Chapter 21: Malicious Attack on Earth Village

Just as the father and daughter finished arguing and went back to obsessively fiddling with the system, a noisy group of people suddenly rushed in from outside.

“Boss, there really is a pretty little chick here, heh heh! And those five brats are here too. We’re gonna hit the jackpot this time!”

A lecherous, excited voice rang out.

Yun Qimu looked up and saw several burly, rough-looking men with sleazy expressions emerge from behind a pile of trash.

Each of them was holding a weapon, grinning wickedly, looking fierce and menacing—clearly up to no good.

But Yun Qimu’s usually calm, sparkling black eyes suddenly lit up, as if she’d just spotted a flock of lambs walking right toward her. She started humming a little tune in excitement. What a great day! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—just in time, here come another eighteen.

“It’s them! The bad guys are here!” The five kids, who had just been happily opening treasure chests and collecting rewards, instantly went pale when they saw the newcomers. Their little bodies trembled as they shrank back in fear.

Al, clutching a sharp little dagger, ran forward and shouted anxiously, “Sister Mu, they’re really bad people! They’re interstellar pirates who love kidnapping pretty girls and kids! You have to run!”

“Hahaha, run? Let’s see how far you can get! Be good and come with us, or I’ll sell you to those infected freaks. They love tender little kids like you—tearing you apart is a piece of cake for them, heh heh heh!”

The leader, a burly man named Zack, strode forward, grinning maliciously as he threatened them.

Infected Grandpa Tang: ...I feel insulted. I’m not the kind of person who just tears people apart at random.

Al stubbornly gripped his little dagger, his teeth chattering in fear, but he still stood firmly in front of Yun Qimu, head held high, glaring at the big brute.

Yun Qimu smiled gently, unhurried, and ruffled his hair to comfort him. “Don’t worry, they can’t get in.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than there was a series of loud thuds. The fierce-looking pirates seemed to slam into an invisible glass wall at the boundary marked by the Earth Village sign. They grimaced and bared their teeth, faces squashed flat against the barrier—some dark, some pale, all looking ridiculous.

Clutching their faces and rubbing their noses, their twisted expressions and pitiful howls were downright comical.

Yun Qimu raised an eyebrow, as if she’d expected this all along, and said with a smile, “See? Just like I said.”

But she hadn’t counted on the pirate leader flying into a rage. He suddenly raised his broadsword and shouted, “Brothers, this must be some kind of supernatural power! Smash this glass, and nobody will be able to stop us! The pretty girl and those brats will all be ours!”

“Yeah! Boss is right! Grab the brats, grab the pretty chick—!”

They brandished broadswords, sledgehammers, and even energy guns, hacking and smashing wildly at the “glass.”

At the same time, a shrill alarm blared in Yun Qimu and the others’ ears.

[Alert! Alert! Someone is maliciously attacking Earth Village, threatening its peace and harmony. All players, please expel the invaders and defend your home—defend Earth Village!]

[Alert! Alert! Someone is maliciously attacking Earth Village!]

A glaring blood-red light flashed throughout Earth Village, casting an ominous, tense atmosphere.

Above the “glass” barrier being frantically attacked by the pirates, a blood-red health bar appeared—visible to all players who had joined Earth Village. The health bar was steadily decreasing.

Yun Qimu’s face froze. She felt like she’d just been slapped in the face.

Annoyed, she hefted her golden Pangu Axe. The small axe instantly grew larger and longer with her movement. Taking a few steps forward, she swung it down at the slow-reacting pirate leader.

The slender, pretty girl seemed to swing the axe gently, but it passed right through the “glass wall” and landed directly on his bulging, muscular shoulder. Blood spurted everywhere, gushing like a fountain—she’d nearly chopped his whole arm off.

The pirate leader’s eyes bulged in disbelief as he stared at the axe embedded in his shoulder. What’s more, the beautiful girl across from him was actually muttering in dissatisfaction, “Too heavy, too heavy. I barely used any strength, but the wound’s too big—it ruined his looks. If he dies, he’ll be even less useful.”

That cold, indifferent tone—as if she were picking out livestock—was all too familiar to him.

And when he looked at the girl’s unnaturally pale face, he suddenly sucked in a breath. Had he run into one of those not-quite-human, not-quite-ghost, blood-sucking monsters from Aiding?

“Boss! She dared hurt our boss! Quick, kill that little chick!”

The group of thugs behind the pirate leader, seeing their boss take a heavy hit, rushed forward to help, pointing their broadswords at Yun Qimu.

Little Yun’s heart tightened. He gripped his silver crossbow, face tense, and shouted, “Expel the invaders! Protect Big Sis! Protect Earth Village!”

Zhuzhu immediately grabbed a newly acquired little dagger, waving her tiny arms and echoing in her childish voice, “Defeat the pirates! Protect Sister Mu!”

“Uraah—!”

The six little kids all grabbed their weapons, charging forward on their short legs with the same courage they’d shown when fighting monsters earlier.

Yun Dad had been watching his daughter the whole time. He was already charging in, ready to take on anyone who dared bully his girl.

Grandpa Tang was just as fired up, but unfortunately his body hadn’t recovered yet, so he couldn’t use his powers or summon any beasts. All he could do was jab his dumbfounded son with his elbow and glare, “What are you standing there for? Get in there and help! Look at those kids—they’ve got more guts than you! Aren’t you ashamed?”

Tang En snapped out of it, ignoring his dad’s insults, and quickly pointed his hand, sending out sharp water arrows.

Yun Dad could take on ten at once, Yun Xiaoyu’s sneak attacks were highly effective, and Tang En’s power control was sharp and precise—one shot, one hit, easily the MVP of the whole fight.

So, with the three of them going all out, they quickly beat the eighteen pirates into a retreat, leaving them howling in pain.

It was only because Yun Qimu kept shouting, “Leave them alive!” and “Don’t hit any vital spots!” that the eighteen pirates barely managed to keep their lives.

The kids, whose short legs had left them trailing behind, finally caught up and gleefully joined in, kicking the already-down pirates while they were down.

Those little legs kicked with surprising force.

“Hmph, bad guys! Let’s see if you dare scare Zhuzhu again!”

Little Zhuzhu kicked the hardest, her face flushed with excitement, big watery eyes sparkling.

But just then, one of the skinny pirates, who had already surrendered with his hands over his head, flashed a look of cunning malice in his bloodshot eyes. A cold gleam appeared as he suddenly stabbed his dagger at Zhuzhu.

“Die!”

“Zhuzhu—!”"