On the way, Qi Xu was still pondering—Qinxiang Zhai sounded like a place, perhaps a restaurant or teahouse based on its name.
I wonder if I’ll meet a new adorable monster NPC...
Just then, a notification popped up on the screen—a report receipt.
[Dear Player Invincible Black Whirlwind,
We have received and processed your report filed three days ago regarding "Qiuqiu, the administrator of Zone 01 in District 01, maliciously targeting and threatening players." After a thorough investigation by our team, we confirm that Qiuqiu did engage in such behavior and have imposed disciplinary actions, including a demotion and a fine of 10,000 Survival Coins, which have been compensated to your account.
Moving forward, we will collaborate with relevant departments to strengthen supervision over all Qiuqiu administrators to prevent similar incidents. We sincerely apologize and appreciate your continued support for the Survival Game!]
Qi Xu read it several times. 10,000 Survival Coins—S1 Qiuqiu probably wouldn’t even bat an eye at that. But a demotion? Now that was interesting. If one Qiuqiu went down, another would inevitably rise.
If it kept getting demoted, and our dear 666 Qiuqiu kept climbing, sooner or later, their positions would swap!
Another question arose: the Survival Game actually had an official administration? What kind of existence were they? Were they inside the cycle of reincarnation or beyond it?
Qi Xu couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander further.
Just as she passed a traffic light, a teahouse with black-tiled eaves and flying rafters came into view—a three-story pavilion resting on bluestone pavement, its gray walls mottled with dark vines. It had an undeniably captivating atmosphere.
Above the entrance hung a gilded plaque with bold, elegant calligraphy: "Qinxiang Zhai!" The characters seemed to exude an air of mystery, like a lone boat swaying in the storm, yet also evoking the aura of a martial arts master.
For some reason, Qi Xu thought of the Assassin’s Guild... She immediately snapped a photo and sent it to A-Snake.
"Look how beautiful this place is! But don’t worry—our Assassin’s Guild will one day be just as grand! I’ve got money now. If you ever need Survival Coins, just say the word. I can drop by anytime to hire a few assassins for fun."
If there were no enemies to kill, she’d kill herself or her teammates—essentially paying top dollar for high-end sparring partners.
Combat prowess was something you had to train to improve.
The big black snake squinted enviously, zooming in and out of the photo repeatedly. A strange feeling crept in—the Assassin’s Guild must have been this glorious once... so why had it fallen so far?
Suddenly, it smacked its head in frustration. Damn it, why did it have to start aching again? Before it could even say goodbye to Qi Xu, it was already fast asleep.
As Qi Xu stepped out of the car and entered the courtyard, she immediately sensed three pairs of eyes watching from the second-floor window. "8 o’clock, and I’m still early," she mused. She had never trusted so-called alliances, and this scene only heightened her vigilance.
Clad in black combat gear, her body shimmering with a radiant aura, Qi Xu strode through the rain, even flashing a confident smile as she approached.
Jinwen Xingmangyue’s red-tipped nails scraped against the table. "See that pink glow around her? That’s definitely something extraordinary..."
"She must have entered the Color Realm. There’s an 80% chance she’s already an ability user now."
Xie Shaoning recalled the scene at the Monster Shop’s second floor, where Invincible Black Whirlwind had spent 1,000 Survival Coins to bid on three pink fragments. It stung a little.
What a show-off. What an act.
"Wow, as expected of Invincible Black Whirlwind! So impressive!"
The moment Qi Xu opened the door, she was greeted by this praise and immediately responded with a warm, friendly smile. "Thank you for the kind words."
The girl who spoke tilted her head, her fluffy twin pigtails swaying gently. The milky-white ribbons tied at the ends bounced playfully, matching her sky-blue tracksuit and shoes adorned with bear charms. Her crescent-moon eyes sparkled with sweet dimples.
Whenever she glanced at Xie Shaoning, the admiration in her gaze was impossible to hide. Xie Shaoning didn’t even need to do anything—just meeting her eyes was enough to make the girl blush instantly.
Qi Xu’s first move was to lock eyes with Jinwen Xingmangyue before both of them subtly looked away in silent understanding. Interesting.
"Whirlwind, you’re so cool! You have no idea—when you walked up from downstairs just now, it was like a scene from a dream. That wispy pink mist around you made you look like an immortal fairy."
Qi Xu casually took a seat beside the girl. "Really? You’re gorgeous too. That hair volume is seriously enviable..."
The girl smiled modestly, lightly brushing her hair aside before introducing herself. "Let me introduce myself—I’m Cheese Foam with 80% Sugar, from District 611 in Zone 766."
"Such a lovely name. I’m Invincible Black Whirlwind. Pleasure to meet you."
Qi Xu kept her smile intact, but internally, her guard was already at maximum.
Cheese Foam with 80% Sugar, huh? In the last round, she was also the leader of a top-tier guild.
Out of the four people here, not a single one was simple.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Qi Xu turned to see—it was Amei Zhu!
The biggest regret from the Zoo dungeon was not being able to properly say goodbye or exchange contact info with Amei Zhu.
Thinking back to Little Black’s situation, Qi Xu could roughly guess that Amei Zhu must have been punished for telling her to use the "Emergency Dungeon Escape Card."
By the time Qi Xu recovered enough to try befriending the monsters, Amei Zhu was already gone.
"Seriously, you’ve been here this long and haven’t even ordered a pot of tea? What’s the deal?"
Amei Zhu only noticed Qi Xu after speaking, her eyes lighting up—before she immediately started spewing gold coins.
Qi Xu handed her 200 Survival Coins. "My apologies, boss. Sorry for the trouble."
She gave a subtle blink, and Amei Zhu felt like she understood—she didn’t want the other three to know about their connection.
Damn, our bond is so deep it has to stay hidden from other humans? That intense?!
[Qinxiang Zhai’s owner, Amei Zhu, has increased her favorability toward you by 5 points. Current favorability: 85.]
Qi Xu was thrilled. The Zoo dungeon had been a goldmine for monster connections—every creature she’d met there had at least 60 favorability.
Those she’d interacted with more were already at 80.
Amei Zhu put on a show. "Fine. At least one of you four has manners. Otherwise, I’d have kicked you all out. What are broke folks doing in a teahouse?"
Hehe, I’m such a good actor. Now those three humans won’t suspect a thing about my secret friendship with Black Whirlwind!
..........
