Courting death

NPC Zhang Feng, his official position changed from Battalion Commander to Lord of Chengdu. The Lord commands fifty soldiers.

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Zhan Xiaobai, Spring and Autumn Hero, and Wutong walked into the midst of the crowd.

Fifteen men—Blood Wolf, Snow Leopard, Shadow, and their comrades—who had been on full alert, quickly sheathed their weapons and saluted. “Boss Xiaobai, Boss Hero!”

The surrounding players burst into excitement. None of them had expected that the village chief of Xiaobai Village himself would show up. Now Xiaobai Village and Glorious Village were facing off directly—there would be a good show to watch.

Standing at the front, Zhan Xiaobai nodded to his people, then turned toward the opposing side. He studied a player surrounded by Glorious Village members—a man who exuded arrogance, glancing about with a domineering air.

In a calm voice, Zhan Xiaobai spoke, “You must be the Glorious Swordsman of Glorious Village. Your men have surrounded my people—do you really think Xiaobai Village is easy to bully?”

The Glorious Swordsman’s swagger vanished instantly, surprise flickering across his face. He hadn’t expected Zhan Xiaobai to come in person. Xiaobai Village’s reputation as the “Number One Under Heaven” was something he’d long heard from the system announcements, and the forums were filled with posts about Xiaobai Village. In contrast, his Glorious Village was known only within a few dozen miles—compared to Xiaobai Village, their fame was worlds apart. To say he wasn’t envious would be a lie. In both renown and strength, the Glorious Swordsman knew his village could not match Zhan Xiaobai’s.

However, behind him stood nearly a hundred Glorious Village players, while Xiaobai Village had fewer than twenty. The Glorious Swordsman was not willing to give up such a prime opportunity—the NPC bandit in the hands of Xiaobai Village’s players was clearly extraordinary, and Xiaobai Village’s players valued him highly. With such a chance, how could he not seize it? If he let it slip, how could he command respect in the future?

We simply outnumber you—who’s afraid of whom? Even if word got out about this fight, everyone would only praise Glorious Village for defeating the chief and players of Xiaobai Village, not that they relied on numbers to bully the few.

With this thought, the Glorious Swordsman cared nothing for the potential conflict. His face darkened as he shouted, “Oh, so you’re Xiaobai? Very well, very well! Leave that scrawny NPC here, and Glorious Village will remain on good terms with Xiaobai Village—our waters won’t mix.” He boasted shamelessly.

Spring and Autumn Hero was instantly enraged, brandishing his sword as he shouted, “Bah! You’re dreaming! If you want this NPC, try the edge of my sword first!”

Blood Wolf, Snow Leopard, Shadow, and the others were equally furious, gripping their weapons and holding their ground—one wrong move and they’d charge into battle.

Nearby, the onlookers from other villages sensed a fight brewing and began to shout excitedly, fanning the flames: “Fight! If you’re not afraid of being outnumbered, fight!” “Take down this Glorious Village lot!” “Don’t just talk—let’s see some action!”

The Glorious Swordsman, delighted, sniffed with satisfaction. The will of the people could not be defied—since everyone wanted a fight, then a fight it would be. What was there to hesitate about? He immediately called to his Glorious Village players, “Brothers, seize them! What’s Xiaobai Village compared to us? Here on our turf, they’ll have to bow their heads!”

His followers, already impatient for action, surged forward at his command, attacking the Xiaobai Village players with excitement.

Zhan Xiaobai’s eyes turned icy—a death wish. He shouted, “Go!”

Spring and Autumn Hero, the Blood Wolf Squad, the Snow Leopard Squad, and the Shadow Squad—sixteen in all—instantly formed a tight assault formation, with Hero, Blood Wolf, and Snow Leopard at the core. With iron spears, swords, sabers, and wooden shields, they charged toward the Glorious Swordsman. They had practiced this formation countless times, but this assault was the most ferocious yet. In their hands were newly forged iron weapons from Xiaobai Village, and between their teeth, the finest blood potions.

Zhan Xiaobai remained where he was, watching the battle unfold without drawing a weapon. Beside him stood Iron Blood No.1, wielding a heavy sword and a large shield, his expression cold. Wutong, knife in hand, stood close behind, keeping a watchful eye on the bandit strategist to prevent any attempt at escape.

“Kill!” “Kill!”

Spring and Autumn Hero led the charge, his comrades following close behind as they clashed head-on with the Glorious Village players.

Only in the chaos of such player-versus-player battles could one’s true combat skills be revealed. Real power had little to do with the game mechanics—it was honed through long experience, possessed only by the very best.

The fiercest were the members of the Blood Wolf Squad—Storm, Bloodlust, and their three companions. Their weapons struck in unison at the vital points of the nearest enemy, moving in a blur—blocking, shifting, dodging, retreating, advancing, thrusting, hacking, and slashing. With a scream, one player fell, and another’s health bar was already halved before he could react. The flurry of attacks was so dazzling that no one could track their movements. After cutting down five or six Glorious Village players, the Blood Wolf Squad members had suffered only a few sword wounds each, none seriously injured.

Even Zhan Xiaobai could not keep up with their pace, watching in awe. No wonder they were called the Blood Wolf Squad—their bloodthirsty speed was astonishing.

The Snow Leopard Squad, all armed with iron sabers, fought with brute force. They relied less on technique, focusing on relentless advance, aiming for the most vulnerable spots—throat, heart—with solid footwork that drove them forward like bulldozers, unshakable.

Then came the Shadow Squad, flanking Spring and Autumn Hero with long spears. Each time the Hero clashed with an opponent, four or five iron spears would strike the enemy’s vital points at once, cutting them down with a wail.

In a single exchange, Xiaobai Village’s sixteen-man team cut through the front ranks of Glorious Village, killing a dozen players and driving straight toward the Glorious Swordsman.

The Glorious Swordsman was stunned—he had never imagined Xiaobai Village’s players would be so fierce. Panic-stricken, he fell back, shouting for his men to hold the line, “Stop them! Block them for me!”

The Glorious Village players surged forward desperately, determined to prevent the Xiaobai Village players from reaching their chief. This was not just about honor—it was about the reputation of Glorious Village itself. If they couldn’t hold back a mere sixteen from Xiaobai Village, they’d lose all face in the region.

Spring and Autumn Hero cut down the nearest Glorious Village player with a wild swing, glaring furiously at the Glorious Swordsman, who had already retreated dozens of meters behind a thick human wall. He knew there was no chance now to take down that arrogant, cowardly foe.

“Retreat!”

With a shift in formation, the sharp assault line transformed instantly into a tight semicircle, weapons raised outward, overlapping in defense. No one doubted that anyone charging this meat grinder would be shredded in an instant.

The hundreds of onlookers, who had been jeering and egging on the fight, fell utterly silent, cold sweat trickling down their backs.

The Glorious Village players, still reeling from the initial clash, hesitated in terror, afraid to advance.

Players from both villages began to disengage, as if by silent agreement. Glorious Village had lost more than twenty, with dozens more wounded. Of the sixteen from Xiaobai Village, each had lost a third to half their health, but they’d all smartly taken blood potions ahead of time to restore themselves.

The Glorious Swordsman’s face was livid. That single charge had cost him dozens of men, leaving him speechless with shame and fury. Though surrounded by fifty or sixty of his own, he felt no sense of safety.

Blood Wolf brought down the last Glorious Village straggler who’d failed to escape, then licked his cold iron sword.

“Bah, damn it, if you want to act tough, you’d better have the strength to back it up!”