Chapter Thirty: The Hundred-Flower Spirit-Gathering Bee!

The crystalline diamond helmet features a multi-faceted design, allowing its noble and flawless beauty to be appreciated from any angle; it looks exactly like a massive, transparent diamond. The interior is more ergonomic than the platinum version, equipped with internal membrane massage devices at the temples. Once a player logs in, these devices automatically provide a slow massage to the head, maintaining normal blood circulation and oxygen metabolism, ensuring the player stays clear-headed even during long sessions.

Without hesitation, Xiaoxue squeezed into my cramped space and contentedly put on the platinum helmet from which I had just unlinked my account. She re-established the binding with the diamond helmet and entered the game, appearing in the familiar city of Dali.

Before I could even adapt to the novel experience of the diamond helmet’s 95% realism, a deluge of messages flooded in. There were sincere greetings from my friends A-Wei, the siblings Dashan, Sister Xiaomi, as well as Xichu and Yiqiang—a warm current in my heart after the recent cold snap. Many strangers reached out to offer support, showing me the kind and passionate side of the gaming community. Others sent letters asking about my secrets, inviting me to join their organizations, or even professing their love. However, the rapidly flickering avatars made it impossible for me to even discern their gender. Sigh, it seems my peaceful days are over.

"Brother Bat... I was so worried you’d be deleted! I was so afraid I’d never see you again!" Xiaoyue cried, her face streaked with tears as she threw herself into my arms. Her soft sobbing made my heart ache. Ignoring the murderous glare from Xiaoxue, who had just arrived from Baidi City, I gently stroked Xiaoyue’s satin-smooth hair and whispered into her pearl-like ear, "It’s alright, Xiaoyue! The storm has passed. If our kind and lovely Xiaoyue keeps flooding with tears, she’ll drown all of Dali and cause a catastrophe."

"Giggle, it’s not that serious!" Xiaoyue broke into a smile, then looked up to see a crowd of players gathering, curious about my yellow name. Realizing the intimacy of our position and unable to withstand the scorching gazes of the onlookers, her face flushed red, and she buried her head in my chest, not daring to look up again.

"Arrogant yellow-named player flirts with beauty in public"—I wondered if such a post would appear on the forums in a few minutes. Since the "PK incident," I had become a target for onlookers wherever I went, enjoying the treatment of a "national treasure" as long as my status remained yellow.

"Do you feel especially proud and satisfied to be hugging a gorgeous beauty in public? Hmph, I was right to call you a perverted wolf!" Xiaoxue scolded. Seeing the bustling crowd, she urged impatiently, "You big pervert, haven't you hugged her enough? If we don't leave now, let's see how you plan to get away."

*Cough...* Being the center of attention while holding a beautiful woman had made me feel a bit carried away, but here and now, the person in my arms didn't dare let me have any further inappropriate thoughts. "Xiaoyue, let's leave the city first to meet up with your brother and the others." Pulling Xiaoyue along and signaling Xiaoxue, we struggled to squeeze through the dense crowd.

"Blue Bat really lives up to his reputation. His every movement carries an air of authority and extraordinary bearing. He truly is the number one expert in the China region!" praised a monk wielding a steel staff.

"Sword Warriors are the most promising class, and Blue Bat is our role model, the beacon guiding us toward glory in *Fantasy*!" a young warrior in beginner gear waved his wooden sword, his eyes fixed on Blue Bat’s departing figure as he spoke proudly to those around him.

"A beauty in his arms, two lovely ladies at his side—what more could one ask for in life! An idol is an idol; even an ordinary exit is so sultry!" a scholar waving a feathered fan shook his head, filled with envy.

"He’s the one! The dashing, handsome, and gentle prince charming who has appeared in my dreams countless times. Ah! My heart was shattered the moment he comforted that woman who threw herself at him. Oh gods, save your faithful believer, guide my heart toward the light, return me..." The heartbroken woman finished her cry and promptly fainted under the feet of angry players.

"Damn... being ugly isn't your fault, but coming out to scare people is just lacking public spirit!" a player grumbled.

"Hmph... just a shallow, vain, and lecherous upstart. I’ll see how long he can throw his weight around before he gets taken out," an assassin muttered jealously.

"You’re an idiot! Just because you see someone eating grapes, you call them sour. The guy relies on his skill and has the guts for it. When he was framed, did he ever complain a single word until the truth came out? If you had even a fraction of his skill, you could strut around too," a hot-headed warrior snapped, unable to stand the petty backbiting.

"What the hell, does Blue Bat concern you?" The assassin, already seething with jealousy, snapped back at the unexpected rebuke.

"Damn it—I just don't like spineless cowards who stab people in the back. If you aren't convinced, let's duel," the warrior said arrogantly, brandishing his twin hammers.

Seeing the warrior's shining armor and expensive weapons, the assassin knew challenging him would be suicide. "You better remember this," he spat, retreating under the scornful gazes of the crowd.

***

"Second, we put so much effort into this, yet Blue Bat didn't lose a thing. It’s infuriating!" Xieqi Chongtian growled.

Fengliu Caizi remained calm, his tone leisurely. "Brother, you are mistaken. Our initial goal was just to gauge his strength, and that has been achieved. How can you say he lost nothing? With his strength fully exposed, he is like a fish out of water, having lost his greatest advantage. We know everything about him now; what is there to fear?"

"Heh, true enough. My men just reported he’s in Dali. I’ll take a few people to jump him while he’s still yellow-named; maybe we can even snag that 'Dragon's Protection'!" Xieqi Chongtian smirked.

"Brother, be patient. Blue Bat is at the height of his fame; he’s been hailed as the 'Number One Expert in the China Region' on the forums and has become an idol to many. Moving against him now will only cause public outrage. Wait until you've increased your own power, then defeat him fair and square. That title of 'Number One Expert' will be yours for the taking."

"Haha... then I'll let him enjoy his glory for a few more days. I'll deal with him later. Second, go organize the men to level up with me!"

"Understood, Brother!"

***

"Pretty sister, are you Brother Bat’s girlfriend?" Xiaoyue asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the still-irate Xiaoxue.

"As if I’d be the girlfriend of this big pervert!" Xiaoxue retorted with a sneer.

"Xiaoyue, do you really think my taste is that bad? Her in-game name is 'Snowflake Dancing'; just call her Sister Xiaoxue."

Hearing my retort, a flicker of sadness I didn't notice passed through Xiaoxue’s eyes. She pulled Xiaoyue close and said affectionately, "Sister Xiaoyue, don't be fooled by this big pervert’s appearance; he’s a real playboy!"

"That’s not true! Brother Bat has always been good to me. This PK incident happened because he was defending me. It’s all my fault that he’s being slandered," Xiaoyue said, her eyes reddening as she took all the blame for the bug incident.

I said painfully, "Xiaoyue, this was premeditated by people with ulterior motives. It really has nothing to do with defending you. Believe me, okay?"

"Xiaoyue, he’s right. People are just jealous of his strength, that’s why they used such despicable means to frame him. Look, he’s fine now, eating and drinking. Don't blame yourself anymore!" This was the first sensible thing she had said since logging in.

"Really? At that time, Brother Bat was being attacked by thousands of people. I posted the truth on the forums, but the moderator deleted it in less than a minute. That night, I sent him so many messages and called him so many times, but he didn't answer. He must have been so helpless and heartbroken. I really wish I could have been by his side to comfort him." Xiaoyue looked so sad, as if it were she, not I, who had gone through it.

"Pfft..." Xiaoxue couldn't help but laugh. "Xiaoyue, you really are a simple, cute little lamb. Do you think this thick-skinned pervert would be sad? He acted like nothing happened that day..."

"Oh, Xiaoxue, aren't you going to hold me responsible for your gear? We're wasting time chatting; let's go meet my other two friends and go hunting." I quickly interrupted her attempt to reveal the truth. Just kidding! If Xiaoyue found out I had just turned off my phone to get a good night's sleep, my image in her heart would be shattered.

"Really? My golden helmet’s quality is just too poor. After using the platinum one, the wonder and beauty of *Fantasy* have left me unable to let go. How am I supposed to play with a golden helmet now?" Xiaoxue looked away, a sly smile appearing that she hid from Xiaoyue but flashed directly at me! God! She is a "witch"—isn't this just blatant extortion?

"What? Sister Xiaoxue, aren't you interested in playing anymore?" Xiaoyue asked anxiously.

"That's not it, Xiaoyue. How could she not be interested? She’s doing great—someone just gave her a platinum helmet yesterday!" I signaled a surrender to Xiaoxue.

"Hehe... with such a cute Xiaoyue and such a reliable 'gold mine,' how could I bear to leave *Fantasy*?"

"Exactly! But Xiaoyue, don't bother Xiaoxue too much. She’s a junior in college, her classes are tight, and she won't have much time to stay online with you."

"Is that so? I was just so happy to have met Sister Xiaoxue and to have someone to play with," Xiaoyue said regretfully.

"Xiaoyue, don't listen to him. Our classes aren't that bad; we have plenty of time to log on. Whenever you're bored, just call me, and I'll protect our pure Xiaoyue from being eaten by that evil pervert." Xiaoxue gave me a look that said, "What are you going to do about it?"—she had me cornered.

"Really? That’s great! With Sister Xiaoxue joining us, we can deal with A-Wei together," Xiaoyue cheered.

Sigh... Xiaoyue is so innocent and simple in front of Xiaoxue. She used to have the upper hand in her fights with A-Wei, but now with this "witch" on her side, they’ll turn everything upside down. Watching them talk, they looked like lifelong friends. With them working together, how am I supposed to live? One is as pure as an angel—you can't refuse her anything; the other is as cunning as a witch—she always finds a reason to make you surrender. *Sigh*... with them teaming up, I’ll just have to pray for my own luck!