The Trial Game of Life

As time passed by, Tang Cuo continuously channelled his magic energy into the [Sword of Judgment], carefully sensed their flow and eventually discovered the trick at the 43rd minute of being in this room.

The key was the timing of his energy input and the timing of his spell release, both of which had to cooperate with each other.

Tang Cuo’s affinity with magic elements was really not high. He couldn’t use them freely at his will, so he could only incessantly train himself. Like guiding the formation of a troop, he must teach these magic elements to remember where they should be.

After another five minutes, Tang Cuo finally could conjure a small fireball with the [Sword of Judgment]. Although the fireball was small and didn’t last long, it was undoubtedly a good start.

By this point, the one-hour time limit was approaching, so Tang Cuo practised for a while more, then took the initiative to check out and walked to the elevator.

But just as he was passing through the public arena, a group of people were walking in his way, so he slightly dodged to one side and the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of someone inside a ring 50 meters away.

Because the place was far away, Tang Cuo couldn’t see it clearly, but it was the glimpse of that moment that had him frown.

Why did that man look so much like Meng Yufei?

Tang Cuo decisively chased after the person, but the noisy crowd cut him off from the target. By the time he looked over, that vague figure of Meng Yufei was no longer there.

Someone in the crowd also recognised Tang Cuo.

Tang Cuo didn’t want to deal with all those “Tang ge” greetings, so he nodded coldly and firmly left the training ground.

Walking out of the main door, he took one last glance and quickly returned to East Cross Street to knock on Jin Cheng’s door. Jin Cheng was surprised that Tang Cuo came here on his own volition: “Did the sun rise in Yong Ye City today?”

Tang Cuo looked at the face mask on his face then the book in his hand and was speechless for a moment.

Ten minutes later, Jin Cheng washed off the mask, and while slowly wiping his face, he leaned against the basin and said to Tang Cuo: “You mean, you saw someone that looked like Meng Yufei?”

Tang Cuo: “Yes, but I’m not entirely sure.” 

“Yong Ye City does have resurrection equipment. I don’t know if Meng Yufei has it, but if you really see him, then he is most likely not dead.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Since Jin Cheng had already made his move on Meng Yufei, it would be troublesome that Meng Yufei was alive. With Meng Yufei’s personality, he would never give up taking revenge on Jin Cheng.

“He isn’t dead, but there has been no news of his resurrection for so long, so he must be hiding on purpose and won’t be easily found by us. The method that we used last time to bring him out probably won’t work now. Compared with death, a bit of shame was nothing.” Jin Cheng was good at figuring out what people thought, and he mostly wouldn’t make wrong judgments.

Meng Yufei was staying still now, so there should be no problem for a short while.

On the other hand, Jin Cheng was more concerned about Tang Cuo’s problem: “How is your training?”

Tang Cuo roughly described his progress. Hearing this, Jin Cheng said: “You’re still a bit lacking in your sword fighting skill, do you want me to teach you?”

“Will you?”

“Don’t underestimate your instructor.”

Jin Cheng’s sword fighting skill didn’t come from his time in Yong Ye City, but actually from his own learning prior to arriving here. He wouldn’t call it extremely proficient, but at least he could teach Tang Cuo to control the weapon more easily and correct some common errors.

Tang Cuo asked: “How does Yong Ye City evaluate the skills you learnt before coming here?”

Jin Cheng replied: “You have to use them, then the system will pass the judgment. After that, like other rewards, it will be placed in your Skills panel.”

So it’s like that.

Tang Cuo understood, but he was in no hurry to receive guidance for his sword fighting skill. After hearing the news from the Ruby Bar, Lin Yandong had agreed to meet them and asked them to come to a book cafe in the central area.

The book cafe was located on an inconspicuous and remote street. The street was black as usual, with flower beds surrounded by wooden fences on both sides, where some unknown red and white flowers were blooming. There were no pedestrians in the whole street, making the atmosphere quiet and elegant.

Tang Cuo had never been here before and had no idea that Yong Ye City actually had such a place. The book cafe at the end of the street was even more out of style for Yong Ye City, for it looked like a real-life place often seen in the cultural district, where tons of people would check in on social media upon their visit. There were flowering vines on the door and windows, with a few mecha birds sitting among the flowers, their hollow hearts carved with flowers and illuminated with a warm light. Everything felt exquisite.

“This is Lin Yandong’s area?” He asked.

“One of his former companions opened it, then he finished serving his karma and went on to reincarnate. But no matter who the boss is, this is indeed Lin Yandong’s site, and that has never changed.” Jin Cheng said.

Lin Yandong was was a remarkably calculating person. After living in Yong Ye City for so many years, he was also the one that was most familiar with how the system operated. On how to do things without breaking the system’s rules, he was better than Jin Cheng.

It was Miao Qi who came to open the door.

He wasn’t carrying his cannon gun today, but the red scarf was still wrapped around his neck, all bright and dazzling. He raised his eyebrows, his expression as arrogant and surly as that night, but it didn’t seem to hold any hostility.

“Come in, the mister is waiting for you.” When the word ‘mister’ was mentioned, his speaking even slowed down subconsciously.

Lin Yandong was actually sitting by the window. Across the glass, he smiled and nodded to Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng, himself dressed in beige linen clothes, with a handsome face and a graceful aura.

Tang Cuo noticed that he was wearing a prayer bead bracelet, and that he had a very good view from where he was sitting. He could see not only every move at the door, but also the magical black steam engine train running into the sky from afar.

When Miao Qi led the two of them over, he stretched a finger to gesture them to sit down and took the initiative to speak first: “It’s been a long time.”

Jin Cheng comfortably sat down opposite him. The blatancy in his words and actions was grimly contrasted with Lin Yandong’s elegance, like the difference between liquor and tea.

“It’s been a long time. If it weren’t for you sending Miao Qi over that day, I almost thought you weren’t interested in the twelve movements.” Jin Cheng said.

Tang Cuo and Miao Qi sat down beside each of them. However, while Tang Cuo simply sat next to Jin Cheng, Miao Qi took out a small stool and placed it on the bench, then sat on it. Tang Cuo had no idea what was wrong with his head.

Lin Yandong smiled and didn’t say anything.

When the waiter came to take their orders, Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng each ordered a cup of signature coffee.

“Let’s get to the point, has Mr. Lin heard of Sicilit?”

“I have.”

The conversation between the two was unexpectedly straightforward, and they didn’t even negotiate any terms. Lin Yandong sipped his coffee and said: “I did a mission related to the continent of Sicilit. Did you encounter it too?”

Jin Cheng nodded.

Lin Yandong: “There’s nothing too hard about that mission. It’s about the last battle of a knight, a plot-based fighting dungeon.”

A knight?

Both Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo thought of Theodore at once, but Lin Yandong’s next sentence took them by surprise ― “That person is the Lord of the White Knights family in the Kingdom of Hundred Flowers, who goes by the name Edwin.” 

The two looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment in the other’s eyes and quickly realising who this Edwin was. Theodore had an elder brother who was the Duke by the time Theodore first met Lancelot.

Jin Cheng immediately asked: “You said it’s the last battle. Is it related to the Greenvines Alliance and the Rose Sect?”

Lin Yandong wasn’t surprised that they could accurately pin down these two names. “Edwin dies at the hands of the Rose Sect. There’s also a special title for that battle, ‘July Rose’.”

Which must be referring to the ‘July Rose Incident’.

Tang Cuo felt something surge in his heart. If Edwin died in July Rose, Theodore would inherit the title and become the new Duke.

Jin Cheng asked again: “Is there anyone from the Rose Sect who goes by the name Bazz or Peter?”

Lin Yandong shook his head: “Although there’s a plot, it’s actually not explained fully and the introduction of the characters is unclear. It’s a very fierce battle, so it’s hard for players to have time to inquire about those things.”

Jin Cheng: “What about Theodore and Lancelot?”

Lin Yandong: “I’ve heard of those names. Lancelot is a very famous bard, right? As for Theodore, Edwin calls this name when he dies. It should be someone he’s very close to.” 

After a pause, he said: “Ah, the person from the Rose Sect is called Aesop.”

Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng saw it clearly now. Aesop knew Theodore’s elder brother perhaps because they had fought with each other before, or perhaps they had been friends prior to the point Aesop started rebelling. The definite answer remained unknown.

A duel between those two would undoubtedly be a fierce battle.

It was Lin Yandong’s turn to ask: “Is there anything special about this mission?”

Jin Cheng smiled: “It’s serial.”

At this moment, Jin Cheng wasn’t being extremely honest. Although he maintained friendly conversations with Lin Yandong regarding the twelve movements, it wasn’t yet time to let him know that a side mission’s reward was a fragment of the movement.

But he didn’t expect that Lin Yandong would throw him another heavy bomb in the next second: “I have some news about the twelve movements.”

Jin Cheng’s hand holding the coffee cup stopped in its tracks as he raised his eyes: “What number?”

Lin Yandong tapped his finger on the table: “6th.”

“Where?”

“Zone E, inside a special-trigger dungeon.”

Hearing this, Tang Cuo’s face remained unflinching, but doubts were rising in his heart, for he didn’t know what a special-trigger dungeon was.

Luckily, Lin Yandong knew that Tang Cuo was a newcomer and Jin Cheng wasn’t trying to hide it either, so he directly explained: “A special-trigger dungeon means that it can be triggered when the specified conditions are met. However, each player can only enter the same dungeon once to prevent it from being double-cleared. And a special-trigger dungeon’s existence has a time limit. It can be a week or a month, and the mission will automatically disappear after that.”

Lin Yandong waited patiently for him to finish explaining before saying: “This dungeon appeared four days ago, and the group of people who discovered it earliest found traces of the twelve movements in it. They actually kept the news a secret, but I learnt about it by accident. That said, now that I know it, others will also know it sooner or later.”

Jin Cheng narrowed his eyes: “Tell me, how many people do you think will deliberately break the rules to be punished back to Zone E?” 

People in different zones couldn’t do tasks together, so the missions in Zone E could only be taken up by players in Zone E. The twelve movements were not something that can be physically handed to others. Whoever got it would earn the chance to be the next ruler of Yong Ye City.

Not to mention that this one was the 6th Movement, which belonged to the upper half of the twelve movements.

“I don’t know, but it will definitely happen.” Lin Yandong shook his head slightly, pondered some thoughts for a moment and said: “What we’ve predicted is correct. After the first movement has been used, the rest of the movements will appear more frequently, until all the twelve movements turn up.”

Jin Cheng: “The 10th and the 11th have been used, and the 5th is with Black Hat. Now there is the 6th, so a quarter has already appeared. Maybe there are others that we haven’t discovered.”

“So you must be fast. You have to level up to Zone E as soon as possible to prevent others from getting the 6th Movement.”

“What about you? Is Mr. Lin going to sit behind the scenes again?”

Jin Cheng smiled but his eyes suddenly became sharp, like a sword that had been taken out of its sheath, unafraid to expose its superb blade.

Lin Yandong wasn’t scared of such a sharp blade, but he slightly withdrew, then looked down at the prayer bead bracelet on his wrist. A long moment later, he finally said: “I can tell you the reason — I can’t leave Zone A. This is the restriction that Yong Ye City has put on me.”

Jin Cheng narrowed his eyes. It was difficult to tell whether he believed the other man’s words.

But Lin Yandong just seemed to relax and smiled as he glanced at Miao Qi: “I can’t feel at ease if I let Miao Qi go alone. Jin Cheng, you are someone I can trust, so I’m telling you this news. What you want to do about it is your business.”

“Sir.” Miao Qi expressed his dissatisfaction at the right time. What did Lin Yandong mean by he wouldn’t feel at ease if he let Miao Qi go alone? What was about Miao Qi that made him worry? Lin Yandong patted his head to calm him down.

Looking at this scene, Tang Cuo inexplicably felt that Miao Qi was like a domestic puppy that would never bark at anyone.

“I think Mr. Lin didn’t actually want to tell me at first.” Otherwise, he wouldn’t show up only after Jin Cheng had reached out.

“I never make plans. Planning means that there is a trace to follow, and when I think I should tell you, it’s the best time for the plan to take shape.”

At the end, he smiled again and said: “Competing for the movements has always been what you want to do, but to show my sincerity, I can lend you something from the dungeon of [July Rose].”

Jin Cheng raised his eyebrows: “You lend me?”

“It’s a book. I suppose you also know that I’ve lived for so many years but only have one hobby of reading. Also, please return the book after you two clear the mission.”

“What if I don’t return it?”

Being given this kind of request, Jin Cheng felt that he should challenge it a bit.

Lin Yandong looked at him gently without saying anything, but a bossy aura of “If you really don’t return it, I’ll make sure you disappear quietly from here” could be felt exuding from him.

Jin Cheng shrugged: “What book is that?”

Lin Yandong: “Fairy Tales of Sicilit.”

Jin Cheng was at a loss for words.

So it turned out that this Lin Yandong was already this old and still read fairy tales? What “please return”? This kind of book should be donated to make other people feel warm. Do you actually think it will ever be returned once it ends up in this Jin Cheng’s hands?

At the same time, Meng Yufei appeared in the department store in Zone F.

His face wasn’t as eye-catching as Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo, and the players in Zone F didn’t deeply remember him, so few people bothered looking at him along the way. His expression was gloomy as he thought about seeing Tang Cuo in the training ground earlier.

Those two are lunatics, and they will definitely not let me go.

As the lunatic Meng Yufei cursed another lunatic, he gritted his teeth. Meng Yufei had no other feather of Mr. Crow at the moment. He didn’t want to be bitten by those lunatics again, so he set his eyes on the last means of life-saving he could get his hands on.

Five minutes later, with his desperation at its peak, he sat down in front of the service desk.

“I want the most expensive face distortion service you could offer.”

“Certainly, sir.”