An Opportunity for Cooperation

The two sides fought fiercely, but the battle was intense yet orderly. Even an outsider like Si Ming could see the intricacies of the game. After all, military ball originated from the military and bears the traces of military strategy, and most martial artists skilled in actual combat are also knowledgeable in military strategy.

The Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team is weaker on average than the Wind Forest Fire Mountain Team, but their tactics are very clear: they revolve around their ace player, using various screens and defenses to block any Red Team players who try to stop them. On the other hand, the Wind Forest Fire Mountain Team, although stronger, clearly lacks a core player and always plays individually, relying solely on individual strength to gain an advantage.

In the end, the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team's ace successfully ran to the baseline, crashing into the goal along with the ball, only to be caught by the fishing net behind him.

With the sound of a whistle, half the audience erupted in deafening cheers, while the players of the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team celebrated the goal and joined together to lift up the ace that had scored.

Si Ming looked at the player in black armor on the field, calmly accepting the cheers of the fans, and muttered in confusion, "Isn't he that breakfast vendor uncle? When did he change professions?"

Chapter 635 The Opportunity for Cooperation

In the semifinals of the Soldier King Cup, the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team narrowly defeated the Wind Forest Fire Mountain Team 10-8. Qingyan, the team's core player, received a hero's welcome.

However, amidst the fans' fervent, lava-like cheers, Qingyan's indifferent expression seemed out of place, as if he were the only one sober in a world of drunks. But the fans didn't care; they continued to celebrate, continued their frenzy, and continued to shout, "I want to have your Monkey!" "Even if they're boys, it doesn't matter!" "I want to save my first time with you!"

Initially, some people disliked Qingyan's seemingly indifferent attitude, believing that passionate athletes were the best. However, as he performed exceptionally well and led the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team to victory after victory, his indifference became a symbol of composure. In the eyes of fans, it was precisely because of Qingyan's calm and collected demeanor, like a mountain collapsing before him, that he was able to accurately find the opponent's defensive weaknesses time and time again, launching a fatal attack, demonstrating the principle that an observer sees more of the game.

Ultimately, the eternal theme of competitive sports is not unity and struggle, but the winner takes all. As long as you can win, everything you say is right. Even your farts smell sweet in the eyes of die-hard fans. Conversely, if you can only suffer defeat after defeat, everything you say is wrong. Even if you say one plus one equals two, someone will find fault with it. Even breathing is a crime.

Moreover, young people love being unconventional. If they can achieve success while maintaining their individuality, that would be perfect. Qingyan with the surrounding atmosphere perfectly fits this standard, so it's only natural that they are wildly popular.

Only Qingyan himself knew that his indifferent attitude was simply because he didn't love the sport of military ball. He simply treated it as a job to make money, which he saw as no different from selling breakfast, practicing medicine, or making tea.

That's right, he joined the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team not because of a mission, but simply because he was broke and would starve to death if he didn't earn money soon.

The assassin's circle is only so big. One or two accidents are one thing, but after a while, even a blind man would notice the abnormality in Qingyan. Every time he went on an operation, the client would die for some inexplicable reason. This is even more terrifying than a jinx. A jinx only brings death to those close to them, but the relationship between the client and the assassin is anything but close. Often, communication is relayed through intermediaries, and they've never even met in person. Even such a thin connection is killed off. Who wouldn't be afraid?

Not to mention that the death list includes a big shot like the leader of the Crimson Eye Society. Who thinks they have a tougher life than Spirit Transformation?

From then on, not only did no one come to Qingyan for work, but even public missions that anyone could do would have a note at the end saying "except for Qingyan." This was the first time in the history of assassins that someone had received such special treatment, making it unprecedented. Even the phrase "never to be repeated" was only left out as a precaution, although most people believed that it was impossible for a second assassin as bizarre as Qingyan to appear.

However, Qingyan himself absolutely disliked such a title. After a year of being unemployed and having spent all the deposit he had earned, he had to look for a part-time job that could quickly make a lot of money. After all, the expenses of martial arts training were huge, and as a professional assassin, he could not slack off in his training even in his spare time. He had to strive for excellence and constantly hone his professional skills.

He then joined a second-division team in Nation of Valor and became a professional player. Not long after, he was spotted by a scout and poached by the newly promoted Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team.

Originally, Qingyan was supposed to start as a substitute and guard the water bottle for at least half a season. He was happy to be a professional water bottle guardian and towel passer. However, during his first official game, due to the successive injuries of his teammates, he was called upon to rush onto the field.

At this point, the score was 2-6 for the Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team. No one had high hopes for Qingyan staged a stunning comeback, scoring four goals to tie the score. This sparked a counterattack from the team, which ultimately reversed the outcome of the game. The commentators were incredulous.

After that, Qingyan completed a miraculous three-stage leap, from a substitute player to a regular player, from a regular player to a starting player, and then from a starting player to the absolute core player. In a way that even he himself found inexplicable, he became a hot new star on the field. From being unknown to being famous throughout the country, he only took half a year and was given the title of "Eye of Miracles".

"I'm thinking of taking the real estate agent certification exam. What do you think?"

In a classically decorated private room of a teahouse, the Qingyan real estate agent, Hongyi, took a sip of his Da Hong Pao tea and spoke leisurely amidst the rising steam.

Qingyan gave the other person an Anomalies look and said, "The assassin industry has become so formalized that even intermediaries have to take professional certification exams?"

A thought immediately popped into his head, and he asked with great interest, "Shouldn't assassins take a certification exam?"

If there were a corresponding professional exam, he was confident he could get a perfect score. With such an outstanding record, someone would surely be tempted to hire him for a mission.

Hongyi gave him a look that said, "Are you crazy?" and said, "I'm referring to sports agents. Don't you think you're a natural for this industry? You have a bright future ahead of you."

Qingyan immediately lost interest and said listlessly, "You said the same thing when I was a chef, a doctor, and a tea server."

"But none of those are enough to make money. This one can make a fortune. Believe me, you can become a legendary player... no, you're already a legendary star!" Hongyi said excitedly.

Although Qingyan is older, martial artists' peak period lasts longer than that of ordinary people. There are many star players who retire at the age of forty. Moreover, Internal Cultivation usually reaches its peak at the age of thirty. Therefore, the peak period of the Sea Continent players is usually between the ages of thirty and thirty-five. Their performance will start to decline after the age of thirty-five. With Qingyan's strict self-discipline, it is normal for him to play until the age of forty-five.

Unfortunately, everyone has their own ambitions.

"I only want to become a legendary assassin," Qingyan said in a calm yet firm tone.

Why are you so stubborn?

Hongyi was about to try and persuade the other party, but when she thought of the countless arguments they had had in the past and the same results, she lost the desire to launch into a long speech.

"I just received an offer from Six Secret Teachings Team. Do you know how much it is? A 50 million annual salary! That doesn't include any goal bonuses, and they guarantee a 10% salary increase every year. I can guarantee that you could work your whole life as an assassin and still not earn that much money."

"Money isn't the only measure of value. It's a necessity, but enough is enough, just like air. Humans can't live without air, but we only breathe so much each day; anything more is a waste," Qingyan paused, then concluded, "Dreams can't be measured by money."

"Dreaming, dreaming all day long, why don't you become a disciple of the Mohist School? There are tons of idealists there."

"I would like to, but unfortunately the Mohist School reject assassins and dislike the art of stealth assassination. At most, they can only accept assassinations like the White Rainbow Piercing the Sun."

"A white rainbow piercing the sun can't really be considered an assassination anymore... Anyway, dreams can't put food on the table. Do you know how many fools have starved to death pursuing their dreams?"

"I never worry about going hungry, but I still admire people like that. To die for one's ideals is a blessing, far better than a general dying in his sickbed."

Having come this far, what else could Hongyi say? If it were anyone else, he could advise them not to only think of themselves, but to consider their parents, wife, and children. But Qingyan was all alone, with no one to worry about, and no one needed to be responsible for anyone else. He only needed to live for himself. Even if he wanted to starve himself to death, no one could interfere.

After thinking it over, Hongyi decided to play the emotional card.

"It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance to frugality. Back when I was your middleman, I could only afford to shop at roadside stalls. I had to carefully calculate how many fried dough sticks I'd eat in the morning. I couldn't even afford to come to this teahouse we're sitting in now. I thought I'd finally have a few good days and could rise to prominence, clean up my act, and live a life of luxury. But I never expected I'd have to go back... Oh well, what can I do? We've been partners for over a decade. I'll go through fire and water with you."

Without hesitation, Qingyan replied, "If you ever need money, feel free to take it from my account. The Dragon and Snake Rise on Land Team just recently received a lot of bonuses."

Hongyi was speechless. If he set aside his obsession with the legendary assassin, his partner was impeccable. In ancient times, he would definitely be a chivalrous and generous hero.

He couldn't help but smile wryly. In the end, he had been persuaded. Having such a friend, it was his responsibility as a brother to try to fulfill his wishes. At worst, he could just pay to hire him... Well, he'd rather not do that. He could agree to anything else.

"Now that your bad reputation has spread, even if others are thinking 'better safe than sorry,' they won't entrust you with their work. Your two years of unemployment are proof of that. Continuing to wait will only make things worse."

Qingyan said indignantly, "They're all gullible and superstitious fools. Assassination is a way to defy fate and fight against the strong and the weak. If they believed in fate, they shouldn't have hired assassins; they should have hired wizards to Curse their enemies... Fine, can I change my name?"

To realize his dream of becoming a legendary assassin, he decided to take a step back and change his name. After all, his current name had no achievements to speak of, and changing his name might just bring him good luck.

Hongyi poured cold water on the idea, saying, "I'm afraid that won't work. This approach might have worked when you weren't famous yet, but now everyone in the industry knows your name, so they'll naturally be wary. Even clients trying this for the first time will be alerted by mid-level professionals. Checking your background isn't that difficult."