Chapter 2959: Eerie Sound Knights Annihilated
Many people online were guessing Xu Huo's identity, and by now the Special Defense Department was no longer strictly controlling the information. In fact, most players in Zone 014 had already figured it out. In Country X, there was only one person who could truly participate in battle as a multi-directional Super Evolver—who else could it be?
However, all players tacitly agreed not to explicitly mention it. Not only had Xu Huo traveled through Zone 014 saving people everywhere, but even just his recent killing of Jin Feixue and his associates had earned the heartfelt admiration of Zone 014's players. The Eerie Sound Knights had a notorious reputation; even many older districts, let alone newly evolved ones, were reluctant to face them head-on.
The Eerie Sound Knights dying in Zone 014 was a huge honor for all of them!
"Is Jin Feixue really dead?" The crowd of players couldn't help but surround Xu Huo, yet instinctively kept a certain distance due to his imposing aura, eagerly seeking confirmation.
Xu Huo nodded.
Jin Feixue had gambled that he wouldn't dare use time powers, and Xu Huo had gambled that Jin Feixue didn't have a second Hyperdimensional Device on him. The result was clear—he had won.
From now on, the Eerie Sound Knights would become a faded symbol in game history.
"The game notification says the other three are dead too," Nie Xuan said, looking at Xu Huo. "Bai Tiaoyi didn't escape?"
Earlier, he had clashed with Bai Tiaoyi in the southwest, and neither side had gained the upper hand. After leaving the instance, he rushed to Jing City immediately, arriving just as Xu Huo and Jin Feixue were already fighting.
"He should have escaped," Xu Huo said. As long as Bai Tiaoyi had been successfully collected into a Container Item, it was unlikely he would have been killed along with Jin Feixue. Besides, among the belongings Xu Huo had received from Jin Feixue, there was no Container Item.
Just then, he received a message from Yan Jiayu—a photo. She was standing on a broken streetlamp, with a bloody corpse at her feet. The face was unrecognizable, but Yan Jiayu had stuck a sign on its chest that read "Eerie Sound Knights — Bullet."
Xu Huo showed the photo to Nie Xuan, who found it even stranger. "What about Bai Tiaoyi?"
Before he finished speaking, Xu Huo turned his head toward one side of the street. In the thick fog, another figure had appeared.
The person didn't show himself but tipped his hat from a distance, nodding at Xu Huo. "The Holy Sword Society is willing to apologize for what happened last time. This is our sincerity. When Mr. Xu has time, we will deliver the remaining apology gifts."
With that, a corpse was thrown to the ground, and the figure vanished without a trace.
Nie Xuan and the others only realized someone had approached when they heard the voice. At Xu Huo's signal, they went to check and brought the body back.
It was Bai Tiaoyi.
"This guy... just died like that." Even Nie Xuan found it absurd.
When Bai Tiaoyi first appeared in Zone 014, he had been so arrogant. This time, Jin Feixue had protected his escape, and they had thought he would be another ticking time bomb. Yet in just a moment, he had been turned into a corpse and sent back.
After verifying the identity, Nie Xuan added, "The Holy Sword Society sure moves fast."
It wasn't just fast—it meant the Holy Sword Society had been tracking their movements all along. Not only that, but they had also figured out the Eerie Sound Knights' backup plan. Bai Tiaoyi had just left when he was killed, and his body was sent back. This wasn't just to win Xu Huo's favor; it was also a display of strength.
"The Holy Sword Society has a complicated membership. All kinds of shady characters claim to be part of it, which gives people the illusion that they're a ragtag bunch. But for an organization to rise to fame in the game, how could it be simple?"
Xu Huo nodded slightly. "It's not a bad thing to have help."
He didn't mention that the Holy Sword Society had actively sought him out before. "Let's deal with the instance first."
Jin Feixue and the others were dead and gone, but the random instance had already activated in Jing City. It seemed they wouldn't be able to leave without clearing it.
"Head to the underground safe zone," Nie Xuan said.
The group prepared to go to the underground safe zone where Country X's leadership was located. But before they had taken two steps, the paper dragon coiled up again, this time circling around Xu Huo.
Letting out a slight sigh, Xu Huo said, "Since you're back, stop playing around. Come out."
A pattering sound approached rapidly from the distance. The Painting Woman, carrying her small backpack, rode Da Mao out of the fog and skidded to a halt in front of the group.
Before Da Mao could even steady itself, the Painting Woman jumped off, spread her arms, and lunged at Xu Huo. The communicator on her body repeatedly played the phrase, "I missed you so much."
As usual, Xu Huo pressed his hand against her head to hold her back. "How long have you been out?"
The Painting Woman pouted, skillfully operating her communicator. "A long time. Da Mao and I went to lots of places to play..."
Before the message finished playing, she caught Xu Huo's gaze and immediately pressed stop. Then, with a very aggrieved expression, she said, "I haven't seen you for so long, and I really missed you. Don't you miss me?"
"What if I do? What if I don't?" Xu Huo asked expressionlessly.
"If you miss me too, then you should be magnanimous and tolerate everything I do," the Painting Woman said with utter confidence. "That's the true meaning of missing someone!"
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. "You said that."
The Painting Woman thought for a moment, then realized what he meant. Her eyes widened. "So I should also tolerate the fact that you don't miss me."
Xu Huo patted her head and said with a smile, "I'll settle accounts with you later."
The Painting Woman looked at him mournfully. "I tolerate you, but you don't tolerate me."
Xu Huo ignored her dramatics and added, "Jiayu has been looking everywhere for Da Mao. Since you've had your fun, send Da Mao back."
Da Mao, the stone creature that was both smart and not-so-smart, immediately circled behind the Painting Woman, pretending nothing had happened.
Although the Painting Woman had enjoyed playing with Da Mao, she was still happy to send it back. As she walked, she complained, "Da Mao is too dumb. It can't talk, and it can't even understand what I say."
Da Mao pawed the ground and nudged her with its head.
The Painting Woman lightly sidestepped and gave Xu Huo a "see what I mean" look.
"I think it's pretty smart. Otherwise, it might be getting beaten up somewhere right now," Xu Huo said, glancing at it.
"Why would anyone hit it?" The Painting Woman was baffled. "It's made of stone. Wouldn't hitting it hurt their hands?"
"Maybe they have iron hands," Xu Huo said casually, making it up as he went.
The Painting Woman pulled a collapsible back scratcher from her backpack and tapped Da Mao on the head. Da Mao obediently lowered itself, and after she climbed on, she enthusiastically invited Xu Huo to join her, even laying out a small blanket for him.
"No need." Xu Huo glanced at the cartoon-patterned blanket, then turned his gaze to the fortress ahead. "We've arrived."
The surface fortress was designed for reinforcement and defense, but the main body of the safe zone was entirely underground. At this moment, the ground-level passage in front of the building had already opened. The national leaders involved in the overall command, including the elderly First Seat, had all come out and were standing at the entrance waiting. Military personnel and players from the Special Defense Department lined both sides, saluting in perfect unison before solemnly and attentively watching Xu Huo and the others approach from outside.
As they entered the safe zone, the elderly man at the front and the others came forward to meet them. The leading elder said, "It's better to see once than to hear a hundred times. Xu Huo, I've known of you for a long time."