Chapter 831: Midnight Martial Contest Tests the Edge (86)

As the red light in Fei Xiao's eyes faded, Fei Xiao's consciousness finally cleared.

It was only Yun Li and Yan Qing who were straining with all their might to fend off her attack, while San Yueqi stood beside them, gripping her hind leg tightly.

As if all her strength had been drained, Fei Xiao collapsed onto the ground—fortunately, several quick‑eyed people rushed to support her.

"You're awake, General!"

With this, the Wolf Hunt plan finally concluded successfully.

With the defeat of the war chief, the wolf soldiers were powerless to resist and were completely suppressed by the Cloud Cavalry. Xing and Mo Ze found the dying Jiao Qiu.

——

Genshin Impact.

"No way? He can still live?!"

At the Westwind Knights' camp beside Anwadinger Lake, Fa Erga pounded his chest with a "thump‑thump", began hacking violently, and the scorching dandelion wine burned his throat, instantly flushing his face red.

"Incredible—could it be because Jiao Qiu himself is a physician, or that he can somewhat wield the power of 【Abundance】?" Abeiduo stroked his chin, and for a moment he found the fox‑man's constitution equally astonishing. In his impression, if a toxin could make a Shou Wen Hui Ji‑marked Hu Lei dizzy, then its toxicity would make killing a fox‑man a piece of cake.

After all, this medicine can poison even a Celestial Vessel person blessed by Abundance, yet cannot kill a fox‑man; that would be too bizarre.

"Regardless, it's fortunate that Mr. Jiao Qiu didn't die; I suppose he's now pleased that General Fei Xiao lifted his Moon Madness condition," Xiao Dulin said beside him.

"You're right," Fa Erga raised his cup, excitedly announcing to the Westwind Knights gathered around the campfire, "To celebrate... uh, Mr. Jiao Qiu snatching back a life, tonight's dandelion wine can be refilled endlessly—no stopping until we're drunk!"

"Yay—!"

Seeing the camp's knights already hauling wine from the truck loaded with "essential supplies", Abeiduo sighed helplessly, "Big Leader, you just wanted an excuse to drink heartily tonight, right? No problem, I can play the 'person who can't get drunk' tonight."

——

"I want to hear how they explain it."

Upon entering the Scale Abyss realm, Ling Sha looked up and saw the familiar Dragon Lord statue, and beneath it another figure was looking up at it.

He seemed to have been waiting for Ling Sha and Dan Heng for a long time.

"Dragon Master Taoran, I hereby warmly welcome Miss Ling Sha," the unicorn‑horned Dragon Master bowed.

"Ling Sha bows to the Dragon Master Elder, long time no greeting. This time I have brought a companion, who could hardly be called an outsider," she said.

Dan Heng stared at the Dragon Master in shock, feeling incredulous: "Taoran... Elder? When I was exiled, you were already near your reincarnation limit. Yet... how have you become like this now?"

Taoran replied coldly, "All this is thanks to your past‑life self. Had you not acted recklessly back then, I would not have had to seek a perilous path to bear my clan's salvation, turning myself into this neither‑human nor‑ghost form."

"…"

Dan Heng sensed the resentment behind his words, merely frowned and said nothing.

Taoran continued, "Mr. Dan Heng, you have returned twice yet never deigned to meet us old ones; it's truly regrettable. To now meet in this setting, fate is indeed mocking us."

"I came today with Miss Ling Sha, not to reminisce."

"Indeed," Taoran nodded, looking at Ling Sha, "Lord Si Ding sent the invitation; a Dragon Master has no reason to decline an appointment."

"Ling Sha, though serving in the Si Ding post, the Dan Ding Si is riddled with pending affairs; only today could I consult you, Elder, please understand. Concerning the Captive Prison incident, I have obtained some material evidence and sent it; the Dragon Master must have reviewed it."

——

Zero Zone.

At an open‑air hot‑spring inn in Wei Fei Di, the four master and disciples were leisurely soaking in the springs.

"So this is that bad guy!" Ju Fu Fu clenched his fists, swinging them in the water, splashing a spray, "... this guy knows he's done wrong yet doesn't sneak away; I think he's here to surrender and seek leniency, right?"

"Hmm… such a crime of attempting to overturn the Celestial Vessel seems futile no matter how one argues," Ling sat on the edge of the spring, "But even if this guy tries to escape, he can't get out; even Hu Lei failed, how could a tiny Dragon Master succeed? Moreover, assisting the Step‑Away people to flee, was he the only one?"

"Senior sister's meaning is…"

"The Chi Ming Clan's Dragon Masters should, to varying degrees, understand Taoran's scheme, but now that it's exposed, if internal infighting erupts within the Chi Ming Clan, the Celestial Vessel might send the entire Luofu Chi Ming Clan leadership to reincarnation." Ling lowered her head, gazing at the clear spring water, "... I think this Dragon Master is coming forward to take the blame, right?"

"Hmm, Ling's point is not without reason."

Yi Xuan lifted the tea floating on the surface tray, took a gentle sip, "If assisting the Step‑Away people was only Taoran's solo plan, it couldn't be so perfect—providing both identity and map. If he alone could shoulder all the crimes, the loss to the Chi Ming Dragon Masters would be minimal… Yet these Dragon Masters who only squabble among themselves are a festering sore on the Luofu Celestial Vessel; if we can't excise it all at once this time, later it may cause many troubles for Jing Yuan."

——

"Hmm, you delivered the 'Remains of the Demon Shadow Body', the 'Captive Prison map', and a 'Residual Dust Pill' to the residence."

Ling Sha explained, "That remains belong to an assassin who used Cloud Chant technique to hide his trail, aiding the Step‑Away people unimpeded through Captive Prison. That marked map is the escape route for Captive Prison inmates. The Chi Ming artisans once devised a scheme for Captive Prison, so Mr. Taoran likely also holds an identical map. This pill—"

"It's the 'Residual Dust Pill'," Taoran openly admitted, with no concealment, "Indeed, regarding the Captive Prison calamity, I contributed to its planning."

Ling Sha was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained composure and pressed on, "So the Dan Ding Si's emergence of the Medicine King Secret Transmission and the Extinction Sovereign, the chaos of Dan Ding Si, the introduction of the Star Core, and the rebirth of the Wooden Construct are also inseparable from Chi Ming?"

Taoran nodded, "Indeed."

Dan Heng, surprised by his candor, asked, "You admit it?"

Taoran retorted coldly, "Surprised? The two of you were dispatched by the Divine Strategy Office as envoys; aren't you here to hear my humble confession?"

"Since the Moon‑drinking Chaos, the Chi Ming populace has become scarce. The Dragon Lord was exiled; my fellow Dragon Masters and I had to strain to hold back the raging tide before it fell. Our methods may be somewhat radical, perhaps misunderstood, but ultimately they serve one purpose—'the survival of Chi Ming.'"