The Heavenly Radiance Emperor narrowed his eyes, staring at the single-bladed lone warrior before him.
"I hope when we meet next time, you can still say those words!"
The single-bladed lone warrior let out a cold snort and hastily retreated with his people.
Standing by, Ice Mountain Cold Moon and Six Paths remained silent.
Both of them had their own plans.
Although the single-bladed lone warrior had indeed caused them considerable trouble, for now, he was not a threat.
The Heavenly Radiance Emperor said, "What are your thoughts, my lords? This Tianshan Guild will be a problem sooner or later!"
Ice Mountain Cold Moon replied, "It's not much of a concern before it grows, but if it truly flourishes, it could pose a danger to us. However, for our Moon Palace, there's no current threat. I couldn't care less!"
So many guilds rose each year. As long as they posed no threat, they would be left to their own devices.
But if even the slightest hint of danger emerged, they would utterly annihilate the guild with devastating force.
This was precisely why the three major guilds dominated the landscape!
Six Paths stated, "My thoughts are the same as Miss Cold Moon's. My guild's primary focus is still on leveling up!"
The Heavenly Radiance Emperor nodded. The three exchanged glances, looking at the surging crowd. Having lost the interest to wait any longer, they all departed.
Zhang Pingfan felt somewhat exasperated. He had merely wanted to enjoy a drink and some accompanying dishes.
Instead, he was now being gawked at like an animal.
However, he had to admit, the wine was decent. But the food, compared to his own, was worlds apart – utterly unpalatable.
In fact, Zhang Pingfan was the only NPC in the restaurant. All other players had been expelled by him.
The sea of players milled around outside the restaurant's entrance.
When they saw Zhang Pingfan emerge, it immediately caused a stir among the players.
"The Village Chief is out!"
Someone shouted, electrifying the crowd.
Zhang Pingfan covered his forehead, shaking his head in resignation.
"Damn it, all of you, get lost! Anyone who doesn't leave will be killed by me!"
As he spoke, Zhang Pingfan took out his signature axe from his inventory!
Immediately, the players in the front rows scrambled backward.
Zhang Pingfan declared, "You people pale in comparison to the inhabitants of my village. When I'm unhappy, no one dares to approach me. Are you lot tired of living?"
Indeed, in Novice Village 88, Zhang Pingfan was the undisputed emperor; his word was law.
The players knew Zhang Pingfan's temperament and rarely bothered him.
Players from other regions were different. After all, the players of Novice Village 88 had benefited immensely, while they had gained nothing. Therefore, they also desired such advantages.
It was this very thought that drove them to eagerly gather around Zhang Pingfan, unwilling to leave even when he ordered them away.
However, the moment Zhang Pingfan produced his axe, they finally understood why the players of Novice Village 88 feared him so much.
"Faction Change!"
Zhang Pingfan's name, previously green, turned red, signifying he was now a target for player attacks.
Zhang Pingfan pointed his axe at the players and commanded, "Get lost! If you don't move, you'll all die!"
Why did Zhang Pingfan possess such confidence?
It was because his current HP was close to 80,000, and his attack power alone reached 3,000.
As for the players before him, their highest attack power was a mere 100, and their highest HP barely exceeded 1,000.
With just one axe throw from Zhang Pingfan, a large group would perish.
The players were momentarily stunned as Zhang Pingfan's name turned red.
But then, some fool inexplicably hurled a fireball at Zhang Pingfan.
Although it didn't penetrate his defense, it clearly signaled that the Village Chief could be attacked.
"Damn, which idiot threw that fireball? They're courting death!"
"Quick, let's go, let's go! The Village Chief's expression has changed. We're going to get ourselves killed!"
"Tsk, with so many of us, are we afraid of a mere village chief? Perhaps if we kill this village chief, we can even get drops. He has plenty of good items on him!"
As soon as these words were uttered, many players echoed them.
Indeed, Zhang Pingfan had sold so many items, including hidden class scrolls. In the eyes of the players, Zhang Pingfan was a massive mobile treasure trove.
Now that Zhang Pingfan's name had turned red, didn't that mean they could kill him?
With one person initiating an attack, a second followed.
Soon, numerous players launched attacks on Zhang Pingfan.
However, they discovered that they couldn't even breach his defense. In other words, Zhang Pingfan's nearly 80,000 HP remained completely intact.
The skills hitting him were insignificant. Aside from a slightly flashy visual effect, they caused him no harm whatsoever.
"Damn it, do you really think I'm Hello Kitty just because I'm not showing my power!"
Zhang Pingfan swung his axe.
Wherever it passed, devastation ensued, as the axe instantly annihilated players in a straight line.
"Holy crap, which bastard said they wanted to attack the Village Chief? Is this an attack? This is suicide! Run!"
Watching the players scatter in a panic, Zhang Pingfan spat.
"A bunch of trash. You want to kill me for equipment? Today, I'll go on a rampage!"
The players retreated in haste, but upon seeing Zhang Pingfan's axe lying on the ground, all players had but one thought: to snatch it.
Within the safe zone, killing and skill usage were prohibited.
Therefore, conflicts in the safe zone typically devolved into melee combat.
"The Village Chief's axe is a super weapon! Whoever picks it up will get rich!"
"Damn, that axe is mine!"
"Kid, with your frail body, you think you're worthy of that axe? Get lost!"
The players who had previously feared Zhang Pingfan now began fighting amongst themselves over his axe.
Zhang Pingfan stood at the restaurant entrance, his expression darkened with disbelief.
Hey, I'm the protagonist here! You're fighting each other over an axe.
With the axe in sight, the players seemed to have forgotten that Zhang Pingfan was still behind them.
But was Zhang Pingfan's axe so easily obtainable?
A player laughed heartily, his hand just about to touch the axe.
"Haha, the axe is mine!"
"Bang!"
With a loud "bang," the player instantly vanished, while the axe remained in its place.
Although the players didn't know what had happened, as long as the axe was there, they still had hope.
A group of them lunged forward, and in an instant, over a dozen players simultaneously pounced on the axe.
"Bang!"
Another "bang," and those dozen people eerily vanished once more.