705 Chapter 705 - Please be Diligent, Passerby (1/2)
Guzzler and Beyond Thirty Miles were feeling rather uneasy. Being surrounded was not exactly frightening, but what unnerved them was how everyone looked at them like they had caught them with their pants down, both men feeling nauseated just from the look they were being given.
”Why are all of you here?” Guzzler asked.
”We're here to deal with Thousand Miles Drunk and Sword Demon. I heard from a good friend of mine and came to know that the quest that the two of them were on recently brought them out here. This is currently our only lead,” the 'good friend' that Young Master Han mentioned was, of course, Brother Assist. Even though Brother Assist had no idea what they were doing out here in Yunjiao Lakeside, he knew that the quest had sent them out in that direction. Once Young Master Han had gleaned this information from him, he believed how the quests in Parallel World were all designed in such a way that they would often send the players running back and forth to a single location, which was why he had led all these men out here to camp and wait for their quarry to turn up.
But instead of their prey turning up, they had heard about how Thousand Miles Drunk was engaged in a huge skirmish with Carouse, fighting from the cavity where the quest was situated, all the way to the Yunling region. This news had only confirmed Young Master Han's belief that Gu Fei was concentrating on the quest and he understood how Brave Surge would often habitually act, Young Master Han was convinced the man would not seek to provoke Gu Fei. Similarly, he understood Gu Fei's temperament. While that man was always arrogant when it came to slaying people, he had always adopted a 'no offense taken if none was received' approach, even when the game rules encouraged him to be the offender. As such, there must surely have been a catalyst to have caused these two to end up clashing swords. As such, the best explanation for the skirmish must have been due to the quest that the system had created which pitted them against one another…
While Young Master Han was not too accurate with his analysis at this point, the conclusion he came to was correct, and Gu Fei was indeed busy with completing his quest. And so, Colored Cloud and Young Master Han continued with their stake-out in this area while they sent some people to find out what was happening over by Yunling. It was not too long after they sent their scouts over to find out what had happened when Wind Seal and his group of men had sneakily made their way over.
Young Master Han had been tasked with defending the cavity before, so he naturally recognized Wind Seal as well as the NPC Guillermo. The moment he saw this group appear, he instantly inferred that Carouse's quest had changed, otherwise Carouse would not have just sent such a small handful of men for an escort quest. Even if they were attempting a diversion, they would surely have sent Carouse's ranked experts in this detachment. Thus, Young Master Han had concluded that Wind Seal must have already left the guild, and that it was very likely he must have been bribed by someone else for the quest he had discovered by chance.
Young Master Han kept an eye on their movement the entire time while he hid himself inside the cabin, passing out coordinates the whole time to ensure the ambushers from Colored Clouds stayed hidden while they tracked those men as they made their way toward the cabin. It was Young Master Han who had immediately reacted during that instance before when they had stumbled onto Beyond Thirty Miles and Guzzler and caused quite a bit of commotion that stirred Wind Seal and his men as a result, sending one of their male guild members to hold onto a lady's hand to cover up the actual source of the noise.
”See. I knew Thousand Miles Drunk's quest would send them back here once more,” Young Master Han said to Gu Xiaoshang.
”Knowing this alone will be enough. Let's wait for them to arrive,” Gu Xiaoshang's fighting spirit soared. She hated the twists and turns that came with inter-guild politics, but she greatly approved of ambushing from cover or sneak attacks, finding such battle tactics to be sensible and forthright.
”It would be too much of a waste if we don't pick up the quest…”
”I already said we are not going to be bothered with that!” Gu Xiaoshang was somewhat annoyed. She had never found Young Master Han to be such a nag.
”I didn't say that we are going to be the ones picking it up,” Young Master Han said, as he turned to Guzzler, ”Go on in. There's a quest inside the cabin.”
”We're picking up the quest?” Beyond Thirty Miles was elated. Sure enough, he was someone who truly had his heart for the guild.
”We're not picking up the quest; we're becoming cannon fodder,” Guzzler cautioned Beyond Thirty Miles from getting too happy too soon.
”Who cares? You won't lose anything even if you die anyway,” Young Master Han consoled.
”Everyone knows there are no penalties now, but our mood will definitely sour going up against someone like Thousand Miles Drunk,” Guzzler said.
Beyond Thirty Miles nodded, ”Yes indeed. The guild leader must surely be in a bad mood right now.”
”Which is why the both of you should pick up this quest and cheer him up a little. Beyond Three Miles, you go,” Young Master Han urged.
”It's Beyond Thirty Miles,” Beyond Thirty Miles glumly corrected.
”Even three hundred miles would do; go and take it!” Young Master Han hurried.
”Alright, I'll go!” Beyond Thirty Miles puffed out his chest and showed his sizeable heart of true dedication toward the guild.
”You go and grab the quest, we'll help you complete it. What a wonderful collaboration,” Young Master Han praised his decision.
”You sure made it sound nice phrasing it like that! Really, you're just using the guild quest as bait so as to verify Thousand Miles Drunk's position!” Guzzler corrected.
”That's right, so anyone who does not pick up the quest isn't worth anything. Men, come and throw this person into the lake,” Young Master Han casually called out.
Guzzler was shocked by this declaration and wanted to flee, but where could he run to? There was not even a single NPC after making their way around Yunduan Lakeside aside from this little log cabin and the presence of the quest here. This was why Young Master Han had placed a heavy emphasis on the place after arriving. Indeed, it was as he had expected. Wind Seal and his men marched right over in this direction, which was why Young Master Han had secretly positioned half of his manpower around the lake while the other half were concentrated in the vicinity of the cabin. If Guzzler planned to run off now, countless figures would stand up around him and keep him surrounded just so they could capture him alive.
”You're serious about this!” Guzzler's expression paled visibly.
”We've known each other for quite some time now, so you should know I'm always someone who would keep my word. If I said I'm throwing you into the lake, you will be thrown into the lake. Toss him!” Young Master Han commanded.
The players from Colored Clouds must have never done anything immoral like this, so they found the matter entirely refreshing. Many of them jostled for a chance to take part before four Strength-based Warriors came out on top. Each man grabbed a hold of Guzzler's four limbs, carrying him right over to the banks before heaving Guzzler right into the water in a parabolic arc. The sound of a loud splash could be heard as the man was dropped into the lake…
”He really threw him in…” There were plenty of people who had watched the entire sequence and were dumbfounded, plenty of men from Colored Clouds included.
The ripples could still be seen as the people on the banks went silent for a good moment. Suddenly, half a body broke the surface of the lake. Guzzler was using his hand to wipe the water droplets off his face even as he shouted, ”You've got guts, Young Master Han!”
”Guard the lake and don't let him come up. Throw him in if he tries to come back on land,” Young Master Han ordered.
”Oh great one, I made a mistake…” Guzzler ultimately conceded to his defeat.
”Okay, Beyond Three Hundred Miles, head on in and get the quest!” Young Master Han happily patted the back of the stunned Beyond Thirty Miles and gestured him toward the cabin.
Beyond Thirty Miles was still in such a state of shock that he did not even bother to correct his name this time. He quickly ran into the cabin, and reappeared outside in no time, ”I got the quest. It wants me to retrieve the clue.”
”This clue must be on Thousand Miles Drunk or Sword Demon,” Young Master Han surmised.
”Could we be required to kill and make them drop the quest item?” Someone asked skeptically.
”Don't worry, everyone. Our goal isn't to complete the quest but to eliminate those two men,” Young Master Han said.
Beyond Thirty Miles was in tears. Did Young Master Han not just say that he was going to help him complete the quest? How did it change in the blink of the eye into not completing the quest? Beyond Thirty Miles was feeling utterly dispirited when he then hear Young Master Han point at him to add, ”Watch him. Don't let him run off. I suggest tying him up.”
”F*ck me, there's no need to trouble yourself. I'll just stay in the cabin and not go anywhere!” Beyond Thirty Miles had finally personally witnessed the depths of the measures that Young Master Han would go to, and it was indeed as terrifying and heartless as the rumors claimed.
”Alright everyone, carry on with your ambush and be on standby!” Young Master Han called out as he entered that cabin. This place provided very good cover, and he could see a lot stationing himself right by the window with his spyglass. Meanwhile, it would be difficult for the people outside to realize there was someone inside the cabin from afar. When Young Master Han entered the cabin, Beyond Thirty Miles fearfully shrank himself into a corner. Young Master Han ignored him and turned around and saw Gu Xiaoshang entering right after him.
”We can more or less confirm that Thousand Miles Drunk and Sword Demon would both come back here,” Young Master Han reported.
”Yes, it's only a matter of time,” Gu Xiaoshang said as she looked out of the window and saw Guzzler still struggling on the surface of the lake. ”Are we just gonna leave that guy there?”