Starskiff Haven.
The setting sun was like molten gold, its ten thousand rays dyeing the entire long street a magnificent warm orange. An endless stream of tourists rubbed shoulders.
Daziel and March 7th strolled leisurely, their shadows stretching and intertwining in the lingering glow. In the air, wisps of the soul-tempting sweet and savory aromas of food drifted.
March 7th's small, delicate nose was twitching restlessly. Her lively eyes had long since been captivated by the dazzling array of various snacks, sparkling with a desire as pure as a baseball bat.
A bit of the sugar coating from a Qiongshi Bird skewer still clung to the side of her cherry lips. She was now contentedly sipping a cup of refreshingly cold Cranes Express tea, making soft gurgling sounds.
"Mmm-hmm… It's simply the most delicious thing in the world! Why is the food of the Xianzhou Luofu always so irresistible!"
Her cheeks were stuffed full with food, making her words slightly muffled, but her bright eyes shone even brighter, sparkling with the ultimate joy of discovering a treasure.
A faint smile touched Daziel's lips, his voice as warm and gentle as jade.
"Don't rush, no one's fighting you for it. Be careful not to choke."
March 7th shook her head with a full display of maidenly charm, her small head swaying so much her braids danced. Her attention was immediately captured by a new, domineering aroma.
"Daziel, Daziel! Look over there!"
Her slender finger pointed excitedly at a particularly bustling stall not far away, her eyes full of surprise.
A trace of helplessness, yet also indulgence, crossed Daziel's eyes. He had no choice but to follow this beautiful young woman who was forever tireless on her quest for delicious food.
This beautiful and innocent March 7th is a sight you don't get to see in bed.
The stall owner was a burly fox-man with glossy fur. He was currently yelling at the top of his lungs, hawking his wares and beckoning passersby with a thick, local Xianzhou accent.
March 7th couldn't contain her curiosity. She tiptoed over and poked her little head out, asking in a crisp voice.
"Sir, sir, what kind of rare thing are you selling?"
"Good eye, little lady! This is Candied Fruit Fried Feng Meat, the most ancient flavor of our Xianzhou! Little lady, would you like to try some? This stuff isn't easy to find nowadays!"
The fox-man stall owner grinned widely, revealing a mouth full of white teeth, his smile appearing exceptionally bold.
On the stall, in a large wok, a plate of purplish-red meat chunks and translucent candied fruits were being stir-fried together. The surface of the meat glistened with oil. Even stranger, the cut pieces of meat were still writhing slightly, as if they had a life of their own.
Such an appearance was indeed a challenge to the visual and psychological limits of an ordinary person. Yet, from the wok emanated an indescribable, overwhelmingly rich and strange aroma that made one's stomach rumble.
Daziel felt a slight churning in his stomach. This scene was really pushing the limits of his usually calm acceptance. The writhing texture struck his mind directly through his vision.
He remained composed, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's, quietly scanning the surroundings, keenly capturing the fleeting strangeness and… coldness?… in the eyes of several neighboring vendors.
"Is it my imagination?" Daziel muttered to himself. "Why are the expressions on these people's faces so intriguing? They don't seem like the friendly faces of ordinary businessmen."
His gaze shifted to the overly enthusiastic face of the fox-man stall owner, his tone flat but with a hint of subtle scrutiny.
"Shopkeeper, we're travelers from out of town. You'd better not be deceiving us. Is this really a traditional Xianzhou delicacy?"
Hearing this, the stall owner's smile grew even brighter, but a strange light seemed to flow in the depths of his eyes.
"My good sir, this is where you're mistaken. Back in the day, our ancestors had to fight endlessly with this Feng meat just to survive. It was a tough battle."
"Later on… hehe, these things almost went extinct. As for how they went extinct… anyway, it definitely wasn't because we ate them all. Definitely not."
There was an elusive meaning in the stall owner's words, as if he were hinting at some unknown secret.
March 7th took a deep breath. The strange aroma became even more intense in her nostrils. Her watery eyes were filled with hesitation and struggle.
"This… this thing looks… it really doesn't fit the image of a pure and innocent beautiful girl like me…"
She mumbled in a small voice, her brow slightly furrowed.
"But… but it smells… so good! So good my soul is about to fly away! Daziel, Daziel, let's just buy one portion to try, okay? Please?"
Her big, watery eyes were now staring intently at Daziel, filled with anticipation and pleading, like a small animal waiting to be fed.
"If… if I can't finish it, you can just reluctantly help me finish the rest…"
The corner of Daziel's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, his tone laced with a hint of amusement and helplessness.
"If you want to try it, then enjoy it yourself. As for me… I'll have to pass on this one."
Seeing this, March 7th immediately became insistent. She reached out her small hand and gently shook Daziel's arm, her voice soft and sticky.
"I don't care! I don't care! I want to eat this! I want this one!"
"Buy me a portion, please, please, you're the best, Daziel!"
She expertly used her fail-proof coquettish skills, her eyes looking especially pitiful.
Daziel sighed softly, the indulgence in his eyes deepening.
"I know, I know. I really can't do anything with you, little girl. Boss, excuse me, one portion, please."
"Coming right up! Just a moment, sir!"
The fox-man stall owner's eyes glinted. He moved with incomparable speed, scooping out a portion from the wok and quickly packing it.
Daziel tapped his finger to scan and pay, just about to reach out and take the box of "delicacy" that was emitting a strange aroma.
Suddenly, things changed! In that split second!
The enthusiastic smile on the fox-man stall owner's face froze, replaced by a look of ferocity and malice!
He fiercely smashed the food box in his hand onto the hard stone ground, then kicked over the iron wok full of boiling hot oil beside him!
"Brothers, do it! Kill them!" he let out a shrill, piercing cry that shook the surroundings.
The muscles on his face twisted, and his brownish-brown fur grew wildly at a visible rate. His figure also instantly grew taller and bulkier, and in the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a ferocious Borisin with bared fangs!
At the same time, among the seemingly ordinary "tourists" and "vendors" nearby, dozens of figures also moved in response, tearing off their disguises and revealing their true wolf-like Borisin forms!
Sharp claws sprang out, glinting with a cold light. Sharp fangs reflected a bloodthirsty light in the setting sun. Their faces were ferocious, and they roared, surrounding Daziel and March 7th in the blink of an eye.
March 7th's eyes widened in a daze, her gaze fixed on the scattered candied fruits and the still-writhing Feng meat on the ground.
"I… I didn't even get a single bite! Why… why did you have to smash it?!"
Her tone was filled with a comical sense of pity and regret. Her obsession with the uneaten food, at this moment, seemed to override her reaction to the sudden danger.
A vein on Daziel's forehead throbbed uncontrollably, his tone laced with a hint of helplessness.
"Little March! Is this really the time to be fretting over that?! Get a grip!"
Before his words had faded, Daziel's hand whipped back, and the strangely shaped yet incomparably familiar metal baseball bat was already in his palm, its body glinting with a cold metallic luster in the setting sun.
The leading Borisin, transformed from the fox-man stall owner, let out a deafening roar, the sound wave rolling out.
"To welcome back the silent blood moon of Qingqiu! For the glory of our clan! Kill—!"
A cold arc formed on Daziel's lips, a sharp glint suddenly flashing in his eyes, like a sharp blade unsheathed in the dark night.
"A bunch of overconfident fools. You want to make a move on me? You're… seeking your own death!"
The heavy baseball bat in his hand let out a sharp, piercing whistle as it cut through the air. As fast as lightning, it accurately and heavily smashed into the face of a Borisin who was the first to pounce!
"CRACK—!"
The Borisin let out a piercing scream. Its entire face collapsed and deformed in an instant, and it was sent flying backward, landing heavily on the ground. After a few twitches, it could no longer get up.
Seeing this, the remaining Borisin, far from feeling any fear, were instead provoked into an even more violent ferocity. They let out sky-shaking roars, waving their sharp claws and fangs, and like a pack of bloodthirsty mad wolves, they charged recklessly towards the two of them!
The originally bustling and lively pier was instantly thrown into chaos! Countless tourists let out terrified screams, scattering like frightened birds and beasts. The scene was chaotic to the extreme.
The Cloud Knights on patrol also reacted extremely quickly. Sharp whistles and loud commands rose and fell, trying with difficulty to maintain order amidst the chaos.
"All units, pay attention! Converge on the incident location immediately! Prioritize dispersing the crowd and protecting the safety of the public!"
Daziel, however, had no time for other things. His mind was highly focused. He swung his bat again, his movements clean and powerful, once again accurately hitting a Borisin's head, sending it flying like a broken cloth bag.
On the crowded pier, more and more figures revealed their ferocious wolf forms amidst the fleeing and chaos. Their target was incomparably clear—Daziel and March 7th, who were surrounded in the center.
March 7th's pretty little face also changed color slightly. As she nimbly dodged the attacks, she shouted urgently.
"How… how can there be so many Borisin hidden here? The Xianzhou's security system… could it have such a big loophole?"
Daziel sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a sharp claw coming from a cunning angle, his tone still carrying a hint of casual ease.
"It's nothing, just a bunch of rabble. No matter how many ants there are, they're still just ants. It won't change their fate of being crushed."
"And don't just stand there watching. Come and help. I'm the one solving most of this, and now you're getting addicted to slacking off, are you?"
Daziel's voice clearly reached March 7th's ears.
"I know! Geez!"
March 7th huffed coquettishly. She quickly recovered from her shock, and with a flash of light in her hand, the familiar ice-blue longbow was already in her grasp.
She drew the bowstring, and arrows formed from condensed ice, like meteors streaking across the night sky, carried a bone-chilling cold as they accurately and continuously struck the chests of several Borisin, freezing them in an instant.
The battle was fierce. The sounds of slaughter, roars, and screams filled the pier, and the air filled with the thick smell of blood.
At that moment, a clear and soaring voice, like a crane's cry to the ninth heaven, suddenly cut through the noise and chaos.
"Audacious Borisin filth! How dare you openly commit violence on the territory of my Xianzhou Luofu! Do not be so arrogant!"
Before the voice had faded, several sharp and incomparably fast sword Qis had already cut through the air, the sword light as cold as autumn water, the chill bone-deep!
Swish! Swish! Swish! A few Borisin who were about to launch a sneak attack on Daziel from behind didn't even have time to let out a scream before they were instantly cut in two by the invisible sword Qi, blood and limbs flying everywhere.
A nimble figure landed gracefully, his clothes fluttering. It was the young Cloud Knight lieutenant, holding a longsword with a grave expression—
Yanqing.
"Mr. Daziel, are you injured?"
Yanqing steadied himself, the tip of his sword pointing diagonally at the ground, his gaze concerned as he looked at Daziel.
Daziel easily parried a fierce attack from the side, and even had the leisure to shrug his shoulders slightly, his tone flat.
"It's nothing, not worth mentioning. Enemies of this level aren't even enough for a proper warm-up to get me serious."
Hearing this, Yanqing's handsome face couldn't help but show a trace of shame and self-blame.
"I am truly sorry that Mr. Daziel had to encounter such a dangerous matter on the territory of our Xianzhou Luofu."
"This matter, our Luofu will definitely investigate thoroughly and give you a satisfactory explanation. But for now…"
The blade of the longsword in his hand turned, pointing at the Borisin who were still putting up a futile resistance, a murderous intent in his eyes.
"Let's first make these gutter rats who dared to sneak into the Xianzhou pay a heavy price for their foolish actions!"
The sword light suddenly flared, as bright as a dragon rising from the land!
The sword in Yanqing's hand transformed into a streak of green lightning, rapidly weaving through the Borisin crowd. Sword shadows flew, bringing with them mists of blood.
Although Yanqing's swordsmanship was exquisite, his moves sharp and ruthless, the number of attacking Borisin was simply too great, and each one was extremely fierce, fighting without fear of death, as if they didn't know what pain was.
After fighting for a while, even with Yanqing's considerable cultivation, he gradually began to feel a bit of pressure. The transitions between his moves inevitably showed a hint of stiffness.
A Moongazer wolf soldier, who had been lurking nearby with particularly crazed eyes, seized a tiny opening when Yanqing's old strength was spent and his new strength had not yet arrived. Its figure shot out like a phantom, its claws, glinting with a dark light, tore through the air, heading straight for the vital point of Yanqing's unguarded back!
"Yanqing, behind you!"
March 7th had been keeping an eye on the battle. Seeing this, she couldn't help but cry out in alarm, but it was already a step too late to fire an arrow to help.
Yanqing's heart suddenly went cold. He thought to himself, "Not good!"
A fatal sense of crisis instantly enveloped his entire body.
Just at this critical moment of life and death, a petite figure, like a swift and incomparable gust of wind, forcibly inserted herself between Yanqing and the wolf soldier in an instant!
Her bare feet landed lightly on the ground, without a sound, but in her hand, she held a giant greatsword that was a stark contrast to her petite figure. A cold glint of steel had already preceded her arrival!
"Clang!"
With a deafening clash of metal, the fatal wolf claw of the Moongazer wolf soldier, which had been sure to hit its mark, was accurately parried by the incomparably heavy sword body, sending sparks flying!
The newcomer was actually a young-looking girl.
She had short, neat dark blue hair, with two exquisitely braided long, thin braids hanging down from the back of her head, swaying gently with her movements.
A simple white top and green skirt made her skin look even fairer than snow.
The most eye-catching thing was that she was walking barefoot on this chaotic battlefield, yet her feet were not stained with a single speck of dust.
Those jade-like feet were small and exquisite, cute, and her ten round toes were painted with a bright red polish that was as red as blood. In the afterglow of the setting sun and the bloody color of the slaughter, they looked exceptionally eerie and striking.
The sun occasionally fell on her pale, long, and flawless thighs, making one a little dizzy, full of youthful vitality and wild beauty.
Yanqing felt a cold sweat break out on his back. Still shaken, he quickly clasped his fist in thanks.
"Thank you, young lady, for your righteous help! I am eternally grateful!"
But the young girl just furrowed her delicate brow slightly, her crisp voice carrying a hint of anxiety.
"This is bad, it seems there's not much time to chat here…"
Daziel's deep gaze narrowed slightly. He had already recognized this girl's identity—
It was old General Huaiyan's unconventional granddaughter, Yunli.
After all, that pair of cute, top-tier jade feet was simply too iconic. It was hard not to have some… other thoughts.
Yunli's gaze was now fixed with great interest on the antique-looking longsword in Yanqing's hand. In her bright eyes, there seemed to be a special, strong interest and desire for divine weapons.
She whipped her hand back, her movements so fast it was dazzling. Taking advantage of Yanqing's unsettled state of mind, she even snatched away the sword that had almost slipped from his hand when he had blocked the attack!
Then, Yunli's petite figure spun around. Her toes tapped lightly on the ground a few times, and like a nimble swallow, she was about to disappear into the chaotic crowd in the distance.
Yanqing was first stunned, then became extremely anxious and quickly called out.
"Young lady, wait! Could you please return my sword…"
But Yunli seemed not to have heard. Without looking back, her figure was as fast as lightning, and in a few flashes, she was far away.
"Wait! That's my sword! Dammit… that little girl!"
Yanqing was both anxious and angry, his handsome face flushed red, but he was helpless.
Daziel's steady voice sounded at the right moment, carrying an unquestionable calmness.
"First, clean up the trouble in front of us. Don't be distracted by this and neglect our business."
Yanqing took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and nodded heavily.
"Mr. Daziel is right! I understand!"
The two joined forces again. Daziel's bat swung wide, fierce and powerful. Although Yanqing had lost his usual sword, he had other backup flying swords he could use. Before long, the Borisin wolf soldiers who had been putting up a futile resistance on the pier were all cleared out, their corpses strewn everywhere.
The Cloud Knights quickly took control of the scene, controlled the chaotic situation, and began to soothe the frightened public and clean up the battlefield.
The long street gradually returned to some semblance of order, but the faint smell of blood and the scorched scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air, reminding people of the heart-pounding slaughter just now.
Yanqing quickly walked up to Daziel, his expression unprecedentedly solemn, even with a hint of gravity.
"Mr. Daziel, after a preliminary interrogation, according to the captured wolf soldiers, the target of their operation this time… was the 'Heliobus Abomination's' heart inside you."
"This object is a token of their Borisin clan's Khan. In their view, it holds supreme symbolic meaning and absolutely cannot fall into the hands of an outsider, let alone be defiled."
Hearing this, Daziel nodded lightly, his deep gaze calm, as if he had already seen through everything.
"Mm, it's not too far off from what I expected…"
Yanqing bowed deeply to Daziel, his tone filled with apology and shame.
"This matter is entirely due to the negligence of our Xianzhou Luofu's defense and patrol. Yanqing hereby solemnly apologizes to Mr. Daziel."
"According to the intelligence, they seem to still have many remnants lurking in various parts of the Xianzhou. This matter is of great importance and is no small matter. I must immediately return to the Seat of Divine Foresight to report the details to General Jing Yuan."
A look of obvious difficulty appeared on his young face, and he added with some embarrassment.
"It's just… my sword…"
Daziel's expression was cool, and he replied calmly.
"It's fine, you go ahead and take care of your business, no need to worry. I'll get your sword back for you."
Hearing this, Yanqing's face was overjoyed, his gratitude overflowing.
"Then… then I am truly indebted to you, Mr. Daziel! Yanqing is endlessly grateful!"
Before his words had faded, he had already clasped his fist in a salute, then turned and hurriedly left. His figure quickly disappeared at the end of the long street, presumably in a hurry to report the military situation.
March 7th stretched lazily, flexing her slightly sore muscles. Her cute little face now also carried a trace of fatigue from the battle.
"Phew… Daziel, you go and find that girl yourself. I just fought a hard battle, and now I feel a little tired, my bones are about to fall apart."
"I won't go with you. I need to hurry up and find a shop, find a cup of iced taro bubble tea to calm my nerves and replenish my energy."
Hearing this, Daziel's brow raised slightly, a teasing look on his face.
"Forget it, it's a small matter. I can go alone."
March 7th giggled, showing her two cute little canine teeth.
"Hehe, after all, for a trivial matter like retrieving a weapon, where is the need for me to personally go?"
"Besides, it's just a little girl who looks like she hasn't grown up yet. It's not like she can do anything to you, the great detective Daziel, right?"
After saying this, she headed straight towards the direction of "The Sleepless Earl."
Looking at March 7th, Daziel helplessly shook his head and let her go.
Daziel's figure was like the wind, without a trace of worldly dust. Following the faint, lingering scent of food and the direction in which Yunli had disappeared, he leisurely tracked her.
The streets and alleys were intertwined, light and shadow mottled. The hustle and bustle of the Xianzhou Luofu was cut off from the outside.
His steps were light, landing without a sound, like a hunter stalking in the dark night, elegant and deadly.
Finally, in a secluded alley deep in a pile of debris that gave off a faint musty smell, Daziel found the petite figure.
Yunli's back was to the alley entrance, huddled next to a huge parcel. The parcel was bulging, almost taller than she was.
She was currently sitting on the ground, her posture completely unladylike, a whole skewer of tempting-looking Qiongshi Bird skewers in her hand already half-devoured as if she were starving.
The sweet grease stained the corners of her mouth, but she was completely unaware. Her small nose twitched slightly, as if savoring the ultimate delicacy.
Daziel stood silently a few steps behind her, a barely perceptible smile in his deep eyes.
This little girl, just like Little March, is a real little glutton.
He admired this rather wild eating scene for a moment before slowly opening his lips. His voice was clear, with a deliberately lowered teasing tone, brushing past Yunli's ear like a feather.
"Little girl, didn't your elders ever teach you?"
"You absolutely cannot touch other people's things without permission."
Daziel's tone raised slightly, the end of his sentence dragging out, filled with an inscrutable playfulness.
"This kind of behavior is the standard for 'being bad'."
"And when little brats make mistakes, they have to be properly punished~"
The voice was not loud, but it was like a clap of thunder, exploding right next to Yunli's ear!
Yunli's small body suddenly stiffened, as if she had been instantly frozen by an invisible chain.
The piece of Qiongshi Bird she had yet to swallow almost choked her.
The next moment, like a startled small animal, she suddenly whipped her head around!
A pair of clear yet wary eyes stared intently in the direction the voice had come from.
"Who? Who is it?!"
Yunli's voice was slightly sharp from shock, carrying a hint of imperceptible trembling. The half-eaten skewer of Qiongshi Bird in her hand also fell to the ground with a "clatter," stained with dust.
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