ARTT Chapter 7

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Chapter 7 — The Battle of Benefactors!
The Nation’s Husband VS The Nation’s Adonis!


Edited by Planetes

 

Two people were squeezed onto the top of a stone pillar that could only fit one, despite the fact that one of them barely had any footing on it.

It was all due to Li Zheng’s support so that Ling Xiaolu had not fallen. Their two bodies were forced to press right up against each other, and people who did not know the situation would definitely misunderstand that they had a very intimate relationship just looking at them.

However, what caused the stunned expression on Ling Xiaolu’s face was not the other person’s exalted name, but his matchless, coldly elegant face. It had completely exceeded his understanding of humanity.

His features were as delicate as jade, looking as though they had been meticulously carved by a sculptor.

His eyes were like stars in the sky, bright and resplendent.

Ling Xiaolu was finally enlightened on why people would call Dou Kou their father, Ji Meng their husband, but Li Zheng their adonis.

Adonis, as a god, was always far removed from the masses, and untouchable. Faced with such an otherworldly face, Ling Xiaolu too was unable to call out those names that were meant as a joke.

He kept reminding himself. This was a game, this was a game, this was a game. Even Ji Meng could change his appearance, so this person might have even spent ten times more than Ji Meng to change his appearance as well.

Despite telling himself that, his eyes still could not be dragged away from the other person’s face. It was as though those eyes contained an irresistible magnetism.

Li Zheng recognised Ling Xiaolu on first glance.

Outside the city just now, he happened to come across a newbie fighting monsters. Without any enhancing gear or equipment, his damage was practically negligible. However, his movements were strong and nimble, every attack perfect, and Li Zheng could not help but stop to look at him.

He had not thought that they would meet again so quickly.

“I didn’t know you were going to jump here.” The thin lips of the man dressed in white opened slightly, his voice sounding like the echoes of water dripping off a melting glacier.

The little newbie also foolishly opened his mouth. “Did you modify your appearance?”

Li Zheng, “… Yes.”

How honest!!!

Ling Xiaolu was thankful for his honesty. He had nearly turned gay because of an artificial face!

However, what should he do now? There was no way for him to jump back. Li Zheng could teleport, and so he could leave, but what if he did not want to do so?

After all, there was no place with a better view around the area, and Ling Xiaolu did not believe that such an aloof Adonis would choose to squeeze with the crowd.

An excited roar rang out from the crowd. Ling Xiaolu jerked. Was the fight starting?

As expected, Ji Meng pulled out his sword from behind him, and took the first offensive, rushing towards Dou Kou. His sword was really extremely excessive, broad and long. The sword glimmered gold, and as it swung in the air, there was even electricity crackling around it.

Full of confidence, Dou Kou pulled out his own weapon to fight back. “We’re starting now? Let’s go!”

When Ji Meng was a few steps away from Dou Kou, he leapt into the air without any warning. Using the momentum from the swinging of the greatsword, he flew over Dou Kou and headed straight for something behind him.

“What? You want to run away?” Dou Kou turned, about to chase after him. However, he realised Ji Meng’s target was not him at all, but a stone pillar not far away from them. Just now, his back was facing the pillar, and so naturally did not notice that there were two people standing on top.

Alarmed, Ling Xiaolu watched Ji Meng shoot towards him like lightning. Unconsciously, he shouted, “Be careful!”

Before his voice even faded away, he was pulled backwards. Dragging his collar, Li Zheng had brought him out of the danger zone, and leapt back to the roof he was on just now.

Ji Meng clearly refused to give up. Using the stone pillar as a foothold, he chased after them. Li Zheng too dragged Ling Xiaolu along and retreated, every step bringing them a dozen metres away.

The crowd below too got confused by this sudden situation.

“Fuck! Isn’t that Li Zheng?!”

“It really is Li Zheng!”

“Ahhh my Adonis!!!”

“Why is Hubby beating my Adonis?!”

“Adonis, who are you carrying?! Do you know by doing this you’re breaking my heart?!”

Papa Dou who just had the eyes of the audience on him faded into obscurity. No one’s attention was focused on him.

Dou Kou was standing alone on the platform. The wind blew, and the leaves scattered about. With his sword drawn, he looked around in a daze.

Retreating continuously was not a solution. Seeing that Ji Meng had no plans on stopping, Li Zheng’s empty right arm jerked, summoning a silver snake from his sleeves.

For a moment, Ling Xiaolu thought he was seeing things.

That white figure turned a few rounds in the air, then was caught by Li Zheng. It turned out to be a silver longsword.

Ling Xiaolu confirmed that he had been seeing things.

The silver longsword clashed with the gold broadsword, causing a low vibration to ring through the air. Ling Xiaolu could not help but want to cover his ears.

“What madness has come over you?” Li Zheng quietly asked, with fury in his eyes.

“You know this person?” Ji Meng asked in reply.

“I don’t know him.”

“Then why are you blocking me?”

“I don’t know you as well.”

Ling Xiaolu stammered, “I-I-I don’t know him too!”

The two people exchanged blows, and Ji Meng’s sword was once again held down by Li Zheng’s.

“He doesn’t know you, why are you attacking him? Can’t you tell that he’s only a newbie?”

Ling Xiaolu was dressed in a short grey jumper.

… It’s true that no one looks more like a newbie that me.

Ji Meng refused to let it go. “He’s made a fool of me twice. This time, no matter what, I won’t let him escape again!”

“As a benefactor, to hold such grudges against a noob, do you know how shameless you are?” Ling Xiaolu stirred the pot as he hid behind Li Zheng.

“You better come out now, you think you’re safe hiding behind your idol?”

Li Zheng frowned subtly. “Idol?”

Ling Xiaolu grabbed Li Zheng’s sleeves. “Idol, save me!”

The crowd below was resentful.

“Who is he? Why would two benefactors be fighting over him? He is clearly only a green name.”

“Lu Bi? I’ve never heard of this name before.”

“What a rude newbie, he actually dares to cling and tug at my Adonis!”

“Wasn’t the fight supposed to be with Papa Dou? Why do I not understand what’s going on?”

“I don’t care who is it, just give us a fight! We’ve spent so much effort coming all the way here!”

The livestream chat too was exploding.

— Li Zheng is in Yuanting County too? Seems like the rumour about Yuanting County having a pink name is true?

— But the person being protected by Li Zheng is clearly a green name. Are the benefactors colourblind?

— Just now I saw Li Zheng and the newbie on the stone pillar hugging together! The relationship between them is clearly not simple!

— Those people who went to the arena personally really got a bargain. They’ve basically bought a ticket for the 2415 Chinese New Year show only to realise it was a revenge match between rivals when they entered!

— If I knew I would have bankrupt myself to buy a ticket! Is it too late if I go now?!

— Quietly asking, does anyone still remember Papa Dou…

“Are you going to give way?” Ji Meng was very impatient, but there was no way he would win if he were to clash directly with Li Zheng. “I’m not going to hit him, I just want to ask him something.”

“No! I don’t want to answer at all!” Ling Xiaolu objected fiercely.

“If you fight him, you’re bullying a newbie. If I fight you, I’m also bullying a newbie. I don’t want to fight you.”

The threat in Li Zheng’s words were very obvious. However, Ji Meng was the sort to never be cowed by force, and instead, was further enraged.

“Sure, I’ll like to see how an experienced player like you bully a newbie.”

Li Zheng pushed Ling Xiaolu towards the back, and with a swing of his sword he again met Ji Meng’s broadsword that was coming down upon him. The clash rang sonorously.

The two entangled together, flying up into the air and landing, and it was difficult to separate them. Ji Meng’s attacks were strong and powerful, but they could always be easily pushed aside by Li Zheng. Each time Li Zheng shook his sleeves, Ji Meng’s strength would be completely demolished.

Ji Meng refused to be outdone. After swinging his sword with both hands a few times, electricity ran down his arms, and the crackling grew louder. Dragging his sword on the ground, he seemed to be cultivating a thunderstorm.

Li Zheng did not hide. He stood where he was, wielding his sword. Ling Xiaolu who was standing nearby had sharp eyes, and he saw that Li Zheng’s feet were above the ground, hovering slightly in the air, and a whirlwind was building under his feet. The wind was also gradually picking up in intensity, and Li Zheng’s clothes were billowing in the air. Standing in the midst of the storm, he was as steady as a rock.

Filled with electricity, Ji Meng flexed his arms, and an enormous lightning strike shot towards Li Zheng. The tiles of the roof along the lightning path all cracked and shattered.

“The Roar of Thunder!”

Unconsciously, Ling Xiaolu raised his arms to block that blinding light. In his heart, he felt anxious for Li Zheng, while Li Zheng still stood there motionless, looking as though he was about to be swallowed up by that gigantic bolt.

At the critical moment, Li Zheng’s lips parted slightly. “Break!”

The bolt split apart as though someone had taken an axe to it, dissipating to either side, heading down the roof onto the ground. Deep furrows were carved into the ground, nearly hitting the audience. Ling Xiaolu was stunned. If Li Zheng had only cared about himself and dodged it, the one who would be blasted into charcoal would have been him.

After the crowd’s fright settled, they exploded into exclamations and cheers.

“Hubby, fighting!”

“Adonis is too handsome!”

“An amazing fight!”

Yuanting County had never experienced such traffic before, with people flowing in non-stop. Ling Long and his colleagues broke out in sweat, afraid that the game’s engine would not be able to take it.

Ling Xiaolu shook his head violently, forcing himself to sober up. So what if the battle was very entertaining? This was not the time for him to admire the fight with all his attention. He took advantage of the two people being locked in battle, shifting backwards step by step, and took action.

Despite the battle, Ji Meng still kept an eye on Ling Xiaolu’s every moment. Seeing him retreat, he knew he was intending to run away again.

“Stop there!”

A feint, and he sidestepped Li Zheng, running towards Ling Xiaolu.

However, Li Zheng was faster than him, and with a teleport, he was immediately next to Ling Xiaolu. With a push of his palm, Ling Xiaolu was pushed a few metres away, and Ji Meng ended up hitting nothing but air.

Of all coincidences, Li Zheng’s palm happen to touch the back of Ling Xiaolu’s neck. He was an extremely sensitive person, and despite only having touched it for a very short moment, he could feel something different there.

Li Zheng’s hand relaxed. His longsword left his hand, engaging Ji Meng’s broadsword. Twisting around it a few times, Ji Meng’s broadsword was forced out of his hands.

The longsword returned to its original snake body. Ji Meng’s broadsword was tossed into the air, landing heavily three feet into the ground.

Li Zheng waved his right arm, and the snake again returned into his sleeves.

Ling Xiaolu rubbed his eyes. So that really was a snake, he did not see wrongly.

The broadsword that had pierced the ground too exploded, and turned into a strange beast. Its head was buried in the dirt, its body exposed, and its four short legs were scrabbling desperately.

Using all four of its limbs, the tiny fellow finally managed to pull its head out from the ground. Falling flat on its butt, it shook its head wildly.

Ling Xiaolu could finally see its appearance clearly. It had a round face with a plump and chubby body. Its entire body was a golden yellow, and like the sword, there were black markings on it, with lightning crackling around it.

The beast sat there in a daze for a few minutes, then started to cry aloud and ran back to its owner.

Ling Xiaolu, “…”

Ji Meng had lost the fight, and his pet had even cried because of it. His expression was very ugly.

Li Zheng did not say anything to his defeated opponent, but slowly turned towards Ling Xiaolu.

Under his observant gaze, Ling Xiaolu’s heart pounded. He had sought his protection to hide from Ji Meng, but he too forgot that Li Zheng was also one of his greatest enemies.

Afraid, he took two steps back. Ji Meng who had experienced this before knew what he was going to do just by looking at him.

“Don’t let him run off!” He shouted.

Seeing that it was already late, Ling Xiaolu did a backflip in front of everyone. “I’m going!”

A cloud of dust appeared, and his shadow vanished.

A building away, Ling Xiaolu landed safely.

Another safe escape. Before he could sigh in relief, Ling Xiaolu was alarmed to discover something clinging onto his foot. He was unable to take even a step.

Ling Long who had been transported along with him yelled out in shock. “It’s a tracking seed!”

A plant-type skill, the tracking seed was the biggest jinx to escape spells. However, Ling Xiaolu had already ran away so quickly, who was the one who could so swiftly use this skill that could combat Ling Xiaolu’s ability? Only a person with a very fast reaction speed was able to do so.

“What to do?!” Ling Xiaolu asked anxiously. His movement was limited, his dig skill was in cool down, and he also could no longer use his emergency disconnect ability.

Ling Long too was in a quandary. Right at this moment, they heard someone landing behind them. Ling Xiaolu stiffened, and dared not turn back.

The one who released the seed slowly walked a semi-circle around Ling Xiaolu, carefully examining any flaws from him. Ling Xiaolu did not dare to look up, and he followed the other person’s feet with the corner of his eye. Every step felt like it landed on his heart.

When that person finally stopped in front of Ling Xiaolu, Ling Xiaolu was already soaked with sweat.

Not long ago, Ling Xiaolu had still been enchanted by Li Zheng’s otherworldly appearance. However, when he saw this face again, he only felt a suffocating terror.

Even his voice sounded bone-chillingly frightening.

“Just now, what skill did you use?”


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