Chapter 803: Midnight Martial Competition Tests the Edge (58)

Jiao Qiu asked the fellow prisoners nearby about the situation; they had all escaped during the chaos, and now they all regretted it… each one said they'd rather stay locked up in the big cell.

"Do you know where we are now?"

The prisoner shook his head: "I don't know; like you, I was blindfolded and brought here."

Jiao Qiu, hearing this, fell into thought: "Although Hu Lei's party can hide in the bustling market for now, being discovered is only a matter of time. He dares to let me go—what is his plan?"

Jiao Qiu, half in doubt, stepped out of the courtyard and found that this place was actually inside Everjoy Heaven, and the Stepaway guards at the gate showed no intention of stopping him, letting him pass.

(He actually let me move freely… what trick is he playing?)

(Maybe I can try to secretly send a warning outward… no, perhaps I have a chance to leave directly from here…)

To be safe, Jiao Qiu decided to look around. Sure enough, in a corner of the market he spotted a cold‑faced fox‑person whose gaze was so sharp it seemed to warn him: any clever little scheme will eventually brew into irreversible, severe consequences.

(I knew it… this guy is testing me.)

(Yunqi should have already sensed the situation in the hidden prison. Could Feixiao personally lead a team to capture Hu Lei?)

(For now, I'll follow what this guy says.)

——

Genshin.

"How strange."

Sangduone held his red tea, his voice tinged with confusion, "Clearly this is such a good opportunity, so why doesn't Jiao Qiu escape? Clearly among these wolf cubs, we only need to worry about Hu Lei, right?"

"Moreover, Hu Lei is really bold, saying that 'fox‑people will always obediently return to their master'—what a strange argument? It has no scientific basis at all; what if Jiao Qiu doesn't come back? Ridiculous…"

"Perhaps he truly isn't afraid," Aileqinu sat opposite at the tea table, elegantly stirring his cup with a spoon, said lightly, "First, we can't assume Hu Lei is a fool; the loophole that even a clear‑sighted person can see would also be obvious to Hu Lei, who is revered by the Stepaway as a nest father. Therefore, I lean toward the idea that he placed some kind of... poison on Jiao Qiu."

"Poison? What poison? Where is there poison?" Sangduone set his cup down, "We've been watching all along; Hu Lei never tampered with Jiao Qiu, and even if he did, poisoning a physician would be too stupid."

"Poison is just a metaphor, not an actual toxin," Aileqinu continued, "I heard of a poison that, once ingested, leaves the victim unharmed provided they take an antidote within a set time; otherwise their intestines will rupture. Perhaps Hu Lei has imperceptibly contaminated Jiao Qiu with such a poison—if Jiao Qiu doesn't return in time, death is certain."

"Are you referring to the wolf poison unique to the Stepaway?" Sangduone suddenly recalled that earlier Hu Lei seemed to mention that "the effect of the pill on Jiao Qiu is about to wear off."

"I don't know either, but Hu Lei daring to let him go must be a loyalty test… a loyalty test using 'freedom' as bait."

——

Jiao Qiu arrived at the dock, found a star‑ferry driver, and just as he was about to hint something, he noticed a fox‑person passenger behind the driver staring at him intently.

"May I ask if you wish to take the star ferry?"

Jiao Qiu swallowed: "Yes, but I'm not alone…"

"Hey, my little star ferry can't hold so many people… but I have a larger star ferry; if the guests need it, we can reach the port in less than a quarter hour. Where are you headed? Regardless, you must hurry. The martial ceremony is about to begin. The Heavenly Ship Office is regulating the airspace, giving priority to star ferries heading to the Jingfeng vessel."

Jiao Qiu lowered his voice: "Speak quietly, is that okay?"

The driver laughed twice: "Does anything really have to be whispered? Hahaha, if the guest has something to say, feel free to say it outright."

"Could you help me report an alarm to the Earth Balance Office?"

The driver took it as a joke, waved his hand: "The Earth Balance Office is not far; I have business to attend to. Why don't you go yourself?"

Later Jiao Qiu located the Earth Balance Office staff and Yunqi soldiers, whispered the Stepaway matters to them, and on his way to the port he discovered a Stepaway dressed as a fox‑person.

The Stepaway, upon seeing him, waved repeatedly: "Don't ask, don't go, find someone else."

"What if the war chief says to leave?"

The Stepaway immediately responded, moved closer, and sniffed Jiao Qiu: "You're not one of us, but you carry a familiar scent."

"The war chief sent me to check the situation; the war chief asked if we can leave now?"

The Stepaway shook his head: "Not yet. My little boat can't escape the Celestial Ship; only the vessels at Return Star Port have a chance to break through the Jade Realm Gate. Mo Du said there would be an inside agent to pick us up, but I never received any Huixiang."

Jiao Qiu, hearing this, fell into suspicion.

(The port hasn't been sealed off… what's really going on?)

(It seems stalling is pointless; it's time to face Hu Lei. Let me see what trick he's really playing…)

——

Spy Family.

"Strange, why does Mr. Jiao Qiu still want to go back? Isn't he already free?" Watching Jiao Qiu intend to return to the wolf den, Yoru felt very confused.

"No, he has never had freedom, not at any point." Lloyd pointed at the fox‑people hidden in the shadows of the canopy—being a top‑level spy, he immediately noticed those fox‑people appearing near Jiao Qiu who never revealed their identities.

"Besides the passenger behind the driver, there were also people outside the Earth Balance Office watching him; when he contacted the Yunqi troops, a fox‑person at the neighboring tea stall kept glancing at him—Jiao Qiu was completely surrounded, likely the whole Everjoy Heaven is full of eyes, so even if he tries to flee, he'll be blocked immediately."

"Hu Lei's eyes… so many!" After her father's identification, Ania finally realized, "For Jiao Qiu, this is a net covering heaven and earth!"

"Then why isn't the port sealed?" Yoru furrowed his brow and asked, "Is the Heavenly Ship Office not afraid that Hu Lei might escape from Everjoy Heaven to Return Star Port and flee by ship?"

"Hmm… perhaps this is Feixiao's true intention," Lloyd lifted his red tea, "The first step to lure the snake out of its hole is to set a 'bait'. For Hu Lei, this 'bait' is a chance at freedom. If they completely block Everjoy Heaven's port, they'd probably be forced to hide in the Celestial Ship for the rest of their lives, right?"