『 [ Cough, cough! ]
Before the spectator could even finish his sentence, Yunli, who was listening with a deep frown, couldn't help but cough a few times.
[ Oh my god, isn't this Miss Yunli, the contestant from the Zhuming Xianzhou! ]
March 7th quickly caught on and chimed in, trying to draw the attention of the people over there.
[ Uh… she could easily knock down a Zhuming swordsman in just two or three moves! ]
Suddenly realizing that one of the main subjects of their discussion was standing right there, the spectator hastily changed his tune. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Yanqing: "This…"
Yanqing: "What do you mean I'd be knocked down by a Zhuming swordsman in just two or three moves?!"
Yanqing: "This is pure nonsense!"
Stelle: "Lmao, these spectators saw Yunli here and immediately turned into fence-sitters out of fear."
Yunli: "Hmph, at least they have some wits about them."
March 7th: "Sigh, these spectators are still gossiping about Yanqing."
March 7th: "Don't they know that yours truly has already taken Yanqing's place?"
March 7th: "Master Yanqing won't be knocked down, because he's not even competing."
March 7th: "The only one who might get knocked down is me…"
Qingque: "That's not necessarily true."
Qingque: "Who says you'll definitely be knocked down?"
Qingque: "Maybe you'll be knocked flying instead?"
March 7th: "…."
March 7th: "I'D RATHER BE KNOCKED DOWN THEN!!!"
....
『 [ Woof woof, woof woof woof woof? ]
In the main hall, March 7th spotted a Diting and walked over with a curious look on her face.
[ Eh… you're even going to question a Diting?? ]
Watching March 7th drag her over to the Diting, Yunli instantly wore a bewildered expression.
[ Woof woof, woof woof woof? ]
After listening to the Diting's barks, March 7th actually imitated its sounds to communicate with it.
[ Woof woof. ]
After hearing her, the Diting nodded, seemingly confirming something.
[ Uh… looks like you're done questioning… ]
[ Stop trying to 'know your enemy' any further. Let's go, I want to check out the ring. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Boothill: "No way, sister?"
Boothill: "You're talking to a dog?"
Guinaifen: "What dog?"
Guinaifen: "This is a Diting, not just some ordinary puppy!"
Boothill: "If it barks 'woof woof', isn't it a fudging dog?"
March 7th: "Puppies are actually very easy to understand."
March 7th: "As long as you communicate with them sincerely, you can understand what they're saying."
Silver Wolf: "So what was it saying just now?"
March 7th: "It said it's not a contestant."
Qingque: "My goodness, a Diting translator."
Qingque: "You actually understood what it said."
Paimon: "That's so magical."
Paimon: "So puppy barks can actually be understood?"
Stelle: "March is still one step ahead."
Stelle: "When I listen to Peppy, I have to use a translator."
Stelle: "But March can communicate barrier-free!"
Stelle: "Impressive, truly impressive!"
Yunli: "Oh, compared to my ability to communicate with weapons, it's still a bit lacking."
Yunli: "Since March is so talented, maybe with a little practice, she can communicate with weapons too."
March 7th: "Really?"
March 7th: "Then I must give it a try!"
Stelle: "If we're going by that logic, isn't my ability to communicate with trash cans even cooler?"
Yunli: "Uh… I guess you win on that one."
....
『 [ If we go this way, we can see the official venue of the Wardance. ]
Yunli began leading March 7th toward the arena.
[ WOW—! So this is what it looks like from the spectator stands… ]
Looking down at the vast arena, March 7th couldn't help but gasp in awe.
[ Look over there, that's the stage we'll be stepping onto. ]
Yunli pointed out the location of the stage to March 7th.
[ Master Yunli, I… why do I feel nervous all over again! ]
[ Can I really do this? ]
Looking at the stage, March 7th's heart began to flutter with anxiety again.
[ It's too late to be nervous, time is almost up! ]
Yunli shook her head.
[ What do you mean time is almost up? ]
[ Every time I think of the mission General Huaiyan entrusted to me, my heart just keeps thumping. Master Yunli, what should I do? ]
March 7th was trembling with nervousness.
[ It'd be a bigger problem if your heart stopped beating. ]
[ Just take in the atmosphere and get ready. ]
[ I have to leave for a bit to inspect various parts of the ship. That's also a mission my grandfather entrusted to me. ]
Yunli gave March 7th a few instructions, preparing to leave temporarily to check the security of the Wardance vessel, the Skysplitter.
[ Sigh, I wonder how Master Yanqing is doing on his end… ]
Hearing this, March 7th wore a face full of worry.
[ Hey, focus! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Look how worried March is."
Stelle: "Her hair is almost turning white from worry."
March 7th: "Nonsense! Pretty girls don't get white hair!"
Furina de Fontaine: "This is the official venue of the Wardance?"
Furina de Fontaine: "What is that next to it?"
Furina de Fontaine: "A cannon?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Isn't that a bit too massive?"
Hu Tao: "Could that be what they use to fire the ceremonial salutes for the Wardance?"
Hu Tao: "No wonder it's so loud!"
Lumine: "Such a thick barrel. I bet one shot could blast away a small hilltop."
Paimon: "And this is even a decommissioned old-model warship. I can't imagine how powerful the newer ones must be."
Zhongli: "A formidable technological power."
Zhongli: "It must be said that the great factions in the universe are truly far ahead of civilizations like ours that cannot yet venture into space."
Venti: "After all, our mindsets and horizons aren't on the same level."
Venti: "How could the gap not be huge?"
Guinaifen: "Speaking of which, the competition is about to start, so why are there so few people in the spectator stands?"
Guinaifen: "Have the spectators not started entering in large numbers yet?"
Dan Heng: "…."
Dan Heng: "These spectators always give me a strange feeling."
Dan Heng: "They seem… a bit too orderly?"
Welt Yang: "Furthermore, I don't see any tourists from other planets appearing here."
Welt Yang: "Could it be a different venue?"
....
『 The scene shifted, arriving at Stelle and Feixiao's location.
[ Reporting to the General, the troops are all in position. ]
[ The Sky-Faring Commission has also completed all controls over the starskiff navigation routes. ]
A Cloud Knight captain walked up to Feixiao and reported.
[ Get all the cycrane network moving. Scan everyone planning to enter or leave the port. ]
[ Stay vigilant at all times. Once there is any suspicious movement, suppress it in the shortest time possible to prevent the situation from spreading. ]
Feixiao nodded and continued to issue orders.
[ Yes! ]
The Cloud Knight soldiers responded in unison.
[ Yanqing, Stelle, come with me. ]
[ Moze's signal is nearby. ]
[ But a moment ago, he disconnected… ]
[ He'll be fine. ]
[ Cloud Knights, search target! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Jiaoqiu: "Damn, Moze, you kid, did you end up kicking the bucket before me?"
Jiaoqiu: "I told you to run, but you wouldn't listen!"
Jiaoqiu: "Now you're going even faster than me!"
Furina de Fontaine: "No way?!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Did Mr. Moze really meet with an accident?"
Stelle: "Absurd… what do you mean fleeting?"
Stelle: "The one in danger was clearly Jiaoqiu. How is it that Moze might be gone first instead?"
Silver Wolf: "Does this count as 'expert in life, blunder in death'?"
Silver Wolf: "If you ask me, if you hadn't saved that Shackling Prison escapee, you might not have been exposed."
March 7th: "Cough, Mr. Moze might not really be a goner, right?"
Moze: "Rational analysis: to Hoolay, my utility is not that great."
Moze: "So he might not necessarily want to keep me alive."
Moze: "Therefore, the probability of my demise is indeed quite high."
Moze: "However, I didn't expect that I would actually fail."
Feixiao: "So after a trip to the Luofu, both of my right-hand men are going to be lost?"
Feixiao: "Forget it, when the time comes to actually go, I won't bring you two along."
....
『 Feixiao led Stelle and Yanqing to quickly search the area where Moze's signal had disappeared.
And before long, they easily discovered Moze's figure.
[ … ]
[ Back off, all of you… ]
At this moment, the already injured Moze was half-kneeling on the ground, shouting coldly at the Foxians slowly surrounding him.
[ General, look over there, it's Moze! ]
The sharp-eyed Stelle saw this scene and quickly led Feixiao and Yanqing forward.
[ Wait, don't get close. ]
Just as Stelle wanted to approach Moze, Feixiao stopped her.
[ General… I failed. ]
[ That mad dog left me here to… to you… ]
Seeing Feixiao arrive, Moze spoke in a slightly weak voice.
[ …declare war. ]
Looking at the Foxians silently surrounding them, Feixiao already understood Hoolay's intention.
[ Yes, I've been holding back the urge to tear his throat out. ]
[ After all, Lord Hoolay ordered us to stay here just to see… ]
[ If you, the famous Merlin's Claw, the mortal enemy of the Borisin, have the capability to play along with him… in this hunting game? ]
With that, the surrounding Foxians all reverted to their true Borisin forms.
[ Hunting is no game. ]
[ It is a war of life and death. Prepare to die, Abominations! ]
Feixiao struck with fury, swift as thunder.
Stelle and Yanqing followed closely behind, slaying all the Borisin before them.
In just a brief moment, the surrounding Borisin were completely wiped out. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Thank goodness, the worst-case scenario we imagined didn't happen…"
March 7th: "Mr. Moze is still alive!"
Stelle: "He seems to have sustained some light injuries, but it's no big deal."
Jiaoqiu: "Lucky for you, kid, you've got a tough life."
Jiaoqiu: "Otherwise, you really would have died before me."
Silver Wolf: "I told you these Borisin have no brains."
Silver Wolf: "Isn't this purely sending themselves to their deaths?"
Mualani: "Just a few wolf soldiers dared to ambush General Feixiao. I really don't get what they were thinking."
Kinich: "Perhaps it was to buy time for Hoolay's retreat."
Kinich: "Otherwise, such a sacrifice would seem meaningless."
Lumine: "So where on earth did Hoolay go?"
Lumine: "Now he's truly vanished without a trace."
Paimon: "Mr. Moze must know some clues, right?"
Yanqing: "In any case, it's wonderful that Mr. Moze is alright."
Yanqing: "Otherwise, the thought of both Yaoqing envoys dying on the Luofu would be a result too hard for me to accept!"
....
『 [ Moze, are you alright? ]
After dealing with the Borisin in front of them, the three quickly checked on Moze's safety.
[ I… failed to rescue Jiaoqiu. ]
[ Hoolay is more cunning and harder to deal with than I imagined. ]
Moze, having recovered slightly, stood up from the ground with a dim expression, seemingly disappointed in his failure to save Jiaoqiu.
[ Tell me, how does he plan to declare war on me… A duel, one-on-one? Or a hostage exchange? ]
Feixiao wanted to know Hoolay's plan.
[ Hoolay plans to attack the bustling markets on the Luofu Xianzhou. ]
Moze quickly answered.
[ What did you say? ]
Hearing Moze's words, Feixiao's eyelids twitched violently.
[ How is that possible? ]
[ Even if there are still hidden Borisin impostors who haven't been rooted out, Hoolay's group only numbers a few dozen. He plans to attack the bustling markets of the Luofu Xianzhou simultaneously? ]
Yanqing found it hard to believe.
[ That is his trump card. ]
[ Within Hoolay's body lies the Plaguemark of the Abundance, passed down through generations of Borisin. ]
[ I saw with my own eyes as he turned a Foxian into a Borisin wolf soldier… ]
[ This is Hoolay's declaration of war. ]
[ His blood… can rapidly warp and distort Foxians, driving them into madness. He gave his blood to his subordinates, wanting to spread it across the Luofu to incite panic! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Oh no, this is really going to be a disaster!"
Yunli: "Shouldn't we immediately evacuate all Foxians in the market areas?"
Yunli: "Otherwise, once Hoolay's scheme succeeds, it won't be long before Borisin are spawned in droves!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is this the power of the Plaguemark?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Suddenly, I deeply feel the terrifying nature of this power."
Stelle: "Sigh, there's always trouble wherever we go."
Stelle: "Don't tell me this Luofu crisis is going to be even bigger than the one Phantylia caused last time."
Robin: "That shouldn't be the case…"
Robin: "After all, right now on the Luofu, there are indeed three generals keeping watch."
Robin: "However, for chaos to break out at such a specific time will deal a severe blow to the reputation of the Luofu and even the entire Xianzhou Alliance."
Silver Wolf: "I'm afraid Jing Yuan is going to be forced into retirement this time."
Fu Xuan: "Although I look forward to the day of the General's retirement, this One has already cast a divination for the Luofu."
Fu Xuan: "The hexagram shows that though there will be twists and turns, the end will be safe and sound."
Qingque: "Hey, Lady Fu, is your divination accurate this time?"
Fu Xuan: "Hmm? What do you think?"
Qingque: "Ahaha… forget it, I won't guess. When Lady Fu takes action, it's bound to be accurate!"
....
『 [ Which means attacks will happen everywhere? ]
[ We must evacuate all Foxians immediately! ]
Stelle spoke with a serious expression, quickly suggesting.
[ Contact the Sky-Faring Commission and the Cloud Knights immediately to initiate a travel ban, requiring all Foxians to stay indoors. ]
Yanqing looked tense and immediately wanted to notify the Sky-Faring Commission to issue the ban.
[ The moment we see the enemy's declaration of war, it means they have already begun their move. ]
Feixiao shook her head, stopping Yanqing's action.
[ But… once the panic Hoolay creates spreads— ]
Moze was now also deeply worried.
[ Remember what I told you? ]
[ In hunting, one should consider the prey's thoughts, rather than blindly chasing the prey's tracks. ]
[ What Hoolay wants is for everyone on the Luofu to fall into panic. He wants to see us in disarray, wasting our limited manpower chasing shadows on every inch of the Luofu's land, looking for signs of an impending attack, and finally exhausting ourselves. ]
[ Just like the game the Yaoqing people like to play at banquets: covering an object with several bowls, shifting them around, and finally asking you to guess which bowl it's under. ]
[ But in my view, these are all just misdirection— ]
[ No matter what Hoolay does, he cannot change one fact: he is trapped on the Luofu Xianzhou. ]
[ To escape this place, his only option is to find a ship. ] 』
『 ....』