Chapter 347: The Invitation

Hearing Nie Yan say that he was his friend, Ren Sheng Ru Xi was so excited that his face turned red, and he subconsciously straightened his posture.

The players nearby who were setting up stalls cast envious glances, thinking how lucky this guy was to have hooked such a strong player. Why couldn’t such good fortune come their way?

“How much can you offer?” Nie Yan asked, eyeing the Wandering Soul Warrior.

The warrior felt a bit uneasy under Nie Yan’s gaze and stammered, “We can only come up with 360 gold. Could you please hold off selling the armor for a moment? Let me go find some friends to borrow some money. I’ll come back soon. Can you wait here for me?” It was clear that the Wandering Soul Warrior really wanted that armor.

Nie Yan thought for a moment and said, “360 gold, it’s yours. Bring the money over.”

“Really… really?” The Wandering Soul Warrior looked at Nie Yan in disbelief, questioning whether he had heard correctly.

“Cash only,” Nie Yan replied. He wouldn’t accept any item as collateral.

“Okay, okay, thank you, big brother, thank you. I’ll immediately ask my friend to bring the money over,” the Wandering Soul Warrior said excitedly. A 500-gold piece of equipment sold to him for 360 gold—hecouldn’t help but be thrilled.

Everyone around, including Ren Sheng Ru Xi, looked at Nie Yan in astonishment. 500 gold versus 360 gold—a difference of 140 gold!

The Wandering Soul Warrior was beside himself with excitement.

“Wait!” A Lich Warrior wearing a level 45 golden set approached from the crowd and said to Nie Yan, “Brother, I’ll take that warrior armor. How about I pay you 500 gold?”

Nie Yan glanced at the Lich Warrior. The man was wearing a set, so he probably didn’t need that armor himself. Nie Yan wondered why he was willing to pay 500 gold—perhaps he was buying it for a friend.

The Wandering Soul Warrior glared at the Lich Warrior. He had just managed to settle the price with Nie Yan, and now someone was trying to snatch the armor from him. He clenched his fists, but upon seeing the guild emblem on the Lich Warrior—Angel’s Descent—he immediately lost his nerve. If the other party wanted to forcefully take it, there was nothing he could do. Especially since the other party was offering the full price! The Wandering Soul Warrior felt somewhat disheartened, frustrated that he didn’t have enough money.

Nie Yan didn’t even lift his eyelids and said, “This armor has already been sold. You can choose something else.”

“I want this one specifically,” the Lich Warrior stared at Nie Yan and said firmly.

The Lich Warrior’s insistence caused murmurs among the nearby players. This clearly looked like coercion, which didn’t seem like Angel’s Descent’s usual style. Could it be that this equipment seller had a grudge with Angel’s Descent, and this Lich Warrior was here to cause trouble on purpose?

Nie Yan coldly glanced at the Lich Warrior and said, “I just said the armor has already been sold. Once I say something, I never take it back.”

The Wandering Soul Warrior felt moved. He hadn’t expected Nie Yan to still be willing to sell him the armor even when a higher price was offered.

To stick to one’s word—few people could actually do that. The crowd looked at Nie Yan with admiration.

Ren Sheng Ru Xi standing nearby also looked at Nie Yan with respect.

The atmosphere became tense.

Suddenly, the Lich Warrior burst into laughter and said, “Brother, don’t take it the wrong way. I was just joking. As for the remaining items, name your price—I’ll buy them all. Let’s be friends.”

The Lich Warrior’s smile seemed genuine. Nie Yan could tell he wasn’t here to cause trouble.

Nie Yan looked at Ren Sheng Ru Xi beside him and said, “Calculate the total value of the remaining equipment based on market price.”

“Sure, big brother,” Ren Sheng Ru Xi began calculating, adding up each item.

After a while, the Wandering Soul Warrior’s friend arrived with the money, and the transaction with Nie Yan was completed.

“Big brother, thank you for selling me this armor. Let’s add each other as friends. If you ever need help, just give me a call,” the Wandering Soul Warrior sincerely said, deeply impressed by Nie Yan’s character.

“No need to add friends. What’s your name? I’ll find you when needed,” Nie Yan replied. In this dark underground world, making acquaintances with more players was definitely beneficial.

“I’m Mo Shang Man Bu,” the Wandering Soul Warrior introduced himself.

Nie Yan nodded and said, “I’ll remember you.”

Mo Shang Man Bu looked at Ren Sheng Ru Xi and said, “Brother, I’m sorry about earlier. I have a hot temper, please don’t take it personally.”

Ren Sheng Ru Xi smiled and said, “No problem, it was just a small matter.”

Mo Shang Man Bu, having successfully purchased the desired equipment, left excitedly, adding Ren Sheng Ru Xi as a friend before departing.

Ren Sheng Ru Xi helped Nie Yan calculate the remaining equipment’s value, which totaled 3900 gold.

“Make it 3500,” Nie Yan said to the Lich Warrior. Ren Sheng Ru Xi might have slightly overestimated the value, so asking for 3500 gold should be reasonable. These items had excellent attributes.

“Okay, deal,” the Lich Warrior agreed without haggling, confirming the transaction with Nie Yan.

Nie Yan checked his backpack. Selling these items had made him a decent profit.

After purchasing all the equipment, the Lich Warrior extended his hand with a smile and said, “Let’s be friends. I’m Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang. How should I address you, brother?”

Nie Yan carefully examined Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang. The latter wore a level 45 dark-colored set, indicating considerable strength. He seemed to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, exuding a solitary arrogance.

The Lich Warrior class was somewhat similar to a Berserker, excelling in player versus player combat. Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang was clearly among the top-tier players, comparable to Wu Feng and Hei Bai.

Nie Yan extended his hand to shake with Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang, preparing to make up a name.

Suddenly, Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang smiled mysteriously and said, “Actually, I already know who you are. No need for introductions.”

Upon hearing Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang’s words, Nie Yan’s heart tightened. His eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a flicker of killing intent, though he remained calm. Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang knew his identity, yet he hadn’t exposed him. How had Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang discovered his identity? Nie Yan speculated it might be due to some of the equipment he had sold.

Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang approached him voluntarily without attacking. What did that mean?

Nie Yan remained vigilant, ready to escape instantly using a random teleportation scroll if anything seemed off.

“Some of the items you sold were originally mine. Including that warrior armor just now! But since I bought them all, I mean you no harm. Our guild leader wants to meet you,” Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang explained, looking at Nie Yan. He guessed Nie Yan must have used some special skill to infiltrate. As a Lawful Good player, successfully disguising as a Lawful Evil player and infiltrating an evil-aligned settlement required not only special skills but also considerable courage. He actually felt some admiration for Nie Yan. If it were him, he might not dare to infiltrate a Lawful Good village.

“The leader of Angel’s Descent?” Nie Yan hesitated for a moment. He wondered what their intentions were in seeking him out.

“Although our Angel’s Descent and your Bull Tribe belong to opposing factions, we have no conflicting interests. If we can cooperate, it would benefit both sides greatly,” Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang explained. Since they belonged to different factions, unless there was an all-out war between the factions, they wouldn’t be direct enemies. This actually made cooperation possible.

In theory, players from opposing factions couldn’t collaborate, but since Nie Yan had managed to infiltrate, that rule didn’t apply anymore.

“Where is your guild leader?” Nie Yan asked. The other party had found him among a sea of people, which was no small feat. He was somewhat looking forward to the upcoming cooperation.

“Please remember, we don’t know you,” Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang emphasized, looking at Nie Yan.

Nie Yan nodded. He understood Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang’s meaning. If he revealed his name to them, and one day Nie Yan got into trouble in the evil-aligned area, it could cause serious problems for Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang. To ensure their safety, Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang had to pretend not to know Nie Yan. This was a self-preservation measure. Their cooperation could only happen secretly and discreetly.

“Hello, I’m Lie Huo,” Nie Yan shook hands with Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang, using a false name. His real identity was already clear to Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang.

Dealing with a smart person was pleasant. Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang smiled knowingly at Nie Yan and said, “Come with me. Our guild leader is already waiting for you.”

Nie Yan glanced at Ren Sheng Ru Xi beside him. Ren Sheng Ru Xi stood up nervously. Nie Yan and Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang were both big names, rarely seen. Ren Sheng Ru Xi had just recognized Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang—wasn’t he the vice-leader of Angel’s Descent!

“Ren Sheng Ru Xi.”

“Big brother, what can I do for you?”

Nie Yan handed Ren Sheng Ru Xi 100 gold coins and said, “You helped me close a big deal. This is your reward. Thank you for today.”

“This can’t be right,” Ren Sheng Ru Xi hurriedly declined. Although all his assets combined didn’t amount to 100 gold, he couldn’t just accept Nie Yan’s gift without doing anything in return.

“Don’t be so hesitant. Take it. I’ll come to you when I need help in the future,” Nie Yan smiled and patted Ren Sheng Ru Xi’s shoulder. It was clear that Ren Sheng Ru Xi was a sincere person, someone trustworthy.

Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang laughed at Ren Sheng Ru Xi and said, “Take it. 100 gold is nothing to us.”

Unable to refuse further, Ren Sheng Ru Xi accepted the 100 gold coins and said gratefully, “If you ever need anything in the future, big brother, just message me. I’ll do anything for you!”

“No need to go that far,” Nie Yan smiled, then turned to Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang and said, “Let’s go.”

“Alright, follow me,” Kuang Ao Zhan Qiang said, leading Nie Yan away into the distance.

Watching Nie Yan’s figure disappear into the distance, Ren Sheng Ru Xi packed up his stall. Now that he had some money, he decided to go train a few more levels and get better equipment. Otherwise, if Nie Yan needed his help next time and he wasn’t strong enough, it would be embarrassing.