DSMC Chapter 176.1

After Qi Feng refused Qi Yunchu’s emotional blackmail, he did not agree to the other party’s request.

Yan Jiyun felt very relieved. This was what it meant to learn from a painful experience and draw a lesson from failure.

At the same time, the two of them had both obtained important information about the Top-level instance: players could seek help from outside the instance while inside an instance.

A Top-level instance had actually reached the point where players needed outside assistance. Just how high is the difficulty? 

Yan Jiyun began checking the points he had obtained from his previous instance. Calling the amount considerable was no longer enough. The greater the difficulty of the instance, the higher the exposure rate, and the livestream tips he had received in the [Mermaid] instance alone were five times the sum of all his previous points combined. His points had broken through the 5 million mark in one go, and he would soon be able to break through 10 million.

He wondered how many points Gu Wenzhu and Qiu Xi had earned in this instance. After experiencing the Level 4 and Level 5 difficulty instances, he wanted to try for an Intermediate  instance.

The difficulty of Intermediate instances was just right at Levels 3–4. If the two of them had already accumulated more than 150,000 points, then the three of them could continue entering instances as a team.

Qi Feng stopped participating in the Cruiser Fleet’s meeting. It wasn’t that the meeting had been entirely meaningless; it was just that their purpose was to get him to enter a Top-level stage to save someone, and that someone was a former friend who had once stabbed him in the back. Playing the emotional card was no longer necessary.

If anyone trapped in a Top-level stage today had been a member of his small team, he would not have hesitated for even a second. But as for Su Qiuming, forget it. Besides, who knew whether there was a trap in this rule? What if, after a new player entered, the player seeking help could safely leave, turning it into a one-for-one exchange?

Would Qi Yunchu really be that kind-hearted? It seemed more likely that he simply wanted to find someone to act as a substitute for the dead. They could find someone to enter, so why specifically look for Qi Feng? Was it because of his abilities?

After Qi Feng brought Yan Jiyun out, Lan Mo and the others immediately followed.

Qi Feng wanted to return to their base quickly so he could tell them what he had learned at the meeting. In fact, there wasn’t much difference between it and what they usually knew.

However, just after they walked out of the hotel where the meeting had been held, they were blocked by someone.

The muscular man standing at the front said, “Sorry, everyone, but please stop. Our guild leader would like to see you.”

Lan Mo stood at the front and curled his lip. “Who do you think you are? We don’t know your guild leader. Move.”

The muscular man, who looked as though he had overdone his bodybuilding, stood firmly in place. “We’re from the Fenghuo Guild.”

Lan Mo immediately shot back, “I don’t care what kind of fire you are. Don’t block our way.” He paused when he realized the name Fenghuo Guild sounded familiar.

Wasn’t the Fenghuo Guild—

Lan Mo looked toward Qi Feng. “Feng-ge, what do we do?”

Qi Feng asked the muscular man, “Who’s your guild leader now?”

The muscular man replied, “Xu Xian is our guild leader.”

Qi Feng said, “Then tell him I know what he wants from me. I won’t agree. He should deal with his own problems himself.”

Yan Jiyun, crouched inside the backpack, heard footsteps from other people nearby, approaching in their direction. His mind was still trying to figure out what rank the Peak Fire Guild held. Among the top ten guilds attending today’s meeting, there didn’t seem to be one called Peak Fire.

Fenghuo… ah, the character used for the must be the same as Qi Feng¹Initially, Yan Jiyun thought Fenghuo used the character  峰火, but the character used is actually 枫火, which the same as Qi Feng’s name.

He immediately guessed that this should be Qi Feng’s former guild. Then, after Qi Feng left, Su Qiuming hadn’t disbanded this guild?

Hadn’t he betrayed Qi Feng? Why keep the guild?

The Xu Xian mentioned by the muscular man appeared, his voice carrying a hint of pleading. “Feng-ge, I had no choice but to ask you for help.”

Yan Jiyun thought, Why does everyone keep looking for Qi Feng? Can’t they go in themselves?

It wasn’t Qi Feng who had received the card. These people who were morally blackmailing Qi Feng were truly shameless. When something benefited them, they went ahead themselves; when it didn’t, they pushed someone else forward. Did they really think everyone else was an idiot? They were even calling him Feng-ge.

Although Yan Jiyun didn’t know what their grudge was about, if it had been him, he wouldn’t have cared about manners or anything else at this point. He would have simply rushed forward and punched the other guy.

The person actually involved, Qi Feng, was even calmer than those around him. “If you didn’t hear what I just said, I don’t mind telling you again.”

Xu Xian glanced at the people around them and said, “Feng-ge, I want to talk to you for a couple of minutes. Is that okay?”

Seeing that they didn’t seem willing to let him pass anyway, Qi Feng compromised. Mainly, fighting would be pointless, and he didn’t want everyone’s energy wasted on something so meaningless.

“Fine. There’s a café over there. I’ll give you five minutes.”

“Give me ten minutes.”

“Three minutes.”

Xu Xian froze. He had experienced Qi Feng’s stubbornness before and didn’t dare bargain anymore. “Fine, five minutes. I won’t take up too much of your time.”

From the perspective of an observer, Yan Jiyun could see just how popular his owner was. But it also indirectly proved that his strength was recognized by all the guilds. He became even more curious about what Qi Feng had been like two years ago. How powerful had he been back then? Someone this impressive, someone who radiated such a strong sense of security — if Su Qiuming had been smart, he should have trusted Qi Feng. There was no reason to betray him.

What exactly had happened back then?

Yan Jiyun was itching with curiosity. Qi Feng didn’t seem willing to bring up what happened in those years either. The gossip coming from other people’s mouths had been processed and embellished; it could never be as accurate as hearing it directly from the person involved. He didn’t believe whatever other people said.

Everywhere Qi Feng went, people wanted something from him, be it mockery, remissions for help, or even moral blackmail. There really were all kinds of people. Yan Jiyun’s eyes had certainly been opened.

They were now sitting in a café. Xu Xian spent points to order a cup of coffee. He still had the mood to enjoy himself at a time like this, while Qi Feng ordered a glass of lemon water. It was obvious that he really didn’t want to stay long.

Xu Xian wanted to play the emotional card, but Qi Feng ruthlessly started counting the time. “You have four minutes left. Say what you need to say.”

Xu Xian said guiltily, “Feng-ge, when we first entered the game and were still newcomers, we received so much help from you. By rights, I should have called you Master.”

Qi Feng didn’t stop him from bringing up the past, and Yan Jiyun listened with great interest.

Based on what was known so far, Xu Xian and Su Qiuming had entered the game at the same time. Qi Feng had entered earlier than them, which meant Qi Feng was practically an old veteran among old veterans.

Yan Jiyun simply hadn’t expected Qi Feng to have been so warm-hearted back then, taking care of so many newcomers.

No wonder he still treated the newcomer “Yan Jiyun” fairly well. He had known that Qi Feng was cold on the outside but warm-hearted underneath. Perhaps it was only after being betrayed by someone he trusted that he had changed and stopped helping newcomers.

Tsk. To drive someone to this point, the problem must have been serious. And Su Qiuming clearly played a major role in it.

Xu Xian was still reminiscing about the past when Qi Feng had already become a little impatient. He slipped his hand into the backpack and scratched his cat’s chin. Yan Jiyun lay comfortably inside the backpack, listening to the gossip while receiving a personal massage from one of the people involved. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime scene.

Qi Feng said nothing, while Xu Xian continued reminiscing about the past that he found so touching. “Feng-ge, when you left the guild, I also thought about leaving with you. But both you and Ming-ge had shown me kindness by recognizing my abilities. I think you also know about Ming-ge’s situation. He entered a Top-level instance, and his life or death is uncertain this time. He sent me a help card, and I asked Qi Yunchu. He received one too.”

Qi Feng spoke casually, genuinely in no hurry at all. “Since he sent little cards to both of you, why didn’t you go save him? Going in a minute earlier means saving him a minute earlier. Why are you wasting time here with me?”

All of Xu Xian’s heartfelt reminiscing was left with nowhere to go. His emotions became stuck halfway, making the situation painfully awkward. Even Yan Jiyun felt embarrassed for him.

Still, he wanted to keep listening to their old stories. After all, he was a newer-than-new newcomer.

Xu Xian finally realized that Qi Feng was completely impervious to persuasion and decided to speak plainly. He placed the card on the table. “Feng-ge, I know my own strength is limited. I want to ask you to help Ming-ge.”

Qi Feng said bluntly, “Your strength is limited? I think you’re just a coward, afraid of dying.”

Xu Xian was stunned once again. “Y-you’ve become this blunt now?”

Qi Feng remained indifferent. “I learned it from a newcomer. If you have something to say, just say it directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush, otherwise people won’t understand you anyway.”

Yan Jiyun puffed out his chest inside the backpack. Was he talking about him? It definitely had to be. He was so excellent that he had to have influenced his cat owner somehow.

Excellent people always help each other grow. Apparently, that saying wasn’t wrong.

Xu Xian said, “Feng-ge, give me a straight answer. Can you enter the Top-level stage and save Ming-ge?”

Qi Feng leaned back in his chair and calmly looked at Xu Xian. “I’ve been telling you all along that I won’t go. You’re the one who refuses to listen. Since he sent you a little card, that means he trusts you. Don’t betray Su Qiuming’s trust and the way he nurtured you. Xu Xian, you’re at least a guild leader now. If you have no sense of responsibility, what will the people under you think of you?”

Under Qi Feng’s penetrating gaze, Xu Xian inexplicably felt weak. Every time he was around Qi Feng, he had the feeling that Qi Feng could see right through him. Those unique qualities Qi Feng possessed were things he could never learn.

He was unhappy with being lectured like this. “Feng-ge, stop lecturing me. I’m not the newcomer I was back then.”

Qi Feng valued time very highly and reminded him, “You have two minutes left.”

Whether Xu Xian was still that newcomer or not was something Qi Feng had already judged for himself.

Actually, Yan Jiyun could also sense that Xu Xian wasn’t someone with much of a sense of responsibility. Instead, the Su Qiuming who had never shown himself seemed more respected by others. What kind of person had he been to become friends with Qi Feng?

Xu Xian was angered by Qi Feng’s indifferent tone. He really wouldn’t budge, just like before!

He dropped his friendly facade. “Why are you always so stubborn about your principles? Although Ming-ge only made a wrong decision back then, can’t you be more magnanimous and let it go?”

Qi Feng pushed away the lemon water in front of him. “Xu Xian, if Su Qiuming had sent the little card to me today, then this would be something I’d have to consider myself. But the card was sent to you. Whatever you received from him and whatever benefits you enjoyed because of him, you know what you should do. Don’t transfer the risk to me, an unrelated person.”

“You’re not an unrelated person!”

Qi Feng smiled lightly and stood up. “Time’s up.”

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  Initially, Yan Jiyun thought Fenghuo used the character  峰火, but the character used is actually 枫火, which the same as Qi Feng’s name