Sword Among Us

“I have decided to step down!” Phoenix Dances repeated under Happy and Glutinous Rice’s shocked and puzzled gazes. “I should have already stepped down a long time ago. The other sects have very powerful figures as sect masters. They are all people on the Dragon Rank, Phoenix Rank, or the Famous People Rank, but I’m nothing. I’m just someone who was nominated. This will affect the faction’s future development. Besides, there are plenty of people who refuse my leadership. Happy, since your identity has already been exposed, don’t run away anymore. It’s about time for you to return!”

Phoenix Dances said her last sentence in an incredibly serious manner, and she also said it earnestly!

Glutinous Rice fell silent.

Happy also understood what Phoenix Dances meant.

“Is there someone who is against you being the faction master?”

Phoenix Dances shook her head. “No, but I can’t keep occupying this position. The others might have not said anything because they want me to preserve my dignity, but I know very well that while I might be able to be a good higher-level manager, a faction master must be able to control all faction members through strength! Right now, there are plenty of members in Beautiful Robes Faction whose strength is above mine. Glutinous Rice, One Circle, Flying Dragon, Tea Words, Rampaging, Bum, and the others are all stronger than I am. The only person whom they truly accept has always been you, and we knew this since the start.”

Phoenix Dances paused for a moment before she suddenly revealed a hint of a smile. “Besides, I want more time to train so that I can become stronger as well, or else, I’ll feel as if I’ll be further and further away from you.”

Glutinous Rice instantly fell silent. She blinked and looked elsewhere.

A strange atmosphere filled the living room.

‘Can this be considered a confession?’

An unknown amount of time passed.

“I can’t return right now.”

Happy stared into Phoenix Dances’ eyes with a sentimental look.

“You’re better than I am as a faction master. You are also more experienced than I am. At the very least, I wouldn’t have been able to make Beautiful Robes Faction as prosperous in such a short amount of time. You’ve done much more than I expected. Everyone can see this, and they know about this as well. You’re just thinking too much, can’t you see it?”

When his gentle voice entered her ears, Phoenix Dances suddenly felt excited for having her efforts recognized. For the first time, her face turned red, and her voice became much softer.

“I’m not the only one who managed to do this. This is a result of everyone’s hard work…”

Glutinous Rice was stunned speechless. She could not believe her eyes, so she rubbed them hard while screaming in her heart, ‘Big sis! What the heck happened to you?!’

“That’s the spirit. Promise me that you won’t go overthinking things. You’re doing spectacularly, so continue being Beautiful Robes Faction’s master. You can ask others to help you with management on usual days. Then, you’ll have more time to train.”

“Okay.” Phoenix Dances nodded vigorously.

Glutinous Rice could not bear the sight.

‘If the university knew about this, who knew who many hearts would be broken? Big Sis Phoenix Dances is absolutely on the road of falling into the river of love. No, wait, she’s actually about to drown in it! We’re doomed!’

Glutinous Rice knocked her head against the dining table with a loud bang.

Upon hearing it, Phoenix Dances instantly snapped out of her stupor. She seemed to realize that she had lost her composure, and she looked slightly alarmed. Feeling slightly panicked, she didn’t even give any thought to her words next. “When are you coming back?”

“Hmm… I’ll probably be wandering around the game for a little longer.” When Happy thought about Thunderous Battle and the others who had already headed to Baokang to begin developing the sect, he changed the topic of conversation. “Phoenix Dances, do you still remember that I once mentioned to you that you should pay attention to developing the herbalists, ironsmiths, and tailors in the faction?”

Phoenix Dances nodded. “I have a dormmate of mine taking charge of this. Aside from herbalists improving rather slowly, the ironsmiths and tailors have been improving very well. The things they create are not that much inferior to grade nine masterpieces. But the higher the grade of the weapons are, the rarer the materials and ores for them are. Their progress has thus started to slow down.”

She paused for a moment before she added, “But the Dew Pills you used in the royal mausoleum do indeed have great effects. Once we came out, we put up a lot of requests in the commision shops to buy tuber fleeceflowers and other materials for Dew Pills. We have quite a lot of them gathered in the storage now.”

“Very good.” Happy’s expression was one of satisfaction. “Herbalists are very important, but just buying those materials for the consumables should be rather tough. You will have to occupy a permanent resource point for a continuous stream of materials.”

“But there aren’t many herbs in the cities around us.” When Phoenix Dances said that, she noticed the smile on Happy’s face, and she could not help but be stunned. “Do you have a good resource point?”

“That’s right!” Happy smiled. “Baokang, in Hubei province. I have a friend who is prepared to build a sect there, but the situation over there is rather complicated, and they don’t quite have enough hands. I’m thinking of asking you to send some people over there to help them. While doing that, you can also get a resource point.”

“A friend?” Phoenix Dances thought about it before she said, “A friend who can build a sect… Is it Thunderous Battle?”

As expected of the girl who was capable of managing Beautiful Robes Faction, she was very smart. She had formed the composite abilities of Happy’s friends, and she managed to make the correct guess!

“That’s right, it’s him.”

“With his abilities, he can become a sect master, but if my guess is correct, there is someone else supporting him aside from you.”

“There’s Little North as well.”

Happy’s smile grew brighter as he told the truth. The Phoenix Dances before him seemed to be more mature and smarter than the Phoenix Dances in his previous life. There was no need for him to hide the truth from her.

“I originally wanted them to join Beautiful Robes Faction, but the faction has already developed well. If they enter now, two groups might end up appearing in Beautiful Robes Faction. After all, the University of South China is in itself a group. Hence, when they suggested to build a sect, I agreed.”

“Then, you…”

Phoenix Dances and Glutinous Rice looked over at him nervously.

Happy quickly smiled and said, “I won’t join either of the sects.”

“Will your status with Thunderous Battle’s sect be the same as with us?” Phoenix Dances asked in a manner of getting straight to the core of the matter.

Happy gave a noncommittal nod. “Maybe.”

The two girls were instantly at ease, but they could not help the puzzlement they felt. “I thought that you men usually like being the boss and leading a bunch of lackeys.”

“Who do you think I am? An emperor with a harem? I prefer living my life doing whatever I please and going wherever I want. I don’t want to be restricted. Leading a group of people is rather stressful. Don’t tell others about what I said though.” When Happy said the last part, he once again reminded the duo seriously, “Keep my actions a secret! I think that Beautiful Robes Faction is developing just fine right now.”

Phoenix Dances and Glutinous Rice shared a glance. They were slightly surprised, but also excited.

Even though they understood what Happy meant when he asked them to keep doing whatever they were doing, they were still caught slightly off guard. Through the blueprint Happy had developed based on the other aspects of the game, they could sense that he was not a person without ambition!

On the contrary, Happy seemed to be walking down an even more difficult and dangerous path.

But once he succeeded, as the mastermind, even if he did not join any sect, he would become someone who cannot be overlooked by anyone in the game, including those in the top three sects!

Once they finished talking, the afternoon lectures were about to arrive, and the two girls left reluctantly.

Before Phoenix Dances passed through the door, she suddenly turned around and went to embrace Happy. “I won’t let you down.”

Once she finished speaking, she turned around and quickly ran down the stairs.

Glutinous Rice only registered what had happened after some time. She cast a glance at Happy, who was frozen on the spot, and rushed off to chase after Phoenix Dances.