Chapter 300: When the Dust Settles (2)
Fennel reached out, his hand clenched into a fist with only his index and middle finger extended, and touched the spot between her eyebrows.
"Ding!" Gentle Flower heard a system notification.
"Congratulations on becoming the Lead Disciple of the Nymphs."
[System Announcement]: A precious sword is produced by sharpening it on a grindstone, while the fragrant aroma of plums wafts about after a bitter cold. Congratulations to player Gentle Flower for emerging as the Lead Disciple of the Nymphs after an intense competition.[System Announcement]: The Lead Disciples of the Six Great Sects have now been gathered, and the battle between good and evil has increased in intensity. The final battle could occur at any moment. Young heroes, are you ready to face the coming tide?
Two streams of scarlet red text scrolled across the sky, informing players of the conclusion to this competition that had captured everyone's attention.
As the saying goes: some will weep while the others rejoice. After the system announcement was made, the members of Jade Sea Pavilion and Bronze Tree heaved a sigh of relief. The members of Jade Sea Pavilion, in particular, dropped everything they were doing to congratulate Gentle Flower. Even Quiet And Steadfast, who rarely bothered about these things, congratulated her and gave out red packets to everyone in the guild.
In comparison, the members of Life At First Sight and Sovereign's Descent sunk into a deep depression. It wasn't so bad on Life At First Sight's side though, since Crying Fish was their Leader. They had to bury whatever dissatisfaction they had deep within their hearts.
The situation on Sovereign's Descent's side was a different story altogether. A commotion immediately broke out, and several veteran members brought the issue up to Neverending Journey and asked what was going on. Why did Crying Fish lose every single one of her fights? Did she do so intentionally?
Hehe, if that was the case, they could forget about the alliance. In their eyes, Crying Fish's didn't know how to prioritize things. If she could throw her matches just to gain the favor of a guy she likes, who's to say she won't go one step further and sell them out?
Neverending Journey found the current situation a little hard to stomach too when he saw the flood of mail his guild members had sent in. He felt that it was time for Crying Fish to show some sincerity.
Crying Fish immediately received mail when she walked out of the Nymph Abode. Shortly after, Neverending Journey himself appeared in front of her.
"We need to talk," Neverending Journey said as he eyed the two guild members supporting Crying Fish. Understanding what he meant, Crying Fish sent them away and led him to her manor.
"Didn't you say that you were confident you'd be able to obtain the position of Lead Disciple? And didn't you say that when the time comes, Quiet And Steadfast and Pure Crane will come crawling for help?! What's all this then?" Demanded Neverending Journey the moment they stepped into the manor; he sounded irritable and impatient.
Crying Fish's expression wasn't any better either. "I didn't expect things to turn out this way."
Neverending Journey narrowed his eyes, his tone taking on a dangerous edge. "Guild Leader Crying Fish, my guild hasn't gotten a single benefit ever since we formed this alliance. In fact, we've lost swathes of skilled players, and I've also fallen out with my closest friend. You say you want to work together, but you go behind our backs to try and gain favor with Quiet And Steadfast… At the moment, I have very little confidence in our alliance."
"I am trying to gain Quiet And Steadfast's favor, but in the end, our goals align. You want to crush Jade Sea Pavilion so that Sovereign's Descent can rise and become number one, while I can't stand Jade Sea Pavilion. Why don't you have any confidence in our alliance when there are benefits to be had for the both of us?"
"Because I can't sense any sincerity from you. Rather, it feels like you can betray me at any moment. Take today, for instance; I heard that you lost all five matches in the competition. Based on what I know, at the very least you should've been able to beat the Lead Disciple of the Dragonkins, and you also should've been able to draw with that ugly monster from White Cloud Temple. So, why did it turn out like this?"
"Sincerity?" Crying Fish was struck dumb by his words and noticed that he was sizing her up through narrowed eyes. "Then, what would you have me do to show my sincerity?"
"My guild members have been kicking up a fuss. They say that the players from Life At First Sight are far too arrogant and look down on Sovereign's Descent. So, I'm thinking…" Neverending Journey's eyes suddenly took on a profound look. "Why don't we connect our guilds through marriage?"
"Marriage?" Crying Fish asked back, thinking that she might've misheard him. "Guild Leader Journey, what exactly do you think we're doing? This is just a game, why are you bringing up marriage?"
"See? Your attitude shows how little you think of us," Said Neverending Journey as he drew closer. "Even if it's a game, it's still one of your 'lives'. So, Guild Leader Fish, will you or will you not accede to my proposal?"
"…" Crying Fish fell silent for a moment before she said, "How will we proceed?"
"You and I will get married. You'll also select a few girls from your guild to wed the veteran members of mine. This way, everyone from both guilds can set their minds at ease, and I won't doubt your sincerity any longer. In addition, we'll be able to go all out when we work together." He paused for a moment before he continued, "News of you being mercilessly defeated by Quiet And Steadfast has long since spread throughout the game. At a time like this, only the news of our marriage will be enough to save what's left of your reputation. Guild Leader Fish, I'm doing this to help you too; you should be grateful."
Crying Fish's face turned pale, but she didn't immediately reply. It looked like she was still hesitating.
"What, you're still thinking of Quiet And Steadfast? Forgive me for being blunt, Guild Leader Fish, but he won't even spare a single glance for you. The longer you hesitate, the more of a laughingstock you become in the eyes of others."
Neverending Journey's words stabbed into Crying Fish's chest like a sharp sword. She suddenly remembered Quiet And Steadfast's coldness towards her during the competition, and how he ruthlessly defeated her. Her eyes turned red as love and hate wove together to form a new emotion that she couldn't quite describe, making her appear even more enchanting.
"Fine, I agree!"