417 Chapter 417 - Search Teams Throughout the City (1/2)

”So what are we gonna do now?” Royal God Call asked once Young Master Han finished sending all the letters out.

”Time to watch the show,” Young Master Han said.

Just as he said this, they watched a player exit a system-operated store and hurriedly make his way over to the mailbox. The five let him pass as the man opened the mailbox and retrieved his letter from within. He even made an attempt to rifle through the box, but nothing else turned up. Tearing the letter in his hand, a single gold coin immediately fell out. That man was stunned for quite a while before he cursed, ”F*CK!” He bent down, picked up the gold coin, and took out the letter to read.

The five exchanged glances with one another, thinking how coincidental it was that they would get to watch someone receive their letter live.

This person casually glanced at the letter for a moment or two before his expression changed. He dashed back to the store he had been in just now and came out with another two people in tow. The letter was already in their hands, and they were looking at the few sentences written on it with a deathly pallor.

”Who sent this?” the two asked the other man who had retrieved the letter.

”I don't know, it was anonymously sent.” The game's mailing system allowed for players to send mail anonymously, but such a method meant the sender would not be able to receive any reply, since a reply would require a player's IGN to send it to the right person.

”Inform the guild leader!”

”Got it!” the man who received the letter stood still and sent out a message, exclaiming before long, ”The guild leader said he just received a letter with the single gold coin as well. Could it be the same as this?”

”Just who is this guy?”

”I don't know, but let's get some players to watch Blue Umbra's movement!” the three men said as they departed.

The last thing the five experts heard from this conversation was the question, ”How many of our players are in the city?”

Young Master Han actually froze for a bit when he heard this, before saying, ”I forgot something.”

”What?” They turned to stare at the man.

”Players can't really gather whenever they want in this d*mn*d city. Those that headed out to sea to grind have to wait for the ferry to get back. There's no way these guilds will be able to raise any substantial amount of manpower now that we had informed all these guilds about this matter,” Young Master Han said.

”There's gotta be some, at least!” Royal God Call said.

”There's bound to be a lot less,” Young Master Han said. The main activity for players was to grind and acquire loot. Grinding maps were the main areas of activity, so there was not really that many players that would be active in the city.

”Southern Lone Blade... that rascal could not have intentionally chosen this city to engage in his activities, could he?” Young Master Han said.

”Nope. He first spawned here,” Brother Assist said. Southern Lone Blade were old acquaintances, so they had already added each other to their friends lists in the early days of the game.

”Oh… Then he sure lucked out,” Young Master Han said.

”Then what do we do now?” Royal God Call asked the same question he had asked before.

”Wander around the city and check up on the progress of the various guilds in Linshui City!” Young Master Han said.

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The seven-man squad led by Southern Lone Blade skillfully navigated through the streets after splitting up. The way each conducted this operation was very similar; each of them had changed their attire and lowered their heads as they walked about, not making eye contact with anyone else.

The option to split up was indeed highly effective, as it was not easy to coincidentally bump into someone in such a huge city. Consider just how burnt out both Brave Surge and Foe-herder had ended up trying to locate Gu Fei, it really showed just how difficult such a task would be. The reason why they were so easily spotted before was entirely because the seven-man squad they had formed was too large a target. Southern Lone Blade was really regretful that he had not thought of this marvelous method in the first place, but thankfully their losses had not been too great, with Fire Singed Clothes being the only person who had lost his life.

However… he wondered how the Video Mage was faring right now. Southern Lone Blade was actually worried for Gu Fei! Considering the situation back then, any player would have judged that there was surely no way Gu Fei could have escaped. Southern Lone Blade was definitely feeling a little sorrow over being unable to take this fat lamb for his own, even going so far as to deliver it into someone else's pockets! He prayed and hoped that Gu Fei dropped nothing when he died, uncertain just what sort of emotions the man must be feeling right now.

Southern Lone Blade had a peaceful trip and successfully made it to Linshui City's east gate. It was not the gate nearest the location they had agreed to meet up in, but he did not have the time or effort to pay attention to the distance. Safety was his top priority as he made his way through the city, and the route he ended up taking led him right towards this gate.

The cautious Southern Lone Blade did not rush out immediately. He studied the gate from somewhere nearby and involuntarily moaned to himself. There were already members from Blue Umbra guarding the city gates, carefully checking out the players coming and going. If he wanted to pass off as just another player… Southern Lone Blade had no idea if the enemy was able to recognize him. It would be fine if they had no idea, but there was no way they would let him past easily if they were able to identify him.

As a man who had plenty of tricks up his sleeve, Southern Lone Blade was unable to come up with any solution to this for the longest time. Contacting his fellow comrades, he learned that they had all managed to make their way over to the city gates as well, but they were all stuck there. Blackwater was the only one among them who could swagger his way out of the city by activating his Stealth, but the rest were out of ideas.

”Where are you guys?” Southern Lone Blade asked everyone.

”I'm by the south gate.”

”North gate.”

”I'm at the west gate.”

”Me, too.”