Chapter 2886: Wanting to Pull Off Something Big
"It's said that Jin Feixue has a close relationship with a certain family at an A-level wormhole point. The reason this group can plunder freely in the game is largely due to support from major powers," Shi Sanjiu said. "And besides robbery, they also engage in the dirty business of human trafficking."
"Right now, he wants to use the Holy Sword Society to deal with you. First, it's a way to kill with a borrowed knife, and second, he probably wants to thoroughly figure out your trump cards."
"Don't underestimate their combat strategy. The Eerie Sound Knights only have a few members, but many districts have suffered losses at their hands. The fact that they're still alive and well shows that aside from being bold, they're also very cautious."
"But I heard that Dou Shengnan from their team hasn't shown her face for a long time. She might have been killed..."
He looked up at Xu Huo as he spoke. "Did you do it?"
"Dou Shengnan did die by my hand," Xu Huo said.
Shi Sanjiu praised him, "You're really something. Dou Shengnan is an old-school A-level player, famous for her Mental Evolution. Killing her is no easy feat."
Xu Huo nodded. "I almost lost my life doing it."
"I won't ask about your grudge with the Eerie Sound Knights, but just be careful. The Eerie Sound Knights are vengeful to the extreme," Shi Sanjiu said generously. "If you need any props or instruments, just say the word."
Shi Sanjiu was also a Temporal Evolver, so Xu Huo naturally wanted to borrow a Time Item. He said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."
Shi Sanjiu did have Time Items, but he hesitated slightly. "The ones I carry on me are average, probably not very useful to you. Let me ask my brother if I can borrow one. If I can get a better one, great. If not, you can use mine as you please!"
Xu Huo sincerely thanked him, and Shi Sanjiu waved it off carelessly. "Don't mention it now. After your business is settled, you'll have to share some of your experiences with me. I can see you're improving fast."
"Sure," Xu Huo paused, then said, "But the Eerie Sound Knights might be watching me right now. If they come after you..."
"No big deal," Shi Sanjiu said. "I came here mainly to negotiate a deal with the Shui family. Once that's done, I'll go straight home. No matter how powerful the Eerie Sound Knights are, they wouldn't dare break into my house."
"Isn't District 033 under the control of the Holy Sword Society? Does your family have business dealings with them?" Xu Huo asked.
"Not really," Shi Sanjiu said. "Although the Holy Sword Society, backed by the Shui family, has become the dominant force in District 033, it's not the only player here. The district government also represents certain factions, and the Shui family won't hand over all decision-making power to the Holy Sword Society."
"After the Holy Sword Society took over District 033, some factions cut off their cooperation with the district. It's the Holy Sword Society's own fault for leaving no room for retreat. They're now semi-isolated, which is why the Shui family is desperately trying to do business with the Shi family."
"But the game world is vast, and there are plenty who want to do business with the Holy Sword Society, so District 033 isn't in too bad a shape."
"I can see you have no mercy for the Holy Sword Society. Do you have a grudge against them?" Shi Sanjiu asked.
"Obviously," Xu Huo took a sip of tea. "I'm afraid even if I come knocking for revenge, the Holy Sword Society won't know why."
"They're in for a world of trouble messing with you," Shi Sanjiu said with schadenfreude.
"The Holy Sword Society must have offended a lot of people. I'm sure there are some powerful players among them," Xu Huo said. "They dare to make their headquarters public. Aren't they afraid of retaliation?"
"Because this is a district under an A-level wormhole point," Shi Sanjiu said. "Once a district war starts, other districts in the same wormhole point and the Game Government will intervene. The Game Government doesn't care who's right or wrong. Without their approval, an A-level wormhole point cannot initiate a district war."
"How exactly does the Game Government manage its authority externally?" Xu Huo asked. "They say it's people running the game, but it seems like whoever holds any position in the game isn't all that important."
"I'm not too clear on that either," Shi Sanjiu thought for a moment. "I've heard that the families who truly control the game's authority are all in the Non-Ticket Game Districts. They rarely show themselves, but the assets allocated to other Ticket wormhole point factions regularly send profits back to them."
"But it's not necessarily entirely controlled by humans."
"The game system has evolved and upgraded many times by now. While it might not develop human-like thinking, its operations are definitely more inclined toward its own calculations. And with so many wormhole points, how could humans possibly manage them all? Just look at those Super Players wanted across the entire game. They can slap faces in Non-Ticket Districts and still escape. If the players in Non-Ticket Districts truly had full control over the game, killing a Super Player wouldn't be that hard."
"That's just my opinion," Shi Sanjiu leaned back in his soft chair, a hint of longing in his voice. "I've heard that only those who are particularly favored are selected to enter the Non-Ticket Districts. The rest, assigned to manage wormhole points below A-level, are just fringe figures. They have some authority, but not much."
"Like Carol Field?" Xu Huo said.
"Something like that," Shi Sanjiu said. "I heard that Carmen Field once received an invitation to join the Non-Ticket Districts, but it ended in a mess, and he died."
"I suspect the Field Clan definitely has people in the Non-Ticket Districts. Otherwise, Carol Field wouldn't have been able to become an Archon even after being marginalized."
"I'm not cut out for business, so I can only focus more on evolution. Maybe one day I'll make it into the Non-Ticket Districts."
Xu Huo smiled. "Even if you go, it might not be better. You said it yourself—the game mostly runs on its own. There's very little humans can control, and you have to follow the game's operational rules. Even with management authority, you probably can't do whatever you want."
"I think so too, but I'm always curious about things I've never seen," Shi Sanjiu paused. "Enough of that. District 033 has plenty of fun stuff. Since we're here, we might as well enjoy ourselves to the fullest before going back."
Xu Huo naturally wouldn't refuse.
He suspected that the person targeting him was Jin Feixue, but given this person's modus operandi, being so secretive meant he was definitely planning something big. Killing Xu Huo alone probably wouldn't be enough to satisfy him.
Because of Nien Fanshaw, he had contacted Bai Kou, and during their conversation, He Pu was mentioned. Even though He Pu had gone into hiding in District 011, it was hard to guarantee that Jin Feixue wouldn't trace the clues through the Fanshaw family.
District 011 had Huahan Werner to keep things in check, so there was no need to worry, but Xu Huo couldn't go back there for a while. Fortunately, few people knew about Bai Kou's comings and goings at Rose Castle. Xiao Yuan and Tan Qi had already been moved to Platinum Eye, and Mr. Dong probably wouldn't let anything slip.
Still, he should ask Mr. Huahan to keep an eye on Rose Castle and arrange for Dr. Deng and Meng Cun to be moved elsewhere.
Additionally, he couldn't return to District 014. Transporting the oversized instruments would have to be entrusted to Bai Kou and Nie Xuan.