Chapter 798: Midnight Martial Contest: Testing the Edge (53)

"Not bad, Hu Lei's crimes go beyond slaughter. In thousands of wars we have striven to exterminate the Bu Li people, yet he, using an unknown source of evil art, turned countless fox people into his minions and beast‑tools, repeatedly returning. The fox people curse his name day and night, even using it to frighten infants from crying at night. Even if such a great evil were to die in agony in a single night, would the fox people within the Alliance be content?"

Jing Yuan turned his head and looked again at Ling Sha: "Miss Ling Sha, do you know why in the end Hu Lei was not detained by the fox‑populated Yaoqing Celestial Vessel, but was instead imprisoned on Luo Fu?"

Ling Sha said: "The general just mentioned that the commander was outstanding, defeated Hu Lei, and earned great merit. Therefore the marshal ordered this ferocious beast to be handed over to Luo Fu for disposal, which is also a kind of honor?"

"Miss Ling Sha greatly misunderstands this handling; allow me to explain slowly."

——

Luo Xiaohei Chronicles.

"So it was because of hatred."

Nezha chewed a taro‑ball in his mouth and said lightly, "But since the fox people hold a deep grudge against the Bu Li people, Hu Lei shouldn't have been handed to Luo Fu. If I locked the enemy at home, wouldn't I have to stab him with eight hundred transparent holes each day to vent?"

"Which enemy of yours could withstand you stabbing like that?" Jiu Lao, the general, reached out.

Nezha propped his chin with a fist, thought carefully, "…that's also true."

"In my view, the reason the Alliance didn't place Hu Lei under the Yaoqing Celestial Vessel's watch is that the secret lies in Hu Lei's evil art that transforms fox people into minions," Jiu Lao twirled the fine hairs on his chin. "Think carefully: since fox people and Bu Li people share the same lineage, it means that once fox people master that evil art, they could also turn Bu Li people into fox minions."

"Isn't that good?" Nezha didn't lift his head. "I think it's fine: the Bu Li enslave fox people, why shouldn't fox people be allowed to enslave them back? If they dare enslave a single fox, I must enslave a hundred Bu Li in return!"

"Your vengeful idea actually fits the Patrol Hunt perfectly," Jiu Lao shook his head. "But in my opinion, the marshal would never start like this—Fengrao Abominations may be killed, but they must never be transformed into Celestial Vessel beings; on this matter, it's black and white. Once this bottom line is broken, more and more limits will be breached regarding Fengrao Abominations."

——

The three continued onward and arrived at a damaged mech.

"I heard Yan Qing say that the company's ship was attacked by the Bu Li people. The cargo on board was this thing?" Jing Yuan slightly bent down, scrutinizing the mech before him.

"Yes. Gong Zao Si and Dan Ding Si collaborated on the inspection… the machine's components use specially processed Bu Li biological tissue," Ling Sha said. "I've heard that the Erudite Society has long been studying the biological traits of the longevity species, seeking results usable for medicine or combat. However, constrained by the Alliance's superficial relations, they dare not go too far."

Dan Heng speculated, "Perhaps in those scholars' eyes, the Bu Li are no different from lab animals. The reason the Bu Li attacked that ship may be to retaliate against the Erudite Society's experiments on their kin."

"No, if it were merely to avenge the company and the society, they could simply destroy the ship and all the cargo. Then it wouldn't appear in Yòuqiú Prison. This is a deliberately staged performance, exposing the 'cargo's' danger to the public solely so it can be smoothly sent into Yòuqiú Prison to serve as a prison‑break weapon."

Jing Yuan couldn't help but remark, "Exploiting such a blind spot in human nature so cleverly is far from the Bu Li's usual ways. The company and the Erudite Society were probably used as pawns without even realizing it."

——

JOJO's Bizarre Adventure Star Expeditionary Force.

"These Bu Li are too clever, aren't they? How does it feel like they're smarter than me?"

At an old inn by the Nile, the night desert wind hurled sand grains against the window glass, sounding like an endless knocking. Borunaref slumped in a wicker lounge chair, sipping ice‑cold beer while gazing at the sky.

"Borunaref, isn't it perfectly normal for you to be smarter?" Huajingyuan Dianming smiled faintly. "You don't really think that sheer physical ability alone can enslave countless planets, do you? Among the Bu Li there are certainly talents dedicated to research and development."

"So, by that measure, Hu Lei is the savior of this Bu Li group?" Joseph stroked the stubble on his chin, his gaze complex. "But the Celestial Vessel is still more comfortable than us; seven hundred years ago the Sword‑Head helped them capture Hu Lei alive, and seven hundred years later three generals united to besiege him. And we, to eliminate DIO, still have to cross the seas to Egypt, sigh…"

Joseph stared at the dust‑covered air conditioner in the inn—obviously broken for a long time, yet the shrewd shop owner still wanted to take advantage. Egypt's night felt like an oven… and yet this was still the best‑conditioned place nearby.

"So when does that woman named Feixiao plan to act? She won't let the old cat burn her whiskers and release Hu Lei, will she?" Borunaref shouted from beside him.

"You think she's you?" Joseph said. "It's like fishing; when the fish just bites, you can't pull immediately; you have to let it swallow deeper before reeling."

Borunaref scratched his hair: "But what if the fish eats the bait and runs away?"

"Then that shows you're not a good fisherman." Huajingyuan smiled.

——

In the pause between everyone's words, for some reason, the broken metallic mound on the ground seemed to still conceal something stirring.

"Two of you, be careful, this thing is still alive!" Dan Heng watched as the mech trembled and rose shakily from the ground, exclaiming, "Even after such severe damage, it can self‑repair?"

Fortunately, even if the mech stood up, it was already at the end of its strength; Jing Yuan's two swift strikes sent it back down.

The massive machine fell back into silence, like a wounded beast that had bled dry, powerless to move.

"General, you still haven't answered my question: 'Why was Hu Lei imprisoned in Luo Fu rather than Yaoqing?' You keep silent; does that mean this handling isn't an honor?" Ling Sha continued to press.

Jing Yuan kept his gaze on the fallen mech: "The marshal's reason for not leaving Hu Lei at Yaoqing is right here on this machine."

Ling Sha clearly found it hard to believe: "…you mean someone wants, like this machine represents, to crack Hu Lei's secret and put it to use?"