Sang Liwu certainly knew that in the realm of martial arts, actions spoke louder than words. There's a saying, "In literature there's no definitive first, but in martial arts, there's no second." One could tell the strength of a warrior by their first move. The day Shao Qi demonstrated his skills at the banquet, it left many in awe. No one dared to underestimate the strength of Lichi Villa.

"You've been gaming for so long, yet you haven't grasped the top ten pitfalls? It's infuriating watching others easily take down the main bosses."

"I don't know," Tang Lian admitted, growing irritated. "Before these people joined, the game was dominated by ordinary players. Now, I often see groups digging holes in the mountains, catching small fish, or weeding. It's as if they've lost their minds."

Just then, Tang Lian's phone beeped. He glanced at it and replied with a simple "okay". Sang Liwu, with keen eyes, caught the invitation message and teased, "Oh? Someone's asking you out? Is it a beauty you met in-game? But be cautious; in games, one's gender may not always be as it seems. Beware of deceit."

"It's Mr. Zhou You," Tang Lian answered, always holding those more skilled than him in high regard.

"What? Him? What does he want with you?"

Tang Lian remained silent. After shutting down his computer, he announced, "I'm going to bed."

"Alright, alright, but I'm coming with you tomorrow!" Sang Liwu declared, not asking for Tang Lian's opinion. True to his word, he shamelessly tagged along the next day.

Zhou You had chosen a renowned private restaurant for their meeting. Upon entry, Sang Liwu whispered to Tang Lian, "He's well-prepared. Be careful."

Once they entered the private room and noticed Zhou You's companions, Sang Liwu added, "We should've brought more people."

Tang Lian ignored him. Zhou You gestured for them to sit and handed over the menu. "Order whatever you'd like. We'll chat as we eat. Fancy some wine?"

With arms crossed, Sang Liwu eyed him suspiciously. "What's the purpose of inviting Tang Lian?"

"Oh? He didn't tell you?"

Sang Liwu looked at Tang Lian, who calmly replied, "Discussing the game."

"Yes, yesterday we inquired if Mr. Tang had obtained any game manuals. We ran out of time then, so we decided to meet today for a detailed discussion."

Tang Lian corrected, "Call me Tang Lian or Tang Jiu."

Zhou You smiled, "Alright, Tang Jiu it is."

Sang Liwu relaxed, tossing his weapons into a corner with a loud clatter - a large hammer, several guns, and a few daggers. He grinned, "I play the game too. What's this about game manuals?"

Unfazed, Zhou You shared the details. All eyes were on Tang Jiu as he revealed, "I noticed an exchange feature, allowing the swapping of martial arts techniques, weapons, and herbs. It requires points. There's an exchange list; I haven't studied it closely, but martial arts manuals require a thousand points to exchange."

"That's steep. Killing two main bosses awarded us two manuals. That's a hefty reward," Miao Miao pondered, "But shouldn't our game interfaces be the same? Why haven't I seen this feature?"

"We'll inspect it closely when we log in today," Zhou You proposed. Tang Jiu interjected, "I believe I know why. I only accessed this feature after accumulating over a hundred points."

Currently, Tang Jiu had 105 points. Among those present, only Zhou You had a higher score, while the rest were yet to reach a hundred.

"I see. Zhou You can verify this once he logs in, or I'll push past a hundred points today and confirm this threshold theory," Shao Qi mused, being just three points shy of a hundred.

Sang Liwu expressed his confusion, "Wait, why are we taking this so seriously? It's just a game manual. MMOs have such mechanics; they just vary in acquisition. Is there a need for such a grave discussion?"

Today, Zhou You brought his spoils of war – three game manuals. While they couldn't be physically taken out, memorizing them allowed transcription. Hence, Lichi Villa's training room now boasted a shelf dedicated to these in-game manuals, available for mutual borrowing.

Since these items weren't exclusive to him, Zhou You had no qualms about sharing, "These are the rewards I earned in-game. Have a look."

The two each took a book to peruse. Having never encountered inner strength techniques, Sang Liwu, a strength-based martial artist, found them as incomprehensible as ancient scriptures.

"I don't understand," Sang Liwu admitted honestly.

At first, Tang Lian was slightly disinterested. However, as he delved deeper, he became engrossed. His spear technique had a corresponding inner method, but the one passed down in his family was incomplete. Even mastering a fragment had significantly amplified the power of his spear technique.

Gazing at the manual, he exclaimed with excitement, "This doesn't appear to be randomly written."

"Indeed, I've practiced the first two books. They're without major flaws, though the results weren't impressive. I haven't had the chance to cultivate the third one," responded another voice.

"Is this... an authentic manual?" Sang Liwu was genuinely astonished. "It's just a game. How can it contain real manuals?"

Shao Qi chuckled lightly, affirming, "Have no doubts. It's genuine."

"I remember the game's publisher being an online gaming company."

"That's just on the surface," Shao Qi had more knowledge on the matter but felt no obligation to share.

"So, reaching the score threshold means redeeming a manual. But achieving a thousand points in a month, especially if the scores reset monthly, seems impossible."

Cheng Yuran, having thoroughly studied the rules, clarified, "Scores don't reset. Only the rankings do. Monthly scores contribute to the total leaderboard. Moreover, there are rewards for the top ten monthly. What do you think the odds are of getting a manual?"