Online Game: Laughing and Roaming the Jianghu [Holographic]

Xie Mengyun, a programmer in her thirties, receives a full-dive VR gaming pod as a workplace benefit and logs into 'Riding Through the Jianghu,' a wuxia-themed MMORPG. She creates the character 'Liushui Raoshazhou' and begins her journey in the Novice Village. Unlike most players who rush to level up, she explores the village thoroughly, completing trivial quests and observing the highly realistic environment. During her exploration, she encounters a hostile Level 20 hunter NPC near Chu Xiaoxiu's house. After being ambushed and severely injured, she uses her real-world knowledge of herbal medicine to heal herself with madder root. She returns at Level 15, defeats the hunter through tactical evasion, and discovers a hidden quest that yields a rare jade hairpin and an incomplete ninth-grade martial arts manual, the 'Blood Transformation Divine Art.'

After leaving the Novice Village, Xie Mengyun travels to Luoyang City, the central hub of the martial world. She joins her friends' small guild, 'One Zero Is Not Ten,' and meets Yun Feiyang, the leader of the 'Rogue Alliance,' who gifts her a powerful Mystic-grade sword called 'Stillwater Sword' after she witnesses him repel members of the dominant 'Great River Eastward' guild. Great River Eastward, led by Qitun Huanyu, has monopolized Luoyang and is aggressively expanding its control. Their members harass Xie Mengyun after she inadvertently provokes them, forcing her guild to hide their presence by removing their plaque.

Xie Mengyun continues to level up by grinding thief NPCs in the herb fields outside Luoyang. The Great River Eastward guild clears the area to power-level Qitun Huanyu's cousin, Yanlong Xisha, driving out other players. Yun Feiyang confronts the guild members to protect the players, leading to a tense standoff. Yanlong Xisha demands Yun Feiyang's head, but Great River Eastward's banner leaders hesitate to attack a top-tier master. Tuantuan Yuanyuan, one of the banner leaders, steps forward to challenge Yun Feiyang, while the others reluctantly prepare for battle. The story ends with the imminent clash between Yun Feiyang and the forces of Great River Eastward, as Xie Mengyun watches from the sidelines, now equipped with rare items and caught in the crossfire of the growing conflict between the major guilds.

Throughout the early chapters, Xie Mengyun navigates the complex social hierarchy of the game, forming alliances with her friends and key figures like Yun Feiyang. She acquires valuable resources, including the jade hairpin that boosts all martial arts levels and the Stillwater Sword, which she gifts to her friend Sese Hong. The narrative establishes the power dynamics between the top guilds, the ruthless tactics of Great River Eastward, and the emerging resistance led by the Rogue Alliance. Xie Mengyun's unique approach to the game—combining exploration, real-world knowledge, and strategic combat—sets her apart from other players and positions her for a significant role in the unfolding Jianghu conflicts.