Guinaifen narrowed her eyes.
Nodding thoughtfully.
She tried to voice her understanding: "What General Huaiyan means is..."
"The martial ceremony will proceed as planned!"
"March 7th will participate as a disciple of the Cloud Knight Lieutenant, serving as the defending swordsman for Luofu as the host."
"On the other hand, Dan Heng and Jing Yuan have gone to The Shackling Prison."
"Our Astral Express Crew trio is splitting into three paths this time, everyone has a bright future!"
Arriving at The Shackling Prison.
Lingsha, Dan Heng, and Jing Yuan are trying to decipher some clues from the Borisin's attack.
The three of them seem to have transformed into coroners.
Examining the Borisin's corpses in the hall.
...
"Holy crap? Jing Yuan and Dan Heng are finally working together?"
"Divine General and Azure Dragon, activate!"
"My favorite episode!"
"Brothers, why did Jing Yuan specifically bring Dan Heng and Lingsha? There must be some deeper meaning here!"
"Bringing the former High Elder and the future head of the Alchemy Commission, the target is obvious..."
"Exactly!"
"Jing Yuan probably knows the truth and is here to gather evidence."
"Jing Yuan is still going strong!"
"Impressive! The Divine Foresight hasn't even sat down once in the entire plot!"
...
Lingsha spoke with a professional tone: "The alchemists detected some... complex drug components in his remains, which seem to explain how these Borisin could transform into foxians."
"Simply put, foxians and Borisin share the same ancestry. Although their appearances are vastly different now, there isn't much difference at the genetic level. This drug allows Borisin to temporarily alter their forms and appear as foxians."
"This also means there is a source within Luofu providing these imposters with the drugs."
"Sigh, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are like weeds that can never be fully eradicated. This time, the Alchemy Commission might not be able to escape blame."
"When I was reviewing the formulas they used, I discovered one called the 'Return to Dust and Maintain Form Pill,' specifically designed for spies to suppress the symptoms of Mara and maintain a normal appearance. Comparing it to the drug found in the Borisin—"
"Although the properties and components differ, the underlying principle is the same."
Jing Yuan sighed: "Since ancient times, the Borisin have always pursued stronger flesh and blood, viewing foxians as weaklings. Now, to rescue their war chief, they are willing to disguise themselves as foxians... Their determination is truly remarkable."
At this point.
It is now certain!
The Borisin and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have joined forces!
Together, they orchestrated this prison break!
The evidence is irrefutable.
Of course.
There's more to it!
The three continued their investigation.
Ahead.
A prison guard lay on the ground, his limbs twisted unnaturally.
"Such terrifying strength... The killer shattered this guard's bones with a single strike."
"This brute force is far beyond what an ordinary Borisin could achieve... It's most likely Hoolay," Jing Yuan said gravely.
Lingsha turned her head.
A hint of doubt appeared on her face: "Forgive my bluntness, but is this Borisin truly so fearsome?"
Jing Yuan nodded: "I've lived longer than Miss Lingsha and have experienced more battles. For the Alliance, the Borisin have always been the most troublesome enemies. And Hoolay is a monster even the Borisin themselves fear."
"He single-handedly united numerous hunting packs, amassed an army of Abundance abominations, and repeatedly pushed the Alliance's forces into peril."
At this point,
Jing Yuan's tone grew heavier,
"Over seven hundred years ago, I followed my mentor on a campaign to exterminate the abominations and witnessed the devastation that followed the arrival of that colossal beast."
"Even after taking pills to suppress the fear of wolf poison, countless Cloud Knights were so terrified by his ferocity that they couldn't even raise their hands to fight back... If it weren't for the former Sword Champion using her frost blade to restrain Hoolay, the outcome would have been uncertain."
"By the end of that great battle, only a handful of us remained. The Crimson Moon hung in the sky, and blood sprayed everywhere... All I could see was a sea of crimson."
As Jing Yuan recounted the events.
The live chat was buzzing with activity!
...
"Even with the pills, they couldn't withstand it? Just how terrifying is Hoolay?"
"Hoolay in his prime, my friend!"
"How peerless was Jingliu back in the day?"
"Jingliu is still climbing the ranks!"
"Even when some people are gone, their legends continue to circulate in the world."
"Long live Empress Jing!"
"I bet Hoolay will definitely have an ice weakness once he becomes the boss."
"The Shackling Prison must keep Hoolay securely locked up. I really don't want to see something like that running rampant on the streets someday..."
...
"If that's the case, why wasn't this beast executed after being subdued, but instead just imprisoned?"
Lingsha continued to ask,
"On the Xianzhou Zhuming, the judges throw the irredeemable and unkillable Abundance abominations into the blazing fires of a star."
"The so-called immortality is just a name. How can there truly be anything in this world that is immortal and indestructible? I wonder why Luofu has allowed this malignant tumor to fester for so long, leading to the current situation that's now difficult to handle?"
This is actually a question many players have as well.
However.
Before Jing Yuan could answer.
Lingsha's tone shifted subtly.
She spoke to herself, "Well, it's true. The people of Luofu have always been kind-hearted. Even when it comes to the tumors parasitizing the Alchemy Commission, they can't bear to cut out the poison to heal the wound. Instead, they sent the Healers who wanted to save them to Xianzhou Zhuming."
...
"?"
"She's really got a personality!"
"Lingsha's Little Mood."
"Talking to herself, hahaha."
"She's so sarcastic, I love it."
"I'm new here, can someone tell me why she's like this?"
"Lingsha is mainly upset because her master was exiled by Jing Yuan, so she's being sarcastic towards him."
"Is that so?"
"What happened after that?"
...
Jing Yuan sighed helplessly, "It seems Miss Lingsha holds a grudge against me. As for the resurgence of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, I bear full responsibility. As to why Hoolay, that abomination, is merely imprisoned... I can explain that to you as well."
"I am but a humble physician, unaware of past events. Please enlighten me, General."
"Very well, let us discuss it as we walk."
They continued forward.
Before a cell lay a corpse.
The three of them stopped here.
Dan Heng examined the body and said, "Before he died, someone bit open his artery and drained a large amount of blood. Such a brutal and cruel method..."
"Without fresh blood and flesh to consume, the Borisin would grow unbearably thirsty. Though they are a long-life species, they are closer to predatory beasts. I heard that in The Shackling Prison, Hoolay is deprived of food and drink..."
Lingsha sighed,
"It's hard to imagine, not eating or drinking for over seven hundred years. He must have been suppressing his hunger for a long time. I wonder if the hostage from Yaoqing he took managed to escape?"
Jing Yuan lamented, "This is the terror of the Abomination of Abundance. We subjected him to the punishment of the Sword Tree, to wear down his life force, but instead, his sentence has become a test of our patience."
"As Miss Lingsha said, throwing an immortal monster into a star would be a final solution. Unfortunately..."
As they walked on.
Lingsha seemed to have sensed something hidden.
She continued Jing Yuan's words, "...Unfortunately, the foxians would not agree."
"Indeed, the atrocities committed by Hoolay are not limited to slaughter. In thousands of wars, we have tried to exterminate the Borisin, but with some unknown dark art, he has turned countless foxians into his pawns and Mechabeasts, repeatedly making comebacks."
"The foxian clan curses his name day and night, even using it to scare children into silence. To let such a great evil die a quick death, how could the foxians within the alliance be satisfied?"
...
"I am a foxian from Yaoqing, I can attest to this! But now..."
"Times have changed... A mere Hoolay is no match for my Empress Jing!"
"In Star Rail, Hoolay is at best a Stagnant Shadow."
"Hoolay is just a backdrop for my Empress Jing. The more formidable he is, the more it highlights her true worth~"
"Release him! Let him enter the weekly boss, and I'll kill him a hundred times with my 6-star Jingliu!"
"Hoolay never dreamed that seven hundred years later, a game would publicly execute him."
"If it can cure Feixiao's Lunacy, then killing him would be making the most of it."
"Jiaoqiu: The key to curing Lunacy is to boil Hoolay into soup."