Chapter Fifty-Two: The Exquisite Colt Edition

“Senior Sister, this is the extraordinary Chen Baxian, disciple of Elder Wang Wu. He says he has urgent business with you.” Cuilian brought Chen Hao before a tall woman.

Chen Hao curiously scrutinized this Senior Sister of the Red Lantern Society. Her features were exquisitely carved, her frame tall and athletic. She wore a bright red fitted garment and held a pair of willow-leaf blades in her hands, projecting a bold, heroic aura.

Lin Hei’er was cold and aloof when she saw Chen Hao, but upon hearing he was Wang Wu’s disciple, her expression softened. “So you’re Brother Wang’s disciple. What brings you to me?”

Chen Hao recounted the incident of Zhang Yuanyuan’s capture. Lin Hei’er snorted. “I warned Junior Sister Zhang Yuanyuan that the magistrate was not to be trusted, but she wouldn’t listen. Now she’s paid the price!”

“Player Chen Hao, congratulations on completing Wang Wu’s quest: ‘Find Lin Hei’er.’”

Chen Hao had no idea what reward Wang Wu would grant him, but the absence of any immediate reward made him rather happy. The system never had players toil in vain; if a quest carried no reward, it must be part of a chain, with rewards accumulating in the next stage. So, with nothing gained, he was certain Lin Hei’er had another task for him.

After a few complaints, Lin Hei’er’s face grew worried. “The officials from the Inspectorate have gone to Penglai. They will surely use severe interrogations, and Junior Sister Zhang will suffer greatly. I must hurry to rescue her.”

“Senior Sister, Elder Zhao and Elder Yan invited us to show our skills here. If we leave so abruptly, the other two Branches may never meet us again.”

The girl who spoke was clad in emerald silk, wearing a green battle robe, and even her shoes were green. Among the hundreds of Red Lantern women in red attire, this solitary spot of green made her stand out sharply.

Her appearance was gentle and refined, her figure graceful, no less striking than Lin Hei’er. Lin Hei’er gave off an impression of martial valor, but the girl combined that with unrivaled beauty.

“Cuiyun Lady,” Chen Hao quickly recalled the name. Though Lin Hei’er was Senior Sister in the Red Lantern, Cuiyun Lady’s fame matched hers. In reality, Chen Hao had read her biography; among the heroines of modern times, aside from Qiu Jin, Cuiyun Lady was his favorite.

When the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded the capital, Cuiyun Lady led the martial folk in fierce street fighting against the invaders, battling through day and night. Later, many leaders of the Boxer Society defected to the foreigners, becoming guides for the Alliance, with some even using their newfound power to rob and kill.

Cuiyun Lady summoned these leaders; countless members of the Boxer Society admired her, and these leaders were no exception, so they gladly attended her banquet. At the feast, she slammed her cup, pointing at them in furious accusation. Enraged, a few sought to kill her. Disappointed and furious, Cuiyun Lady slew them all and quietly left the capital, vanishing without a trace.

She was hailed as the Goddess of the Luo River, unmatched in beauty, famed for her agility—said to leap a yard with ease. In terms of skill and looks, she surpassed Lin Hei’er, though she always deferred to her Senior Sister and obeyed her commands.

Lin Hei’er valued Cuiyun Lady’s counsel greatly. She said, irritably, “If we delay any longer, I fear Junior Sister Zhang will suffer disaster, and I’ll regret it for life.”

Cuiyun Lady gazed at the village stronghold. “Branch Leaders Zhao and Yan have brought thousands, all skilled in martial arts. They should soon be able to seize the church. When the time comes, I’ll go with Senior Sister to Penglai County.”

Lin Hei’er shook her head. “Those Russians are armed with firearms and strange weapons, and there are many others, including extraordinary people, defending the church. The two Branch Leaders have lost dozens already and failed to take it. I doubt the church will fall today.”

After Zhao Sanduo and Yan Shuqin led the martial folk to besiege the church, Qinghe County automatically generated a regional quest. Players could choose to join the church’s defense or the Boxer Society’s assault, with a maximum of two hundred players per side.

Some Boxer Society methods were wrong, such as massacring innocent church members, so players could reasonably choose either side. The church’s defenders were weaker, so joining them brought great benefit: every defending player received firearms.

If the church successfully repelled the Boxer Society’s assault, the defending players would keep their firearms as a reward. If the church fell, defenders would lose a level each, and attackers would gain one. Players could also earn experience by killing their rivals, making the conflict fierce. The Boxer Society had launched two attacks, losing dozens, and a dozen or so attacking players had died as well.

Upon hearing Lin Hei’er’s words, Cuiyun Lady suddenly said, “Senior Sister, we can’t communicate smoothly with those extraordinary people, but Chen Nephew is one of them. Let him command the others—perhaps he can help the Branch Leaders take the Qinghe church sooner.”

Lin Hei’er turned to Chen Hao. “Nephew Baxian, you heard Cuiyun Lady. Will you lead the extraordinary players in the assault? If you can break through the church’s defenses, I’ll give you this strange firearm in my hand—it’s of no use to me, so how about I gift it to you?”

The revolver in Lin Hei’er’s hand caught Chen Hao’s eye. It shone silver, with an ivory-inlaid grip, looking exceptionally luxurious. Such ornate pistols were custom-made, never ordinary or standard issue—at least a noble edition.

Aside from superior attributes to standard versions, noble firearms rarely malfunctioned and wore down slowly. After the invention of automatic pistols, revolvers’ weaknesses became apparent: low capacity, a gap between barrel and cylinder where high-pressure gas could escape and lower bullet velocity, among other issues. Still, Chen Hao liked this gun.

The revolver was compact and reliable, small in size, light in weight, and most importantly, easily cleared misfires during firing—a feature Chen Hao favored greatly. After learning reloading, he never used reloaded bullets for leveling, since they often jammed, but with revolvers, that problem vanished.

“Player Chen Hao, NPC Lin Hei’er gives you a quest: ‘Assault the Church.’ Quest condition: Lead other players to breach the church. Quest reward: Noble Edition Colt M1873. Accept?”

Chen Hao accepted the quest, and Lin Hei’er smiled. “Nephew Baxian, I’ll explain to Elders Zhao Sanduo and Yan Shuqin that you’ll command the Boxer Society players. The foreigners’ weapons are formidable; be careful.”

“Thank you for the warning, Auntie. I’ll be cautious.” After speaking, Chen Hao looked toward the group of players behind the stronghold. At present, his command level was only ten; leading a rabble to break through would be no easy feat!

(Thanks to Snow Miss for the generous reward. Today I read many reviews and wanted to improve some details, so there are only two chapters today. Next one will be uploaded at midnight.)