Chapter 274: Chef Gu Xiaobei's Commentary

"I know you are all eager, but hold your horses."

Likely sensing the burning impatience of Riesling and the others, Judgement Chu Yuan stepped forward.

"From that look on your face, Judgement, I take it you have a plan?"

Chu Yuan already possessed the natural aura of an elegant, easygoing, and handsome older gentleman. So, when he stood among the crowd radiating an air of absolute, breezy omniscience, the people around him could not help but clench their fists in a sudden urge to punch him.

It was nothing personal; he just looked incredibly pretentious.

And surely, no one would object to smacking a pretentious guy.

"Ahem! Everyone! Please, everyone!"

Noticing the hostile glares directed his way, Chu Yuan quickly let out two dry coughs.

"Think about it. How much blood could a mere field commander possibly carry? A few hundred milliliters at best. Given that they are out on a mission, it might be as little as a hundred milliliters. But what if we hit the headquarters of the 505 Formation? There has to be at least two or three liters stashed there, right?"

"Hssss..."

The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath of realization.

It made perfect sense! How much of the material they needed could a lowly field agent possibly carry?

Sure enough, anyone capable of holding a seat on the Supreme Council had to be utterly ruthless. He had effortlessly grasped the crux of the matter.

Consequently, they all began to look at Chu Yuan with peculiar expressions.

Every single one of them silently resolved to avoid provoking this scheming man in the future.

The act of Murder and Seize Treasures was nothing new—not in this world, and certainly not back on Blue Star.

It was especially prevalent in the cutthroat corporate world the public saw every day.

The phenomenon of big fish swallowing little fish happened all the time.

"But we have no idea where the 505 Formation's headquarters is located, right? How are we supposed to get there?"

Riesling had voiced the core problem of this entire plan.

"Look at you, getting ahead of yourself again," Chu Yuan chided.

Knowing he had successfully reeled everyone in, Chu Yuan put on his pretentious airs once more.

He paused to gloat, but upon seeing the crowd's newly relaxed fists clench tightly once again, he wisely relented. Slowly, he pointed toward Esmeralda.

"Do we not have a magnificent Diviner in our midst? We just need to have her locate the 505 Formation's headquarters, and then we march right up to their front door and wreck the place. Simple, no?"

"Ooooh!"

They had all witnessed Esmeralda's Divination up close today, an ability that had proven itself flawlessly accurate within mere minutes.

Because of that, no one raised a single objection to Chu Yuan's proposal.

In fact, they all looked downright eager to get started.

"Come on, chant with me! Praise the Wheel of Fortune!"

Chu Yuan clapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention before roaring out the slogan.

His infectious energy instantly whipped the already eager crowd into a frenzy.

Besides, it was a chant they frequently spammed in their guild chat anyway.

Together, they broke into thunderous applause.

"Praise the Wheel of Fortune!"

"Praise the Wheel of Fortune!"

"Praise the Wheel of Fortune!"

"Stop it. Look at how old you all are, you absolute idiots..."

Unable to withstand their ridiculous antics, the usually calm and indifferent Esmeralda finally broke character.

She cast a quick silencing spell to seal their mouths shut, cutting off the noise instantly. Then, she turned her head to look at a dumbfounded Frena.

"I apologize. You had to see us make fools of ourselves," she muttered.

"It's... fine. It seems Tarot Manor is quite a lively place. I doubt I'll ever be bored here," Frena replied.

An awkward yet polite smile tugged at the corners of Frena's lips.

She wasn't lying, though. Having joined such an eccentric and entertaining guild, her future certainly wouldn't be dull.

"Haha! Ladies and gentlemen of the audience! The Chariot has successfully suppressed the Cavalry! How will the Cavalry mount a counterattack? Let's wait and see!"

Just as the group finalized their plans, Gu Xiaobei's impromptu live commentary echoed across the area once more.

It turned out that this entire time, she had remained completely fixated on the ongoing battle, completely ignoring the scheming happening right next to her. She had not even noticed the silencing spell.

"The Chariot versus the Cavalry! The Chariot has a massive advantage! The Chariot is charging in! Oh, the Chariot! The Chariot has forced a GG!!"

"Wow! What a stunning conclusion!"

"The Chariot, who had completely pinned down the enemy, has suddenly lost control and careened right off the battlefield!"

"But before I can even mourn the loss of the Chariot, the Sun has rushed onto the scene!"

"She's making a move! Here she goes! The Sun throws out two Rune Rods!"

"It's a devastating combo of Root and Ignite!"

"I didn't expect our competitor, the Sun, to go straight for the kill! Is she planning to melt her opponent alive on the spot?!"

"Whoa! Hold on! The enemy combatant seems to be..."

"Oh no! Her wig has been blown right off! Her bald head is exposed! She's furious! She's activating a magical skill! Aaaand she's GG'd!"

"What a tragic end for our bald competitor. In the end, she simply couldn't withstand the devastating dual assault of the Sun's Rune Stones and Rune Rods..."

"Wait, what's this?! Competitor Sun has actually captured her opponent alive! Does this count as a foul?! Let's consult the tournament organizers!"

"Head Referee Wheel of Fortune, what are your thoughts on this unprecedented move by the Sun?"

As soon as she saw Ingrid drag the scorch-marked, bald enemy over, Gu Xiaobei shoved her wooden rice paddle into Esmeralda's face like a microphone.

"Why are you asking me? I'm not a referee," Esmeralda deadpanned.

Having already been thoroughly embarrassed by the group just moments ago, Esmeralda was completely caught off guard by Gu Xiaobei's sudden ambush. Not knowing how else to respond, she forced out a stiff, humorless reply.

"Alright then, how about Assistant Referee Frena? Do you believe the Sun's actions are in accordance with the rules?"

Seeing that Esmeralda refused to play along, Gu Xiaobei instantly pivoted and shoved the wooden paddle toward Frena.

Frena realized that the hyperactive chef was simply targeting the only people in the group whose mouths weren't currently magically sealed shut.

Rendered momentarily speechless, Frena still felt obliged to play along.

"What I think is irrelevant, actually."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Gu Xiaobei asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Frena jutted out her chin, gesturing toward the approaching figure.

"Because the bald combatant has already arrived at the judges' table."

"Uh..."

Gu Xiaobei spun around, just in time to see Ingrid approach. Trailing a mount with shredded reins behind her, Ingrid casually tossed the scorch-blackened, bald woman right at their feet.

The members of Tarot Manor, who had been joking around and desperately gesturing for Esmeralda to undo the silencing spell, instantly fell dead silent.

Actually, considering Esmeralda's silencing spell, everyone aside from Gu Xiaobei and her small group had been completely quiet for a while now.

"State your name, your rank within your organization, and the location of your headquarters," Frena demanded.

As the saying goes, when enemies meet, their eyes burn with a fiery rage.

The moment Frena laid eyes on the captive, she stepped forward and viciously stomped her stiletto heel right onto the woman's scorched hand.

Crunch!

Hiss...

The sickening sound of the high heel piercing flesh caused the surrounding members of Tarot Manor to involuntarily suck in a sharp breath.

Good heavens. It turned out this seemingly incredibly seductive woman could be unbelievably ruthless. Her vicious, decisive nature made it clear—she was a perfect fit for Tarot Manor.

...