One of the Twelve Emperors, Setting Up the Fire Cloud Leopard!

Yang Shan followed Ye Suifeng around to another street.

They came before a middle-aged man who looked to be nearing thirty.

The man enthusiastically grabbed Yang Shan's hand and shook it repeatedly, looking every bit like a coal boss negotiating business.

"Friend, a pleasure to meet you, a pleasure to meet you."

This truly was the first time Yang Shan had met this man in this life.

"My name is Jin Shankao. I was just heading to the Stall Area for a look around when I happened to see you clash with Wang Tianhao."

Yang Shan did not know much about Jin Shankao's real-life identity. He only knew that Jin Shankao was from Xuzhou, owned numerous businesses, and was genuinely wealthy.

Perhaps Jin Shankao had been a gaming fanatic since his youth, because despite already being well into his thirties, he was still willing to invest vast sums into Battle Through the Heavens.

Jin Shankao was different from Wang Tianhao. Before Yang Shan's rebirth, the Hero King Manor founded by Jin Shankao had always been one of the top guilds.

Perhaps because Jin Shankao had an excellent head for business, Hero King Manor had always operated exceptionally well. Its in-game profits were considerable, even becoming one of Jin Shankao's key sources of income.

Xuzhou... Yang Shan suddenly remembered that Wang Tianhao's family business was also in Xuzhou! Yang Shan asked, "Old Bro Jin, do you know Wang Tianhao?"

Jin Shankao said, "We've met a few times. I mainly have some business dealings with Wang Tianhao's father, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to embarrass him in front of his son. But I'm indeed interested in the magic cores you have. I can buy all that equipment as a package too."

Yang Shan nodded.

"Sure. I'll give you a discount—1,300."

Jin Shankao smiled. "Friend, could we trade in real-world currency? At market price. I definitely won't short you by a single cent!"

The game had only just launched, and there were far too many uses for Spirit Stones. Yet Tian Yao Company had tightly controlled their production.

Even many high-level Players had not managed to save up many Spirit Stones.

As a result, Spirit Stones were frighteningly expensive right now.

At the system Auction House, a single Spirit Stone cost seven yuan!

Even so, demand for Spirit Stones still vastly exceeded supply.

If one put Spirit Stones up for sale at the Auction House, they would be sold within five minutes at most.

Even the moderately well-off would shake their heads at that price.

Even Yang Shan, who had spent no Spirit Stones on cultivation techniques or equipment, had nearly exhausted the ones in his possession.

Yang Shan thought about it. He did not need too many Spirit Stones for the moment.

Still, he would need some for purchasing small items and AFK Cultivation.

There was no point keeping too many Spirit Stones on hand.

Once the Player population got through the initial pioneering phase, Spirit Stone production would gradually increase, and their price would fall accordingly.

"How about this? Give me 300 Spirit Stones, and convert the remaining 1,000 Spirit Stones into cash."

Jin Shankao nodded repeatedly. "Thank you, thank you. Let's add each other as friends while we're at it. If you get any good stuff in the future, you can contact me. I might just pay for it."

Yang Shan said, "Sure."

The two quickly completed the deal through the "Player Trade" button.

Money in one hand, goods in the other.

The system acted as an intermediary, charging a 1% handling fee to ensure both payment and goods were delivered fairly, without any fraud.

Jin Shankao also successfully added Yang Shan as a friend.

"Yang Shan?"

Jin Shankao hesitated for a moment. "Brother, you wouldn't happen to be that Yang Shan from the two Global Announcements, would you?"

Yang Shan admitted it frankly.

"That's me."

Ye Suifeng, who had been idling beside them, immediately became excited when he heard that.

"WTF! You're that Yang Shan? Come on, come on, PK me."

Ye Suifeng had previously played competitive games. He was highly talented and loved PK the most.

Jin Shankao had gone to great lengths to recruit Ye Suifeng into the guild.

"Xiao Ye, don't make trouble. This isn't a League solo match. There'll be plenty of chances to PK later."

Jin Shankao warmly patted Yang Shan on the shoulder.

"Man, you're the number one person in Battle Through the Heavens now. You even killed a Tier 1 King of Beasts. No wonder Wang Tianhao and his twenty-odd men got hacked back to town by you."

Flattery with a hidden knife!

Proper, genuine flattery with a hidden knife!

Yang Shan would not be sweet-talked by Jin Shankao's few words.

Businessmen had schemes piled upon schemes, like a damn thousand-layer pastry.

"Old Bro Jin, you're exaggerating."

"Hey! Not at all, not at all!"

Jin Shankao grinned. "Brother Yang Shan, I like to be straightforward, so I'll be blunt. Are you interested in joining my guild?"

Jin Shankao was extremely confident. "Don't worry, I, Jin Shankao, have a bit of capital. What do you want? Money? Women? I have both!"

One did not slap a smiling face. Yang Shan could only decline politely. "Sorry, Old Bro Jin. I don't have any plans in that regard for now."

Jin Shankao did not press the matter too hard.

"Fine, there's no rush. But if you get anything good in the future, you have to let me know."

Yang Shan said, "Sure. I have some things to do, so I'll get going. Let's keep in touch."

"Sure, keep in touch!"

Yang Shan left without the slightest hesitation.

Watching Yang Shan's departing back, Ye Suifeng asked in confusion, "Boss, why didn't you try to persuade him more? Are there really men in this world who can resist the temptation of money and women?"

Jin Shankao said with interest, "Xiao Ye, Yang Shan getting two Global Announcements in a row wasn't just luck. Didn't you notice something?"

Ye Suifeng asked, "What?"

Jin Shankao said, "I only said I'd give him money and women, but I never said how much. He didn't even ask! Either he's already signed with another guild, or he doesn't lack money or women!"

"I don't lack either, though."

Ye Suifeng gave a lecherous grin.

"Boss, let's hurry up and turn in the quest with the magic cores, then log off early."

Jin Shankao laughed and cursed, "You brat! Every time you top up at Celestial Paradise, it's a hundred thousand. Young people really do have strong bodies. You're treating today!"

Ye Suifeng's face darkened. "Come on, you're my boss. You should look after your underling. Didn't you top up three million just last time?"

Jin Shankao said, "Nonsense. Could I have won over Manager Xu without throwing in some money?"

Ye Suifeng immediately pictured the graceful figure of Xu Run, the service department manager at Celestial Paradise.

At twenty-nine, Xu Run possessed all the charms of a mature young woman! The service department's "technicians" charged fees, but the service department manager was not someone one could simply pay for!

Jin Shankao had forcibly spent his way into opening a "canal"! The boss really knew how to play!

Meanwhile, Chao Bafang had posted a thread on the forums twenty minutes earlier.

"Has Nalan Yanran Appeared in Cloud Frost City?"

The first thing in the thread was nine screenshots of Nalan Yanran.

There were images of her fighting the Fire Cloud Leopard, as well as pictures taken in the private courtyard of the Floating Cloud Inn.

Chao Bafang wrote down his personal experience.

From encountering Nalan Yanran to receiving compensation at the private courtyard.

The content was 90% true!

The remaining 10% had been slightly altered according to Yang Shan's request regarding the Fire Cloud Leopard: the Fire Cloud Leopard was not Nalan Yanran's trial target.

Rather, Nalan Yanran wanted to use the Fire Cloud Leopard's hide to make a piece of clothing! Within just twenty minutes, this thread had surpassed the previous top trending thread, "She Is Xiao Mei!" That thread had been contributed by Players from Wutan City.

After all, Xiao Mei represented the Xiao Family in recruiting Players, making her one of the first original NPCs Players encountered.

As for Yang Shan's previous hot thread, "Yang Shan, Who Is He?"

It had already been squeezed down to third place.

And the thread posted by Chao Bafang had now exceeded one hundred thousand replies!

The power of the internet's old perverts was truly formidable.

ID Ta Mu Fa Ze Hu Jiu Tiao: Slurp! Slurp! ID Lang Wu Ya Bu Shi Lang Wu Ya: Damn, she's gorgeous! Players in Cloud Frost City are fucking lucky!

ID Cai Hua Cai Dao Jing Jin Ren Wang: @Tian Yao Art Department, thumbs up! Make more NPCs with this level of looks in the future! ID Lian Shang Xiao Xun Er: Nalan Yanran is this pretty? I'm buying a name-change card!

ID Xiao Aotian: Where's the Fire Cloud Leopard? Where the hell is the Fire Cloud Leopard? ID Ji Fengchun: Tian Hao Alliance, the number one guild in Shun Huo Nuan, has entered Battle Through the Heavens! Heroes and talents from all walks of life are welcome to join!

ID Retired Argumentative Expert: The guild name above sounds familiar. Oh, that server-dominating guild from Shun Huo Nuan! Throwing around a little stinking money to claim territory and steal monsters everywhere—save it. Spending money doesn't do much in Battle Through the Heavens.

ID Ji Fengchun: Who the fuck are you, yelling nonsense here? ID Retired Argumentative Expert: Who I am is none of your business! I remember you now, Ji Fengchun, the number one Sui Meng player in Shun Huo Nuan, right? So in Battle Through the Heavens, are you getting chased all over the place by Tier 1 magical beasts?

ID Tian Dao Zui Hou Ying You Jin You: Stop arguing, guys. By the way, does any Old Bro know where the Floating Cloud Inn is? Paid information! ID Na Nian Wo Shuang Shou Cha Dou: Based on the analysis in the thread, if someone can get the Fire Cloud Leopard's hide and give it to Nalan Yanran, wouldn't that raise her favorability? ID Zi Wo Jiang Li Cheng Yin: Over here in Wutan City, Players can't even catch a glimpse of Ya Fei, while over in Cloud Frost City, they can grind Nalan Yanran's favorability? Fuck! I'm so jealous!

Most of the discussion still revolved around Nalan Yanran.

Then it extended from Nalan Yanran to the Fire Cloud Leopard.

Then from killing the Fire Cloud Leopard, obtaining its hide, and giving it to Nalan Yanran to trigger favorability.

Then following Nalan Yanran's route to join the Misty Cloud Sect.

And ideally, becoming Yun Yun's disciple. The later developments were purely the Players' own fantasies.

And the basic prerequisite for making those fantasies come true was:

Give the Fire Cloud Leopard's hide to Nalan Yanran!

As the thread continued to explode in popularity, the Players of Cloud Frost City became completely fired up!