Players, Please Board the Train

The ancient castle clearly held more secrets than just Mr. Dong. Although Xu Huo wasn’t the true master in any real sense yet, he wasn’t about to let this bargain go to waste.

Bai Kou didn’t seem to be in a hurry either. She didn’t press the matter after her failed attempt and instead brought up the upcoming noble title conferment ceremony.

This was a cause for celebration throughout District 011, so promotional materials were plastered everywhere. The ceremony and banquet were being arranged with great fanfare, and a minor noble like Xu Huo wouldn’t have gotten an invitation at all if not for the Duchess bringing him along.

”You’re going too,” Xu Huo said. ”And what identity will you be using this time?”

Last time it was the infamous Madame Butterfly.

”A core member of the New Wheel Church,” Bai Kou said.

”Madame Butterfly is also a member of the New Wheel Church,” Xu Huo noted. That alone told him this was definitely not some benevolent religious organization.

”It’s just a player organization a bunch of broke bastards cooked up to make money,” Bai Kou said casually. ”Most of them aren’t good people. They made up a doctrine and some slogans, helped certain folks handle things they didn’t want to show their hands in, and got paid for it.”

”But once the organization grew, some people with ulterior motives dragged it onto the bigger stage.”

”Vicen Meni from Rong Xin was promoting the New Wheel Church before,” Xu Huo said, still vividly remembering the hunt-for-the-traitor scene he’d witnessed in the virtual game. ”He seems to be dead already.”Vicen Meni didn’t strike him as a fanatic, but those brainwashed people in the game were certainly wound up.

”He died on Matt’s ship,” Bai Kou said, gently swirling her teacup. ”There was an internal power struggle among the nobles in District 011. Not only did several important players from noble families die, but Vicen Meni, Captain Matt, and some of their supporters were all killed.”

In short, this banquet was also a celebration for the victors.

”The young faction led by Ahsis Vilner gained greater power. They reject foreign religions, so the New Wheel Church got suppressed too, and some followers with dirty records were expelled.” Bai Kou said lazily. ”But as a cult, how could they just give up their beliefs? Of course they’d keep sending people forward in waves to expand their territory.”

Xu Huo raised an eyebrow. ”You have a grudge against the New Wheel Church?”

Last time she’d played Madame Butterfly and clashed with the Phantom Sound Knights, cutting off their deal with Rong Xin. District 011 would likely pin some of that on the New Wheel Church.

Vicen Meni was dead, some church members had been driven out, and it was clear they weren’t welcome. Yet she didn’t care about being targeted or ostracized by District 011, she deliberately used her New Wheel Church identity to stand out. If there wasn’t some kind of grudge, it wouldn’t make sense.

”A grudge?” Bai Kou let out a light laugh. ”If I really had a grudge, I’d just wipe them out myself.”

Her attitude said it all in four words: Are they even worthy?

”Then it’s a grudge with District 011,” Xu Huo pivoted.

”It’s too peaceful here.” Bai Kou’s tone was eerie as her gaze drifted toward the glittering city lights in the distance. ”Everyone else is living in misery. Why should they get to be this happy?”

Xu Huo paused for a moment before asking, ”Should I make myself scarce?”

Bai Kou turned her head to look at him and smiled. ”If you don’t want to get involved, just say so directly.”

Xu Huo didn’t answer, but she added, ”It’s not really my business anyway. I’m here on vacation. I’ll see how I feel.”

”I don’t plan on finding another place to stay just yet,” Xu Huo stated plainly. ”At least don’t force me to move. Constantly switching schools isn’t good for a child’s mental health.”

”You’re raising a kid and you still talk about mental health?” Bai Kou set down her teacup and tapped the rim with her fingertip. ”Some people like cultivating children, making them grow up according to their own ways. Kids raised like that grow up loyal and obedient.”

”That kind of situation doesn’t count as growing up normally,” Xu Huo said. ”Besides, only people with weak hearts need to demand loyalty from others.”

Bai Kou shot him a surprised look. ”Didn’t expect you to be a good person.”

Xu Huo simply smiled. ”You’re pretty good too.”

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have specifically asked about Xiao Yuan.

Bai Kou rolled her eyes, stood up, and said, ”I’m going to take a nap. Don’t forget to have the butler prepare my formal attire.”

Mr. Dong appeared silently behind Xu Huo, speaking in his hollow voice, ”Miss Bai hasn’t prepaid for the formal attire.”

”I’ll cover it,” Xu Huo said. ”Quite a few flowers were lost in the garden last night. Put the cost of purchasing new plants on my tab as well.”

Mr. Dong didn’t relax his brow at this. Instead, he said gravely, ”Miss Coco is very good at spending money. Can you afford it, sir?”

Xu Huo let out a helpless laugh. ”It’s just a few sets of formal attire.”

Bai Kou had helped him a great deal because of He Pu.

Mr. Dong’s shoulders sank deeply. ”Do you know why the ancient castle is so poor, sir?”

He didn’t elaborate, but his expressionless face seemed to be etched with the weariness of ages.

Xu Huo reached out and patted his shoulder. ”Go on, get to work. I have a plan in mind.”

Only after Mr. Dong left did Xu Huo go to lend Yan Jiayu a hand. The two of them finished sweeping the garden together before sitting down in the tea room to rest.

Yan Jiayu had originally come along to have fun, but she never expected to get dragged into sweeping floors along with her items the moment she arrived.

”It’s fine, I did this all the time back in the mountains,” Yan Jiayu said without a care. ”Cleaning the room is like cleaning the mind. I still do chores every day when I have the time.”

She brought up the topic of fun again and had already searched for nearby travel guides on her own. Base City was bustling, but the neighboring cities weren’t bad either. District 011 had no Random Dungeons, so going out carried zero risk. She was planning to rent a flight device and go explore on her own.

Xu Huo knew she was the type to leave the moment she said so, so he said, ”Your injuries aren’t fully healed yet. Why not stay here for a couple of days? There’s a noble ball coming up. We can go together and broaden our horizons.”

Yan Jiayu’s eyes lit up at that. ”Sure! There’ll definitely be a lot of high-level players showing up. Maybe we’ll even run into a super player.”

District 011 had a super dungeon, but it wasn’t in the same partition as Base City.

”Having a super dungeon doesn’t necessarily mean there are super players,” Xu Huo said. Every super player he’d met kept to themselves.

Since they’d agreed to go together, Xu Huo asked Mr. Dong to prepare formal attire for Yan Jiayu as well. However, the women of District 011 prized long hair as a mark of beauty, and Yan Jiayu had just shaved off the hair she’d painstakingly grown out before, so she simply got a wig to wear instead.

But she seemed very unaccustomed to having something on her head and kept reaching up to adjust it every few moments.

”If it’s that uncomfortable, just take it off. Short hair looks great on you too,” Xu Huo said.

”I’m wearing it to get my fix,” Yan Jiayu said, studying herself in the mirror with great enthusiasm.

”If you like it so much, why not just grow your hair out?” The Painting Woman had chosen a gentle female voice after learning to use the communicator.

”Long hair puts you at a disadvantage in a fight,” Yan Jiayu said matter-of-factly.

The Painting Woman didn’t quite understand, but she was more interested in the new clothes anyway, and the two of them huddled together to chat about outfits.

On the day of the banquet, Bai Kou left early. Xu Huo, following noble etiquette, arrived at the hotel right on time with Yan Jiayu.