Chapter Sixty-Six: The Game Launches (Part 1)

Pulling Wenxiu along, she dashed to the Digital Plaza and bought several hundred of the latest gaming laptops, arranging to have them delivered to the studio. As they left, the staff at the Digital Plaza stared at the two girls as if they were walking treasures; a single order like that was equivalent to a month's commission.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Heavenly Dao had already connected the internet between both worlds. Once the computers arrived and the game entered open beta, they would all be able to play together.

What surprised Yu Qian most was that the Heavenly Dao himself wanted to join in the game. But what shocked her even more was that the Heavenly Dao was not the ethereal, ancient Taoist she had imagined, but rather a boy with a cherubic face.

Remembering the day she met him in the little cave paradise, Yu Qian couldn't help but laugh. He clearly had an adorable, childlike face, but he refused to smile, always keeping a cold and aloof expression, striking such awe into Nuwa and the others that none of them dared to make a fuss.

Yet when facing the troublesome immortals of the Six Realms, the Heavenly Dao maintained his stern demeanor, but whenever he saw Yu Qian, his face blossomed into a radiant smile.

For a moment, Yu Qian almost believed she was the Heavenly Dao’s own daughter; otherwise, why would he treat her so well?

It was only after a very long time that Yu Qian learned the truth: the Heavenly Dao was fond of her at first because she was a virtuous soul across ten lifetimes. Later, he grew to like her because of all the fresh and fascinating things she brought with her, and over time, she found a place in his heart. Since she was already one of his cherished protégés, it was only natural to protect her a little more.

While Yu Qian eagerly awaited the start of the game, Chu Yueyue and Lin Su were just as busy.

Chu Yueyue had promised Yu Qian she would play with her, and she kept her word. She smashed open her piggy bank and counted the savings she had accumulated over the years—barely over a thousand, not enough for a decent computer. She spent ages coaxing her mother, promising all sorts of things, and finally managed to get another two thousand, enough to buy her very first computer.

As for Lin Su, she had been gaming with her siblings since she was little, but she was tired of the old games from the big penguin company. The launch of a new game caught her attention. She looked up information on the official website and decided to dive in for some fresh fun.

Unbeknownst to her, Chen Jiuyi, with whom she’d had a falling-out on the day of the exam results, had also set his sights on this game—and by coincidence, he registered on the very same server.

If fate brought them together in-game, chaos would surely follow.

August eighth arrived.

Laptops were distributed to members of both the Six Realms group and the Saints group. Yu Qian and Wenxiu snuggled together on the living room sofa, waiting for the servers to open.

Zhou Jingchen also brought his computer over, determined to play alongside Yu Qian.

Having played “Enchantress” in his past life, Zhou Jingchen knew very well that although this game wasn’t as popular as the major 3D MMOs, there was no shortage of dirty dealings within. Long-distance relationships, mistresses, scams—everything short of murder had happened there.

For some reason, this game was especially attractive to greasy, middle-aged men in their thirties and forties—who delighted in flirting with young girls.

Zhou Jingchen worried that Yu Qian might be tricked if she wasn’t careful, so he decided to accompany her in-game.

Yu Qian was overjoyed to have Zhou Jingchen’s company.

But if she knew his real reason for sticking around, she would probably laugh at him.

After all, she was a seasoned gamer herself and had seen all sorts of shocking behavior—sometimes even up close. How could she be so easily fooled?

Besides, with such a fine young man by her side—good looks, long legs, talent, and wealth—she would have to be blind to abandon him for some random loser.

The truth was, Zhou Jingchen simply cared too much. When it came to Yu Qian, he lost all sense of perspective, unable to see the simplest logic.

With just half an hour left until the servers opened, Chu Yueyue arrived with her computer as well.

She didn’t want to play alone at home, so she decided to join them.