Chapter 7

The cold wind, the long bridge, and the desolate river water.

The three people stood on the bridge, their bodies as straight as arrows. Their gazes were cold, the swords in their hands were cold, and each of their hearts was cold.

"Has he come?"

A man in a blue robe tightly gripped the black long knife in his hand and asked coldly.

"No!" A tall man standing beside him, as straight as a spear, with a long sword on his back, replied coldly.

"If he doesn't come soon, we'll freeze to death," the third person, a woman, said. Her voice was cold, and it trembled slightly. She was deeply regretting why she had to stand on the bridge waiting for someone.

"Alas," the man as straight as a spear sighed, "He should have arrived fifteen minutes ago. But he's dead!"

"How did he die?" the man in the blue robe and the woman asked in surprise at the same time.

"Monkey, it was a monkey!" The man as straight as a spear raised his head and said, shaking his hair, "He passed through a forest and encountered a monkey. The monkey noticed him, slapped him, and he died."

The other two were silent, unable to say anything. After a while, the man in the blue robe said, "Was it a mistake for us to wait for him today..."

But before he could finish, he stopped. A figure appeared on the small road in front of the bridge. It was a young man with an exceptionally straight posture, striding forward. It was autumn, the cool wind was blowing, and the flowers were still in full bloom, making one feel refreshed. The young man was dressed in light blue attire, wearing a light-colored headband, and carrying a green long sword on his back. His movements were graceful, and if he were outside, people would be impressed and call him handsome.

However, the three people waiting on the bridge all tightened their weapons.

"You've come!" The man as straight as a spear said, his eyes bright, staring at the young man who was striding forward.

The young man suddenly stopped, looked at the three people in front of him, and showed a look of understanding. He nodded and said, "I've come."

"You're late," the man in the blue robe said coldly.

The young man glanced at him and said coldly, "It seems I shouldn't have come!"

"Hmph!" The three people snorted at the same time. At that moment, they all moved. The young man only felt a blur before his eyes, and the three people were already in front of him. What fast movements! Before the young man could react, the man in the blue robe and the woman each held his left and right shoulders, while the man as straight as a spear hugged his waist.

"No, Ah Fei!" The man as straight as a spear said with a sob, sniffing, "Without you, our ultimate martial arts will be in vain. You can't leave, you must help us!"

The young man struggled for a long time but found he couldn't escape. He became furious and said, "What are you three up to? I registered for the game just half an hour ago, found the way out of the city ten minutes ago, and was killed by a monkey on the way. I'm now level zero, with only a beginner's sword that deals 1-2 damage, and I haven't learned any martial arts. What do you want me to help with?"

The three people reluctantly let go of him, and the man as straight as a spear smiled and explained their purpose.

This was a martial arts game. The man as straight as a spear's in-game name was "Neptune's Sunset." The man in the blue robe and the woman were real-life boyfriend and girlfriend, with in-game names "Mirror Man" and "Water Moon." These three and the young man were originally good friends in real life, living in the same city but in different places, yet they were still well-informed about each other. This time, the young man was summoned by the three to help in the game.

Originally, when the game started, Sunset, Mirror Man, and Water Moon had been forming a team to level up and complete tasks. The game world was based on several famous martial arts novels, incorporating the martial arts from Jin, Gu, Wen, Liang, and Huang, with Jin's martial arts being the main focus. The game also had many sects. Sunset joined the Huashan Sect for the legendary Nine Swords of Dugu, while Mirror Man and Water Moon joined the Snow Mountain Sect because it had a dual-cultivation sword technique for couples. One day, the three accidentally discovered a hidden valley while leveling up, which seemed to be inhabited by a hermit. After gathering information, they learned that if they could enter the valley, find the hermit, and complete their tasks, they could learn new martial arts, which appeared to be at least advanced, and possibly even ultimate.

The martial arts in the game were divided into several levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and ultimate. Ultimate martial arts were the strongest, and the names of such martial arts were well-known, such as the Nine Swords of Dugu, the Yi Jin Jing, the Nine Yang Divine Skill, and the Flying Saber of Little Li. Ah Fei, being well-read in novels, understood the value of these martial arts. Although he wasn't interested in the game, he couldn't resist his friends' request and hurriedly registered an account to help. His name originally contained the character "Fei," so he casually chose the name "Suffering Ah Fei."

The three were delighted when they discovered the hidden valley. After more than a month of preparation, they had a basic understanding of the task and even prepared the required items. According to the task requirements, the first team to enter the valley would receive additional rewards, while subsequent teams would receive reduced rewards.

However, to enter the valley, a team of at least four people was required. The valley was originally discovered by the three, and no one else in the game knew about it. They were afraid that if they found someone, the information might leak, attracting many competitors. So, they decided to find a friend in real life to help. The task itself wasn't very difficult, and the three could handle it, but Ah Fei's only role was to complete the team.

Suffering Ah Fei understood the situation and sneered, "You three are really doing poorly. You've been in the game for half a year and can't even find someone you trust, so you have to drag me here to help."

Sunset sighed, "This is a big deal, right? We're not short of people. I'm a hall master in a guild, and Mirror Man and Water Moon have brothers in their sect. But the game's morals are declining. If others find out we discovered the hidden valley, they might complete the task before us or even kill us and take the task."

Suffering Ah Fei, impatient, said, "Alright, I'm just here to fill the numbers. I'm not interested in the game, so let's get this over with. I need to get a haircut this afternoon and go to work tomorrow. How do we get to the valley?"

Hearing Suffering Ah Fei's straightforward agreement, everyone was delighted. Mirror Man grabbed Suffering Ah Fei and said, "Great, Brother Fei, you're a man of honor. We'll treat you to a meal after we succeed! Let's go, jump into the river!"

"Jump into the river?"

Before Ah Fei could react, "plop," the four of them jumped off the bridge and fell into the deep river. In fact, Ah Fei didn't jump on his own; he was dragged down by the three. He had no mental preparation, so he fell headfirst, and water instantly filled his mouth and nose, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Ah Fei had never felt the cold of the river in autumn before, but now he experienced it for the first time in the game. The first sensation wasn't cold but a current-like stimulation, followed by a dizzying roll. When he was pulled out of the water, his head was in a mess, and he vomited on the riverbank. Mirror Man patted his back and said, "Vomit, vomit, I did the same the first time. You'll get used to it."

Before he could finish, a sword appeared at his feet, and Mirror Man quickly used his lightness skill to jump away. Ah Fei hadn't learned any internal skills or sword techniques, so the sword, though fierce, posed no threat to the skilled Mirror Man. However, he didn't dare to be careless and laughed, "You're crazy, don't use the sword."

Ah Fei wiped the water from his mouth and said angrily, "What are you doing? You didn't even tell me you were going to jump into the river, and now I've swallowed a belly full of water."

Mirror Man sighed, "We had no choice. We must cross a hidden underwater passage to reach the entrance of the valley. I accidentally fell into the water last time and discovered this hidden valley."

"You're so devious. You should have told me to hold my breath!"

"Wasn't it to make you feel the realism of the game? You're always uninterested in the game, and we've invited you so many times, but you never come to see. How realistic is that?"

"Realistic... If I could stab you in the face with a sword, it would be even more realistic!" Ah Fei was still angry. He stood up and looked around, finding himself on a riverside lawn. Looking into the distance, he saw mist and dense forests, with the sound of birds, creating a secluded and peaceful valley. It was a perfect place for seclusion and leisure.

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