On the way back to Liyue Harbor, Su Yuan kept pondering the intelligence he had just acquired today...
There was such a sudden increase in the number of rewind attempt yesterday—something important must have happened...
Could it be that lifting Qiqi's eerie state yesterday rewarded him with additional rewind attempt?
But it was just Qiqi—how could that alone have granted him so many points...
Wait a second—Su Yuan suddenly thought of something...
If he had to point out the most unusual event yesterday, it would be the sheer number of lives that were lost...
Thinking back carefully, on the day he didn't gain any rewind attempt, it seemed that... no lives were lost...
Could it be that his number of rewind attempt only increases by absorbing the lives of others?
Su Yuan didn't dare think any further—because that conclusion was, without a doubt, a cruel reality for him...
Now then, let's shift our attention back to the earlier intelligence clues...
[37. Soul-state individuals might also be susceptible to eerie pollution and control... However, as souls without the reinforcement of a physical body, they seem unable to unleash powerful strength...]
Su Yuan noticed that the intelligence hint used the word "might", which suggested it was once again throwing up smoke and playing word games...
Whether people in a soul state could also be controlled by eerie force was something Su Yuan had considered as well...
After all, a significant portion of eerie power stems from negative human emotions...
Being reduced to a soul state only means the body is gone—it doesn't mean emotions no longer exist...
However, based on how this intelligence hint is phrased, even if a soul-state individual is polluted and controlled by the eerie, without the support of a physical body, they still seem unable to unleash significant power...
[38. If you encounter Yelan, but there is no ancestral jade bracelet on her wrist, please be extremely careful—she is no longer Yelan...]
As for this piece of intelligence—whether the absence of Yelan's ancestral bracelet is a sign she's already been polluted and controlled by the eerie force, or if taking or destroying that bracelet causes her to fall into eerie state—remains unclear...
Judging from the pattern of the intelligence hints, it seems likely that Yelan will appear today—so he'll just have to stay alert when the time comes...
[39. Although Gaming is still quite young and inexperienced, he is the best escort guard in all of Liyue… He will do everything in his power to protect the cargo he's tasked with escorting…]
As for this piece of intelligence—it actually mentioned Gaming...
Come to think of it, Ningguang had mentioned in passing before that Yelan wasn't in Liyue Harbor; apparently, she had gone to handle a mission around Chenyu Vale and Qiaoying Village...
And Gaming's hometown is in that area too—so maybe this time, Gaming is returning from Chenyu Vale together with Yelan...
As for the meaning of this intel—could it be related to Gaming's eerie state?
If the cargo Gaming is protecting gets stolen or destroyed, could that be what triggers his descent into an eerie state?
[40. After surviving the fourteenth night, important intel and a special ability will be unlocked.]
As for the final piece of intelligence—it left Su Yuan eagerly anticipating tomorrow...
Every ten pieces of intel unlock an important piece of information… and every seven nights survived unlocks a special ability…
Tomorrow, the two will happen to coincide…
But at this point, Su Yuan began to feel puzzled.
What exactly was the special ability he unlocked after surviving the seventh night?
The intelligence hint had said that under certain conditions, it would automatically activate and reveal itself to him...
Yet even now, he still had no clue whatsoever...
...........
When Su Yuan returned to the area near Liyue Harbor, he happened to see a large group of people pulling carts loaded with cargo in a grand procession…
Su Yuan immediately noticed the markings on the cargo crates—they belonged to the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency, the very agency Gaming was a part of!
And among the crowd, Su Yuan also spotted two familiar figures—familiar from his side, at least.
They were none other than Yelan and Gaming!
"Hey, hey… Sis Yelan, don't you feel like something's off…?"
Gaming nudged Yelan and whispered:
"That guy over there… why is he just standing there without moving, smiling like an idiot while staring at us…"
"And now, why is he slowly walking toward us…"
"His face looks kind of unfamiliar. He probably isn't a Liyue Harbor local…"
"We're escorting a lot of high-grade tea leaves this time with the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency—do you think he might be trying to rob the convoy?"
As Gaming spoke, he also made a hand gesture to some of his fellow escort guards nearby, signaling that they might be in danger and should prepare for battle…
"Gaming, don't be hasty just yet," Yelan said, frowning slightly.
"This person… looks a bit familiar. I think I've seen him in a portrait somewhere…"
"Huh? Someone Sis Yelan finds familiar? And you've seen him in a portrait?"
Gaming's eyes widened in surprise as he exclaimed:
"I remember you have a little booklet that lists all kinds of vicious criminals…"
"If this guy actually caught your attention and you even remember him, he must be quite something…"
"I fear we're in for a tough battle today to protect the tea we're escorting for the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency!"
As he spoke, Gaming suddenly leapt forward and landed right in front of Su Yuan, saying loudly:
"Are you from the Treasure Hoarders? How dare you try to rob the goods our Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency is escorting? What a petty thief—state your name!"
Su Yuan: ???
"Uh… Wait, was I trying to rob your convoy?" Su Yuan looked at Gaming, speechless.
"How come I didn't know that myself?"
He hadn't even had the chance to greet them yet—how had he suddenly become a Treasure Hoarder trying to rob the convoy?
Su Yuan had just opened his mouth to try to explain something when, in the very next moment, a large group of Treasure Hoarder members suddenly burst out of the nearby bushes, weapons in hand.
Shouting loudly, they charged straight toward the cargo, yelling:
"Brothers! Charge!!!"
"According to our informant, this haul's full of priceless, top-grade tea leaves!"
"Once we pull this job off, we can retire for good—live out the rest of our lives in luxury!!"
Gaming stared at Su Yuan with a serious expression and said,
"Well, well… Not even bothering to act innocent anymore? So this was all a setup and you were lying in wait, huh! What more do you have to say for yourself!?"
"Everyone, prepare for battle! Protect the cargo!!" Gaming shouted to his fellow guards behind him.
Su Yuan: …
Su Yuan was left completely speechless and on the verge of mental collapse.
Well, damn—so there really were Treasure Hoarders lying in ambush nearby…
If it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't be able to clear their name even if they jumped into the Yellow River…
But he—he wasn't just anyone.
In the next moment, Geo elemental energy surged within Su Yuan as he gently stomped his foot on the ground…
Instantly, the earth trembled.
Stone and soil rose from the ground, forming sturdy walls of rock around the cargo being escorted.
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