Chapter 183 Past

Chapter 183 Past

The location of the pre-match joint gathering was somewhat unexpected for Qin Fei.

It wasn't inside any guild or in the guild activity area of Central City, but rather at a square not far from the service hall.

The square was bustling with people, and Qin Fei found it hard to imagine how they could host a nighttime gathering that could accommodate hundreds of people in such a place.

However, he didn't ask many questions and followed Lu Cheng to the designated location before the gathering began.

The central square at night was no different from when Qin Fei had visited previously.

The exhibition matches were in full swing, and a large screen had been set up in the center of the square, playing highlights of the exhibition matches like an outdoor movie.

Rows of long benches were placed in front of the screen, filled with players, with those who couldn't find seats standing on the sides.

As Qin Fei and Lu Cheng passed by, the square was showing a scene where Lu Cheng controlled green vines to navigate through the sewers, listening in all directions.

"Wow!"

"What a unique talent ability."

"This is undoubtedly the perfect scout for team matches!"

"Indeed, as expected of a player from a major guild, they're different."

...

The square was filled with praise, and compliments poured into Lu Cheng's ears. Unable to hold back, he chuckled and scratched the back of his head: "Not really, not as good as they say."

Qin Fei suppressed a twitching eyelid: "Where exactly is the gathering point?"

Lu Cheng pulled Qin Fei into the crowd: "Just ahead!"

A player watching the live replay was elbowed aside by Lu Cheng, turning around with a scowl.

About to lash out, they recognized Lu Cheng's face and widened their eyes in surprise: "Y-you-you—"

The two had already disappeared into the crowd.

Lu Cheng led Qin Fei to the back of the live screen, where there was no one. The elevated screen blocked the light, and in the dimness, a staircase leading downward appeared before them.

A crudely made sign hung at the entrance of the staircase.

"Pre-Guild League Nighttime Gathering, No Trespassing Without Invitation." Qin Fei glanced at the words on the sign.

Before the screen was set up, this area was just a flat part of the square. Qin Fei had passed here many times and never noticed an underground passage.

Two NPCs stood expressionlessly in the shadows below the stairs.

Lu Cheng took out the Black Feather emblem from his pocket, showed it to the two NPCs, and was immediately allowed to pass.

"Actually, at this time, most guilds haven't finalized their participants yet," Lu Cheng whispered to Qin Fei as they went down the stairs.

"The gathering venue isn't strictly monitored; as long as you're registered for the competition, all members can come over. At least half of them are just here to kill time and won't appear in subsequent matches."

"So this gathering is just for getting familiar faces; don't expect to gather any useful intelligence."

Qin Fei nodded in response, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The downward passage was long, and as they descended, they could faintly feel the light and sounds coming from ahead. After about three minutes, they turned a corner, and the space opened up.

The banquet hall that appeared before them was lavishly decorated and extremely spacious.

Having just left the Underground Research Institute, Lu Cheng had a psychological resistance to underground structures, but this place didn't look like it was underground at all.

The ceiling was very high, the interior environment was open and bright, and the view was very pleasant.

The curved walls were painted snow white, adorned with heavy gold-framed pictures, some of which seemed to be small screens playing videos.

The banquet hall was arranged like a ballroom, with a piano placed in the center. Although no one was playing, the keys trembled automatically, producing melodious music.

There were many players in the hall, numbering at least a few hundred.

However, everyone spoke softly, and their conversations merged into a low hum, not overpowering the piano music.

Besides those chatting and eating in the hall, more people were coming in and out of several rooms at the back, which were clearly not rest areas but likely used for other entertainment purposes.

"Halt! What are you doing here?"

A sudden voice rang out ahead.

Before Qin Fei officially entered the venue, he saw several players walking ahead of them being stopped.

The ones blocking the entrance were also players, wearing black robes embroidered with the iconic butterfly symbol.

Qin Fei instantly understood their intentions.

The two players who were stopped looked bewildered: "Of course we're here for the pre-match gathering."

The Butterfly Guild members were as unaccommodating as ever: "Show us your emblems."

The two players, already displeased at being stopped, were further irritated by the rude tone. One of them rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight: "What's your problem?"

His companion held him back, looking complicated, and shook his head.

Witnessing this drama, Lu Cheng quietly scoffed: "They treat people differently. For Starlight, Dark Flame, and a few other major guilds, anyone recognizable is welcomed politely."

They dare to bully some insignificant players.

The two people ahead were allowed into the venue after showing their guild emblems. Now it was Qin Fei and Lu Cheng's turn. The gazes that fell upon them were blatant, and the members of Butterfly Guild wished they could pierce through them with their eyes.

Lu Cheng had been continuously displayed on the central square's screen for several days, so no one didn't recognize him. As for Qin Fei—

The player in black standing closest to the entrance raised his hand to block their path.

Just as Lu Cheng had predicted, their attitude towards players from major guilds was still very respectful.

The player in black stood half an arm's length away from Lu Cheng and said,

"We are members of the Butterfly Guild. According to reliable information, a wanted criminal we are pursuing might be here. Please cooperate with our investigation!"

These words sounded grand and righteous. After hearing them, Lu Cheng's eyebrows slightly raised. He took out the Black Feather emblem from his pocket and handed it over to the player from Butterfly Guild with a normal expression.

The player in black received the emblem but did not examine it closely.

Everyone knew that Lu Cheng was a member of Black Feather. The player held the Black Feather emblem tightly and stared at the person beside Lu Cheng with intense focus.

The young male player, slender and tall, looked handsome even with a cheap smiley mask from the entertainment center covering his face. The mask hid all his features except for his finely shaped jawline.

It matched the lower half of the face that had appeared day and night on the square's live broadcast.

The heart of the player in black pounded wildly, and he secretly rejoiced in his heart.

Xiao Qin joining the guild at this time was too obvious. The decision to intercept people at the party was indeed correct.

Black Feather probably didn't know they had received early information, which is why they let their guard down.

"This person looks unfamiliar. Is he a new recruit of Black Feather?"

The player in black pretended to ask, feigning a request: "Please remove your mask so we can see your face."

Here it comes.

Lu Cheng felt a jolt in his heart.

Indeed.

Before coming, Xiao Qin had arranged a series of disguises. At the time, Lu Cheng thought it unnecessary, but now it seemed he had been too careless.

The player in black approached without showing any change in expression. Qin Fei stood there, allowing him to scrutinize him. A gentle and clear voice emerged from beneath the mask, slightly troubled: "Can I not remove it? I..."

He paused, then sincerely gave a rather weak excuse: "I have a bit of social anxiety."

If the player in black had only been eighty percent sure before, now his certainty rose to one hundred percent.

"No," the player in black said firmly, "please cooperate with our work."

Both sides stood at a stalemate at the entrance of the venue, drawing frequent glances from surrounding players.

"...Alright." The masked player hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly lifted his hand. Pale and slender fingers touched the edge of the mask.

The player in black signaled to the other members of Butterfly Guild. They moved to surround Qin Fei and Lu Cheng, preventing them from escaping the moment the mask was removed.

All eyes were on them. In the silent corner of the banquet hall, the red silly smile mask finally left the young man's face.

"..."

The player in black clenched his fist at his side, veins bulging on his hand, silently cursing in his heart.

Damn.

The face exposed to the air was ordinary, pale, and bland. His features were average, neither ugly nor particularly attractive. One glance would not make anyone want to look again, and it was impossible to remember his appearance afterward.

This was just an ordinary person who would blend into a crowd, completely different from Xiao Qin, who could attract fans solely by his looks.

They were tricked.

The player in black instantly realized this.

He understood that their assumption of having the upper hand over Black Feather was just a joke.

Lu Cheng was a member of Cen San Ya's team in Black Feather and always appeared with specific members. This unfamiliar face in front of them could be a decoy set up by Black Feather.

Or more likely,

This was Xiao Qin, just with a changed appearance.

This was just a basic confrontation, and whoever had the initiative would win.

Black Feather had prepared well in advance. Now, even if the player in black could guess who the person in front of him was, he couldn't stop them from entering.

"Hello?" The young man blinked, his dark gray pupils showing a hint of curiosity.

He acted perfectly, as if he were truly an innocent player inexplicably stopped at the entrance, enduring the injustice silently, looking both innocent and pitiful.

"Hey, I say." Lu Cheng stepped forward with a forced smile, "That's enough, don't you think?"

Blocking them further would be impolite.

Turning the capture of a fugitive into a confrontation between Butterfly Guild and Black Feather was a responsibility the player in black couldn't bear. Reluctantly, he stepped aside.

In fact, those angry weren't just the members of Butterfly Guild.

"Damn! I'm furious!"

As soon as they were out of sight of the Butterfly Guild members, Lu Cheng angrily kicked the corner of a nearby table.

"How did the Butterflies know you joined the Guild just two hours ago?" Lu Cheng's face puffed up like a toad. "There must be an insider! There absolutely must be an insider!"

Xin Fei put the red smiling mask back on smoothly and deftly picked up the wine glass that was almost knocked to the ground by Lu Cheng, placing it back in its original position.

For the matter that Lu Cheng couldn't let go of, Xin Fei didn't think it mattered much.

The leak of information was inevitable.

The list of Guild management personnel certified by the system is public, and one can find it by spending points at the service hall. Even if all members of Black Feather had mouths tighter than clams, the fact that Xin Fei joined Black Feather would eventually get out.

Moreover,

Xin Fei said calmly, "This news was most likely released by Gala himself."

Otherwise, there would have been no need for Gala to add him to the group with such a high-profile manner in the afternoon.

It seemed like he did it intentionally for others to see.

Lu Cheng: "?"

The plant head could not understand why his vice president would do this, but he couldn't say "impossible" either. The twists and turns in Xiao Qin and Gala's heads were more complex than the vines he could release at once. Lu Cheng sighed and decided to give up trying to synchronize his thoughts with these non-human monsters.

"Follow me," Lu Cheng dutifully played his role as a guide.

Sure enough, the rooms behind the banquet hall led to different side halls, including a lounge bar, screening room, casino, and various activities.

Lu Cheng led Xin Fei into one of the side doors, which opened to a corridor lined with rooms. They turned several times before stopping in front of a particular door.

Without knocking, Lu Cheng pushed the door open.

In front of them was a rest room decorated similarly to the outer banquet hall, with a red carpet on the floor and a few European-style chairs placed centrally. Vice President Gala was there, while Cen San Ya sat further away on a soft sofa, resting his eyes.

"They're here," Gala nodded slightly at the two.

"Vice President!" Upon seeing Gala, Lu Cheng felt a surge of sorrow and quickly recounted his experience of being harassed earlier.

Gala raised and then lowered his right hand resting on the armrest, signaling him to calm down. "Don't worry, I released the news myself."

Sooner or later, the Butterflies would find out about Xiao Qin joining Black Feather.

Instead of waiting for them to catch them off guard, it was better to bring everything forward and keep it within their control.

As the actual leader of the largest Guild in Central City, Gala's principle has always been not to fear trouble, but to fear losing control.

Lu Cheng fell silent; it turned out Xiao Qin was right.

While they were talking, Xin Fei had already found a chair and sat down.

The young man leaned back comfortably in the chair, crossed his legs, and stared straight at Gala.

The vice president, who had been deliberately avoiding eye contact since Xin Fei entered the room, finally had to meet the youth's gaze.

Gala cleared his throat, his fist pressed against his lips. "Welcome to our Guild."

Xin Fei felt like laughing in frustration.

He knew that Gala's high-profile announcement of adding him to the Guild wasn't just about controlling the Butterflies; there was another purpose.

Gala probably wanted to control him too.

Giving him the title of vice president, welcoming him into the group, and planning to introduce him during the Guild competition in the future.

These actions were essentially telling everyone that Xiao Qin was now part of Black Feather.

What was he trying to do? Afraid he might run away someday?

"What were you thinking?" Xin Fei asked with interest.

Gala understood his vague question.

The man's lustrous golden hair shone under the ceiling lights like gold. Holding a cup of black tea, he remained upright even when deeply seated in the soft sofa.

In the short time since meeting Xin Fei, he seemed to have quickly regained his stance as vice president.

"This isn't unreasonable at all," Gala smiled. "If the nominal president hadn't been stuck in an S-level instance, you might have received an even higher position."

This answer was unexpected, and Xin Fei raised an eyebrow. "Higher?"

Even higher than vice president?

That would mean—

"Black Feather was founded by you," Gala confirmed Xin Fei's guess. During their last meeting, he only dared to hint, but this time, he seemed to have seen through everything.

During the live broadcast of the individual exhibition matches, Gala's gaze never left Xin Fei for a moment. The familiarity grew day by day.

Now, Gala was certain that Xiao Qin was definitely that person.

The name at the top of the total points leaderboard that had faded away.

Q, the former president of Black Feather, the once well-known god-level player.

Leading everyone in Central City to a new era, but suddenly disappearing one day, leaving no trace of existence, life and death unknown.

Cen San Ya sat nearby.

He was definitely not asleep, yet it seemed as if he was oblivious to everything happening around him.

Lu Cheng, on the other hand, was completely stunned. He reached out to scratch his ears, feeling as if the two people opposite were speaking in a foreign tongue.

What… what nonsense is this?

"Why did you disappear for so long?" Gala leaned forward with one hand supporting the back of the chair, his gaze burning intensely as if it could burn through someone.

"How long have we been gone?" Unfortunately, Gala was destined not to get the answer he wanted today. Qin Fei threw the question back, "I'm sorry, but I really can't remember."

Gala's eyes lost their focus.

"Can't remember… that makes sense."

If he remembered, he wouldn't have forgotten Black Feather for such a long time.

"Three years." Gala provided an exact answer, "To be precise, three years, six months, and eight days."

Before Qin Fei could ask further, he revealed all the information he had left in his memory: "The last time I saw you over three years ago, you said that you and the vice president had discovered deeper secrets of the rule world."

"You entered a special instance designed specifically for punishing players. I don't know how you managed to enter that instance without breaking any rules, but I do know…"

Gala paused for a moment.

"That you went there and never came back."

The president and vice president of Black Feather disappeared into the punishment instance.

For S-class players entering instances, not coming out for a month was quite common. At first, no one took it seriously, but after two or three months with no sign of them, their names on the leaderboard turned gray.

"Dead players would disappear from the leaderboard, turning gray. Apart from you, I've never seen anyone else in this situation."

"Where did you go these past three years?"

Qin Fei's eyelids drooped slightly: "I'm not entirely sure, but if nothing unexpected happened, I should have returned to the real world."

In the lounge, Gala and Cen San Ya, who had not participated in the conversation, both abruptly stood up.

Returned to the real world!!

This news was truly shocking, causing Gala to feel a slight dizziness.

The president returned to reality, spent three years there, and then returned to the rule world intact.

What exactly happened?

Regardless, if all of this was true, it would prove that the dream players deeply pursued—of one day leaving the rule world and returning to a normal life—was achievable.

Was there anything more exhilarating than this?

Observing the excitement of everyone in the lounge, Qin Fei's emotions remained calm. He gently caressed the black crystal ring on his finger. Since leaving the Research Institute instance, the source of contamination had not appeared. Qin Fei knew that It must be dealing with the scattered soul fragments.

But now, Qin Fei had a feeling.

He felt that the source of contamination had returned to the ring.

"Sorry." The young man stood up and walked towards the door, "Is there a washroom here?"

Just as he took two steps, he suddenly stopped.

The previously empty entrance of the lounge now had a tall figure standing there. This was certainly not a welcome visitor. Following Qin Fei's gaze, the three people inside looked over.

It was Butterfly.

Butterfly's appearance here must mean that the black-clothed player had told him something. Qin Fei stood still, nonchalantly putting his hands in his pockets, and looked at Gala.

"President Butterfly, is there something you need?" The pleasant atmosphere was disrupted by an outsider, causing Gala to frown in dissatisfaction.

Butterfly ignored him, focusing solely on Qin Fei.

Again and again.

This newcomer kept appearing before him, only to escape unscathed.

"…"

Butterfly narrowed his eyes, staring at the young man opposite him, saying nothing.

Though his face bore no resemblance to the one in his memory, it gave off an eerily familiar feeling.

A feeling… that wasn't very pleasant.

He wanted to control him.

Turn him into a puppet.

Make him obedient.

Transform those seemingly innocent and clear eyes, which always betrayed a hint of cunning, into a pool of still water.

Gala's tongue lightly slid across his teeth as he took a step forward, asking almost to himself:

"What's your name, this new member of Black Feather?"

Butterfly's silhouette was cast in shadow by the door frame, his icy gaze fixed on Qin Fei's face, creating a suffocating pressure like a venomous snake.

Qin Fei was unfazed.

With a relaxed smile, he answered, "Lyle, my name is Lyle."

Lyle, liar.

A fabricated name, perfect for a butterfly.