In Virtual Reality

nuts…I won't even entertain you.】

Celestial Master recovered from his earlier shock and began reading through the barrage of comments while massaging his legs, which felt as soft as noodles.
Then he stood up.

Huh? Where was his peach wood sword?

Although he could fashion a peach wood sword as a “Taoist card” holder, the premium peach wood was so valuable in the game's online store! How could he spend money to make one himself instead of keeping a fragrant one for free!

“Yī wū wū——” a familiar ghost cry came from somewhere.
Celestial Master searched for the source and found the female ghost chasing him right before the “master.”

However…

The master had seized his peach wood sword with one hand and clutched a yellow talisman with the other, squeezing it firmly onto the female ghost's forehead.
Despite the talisman scorching their fingers, they did not intend to relinquish it.
The peach wood sword held by the other side was thrust into the female ghost's chest, piercing through a pale blue Hydrangea flower and pressing against the ghost's grey-black, cracked collarbone.
With a tremble, two or three pale petals unwillingly fell off.

The female ghost wasn't giving up without a fight.
Her spectral fingers stretched forward as though to throttle the master's sinewy neck.
But alas, she writhed in agony, the yellow talisman affixed to her forehead burning with intense heat.

“Be calm, be calm,” the master's voice echoed with a glacial edge yet carrying an undertone of tenderness.
“The pain shall pass.”

Celestial Master, hovering behind the master, quivered at the words that slipped from the master's lips like a sweet hiss of a serpent.

In a moment that felt like a frozen eternity, the peach wood sword impaled the apparition's incorporeal form with a shattering crunch.
The yellow talisman on her forehead was stained red, and the ghost howled with an ear-piercing scream that seemed to warp the very fabric of reality.
As if awoken from a deep slumber, she regained control and abruptly withdrew, leaving behind nothing but a trail of dark soot.

The threat had been vanquished.
Celestial Master let out a sigh of relief and wiped away the non-existent sweat from his brow.
“Thank you, my friend.
May I have my sword back, please?”

“It's a nifty tool,” the master turned with a twirl of his longsword, regarding it with a strange fondness.
“Here you go.” A flick of his wrist sent the peach wood sword spinning towards Celestial Master, who snatched it out of the air with haste, mindful of its worth.

“Are you a player as well?” Celestial Master inquired, his yellow sleeve wiping away the black fluid from the blade.
“My gamer handle is 【Master in Tribulation Crossing】.
And yours, sir?”

With a subtle expression, Celestial Master surveyed the default character avatar model standing before him.
“Boss, why do you use default skins to play the game?” he queried, his tone filled with curiosity.

To his surprise, the boss, who had maintained a cool, collected demeanour while fighting monsters before, appeared to give the matter some thought.
Eventually, they admitted, “Can't afford anything else.”

Celestial Master's eyes widened in disbelief.
“……”

Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, Celestial Master raised his hand to helplessly rub his forehead.
“This is an internal test game that Excelsior made, after all.
Even if you came here just to stir up trouble, dressing nicely could still earn you some traffic money in the live broadcast room, right?”

“Live broadcast?” The boss looked bewildered for a moment but quickly grew interested.
“You started a live broadcast?”

“Yes.” Celestial Master replied with a resigned shrug of his shoulders.
“Making money isn't easy, so Celestial Master has to sell his skills.”

【Making money is tough, but running away is always an option.】

【I'm always afraid that Celestial Master will make enough money and leave us behind…】

【We might be poor, but we're still willing to spend money!】

【So, is this all just a case of having a big appetite for being cheap?】

【If only you'd stop drawing and buy an identity card, Celestial Master's card pool would be full by now.】

Celestial Master shook his head with a sigh.
“You guys have had your fun.
Don't expose people's weaknesses.”

The boss smiled and even raised a hand to wave.
“Hello, everyone!”

【Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!】

【Big brother, you're the real deal!】

【 Host, why don't you go up and hug this default skin player's thigh?!】

After reading the barrage, Celestial Master muttered, “You expect a million-fan anchor to go hug a default skin player's thigh? No way.”

Celestial Master mulled over other players' recent actions and ground his teeth together.
“Let us become sworn brothers, nothing more,” he spat out, “I will be the eldest brother, and you shall be the second brother!”

【Unscrupulous and merciless.】

【Such a thick-skinned face; it's almost impressive.
It's as though the world circles around him…】

Celestial Master remained silent, ignoring the current situation and focusing on the player before him.
“What's your ID?” he inquired, “Once the game concludes, I'll head over to your live stream and assist in garnering more viewers, so you can at least earn some extra cash and change that wretched default skin of yours, alright?” He cringed slightly.
“You didn't even alter the skin's voice? It's unbearable.
Change it to your own.”

Celestial Master pressed some button in his interface, and a deeper voice surged forth as he spoke, causing him to radiate an aura of righteousness.
“Observe, my skin is extremely fashionable!” he proclaimed righteously.
“Mate, let's exchange game IDs.
I'll follow you, and you follow me.
As a gesture of gratitude for your prior assistance, I'll help you amass more viewers.”

“Can the sound be toggled on and off?” The player mused momentarily before joining in and pressing a button on the menu.
They resumed speaking, “As for me, I don't do live streaming, but we can follow each other.
My ID is Excelsior.”

Their sweet, high-pitched feminine voice reverberated throughout Celestial Master's livestream room, causing him to momentarily freeze.

“What's the matter?” they frowned, “Are you experiencing network connectivity issues?”

“Ah ah ah ah ah!!! Excelsior!!!” Celestial Master howled, resembling a frenzied wolf in old cartoons, as he reverted to his original voice.

“Eh!” Celestial Master gazed at the default model before him, suddenly captivated by the radiance that emanated from the figure.
Even the plain hoodie now looked incredibly charming and cool.
Celestial Master's voice was firm: “I am your dog, ahhhh!!!”

Xu Jin Yi raised a brow: “?”

The blank barrage area sluggishly glided across the screen and revealed a single digit.

【6】

 

——— Translator's Notes ———

红衣煞 (hóng yī shà) – the Red-clothed Fiend, a type of female ghost in Chinese folklore

Chad 慕强人: Mù Qiáng rén: Chinese internet slang for someone who is obsessed with being strong and powerful.

原皮卡: Yuán Píkǎ: The Chinese name for Pikachu from the popular game and anime franchise Pokémon.

Tribulation Crossing: A term used in Chinese mythology to refer to the process of overcoming challenges and reaching enlightenment.

“大佬” (dà lǎo) refers to someone who is highly skilled or experienced in a particular field.
It can also mean “boss” or “big shot”.