Chapter 78

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The demon mask could hide his identity, allowing him to act in the dark under a different identity, doing many things he couldn't do with his current identity. And now was the perfect time.

Shifeng walked out of the inn, looked around, and noticed several players acting strangely, staring intently at the inn's entrance as if waiting for something. However, due to the demon mask, these people didn't notice him.

"How come that guy hasn't come out yet? Is he going to stay in there forever until his red name turns back?" An assassin sitting outside the inn said impatiently.

"What's the rush? That guy is dead meat. He dared to ambush Iron Sword and kill so many of our brothers. Our Wu Lin Alliance is now at war with him. I want to see how long he can hide. If he waits until his red name turns back, he won't be able to reduce his sin by grinding monsters, which would take at least 30 hours. Even if he's strong now, after 30 hours, our equipment and levels will far surpass his, making it even easier to kill him back to level zero," another assassin sneered.

As these Wu Lin Alliance members chatted and mocked Shifeng, they didn't realize he was standing right next to them, hearing every word clearly.

"The Wu Lin Alliance is quick to act, sending an assassin squad to watch me. They really think highly of me. Unfortunately, I don't have time to play with them. Let them wait until dawn."

Shifeng had long anticipated that Iron Sword Lion wouldn't let him off. After all, they had clashed many times in the previous life, and he knew Iron Sword Lion's character well—someone who would seek revenge at any cost, even if it meant paying a heavy price. He would do anything to avenge himself, and he would repay his enemies a thousandfold.

Some might call it simplicity, while others might call it stubbornness, making it easy to predict his actions.

Shifeng then left the inn leisurely, leaving the assassins waiting outside, mocking him for being a coward who dared only to hide in the inn, ultimately leading to his death.

At the auction house in the trade district, the crowd was so dense that it was impossible to squeeze in to collect materials. He had to give up and head to the Chef's Guild to check on Ziyun's progress.

Compared to the popular Smithing Guild, the Chef's Guild was nearly deserted, with only a few life players entering and exiting.

Before entering the rented kitchen, Shifeng adjusted the demon mask to hide his red name.

When he entered the kitchen, he found Ziyun focused on making iced fruit juice, her technique surprisingly skilled and swift, and her level had reached 3, surpassing many life players.

He had seen many master chefs in the previous life making cold drinks, but none of them were as natural and smooth as Ziyun, as if it came naturally. It was hard to imagine why Ziyun said her speed was slow, when it was actually astonishingly fast. Was she lying to him?

Shifeng shook his head, thinking it was unnecessary, and walked over, suddenly asking, "Ziyun, how are you doing?"

But Ziyun didn't seem to hear him, still fully focused on making the iced fruit juice, undistracted by anything else.

Seeing Ziyun's intense concentration, Shifeng was secretly amazed and didn't disturb her, instead standing aside to observe.

After more than ten minutes, Ziyun still hadn't noticed Shifeng, and she had already made over ten cups of iced fruit juice, which were clear and bright, subtly emitting an inviting aroma.

When she ran out of materials and went to get more, she was startled.

"Ah!"

Ziyun was surprised to find her boss, Shifeng, standing behind her, looking like he had been waiting for a while.

Thinking about making her boss wait so long, Ziyun felt flustered and nervously lowered her head, saying, "Boss."

"Have you finished the 900 cups of iced fruit juice?" Shifeng asked with a smile, now having a higher opinion of Ziyun.

The more focused a person is, the higher their efficiency and the easier it is to overcome difficulties, much like the concept of unity with nature in Taoism or sudden enlightenment. However, not everyone can maintain such intense concentration for long periods, like how one might start thinking about other things after studying for a long time or become distracted during a lecture.

But Ziyun had an extraordinary ability to concentrate, making her work much more efficient and productive. It was no wonder she would eventually become a divine healer. Even if she chose another profession, her achievements would likely be significant.

"Yes, I finished them all, but I had some new insights while making them and used a lot of materials to create new iced fruit juices. I hope you won't be angry," Ziyun said fearfully, knowing she hadn't followed Shifeng's instructions exactly, making other dishes after finishing the 900 cups of iced fruit juice.

Shifeng chuckled, looked at the hundreds of new iced fruit juices on the table, and encouraged her, "Why would I be angry? I'll reward you. With the new iced fruit juices, I have a better chance of succeeding in my plan. Here are 3 silver coins as a reward. I hope you continue to innovate. As for the profit from these iced fruit juices, I'll give you your share after I sell them."

"Stop making iced fruit juice for now and focus on the two wolf meat dishes. I have a big plan for them."

Wolf meat wasn't valuable to players now, but when made into wolf meat dishes, it could increase in value by ten times. Eating wolf meat dishes would boost a player's main attribute by 5 points for an hour, which was a significant attraction for many players, equivalent to a level-up, increasing their grinding speed.

However, due to the high cost, most chef players didn't care about such dishes, missing out on a great opportunity.

"Thank you, boss. I will complete the task," Ziyun said, her face full of excitement and gratitude. She felt incredibly lucky to meet Shifeng, as she would otherwise have to sell the iced fruit juices on the street, and even then, she wouldn't sell many. It would take her seven to eight days to earn 3 silver coins, but now it only took one day.

Shifeng then put all the iced fruit juices, over 1,700 cups, into his backpack. If each cup sold for one copper coin, it would be 17 silver coins, a significant amount for ordinary players, but for Shifeng, it was just a drop in the bucket. However, he didn't plan to sell them, as he had other uses for them.

System: The design blueprint you sold at the auction house has been sold. After deducting the handling fee, 2 gold and 76 silver coins have been added to your backpack.

"Did the Assassin Alliance buy it?" Shifeng checked the official forum and, as expected, the Assassin Alliance had posted about buying the blueprint, using it to boost their reputation and influence.

After all, being able to buy the blueprint indicated the guild's strength, making many independent players reassess the Assassin Alliance's power.

"Ziyun, if you want to exchange game coins for credit points, wait another hour before selling them on the virtual trading center. The price will be higher," Shifeng thought for a moment and reminded Ziyun.

"Okay," Ziyun nodded obediently, not fully understanding Shifeng's advice but choosing to trust him, as he was her savior.

Shifeng then gave Ziyun 5 silver coins to buy materials for the wolf meat dishes and left the Chef's Guild, transforming into the appearance of another middle-aged man.

"It's time to contact her." Shifeng had completed all the necessary preparations, and the Assassin Alliance had already made the major guilds anxious. Now was the perfect time.

Shifeng opened his friend list, found Snow Goddess, and smiled brightly, sending a message as Black Flame Smith, asking to meet Snow Goddess.

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