"Ding!"
Our glasses clinked against each other.
"For Snow Moon!
For Snow Moon!
For Snow Moon... "
Dragon Soul's face was red and he was drunk. He shouted and whimpered, but it sounded like he was crying.
Lin Shuang glanced at Dragon Soul next to her and smiled. "Useless."
Gui Zhi didn't say anything but drank one glass after another.
Xing Tian raised his head and gulped down a glass of white wine. Then, he wiped his tears.
Lin Shuang saw this and said, "Useless."
My head was a little dizzy from being forced to drink a lot of alcohol. I raised my head and saw Qin Yun's beautiful face. She was also looking at me. Her eyes were filled with deep sorrow, just like that night.
Just half an hour ago, the words Qin Yun said to me were still lingering in my ears — —
"If we can't be together, then we can't be together. Actually, a lifetime isn't that long..."
Qin Yun said as she cried. Her words made my nose turn sour. That's right. A lifetime isn't that long. That's why we should be happier while we're alive. Because one day, when we die, we'll be dead for a very long time.
Xing Tian wiped his tears and said, "I'm going back to Beijing tomorrow. I love you guys."
Qin Yun nodded, her eyes still watery.
I couldn't help but turn around. My nose stung and I felt something wet on my face. I quickly wiped it away, afraid that someone would see it.
Lin Shuang saw it but she still said, "Useless."
Dragon Soul smiled. His smile was uglier than crying. "Yeah, we are a bunch of useless people. From the moment we met to the moment we separated, we were useless."
This time, it was a true separation.
I hadn't expected Lin Shuang to be so ruthless. Dragon Soul and the other main members of the Battle Soul were all going to Beijing. The internet cafe chain had arranged for some trusted subordinates to manage them. It would be difficult to see each other in the future.
She had even taken Qin Yun with her. Lin Shuang was cutting off the last connection between Sword Flame and Snow Moon. She was too ruthless.
We drank until midnight, when the hotel closed for the day and kicked us out of the door.
It was drizzling outside.
Dragon Soul, Xing Tian, and Gui Zhi walked shoulder to shoulder on the pedestrian street. Ling Xue and Ling Yue followed us with umbrellas. Qin Yun drove the car and drove Lin Shuang slowly along the road.
"Hua …"
There was the sound of water splashing. The Dragon Soul's feet suddenly slipped and he fell backward. At the same time, he dragged the other three people with him.
"Bang …"
The four of them lay together in the rain. The ground was cold.
Ling Xue hurried to help me up. "Scholar, get up. Don't catch a cold …"
I shook my head. "No, the ground is fine. Ling Xue?
Go and be with Ling Yue, don't worry about me … "
Ling Xue bit her lips and retreated. She seemed to understand that letting me indulge myself for once was a good thing for me.
He was lying on his back in the rain, letting the rain fall into his eyes and mouth, but he was still smiling foolishly.
The Dragon Soul lay on the ground, laughing and crying.
Xing Tian was drunk and shouting, "Motherf * cker! What the hell is this? What the hell is this? Motherf * cker!"
Gui Zhi opened his mouth to catch the rain. He seemed to be thirsty, but it also looked like he was lacking oxygen.
Everyone shouted, "For Snow Moon," and went completely crazy. In the eyes of the passersby, we looked like a bunch of lunatics.
Drip, drip, drip, drip, splashed on our faces and bodies.
I turned around and asked, "Dragon Soul, do you love Lin Shuang?"
Dragon Soul said after drinking, "Yes, deeply. My heart was broken when she left the country. Now that she's back, I have no reason to disappoint her …"
He shouted and asked me, "Scholar, do you love Qin Yun?"
I faced the rain and shouted, "I love Qin Yun. I love Qin Yun!"
Gui Zhi closed his eyes and spat out the rainwater in his mouth. He laughed and said, "You can shout even louder. If Ling Xue doesn't cut you into pieces when we get back …"
The few of them shouted at the top of their lungs. No matter who heard them, no one could hear them.
Not far away, the Audi suddenly stopped.
Inside the car, Qin Yun leaned against the steering wheel and cried.
She looked at the people outside the car, her expression changing. In the end, she shook her head and sighed. "Those idiots. I should get out of the car and teach them a lesson …"
However, she didn't do anything. She leaned against the seat, tears rolling down the corners of her eyes.
… …
I didn't know when Qin Yun had left.
It had rained in the middle of the night, and I had a high fever. I slept until the next afternoon. By then, I was already in the workshop.
When I came to the living room, I saw that the door to Qin Yun's room was open. There was no one inside, and the closet was empty. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air.
"Sigh …"
I took a step back and sat in a corner. Last time, Qin Yun might have left because she was angry, but this time, Qin Yun had really left. She would never return.
I didn't know when, but Ling Xue was standing in front of the door. She looked at me and said in a small voice, "Scholar, don't be like this. My heart will hurt if you do this, you know?"
I sucked in a deep breath and stood up. I put my hands on Ling Xue's shoulders and smiled. "Mn. From today onwards, let's forget Qin Yun. I won't be half-hearted anymore."
Ling Xue smiled. "There's no need to forget. You can always remember Qin Yun. Open your eyes and say her name three times a day. I believe I can make you forget her."
"Haha …"
I smiled and asked, "Where's Ling Yue?"
"She went to Shanghai. Dad summoned her."
"She's the only one he summoned?"
"Yes."
"Do you know why?" I asked.
However, Ling Xue hesitated. After a while, she cautiously said, "Scholar, I have something to say. Don't get angry. You must calm down."
"Yes, what is it?"
Ling Xue said in a small voice, "Snow Moon almost disbanded …"
"What?
Disbanded?
What do you mean? "I panicked. This matter was too unbelievable.
Ling Xue also panicked and said angrily, "I told you not to be angry!"
I tried to calm down and asked, "Xiao Xue, what happened? Tell me."
"Yes."
Ling Xue looked at me and said, "Yesterday afternoon, Sword Fire left Snow Moon in large numbers. In just one afternoon, the main guild lost more than seventy thousand people. Later, even Flying Fire left. In the end, only eight thousand or so people were left in the main guild.
That's not all. Fifty-four subguilds of Snow Moon were wiped out in one night. Fifty-one of them were incited to defect. "
"What? Defect?"
My head exploded. "Who instigated defection?
Aren't the leaders of the subguilds who defected to Snow Moon all former subordinates of Dragon Soul? "
"Yes!"
Ling Xue gritted her teeth and said, "Of course it's done by someone with evil intentions. You can check the forums. It's almost all about Snow Moon."
"Oh …"
I walked out of Qin Yun's room and returned to my own room. I turned on my computer. As expected, the title of Spirit of Grief's forums had changed to "Snow Moon is a thing of the past?".
The forums were even more noisy. One of the posts was pinned at the top, and the poster was called "All-knowing Man of Ganghood". The content of the post made me break out in a cold sweat —
"Frivolous Scholar used the power of Sword Fire to establish Snow Moon as the number one party of White Cloud City. But when he was at his peak on Snow Moon, Frivolous Scholar acted against Sword Fire Dragon Soul, Sword Fire Judging Heaven, and Sword Fire Ghost Blaze. It has been confirmed that these three people have been expelled from the Snow Moon Alliance and Suzhou in real life."
"Frivolous Scholar's move was the power to release troops. The upper echelons of Snow Moon officially broke off, and it was rumored that Frivolous Scholar abandoned Zi Yun 'er. Dragon Soul, Judging Heaven, and Ghost Blaze were so angry that they officially announced their departure from Snow Moon to rebuild their battle souls. Even Breeze That Flies Snow and Breeze That Touches the Moon are keeping their distance from Frivolous Scholar."
"Everyone, you have finally seen the true face of Frivolous Scholar, haven't you?
Let's hurry and leave Snow Moon, this unclean black nest, before we get ambushed. Rumor has it that Soul Battle Robes and Thousand Years Achievement have decided to attack Snow Moon's two main residences — King's Capital and Sky Water County. If we lose these two residences, Snow Moon will become the public enemy of all White Cloud City players. Do you want to be buried with them? "
… …
After reading this paragraph, I leaned against the headboard, feeling powerless. Waves of anger and resentment surged in my chest.
For a long time, I had neglected to manage the members of Snow Moon. Dragon Soul and a few others were in charge of almost all the guilds, and I, the so-called guild leader, was just a hands-off boss. If something huge happened, how many people could I count on to follow me?
Since ancient times, a general could not obey the orders of the monarch. Dragon Soul had taken away most of the people from Snow Moon, and it felt like he was wearing a yellow robe.
I didn't blame him. Before he left Snow Moon, he had already declared that he was acting out of selfishness.
However, the human heart was like this. How many waves could it withstand?
I had overestimated my Power of Faith. By the time I regretted it, it was already too late.
Ling Xue sat next to me and said softly, "This is a premeditated incitement, rumor, and rebellion. Snow Moon didn't lose to a strong enemy, but it lost to itself. Don't feel wronged, Scholar, okay?"
"I'm not wronged …"
I murmured to myself, "Just who did we offend? Who is it that wants Snow Moon to split apart?"
"I don't know. It's most likely Blood Drinker, Seven-star Lamp, or Wang Junjie."
I asked, "What's the situation in the game?"
"Right now, the Snow Moon Alliance only has around eight thousand members. The subguilds Dream of Snow Moon, Eternal, World, and Shanxue are the only ones left.
Let's go in and take a look. I'm going back online. "
"Mn."
I connected my device and entered the game.
Whoosh!
I appeared in the King's City. This place wasn't as prosperous as it used to be. There weren't as many players as before. I looked at the Snow Moon Alliance. As expected, there were less than eight thousand people left. Almost all of them were people we had recruited ourselves.
Next, it was time for Xue Yue Studio to develop their own forces.
"Scholar is online, Scholar is online!"
Shadow Follower shouted excitedly, "Scholar, if you don't come online, Snow Moon will be completely devoured!"
There weren't many players left in the main guild, especially the experts. Shadow Follower was the only one who could be used.
I was filled with guilt and said, "I was sick yesterday. Thank you, Suifeng."
"It's good that you're online. I thought you really broke off with Dragon Soul and the others."
"Of course not, they just want their battle souls back. It's fine. We need to rebuild Snow Moon, we can't let others laugh at us!"
"Mn!"
Shadow Follower paused for a moment before saying, "Scholar, I'm worried that Thousand Year Achievements and Soul Battle Robes are ready to attack us. The main guild has less than eight thousand people, so we can't defend the King's City at all. You must make a decision as soon as possible."
I nodded and thought for a moment. "Bing Zhiyi, Fleeting Time, Magic Cube of Fate, and the others will return to the main guild. Including you, you will be the highest management of the Snow Moon Alliance. You will be responsible for defending the King's City. Also, Eternal, World, and Shanxue will enter Dream of Returning to Snow Moon. In the future, there will only be two alliances on Snow Moon. One is the main guild, and the other is Dream of Returning to Snow Moon. The main guild will defend the King's City, and Dream of Returning to Snow Moon will defend Tianshui County!"
Shadow Follower smiled. "Okay, it feels so good to have someone in charge!"
"Hehe …"
I contacted the other guilds and passed on my message. It didn't take long for a group of people to arrive at the main hall of the King's City.
Shadow Follower, Flying Fire, Melancholy, Spring And Autumn Dance, Great Swordsman, Bing Zhiyi, Magic Cube of Fate, Fleeting Time, Tearless, and the other first-rate experts of the Snow Moon were all here. Ling Xue, Zi Yue, and Summer were all here as well. Qin Yun had deleted me from my friend list, and it felt like my heart was being twisted by a knife.
I sucked in a deep breath and said solemnly, "Snow Moon has suffered its biggest setback ever. I thank everyone for staying here."
Everyone smiled. "Don't mention it. What should we do next?"
I nodded. "Bing Zhiyi, Flying Fire, Great Swordsman, Magic Cube of Fate, Fleeting Time, Tearless, bring your experts back to the main guild to replenish the guild's lost strength. Melancholy, Spring And Autumn Dance, bring Eternal and World to Dream of Snow Moon. Shanxue as well. Right now, we don't need to think about anything else. Let's focus on building up the 200 thousand people in the main guild and Dream of Snow Moon and ensure the safety of the King's City and Sky Water County."
"Yes!"
The switch began on the spot. Ling Xue, the vice leader, received Bing Zhiyi, Magic Cube of Fate, and the other experts. Melancholy and Spring And Autumn Dance entered Dream of Snow Moon to defend Sky Water County.
In the guild channel, a series of notifications popped up —
Guild Notice: Player [Bing Zhiyi] has joined the guild. Everyone, welcome!
Guild Notice: Player [Fleeting Time] has joined the guild. Everyone, welcome!
Guild Notice: Player [Magic Cube of Fate] has joined the guild. Everyone, welcome!
Guild Notice: Player [Yi Shui Han] has joined the guild. Everyone, welcome!
Guild Notice: Player [Sky Song] has joined the guild. Everyone, welcome!
… …
Immediately, the lifeless main guild became lively again. Many players laughed and said, "Wah!
Beauty Bing Zhiyi is in the main guild?
What a pleasure! "
"Wah, Magic Cube of Fate has joined too?
Haha, the main guild is going to be awesome again! "
Ling Xue and I looked at each other and smiled. We let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, as long as the people of Snow Moon were there, their souls would be there.
I gave my phone number to Shadow Follower, Magic Cube of Fate, Bing Zhiyi and the other people in charge. If anything happened, they could contact me directly. Dragon Soul and the others were gone, so I would be in charge of Snow Moon from now on. No one would be able to poach even half of my people!
However, right now, Snow Moon was in an absolutely disadvantageous position. The main guild, including Dream of Returning Snow Moon, Thousand Snow and the other subguilds, didn't have more than 400,000 people. It was a bit of a stretch to defend the Sky Water County and the King's Capital at the same time.
To be honest, I was very worried that Thousand Year Achievements or Soul Battle Robes would attack at this time.
The funny thing was, I had never been this afraid of Seven-star Lamp and Blood Drinker of the World.
I asked around and learned that the dozens of subguilds of Snow Moon had disbanded. About half of them had been absorbed by Lin Shuang into the reformed battle soul, and the rest had scattered like birds and beasts. There was no way to gather them back even if I wanted to. There was no turning back, so I assumed that they wouldn't be coming back.
As for the grievance, who could understand the feeling of being slandered by rumors?
… …
I busied myself until night time. Finally, I reorganized the Snow Moon Alliance and gathered a hundred thousand people. With these hundred thousand people guarding the city, anyone who wanted to touch the King's Capital would have to think twice.
When I went offline at night, Ling Yue came back. She was limping and holding on to the handrail of the stairs. She gritted her teeth and refused to say a word.