Chapter 1

Qin Ming eagerly browsed a game trading platform, searching for JX3 accounts listed for sale.

To prepare for the college entrance examination, he had been forced to put gaming on hold and study hard for an entire year. Now that he had finally made it through, all he had to do was wait for his university acceptance letter.

With a rare summer vacation to relax, his desire to play games was stirring again. Taking advantage of his parents being away on a business trip, he immediately took out the pocket money he had saved over the past three years, intending to buy a fully equipped account.

Why not use his old account?

Because JX3 had now raised the level cap to 95, while his old account, which he had abandoned for an entire year, was still stuck at level 90. Both its equipment and level had fallen behind.

He really didn’t want to spend countless days and nights grinding levels and farming equipment.

After all, having a fully developed account would make playing much more enjoyable.

Over the past year or two, JX3 had introduced several new sects, but Qin Ming had a particular fondness for Wanhua and had no intention of switching.

He searched back and forth through the listings until he finally settled on a max-level Wanhua character equipped with a level 90 orange weapon.

According to the seller’s description, he was a university student who had played JX3 for five years. However, because he needed to prepare for the postgraduate entrance examination, read the original at bailiantales.comhe had no choice but to reluctantly part with the beloved account that had accompanied him for so many years.

After Qin Ming placed his order, the seller insisted on adding him on QQ and, with customer service acting as a witness, subjected him to a thorough assessment of his character.

Normally, buyers and sellers weren’t allowed to communicate privately when trading game accounts through the platform. However, no one knew how this seller had managed to persuade customer service to allow a three-way conversation. The three of them went back and forth for over an hour.

They talked about everything from JX3’s closed beta to its internal testing, and from internal testing to the open beta. Once they got started, there was simply no stopping them.

Before he knew it, Qin Ming had shared all the amusing experiences he’d had while playing the game. He also explained in detail why he had stopped playing and why he wanted to return.

His fingers were aching from typing so furiously on the keyboard when the seller was finally moved by his sincerity and slowly sent over the account information through customer service.

At long last, they successfully completed the online transaction.

With his freshly purchased account finally in hand, Qin Ming sat in front of his computer, still looking a little dazed.

He felt that even the college entrance examination hadn’t been this mentally exhausting.

Rubbing his face, he went to the official JX3 website to change the account password and identity information, then linked the account to his own phone number. Once everything was settled, he happily clicked the JX3 icon on his desktop.

Filled with anticipation, he entered the login screen, his slender fingers moving across the keyboard as he swiftly typed in the account name and password.

Before long, familiar music began to play, and the character selection screen appeared.

A max-level Wanhua character wearing a level 90 Dingguo set and wielding a level 90 legendary orange weapon immediately came into view.

Qin Ming rubbed his hands together excitedly.

Although the Dingguo set was no longer considered top-tier equipment at level 90, possessing a level 90 legendary orange weapon was still an impressive achievement.

After all, despite playing JX3 for so many years, Qin Ming had never once managed to obtain a Mystic Crystal from a dungeon!

Orange weapons had always been a sore spot for him.

After admiring the Wanhua character, he moved his mouse to the right side of the game interface, where a row of characters was displayed. His heart leaped with joy, and he felt as though he’d struck gold.

This was a truly ancient account.

JX3 was divided into several major regions, each containing numerous servers. Initially, players could create only three characters per server. However, if an account had characters on different servers within the same region, those characters would be brought together onto a single server whenever the servers merged.

Therefore, the fact that this account contained more than a [bailiantales.com]dozen characters meant the seller must have experienced at least three server mergers.

But when most players sold their accounts, they would choose to separate the characters. Who would bundle everything together and sell the entire original account like this?

Puzzled, Qin Ming clicked through all the other characters one by one. Then he was completely dumbfounded.

A handsome max-level Chunyang character, a max-level Qixiu little girl, a max-level Cangjian little boy, a handsome max-level Wudu character, a handsome max-level Tangmen character, a max-level Mingjiao girl, a handsome max-level Tiance character, a max-level bald Shaolin master, and three wandering heroes in their twenties who hadn’t joined any sect.

All nine max-level characters were dazzling, dressed in magnificent equipment, with exquisitely detailed facial features and glittering golden legendary orange weapons in their hands. The sight nearly blinded Qin Ming’s titanium-alloy dog eyes.

Who knew how much effort and energy the previous owner had poured into these characters to make them so flawless?

Qin Ming felt that spending three years’ worth of pocket money hadn’t been a waste at all. In fact, he’d gotten far more than his money’s worth.

What he’d bought wasn’t merely a game account. It was someone’s entire youth.

When browsing the trading platform, he’d noticed that the Wanhua character’s in-game name was Qin An, which resembled his real name. One meant light, the other darkness, and he found the contrast rather amusing. That was why he’d finally steeled himself and decided to buy it.

Originally, he’d thought spending so much money on a game account was a bit of a loss. Who would have expected him to get another eight fully equipped, max-level characters for free?

It was like a pie falling straight from the sky. He’d hit the jackpot!

Taking several deep breaths, Qin Ming calmed himself down, switched out of the game, returned to QQ, and sent the seller a screen shake to get his attention.

[Qin Ming: Hello, are you there? (＾ｖ＾)]

[Qingyin2009: What’s up?]

[Qin Ming: It’s like this. I’m the player who bought your account earlier. When I logged in just now, I noticed something strange, so I wanted to confirm something with you. Are you sure you didn’t sell me the wrong account? (＾＿－)]

[Qingyin2009: What do you mean? Wrong password? Can’t log in? Impossible! I’ve used my own account for five years. How could I possibly remember the password wrong?]

[Qin Ming: No, no, no! Don’t get worked up. The password is correct, and there’s nothing wrong with the account. What I mean is… did you forget to separate the characters? There are more than ten characters on this account! You know what I mean, right? └（★ｏ★）┐]

[Qingyin2009: Oh, that? Haha, there’s no mistake. ＼(^▽^＠)ノ]

No mistake? Bro, could you not be so calm about this? Nine max-level characters, all decked out in dazzling equipment and wielding legendary orange weapons. They were practically swimming in wealth! And you sold the whole thing for just over ten thousand yuan. Are you seriously okay with that?

Frowning, Qin Ming continued typing.

[Qin Ming: There are nine max-level characters on your account, covering all nine major sects. I’m [stolen content]so shocked I don’t even dare enter the game! [Crying Cat.jpg]]

[Qingyin2009: Oh, do you know what raising kids is? [Smoking Panda.jpg]]

[Qin Ming: Huh? Kids? Like figurines? (⊙_☉)]

[Qingyin2009: Here, like this. Image.jpg.]

[Qin Ming: So?]

[Qingyin2009: When I play JX3, I’m raising my kids. [Proud Expression.jpg] They’re one big family, so of course they can’t be separated. Got it? That’s why I’m selling the whole family of kids as a package. You’ve hit the jackpot.]

[Qin Ming: …]

Forget hitting the jackpot. He’d practically gotten them for nothing!

Unable to comprehend how this seller’s mind worked, Qin Ming, as an upstanding young man, felt it was necessary to have a proper discussion with him.

He couldn’t take advantage of someone like this.

Just as he was about to type, another message came from the other side.

[Qingyin2009: Remember this. You absolutely, absolutely must not separate any of the kids on my account! If I find out you’ve separated them and sold them for money, I’ll have my friends’ guild hunt you down across the entire server! Consider yourself warned! [Warning Expression.jpg]]

[Qin Ming: Wait, bro… is it too late to return the account? [Trembling Expression.jpg] You’re getting a really bad deal here, you know?]

[Qingyin2009: [Goodbye Wave.jpg]]

Tears streamed down Qin Ming’s face. Even reaching out dramatically like Erkang couldn’t bring the seller back, because after sending that final message, the seller had blocked him.

Qin Ming: Confused Black Guy with Question Marks.jpg

Dude, does your family know you’re this generous?

Qin Ming sat there in a daze for a while before letting out a long sigh. He picked up the cola on his computer desk and took a huge gulp to calm his nerves.

Forget it. If the seller didn’t mind, there was no point in worrying about it. Since he’d gotten such an incredible bargain, he might as well help the guy raise his kids! If the seller regretted his decision someday, he could always return the other characters to him.

For now, though, he wanted to log into Wanhua and have some fun. It had been far too long since he’d played, and he was itching to get started.

The loading bar moved quickly as the game prepared to enter the map. Qin Ming held his breath, waiting to enter the game, when suddenly, his computer screen went black and the room plunged into darkness.

What the hell—

The power was out!

Qin Ming rose from his chair, pulled back the curtains, and looked outside. The entire residential complex was pitch-black, without a single light in sight.

He felt around on the computer desk for his phone and turned on the screen. Just as he was about to call the property management office to ask what was going on, the world outside his window suddenly lit up with a blinding glare, accompanied by a thunderous rumbling.

He hurriedly turned toward the window, his eyes widening in horror.

A meteor shower?

What kind of meteor shower was this? They were so close, and the rocks were as enormous as the ornamental boulders in a park! Engulfed in blazing red flames, one of them smashed straight into a residential building more than twenty stories tall, bringing it crashing down!

Was this the end of the world?

Couldn’t there at least have been some warning?!

Qin Ming was so frightened that his limbs went stiff and his face turned deathly pale.

Suddenly, an enormous flaming rock came hurtling straight toward him. Still holding his phone, he stood there stupidly and took the impact head-on—

And then…

There was no then.