『 [ This is the place. ]
[ According to the Judge, this area has not been reclaimed yet. Please proceed with caution. ]
Lingsha used the incense smoke to guide the way, leading Dan Heng and Jing Yuan to a location for investigation.
[ I have recorded the properties of the medicine taken by the Borisin in the incense burner. ]
[ By following the scent of the medicine, we should be able to identify the tracks left by the disguised Borisin. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "What kind of fully automatic pathfinding incense burner is this?"
Stelle: "Is that incense burner of yours some kind of magical treasure?"
March 7th: "This is way too amazing."
March 7th: "I've never seen an incense burner like this before!"
Yunli: "You guys have got it all wrong."
Yunli: "This function doesn't belong to the incense burner itself, but to the smoke beast inside it."
Yunli: "Sister Lingsha keeps a smoke beast that looks like a rabbit inside her incense burner."
Paimon: "A smoke beast?"
Paimon: "What's that?"
Paimon: "Can smoke actually become a living creature?"
Lingsha: "Yes, it is not improper to treat it as a living creature."
Lingsha: "This little guy has all sorts of wonderful uses for me."
Qingque: "So, isn't it still a magical treasure?"
Qingque: "Is that smoke beast basically a spiritual item?"
Qingque: "Tsk tsk tsk, how interesting."
Qingque: "If I could nurture an item spirit in my Celestial Jade tiles, wouldn't that mean I'd only win and never lose from now on?"
Stelle: "So you want to cheat?"
Stelle: "That doesn't sound like your style, General Qingque!"
Qingque: "Of course!"
Qingque: "Playing tiles is playing tiles. If you cheat, what's the fun in that?"
Qingque: "I was just saying, just making a joke."
....
『 The three of them began to follow the smoke, venturing deeper to investigate.
[ What terrifying strength… The killer shattered this soldier's bones with a single strike. ]
After walking for a while, Lingsha came to the side of a fallen soldier and examined him closely.
[ This brute force is definitely not something an ordinary Borisin could achieve… It is most likely Hoolay. ]
Jing Yuan pondered for a moment before guessing the identity of the killer.
[ Forgive my presumption, but is this Borisin truly so fierce? ]
Lingsha did not know much about Hoolay, so she couldn't help but ask.
[ I have lived a bit longer than Lady Lingsha and have experienced a few more wars. ]
[ For the Alliance, the Borisin have always been the most troublesome enemy. ]
[ And Hoolay is a monster that even the Borisin themselves fear greatly. ]
[ He single-handedly united numerous packs, gathered an army of Abominations of Abundance, and repeatedly pushed the Alliance's military into perilous situations. ]
[ Over seven hundred years ago, I accompanied my master on a campaign to suppress the Abominations, and I witnessed firsthand the tragic state of the entire battlefield after that giant beast descended. ]
[ Even after taking medicine to suppress the fear of the Moonrage, countless Cloud Knights were still so panicked by his ferocious aura that they didn't even have the strength to raise their hands to resist… ]
[ If the previous Sword Champion hadn't sealed Hoolay's movements with her frost blade, the outcome of the battle would still be uncertain. ]
[ At the end of that great war, only a few people were left in the unit. ]
[ The crimson moon shone, blood splattered… Everything in sight back then was nothing but a sea of red. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Xiangling: "My goodness, is it really that terrifying?"
Xiangling: "Can that Hoolay guy alone slaughter an entire army?"
Lumine: "From General Jing Yuan's description, it was clearly a one-sided massacre."
Lumine: "It seems that Hoolay's strength at his peak was unimaginably powerful."
Stelle: "Even throwing endless numbers of people at him couldn't kill him. An Abomination of Abundance like Hoolay is indeed terrifying."
Welt Yang: "Mainly, the continuous power of Abundance provided him with immense strength."
Welt Yang: "That's what allowed him to slaughter endlessly on the battlefield without feeling fatigue."
Himeko: "To deal with such an enemy, one must find a way to deliver a fatal blow; otherwise the casualties will be catastrophic…"
Li Sushang: "Fortunately, the current Hoolay is in a weakened state."
Li Sushang: "Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare to imagine what kind of purgatory the Luofu would become if Hoolay were at his peak right now…"
Boothill: "That's going a bit far. With the combined strength of three generals, they still wouldn't be able to suppress him?"
Boothill: "No matter how tough he is, he hasn't reached the level of being able to easily beat an Emanator, right?"
Boothill: "Otherwise, the entire universe would have been occupied by the Denizens of Abundance long ago!"
....
『[ If that is the case, why wasn't this evil beast executed after being subdued, but instead merely imprisoned? ]
[ On the Zhuming, the judges cast those unforgivable and nearly immortal Abominations of Abundance into the eternal flames of the stars, reducing them to ashes. ]
[ Their so-called 'immortality' is just a facade. ]
[ How can there be anything in this world that is truly immortal and indestructible? ]
[ I do not know why the Luofu had to delay and suppress this cancer for so long, leading to today's unmanageable situation? ]
[ Then again, the people of the Luofu have always been kind-hearted. Even toward the tumor parasitic on the Alchemy Commission, they couldn't bear to cut it out, but instead sent the doctor who wanted to save them to the Zhuming. ]
Lingsha spoke in puzzlement, but her tone carried a hint of questioning.
[ I can see that Lady Lingsha harbors some resentment toward me. ]
[ As for the resurgence of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, Jing Yuan is duty-bound to take responsibility. ]
[ As for why this Abomination, Hoolay, was only suppressed in the prison… ]
[ I can explain it to you as well. ]
Jing Yuan saw the resentment in Lingsha's heart and prepared to explain it to her.
[ I am merely a doctor and do not know the past events. Please enlighten me, General. ]
Lingsha nodded, indicating she was all ears.
[ Very well, then let us talk slowly along the way. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "Oh? Is General Jing Yuan going to explain the past events?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is this something we are allowed to hear?"
Stelle: "This live broadcast room can't be turned off anyway, so even if we shouldn't hear it, there's nothing we can do, right?"
Jing Yuan: "It matters not. In truth, it is not some unspeakable secret."
Jing Yuan: "Just consider it as clearing up Lady Lingsha's doubts in advance."
Lingsha: "Yes, I have been looking forward to these explanations for a long time."
March 7th: "The Judges of the Zhuming actually burn criminals with eternal flames of the stars?"
March 7th: "My goodness, that's way too extreme."
March 7th: "With the temperature of a star, what wouldn't be burned to ashes?"
Aventurine: "Actually, I'm quite curious. If an Emanator of Abundance were to take their place, would they be burned to death by a star?"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Theoretically speaking, the power of an Aeon is supreme, far exceeding the nature of a star."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "So, if the power bestowed upon their Emanator is sufficient and strong enough, the eternal flames would likely be unable to do anything to an Emanator of Abundance."
Aventurine: "True enough."
Aventurine: "Then this Hoolay can be considered half an Emanator of Abundance."
Aventurine: "I wonder if he can withstand being burned by a star?"
....
『 After Jing Yuan finished speaking, he continued to lead the two forward.
After walking a few steps, they came across a fallen Cloud Knight.
[ …Does this fallen Cloud Knight also have the scent of medicine on him? ]
A faint pink smoke lingered around the Cloud Knight, making Dan Heng somewhat puzzled.
[ No, this should be a Borisin. ]
[ He didn't have time to revert to his original form before being slain on the spot by the jailers. ]
Lingsha stepped forward to examine closely and concluded.
[ These Borisin are all dressed in official uniforms. ]
[ Aside from the Cloud Knights, there are two others presenting themselves as members of the Sky-Faring Commission and the Artisanship Commission. ]
[ The person who could arrange these disguised identities must hold a high position… Let's look elsewhere. ]
Jing Yuan continued forward, with Dan Heng and Lingsha following closely behind.
After walking for a while, they saw the remains of a prisoner on the ground.
[ Before he drew his last breath, his artery was bitten open, and a large amount of blood was drained. ]
[ What a brutal and savage method… ]
Dan Heng stepped forward to examine the tragic state of the prisoner, his brow furrowing slightly.
[ Without fresh blood and flesh to consume, the Borisin will become unbearably hungry and thirsty. Though they are long-life species, they are closer to predatory beasts. ]
[ I heard that food and water are strictly forbidden for Hoolay in the Shackling Prison… ]
[ It is truly hard to imagine. Having not eaten or drunk for over seven hundred years, he must have suppressed his hunger for a very long time. ]
[ I wonder if the Yaoqing hostage he abducted can escape this plight? ]
The tragic state of the person before them made Lingsha somewhat worried about the abducted Yaoqing envoy.
[ This is precisely the terrifying aspect of the Abominations of Abundance. ]
[ Subjecting him to the punishment of the sword tree to wear down his vitality… In the end, his sentence became a test of our patience instead. ]
[ Just as Lady Lingsha said, throwing an unkillable monster into a star is a way to end it once and for all. ]
[ Unfortunately… ]
Jing Yuan shook his head, hesitating to speak.
[ …Unfortunately, the Foxians would not agree. ]
Lingsha basically understood by now.
[ Indeed. The evil deeds committed by Hoolay were not limited to slaughter. ]
[ In thousands of wars, we did our best to eliminate the Borisin, but relying on a sorcery of unknown origin, he turned countless Foxians into minions and living weapons driven by him, staging comeback after comeback. ]
[ The Foxian race curses his name day and night, even using his name to stop children from crying at night. ]
[ If such a great evil were allowed to die a quick and painless death in an instant, how could the Foxians within the Alliance be willing to accept it? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Lumine: "So it really is because of this reason?"
Lumine: "Because the Foxian community's hatred for Hoolay is just too great."
Lumine: "So instead, they don't want him to die easily, but want him to suffer the ultimate punishment."
Paimon: "Paimon can understand the Foxians' thoughts."
Paimon: "For such a detestable beast, letting him die directly is way, way, way too easy on him."
Himeko: "However, keeping this evil beast alive is also a massive hidden danger."
Himeko: "Just like right now, if Hoolay really manages to escape in the end, it will clearly be a consequence that the Alliance can hardly bear."
Stelle: "So, my suggestion is, after catching Hoolay this time, find a way to kill him to eliminate future trouble!"
Stelle: "In any case, he has been tortured for seven hundred years, which can be considered as barely making him pay for some of his sins."
Stelle: "Unless the Alliance has a more secure way to imprison Hoolay."
Hotaru: "I agree with Stelle's view."
Hotaru: "This evil beast is simply too uncontrollable."
Hotaru: "The variables of keeping him alive are just too great…"
Topaz: "The problem is, regarding the disposal of Hoolay, it ultimately depends on what the Foxian community thinks."
Topaz: "If they are completely unwilling, the Xianzhou Alliance cannot make a hasty decision to just kill Hoolay like that."
....
『 [ I wonder if Lady Lingsha knows why Hoolay was not ultimately imprisoned on the Yaoqing, which has a majority Foxian population, but was instead solely imprisoned on the Luofu? ]
Jing Yuan shifted the topic and asked Lingsha.
[ Just now, the General said that his master possessed superb martial skills, defeated Hoolay, and achieved great merit. ]
[ Therefore, the Marshal ordered this fierce beast to be handed over to the Luofu for disposal, which could also be considered an honor? ]
Regarding this question, Lingsha thought for a moment and shared her perspective.
[ Lady Lingsha has a great misunderstanding regarding this arrangement. Allow me to explain it slowly. ]
While speaking, the few of them did not forget to keep moving.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the passage to the place where Hoolay was imprisoned.
Here, there was a fallen wolf-shaped mech.
[ I heard Yanqing mention that the IPC's ship was attacked by the Borisin. ]
[ Is this the thing that was being transported on the ship? ]
This was the first time Jing Yuan had seen the actual wolf-shaped mech.
[ Yes. The Artisanship Commission and the Alchemy Commission conducted a joint examination… ]
[ The components of this machine utilize specially processed Borisin biological tissue. ]
[ I heard that the Intelligentsia Guild has always been researching the biological characteristics of long-life species, hoping to obtain results that can be used for medical treatment or combat. ]
[ It is only due to their superficial relationship with the Alliance that they dare not go too far. ]
Lingsha explained briefly.
[ Perhaps in the eyes of those scholars, the Borisin are no different from experimental animals. ]
[ Could the reason the Borisin attacked that ship be to seek revenge for the Intelligentsia Guild's experiments on their compatriots? ]
Dan Heng speculated.
[ No, if it were simply to seek revenge against the IPC and the Guild, they could have easily destroyed the ship and all the cargo. ]
[ In that case, it wouldn't have appeared in the Shackling Prison. ]
[ This was a deliberate performance, exposing the danger of the cargo to the public, solely to ensure they could be successfully sent into the Shackling Prison to serve as weapons for the prison break. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Hoolay being imprisoned on the Luofu actually has another hidden story?"
March 7th: "Ah… Isn't it like what Lady Lingsha said, because the one who captured him was the Sword Champion of the Luofu, so he was imprisoned on the Luofu?"
Lingsha: "I indeed thought so."
Lingsha: "But looking at the General's expression, it seems that is not the case…"
Jing Yuan: "As the mortal enemy of the Foxians, normally speaking, by all rights, Hoolay should have been handed over to the Yaoqing, where the Foxians are concentrated, for custody."
Jing Yuan: "However, the Marshal ultimately handed him over to the Luofu for custody, which actually carried a well-intentioned purpose…"
Fu Xuan: "For the Luofu, imprisoning a major criminal like Hoolay brings basically no benefit at all."
Fu Xuan: "Because he is too dangerous. A single slip-up could lead the Luofu to utter ruin."
Fu Xuan: "If it weren't for the Marshal's order, I wouldn't have thought the Luofu would be willing to take over this hot potato."
Furina de Fontaine: "So… this actually isn't an honor, but rather a heavy burden?"
Lumine: "There is certainly honor as well, but compared to his danger, it seems far less important…"
....
『 [ To exploit the blind spots of human nature so well, this is vastly different from Borisin's usual style. ]
[ The IPC and the Intelligentsia Guild were likely used as pawns without even knowing what was happening. ]
Jing Yuan carefully analyzed the situation.
But just then, there seemed to be movement from the wolf-shaped mech on the ground.
[ Watch out, both of you. This thing is still alive! ]
[ Can it restore itself even after sustaining such severe damage? ]
The wolf-shaped mech stood up with a crash, and the damaged parts of its body began to recover rapidly.
[ Their imitation of the long-life species has gone too far. ]
Lingsha frowned as she watched this scene.
Subsequently, the three of them acted together, and the wolf-shaped mech fell to the ground once more without suspense.
[ The General still hasn't answered my question. Why was Hoolay imprisoned on the Luofu instead of the Yaoqing? ]
[ You are so tight-lipped about this. Could it be that this arrangement was indeed not an honor? ]
Seeing the wolf-shaped mech fall, Lingsha continued to press the previous question.
[ The reason the Marshal did not keep Hoolay on the Yaoqing lies in the machine before us. ]
Jing Yuan looked at the mech and gave his answer. 』
『 ....』