Chapter 199 – No-Tank Squad (Part 3)

Immortal Herb, a level 65 blue material, randomly dropped by mobs, could be used for potion-making, demon refining, jewelry crafting, and gear forging. However, given its limited stats, it wasn’t particularly useful. Huaxia Online had nearly a hundred such second-rate materials—tasteless to eat yet not worth discarding—just like the Mountain Spirits, Wild Boars, Larks, Longhorn Beetles, and Tudigong that 438 had captured in Vanilla Forest. They were practically useless, only taking up inventory slots, so their usual fate was being instantly handed over to merchant alts after being picked up. If even the merchant alts didn’t want them, they’d be sold back to NPC shops. Some players, not caring for the few Huaxia Coins they’d fetch, wouldn’t even bother picking them up or would discard them immediately after looting.

From this, it was clear that the material itself was practically worthless. But it also hinted at its scarcity in the market—first, its drop rate wasn’t high. With nearly a hundred similar materials, killing a hundred mobs might yield just one Immortal Herb, while the other ninety-nine could be any of the other materials like Immortal Pills, Immortal Trees, Immortal Water, Eucommia Bark, Angelica, Notoginseng, Beast Fangs, or even Dragon Dandruff. Second, there was no market demand for it. Even if it dropped, it was usually disposed of. The only time Immortal Herbs flooded the market in Huaxia’s history was right after a major game update, when everyone was grinding mobs for XP. When the player base reached around level 65, Immortal Herbs dropped the most. But once players hit the level cap, the herb practically vanished. Occasionally, a straggler still leveling up might drop one or two, but they’d just sell them to merchants or shops.

But now, this long-disrespected material was having its moment in the spotlight.

In just a few minutes, the price in World Chat had risen again—now 35,000.

Fang Zheng: “438!”

438: “Here!”

Fang Zheng: “Do you have any Immortal Herbs?”

438: “Yes!”

Fang Zheng: “How many?”

438: “Two!”

Fang Zheng: “Good!”

438: “Sell them?”

Fang Zheng: “No!”

438: “Then what are they for?”

Fang Zheng: “……”

Who the hell knew what they were even for?! It was just that whenever materials were involved, he instinctively thought to ask 438 =_=

“But speaking of which,” the Ghost Server Legion Leader finally remembered something important, “shouldn’t you have a ton of these miscellaneous materials? How come you only have two?”

“I used to have a lot, but then, remember when you cleared out the guild storage and gave me a bunch of materials to hold? My inventory slots were full, so I sold some of the less useful ones. I originally had ninety-nine Immortal Herbs, but I ended up practically giving them away bundled with other better materials, and people still didn’t want them… TAT… These two are from mob drops later, and I haven’t had time to sell them yet…” 438 fell into melancholy reminiscence.

Fang Zheng coughed awkwardly, his quick mind immediately finding a scapegoat: “Mad Lad, what about your Camouflage Outfit? Did you give it to our selfless Demon Refiner yet?!”

Mad Lad’s face darkened, but he couldn’t argue—after all, the guild-wide inventory purge had been for his sake. Without another word, he opened his inventory and handed over the Special Forces Combat Suit he hadn’t yet stored. This was also a Camouflage Outfit, but with a different color scheme. The one in storage was jungle camo, leaning toward dark green, while this one was desert camo, more of a sandy yellow.

“Wear this for now. I’ll get you the green one when we’re back at the guild storage. If there’s anything else you like, feel free to take it,” Mad Lad was never stingy when it came to sharing with his teammates. “Not just 438—any of you who see something you like, take it. Same goes for Passing. We’re all family. It’s not like these have any stats anyway, just for fun.”

Fang Zheng: “That Goddess of Fortune Set looks pretty nice too…”

Mad Lad: “Keep dreaming.”

What happened to camaraderie?! =_=

Amid the banter, the group arrived at the border of the Amber Kingdom.

Unlike the Crimson Kingdom’s walls, there were no obstacles or artificial structures marking the boundary here. The palace of the Amber Kingdom was visible in the distance, but a stretch of swamp lay at their feet, forming a natural barrier separating the kingdom from outsiders.

There had to be something here, but the surroundings showed no clickable objects or quest triggers, so Fang Zheng had no choice but to lead his team into the swamp.

As expected, after just a few steps, the calm surface of the swamp began to tremble like rolling hills. Then, a Giant Python burst out, swinging its tail and sweeping everyone back to where they’d come from!

This was a scripted sequence—the team had no chance to fight back.

But the python didn’t say anything, so Fang Zheng had to grit his teeth and charge in again. Finally, on the third attempt, after being swatted back to the swamp’s edge, the python spoke—

[System] Amber Guardian: Those who come with ill intent shall not set foot on this land! Unless you offer a Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart—a pure artifact forged from a Swan’s Heart, Crystal, and Immortal Herb—as proof of your goodwill and integrity!

Now they knew what the Immortal Herb was for.

On the way from the Crimson Kingdom to the Amber Kingdom, there was a lake teeming with swans. Swan’s Hearts had an almost 100% drop rate, and Crystals were common ores that could be gathered with a simple click. Only the Immortal Herb was rare, which was why it had become the hot commodity in World Chat.

The Lover’s Constellation quest had to be completed by every player individually. While bosses could be fought in a party, collection quests like this required each player to complete their own. In other words, the Ghost Server Squad needed eight Immortal Herbs to finish the quest.

Crossplayer: “What do we do now?”

Polly: “Let’s get the Swan’s Hearts and Crystals first. We’ll figure out the Immortal Herbs later.”

The deputy commander’s pragmatic approach was unanimously approved, so the team turned around and headed for Swan Lake.

Five minutes later, the shimmering blue lake came into view.

But… only the lake =_=

Your Uncle: “Where are the swans…?”

Mad Lad: “Probably all slaughtered by now.”

438: “What do we do now, TAT”

Fang Zheng sighed: “Wait for respawns.”

Passing: “But… seems like everyone else has the same idea…”

As Passing spoke, a lively scene unfolded. To the east of the lake, dozens of players were camping, their postures varied—some staring at the sky, others at the ground, some jumping around, others splashing in the water. To the west, another group was sparring, not fighting to the death but exchanging blows in a friendly manner, even sharing tips afterward. To the south, yet another crowd was chatting idly, gossiping about everything under the sun—from family drama to rumors about Don’t Stop the Meds and Clueless Girl, though those were quickly overshadowed by gossip about Don’t Stop the Meds and Rain Through the Woods. To the north, where the Ghost Server Squad stood, players weren’t united but clustered in small party groups. Even as two nearby parties started fighting for real, the others merely stepped aside, prioritizing self-preservation over camaraderie. If not for the lake, the scene could’ve been a Huaxia version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

438: “Leader, I have a feeling there aren’t enough swans to go around…”

Not just “not enough”—it was a full-blown frenzy. The moment a swan spawned, a dozen players would swarm it. The poor creature wouldn’t even get a glimpse of the world before being pummeled to death. As for who got the loot? Pure luck, depending on who landed the last hit. Sometimes, the competition was so fierce that it escalated into a brawl—exactly what was happening near the Ghost Server Squad.

The swan was dead, but the fight raged on.

Though “brawl” wasn’t quite accurate—it was more like one versus many—1vN. The Ns had formed a circle, with the 1 standing at the center. Through the flashing barrage of skills, only the outline of the 1 was faintly visible.

“March to Liangzhou?” Passing Master’s surprised voice suddenly came through the headset.

Fang Zheng and Meng Chudong both raised their eyebrows. Looking over, the figure breaking out of the encirclement and sprinting toward them was indeed March!

March always seemed to be either fighting or being fought. Whether it was former comrades who’d turned against him or strangers who just happened to want the same swan, one had to wonder—did he have a natural aggro-drawing ability, or was he just cursed with terrible luck when it came to people?

March hadn’t noticed his old friends from Ghost Server. To be fair, he didn’t have the luxury of looking around—this fight had been entirely unprovoked. The swan had spawned right at his feet. Even by the “first come, first served” rule, it should’ve been contested by nearby players like Enemy at the Gates, Soldiers in Snowfield, or Godspeed Warrior, not these guys from White Chapel. But the Mercenaries Legion hadn’t moved—whether out of respect for their past camaraderie from Flagship or because of the legion’s strict discipline, they’d clearly acknowledged the swan as March’s. Yet the White Chapel squad, over a dozen meters away, had suddenly rushed in. Outnumbered, March lost the swan to them. In the past, he wouldn’t have cared—if even someone like War of the Gods, who’d once said, “You’ll always be my leader,” only to later incite the entire guild to server-transfer while slandering him for “clinging to fame and refusing to start over,” couldn’t faze him, why would a swan? But after those three days on Flagship, something had changed. The ashes of his heart, like his stubborn level 69, had been swept away, and the March who’d once ridden his warhorse across the deserts of Fairy Dreamland had returned amidst the chaos of the Lover’s Constellation event.

Now, forget a swan—even a duck’s neck, if it was his, couldn’t be taken without consequence. If someone insisted, then fine—for every bite they took, they’d pay double. So when the swan died, “Waning Moon and Strong Wine” from the opposing party also bit the dust—one life for another, fair and square. But the other side clearly disagreed, hence the ensuing beatdown.

What would a freshly revived Zombie Warrior, filled with fighting spirit and passion, do when faced with opponents far stronger than himself? Charge headfirst, of course… or not.

The lost fervor March had rediscovered on Flagship was indeed a treasure, but not the greatest one he’d unearthed there. The true Flagship treasure was a spiritual wealth—one that allowed people to persevere and push forward no matter how dire the circumstances, a wealth summed up in just a few words yet eternally inexhaustible: Shamelessness, universal groveling, guerrilla tactics, no worries ever.

So… he ran. ╮(╯_╰)╭

With lightning-fast reflexes and precise movement, he found a gap in the encirclement and broke through. He was confident he could lose his pursuers in the treacherous borderlands between the Crimson and Amber Kingdoms within three minutes.

But man proposes, heaven disposes. Before he’d even run 10 meters, a skill effect shot out of nowhere and hit him square on!

March’s heart skipped a beat. By his calculations, the guys behind him couldn’t have reached him. The only explanation was that someone lurking nearby—either an ally of his enemies or just a bored spectator—had attacked him! But in a life-or-death moment, there was no time to investigate. March could only—wait, that skill effect from half a second ago didn’t look like an attack. It was the warm yellow hue unique to healing skills…?

Fang Zheng had been surprised when Passing Master called out March’s name. He’d been about to ask if they knew each other when Passing Master immediately cast Ten Thousand Blossoms on March, so he swallowed his question. Clearly, they weren’t just acquaintances but the kind of “I’ll heal you even if it kills me” close. =_=

After Ten Thousand Blossoms came Trickling Stream, followed by Five Animals Play and Zephyr Jinx—though the latter two were aimed at Meteor Butterfly Bastard, who was hot on March’s heels.

Meteor was stunned by the sudden attack, while Burn Newspaper to Feed Ghosts, right behind him, immediately retaliated against Passing Master.

“Leader?” Your Uncle called out in YY, his tone questioning.

Even if Passing Master hadn’t been in their party, given their past relationship, Your Uncle would’ve helped without hesitation, even if he didn’t know March at all. But now, Passing Master wasn’t just his friend—he was part of the team. So the full translation of Your Uncle’s question was: Leader, shouldn’t we all jump in?

March’s pursuers numbered ten, but since one had just been revived and was still in Resurrection Sickness, they could be ignored. If their party intervened, it’d be nine versus nine. But even if it were nine versus ninety, this was the time to fight with everything they had—what was the Ghost Server Legion Leader’s class? Healer. What was a healer’s nature? To protect their own!

Fang Zheng took a deep breath, about to sound the charge, when a familiar figure suddenly materialized behind Meteor Butterfly Bastard and landed a lethal Bloodseal Strike + Backstab!

The only class that could casually slip behind enemies unnoticed was the Assassin with Stealth. And if that Assassin’s gear was glowing with purple and gold…

Passing Master: “Mad Lad! Thank you!”

Jiang Yang: “We’re brothers in the arena. No need for thanks. Let’s go all out!”

Fang Zheng: “……” Passing, wake up! This guy just wanted to test out his Goddess Set!!!

“Leader, I’m going in too!” Your Uncle, now fired up, couldn’t wait any longer. His Sudden Storm skill effect surged forward alongside him as he charged at Meteor!

Fang Zheng sighed and finally blew the horn: “Brothers, no more waiting—draw your weapons and fight!”

The sudden wave of attackers caught the White Chapel squad off guard. Meteor, being at the forefront, was the first to fall. With him down, the entire squad descended into chaos—

[White Chapel Meteor Squad YY]

Waning Moon and Strong Wine: “Meteor, how’d you die?!”

Navigator: “Are you blind? Didn’t you see all those people hitting him?”

Waning Moon and Strong Wine: “I’m still in Resurrection Sickness! You guys left me behind—how was I supposed to see? TAT”

Painter Van Gogh: “Dammit! Aren’t those Passing Master and Mad Lad the guys who teamed up with Thousand Mountains in the arena? What are they doing here?”

Burn Newspaper to Feed Ghosts: “Since when did Huaxia Summit and Fairy Dreamland team up?”

Meteor Butterfly Bastard: “Is now really the time for chit-chat?! Dream Soul, revive me!”

[Combat] Dream Soul Calling has died.

Dream Soul Calling: “Captain, sorry… TAT”

Though the numbers were even, Fang Zheng’s squad had the advantage of surprise. With one of the enemy healers already down, the remaining one couldn’t keep up with the damage from eight players, so they retreated in disarray, eventually fleeing altogether. Of course, those who flee always leave behind a parting shot—

[Local] Burn Newspaper to Feed Ghosts: You’ll pay for this!!

Fang Zheng sighed and earnestly advised—

[Local] Milk is Mom: Take a page from Boss Yao’s book—he never says childish things like this~~ [head pat]

Far away in the Yellow Kingdom, Don’t Stop the Meds, who had already started the next phase of the quest, suddenly sneezed, drawing complaints from the tenth member who’d just joined the party—

No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: “What, you caught a cold the moment I logged in?”

“I should be asking you that,” Don’t Stop the Meds said lazily. “We’re in the same party now—still thinking about me?”

No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: “……”

Rain Ceases, Scholar Lu, Mocha, Little Willow, War of the Gods, Rain Through the Woods, X: “……”

Dutch Souvenir, the universe’s straightest man, who could tolerate Thousand Mountains but not his own leader: “Boss Yao, if you keep this up, I’m leaving…”

By now, Don’t Stop the Meds’ party—minus Thousand Mountains—had all completed the Amber Kingdom quest. Immortal Herbs and swans were old news to them. Dominating the top nine spots on the Progress Leaderboard, they were blazing through quests at breakneck speed, seemingly unstoppable.

Meanwhile, the rescued March was catching up with his old friends—

[Local] March to Liangzhou: How’d you all end up together?

[Local] Passing Master: Little Lucky Charm is the good brother I always told you about—Passing Sorrow!

[Local] Passing Master: Wait, from the way you said that, do you know the healer leader?

[Local] March to Liangzhou: We met on Flagship.

If he had to explain all the entanglements, it’d take until tomorrow, so March kept it brief.

[Local] Milk is Mom: March, Passing, if you’re this close, why didn’t you team up?

[Local] Passing Master: Well, actually, we’re not that close. We just ran a couple of dungeons together. But Fairy Dreamland’s ghost server is practically empty—we bump into each other all the time, so…

[Local] Milk is Mom: Got it. Head pat~~

[Local] Milk is Mom: But March, how’d you get this far in the quest without a party?

[Local] March to Liangzhou: Solo what I can, join pickup groups for the rest.

Passing Master: “Healer Leader…”

Milk is Mom: “Got it, no need to whine =_=”

[Local] Milk is Mom: Wanna join our party? We only have eight—we’ll need more for the big bosses later. You’re strong—help us out?~~

[Local] March to Liangzhou: Has anyone ever told you you’re really good with words? [laughs]

[Local] Milk is Mom: You’re the first!! So happy >_<

[Local] March to Liangzhou: Think carefully before inviting me. Seems like I’ve racked up a lot of aggro along the way.

[Local] Drink Your Sister 3X: Our guild…

[Local] Little Lucky Charm: Isn’t afraid…

[Local] Crossplayer’s Blessing: Of…

[Local] Mad Lad: Aggro! ~\(^o^)/~

[System] March to Liangzhou has joined the party.

Fang Zheng sent him the YY channel info, and soon, a new voice joined Ghost Server’s channel.

Mad Lad: “Hi, I’m Mad Lad.”

March: “Got it, Purple Tycoon.”

Mad Lad: “Who came up with that nickname? Tell me so I can not harass them.”

Crossplayer, Drink Your Sister 3X: “Hi.”

March: “Nice to meet you.”

Your Uncle: “You’re Passing’s friend, so you’re my friend!”

March: “Thanks.”

Polly: “Hey.”

March: “Hm?”

Polly: “More.”

March: “OK.”

[Legion] Drink Your Sister 3X: Leader, what are they talking about?

[Legion] Milk is Mom: No clue =_=

[Legion] Your Uncle: I feel like they’re sharing a secret…

[Legion] Mad Lad: Both zombies, perfect match, even their cryptic talk is in sync. Healer, just let go hahaha

[Legion] Mad Lad has been muted in Legion Chat for 24 hours.

Though he’d silenced Mad Lad, his words took root in Fang Zheng’s heart like weeds… What the hell were those two talking about?! Secret language exchanges are the worst!!! >_<

Just as Fang Zheng was tearing his hair out, World Chat suddenly exploded. The frenzy over Immortal Herbs had already kept the channel buzzing, but this was like a thunderclap out of nowhere, making everyone forget about herbs and swans—their minds now occupied by just three words—

[Constellation] Flying General of Dragon City: HOLY SHIT COME TO SWAN LAKE AND SEE PHOENIX SEEKING PHOENIX RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [image][image][image]

[Constellation] Flying General of Dragon City: HOLY SHIT COME TO SWAN LAKE AND SEE PHOENIX SEEKING PHOENIX RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [image][image][image]

[Constellation] Flying General of Dragon City: HOLY SHIT COME TO SWAN LAKE AND SEE PHOENIX SEEKING PHOENIX RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [image][image][image]

Those who knew Phoenix Seeking Phoenix were overjoyed—

[Constellation] Inkblade: That damn Demon Refiner finally let it out!!!!

[Constellation] Manicurist: Is there a boss at Swan Lake worth unleashing this thing on? Whatever, boss, I thank your entire family!!!!

Those who had no idea what this was all about were left scratching their heads, feeling like the world owed them an explanation—

[Constellation] War-Sister Liuli: What’s Phoenix Seeking Phoenix? A new skill?

[Constellation] Big H: Sounds like a weapon that’s not safe for work¹“The Phoenix Seeks a Mate” is the title of an ancient song that was used to seduce a woman in a famous Chinese romantic fairytale.~~~ [blush]

Those who not only knew about Phoenix Seeking Phoenix but were also familiar with its backstory were baffled—

Fang Zheng: “Another Phoenix Seeking Phoenix appeared?”

Your Uncle: “Isn’t Swan Lake right where we are?!”

Mad Lad: “Wait, 438, wasn’t your pet refined from a Fire Phoenix? Even if there’s a second one, how would someone else know the refining recipe?”

438: “Impossible! There can’t be a second one!”

Your Sister: “But someone in World Chat saw it and said it’s right here—Swan Lake.”

438: “Then it must be mine!”

Ghost Server team: “…You ran off to play in the middle of a fight again!!!”

This time, the Ghost Server teammates were wrong about their Demon Refiner. In the heat of battle, he’d genuinely wanted to focus, but his habit of occasionally zoning out and looking around had become second nature. This time, even when he spotted a newly spawned swan, he resisted the urge to go for it—he wanted to pat himself on the back for that TAT. But then he noticed an old acquaintance sitting nearby. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have left the fight—he’d have just said hello afterward. But the next second, some troublemakers flipped his friend’s stall! Even 438 had his pride—when March was bullied, Passing Master and Your Uncle had stepped up without hesitation because they were friends. Now that the same thing was happening to him, how could he stand by and do nothing?

After hearing 438’s explanation, the entire Ghost Server team—March included—rushed to the scene on the opposite shore of the lake.

The shock and excitement in World Chat weren’t unfounded. A dazzling golden bird hovered mid-air, wreathed in blazing flames. Its wings spread wide, beating rapidly, it looked like a war god ready to pierce its enemies’ hearts. Its massive form blotted out the sun, yet it seemed to become the sun itself, radiating an awe-inspiring glow.

438 was facing off against someone.

The Ghost Server teammates had never seen their Demon Refiner like this. Behind him was a zombie clutching his chest, his HP bar barely visible. In front of him were four ferocious Berserkers, and 438 stood between them—no trace of his usual harmless demeanor remained. Now, he was a lion cub with its hackles raised.

Perhaps Phoenix Seeking Phoenix was too intimidating—the four didn’t dare act rashly and resorted to keyboard warfare—

[Local] Wandering Madman: Buddy, this has nothing to do with you. Back off. Even if your pet’s strong, you can’t take all four of us.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: If you want to fight him, you’ll have to step over my corpse first!

[Local] Not Moved by Living Things: …Got any fresher lines?

[Local] Milk is Mom: How about “If you want to fight him, you’ll have to step over the corpses of his leader and teammates first”? Got some novelty for you~~~ >_0

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: The real novelty is that emoticon of yours.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Leader! TAT

[Local] Milk is Mom: You were cool for once—keep it up, keep it up!

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: They bullied me! Threatened me! Said I’d refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! 555555555

[Local] Milk is Mom: Okay, this version of you is cuter~

[Local] Alfalfa: When did we say that???

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Not directly, but that’s what you meant! TAT

[Local] Wandering Madman: ……

[Local] Clear Stream Taoist: Fine, you’ve got numbers. You win.

With that, the four Berserkers wisely retreated, though not without grumbling.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Thanks. You didn’t have to intervene—worst case, I’d just die. I’m just a merchant alt, not here to compete.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: No way! If you died, who knows which of your awesome items would drop? That’d be such a waste!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: ……

All the teammates’ inner thoughts: Pretty sure this friendship is about to end =_=

With the crisis averted, 438 recalled Phoenix Seeking Phoenix without hesitation. By then, the area was packed with onlookers, who immediately protested—

[Local] Little Li Guang: Hey, you took it out already—why put it back?!

[Local] 2D Boundary: Yeah, not cool!

[Local] Spring Breeze Doesn’t Get It: Disappointed.

If this had been Fang Zheng, he’d have rolled his eyes and ignored them. But 438 was simpler—the moment he heard criticism, he panicked—

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: You already saw it!

The crowd smirked—if he was engaging, they had an opening—

[Local] Indian Mane: That’s nothing—just a visual. Useless.

[Local] Today’s Demon King: And the visuals weren’t even surprising. Zero value.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: …[Today’s Demon King], are you just salty because I got the Golden Phoenix?

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Demon King?

[Local] Inkblade: Probably left in shame. Tsk, can’t handle the heat.

[Local] Two Elders of Beiming: I can take the heat. 715, since everyone’s so curious, just show it off. Don’t make us beg—stop being so uptight.

[Local] Dr. Agasa: Yeah, acting all shy—embarrassing for a grown man!

These were the kind of people who loved stirring the pot, but old tricks endured for a reason. If this had been Drink Till You Drop or War-Snow Wolf, they’d have felt compelled to show off—if only to shut up the taunts. If it were 2B or White Dragon Horse, they might’ve even started a fight afterward to vent. And if it were Thousand Mountains or Mad Lad? Well, they wouldn’t have fallen for it in the first place—they’d have been showing off proactively, in every possible way.

But sometimes, even old tricks failed—

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: No! If I show you, you’ll know all its skills! Then when I summon it at a critical moment, its effectiveness will drop!

……

The world fell silent.

……

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Hello? Inkblade? Elders? Doctor?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Don’t bother. They probably realized their mental fortitude isn’t up to par either.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Was my reasoning wrong?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: No, extremely practical.

So whether they were troublemakers or spectators, no one had a comeback. It wasn’t like they could admit, “Yes, we were totally hoping to ruin your secret weapon’s surprise factor” =_=

Equipped with a built-in BS filter, 438 effortlessly dispersed the crowd. Swan Lake returned to its usual tranquility—as long as no more swans spawned.

[Local] Milk is Mom: 438~ Introduce us. Who’s this?

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: A friend I met in Vanilla Forest! Even though he’s a merchant alt, he helped me catch the Golden Phoenix. He’s super nice!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: ……

[Local] Polly: Don’t stress. We’ll take everything with a grain of salt.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: And you are?

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Our deputy commander! Milk is Mom’s the leader—I told you about them!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Oh, Leader, hello.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: And the deputy!

[Local] Polly: He doesn’t like me.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: I’m starting to like you now.

[Local] Milk is Mom: I request that you go back to disliking him =_=

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: By the way, why did those four flip your stall? They’re not even from the same server—can’t be friends, right?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: They didn’t know each other. They just happened to come to me for Immortal Herbs. I only had three, so I told them to bid—highest offer wins. When it hit 100,000, those four got mad and accused me of messing with them.

[Local] Drink Your Sister 3X: Brother, you’re so shady—I’d be pissed too.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: But I said upfront that I was hoarding to make a quick buck. I was being transparent.

Ghost Server teammates: Suddenly understand why he and 438 became friends…

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: That doesn’t make sense. How do you only have three Immortal Herbs? I sold you ninety-nine.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: ……

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Ohhh I get it—you pretended to take them but actually hated them and sold them to NPCs, right!!!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: After all this, I’m not selling these three either. Does your party have enough? If not, take them.

[Party] Passing Master: That subject change was so forced.

[Party] Ghost Server team: But against 438…

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Really?? That’s awesome!!

[Party] March to Liangzhou: Works every time =_=

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Coffin Shop, wait a sec.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Huh? What now? Don’t… please don’t!!!

[System] Refined Into a Demon 715 has gifted No. 4 Coffin Shop 300,000 Huaxia Coins.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Hehehe, they’re all mine now. Quick, hand them over!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Who said I was selling to you!!!!

All team members: You shameless 438—after all his kindness, you won’t sell?!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: I meant you could’ve just taken them! Why give me money?! Do I look like I need your 300,000?! Where’s Dou E’s crying emoji when you need it?! Why isn’t there one in Huaxia’s emoji pack?!

[Party] Crossplayer’s Blessing: Um, is it just me, or is “Do I look like I need your 300,000?!” kinda aggro…

[Party] Your Sister, Your Uncle, March, Milk Mom: You’re not alone!

[Party] Mad Lad: Passing by.

[Party] Your Sister, Your Uncle, Milk Mom: Piss off =_=

In the end, Coffin Shop returned most of the coins to 438, keeping only 10,000 as a symbolic gesture to shut the Demon Refiner up.

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Farewell for now. Till we meet again.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Wait, where are you going?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: The swamp. Gonna finish the quest and see what’s next, then stock up.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: You’re doing the quest too?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Of course. Gotta stay ahead of the trends to make money. You think I got these three Immortal Herbs from before? I’ve been here since yesterday, grinding all day.

[Local] Refined Into a Demon 715: Perfect! We’re heading to the swamp for the quest too!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: So?

438: “Leader~~~~~~”

Milk is Mom: “Got it.”

Why did this feel familiar? =_=

[Local] Milk is Mom: Join our party? We’ve got nine—one spot left. I didn’t get why before, but now I do—it was waiting for you!

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: Uh, you sure?

[Local] Milk is Mom: What, not interested?

[Local] No. 4 Coffin Shop: I’m happy to team up for the quest, but your current lineup…

Only then did Fang Zheng, prompted by Coffin Shop, take a proper look at his team—Zombie Birdy, Zombie March, Healer Mom, Healer Sister, Healer Passing, squishy Spirit Master Your Uncle, squishy Demon Refiner 438, tycoon Assassin Mad Lad, airhead Blesscaller Crossplayer…

Great. Plenty of heals, solid DPS, united team, complete class coverage… Wait, complete what?! Where’s the tank?! The damage-soaking, boss-tanking T!!!!

Though the lineup was slightly flawed, as leader, Fang Zheng couldn’t take back his invitation. But the party wasn’t just him—he had no idea what the others thought…

Drink Your Sister 3X: “Leader, having second thoughts?”

Crossplayer’s Blessing: “Is No. 4 Coffin Shop saying we don’t have any Blood Warriors or Berserkers?”

Your Uncle: “But we have the deputy and March.”

Mad Lad: “I can socket all my Goddess Set with defense gems. Easy.”

Passing Master: “Uh, I’m new here. I’ll follow the healer leader.”

Milk is Mom: “So?”

Polly: “You made the offer—now swallow your tears and see it through.”

March: “……”

[System] No. 4 Coffin Shop has joined the party.

[Party] Refined Into a Demon 715: So happy! Join our YY!

No. 4 Coffin Shop: “On it.”

438: “Did you finish your Immortal Herb quest?”

No. 4 Coffin Shop: “Yeah, don’t worry about me.”

438: “Great! We just need four more!”

No. 4 Coffin Shop: “……”

438: “Do you know other merchant alts? Can they give us wholesale prices like you?”

No. 4 Coffin Shop: “I know some, but I think they’ll be even more accommodating to you.”

Ten minutes later—

[Constellation] Fair and Square: Stop PMing me—Immortal Herbs are sold out!

[Constellation] Iron Abacus: Ditto.

[Constellation] Silk Road Traveler: Ditto. P.S. To all the Huaxia players I lowballed in the past—I’ve been punished enough TAT

[Constellation] Self-Made Man: Serious question: Why are some people just impossible to refuse? Urgent, waiting online!

Through a series of twists and turns, the squad was now complete. The chaos and the joy of securing nine Immortal Herbs made everyone forget minor details—like the cryptic exchange between March and the deputy commander when March first joined. And what the team didn’t know was that after No. 4 Coffin Shop joined, the two had resumed their earlier conversation. Though even pieced together, it was just a few words—

Polly: “Hey.”

March: “Hm?”

Polly: “Too much.”

March: “OK.”

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: You two?

[Whisper] Polly: Yeah.

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: Like this?

[Whisper] Polly: Try.

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: !

If, years later, Huaxia Online published The Standard Zombie Language Guide, the above dialogue could be translated as:

Polly: “Hey.”

March: “Hm? Why so cold? Acting like we don’t know each other?”

Polly: “You talked too much with Milk is Mom.”

March: “OK, I’ll watch it.”

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: Even though you’re always snarking at him, after thinking it over, I’m pretty sure you’re what I think you are.

[Whisper] Polly: Yeah, no doubt.

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: Off-topic—does your leader always recruit teammates so… spontaneously?

[Whisper] Polly: Solid as a Rock’s cooldown is too long. We’ll have to take turns tanking. If you’ve got experience, great. If not, start learning now.

[Whisper] March to Liangzhou: Damn!

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  “The Phoenix Seeks a Mate” is the title of an ancient song that was used to seduce a woman in a famous Chinese romantic fairytale.