Nineteen nineteen.

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Yuan Suiyun was the master of Bat Island, but his other identity clearly carried more weight than that of the "Bat Young Master." He was the young master of the prestigious Yuan family from the Guanzhong region and the heir to the Wuzheng Villa. A prodigy, famed from a young age, his illustrious lineage and striking appearance meant that every move he made was subject to scrutiny and restraint. There were many matters he could not attend to personally.

At such times, a trustworthy and capable right-hand man was indispensable. Ding Feng was that indispensable aide.

Ding Feng’s martial skills were all learned from Yuan Suiyun. Blessed with extraordinary talent, he had mastered the Wudang Cloud Sleeve technique, the unique lightness skill of the once peerless Blood Shadow Man, and the renowned Crimson Sand Palm of Dan Bin’s “Single Palm Soul Chase.” He had fully integrated all these arts into his own style.

Yet, even more remarkable than his martial talent was his temperament.

Ding Feng was exceptionally clever and resourceful, undertaking many unsavory tasks on behalf of Yuan Suiyun.

For instance, the “goods” of Bat Island.

Bat Island was notorious for being able to buy and sell anything, so it was natural that the flesh trade was part of their business. As for where to find such "goods," it was simple enough—abduction, deception, or outright robbery were all common in the martial world.

However, managing a mature trafficking route was far from easy.

Bat Island was located at sea, so all transportation naturally had to be by sea. A few years prior, they had collaborated with Hai Kuotian, the leader of the Purple Whale Gang, and most of the sea transport was handled by the Purple Whale Gang.

But the waterway from the Jianghuai River to the sea was another matter entirely.

There were martial factions along the Jianghuai River. The Shenlong Gang dominated the Yangtze River, and the Fengwei Gang held sway over the Huai River. The leaders of these two gangs were Yun Conglong and Wu Weiyang, respectively. The Jianghuai waterways were vast and teeming with travelers, difficult to count. To gain recognition and maintain peace among all parties in such a place, the two gang leaders were naturally formidable heroes commanding respect.

Bat Island, however, thrived in the shadows.

Over the years, though they had been extremely cautious transporting their "cargo" via the Jianghuai waterways, there were several close calls when they nearly got caught. Recently, Yuan Suiyun had grown bolder and increasingly disliked the two gang leaders.

If these two could be eliminated and replaced with their own men, wouldn’t controlling the two gangs be far more convenient?

Ding Feng successfully carried out this plan.

Years ago, he had planted spies within the two gangs and lured key figures with hefty bribes to work for Bat Island. After laying countless traps, they finally assassinated the two gang leaders not long ago, seizing full control of the Jianghuai waterways.

Unfortunately, this process was witnessed by the meddlesome Chu Liuxiang.

Of course, Chu Liuxiang didn’t see anything decisive; he simply sensed something was wrong and started watching Ding Feng.

Ding Feng seized the opportunity, dropping scattered clues to lure Chu Liuxiang onto a Purple Whale Gang ship. Then, when the ship was in the middle of the sea—boom!

The plan was certainly clever.

In fact, if it weren’t for Chu Liuxiang’s extraordinary luck, the martial world would have lost the figure of the Thief Commander by now.

At that time, Ding Feng himself was on Hai Kuotian’s ship. He had prepared an escape route and boarded a lifeboat under the cover of night before the ship exploded. Of course, a larger Yuan family ship was waiting at a rendezvous point, and he boarded that vessel safely.

He thought he could finally breathe easy, but unexpectedly, Hu Tiezhuo and Jin Lingzhi had boarded the big ship as well.

Yuan Suiyun welcomed them, for Bat Island traded in everything.

Consider how many people in the world hated Chu Liuxiang—how many resented him for ruining their schemes?

Hu Tiezhuo was Chu Liuxiang’s closest friend, accompanying him through countless adventures a decade ago.

Would someone pay a high price to capture Hu Tiezhuo out of spite?

Yuan Suiyun didn’t know, but he was certainly tempted to try.

It must be said that Yuan Suiyun was the sort to stir up trouble for no reason… Such people usually possess unparalleled confidence, believing no sudden crisis could ever escape their control.

But all this was a burden to Ding Feng. He had expected to relax once he boarded the ship, but now with Hu Tiezhuo onboard, he could only stay hidden in the cabin…

Once they reached Bat Island, it would be easier.

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By then, Hu Tiezhuo would be tricked into a cave, trapped in a dark cell from which escape was impossible. He would despairingly listen to the entire auction of his body.

…But he had overthought things.

They arrived at Bat Island, but Hu Tiezhuo and Chu Liuxiang reunited victoriously.

Ding Feng, also a martial artist with sharp hearing, caught Hu Tiezhuo’s boisterous laughter through the wooden planks of the cabin.

Ding Feng: “…………”

He was nearly fuming to the point of physical distortion.

His elaborate schemes had been outmatched by sheer luck?

Who could he appeal to for justice?

Moreover, there was a mysterious figure aboard—the Master Kumei. Whether friend or foe was still ambiguous…

The balance of power was shifting subtly. Ding Feng reacted swiftly, knowing well that this was no time to reveal himself. If exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He tensed every muscle.

No one knew he was here… No one knew he was here…

What to do next required consultation with the young master; rash moves were forbidden.

Chu Liuxiang would also hold back for a while, cautiously probing—such was his style. Ding Feng had crossed blades with him several times in secret and was familiar with the steady demeanor of the Thief Commander.

But the one he did not expect was Jiuli.

A person he had neither heard of nor seen before.

She stood at the cabin door, separated from him by only a thin door panel and a latch, but her gaze felt so tangible that Ding Feng sensed he was being watched!

Yes, watched!

He felt a strange, almost superior scrutiny from a higher plane, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on him—not with kindness, nor hostility.

Indifferent. Only cold indifference.

“Who is inside? Tell me.” Her voice came through the door panel. Ding Feng froze, afraid to reveal any hint of his presence.

No one answered.

The atmosphere was palpably tense.

Chu Liuxiang had always known Jiuli to be an enigmatic girl. She seemed to know much, yet nothing at all. Her actions appeared reckless and chaotic, yet on closer thought, she seemed full of hidden meaning.

For example, her words to Yuan Suiyun were quite intriguing.

So Chu Liuxiang chose not to stop her, preferring to observe first.

Yuan Suiyun said, “A castaway from the sea.”

Hu Tiezhuo suddenly exclaimed with understanding, scratching his head, “There are people rescued by Young Master Yuan living here? Why have I never seen him come out? I thought no one lived here.”

Jiuli coldly spat two words: “Name.”

Yuan Suiyun’s temper flared slightly.

Beneath his refined and elegant demeanor was the spoiled arrogance of a privileged young master, whose politeness masked a haughty condescension.

Such a man could scarcely tolerate being ordered around.

He stood with hands behind his back, expression indifferent, replying, “Nameless.”

Jiuli retorted coldly, “Nameless?”

Yuan Suiyun said, “Since this person refuses to open the door, it means he does not wish to befriend Miss Jiu. If he does not want to, then to Miss Jiu, is he not nameless?”

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That reasoning was sound.

Jiuli’s impulsive nature made her eager to greet anyone she saw… but others were under no obligation to reciprocate.

Even if the Heavenly King himself came, some might refuse to receive him. What was a quiet, unknown young lady in comparison?

Though the reasoning was sound, the atmosphere remained taut.

The refined gentleman wearing a white jade crown spoke with calm but unkind words.

The mysterious silver-haired woman with emerald eyes stared fixedly at the Yuan family’s young master, her face an eternal mask of cold indifference, expressionless yet hostile.

After a moment, she spoke slowly and confidently: “Aren’t we friends? Tell me what’s going on!”

Yuan Suiyun: “.”

Yuan Suiyun: “…………”

Chu Liuxiang: “…………”

Hu Tiezhuo: “…………”

Three pixelated little heads appeared above them, each with a long ellipsis bubble… even the unfamiliar NPC sitting in the room bore an ellipsis overhead…

Player: “?”

Hmm? What’s going on? Was the answer really that speechless?

Jiuli had thought that dealing with a certain "Red One" was difficult enough, but there was also the Master Kumei; and the plot around Master Kumei was already intricate enough, yet here was another expert!

Yuan Suiyun was the ship’s owner and should know everyone aboard, so it was natural for the player to believe the clue lay with him.

Who could have guessed he’d be so unwilling to speak, babbling on like a wicked riddle master… Tch, nowhere near as straightforward as her beloved Chu Chu!

Chu Chu was bright and likable.

Considering the prelude task of entering the cabin, Jiuli decided to try again.

This time, it was your turn, friend card!

But she failed once more…

Saint Seiya aren’t defeated twice by the same move; unexpectedly, Yuan Suiyun wouldn’t be outwitted by the same trick twice either.

Tch… this dead end.

Yet, this was precisely what made the game’s initial exploration so enjoyable. Jiuli disliked consulting guides because it diminished the fun.

—The joy of the game lay in discovery.

She hadn’t expected the greeting task to be so difficult. Ah… the Bat Island plot was rich, and every character seemed to hide secrets.

So next, she would try all sorts of methods… surely the person inside the room wouldn’t stay shut away all day—she had to corner them eventually!

Very well, time to go AFK.

It was Saturday, and she had plenty of time to wait.

The player released the mouse, stretched lazily, rummaged through a bag of chips in the living room, grabbed a soda, and prepared to snack while waiting, confident the NPC inside the room wouldn’t remain hidden all day.

Then, everyone saw Jiuli suddenly freeze.

She stood utterly still, like a plum tree, rooted to the spot as if she could stand there until the end of the universe.

She no longer questioned or responded, not even casting a glance at Yuan Suiyun. Her indifferent green eyes fixed relentlessly on the cabin door, like a… vengeful spirit!