Having laid the foundation for his status as a big shot, the next step is to solidify his title as such.
If Li Mo is to play the villainous monster, then he needs to have the status of a powerful figure who can keep the monster in check. Looking around, who else could be a high-level player who could make hunters tremble with fear?
Yin the God of Slaughter.
Moreover, Yin Xiu did indeed enter this instance. Even if the hunters came, he could impersonate Yin Xiu, and just by stating his name, they would back down.
The fact that the other party was afraid confirmed Zhong Mu's reputation among the players, making him highly credible. It also provided cover for Yin Xiu, who was in the hunter's camp.
They all heard it; Yin Xiu was among the players. Who would have thought the real Yin Xiu was on the hunter's ship?
Even if a hunter bravely challenges the reputation of the God of Slaughter and decides to take action against Zhong Mu, there is the real big shot, Li Mo, secretly helping him.
Once the whole plan is in place, it's basically a sure thing.
Now that Zhong Muyi is performing, he's even more consistent.
"Hey boss, what's your name? How should I address you?"
Zhong Mu finally got to the part where the players asked for her name. She was excited and screaming inside, but on the surface she pretended to be nonchalant and casually uttered the two words "Yin Xiu".
Impersonating Yin the God of Slaughter was incredibly exciting!
The moment the name was uttered, the players were stunned, staring intently at Zhong Mu. "You...you're Yin Xiu?"
Under the pressure of everyone's gaze, Zhong Mu wondered why these people were reacting so strongly when they had never even seen Yin Xiu before. It made him a little flustered.
He still asked expressionlessly, "What's the problem?"
"No..." The players gasped and exchanged glances.
They are indeed newcomers, but they have already encountered several strange instances.
I've never met Yin Xiu before, but I know quite a bit about him from the strange creatures!
I've heard that there's a terrifying killing god among the advanced players. He's far more sinister, cold, and frightening than the average advanced player. Like the Grim Reaper, he wipes out all the monsters in whichever dungeon he enters. His terror is so great that the monsters in the dungeon will hide and cower at the mere mention of his name.
They actually encountered such a big shot!
"We! Actually, we overheard the hunters on the island chatting last night!" The players' eyes lit up, as if they had found hope, and they stammered nervously, "We heard those hunters talking about you!"
"They said that everyone in this instance who's been killed is terrified and worried about running into you!"
"I was wondering last night how that rumored person ended up in this instance, but I never expected him to actually be here! Yin Xiu is really in this instance!"
"No wonder those hunters were so scared, it turns out it's you, boss."
After witnessing the expert defeat the monster, the players became convinced of his abilities and after he revealed his name, they were convinced of his abilities.
With information circulating, strange tales aiding, and lies woven to this point, Zhong Mu, if not Yin Xiu, would have to be Yin Xiu.
The players rallied around Zhong Mu, gazing at him anxiously as if making a wish, "Boss, can you help us out?"
Since Yin Xiu is leading newbies into this instance, they can also pray that the veteran will take pity on them and help them out, right?
Under everyone's gaze, Zhong Mu, maintaining his "big boss" persona, shook his head and said, "There are too many people, I'm too lazy to bring them."
Disappointment flashed in everyone's eyes. Come to think of it, the legendary God of Slaughter wouldn't be so kind as to take on so many newbies. They might as well hope to encounter another dungeon master.
Amidst the atmosphere of disappointment, Zhong Mu said softly again, "But if you're willing to help me find the newcomer I lost, I can assure you you won't be killed by the hunters."
This is a transaction, which is different from unilateral protection, but the result is similar.
The players immediately looked up excitedly, "You want to help you find someone? Sure, sure! We'll do anything as long as you're willing to protect us!"
On the surface, they are looking for a newcomer under a false pretense, but in reality, players will spread the word about him while searching for him. By helping the big shots find people, they can receive protection from the big shots, and more and more players will join in the search for a newcomer who doesn't even exist.
The goal of uniting the player community has already been achieved.
This is the big boss, the one who can protect them. From today onwards, all they need to do is use the big boss's name to go out and find people!
It doesn't matter if we can find that newcomer! As long as we have a title to get the big shots to protect them, that's enough!
The players felt they had gotten a good deal, and were completely bewildered by Zhong Mu's fluctuating attitude, fabricating one lie after another until there was no way to expose the lies.
Now all players need to do is use the big shot's name to go out and find people!
What Zhong Mu needs to do is use them to expand the group!
Thanks to the calculations of the commenters, the human side's plan proceeded smoothly.
During the day, Zhong Mu gathers the power of the human forces, while at night, Yin Xiu weakens the hunters' forces.
Before nightfall, following the guide he had brought in, Zhong Mu successfully found several underground hideouts for the players below. The players were amazed by his keenness; to be able to find so many underground hideouts on such an island, he was truly a master, incredibly awesome!
But they didn't know that the town's guidebook clearly recorded the locations of all the hideouts on the island, and Zhong Mu only needed to memorize it.
"Hey boss, aren't you coming down with us?" After confirming that the players were hidden, Zhong Mu was about to leave, leaving the players somewhat bewildered.
"No, it's more breathable up there." Zhong Mu waved his hand casually, exuding the composure of a big shot.
Other players have a hard time surviving, and finding an underground hideout is not easy. The veterans have to spend the night on the surface because it's too stuffy underground, facing the hunters alone.
So powerful! Absolutely too powerful! It must have killed a lot of hunters!
Amidst their admiring gazes, Zhong Mu left, secretly running off to meet up with Li Mo.
He needs to find Boss Li Mo for protection right away! Otherwise, it's too dangerous for him to be up there alone at night!
After nightfall, the hunters awoke again, each one eager to wreak havoc on the island.
Yin Xiu woke up to the noise and began preparing to go to the island that night to wreak havoc.
After he woke up, the little tentacles clinging to him excitedly told him about what happened on the island during the day, stumbling over how Zhong Mu impersonated a big shot, how he cooperated with Zhong Mu in the act, and how he even carefully kept an arm as a trophy from the other party. It was so much fun.
"Okay." Yin Xiu listened quietly while adjusting his cloak and mask. After killing that experience pack, he would study which hunter was stronger and kill a couple more to increase his kill count.
That way, tonight's players will all hear the hunters discussing how Yin Xiu had chased them down like a madman. Knowing that Zhong Mu was left behind, they will be even more certain that Zhong Mu is Yin Xiu, the god of death the hunters are talking about.
The main strategy for both sides is to cooperate with each other.
"Alright." After tightening the belt with the knife hanging from it, Yin Xiu prepared to go out.
He wrapped the incessantly chattering tentacles around his hand and pulled them back under his cloak.
But the tentacle ball wasn't very bright and kept chattering away under the cloak.
Yin Xiu simply took it out again, kissed its opening and closing little mouth to silence it, and said seriously, "Don't make a sound tonight."
The little tentacle, which had been kissed so hard, trembled and shook, as if it wanted to scream.
But Yin Xiu used a kiss to shut it up, so it couldn't scream anymore.
The tiny tentacles trembled incessantly, clinging to Yin Xiu's arm and quivering silently beneath the cloak.