Wu Shang’s shock caused Peerless Under Heaven to curl his lips into a proud smirk.
Who said the Divine Strategy class could only be a tank and couldn’t deal damage? As long as the spear was swung fast and hard enough, the damage was just as formidable. If skills couldn’t keep up, he would use speed and power to bridge the gap between abilities.
However, obtaining absolute speed and power required ten — even a hundred — times more effort than other players. ‘Did they really think subverting game mechanics was that easy?’
Peerless Under Heaven’s speed truly surprised Wu Shang, but his astonishment lasted only a brief moment before he regained his composure. He adjusted his stance and circled his opponent, attempting to find the right timing to strike.
Since both were sparring with spear techniques, they naturally couldn’t use skills. Peerless Under Heaven didn’t dare to strike recklessly either. Aside from his quick thrusting speed, he was no different from any other Divine Strategy player in other aspects. If he moved carelessly, this NPC would likely see right through him.
If the enemy didn’t move, he wouldn’t move; but if the enemy moved, he would strike first. Of course, that “move” referred to thrusting the spear.
“Brother Wu Shang, why aren’t you attacking? Are you afraid?” Peerless Under Heaven teased, trying to provoke his opponent with words while paying close attention to his positioning. He was ready to strike at any moment.
Wu Shang moved.
He wasn’t provoked; rather, he had found a flaw. Peerless Under Heaven used his waist as a pivot to thrust his spear rapidly. However, turning was slightly more difficult for him than usual, meaning he had to be constantly mindful of his rear.
Wu Shang noticed this. His footwork grew faster and faster, intended to distract his opponent and make him lose focus on his defense. Then, he suddenly thrust his spear in a Five-Star Kidney Strike.
Startled, Peerless Under Heaven quickly changed his form, utilizing the wide-sweeping Divine Strategy spear techniques. He used the butt of his spear to deflect Wu Shang’s tip and spun around with a backhand strike aimed at the head.
Wu Shang hurriedly blocked with his long spear.
With a *clang*, sparks erupted from the clashing iron, reflecting in the sharp gazes of the two men.
‘Such incredible power!’
Feeling the massive force vibrating through the shaft of his spear, Wu Shang gritted his teeth and held his ground. Although he had been mentally prepared for the fact that the opponent’s strength wouldn’t be weaker than his own, experiencing it personally was still shocking.
‘Your strength may be great, but mine isn’t weak either.’
Wu Shang’s eyes widened, and he exerted his full strength, intending to shove the spear aside and counterattack. To his surprise, Peerless Under Heaven suddenly retracted his weapon.
“I’m done, I’m done. I surrender.” Peerless Under Heaven tossed his long spear into his game inventory and sat on the ground, using his hands to fan himself.
Wu Shang looked at him in surprise, utterly baffled. Why did he suddenly stop in the middle of the fight? What was this?
As if knowing he would be confused, Peerless Under Heaven explained, “Brother Wu Shang can easily block my full strength. I should just recognize reality and stop looking for a beating.”
“Is Guild Master Peerless intentionally yielding to me?” Wu Shang also put away his long spear, a smile touching his lips. It was hard to tell if it was a sneer or a smile of victory.
“Absolutely not,” Peerless Under Heaven quickly waved his hand in denial.
Wu Shang didn’t press the subject. He performed a flourished spear spin and drove the spearhead into the ground. “I wonder why Guild Master Peerless has come to find me?” he asked again.
Wu Shang didn’t believe the “just passing by” nonsense for a second. A man doesn’t visit a temple without a reason.
Peerless Under Heaven jumped up and patted the dust off his pants. “It’s nothing major. Our Unrivaled Pavilion and the Snowy Smoke Pavilion are about to go to war. I came to ask for your opinion, Brother Wu Shang.”
Wu Shang didn’t take the bait, replying indifferently, “I will follow the Guild Master’s orders.”
He wasn’t familiar with the Snowy Smoke Pavilion and had only heard about them from other members of the Unrivaled Pavilion. They were described as an arrogant and unreasonable guild that only bullied the weak. That was the evaluation of most members, but Wu Shang didn’t care. He had no interest in guild rivalries.
“Alright then, Brother Wu Shang, I’ll be direct. When the fight with Snowy Smoke Pavilion starts, I hope you and Brother Wu Gao can help me deal with two people.”
“Who?”
“Mu Qingxue and Chen Xiaoyan.”
Wu Shang was completely lost. Peerless Under Heaven coughed twice to hide his awkwardness.
“Ahem, it’s understandable that Brother Wu Shang doesn’t know them. I’ll send someone to accompany you when the time comes. Oh, right, I wonder if Brother Wu Shang requires the assistance of Tianxiang disciples?”
Wu Shang’s face had been written with rejection, but the moment he heard that last sentence, he immediately perked up.
“Truly Tianxiang Fairies?”
“Fairies?” Peerless Under Heaven’s eyes showed confusion.
“Yes, yes, the Tianxiang Fairies!”
Watching Wu Shang’s excited expression, Peerless Under Heaven fell silent.
“Brother Peerless, why have you stopped talking?”
Peerless Under Heaven: “…”
‘Good grief, he was full of disdain just a moment ago, and now he’s calling me “Brother”? Do Tianxiang players really have that much charm?’
Ugh… but then again, Tianxiang players were indeed quite “fragrant.”
“Well, Brother Wu Shang, I don’t know what those Tianxiang Fairies you speak of look like, but they are indeed Tianxiang disciples.”
“That’s it, then!”
“What’s it?”
“It’s right as long as they are Tianxiang Sect disciples. Brother Peerless, can I see these Tianxiang Fairies now?” In this moment, Wu Shang suddenly felt that joining the Unrivaled Pavilion wasn’t such a bad idea.
“Of course. Wait a moment, Brother Wu Shang, while I notify them.”
“Good, good, good. Thank you, Brother Peerless!”
Wu Shang grabbed a wooden stool and sat in the courtyard, his hands and feet twitching with nervous energy. ‘Will that fairy be in the Unrivaled Pavilion?’
He was full of anticipation. If she was there, what should he say when he saw her? Should he notify his older brother to come over now?
Wu Shang thought about it for a moment but ultimately abandoned the idea. He would wait until things were certain. If she wasn’t there, calling his brother would be useless and would only disturb his cultivation.
Meanwhile, Peerless Under Heaven sent private messages to the guild management and Yunyun Won’t Heal, notifying all sixteen Tianxiang players in the guild. Aside from one who was offline, the remaining fifteen said they would arrive immediately.
“Brother Wu Shang, they’ll be here shortly.”
“I understand. Thank you for this, Brother Peerless. If you need help in the future, just give the word.”
Peerless Under Heaven was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected it to be this easy to win over this NPC. Although the relationship wasn’t very solid yet, he had plenty of time to slowly increase their favorability.
“You’re too polite, Brother Wu Shang. I haven’t done much. If you need anything in the future, I hope you won’t stand on ceremony with me either.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t be polite with anyone else, but I won’t be with you, Brother Peerless.”
“Haha!” The two looked at each other and burst into hearty laughter.
After laughing for a while, Peerless Under Heaven suddenly put on a serious face. “Brother Wu Shang, there is something I’m curious about. May I ask?”
Wu Shang waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, we’re brothers. Why so formal? Speak your mind.”
“Do you… like Tianxiang disciples?”
Peerless Under Heaven’s probing gaze caused Wu Shang’s face to turn bright red. “This… this…” He stuttered, unable to find his words.
Seeing him like this, Peerless knew he had guessed correctly. He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. “Brother Wu Shang, when they arrive, tell me which one you like. I’ll help you come up with a plan to pursue her.”
As for whether that Tianxiang player would be willing, Peerless Under Heaven didn’t consider it at all. He believed that with enough money, no one would refuse. Besides, this was just a game; nothing inappropriate for minors would happen. They could just play along, right? Acting out a scene for a massive sum of money — any normal person would know how to choose.
“Pursue?”
“It means winning her favor.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Shang’s face turned even redder. He hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands. “No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. I just want to see if there is someone I used to know among those Tianxiang Fairies.”
“I see.” Peerless Under Heaven propped up his chin, feeling a slight pang of disappointment. ‘He already has someone in his heart? That makes things difficult.’ He just had to hope that person was in his guild.
Fifteen minutes later.
The Tianxiang players of Unrivaled Pavilion arrived one after another, followed by the management. This included Yunyun Won’t Heal and Youyou Can’t Heal.
In front of the small courtyard gate, Youyou Can’t Heal leaned on Yunyun Won’t Heal’s shoulder and asked curiously, “Sister, why did Brother Peerless suddenly call all the Tianxiang players over?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll know once we go in.”
“So annoying, I was just a little bit away from finishing.” Youyou Can’t Heal pursed her lips, looking displeased.
Yunyun Won’t Heal turned back helplessly and poked her sister’s forehead with her finger. “What bad ideas are you cooking up again? And when we were teleporting just now, why did it take you so long to show up? Where did you go?”
“Ouch! Sister, what are you doing? I was just looking at the scenery of Tianxin Mountain, so I was a bit slow.”
“I don’t believe you. If Brother Peerless hadn’t called us, you probably wouldn’t have come at all.”
“I would have! Sister, stop imagining things, okay?”
“You little brat. No wonder you get along so well with that Worm. Birds of a feather, right?”
“Ahhh! I get it, I get it!” Youyou Can’t Heal covered her ears and ran into the courtyard first, then turned back to stick her tongue out and make a face.
Yunyun Won’t Heal: “…”
‘This damn girl.’
Within twenty minutes, all fifteen available Tianxiang players of the Unrivaled Pavilion were present.
Wu Shang scanned them all and felt a wave of deep disappointment. She wasn’t there. She wasn’t in the Unrivaled Pavilion.
Peerless Under Heaven noticed the disappointment in his eyes and scratched his head, feeling speechless. It seemed his luck wasn’t very good.
“Brother Wu Shang, well?”
Wu Shang forced a smile and shook his head. “Brother Peerless, heaven has not smiled upon me. The person I know is not here.”
“This… Brother Wu Shang, don’t lose heart. There’s still one Tianxiang disciple who couldn’t come because of a temporary matter. Maybe it’s her.”
Peerless Under Heaven’s comfort didn’t have much of an effect. Wu Shang was now certain that person wasn’t in the Unrivaled Pavilion.
“Alright, thank you for the trouble, Brother Peerless,” Wu Shang said, a strained smile on his face as he nodded.
“No trouble at all. We’re brothers; there’s no need for such politeness.”
Wu Shang sighed and looked toward the horizon. That direction seemed to be the Tianxin Mountain area.
Seeing him lost in thought, Peerless Under Heaven didn’t disturb him. He quietly stood up, signaled Yunyun Won’t Heal and the others, and walked out of the courtyard together.
“Guild Master, Guild Master, why did you call us here?”
A high-pitched, cutesy voice rang out like a candle in the night, immediately attracting everyone’s attention. Peerless Under Heaven looked at the Tianxiang player who had spoken. She looked average, quite plain. But that voice… he really couldn’t compliment it.
“It’s nothing. Yun, come with me for a moment.” Peerless Under Heaven and Yunyun Won’t Heal walked to the side.
“Brother Peerless, is something wrong?”
Peerless Under Heaven checked the surroundings to ensure no one was listening before speaking. “Yun, I want to use those two NPCs to execute a Decapitation Operation. What do you think?”
“Decapitation? Target Mu Qingxue?”
“No, besides her, there’s also Chen Xiaoyan. Mu Qingxue is the number one player in Shushan; she’s already reached Level 30 and unlocked her sixth skill slot. Her damage is likely very high. As for Chen Xiaoyan, she’s a healer. I don’t need to say more; you should know better than I do.”
“On the battlefield, if we leave them alone, our chances of winning… or rather, we won’t have any chance of winning at all.”
If the Unrivaled Pavilion lost, while the guild wouldn’t immediately disband, the members’ hearts would definitely waver. After all, if the pay was roughly the same, why wouldn’t they go to Snowy Smoke Pavilion instead of suffering in Unrivaled Pavilion? Dying once meant losing a level, and after Level 20, every level took a lot of effort to regain. No one would be that foolish.
Yunyun Won’t Heal had nothing to say to that.
Seeing her silence, Peerless Under Heaven smiled bitterly. “Yun, don’t just let me talk. You say something, too.”
“I… I don’t know what to say. Whatever Brother Peerless decides is fine.”
Peerless Under Heaven let out a deep sigh and spread his hands, looking helpless. “I’m human, too. I need rest. I’m not a robot made of iron.”
Yunyun Won’t Heal felt restless and nervously toyed with her hands, not knowing what to do.
“Look at you, there you go again. You always fiddle with your hands when you’re anxious.”
“I…” Yunyun Won’t Heal quickly hid her hands behind her back and awkwardly looked away, stubbornly saying, “I’m not anxious.”
“Still saying you aren’t? We’ve known each other for a month. When have you ever been nervous or anxious and not toyed with your hands?”
These words sent a jolt through Yunyun Won’t Heal’s soul. ‘Brother Peerless… has he… has he been watching me all this time?’
She turned back to look at Peerless Under Heaven, her eyes shimmering with a hint of expectation. “Brother Peerless, have you been observing me?”
Peerless Under Heaven gave a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze and nodded gently. “After all, a girl as special as you, Yun… any normal man would take notice.”
Hearing this, Yunyun Won’t Heal suddenly let out a startled laugh. “Brother Peerless, you’re quite the joker.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Peerless Under Heaven’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. “Yun, is it possible that I’m not joking?”
This sudden change in demeanor and those earnest eyes left Yunyun Won’t Heal dazed for a moment. Once she regained her senses, she quickly turned around. Her eyes blinked in confusion, filled with both disbelief and a trace of panic.
‘How could this be? Does Brother Peerless actually have feelings for me? If not, then what did those words mean?’
The corners of Peerless Under Heaven’s mouth curled into an arc. He slowly approached Yunyun Won’t Heal and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
He whispered tenderly in her ear, “What’s wrong? Yun, you seem to be hesitating.”
His voice was magnetic, giving off an exceptionally stable feeling. Feeling the warm breath against her ear, Yunyun Won’t Heal instantly flushed a deep crimson. Her tender pink ears were enough to make one want to take a bite.
“I’m not.”
“If not, why did you hide your gaze from me?”
“I… I…” Yunyun Won’t Heal’s nervousness turned her into a stuttering mess once again.
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