The Leons' Tea Party (1)

Shen Ru brazenly settled into the Dark Night Guild just like that.

Since Mo Yu wanted to tie him to the guild, he might as well make the rumor a reality.

The young man knew perfectly well that a twisted freak like Mo Yu was doing this to make him a target for everyone. But at the same time, the guild would have to shoulder the unknown risk that Shen Ru represented.

If Shen Ru left the Dark Night Guild after this, Mo Yu could spread word of a falling-out between him and the guild, muddying the waters and leaving him completely isolated.

What a clever little scheme.

He's practically rubbing it in my face.

Although most of this conflict had started because Mo Yu was fiercely protective of his own, the person he was protecting got along wonderfully with Shen Ru over those three days.

Sheng Ziyao enthusiastically told the beauty all about the guild's origins and introduced him to the best places to eat and have fun in the Living Area. He even volunteered as a tour guide and invited Shen Ru out.

The young man, who had never cared much for making friends, behaved unusually this time. Unlike in the instance, he seemed utterly harmless around Sheng Ziyao and went along with all his strange requests.

Shen Ru also learned what made the Tea Party instance special.

According to Sheng Ziyao, this instance existed outside the rating system, and its difficulty depended on the players' abilities. Still, with only a handful of places available among tens of millions of people, its difficulty was easy enough to imagine.

But the instance held an S-Rank Card and numerous A-Rank Cards. Most players joined the Tea Party for its rewards; few cared about its rating.

Sheng Ziyao adored this gorgeous man and wanted to take him everywhere.

As a result, word of their friendly relationship spread not only through the Dark Night Guild but to other guilds as well.

Thanks to Sheng Ziyao, the false news that Shen Ru had joined the Dark Night Guild spread like wildfire.

Inside the office.

"Shouldn't we clear this up?" Gu Changming asked.

The man looked through the list of people attending this Tea Party, paused briefly, then shook his head.

"We were the ones who approached Shen Ru, and he's been staying here these past few days. Clarifying things now would look too deliberate. It wouldn't make sense, and it would only stir up trouble."

Gu Changming did not know Shen Ru well. His incomplete impression came entirely from observation and hearsay. Coupled with how differently the young man had behaved over the past two days compared to the rumors, it suddenly dawned on him:

"Shen Ru did this on purpose?"

Mo Yu's gaze settled on the Blue Chronicle Guild, his voice amused. "Yes. Quite the temper."

The Live-Streaming Hall was unusually lively that day.

The annual Tea Party was about to begin. In particular, the Dark Night Guild had announced that Guild Leader Mo Yu would be teaming up with the top-ranked newcomer for the first time. A partnership between two powerhouses promised plenty to watch.

"This stream's going to be something! The newcomer's debut is the Leons' Tea Party. Talk about starting at the top!"

"They're probably just hyping him up. How capable can a newcomer really be?"

"I heard Shen Ru is a total beauty?? Is that true???"

"I heard that too. Can someone post a picture!!"

The game instances in the Live-Streaming Hall began launching, and the eagerly anticipated Tea Party instance took the top spot on the page.

A huge reminder appeared in the center of the screen, with a conspicuous row of bright red warnings.

[Friendly reminder: players may only watch. The live comment section is currently unavailable.]

After a flash of white light, Shen Ru woke again inside a private car.

A rousing, impassioned symphony played in the car as the young man looked lazily at the man beside him.

An exquisite gray suit, a snow-white feather brooch pinned to his chest, and an aloof, indifferent expression-nothing about him suggested a lover of symphonies.

Inside the Livestream Room:

[Ahhhhh, honey, long time no see!!!]

[Holy shit, they're finally in the same frame again!!! Taking screenshots like crazy!!!]

[I'm so excited for this year's Tea Party. There are so many twists every year. I wonder what Leon has planned this time?]

[I hope sparks fly between my wife and my husband in the game!]

"You're awake?"

Shen Ru nodded in response.

"What form did the Tea Party usually take in previous years?"

Although Shen Ru considered Mo Yu a sick freak, he had to admit that the man was remarkably powerful.

If seeing him freely use his abilities outside an instance had been a pleasant surprise, the glorious exploits Sheng Ziyao had recounted over the past two days had truly set his blood racing.

Spend long enough in this game, and anyone would grow numb.

Their lives might end in the very next instance, so the more dangerous life was inside the instances, the more extravagant it became outside them.

And the Dark Night Guild had actually begun as an upscale club jointly established by the leaders of the eight major guilds.

Apparently, some fool had knocked Mo Yu unconscious while he was still a newcomer and sold him to the club. Despite the guild leaders overseeing the place, the man had somehow turned it into the ninth guild overnight and named it Dark Night.

But all the guild leaders tacitly agreed to keep their mouths shut about what had happened that night.

In just one month, Dark Night's points had shot to the top of the rankings, firmly securing first place.

The Eternal Life Game had always revered the strong. In this game that extinguished humanity, only the powerful deserved recognition and respect.

Mo Yu replied casually, his tone level and unchanging:

"There's no set format. The Leons' tastes are hard to fathom. We can only deal with whatever they throw at us."

After hearing this, Shen Ru turned and studied Mo Yu seriously. Seeing his unruffled expression, he raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

The invitation was addressed to Mo Yu. His lover could be anyone, as long as Mo Yu agreed. So why had he specifically chosen Shen Ru?

Shen Ru did not believe that nonsense about promises being sacred. With his strength, the man could easily have cast him aside, but Mo Yu had not. That meant certain things could only be done by someone like him, fresh out of the Newcomer Instance.

Mo Yu said nothing. He merely closed his eyes, looking enraptured as he savored the final movement.

As the last note faded, the man's deep, elegant voice reached Shen Ru's ears.

"What am I to do? Sometimes you really set my blood on fire."

Shen Ru snorted, his tone disdainful. "If you had fewer twisted hobbies, I could say the same to you."

The man's lips curved. Automatically ignoring the mockery in Shen Ru's voice, he said:

"There are eight invitations in total. This year, they're all held by the leaders of the top eight guilds. Each person can bring one family member, making sixteen people altogether. But no more than eight can actually attend the Tea Party."

Shen Ru considered this for a moment. "Sounds like a high bar for entry. This instance has a Selection Phase?"

Mo Yu nodded. "Yes. The Selection Phase begins once we get out of the car."

"So?"

The man smiled and turned to look at the scenery outside the window. His malicious smile sent a chill through anyone who saw it. "Nothing. With your intelligence, you'll figure it out soon enough. If you're still alive, of course."

Shen Ru's face remained expressionless, his even voice betraying neither anger nor pleasure. "Looks like you still don't know me well enough. First, I won't die. Second, I absolutely won't help you."

"You will."

Fuck you. I'll kill you sooner or later.

Shen Ru clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.

Before long, the car stopped in front of an abandoned building. Its weathered walls looked ready to collapse after years of exposure to wind and sun. Time had eroded its bricks and tiles as well, leaving it dilapidated.

When the two got out, quite a few people were already waiting there.

Thanks to Sheng Ziyao, Shen Ru was already familiar with most of the guild leaders' names and appearances.

The blue-eyed little girl with twin ponytails was Wei Lanxing, leader of the third-ranked Kanghe Guild. She was supposedly a fangirl of Mo Yu's.

Wei Lanxing wore an ornate princess dress, its layers of lace dotted with tiny pearls. Clearly, she had put considerable thought into it.

The girl waved excitedly when she saw Mo Yu. "Mo Yu! Long time no see!"

Mo Yu nodded politely in response.

A man nearby spoke up. "Looks like our Leons are as consistent as ever this year. They make everyone dress formally, then drag us out to this godforsaken place."

The speaker was Chu Rong, leader of the fourth-ranked Dawn Guild.

Supposedly, he had little ability and had secured his leadership position through connections.

Shen Ru swept his gaze over the group and met the eyes of the Blue Chronicle Guild's leader. Just as the rumors said, the man was utterly self-serving.

Guan Wenyue's gaze was like a razor-sharp knife, passing inch by inch over every patch of the young man's skin, as though precisely calculating how much use he could be.

Shen Ru did not shy away from that blatant scrutiny. Instead, he stood comfortably to one side and let the man look his fill.

The selection process had a high mortality rate. The man might be dead the very next second.

As it happened, he was especially tolerant of the dead.

"Ding. All players detected as present. Launching instance: the Leons' Tea Party."

"Selection begins: this building was once covered in lush rose vines, yet the immortal roses vanished overnight. Players must discover the cause and submit their answers."

"Time limit: three hours."

"Friendly reminder: the Leons place great importance on etiquette and attire. Please be sure to keep yourselves clean."

"Game begins."