"Thank you for your hard work, Sister Juzi."
Lin Zhao nodded with a smile and asked, "Where's Xiaojuzi? Call her out to eat together!"
"No need."
Wang Ju shook her head, saying with some embarrassment, "I've already served Xiaojuzi a portion of food. She can eat in the room. It's not good to have a child fumbling around at the table."
"That's not good at all."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, his voice gentle, "Let Xiaojuzi eat with us. That way, she won't feel like a stranger and will treat us as family. Otherwise, if we keep separating like this every day, it won't be good for Xiaojuzi's physical and mental growth. Listen to me, let Xiaojuzi come out to eat, she can sit right next to me."
"This..." Wang Ju was still hesitant.
Ding Chi laughed, "Sister Ju, don't be so particular. We're not particular people at all. Since Lin Zhao let you and Xiaojuzi into the studio, he must have already considered you as one of his own. If you keep being so reserved, it would be a waste of Lin Zhao's good intentions, wouldn't it?"
Ding Chi spoke more appropriately, and the knot in Wang Ju's heart finally loosened. She nodded repeatedly, "Then I'll... go call Xiaojuzi out to eat?"
"En!"
A few seconds later, Xiaojuzi came out, holding a small bowl. The bowl was half-filled with rice, topped with a layer of vegetables: stir-fried eggs with green garlic, stir-fried lotus root slices, and bean sprouts braised with pork. None of them were meat dishes. Lin Zhao couldn't help but frown when he saw them. Xiaojuzi and her mother were still very wary of them, thinking they were servants or maids in the studio. Even when serving Xiaojuzi vegetables, they were so restrained.
Lin Zhao immediately beckoned Xiaojuzi to sit beside him, then put food into her bowl, adding braised fish, braised eel segments, and a few pieces of very appetizing braised ribs. Xiaojuzi was stunned. She had never eaten such delicious food, let alone seen it in her life. She couldn't help but feel a little scared and looked at Wang Ju, "Mom..."
"Eat."
Wang Ju looked at her daughter and smiled gently, "Brother Lin Zhao is not an outsider, eat as much as you want."
"Oh!"
Xiaojuzi finally felt relieved and smiled sweetly at Lin Zhao, "Thank you, Brother Lin Zhao!"
"Eat quickly."
Lin Zhao chuckled, "Eat more so you can grow tall and beautiful~~~~"
The little girl buried her head and ate ravenously. Watching her, Lin Zhao missed Su Qingjiu, wondering how that little girl was doing on Changming Mountain, whether she had finished her studies and become a Sword Immortal.
...
After the meal, Lin Zhao, Ding Chi, and Zhang Jun went upstairs to make tea on the second floor, while Wang Ju busied herself downstairs for a while, washing dishes and mopping the floor. Then, she sent Xiaojuzi back to her room to watch TV and tidied up before going out.
"En?"
Lin Zhao frowned as he watched Wang Ju leave, "It's so late... What is Sister Ju going out for?"
"Alas..."
Ding Chi frowned.
"You know?"
"En."
Ding Chi said, "She was too embarrassed to tell you, so she pulled me aside after dinner and told me. Don't worry, she's just going to the clinic."
"Why go to the clinic?" Lin Zhao was surprised.
"To get checked..."
Ding Chi lowered his voice, frowning slightly, "Sister Ju feels that after serving so many men in that dilapidated small room for so many years, now that she's living with us, she feels too dirty to live under the same roof. Moreover, she has to cook and wash clothes for us every day, so she's afraid of having some unclean illness that might infect us. So... she made an appointment with the hospital at noon and is going for a check-up tonight."
"I understand this..."
Zhang Jun said softly, "HPV and such. Of course, I hope Sister Ju is alright."
Lin Zhao frowned, feeling a pang of sadness. What was it like to be a good person living at the very bottom of the world? It was probably like this, humble and kind.
"Got it."
He said softly, "Ding Chi, you know about this, and Da Jun and I will pretend we know nothing. The fewer people who know about this, the better. We must fully respect Sister Ju's own wishes and let her return to being a normal person."
"En."
Ding Chi and Zhang Jun nodded in unison.
...
At night, the three logged in.
Lin Zhao and Zhang Jun spent a while grinding monsters at level 40. In less than an hour, Zhang Jun had leveled back up to 30. Lin Zhao and Ding Chi's red names had also disappeared. Just then, Zhang Jun suddenly became excited and said, "The version is updating online, the skin system is out! Did you guys see it? Hahahaha~~~"
"Ah, skin system?"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback, "Isn't this the money-grabbing system from previous games?"
"Exactly."
Zhang Jun waved his hand, sharing dozens of skins in front of Lin Zhao and Ding Chi. Each profession had three new skins. For the Swordmaster, the three skins were a bamboo hat, a sword on the back, and a long sword sheath. The bamboo hat was simple, it could cover the face and gave a very chivalrous feel. The sword on the back was actually an ancient sword that could be carried on the back, and its appearance was identical to the Dragon Slaying Sword, which was a replica of the Dragon Slaying Sword carried by Lin Baiyi behind him in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool!
As for the sword sheath, like the Dragon Slaying Sword skin, it was carried on the back. Only one of the two could be chosen. Naturally, most players would choose the Dragon Slaying Sword, after all, the opening cinematic of "Tianxia" depicted a young marshal with the Dragon Slaying Sword on his back, slaying a thirteenth-realm great demon and dying heroically, a shocking scene. As a Swordmaster player, who wouldn't aspire to that?
"It's over."
Ding Chi looked at the Dragon Slaying Sword on Lin Zhao's back and said, "From now on, there will be thousands of people in the China region server carrying the Dragon Slaying Sword. Ah Zhao, you're no longer unique."
"That's good."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, "This way, it can create a 'fish eye mixed with pearl' effect, and naturally, no one will suspect that I am Lin Baiyi of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool."
"Tsk tsk, so low-key?"
Zhang Jun narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "Are you that afraid of people knowing you are that Lin Zhao?"
"I'm not afraid, but I don't expect it either."
Lin Zhao's gaze was clear as he looked at his two good brothers and said with a smile, "The life on Snow Domain Heavenly Pool has come to an end. My current identity is the player Lin Zhao, and I naturally don't expect to use the identity of Lin Baiyi of Snow Domain Heavenly Pool to increase my own value. Moreover, even if I reveal my identity, who would believe me? There's no need, it would only be a laughingstock."
"Clap clap clap..."
Ding Chi applauded, "Nice speech!"
Lin Zhao quickly kicked him.
Zhang Jun was a little hesitant, scratching his head and chuckling, "Um... can I apply for something? I want to buy the bamboo hat skin effect, but the money... it's a bit expensive. Can we allocate funds from the studio's budget?"
Lin Zhao glanced at his bald head, yet beneath that head was a handsome face with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, truly making one feel sympathetic. He nodded, "A skin is only 5000 universal coins, it's fine, buy it! Ding Chi, do you want the sword sheath or the sword on your back? You can buy one too."
"The sword sheath."
Ding Chi said, "There will definitely be a lot of people buying the Dragon Slaying Sword skin, so I won't join the crowd. I'll buy a sword sheath and pretend to be an unparalleled master."
"Okay, it will all be deducted from the studio's funds."
Lin Zhao gently raised his hand and touched the hilt of the Dragon Slaying Sword, involuntarily smiling slightly. He didn't need one, he had the Dragon Slaying Sword skin naturally, which was much more genuine than others! Thus, on a whim, he reached out and tried to draw the Dragon Slaying Sword, but the blade and the sheath seemed completely rusted together, and he couldn't pull it out at all. When he exerted force, it was as if some forbidden power was triggered, and his palm began to burn with a searing pain, just like the feeling when he drew the sword to slay the great demon Bailan!
"..."
He hastily stopped the dangerous action of drawing the sword. It seemed that the Dragon Slaying Sword could still be drawn, but once drawn, the price would be quite high, either losing a level or sacrificing the account. In any case, the cost was too high. Now, as the leader of the Scarlet Moon Knights, he couldn't be so reckless anymore.
...
The three continued to level up.
"Beep!"
A voice message came from the assassin Mo Yin: "Brother Baiyi..."
His voice had a cautious feel, very humble.
"Mo Yin..."
Lin Zhao chuckled. This was Mo Yin's first voice call with him. He asked with a smile, "What is it?"
"I'm almost level 30."
Mo Yin said, "After this, I will still provide boss coordinates to Brother Baiyi and Brother Yujin. But next time if we are attacked again, I request to participate in the battle..."
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao was slightly startled, "You're not a member of our Scarlet Moon Knights, and you don't need to suffer with us. The Prosperity Peony guild's influence in Yunshang County is too great. Once you're implicated, you might encounter trouble when leveling up or doing quests in the future. There's no need."
"There is a need."
In the chat box, the young assassin Mo Yin frowned and said, "Actually... I really want to join the Scarlet Moon Knights, but I'm just worried that I'm too weak and can't keep up with the rhythm of you three brothers, and will drag you all down. That's why I've never dared to say it. Today, I already retreated once, and I don't want to retreat again next time. So... I want to apply to fight alongside everyone next time, can I?"
Lin Zhao thought for a moment, "No regrets?"
"No regrets!"
"Alright!"
Lin Zhao smiled slightly, "From today onwards, you are a member of the Scarlet Moon Knights. I'll add you to the Scarlet Moon Knights' team first, and when we get a guild creation token later, I'll invite you into the guild."
"Alright!"
Mo Yin nodded repeatedly, "Then I wish Brother Baiyi smooth leveling. I'll continue grinding monsters."
"En."
...
After closing the communicator, Lin Zhao smiled. Mo Yin was the first unofficial member of the Scarlet Moon Knights. But Mo Yin's character was actually quite good. He was cautious in his actions, even to the point of being very humble. When talking to himself, Ding Chi, and Zhang Jun, he was very reserved, for fear that the three big shots would get angry and ignore him. Such a person was actually quite good.
Just then, a communication message came into the game, from his cousin Murong Feiyue!
"Sis?!"
Lin Zhao answered and saw Murong Feiyue, dressed in a military uniform, standing tall and looking at him with a smile.
"In the game?"
"En!"
He nodded and smiled, "It's evening, prime time."
"That's good then."
Murong Feiyue pursed her red lips and said, "Xiao Zhao... You will be very tired managing the entire Scarlet Moon Knights alone. So, I've found a capable helper for you. Her name is Chen Xue. I saved her life in a war-torn area, and she followed me for a while. She's capable and skilled, and most importantly, she's very beautiful. So, I want to send Chen Xue to be your vice-leader. You'll handle external affairs, and Chen Xue will handle internal affairs. She's a player with maxed-out internal affairs, so you don't need to worry about that."
"Chen Xue..."
Lin Zhao frowned, "Oh, okay, thank you, Sis!"
"Alright, I've already sent your contact information to her. When she's free, she'll naturally add you. In short, be nice to her. And remember, don't be too much of a straight man, don't let my efforts be in vain."
"Got it."
After closing the communicator, Lin Zhao was baffled. What did "don't let my efforts be in vain" mean? He didn't quite understand. Whatever, when Chen Xue comes, he'll treat her like an ancestor. Even if she wanted them to kowtow to her three times every morning, Ding Chi, and Zhang Jun, it wouldn't matter. The overall situation was more important. As long as the Scarlet Moon Knights could become stronger, what did it matter if he suffered a little? A true man, born between heaven and earth, can bend and stretch!