Wu Shun was probably the fastest of all frontliners. After all, he played like a man possessed. Hard work often made up for a lack of talent. The game was not that difficult. Much of that had been exaggerated. Anyone who still marked up its difficulty after reaching the later stages of the game was probably just trying to stir up some drama.
It was just like the game - "Dark Souls III" in another world. Many people probably knew about the drama revolving around the "linking the fire" thread, and had expressed that they "would not link the fire"[1]. However, many of them did not even play the game at all. It was understandable to find the game difficult at the beginning as the controls were unfamiliar. However, as long as you have tasted death before, you would grow into it.
Wu Shun, who was furthest down the plot, seemed like he was acting as "Lu Xiaofeng"[2], a character in Gu Long's[3] novel. If Gu Long's novels existed in this world, Wu Shun and the viewers of his live stream would quickly notice that the plot of this decisive battle was a carbon copy of the one in Gu Long's novel!
Ranking boards and stuff would be beneath legendary figures like the "Sword God" Li Xiye. Rankings did not mean anything to him whatsoever. However, he was a prideful man. He insisted that the Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng[4] who was trying to overtake him was a sinner among the martial artists. If he met him, he would most definitely kill him.
Hence, the Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng who would be shocked to the core from just hearing the Sword God's name would skulk into the shadows as discreetly as possible. Nobody in this world did not know of Li Xiye, right?
As Li Xiye practiced the sword with reflective sincerity, he entered the realm of selflessness. Sincerity was not a power of the past. With the passage of time, the only thing that did not change after a decade was his sincerity.
When Li Xiye entered the Jianghu, he paid his respects before he killed as a sign of his sincerity to the sword. He only killed those who should be killed and never killed the innocent as a sign of sincerity to the people. Only when one was sincere to the sword, they would learn the way of the sword. However, when one was sincere to the people, they would learn the way of life.
After seven years of learning the way of the sword, he had succeeded. Until today, no one could match him!
The bitterness and pain involved in learning and practicing the sword were inexpressible, but Li Xiye never left the sword, not even when he ate or slept.
The owner of the anonymous city was a swordswoman who had recently risen into prominence. The Jianghu community called her the "Sword Master." She was said to have extremely beautiful swordsmanship, akin to that of a goddess. Her swordsmanship did not seem to be the kind that was used to take lives. Instead, it was more suited for the performing arts... However, as the opponent was enthralled with the beauty and elegance of her sword dance, perhaps, at the next moment, they would quickly learn that the very sword she had used in dance had also ran right through their hearts.
This was the exact opposite of Li Xiye's swordsmanship. Li Xiye's sword was not used to perform, but to kill. To him, killing was the real form of art. However, he was not a murderer. He would not draw his sword unnecessarily. He either drew it when practicing his continual pursuit of the ultimate sword, or when he felt that someone deserved to die!
Take those who used concealed swords in surprise attacks. To Li Xiye, these people ill-suited for the sword. They were a great affront to the sword, so they had to be killed!
A player like Wu Shun who thought that he was extremely clear on the conspiracy of the owner of the anonymous city felt that he knew how she had grown so famous as well. He had been involved in the process, step-by-step. He also considered this to be further evidence of him being used by her...
Furthermore, as Wu Shun was making the most progress thus far, his live stream had been recorded and forwarded to major video websites, which undoubtedly misled a considerable number of players!
Of course, most of these people were just coming along for the ride!
These netizens did not actually play the game. They used these live streams as a substitute and imagined themselves playing in place of the streamer. It drove them wild ---- ----
"What the hell! I didn't expect the one who gave players the most warmth, the most wholesome sweetness to be the hidden supervillain final boss. How could this be?"
"Hehe, right from the start, I already knew that there was something off about this woman. This was why I said that the world of knights is a malicious world. There are no good people in it!"
"Those who are still treating this Nameless Swordswoman as their wives, wake up already. She's the owner of the anonymous city, a big shot on par with the Sword God!"
"Am I the only one that thinks it only made her even cuter? A super strong boss with a murderous aura. If I were to fight her in the end, it would be so fun, yet so agonizing…"
"As expected of Old Sly Zha Feng. I can't say that I'm not surprised. In any case, Yan Qingmeng is my true love. Walking under an umbrella in the rain, the CG where I embraced her. My heart is exploding with love and happiness!"
"The Duel. Hehe, I really can't wait for this decisive battle between two masters. Is it true that if you've beaten Li Xiye before, you can replace Li Xiye on that battle?"
"Ah, I'll admit that this plot twist is amazing, but it's tragic. Is the Nameless Swordswoman really a villain? I really don't want to believe such a thing!"
"She's most definitely a villain. Look at how she dresses. A mysterious gray coat, a hood, a blindfold over her eyes, grayish-white hair. She totally looks like a villain. According to Yan Qingmeng, countless martial artists have died by her hands. Most importantly, the bodies of those martial artists were also cut open and preserved, and she even has a museum specifically for human anatomy. She's way too evil!"
"Sure enough, all of this is due to Old Sly Zha Feng's wickedness. He deliberately created a female character that everyone would find to be cute and fall in love with. Then, he would have them work hand in hand with her, bonding over their mutual experiences, together. Finally, he gives the players a massive slap and wakes them up. He would reveal to us all that this girl is a cultist, a terrorist. She took the initiative to approach the players, purely so that she could make use of them! If that does not make her a disgusting person, what else could she be?"
"My Lady Yan Qingmeng is the best! Whoever who dares go against my lady Yan Qingmeng, will get their skulls split open by me! As for the blind villain, get out of my sight, the further the better!
The public went wild. The nameless girl was crucified up the hall of shame. Wu Shun was the one to blame for this as he was too far ahead in the game. If some other players ever took another route, they would realize that, in actuality, the righteous deity Yan Qingmeng was the authentic devil!
Jane Doe Su was not a cultist, but one of the greatest pioneers of the era! She spoke for the people who were all the way at the bottom of the community!
Of course, whether it being Yan Qingmeng, Jane Doe Su, or even the Sword God Li Xiye, none of their endings would be good…
Do not forget - in this DLC; the hands of Su Li had molded all these characters. However, it was precisely because of Su Li that their good looks had boosted them up to the peak!
All sorts of misunderstandings led Wu Shun's viewers further astray. They were swearing at the Old Sly Zha Feng for inserting such a plot twist into the game so slyly. However, they did not expect that this plot twist would be closely followed by an even bigger plot twist. If not, how else would this game become iconic?
Yan Qingmeng was also about to pull off the most devious about-face ever!
When Wu Shun reached "The Duel," it was a sign that this DLC was finally coming to an end. This was the most anticipated moment in the entire DLC!
In a dress whiter than the first snow, without her blindfold, the female sword master made a glorious appearance. What was her past like?
Translation note :
[1] In "Dark Souls III," after a player defeats the final boss "Soul of Cinder," they will then have the choice of a few different endings. One of the choices allow them to "link the fire." Often, this choice will result in a bad ending. Due to this, players realized that this was a trick that was set up by the game producer. Thus a thread came up about how people "would not link the fire," and it went viral.
[2] "Lu Xiaofeng" is the fictional protagonist of the wuxia novel series Lu Xiaofeng Series by Gu Long.
[3] Xiong Yaohua, better known by his pen name Gu Long, was a Taiwanese novelist, screenwriter, film producer and director.
[4] "Bai Xiaosheng" is a character in Gu Long's novel "Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword."