### Chapter 89: The Big Sword Shattered
Upon hearing Song Ziwei and the others’ experiences, Yun Zhonghe was momentarily taken aback.
This wasn’t part of the original plot; he never expected those puppets to swarm and attack the inn.
According to Xiao Yang’s explanation, the puppets had hard skin and were unbelievably fast—it was like they had been upgraded. Plus, unless you decapitated them, their wounds healed rapidly. With a never-ending army of these critters, it truly was a breathtakingly tough battle.
If it weren’t for Yun Zhonghe having united everyone before, with everyone willing to cooperate and share resources, any tiny mistake could’ve spelled doom for them all.
Even though Yun Zhonghe wasn’t at the scene, everyone felt grateful to him.
Moreover, the situation Yun Zhonghe and the others faced seemed even worse. They were tackling two Golden Core stage demon cultivators, one of whom was even a Half-step Yuan Ying!
“Wow! Brother Yun, you guys are amazing! You even dealt with a Half-step Yuan Ying genius?!”
“Not exactly dealt with—just froze them. And it was thanks to the power of Mu Girl and Lin Girl,” Yun Zhonghe clarified.
“That’s still impressive!”
Everyone looked at Yun Zhonghe with admiration and respect, and their appreciation for Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu grew.
No wonder Yun Zhonghe previously said that Mu Jixue was stronger than him—turns out he wasn’t exaggerating!
Feeling the crowd’s adoration, Mu Jixue’s vanity was immensely satisfied. One could almost imagine her invisible cat tail curling up in delight.
This Yun Zhonghe really knows how to charm a crowd.
“Lin Girl! I didn’t expect you to hide it so well! Was your burst of power because of Young Master Yun…? Do you like him…?”
At that moment, the rogue cultivator girl, Luo Qing, sneaked over to Lin Zhongyu’s ear and whispered a few words. Lin Zhongyu’s face turned crimson.
“N-no! It’s not like that between me and Brother Yun!”
“If it’s not like that, then why were you so angry? Hehe, no need to explain—I get it!”
“Wahhh…”
Lin Zhongyu’s cheeks felt like they were on fire as she buried her head in her hands.
Yun Zhonghe caught sight of the scene, noticing that he didn’t know what the two were whispering about, but he could feel Lin Zhongyu and Luo Qing sneaking glances at him now and then.
Huh? When did Lin Zhongyu get so chummy with Luo Qing?
But, come to think of it, they were somewhat similar. Both had experience struggling at the bottom, which gave them common ground to bond over.
In reality, Lin Zhongyu was a quiet girl, whether in real life or in the game. She didn’t have many friends. Seeing her make a new friend made Yun Zhonghe genuinely happy for her.
And that wasn’t all.
Yun Zhonghe’s gaze swept over Song Ziwei, Luo Qing, Xiao Yang, and Xiao Yue.
His expression softened, and he felt a surge of happiness.
These characters who should have met grim fates in the original plot were all alive!
Yun Zhonghe had an indescribable feeling in his heart.
It was hard to put into words, but it felt wonderful.
Even if they were largely minor characters in the game, Yun Zhonghe felt they were living, breathing individuals.
It was so good that they were alive.
“Speaking of which, while fending off the puppets at the inn, we discovered a storage room that seems to be filled with treasures. We should go check it out!” Xiao Yang suddenly brought this up.
Hmm? Treasure hunting? This can’t be missed!
Yun Zhonghe’s heart raced.
In any game, the most anticipated part after defeating the BOSS is seeing what good loot it drops!
Plus, exploring the BOSS’s treasure is one of the quickest ways for Huang Aotian to level up; they absolutely couldn’t miss this.
Yun Zhonghe rubbed his hands together in excitement.
He believed that Huang Aotian’s protagonist aura would definitely lead them to find even more hidden treasures.
So the seven of them said goodbye to Master Youyue, and Yun Zhonghe sent an invitation to Qin Hongye and Xiao Hu. He felt a bit awkward not involving them.
To Yun Zhonghe, both Qin Hongye and Xiao Hu were people worth deepening friendships with.
However, Qin Hongye graciously declined. She felt that she hadn’t contributed at all and didn’t deserve to enjoy any rewards. It was better for Yun Zhonghe and the others to go without her.
As for Xiao Hu… it was clear he was very interested in the treasury. But with Qin Hongye’s earlier refusal, he felt too shy to accept.
A gentleman loves wealth, but obtains it justly.
And thus, the seven of them set off.
When they arrived at the inn, they found it in utter ruins. The once grand inn was almost stripped down to its skeleton.
As for the puppets, they had turned into wisps of demonic energy. Song Ziwei explained that at the time, Master Youyue had used her sword technique to obliterate all those puppets on the street.
Yun Zhonghe could only imagine the might of Master Youyue’s sword and couldn’t help but dream of getting her to teach him some sword techniques.
If only she could guide him step by step—gently showing him how to wield his sword more comfortably and effectively.
“The storage room is right below the inn!”
Xiao Yue’s voice suddenly interrupted Yun Zhonghe’s daydreams. She was still a child at heart, rushing ahead.
Since the town was now safe, everyone felt relaxed.
Soon, they found the storage room.
The barrier was gone along with the formation, but one could still sense remnants of powerful barriers that used to be there.
Without the barrier, getting through the door was easy.
Yun Zhonghe promptly pulled out his Golden Sword and swung it. With a loud bang, the door fell flat.
But alas, his Golden Sword shattered along with it!
Yun Zhonghe: “…”
What the heck?! My big sword broke?!
This was the precious magical weapon forged just for him at great expense by the Yun family, and now it’s lying in pieces.
The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
“Guess it got damaged earlier when I blocked a strike from that genius demon. I didn’t notice, and continued fighting with it. So it’s only normal that it broke,” he explained, trying to rationalize his loss.
To save Lin Zhongyu, Yun Zhonghe had blocked a hit, then used the very sword to chop off a spider demon’s arm. He couldn’t blame the sword for this.
But come on, don’t underestimate the physique of a Half-step Yuan Ying—their strength could squash a meat sausage!
He had been using that sword for ages, and now saying goodbye to an old friend left him feeling a bit down.
“Brother Yun…”
Watching all this, Lin Zhongyu felt a pang of disappointment. She knew the sword’s shattering was for her sake.
Even Mu Jixue wore an unusually guilty expression.
“It’s okay; this sword needed to be replaced eventually. Besides, it got to go out with honor. I’ll get it repaired when we get back and put it on display,” Yun Zhonghe quickly collected his feelings.
Then he changed the subject to lighten the mood, making them forget the awkward incident.
The group regained their spirit and continued exploring.
They hadn’t walked far when a dazzling gold light flashed before their eyes.
A mountain of gold appeared in front of them.
Is that… gold?
Yun Zhonghe was stunned. This storage room really was just a simple stash of gold!
Upon closer inspection, there were also many scrolls, antiques, and gemstones.
Instead of being a storage room for evil cultivators, this looked more like a treasure trove for ordinary folks!
