Chapter 225 – Heaven Has Eyes

As if history was repeating itself, only this time the roles of tragedy and comedy were reversed. The figure engulfed in flames was no longer the Wandering Physician, but the Zombie. And the latter thoughtfully sent screenshots to his comrades in the desolate wilderness of Holy Light Sanctuary—

[Huaxia] [Huaxia Summit] Polly: [Screenshot][Screenshot] Do I look good?

The entire Holy Light Sanctuary exploded in an uproar, with Thousand Mountains practically rocketing into the stratosphere—

[Huaxia] No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains: WHO THE HELL TOOK THOSE SCREENSHOTS FOR HIM?!?!

The framing and angle of those shots made it impossible for them to be selfies taken by the Ghost Server Zombie. There was a traitor in Holy Light Sanctuary! Wait a minute, speaking of traitors, the most suspicious one had to be that crossplayer power leveler who had dragged him into a prolonged battle and even managed to tie up the entire Holy Light Sanctuary in the end… Holy shit, that guy just logged off!!!

The spot where the healer girl had been standing was now empty, leaving only a handful of dust on the ground. =_=

…

Zheng Xi had been kiting Thousand Mountains while also catching glimpses of Meng Chudong sitting down nearby, booting up his computer, and logging into the game. At the time, he hadn’t realized what the other was planning—until he died, and Polly’s message appeared in the World chat. Only then did it dawn on him that he had unwittingly played a pivotal role in the grand strategy of “luring the tiger away from the mountain.”

The tiger had indeed left the mountain, but now it was standing right in front of him. Even though Foxy Pear was already a corpse, there was no guarantee that Thousand Mountains wouldn’t seek revenge once he figured things out. Corpse abuse was still something best avoided. With that in mind, Zheng Xi decisively logged off.

His eccentric boss, who had been wary of him earlier, now threw an arm around his shoulders in an overly affectionate manner. If not for the icy glare from the other boss—the one with the uncanny foresight—Zheng Xi was certain his face would have been covered in the crazy guy’s saliva.

But no matter what, it seemed he had successfully won the favor of both bosses. In that regard, that Thousand Birds Grid or Thousand Islands Lake or whatever had contributed greatly, so Zheng Xi felt a tiny pang of guilt in his heart.

However, that guilt quickly dissipated under the weight of his new assignment—his Huaxia Online power-leveling account had already hit max level, and he was now reassigned to grind a new alt in another game.

There were quite a few people leveling in the new game, so it took him a while to find a relatively empty grinding spot. But the new game had some fresh mechanics, and the visuals were pleasing to the eye, so he gradually lost himself in the grind. It wasn’t until quitting time at 5 PM that he reluctantly logged off.

When he got home, he found that the two bosses had already returned at some point. The bedroom door was open, giving him a clear view of the eccentric boss furiously hammering away at his keyboard—though his expression wasn’t the usual focus of fighting monsters or PVP. Instead, it was… a kind of obsession and fervor, his face twisted into a maniacal grin. The clairvoyant boss was relatively more normal, not typing but leisurely scrolling with his mouse, seemingly browsing something that made him happy, given the unnatural curve of his lips.

Zheng Xi wasn’t particularly curious about the inner workings of his bosses’ minds, just as he wasn’t curious about which of them was currently making a racket in the kitchen. If he had to name one happy moment from this chaotic first day at work, it was this: taking off his jacket and flopping onto the bed set up for him in the living room, breathing in the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen.

…

Fang Zheng hadn’t noticed the return of their hero, because he had been immersed in the Huaxia Forum since noon. The reason was simple: after Polly’s ascent to the summit, players from both Huaxia Summit and Holy Light Sanctuary had taken to the forums to voice their opinions—naturally, from opposing sides. One side praised the Ghost Server Legion’s prowess, citing their sweep of the Lover’s Constellation and their subsequent conquest of Holy Light Sanctuary. The other side condemned the Ghost Server Legion’s shamelessness, accusing them of resorting to every underhanded trick in the book, including planting a traitor—a truly low blow. Fang Zheng browsed every thread, leaving his mark, replying where he could, exchanging knowing glances with like-minded allies and crossing swords with opponents. But with so many threads, the well of rhetoric eventually ran dry. Both sides kept repeating the same arguments, and the discussion gradually cooled as duplicate threads diluted the heat—until, at 4:50 PM, a legendary post appeared out of nowhere—

Title: “Look to the Heavens—Who Has It Spared?!”

Poster: Won’t Tell You

Content:

Given that everyone’s been debating all afternoon whether the Ghost Server Legion’s conquest of Holy Light Sanctuary was fair and square, I’d like to share my thoughts.

Since the game’s expansion, Huaxia Online has entered an era of great strife, with warlords vying for dominance and battles raging everywhere. But the ones who started this fire? None other than Holy Light Sanctuary themselves.

[Date and Time]: Player No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce exploited the Dimensional Rift to launch a surprise attack on Huaxia Summit, successfully conquering the Main City. But simply taking the summit wasn’t enough to satisfy his bloated ego—he then proceeded to mock Huaxia Summit players from atop the City Gate Tower. Evidence attached. [Attachment 1 – [Image][Image]]

[Date and Time]: When the Ghost Server Legion secured the first kill for the Lover’s Constellation Quest Chain, the Huaxia Forum was filled with congratulations and praise—until Holy Light Sanctuary struck a dissonant chord, boasting that quest chain first kills were nothing compared to conquering their summit. Evidence attached. [Attachment 2 – [Image][Image]]

Not only that, other servers were also dragged into the mess, branded by Holy Light Sanctuary players as “pitiful souls who will never conquer Holy Light Sanctuary in their lifetime.” Evidence attached. [Attachment 3 – [Image][Image]]

If Holy Light Sanctuary’s goal was to provoke hatred, they succeeded. As a server, they managed to draw the ire of every other server in Huaxia. Clearly, conquering Holy Light Sanctuary became the shared mission of all Huaxia—except it was the Ghost Server Legion, representing Huaxia Summit, who succeeded. And Polly’s actions after the conquest were a deliberate “tribute” to No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains’ earlier arrogance. Evidence attached—please compare with Attachment 1. [Attachment 4 – [Image][Image]]

Now, some might argue that No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains conquered the summit through sheer skill, while Polly’s victory was the result of underhanded schemes. But let’s be clear: No Birds’ success wasn’t solely due to skill—it was also thanks to Huaxia Summit’s initial lack of vigilance toward the Dimensional Rift and his own stroke of luck in going solo. Similarly, Polly’s victory wasn’t the result of trickery but rather the clever use of available resources and the natural application of his abilities.

As the saying goes: “All warfare is based on deception.” Only sore losers cry foul over the victor’s methods. And for a server aspiring to rise as a “god-tier server,” such behavior is truly unbecoming.

Victory and defeat are common in war. Perhaps tomorrow, Huaxia Summit will be the one conquered again. But I believe the Summit’s players have learned to face such outcomes with grace—even if their city falls, they will simply smile at the uninvited guest atop their tower and ask:

“Evening snow approaches—care for a drink?”

By the time Fang Zheng read the post, it had already been pinned to the top of the forum, with countless earlier arrivals leaving their own comments—

#1

Reply by: Grave Sweeping Scroll

Content: First!

#2

Reply by: Festive Lantern

Content: Dude above me, could you at least say something meaningful?

#3

Reply by: Ice on Fire

Content: I actually read the whole thing. Are we sure this is a gaming flame war and not an academic discussion? =_=

#4

Reply by: Liaodong Iron Cavalry

Content: The title screams “flame war,” but the content is so well-reasoned I don’t even know how to argue.

#5

Reply by: Lantern Granny

Content: The face-slapping here is brutal. Are we sure this wasn’t posted by the Ghost Server themselves?

#6

Reply by: Grave Sweeping Scroll

Content: Aside from the title, the writing style, arguments, even the punctuation—none of it matches the Ghost Server’s usual vibe!

#7

Reply by: Big H

Content: No need to twist the knife~ We’ve got plenty of upstanding, serious boys here in Huaxia Summit~~~

#8

Reply by: ice Iceborn

Content: If you dropped the tildes, I might have believed you for a second.

#9

Reply by: Suzhou River

Content: Whoa, Iceborn’s squad taking front row seats!

#10

Reply by: Blue Skeleton

Content: After all this back-and-forth, I still don’t get—who the hell did Ghost Server send to empty out Holy Light Sanctuary?

#11

Reply by: Former Dynasty Scholar

Content: Silence is here too. Rumor has it, it was an alt pretending to grind, luring Thousand Mountains, which escalated into the entire Holy Light Sanctuary gathering to watch them PK. And thus, the Main City was left defenseless.

#12

Reply by: Manicurist

Content: A single PK match was enough to draw the entire Holy Light Sanctuary’s attention?

#13

Reply by: Ever Bright

Content: Yep. I know what you’re thinking—our social lives really are that pathetic. =_=

#14

Reply by: Sugar-Free Cola

Content: But I heard it was Thousand Mountains who flirted with the alt first, then the PK happened. As for the Dimensional Rift, that was pure luck—Ghost Server couldn’t have known when it’d spawn. They couldn’t possibly have had someone baiting Thousand Mountains 24/7.

#15

Reply by: Born in 1994

Content: The Ghost Server Commander already debunked the rumors! It wasn’t premeditated—just sheer coincidence!

#16

Reply by: The Wind Rises

Content: Comparing Attachments 1 and 4, the Ghost Server Deputy Commander really holds a grudge, huh? =_= But I’m more curious—why hasn’t the Dutch Chamber of Commerce’s Commander shown up yet, despite all this drama? @Don’t Stop the Meds

#17

Reply by: King of Outer Flame

Content: He’s out taking a breather. Also, his ID is this—@Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

#18

Reply by: Little Tree

Content: Dude above me, since when are you and our Commander so chummy?

#19

Reply by: King of Outer Flame

Content: Because our lives have both been forever marked by a certain… item.

#20

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: WTF! You can put whatever you want in your mouth, but you can’t spew whatever you want out of it! There’s no way Yao Yao would mess around with that kind of toy with you!

#21

Reply by: Crimson River

Content: …

#22

Reply by: Bane of Outer Flame

Content: I’m so confused. Floor #20, do you love Boss Yao or love stabbing him in the back? =_=

#23

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Friendly reminder—even when you’re out taking a breather, you can still browse the forum on your phone.

#24

Reply by: XX

Content: Boss, we got topped!! [Sobbing]

#25

Reply by: Crimson River

Content: …

#26

Reply by: Little Tree

Content: Did all my comrades learn Chinese from their gym teachers?!

#27

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Enough. After this trip, I’ve come to terms with many things. Those who top shall be topped in turn—such is the cycle of karma, the balance of retribution. It aligns with Eastern philosophy and Western laws of energy conservation alike. There’s no need to dwell on it. The hardest thing in life is letting go.

#28

Reply by: Bane of Outer Flame

Content: Boss Yao, did you go on a vacation or join a monastery? =_=

#29

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Post above is War, post #26 is Little Willow, and post #25 is Rain Ceases, post #24 is X. I always thought you guys didn’t use the forums—turns out you just changed your IDs. Did you know you can search for the threads you’ve posted? Like “Exposing My Tyrannical Commander,” “That’s It, I Quit the Legion!” “I’m Sick of Endgame Dungeons But the Damn Commander Won’t Give Up, What Do I Do?!”…

#30

Reply by: XX

Content: Boss Yao, you just said you were letting go… TAT

#31

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Exactly. I’m letting you go… straight to hell.

…

#89

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: @Milk is Mom I know Foxy Pear is a client’s power-leveling account. I’m not looking for the client—I’m looking for the real guy behind it. Hand him over.

#90

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Getting conquered was inevitable, but I still think you owe us an explanation. How the hell does a PK session result in losing the City Gate Tower?

#91

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Damn it, how did you even spot me fifty-something posts down?!

#92

Reply by: Not Eating Meds But Loneliness

Content: Huaxia Forum VIP-exclusive service: Special ID Post Alerts.

#93

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: …

At this point, Fang Zheng couldn’t hold back any longer—

#112

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: @Not Eating Meds But Loneliness This feature is so useful, right?! I love it too, ahhhhh!!!

Less than half a minute after posting, a new reply appeared—

#113

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Dude above me, stop dodging the question. Who is that guy? His playstyle doesn’t match your veteran members!

#114

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: Ugh, you caught me the second I showed up~~~~ >_<

#115

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Cough Just bought forum VIP. The alerts are handy…

#116

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: Since we’re both VIPs now, I’ll be straight with you—that’s just a kid from our power-leveling studio. Not a Ghost Server member, doesn’t even play Huaxia. No need to hunt him down for revenge.

#117

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: For real? I’ve read a lot of books, but don’t you dare lie to me.

#118

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: I swear! Look into my honest, innocent eyes (⊙o⊙)!

#119

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: I’ll poke them out.

#120

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: You creep~~

#121

Reply by: Reeking of Demon Aura

Content: Are you two fighting or flirting? =_=

#122

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Every debt has its debtor. I won’t suffer in vain. If he won’t come, I’ll take it out on you.

#123

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: So you’re challenging me to a fight? I’m just a peace-loving healer, TAT

#124

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Cut the crap. You pick the time and place.

#125

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: Fine, if I don’t fight you once, you’ll never let this go. But let’s be clear—I am a Legion Commander, and I do care about my reputation. I need prep time since I don’t specialize in PVP.

#126

Reply by: No Birds Over a Thousand Mountains

Content: Got it. How many days?

#127

Reply by: Milk is Mom

Content: Three days from now. Dimensional Rift.

As he hit Enter, Diamond’s voice could be heard from the living room: “Dinner’s ready~~~~~~”

Fang Zheng reluctantly let go of the keyboard and turned to Birdy.

The latter was already looking at him, lips quirked in amusement. “Had your fill of arguing?”

Fang Zheng nodded. “So satisfying.”

Birdy grinned outright, ruffling his hair. “Thousand Mountains has been stood up so many times, he really is kinda pitiful. I approve of you offering yourself up to heal his emotional wounds.”

Fang Zheng’s eyes widened. “You knew I was planning to throw the match?! I even laid the groundwork with that ‘three days of training’ smokescreen!”

Birdy smirked without answering. Fang Zheng was an easy person to read, and after spending so much time together, Birdy could guess his thoughts with a glance. Sure, the guy had no bottom line when it came to shamelessness, but he was also quick to form attachments. Take the Dutch Chamber of Commerce—on the surface, they were rivals, but after their time together in the Lover’s Constellation, Fang Zheng had long since categorized them as friends.

Of course, there was no rule saying you couldn’t bully your friends. ╮(╯_╰)╭

As they chatted, the two made their way to the living room, where Fifth Brother, Xiaohu, and Zheng Xi were already seated around the dining table. Diamond was in the kitchen, plating the last dish. Fang Zheng pulled out his chair, about to sit, when the doorbell rang.

Since renting this place, the only guest they’d ever had was Lu Yue, so when Fifth Brother—closest to the door—stood up to answer it, he couldn’t resist teasing: “Perfect timing—don’t tell me you came just to mooch a meal—”

The door swung open as Fifth Brother’s playful tone trailed off. The person who stepped inside was Lu Yue—but he wasn’t alone. Behind him stood a woman.

Her striking features, cascading waves of hair, fitted trench coat, and knee-high boots gave her the aura of a femme fatale—yet her entire presence radiated the unyielding dominance of a warrior.

Fifth Brother, still holding the door open, was completely lost. He could only turn to Chang Xiaohu for help.

Chang Xiaohu was equally baffled and instinctively looked toward Zheng Xi.

Zheng Xi wore an expression that clearly said “Don’t look at me,” passing the buck to Fang Zheng with his eyes.

Fang Zheng had no one else to turn to—except for Diamond, who was either genuinely still plating food or hiding in the kitchen out of fear, the only person left was Birdy.

But Birdy wasn’t paying attention to Fang Zheng’s gaze, because his eyes were locked onto the woman.

Finally, Birdy spoke—and for the first time, Fang Zheng heard uncertainty in his voice.

“…Sister?”