—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Oh my god, Jiaoqiu opened his eyes!"
Stelle: "This is getting serious!"
Stelle: "General Feixiao must have some incurable disease!"
March 7th: "Didn't Mr. Jiaoqiu say his eyes were too small to open?"
March 7th: "That was clearly a flat-out lie, wasn't it?"
Furina de Fontaine: "It seems that just like Elder Huaiyan, he only opens his eyes when he's being serious and earnest."
Hu Tao: "So Mr. Jiaoqiu is being very serious right now!"
Li Sushang: "The Lady Dragon's diagnosis was actually just telling General Feixiao to eat some good food?"
Li Sushang: "Oh my goodness, does the General really have some kind of terminal illness?"
Guinaifen: "If the people of the Yaoqing Xianzhou find out about this, the sky is going to fall, right?"
Feixiao: "Ah? Not to that extent, not to that extent."
Feixiao: "Even if the Yaoqing loses me as its sky, another sky will rise to hold it up."
Feixiao: "Besides, I'm not dead yet. Why are you all acting like I'm on my deathbed?"
Paimon: "What kind of illness does the General actually have?"
Paimon: "Is it serious?"
Lumine: "Judging by Mr. Jiaoqiu's expression, it's quite serious…"
....
『 [ Jiaoqiu, matters of life and death are predestined. ]
[ Upon starting my military career, I pledged that the rest of my life would be dedicated to being Xianzhou's spearhead, hunting down the Abominations of Abundance till the end of my days. ]
[ As long as I can fulfill this long-cherished wish, I don't care how much longer I live… ]
[ You just said I view Jing Yuan as an enemy… No, my enemy has only ever been myself. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "What kind of riddle is this?"
Stelle: "I don't get it, I don't get it at all!"
Acheron: "It probably means… for her, she needs to fight against herself constantly, right?"
March 7th: "Ah? Why does she have to fight against herself?"
March 7th: "Does she have a grudge against herself?"
March 7th: "Wait a minute!"
March 7th: "I suddenly remembered some plots from Xianzhou novels."
March 7th: "Some top martial artists, because they are too invincible, develop inner demons."
March 7th: "So they have to fight against their inner demons at all times…"
March 7th: "Could General Feixiao be like that?"
Feixiao: "Inner demons?"
Feixiao: "Haha, how should I put it?"
Feixiao: "If you want to understand it that way, that works too…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Mr. Jiaoqiu, can you give us a hint about what illness General Feixiao actually has?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is it serious?"
Jiaoqiu: "Alas… based on my experience, she is already terminally ill."
Jiaoqiu: "Moon Rage, have you all heard of it?"
Fu Xuan: "Moon Rage?!"
Fu Xuan: "I have heard of it."
Fu Xuan: "It seems to be a madness deeply buried within the Foxian bloodline."
Fu Xuan: "Once it triggers, the patient becomes a tyrannical monster."
Qingque: "Eh? Isn't that pretty much the same as Mara-struck?"
Hu Tao: "So, General Feixiao actually has this kind of illness?!"
Hu Tao: "This…"
Nahida: "In other words, General Feixiao needs to constantly suppress this symptom to prevent her Moon Rage from triggering, right?"
Jiaoqiu: "Exactly."
Jiaoqiu: "However, she has been fighting in battles year-round, and this illness is becoming nearly impossible to suppress."
Yunli: "You just said you've found a way to cure General Feixiao."
Yunli: "Is that true?"
Jiaoqiu: "Yes, I do have some ideas in mind, but I cannot guarantee it yet."
Feixiao: "Impressive, Jiaoqiu! Can you actually find a cure for such a rare illness?"
Bailu: "Truly impressive. I've only heard of this illness, but if it comes to curing it, I have no way."
Welt Yang: "The question is, can a chronic illness rooted in the bloodline really be cured so easily?"
Welt Yang: "The price to be paid for that probably won't be small, right?"
Jiaoqiu: "The price?"
Jiaoqiu: "Haha, everything has a price."
Jiaoqiu: "But compared to curing General Feixiao, this price can be considered trivial…"
....
『 After Feixiao finished these few sentences, the atmosphere on the scene became somewhat heavy.
A moment later, to break this mood, Moze spoke up.
[ Eat some good food, so… what are we having for dinner? ]
As soon as Moze opened his mouth, he asked about food.
It left Jiaoqiu completely speechless.
[ Geez... you really know how to read the room, don't you?]
Jiaoqiu rolled his eyes at Moze.
[ You guys figure it out for yourselves. I'm due to catch up with an old war friend I've not seen for quite a long time. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Yanqing: "An old war friend she hasn't seen in years?"
Yanqing: "Are there still veterans on the Luofu who once fought alongside General Feixiao?"
Stelle: "Who is it? Who is this valiant person?"
Feixiao: "Hahaha, take a guess?"
Feixiao: "This should be quite easy to guess."
March 7th: "I can't guess. It can't be General Jing Yuan, can it?"
Jing Yuan: "I have been sitting on the Luofu for hundreds of years. Naturally, I cannot be called an old war friend of General Feixiao."
Feixiao: "Indeed. Back when the High-Cloud Quintet was active, I wasn't even around."
Feixiao: "Otherwise, maybe I would have joined in on the fun too."
Dan Heng: "…It's better not to join in on that kind of 'fun'…"
....
『 The scene shifts.
Yanqing, bringing Stelle and the other two, has already taken a starskiff back to the Exalting Sanctum.
[ Wow, was that Cloud Knight General who descended from the sky just now from the Yaoqing? She's so cool! ]
[ Yunli was swinging such a huge sword, yet with just a gentle strike, she neutralized Yunli's attack— ]
Just now, in front of Feixiao, there was no time to be shocked.
Now that they were back at the Exalting Sanctum, March 7th finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
[ Uh… and mine too. ]
Hearing March 7th's words, Yanqing scratched his head in embarrassment.
[ Ahem… of course! As Yunli's opponent, that sword-wielding young hero was also incredibly dashing and agile! ]
[ It made me want to take him as my master and learn Xianzhou swordplay! ]
[ Don't you agree, Stelle? ]
March 7th gave Stelle a look, gesturing for her to say something quickly.
[ Yeah, yeah, Xianzhou swordplay is great, really great! ]
Stelle glanced at March 7th and chimed in expressionlessly.
[ Hey, put some more emotion into it! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "March, you of all people learning swordplay."
Stelle: "I suggest you first make your bow and arrows shoot straight before talking!"
Stelle: "And please, never shoot my butt again in the future!"
March 7th: "Go away! When have I ever missed my shot?"
March 7th: "Even if I don't hit the bullseye every single time, it's still nine times out of ten, right?"
March 7th: "Besides, I didn't want to use a bow as a weapon in the first place."
March 7th: "After all, have you ever heard of a great hero who uses a bow?"
March 7th: "Don't they all use swords?"
Xingqiu: "Indeed. Roaming the world with a sword, fighting for justice."
Xingqiu: "Great heroes do mostly use swords."
Stelle: "Now that I think about it, didn't you practice some kind of 'Star-Shattering Universe-Breaking Great Glazed Sword'?"
March 7th: "What are you talking about? IT'S THE 'STAR-SHATTERING BLADE OF TRUTH'!!"
Lumine: "WHOA!! THAT NAME!!"
Lumine: "Just hearing it makes it sound like an incredibly amazing move!"
Lumine: "I didn't expect Miss March 7th to have hidden strength she hasn't shown yet!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Star-shattering Blade of Truth?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Could Miss March 7th also be a hidden powerhouse of an Emanator?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Able to shatter stars with a single slash?!"
March 7th: "Ah?!"
March 7th: "Stop! Stop talking!"
March 7th: "That was just a cool-sounding name I made up for a sword technique… I haven't… I haven't actually mastered it at all…"
March 7th: "(sad.jpg)"
Lumine: "Uh…"
Lumine: "Ahem, don't lose heart, Miss March 7th. I believe you'll be able to master it one day!"
Lumine: "Keep it up!"
Silver Wolf: "Hahaha, this is hilarious."
Silver Wolf: "The skill name you came up with actually sounds pretty cool."
Silver Wolf: "I suggest you get a part-time job as a game skill description writer."
....
『 [ Thank you for the comfort, Miss March. ]
[ The Wardance is just around the corner, and I am fortunate enough to be qualified to represent the Cloud Knights. ]
[ Over these past few days, I don't know how many defeats I've suffered. I've long understood that there's always someone better out there. ]
[ But seeing General Feixiao's skills today, my heart is starting to feel uneasy again. ]
Thinking of the scene where General Feixiao effortlessly stopped him and Yunli just now, Yanqing was still a bit dazed.
[ There's no need to belittle yourself. After all, the General won't be participating in the Wardance. ]
[ As long as you remember the state of mind when you put life and death aside to challenge Blade and me by yourself that day, it will be enough to defeat most challengers. ]
Dan Heng said to Yanqing at this moment. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Got it. Dan Heng means that as long as you don't care about your life, you can win against most challengers!"
Boothill: "By his baby shoes, that's actually true."
Boothill: "People who aren't afraid of death have a certain ruthlessness. Anyone with a weak mind who gets hit by that ruthlessness will be scared out of their wits instantly."
March 7th: "The problem is, that's just a sparring arena!"
March 7th: "It's not fighting enemies on the battlefield. Being that ruthless… isn't very good, is it?"
Dan Heng: "It's not about making Yanqing ruthless, but letting him cast aside most of his worries and dedicate himself fully to the battle."
Dan Heng: "What he practices is sword-controlling techniques, which require absolute mental focus."
Dan Heng: "Otherwise, the power will be greatly reduced."
Dan Heng: "Besides, he has suffered setbacks repeatedly recently, and without realizing it, he has lost a lot of his sharp edge."
Black Swan: "To put it simply, this young man has also developed a bit of an inner demon in his heart right now."
Black Swan: "If he can conquer the demon in his heart, perhaps his swordplay will progress by leaps and bounds?"
Hu Tao: "So what Miss Yunli said before was actually true…"
Hu Tao: "Yanqing's current state indeed isn't very good."
Yunli: "Of course!"
Yunli: "I naturally disdain telling lies."
Yunli: "Unfortunately, someone couldn't understand my pointer."
Yunli: "And thought I was talking nonsense."
March 7th: "I can actually understand Yanqing's thoughts."
March 7th: "After all, hearing weapons speak does sound a bit too fantastical."
Stelle: "What's the big deal?"
Stelle: "I can even communicate with trash cans!"
Stelle: "Isn't that even more fantastical?"
Yunli: "Well, compared to communicating with weapons, you are indeed more impressive."
Yunli: "But I can't imagine how one would communicate with a trash can…"
Silver Wolf: "Isn't that simple? Just treat the trash can as a weapon."
Stelle: "Genius!"
Hotaru: "Oak Cake Rolls!"
Qingque: "I envy your talent!"
Yunli: "Oh! That's true! I've learned something new!!"
....
『 [ I understand, thank you for your guidance, Teacher Dan Heng! ]
[ Today's matter can be considered wrapped up. Our General would like to invite you all to sit down in the Seat of Divine Foresight. He says there are important matters to discuss. ]
Yanqing thanked Dan Heng and then extended an invitation to the three.
[ Important matters? ]
Stelle was a bit puzzled.
[ It must be to discuss how to deal with the arrival of the Yaoqing and Zhuming Generals. ]
March 7th guessed.
[ Sigh, I don't want to experience the scheming of adults so early… ]
[ I only hope that Generals Feixiao and Elder Huaiyan can see the truth clearly. ]
[ Before the Wardance begins, let's hope no more trouble arises on the Luofu. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Is the General finally going to ask our Express crew for help formally?"
Stelle: "It's clearly time to use us as a surprise force."
Stelle: "Sigh, a happy life of working for others is probably about to start again."
Jing Yuan: "Haha, what are you saying? You are all distinguished guests of my Luofu. Working or not working makes us sound too distant."
Jing Yuan: "It is merely a small favor I am seeking based on our personal relationship."
Stelle: "Easy to say, easy to say. If the General gives us another Jade Abacus of Allying Oath, I promise to work hard for you!"
Jing Yuan: "Alas, unfortunately, the Luofu only has that one!"
Jing Yuan: "Even if I wanted to give another, I am powerless to do so…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Do the other Xianzhou ships have them too?"
Furina de Fontaine: "I'm suddenly curious. What would happen if we gathered the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath of all the Xianzhou ships?"
Qingque: "Well…"
Qingque: "Let me make a bold guess!"
Qingque: "Maybe we can directly summon the Marshal?"
March 7th: "Gathering the Alley Amulets of all the Xianzhou ships?"
March 7th: "My goodness, that's probably something the Express crew might not even achieve after escaping death nine times out of ten, right?"
March 7th: "I think we'd better forget about it…"
....
『 A moment later, Yanqing brought Stelle and the other two into the Seat of Divine Foresight.
[ Earlier at the Palace of Astrum, I already introduced the guests of the Astral Express to Elder Huaiyan. ]
[ But it was noisy with many people around then, so we could only exchange pleasantries about trivial matters. ]
[ Now, I formally introduce the three to Elder Huaiyan. ]
[ These three risked great danger to accompany Jing Yuan into the jaws of death, expelling the arch-villain Phantylia, and exposing the conspiracy of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. ]
[ If Elder Huaiyan wishes to know any details, please feel free to ask. ]
Seeing Yanqing bring Stelle and the other two, Jing Yuan immediately said to Huaiyan beside him.
[ Regarding the beginning and end of the Ambrosial Arbor's rebirth, I have read all the reports submitted to the Alliance by Master Diviner Fu Xuan. ]
[ She herself was summoned to the Yuque for questioning because of this. ]
[ There are many doubts within the Alliance regarding this matter… ]
[ …But, I trust you. ]
[ Since you entered the military, you have repeatedly achieved miraculous deeds. ]
[ After the High-Cloud Quintet faded away, although there was much criticism against you within the Alliance, the Marshal still overrode all objections to entrust the Luofu to you. ]
[ Over these years, you have exhausted your loyalty and wisdom for the Alliance. ]
[ Thwarting the abominations of Thalassa, lifting the siege of the Yuque Xianzhou, destroying the demonic star summoned by the Denizens of Abundance… ]
[ I still remember all the details of those past great wars. ]
[ Some parasites doubt your loyalty and presume you to be muddled and brainless. They are happy to see the Divine Foresight fail because of their nature—having no achievements of their own, they only long to witness the failure of others as nourishment to keep themselves alive. ]
[ But I have witnessed too many failures. I prefer to believe… believe that your loyalty has never changed. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "I didn't expect General Huaiyan to have such a high opinion of General Jing Yuan."
Stelle: "Is this what appreciation looks like?"
Jing Yuan: "Thank you for your trust, Elder Huaiyan. This is my honor."
Huaiyan: "Haha, although I am old, I am neither blind nor muddled!"
Huaiyan: "My heart is as clear as a mirror. I know exactly who is truly pouring their heart and soul out for the Alliance, and who is just putting on a show of corrupt incompetence!"
....