Chapter 45

Chapter 45 – Three Musketeers

The first season of the Miracle League was known as the ‘Five Gods Era’ by the netizens.

At that time, there happened to be exactly five of the strongest players— Wind Colour’s captain Ling Xuefeng, FTD’s captain Li Cangyu, the first captain of the Flying Feathers team Song Yang, the first captain of the Time team Xu Luo and the first captain of the Ghost Spirits team, Mo Quan.

These five people happened to be different races and their style of play was also unique.

Ling Xuefeng was good at the eruption style of a demon, Li Cangyu loved the fast movements of the elves, Song was the most stable player as a terran swordsman, Xu Luo’s white magic control of the angel race won the hearts of the people while Mo Quan preferred the assassination of the blood kin.

These five people were said to be the originators of the Chinese Miracle Professional League. Their influence on the Miracle League was extremely far-reaching, with many gameplay and strategies inspired by them.

In the first season, the Time team was the Miracle Branch established by the Huaxia Club. A lot of money was invested, the Time team was well-managed from the beginning and many masters were dug up. Under the leadership of Xu Luo, they won the championship in the first season.

In the second season, Wind Colour’s captain Ling Xuefeng and vice-captain Yuan Shaozhe double summoners controlled the field. The Wind Colour swept through the professional league with this momentum and won the championship of the second season.

Yuan Shaozhe was about to retire and started to train Xu Feifan, the successor to the blood kin summoner. Ling Xuefeng personally trained the current vice-captain Yan Ruiwen, the strongest black magician of the present day and this allowed the Wind Colour team to stand firm in the Miracle League.

Time and Wind Colour had won a championship but Flying Feathers had yet to prove themselves with a golden trophy.

Flying Feathers’ old captain, Song Yang had three apprentices. Su Guangmo and Yu Pingsheng were taken to the stadium as substitutes in the second season while the apprentice Xie Shurong officially debuted in the third season. Xie Shurong’s debut also contributed to the name ‘Three Musketeers.’

After Captain Song retired, many people thought that the Flying Feathers team might never get the trophy. However, under the leadership of the new captain Su Guangmo, the three swordsmen joined forces and actually sent the Flying Feathers team to the throne of the third season!

Since then, Time, Wind Colour and Flying Feathers had established an insurmountable position in the Miracle League.

Su Guangmo’s style was steady and very aggressive, fitting for a melee class. Yu Pingsheng’s mind was meticulous and his sword was delicate. He was the best at counterattacking. Xie Shurong liked to play the quick style and specialized in chasing healers, the sword in his hand chopping at the enemy’s spirit.

The Flying Feathers’ Three Musketeers became a legend and everyone was very optimistic about the future of the Flying Feathers team.

However, for some unknown reason, Xie Shurong left the Flying Feathers team after the end of the third season and Yu Pingsheng changed from a swordsman to a berserker!

This cold and slightly autistic person, why did he want to play the beast berserker?

Everyone couldn’t understand it.

Captain Su Guangmo didn’t explain. He just said, “I respect everyone’s choice.”

The confused reporters had many speculations—was there a feud between the brothers? Was it difficult for a mountain to accommodate two tigers? Was it a beautiful woman?

Unfortunately, no one answered their speculations and the loss of the Three Musketeers became a mystery in the Miracle League.

***

Three years passed in the blink of an eye. During the Flying Feathers training camp, the three of them were very happy. They lived together, ate together and trained together every day. Su Guangmo and Yu Pingsheng were very familiar with Xie Shurong’s style of play. Thus, once they looked at this video, they knew that this person was probably A’Shu or related to him.

It was already the end of the fourth season when Flying Feathers Liangshan joined. At the time, Xie Shurong had already left and Vice-Captain Yu changed to a berserker. The Three Musketeers became an old legend. He had never seen Xie Shurong but he heard rumours about Captain Song’s disciples.

It was said that Xie Shurong’s talent wasn’t any worse than his older brother, Su Guangmo. Before leaving the team, he seemed to have a big fight with Su Guangmo. However, Captain Su wasn’t willing to speak about it and no one dared ask.

Now Captain Su said that this Blossoming Tree might be his younger brother Xie Shurong. Flying Feathers Liangshan was so stunned that his jaw dropped. Once he recovered, he immediately got two level 52 swordsmen accounts from Frost and quickly sent the passwords to the captain.

Soon, two prompts appeared in the lower left corner.

[Your friend Bright Moon on the Sea is online.]

[Your friend End of the World is online.]

This were the side accounts Liangshan had just sent Su Guangmo. Once they realized that the people were online, Flying Feathers Liangshan shouted excitedly, “Come quickly, Captain Su and Vice-Captain Yu are online!”

The guild management people in the office immediately came over.

[What are the coordinates of Blossoming Tree?] Su Guangmo used the side account Bright Moon on the Sea to send Flying Feathers Liangshan a private chat.

“The western forest of Zeya Castle, near the coordinates 738.196. The six member team is still fighting the demon beast variants.” Flying Feathers Liangshan said quickly.

“Oh.” Su Guangmo replied before taking Yu Pingsheng to the forest.

***

The two people came to the western forest and found six people leveling there.

The paladin As the Name Suggests, the elf summoner Love to Eat Braised Fish, the angel priest Love to Eat Twice-cooked Pork, the terran swordsman Blossoming Tree, the black magician Steamed Bass and the white magician Awakened Magician. The six people had the guild name Food Squad above their heads.

Su Guangmo quickly looked over the other party’s lineup.

The paladin pulled the monster and the swordsman wasn’t working very hard. It was obviously very easy for them to clean up the demon beast variants. The six people were casually fighting.

While the Su and Yu duo observed them, Li Cangyu also noticed the two swordsmen not far away.

Bright Moon on the Sea and End of the World, they were obviously part of the 12 side accounts that were just wiped out. However, this time there were only two people and they stayed there motionless.

Li Cangyu was feeling curious when Bright Moon on the Sea came forward and spoke in the area channel: [This is a personal grudge and other people shouldn’t intervene. Give me Blossoming Tree.]

Xie Shurong was fighting the monsters and frowned when he saw this line. [Personal grudge?  I don’t know you.]

Su Guangmo laughed. [You will soon know me.]

Xie Shurong: [You are sick.]

Everyone, “…”

What was this situation? Wasn’t the area channel somehow becoming childish?

Li Cangyu and Bai Xuan exchanged awkward expressions.

Yu Pingsheng couldn’t stand it anymore and poked his brother’s arm. “He doesn’t know you are operating this side account. Duel him and he will see.”

“Yes.” Su Guangmo nodded and sent a request.

Xie Shurong accepted and rushed over.

He started with the swordsman’s skill Spirit Lock that would seal the opponent for three seconds. Then he would follow up with Light and Shadow Rotation and Breaking Bone Sword. This was Xie Shurong’s favourite combo.

However, he had just used Spirit Lock when the other person seemed to have guessed his thoughts. The opponent used a clever S-type swing displacement to smoothly escape the control of Spirit Lock!

Xie Shurong slightly frowned but his feet weren’t slow. He used the same time of displacement and avoided the opponent’s Spirit Lock control.

Both of them wasted their control skills. Xie Shurong used his fast hand speed to directly use a big move and Su Guangmo also opened a big move at the same time.

Light and Shadow Rotation!

The two human swordsmen used the same big skill. The swords in their hands waved through the air, causing an overlapping white sword light effect. The gorgeous light effect almost blinded the people.

Su Guangmo’s attack was very stable while Xie Shurong was very fast. The confrontation between the two swordsmen stunned the countless watching Flying Feathers Guild management.

Light and Shadow Rotation ended and both people had lost half blood.

Xie Shurong’s fighting spirit was aroused and he used Breaking Bone Sword to try and kill the other. However, the opponent moved the sword horizontally and successful blocked this strike. At the same time, he replied with Breaking Bone Sword.

Xie Shurong also used his sword to block, following by a sudden jump into the distance. Then he pressed the skill, Storm Strike!

This skill allowed a swordsman to instantly chase the enemy in front of him, while hitting the enemy’s sword with his sword, causing a three second stun effect.

This jump was extremely flexible. Unfortunately, the opponent seemed to know A’Shu very well. The moment A’Shu rushed forward, he nimbly turned 90 degrees and escaped this strike. He raised his sword again and the skill Soul Sword stabbed A’Shu’s chest!

Counterattacking while avoiding, decisive without wasting time…

Li Cangyu saw the two people PKing and couldn’t help feeling secretly scared.

The swordsman who came this time was extremely strong compared to the management of the guilds in the online game.

This man was steady when hit and didn’t panic when moving. Like a general on the battlefield, no matter how fierce the enemy attack, he would be steady as long as he had the sword in his hand.

This masterful play was the style of Song Yang, the old captain of Flying Feathers.

Li Cangyu stared at the battle.

After a few years of training, A’Shu was much steadier than when he played in the Three Musketeers. But he was still missing something compared to the person in front of him.

If A’Shu was a sharp killer good at fast attacks, the one in front of him was a stable general who wouldn’t blink if a mountain collapsed in front of him. He was so confident that he wasn’t flustered in front of A’Shu’s fast attacks.

The speed of the two men was fast and the blood volume on both sides rapidly decreased.

However, Li Cangyu could see that these two men weren’t doing their best. They were slightly reserved and trying to test each other.

The fact that it was so fierce proved the operator behind this account definitely wasn’t simple.

Was it Su Guangmo, the first of the Three Musketeers?

Li Cangyu thought this and couldn’t help looking back at Bai Xuan. “What do you think?”

They had been partners for many years and Bai Xuan immediately understood Li Cangyu’s meaning. He nodded and said, “It should be Su Guangmo.”

***

At this point, Ling Xuefeng controlling Steamed Bass had already recognized them.

Fans gave nicknames to many players. ‘Demon King’ Ling Xuefeng and ‘Human Emperor’ Su Guangmo were often mentioned by reporters at the same time.

The number of times the two of them played against each other wasn’t low. Wind Colour and Flying Feathers often met in heavyweight encounters such as the semi-finals or finals. Therefore, Ling Xuefeng could understand Su Guangmo’s style.

Su Guangmo’s debut time was only one year later than Ling Xuefeng and he took over as captain at the end of the second season. Compared to the players who took over after the third season ended such as Captain Luo, Captain Zhu, Captain Yang and Captain Tan, Ling Xuefeng and Su Guangmo experienced more events in the Miracle League and their foundation was more stable.

For Su Guangmo to be here meant that the side accounts who ambushed them today were people of the Flying Feathers Guild. They must’ve seen something and invited the captain.

Su Guangmo was obviously aiming at Blossoming Tree so this swordsman’s identity clearly wasn’t simple.

In the beginning, Ling Xuefeng played the account of Wind Colour’s president and they cleared several rounds of Frost Temple. Blossoming Tree deliberately hid his strength the entire team because he didn’t want to reveal his identity. Since Su Guangmo personally came to the game today, Ling Xuefeng could guess that this Blossoming Tree was the younger brother of Su Guangmo who had been missing for a long time: Xie Shurong.

Ling Xuefeng’s mood couldn’t help being complicated as he thought up to here.

Xie Shurong had left for Chinese Miracle League for three years. It was unexpected to meet him in the new district. IT seemed that Li Cangyu’s team was unexpectedly good. The ace Xie Shurong had joined, indicating that Li Cangyu’s new team would never be like the arbitrarily slaughtered FTD team.

Ling Xuefeng couldn’t help feeling happy for him.

Only strong teammates would allow Li Cangyu to play to his true level without any burdens.

It could be seen that the team led by Cat God would surely bring more surprises to the Miracle League next years!

Added a ko-fi for the people asking for an alternative to Patreon: