429 Chapter 430 - Life’s Good (1/2)
Gu Fei had finally finished visiting all the eleven taverns in Xiawu City. Since these taverns were spread out across the different districts in the city, if he were to add up the total distance he had traveled, he had more or less covered the entire city. Unfortunately, whether it was system-operated or player-owned, the taverns' main hall or side room, he never did spot any traces of Southern Lone Blade and his crew. He learned nothing new from the inquiries he made to those players he met, either, as not one of them seemed to have come across a squad with that particular job-class composition.
Sword Demon reported in as well: He had walked to all the major spawn points of the seven job classes, even asking players from time to time, but he did not find out anything useful.
All we can depend on now is Brother Assist, was the thought that crossed his mind when Gu Fei stepped out of the last tavern. There was a building opposite of this establishment that was particularly familiar and inviting, and it was of course the Bounty Assignment Hall for Xiawu City. He happened to still have the PK points he had earned from helping Southern Lone Blade's squad escape at Linshui City, so he decided to cleanse his PK value while it was convenient.
He optimistically thought, I might even bump into that guy in the process of clearing my PK points.
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At this time, in the very first tavern Gu Fei had first visited, Royal God Call, War Without Wounds, Slyris, and her sister were all seated around a table, and they really did start to get along after having exchanged a few blows with one another.
After being introduced to each other, Yan Xiaozhu turned out to be that Thief from the Seven Bottlenecks and the actual sister of Slyris, who was the newest member of the Five Unyielding Experts. Having played Parallel World since its open-beta days, both could be considered as veterans. However, with how the players were all assigned to random cities when their characters were first created, even if the two were sisters in reality, they were still tossed in separate parts of this VR world by the heartless system, and it was only recently that they had been reunited.
On the street before, War Without Wounds had chanced upon the two ladies and immediately attempted to chat them up. For this pair of sisters, be it in reality or in MMOs, they were no stranger to such attempts, so they did not think much about it and were more than prepared to just blow him off casually. In the end, it was his relentlessness to the point of saying something along the line of, ”Hey, girls, do you want uncle here to help you grind levels?” to Yan Xiaozhu, which infuriated Slyris and led her to attack in a bid to discipline the man.
War Without Wounds was not actually that despicable and lewd. He had purposely said those words in hopes of provoking the ladies into attacking him, which would then give him a chance to show off his glorious prowess by beating them in a one-versus-two fight, subsequently leaving the two beauties a deep impression of him. Who knew what crappy novel did he learn such a YY method of skirt-chasing from? He was not even certain if it would be useful; War Without Wounds was truly just unfortunate that the two ladies he attempted this on, one happened to be among the Five Unyielding Experts and another was among the Seven Bottlenecks. In the end, it was him who had summarily been beaten by the ladies, becoming the absolute shame of any pick-up artist out there.
Actually, given War Without Wounds' strength as an apex expert, if he had taken the fight seriously, he would have had a 50% chance of emerging victorious. However, in his desire to show off his skills, he haughtily took on the two sisters with just one hand. Slyris had earned herself a place in the Five Unyielding Experts with the help of her unique spell 'Ice Chamber of the Nine Dragons', so it was of course easy for her to freeze War Without Wounds in place like the fool he was with the spell. Fortunately, Gu Fei and Royal God Call had managed to intervene in time, or he would have lost a level by the two sisters' hands today.
Sitting together like this, the sisters were still somewhat prejudiced toward War Without Wounds, but after Royal God Call asked what had started the fight, and War Without Wounds explained his side of the matter in earnest, the two ladies found the entire affair to be humorous and annoying. If that was all it took for ladies to fall in love, would there still be single men out there?
Yan Xiaozhu's personality was more easygoing and vivacious than her sister, Slyris, and she was already making fun of War Without Wounds' terrible skirt-chasing skills. However, for War Without Wounds to have been able to employ such a method on women showed just how his shamelessness was his greatest asset. No amount of ridicule could knock him down, as the man coughed and severely addressed everyone, ”Since everybody is seated together so happily, let's just forget about that fight we had!”
Royal God Call had more of a quick wit. The moment he heard Yan Xiaozhu make fun of War Without Wounds' technique at courting girls, he quickly pounced on the topic to ask a very impure question with an innocent look, ”Oh, so, how should girls be courted?”
With how young Yan Xiaozhu was, it was impossible for her to have much experience regarding such things. In fact, her ideas were equally as messed up as War Without Wounds, influenced by those romance YY novels that focused on the relationship between men and women, adding to that specious logic and reasoning. At the moment, it was as if she were a love guru as she imparted this knowledge to the two men.
And so, the three delightfully discussed this topic, while Slyris silently sat at the side, never once butting in and just listening. Even though she no longer looked as frosty and distant as before, she still had her poker face and had yet to show even the slightest smile. War Without Wounds and Royal God Call did not dare provoke her either; they were just glad that her little sister was lively enough for the two ladies.
They were chatting animatedly when the curtain from the fourth room parted. Drifting and his two companions stepped out, clearly having had enough to drink, and were about to leave. War Without Wounds, who happened to be looking in that direction, immediately called out to Drifting when he spotted him.
Drifting also returned his greeting, causing Royal God Call to adopt a supercilious look. Yan Xiaozhu turned her head over at this point, and when she spotted the man, she exclaimed in delight, ”Big bro Drifting!”
Drifting was obviously shocked to see her. ”Eh, why are you here?”
”You two know each other?” War Without Wounds was surprised.
Yan Xiaozhu tugged at Slyris and said, ”Big sis, this man is Drifting. He's the one I'm telling you about that helped me back at Baofeng City.”
Hearing this, Slyris got up and thanked Drifting for helping her sister while she shook his hand. To which, he replied, ”Heh, don't mention it. It turns out Slyris is Yan Xiaozhu's big sister.”
Slyris nodded her head. ”My little sister often mentions you. She's extremely proud to have met the number one Mage in Parallel World.”
”Oh, you flatter me,” Drifting modestly replied in a rush, but before his eyes could even move to the others, Royal God Call's skeptical voice sounded. ”The number one Mage refers to you?”
”Of course, not. Where's Miles?” Drifting asked. The connotation behind his words was clear: ”It is not me, but it is not you, either.”
It was as if they were speaking of the devil, as the door to the tavern was pushed open at this moment and in came a black-robed Mage. Vulgarly kicking a stool over, he tapped the table with his sword as he pointed to someone. ”'Bounty Mission'! Please leave if you're not involved!”
”Whoa! I haven't seen this in so long,” Royal God Call sighed. Quite a while back, he had been a witness to many scenes like this when he followed Gu Fei around to earn his Windchaser's Boots by completing 100-consecutive 'Bounty Mission'.