Chapter 802: Midnight Martial Contest: Testing the Edge (57)

"Now they have been crushed by Yao Qing's 'Heaven‑Striking General'… by a fox into a pile of scattered sand, trembling while hiding in a corner of the galaxy. Like a wounded beast about to drown, they desperately reach for an imagined lifeline—that is you."

"Yao Qing's general… a fox? Very interesting. Mo Du, is everything he said true?" Hu Lei looked at the subordinate beside him.

"... He didn't lie. She was a war slave who fled from the hunting pack, a cannon fodder, a thief! She stole our power, and using her knowledge of the Step‑Leaving Clan, employed every vile tactic in the war—"

Mo Du tried to argue, but Hu Lei cut him off bluntly: "She defeated you. Mo Du, unfairness is an excuse prepared for the dead and the defeated. Since the hunting pack is splintered, who told you I was still alive, and who sent you here?"

"When we were at our most desperate, it was the Prophet Mang Gusi of the Lord of Immortality who guided us. With her direction, we gradually saw hope."

——

Pirate King.

In Holy Land Mary Joia, inside the World Government's conference room, five high‑back chairs were arranged in a semicircle, their backs nearly reaching the twenty‑meter‑high dome; the silhouettes on the seats were only faintly visible in the shadows.

"From war slave to general… has such a thing ever happened here?"

"Hmm, if it's from lowly to troublesome, there have indeed been a few," Topman Vochuli Sheng took over, "Wasn't Gol D. Roger one of them? He started out as a fisherman from a tiny East Sea village, yet eventually became the Pirate King."

Xie Podde said coldly, "Feixiao, a war slave, with neither illustrious lineage nor superhuman blood, yet grew into a being that could directly threaten the entire Step‑Leaving Clan. What does that mean for us?"

The question hung in the air, and no one answered for a long time.

Yi Zanbalong lifted the already‑cooled red tea but did not drink, merely watching the dark‑red liquid: "This means any fish that slipped through the net could become a threat. It also means… when the Demon‑Slaying Decree is enacted, the operatives must ensure everyone in the area is eradicated, not a blade of grass left. Even infants in swaddling cloths cannot be spared; they must all be slain."

"Any fish that slipped through could later grow into a threat to the World Government… right?"

Ge Lin Gu Sheng nodded slightly: "Fully agree. Better to mistakenly kill ten thousand than let one go. This is the price of maintaining order."

——

"Prophet Mang Gusi… what does she intend?" Hu Lei became alert instantly.

"The prophet issued a prophecy: the Step‑Leaving Clan has been divided for too long; only your return can unify all hunting packs and restore past glory! That's how we learned you were still alive… it must be the Lord of Immortality manifesting!" Mo Du showed a devout expression.

"The prophet told us that Yao Qing's fox general would use the timing of Luofu's Martial Exhibition Ceremony to take you away; this was the perfect chance for us to infiltrate here and free you from prison—just as she said! We have succeeded!"

Jiao Qiu, however, at that moment poured a bucket of cold water over Mo Du's head: "You all were deceived by that so‑called prophet; she only tricked you into a death march."

"But her prophecy also came true! The war chief is right here!" Mo Du, furious, bared his fangs at Jiao Qiu.

"Once news of the Shadow Prison spreads, the Cloud Riders Association will block all ports. You think you've escaped the jail, but you're merely trapped in the 'Luofu' cage."

"Lord Hu Lei, kill him, kill this meddlesome wretch! I assure you, the supporting Star Oar will arrive soon! Right now the entire Luofu is distracted by that foolish Martial Exhibition Ceremony, making it the best chance for us to flee Luofu. Once you return to the domain loyal to you, your revenge on the Celestial Vessel will be imminent."

Hu Lei said coldly: "Opportunity? Returning to a crippled, feeble hunting pack, being manipulated by a laughable false prophet, becoming a banner she waves in her hand? Her plan is riddled with holes. The only paths she prepared for you are escape and death."

"Listen up, the 'Wolf' will never allow itself to become prey. From now on you must act according to my orders."

——

Ren Ya.

"No wonder he's a veteran war chief; his experience, mind, and strength are all top‑tier," Miyamoto Musashi couldn't help admiring, "He almost instantly sensed something off about Mang Gusi, including the whole plan's flaw… He probably already realized that no matter what…"

Sure enough, to become the Step‑Leaving Clan's war chief and the Celestial Vessel's mortal enemy, Hu Lei is far more than just brute force.

Now Feixiao regards them as prey, and Hu Lei refuses to be prey himself; does that mean he intends to clash head‑on with Feixiao?

Although he looks forward to the spectacle of the two strong ones meeting, reason tells him Hu Lei cannot win; this is a predetermined, unsurprising battle.

"From his tone, it seems he doesn't plan to return to his homeland; it looks like he's planning to stage a riot on the Celestial Vessel, aiming for casualties, delivering a heavy blow to the generals," Guo Haihuang's scaly skin curled into a faint smile, "... It seems that great‑victory general…"

Lie Haiwang asked in confusion, "But why doesn't Hu Lei try to fight his way back home? Since he also sensed Mang Gusi's oddity, perhaps Hu Lei will gather followers and battle Mang Gusi."

When that time comes, the Prosperous People and the Extinction Overlord battling each other would be a scenario the Celestial Vessel would gladly watch.

"Hehe, Lie, did you see Mo Du's look?" Guo Haihuang leisurely placed his hand behind his back, "That Mo Du reveres Mang Gusi so much, even the Bu Li rescuers do; even if Hu Lei returns home, how many would stand with him? When both sides fight, the dead are still the Step‑Leaving Clan… it only gives Yao Qing's Celestial Vessel a chance to exploit."

——

"Jiao Qiu, since you said the Cloud Riders Association would block the ports, I will have you go to a port yourself to see whether the Cloud Riders are indeed as you think. Report back the answer you see."

Jiao Qiu couldn't believe his ears: "... What did you say?"

"Lord—!"

Mo Du, seeing this, tried to advise again, but Hu Lei's gaze glared him back harshly.

"Mo Du, when have you ever heard a pack‑wolf obey a cub's command?"

Mo Du nervously lowered his head: "Never heard of it… I, I haven't given you orders, and I absolutely obey your directives."

Jiao Qiu asked alertly, "Why not send your subordinates?"

Hu Lei didn't even glance at Jiao Qiu, simply saying coolly, "This is a once‑in‑a‑millennium chance; don't you want to escape, Jiao Qiu? You'll come back. Because you foxes always obediently return to your master, no matter how far you flee."