Hong Jiu wasn't one for subtlety; he seemed to have come with the sole purpose of provoking, not giving Li Gui an ounce of face as he launched straight into insults.
Of course, in terms of strength, he truly had no need to show any respect—his level was higher than Li Gui’s.
While they lacked the game data Xu Mo possessed, high-level experts could sense who was stronger the moment they crossed paths.
Li Gui’s face twisted with rage as he barked at Hong Jiu, “This is Dawn City’s jurisdiction! How dare you Rangers intrude like this?”
“According to the Continental Convention, members of illegal organizations like yours are to be executed on sight!”
Hong Jiu burst into laughter as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. “Executed? Hahaha! Your bullshit conventions and laws are just words on a page.”
“You’ve lived in comfort for too long. Have you forgotten that authority comes from the fist?”
“Now, I’m right here. Come and kill me!”
His voice grew louder with his final words, erupting like a lion’s roar or a tiger’s howl echoing through the mountains.
Behind Hong Jiu, his men stepped forward in silent unison, glaring at Li Gui’s side like tigers ready to pounce.
The tension spiked instantly, affecting everyone from Wan Qianhong’s team to Li Gui’s men.
The East District team huddled around Wan Qianhong. Cold sweat beaded on Yang Shuo’s forehead as he whispered, “Why are the Rangers here? Damn it, this is getting out of hand!”
Wan Qianhong’s brow was deeply furrowed. “The fact that we didn't expect the Rangers to show up is the real problem.”
“Based on their usual behavior, it was unlikely they wouldn't come if they sensed something.”
“But to have an executive leading the team... they’re the most dangerous illegal organization...”
Calling them an “illegal organization” was technically accurate, but in the setting of Old Ones' Awakening, almost every organization except the Scavengers was considered illegal.
Among them, the Rangers were the most widespread and powerful. They roamed every corner of the continent, appearing in the world’s most dangerous places with a single goal: to seize powerful Containment Objects!
Containment Objects—items tainted by the abnormal power of the Old Ones.
The Rangers believed that these objects were the source of all anomalies and sought to confiscate them all to restore peace to the world.
The powerful energy fluctuations beneath the Black Smoke Coal Mine suggested the presence of a high-level Containment Object. As long as there were Rangers nearby who could sense those waves, they were bound to show up!
“I just hope... the situation doesn't deteriorate further,” Wan Qianhong muttered to herself, her expression grim.
“And the one leading them is Aries... if it were Aquarius or Pisces, it might be manageable, but this man is hot-headed and notoriously bloodthirsty...”
Wan Qianhong’s worry deepened the more she thought about it. Just as she was about to warn “Bai Feifei” to be careful, Aries—Hong Jiu—suddenly snapped his gaze toward them.
His fierce eyes pierced through the crowd, locking onto “Bai Feifei” as he laughed. “Little lady! You’ve got more guts than that old fossil. Not bad!”
Xu Mo frowned as he looked at Hong Jiu.
He knew of Aries, of course, though the last time he had encountered him in the game, the man had already reached the rank of Prophet. Meeting him now, his level hadn't reached that point yet.
Still, hearing the man call him a “lady”—even if he was currently occupying a female body—made Xu Mo irritable. He retorted, “Who are you calling a lady? Did you eat shit for breakfast?”
Wan Qianhong and the others were dumbfounded, staring at “Bai Feifei” in disbelief. Girl, are you some kind of super-aggressor? Why are you cursing everyone out? Look at the situation!
Surprisingly, hearing “Bai Feifei’s” insults made Li Gui feel slightly better. He had been furious when she disrespected him, but if she cursed at everyone... well, maybe she just lacked manners.
In the distance, Hong Jiu’s eyebrows shot up with interest. He looked at “Bai Feifei” and said, “Oh? How is calling you a little lady an insult? Aren't you one?”
“What else should I call you? Brother?”
“I wouldn't stop you if you wanted to call me ‘Daddy’,” Xu Mo said reflexively.
Hong Jiu’s brow furrowed for a moment, but instead of losing his temper, he laughed. “Fine, I like your spirit!”
“Your bone age looks to be under twenty. To have that kind of combat intuition at such a young age—and a temper that suits my taste...”
“How about it? Consider joining the Rangers. Come be my brother!”
He wasn't just refraining from getting angry; he was actually extending a serious invitation to this girl to join them as a “brother”!
The crowd was shocked. No one expected the leader of the Rangers to extend an olive branch at a time like this.
Wan Qianhong’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at “Bai Feifei” nervously. With the girl’s personality, she actually seemed like a perfect fit for the Rangers.
She wouldn't, would she?
Hong Jiu seemed genuinely interested in recruitment. He continued earnestly, “Look at the trash around you. They talk about virtue but are full of vice! A bunch of useless pampered brats raised in ivory towers!”
“It must be painful to be associated with them, right?”
“Join us, enter the real and free world, and fight for a truly great ideal and cause!”
As he spoke, he reached a hand out toward “Bai Feifei”.
Xu Mo was taken back. He hadn't expected that establishing a tough persona for Bai Feifei would attract Aries, let alone earn him a recruitment offer.
He knew Aries was hot-headed and respected the strong, but the man wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed; he was better at fighting than thinking.
Xu Mo’s lips curled into a slight smirk. A sudden idea struck him; he could use this. His expression turned solemn as he spoke. “Heh, so everyone around me is useless... then what exactly is your organization’s so-called ‘great ideal and cause’?”
A fanatical light gleamed in Aries’ eyes as he said proudly, “The Rangers are knights roaming this world, protecting it.”
“We contain everything tainted by the power of the Old Ones to prevent the Evil Gods’ influence from overflowing, restoring peace to the world!”
“Hah!” Xu Mo scoffed, shaking his head with an arrogant tilt of his chin. “Your vision is too small!”
“Compared to my organization, your ideal is like the dim glow of a firefly against the brilliance of the full moon!”
Aries: ?
The Rangers: ?
Wan Qianhong: ???
Rate on N.U.
