Chapter 453: Jing Yuan

She turned her head, looked at San Yue Qi, who was still staring blankly at the night sky, and asked, "San Yue Jie, if… I mean if we have to face that woman with tentacles head‑on, how do you think the odds are? With your Assassin abilities."

Being suddenly asked a "professional question," San Yue Qi snapped back to herself.

To preserve her "reliable senior sister" image, she quickly hid the turmoil on her face, tried to adopt a serious expression, blinked her powder‑blue eyes, and gave a light cough:

"Hmm… well, it's a fifty‑fifty chance!"

She said in a tone that sounded confident, "Don't let those tentacles scare you; as long as we pick the right moment, freeze her joints with my Ice Arrow, limit her movement, and combine it with your Magic, Rin… the chances are still high!"

In truth, she had no clue at all.

Earlier, watching from afar, that dark‑blue‑haired woman's attacks were bizarre and unpredictable, and she clearly hadn't given her full strength.

Her Assassin role leans toward stealth, so a direct, head‑on assault is never the optimal choice.

But she couldn't say that, especially when she needed to give the Master confidence.

Sure enough, Rin listened to San Yue Qi's words, nodded seriously, and his eyes showed a hint of reassurance: "Hmm, I trust San Yue Jie's ability."

She still vividly remembered the combat power San Yue Qi displayed ten years ago in Dongmu City, though now San Yue Qi seemed a bit… off‑balance.

But the basic strength should still be there.

Seeing that she had fooled Rin, San Yue Qi breathed a silent sigh of relief, mixed with a touch of helplessness.

She instinctively glanced at her waist—there hung a tiny badge, the manifested form of her Noble Phantasm.

The badge seemed to have a train motif slowly rotating.

(True Train Group bond…)

(Hope this thing is reliable when it counts…)

(Otherwise, relying only on my half‑baked Assassin skills and a few Ice Arrows, if a real fight breaks out, it'll be a real hassle…)

Will we win?

Depends on the situation.

San Yue Qi silently added a thought, her gaze again turning toward the now‑calm Weigong Residence in the distance, her face full of worry about a "troubled future."

At the same time, in another residential district of the city, the atmosphere inside Bai Hang's residence was equally eerie.

The simple Summoning Circle's light had just completely faded.

Bai Hang kept her hand outstretched, her azure eyes wide and round, lips slightly open, watching the tall man in the center of the Spell Array slowly open his eyes, and felt her legs grow a bit weak.

(Jing… Jing Yuan?!)

(My god! Master! You're really pushing the limits here?! You even dared to bring this guy in as a Servant?!)

(How am I supposed to handle this?! I'm even scared of lying in front of him and getting caught!)

Bai Hang's mind was instantly flooded with the barrage "It's over," "I'm about to be exposed," "The Task is failing."

Who is Jing Yuan?

The Divine Strategy General of Xianzhou Luofu, exceptionally cunning and sharp‑eyed, and also one of her comrades from back then!

Though her appearance has changed drastically, she can't be sure the meticulous General won't see through her.

In a flash, a thought sprang up—play dumb!

Pretend not to know him!

Disguise herself as a completely unknown Master who happened to summon him by chance!

Just as her mind flipped, Jing Yuan was already fully awake.

He surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings, his brow flickering imperceptibly, then his gaze landed on the blank‑faced, white‑haired girl before him.

When he saw Bai Hang's features, a fleeting bewilderment flashed through Jing Yuan's ever‑smiling golden eyes.

"Bai Hang?"

He called out instinctively, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

The call hit her like cold water, making Bai Hang jump sharply.

She forced herself into "performance mode" instantly.

Her face first showed just the right amount of bewilderment, as if she didn't recognize the name, her azure eyes blinking, then she stiffened her small face, adopted a solemn expression, cleared her throat, and said in an intentionally serious tone:

"Are you my Servant?"

This time it was Jing Yuan who was stunned.

Servant?

He keenly caught that keyword.

Almost simultaneously, a basic briefing on the Holy Grail War flashed in his mind as if implanted.

Though brief, it was enough for him to grasp the current situation.

(The Holy Grail War… is the incident Gui Naifen mentioned in her report, the one she was mysteriously swept into and then returned from?)

(So… I'm experiencing the same situation now?)

Jing Yuan quickly sensed himself.

His power was heavily suppressed; the destiny energy within him still existed, but it was as if behind a thick veil, and he could probably muster less than a tenth of it.

The "rules" of the surrounding environment were completely different from what he knew.

(Without sensing any fluctuation, I went from the Shen Ce Fu office desk straight here… allowing a servant to cross worlds without any resistance… what a massive feat.)

Jing Yuan squinted, a glint of contemplation flashing deep within his golden pupils.

He temporarily set aside the doubts the name "Bai Hang" and the girl's appearance raised, and began rapidly analyzing the situation.

His appearance here was no accident.

Gui Naifen's return, Black Tower's stance, Xianzhou's recent undercurrents…

These clues might intersect somewhere in this "accident."

He noticed that after answering, the girl before him, though trying to stay composed, had a barely perceptible tension in the depths of her azure eyes.

(What is she nervous about? Because she summoned an unfamiliar Servant? Or… something else?)

Jing Yuan did not immediately expose the flaw, but followed the other's words, and his face once again wore that inscrutable gentle smile.

He gave a slight nod, and, guided by the information in his mind, introduced himself:

"Jing Yuan. My name. As for my class… it seems to be Lancer."

He glanced at his empty hands and said, "According to the Rule, you are my Master?"

His tone was calm and natural, as if he were merely confirming a procedure.

Bai Hang saw that the other party did not immediately probe the address "Bai Hang", and she breathed a slight sigh of relief, though she dared not fully relax.

She crossed her arms, strained to straighten her back, lifted her chin, and said in a slightly arrogant tone:

"Exactly! You may call me Master!"

She deliberately emphasized the word "Master", attempting to assert dominance.

Jing Yuan readily nodded, his smile unchanged, while his mind rapidly assessed:

(Her behavior and personality are deliberately displayed as different, trying to create a sense of unfamiliarity… but some subtle gestures—like fingertips unconsciously curling when nervous, or a slight head tilt when thinking—are too similar. It can be confirmed that she is the mysterious Bai Xing girl from the streets of Xianzhou Luofu, that is… the person who looks extremely similar to Bai Hang. Did she summon me here? What is her purpose? Further observation is needed.)

He did not immediately inquire, but, like a Servant truly just summoned who maintains basic etiquette toward his Master, waited quietly for the next instruction.

"Alright, stop standing here, come in."

Bai Hang turned and walked toward the living room, striving to make her steps appear natural.

Jing Yuan kept a one-step distance and followed leisurely.

As soon as she entered the living room, Bai Hang saw A Xing sprawled on the sofa like a boneless slime, his golden eyes staring vacantly at the TV screen—though the television was not turned on at all.

She had been holding that posture for a long time, as if her soul had left her body.

"A Xing?"

Bai Hang couldn't help but speak up, "When did you summon a Servant? The Holy Grail War has already begun; there was quite a commotion outside just now, so the other factions have probably already started fighting."