Chapter 98

After dinner, Su Peng returned to his room to deliver the documents and then went to the lounge. He looked around and found that he didn't know many people. On a sofa by a coffee table, Zhao Qiu was sitting there.

Su Peng got a bottle of foreign liquor from the bar and took two glasses over, placing the bottle on the coffee table. "Have you been here long? Haven't you eaten yet?"

"I only eat two meals a day," Zhao Qiu said, looking at the bottle of foreign liquor Su Peng had brought. "Didn't you bring an opener?"

"Yeah, the staff said someone took it from the bar earlier and they don't know where it is. I hope they find it soon, otherwise, we'll have to drink beer," Su Peng said, but Zhao Qiu replied, "No need."

As he spoke, Zhao Qiu held the neck of the bottle and then flicked his thumb upward. Su Peng heard a "pop," and the cap of the bottle was actually opened by Zhao Qiu's thumb.

"Wow, that's impressive..." Su Peng said sincerely. The cap of the foreign liquor wasn't as easy to open as a beer cap, and Zhao Qiu had managed to open it with just his thumb, making Su Peng think that if such strength were used on a person, it would surely hurt.

"It's just a matter of familiarity," Zhao Qiu said, pouring Su Peng a third of a glass and then filling his own.

After pouring the drinks, Zhao Qiu glanced at Su Peng and said, "You have a good physique."

Su Peng smiled. He had just noticed that he only had two T-shirts left, and when he put them on, they seemed much tighter than before, indicating that he had become more muscular.

"So, Zhao Qiu, since you asked me to come here, it's not just for a drink, right?" Su Peng took the glass and asked Zhao Qiu.

"Is there anything wrong with just having a drink?" Zhao Qiu asked, but after taking a sip, he continued, "However, this time, I do have something to discuss."

"Please go ahead," Su Peng said. Zhao Qiu nodded and asked, "What do you think of the company's games?"

"Very realistic... Sometimes it's hard to tell which is the real world," Su Peng replied without much thought.

"Indeed..." Zhao Qiu seemed to be deeply moved, then suddenly asked, "Are you satisfied with the salary the company offers?"

"Salary?" Su Peng thought for a moment and said, "It's pretty good, around ten thousand, which isn't a small amount. With performance bonuses, it could be even more. You, Zhao Qiu, probably earn around twenty thousand a month, which isn't bad."

"If I told you that you could earn a hundred times more than you do now, what would you think?" Zhao Qiu shook his head and asked.

"A hundred times?" Su Peng felt that Zhao Qiu's question was a bit strange. "Of course, I'd be happy to accept it, but the rewards and the effort are proportional. If the salary increases a hundred times, the effort required might also increase a hundred times, right?"

"Is there anything more valuable than life?" Zhao Qiu suddenly sneered. Su Peng was taken aback and looked at Zhao Qiu, but it seemed that Zhao Qiu wasn't targeting him with this statement.

"By the way, Su Peng, what do you think about superpowers?" Zhao Qiu suddenly changed the topic.

"Superpowers... I often read about them in novels and sometimes imagine what it would be like to have them... Although rationally, I know it wouldn't change much for me, I still feel the urge to try, but in reality, it's impossible."

"What about qigong? Do you believe in qigong and special abilities? What about martial arts?" Zhao Qiu asked again.

Su Peng couldn't help but laugh. "When I was a kid, I was a martial arts enthusiast, and I still am. I've fantasized about becoming an expert in internal martial arts, but in reality, so-called qigong masters like Wang Lin are just frauds. Qigong is just a form of beginner magic... As for martial arts, look at the recent online discussions about the Tian Shan Martial Arts Conference; it's almost a farce. In terms of combat skills, Sanda and Muay Thai might be better. I've learned a bit of combat techniques myself. If there were true martial arts masters, I'd be interested in learning from them, but those so-called masters in the country, forget it."

Zhao Qiu nodded. "That's a normal perspective. Actually, I'm also a combat enthusiast."

As he spoke, Zhao Qiu touched his upper pocket, took out something that looked like a business card, and handed it to Su Peng. Seeing Su Peng's questioning look, he said, "This is a private dojo I often visit. It has a boxing ring and a combat arena, and the facilities are good. If you're interested, you can come by on your day off. Just say I recommended you."

Su Peng nodded, took the card, and found that it was more like a membership card with Zhao Qiu's signature on the back.

"Alright, nothing much to do today. Thanks for keeping me company here..." After giving Su Peng the card, Zhao Qiu stood up, rubbed his forehead, and then, as if remembering something, said to Su Peng, "By the way, Su Peng, when you were a new player, did anyone tell you to use the medium difficulty mode when playing?"

Su Peng nodded. "Someone did."

"In that case, I suggest you try the high difficulty mode from today. You might have a new 'gaming experience.'"

"High difficulty mode?" Su Peng held his glass, watching Zhao Qiu's back as he left the lounge, his brow furrowed slightly.

"From his words, it seems he knows something I don't, but why did he come to me?" Su Peng slowly sipped his drink, thinking to himself.

...

The night passed quickly, and Su Peng's second session was uneventful, just a day of practicing internal martial arts. It was already Saturday afternoon.

Last night, the Dark Owl Group had passed the intelligence about the Ancient Sword Manor to the Dragon Tooth Group, and today, they had received a response. The Dragon Tooth Group had dispatched an eleven-person team to participate in the Ancient Sword Manor mission.

At the same time, the in-game martial artists Zhao Qiu had contacted had all responded. Zhao Qiu had contacted nine well-known martial artists, all of whom would gather at Green Mountain Fort tonight.

Including Zhao Qiu, Su Peng, and Xie An, who were directly participating in the mission, a total of twenty-three people would be involved in the assault on the Ancient Sword Manor.

...

"There are still too few people," Su Peng said, frowning as he looked at the map of the Ancient Sword Manor spread out on the table in a not-so-conspicuous courtyard in Jiangning County.

Around the table sat Zhao Qiu, Ning Cai, and Qin Xiaoyue. This was a secret base of the Dark Owl Group in Jiangning County.

"Indeed, it's a bit few, but quality is more important than quantity. Each person here has considerable combat skills," Ning Cai said, looking at the structure of the Ancient Sword Manor.

"But... the ratio of enemies each person has to face is too high. The Ancient Sword Manor has between 252 and 260 people, excluding fifty women and old servants, most of whom are young servants who have learned martial arts. With so many people, our twenty-odd people won't be enough... Not to mention the hidden fortresses and arrow towers scattered throughout the manor," Su Peng said, still frowning and shaking his head.

"There's no choice... The Dragon Tooth Group only has seventeen people. Eleven are on this mission, and the other six are on a continuous mission and can't be spared. Most of the Tiger Ben Group are on a mission, and half of them aren't near Jiangning. The rest are busy, and coordinating across groups is difficult. This silver-level mission hasn't been approved by Shi Qianjun, so we can only do this for now."

"At least add Peng Zhen or Liu Feng," Su Peng suggested. Ning Cai shook her head. "That's not possible. Although their martial arts are good, Peng Zhen was injured on a mission and hasn't fully recovered, only at sixty percent strength. Liu Feng's skills are average, and if you don't give up your reputation, he won't accept the arrangement. After all, Dark Owl Group members don't have the obligation to participate in such missions, and I can't force him."

"You're overthinking it. Twenty-three people are enough," Zhao Qiu said, sipping from a wine gourd in the game.

Su Peng frowned, feeling that the assault on the Ancient Sword Manor wouldn't be that simple.

"Alright, time is running out. Take the map and the token, and head to Green Mountain Fort. I've already asked Shi Qianjun to extend the session time. Tomorrow is a rest day, so if you can't complete the mission, you can continue. But I don't want you to drag it out," Ning Cai rolled up the map and said to the two.

Su Peng sighed, realizing that increasing the number of people was unlikely. He could only be cautious.

After putting away the map and the blood letter, Su Peng and Zhao Qiu said goodbye. Ning Cai and Qin Xiaoyue went to handle other matters. Su Peng and Zhao Qiu walked out, where two horses were tied up. They mounted and headed for Green Mountain Fort.

When they arrived at Green Mountain Fort, they found it bustling with activity. The small fort was already filled with people.

Seeing the two ride in, a man in his thirties, tall and lean, dressed in black martial arts clothing, and looking very strong, greeted them. "Zhao Qiu, is this another mission you developed? Who's this?"

"The mission wasn't developed by me, but by this one, Su Peng," Zhao Qiu shook his head and introduced Su Peng.

"Oh? Another talented new member from the Dark Owl Group?" The man looked at Su Peng. "Hello, I'm the leader of the Dragon Tooth Group, Wan Feng. Who are you?"

"Su Peng, hello, Leader Wan," Su Peng greeted. Wan Feng nodded. "You arrived just in time. Our group has just gathered. Zhao Qiu, the NPCs you arranged should be arriving soon, right? You need to coordinate with them."

Zhao Qiu nodded, and at that moment, they heard urgent hoofbeats. Three riders quickly galloped in from outside... (To be continued. Search for Piaotian Literature for faster updates and better reading experience!)

Previous Page AD Start

Previous Page AD End