translator: Oyen editor: Ciel
On their return to Changsha, Mojue’s team members happened to meet Qin Ye on the same flight. The seats of the uncle and nephew pair happened to be behind each other, so Qin Ye simply made a request of Xiao Han. “I need to speak with Xiao Mo, switch seats with me.” Xiao Han naturally wouldn’t refuse, and thus obediently switched seats with Qin Ye.
After the plane took off, Qin Mo lowered his voice and asked, “Uncle, what’s the matter?”
“At the finals last night, I met Su Cheng’s master, Ye Chenxi,” Qin Ye whispered. “He knows of our relationship, as well as the reason behind your retirement.”
Qin Mo was stunned—— Ye Chenxi was the apprentice of Dragon Song club’s senior great god, Lan Weiran. At this year’s annual meeting, Qin Mo had the opportunity to meet Lan Weiran, and discovered that the legends truly hadn’t exaggerated his laziness.
It was said that back then, Ye Chenxi was one of the few tactical experts who could compete with Liu Chuan. However, his style was strangely different from his master’s—— despite his friendly smile, his thoughts ran deep and he was full of bad water, a typical example of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Why would this person investigate the reasons for his retirement?
“I’m not familiar with him,” Qin Mo wondered. “What did he investigate me for?”
“Although this man is shrewd, it is for certain that he will not use the despicable means of his backers. With his character, investigating you should be… because he was curious.”
Alright, investigating just because he was curious; this person must really have been bored.
“Will he tell others about this?” Qin Mo was worried.
“I don’t think so.” Qin Ye shook his head. “He takes pleasure in being the only sober person among a group of drunkards. He didn’t even tell Lan Weiran about my relationship with you, so naturally, his apprentice Su Cheng should not have been told.”
Only with this did Qin Mo feel reassured. “You watched the match together last night, did you chat about anything else?”
“En,” Qin Ye hummed. “I forced him to declare his position, and he made it clear that he would not interfere in the Peerless Jianghu league in the future, which is a lucky thing.”
“Him not interfering is a good thing,” Qin Mo nodded. “Su Cheng’s style is somewhat similar to his. Did he guide their guqin and flute duo ensemble?”
Qin Ye rubbed his forehead helplessly. “Su Cheng is a student of Harbin university. Originally, he wanted to worship Lan Weiran as a master, but Lan Weiran was too lazy to accept another disciple, and tossed Su Cheng to Ye Chenxi. Coincidentally, Su Cheng knew a bit about music, which was to Ye Chenxi’s tastes, so Ye Chenxi accepted him as an apprentice.”
“No wonder,” Qin Mo suddenly realised. “I have always felt that Su Cheng wasn’t simple. When Xiao Han and I went undercover in the Intelude guild, we were exposed by Su Cheng almost immediately. His understanding of the esports circle is far deeper than that of a normal folk expert.” Here, Qin Mo paused for a few moments. “What about Xie Changming? Is he also Ye Chenxi’s apprentice?”
“En, it was Su Cheng who worshipped him as a master first, then he introduced Xie Changming to his master,” Qin Ye explained. “The guqin and flute ensemble was developed by Ye Chenxi because—— it sounds good.”
“…” Qin Mo was speechless, yet unable to refute.
This was a style worthy of the apprentices brought up by Ye Chenxi, the founder of the literary and artistic style. In a competition, cooperation was important, but so were good looks and pleasant music…
Sighing, Qin Ye changed the subject. “That’s all I know about Su Cheng’s background. How much do you know about the experts of other teams?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“For now, I have only played in the individual competition, and not much has been shown,” Qin Mo replied.
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In fact, the points were just a way to increase the types of competitions, and the final ranking of the team still depended on the team battle in the second half of the year. The points deducted from a team battle were enough to offset the individual competition points, and the key to determining a team victory was ultimately still the tactical arrangement.
Qin Mo had revealed his sharp edge early, which was a good thing, but also a bad thing.
This was equivalent to Qin Mo standing in the light, while the other team’s experts still stood in the dark.
What Qin Ye was most concerned about was if other team’s experts were at a level not inferior to Qin Mo’s, but hid their strength at the initial stages, and waited for the best opportunity to strike later.
In theory, the teams of the major clubs, such as the Dynasty, Sky, Without Fire and Frost Moon, still had the guidance of the great gods, and their level could certainly not be poor. In this individual competition, these teams didn’t manage to gain many points, which was proof—— the tactics they pursued didn’t necessarily rule on individual strength.
Thinking of this, Qin Ye could not help but offer a reminder. “The key to the later competition lies in the commander. At present, the commander of the major teams have not yet been determined, but the main commander of Mojue is you, a fact that is now known by everyone. The enemy is still in the dark, but you now stand in the light; Xiao Mo, you cannot be careless.”
“I understand.” His uncle’s concern warmed Qin Mo’s heart, and he nodded seriously. “Some tactical experts didn’t perform especially prominently in this individual competition, which is something I expected.”
“It’s good that you understand.” Looking back at his nephew, Qin Ye cautioned once more. “You are Mojue’s captain. Your mood will affect the entire team’s mood.”
“En.” Qin Mo smiled, “I will not be as conceited and capricious as before. Uncle, you can rest assured.”
In the past, he was a protected little prince, and was allowed to lose his temper and sulk when he lost the match. But now, he was the captain, so whether he won or lost, he had to be calm and steady.
—— The change from a small soldier to a general, must be accompanied by a change in mentality.
By telling him these things today, his uncle wanted him to learn a lesson. He had to pay attention to his identity, and become a truly responsible captain.
***
The plane arrived in Changsha on time at 11:30am in the morning, and Dragon Song club sent a special car to pick them up.
Unexpectedly, Liu Chuan had also come. “Congratulations to the both of you,” he smiles, “this really gives Mojue a good start to the year.”
“Thank you, god Chuan.” Qin Mo replied politely.
After pleasantries were exchanged, Liu Chuan went to Qin Ye. “The interview for newcomers is scheduled for tomorrow. I have something to do in Shanghai, so I’ll leave it to you; just confirm the final list and send it to me.”
Qin Ye raised an eyebrow. “You trust me that much?”
“It’s only natural,” Liu Chuan laughed. “I don’t have to worry about the people you pick.”
Back then, Dragon Song’s interviewer had refused Shen He, which made Liu Chuan upset. So, he invited the retired Qin Ye to return, in order to supervise the interviews.
It was lunch by the time they arrived at the club. No one wanted to eat out, so they went for a simple lunch in the canteen. Qin Mo also took his uncle to the dormitory, allowing Qin Ye to sort out his luggage.
“You should go rest,” Qin Ye remarked. “I know the club very well, you don’t have to worry about me.”
As the person responsible for interviewing and training the newcomers, Qin Ye would stay in the club for the month, and there would be many more opportunities to meet in the future. Thus, Qin Mo didn’t stay long, and nodded at his uncle’s words. “Then I will go back first. If you need help, you can just call for me.”
Xiao Han was cutting apples in the room. Seeing Qin Mo return, he took the initiative to bring over a plate of apple slices, asking, “You’ve ignored me for most of the day. Are you angry at me?”
“Why would I be angry at you?” Qin Mo questioned doubtfully.
Xiao Han’s reply was aggrieved. “Last night…”
His cheeks flushing, Qin Mo immediately interrupted him. “Don’t talk about it any more.”
Last night, after their masters had left, Xiao Han and Qin Mo couldn’t help themselves, hugging and kissing each other passionately. After all, they were both hot-blooded youths, and their bodies reacted naturally. Excited, Xiao Han pressed Qin Mo onto the bed, attempting to take off his clothes, pressing his hands to Qin Mo’s bare torso. Qin Mo was also caught up in the act, but at a critical moment, managed to step on the brakes and pushed Xiao Han off, hastily escaping to the bathroom.
In fact, it wasn’t that Qin Mo was unwilling to go all the way with Xiao Han. Rather, it was because he wasn’t prepared…
He had not found the chance to watch the materials given to him by Cat God, and didn’t know how two males were supposed to do it comfortably. Instead, he constantly worried about possible injuries.
In Qin Mo’s point of view, this sort of thing should be built on the premise of mutual liking, and ought to be a natural progression. Yesterday, he hadn’t been prepared, and instinctively pushed Xiao Han away at the critical moment.
He hadn’t expected Xiao Han to misunderstand, interpreting it as anger?
Under Xiao Han’s inquiring gaze, Qin Mo awkwardly lowered his head. “I’m not angry,” he coughed out.
Smiling, Xiao Han pulled Qin Mo into a gentle hug. “It was my fault, I was too rash last night. But, in fact, even if you hadn’t pushed me away last night, I would have still held back. I don’t want our first time to be so hasty.”
His ears turning red, Qin Mo prevented Xiao Han from continuing this very risque topic by shoving a slice of apple into his mouth, hastily beating a retreat. “I’m going to take an afternoon nap.”
Looking at Qin Mo’s retreating back, Xiao Han couldn’t help laughing—— it had been extremely exciting last night. After all, it was the first time he managed to pull off Qin Mo’s clothes. Qin Mo’s skin was extremely pale, and his legs were long and straight, making for an extremely pretty sight, causing Xiao Han to be unable to look away. In fact, Xiao Han hadn’t planned on doing anything; after all, they were not prepared, and there it was extremely inconvenient in the hotel. Only, Qin Mo’s panicked expression as he pushed him away had been extremely cute, like a cat’s paws gently tickling Xiao Han’s heart.
To think that the usually calm, serious and proud captain Qin would blush because of his body’s reactions, completely at a loss for words.
This look was capable of making one’s heart pound… and made Xiao Han want to bully him even more.
He pondered for a moment, before turning to look at the door Qin Mo had just closed. Chewing on the apple slice that Qin Mo had shoved into his mouth, Xiao Han’s heart seemed to have turned soft.
The Qin Mo of today was very calm and quite captain-like, but in regards to certain issues, he was still as simple as the youth he had been. Unlike Xiao Han, who had always been outspoken, Qin Mo had always been introverted and reserved. Still, Xiao Han realised that he was increasingly able to appreciate the bashful and blushing Qin Mo.
***
During the afternoon meeting, Qin Mo’s expression was calm and serious in equal parts as he made his announcement. “We have achieved a very good result in this individual competition. It was an unexpected surprise for Shen He to be able to reach the top 16. Liu Hong’s performance was also very good, while Xiao Han and I both reached the finals. I believe everyone has seen the current scoreboard; Mojue ranks first for now with 24 points.”
As soon as these words came out, a round of applause broke out in the meeting room.
Qin Mo did not wait for the applause to die down, but instead continued to speak. “But we can’t relax here, because many of the league’s experts did not show their true strengths in this individual competition.”
“For example, Qiu Zongping’s strength is his control of the field, single-handedly breaking apart a team formation. This skill cannot be displayed in the individual competition. Another good example is Dynasty’s captain, Chu Jianxin. As the top tank player in the Miracle league, his strength lies in providing his team the best protection, and creating them the most ideal environment to ensure their output. As long as Chu Jianxin doesn’t die, Dynasty’s output will not fall.” Here, Qin Mo paused for a few moments. “There are more examples still. In the Without Fire team, the violent impact of Nie Yuzhu, Jing Yang, and Zhou Yanbing combined is enough to break up the formation of most teams. We also cannot forget Whisper’s umbrella arrays, as well as Frost Moon’s double whip field control. For all these teams, the individual competition cannot bring out even a tenth of their true strength.”
A simple paragraph that directly pointed out the tactical keys of each major team—— Although Mojue had Twin Stars, would they be able to break out of the pet encirclement summoned by Qiu Zongping and Yuan Xi’s double summoners? It was the same for Chu Jianxin’s protection, Without Fire’s three close combat outputs, Whisper’s black and white umbrella arrays, and Frost Moon’s brother and sister double long whip… could Mojue definitely win?
Not necessarily.
Qin Mo had never looked down on any opponent. The championship of the individual competition was only the beginning.
The chess game that was the Peerless Jianghu professional league had just begun. How the various masters would lay out their pieces, and the patterns that the league would follow, were all things that couldn’t be predicted.
Every step needed to be well thought out, and dealt with carefully.
Qin Mo’s gaze surveyed the entire room. “Up next will be the partner competition. According to previous arrangements, the teams are Pei Yu and Liu Hong, Muran and Shen He, Qingyue and Beiguang, as well as Xiao Han and myself. Everyone will pair up for this competition,” he said calmly. “Our goal this time is not to win prizes, but instead, to dig up the partners from the major teams, and guess the tactics they might use in team battles. At the same time, everyone should accumulate experience in the competition, and hone their cooperation in the game.”
After saying this, he handed a sheet of paper to everyone. “This is the training plan for next week. Everyone should complete the tasks in accordance with this plan.”
At this time, Qin Mo showed the style of a captain; calm and rigorous, while being decisive and simple.
Xiao Han’s emotions were running wild—— the shy, blushing Qin Mo should be something that only he could see, right?
This was also good.
In front of others, Qin Mo is the populace’s ‘god Mo’, the decisive captain who brings Mojue to fight on the field—— but when they were alone, he was simply his Qin Mo.
Standing up, Xiao Han wrapped an arm around Qin Mo’s shoulder. “The key to the partner competition is the tacit understanding between partners. From tomorrow onwards, everyone will pair up and face off against Qin Mo and myself. Understand?”
Everyone immediately replied in unison. “Understood!”
“Dismissed,” Qin Mo waved them away.
After the team members left the room, Qin Mo sorted out the materials in his head. Catching a glimpse of Xiao Han’s smile, he wondered, “Why are you laughing?”
Xiao Han’s smile grew wider. “I’m very happy.”
Although Xiao Han never explained why he was suddenly happy, Qin Mo would still have been able to guess even if he were using his toes to think—— it was because they would finally be able to fight side-by-side in the partner competition.
They were no longer opponents, and could finally stand together on the field as ‘partners’.
Lmao qin mo, you don’t need to study the materials cat god gave you. Trust me, just go by your instinct. Xiao Han in the other hand needs to study so he doesn’t hurt him in his haste.
Lol, I think Xiao Han is already learned well 😏
Go by instinct and it will be fine, go for it Qin Mo !!🤣
Ah, this chapter is so cute and fluffy >\\< and Xiao Han fawning over soft Momo is so cute!! And Qin Ye’s advice to Momo will def come in handy I bet, cos all the other teams shine best together cos thats why its a team ya? Hehe
Thank u for this wonderful chapter la~~
Soft Momo 😏
Yes, the league is about team works after all~
You’re welcome~ 💕
Looking forward to our two gods teamwork ….
Thanks for the chapter ♥
Aww~ (灬♥ω♥灬)
How Xiao Han treats Qin Mo~ So sweet~
I’m looking forward to the partner competition~! Thank you for the chapter!
Agreed, and both of the is really sweet >_<
You’re welcome~ 💕
⁄(⁄ ⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ ⁄)⁄⁄(⁄ ⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ ⁄)⁄⁄(⁄ ⁄ ⁄ω⁄ ⁄ ⁄)⁄
Thanks for the chapter!!!
You’re welcome~ 💕