『 [ You still have a good appetite even in the face of disaster — you truly are the Merlin's Claw... Please, finish the food quickly so we can get to work, General Feixiao. ]
Yanqing looked at Feixiao, completely at a loss for words, and could only urge her to hurry.
[ Well, that's not up to me... Dig in. I called you here so you could enjoy the food. ]
Feixiao shook her head, pointing at a large plate of pastries and several steamer baskets of buns on the table!
[ Me? This isn't the time for a leisurely meal... and this is way too much for me! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "General Feixiao is treating Yanqing to a meal?"
March 7th: "But isn't the timing a bit inappropriate?"
Stelle: "General Feixiao clearly finished eating a long time ago."
Stelle: "These were saved specifically for Yanqing."
Stelle: "Look at Yanqing. He probably hasn't had a single drop of water or a bite of food."
Stelle: "General Feixiao was worried he would faint from hunger."
Paimon: "Wow, General Feixiao is so thoughtful!"
Paimon: "Seeing that young Yanqing hadn't eaten, she even thoughtfully bought him so much delicious food!"
Paimon: "Those plump, round buns must taste amazing, right?"
Lumine: "Paimon, you really get energized the moment you see food."
Furina de Fontaine: "General Feixiao is truly looking out for him with painstaking care."
Furina de Fontaine: "Indeed, young Yanqing isn't some kind of superhuman after all."
Furina de Fontaine: "Going without food for so long just won't do."
Furina de Fontaine: "If he has to fight some enemy later, he might be so hungry he won't even have the strength to swing his sword."
Feixiao: "Well said. Only when you are full and well-hydrated do you have energy."
Feixiao: "Yanqing, you should understand this principle, right?"
Yanqing: "Uh…"
Yanqing: "I understand…"
Yanqing: "But at a time like this, I really find it hard to swallow anything."
Yunli: "Why didn't General Feixiao call me?"
Yunli: "If he won't eat, I will!"
Yunli: "It would be a waste to let such good buns go to waste."
....
『 [ What, it's fine for me to eat, but not for you? ]
[ Ever since you met the Borisian spy, you've been restless, running back and forth without a single drop of water or grain of rice. ]
[ Hoolay is not an opponent you can defeat on an empty stomach. ]
[ Don't be so impatient. ]
[ I'm giving you a short window to calm down. ]
Feixiao wanted the anxious Yanqing to calm down.
[ Hoolay's whereabouts remain unknown, and Mr. Jiaoqiu is in his hands. The longer we wait, the more uncontrollable the situation becomes. ]
Yanqing could not understand Feixiao's reasoning. In his eyes, every second counted right now.
[ Jiaoqiu always says I'm the most impatient person in the Cloud Knights. His advice has always been right, so you have no reason to be more anxious than me. ]
[ I have fought the Borisian abominations for many years. I know their cruelty, and I also know the cunning behind that cruelty. ]
[ This prison break was clearly something the Borisians came prepared for. ]
[ The enemy is in the dark; there is no reason for them to rashly step into the light. ]
[ The prey is cunning and savage, so the hunter must hold out with even greater patience. ]
[ Just like drawing a bow to shoot an enemy, only by drawing it to its full capacity can you achieve a single-strike kill. ]
[ Once Hoolay loses his patience and reveals his fangs, that will be the best time to deal with him. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Yanqing is still too green."
Stelle: "When things happen, all the worry and anxiety in his heart are written all over his face."
Stelle: "That won't do. Look at the three generals—they remain completely unfazed even if the Xianzhou were to collapse before them!"
March 7th: "Haha, Yanqing's age is what it is, after all!"
March 7th: "Once he grows up a bit more, he'll probably be able to achieve that level of composure too."
Furina de Fontaine: "It seems to me that right now, in the entire Luofu, young Yanqing is the only one who is anxious."
Furina de Fontaine: "Everyone else, on the contrary, is acting completely unhurried, calm and relaxed."
Hu Tao: "Since the big shots aren't anxious, there's no need for young Yanqing to be anxious either!"
Yanqing: "Everyone makes a good point."
Yanqing: "I let my own mind fall into disarray."
Yanqing: "It seems my state of mind is still lacking, and I still need to mature a lot more."
Lumine: "It feels like General Feixiao is also intentionally guiding young Yanqing, teaching him never to panic when facing trouble."
Lumine: "One must keep their composure to find the enemy's weakness~"
Feixiao: "Haha, exactly."
Feixiao: "In the current situation, if I were to grandly and openly lead a search party, Hoolay would definitely become wary."
Feixiao: "But if I don't rush to make a move, the one who gets anxious will be him."
Mualani: "That's true, but what if Hoolay gets desperate and starts a slaughter?"
Jiaoqiu: "Rest assured, with the General's capabilities, she is confident in containing Hoolay before that happens."
....
『 [ When will this 'best time' appear? ]
Listening to Feixiao's words, Yanqing asked in confusion.
[ I told you… it only takes the duration of a single meal. ]
Feixiao's gaze returned to the table.
At the same time, the scene shifts to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
[ Master Huaiyan, the Sky-Faring Commission has completed the relevant preparations. ]
[ Do you have any further instructions? ]
Yukong's projection appeared in the Seat of Divine Foresight, reporting to Huaiyan, who was presiding over the situation.
Yunli and March 7th listened intently from the side.
[ Representing the consensus of Generals Feixiao and Jing Yuan, I will temporarily take charge of directing the affairs of the Seat of Divine Foresight and the six commissions of the Luofu. ]
Huaiyan spoke, explaining the situation to the three of them.
[ How is the situation over at the Shackling Prison? ]
Yukong asked about the Shackling Prison with concern.
[ That scoundrel Hoolay fled incredibly fast and locked the gates tightly behind him. ]
[ Now, the Cloud Knights have re-established contact with the interior. ]
[ A blessing in disguise, the two Nameless trapped in the Shackling Prison are safe and sound. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "So that's where March and Yunli went."
Stelle: "They're actually at the Seat of Divine Foresight."
March 7th: "Eh, what are the two of us doing there?"
March 7th: "Listening in on General Huaiyan and Helm Master Yukong discussing important matters?"
Yunli: "I bet Grandpa is about to assign some tasks to the two of us to get us to work."
Furina de Fontaine: "Hearing that Mr. Dan Heng and Miss Stelle are fine, Miss March 7th clearly let out a huge sigh of relief!"
Stelle: "To be fair, the chances of Dan Heng and me biting the dust in the Shackling Prison were never that high."
Stelle: "We didn't even fall during the battle against the Sunday. If we were to fall at the hands of a weakened Hoolay who just escaped, wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing?"
Stelle: "As the Galactic Baseballer, I really can't afford to lose face like that!"
Huaiyan: "Haha, that scoundrel Hoolay actually knows he is weak right now, which is why he fled so quickly."
Huaiyan: "Otherwise, with the resentment from being imprisoned for hundreds of years, he would have definitely wreaked havoc first to seek revenge."
Li Sushang: "Then we definitely can't let him escape!"
Li Sushang: "We must capture him and throw him back in!"
....
『 [ Uh, although given the current situation, I don't know if I should say 'great'… but knowing Stelle and Dan Heng are fine, I can finally put my heart at ease. ]
Hearing that Stelle and Dan Heng were safe, March 7th instantly let go of the worry she had been holding onto.
[ One of the envoys from the Yaoqing is currently unaccounted for, likely abducted by the Borisians. ]
[ Yukong, there is no need to worry. Feixiao has taken full charge of the wolf-hunting operation. You should be well aware of her strength. ]
Seeing the worry on Yukong's face, Huaiyan offered a word of comfort.
[ Master, I do not doubt General Feixiao's capabilities. What concerns me more is the Wardance. ]
[ According to the plan, the ceremony is scheduled to commence in three hours. The competitive ships will launch immediately, allowing spectators to board and watch the matches. ]
[ But with Hoolay's whereabouts unknown, everything is filled with variables. ]
With the Wardance about to commence, Yukong was worried that Hoolay would strike at this critical moment, causing immeasurable consequences!
[ Ah? The Wardance is still going to be held as scheduled? ]
Hearing that the Wardance was about to begin, March 7th was somewhat surprised.
[ March is right. ]
[ Grandpa, I heard that the criminal who escaped from the Shackling Prison is incredibly terrifying. ]
[ If anything goes wrong… ]
Yunli also felt that holding the Wardance at this time was somewhat inappropriate. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Xiangling: "Eh? Time passes so quickly?"
Xiangling: "The Wardance is actually going to start in three hours?"
Robin: "If we don't catch Hoolay before then, things will get troublesome."
Yunli: "I think it would be most appropriate to temporarily suspend the Wardance, wouldn't it?"
Yunli: "Otherwise, if something really happens, it'll be too late to fix it."
Stelle: "Calm down. I think the three generals seem to have everything under control."
Stelle: "They probably already have a plan in mind."
Dan Heng: "Hoolay is strong, but to the current Luofu, his threat is far less than that of Phantylia previously."
March 7th: "Because right now, Hoolay's only thought is to escape."
March 7th: "But Phantylia was truly intent on causing destruction!"
Paimon: "Uh… what if… I mean, what if!"
Paimon: "What if we just let Hoolay escape? Would he stop causing trouble then?"
Qingque: "Does Miss Paimon mean intentionally letting Hoolay escape the Luofu so he won't threaten the upcoming Wardance?"
Qingque: "Well, theoretically speaking, that's true."
Qingque: "But the problem is, doing so is no different from releasing a tiger back to the mountains. It would bring endless trouble for the Alliance."
Paimon: "Hehe, I was just saying. I know this method won't work."
Paimon: "Given how dangerous Hoolay is, even if the Wardance is canceled, we have to capture him again, right?"
Paimon: "Otherwise, once he goes back, the Borisians will grow strong again."
Lumine: "Once the Borisians grow strong, we can foresee countless innocent lives dying at the hands of these abominations again."
Yanqing: "So no matter what, we cannot allow Hoolay to escape!"
....
『 [ Yunli, then how should we handle the current situation? ]
Hearing Yunli's words, Huaiyan could not help but ask in return.
[ Of course… well, of course we should declare martial law and commit all our forces to the search. ]
[ As for the Wardance, we should announce an indefinite postponement. ]
Yunli voiced her thoughts.
[ What you proposed is a foolproof method. ]
[ Unfortunately, the more ideal the plan, the harder it is to execute. ]
[ In my view, your method has at least two parties that would not accept it. ]
Huaiyan smiled and shook his head.
[ Uh… which two parties? ]
March 7th was somewhat curious.
[ The first is the numerous merchants and tourists who came for the Wardance. ]
[ Declaring martial law is equivalent to publicly announcing that the Luofu is unsafe. How do you think outsiders would react? ]
[ Naturally, panic would spread, leading to utter chaos. ]
[ The second is the staff of the Luofu's six commissions. ]
[ The manpower and resources spent on organizing the Wardance are already incalculable. Stopping it suddenly now and postponing it indefinitely is a series of changes that even the internal staff might not be able to bear. ]
[ Of course, your method isn't entirely without support. ]
Huaiyan completely dismissed Yunli's proposal, but then suddenly shifted the topic.
[ …R-Really? ]
Yunli looked at Huaiyan with some anticipation.
[ Yes. The mastermind behind this prison break would undoubtedly raise both hands in agreement with your view. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Yunli: "..."
Yunli: "Grandpa, are you mocking me for being foolish?"
Huaiyan: "Haha, silly child, your grandfather has no intention of mocking you."
Stelle: "Silly child? General Huaiyan is definitely mocking Yunli on purpose!"
March 7th: "Uh… but I think Miss Yunli's proposal is fine?"
March 7th: "If it were me, I would do the same…"
Jing Yuan: "Indeed, a cautious person would likely do the same."
Jing Yuan: "But have you ever thought about it?"
Jing Yuan: "Doing so would play right into the hands of certain individuals!"
Jing Yuan: "Once the Luofu enters martial law, panic will spread, and chaos will arise from within."
Jing Yuan: "At that time, Hoolay will find even more opportunities to escape!"
Jing Yuan: "Conversely, if we do not do this, Hoolay will remain in a passive state."
Jing Yuan: "Unable to judge the situation, he will waver and hesitate."
Jing Yuan: "As time goes on, he will become anxious and expose his flaws!"
Mualani: "I get it, this is psychological warfare, right?"
Mualani: "As expected of a general, your thinking is so comprehensive!"
Furina de Fontaine: "In other words, right now the Luofu must maintain the status quo, acting as if nothing happened?"
Huaiyan: "Precisely!"
Huaiyan: "Of course, this also carries immense risk."
Huaiyan: "Once Hoolay cannot contain himself and goes wild, there could be heavy casualties on the Luofu."
Huaiyan: "And this will depend on whether General Feixiao, our hunter, can act swiftly enough!"
....
『 [ Hoolay escaped his cage during a visitation, and you and Yanqing discovered a Borisian spy at Starskiff Haven… ]
[ To say there is no mastermind behind this, even a newborn babe would not believe it. ]
[ The escapee is merely a chess piece. The hand moving this piece wants to see a chaotic Luofu where everyone is suspicious of one another and lives in fear. ]
[ Declaring martial law and postponing the Wardance plays right into the opponent's hands, bringing the fear caused by Hoolay to the surface ahead of time. ]
Huaiyan explained a few more words, allowing them to clearly understand the current situation.
[ …Then what should we do? ]
Yunli was somewhat at a loss.
[ The search efforts must go on, but everything on the Luofu must proceed as usual, or at least appear to do so. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Lumine: "I almost forgot, behind Hoolay's escape is the manipulation of that Lord Ravager, Phantylia."
Lumine: "That Lord Ravager is currently waiting for the Luofu to fall into chaos!"
Paimon: "No wonder these Borisians disguised themselves as Foxians. This was definitely done on purpose by that Lord Ravager!"
Paimon: "If the Luofu were to announce now that there are Borisians disguised as Foxians hiding among them…"
Paimon: "Then we can imagine that all Foxians would become targets of suspicion, alienated by fear."
Paimon: "Even among Foxians themselves, rifts would surely form!"
Hu Tao: "If that really happens, then everyone on the Luofu would indeed live in fear!"
Hu Tao: "So the generals considered everything thoroughly. This matter cannot be leaked!"
Hu Tao: "Otherwise, the Luofu would turn into a complete mess!"
Li Sushang: "It really is terrifying. If I got this news, I would start suspecting my Foxian colleagues next to me, worrying if they were Borisians in disguise."
Li Sushang: "When that happens, even the Cloud Knights would start suspecting each other."
Li Sushang: "That would be the biggest trouble of all!"
....