Chapter 1667: Chapter 61: Gathering of Stars_3

“Use your brain, will you? Trojan gathered everyone here, clearly not for a team battle. Buddha Mother is the real target.” A bold voice rang out, filled with openness and cheerfulness. “The scenery’s nice. Hurry up and set up a campfire, take a rest!”

“Who is he?”

The question was inevitable. Vasily’s appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention. A man like him is akin to a comet—wherever he goes, the world’s gaze follows.

Vasily, the old soldier, still sported his usual attire: a mud- and alcohol-stained Soviet-era military uniform, layered with a green military coat. Through the open collar, one could see the striped blue sailor’s shirt beneath.

“Yo, Bingxu, long time no see. Your complexion still looks good.” Vasily took off the paratrooper’s hat on his head, tucked it beneath his shoulder patch, and walked toward Bingxu.

Natalya, clad in a Soviet-style military uniform that had been tailored into a skirt, remained expressionless as she directed her allies to rest, organizing the logistics with meticulous precision.

Earlier, some people had been admiring the beautiful deputy officer’s silk-stocking-clad long legs, but upon hearing Vasily’s nickname mentioned, they quickly withdrew their gaze.

“Is that the King of War? The man touted as the number one in team battles?”

Even though they knew anyone who could casually converse with Bingxu must be a heavyweight, hearing the real identity of this old drunkard left everyone astonished. They couldn’t help it—Vasily’s appearance was truly disheveled.

It would have been one thing if his hair was unkempt, but Vasily was also clutching a vodka bottle in his hand, utterly plastered.

“Comrade, seeing the number of group members you still have, I knew right away I wasn’t wrong about you!” Vasily stood beside Tang Zheng, reeking of alcohol as he patted him on the shoulder. “Come, cheers!”

The bottle’s mouth had a few stains, but Tang Zheng didn’t mind. Hearing Vasily’s words, he took the bottle and gulped down several swigs. He understood Vasily’s character—if you refused, it meant you looked down on him.

“Good lad. Next time, I’ll treat you to some hundred-year-aged liquor I’ve been saving.” Vasily plopped himself down beside Bingxu, tilted his head back, took a swig, and carelessly let some of the liquid trickle down his mouth. Then, looking at the crowd, he barked, “What are you staring at? I’m not some circus monkey, damn it.”

His voice thundered through the air like an explosion. Everyone, except Elizabeth, quickly averted their eyes.

White light flickered constantly as more teams teleported to the volcano’s crater. However, none of the arrivals were particularly renowned, failing to catch much attention.

“Miss Yi, come over and have a drink.” Vasily grinned and called out to the Blade Empress. “Mirene, still wetting the bed?”

“You’re the one who wets the bed, and my sister’s name is Elizabeth,” Mirene snapped back, rolling her eyes at Vasily.

Elizabeth showed no arrogance, merely nodded lightly in acknowledgment. As for drinking, her usual disciplined nature made it an absolute no-go.

“What a golden opportunity, completely wasted.” Some group leaders were eager to build connections with Bingxu and Vasily, but apart from Tang Zheng and a few acquaintances, they simply ignored the others—for them, these people didn’t have enough clout.

Shooting the prominent bird often draws the hunter’s arrow, and Tang Zheng had no intention of standing out and risking being heavily targeted during intelligence gathering. In future team battles, that would be disastrous. Still, he couldn’t outright reject the goodwill of the two veterans.

“Tang Zheng, let me tell you something: as a strong fighter, you should exude dominance. Fight with honor and courage.” Vasily, having crossed more bridges in his life than Tang Zheng had walked roads, instantly saw through Tang Zheng’s concerns and offered his advice. “Don’t imitate that snail-shell behavior from Di Jingfei in your Asia Region. He keeps playing it low-key—all while being the number one—like some damn turtle hiding in its shell.”

“Who dares to slander our group leader? Are you tired of living?”

Light flashed as the Dragon King Group teleported to the volcano crater. Before Li Yuan’s vision even adjusted, he heard someone mocking their group leader and immediately unleashed a torrent of insults.

That single remark was like stirring up a hornet’s nest. Vasily was considered a war god to the Russian team, having benefited many of their members. Upon hearing this, not only Moscow refused to hold back—hundreds of teams rose to their feet.

“Well, this promises to be good entertainment.”

Without needing instructions, bystanders quickly backed away, wary of becoming collateral damage.

“Vasily, don’t push the limits of my tolerance.” Di Jingfei snorted coldly, casting a glance at the two men before faintly furrowing his brows. Tang Zheng was unexpectedly standing alongside them—what was going on?

“Tang Zheng, you thief, hand over the spoils of war immediately!” Li Yuan, proud as the leader of Asia Region’s top group, was confident and dismissive of Vasily and his cohorts. Especially furious that their unique equipment had been stolen, his rage made him want blood.

“What’s happening?” Vasily gave Tang Zheng a surprised look, then interrogated Li Yuan, “You must be mistaken. Do you honestly think a man like him would steal your equipment?”

“Just now, the props dropped by Dark Avalokitesvara were all taken by him,” Li Yuan accused, with some members partial to the Dragon King Group secretly sending out messages. “Four items in total. Hand them over now!”

“Hey, did your brain stop working? In the boss fight, we ranked first in points, so the spoils are ours by right!”

Lu Fan cursed Li Yuan furiously, “You’re not just a robber—you’re also a swindler!”

“Ranked first? Am I hearing things? The Dragon King Group actually got suppressed?”

“There’s no faking it. The points rankings are always open for viewing.”

Hearing the murmuring around them, Li Yuan’s face turned bright red, and even Di Jingfei’s lips twitched ever so slightly. As a leading figure, there was no way he could admit that at the last moment, Avalokitesvara’s ultimate ability had teleported him away. That would only make their side seem petty.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Lu Fan stood with one hand on her hip and flipped him the middle finger.

“Even if we’re second, we still deserve two items,” Li Yuan stammered. But as the words left his mouth, the surrounding crowd immediately broke into a commotion. That statement alone was tantamount to admitting the truth.

“Enough! Shut up.” Di Jingfei, being conceited to his core, preferred foregoing the spoils rather than enduring further humiliation. But the feud was set, and he vowed to make the Warhammer Team suffer unimaginable misery.

Everyone knew these two teams were now sworn enemies. As they looked at Tang Zheng’s unchanged expression, just as someone was about to comment on his steady heart, yet another provocation arose.

“So you’re Tang Zheng.” A burly man stood amidst the crowd, his eagle-like eyes fixed on Tang Zheng as though they could pierce him through. “When the opportunity comes, I will definitely seek a lesson from you!” (To be continued. If you enjoy this story, you’re welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)