Chapter 155: The Outbreak of War

If Nie Yan and Tang Yao could be sent away, there would be far fewer troubles. With Nie Yan and Tang Yao present, they would be the fuse that ignites the war between Holy Rome and Triumph. However, this would be too difficult. There are many people from Triumph watching outside, and once Nie Yan and Tang Yao step out, they might be intercepted midway. They are both red names now, which makes them too conspicuous.

“Boss, we picked up more than 80 pieces of equipment, many of which have great attributes,” said a player from Holy Rome. Originally, there should have been more than 300 pieces, but Triumph must have recovered many, leaving only these 80 or so.

In fact, many good items had already been collected by Guo Huai and his team. Nie Yan had received a system notification indicating that Guo Huai had placed more than 30 pieces of equipment into the guild warehouse. Guo Huai had done it so stealthily that the Holy Rome members probably didn’t even notice.

“How should we handle these 80 pieces of equipment?” Ban Xing De Hu Li (Half Awake Fox) looked at Nie Yan. 80 pieces of gear dropped from Triumph’s elite players was a huge haul. However, Holy Rome had only killed about 10% of the total number of Triumph players. Of course, the powerful Holy Rome could just keep all the equipment, but this would leave Nie Yan with lingering resentment, planting seeds of future conflict in their cooperation. Ban Xing De Hu Li found it hard to decide and thus passed the issue to Nie Yan.

“We can split them evenly, distributing them based on attributes. Some of the gear belongs to my team members, so I need to retrieve it for them,” Nie Yan replied. If Holy Rome took fewer items, Ban Xing De Hu Li would certainly be unhappy, especially since he had saved Nie Yan and Tang Yao’s lives. However, considering that most of the equipment was actually looted by Nie Yan’s team, splitting it evenly should leave Ban Xing De Hu Li with little to complain about. Moreover, Ban Xing De Hu Li probably had some profit for himself, and who could say for sure whether there were really only 80 pieces of equipment?

Ban Xing De Hu Li nodded. “Let’s divide it this way.” He then instructed his subordinates to trade more than 40 pieces of equipment to Nie Yan.

Distribution of equipment was often a source of conflict. Fortunately, both Ban Xing De Hu Li and Nie Yan were wealthy individuals. One was the owner of Starry Pharmacy, and the other was the leader of a guild. Neither would fuss over just a few pieces of equipment.

Nie Yan received the more than 40 pieces of equipment, which would be used to enrich the Bull Tribe’s guild warehouse. A guild warehouse required continuous investment to be fully established. Large guilds like Holy Rome had already invested at least 100 gold coins in their warehouse, which was still far from enough. The Bull Tribe’s guild warehouse had only just started.

“Triumph and Holy Rome probably won’t fall out so quickly,” Ban Xing De Hu Li mused. Triumph and Holy Rome would inevitably clash eventually, but now was not the time. After all, they had many other rivals. If the two guilds fought head-on, others would benefit by sitting back and reaping the rewards.

A group of 5,000 Triumph members slowly gathered. Opposite them, densely packed and teeming with players, the enemy formed a crescent shape, surrounding the Holy Rome members. Leading them was Pi Tian (Break Sky), the leader of Triumph.

Seeing the massive crowd surging toward them, Tang Yao felt a bit shaken. This was what a real guild looked like—thousands of players gathered together, capable of unleashing immense power. He recalled Nie Yan’s words: “An individual is nothing compared to the power of a guild!”

“Nie Yan, do you think our guild will ever be like Triumph or Holy Rome, with thousands rallying at a single call?” Tang Yao’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Yes, one day our guild will be even stronger than theirs,” Nie Yan replied earnestly.

“If that day really comes, I’ll crush whoever I want. If I don’t like someone, I’ll summon ten thousand followers and flatten them into dust. Let’s see who dares to be arrogant then.”

“…That’s all you’ve got?” Nie Yan chuckled.

As the Triumph members gathered, Holy Rome prepared for defense, ready to counter any attack. Ban Xing De Hu Li stepped forward from the crowd.

“President Pi Tian, hope you’ve been well,” Ban Xing De Hu Li said with a smile, as if nothing had happened moments ago.

Pi Tian had no intention of chatting with Ban Xing De Hu Li. He glanced coldly at Nie Yan and Tang Yao within the Holy Rome ranks and said sharply, “Those two have killed many of my guild members. Hand them over, and Triumph and Holy Rome can remain peaceful. If not, Triumph won’t hesitate to declare total war on Holy Rome.”

Ban Xing De Hu Li still had his eyes narrowed, a glint of something barely perceptible flashing in them.

“These two are under Holy Rome’s protection, and we will never hand them over. President Pi Tian, please do as you wish. Holy Rome won’t shy away from a confrontation with Triumph. Though we may not rival Triumph in strength, we are not a guild to be easily pushed around,” Ban Xing De Hu Li said calmly with a composed smile.

Pi Tian was puzzled. Why would Ban Xing De Hu Li go to such great lengths to protect Nie Yan and Tang Yao? It couldn’t just be about saving face. What was so special about Nie Yan and Tang Yao that Ban Xing De Hu Li would invest so much?

If Nie Yan and Tang Yao were indeed members of Holy Rome, that would make sense, but they weren’t.

“Boss, just wipe them out! Kill Ban Xing De Hu Li!”

“Let’s slaughter them all!”

The Triumph players behind Pi Tian were growing increasingly agitated, emboldened by their overwhelming numbers. Only the more rational among them realized that although the opposing Holy Rome force numbered only around 500 to 600, they were all elite members. Defeating them in one go would be difficult, and Holy Rome’s main forces would likely arrive soon.

Pi Tian also understood that if Triumph went to war with Holy Rome, the consequences would be severe. His purpose in coming here was to force Holy Rome to hand over Nie Yan and Tang Yao and to assert Triumph’s dominance.

“I’m telling you one last time—hand them over, and you can still back out now!” Pi Tian stared at Ban Xing De Hu Li.

With a wave of Pi Tian’s hand, the 5,000 players advanced slowly toward Holy Rome, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Ban Xing De Hu Li calmly commanded his team to prepare for defense. If a real battle broke out, they could hold out until reinforcements arrived. Some Triumph members had already entered the attack range of Holy Rome’s mages, and the scent of gunpowder was rapidly spreading.

However, neither side made the first move.

They were all waiting for their respective leaders’ commands. Once one side attacked, it would trigger a massive battle.

“Are they really going to fight?” Tang Yao asked.

“Not sure yet,” Nie Yan replied. He understood that Triumph was merely making a show of force, trying to pressure Ban Xing De Hu Li into handing them over. He didn’t believe Pi Tian would easily break with Holy Rome, but anything could happen.

“This is your last chance. Hand them over, and we’ll forget everything,” Pi Tian said coldly, his eyes sharp and murderous like a hawk.

Ban Xing De Hu Li smiled slightly and replied, “That’s impossible. Holy Rome values honor and never betrays its friends.”

“If that’s the case, don’t blame me then,” Pi Tian said, raising his hand. The Triumph forces advanced, with heavily armored warriors forming the front line, pressing toward Holy Rome.

War was imminent.

Nie Yan realized that Pi Tian had passed the point of no return. If he retreated now, he would lose face, and a real battle might indeed erupt.

“If the fighting starts, we might not be able to protect you two anymore. Do your best to escape if you can, and try to kill as many as possible,” Ban Xing De Hu Li told Nie Yan and Tang Yao.

“No problem,” Nie Yan smiled. Today would be a day of bloodshed. Even if their red names became even more notorious, so what?

With 500 to 600 against more than 5,000, the pressure on Holy Rome was immense.

Just as everyone thought the battle was about to begin, a player approached Pi Tian and whispered, “Boss, there are many Holy Rome members coming.”

“How many?” Pi Tian frowned.

“Not clear yet, but the number should be no smaller than ours.”

He hadn’t expected Holy Rome to act so quickly, gathering players from various locations in such a short time. If Pi Tian continued to recall his members, it would escalate into a full-scale war between the two guilds.

A Holy Rome hundred-man squad approached from behind, and the leading player said to Ban Xing De Hu Li, “Boss, we’re here.”

Soon after, more and more teams joined the Holy Rome ranks, some dozens, some hundreds.

“Boss, we finally made it.”

“The other brothers will arrive soon too!”

“Good,” Ban Xing De Hu Li nodded. These players had arrived just in time.

Wave after wave of players joined the Holy Rome ranks, rapidly increasing their numbers. Soon, they exceeded a thousand, then two thousand, three thousand…

“Heh, Fox, looks like you’ve gotten yourself into trouble,” a young man wearing a full set of Metal Storm armor approached Ban Xing De Hu Li and laughed. This person was none other than Ai Qing Sha Shang (Love Wounds), whom Nie Yan had met in Emerald City.

“This time I’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest. Life might get tough from now on,” Ban Xing De Hu Li chuckled helplessly, looking at Ai Qing Sha Shang. “Why would you spend so much money to come all the way to Carol City?” Ban Xing De Hu Li and Ai Qing Sha Shang both ran studios and had some private rapport.

“I came to Carol City for a quest. I heard there was a show here, so I came to watch,” Ai Qing Sha Shang replied. Seeing Nie Yan beside him, he asked in mild surprise, “It’s you?”

“You two know each other?” Ban Xing De Hu Li was taken aback.

“We met briefly in Emerald City,” Ai Qing Sha Shang smiled slightly, without revealing how they had met.

Ban Xing De Hu Li looked at Nie Yan, then at Ai Qing Sha Shang, deep in thought.