"Yanqing." At this moment, someone called out to him...
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After seeing that the person who called him was Stelle, Yanqing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Since parting ways halfway before, this was the first time they had met again.
Both wanted to know what had happened after they separated.
Stelle, in a half-complaining tone, recalled the previous events to Yanqing.
It was actually just a continuation from the end of the last episode.
According to Stelle, they had been ordered by the generals to head to the Shackling Prison.
There, they personally witnessed Hoolay's escape.
In the end, Stelle and Dan Heng were even trapped directly inside the prison.
After Hoolay fled, the gates closed.
They were surrounded on all sides by enemies, but they were strong enough to fight back and the Judges of the Ten-Lords Commission had also come quickly as back-up.
Finally, they were let out of the prison by the Cloud Knights.
After finishing, Stelle looked at Yanqing: "What happened on your side?"
Yanqing also told Stelle everything truthfully.
"Luckily, everyone is safe and sound."
Stelle let out a breath of relief, then smiled: "Yanqing, by the way, quite a lot of people on the road were talking about your identity as the ring master."
Stelle originally wanted to use this topic to liven up the atmosphere.
Unexpectedly, Yanqing sighed and said: "Lately, I've been restless. Just thinking about the cunning and treacherous Borisin still being in Luofu keeps me from sleeping. So I reported to the General and gave up my position as the Ring Master."
The real victory or defeat isn't on the dueling platform of the Skysplitter.
It is here. If they can't capture the Borisin quickly, with Hoolay's vicious actions, he is sure to cause chaos.
This was Yanqing's truest thought at the moment.
This concern of his even won the approval of the audience.
...
: This growth arc has already reached a very high level.
: Doesn't anyone feel that Yanqing is sounding more and more like Jing Yuan?
: Looking back at Yanqing's character now, I can't help but sigh, his growth arc is so full.
: Exactly, that's why episode three is a must-watch!
...
As the audience praised, Feixiao's voice suddenly rang out.
"Though not taller than a footstool, even a little child of Luofu has the spirit not inferior to Yaoqing's warriors."
At some point, General Feixiao had appeared here.
She showered Yanqing with praise.
At the same time, the Cloud Knight soldiers brought out a whole table of food, prepared at some time.
The spread was rich, colorful, and fragrant, making their stomachs growl.
"General… this is…" Yanqing was puzzled.
"Ever since you encountered the Borisin' spy, you've been restless."
"Busy here and there, skipping meals, Hoolay isn't an enemy you can handle just by sheer nerves."
Feixiao also noticed the young swordsman's burning anxiety.
As a general, she gave him some advice.
Stelle, on the other hand, was eager to start eating.
Yanqing only shook his head, gloomily saying he hadn't finished his task yet and wasn't in the mood for food.
"In life, what you really need to do every day is simple."
"Find some good food to fill your stomach."
"Everything else isn't that important."
Stelle really couldn't hold back anymore, and patted Yanqing's shoulder with some gravity.
"Teacher, this, this is…"
Hearing this, Yanqing scratched his head, wanting to say: Isn't this way too unambitious?
But seeing Stelle's serious and spirited face, he didn't speak further.
"Sigh…"
"Alright then."
After agreeing, the two of them began to eat.
Only then did Feixiao nod with satisfaction.
"Find some good food to fill your stomach."
"That's quite an interesting way of putting it."
She first mulled over Stelle's words, then solemnly said: "Though Stelle's words were a bit rough, Yanqing, this is exactly the kind of mindset you lack."
"I have fought the Borisin' for years, and know their cunning all too well."
"This prison break, they clearly came prepared. They are in the dark, while we are in the light. That makes it all the more important to preserve strength and spirit, lest we be worn down by the prey."
"When prey is cunning and fierce, the hunter must be patient, like drawing the bow to strike. Only then can a single shot kill. Once Hoolay loses patience and bares his fangs, that will be the best time to finish him."
When she finished, the meaning was already obvious.
Feixiao was the hunter. No matter what Hoolay planned, she, the sharpest arrow of the Xianzhou Alliance, already had him in her sights.
It was just a matter of waiting for the right moment.
And the insight hidden within the hunter-prey metaphor was the essence of Feixiao's years of battlefield experience.
But whether Yanqing didn't listen or simply didn't understand, it was unclear.
Stelle, on the other hand, had already grasped the meaning instinctively.
On screen, the contrast between Yanqing's and Stelle's expressions was striking.
...
: Haha, since some time ago, Stelle seems to be getting sharper and wittier.
: Doesn't feel like that silly, airheaded beauty anymore.
: Don't underestimate our Stelle, this guy has always been smart, just rarely shows it.
: Speaking of which, after watching last week's preview, hearing Feixiao use this hunting metaphor, didn't anyone feel a faint sense of foreboding?
: Why does it give me the impression that the Borisin might use the same metaphor too…
...
The live comments rolled by.
Last week's preview, with General Huaiyan's words, was still echoing in the audience's minds.
Some small details had been caught by the viewers.
Meanwhile, the story split in two.
Inside the Palace of Astrum, General Huaiyan was receiving Yunli and March 7th.
Many Cloud Knights were already awaiting orders within the palace.
After offering some comfort about the ambush Yunli and March 7th had suffered, General Huaiyan got straight to the point and gave March 7th an unexpected task.
"What?"
"You want me to be the Ring Master?"
"Th-th-this… can that even work?"
March 7th waved her hands in shock, trying to refuse: "If someone like me, a half-baked swordsman, goes up on the arena, wouldn't that be a disgrace to the Cloud Knights?"
Huaiyan laughed heartily, then said seriously: "Miss March is no half-baked swordsman. The reputation of the Nameless is already enough to suppress many villains."
"Having you sit on the dueling platform of the Skysplitter isn't just entrusting you with arena glory, but also with the safety of the ship itself."
The sense of responsibility of March 7th was still very strong.
Since Huaiyan had spoken to this extent, she had no reason to refuse.
She immediately swore with confidence, promising to absolutely ensure the safety of the Strife Ship.
Inside, though, she felt a little delighted.
Nothing else. The way Huaiyan used the words "sitting in command" made March 7th feel a bit embarrassed, yet secretly pleased.
It was as if she were some ancient ancestor from the Xianzhou tales.
To sit in a crucial location, protecting the Xianzhou.
After that, the scene shifted again. They arrived at the Shackling Prison.
Jing Yuan, Lingsha, and Dan Heng, under Hanya's lead, had already entered the prison.
"Shackling Prison has been poorly managed. Forgive me for troubling the General to come in person; my gratitude is beyond words." Hanya spoke softly.
"The Judge is too polite. The Cloud Knights clash with enemies on the front, while the Shackling Prison punishes criminals in the rear. The Cloud Knights and the prison are two sides of the same coin, both part of the Xianzhou. To be of service to the Ten-Lords Commission is my honor."
Jing Yuan replied with a smile.
This response perfectly showed the art of words.
He treated both the frontline soldiers and the prison guards with equal respect.
After the pleasantries were over, Jing Yuan expressed his wish to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Shackling Prison.
Especially regarding the "mastermind behind the scenes."
"How did the fugitive Borisin know the exact holding area of Hoolay, and how did he happen to appear just in time, right when the inspection was being carried out…?"
"In my view, the answers aren't hard to find. The key is whether we can trace a thread that leads back to the mastermind."
After Jing Yuan's calm words, Hanya immediately understood the General's meaning.
She replied bluntly: "I understand, but what the General wishes to do… it's no easy task."
Jing Yuan nodded slightly, unconcerned, and said calmly: "For too long, this mastermind has ignored the safety of the Luofu, acting recklessly. To retreat now would only embolden them further, bringing even greater danger to the peace of the Luofu."
Things had already reached this stage. Before Hoolay had even escaped, Hanya had learned from Dan Heng and Moze about Jiaoqiu's Oath.
She also understood, the General intended to move against the Preceptors.
As someone well-versed in Xianzhou history, she knew how difficult that would be.
The covenant was still in place; even a General could hardly move openly against the Preceptors.
However, the Ten-Lords Commission…
That was the Ten-Lords Commission of the Xianzhou people.
The radical faction's headquarters, definitely not a force to take lightly.
After Jing Yuan made it clear that this mastermind, whoever they were, was no mere traitor but had to be dealt with severely,
Hanya spoke again.
"Just as the General says, whatever decision you make, the Ten-Lords Commission will stand by and assist."
To strike at the Preceptors, the Ten-Lords Commission would back him up.
With these words, it basically meant the two main forces of the Xianzhou had reached a consensus.
That so-called covenant? Time to show those Preceptors some real strength.
At this point, with Jing Yuan's appearance, the audience finally understood.
This… Why did it feel like a police sting operation?
Feixiao handled Hoolay.
Huaiyan stayed behind to guard the Palace of Astrum.
That left Jing Yuan free to personally come to the Shackling Prison, preparing to deal with the corrupt Preceptors.
And with the Ten-Lords Commission, represented by Hanya, giving full support,
Was Jing Yuan about to begin a complete purge of the Luofu?
…
: Well well well, forget the teasers, just looking at this, it's impossible to say these three generals aren't conducting a sting operation.
: Right after Hoolay escapes, the three generals immediately divide their duties, too neat, too precise.
: Can't hold it in anymore, Jing Yuan is absolutely baiting and waiting.
: He was just waiting for evidence. Once it appeared, he immediately moved in.
: And he even brought Dan Heng and the current head of the Alchemy Commission along. Damn, this is clearly aimed straight at the Preceptors and the Disciples of the Medicus Sanctus.
: Time for a brutal purge!
: How can Luofu's governance go well with vermin like the Preceptors meddling in it?!
: Deploy! Deploy!
…
The audience was thrilled.
Afterward, it went step by step into evidence gathering.
With the help of Lingsha and Dan Heng, the secrets hidden in the corpses of the fugitive Borisin were gradually uncovered.
Vidyadhara's techniques needed no explanation.
Dan Heng himself was half a High Elder.
Finding proof was effortless for him.
As for the transformed Borisin, evidence was also brought forth by Lingsha.
Those fugitives had all taken a special kind of potent medicine.
Its recipe came from an ancient formula within the Alchemy Commission, and very few people could refine it.
Thus, the link between the Preceptors and the Alchemy Commission rebels was solid, undeniable proof.
Once all this was done, Lingsha sighed: "This Disciples of the Medicus Sanctus is truly like a stubborn poison in the Luofu."
"But the people of the Luofu have always been too kind-hearted. Even toward the tumors parasitizing the Alchemy Commission, they can't bring themselves to perform the surgery to cut them out, always making excuses to send them away."
Her words dripped with sarcasm.
The audience couldn't stop laughing. Who would've thought elegant Lingsha could be so sharp-tongued?
Jing Yuan shook his head with a faint smile: "It seems Miss Lingsha holds much resentment toward me. But with the Disciples of the Medicus Sanctus revived, I can only shoulder the responsibility."
He didn't bother explaining further. The three of them continued walking, chatting naturally.
Along the way, they gathered much more evidence.
During this time, some hidden fugitives tried to ambush Jing Yuan.
But before they could even get close, they were immediately overwhelmed and beaten down by the Cloud Knights.
To keep them alive, the Cloud Knights didn't use lethal force, just heavy enough blows to pin them down.
One fugitive, unable to endure the beating, reverted from his disguise, revealing his true form.
On his body, he was even wearing the uniform of the Alchemy Commission.
The Borisin cried out in pain.
He tried to prove he was only forced into it, compelled by the fugitives to use the secret medicine.
Not a true fugitive himself.
"Stop, stop, I'm from the Xianzhou!"
"That one called Mok Tok, after I supplied the medicine, he forced me to take it too."
"I, I am from the Xianzhou!"
These words, Lingsha could no longer suppress her anger.
Jing Yuan, however, only smiled faintly as he watched.
He knew, even if not the Preceptors yet, this time the Disciples of the Medicus Sanctus was finished for good.