Chapter Thirteen: Meeting in Person
Is this the enemy’s Shanhai Beast? Before Qin Changsheng could ponder further, the woman he was protecting, Cao Mengmeng, suddenly let out a loud scream: “Yah—!!!”
The unexpected shout startled Qin Changsheng, and even the “Swordman” poised to strike before him halted in place. He hadn’t expected Cao Mengmeng to produce such a sharp, high-pitched sound, tinged with a theatrical tone.
What followed defied Qin Changsheng’s imagination even more. Just seconds after Cao Mengmeng’s shout, a voice came from behind the door leading to the rooftop, also carrying the melody of Beijing opera: “The Heavenly King covers the Earthly Tiger!”
Huh? Qin Changsheng sensed something was amiss, but Cao Mengmeng immediately responded: “The Pagoda suppresses the river demon!”
“Wild chicken pecks at the gate, how can it ascend Heavenly King Mountain!”
“There’s plenty of rice on the ground, hey ya, with a solid foundation!”
As their Beijing opera exchange concluded, the “Swordman” in front of them lowered his raised arms and took a few steps back.
Qin Changsheng blinked in confusion, still unsure what kind of performance was unfolding, when Cao Mengmeng patted his shoulder: “Put your Shanhai Beast away, it’s all clear now.”
“What?” Qin Changsheng was still dazed when the rooftop door suddenly swung open, and a curly-haired man wearing glasses stepped out.
Seeing Cao Mengmeng beside Qin Changsheng, the curly-haired man’s stern expression immediately brightened: “You’ve finally returned! No trouble, I hope?”
Cao Mengmeng walked towards him, saying, “I’m fine.”
“Wait, I have questions!” Qin Changsheng interrupted forcefully, his mind racing with too many doubts. Pointing to the motionless “Swordman” who had stepped aside, he asked, “You’re the biggest problem we’ve encountered! What’s going on? Do you all just like to fight before talking?”
The curly-haired man glanced at Qin Changsheng, then shifted his gaze back to Cao Mengmeng: “Is this the newcomer you brought back?”
“Yes.” Cao Mengmeng turned to Qin Changsheng and explained, “This is our security measure. Anyone entering our detection range is attacked immediately, unless they can respond with the correct password.”
“Your password is from ‘Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy’!?” Qin Changsheng was utterly speechless. “If I’d been a second later, I might’ve died!”
“No way. I was aiming at your right hand and legs, at worst to disable your fighting ability.” Surprisingly, the curly-haired man showed no guilt, speaking these chilling words as if they were casual.
Qin Changsheng was left speechless. The tentacles that had extended from Mo Mo on his head retracted fully. For some reason, he felt it wasn’t odd that Cao Mengmeng’s teammates shared almost the same thought patterns as her—it actually made perfect sense.
He covered his face, finally asking the question he had long wanted to: “Who exactly are you?”
“Hasn’t she told you? Great, our secrecy measures are working perfectly.” The curly-haired man placed his hands on his hips, showing a relieved expression to Cao Mengmeng. “Let me introduce myself: I’m Xifeng Lie.”
Qin Changsheng blinked in disbelief: “Are you joking?”
He simply couldn’t believe anyone would have such a name, though his own was hardly more convincing.
With the danger passed, several others emerged from behind the door. Qin Changsheng scanned them: aside from the curly-haired man, there was a tall man about six feet tall, a portly fellow in a tank top, and a timid-looking young woman.
These four were Cao Mengmeng’s teammates? They hardly seemed reliable.
“Welcome to our team.” Xifeng Lie extended a hand to introduce the others. “This is Yumiya Ren, and that’s Zhang Juzheng.”
“…You’re definitely joking, right?” Qin Changsheng couldn’t hold back. The names were one more ridiculous than the last. Besides a Ming Dynasty prime minister, there was a Japanese phantom thief?
“Well, actually, my real name is Dong Huan.” The tall man, called Zhang Juzheng, spoke with a thick Northeastern accent. “Those are our online handles.”
“Online handles?” Qin Changsheng was genuinely puzzled. “Why do you use online handles?”
“Don’t you know personal info is private?” Xifeng Lie looked at Qin Changsheng incredulously, as if he were the strange one. “Who tells their real name to online friends?”
“Online friends?”
“Right, we’re a gaming guild. A fixed squad in ‘APEX Legends.’” Dong Huan, the tall man, explained, seeming the most normal of the bunch and smiling warmly at Qin Changsheng. “Though I don’t care much about that. Just call me Dong Huan.”
“A gaming guild…” Suddenly, something clicked for Qin Changsheng. He turned slowly and noticed that Cao Mengmeng’s face had turned bright red, looking deeply ashamed. “So, you’re in the same guild? You don’t have an online handle too, do you?”
“No…” Cao Mengmeng hadn’t finished when Xifeng Lie jumped in awkwardly on her behalf: “Of course she does! ‘CoolのNiuniu’ is our best player’s handle for Wraith (official name: ‘Erosion’ in APEX).”
“…”
Qin Changsheng didn’t look at Cao Mengmeng’s expression, but he could imagine her desperate wish to disappear into a hole.
“Pfft…” Despite her efforts, Qin Changsheng couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.
“CoolのNiuniu” was such a cheesy handle!
He glanced back secretly and saw Cao Mengmeng blushing deeply, pursing her lips, clearly struggling not to shout out loud. It was the first time Qin Changsheng had seen such a vivid expression on her face.
“All right!” Cao Mengmeng finally interrupted their banter, eager to escape embarrassment. “He’s a newcomer. His name is Qin Changsheng, and his Shanhai Beast is a Mo Demon!”
Suddenly shifting the topic, Cao Mengmeng successfully brought the conversation back on track. Xifeng Lie appraised Qin Changsheng from head to toe, resting a hand on his chin: “Where did you find him?”
“In the area of Xiasha.”
“Xiasha?” Xifeng Lie frowned. “I remember hearing explosions coming from that direction before.”
“That’s right. Mi Huaxia was there too.” Cao Mengmeng nodded. “This is the person who repelled Mi Huaxia.”
As Cao Mengmeng finished speaking, Qin Changsheng suddenly sensed a shift in the atmosphere. He looked around and saw everyone’s eyes filled with surprise as they regarded him.
“Wait! You said he repelled Mi Huaxia? All by himself?” Xifeng Lie’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor, leaving Qin Changsheng puzzled.
He couldn’t help but ask, “Um… who is Mi Huaxia?”
“That’s the masked man who was chasing you.” Cao Mengmeng explained. “His real name and face are unknown, but everyone who’s encountered him calls him Mi Huaxia.”
Mi Huaxia. The name sounded like a character from a children’s show, but Qin Changsheng had witnessed him blow people up like popcorn. The nickname was fitting and chilling upon reflection.
“You actually repelled that Mi Huaxia.” Xifeng Lie looked at Qin Changsheng with deep respect. “You’re incredibly strong! That guy is known as the rookie killer. Since the countdown began, he alone has killed forty-seven survivors!”
“Ah, well…” Qin Changsheng scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Faced with the admiring gazes, he wasn’t sure how to respond.
The mysterious figure—Mi Huaxia—was indeed formidable, but Qin Changsheng hadn’t realized he was so infamous.
“With your combat power joining us, our chances of surviving and winning increase!” Xifeng Lie’s attitude did a complete turnaround, practically putting Qin Changsheng on a pedestal. “You must come with us. We’ve scavenged a lot of supplies nearby; together, we can watch each other’s backs and share intelligence…”
“Wait a second.” While Xifeng Lie was enthusiastically talking, Cao Mengmeng suddenly interrupted.
Surprised, Xifeng Lie asked, “What’s wrong, CoolのNiuniu?”
“Don’t call me that!” Cao Mengmeng’s face flushed again, but this time she recovered quickly, pointing at the timid girl hiding nearby. “Who is she?”
Qin Changsheng blinked. “You don’t know her?”
If Cao Mengmeng hadn’t mentioned it, Qin Changsheng wouldn’t have noticed that Xifeng Lie hadn’t introduced this shy girl at all. He had assumed she was part of their gaming guild.
But Cao Mengmeng shook her head: “I’ve never seen her before. Is she one of the survivors you found outside?”
The girl looked frightened and spoke softly, “I… I am…”
“I’m not asking you.” Before she could finish, Cao Mengmeng cut her off harshly, her tone so severe it felt unfamiliar to Qin Changsheng. She looked at Xifeng Lie and repeated, “Who is she?”
“Don’t be nervous. She’s a survivor we found.” Xifeng Lie quickly reassured. “Her team encountered a corpse horde. When I arrived, the ground was littered with dismembered bodies. She was the only one left alive.”
“My name is Wu Yutong.” The girl spoke just then. She looked fragile and despondent, clearly traumatized. “Thank you… thank you for saving me…”
Though the girl seemed weak, Cao Mengmeng’s gaze hardened rather than softened, causing Wu Yutong to instinctively step back.
The contrast between the frail girl and the imposing Cao Mengmeng was stark, instantly evoking sympathy for the unfortunate newcomer.
Qin Changsheng, standing nearby, couldn’t bear it: “What are you doing? Her whole team just died; don’t be so harsh.”
He could empathize with the girl’s feelings, having just endured the same horror. The overwhelming terror of the corpse horde would likely haunt his nightmares.
But Cao Mengmeng stood firm: “No, you all don’t understand. This person, she…”
Before Cao Mengmeng could finish, a bell suddenly rang, its sound long and resonant, growing nearer.
Qin Changsheng froze and quickly looked down at the countdown branded on his arm. It read “17:29:57”—the half-hour rest period was over, and the chase was about to resume!
But this time, Qin Changsheng wasn’t particularly nervous. He now had teammates, and they were all on the rooftop of a tall building. The massive corpse horde would find it difficult to climb up, possibly unable to reach the stairwell.
The important thing now was to stay calm and plan their next move carefully…
Qin Changsheng was about to say this when he suddenly froze.
He realized an enormous shape had appeared before him, casting a vast shadow over him.
It was a colossal monster composed of countless intertwined bodies, innumerable limbs writhing across its form. From the gaps between bodies seeped a steaming, blood-colored fluid, and waves of putrid stench rolled over him.
He had seen this horrifying visage only half an hour ago.
How could this be possible!?
Qin Changsheng couldn’t believe what he was witnessing. It all happened too suddenly.
The bloodthirsty monster that had vanished moments before—The Corpse Mountain—had suddenly appeared atop the rooftop!