章 9: C9: Women go, don't disturb me while I play

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I am a young master from the Warring States Period. My mission and duty was to protect my family from destruction. Once, I found a magical bronze mirror that transported me to an incredible place.

There was no war here, and everyone lived freely and happily. The bustling scene dazzled me, and unknowingly, I met him: a man who wasn't too useless, but equally not impressive.

Our first meeting didn't go well, and we ended up fighting. I lost, and according to the rules of my world, that meant this would be my husband from now on.

When I was hungry, Ah Zhai took me to eat. A meal of pork chops shocked me: "So much meat, it must cost a lot, right?" In my world, commoners couldn't afford meat.

Here, I also tasted something called beer for the first time. "What is this? It tastes good!" I said as I happily drank and embarrassingly burped aloud, holding the metal can.

That was probably the most relaxed and free I'd ever been.

After waking up from my hangover, I picked up the bronze mirror that had brought me to this world. I used it to return to my world, bringing the old house and him with me. But, in my world, nothing had changed. The Yuno family was still on the brink of collapse, and dangerous enemies were lurking in the shadows.

The only change? This 'husband' of mine. He became my captain of the valiant guards, but that was all. Even with him around, I couldn't stop the inevitable end of the Yuno family.

Two months later, I sat on the city wall, covered in blood. The war had painted the land red, and the corpses outside the city were piled like small mountains, the rubbles of the aftermath are astounding. The sound of killing was deafening. The enemy was about to break through.

Looking at the approaching forces, I knew I had failed to save the Yuno family from this troubled world. "It seems the three hundred years of glory of my family was about to shatter."

Ah, Zhai tried to convince me to escape, but I shook my head. "Sincerely, I am different from you. From the day my father put armour on me, I swore I'd protect the Yuno family's honour with my life."

Ah Zhai listed reasons and examples, trying to convince me. He said the world was in flux and urged me to leave. But how could I? This was my home, the legacy of generations, the memories of the old, and I was bound to protect it. This was my mission.

After hearing everything, he asked me to go with him. But I couldn't abandon my beliefs, my home, and my mission. If I could, I wouldn't have come back in the first place. This was my thought~ but I kicked it aside to the corner of my mind.

Closing my eyes, I noticed the absence of his voice around me. All I could hear was the enemy breaking through the city gate and rushing toward the place where I stood. "Zhai are you gone? Really... gone... I wanted to go with you too. I wanted to drink beer with you again... That beer was so good... The beer was so cool."

Tears welled up in my eyes as memories of the past flooded back. In my mind, I saw myself with a beer glass, and heard myself say, "Husband, this beer is delicious! How about two more glasses? You see, I've already finished mine, why don't you have two as well? Come, cheers!"

Amid my daze, I faintly heard his voice. "Kill! I am Anna Yuno's personal guard captain. Whoever stands in my way, I will kill without mercy!"

Looking at the game that had exited to the main interface, I, Jiang ping, couldn't help but sniff, and then closed my tear-filled eyes. After a long while, I reopened them.

"Are you crazy!" I muttered to myself.

"This game is insane! How can a gentleman's game have such good artwork, voice acting, and match-3 combat mechanics? Do you not want money!?"

(＾＾)ｂ

Despite my complaints, I didn't hesitate. I exited the main interface of the game and headed to the store to leave a glowing review. Sure, I could've still asked for a refund, but that didn't matter. What I'd experienced was more than worth it.

I thought to myself, this game was so good, they should've charged more for it!

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Not only did I, Jiang Ping, discover this game through an unknown but well-known to me overseas forum, but many other players also stumbled upon it with a sense of novelty. When it launched, everyone, including myself, was incredibly emotional.

Some of us were drawn in by the plot of the game. The story of elves and demons made me reflect deeply on the concepts of good and evil within human nature. Humans willingly fall into darkness, yet an alien elf, who is trying to help, is repaid with resentment. It made me think about the paradoxes of our nature.

The story of the otaku and the female general moved me. He appeared like an abandoned person with no hope, but when the time came, he summoned unimaginable courage and took on great responsibility. It felt incredibly powerful to witness.

Then, there was the story of the Dragon Maid and the Knight—a long and wonderful journey filled with challenges. I couldn't help but be moved by the bond they shared. Gong Gai Xi Yao and Shun... because of us, the wicked beasts dared not harm the land, and the greedy rulers feared to oppress the people. That kind of responsibility resonated with me. Seriously

The story of Caiyun and Mingyue, though, brought me to tears. Even if you're the reincarnation of Mingyue, the breeze is just the breeze. Two hundred years of waiting, two hundred years of reincarnation—their story should have ended long ago. Yet, it clung to my heart, leaving me feeling heavy and sad even after the game ended. It's odd, isn't it? A game made for LSPs like me, yet I feel so burdened by its depth.

(ᵒ̤̑ ₀̑ ᵒ̤̑) wow!*✰

Many others felt the same. They now understood what those early posts about the game were hinting at. We all did, by that point.

Of course, there were still plenty of impatient people who got frustrated by the match-3 games. "Junior Sister Caiyun, stop sucking my brain and open the door! I'm your brother Mingyue, look at me!" they'd yell, as they struggled with the puzzles.

I, too, studied the match-3 combat system repeatedly, grinding for points and money to upgrade and purchase new items. After a while, I evolved. The gentleman's content in the game no longer distracted me. I became utterly absorbed by the match-3 mechanics—simple, straightforward, yet strangely captivating.

As a gentleman's game, this one defied expectations. The girl characters hovering around were just annoying distractions. "Let me go, woman! Step aside! Don't block me from playing my match-3 game!" I'd say. With my wit and strategy, I'm certain I'll beat my score record this time!

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