“No, you have to do it, otherwise you’ll be working in this teahouse for me for the rest of your life!”

Eric Ford was really afraid that this boss had some connections with the officials and would actually sentence him to lifelong servitude, so he had no choice but to brace himself and rush forward, shouting, “Everyone, please wait a moment!”

The two groups were red-faced and necks bulging, on the verge of a fight, when suddenly a teahouse boy dashed out. They all glared viciously in this direction, and the leader shouted, “What are you butting in for, you little teahouse brat? Get out of the way, or we’ll cut you down too!” The group behind him immediately echoed, “Cut him down! Cut him down!” Although the words were directed at Eric Ford, not a single person actually looked his way again—Eric Ford had become a tool for provocation.

The opposing boss, hot-headed and reckless, swung his blade at Eric Ford without a second thought, shouting, “That’ll teach you to meddle!” He tried to cut down Eric Ford in one blow to boost his own side’s morale.

Seeing things were going badly, Eric Ford quickly used “Wind Flash,” dodging the strike at the last possible moment. The people around saw Eric Ford easily evade the attack and immediately fell silent—a teahouse boy with such skills was truly astonishing.

Now, both groups’ attention was entirely focused on Eric Ford. Eric Ford hadn’t expected that just a little display of “Wind Flash” would have such an effect. It seemed his skills really weren’t just for show.

Chapter 14: The Man in Blue

Eric Ford cleared his throat softly, took a step forward, and said, “Gentlemen, let’s not be hasty!”

Several people on the other side shouted, “Who exactly are you?”

“I’m not just an ordinary teahouse boy—I’m a player playing the role of a teahouse boy!”

“A player? How can a player be a teahouse boy? Never heard of such a quest!”

“This isn’t a quest, it’s a punishment. I offended the boss of this place, so I got thrown in jail for a while, and now I have to work here as a volunteer! This boss is really influential! And you guys dare to fight here!”

“For real?”

“Of course! I’m a living example! If you want to fight, I can’t stop you, but I kindly advise you not to do it here—otherwise, you’ll be going against the system!”

The people on the other side looked at each other; they had no choice but to believe Eric Ford. But just a moment ago, they’d been so aggressive—how could they just back down now? How would they show their faces in the future? Luckily, someone gave them a way out: “Boss, since it’s not convenient to fight here, let’s all go outside the city—let’s see if they dare!” The other side couldn’t hold back either, and with a flurry of curses and bravado, the whole group stormed downstairs and headed out of the city in a grand procession.

Eric Ford wanted to follow and watch the fun, but saw the boss standing to the side, watching him with a cold sneer. He quickly went over and tried to curry favor: “Boss, I’ve sent them all away for you, so…” The boss said, “Hmm, not bad. But since you didn’t go collect money from that group, let’s call it even!” Just then, another group of customers rushed into the teahouse. Before Eric Ford could say anything, the boss signaled him to get to work and turned to go downstairs.

Helpless, Eric Ford continued playing his role as the teahouse boy. He took a moment to ask his three roommates what they were up to.

“Leveling up!” “Farming loot!” “Training skills!” came the three replies.

Eric Ford’s reply to all three was even simpler: just one word—“Damn.”

Standing at the teahouse window looking out, he saw the street below bustling with people, most of them moving in groups. Since it was still impossible to distinguish good from bad by appearance, there were fewer male-female pairs than ever before. Thinking of this, he tried to add Emily Lewis as a friend, but the system prompted: Action temporarily unavailable. It seemed Emily Lewis was online, but still in jail and unable to interact with the outside world. He thought about how she could still train her skills in jail, while he was just wasting time here, and couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion!

The weather in the game changed just as quickly—one moment it was clear skies, the next, a torrential downpour. Flashes of white light on the road showed that most players were logging off. Many others ran to take shelter under the eaves along the street, and the entrance to the teahouse was packed with people—after all, it was the biggest open space around.

The street, bustling just moments ago, quickly became much quieter. But at some point, a new figure appeared on the street—a man in blue, holding an oil-paper umbrella, walking slowly through the slanting rain. Everyone’s attention was drawn to him, but what really caught their eyes was the sword in his other hand—a long sword in a black scabbard, its hilt and guard gleaming even in the gloomy weather. Anyone could tell this was no ordinary sword.

People all around were whispering, and many were convinced this was the current number one in the martial world: Jack Armstrong. And the sword in his hand, of course, was the only rare weapon in the game right now—the Seven Absolute Whirlwind Sword. But Eric Ford knew this man was definitely not Jack Armstrong, because he recognized Jack Armstrong’s sword, and from the outside, it looked completely unremarkable—unlike this man’s sword, which drew the gaze of everyone on the street.