Chapter 31 The Roped Old Soldiers

The veterans were agile, their rope work even more skilled than Gu Fei. Gu Fei ignored the spectacle of the first man hitting the ground and hastily cut the second rope, aiming to sever all four just before they landed.

He succeeded!!

One, two, three, four! The ropes were close together. Gu Fei dragged his dagger across the ground, each rope snapping cleanly. Cries echoed, but the fourth man made little noise. Gu Fei had been watching below, and as he cut the fourth rope, the man was near the ground. Prepared, he landed steadily, gripping the severed rope.

The other three veterans crashed to the ground, causing the players in the safe zone to erupt in laughter. But they quickly rose, dusting themselves off. No harm done! It was a safe zone; even this couldn't kill them.

The fifth rope remained untouched. Nine veterans had arrived; five had gone down first, leaving four when Gu Fei arrived. He pulled the empty rope up and confiscated it.

"These nine…don't include the two mages!!" You Ge observed.

Including Ye Xiaowu, the veterans numbered nineteen: five archers, three fighters, three thieves, and two each of other classes. This was the count You Ge had made during the morning battle. Now, there were five archers harassing outside the door, two hostage priests in the safe zone, and nine descending from the roof, totaling sixteen. Three were missing, including the two mages who'd turned into Right Street Alley. And one… You Ge counted; a thief was also missing.

"Thief!!" Everyone tensed. Could one have snuck up on them? In response, Fire Burn Clothes unleashed two spells on their position, but no thief appeared, meaning the person hadn't gotten close yet.

They'd hoped Gu Fei's rope-cutting would kill the four veterans, but alas, the safe zone lived up to its name. Apparently, nothing could cause death within it.

Still, the four veterans felt humiliated, especially the three who'd fallen clumsily. They glared at Gu Fei above, wanting to fight, but saw him calmly confiscating their fifth rope.

Everyone looked at Han Jia Gongzi.

Gu Fei's appearance had only provided a comical interlude. Thanks to the safe zone, the rope-cutting hadn't harmed the veterans, only sped their descent.

Archers outside, melee inside; they could safely escort the three priests out of the respawn point. Gongzi's elite team's previous victory had relied on the absence of priests, allowing them to pick off enemies one by one. But this time, the situation was different, and it would be hard to withstand such a two-pronged assault.

Gu Fei, disappointed that the four hadn't died, felt he'd accomplished something by destroying all five ropes. He shouted to those below, "Alright, I've cut off their retreat! It's up to you now!!"

Everyone scowled. Was that the point? They would attack head-on; they didn't need to climb ropes to escape.

They didn't have much time to consider. The veterans at the respawn point had regrouped, with priests Ye Xiaowu, Lao Wu, and Xiao Chen joining their ranks. Lao Wu and Xiao Chen now understood their importance, abandoning combat and wielding priest staffs, ready to focus on support.

The other nine formed a V-shape with a roughly seventy-degree angle, led by Open Mountain Axe, each spaced less than a meter apart, the three priests nestled in the middle. Forming this formation, they charged towards those outside the door.

"Fight!!!" Zhan Wu Shang roared, drawing his sword.

No one responded. Han Jia Gongzi and Jian Gui were calm leaders who wouldn't make rash decisions. Jian Nan You's seven-man team was also highly disciplined and wouldn't issue random declarations. Yu Tian Shen Ming, an archer whose fighting style contrasted with Zhan Wu Shang's warrior style, was eager to answer after Zhan Wu Shang's shout.

Zhan Wu Shang, shouting "Fight," charged forward. Yu Tian Shen Ming, shouting "Fight," retreated. Others stared, the grim situation punctuated by a comical moment—a kind of gallows humor.

Duan Shui Arrow's five members, aware of the situation inside the Priest Academy, intensified their attacks. They were now approaching, not just maintaining distance. Suddenly, two fire rings appeared in the air. The experts, recognizing the danger, dodged aside, followed by the heat of Fire Tree Thousand Flame beneath their feet.

The spells came in pairs, suggesting two mages in the enemy ranks. Yet, the casters remained hidden. These seasoned players, having endured four spells without locating the casters, had never experienced anything like it. Fire Burn Clothes hadn't said anything yet! Yu Tian Shen Ming, an archer who fancied himself the top mage, seemed particularly annoyed.

Accurate arrow fire, bombardment from unseen mages, and imminent close combat prompted Han Jia Gongzi to issue his order, "Into the safe zone…"

"Ah…" Everyone groaned.

Entering the safe zone—they'd discussed doing it to annoy the archers, but this was different. If the enemy was attacking with three priests, retreating to the safe zone meant they were afraid to fight. While it protected their levels, it abandoned their plans and allowed the enemy to escape with the priests.

Despite their displeasure, they obeyed. Jian Nan You's team entered the Priest Academy first, followed by You Ge, Han Jia Gongzi, and Jian Gui. Zhan Wu Shang and Yu Tian Shen Ming hesitated but followed. Finally, Bai Shi Jing Lun joined them.

Entering and exiting the safe zone, the two groups passed close, their gazes filled with hostility. But because it was a safe zone, the animosity couldn't ignite. Watching the veterans leave with the three priests filled them with resentment.

The veterans were pleased to rescue the hostages without casualties. Their meticulous planning had paid off. The only regret was that their opponents had assessed the situation clearly and retreated to the safe zone without hesitation. If they'd fought, the veterans were confident they could have wiped them out…a pity!

While both sides felt regret, Gu Xian, who'd been dozing by the safe zone entrance, suddenly woke up and charged the enemy ranks alone with a Cavalry Meteor.

"Who is it??" the enemy exclaimed, expecting Han Jia Gongzi to launch a counterattack. They didn't expect someone to burst out of the safe zone.

The veterans hadn't noticed this character before, or considered him part of the group. When they instinctively asked who it was, they recognized the face of the despicable fighter who'd tormented them in the tavern.

"Good!!" Eager to settle the score, the veterans met him head-on.

Gu Xian unleashed a chest punch. As they closed in, he canceled Cavalry Meteor and leapt into a Flying Swallow Slash, soaring over their heads.

They quickly turned. Behind them were the three priests. So, their target was still the priests! But attacking alone was reckless!

Before Gu Xian could land, they formed another V-shape, trapping him.

But Gu Xian had canceled Flying Swallow Slash mid-air, flipping upside down. To their surprise, he reached out and grabbed Ye Xiaowu's shoulders.

Ye Xiaowu felt a push, and realized the man was about to flip forward again.

"Playing acrobatics?" Ye Xiaowu wondered, when suddenly he was lifted into the air.

Oh no! Body Throw!!!!!

Ye Xiaowu realized.

This was what made kung fu practitioners formidable. Despite his knowledge of the game, Ye Xiaowu couldn't imagine using Body Throw in such a way!

Gu Xian used Ye Xiaowu's shoulders to execute a forward somersault, simultaneously using the Body Throw skill, flinging Ye Xiaowu into the air, towards the safe zone. Even though it was an attack within the safe zone, the damage would still be calculated. However, Ye Xiaowu estimated it wouldn't kill him, just throw him back into the safe zone, which seemed pointless.

Just as Ye Xiaowu was about to shout "Don't worry about me!", another fighter burst from the safe zone, running to the doorway, stepping on the stone Gu Xian had been sitting on, then on the doorframe, launching himself into the air. Before Ye Xiaowu could land, he was caught mid-air. He was then hoisted overhead, tears streaming down his face.

Another Body Throw!!!

Like a slam dunk, Bai Shi Jing Lun lifted Ye Xiaowu high before slamming him into the ground.

I'm going to die… Ye Xiaowu thought. He was a priest who hadn't invested in constitution. More importantly, he was low level! He'd lost four levels today! Compared to these advanced players, he was nothing! If he didn't die from this, the game was unfair.

Ye Xiaowu burst into white light. Gu Xian, after throwing Ye Xiaowu, flipped forward, but as the veterans surrounded him, he vanished mid-air in a flash of white light.

"What happened?" they exclaimed. Unable to rescue Ye Xiaowu again, they felt guilty. He'd died five times today! As they prepared to avenge him, Gu Xian disappeared mid-air, leaving them confused.

"I didn't touch him!"

"Neither did I."

"Me neither!"

"Then how did he die?"

Ye Xiaowu, respawning in the Priest Academy, had seen everything and said glumly, "He didn't die, he logged off…"

As Ye Xiaowu spoke, darkness descended as Han Jia Gongzi and others surrounded him. The safe zone prevented contact, but it couldn't eliminate the feeling of being crowded.

Normally, one could squeeze out, but due to differing strengths, Ye Xiaowu, a mere priest, couldn't get past the shoulders of Jian Nan You and Zhan Wu Shang. Even Jian Gui and Hei Shui were too strong for him! Besides, even fellow priests were stronger!

Ye Xiaowu was speechless. Even worse, they weren't even looking at him. Everyone was staring at his killer: Bai Shi Jing Lun.

After landing, Bai Shi Jing Lun had returned to the Priest Academy. The veterans were still investigating Gu Xian's disappearance. Had it not been for the white light, they might have thought it was teleportation.

Bai Shi Jing Lun observed Ye Xiaowu, surrounded by curious onlookers, like people peering at a monkey in a zoo. Ye Xiaowu felt miserable, while the others praised Bai Shi Jing Lun.

"Good job! Kung fu really makes a difference! Great teamwork!!!" they exclaimed.

"Not at all! It's the Gu brothers who are brave!" Bai Shi Jing Lun said humbly, giving credit to Gu Xian.

"The teamwork, the awareness!! How can you be so in sync?" Jian Nan You admired their cooperation.

Bai Shi Jing Lun glanced at Jian Nan You and said, "We just message each other beforehand."

Everyone laughed. Jian Nan You blushed. He'd assumed they had some inherent connection as kung fu practitioners, forgetting they could simply exchange messages. Bai Shi Jing Lun had eagerly befriended Gu Xian after learning he was Gu Fei's cousin, and it had paid off.

"Continue, I'm logging off." Bai Shi Jing Lun bid farewell and waved to Gu Fei on the roof before logging off.

The others turned back to Ye Xiaowu, grinning like a gang of thugs surrounding a naked woman.

"Pull down his pants and flick his dick!!!" Yu Tian Shen Ming suddenly proposed.

Ye Xiaowu, knowing it was impossible, shuddered. Regaining composure, he said, "That's interfering with my freedom to play! I can report you to the GM!!!"

Due to the immersive nature of the game, unexpected events occurred. The game designers' imaginations couldn't match those of thousands of players. Since the game's launch, players had done bizarre things, making the designers feel like they were constantly cleaning up messes.

The player agreement stated that players could not "disrupt another player's right to freely play the game." The agreement didn't define "disrupt," but reserved the right to interpret the agreement to the game company. Players were familiar with such agreements, like the ones they clicked "agree" to without reading.

The most famous incident of "disrupting another player's right to freely play the game" was a binding incident. Two players clashed, and one retaliated by capturing the other, tying him up like a dumpling and hanging him in a dense forest.

The player couldn't move or log off in the safe zone. Logging off and back on didn't help. Eventually, he contacted a GM, who was shocked and quickly freed him.

The "binding artist" received no punishment due to it being a first offense. However, the game issued an announcement stating that such behavior was forbidden, punishable by imprisonment or deletion.

Players were weaker than the system and dared not challenge authority.

However, another binding incident soon occurred. The system was furious and imprisoned the reported player. However, after receiving a call from the player, the system investigated and was horrified. The reporter had staged a self-binding with friends to frame a rival. The system had been tricked!

The system was enraged and deleted the scammer's account, imprisoning the accomplices. The incident reminded the designers that the wisdom of the crowd was infinite.

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Calling for monthly votes~~ My colleagues in the game industry are quite fierce lately, monthly votes are soaring.