034. The Path of Kings
"Did Li Zhi die? I really didn't know that."
Jiao Ziniu didn't show much emotion about the death of an old acquaintance:
"Anyway, his consciousness was backed up long ago. It's likely already uploaded. Just waiting for the electronic immigration zone of "Star Abyss" to be built so he can upload and enjoy life."
"That's not it."
Xia Yubing glanced at Jiao Ziniu:
"Li Zhi committed suicide."
"Suicide?" Jiao Ziniu's pupils contracted in surprise: "How could anyone commit suicide these days?"
Compared to death, the act of suicide was much rarer.
"He probably encountered some unbearable pain. I saw his obituary on the news."
Xia Yubing took out her terminal, searched for the news from that day, and showed it to Jiao Ziniu:
"Look— the police report: The deceased's home was clean and tidy, everything was in order, no suicide note was left, and he died after taking a large dose of sleeping pills. It's as if he never existed in this world."
Jiao Ziniu looked at the information on the projection screen, the black-and-white text revealing succinct details.
The deceased was a young, handsome man, with indifferent eyes, drooping eyelids, and a slightly slack mouth, as if he was indifferent to the world around him. Though his complexion wasn't great, just based on his looks, he would've been popular with many girls.
Now, however, he was forever frozen in time as a black-and-white photo.
Someone familiar, departing in an unfamiliar way.
"Li Zhi... I remember he was great with swords, even though he didn't have any real foundation, he could hold his own against the instructor."
Jiao Ziniu muttered:
"No matter what, he shouldn't have given up on the future. Life is good, and as long as you're alive, there's hope for tomorrow. This is just... too cowardly."
"You have no right to demand that others be as strong as you." Xia Yubing put away her phone: "He's already dead, left no will, so he probably had no attachment to the future. There's no need to criticize or blame him."
"If it were me, I would never choose suicide." Jiao Ziniu said stubbornly, "No matter what difficulties I encounter, even if it means mutual destruction, I would keep moving forward."
"Nice thought, but not everyone is as brave as you. I had a decent relationship with Li Zhi. He was talking about going to university, but who knew something like this would happen."
Xia Yubing shrugged:
"Come on, we should go to the dinner."
"Yeah, we shouldn't keep the minister and the manager waiting too long."
Jiao Ziniu stopped dwelling on Li Zhi's situation and followed Xia Bing into the club hall.
Passing through the fighting arena and the ring, the smell of food quickly filled the air.
"Oh, the smell of noodles." Jiao Ziniu's eyes lit up.
"Expert!" Xia Yubing quickly chimed in.
"Please don't play with such old jokes. It's too old; there's no humor in it at all."
"Can't help it, I'm a seeker of ancient things."
Xia Yubing stretched lazily:
"When something becomes nostalgic, it means its time has passed. But I think if something is remembered fondly, it means it wasn't completely meaningless or entirely wrong."
"In an era full of spaceships, electronic immigrants, cosmic federations, and neural-linked games, joining a historical martial arts club— it's quite nostalgic in itself." Jiao Ziniu quipped.
"Damn— I could hear you two babbling from a mile away."
A tall, skinny young man lifted the restaurant curtain, raised both middle fingers, and shot a disdainful smile at the two of them:
"You two sure can talk. If you'd come any later, we wouldn't need to watch TV anymore. We'd just listen to you two chat—who needs a comedy sketch? You sit here, sip your cola, and in seven minutes, it's half stand-up, half crosstalk."
"Whoa, Brother Wenlong, the way you say it, if I, the hostess, went into comedy, you'd be sweeping the floor, washing the toilets, and handling the accounts. When you open the live stream and see 'Comedy Newcomer Xia Yubing' getting a full house of applause, don't drop any tears."
Xia Yubing spread her hands.
"Get lost! You can fool others, but don't fool yourself."
Wenlong looked at Jiao Ziniu:
"You're here, Niu. Haven't seen you in a while. So, which university did you get into?"
"Huanfeng Heavy Industry University, but I barely have any classes." Jiao Ziniu replied.
"Not bad. Come spar with us more often." Wenlong wiped the oil and flour off his hands and shouted towards the restaurant: "Hey, Minister, Niu's here. Time to cook the dumplings!"
"Damn it! Why'd you come so late? I was hoping to get you all to help make the dumplings~!"
Minister Qi Qianlu shouted in frustration:
"Xuelisi insisted on adding mozzarella cheese to the dumplings and putting them in the oven. My god, someone stop him! And you, Kadi! Beer is for cooking duck, not for the chef to drink!"
"What's with you all today? Everyone's into old jokes."
Jiao Ziniu quipped, suddenly sidestepping instinctively.
Plop.
He raised his head, turning and instinctively assuming a combat stance, his gaze immediately meeting a pair of beautiful amber-brown eyes.
"Yo, Ziniu."
The girl greeted him and casually put away the plastic practice sword in her hand:
"Weren't you preparing for exams? How come after a year without training, your reaction speed has improved?"
"Hey, Jenna, why are you bringing out weapons again?" Wenlong complained, "You snuck into the storage again, didn't you?"
"Relax, relax. I'm in charge of the keys. I'll just put them back."
Jenna didn't care, smiling as she looked at Jiao Ziniu:
"I haven't been slacking for the past year. Have you gotten stronger? Are you back to compete this time? How about a couple of rounds later?"
"Not today." Jiao Ziniu thought for a moment and said, "After dinner, we'll chat and catch up a bit, then I'll be heading back."
"Oh, speaking of that, same here." Wenlong echoed, "I have something to do today, so I won't be staying long either."
Jenna looked at the two of them, raised her index finger to her cheek, and asked curiously:
"Are you two going back to the same home?"
"Stop with the outdated jokes." Jiao Ziniu glanced at Wenlong unexpectedly and said, "Though I can probably guess where Brother Wenlong is going."
"Heh, you guessed it." Wenlong grinned, flashing a knowing look.
Bang!
"Me too!"
A large crate of cola dropped onto the table, and a boisterous man rubbed his hands together:
"Jenna, your cola, the classic version."
"Yay! Thank you, Kanshan." Jenna immediately leaned over the table, grabbed a few cans of cola from the crate, and quietly drank them, her behavior becoming much more docile.
"Kanshan, you too..."
Jiao Ziniu exchanged a look of manly understanding.
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about."
Xia Yubing quipped:
"Don't tell me it's 'that,' right? Like in those old, cheesy movies where the writers don't know how to create mystery, so they keep saying 'that,' 'that person,' 'the unspeakable XX,' and then right when they're about to reveal the truth, they repeat 'that' over and over again, but they never finish the sentence and end up dying—stop with the riddles, just say it. What are you three doing this afternoon?"
""Star Abyss"!"
The three of them responded in perfect unison, with unparalleled synchronization.
"Tsk!" Xia Yubing made a face of disdain: "What's so fun about a game?"
"It's different." Wenlong gestured: "This game is truly amazing. It's developed as part of the electronic immigration project. Xue Chen's already waiting for the open beta, keeping an eye on the server interface, afraid he'll miss out on a good starting identity."
"It's just a game, why the fuss?" Xia Yubing said with disdain, "I'm not about to seek a sense of achievement in a virtual world."
"Speaking of electronic immigration—do we have a chance to see Elai and Li Zhi there?" Wang Kanshan scratched his head: "I actually had a pretty good relationship with them. I wonder if, after electronic immigration starts, we'll meet again in another world."
"It's just a game, a digital soul is just a bunch of data. How can it compare to real flesh and blood?" Xia Yubing rolled her eyes at him: "Once the server shuts down, your youth, your real estate, your digital wife and family will all vanish into thin air—I won't let my fate be controlled by capitalists who would sell their souls for money."
"I'm planning to dive in too."
Jenna raised her hand, her big, watery eyes sparkling as she quietly sipped her cola, looking like a koala.
"Jenna, you..." Xia Yubing was incredulous: "You're someone with such a fulfilling real life, why would you seek a sense of presence in a virtual world?"
"Because I can't do intense physical activities in real life." Jenna said, casually detaching her leg: "Look, I just got a new one last month, and I just had my heart transplanted with cloned organs. The doctors recommended I rest for half a year, but I don't want to stay idle."
"This..."
Xia Yubing hesitated for a moment:
"Jenna's situation counts as a force majeure, I understand that. But the club is open, we can't just have a few people participating in activities, right?"
"Dumplings are here!"
Two blonde, blue-eyed foreign athletes immediately shouted excitedly, bringing a messy-looking tray to the table.
"Hey, Jiao, long time no see!"
Xuelisi greeted Jiao Ziniu first, then turned to Xia Yubing:
"Xia, Kadi and I heard you were talking about "Star Abyss"? Are you planning to dive in too?"
"Actually, I don't really want to—"
"The minister already moved the equipment to the club, several units. We're planning to continue honing our skills in the game, plus we can save on rent."
Xia Yubing raised her eyebrows and immediately shouted towards the kitchen:
"Hey, hey, where's the minister? Minister Dog, come out!"
"What's the rush? Patience produces finer work. This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish is hard to make."
The minister said leisurely.
"Stop messing with that Buddha Jumps Over the Wall that neither has Buddha, nor jumps, nor has walls, and explain to me—did you move Xuelisi and their gaming equipment in here?"
Xia Yubing snapped in dissatisfaction:
"This is a historical martial arts club, not an esports team! Do you think I'm some kind of internet cafe manager? 'Sister Yubing, machine number thirty-two is done, go clean it, number seven needs instant noodles with a sausage'—is that what you want?"
"Oh, speaking of that, you've clearly misunderstood. There's something wrong, let me clarify."
"Mm-hmm, I knew it. Minister, you're such a sensible person, there's no way you'd be addicted to video games."
"Yeah, Xia Yubing, you got it wrong."
The minister said calmly:
"Actually, our sponsor decided to get involved in "Star Abyss", specifically setting up a guild for all [martial artists], hoping to promote awareness of the cold weapon era, especially real historical martial arts."
"We're not addicted to games. Starting today, we'll be active in the game!"
The minister said excitedly:
"You guys don't have to go home either. We have the equipment here, and after dinner, everyone can register an account together. Don't resist it, Yubing, I'll still pay you as usual."
"But," Xia Yubing hesitated for a moment, "I don't even know how to play games. Besides, it's just a sci-fi game, what's so novel about it?"
"This game is really fun, I'm serious. Just look at the forums, everyone's raving about it, and a lot of bugs were fixed during the beta. Now's the time to get ahead and grab lots of resources!"
"I'm not interested in video games. No matter what, I'm not playing!"
"There'll be a weekly meal allowance."
[Registration complete—ID: Xia Chong Yubing]
[Welcome to Star Abyss, currently]
[A suitable individual has been found according to your requirements]
[Descent preparation complete—Descend now?]
[Yes/No]
"Descend."
[May your courage and conviction never fade.]
Xia Yubing's consciousness sank instantly. She felt as if her body had become a heavy anchor, pinned firmly in place, while her soul was forcibly dragged away by an irresistible force, accelerating like a cannonball or rocket.
A cold sensation gradually filled her skin, and she began to hear a conversation in a foreign language, though she could understand it.
"Don't mess this up! This is the picture the president specifically requested."
People were bustling about. Everyone was holding documents, rushing through a luxurious, heavily guarded building, where various dignitaries were moving around frequently, their faces filled with tension.
"The military is already here. The mobile armor is right at the door, using optical camouflage. All agents of Law III are in position. We've welded shut every manhole cover in the Twin Palaces. There won't be any problems."
A bureaucrat in military uniform was yelling into his radio, his expression serious and anxious.
"The Law I guard is right next to His Excellency, not leaving his side. This level of security is going to make the foreign dignitaries feel uneasy..."
A squad of elite guards with cold expressions, their bodies almost entirely mechanized, walked past, rifles in hand.
"No amount of enhanced security is too much. This esteemed gentleman is the first male president we've had in 239 years, the first after that foul wench Mai Dewei's era!"
Slap.
Suddenly, someone patted her on the shoulder. Xia Yubing instinctively turned around, only to be scolded by a girl with light blue hair and pale skin:
"Qiu Yun, what are you daydreaming about?"
[Name confirmed, system toolbar unlocked]
Through the girl's eyes, Xia Yubing saw her own reflection: short black hair, an ordinary face, dressed in a gray work uniform, a plain girl who looked about twenty, with makeup making her appear more mature.
"I..."
Xia Yubing was momentarily stunned. Normally talkative, she was overwhelmed by the vivid reality of this world.
[Appearance confirmed, personal panel unlocked]
"What 'I'? We're just temporary workers hired by labor dispatch. Go to the conference hall and prepare tea for the prince and princess of Red Arrow."
[Other's evaluation acknowledged, player function bar unlocked]
Rows of data suddenly reflected in Xia Yubing's retinas:
[Name]: Qiu Yun
[Game Nickname]: Xia Chong Yubing
[Title]: None
[Race]: Carbon-based life form—New Generation Homo sapiens
[Gender]: Female
[Age]: 20 years old
[Template]: Ordinary Descendant (No bonuses)
[Faction]: Abyssal Layer—Galaxy Gylex—Finess Federation—Azure Star—Frost-Plated Republic
[Total Level]: lv.3
——[Main Profession]: [Civilian] lv.1 (5/50)
——[Secondary Profession]: [Laborer] lv.2 (23/100)
[Background]: Government Employee
[Descendant Role Background]:
"My name is Qiu Yun. I am a lucky girl, cherished by a big sister, protected by two brothers."
"Although our family was poor, with my sister around, it felt like nothing could stop me. However, three years ago, my sister mysteriously disappeared without a word. The burden fell on all of us."
"My brothers gave up their studies and went to work to support me through university. Now, I work in a basic department of the Frost-Plated government, hoping to earn people's respect with my skills."
"I believe my sister is still alive. If she's alive, I need to see her. If she's dead, I need to find her body."
[The Descendant target was detected to have already died before deployment, activating the Last Wish system]
Last Wish A—Amass 500,000 Derby in savings;
Last Wish B—Find the sister who disappeared three years ago: 'Qiu Ran';
Last Wish C—Help the family settle down in the Frost-Plated Republic capital;
.........