### Chapter 1: Shrouded in Black Mist (1)
==============================
Chaos and thick black mist, as dark as ink, hovered like an ominous cloud.
For an ordinary person to stumble in here would be like diving headfirst into a bottomless pit of darkness, greeted only by fear and imminent doom.
Yet, amidst this terrifying haze, a lone figure darted through like a squirrel on espresso, unfazed by the oppressive gloom making her vision sharper, not dimmer.
The lone gap in this infernal mist was fiercely guarded by a horde of monsters, including several high-ranking great demons. If detected, it would lead to an everlasting entanglement that would put even the most ambitious soap opera to shame.
Thus, Feng Yalin decided to plunge straight into the s*icide mist that everyone else was steering clear of. For her, it was the optimal choice.
Ground City and Floating City were similarly engulfed in the clutches of this black shroud.
When Feng Yalin emerged from the mist and felt the ground solidify beneath her feet, she breathed a sigh of relief.
So far, so good—no horrifying encounters, just a bit of adrenaline.
If it hadn’t been for her impressive skills, merely entering this murky abyss would’ve taken her eons with risk factors that could rival the plot twists of a telenovela.
Let’s not even get started on the quest to find Shiyuan’s location.
With a wolf demon’s keen sense of smell at play, it was really baffling that Shiyuan’s scent had only just vanished near the edge of the illusion.
If anyone dared to suggest Shiyuan’s disappearance had nothing to do with Thousand Bird City, they’d be met with raised eyebrows all around.
Yet, this also meant tracking him down would be a colossal pain.
So, where should she start next?
She couldn’t very well march along shouting, “Shiyuan, where are you?” Could she?
This guy was genuinely a headache.
If she could just find him, she’d definitely slap a three-day no-food punishment on him for pulling a Houdini act.
As she stealthily navigated through the darkness, keen to avoid any wandering enemies, she noticed that Ground City’s maze-like streets and multitude of buildings made it resemble an overly complicated spider web from above.
But what puzzled her was: to escape the patrolling little demons, she had slipped into several local residences. If this black mist truly had a hypnagogic effect as players claimed on forums, there should’ve been unconscious bodies littered around.
Even players should remain inside the city after logging off!
Yet, every house she peeked into was furnished to the nines but devoid of any life.
These eerie empty shells had her scratching her head relentlessly.
Just then, from a distance, the unmistakable sound of clashing weapons filled the air.
Someone?
Feng Yalin quickly zipped toward the source of the noise.
As she neared, she saw a gaggle of alliance monsters and players surrounding a group of individuals clad in the distinctive attire of Thousand Bird City’s Immortal Gate.
At the forefront stood a middle-aged woman in a purple dress, surrounded by others, indicating she was quite the big cheese.
“Who is that woman? Is she a big deal in Thousand Bird City?”
“Honestly, I’ve never seen her before.”
“But look at the accessories on her outfit! Only elders rock those!”
“Tan Ziyan! Yes, she’s the elder from Hall of Heavenly Secrets!”
“Whoa, Little Rain, you’ve hooked a big fish this time!”
Meanwhile, the audience in the live streaming room buzzed with excitement.
At the same time, Cold Little Rain received a mission alert from the alliance.
【Ding! Eliminate Tan Ziyan, the elder from Hall of Heavenly Secrets! Reward: 1000 Spirit Coins and crafting materials valued at 500 Spirit Coins.】
“Guess she’s a mini-boss? Go for it, Little Rain!”
“Doesn’t this feel a bit cruel? The alliance is up to no good with Thousand Bird City…”
“Buddy, it’s a game!
Play it however you like. You want to have a heart-to-heart with an NPC about morals?
Even if the entire continent crumbles, what’s it to us players?”
“Uh, fine, just feels like crossing a personal line…”
“Go play Candy Crush then if you’re feeling squeamish about virtual mayhem!”
Just then, Cold Little Rain, having accepted the mission, charged in with her teammates, targeting Tan Ziyan.
“Ha, are humans really colluding with enemies now?”
Tan Ziyan’s complexion turned as pale as a sheet.
“Elder, we’ll protect you!”
“Thousand Bird City cannot do without you!”
Her female disciples rallied around, clashing with Cold Little Rain and her team.
The monsters merely grinned and observed, looking far too entertained by the human squabbles.
“Clang, clang…”
Weapons clashed, and bodies occasionally dropped.
Seeing the tide turning against her, Tan Ziyan finally decided to step in.
With a flick of her sleeve, a whip shot out like a silver serpent, twisting gracefully through the air.
It promptly knocked a player aside, the whip then darting around Cold Little Rain’s neck.
“Uh, uh, uh…”
Cold Little Rain quickly dropped her sword, gripping the whip with all her might before she felt the life squeezing out of her.
Rumor had it that an emaciated camel was still larger than a horse—Tan Ziyan might be weakened, but dealing with a level 30 player was a cakewalk.
For her, getting rid of Cold Little Rain was practically child’s play.
“Oh no, Little Rain’s in trouble!”
“This NPC is ruthless! She’s not holding back!”
“The guys standing around, hurry and help! Are you just going to watch her get taken down?!”
Cold Little Rain’s team members fought desperately to distract Tan Ziyan, but the Thousand Bird City disciples held them tightly back, not allowing a single inch closer.
In a surprising turn of events, Cold Little Rain suddenly ceased struggling, dropping to her knees with her hands clasped together, desperately bowing to Tan Ziyan.
The pressure from the whip began to ease.
Tan Ziyan’s cold voice rang out, “Do not continue to assist the villains; you should be capable of restraint.”
Cold Little Rain nodded furiously.
“If so, I shall grant you a chance at life.”
Tan Ziyan retracted the whip.
The gazes of the other female disciples drifted nervously toward the observing monsters in the background.
Having repelled these traitorous human factions only meant facing even more foes—talk about a headache.
Cold Little Rain, however, remained on her knees.
Then, in the next moment, she suddenly lifted her head, hands raised. “Raining Pear Blossom Needle!”
A shimmering throwing kn*fe exploded into the air!
The female disciples fell one by one, cursing as they went.
Tan Ziyan hastily blocked with her whip, but several silver needles still broke through, piercing her skin, instantly turning her wounds black.
Cold Little Rain stood up, scoffing, “What are you waiting for? Go finish them off!”
At that moment, the vast majority of the audience was left in a state of pure shock.
Whoa! That seems a bit underhanded.
Tan Ziyan was showing mercy, and you repay her kindness with betrayal?
Or were you just too deep in your villainy roleplay?
No, players can’t really be bad guys.
In this game world, isn’t everything fair game? Who hasn’t run over a few NPCs in GTA?
Cold Little Rain was just playing to win; using a clever trick on an NPC didn’t seem that wrong, right?
Regardless of how the audience judged her actions, at this very moment, Cold Little Rain stood before Tan Ziyan, her weapon raised high and ready to strike.
……
P.S.: Well, that’s three updates done.
If you enjoy chatting, feel free to join the group; it’s filled with fun folks and lots of plot twists.
Rumor has it they even play a game titled “Who Marries Who”…
Join the group and find a manager to get your virtual spouse assigned!
