Chapter 00234: A Deceptive Swap
# A Deceptive Swap
Chapter 234
Novel: AFK Game: Portal to Another World
Chapter 234 A Deceptive Swap
Without the constraint of a powerful authority, a spontaneously formed order can easily collapse over a small matter.
And now, it had collapsed.
The crowd, which had just agreed to a martial arts competition for the treasure, now charged forward like rabid dogs after a piece of meat, their eyes bloodshot as they stared intently at the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow.
It was a good thing this was an item of the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure grade; if it had been an ordinary herb, this mob would have likely torn it to shreds.
Yang Yiyi grew anxious at the sight.
Although Li Chengxi had said it would be best to get it but it wouldn't matter if they didn't, very few people could remain calm with such a great treasure right before them, especially someone like Yang Yiyi who was accustomed to poverty.
"Put down the Dragon Mallow! We can compete again!"
Yang Yiyi shouted a few times, but no one paid her any mind, so she had no choice but to dart forward and join the chaotic scramble.
Over on his side, Li Chengxi saw everyone clumping together.
Before he could even utter a word to stop her, Yang Yiyi had charged right in.
This girl was truly susceptible to the atmosphere.
Let them fight over it, why did you have to join in the chaos?
Logically, even if she really wanted the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow, she could have waited for them to tire each other out before jumping in.
Dealing with exhausted people was surely better than facing a group of pumped-up, red-eyed lunatics, right?
In reality, this hot-headed crowd hadn't even considered how they would escape after getting their hands on it.
With dozens of pairs of eyes on them, even someone who could fly would be shot down by hidden weapons.
Watching Yang Yiyi charge into the crowd, amidst a group of howling Jianghu swordsmen, it became even harder for her to hear Li Chengxi's voice.
Helpless, Li Chengxi got up to take care of something else first.
He would just let Yang Yiyi handle the scramble on her own.
As for Yang Yiyi, her physique, enhanced by the Sky-Upholding Stone, proved extremely effective in this chaotic scramble.
She was like a runaway truck, crashing straight into the fray.
But while she made it in, actually snatching the prize was still difficult.
Blades and swords flashed before her eyes.
The people who had been relatively civil a moment ago had now drawn their weapons and started a brawl.
The crucial Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was being tossed back and forth among a few people in the center.
Someone would just get their hands on it, only to be shoved aside by another.
As they reached out to grab it, someone else would swing a sword, scaring them into pulling their hand back.
It truly wasn't easy for Yang Yiyi to push her way through, especially as she got to where the crowd was densest.
Blades and swords flashed all around.
Not only did she have to guard against sneak attacks, but she also had to find moments to track the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow, which was incredibly frustrating.
"Hahahaha, a bunch of fools with high ambitions but little skill! This treasure is mine!"
Just then, a wild laugh echoed from behind Yang Yiyi.
Immediately after, she saw the young master in white—the one who had tried to leap across the river to pick the "Fire Ganoderma"—flying over their heads.
His timing was perfect.
The Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow, fought over by the people in the center, had just been tossed into the air.
The man reached out, snatched it, and held it securely in his arms.
He then lightly tapped his foot on one person's head, rising like a great bird on the wind and soaring toward the edge of the crowd.
There were thousands of martial arts in the world, each with its own strange style, but one had to admit, this man's lightness skill was truly more impressive than most.
Seeing that the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was about to be snatched away, several people immediately shot straight up into the air, leaping to grab it.
But the young master in white had leaped very high.
The others clearly lacked his superb leaping ability; they couldn't even touch the hem of his robes.
However, his lightness skill was more like gliding than flying, like a paper airplane.
He would have to land eventually, and he wasn't moving very fast.
Not moving fast, and gliding right over their heads—wasn't he just a sitting duck?
Seeing they couldn't catch him by leaping, several people immediately reached into their robes and unleashed a barrage of assorted hidden weapons.
Compared to being over the windy, rushing river, it was easier to maintain his balance now, but he couldn't possibly fend off so many hidden weapons.
No matter how high your evasion rate, if I fired a twelve-gauge shotgun shell, you'd still be coming down.
It was more or less the same principle.
As if history were repeating itself, the young master in white, tightly clutching the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow, had only glided a few meters before being struck down by a dense barrage of hidden weapons.
With a miserable cry, he fell into the crowd and was instantly swallowed up.
And just like that, the crowd grew even more frenzied.
"This treasure is mine, Gu Tao of the Thunderclap Sword! Aah!"
It sounded like another familiar name, but Yang Yiyi paid it no mind.
She had just squeezed through the crowd and rushed over, only to see the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow being thrown into the air once more.
She was much closer this time.
Seeing her chance, she executed the Fish Leap Technique and shot up to grab it.
And just like before, she wasn't the only one leaping up to seize it.
Several people flew up at the same time, all reaching for the falling Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow, but they all noticed one another as well.
Yang Yiyi executed a Mat Piercing the Clouds to knock aside the person next to her, then reached for the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow with a Mantis Pincer Hand.
Believe it or not, she actually managed to grab it, but only by a little.
To be precise, her fingers had just made contact and she was about to clench her fist when she felt her palm go empty.
The item had been pulled away.
Yang Yiyi was furious.
The initial idea of a martial arts competition for the treasure had been great; it felt very heroic, and she had even planned to best everyone and make a name for herself.
She never expected it to devolve into such a disgraceful free-for-all.
This was no longer about the treasure.
Today, Yang Yiyi had to be the one to get it, otherwise she would never be able to stomach this insult.
Landing back on the ground, Yang Yiyi glanced at the location of the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow.
Without caring if anyone was in her way, she charged forward with her Iron Head Skill.
From the very beginning, the Iron Head Skill had always been Yang Yiyi's most practiced and most powerful move, but it was also the one she used the least.
Because it looked ugly.
Indeed, what great hero in a wuxia novel have you ever seen running around ramming into people all day like a runaway truck?
But Yang Yiyi couldn't care less about appearances anymore.
She took aim and unleashed a headbutt with the force of a battering ram.
The person she hit had his back to her, also chasing after the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow.
He never expected such a tremendous force to hit him from behind, and his whole body shot into the crowd like a cannonball.
In the packed crowd, the impact was like knocking over a domino.
The people in front fell one after another.
Some of the stronger individuals tried to hold their ground in a horse stance, but with the press of the crowd and Yang Yiyi's not-to-be-underestimated brute strength, they only managed to block for a literal instant before being toppled.
The person who had grabbed the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was just about to flee, and the others were about to give chase, but now they were all pinned down in the pile.
Yang Yiyi flicked her braid and just so happened to see the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow slip free as the person holding it fell.
With a shift of her feet, she pursued it using the footwork of the Misty River Technique.
The Misty River Technique was exceptionally nimble and incredibly fast.
Even as a mere fragment, it was a first-rate lightness skill.
The crowd, just scrambling to their feet, saw only a phantom flash past their eyes.
When they looked again, Yang Yiyi already had the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow in her hand.
Joy surged in Yang Yiyi's heart, but she immediately remembered that this was no time for celebration.
She had to run, now.
Then, she heard Li Chengxi's voice:
"Tuck it into your robes. Don't run holding it."
Yang Yiyi followed his instructions out of reflex, but that moment's delay was enough for the others to catch up.
A Dragon Mallow was not small, and the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was no exception, capable of growing to nearly a meter in height.
It wasn't something one could simply tuck away.
Yang Yiyi only managed to stuff the fruit-bearing part into her robes, leaving the roots dangling outside.
The pursuer was, of course, after the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow.
He lunged forward and grabbed its roots.
He didn't care if using too much force might damage its medicinal properties; he just yanked it forcefully from Yang Yiyi's grasp.
As it turned out, he had used too much force.
The bluish-green Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was sent flying into the air once again.
Yang Yiyi wanted to snatch it back, but two fists are no match for four.
After hastily parrying a few blows, she was forced to retreat.
By the time she looked up, the Heart-Purifying Dragon Mallow was already being carried away by someone running farther off.
"Don't get excited. Just follow them for a while. We'll find a moment when no one's watching to slip away."
"Huh? Brother Li, are we giving up on the treasure?"
"Who said we're giving up? Just do as I say. I'll explain it to you later."
From the tone of Li Chengxi's voice, she could tell that he already had victory in the palm of his hand.
(End of Chapter)