TAG Chapter 13

After familiarizing themselves with the enemies they would face, the three of them started preparing individually.

Qiao Jingting asked Bai Er to see what weapon would be suitable for Shu Ai. Shu Ai also took a forged steel sword and swung it around for a while.

Most newbies choose long steel swords not because they excel at using them, but because they are cheap, easy to handle, and convenient for killing low-level monsters.

Bai Er glanced at it and raised his hand to stop her. “You’re not suited for any heavy weapons. You’re better off with a dagger, a curved blade, a bayonet, or a whip-like flexible short weapon.” He thought for a moment. “Let’s go with a curved blade. It’s the easiest to get the hang of, and slashing is much easier than stabbing.”

Shu Ai hesitated. “But I’ve been using a long sword for almost a year now. It would be difficult to adapt to a curved blade…”

Bai Er swiftly snatched the long sword from her hand, his movements so fast that it was hard to follow with the naked eye. He started with the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg stance, and in the small living room, he danced with the sword. His feet barely left the area of a small basin, but the long sword whirled with tremendous speed, each move deadly, attacking from three different angles.

Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai watched without blinking.

Bai Er threw the steel sword back to Shu Ai. “You worry too much. You don’t know how to use a sword at all,” he said expressionlessly. “By choosing the right weapon for yourself and using the correct training methods, you can surpass your past year in just one day. If it weren’t for the fact that this game can repair the damage to your body, with your self-destructive sword swinging technique, your arms and waist would have given out long ago.”

Shu Ai’s face reddened. It was truly ironic to be reprimanded by a 17-year-old boy.

Qiao Jingting crossed his arms and chuckled, his head lowered. “Shu Ai, trust him. I felt much better after switching to a mace.”

“If you’re so comfortable with the long sword, then keep it,” Bai Er shook his head. “I only practiced a half-stance when I was young. I’m not suited for heavy weapons either.”

Shu Ai entered the platform and used the remaining points to buy a curved blade. Fortunately, curved blades were cheap. However, she didn’t sell her long steel sword. She was cautious, afraid that she might not adapt to the curved blade. At least she could rely on her familiar long sword.

After changing weapons, Bai Er explained the essential elements of using the curved blade to Shu Ai. He taught her the basic techniques of chopping, slashing, thrusting, and slicing, as well as the power generation combining the arms, waist, and legs. Bai Er also mentioned that if she could learn to combine wrist rotation with the use of the curved blade, she could achieve tremendous power with little effort. However, that was too difficult and would have to be learned later.

While Bai Er was teaching Shu Ai, Qiao Jingting wasn’t idle either. He combined footwork and swung his arms, rotating his waist while facing a small teacup on a shelf, repeating a seemingly simple movement hundreds of times.

In the end, his arm grew too tired, and he couldn’t control his swing, shattering the teacup.

Bai Er glanced at him and said, “Take a break.”

Shu Ai was also drenched in sweat from training but appeared more excited than tired. It was evident that she had found the right feeling of using the weapon under Bai Er’s guidance. Now she understood what Bai Er meant. She and Qiao Jingting were the same before, simply swinging the sword around because their physical abilities allowed them to cause damage naturally. But that was the extent of it; they had never truly “used” the long sword.

Qiao Jingting felt his arms couldn’t be lifted anymore, so he put down the mace and continued practicing footwork in the living room. It was much more relaxed.

After clearing his mind for a while, he suddenly remembered something. He opened the Demon-Slaying List with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety and searched for “Qiao Ruidu.”

He was worried that Qiao Ruidu’s name would disappear, but he didn’t want to see Qiao Ruidu’s level too high…

When he saw that familiar name, his footsteps froze.

Qiao Ruidu’s position showed that he was still in the newbie village, but his level had reached 6!

“Fuck.” Qiao Jingting muttered inwardly with dissatisfaction.

Bai Er and Shu Ai stopped what they were doing and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Qiao Jingting turned around with a dark face and continued practicing his footwork.

Level 6… On par with Han Bin, he had reached the limit in the newbie village. This meant that Qiao Ruidu could undergo soul refinement and leave the newbie village at any time.

When a player reached level 6, they could choose to stay in the newbie village or move to another city. However, they couldn’t continue leveling up in the newbie village once they chose to undergo soul refinement. They had to leave the village within 24 hours. Once they left, unless they became a Judge, they could never return.

It had been less than half a month since they entered the game, and Qiao Ruidu had already pulled ahead in terms of level. Although his level was only 2, his strength was far from that of a newcomer. However, throughout his life, besides fighting, he was inferior to Qiao Ruidu in everything. The gap in levels now made him particularly unhappy.

After practicing for an afternoon, Shu Ai made great progress. Actually, whether it was Qiao Jingting or Shu Ai, the significant improvement they experienced within a day was not in their combat abilities, but in the “feeling” of being one with their weapons. Only when this “feeling” was right could they truly control their weapons and perform better in battle than usual.

After the sun set, they realized that the power in the house had been cut off. Although the house had a protective shield, the power lines were outside, so they had to train by candlelight.

Bai Er had his weapons ready, two small daggers that were similar in size to throwing knives but had handles and were not as thin as regular daggers. They seemed to be in a category of their own.

Bai Er played with the daggers in his hands, frowning slightly, clearly dissatisfied.

“Are these considered daggers or throwing knives?” Qiao Jingting asked.

“Pocket daggers,” Bai Er replied. “Regular daggers are too heavy for throwing, while throwing knives are too thin for close combat. These small daggers can combine the advantages of both daggers and throwing knives. They can also be concealed in sleeves or held between fingers. I improved them based on my own needs.” He flicked his hand, and the small daggers flew out, slicing through the tea cup on the bookshelf with pinpoint accuracy. What was even more astonishing was that the area around the bookshelf was almost completely dark due to the limited illumination of the candles. How did he see it?

Qiao Jingting applauded appreciatively. “You can aim even in such dim lighting.”

“Not good enough,” Bai Er said, somewhat disappointed. “Compared to the ones I usually use, these are far inferior. Fortunately, I only made two. I definitely need blueprints…”

Shu Ai hesitated and asked, “Are you relying solely on these two small daggers?”

Bai Er didn’t answer. He focused on playing with the daggers, wanting to familiarize himself with them as soon as possible.

At that moment, a continuous sound of fireworks ascending and then booming erupted outside the window.

Shu Ai drew back the curtain and saw a gorgeous firework bursting into brilliant colors, illuminating the entire night sky. Soon, one firework after another soared into the sky, accompanied by cheers from the village.

“Han Bin has completed his soul refinement,” Shu Ai murmured, biting her lip lightly. “His professional symbol is different from Zou Yidao’s. I wonder what profession he chose.”

Qiao Jingting glanced at the Demon-Slaying List. There were five different professional symbols, but like other players in the newbie village, he had only heard a few professional names and couldn’t explain what they represented. Regardless, those who had undergone soul refinement would undoubtedly have greatly increased strength. He had missed the best opportunity to kill Han Bin, but they weren’t defeated yet.

“Something’s not right,” Bai Er said after watching the fireworks. He lowered his head and said something inexplicable, scanning the surroundings. “There are hidden traps around the house.”

“What traps?” Qiao Jingting held the candle and tried to shine it outside, but it was too dark. The other houses were pitch black too. Most likely, everyone had gone to celebrate with Han Bin. In any case, the Heart Moon Fox tonight was particularly dark, and nothing could be seen beyond a few meters.

“Trying to trap us.” Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai carefully observed under the dim candlelight and noticed something peculiar on the ground. There was also a lingering smell in the air, which they initially thought was from the fireworks. So, that’s why the power lines to their house were cut off. They wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for Bai Er’s sharp eyes.

“It’s not just about trapping us,” Bai Er said. “If we didn’t know beforehand and walked out, we would be engulfed in a huge fire halfway.”

“That’s wicked,” Shu Ai said coldly.

“I wonder how large the area covered by the oil lines is. We can wear flame-resistant suits and rush through,” Qiao Jingting suggested.

Bai Er surveyed the surroundings from various angles of the house. “The area within a ten-meter radius is filled with them, and I can’t see farther.”

Shu Ai marveled, “You can see in such darkness. You have excellent night vision.”

Bai Er nodded. “The temperature of the oil is higher than that of ordinary flames. Even with flame-resistant suits, this stretch of the journey will be torturous. Let’s run at full speed.”

“But there wasn’t much activity this afternoon. There shouldn’t be any bombs or the like, right?” Qiao Jingting looked at Bai Er.

Bai Er nodded again. “The ground is relatively even, so there shouldn’t be any.”

Qiao Jingting opened the inventory and searched for flame-resistant suits. The price wasn’t high, 50 points per set, but they were disposable. He purchased a set for himself and Shu Ai.

The fireworks continued to burst in the sky, and the noisy sounds persisted in the northern part of the village, where Han Bin resided. But they all knew that beneath the facade of celebration, danger lurked.

Han Bin’s celebratory feast lasted for several hours, well into the night. Fireworks illuminated the sky for most of the evening. At first, the three of them were on high alert, but as time passed, they grew tired. After all, they had been training the whole day.

After the feast ended, the crowd dispersed in batches, and eventually, the Heart Moon Fox returned to tranquility, just like any other night. The entire village fell into slumber.

Qiao Jingting gently stroked one edge of his chromium hexagonal mace and whispered, “Han Bin must leave the newbie village tomorrow. If he’s going to make a move, it has to be tonight.”

“That’s right,” Shu Ai bent down slightly. Her heart was beating too fast, causing her to feel a bit flustered.

Everyone was well aware that tonight would bring a fierce battle, but they didn’t know when or how it would start. They were waiting for the approach of death or a chance for rebirth from the raging flames.

Bai Er gazed at the pitch-black window and said, “Zou Yidao is also well aware of this.”

All three of them were curious about how Zou Yidao would respond.

It was evident to anyone with eyes that Han Bin had been on guard against Zou Yidao. Even on the night when Qiao Jingting killed Zheng Wei, Han Bin had more than ten people surrounding him. In truth, there had been an undercurrent of tension between them, waiting for the right moment to erupt…

Boom!

The three of them stood up simultaneously.

Han Bin’s house exploded!

It was the most prominent and luxurious villa on the north side of the Heart Moon Fox. No one would mistake it.

Shu Ai quickly glanced at the Demon-Slaying List. “Zou Yidao isn’t dead, Han Bin isn’t dead. It’s time for us to set off.”

The three of them pulled down the hoods of their flame-resistant suits, pushed open the door, and Qiao Jingting stood in front of Bai Er and Shu Ai with his arms spread out, one on each side. “I’ll scout ahead. If I don’t make it through, don’t come out,” he said, taking a deep breath and rushing out without hesitation.

Just two meters out, the ground ignited with flames, which quickly escalated into a roaring inferno, spreading outward with an unstoppable force. The explosions echoed in the air.

Qiao Jingting felt a wave of intense heat enveloping his entire body. Even through the flame-resistant suit, the terrifying high temperature seemed capable of melting his flesh. Explosions continued to occur near his feet, indicating the presence of scattered gunpowder. While these small-scale explosions wouldn’t cause significant harm to a person, they severely reduced the lifespan of the flame-resistant suit. Qiao Jingting endured the scorching flames and unbearable pain, holding his breath as he sprinted forward. The fire ahead was fierce, seemingly endless, and he felt like he had never run so fast in his life.

If Bai Er hadn’t discovered this trap, they would have been swallowed by the flames and turned into charred skeletons in an instant.

Qiao Jingting exerted all his strength to reach the nearest house and leaped, using the wall as leverage to climb onto the three-meter-high roof.

As soon as he landed on the rooftop, Qiao Jingting couldn’t help but let out a loud roar. His flame-resistant suit was definitely damaged by the gunpowder, and the fire had seeped in through the cracks. He quickly removed the suit and rolled on the roof to extinguish the flames, but his skin was already burned in several places. However, he couldn’t bear to use a healing scroll.

As he sat up, a series of gunshots rang out, with bullets striking his energy shield. He quickly flattened himself on the roof, using the eaves to shield his body. He cautiously raised his head and saw that half of the Heart Moon Fox was engulfed in flames.

Turning around, Qiao Jingting saw that Bai Er and Shu Ai had also made it out. Fortunately, they followed in his wake, and the gunpowder along the path he had taken had been ignited, sparing them. They ran swiftly and their flame-resistant suits remained intact.

The three of them lay flat on the rooftop, unable to expose themselves due to the hail of bullets. Shu Ai took off her hood, her face pale. The experience of being enveloped in raging fire was beyond the simple description of “pain.”

Bai Er said, “The bullets are coming from that direction. I’ll take out the sniper. I’ll fire a shot as a signal, and then you can come over.”

Qiao Jingting grabbed Bai Er. “Don’t kill anyone whose level is lower than yours.”

Bai Er nodded and effortlessly removed his flame-resistant suit. He flipped off the roof and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

In a short while, three gunshots came from the south of the Heart Moon Fox. Qiao Jingting and Shu Ai jumped off the roof and took out their weapons, heading toward the north.

The flames of the Heart Moon Fox illuminated the entire village. They saw figures moving ahead, and contrary to their expectations, many people were engaged in combat. It seemed that some were taking advantage of the chaos to level up and earn points. After all, only a minority of the Heart Moon Fox genuinely supported Han Bin, while most people simply feared him.

Qiao Jingting had a vague feeling that the current chaos had something to do with Zou Yidao. If Han Bin wanted to kill Zou Yidao, how could he let his own backyard catch fire first?

Just as the two of them reached the vicinity of the Tree of Life, a burly man with a battle axe charged ferociously toward them.

“Shu Ai, go find Bai Er,” Qiao Jingting smiled, revealing his gleaming white teeth. He tightly gripped his mace, eager for a fight.

Shu Ai called out, “Be careful.” She then ran toward the direction of the flames.

The burly man raised his battle axe and angrily swung it at Qiao Jingting. Qiao Jingting dodged skillfully, using footwork he had practiced thousands of times. He viciously swung his hexagonal mace, transferring power from his waist to his arms, and then unleashed it fiercely. His strike hit the man’s waist!

The mace, a solid iron rod, had the power to shatter the hardest skull like glass when enough force was applied. Joints, such as the waist, were especially vulnerable to such a strike.

The burly man let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground. Qiao Jingting was exhilarated by his own strength and speed, and the combination of the right weapon and proper technique significantly enhanced his power. If Zheng Wei encountered him tonight, he wouldn’t be able to defeat Qiao Jingting as easily as he did yesterday.

The burly man, surprised by Qiao Jingting’s overnight growth in strength, immediately used a healing scroll.

Qiao Jingting swung the mace down again, and the opponent raised his battle axe to block.

With a loud clang, Qiao Jingting felt his heart tremor as he exerted force with his right hand, pressing the mace down against the axe handle. The opponent resisted forcefully, possibly surpassing Qiao Jingting in strength. Qiao Jingting kicked the man’s elbow joint with his leg.

The burly man’s arm went limp, and Qiao Jingting’s mace shattered his hand bones. Amidst the man’s cries of pain, Qiao Jingting struck again, this time aiming at his head.

The burly man’s skull cracked, blood spilling onto the ground, and he immediately lost consciousness.

Qiao Jingting controlled the force of the blow and didn’t intend to kill. Therefore, the man didn’t die instantly. Qiao Jingting figured that since he wouldn’t earn any points for killing a Level 4 player, he should avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Rendering the opponent unable to move should be enough. Whether the man ultimately survived would be up to fate.

In this brief battle, Qiao Jingting emerged victorious with overwhelming strength. It was the first time he experienced the brute force of the mace, and his confidence soared. His fighting spirit burned brighter than the flames of the Heart Moon Fox, and he charged fearlessly toward the area with the most people.

It was time to level up.

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