Chapter 52: Red Moon Mountain
City of Light Chasing, Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
Three tricycles loaded with ore rolled over the cracked asphalt road, their rusted frames letting out deathly groans with every jolt.
Twelve grey-clothed people shouldered logs close behind. The coarse bark rubbed bloody marks into their shoulders, but no one stopped. These grey-clothed guests had been shuttling between Grizzly Mine and here for three days straight, mechanically repeating the collection task like worker ants, wearing down the initial astonishment in the eyes of the vagrants along the way into numbness.
That is right. Numbness.
In three days, this group of grey-clothed lunatics had been running back and forth between Grizzly Mine day and night without rest, making at least four trips almost every day. Now this mighty convoy had become a sight to behold in the Abandoned Area, leaving other alien vagrants dumbfounded. They had not expected a wilderness gang to squeeze its gang members to such an extent.
They were not even allowed to ride; they had to run back carrying logs all the way. How did this look like gang members? They were simply worse off than prison inmates. At least prisoners could still be regarded as people, whereas the members of the Gray Robe Gang were no longer treated as human.
Because of this scene, the surrounding human race vagrants who had wanted to join a gang no longer dared. They felt that being a vagrant was quite good. At worst, it just meant not knowing where the next meal would come from.
“Sister Wu, a new plot has been triggered in the hall!”
“New plot? What plot?”
“Three winged tribe NPCs have arrived. They are a new faction. They introduced themselves as the Green Sparrow Gang. It looks like they are here to discuss cooperation with the Hall Master.”
“Cooperation with a new faction? Could it be that the game manufacturer plans to test new gameplay again?”
Looking at the Heavenly Might newcomer rushing over from the training ground to report, Luo Wu Shang immediately began directing the others present.
“Everyone move faster. Return the borrowed tricycles to the other two teams and gather at the hall.”
“A new plot trigger is rare. If we miss the chance to take the task, our new weapons and new armor will be gone.”
The Heavenly Might members carrying logs all picked up their Leopard Shadow Steps at once and raced after the tricycles straight toward the Martial Arts Hall Training Ground, afraid of missing the new task.
On the training ground inside the hall, the more the three members of the Green Sparrow Gang observed, the more stunned and confused their expressions became.
“What is wrong with these people from the Gray Robe Gang?” The graceful winged tribe woman looked at the growing crowd of players, especially noticing the strange looks they were giving her. “Why do I feel like these people are all looking forward to us coming, and the way they look at us is as if they are seeing delicious food?”
As a gang ranked in the top hundred in the wilderness, the Green Sparrow Gang had long been famous across the major Abandoned Areas. Whether it was members of other large wilderness gangs or unregistered nomads who had already become apprentices, whenever they saw these mid-to-high-level members of the Green Sparrow Gang, they all avoided them, afraid that provoking them would mean dying miserably in the wilderness.
Yet this was her first time encountering weak humans whom she could kill with a single punch, looking at her like predators, as if none of them cared about their own lives, showing no reverence for the strong at all.
While the three of the winged tribe were observing, Luo Wu Shang and the others also arrived at the training ground, making the three winged tribe members feel a trace of pressure for a moment.
“Fourteen apprentice-level experts. This Gray Robe Gang is much stronger than we previously estimated.” Flo swept his gaze over Luo Wu Shang and the others who had rushed over, taking the rumored Gray Robe Gang more seriously.
Although the current Gray Robe Gang still could not keep the three of them here and might even be wiped out by them instead, fourteen apprentice-level experts were a force not to be underestimated even in a large wilderness gang.
“Are you the ones looking for me?”
While Flo and the other two were observing, Lin Qi walked out from the lounge, and the players on the training ground parted to make way for him.
“Respected leader of the Gray Robe Gang, hello. I am Flo, the vice gang leader of the Green Sparrow Gang. You can call me Flo. We have come this time with no malice.” Flo looked at Lin Qi who had just come out, carefully sizing him up as he introduced himself.
“Gray Robe Gang?” Lin Qi frowned. He did not know where this name had spread from, but he could not be bothered to explain. He simply asked, “What business do you have here?”
“We are here on behalf of the Green Sparrow Gang to discuss a transaction with the Gray Robe Gang.” Flo smiled kindly as he spoke. “I think those of you who attacked the White Feather Gang will not refuse this cooperation.”
“Are you trying to threaten me?” Looking at the smiling-yet-scheming Flo in front of him, Lin Qi’s expression darkened.
On the surface he called it cooperation, but he was very certain that they were the ones who had attacked the White Feather Gang. If they did not cooperate, the outcome went without saying.
“Respected leader of the Gray Robe Gang, do not misunderstand.” Flo explained with a smile. “Regarding this cooperation, whether it succeeds or not, our Green Sparrow Gang will never tell the White Feather Gang anything. In fact, for this visit, I specifically had some of your minor issues that might expose you handled. For example, our Green Sparrow Gang has publicly claimed that Miss Luo Qi was redeemed with the ransom we provided.”
“With my testimony, I believe the staff at the Azure Crystal Weapon Shop will no longer talk about Miss Luo Qi’s safe return, and may even suspect that the gang that wiped out the White Feather Gang base was our Green Sparrow Gang.”
“Go on. What kind of cooperation?”
Because of Flo’s initiative to show goodwill, Lin Qi’s expression eased a little, realizing Flo likely had no real malice.
“There is an old saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Flo took a stack of A4 papers from his clothes and spoke slowly. “Our Green Sparrow Gang has always been at odds with the White Feather Gang, mainly because of Crimson Moon Mountain a hundred kilometers away. There is an energy vein within Crimson Moon Mountain.”
“Although it is only a miniature energy vein, as long as we take it, it will be a large, long-term, stable profit for both of our gangs. But our two gangs have fought over it for so long and have not settled anything.”
“So our two gangs have decided, under the witness of a big figure in the suburbs, to make a gamble. Each of our gangs will send fifty apprentice-level experts to fight a death match twelve days from now. The winner will gain ownership of Crimson Moon Mountain, and the loser will no longer be allowed to have any designs on it.”
“So? What does this have to do with our Gray Robe Gang?”
“Fifty apprentice-level experts is not a small number for either of our gangs, not to mention those fifty will be fighting a death match. So both of our gangs will be hiring external support, and in my view, your gang is an excellent choice.”
“You want our Gray Robe Gang as external support? What are the benefits?”
“We only need your gang to send ten apprentice-level experts. Once we win the death match, our Green Sparrow Gang is willing to give your gang 5% ownership of the Crimson Moon Mountain vein. Here is the contract recognized by the Martial Artist Association of the City of Light Chasing. I believe everyone in the city knows the consequences of violating it.”
“If your gang is interested, you can sign the contract now, and it will take effect immediately.”
Old Cat wishes everyone a happy new year.
For the new year, I ask for monthly tickets and follow-up reading.
All you need to do is click on the latest chapter within 24 hours.
