Chapter 25: Falling in Rank

"Li Xin, what illness do you have? How did you end up with muscle stiffness?"
"If you’re sick, you should just rest at home instead of driving out here. Aren’t you afraid of having a sudden attack while on the road? That’s playing fast and loose with your own life."
"Well, I suppose I’m more worried than you are. Just make sure you take care of yourself."
"Why don’t we just call it a day? I’d feel bad taking your money when you’re here all sick."

Even sipping his drink couldn’t stop Er Gouzi’s chatter. Once they’d become familiar, he was a complete chatterbox, none of that aloof act from before. Li Xin could only smile wryly to himself, ignored him, took his medicine, and lay down to rest. His symptoms lately had been mild, and with a bit of rest, he recovered quickly.

By three thirty in the afternoon, though Er Gouzi kept saying he was going to leave, he stayed put. After all, a big client had just given him seventeen thousand; it would be a bit heartless to walk away so soon. Once Li Xin was up and looking better, Er Gouzi grinned and pulled out a cigarette, offering it over.

"Want one?"

"Why not?" Li Xin accepted with a smile.

Er Gouzi was surprised. "I thought you were ill and wouldn’t smoke."

Li Xin just chuckled.

"By the way, you’re pretty good at games. I thought someone as well-off as you wouldn’t bother playing," Er Gouzi remarked.

Lighting up, Li Xin took a long drag and let the smoke form a perfect ring before flicking it apart with a few taps, scattering the mist into the air.

"Just something to pass the time," he said.

"Want to play again?"

"Why not?"

At that, Er Gouzi fell silent for a moment, then broke into a grin. "You know what, since we get along, I’ll play with you for free this time."

"Alright."

They plugged in the console and, without any unnecessary formalities, chose the same characters as earlier. The battle was fierce from the start, both launching special moves head-on. When their power wasn’t fully charged, they alternated simple attacks and defenses, but once they hit maximum charge, they unleashed their ultimate skills without hesitation—trading blows in a heated contest.

"Wow, you’ve gotten a lot better," Er Gouzi frowned. Earlier, Li Xin had been no match for him, but now, suddenly, his skill had soared, nearly matching him blow for blow.

"It’s been a while since I played. I just needed to get back in the groove," Li Xin replied calmly.

Familiarity…
Er Gouzi suddenly froze, recalling the confidence and dominance in Li Xin’s eyes at noon. Despite losing five times in a row, Li Xin had never seemed discouraged; if anything, his fighting spirit only grew stronger. Suddenly, Er Gouzi understood: he had thought to hire Li Xin as his sparring partner, but now it seemed he himself had become the one providing practice.

Li Xin simply smiled, offering no rebuttal.

Er Gouzi’s annoyance was mixed with delight. It was rare to meet a worthy opponent. He finally understood why the legendary swordsman sought challengers across the land—loneliness was unbearable for the truly skilled. Wasn’t he in the same boat? In all his months of business, he hadn’t met a single formidable opponent. The few times he lost, outsiders credited it to clumsy fingers, never suspecting he’d done it on purpose—after all, too perfect a record might scare off customers.

"Hmph, you’re good, but I’m not afraid," Er Gouzi’s demeanor changed, all joking set aside. His eyes narrowed with sharp intensity, and his hands moved twice as fast on the controller, stringing together new combos.

In the game, K’s limbs twisted with octopus-like agility, translating Er Gouzi’s commands into bizarre, unpredictable movements. Before K, a brilliant blue shield formed, absorbing most of Leona’s onslaught. K’s HP dropped only slowly, and he charged forward undeterred, knocking Leona flying.

Blood flowed from Li Xin’s left shoulder, soaking his chest in an instant. He smiled faintly, leaving Er Gouzi puzzled—Li Xin always seemed a little strange. What Er Gouzi couldn’t know was that, for Li Xin, game data rendered as code became reality in his world.

"V-shaped Golden Slash!" Li Xin shouted, unleashing Leona’s ultimate attack—a golden-edged hand chop barreling toward K. Almost simultaneously, he triggered another super move: Spinning Spark.

A blinding golden light burst forth like a bomb, exploding into a cascade of sparks that filled the entire screen.

"Damn! That’s brutal!" Er Gouzi’s eyes widened in shock as he scrambled to respond.

Bang!

K was blasted away, hit the ground, and his HP dropped to zero.

Game Over!

Leona, in a celebratory sequence, performed three consecutive backflips, landed beside K, and with a flourish, unfastened her jacket to reveal her impressive curves and a striking red bra—her most iconic victory pose, reserved for moments of true triumph. It was as if she were telling K: I am the strongest! This battle wore me out—I need a break…

"I… I lost…" Er Gouzi stared dumbfounded at the screen, at a loss for words. The difference in Li Xin’s skill from noon to now was staggering. Remembering how Li Xin manipulated eight buttons with four fingers, Er Gouzi finally realized: Li Xin was the real master here.

Though perhaps not a true master yet—after all, his Leona wasn’t yet flawless enough to win every time. This victory had come from catching Er Gouzi off guard.

"Again!" Er Gouzi barked, pressing start. This time, he was fully focused, bringing out the best of his skills. Though Li Xin was a valued client and this match was free, his pride as a gamer was on the line.

To be honest, Er Gouzi felt a certain awe toward Li Xin. The man was almost monstrous—each round, his skill leaped forward. From losing every match to now occasionally winning, Li Xin’s ability to learn and adapt was formidable.

The sun tilted westward, dusk painting the sky. Over the small town, the deep blue canopy was bathed in thick gold by the setting sun, draping the white walls and green waters in radiant evening light. Amidst the town’s haunting beauty, a trace of desolation lingered, strange and hard to describe.

Inside the rustic inn, Li Xin and Er Gouzi lost track of time, lost in their duels, neither willing to concede.

Ding!

[System Message]: Current HP: 88/100. Phantasm-Real Fusion state has expired.

Having only managed one round with Leona before losing, Li Xin was disappointed to find he’d dropped out of the fusion state again. Er Gouzi was simply too strong—every time he sensed Li Xin improving, he’d switch to an unpredictable offensive. If this were CrossFire, Li Xin could have crushed him, but this was King of Fighters—Er Gouzi’s territory.

Ding!

[System Message]: Game failed. 350 growth points deducted.

Ding!

You have been demoted.

Li Xin: Spirit of the Game
Level: 8
Experience: 710/800
Attribute Points: 0
Special Skill: Heaven and Earth

Li Xin was crestfallen. He’d thought that working hard would be enough to raise his "King of Games" level. In CrossFire, he’d never met a top-tier opponent and almost never lost. But after a whole day of King of Fighters, he’d lost so often he was stuck oscillating between levels eight and nine, now realizing the system deducted experience for defeats.

Fortunately, leveling up again only affected his character level; attribute points, once set, couldn’t be changed. That was some consolation.

Taking a deep breath, he dove back into the fight. This time, he was determined to score an A rating or higher, re-enter the game world, and continue perfecting his close-combat system training.