The Radiance from Within

Chapter 3

After the chew out that Nini gave the guild, Zhenshui Wuxiang stood on the sidelines of the crowd looking blankly at his guildmates. He realized that his father's money could not save him from this predicament but that's fine he could still upgrade his equipment, he had enough pre-purchased gold and grinding his levels back would be easy since he can't be taken offline by his father. It was no problem, he could be much more powerful than that man. That Yixiao Naihe or Xiao Nai as he now knows that it's his real life identity. A no-money nothing college student who was trying to build a business. Even thinking about both of his names made Zhenshui Wuxiang angry. Why should Yixiao Naihe have someone as beautiful as Luwei Weiwei? She was his first, damn it. He was the one who was rich and had connections, not Yixiao Naihe. Yixiao Naihe may be powerful in the game but he, Zhen Shaoxiang was the heir to Zhen Yi Technologies. Let his cousin have no-money Xiao Nai and he will take the delectable Luwei Weiwei and coy Yaoyao. He was rich so he could afford to have two wives. One who would be doted on and the other being the true diamond. However, he would have to punish her somehow by having that Zhao Erxi pretend to be her in that interview. Did Luwei Weiwei know that his father's company was hiring interns and sent Zhao Erxi to mess with him? He didn't know nor did he care at this point. One way or another Luwei Weiwei would be his. With this goal in mind he returned to the heart of the crowd. Putting his best smile on and got the guild's attention. "Bickering with each other won't fix this." He announced.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for your wife and her family causing drama!" One of the guild members shouted and many from the crowd chiming in agreement.

Zhenshui Wuxiang had to think fast he knew that Yaoyao and her friends had been stirring up drama about Luwei Weiwei for a while and he didn't mind in the past because he didn't think she would be pretty or be a female for that matter. But now that he knows it's actually the opposite he would have to figure out how to be on Luwei Weiwei's good side but still keep Yaoyao close and appeased. "I'm sure the ladies didn't mean to stir up problems, did you ladies?"

The Xiaoyu quartet shook their heads no, shedding false tears while internally fuming on the inside.

"You see, they didn't mean it. Now..." Zhenshui Wuxiang paused for effect. "What are we going to do to free ourselves?"

The group unsurely murmured that they didn't know.

"We have to find the quest that the specter spoke about." The guild master spoke up for the first time.

"But how?" Various voices asked.

"We need to find any new quests or bosses that the global chat is talking about. Maybe one of those will be the key to leaving the game. The quest the specter was talking about is probably a new quest. Since from the sounds of it the quest has yet to be completed. We need to all split up and find out about any quest or boss that you can. Go, now." Zhan Tianxia ordered.

As a majority of the guild filed out Xiaoyu Qingqing tried to cozy up to the guild leader and whisper how sorry she was and to not be mad into his ear but the moment she placed a hand on his arm he harshly grabbed it and glared at her. "If it wasn't for your foul tongue whispering poison in my ear I would have never called a guild meeting to reprimand Luwei. I'm done listening to your honey coated lies." He shoved her away in disgust. "Go spew your poison somewhere else. The site of you sickens me right now."

Xiaoyu Qingqing was shocked this was the first time Zhan Tianxia had ever spoken to her with anything but a doting voice. This won't do. Men are supposed to simper to her flirty damsel ways, not cast her aside. "Damn that Luwei Weiwei." She mumbled. Not happy that her mark rejected her. Now she had to go outside the guild to find someone to dote upon her. But that's okay, there is still a full server of men who would want to have a chance to take care of a damsel and with them she would find a new mouthpiece to slander Luwei Weiwei. She smiled and left for the closest village. Little did she know that her plans would be thwarted by not being able to get around the shadow's curse and saying the most damaging things that showed the game what her true personality was.

Zhan Tianxia heavily sunk down into the guild master chair. He had never felt as unworthy of the position as he did right at that moment. He had promised Diemo that he would take care of the guild while her work life was pushing more hours on her. His poor Diemo has been so stressed and had barely any free time, even for the relationship with him. He realised that it was because he was feeling neglected that he willingly clinged to the chance that Xiaoyu Qingqing was giving to him to feel needed. How did it get this far though? Why would he willingly alienate one of this guild's oldest and most profitable members. Their guild would not have as high of standing if it wasn't for her. The specter was right he was catering to the wrong female. Both Luwei and her husband are within the top ten PKers in the server with the husband being the top player and Luwei being the only female on the list. Logically, in game it would be for the good of the guild. Offline he knew Luwei was a student and from what he saw it looked like Luwei and her husband hadn't shared their identities but they did know each other in real life which led him to believe they most likely were either currently at the same school or went to the same school in the past. He knew he needed to apologize to Luwei for contributing to the slander, he doubted that she would forgive him but it was the right thing to do. He realised with the specter's punishment it was actually saving him from screwing up multiple facets of his life both online and off. When he was able to go offline again he swore that he would not hold Diemo in contempt like he had been doing for the past month.

Zhan Tianxia was unaware that above him was an old man in golden robes listening into his innermost thoughts. "It fills my heart that you are beginning to understand Zhan Tianxia. But that other one. He has much to learn before he realises how he is acting. First he will need to cut the harpy and her minions and then he will need to learn to take control of his destiny. With time he will be able to take his cousin under his wing and both will be better people by the time for them to find their true red string match."