Chapter 801: The Midnight Martial Trial of Sharp Blades (56)

"Speaking of hunting wolves, I'm very worried about that Yaoqing Envoy who was abducted. Hu Lei has not eaten in the Silent Prison for a long time, starving to death up to now… I also don't know whether that envoy can safely pass the tribulation in his wolf's jaws."

——

Slash Crimson Eye.

"In the eyes of these Dragon Masters, is the safety of the Celestial Vessel less important than their own power?!"

Tazmi trembled with anger, unable to understand how these Dragon Masters, who disregard the lives of so many on the Celestial Vessel for their own power, differ from the nobles in the Royal City they intend to kill.

"If the matter is indeed certain, then all these Dragon Masters must undergo reincarnation. It feels the fissures inside the Celestial Vessel are larger than I imagined…"

Na Jieta slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, crushing the butt out on the windowsill: "When facing the Abundant Spawn and the Extinction Great Lord, I still thought the interior of the Celestial Vessel was tightly united, jointly defending against enemies. Even if friction arose, it never reached colluding with outsiders. I didn't expect that now the Dragon Masters consider themselves players, treating 【Destruction】 and 【Abundance】 as pieces to overthrow Jing Yuan and seize power again."

"But Jing Yuan seemed rather unfazed; when he deduced it was the Dragon Masters, he didn't seem angry at all," Ma Yin said curiously.

"He has been a general for centuries; the Celestial Vessel rebels he dealt with could probably fill the entire Royal City, and such rebellions might have stirred a ripple in his heart when he first took office. Now… hehe," Na Jieta smiled faintly, "Of course, Jing Yuan also knows these Dragon Masters cannot escape."

"But if the Dragon Masters act like this, aren't they afraid the Celestial Vessel will truly be overturned by Huanlong?"

"Hmm… good question, but my answer leans toward: they are afraid." Na Jieta looked toward the distant Royal City, where a tranquil night sky stretched, "But fear is fear; Huanlong is ultimately an enemy beyond the Celestial Vessel. The Seven Days, together with countless Celestial Vessel Cloud Riders, will bear the front, making their fear seem insignificant. Yet, compared to fearing the unknown Huanlong, it's easier to deal with the Celestial Vessel people they've lived with for centuries."

——

"Two hours before the Martial Performance Ceremony, Chang Le Heaven."

"I have already said it, my profession is a Medical Practitioner. However, the medical techniques I excel at require medicinal cuisine to be effective. Being able to cook myriad herbs into dishes for patients to eat—that is the marvel of the cauldron (hot pot). No matter the medicinal or food ingredients, muddled together in the broth and simmered, they instantly become a delicacy."

Jiao Qiu spoke to the two fox people before him, while Mo Du stared at him intently from behind.

"Delicacy… isn't that just one flavor covering another?" Mo Du snorted disdainfully.

"You're not wrong… Let me test you: if a child refuses to eat green peppers, what would you do to make him eat them?"

Mo Du replied bluntly: "Stuff the green peppers into the child's mouth and throw him into the pot."

"Hahaha, Brother Bu Li is humorous. I heard that Bu Li people, during their self‑modification, lost many taste buds and cannot discern complex flavors; only the 'salty' of flesh and blood can stir your appetite."

Mo Du gritted his teeth: "Unfortunately I have no green peppers on hand; otherwise I'd really want to stuff your mouth and throw you into the pot."

Jiao Qiu replied calmly: "Just kidding, don't be hasty~ It's simple: chop the green peppers finely, mix them into the meat filling, make meatballs. The meat's flavor masks the pepper's, so even a picky child can eat the green peppers."

"Can this hot pot melt your tongue? I know the delusions in your head. You're trying to stall for reinforcements," Mo Du sneered disdainfully, "You said 'Jing Liu returned to Luo Fu', and she indeed returned… but I also gathered more intel; she committed a grave crime and was taken to another Celestial Vessel. You think a bit of cleverness to provoke Lord Hu Lei's vengeance can delay our departure?"

"Don't treat the Bu Li as barbarians ignorant of the Celestial Vessel. The jade token you carry, and the Mechanical Bird that flies in the sky… I'm fully aware of all the methods Celestial Vessel people can use to track us."

——

Assassin Wu Liuqi.

"Poor Jiao Qiu, all his thoughts have been seen through."

Ji Da Bao crouched by the campfire, carefully turning a sweet potato in his hands. As he watched Mo Du lay out his plan in detail, he couldn't help sighing, feeling a bit sorry for the young fox person.

"But the point isn't whether Mo Du saw through it," Lan Minghua sat on a nearby rock, calmly picking at his foot, "In my view, his plan is already quite successful; whether Mo Du discerns it or not is irrelevant now."

"Huh?" Ji Da Bao turned to look at him, "If everyone sees through it, wouldn't it be over?"

"He uttered 'Jing Liu returned to Luo Fu', trying to make Hu Lei's revenge an overt plan, not a conspiracy. A conspiracy loses its value once seen through, but an overt plan is different; even if Mo Du knows, what can he do? He still has to sit here obediently with Jiao Qiu, waiting for Fei Xiao to sweep them up in one net?"

Speaking of Fei Xiao, Wu Liuqi suddenly recalled something: "By the way, hasn't Fei Xiao finished eating yet? She has a big appetite, and there are only four hours left before the ceremony. Could she be planning to capture Hu Lei at the ceremony?"

"That would be pointless, but if the opening just began and Fei Xiao staged a live capture of Hu Lei on the arena, that would definitely hype the crowd." He began, but Ji Da Bao abruptly stopped, a cold sweat slowly sliding down his forehead, "…wait, she wouldn't really think that, would she?"

——

"The greater the hope in one's heart, the more intense the pain when death arrives. When I tear open your throat, I want to see if your expression can remain as calm as it was just now."

"His composure is only a temporary effect of the medicine. But the effect will wear off soon, right?"

An elderly fox person with a grizzled white beard entered, interrupting their conversation.

"Lord Hu Lei."

"Pathetic fox people, for millennia we allowed you to survive, we gave you civilization. Yet for the freedom promised by the Celestial Vessel people, you ultimately chose betrayal," Hu Lei sneered, "But it's fine; as long as you smell the master's scent, you'll obediently return to us… no matter how far you run."

"Hu Lei, have you ever wondered why after a full seven hundred years these guys only now want to rescue you?" Jiao Qiu said calmly, "The era when Bu Li thought themselves invincible has long passed. Before giving you hope of returning home, did they ever tell you these tragic facts, Lord Hu Lei?"