Chapter 87 Confrontation

"War Maniac is here!"
"Wanderer has arrived too!"
"This time, Fierce Tiger and his gang are in for a lesson."

The players from Dragon Soar surrounding Ye Chen immediately burst into excited shouts. Even Sneakthief and Starcleaver let out a sigh of relief. They glanced at Ye Chen, only to find that he showed not a trace of surprise at the timely arrival of Wanderer and his people, as though everything had unfolded exactly as he had foreseen. The two exchanged a look, recalling how Ye Chen had abruptly turned hostile earlier, and found him all the more unfathomable.

"Little Leaf, you knew Wanderer and the others would arrive at this moment, so you suddenly changed your stance?" Second Sister Drunken Longing's charming voice whispered in Ye Chen's ear. Ye Chen couldn't help but feel that her tone was somehow different than before, though he didn't dwell on it. He quietly replied, "Second Sister, you really are sharp as ice and snow. I happened to have a rogue friend leveling nearby—he's the one who told me."

"A rogue friend? Male or female?" Drunken Longing batted her eyes at Ye Chen, her tone a touch strange.

"Uh, male." Ye Chen replied through a private message, feeling faintly that something was off with Drunken Longing. That tone—was it jealousy? Perhaps he was only imagining things.

While the two exchanged whispers, Wanderer had arrived with seventy or eighty Dragon Soar members, joining forces with Ye Chen and his group. The situation immediately became evenly matched; though Fierce Tiger and Spirit Fox still held some advantage, it was marginal at best.

"Boss Wanderer!"
"Brother Wanderer!"
"War Maniac!"
"Brother Maniac!"

The likes of Mad Bull from Dragon Soar cheered boisterously at the newcomers. Soon, old friends began greeting one another, and Mad Bull and the rest started showing off the gear they'd looted from the dungeon. The other Dragon Soar members expressed admiration, envy, and frustration in turn. The atmosphere was anything but tense, which only infuriated Fierce Tiger, Spirit Fox, and their allies, who found themselves thoroughly ignored. Fierce Tiger Overlord could no longer endure it.

"Wanderer! Are you Dragon Soar people really going to go against us Fierce Tiger, just for this guy named Ye? Think carefully!" Fierce Tiger Overlord shouted.

"Look who's talking, Overlord. You brought your people to block Dragon Soar first, but now you're acting like we're the bullies? Did a mule kick your brains?" Wanderer retorted bluntly, pointing at Fierce Tiger Overlord's nose.

"It was your brains that got kicked, not ours! How dare you insult our boss Overlord! We Fierce Tigers aren't so easily provoked," Fierce Tiger Howl jumped out to show his loyalty.

"Howl, why don't you crawl back into your hole? You're nothing but a punching bag—who gets killed eight hundred times and still dares to speak up? Didn't your mother teach you that children shouldn't interrupt when adults are talking?" War Maniac laughed loudly at Fierce Tiger Howl, and the Dragon Soar crowd erupted in laughter, leaving Howl red-faced with embarrassment.

"Wanderer, let me ask you this—are you determined to protect this Ye fellow? If you do, you're opposing Fierce Tiger. We'll fight it out right here today." Fierce Tiger Overlord threatened.

Wanderer sneered, "Are you trying to scare me? If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. Do you think Dragon Soar fears you? Don't make me laugh. Let me make this clear—Brother Night Morning is a friend of Dragon Soar. As long as I'm here, if you touch him, you're disrespecting Dragon Soar. And if you disrespect us, I guarantee Fierce Tiger will lose face!"

Though Wanderer's words were tough, they were worth pondering. So long as he was present, Fierce Tiger couldn't touch Ye Chen; if he wasn't, it was no longer his concern. Sneakthief had already told Wanderer about Ye Chen's background, so he knew Ye Chen was unlikely to join Dragon Soar. Thus, he wouldn't foolishly let Dragon Soar serve as Ye Chen's perpetual shield. His words were meant as much for Fierce Tiger Overlord as they were for Ye Chen.

Ye Chen understood his intentions. Wanderer was helping today partly for the sake of the clan's honor, and partly to do Ye Chen a favor. Wanderer was no fool; he wouldn't endlessly antagonize another clan for a skilled player who refused to join his own.

Fierce Tiger Overlord caught the implication and hesitated. If Dragon Soar wouldn't keep intervening, a mutually destructive fight now would be pointless. Yet he was reluctant to retreat in disgrace.

Spirit Fox Moon, however, didn't catch the subtext. Seeing Overlord hesitate, she became anxious. In her view, with Ye Chen now backed by Dragon Soar, it would be hard to take revenge without Fierce Tiger's support. She pressed, "Overlord, what's there to hesitate about? We came here with such a show of force today. If we back down just because of a few words from Dragon Soar, who knows how the other clans will mock us tomorrow? They already say Fierce Tiger is second in Liemountain City. If we leave now, we'll really cement that reputation."

"That's right, Overlord! We can't be cowed by those Dragon Soar bastards. Night Morning killed so many of us—how can Fierce Tiger hold its head high if we don't avenge this?" Fierce Tiger Howl shouted, and the other Fierce Tiger players joined the chorus.

Overlord glared fiercely at Howl, "Shut your mouth!" But inwardly, he wavered once more. He was truly stuck—fight, and both sides would suffer; don't fight, and risk losing his clan's morale. For a moment, he couldn't decide.

Spirit Fox Moon continued to fan the flames, and Howl clamored for revenge. Overlord's face grew darker, and his gaze toward Ye Chen turned ever colder. It was clear he was on the edge of a decision.

Both sides drew their weapons; the tension grew thick. With a single order from either leader, a massive brawl would be inevitable.

Ye Chen furrowed his brow tightly. He had no desire to start a battle under these circumstances. Behind him stood more than a dozen girls; if a fight broke out, they'd likely all die once. Most importantly, even if they won, it would be meaningless—Fierce Tiger would never give up hunting him. Sacrificing the girls' gear and levels for nothing was a losing proposition.

"Damn that Spirit Fox Moon—she's truly disgusting. If only we could kill her, Spirit Fox would scatter, and things would be much easier," Starcleaver muttered, glaring hatefully at the ever-inciting Spirit Fox Moon.

Sneakthief nodded regretfully, "It's a shame there are so many people. I can't get close enough to take her out."

"I might be able to try," Ye Chen's eyes narrowed as he spoke softly.

"Impossible. Night Morning, even with your powerful attacks, the distance is too great—well beyond normal spell range," Starcleaver shook his head helplessly.

"Who said my spells are normal?" Ye Chen grinned slyly.

"Night Morning, do you mean...?" Sneakthief's eyes lit up.

"Let Wanderer know to prepare for Spirit Fox's possible counterattack. As for Spirit Fox Moon, leave her to me," Ye Chen replied with a faint smile. It was time to test out Black Dragon's Descent.