Turbulence arose in the Martial World, as people from all walks of life converged on West Snake Mountain, particularly a vast number of Players.
However, at the same time, surprisingly, a fair number of native NPCs viewed as mere background by Players also rushed to join the spectacle.
Some Players even thought this might trigger some hidden tasks.
Only after deliberately approaching and inquiring some native NPC Martial World people did they learn they had all come for the Black Wind Village Chief, Jiang Dali.
Some were eager to behold the rumored Black Wind Village Chief in person, wanting to join the power that was growing so strong it threatened to sweep across and control the entire Green Forest of Hui Prefecture.
Others were purely there for the thrills of the spectacle.
And a very few had accepted bounties, aiming for the Black Wind Village Chief Jiang Dali’s head.
Ever since the manor owner of Zhuwu Linked Rings, Zhu Changling, died at the hands of Jiang Dali, and the second-in-command, Wu Lie, was captured, the widows left behind from Zhuwu Linked Rings spontaneously initiated a bounty in the Martial World.
The bounty declared: Anyone who could take the head of the Black Wind Village Chief would obtain all the riches left by Zhuwu Linked Rings.
The bounty was undeniably enticing.
Moreover, in the eyes of many from the famous sects on the Righteous Path, the Black Wind Village Chief, being a robber leader, was a scourge that everyone should exterminate.
Eliminating a scourge, while upholding Martial World righteousness, gaining fame, and obtaining the riches of Zhuwu Linked Rings – who wouldn’t do it?
Thus, anyone in the Martial World who fancied themselves a bit capable began to stir within Hui Prefecture.
However, the well-informed learned that the Black Wind Village Chief Jiang Dali had somehow managed to enlist the help of Lu Xiaofeng and Ximen Chuixue, and they prudently retreated to bide their time and observe.
Those less informed continued to harbor beautiful dreams of defeating the Black Wind Village Chief, lying in wait around West Snake Mountain.
For a time, the scene on West Snake Mountain was incredibly chaotic, as all sorts of characters gathered.
Under such circumstances.
The numerous Players trapped in the valley of Black Wind Mountain Village and the few Mountain Village NPCs also felt an immense pressure.
From the beginning of the battle to the present, of the more than two hundred Players who came to attack West Snake Mountain Village, only over eighty remained, wounded and dead.
These eighty or so, under the leadership of the nine surviving members of the Yanbei Thirteen Riders and elite Players like Qing Zhi, along with Wu Yunhong, continued to hold the valley without giving up.
Meanwhile, the Players who had previously died had already been resurrected at the City God Temple near Black Wind Village.
At this moment, although the surviving Players had not given up, the psychological pressure was immense.
Anyone with a brain could see that the strategy of surrounding West Snake Mountain Village without attacking seemed designed to force the village chief to come to their rescue.
The enemy being so certain must have meant that an expert ambush was in place.
This was a carefully laid trap targeting the Black Wind Village.
The hot-tempered Wu Yunhong had wanted to break out and fight to the death immediately, but was restrained by Zuoanchunqiu.
The Players, despite the psychological pressure, still retained their resilient spirit because they could be resurrected.
Even if they died once, the first death would at most result in a penalty of only a ten percent reduction in their Martial Arts Realm, entering a weakened state with thirty percent reduced strength, which was still bearable.
And even if they died twice in a row, their Martial Arts Proficiency would only drop by twenty percent.
Only upon dying three times in succession would their Martial Arts Realm and Power Realm both drop randomly by one to two levels, a severe penalty indeed.
Zuoanchunqiu had already planned that if the situation turned dire, they would ask the village chief to summon Demon Hawk, to carry Wu Yunhong and a few of the strongest Players to safety.
The other Players would then break out and fight to the death before regrouping at Black Wind Village.
This way, although there would be heavy casualties in this power struggle, it wasn’t unacceptable, certainly better than the village chief falling into an ambush.
However, before the plan could be enacted and reported, the village chief had already mobilized all the wilderness Players nearby West Snake Mountain Village to attack, seemingly determined to destroy West Snake Mountain Village.
With such a declaration, Zuoanchunqiu was clear on the village chief’s intentions.
He knew the village chief Jiang Dali was likely to choose to fight, willing to come to the rescue even knowing it was a trap.
"The village chief is truly a paragon of righteousness; among all the powers in the Hui State Green Forest, I think he’s the only leader with such loyalty," Qing Zhi stepped away from the Jianghu Forum, walked up to Zuoanchunqiu, and sighed, "But after all, he’s only an NPC, not like us who can resurrect.
The Mixed Martial Arts World is so vast, even if he can save us this time, can he save us every time in the future?
Like the time at Hu Mountain, and this time, we Players also need to become stronger ourselves."
Zuoanchunqiu looked at the Mountain Village bandits gathering at the mouth of the valley, furrowed her brows, and said, "The village chief intends to unify the Green Forest Force of Hui Prefecture. If he is hindered by a small West Snake Mountain Village, the unification would likely be delayed for a long time, and other enemies waiting to see how things unfold might seize the opportunity to attack.
So, I actually understand the village chief very well.
This time, he wants to personally remove the obstacles.
He is willing to come knowing it’s a trap, to take down West Snake Mountain Village in one fell swoop, to deter those watching enemies, and then naturally take over the entire Green Forest of Hui Prefecture in one go.
Therefore, this is both a perilous test and an opportunity..."
"But what if he comes and fails to take it down, and what’s more, encounters danger and dies? Knowing it’s a trap, why still come, is the struggle for supremacy really that important?"
Wu Yunhong angrily rushed over to question.
Zuoanchunqiu and the other Players looked at each other, at a loss for words.
Perhaps, this is just the essence of the Martial World.