Chapter 9

Veteran players know that the leaders of the Invincible Guild and Great River Eastward have been at odds since the game’s launch. But as both guilds expanded, their mutual wariness grew. They could no longer charge into fights at the drop of a hat like they used to. For various reasons, the two sides now maintain a delicate balance, minor clashes still happen, but full-blown wars have been absent for a long time.  

With Great River Eastward’s influence, they stood a strong chance in any conflict, as long as it wasn’t against the Invincible Guild. What’s more, Luoyang was within their territory. Yet today, the leader of the Mercenary Alliance publicly humiliated them. And to make it worse, the forum video made it look like they’d practically begged for that slap in the face. =_=  

 

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

【Guild】 Se Se Hong: “…Guild leader, did you win the lottery or something? “

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “Big news—Great River Eastward just got wrecked by the Sanren Alliance right at their own front gate~~~ “

【Guild】 Bi Xuan Leng Deng: “The Sanren Alliance? I thought they didn’t care about guild wars? “

【Guild】 Bi Xuan Leng Deng:” Why would they suddenly target Great River Eastward?”[Curious]

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “So, Great River Eastward’s leader’s little cousin joined the game, and Qi Tun Huan Yu sent four banner captains as her bodyguards. But while they were clearing out randoms outside the city, they accidentally messed with Yun FeiYang… and well, you know how that goes. “

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “The entire first page of the forums is flooded with posts about this incident.”

【Guild】 Bi Xuan Leng Deng: “What level is Great River Eastward’s little cousin anyway? Why would she compete with Yun Feiyang for farming spots?”

【Guild】 Se Se Hong: “Maybe Yun Feiyang was just there to enjoy the scenery.”

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “Who cares why he was there? I just want to know what Qi Tun Huan Yu is thinking right now, hahahaha~”

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “Once Great River Eastward collapses, Luoyang City will belong to our “One Zero is Not Ten!”

【Guild】 Bi Xuan Leng Deng: ” … “

【Guild】 Se-se hong: ” Guild Master, I’ve always had this question. “

【Guild】 Se-se Hong: ” In binary, 10(2) = 2(10)?” 

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: “Huh?”

【Guild】 Se Se Hong: “So why the hell did we pick such a dumb name?! “

【Guild】 Bi Xuan Leng Deng: [dies laughing]  

【Guild】 Wu Yue Shan Qing: “Personally, I think our guild should maintain a low profile… “

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Cang Hai: ” … “

 

The farther Xie Mengyun got from the main city, the sparser the population became. Eventually, she was alone, surrounded only by wandering thief NPCs.

When the level difference exceeded 15, inspecting another player or NPC would show nothing but ominous question marks. Xie Mengyun carefully moved around the thieves, who could easily kill her, and finally, after more than 40 minutes, she safely arrived at Peach Blossom Creek.

The sound of the water was like tinkling jade. The clear stream stretched out into the distance like a winding jade ribbon. On both banks, the peach blossoms were in full bloom, a mix of pink and white that looked like brilliant clouds. The wind stirred up the petals, sending them swirling through the air.

The thieves were nowhere to be seen near the Peach Blossom creek, but there were plenty of chattering monkeys jumping around.

Xie Mengyun reached Level 20 while harvesting herbs in the medicine fields. The monkey monsters of Peach Blossom Creek were Level 23, these furry little creatures were even more agile than the thieves. A single misstep in positioning could easily trigger a group attack, making them rather inefficient for leveling purposes. But they were perfect for a beginner like her to practice combat techniques.  

When Peach Blossom Creek was first discovered shortly after the game’s launch, it had attracted hordes of exploring players. But as the general player level increased and people realized the area offered nothing special beyond monkeys and peach blossoms, it gradually became deserted.  

As Xie Mengyun neared the edge of the peach grove, a monkey monster suddenly dropped upside-down from a tree, claws outstretched toward her face.  

A sharp gust of wind rushed at her. Without even looking, Xie Mengyun instinctively leaned back and thrust her sword forward. With a soft ‘shink—’, the Dragon Spring Sword pierced clean through the monkey’s skull, nailing it to the tree. The residual force of the strike sent peach blossom petals swirling down like falling snow.  

A critical hit with bonus damage. In one strike, the monkey monster’s health bar was instantly depleted. It wasn’t until Xie Mengyun yanked her sword free from the tree trunk that she belatedly touched her face—’that was way too damn close to getting disfigured’ ==#

Her Harvest: Butchering skill was still low-level, so all she harvested from the monkey’s corpse was some unappetizing-looking shredded meat. With a “better-than-nothing” shrug, she tossed it into her inventory.  

The recent ambush made her realize just how dangerous these monkeys were. Unlike the open herb fields where she could precisely control her distance from NPCs, Peach Blossom Creek’s dense foliage made sightlines unreliable. The ever-present pink petals only added to the monkeys’ stealth advantage.  

Then, a prickling chill down her spine.  

Xie Mengyun swung her sword backward without even turning. A chorus of pained screeches confirmed her strike. 

 

System: Dragon Spring Sword durability -3.

System: Dragon Spring Sword durability -2.

 

“Are your monkey claws made of freaking alloy or what?!”  

Xie Mengyun nearly let out a scream herself. She was wielding a Yellow-tier weapon, for heaven’s sake! At this rate, her sword wouldn’t last sixty more strikes before breaking.  

In desperation, she darted behind a peach tree. As a monkey lunged at her from the branches, she sidestepped just in time—  

The attacking monkey’s claws gouged deep into the trunk, sending wood splinters flying.

“The game’s AI is pretty impressive,” Xie Mengyun mused, watching the monkey’s scrunched-up face and its shrill shrieks. Clearly, the peach tree had higher durability.  

Unlike elite monsters, common mobs didn’t berserk, just like players, the more injured they were, the slower they moved. Seizing the opportunity to ‘strike when the enemy stumbles,’ Xie Mengyun ducked low behind the tree before darting out, her sword thrusting upward in a flash to pierce the monkey’s heart.  

[+2 Shredded Meat, +1 Monkey Hide]

After a grueling fight, Xie Mengyun had accumulated a collection of minor wounds and twenty-four monkey corpses now decorated her sword’s kill count.  

 Xie Mengyun always carried healing medicine with her. While the game’s recovery speed was much faster than reality, wounds didn’t instantly vanish. Leaning against a tree trunk, she took a short break and opened her character panel to check her status.  

 

Name: Liushui Raoshazhou  

Level: 20  

Gender: Female  

Faction: None  

Title: One-Hit Kill (Novice) [Change]

Skills: 

– Sparrow Step (Lv.4 23% +3)  

– Basic Swordplay (Lv.7 87% +3)  

– Basic Internal Arts (Lv.8 31% +3)  

– Basic Throwing Arts (Lv.2 43% +3)  

Weapon: Dragon Spring Sword  

 

The higher the level, the more experience points were needed for advancement. Since reaching Level 20 in the herb fields, she still hadn’t leveled up to 21. Glancing at her EXP bar, she estimated she’d need to take down about seven or eight more monkey monsters to make progress.  

Her wounds healed, and her health and mana were full. Xie Mengyun stood up, ready to continue her great leveling-up quest, only to notice an unnatural weakness in her limbs.

 

Hunger: 83/100

 

The cooking system in “Riding Through the Jianghu” was very well-made. Some players even joined the game just to experience gourmet food without getting fat. However, eating too much food when the hunger meter was at 0 had a chance of causing negative effects like “bloating” and “Nausea.”

During the earlier battles against thieves in the herb fields, many players had to pause mid-combat to nibble on steamed buns, because the hunger system imposes strict penalties: once hunger exceeds 75%, character attributes weaken; past 85%, a gradual HP-draining debuff activates; at 95% or higher, combat becomes impossible – movement slows to a snail’s pace regardless of light-foot skills, and even the strongest palm strike couldn’t swat a mosquito. If it reached 100%, you would starve to death, although according to unofficial statistics, no lucky player had yet experienced this unique way of dying.

Most people kept some food in their bags for emergencies. Xie Mengyun had only left the novice village recently and had been using Auntie Sun’s care package to fill her belly. But when she reached for her last veggie bun, the system revealed:

 

Moldy Vegetable Bun: Slightly relieves hunger. Eating effects are unknown.

 

Xie Mengyun stared expressionlessly at the grayish-white spots on the bun.

— ‘The game’s marketing team wasn’t lying. The “simulation degree over 99%” claim was not exaggerated at all.’ ==#  

As a newly-certified novice chef, her inventory still contained the ten sets of basic seasonings and cooking utensils gifted by the system upon profession selection. With no other food available and even less motivation to hunt down a wandering merchant, she decided to attempt crafting her first in-game dish.  

The monkey-infested peach blossom forest was as beautiful as it was dangerous, but the edge of the forest was much safer. The gurgling sound of the stream was crisp and pleasant, and petals occasionally drifted onto the water. If it wasn’t so far from the main city, it would be a great place to sightsee.

The stream was quite wide. Near the bank, clumps of cute green duckweed dotted the water, and farther out, there were even lotus leaves standing tall. After taking a few photos, Xie Mengyun scooped up a pot of water, when suddenly, some rather unsettling thoughts crossed her mind.  

——’Duckweed thrives in nutrient-rich water… and the more nutrients there are, the higher the chance of tiny organisms living in it.’

—’Those pristine lotus flowers and leaves often grow from the muddiest, filthiest sediment.’

“…” Xie Mengyun stared at the water in her iron pot, her expression complex.

 

【Guild】 Liushui Raoshazhou: “Uh, I have a question.”

【Guild】 Liushui Raoshazhou: “Can players get diarrhea in this game? “

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Canghai: “Given the game’s advertised simulation degree, it’s very likely, yooooo~”

【Guild】 Se Se Hong: “Wait, seriously?!”[Horrified]

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Canghai: “Who knows?” [Winks]

【Guild】 Liushui Raoshazhou: “…”

【Guild】 Wu-Yue Shanqing: “No.”

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Canghai: “Why not?”

【Guild】 Wu-Yue Shanqing: “Has anyone actually found a latrine in the game?”

【Guild】 Se Se Hong: “Oh, right…”

 

Although Yang Fan Ji Canghai privately agreed, as guild leader he had to maintain authority, even if wrong, he’d rather die than lose face (well, more accurately: stubbornly defend his stance).  

 

【Guild】Yang Fan Ji Canghai: “If nature calls, any bush can become a toilet. “

【Guild】 Liushui Raoshazhou: “For a full-immersion game that lets players take photos, your suggestion is way too inappropriate.”

【Guild】 Wu Yue Shan Qing: “While they boast “99% realism,” certain… unappealing elements get conveniently glossed over for player retention. “

【Guild】 Liushui Raoshazhou: “I’ll trust Xiaoqing’s analysis.”

【Guild】 Yang Fan Ji Canghai: “Waaaaah~~~”

 

Even though she rationally believed that the game company wouldn’t be so twisted as to make players get diarrhea, Xie Mengyun still carefully checked the water quality. After confirming that she couldn’t see any suspicious substances with her naked eye, she carefully started a fire to cook.