Chapter Sixteen: A Battle of Wits and Words

As the two sides faced off, another group of players arrived hurriedly from a distance. One of them spoke arrogantly, “Someone’s selling gear? I knew this game would have poor players selling equipment for cash. Yu Wei, Blue Feather, this time I’m going to buy all the gear from you, no matter the price, I want to get you both fully equipped.”

This group was none other than Xia Yu Wei and her companions who had just returned from leveling up in the Spider Cavern. The one speaking with such “mysterious confidence” was none other than Zheng Yuan.

Neither Xia Yu Wei nor Blue Feather paid Zheng Yuan any attention. Looking at the gathering crowd ahead, Xia Yu Wei anxiously said, “Xiong Ba Fengyun and the Elder of Twilight are here. I’m afraid we can’t outbid those two.”

“What?” Upon hearing those names, Zheng Yuan was immediately silenced. Compared to these two business sharks, Zheng Yuan’s family was nothing—a shrimp in their eyes, not even worth a glance.

“Maybe we should just forget it. We can’t afford to offend those two,” Zheng Yuan said.

Zhang Zibo frowned. “Let’s give it a try. We’re about to tackle the level 3 dungeon. Without good gear, it’ll be tough.”

Xia Yu Wei gritted her teeth. “What’s there to fear? It’s just a game.”

“But…” Zheng Yuan hesitated. “Maybe we really should just give up.”

“If you’re scared, stay here. I’ll go alone,” Xia Yu Wei said decisively.

Determined to level up quickly, Xia Yu Wei resolved to try. Even if it meant confronting the Elder of Twilight and Xiong Ba Fengyun head-on, she would give it a shot.

“We’ll go with you.” Blue Feather’s beautiful eyes shone with determination.

Xia Yu Wei nodded and led the team to the center of the arena. Just as she was about to ask about the prices, they all froze when they saw the seller—it was Lu Yang.

“Ah? It’s you?” Blue Feather’s curious gaze met his.

Lu Yang smiled at Blue Feather and mimicked her tone, “Ah, why can’t it be me?”

Blue Feather blinked, realizing it made perfect sense. The top-ranked player would naturally have collected a lot of great gear.

“That’s true,” she said.

Xia Yu Wei approached Lu Yang. “Thank you for providing us with the leveling spot. This will be noted by our Ice Studio. If you ever need anything, we’ll do our best to help.”

Lu Yang disliked Xia Yu Wei’s slightly condescending tone. “Helping you was just a small favor. No need to thank me.”

“Then will you sell the gear to me?” Xia Yu Wei took the initiative.

“Wait a moment, little girl.” Both the Elder of Twilight and Xiong Ba spoke in unison.

“There’s a proper order to things. How can this little girl be so disrespectful to her elders?” the Elder of Twilight said calmly.

“Little girl, I’ve already bought this stuff. You should look elsewhere,” Xiong Ba said arrogantly.

As they spoke, the atmosphere grew tense. Their followers cast unfriendly glances at Xia Yu Wei and her group.

Nearby players grew nervous.

“Are they going to fight?”

“No way. This is a safe zone. But Ice Studio might be in trouble.”

“Outside the safe zone, they could be ambushed.”

“The two guilds combined have sixty or seventy thousand players. It’s terrifying.”

Hearing these remarks, Xiong Ba and the Elder of Twilight were pleased. Just as they thought Xia Yu Wei would be intimidated, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“Elder of Twilight, Xiong Ba, you two are bullying me, a little girl,” Xia Yu Wei said without a hint of embarrassment, pointing at them.

Xiong Ba: “…”

Elder of Twilight: “…”

“Has the world changed this much? Little girls have become so sharp-tongued?” the Elder of Twilight felt a bit embarrassed. If Xia Yu Wei reasoned with him, he could talk for hours without repeating himself. A natural orator, thrice bankrupt yet still standing—his experiences were not for the average.

Xiong Ba was no less formidable—coming from a poor background, he single-handedly built a billion-dollar listed company. Such pressure was unbearable for ordinary people.

Yet Xia Yu Wei withstood it all and even acted coquettishly before them, leaving the two at a loss. Lu Yang had to admire her cleverness.

In a previous life, an artist had painted a scene from the World Domination War depicting numerous guild leaders and their players participating in the Hundred Nations Battle. Among the sixteen guild leaders in the painting were Xiong Ba, the Elder of Twilight, and Xia Yu Wei.

Seeing the sparks fly as the three exchanged glances, Lu Yang felt an inexplicable surge of pride.

I didn’t get to participate last time, but this time, whether you’re a hegemon or a peerless beauty, you will all bow before me, Lu Yang.

“All right, stop arguing. I don’t care what’s between you. The gear is with me. Whether I sell it to you or you can afford it is not your decision—it’s mine,” Lu Yang said.

Xia Yu Wei, the Elder of Twilight, and Xiong Ba simultaneously looked at Lu Yang and asked in unison, “What’s the price?”

Lu Yang replied, “I won’t change the prices. You name your offer. Highest bidder gets it.”

Horned Dagger: 2 gold coins, Black Iron Helmet: 3 gold coins, Two-Handed Greatsword: 10 gold coins, Wild Bee Longbow: 10 gold coins, Young Dragon Shield: 20 gold coins…

The three stared silently at Lu Yang. If they had that many gold coins, they would have bought all the gear already. Why stand here and glare at others?

The cunning Elder of Twilight smiled kindly. “Young brother, your prices are too high. We can’t afford them. Why not lower them a bit? Let’s make friends.”

Xiong Ba frowned. “Brother, we really can’t gather so much gold right now. How about trading other items?”

Just as Lu Yang expected, the previous high prices were deliberately set because he knew no one could afford them. He wanted others to suggest bartering.

Why?

Because Lu Yang possessed the Heart of the Demon God. To upgrade it, he needed to unlock reputations with other races, which required many rare materials.

If Lu Yang collected them all himself, by the time he finished, everyone else would be level 15. So this was the only way.

Lu Yang said, “Since the big shots are so sincere, fine. I completely agree. Here’s a new item list. Whoever brings me these materials first will get the gear.”