"After the clan massacre, my head feels so dizzy..." Zhou Ren, his body covered in wounds, leaned against a massive tree trunk. Its thick leaves prevented the snow from falling on him. He slowly opened his eyes and...
Ding!
[WELCOME!]
"What the hell is this?" Zhou Ren was startled as he opened his eyes.
[INVITATION: GAME OF LUNACY]
"An invitation? Game of Lunacy? What kind of thing is this?"
[YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE PLAYERS]
"A player? What kind of game? Why can this thing talk?" Zhou Ren, confused, began to slowly drag his body backward until he bumped into another tree branch.
[ARE YOU READY?]
"Ready? For what?!" Zhou Ren shouted at the system, sweat dripping down his forehead.
[TO BECOME A PLAYER AND SACRIFICE YOUR SANITY FOR POWER]
[Yes/No]
"Sacrifice my sanity for power? Hehehe... hehe, as long as I can kill those lowly scum, I will do it!" Zhou Ren muttered while looking up at the system.
"Yes! I am more than ready!" Zhou Ren shouted loudly, narrowing his eyes as a smile etched across his face.
[THE CONDITION FOR YOU TO AVOID A GAME OVER IS TO SNATCH "Hun" FROM OTHER PLAYERS]
"Game over? Hun? What is that?" Zhou Ren asked in a curious tone.
[HUN IS A LIVING SCROLL, OR IT CAN BE A STRANGE LIVING ENTITY. IT CAN BE ANYTHING AND IT WILL USUALLY ADAPT TO THE PLAYERS' ELEMENTS]
The system began to scan for the suitable element to apply to Zhou Ren's body. A red laser surrounded him, and Zhou Ren felt an intense, unbearable heat in his bones and body.
"Damn it, what is this thing doing?! Is it trying to kill me?! Why does it feel like I am being burned from the inside?!" Zhou Ren screamed in agony until tears welled up in his eyes and his forehead wrinkled completely.
Ding! [NOTIFICATION!]
[CONGRATULATIONS MASTER! Hun of Wrath IS SUITABLE FOR YOU! FIRE ELEMENT. THE FORM OF YOUR HUN IS A LIVING BLACK SLIME]
[LUNACY METER 15%]
[HUN: Soul Unite 100/100]
[Cursed technique 0: Use other players' Hun Point to purchase cursed techniques!]
[FAREWELL MASTER. WELCOME TO THE GAME OF LUNACY!]
[Current Rank 1 HUN USER]
Whoosh...
"Hey, you pathetic creature, wait! Explain what this is first. Hey!" Zhou Ren shouted and chased after the system, but the system slowly faded from his sight. Then, the black slime appeared in his hand, tore a little piece of his Hanfu, and vanished again.
"Tch. Nonsense. What can this power even do?"
Out of frustration, Zhou Ren punched the large tree trunk. Suddenly, the branch cracked and fire spread across the entire tree. In an instant, the large tree branch turned to ash, and the flying sparks were extinguished by the snow in the air.
"...Hehe... hehe, incredible! I never thought that weird thing could actually grant me power!" Zhou Ren laughed, staring at both of his palms.
[PLAYER PROFILE: THE WRATH WANDERER]
NAME: Zhou Ren
Title: Vengeful Wanderer
Rank: 1 {HUN USER}
[CORE ENTITY: HUN OF WRATH]
FORM: A tiny black slime that is always sleepy {REMEMBER TO FEED IT!}
PASSIVE SKILL: Flame Touch. Every impact has a 15% chance to deal critical damage.
ACTIVE SKILL: Requires 20 OTHER PLAYERS' HUN POINT TO UNLOCK.
"What is this?" Zhou Ren rubbed his eyes and blinked multiple times, astonished by what he saw.
"What is wrong with my eyes? What am I looking at? This floating thing again!"
"Mwaaa! Hey brat, feed me!" The small black slime bit his hand until it turned slightly red and bled a little.
"Argh, you! You little thing, stop biting me!" Zhou Ren tried to pry the tiny black slime off his hand, but it kept biting him out of hunger.
"Stop it, you tiny thing, your little tail is annoying me!" Zhou Ren kept holding the tiny black slime's tail, trying to pull it off.
A few days earlier, at the Mu Yan Clan residence. The handsome young master named Mu Yan Zhou Ren, with beautiful flowing black hair, gorgeous earrings, and a luxurious Hanfu, had a very friendly smile. He was sitting quietly in his ancestral pavilion, accompanied by Mei Xiao, a stunningly beautiful merchant's daughter from the Northern Ocean. She had smooth skin, a slender figure, and wore a magnificent purple Hanfu. The snow was falling heavily, and the white lotus pond had frozen into a floor of ice, reflecting the sunlight and casting colorful distortions across the horizon.
"My lady, you are truly amazing. I have never met a woman like you in my entire life. However..." Zhou Ren put on a sad expression.
"What is wrong, Young Master Zhou Mu Yan?" Mei Xiao put on a worried face and placed her hand on Zhou Ren's shoulder.
"The immortal coins you gave me are not enough to help Grandpa Fei. You know it is the snow season right now, the operational costs for catching fish must be getting more expensive," Zhou Ren said in a soft, deeply concerned tone.
"Why do you not just ask the elders for immortal coins, Young Master? If you ask the clan elders, you will surely get much more," Mei Xiao replied with a gentle voice.
"You know it yourself, Mei'er. If I ask the sect elders, I will not get immortal coins, I will get a slap. You know how cruelly they treat me." Zhou Ren lowered his head.
Mei'er held both of Zhou Ren's hands and looked deeply into his eyes. Zhou Ren reciprocated the gesture. They stared at each other for a long time in the ancestral pavilion.
"Stupid woman, when are you going to give me the immortal coins? Stop wasting my time," Zhou Ren thought to himself, feeling annoyed, though he kept pretending to smile gently at Mei'er.
Finally, Mei Xiao took 85 immortal coins from her pocket and showed them to Zhou Ren with a sincere and tender smile. "These are my family's savings for an entire year, Young Master Zhou Mu Yan. Use them first. As long as that old man can be helped, I am also happy for you."
"85? 85 immortal coins? That means I can play 25 times. This way, Velvet Shadow will not be too suspicious of my losses... hehe... hehe!" Zhou Ren thought to himself. A cunning smile was clearly etched on his lips as he narrowed his eyes toward the main altar of the Mu Yan clan.
Two hours later, at the Velvet Shadow sect's gambling house. Zhou Ren walked in with his hands folded behind his back. All the gamblers stared at him with jealousy and envy, seeing the young man carrying so many immortal coins. "Do not be too happy yet, boy. Do you think you can win just by bringing a lot of immortal coins?!"
Zhou Ren glared sharply at the old man and smirked. "Tch." He simply walked past the gambler and focused on heading to the main gambling arena.
"You insolent brat! Who do you think you are?!" The gamblers shouted right in front of Zhou Ren, but they were cut off as Zhou Ren interrupted.
"If you still have eyes, look at this carefully." Zhou Ren displayed the Mu Yan Clan's Ancestral Jade.
"You... Mu Yan Zhou Ren?" The old man was shocked, his eyes widened in disbelief at the foolish action he had just committed. He bowed his head and slapped his own cheeks with both hands.
The gamblers instantly fell silent and prostrated themselves until their heads touched the sparkling floor. "Please forgive us, Young Master Mu Yan. We did not know that you were Young Master Mu Yan."
Zhou Ren ignored them and simply stepped over their heads, continuing his steps toward the main gambling arena.
"Welcome back, Young Master Mu Yan Zhou Ren!" Liang, a high-ranking official of the Velvet Shadow sect, warmly welcomed Zhou Ren with open arms and a joyful laugh.
"Lowly Liang, going through so much trouble to welcome me. Is it because of these 85 immortal coins?" Zhou Ren's tone was cold and demeaning toward Liang.
"Young Master Mu Yan is too suspicious of me. I just wanted to welcome my honorable guest. By the way, how about playing a game with me on this special day?" Liang replied, still trying to maintain a joking tone with Zhou Ren.
A few moments later, at the main gambling table of the Velvet Shadow Clan, the tension between the two was palpable.
"20! I got 20!" Liang shouted happily, and the gamblers began to cast cynical glances at Zhou Ren.
"It turns out Young Master Mu Yan is stupid, not a genius like people say!"
"Hahahaha... hahaha!" They laughed at Zhou Ren's defeat.
"Damn it! I lost again!" Zhou Ren put on an annoyed face and expression, his hands pretending to tremble as he shook the dice.
"Hehe... hehe, this way my defeat seems reasonable. So I have to win this time, and then lose again," Zhou Ren muttered in his mind.
"Come on, let us increase the bet, Young Master. If you lose, all your remaining immortal coins are mine. If you win..." Liang pulled out a rare Blue Ocean Pearl from his pocket. "This treasure is yours. How about it?"
"A Blue Ocean Pearl? Its price is equal to 50 immortal coins! I do not know what this foolish creature is thinking. He is sacrificing his sect's most precious treasure as if he completely believes he will win? Good! That means my calculations are correct, this is getting more profitable. In that case, winning this time is the right decision," Zhou Ren muttered in his heart, narrowing his eyes at the dice he was shaking.
"25! I finally won! Your Blue Ocean Pearl is now mine." Zhou Ren immediately snatched the Blue Sea Pearl right off the gambling table.
"Impossible... How could this be? You just lost, how could you win this time?!" Liang stood up from the gambling chair and rubbed his face, as if he could not believe what was happening.
"If he wants to play again this time, it means it is time to lose. The next victory should be worthless anyway, the bet is no longer profitable," Zhou Ren muttered in his heart.
"Come on, one more time..." Liang froze, his eyes sparkling as he saw the Mu Yan Ancestral Jade.
"Come on, how about this? Does this bet make you excited again, Liang?" Zhou Ren asked, pushing the Mu Yan Ancestral Jade onto the gambling table.
"Of course! Of course, I will bet 250 immortal coins belonging to my sect on this round. Come on, Young Master Mu Yan, let us play the rhythm again. I am very excited this time," Liang answered enthusiastically, impatient to win the game.
"Perfect. The monkey took the bait with a rotten banana." Zhou Ren smiled faintly, watching the foolish action Liang was committing, because that Ancestral Jade was actually a fake.
"34! A huge victory! This is a massive win! The Mu Yan Ancestral Jade is mine!" Liang laughed joyfully while showing off the highly valuable Ancestral Jade to the gamblers.
"Young Master Mu Yan, I pity your fate. Take those 250 immortal coins for yourself, consider it charity out of my kindness." Liang left the gambling arena, leaving Zhou Ren, who bowed his head in shame because he had just lost the Ancestral Jade worth 2500 immortal coins.
"Pathetic, Young Master! You are truly pathetic!"
"Hey, you better go back to practicing your sword!"
"Hahaha... hahaha!" The gamblers laughed in satisfaction while Zhou Ren kept his head down, smirking faintly.
"It is only natural that a foolish monkey would see a lump of stone as a diamond," Zhou Ren thought to himself. He stepped out of the main gambling arena and left the Velvet Shadow sect's gambling house, occasionally smirking and glancing back.
"You fool, this is fake! That insolent brat!" The Velvet Shadow Sect Elder, Mo Yunzi, slapped Liang's face so hard that he collapsed to the ground.
"How is that possible?" Liang took the Ancestral Jade from Elder Mo Yunzi's hand. "How could I be fooled? That boy... that boy is extremely cunning!"
Mo Yunzi slapped Liang again while scolding him. "You idiot! How could you be tricked so easily? We are the ones who usually trap the players, how could the tables be turned like this?!"
"Please forgive me, Elder Mo. I truly did not know, this was entirely my negligence!" Liang bowed down, begging Mo Yunzi for forgiveness.
"Enough! This cannot be allowed to continue. The Mu Yan Clan has played enough games. Enough of this oppression, all these deceptions. I will prove that the Velvet Shadow is still the one holding the dice." Elder Mo Yunzi ordered Liang to secretly burn down and attack the Mu Yan Clan residence the next night, commanding him to seize the real Mu Yan Ancestral Jade.
Meanwhile, at the Mu Yan Clan residence. Zhou Ren was being scolded by the clan elders. Elder Mu Yan Hanjue looked at Zhou Ren with profound disappointment.
Hanjue took a deep breath and gave Zhou Ren a lecture. "If you keep acting like this, Mu Yan Zhou Ren, our clan's reputation in the eyes of the public and other clans will be completely ruined. Did you even think before using the Ancestral Jade as a betting medium?"
"I apologize, Elder Hanjue. I deeply regret my actions. I had no other choice. If I had stopped in the middle of the game, they would have laughed at me." Zhou Ren bowed his head, smiling faintly as if he felt no guilt whatsoever.
"Have you ever thought about your final moments, old man?" Zhou Ren muttered in his heart while continuously pretending to make his body tremble.
"We love you very much, Mu Yan Zhou. That is the reason we still believe that you are worthy to be the Young Master of this clan and improve your attitude for the better."
Mu Yan Clan Elder Yushen took a deep breath. "That is enough. It seems we must consider revoking the title of the clan's young master and finding a replacement. Zhou Ren is indeed a genius child, but it seems he is not yet ready to bear the burden of a clan's Young Master. I have considered this for a long time along with the other elders. I am sorry, Zhou Ren."
"It is not a problem, Elder Yushen. I respect every decision made by the clan elders." Zhou Ren bowed respectfully and answered the elders in a polite tone, but deep in his heart he thought, "Hehehe... before my title is revoked, you better think about the sun that will never rise again."
"When the Velvet Shadow arrives later, I also must stay here. If I do not, the public and the other clans will definitely suspect me," Zhou Ren muttered inwardly as he slowly left the ancestral altar and headed to his room.
The following night, fire suddenly spread throughout the Mu Yan clan's buildings. The flames crept from the ground to the walls, up to the pillars, and then to the roofs of the sect's structures. The clan elders ordered all clan members to evacuate immediately.
"Quickly! Get out of here! Save yourselves!" Elder Yushen shouted at all the clan members, but it was all too late. The assassins from the Velvet Shadow sect had already arrived, stabbing and slashing the clan members one by one. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the purity of the Mu Yan clan. The helpless Elder Yushen was finally attacked simultaneously by the assassins.
The other sect elders had already burned to death, trapped inside the ancestral chamber right when they were about to discuss the revocation of Zhou Ren's title as the young master.
Elder Yushen's stomach was pierced by a sword. His mouth vomited blood that flooded his silver robes. Zhou Ren suddenly came out at the perfect moment.
"Mu Yan Zhou Ren... save us." Elder Yushen exhaled his final breath with the sword still lodged in his stomach.
Zhou Ren quickly took a fighting stance, charging and swinging his sword at the assassins. With a semi-circular slashing motion, Zhou Ren managed to sever their heads one by one.
"There are too many of them, it is best to just run away," Zhou Ren thought to himself. Unfortunately, he was already surrounded from all directions, forcing him to try and fight them all.
Zhou Ren's body was slashed several times until he suffered quite deep wounds, but Zhou Ren did not stop. He kept swinging his sword with all his might, setting his stance and kicking them with a spinning kick.
"Come on, finish that brat! He is the one who tricked us!" shouted the assassins.
Zhou Ren was completely surrounded, but a thought crossed his mind to hand over the ancestral jade once again. "Fortunately, I still have this ancestral jade with me. I will try to just give them this."
"Wait, all of you, wait." Zhou Ren took the ancestral jade out of his pocket and handed it to the assassins.
"This is what you want, right? Take it, I do not need it," Zhou Ren continued.
"Wait, why does it look convincing this time?" The assassin snatched the ancestral jade from Zhou Ren's hand. "The carvings are very smooth and the texture... this is the real ancestral jade!"
While they were busy paying attention to the details of the ancestral jade, Zhou Ren had already fled the Mu Yan Clan residence, his body covered in wounds and utterly exhausted.
"That was close. Luckily, I still had one more with a much more convincing texture and quality." Zhou Ren kept running while enduring the pain, passing through rivers and bamboo forests.
Then, Liang arrived from the ruined and burning pavilion. "Did you manage to find the ancestral jade? Where is that boy?"
One of the assassins handed the ancestral jade to Liang.
"Damn it! You are all fools! We have been tricked again. Hurry, chase him and tear that boy to pieces!"
Meanwhile, Zhou Ren was already too far away. He found a large tree, and in the midst of the freezing snow, he tried to rest peacefully despite the massive tree branch. Zhou Ren chuckled softly, "Free." Then, he closed his eyes.