East of Cloudside Town, out in the wilderness.
Lv8 Wildwood.
A large crowd of passing players had gathered, apparently watching something.
Meanwhile, within the crowd.
A large group of players with [Troubled Times] IDs above their heads were tormenting an unarmed girl.
The girl lay in a pool of blood, her body covered in wounds, barely clinging to life.
Around her, several female players from the Troubled Times Guild continued stabbing Su Yingxia at leisure!
The others watched and roared with laughter.
"Priests, heal her! Don't let this little bitch die too soon!"
"We haven't had enough fun yet! Let's play a little longer!"
"The boss said not to kill her. Just torture her!"
As they spoke, two level 10 Priests from Troubled Times simultaneously cast the E-rank Healing Spell, instantly restoring Su Yingxia's nearly empty health bar to full.
Then the female players from Troubled Times continued plunging their sharp swords into Su Yingxia's body, over and over.
Su Yingxia's face was deathly pale, twisted with pain.
Even the spectators outside could no longer bear to watch.
But faced with members of the Troubled Times Guild, they didn't dare intervene.
"Who's that girl? She's in such a terrible state!"
"Yeah, Troubled Times is actually torturing her like this! Those people are absolute monsters!"
"She's so pretty. She shouldn't be treated like this! What a shame..."
"But do you dare play the hero and save her? That's the Troubled Times Guild, working for Wang Junjie, the richest man in Ning'an! We can't afford to cross them!"
The Troubled Times players only laughed.
"Bitch! That's what you get for betraying the boss!"
"This is what happens when you betray Brother Jie!"
"No... I didn't betray Wang Junjie..." Su Yingxia's explanation was weak and feeble. No one paid it any attention.
The Troubled Times players continued mocking her:
"Where's your boyfriend, Mo Shou Cheng Gui? Tell him to come save you!"
"Yeah! Didn't we just see him buying Skill Books in the chat channel? His girlfriend's about to die, and he still has time to buy books?"
"Don't tell me he dumped you?"
"Tsk, tsk! A little slut nobody wants. How pitiful!"
Su Yingxia had endured ten full minutes of inhuman torture at the hands of the Troubled Times Guild without making a sound.
But when she heard those last few remarks from the Troubled Times players.
The sturdy defenses around her heart crumbled in an instant.
Perhaps only then did she realize that Lin Mo was the only person who had ever truly treated her well!
But now, even the man who had once cherished her like a treasure no longer wanted her.
At that thought, Su Yingxia's tears spilled despite herself.
"Oh, look! The little slut's crying!"
"She looks so heartbreaking when she cries!"
"Hahaha! Looks like she really is a little slut nobody wants!"
"You dared betray Brother Jie? We'll teach you a lesson you won't forget today, you little slut!"
As the Troubled Times players continued torturing Su Yingxia.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly, a rain of arrows descended from the sky, striking all around Su Yingxia.
Amid a chorus of screams.
The female Troubled Times players tormenting Su Yingxia were instantly shot dead, turning into streaks of white light that soared skyward!
The next moment, dozens of players with [Windchaser] IDs above their heads charged out of the surrounding crowd and formed a defensive ring around Su Yingxia.
Their leader, the level 11 Warrior [Shadow of Chasing Wind], stood guard in front of Su Yingxia with a longsword in hand and shouted angrily at the Troubled Times players outside:
"You dare lay a hand on the girlfriend of Mo Shou Cheng Gui, number one on the Heaven Ranking?"
"Already forgotten the pain now that your wounds have healed? Have you forgotten the terror of being crushed by Mo Shou Cheng Gui?"
"Terror?" The surrounding Troubled Times Guild players burst into laughter.
"The only one living in terror is a simp like you!"
"Don't think we don't know you tried to steal Mo Shou Cheng Gui's girlfriend before. What, one beating put you in your place? Now you're that scared of him?"
"Helping Mo Shou Cheng Gui steal our boss's boss monster was bad enough. Now you're here protecting the used-up slut he doesn't even want? You really are a devoted little simp!"
Qin Feng's face flushed.
"I... so what if I'm scared of Mo Shou Cheng Gui? Aren't you? Isn't Wang Junjie?"
"Either way, as long as I'm here today, you're not touching Yingxia!"
Outside the ring.
The leader of Troubled Times, a level 10 male Knight named [Troubled Times Cao Thief], sneered. "You think you can stop us?"
"You don't have what it takes."
With that, Troubled Times Cao Thief clapped his hands.
The next second.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
A large group of players with hidden IDs suddenly rushed out of the surrounding spectators.
When they revealed their IDs, every name above their heads began with [Troubled Times]!
Qin Feng's men immediately sensed trouble.
"Fuck, Brother Feng, we've walked into a trap! They hid on purpose, waiting for us to come out!"
"Holy shit, there are so many of them! We're screwed!"
As the Windchaser Guild players panicked.
Only Qin Feng remained resolute.
"Brothers, hold the line!"
"Let that bastard Wang Junjie see that the Windchaser Guild isn't full of cowards!"
At Qin Feng's command.
The dozens of Windchaser players present readied their weapons and prepared for battle.
Meanwhile, outside the ring.
Troubled Times Cao Thief snorted. "Fools who don't know their own limits!"
"You dare make an enemy of Troubled Times? You're asking to die!"
"Brothers, kill them!"
At the order of their leader, the black-armored Knight Troubled Times Cao Thief.
Over a hundred Troubled Times players charged at Windchaser from every direction, weapons in hand!
The two sides immediately plunged into a fierce battle.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Swish, swish, swish!
Amid flashing blades, the radiance of magic spilled everywhere.
Through the rising chorus of shouts and screams.
Streaks of white light flashed across the battlefield, one after another, without pause.
Most of those killed, however, were Windchaser players.
It wasn't simply because the Troubled Times Guild had superior numbers.
It was also because almost every Troubled Times player had completed their class advancement, and each had two basic class skills!
Among the Windchaser players, fewer than a third had reached level 10.
Of that third who had acquired classes, more than half hadn't been willing to spend money learning skills. Their class advancement made practically no difference.
Whether in numbers or combat capabilities, the two sides weren't remotely in the same league.
Troubled Times utterly crushed Windchaser!
Before long, the Windchaser Guild was routed.
Of their original dozens, only a little over ten remained alive.
Led by Qin Feng, they still held their ground around Su Yingxia.
Despite her battered body, Su Yingxia remained determined. Enduring the tearing pain throughout her body, she said to Qin Feng, "Qin Feng... leave!"
"This has nothing to do with you. Go! Don't worry about me..."
With half his health remaining and a blood-soaked longsword in hand, Qin Feng glanced back at Su Yingxia, his gaze blazing. "Brother Mo's business is my business!"
"Brother Mo's woman is my woman!"
"I'm not leaving!"
"Even if Troubled Times beats me to death, I'm not leaving!"
Outside the ring, Troubled Times Cao Thief laughed. "Pathetic simp!"
"When it comes to being spineless losers, you and Mo Shou Cheng Gui really are brothers!"
"Know why Mo Shou Cheng Gui doesn't dare show himself? Because our guild's class advancement rate has reached 95%! His raw stat advantage is useless against us now!"
"If he dares to come-"
Thwack!
Before he could finish.
An arrow came flying in, piercing straight through Troubled Times Cao Thief's throat with unerring precision.
-1253 (Critical hit)!
The shockingly high four-digit damage stunned everyone as a single arrow emptied his full health bar.
Clutching his profusely bleeding neck with both hands, Troubled Times Cao Thief stared wide-eyed and staggered backward several steps in terror.
With a thud, he dropped to his knees.
Following Troubled Times Cao Thief's terrified gaze.
They saw a figure emerge from the crowd ahead.
Instantly, everyone's eyes locked onto that figure.
"Holy shit! Number one on the Heaven Ranking!"
"Mo Shou Cheng Gui is here!!"
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