The King of Black Fog

"You're the idiot, not me, the doctor said I'm completely normal," Li Changzhou pushed his sister away.

He then asked, "Did either of you get hurt?"

"A bit anemic, you'll have to trouble yourself when we get back," Yang Qinglan said.

Li Changzhou looked at Li Qianxia, and before he could say "So, I have to carry two people?", Li Qianxia smirked triumphantly and pulled out a red bull's horn.

The horn melted, a blood-red liquid spreading over her entire body, finally solidifying into an oozing metallic armor.

Bright red, exceedingly ornate, and majestic, it exuded an indescribable sense of bloodlust.

"With this, and my speed, the world is mine," she declared.

"Don't be like your brother," Yang Qinglan said flatly.

At this point, Li Changzhou didn't have time to deal with her; he pinched Li Qianxia's thigh and asked, "What's going on here?"

"Ew! Why are you touching my leg! Pervert!"

"That bull demon could cover up someone who is six foot four, why is there less fabric when it comes to you?"

"Doesn't it look nice?"

"Nice my... Chinese bellflower, just fill it in here!"

Under her brother's compulsion, her armor went from being aesthetically pleasing to being fully covering and practical.

"I initially wanted Qing Lan to use it, but..."

"She doesn't need it," Li Changzhou interrupted his sister, "I am her armor."

"..."

Yang Qinglan chuckled softly, while Li Qianxia looked at her brother with an expression as if Li Changzhou had just let out a giant fart in the library — embarrassed, disgusted, yet helpless.

Of course, Li Changzhou wasn't spouting sweet nothings.

He just wanted to give the armor to his sister in a way that wouldn't hurt team morale.

But if Yang Qinglan took it as a sweet nothing, that wasn't a problem either.

As for what Li Qianxia thought, it really wasn't within his considerations — all she needed to do was honestly wear the armor.

"What else did that bull drop?" Li Changzhou asked curiously.

"That's it, just this horn," Li Qianxia said, pondering the details of the armor, aiming to become like a Golden Saint.

Yang Qinglan handed over four identity cards to Li Changzhou, with an attitude that said, 'The pin is six sixes, go and spend,' a smile at the corner of her mouth, and a meaningful look in her eyes.

Li Changzhou took them without changing his expression.

One for the water buffalo, one for the frilled lizard, and two that must be the water buffalo's trophies, one human, one animal.

Li Changzhou first looked at the water buffalo's.

[Nickname: Riverside Grass]

[Name: Water Buffalo]

[Value: 0]

[Instinct: Horned Robe (Weapon)]

[Skill: "Bull Style·Fierce Charge" (F-level), "Vent Anger" (C-level), "Humanize" (C-level), "Throw" (E-level), "Hide·Water" (E-level), "Ruminate" (F-level)]

Looks strong, but of no use.

Li Changzhou sighed inwardly, but there was nothing to be done; it was the early stage of the game, impossible to have world-shattering skills.

He took the water buffalo's identity card with his right hand, placing it at the very bottom—it was a bit like checking Yu-Gi-Oh cards.

The second card was the frilled lizard's.

[Nickname: "Unnamed"]

[Name: Frilled Lizard]

[Value: 0]

[Instinct: Bite]

[Skill: "Bow-legged Spider Style·Color Changing" (F-level), "Stay Still" (E-level), "Starvation" (F-level), "Unlearned", "Unlearned", "Unlearned"]

The third was the human's.

[Nickname: The Ceiling of the Plus-sized]

[Name: Zhang Xiao]

[Value: 0]

[Instinct: Rooting]

[Skill: "Photosynthesis" (C-level), "Rain Frog Style·Color Changing" (E-level), "Unlearned", "Unlearned", "Unlearned", "Unlearned"]

Rooting?

"Probably a plant-like instinct to absorb power from the soil."

Li Changzhou looked at Yang Qinglan, who seemed as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

Also, where exactly did he slip up?

Yang Qinglan raised her eyes from the Identity Card, looking towards Li Changzhou.

She continued, saying,

"You will be discovered, not because you're careless, but because you want us to find you, just like the information about the Value Game. The official stance prohibits public exposure of the Value Game, but they don't restrict unofficial information."

"Hmm? Discovered what?" Li Qianxia, adjusting her Horned Robe, asked.

Both ignored her, and she didn't seem keen to know, more concerned about whether her armor looked good.

"Is it that obvious?" Li Changzhou countered Yang Qinglan.

"Not obvious, just suddenly you become calm during battle."

"What if I'm just that kind of person?"

"You're not."

"So sure?"

"My Perception is very high."

Li Changzhou frowned, "Then wouldn't everyone eventually know my secret?"

"Not necessarily," Yang Qinglan said with a calm and steady expression, with the firelight casting a beautiful silhouette of her.

"Hmm?" Li Changzhou looked at her, seeking an explanation.

"Besides high Perception, there's another reason," Yang Qinglan used a branch to stir the fire, making it burn brighter, "I've always been watching you."

"...Your sudden confession caught me off guard."

Yang Qinglan's eyes turned blue, and Li Changzhou clung to a rock like a gecko.

"Miss Yang, Miss Yang, I was wrong, I'm sorry, Miss Yang!"

"Unhappy? As long as that's the case, I'll keep watching you."

".....Well, let's forget that kind of gravitational love, I like the feeling of flying."

Yang Qinglan let him go: "Have you flown in the sky before?"

"Not yet." Li Changzhou straightened his clothes and again settled down by the campfire.

As Li Qianxia adjusted her armor's skirt, she gave him a mysterious smile.

"Smiling at what?" Li Changzhou asked grumpily.

"Who smiled at you? Gross."

"Gross? Brother is really going to get angry."

"Look at the last one," Yang Qinglan interrupted the sibling's squabble.

Li Changzhou placed 'The Top Fatties of the Realm' at the bottom of the Identity Card stack, revealing the fourth Identity Card.

[Nickname: Electric! Electric! Electric! Electric!]

[Name: Electric Eel]

[Value: 0]

[Instinct: Power Control]

[Skill: "Electric Ray Style·Charging" (C-level), "Raid" (E-level), "Unlearned", "Unlearned", "Unlearned", "Unlearned"]

"This is the first time a fish appears," Li Changzhou's eyes glued to 'Power Control'.

Yang Qinglan, the reader, explained, "Electric eels are freshwater fish and should, like water buffalos, gradually begin to compete with terrestrial creatures."

Li Changzhou took a deep breath and looked up to Li Qianxia, saying, "Sis, there's a secret I've never told you."

"We're not actually related by blood?"

"..." Li Changzhou almost choked, "What I wanted to say has nothing to do with whether we're blood-related or not."

"We've done quite well this time, we might be able to buy the electric eel's Instinct with Game Coins," Yang Qinglan suddenly said.

Li Changzhou waved his hand at Li Qianxia: "Carry on, it's nothing."

"What about the secret?" Li Qianxia felt utterly confused.

Li Changzhou had just opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the sky suddenly brightened.

"Let's go now, we might be able to see the sunrise on the mountain!" he sprang to his feet.

"Going back early is also good, I'm hungry," Yang Qinglan stood up as well.

"What about the secret?!"

After extinguishing the fire, the three of them, along with Xiao Luo Bo, headed towards the snowy mountains.

Before they could reach the peak, the sun had already leaped above the horizon but the sunrise casting over the plains was equally breathtaking.

Another day of travel.

Perhaps because they didn't need to worry about being ambushed by players, all their efforts were focused on resisting (feeling) the cold, which made descending the mountain feel more difficult than ascending it.

Completely soaked, they finally reached the bus station at the mountain's base, and Yang Qinglan obviously breathed a sigh of relief.

The rain at the foot of the mountain wasn't heavy; mainly, there was no wind, and the three of them took turns settling up in front of the bus stop sign.