

"It is nothing grand," An Cheng smiled. "You gentlemen are also close friends of mine, Old Bu, and Ouyang. On ordinary days, whenever you encounter any benefits, you always invite us along. Therefore, having discovered a wonderful place, I naturally could not forget you all!"

The scarlet-robed young master smiled. "Young Master An is far too courteous. I wonder what marvelous place you have discovered?"

An Cheng, along with Ouyang Cheng and Bu Che, immediately launched into an explanation of the games in Fang Qi's shop.

"To think there exists such a fascinating thing?!" The eyes of the scarlet-robed young master lit up. Given his status as Xu Hongchen, his knowledge and experience were by no means lacking, yet the "game" described by An Cheng and the others was something entirely unheard of!

Not only Xu Hongchen, but the other guests invited by An Cheng involuntarily stood up as well. "We naturally trust Young Master An's discernment. When will you take us to such a fascinating place?"

...

By this time, the first batch of players to get on the machines had already been offline for quite a while.

However, the popularity of the entire internet cafe had not diminished in the slightest because of it.

This was especially true behind Fang Qi's seat.

Fang Qi’s current station was situated almost in the far corner of the internet cafe, yet it had now become the most bustling sector of the entire establishment!

Take Bai Lang, for instance; he had stood behind An Cheng for a considerable time, spectating the mage. A staff imbued with a runeword yielded an output that was nothing short of explosive. It was pure exhilaration!

Nalan Hongwu was An Cheng's teammate, so there was no need to mention how comfortable his position had been. He stood at the vanguard, tanking a horde of monsters, while An Cheng unleashed a blaze from behind that incinerated them all to ash! The speed of slaying monsters was simply unparalleled!

However, An Cheng and his companions had already logged off, leaving the spectators entirely unsatisfied.

Suddenly, someone thought of the owner, who was practically decked out in runewords. What would it look like when he played the game?!

"Why don't we go watch the boss play?" The moment these words were uttered, a crowd immediately gathered behind Fang Qi.

Not only Bai Lang, but even Nalan Hongwu approached at this time. Seeing Fang Qi turn around with a face full of bewildered confusion, the old man glared impatiently and barked, "What are you looking at us for? Hurry up and play!"

PS: The collection is almost at 3,000. Students who have made it this far and haven't clicked 'collect', please do so. Thank you, everyone!

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