Chapter 122: Players Causing Trouble

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Players Causing Trouble

Regardless of what others thought, under the banner of the Sea God, the Huaxia Tribe was officially established.

As Shi Zhile expected, the tribe’s name attracted many players who had been hiding.

By nightfall, more than thirty players had sought refuge with the tribe, and Jiang Jing had also returned.

He brought back nine players, including Jiang Yu, Wang Peng, and Wei Zhan.

They were wounded and in a wretched state, looking as though they had fled over mountains and across rivers to get here.

The tribe grew stronger under Shi Zhile’s leadership. Mo Ze and his people celebrated, singing and dancing around a bonfire.

All the players gathered around their own bonfire, but the atmosphere was not nearly as harmonious as that of the tribespeople.

The players were wary and guarded with one another, and a constant stream of complaints could be heard.

The moment he met up with Shi Zhile, Jiang Jing immediately asked, "Zhile, what’s this about the survival tip? Where did you find it?"

Shi Zhile didn’t hold anything back.

"The tribespeople found the tip by the sea. Mo Ya mentioned that the Beast-eating Clan has a stone as well, but what it is exactly remains unknown.

You’ve all seen the message. For some unknown reason, this instance is suffering from an energy shortage."

Jiang Jing sighed. "Whatever the reason, it can’t be a good thing in my eyes.

We were teleported here directly from the last instance. You and I both know how dangerous these instances are. If this sort of thing keeps happening, no one will make it out alive."

Many players voiced their agreement, worried about what was to come.

After surviving the extreme heat disaster, they had no water to spare.

The Primitive Forest was rich in resources, but it also held too many hidden dangers. Most players were malnourished from a lack of food and had barely any strength left to explore.

Shi Zhile looked at the crowd and raised her voice so that all the players could hear her.

"The first tip has appeared, and there will likely be more like it. I’m sharing this news precisely because I want to cooperate with everyone."

Before Shi Zhile could finish, a well-built man spoke up.

"With the right tools, faking a message on a stone is easy. What if the tip is a fake? You players on the leaderboards are all in cahoots. I only want to ask one thing: why should we believe that you genuinely want to cooperate?"

His name was Yuan Qiang. He had joined the tribe voluntarily that afternoon, having also been found by the sea and brought back by the tribespeople.

The eight people traveling with him looked to him as their leader, following his every command.

Shi Zhile was unflustered. "You can believe me because I was the one who shared this information. Without my message, none of you would have been willing—or would have dared—to join any tribe.

I renamed the Cannibal Clan to the Huaxia Tribe to let other players know about us, so we can band together for survival and maximize our chances of clearing this instance."

Jiang Jing understood her reasons. ’If this interstellar threat is real,’ he thought, ’a war is inevitable. The more Earth people we have for that, the better.’

He then described what he had seen on his scouting trip.

"The Beast-eating Clan is on the westernmost side of the island, in the direction of the setting sun.

Quite a few players were misled by the hint and went to the Beast-eating Clan. I observed them in secret for an hour. The players who joined the Beast-eating Clan have already been reduced to skeletons. If you don’t believe me, you can go to their camp and see for yourselves.

As for your claim that we’re ’in cahoots’... you’re just envious because you think we have plenty of resources."

His last words made Yuan Qiang’s face flush red.

Shi Zhile looked at Wei Zhan, who was standing beside Jiang Jing, and said calmly, "Uncle Wei, you’re with the government. They’ll trust you more than they trust us. Please, examine this stone and see if there’s anything wrong with it."

Shi Zhile took out the inscribed stone and passed it to him.

Wei Zhan was a key member of Huaxia Base and the captain of its search and rescue team.

He had often distributed supplies to players in need via the chat channel on behalf of the base, earning him the respect of many.

It was safe to say that before the server merge, everyone in the chat channel knew of Wei Zhan.

Shi Zhile and Jiang Yuxing had taken turns dominating the top of the resource leaderboard, so their names were more widely known, but they lacked the influence that Wei Zhan’s name carried.

When everyone was desperate for resources, the wealthiest players became everyone’s enemy.

This time was no exception. It wasn’t that they disbelieved Shi Zhile’s information; they just couldn’t believe she would be kind enough to share it.

The true goal of those stirring up trouble was to extort resources from her.

Wei Zhan took the stone, examined it carefully, and handed it back. "The characters aren’t carved, and the color doesn’t fade when you rub it. I trust Shi Zhile’s character, and I believe this information is authentic."

With Wei Zhan vouching for her, most of the players breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuan Qiang looked displeased.

’He knew the information was real, of course. But the fact that even the leaderboard players need to cooperate means this instance must be incredibly difficult,’ he thought.

He wanted to use this opportunity to extort a stash of resources to survive the instance.

Among the nearly fifty players, besides the eight people Wei Zhan had brought with him who were already integrated into their group, the rest were mostly indecisive.

In other words, they had been through so many dangers that the hardships had worn away their edges. Now, they just wanted to find a strong player to follow.

So it didn’t matter whether the news was real or fake. As long as someone could lead them out of this instance, they were willing to believe in them and risk their lives.

This peaceful stalemate wasn’t what he wanted to see. He wanted the players to cause an uproar; only then could he gain more for himself.

He continued to sow dissent. "Even if it is real, that’s not a good enough reason to trust you. You’re one of the top three on the leaderboard. Unless you’re willing to share some of your resources, why should we cooperate with you?"

Shi Zhile sneered and brandished her axe. "So you finally reveal your true motive. I’m not forcing anyone here to cooperate. But if you keep trying to stir up trouble for my resources, you’re welcome to try me. Let’s see if my axe is faster than your grasping hands."

Yuan Qiang stood up, and the seven men who came with him rose to stand behind him. He said, "Everyone, listen to me! They make it sound nice by calling it ’cooperation,’ but they just want us to be cannon fodder! Once we’re dead, all our resources will belong to them!"

"If they were sincere about cooperating, they’d act like it! We have the numbers! If we kill them, all their resources will be ours!"

Emboldened by his words, a number of players looked eager to make a move.

Jiang Yuxing chuckled softly, his gaze toward Shi Zhile filled with unconcealed glee.

Shi Zhile paid him no mind. Without even standing, she yelled, "Mo Ze! To arms!"

The tribespeople, who had just been singing and dancing, instantly swarmed forward, surrounding all the players. Even the elderly, women, and children emerged from the caves to join the encirclement.

Over a hundred tribespeople, each one tall and powerfully built, closed in. They hunted wild beasts for a living, and the heavy stench of blood clung to them.

Their innate ferocity alone was something the players couldn’t hope to match.

Many of the players were on the verge of tears from fright. "Shi Zhile, they’re not with me! I’m on my own! I believe you!"

"That’s right, that’s right! We believe you! We’re willing to cooperate!"

Shi Zhile’s gaze swept over them. "The Huaxia Tribe only accepts those who are sincere about cooperating. Since some people wish to leave, I won’t stand in your way."