Chapter 778

Footsteps must be light, breathing must be shallow…

Yan Qing and a few others held their breath, hiding behind the crate, secretly following that Astral Express member all the way forward.

Although those few had been alert several times, Yan Qing still managed to evade them successfully.

When those few followed to the dock, Yan Qing also gradually realized the seriousness of the situation, and couldn't help wondering: 'What exactly are they up to? These people are all wearing official uniforms, but I dare bet these guys are definitely not from the Astral Express, the Gong Zao Si, or the Cloud Knight Army... too suspicious.'

March Seven pulled out her phone, enlarged the image: 'No matter who they are, film their actions as evidence. If there's any incriminating evidence, they won't be able to deny it.'

The Astral Express member in the footage excitedly sized up the star barge, murmuring: 'Look, a cargo star barge. It can at least transport twenty brothers. I'll also contact the other members to have them prepare more. Once we break through the checkpoint, there will be a beast ship to meet us.'

His voice gradually grew hysterical, as if a flame sparked in his eyes: 'Lord Modu has already made preparations; whether our ancient bloodline can be revived will be decided here...'

Yan Qing, who was eavesdropping, grimaced: 'What did he say?... Beast ship?'

Suddenly, the sound of March Seven pressing the shutter—a 'click'—rang out, and it happened to be heard by those three.

Who?!

The one pretending to be a cloud rider was the first to turn around, and quickly discovered Yan Qing and the three others hiding in the corner.

"Those three little brats! I told you to clean up promptly, but you wouldn't listen, idiot!"

Seeing the situation exposed, the two beside them also dropped their disguises; a blue-green light blossomed on their surfaces, and they quickly revealed their true forms as step-leavers.

"Don't leave any survivors, attack!"

——

Steel Alchemist.

"Brother, it looks like they're planning to escape." A'erfengsi's voice came from the armor, carrying a faint hollow echo.

"Hmm, but even if they want to escape, where could they go?" Aidehua pursed his lips; since he had set the time for tomorrow, he was curious what this small group of step-leavers really wanted to plot, what they needed to do to "revive the ancient bloodline."

"These step-leavers aren't living rather arrogantly? Enslaving countless planets, treating humans of other planets as rations, how come in their own population they seem as weakened as near extinction? Clearly thirty years ago they were still able to launch a war against the celestial vessels with such tremendous momentum."

If according to Yan Qing's words, the disaster brought by this Abundance folk is no less than the universal locust plague, then with such a huge number, they are probably divided into countless tribes, the tribes not subordinate to each other, each governing the planets within their own territory. A'erfengsi speculated, "I'm afraid this Modu is the chieftain of one of those tribes... no, a chieftain wouldn't need to personally risk danger, but he must be a high-ranking step-leaver."

On this expedition to the celestial vessels, they probably aim to seize some immensely powerful weapon at the critical moment of the celestial vessels' martial ceremony—once they obtain it, their tribe can restore its former glory.

"Weapons..." Aidehua frowned, "but the step-leavers don't seem to rely much on weapons; those wolf-like fellows seem to rely more on claws and teeth to fight, just like beasts."

"But Brother, if they were merely beasts, they wouldn't have forced the celestial vessels into such a state." A'erfengsi spoke bluntly, "Being able to enslave countless planets before the company, they must possess an extremely splendid civilization, perhaps not inferior to the celestial vessels."

——

After beating up this group of step-leavers, Yan Qing fell into silence as he gazed at the three step-leaver corpses on the ground.

"How impossible! These fox people... why have these fox people changed their appearance?"

Yunli frowned and said, "These folks are not fox people at all; they merely revealed their true forms. These folks are genuine step-leavers, the same band of vermin as the bandits I defeated on that company ship."

"Then that would mean..."

Sanyueqi crouched down, carefully observing these dead step-leavers, unable to restrain curiosity: "What kind of illusion did these folks cast? When we were tracking them earlier, they looked no different from ordinary celestial vessel fox people..."

"This isn't just a simple disguise of changing into celestial vessel attire and shaving facial hair. These few step-leavers used some unknown method to make themselves indistinguishable from fox people. They also hold official identities: the Heavenly Vessel Bureau, Gong Zao Si, and... the Cloud Rider Army?"

Suddenly Yan Qing noticed that the step-leaver disguised as a cloud rider still had a waist tag hanging; he casually pulled it off and discovered that the name written on it was one he was very familiar with.

"Lujun? A guard duty officer of the Patrol Defense Corps?... Wait a moment!"

"What's wrong?"

"I've seen another guard duty officer named Lujun before, a few weeks ago when escorting step-leaver prisoners. With a forged official identity, he could openly enter and leave the celestial vessels... terrible, really terrible."

——

Qin's Moon: Tian Xing Jiu Ge.

The step-leavers' disguise technique is indeed horrifying; if they weren't dead, we probably wouldn't see through it. Even their voices can be changed—there likely aren't two words 'trustworthy' left among the Six Sovereigns of Luofu.

Inside the elegant room on the second floor of the Purple Orchid Pavilion, wine was warmed over a small vermilion stove; the Purple Lady held the pot with bare hands, and amber-colored liquor poured into the jade cup, rippling faintly.

Han Fei half-reclined on the couch, idly playing with the cup in his hand and smiling faintly: "Though... it's actually quite interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yeah." Han Fei set down his wine cup, a faint glint flashing in his eyes: "You say, if I mastered this step-leaver technique and impersonated Brother WeiZhuang for a few days, how would that be?"

WeiZhuang gave him a cold glance: "Boring."

"How could it be boring?" Han Fei stood up, straightened his clothes, the tipsy look gone: "Brother WeiZhuang is always stern; if I impersonated you, I'd surely be smiling all the time, praising everyone I meet. If the Blood-clad Marquis saw you, he might think you'd changed your ways—wouldn't that be interesting?"

Zhang Liang couldn't help but chuckle: "Brother WeiZhuang's reputation would probably be ruined in an instant."

WeiZhuang's face remained cold: "You are you; why pretend to be someone else?"

"Brother WeiZhuang, this is where I differ from you." Han Fei smiled slightly: "Impersonating a peddler lets one know the people's hardships; impersonating a noble lets one know the chill of high position. And if I impersonated Brother WeiZhuang——" his gaze unconsciously flicked to the silver-haired swordsman opposite, "perhaps then I could understand just how heavy the burden you bear truly is."

"You can't bear it."

"Perhaps." Han Fei openly admitted, "but at least I could understand you better. However, if one day someone else disguises themselves as me, what should you do?"

This question came out of the blue and made no sense; the few people in the elegant room fell silent for a moment.

The Purple Lady spoke first, her voice gentle: "Hehe, the Ninth Lord is the Ninth Lord; even if the skin can change, the inner grace is hard to alter."

Zhang Liang: "Brother Han's ambition, Brother Han's Dao, Brother Han's heart toward friends—none of these can be mimicked by disguise."

"Boring." WeiZhuang pressed his hand onto the hilt of the Shark Tooth Sword, coldly saying: "If that day ever comes...... Shark Tooth."

Han Fei froze for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Brother WeiZhuang, are you going to use the Shark Tooth Sword to test my true identity? Haha, if that day ever comes, go ahead and draw your sword!"

——

Inside the Divine Strategy Mansion on the other side.

Xing and Danheng have already come for questioning, and the three generals have also gathered in the Divine Strategy Mansion.

"Hearing is no substitute for seeing; guests of the Starrail. I am General Feixiao of the Yaoqing Celestial Vessel." Feixiao introduced himself.

Jingyuan wanted to introduce Feixiao, but before he could speak, Feixiao interrupted: "The one ahead is the incarnation from another age of the Moon-drinking Monarch, and behind him is the newest member recently recruited by the train crew. You two are famous indeed—I can hear it clearly with my own ears."

"Apart from the records in the Luofu report, the Yaoqing Heavenly Vessel Bureau has also gathered quite a bit of information about you two. I've always wanted to meet you; the reason... I'm sure General Jingyuan has already explained it, right?"

Xing wore a frank expression: "Isn't it just for the rebirth of Jianmu?"

Feixiao's smile deepened: "Exactly. Straightforward, I like it."