Volume Two: The Youth of a Thousand Faces—Truth in Guise Chapter Forty: Jiang Feng’s Power Over Public Opinion

Virtual reality—people often focus on the word “reality,” believing that through this technology, one can learn dangerous skills without fear of consequences. Yet the truth is, people gradually fuse the virtual and the real in their subconscious. They act recklessly in virtual worlds, and begin to behave irresponsibly in reality as well. If this habit is carried onto the battlefield, soldiers risk becoming disposable, perhaps surviving only a single war before suffering irreparable harm, or even death, for failing to protect themselves.

Huo had fought on battlefields before; there, the foremost goal was not to kill but to survive. One could die when it was time, but never blindly throw one’s life away—this was the wisdom he had gathered from experience.

He knew very well that he and Jiang Feng were engaged in a war that would end only with the death of one party. There was no need for courtesies; even if they were friends in daily life, now they were enemies who would not rest until one fell. This was the proper use of virtual reality.

Huo lay atop the roof of a thatched hut, a blade of grass idly between his teeth, his head pillowed on crossed arms as he gazed at the sky, utterly relaxed. But he never ceased his “sound location” work; Jiang Feng was still searching for him, flailing blindly like a headless fly.

Moreover, Jiang Feng wasn’t checking each house methodically. Every time he approached a house, he lingered outside for ages, cautious as if every step might be his last. Huo was almost exasperated—at Jiang Feng’s pace, he’d probably arrive just in time for lunch.

Huo prided himself on his patience, but if he needed half a day to defeat Jiang Feng, wouldn’t that be embarrassing? He was the Little Reaper, after all, and had his reputation to uphold.

Standing atop the hut, Huo glanced down at Jiang Feng, whose face was tense as he approached a particular house. Spitting out the blade of grass, Huo said, “Though I feel a bit bad, Jiang Feng, let’s consider this a lesson from your future captain.”

The moment the blade of grass fell atop the roof, it was like a raindrop falling into a lake. Countless blades of thatch rippled inexplicably, and then, a darkness radiated outward from the center, as if ink had spilled across the rooftop.

With a snap of his fingers, thousands of blades of grass rose into the air, swirling around Huo like swords summoned by a celestial swordsman.

Using a single blade of grass as a medium, he infused his power into countless slender forms, transforming them into a rain of swords. Huo unleashed the strongest holy light ability he could command—Falling Stars Sword Array.

He stood on the bare beam of the hut and called out, “Hey, classmate, here’s my greeting!”

Jiang Feng looked up at the sound, only to witness a scene beyond comprehension.

“Damn, are you an agent of the Sacred Ring of Light?” Jiang Feng muttered under his breath.

Such a spectacle—Jiang Feng was certain he knew every student in the academy capable of such a feat, yet none fit these characteristics exactly. One thing was clear: he’d run into a high-level player using a low-level account to crush others for amusement.

All accounts had hidden scores. If someone went on a winning streak, their hidden score would rise rapidly, and the matchmaking system would pair them with opponents of similar hidden scores, curbing further growth. This ensured that nearly everyone fought others of similar skill, honing their abilities together—a thoughtful design since the system’s inception. Jiang Feng was not skilled in combat and rarely played VRF, so his hidden score was extremely low. Those matched with him were either hopelessly weak or new accounts with no hidden score at all.

Night Rain Crow was clearly the latter—a strong player from the academy, using a fresh account for fun. Jiang Feng grumbled inwardly at their twisted sense of humor.

Yet this was an injustice to Huo; not only was Night Rain Crow a new account, but even the “Misfortune” account he’d named had only participated in one duel.

Still, there was a fundamental difference between two matches.

Night Rain Crow’s opponent was Jiang Feng’s account, “Listening to the Wind.” Even if he won, it would barely raise his hidden score. But “Misfortune” had dueled the academy’s foremost fire-elemental adept, Flame Demon Hall. After victory, the system rated Misfortune as equal in strength to Flame Demon Hall, granting a vast boost to the hidden score. If Huo logged in with that account now, he’d face top-tier opponents like Flame Demon Hall, Tan Xiao, and Huo Xialan.

Jiang Feng, pointing at Night Rain Crow surrounded by countless blades of grass, cursed, “You vile bastard, don’t let me find out who you are, or my boss won’t let you off!”

Huo nearly laughed aloud—the boss Jiang Feng referred to was obviously himself. Curious to see what Jiang Feng would say next, he asked, “So, who’s your boss?”

“My boss is the Little Reaper!” Jiang Feng announced proudly.

“Oh, is that so?” Huo replied with utter indifference, “Then tell me, is your boss so formidable that he can stop me from beating you up right now?”

“Uh…” Jiang Feng was stumped. Clearly, the answer was no. So this beating was inevitable? Wait, this style—killing with facts in a single sentence…

Huo wasted no more words. With a flick of his finger, the grass swords shot toward Jiang Feng like a torrential downpour—Falling Stars Sword Array!

Just as the first sharp blade was about to strike him, Jiang Feng suddenly cried out, “Brother Huo, is that you? Please, spare me, Brother Huo!”

One by one, the blades sank into the earth, unable to withstand the power infused within, finally disintegrating into dust. Amidst the sound of blades slicing through air and the swirling fragments, Jiang Feng remained unharmed.

Wondering why he hadn’t been skewered, Jiang Feng saw the half-masked Night Rain Crow rush forward, pin him to the ground, and bind his arms.

Huo, in an unfriendly tone, demanded, “Jiang Feng, what did you just say?”

This was Huo’s real voice, instantly recognizable to Jiang Feng, who shouted, “Brother Huo, it’s really you! I knew it was you!”

“Are you insulting my acting skills?” Huo asked coldly.

Acting skills? Since when did you have those? Aside from wearing a mask and inexplicably wielding holy light powers, everything else was pure Huo—especially your distinctive way of speaking; there’s not another like you in the entire academy.

But Jiang Feng wisely kept these thoughts to himself; if he voiced them, he’d probably become a pincushion. Anyway, dying in virtual reality posed no real harm, so why not?

“Come, tell me—how did you figure me out?” Huo prompted.

He genuinely felt his perfect disguise had been insulted. He’d used holy light abilities, avoided blades, changed his voice, and to thwart a mind-reading girl, had Rely Remit craft a special mask. All this preparation, and Jiang Feng exposed him within ten minutes of contact—was this a joke?

“Um, Brother Huo, could you let me go first? Let’s sit and talk.”

Huo released Jiang Feng; they sat together on the ground. Jiang Feng explained how he’d deduced Huo’s identity, and Huo divulged some secrets of his own. Since Jiang Feng would now be one of his own, it didn’t matter if he learned about the dark compatibility. However, his identity absolutely couldn’t be revealed, so Jiang Feng needed to keep quiet.

Jiang Feng assured him, “Don’t worry. We sell intelligence—we’re tight-lipped. No matter how many points others offer, this secret won’t be sold.”

Huo nodded in satisfaction.

“Actually, Brother Huo, it’s hard for you to hide your identity alone. I think I can help you,” Jiang Feng said.

“How is it hard?” Huo asked.

“You’re a transfer student. At your level, you can count the academy’s experts on one hand. Night Rain Crow appeared just as you transferred—the timing is almost identical. Anyone paying attention can see it. And your way of speaking—I don’t need to say more, do I?”

Huo pondered for a few seconds, then asked, “That’s definitely a problem. So what do you suggest?”

Jiang Feng’s eyes gleamed, “With me, it’s different. Brother, do you know what public opinion manipulation is?”

“I do. Just tell me what to do.”

Jiang Feng drew closer, “As the academy’s top intelligence dealer, all its newspapers buy information from me. Some use Sora, the high-end ones pay in points. We can leverage these papers to steer everyone’s impression of Night Rain Crow toward a completely fabricated person—someone utterly unrelated to you.”

“This person was obscure in the academy, secretly training to avoid being dismissed as a mere scholar. At last, they mastered their skills and decided to make Night Rain Crow’s name famous. Everyone loves an inspiring rise—handled well, it’ll be accepted as truth.”

Huo frowned, “Isn’t that deceiving the public? Are you sure you won’t be hated when my real identity is revealed? And how will you make everyone believe this story?”

Jiang Feng smiled, “That’s where my expertise comes in. Language is an art—you don’t need to lie, just use similar wording to guide them. Who can accuse you of deception? As for credibility, that’s easy. I heard you have a signing event in two days. At that time, I’ll write a report as an exclusive interview; you admit Night Rain Crow in VRF is you, and relay the story I’ve prepared for you. Leave everything else to me.”

Huo felt the sky brighten. Jiang Feng was truly a talent—solving such a major problem with ease. Good kid!

“Keep it up, I have high hopes for you!” Huo said, clapping Jiang Feng’s shoulder. “Oh, there’s one last thing.”

“What is it?” Jiang Feng asked.

“We have to finish this match. Stand still—my blade is fast; you’ll only hurt for a second.”

“Wait! I surrender, no need to trouble you!” Jiang Feng shouted, quickly pressing the surrender button. Any later, and he’d have been cut.

Night Rain Crow: one win, zero losses—the legend begins.