The Scavenger Zombies Guild announced a three-day hunt for Bai Liu.
The news instantly set off heated discussions among players. The forums practically exploded.
[Let's discuss this rationally: if the Zombies Guild obtains Bai Liu's weapons, is it possible for them to break into the top 20 this year?]
Poster: I'm feeling tempted to bet on the Scavenger Zombies.
1L: Wake up, OP. Did one new weapon scramble your brain? This is the league! These are all top-tier players, okay? They use the best weapons and items their guilds have spent an entire year collecting. Bai Liu's weapon isn't enough.
2L: The Scavenger Zombies are obviously doing marketing. Bai Liu's whip is currently rated as relatively strong, but he can't even one-shot small mobs with it. How can it compare to top-tier weapons? Honestly, Miao Feichi's twin knives look better. At least the damage output is higher.
3L: OP, listen to me. The Scavenger Zombies might make the top 20 in the doubles bracket, but not in the team competition.
Poster: But the data for Bai Liu's two god-level NPC items is unclear, right? What if they're bug-level weapons? If the Scavenger Zombies get them, maybe they could win by surprise!
5L: It's over. Another victim of Support Season marketing. Haven't you noticed that the King's Guild sold the broken lenses to the Zombies? If the item were really that powerful, why wouldn't the King's Guild assemble the Ghost Mirror themselves? Why sell the fragments?
The King's Guild has professional appraisers and repair masters. They can restore and evaluate broken items. If they sold it, that means it was judged to have little value.
6L: The Scavenger Zombies are just hyping things up. Didn't Bai Liu recently rush to second place on the Rising Stars ranking? Some people are even calling him the "Second Spades." That's a bit exaggerated. Now two S-level guild players are stepping in to hunt him down. He'll cool off soon enough.
7L: But isn't Bai Liu currently teamed up with God Mu? It won't be easy for the Scavenger Guild to kill him with God Mu around. After all, God Mu's movement speed is basically a bug.
8L: That depends on who's doing the hunting. If it's the Zombies' main duo, then Bai Liu and Mu Sicheng are finished. Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang are both S-level players. Miao Gaojiang's counter-defense is S-level, and Miao Feichi eats his opponent after every win. The adrenaline from viewers watching his Small TV goes through the roof. The points they charge him are insane.
I don't think Bai Liu and Mu Sicheng can beat them overall. Mainly, Bai Liu drags the duo down too much. Mu Sicheng might outspeed Miao Feichi, but with Miao Gaojiang tanking, it'll be hard to break through.
9L: Bai Liu isn't a main DPS; he's an intellectual-type player. He even beat the Puppet Master, okay? Don't underestimate him.
10L: Is the person above new? I'm honestly speechless.
First of all, the Puppet Master was only an A-level and never even participated in the league. That's completely different from Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang, who have actual league experience. Second, the Puppet Master's so-called 93 intelligence points were questionable. The way he played against Bai Liu was low-tier. The King's Guild hyped him and the Little Witch before, so I didn't dare say anything. Now that he's dead, I will.
Also, Bai Liu is just an intellectual player. The Scavenger Zombies don't just have output—they have brains too. Miao Gaojiang — [Link: Top Ten Anti-Kill Reversals in League History] — appears in that video with over two million views. He once schemed and counter-killed a King's Guild duo.
By the way, Miao Gaojiang's intelligence stat is 89. Same as Bai Liu. But Miao Gaojiang has far more experience.
No matter how you look at it, Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang are on a completely different level from Bai Liu and Mu Sicheng. Still, it's unlikely those two S-level players would personally hunt a newcomer. I've been following their guild lately—they're training in large-scale Level 3 instances.
This whole thing is probably just a promotional strategy. Marketing hype. Nothing to see here.
If OP likes the Scavenger Zombies, why not make a bold bet? I've watched their recent practice matches. They're in great form this year.
36L: I'm here to slap someone's face. The Scavenger Zombies Guild just released an announcement. It won't be ordinary guild members hunting the Bai–Mu duo.
It'll be their official doubles team: Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang.
Miao Feichi even said that after he wins, he'll use Bai Liu for a live "food broadcast." He's already waiting to chase him.
37L: ?!?! Seriously?! The Scavenger Zombies themselves are hunting him? Aren't they training in instances? Why are they targeting regular players?!
The forums exploded again.
-----------------
Inside the King's Guild
A stern-looking staff member holding a system panel hurried through the bustling guild hall and stopped outside an office.
Above the door hung a bright red heart. Thick crimson liquid dripped from it, like a bleeding organ. Beneath it, a skull-shaped poison system glowed ominously in red.
The man swallowed nervously before knocking."Queen, Wang Shun has compiled the charging statistics for every Small TV episode of the Queen of Hearts. Would you like to review them?"
"Come in." He entered cautiously.
Inside, a woman reclined lazily on a black sofa. She held a slender pipe between her fingers. She wore a black-and-red cheongsam slit high along one thigh, paired with black silk stockings and high heels. Her hair was tied in a loose bun, secured with a long wooden hairpin. Black tassels dangled from her ears, brushing against her pale shoulders. A shawl draped loosely around her arms and slipped down her back.
Her eyes were slightly rounded at the center and lifted sharply at the corners. They were hazy, almost languid. Her lips were full and vividly red. She took a slow drag from her pipe and exhaled gently. The white smoke lingered around her body like perfumed mist.
The Queen of Hearts.
The office wasn't quiet. It was filled with operations managers arguing intensely.
"The Queen's charging support rate has dropped significantly this month—"
"I think team battles dilute the Queen's individual appeal and split the charged points among teammates—"
"I've said it before—star players! We need star players! Look at Spades! That strong personal style draws massive audiences—"
"I object! Team battles are the league's highlight! The season starts in two months. We can't sacrifice coordination for hype! Even Spades is training with his team now!"
"Backup member Puppet Zhang is dead. We've lost a team strategy. The new formation still needs polishing—"
"And there's the Taboo Witch, currently ranked first on the Rising Stars list. Her skill can both heal and deal damage. Extremely rare. She's thirteen instances short of qualifying for the league, so she's still grinding…"
The Queen of Hearts rubbed her temple and sat up.
"Enough." Her voice was low and slightly hoarse from smoking. "Operation managers, stop. Listen to the report."
The room fell silent instantly. "Yes, Queen."
The reporting staff member swallowed and began in a low voice. "This month, total charged points dropped by 19% compared to last month. Peak viewership decreased by 21%. Comprehensive Small TV data fell by 13.67%."
"The gap between us and the third-ranked player, 'Reverse Cross Disciple,' has narrowed. At this rate, we may be overtaken in the latter half of the year. However, we remain stable at number one in the 'high face value' ranking."
The Queen listened quietly before raising a hand. "Where is the lost audience going?"
"Yes, Queen." The man switched panels. "According to Wang Shun's analysis, part of the loss is flowing to high-level players in direct competition with you—mainly Reverse Cross Disciple—but that accounts for less than one-third."
"The remaining two-thirds…" He forced a bitter smile. "Have shifted to low-level newcomers. They're surprisingly strong. Their personal styles are distinctive, and their viewership is rising rapidly."
"Whether it's the Little Witch with both healing and damage output, Bai Liu, the control-type player who just rose to second place, the 100% lucky 'Parrot,' or the 'Monkey Thief' who once stole from Spades…"
"Their Small TVs are far more competitive than typical newcomers."
"The Witch is ours," the Queen said lazily, taking another drag. "Losing some viewers to her doesn't matter. Bai Liu? Is that the newcomer the system calls the 'Second Spades'?"
"Yes," the reporter replied cautiously. "He killed Puppet Zhang. His ability appears to be control-type. We didn't pursue the matter since we've been preparing for the league. Also… Puppet Zhang truly lacked ability."
"After appraisal, the broken lenses were deemed low-value once completed. That's why we sold them. In terms of strength, Bai Liu is far inferior to the original Spades. I suspect the system labeled him 'Second Spades' because—"
"Because of the weapon," the Queen interrupted lightly. "His weapon resembles Spades'. Both are bone whips. Spades wields a black lizard bone whip. Bai Liu's is a white fishbone whip."
She exhaled smoke slowly. "Like a pair of lovers' whips."
The moment she said that, the entire room held its breath. Everyone knew the Queen of Hearts loved Spades.
The King's Guild itself had been built for him. It was originally meant to crown Spades with glory. All she had asked in return was to follow him.
He had refused. And not gently.
More than once, Spades had nearly killed her during league matches. Yet whenever players gathered, the Queen would still approach him first—only for Spades to glance at her indifferently and ask, "Who are you?"
It was as if Spades had never remembered the queen who had built an entire guild just to "marry" him.
For the Queen of Hearts—the top beauty ranked first in appearance and adored by countless male players—it was a tragic, one-sided love.
Even so, no one dared to pressure Spades. After all, he didn't seem like someone capable of falling in love. The crueler part was that in future games, Spades would still attempt to kill the Queen without hesitation.
The Queen of Hearts' eyes gradually darkened, as though something had finally piqued her interest. She lifted her chin slightly and smiled lazily. "That whip is rather interesting. It carries the attribute of a god-level NPC layered over it, and its data is unknown."
The reporter was stunned. "The Scavenger Zombies have issued a kill order because they want to seize that whip. If you're interested, then—"
"No." Hearts' expression turned languid and indifferent again. "He's just a newcomer. He won't be able to dance in front of me this year. Even if he learned to use a whip like Spades… can anyone truly compare to Spades?"
She leaned back casually. Her toes moved idly as her gaze grew distant, as if sinking into memory.
"Spades is the best," she murmured softly. "With a whip… or as a person."
-----------------
At the Game Entrance
Mu Sicheng and Bai Liu stood side by side. Bai Liu was scanning the area for Mu Ke. He had asked Mu Ke to wait for him at the entrance.
Mu Sicheng had also altered his appearance and clearly used a higher-level disguise than Bai Liu. He now looked like a burly man with a thick beard. When he walked alone, no one paid him any attention.
Soon, Mu Sicheng noticed someone tailing Bai Liu. He was about to warn him when he suddenly realized something was off.
He stared suspiciously at Bai Liu. "What level of disguise did you use?"
Bai Liu blinked. "The free one."
Mu Sicheng: "..."
He finally exploded. "Bai Liu, can you stop being so stingy for once?! You're being hunted!"
"There's no need to waste points on this." Bai Liu's eyes remained fixed on the game wall. "After entering a game, there's a short window where other players can join. My Small TV will notify viewers that I've entered. They're a large guild with many eyes. It won't be hard to locate me among the hundred instances displayed."
Mu Sicheng frowned. That was true.
"Besides," Bai Liu added calmly, "they want to hunt me. But what if I want to hunt them?"
He turned and smiled at Mu Sicheng.
In his current appearance—delicate and harmless—his smile was unexpectedly striking. Mu Sicheng froze for a second before snapping back to his senses.
"You want to hunt them? For what?"
"They want the fishbone whip and broken lenses I'm carrying," Bai Liu replied mildly. "I also want what they have."
"What do you want from them?" Mu Sicheng frowned.
Bai Liu looked up at him. "The broken lenses. And their guild."
Mu Sicheng stared at him blankly.
"I've noticed that the other competitors all have guilds backing them," Bai Liu continued evenly. "We don't. I want a large guild as well. I haven't found a better method yet, but this… herbivore guild might work."
Mu Sicheng: "..."
He didn't even know where to begin.
"It's the Scavenger Guild, not the Herbivore Guild," Mu Sicheng corrected weakly, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Bai Liu, can I just call you Father? Please stop saying you want to build a guild like you're casually buying vegetables on the roadside. How many times do I have to tell you? The Scavenger Guild is not small."
He sighed heavily.
"Yes, having a guild behind us would help in the league. But it's too late for us to establish one. We don't have resources, points, or manpower. And the Scavenger Guild isn't something you can just take at will. The leaders are an S-level father-and-son duo who can contend with the Kings Guild. You watched the video. They're not people we can provoke easily."
Mu Sicheng rubbed his temples. "I thought you were just preparing for the competition. I didn't expect you to be planning to seize a guild. Bai Liu, give up. It's impossible."
"I never said I wanted to seize it." Bai Liu glanced at him. "I just want to control their leaders and use their guild's resources."
Mu Sicheng immediately countered, "That won't work. Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang have already registered for the league. Even if you control them, they can't withdraw and join our team. Once registered, players can't change teams. That's the rule."
"Under that premise," Mu Sicheng continued, "they'll prioritize their own team's interests. Guild support can save lives during the league. Based on your transaction-based control method, even if you control them, you won't gain meaningful access to guild resources beyond what benefits them."
Bai Liu ignored the protest and continued scanning the game wall.
Mu Sicheng wasn't done. "And the broken lenses are on them? What's going on?"
Bai Liu finally explained calmly, "In this instance, I can attach broken lenses to other players, or buy imitation lenses to disguise as real ones. There are many ways to confuse item authenticity. They're targeting me partly for publicity, partly for the broken lenses and items I hold."
"To ensure the items are genuine, they'll need to inspect them."
He glanced at Mu Sicheng. "As a professional thief, what do you think is the safest way to verify goods without error?"
"Combine them," Mu Sicheng answered after a brief pause. "If I were them, I'd assemble the broken lenses immediately after obtaining them from you. If they form the completed item, they're real. If not, they're fake."
"So you think they're carrying their own broken lenses for that purpose?" Mu Sicheng looked down at Bai Liu, who was nearly a head shorter in his current form. "They could just take yours and assemble them later."
"They could," Bai Liu replied calmly, eyes still searching the wall. "But I don't think that's likely."
"Why not?"
"Because the live broadcast effect is best if they kill me and verify the goods on the spot." His voice was completely flat.
"They want publicity, don't they? The most effective marketing is killing the target and selling the goods in one show."
Mu Sicheng fell silent.