TTGOL CH82

Chapter 82: Little Brother

“The Luosha Feather Robe.”

“The Qimen Dunjia.”

“Teach’s Leaden Bucket.”

Item after item was placed on the gambling table, only to be accurately snatched out of the glowing orbs by Chi Yan. Tang Cuo didn’t know if Black Hat was hiding behind the wall, stomping his feet in anger, but the shifting speed of the irregular geometric patterns had noticeably sped up. The twelve black wizard hats occasionally spasmed as if electrocuted—comical yet bizarre.

But as great as the Dream Infinite Market was—having almost everything they could possibly want—just exchanging for these few items had nearly depleted Chi Yan’s inventory.

If it weren’t for Chi Yan’s Qilin Arm, they might have lost everything.

“A completely useless magical stone.”

When Chi Yan stated the name of the item, he was full of doubt. What kind of magical stone required the prefix “completely useless”? What was even more bizarre was that while he had snagged everything else on the first try, he actually failed when drawing for this broken stone?

The wizard hats were delighted. All twelve spun simultaneously, and the bells shook violently, chiming out The Song of the God, Lambs, and the Crow.

“Bro, what do we do?” Chi Yan urgently sought direction.

“Keep drawing.” Jin Cheng tossed a few more items to him. Over the past three years, he had accumulated many good things, but most were repetitive and useless—either bearing the title of “Advanced” without the actual strength to back it up, or simply incompatible with his combat style. Jin Cheng had also consciously trained himself and his companions not to overly rely on equipment. With Wen Xiaoming, a master of equipment, making even more items obsolete, using them for trade was a good way to maximize their value.

Chi Yan immediately tried again, and this time he succeeded. Touching the plain-looking, small black stone in his hand, his feelings were complex. He had run instances several times now, and despite his good luck, he hadn’t seen many pieces of equipment above the Advanced grade. Yet this single broken stone had cost them seven items.

He had the urge to set up a shrine for it.

Jin Cheng didn’t think much of the stone. Casually tossing it to Tang Cuo, he said, “This is for you to increase your elemental affinity. It won’t add much, but it’s better than nothing.”

Listen, listen to what this guy is saying—better than nothing!

The wizard hats began to freak out again. All twelve masks stared directly at them, speaking in unison: “Going again? Going again? Going again? Going again?”

Jin Cheng was completely ruthless. “Not going again.”

Chi Yan felt Black Hat might just die of anger.

Leaving the grocery store, the three of them unsurprisingly ran into a group of interested individuals staking out the place. Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo continued walking as if no one was there, and no one had the guts to stop them to ask questions. Chi Yan, maintaining a stoic face, followed closely behind like a competent little lackey.

However, after taking just a few steps, Jin Cheng suddenly spotted a familiar face.

“Yo, isn’t this Little Yiyi?”

Rong Yi had originally been walking toward them. Hearing this, he stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze dark and profound. Chi Yan looked at him curiously. After racking his small brain, he remembered that the only person with the character “yi” in their name was Rong Yi.

“Looking for me?” Jin Cheng asked with a beaming smile.

The moment Rong Yi appeared, the surrounding players immediately grew restless, their gazes becoming more than ten times as fervent. But to everyone’s surprise, although Rong Yi looked like he wanted to murder Jin Cheng, he simply walked over and left with him.

Let alone fighting a life-or-death battle, there wasn’t even a symbolic clash.

“Could the news about them fighting over the Movement in the instance be fake?” Someone couldn’t help but voice their doubt, completely unable to wrap their head around it. When did the big bosses of Yong Ye City become so peaceful?

Meanwhile, the main characters at the center of public opinion only cared about their own conversation.

Because Rong Yi needed to enter a Special Trigger Instance, he had previously demoted himself to Zone E, making him a current resident of Zone E as well. He sought Jin Cheng out purely to have an open and honest discussion.

“When do you plan on returning to Zone A?” he asked.

“No rush. Returning to Zone A for some things actually ties my hands.” Jin Cheng was equally candid.

“Wanna Cooperate?”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll backstab you again?”

Refusing to comment, Rong Yi went straight to the point: “Leng Miao is out. I can persuade him not to oppose you for the time being, and even help you when necessary. Lin Yandong also seems to have intentions of contacting him.”

Jin Cheng: “What exactly is your relationship with Miaomiao?”

“Could you not use double characters? It’s disgusting.”

“No, I cannot.”

Rong Yi wanted to roll his eyes but held it in.

Jin Cheng continued, “Since I’m already cooperating with Lin Yandong, I don’t need you.”

Rong Yi: “But can you guess what Lin Yandong truly wants? My goal, on the other hand, is single-minded: a chance at resurrection.”

Resurrection items like “Mr. Crow’s Feather” were only effective if used immediately after a player died. Resurrecting someone who had been dead for a long time was no easy feat.

Rong Yi had thought this through very clearly. Earlier in the instance, Jin Cheng refused his terms because the two sides were already in opposing positions. But if they reached a cooperative agreement outside the instance, it might be feasible.

Besides, it was only a limited cooperation; he wasn’t tying himself completely to Jin Cheng’s sinking ship.

“I agree.” Jin Cheng replied decisively. Compared to Lin Yandong, Rong Yi was indeed a relatively reliable partner. However, upon further thought, he added, “But you have to put up some chips first.”

Rong Yi: “What chips?”

Jin Cheng hoisted Chi Yan up in front of him, patted his shoulder, and said, “Take this little brother with you. Didn’t you demote yourself to Zone E? Perfect. As long as he doesn’t die, our cooperation continues.”

“Eh???” Chi Yan was completely out of the loop. With his eyes wide open, he looked at Jin Cheng, then at Rong Yi, and finally fixed his gaze on Tang Cuo. “Ge!”

Hearing this, Rong Yi looked at Tang Cuo. “Little brother?”

Tang Cuo originally wanted to tell the truth, but seeing Chi Yan’s bewildered expression, he swallowed his words and treated it as a tacit admission. Rong Yi then nodded and said, “I can take him through instances.”

Even after Rong Yi chatted with Jin Cheng for a bit longer and turned to leave, Chi Yan was still somewhat dazed. They had agreed that Rong Yi would come pick him up tomorrow, as both parties lived quite close to each other.

“I-I-I’m just going to leave with him?” Chi Yan tugged at Tang Cuo’s sleeve, looking every bit like a pitiful, abandoned child.

Jin Cheng said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, “You can also choose to refuse.”

Still looking pitiful, Chi Yan stammered, “T-Then never mind. He’s ranked second on the Red Board, after all. But Ge, you’re not asking me to spy on him, are you? Is there anything I need to keep an eye out for?”

“No need,” Tang Cuo said.

“You’re too weak,” Jin Cheng added.

Chi Yan was originally just pretending to be pitiful, but now he genuinely felt pitiful. These two older brothers were steadfastly walking the path of striking him down, even though he had just pulled several SSRs for them.

Afterward, Jin Cheng made another trip to the Ruby Tavern, while Tang Cuo took Chi Yan to the training ground. Tang Cuo temporarily couldn’t beat Jin Cheng, but destroying a Chi Yan was as easy as flipping his hand.

Half an hour later, Chi Yan was beaten until he doubted his existence, but Tang Cuo was slightly surprised.

Chi Yan’s ability should belong to the superpower category. Aside from his Qilin Arm, nothing else was worth mentioning. But this Qilin Arm was truly bizarre. It seemed to come with a built-in targeting scope. Even though Chi Yan was an ordinary person with zero foundation—his punches erratic, lacking power, and his stance unstable—there were several times when Tang Cuo almost couldn’t dodge.

If he got hit, and a critical strike was triggered, that would be truly embarrassing.

Gradually, a hypothesis formed in Tang Cuo’s mind. He tossed Chi Yan a healing potion. “Get up and fight again.”

Chi Yan was already panting heavily and sweating like a pig, but his cold-hearted Tang-ge wouldn’t show the slightest leniency. If he hesitated for even a second, the other’s fist would come crashing down.

He scrambled to his feet and hurriedly engaged in combat.

Almost twenty minutes later, after Jin Cheng finished his errands and arrived, Tang Cuo finally let him off. The two stood side-by-side looking at Chi Yan, who was lying on the floor gasping for air. Tang Cuo crossed his arms and asked, “What category should luck-based skills fall under?”

Jin Cheng: “Control type.”

Tang Cuo nodded. “I tested it. His Qilin Arm absorbs the opponent’s luck to enhance himself. But he’s a close-combat fighter; he’s at too much of a disadvantage in the early stages.”

Jin Cheng raised an eyebrow, not expecting this Qilin Arm to be such an unreasonable skill. But Tang Cuo was right; Chi Yan’s foundation was poor, and relying solely on his fists could easily get him killed.

“I think he’s missing an Infinity Gauntlet,” Jin Cheng said.

Tang Cuo didn’t quite understand his sense of humor.

Jin Cheng shrugged and added, “Rong Yi is a Time Controller, which also counts as a Control type. I didn’t expect my random matchmaking to be so accurate. But how much Chi Yan can learn from him will depend on his own fortune.”

As he spoke, Jin Cheng took out the Luosha Feather Robe they had exchanged for at the Dream Infinite Market and tossed it to Chi Yan. “Take this. Wear it underneath; it’s for defense.”

Chi Yan hurriedly waved his hands. “This is very expensive! Give it to my brother to use!”

“Young man,” Jin Cheng draped an arm over Tang Cuo’s shoulder, smiling roguishly. “In Yong Ye City, opportunity and danger coexist. While bearing risks, you must also learn to seize opportunities. You are very smart; you should understand that if you don’t possess enough strength, continuing to appear beside us will only hasten your death. Even until death, you won’t be able to truly stand beside your gege, because I won’t allow it.”

Jin Cheng’s words were real, cruel, yet undeniably frank.

Clutching the feather robe, Chi Yan remained silent for a long time. However, Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng weren’t worried that he would be discouraged or become stubbornly fixated, because his eyes were bright.

Tang Cuo turned his head to look at Jin Cheng again. You’re lecturing a kid; what are you putting your arm around my shoulder for?

Reading his mind, Jin Cheng immediately said to Chi Yan, “One more thing. Do you know why I gave the feather robe to you instead of your Tang-ge? Because your Tang-ge has me.”

Chi Yan: “Ah???”

He looked at Jin Cheng, then at Tang Cuo, his gaze finally settling on Jin Cheng’s arm draped over Tang Cuo’s shoulder. His clear eyes first showed confusion, then shock, then astonishment, as if he had realized something.

Ten seconds later, Chi Yan silently tucked the feather robe away, lay down on the floor with his back to them, curled into a ball, and stopped moving.

Eighteen-year-old Chi Yan had never been in a relationship before.

His feelings were a bit complex.

Yet the two older brothers ignored him and started chatting amongst themselves.

Tang Cuo asked, “Any news?”

Jin Cheng: “Not yet.”

Jin Cheng had gone to the Ruby Tavern to find K to buy intel on the fortuneteller’s clients. Since there would be three clients today, besides Tang Cuo, Jin Cheng wanted to know who the other two were.

Although he remained wary of K, normal cooperation still had to continue.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Chi Yan obediently sat back up.

That night, after saying goodbye to An Ning, Chi Yan stayed over at Tang Cuo and Jin Cheng’s place, sleeping on the sofa. Jin Cheng’s wishful thinking fell through once again because Tang Cuo used a new excuse to reject him—the apartment’s soundproofing was poor.

“Last time in my room, I heard you telling Wen Xiaoming that you were going to court me.”

Jin Cheng was rendered completely speechless.

The next day.

Rong Yi showed up early in the morning to pick Chi Yan up, prompting Jin Cheng to tease him for having an old man’s schedule. Rong Yi ignored him and handed the breakfast he brought to Tang Cuo.

“Since you’re already here, why didn’t you bring a fruit basket?” Jin Cheng was still picking faults from behind.

“Shut up.” Fruit was the most expensive commodity in Yong Ye City; a single apple could sell for a sky-high price. Rong Yi would rather feed fruit to pigs than buy it for Jin Cheng.

After Rong Yi took Chi Yan away, Jin Cheng also received the client list for the fortuneteller. A waiter from the Ruby Tavern had specifically delivered it to him with a respectful attitude and excellent service.

Looking over the list, Jin Cheng raised an eyebrow and handed it to Tang Cuo.

“Identity unknown?” Tang Cuo frowned.

“K rarely provides such unreliable intel. This person definitely used an item that alters their appearance and blocks detection.” Nestled in the sofa, Jin Cheng didn’t believe K had any reason to lie about this. But if what he said was true, an unknown individual suddenly popping up at a time like this was not a good sign.

Furthermore, the intel stated this was a duo.

As for the other client, Jin Cheng actually knew him: Yu Yiyi, the “European Emperor” (T/N: Slang for someone with incredibly good luck). The guy spent all his time obsessing over metaphysics, so his appearance at the divination room was perfectly normal.

However, just to be safe, Jin Cheng still sought out Wen Xiaoming and instructed him to keep a close eye on Yu Yiyi, just in case. He then handed the Qimen Dunjia they exchanged from the Dream Infinite Market to Wen Xiaoming. This book reportedly helped players craft their own equipment, but the specific effects would be up to Wen Xiaoming to determine. With everything arranged, it was time to enter the instance.

Hidden Mission Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight – Third Phase: The Elven Forest.

“Ding!”
“Congratulations to the players for unlocking the hidden mission [Kingdom Hidden in Moonlight]. This mission is a linked quest. Third Phase: [The Elven Forest]. Current participants: 2. Activating Co-op Mode.”
“Please check your mission panel constantly and complete the mission according to the guidelines.”
“Wishing you a happy survival!”

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