Chapter 13: A Monthly Salary of One Hundred Thousand—and an Invitation from the Heavenly Profound Team!

Clearly, after using Ye Ling’er to eliminate Lu Ming, the mastermind behind the scenes had granted the Ye family immense benefits.

Ye Chen, who once relied on Lu Ming just to cover his high school tuition, had now entered Tianyuan and was surrounded by dozens of bodyguards. Overnight, his fame had skyrocketed.

However, Lu Ming noticed that the bodyguards around Ye Chen were all only level 10. Given the strength of Lu Ming’s necromancer warriors, once Ye Chen stepped out of Moonfall Town, Lu Ming could effortlessly cut them all down.

At this moment, Ye Chen was greeting his fans while having two female assistants distribute gifts. Lu Ming wasn’t interested, but since he was in the front row, he was forcibly handed a delicate red envelope pouch.

Opening it, he found three silver coins inside. On the trading market, one silver coin was worth 200 yuan, so this was a gift of 600 yuan—and it was just from Lu Ming alone.

“What a lavish spender,” Lu Ming muttered, his hatred for Ye Chen growing deeper as he recalled how Ye Chen once needed him to transfer money just to eat hotpot with classmates.

Ye Chen’s goal was to win hearts and minds, to turn every player in Moonfall Town into his fan. Having been an obscure streamer for two years, he yearned for attention and to become a dazzling celebrity.

Moreover, he wanted to ensure that if any trouble arose within the novice village, he could summon help at any time.

After distributing the gifts, Ye Chen accepted a quest in the town and then headed north out of Moonfall Town. Seeing this, Lu Ming immediately followed.

As Ye Chen finally stepped out of the safe zone, Lu Ming planned to follow quietly and ambush them in a secluded spot, wiping them out without anyone noticing.

But at that moment, dozens of heavily armed high-level players suddenly appeared outside the town, seemingly waiting for Ye Chen, ready to surround and protect him as soon as he emerged.

Through his enhanced tenfold F-rank scouting skill, Lu Ming casually glanced and was shocked to see all these players were level 30, and all had completed their fourth advancement.

“This level is obviously beyond the novice area players,” Lu Ming thought.

“They must be from the Second Heaven, the main city area,” he mused, frowning.

He hadn’t expected Ye Chen to have such thorough protection. It dawned on him that the dozens of level 10 players who initially followed him weren’t bodyguards but leveling partners.

According to Tianyuan’s team formation rules, players can only team up if their highest level difference does not exceed ten levels. If higher-level players left monsters weakened, even if Ye Chen delivered the finishing blow, he wouldn’t gain any rewards.

Thus, these level 30, fourth-advancement players were Ye Chen’s true bodyguards.

This complicated matters.

Though Lu Ming’s necromancer warriors, after his full enhancement and formation strengthening, could rival players as high as level 15, they were no match for level 30 players.

Of course, Lu Ming could wait until he reached level 20 before attempting to kill Ye Chen. By then, his necromancer warriors would have the power to crush level 30 players easily.

But once a player reaches level 10, they can leave the novice zone and pass through the First Heaven of Tianyuan to enter the Second Heaven.

Even if Lu Ming leveled up quickly, with so many level 10 boosters backing Ye Chen, his progress could never be slow.

By the time Lu Ming reached level 20, Ye Chen would likely be level 10 already, having entered the Second Heaven.

At that time, with countless level 40 and 50 players in the Second Heaven, and Ye Chen arranging even more high-level bodyguards, it would be even harder for Lu Ming to kill him.

Therefore, Lu Ming had to eliminate Ye Chen within the novice zone.

“The strength of these level 30, fourth-advancement players is too great. My necromancers are melee fighters; I probably wouldn’t even get close to Ye Chen before being instantly killed,” Lu Ming thought.

“Moreover, if I act rashly without a guaranteed one-hit kill, I’d only alert them. I need a way to distract those level 30 players.”

If only Ye Chen were isolated, he would be easy to kill.

But how to make him fall alone?

As he pondered, a familiar figure suddenly flashed across Lu Ming’s mind—Lin Youwei.

Lu Ming knew Ye Chen truly liked Lin Youwei. For her, he had willingly stayed behind in the third-tier coastal city, giving up the chance to develop in the capital city with Ye Ling’er.

A major part of Ye Chen’s desire for fame and fortune was to win Lin Youwei’s heart.

Lu Ming recalled Ye Ling’er once telling him, “Why don’t you go to Chenchen’s livestream and support him? Send him some gifts.”

“Chenchen said if he becomes a big internet celebrity, he can catch up to Lin Youwei. My brother only likes that one girl; I want to help him!”

At the time, Lu Ming was saving money to buy a house and marry Ye Ling’er.

But Ye Ling’er said, “The house can wait. My brother’s matter can’t. If Lin Youwei is taken by someone else, my brother will regret it forever.”

“After all, he’s my brother and yours. Plus, my mom said if we marry, you don’t have to pay a bride price!”

Foolishly, Lu Ming believed Ye Ling’er and spent tens of thousands of yuan on gifts for Ye Chen’s livestream over seven days.

Though it was of little use.

Lin Youwei’s rejection of Ye Chen was purely because she didn’t like him—not because he was insignificant and unknown.

Recalling how last night, three assassins sent by Ye Chen had killed Lin Youwei’s brother, intending to force themselves on her, revealed Ye Chen’s ruthless intentions toward Lin Youwei.

“Using Lin Youwei to get close to Ye Chen could make him lower his guard. Then I can find a chance to isolate him more easily,” Lu Ming reasoned.

But then the problem arose.

A genuine opportunity had once stood before Lu Ming, but he hadn’t cherished it. Now, when it was lost, he regretted it deeply.

If only heaven would grant him a second chance...

“I should have agreed to help Lin Youwei avenge her brother last night!”

But where could he find Lin Youwei now?

Just as Lu Ming was lost in thought, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear: “Want to kill him? I’ll help you.”

Startled, Lu Ming turned to see five players approaching.

The leader was a young archer clad in silver chainmail. Though looking about eighteen, his eyes bore the sharpness of a battle-hardened veteran.

Above his head, a white ID was clearly visible: Lv9 First-Advancement Archer—Tianxuan·Eternal.

As Lu Ming wondered where he had seen such an ID before, he noticed a familiar face beside Tianxuan·Eternal.

It was a knight clad in flame-forged armor, about thirty years old. Lu Ming immediately recognized him as Tianxuan·Zongheng, who had run the Moon Demon Sanctuary dungeon with him last night.

The other three also had IDs beginning with “Tianxuan.”

Since the advent of Tianyuan, which gradually dominated the human world, major player guilds, teams, and clans had risen.

This Tianxuan was obviously an organized group.

Feigning ignorance, Lu Ming asked Tianxuan·Eternal, “Are you talking to me?”

Tianxuan·Eternal stopped before Lu Ming and said, “Join my team, and I’ll help you kill that Chen Emperor. How about it?”

Lu Ming was stunned again, surprised that the other seemed to read his thoughts.

Feigning confusion, he asked, “What are you talking about?”

Tianxuan·Eternal smiled faintly. “Don’t pretend. The desire to kill someone can’t be hidden in your eyes. I’ve been watching you for a while.”

Before Lu Ming could respond, Tianxuan·Eternal continued, “He has so many level 30 bodyguards. Killing him is like climbing a mountain.”

“Our Tianxuan team has hundreds of players above level 100. Killing them would be as easy as crushing a bunch of ants.”

“That is, if you’re willing to join us Tianxuan. Of course, I won’t shortchange you. Besides helping you kill that guy, I’ll pay you a monthly salary starting at 100,000 yuan. How’s that?”

One hundred thousand per month!

Honestly, Lu Ming was tempted.

But having been a dog living under others’ roofs in his past life, he refused to be bound by anyone again.

Besides, he had to kill Ye Chen himself to savor the pleasure of revenge.

Moreover, these strangers’ backgrounds were unknown. Their true intentions were unclear.

Cautiously, Lu Ming declined politely, “Thank you, but no.”

“Also, I just dislike him; I’m not at the point of wanting to kill him. Don’t misunderstand.”

With that, Lu Ming turned and walked away.

Watching Lu Ming’s retreating figure, Tianxuan·Shadow, an 8th-level assassin, rolled up his sleeves and said fiercely, “This guy doesn’t know what’s good for him. Captain, let me teach him a lesson!”

Tianxuan·Eternal reached out to stop him. “We are civilized people; don’t act recklessly at the slightest provocation.”

“Besides, you’re no match for him.”

Hearing this, Tianxuan·Shadow scoffed, “Pfft. Although he’s the same level as me, he’s just some lowly sewer-class trickster with no damage and no tankiness. I can kill him before he even reacts, one combo.”

Just then, the knight Tianxuan·Zongheng glanced at the boastful Tianxuan·Shadow and said, “No exaggeration.”

“That guy killing you would be like crushing a chick.”

Tianxuan·Shadow was clearly not convinced. “I don’t believe it!”

He rolled up his sleeves again. “Unless you let me go show him a thing or two!”

Tianxuan·Eternal looked at Tianxuan·Shadow. “I told you, we are civilized. No recklessness.”

“We have this guy in Tianxuan’s sights.”

“Keep a close watch on him. If anyone dares to steal our people...”

Before he finished, Tianxuan·Shadow rolled up his sleeves again. “Then we’ll show him a thing or two!”

Tianxuan·Eternal looked at Tianxuan·Shadow with disdain. “Why are you so reckless?”

“I’ll say it again: we are civilized.”

He paused, expression unchanged. “Whoever dares to steal from Tianxuan, we deal with them!”

“Understood!!!”