Chapter 21 Situation Change

Everyone busied themselves, heading off to claim their tasks according to their designated assassination targets. Those who had already received their assignments scattered to scout out the locations of the four major guilds. Xi Xiaotian, along with Liu Xia and Yun Xiang, formed a trio to divvy up their roles. They tentatively decided that Xi Xiaotian and Yun Xiang would each act as envoys to two guilds, with Liu Xia impersonating the guild leader. The three of them rehearsed repeatedly, meticulously considering potential scenarios and events, striving to deceive their opponents flawlessly. Xi Xiaotian was, of course, brimming with confidence in himself, but he was somewhat worried that Yun Xiang might seem unnatural during his embassy. Therefore, they aimed for simplicity and clarity in Yun Xiang's approach. As the saying goes, the more you say, the more likely you are to err, so the less said, the safer it would be.

The scouts sent out also gradually returned with information. The four major guilds were, after all, conspicuous groups. Asking around as they went, it wasn't difficult to pinpoint their locations. Three of these four guilds were directly stationed within the resurrection camps. Those in charge had to leave their guilds, and Xi Xiaotian and his companions had already prepared for this. They were kicked out one by one, with Xi Xiaotian taking responsibility for Going Against the Current and Cloud Herding and Hunting, while Yun Xiang was responsible for Oathless Sword and Black Finger.

Xi Xiaotian rummaged through his pockets, grabbing a handful of guild badges. He casually picked out two identical ones, handing one to Yun Xiang, and putting one on himself. He asked Yun Xiang one last time, "What's the guild called, how many members are there, who are the key members? Have you memorized all the relevant information?"

"I've memorized it," Yun Xiang nodded.

"Alright, one for each, let's start with the furthest ones," Xi Xiaotian said, and he and Yun Xiang split up. The others knew that the operation had begun. Those who had taken on tasks and those who were gathering information also started to return to their positions, seizing the time to discuss and refine their tactics.

In the northwest resurrection camp of the city, players were densely packed, including the Cloud Herding guild led by Yun Zhong Mu Di. The city war remained at a standstill. Having learned that there was a limit to the number of deaths, many guilds dared not act rashly, especially the major guilds that held high hopes for the city war. They didn't dare carelessly engage in attrition warfare with the system. Currently, the major guilds were shifting their focus towards tasks. However, special tasks were not something you could simply take on at will. In the various resurrection camps, there were many timed and counted tasks available from fixed NPCs. Players were swarming here, grinding these boring and tedious tasks to earn some points.

Yun Zhong Mu Di himself was present, but he had cleverly dispersed his subordinates to the six major resurrection camps. He didn't plan to expend a single soldier on siege warfare until there was a clear chance of victory. Although this had drawn criticism and contempt from many players, Yun Zhong Mu Di remained unmoved. While sending people to grind these small tasks, he also had people searching for large tasks and scouting for the latest movements of various battles and guilds.

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Yun Zhong Mu Di had no need to be nervous or anxious. All he possessed was anticipation, and that anticipation arrived at his doorstep at this moment. Xi Xiaotian, passing through one guild after another, arrived before the Mu Yun guild.

"Is your guild leader in?" Xi Xiaotian asked with a smile.

"A beauty's looking for the guild leader..." The Mu Yun guild members winked and nudged each other, their smiles tinged with ambiguity. While repeatedly answering that he was, they immediately sent a message to Yun Zhong Mu Di: "A great beauty's looking for you."

Few people dislike beauties, and Yun Zhong Mu Di was no exception. However, few people would be as shameless in front of beauties as the playboys. Yun Zhong Mu Di was no exception. Hearing that a beauty was looking for him, he didn't start fantasizing like an idiot. After asking where she was, he went over.

"Guild Leader Yun, long time no see!" Xi Xiaotian said.

"You..." Yun Zhong Mu Di thought this woman looked very familiar. He quickly remembered who this woman was, the guy who had once swindled him out of four hundred gold coins. He later pursued him all the way to A Thousand Miles Drunk, only to learn it was a misunderstanding. However, unable to swallow his anger, he agreed to a PK without skills with A Thousand Miles Drunk at the resurrection point, only to be beaten black and blue. Later, Sakura Tsukuyomi suddenly appeared, and both sides, half-acquainted, acted as peacemakers, letting the matter drop. At that time, Yun Zhong Mu Di had wanted to pull A Thousand Miles Drunk into the guild, but Sakura Tsukuyomi's intrusion made him mistakenly believe that A Thousand Miles Drunk was also a perverted fellow like the playboys, and immediately concluded that this person could not give up Rebirth Purple Crystals, so he gave up.

About Xi Xiaotian's matter, he was quite angry at the time, but it had since been proven to be a misunderstanding, and the anger naturally dissipated. However, he was unable to recruit A Thousand Miles Drunk into the guild with those four hundred gold coins, which he felt a little regretful about. But that was, after all, a matter of mutual consent. Although it could be said that he had been taken advantage of, so much time had passed that Yun Zhong Mu Di wasn't petty enough to hold a grudge to this day.

"It's you. What do you want?" Yun Zhong Mu Di said.

"Hehe, like last time, I have some information I want to sell to Guild Leader Yun," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Oh? What kind of information?" Yun Zhong Mu Di was already on guard, but he wasn't a lawyer who charged by the hour. It wouldn't cost him anything to listen, so he casually asked.

"A task," Xi Xiaotian said.

"A task?" Yun Zhong Mu Di was taken aback. "What's going on?"

"There's a task I want to sell to you, Guild Leader Yun," Xi Xiaotian said.

"I don't quite understand what you mean."

"The logic is simple. Our guild received a task, but we don't have the ability to complete it. However, we know that major guilds like Mu Yun would definitely be interested in trying such a large task. So, we want to take this task and earn some gold coins," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Oh? What guild are you from?" Yun Zhong Mu Di asked.

"Ling Yue Heavenly Realm," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Never heard of it."

Xi Xiaotian smiled, "So it's a small guild, formed by a group of twenty-odd friends."

Yun Zhong Mu Di remained calm on the surface, immediately instructing his guild members to ask if anyone knew of this guild. As it turned out, someone did say it sounded vaguely familiar.

"What's the guild like?" Yun Zhong Mu Di asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if I heard it somewhere or saw it somewhere..." the person who knew replied.

"Go check it out!" Yun Zhong Mu Di said.

"We can't enter the main city, we can't get to the guild hall, how can we check?"

Yun Zhong Mu Di thought that was true. Although the official website would have some guild rankings for each region, those were only the top-ranked guilds. If this was just a guild of twenty-odd people, there was no way it would be on the list.

"Are you the guild leader?" Yun Zhong Mu Di asked Xi Xiaotian.

"No, our guild leader isn't available to show his face right now," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Why?"

"Hehe, because the task is on our guild leader. If he shows himself and accidentally dies, the task will fail due to death. How would we earn money then?" Xi Xiaotian said.

"What exactly is the task?" Yun Zhong Mu Di asked.

"We certainly don't know what the follow-up to the task is. We just can't get past the current stage. If we had the ability to complete it, we wouldn't be selling the task," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Then why are you selling it to me?" Yun Zhong Mu Di said.

Xi Xiaotian smiled, "You've misunderstood. Although I'm selling the task now, it's not certain that you'll be the one to buy it."

"What do you mean? You want to..." Yun Zhong Mu Di immediately realized that Xi Xiaotian had looked for him and Going Against the Current last time, and this time, this woman wanted to repeat the same trick. However, the last time it was shareable information, but this time it was a task. The task couldn't be shared between two guilds. Without a doubt, this woman wanted to find several guilds and then let the highest bidder win.

"Guild Leader Yun, I wonder if you understand what I mean?" Xi Xiaotian said.

"I understand..." Yun Zhong Mu Di felt a little hate. It was another bamboo extortion, but, like last time, he knew it, but he had to bite the bullet and let her extort him. Those who could compete with him were nothing more than the other four level-six guilds, but this time it wasn't about strength, but about wealth, and the courage to spend for the task. In any case, Yun Zhong Mu Di felt it was necessary to participate. If he bought it, he would have gained something. If he didn't buy it, it wouldn't be much of a loss. Thinking of this, Yun Zhong Mu Di nodded, his expression calm, and said, "Okay, I'll participate. Send me the quotation when the time comes."

Hearing this, Xi Xiaotian felt a thump in his heart. This guy was planning to use the information to conduct a remote auction? This was not the result they wanted. Thinking this in his heart, he showed a slight surprise on the surface, followed by a hint of joy, and then said, "Oh? Then please add me as a friend, Guild Leader Yun, so I can quote you when the time comes."

Yun Zhong Mu Di had been observing very carefully. He saw the strange look on Xi Xiaotian's face just now. Hearing that he had to add her as a friend, he was pondering and preparing to operate. A member of the guild had already reminded him: "Guild leader, this is equivalent to an auction. If we don't participate in person, won't they be able to play tricks behind the scenes?"

Yun Zhong Mu Di thought, that's right! If he didn't hear the quotations, for example, if Going Against the Current quoted one thousand, and this woman told him two thousand, wouldn't he be a fool? Even contacting Going Against the Current wouldn't work. Going Against the Current might quote one thousand on the surface, but secretly tell him that he quoted five hundred. Yun Zhong Mu Di would be happy to quote eight hundred, thinking it was a good deal, but in fact, no one was higher. In any case, this event must be conducted face-to-face. If you want to play mysterious and behind the scenes, you have to absolutely trust the other party.

Yun Zhong Mu Di certainly didn't trust this woman, nor did he trust the other guild leaders. He sighed in his heart that he was really confused and almost became an idiot. He quickly changed his words: "Adding friends is necessary, but no need to quote. I think I'll send someone to participate when the time comes! How are you planning to conduct it?"

"It's like this. This task seems to be only available to those with the guild leader's identity. Because that NPC is quite conspicuous, but our people didn't trigger the task plot before. Finally, our guild leader received the task after contacting him. So, our guild leader will not appear in public. He is now in a relatively safe place. The auction will be hosted by me. After which guild wins the auction, our guild leader will follow their requirements and cause his own death, leading to the failure of the task. Then, the guild leader who successfully bid can naturally take over the task. What do you think of this mode of operation, Guild Leader Yun? Is there anything wrong?" Xi Xiaotian said.

"It seems alright," Yun Zhong Mu Di nodded. "So, where is this task NPC?"

"Cloud Suburb Lumberyard. If Guild Leader Yun thinks there are no problems, you can send someone trustworthy to participate in the auction now. After a successful auction, we can do the task first, then the money. Hehe, we still trust the credibility of a major guild," Xi Xiaotian said.

Major guilds certainly don't mean they have quality, but the few major guilds in Cloud End City have a good reputation in this regard, and no one would disbelieve them. So, Xi Xiaotian didn't dwell on the issue of whether to pay first or do the task first.

After listening, Yun Zhong Mu Di didn't feel anything unsatisfactory and immediately nodded: "Then I'll send someone over immediately. How will we contact you then?"

"Oh, if possible, could you wait a moment? I still have to go to Drinking and Singing, then we can go together," Xi Xiaotian said.

Yun Zhong Mu Di listened and hated him secretly, but with a flash of inspiration, he suddenly opened his mouth and said: "How much money? How much money are you willing to sell the task directly?"

Xi Xiaotian smiled slightly: "This is something that doesn't have a clear price, the value needs to be reflected."

So cunning... Yun Zhong Mu Di gritted his teeth, then said: "Okay, what's your name, I'll add you as a friend, we'll contact you later."

"Xi Xiaotian." Xi Xiaotian left his name and added Yun Zhong Mu Di as a friend, then said goodbye and left. On the other side, Yun Xiang had already finished visiting Black Finger. Black Finger came from a mercenary group and had more experience in trading than the average guild leader, so everything was very simple. As soon as Yun Xiang explained his intention, Black Finger quickly sorted out many of the details. Black Finger didn't make the joke of wanting to participate in the auction remotely. He was also very concerned about asking about the type of task. These were, of course, lines that had been rehearsed long ago. Yun Xiang wasn't nervous and performed perfectly, answering each question as prepared. Black Finger also gladly expressed his intention to participate in the auction in the end.

The two visited the next family, and at this time, Liu Xia, the specially arranged guild leader, was not used at all. The players in both guilds simply didn't ask about the guild leader's situation. In their opinion, having a task was enough. It seemed unnecessary to deal with your guild leader.

Xi Xiaotian left Mu Yun and went to Drinking and Singing. Drinking and Singing killed A Thousand Miles Drunk in the morning, which greatly boosted their morale, but killing him was useless. Their mission didn't improve, which was relatively depressing. At this time, in addition to searching for missions everywhere like Mu Yun, Drinking and Singing was also paying attention to the whereabouts of Sword Demon. They had already regarded Sword Demon as their mission target.

With the same meeting mode, Going Against the Current was obviously more intelligent than Yun Zhong Mu Di. He didn't make the joke of wanting to bid remotely. He asked the same questions and understood the situation in the same way. The difference was that Going Against the Current asked which guilds would be participating in these mission bids.

"Drinking and Singing, All Directions, Mu Yun Guild..."

"Oh? Not inviting Rainbow Clouds?" Going Against the Current asked.

"We feel that Guild Leader Gu of Rainbow Clouds wouldn't participate in such activities," Xi Xiaotian said.

"Hehe, fair trade, whether she will participate or not, I think it's fifty-fifty. But even if you don't call her, her guild will come, and moreover, the winner of this auction will also be her. We, Drinking and Singing, won't participate," Going Against the Current said.

"Oh? Why? I don't quite understand," Xi Xiaotian said strangely.

"Hehe, because you invited Oathless Sword, then he will definitely find something to say to Gu Xiaoshang. Although Gu Xiaoshang wasn't invited, hearing this news, and with Oathless Sword's persuasion, the chance of her coming is greatly increased. And if she participates in the auction, Oathless Sword is likely to compete only symbolically, and at the final moment, he is more likely to help her. And if Gu Xiaoshang has no intention of competing, then Oathless Sword will turn around and ask her for help. This guy, whether it's giving Gu Xiaoshang favors or owing Gu Xiaoshang favors, he will spare no effort. So, we simply can't compete with these two," Going Against the Current spread his hands.

"Oh, so, Gu Xiaoshang may not necessarily come. Guild Leader Going Against the Current, are you sure you don't want to take a look?" Xi Xiaotian said.

"Hehe, I think I won't be wrong," Going Against the Current laughed, then stopped speaking.

Xi Xiaotian felt a little flustered in his heart. He had calculated everything, but he had overlooked the power of this dog-blood love, the power of love that was said to be able to overcome everything... In front of this thing, would Oathless Sword abandon his greed for the mission?

At this time, Xi Xiaotian also received a message from Yun Xiang: "That Oathless Sword actually asked us if we had invited Rainbow Clouds. I said no, and then he questioned why we didn't invite her, and then he invited her for us. What if the people from Rainbow Clouds come?"

Xi Xiaotian didn't include Gu Xiaoshang of Rainbow Clouds at the beginning because she wasn't enthusiastic about these things. But for Sword Demon and the others, there was another reason why they didn't want Rainbow Clouds to participate. Young Master Han! Young Master Han was now mixed in with Rainbow Clouds. Not to mention whether he would see through this plan, if he came with Gu Xiaoshang, how could he deceive this guy, Gu Fei, Sword Demon, and this group of acquaintances, by disguising themselves and fooling ordinary people? At that time, their actions would definitely be exposed. With the five major guilds joining forces, even eight Gu Fei would not be able to survive.

"Don't panic, play your own role well," Xi Xiaotian reminded Yun Xiang, then turned to Going Against the Current: "In that case, I'll take my leave."

"Don't mention it," Going Against the Current remained calm, letting Xi Xiaotian leave.

"The situation has changed!!" At this time, everyone in the Cloud Suburb Lumberyard had received the situation: Going Against the Current would not participate in the auction, and the people from Rainbow Clouds might participate instead.

"What do we do?" A group of people panicked.

"What do we do? It's still the same four purposes, kill them and it's over," Gu Fei said.

"This, in case the young master is with them, we're afraid we won't be able to hide," You Ge said.

"You Ge, are you talking to me?" Gu Fei said.

"Yes!"

"Then where are you looking?" Gu Fei asked.

You Ge reluctantly turned his head, only to see Gu Fei's teapot lid hairstyle!

"Don't laugh, laughing is equal to death!!!" You Ge sternly warned himself, then said: "The young master and Rainbow Clouds have been together recently."

"You Ge, why does your voice sound so strange?" Gu Fei asked.

"Does it?"

"Yes!" Many people said.

Nonsense, how could it not be strange? I'm biting my tongue to speak! How could I hold back my laughter without some pain! You Ge was in agony.

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