Chapter 231 – Eternal Bonds (Part 1)

Fang Zheng and Meng Chudong got off the train at 6:30 in the morning. They hadn’t wanted to take an overnight train, but with limited options available, they had no choice if they wanted to catch up with the rest of the group. Strangely enough, when they stepped out of the station, they didn’t feel tired at all. Instead, they were refreshed and energized. The thought of “we’re about to meet our Huaxia brothers” was like a premium in-game potion—just carrying it with them kept their HP and MP perpetually full.

The city in the early morning wasn’t fully awake yet. The sidewalks were relatively empty, but the buses were already bustling, weaving cheerful melodies onto the asphalt roads.

The train station was close to the bus station, and the two followed their phone maps to arrive in just ten minutes. Since they had booked their bus tickets online in advance, they skipped the line and waited in the lively terminal for about half an hour before boarding the coach to their destination.

As the bus drove further away, the scenery outside the window shifted from high-rises and streets to desolate outskirts, then gradually transitioned to lush green mountains and clear waters. Maybe it was the scenery’s effect, but even the sky seemed bluer.

“Hey,” Fang Zheng nudged Birdy, who was sitting beside him, and whispered, “Do you think anyone on this bus is from Huaxia?”

It was just past 8 a.m., still nearly an hour before the earliest meetup time, so the chances of running into their guildmates weren’t high. Fang Zheng had also glanced around when boarding—most passengers were either families or couples. A few young people in outdoor jackets had seemed suspicious at first, but the massive hiking backpacks on the luggage rack gave away their pure backpacker identities. Besides, who would bring a tent when the group fee already included a hot spring hotel stay?

…Then again, Huaxia did have a few lunatics among its ranks.

Unable to deduce an answer, Fang Zheng turned to his trusted companion for help.

Birdy had been resting with his eyes closed—though he wasn’t mentally tired, he still needed to give his body some care. Hearing Fang Zheng’s question, he adjusted his posture slightly for comfort but still didn’t open his eyes. He merely said flatly, “The one in the last row.”

The bus was only about 60% full, with most passengers sitting toward the front or middle—the area Fang Zheng had focused on earlier. Now that Birdy had pointed it out, he quickly turned around, stealthily rising until his eyes peeked over the seatback.

Once he saw the person in question, Fang Zheng understood why Birdy had only mentioned “the last row” without specifying a seat—because there was only one person there, sitting upright. The seat blocked his view of the man’s body and clothes, but judging by his face, he looked to be in his late twenties. He was staring out the window, ostensibly admiring the scenery, but his intense expression didn’t match the word “relaxed.” Instead, it looked like he was attentively listening to an important lecture. From Fang Zheng’s angle, he could see the man’s sharp, heroic profile at a 45-degree angle.

“Hey, he’s pretty good-looking,” Fang Zheng whispered, elbowing Birdy while continuing to sneak glances, hoping for a response.

Birdy resisted the urge to yank him back down.

“Haha.”

Just as Fang Zheng was shamelessly staring, the man suddenly turned his head—as if he’d sensed Fang Zheng’s gaze—and locked eyes with Fang Zheng’s round, wide-eyed face.

Now things were awkward. Fang Zheng had been clinging to the seatback with only half his head exposed, and retreating now would be even weirder. After a brief internal struggle, he decided to just greet the man openly. With that in mind, he let go of the seat, straightened up, and prepared to present himself as the dashing young man he was—

Screech—!

“WHY ARE YOU BRAKING NOW, DAMN IT?! I’M STANDING WITHOUT ANY SAFETY MEASURES, FUCK—”

Crash!

Screeeech—

By the time the bus stopped, Fang Zheng had also “stopped.” Instead of reaching the back, he’d slid all the way to the front. A thousand words rushed to his throat, but all he could do was choke them down…

Who the hell mopped this bus floor so damn slippery?!

The driver ignored the fallen passenger, rolling down the window to yell at the car that had nearly sideswiped them. Fang Zheng could only struggle to his feet, ignoring the onlookers’ amused stares, and slowly, painfully make his way back to the last row. Those dozen steps felt like an eternity.

Finally, standing in front of the suspected Huaxia brother, Fang Zheng mustered all his strength to offer a “charming smile.”

“…Hello.”

The suspected brother immediately grabbed his hand, his voice dripping with sympathy. “No need to force a smile.”

Fang Zheng squeezed back tightly. “Fine. Then could you… stop laughing your ass off?!”

If anything, his words only made the man laugh harder, his grin practically reaching the moon.

Fang Zheng grimaced in pain, seriously considering kicking him out the window. But first, he needed to search his memory bank, because the man’s voice sounded so familiar…

Before he could finish his mental search, Birdy, half-dead from fright, had already sprinted over. Not daring to touch Fang Zheng recklessly, he could only inspect him from all angles.

“Where did you hit?! Are you bleeding?! Broken bones?! Internal bleeding?!”

Why does his concern sound more like a curse?!

This twisted affection is so hard to appreciate, damn it!

“No bleeding, no broken bones, no internal bleeding. Just sore all over from the fall. I’ll be fine after resting a bit.” Fang Zheng patted the dust off his clothes as he spoke.

Birdy frowned and helped brush him off, his movements gentle to avoid aggravating any bruises.

“Still think he’s handsome?”

Fang Zheng didn’t understand at first—until he saw Birdy’s sidelong glance at the “suspected Huaxia brother.” Then he nodded emphatically.

“Very handsome!”

Birdy gritted his teeth. “Still hurting?”

Fang Zheng pouted. “Yeah.”

Birdy nodded. “Good.”

Fang Zheng whimpered. “You don’t love me anymore, T_T.”

Birdy sighed. “I really want to prove you wrong, but the entire bus is staring at us. If I do, it’ll just turn into a shameful play.”

Fang Zheng: “…”

The bus driver still hadn’t started driving, but his shouting match with the other driver had ended. The parked bus was now eerily quiet—so quiet that Fang Zheng could hear the onlookers blinking.

Hey, auntie, do you really need to gape like that? I know my boyfriend’s word choice just opened a new door in your worldview, but trust me—close it. That path isn’t for you.

And you, mister, covering your daughter’s eyes and ears is a terrible idea. The flowers of our nation need sunlight and rain, but sometimes they also need… manual fertilization.

And you three backpackers—yeah, I’m talking to you. If you’re gonna stare, stop whispering—wait, brothers, no need to walk over and confront me just because I complained a little!

“…Milk is Mom?”

Fang Zheng looked at the three young men in front of him, then at Birdy, then at the familiar stranger beside him, and finally reviewed his own performance just now.

At last, he shook his head in confusion. “What… are you guys talking about?”

Birdy facepalmed.

The other guy had stopped laughing, but his shoulders were shaking violently.

The one who had spoken was now scowling. If he’d only been suspicious before, now he was certain.

“Stop pretending. I’d recognize your voice even if it was turned into a QR code.”

“Huh?”

Fang Zheng’s eyes widened. This voice also sounded familiar—and was much easier to place in his memory banks.

“…Ling Ling?”

Silent Hill turned to Birdy. “Can I hit him?”

Birdy shook his head. “No.”

Silent Hill rolled his eyes. “Do you have to be so protective?”

Birdy patted his shoulder. “I just mean, if you already want to hit him over something this small, what are you gonna do later?”

Silent Hill: “Why does that sound like a tragic sacrifice for the greater good?”

Birdy: “It’s fine.”

Fang Zheng: “Enough, all of you! =_=”

As they spoke, the bus started moving again, and soon the world was filled with the comforting noise of travel.

The other passengers also stopped staring, having realized that while they understood every word these young men said, the sentences themselves were completely incomprehensible.

“Silent Hill.”

“One Night Resurrection.”

“Insidious.”

“Polly.”

“Ahem… Milk is Mom.”

Finally, the five guildmates identified each other, then all turned their gazes toward the original occupant of the back row—

The man was still smiling brilliantly, as bright as a poplar tree under the sun.

“March to Liangzhou.”

……

[Middle of the Bus]

“Birdy.”

“Yeah?”

“I take it back.”

“He’s not handsome anymore?”

“Not even a little!”

……

[Front of the Bus]

Silent Hill: “Milk is Mom, Milk is Mom…”

One Night Resurrection: “Commander, you’ve muttered that 800 times already. What, love at first sight?”

Silent Hill: “Dude, keep your voice down! If the zombie hears, he’ll eat my brains! =_=”

Insidious: “So… he’s right?!”

Silent Hill: “Right your derriere! Have your brains already been eaten?! I just meant I’ve never seen someone whose ID matches their real-life self so perfectly before!”

One Night Resurrection & Insidious: “…”

Silent Hill: “Why’s everyone so quiet?”

Fang Zheng: “Because that guy is standing right behind you…”

March: “Ghost Server Legion Leader, please stop standing up—it’s too dangerous—”

Fang Zheng: “Just sit in the back and stop worrying about everything else!!!”

After a bumpy ride, they arrived at their destination just past 9:10 a.m.

As they got off the bus, Fang Zheng noticed Silent Hill’s trio’s survivalist-level equipment.

“Aren’t we staying at a hot spring hotel? Why’d you bring tents?”

“For team activities.”

“What kind of activities? That sounds pretty…”

“Midnight Ghost Story Contest at the Mountain Camp.”

…Pretty difficult, apparently. T_T

The county bus station wasn’t run-down—it seemed to have been renovated in recent years. The exit led to a small square bustling with tourists from all directions. Iron Abacus’ reception desk was set up on the east side of the square—just one table and one person, nearly invisible among the various travel agency booths. But he’d cleverly hung a flag behind him with the Huaxia logo, which looked no different from the travel agency logos to ordinary tourists but stood out like a beacon to Huaxia guildmates.

“Welcome, welcome! Come, everyone, sign in here.” Iron Abacus, wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt with a travel agency logo, was far friendlier than his ID suggested. His enthusiastic smile made them feel at home even before the trip had properly begun. “Silk Road just took the last group to the hotel. Wait a bit—he’ll be back soon.”

The six guildmates took turns signing their in-game IDs on the registration sheet and received name badge pins with their IDs printed on them. The badges were slender rectangles, 4.5 cm long and 1 cm tall, subtle enough that they wouldn’t be noticeable unless someone looked closely.

“These are pretty neat,” Fang Zheng said as he pinned his badge to his shirt, then sighed dramatically. “If I’d known we were getting badges, I would’ve registered under a fake ID, hahahaha—”

“They’re mostly to help everyone recognize each other,” Iron Abacus explained, still smiling. “With over 150 brothers here, many of whom are close in-game, it’d be a shame if we missed each other in person.”

While everyone was distracted, he discreetly wiped sweat from his brow, silently thanking Coffin Shop No. 4 for the brilliant idea (even though they hadn’t taken credit as co-organizers).

…

[Make name badges? That’s a great idea! Wait, I’ll add it to the post!]

[Don’t. Keep it quiet.]

[Why?]

[To stop people from using fake IDs.]

[Why would guildmates use fake IDs?]

[Don’t you think it’d be fun and surprising to still use an alt at a meetup?]

[No…?]

[Exactly. Just quietly be a merchant alt. The game’s too dangerous…]

…

“By the way, it’s only 9 a.m. Who did Silk Road just take? They got here that early?” With nothing else to do, One Night Resurrection grew curious about the previous group.

Instead of asking, Birdy picked up the registration book and flipped to the previous page, where a flurry of wildly scribbled IDs filled the sheet.

Fang Zheng leaned over and immediately spotted two familiar names.

“Horse Without Night, Grass Never Grows Fat… That’s Blood Bull and 2B Fighter Jet! They’re here already? Wait—they came together?!”

Birdy shrugged with a knowing smirk.

Fang Zheng suppressed his excitement. 2B, you legend!

“Though,” Birdy added as he put the book back, “last time he went to visit Blood Bull, they also spent a few nights together, and then…”

“And then they ended up at an internet café together.” Fang Zheng remembered now. =_=

So 2B, are you gonna make a move or not? If you can’t, step aside. If you can, hurry the hell up!!!

……

[Elevator in the Hot Spring Hotel]

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. My ears just feel itchy. I think someone’s badmouthing me.”

“What did you do to piss people off this time?”

“Swear to heaven, I’m getting hate because I didn’t do anything!”

“…”

“Your Sister’s sharing a room with Drink Till You Drop, so who are you rooming with?”

“Ice Girl.”

“Can I switch with her? My roommate is Mad Lad—so much safer!”…”

For the first time in her life, Sister Blood Bull found herself struggling with too many things to complain about, she didn’t know where to start.

The six guildmates waited at the bus station for about twenty minutes. Silk Road didn’t return, but they were joined by Soldiers in Snowfield, Durian Noodles, Wandering Miracle Doctor, 17 Moon Street, Big H, and about a dozen others, who proceeded to mercilessly crowd around the Ghost Server Legion Leader.

For the first time in his life, the Ghost Server Legion Leader understood the meaning of shame.

“The rest of you are whatever, but Big H—what are you staring at?!”

Big H was easily 185 cm tall, with a broad, muscular build. Even through his T-shirt, his muscles were visibly defined. His hair was cropped so short it was practically shaved, giving him the rough appearance of a gangster fresh out of prison. But Fang Zheng dared to yell at him because, from the moment they’d met, the man had worn a simple, harmless smile that clashed comically with his intimidating looks.

“I’ve never seen you before. I was just… really curious, hahaha…”

“Brother, you don’t talk like this in-game…” The stark contrast made Fang Zheng feel like his old comrade had died. T_T

“In-game, anything goes,” Big H said sheepishly. “But in real life, I gotta pick my dignity back up.”

Fang Zheng immediately turned to Birdy. “He’s insulting me.”

Birdy shrugged. “Deal with it. You can’t beat him in a fight.”

…This meetup was a mistake. T_T

Silk Road Merchant finally returned before the Ghost Server Legion Leader could meet his end. The group boarded a shuttle bus and arrived at the hot spring resort without further incident. Silk Road handed them off to Self-Made Man, who was waiting in the lobby, then hurried back to the bus station. Self-Made Man distributed room keys to everyone.

When he got to Fang Zheng and Birdy, he asked specifically, “When is Refined Into a Demon from your legion arriving?”

Fang Zheng was surprised. “You know him?”

“We crossed paths in Vanilla Forest,” Self-Made Man said, scratching his head. “Just curious, haha.”

The rooms had been assigned during registration, so Fang Zheng and Birdy naturally shared one. The others took their keys and waited for their own roommates to arrive.

Fang Zheng and Birdy were in Room 3024. After dropping off their things, their first order of business was knocking on the door of 3026.

“Who is it—?” 2B Fighter Jet’s voice came from inside, followed by the door swinging open before he’d even finished speaking.

2B looked exactly like his guild photo—182 cm tall, with a trendy spiked haircut that revealed his smooth forehead. His frown made his already sharp features even more pronounced, and the faint stubble on his chin added a touch of rugged charm.

“Who else would it be? Me!” Fang Zheng grinned and moved in for a hug, only to be stopped by a palm pressed firmly against his chest. He looked down at the blocking hand, then up at his once-beloved guildmate, heartbroken.

“What’s the meaning of this?! No surprise? No excitement? No love for me?!”

2B instinctively took half a step back. “I am surprised. I am excited. Whether I love you is TBD. But first… who are you? =_=”

Fang Zheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I’m your righteous, fearless, universally admired, undefeatable legion leader!!!”

2B finally understood. Even though the guy standing in front of him looked very different from the photos in the guild chat, no one else in all of Huaxia could heap so many grandiose adjectives on themselves without a shred of shame.

“You lost so much weight. Did you get liposuction or something?”

“Get lost. =_=”

While Fang Zheng and 2B were having their heartfelt reunion, Blood Bull happened to step out of Room 3002. She had intended to go to the lobby to greet her guildmates but spotted the commotion at the end of the hallway near 2B’s room. As she approached and overheard the conversation, she immediately recognized the visitors.

“Good morning, Legion Leader.” A woman’s voice, low and smooth like the night, carried a hint of amusement as it came from behind.

Fang Zheng turned around to see a tall girl standing there—about 168 cm, with a standard oval face framed by black-rimmed glasses. Her features weren’t stunning, but they carried a quiet elegance. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she wore a simple knit sweater with jeans, looking effortlessly comfortable. She wasn’t wearing a name badge, but Fang Zheng recognized her instantly.

“Blood Bull?”

The girl adjusted her glasses. “Seems like something’s missing.”

Fang Zheng swallowed hard, sensing the ominous charge of a skill called “One Cut Kill” in the air.

“…Sister Blood Bull.”

The girl reached out and patted his head.

“Good boy.”