Chapter 361: Ling Yun Is Not the Mastermind

"Power crushes, wealth crushes, now even the public‑opinion war is crushed… the anti‑Black Feather Alliance loses unfairly."

"The fruit of victory is hard to pick; after this battle, will Black Feather need to recruit again? Wu Ya, look at me!"

"Me too! Me too! Hehe, I also want to join Black Feather!"

We originally thought it would be a hard fight, but now Black Feather won so easily.

On top of that, so many people are crying and shouting to join Black Feather, as if joining Black Feather were some glorious, illustrious affair.

Watching the regional channel's comments, Miao Miao and a few others regretted so much their guts turned green.

But now they've already withdrawn, even paying the humiliating 250 material fee to quit; going back with their faces still up… isn't that just slapping themselves?

And even if they want to return, Black Feather's people might not accept them. No matter how remorseful they are, they can only grind their teeth and swallow it.

On Cheng Shuili's side, everything proceeds in an orderly fashion.

Aside from those few regional notices, Cheng Shuili knows nothing about what happened on the regional channel.

She's currently busy visiting Black Feather's new territories one by one, truly unable to find any spare time.

Except for the two factions at the start, the other factions have already prepared defenses.

But who can endure a system alert flashing before their eyes one second, and have a shell screaming in with a trail the next?

Moreover, Cheng Shuili's gunfire is inaccurate, but her rocket launcher hits the mark every single time!

They claim to have defenses, but it's essentially the same as having none.

The leaders of several factions, each pale‑faced, await the Dammocles sword hanging over their heads to fall.

Their whatever moods, whatever they did, Cheng Shuili knows nothing about, nor does she wish to know.

What she cares about are only the shells inside the Abyssal Ring.

After all, they cost 1,000 Game Coin each.

Even though their effect is indeed great, just thinking of pulling the trigger and seeing her account drop by a thousand Game Coin makes Cheng Shuili unable to smile.

Although she's rich, she can't stand spending like this!

And moreover…

This battle was almost purely a show of force; aside from annexing Black Feather's territory and that bit of supplies in the factions' warehouses, there was no other gain.

Those items aren't even worth a shell; how could Cheng Shuili not feel a pang of pain?

She stands at the center of the well‑fed, well‑rested territory; beneath her feet lies scorched earth, the rocket launcher barrel on her shoulder still radiates residual heat, and the smell of gunpowder mingles with dust, a bit choking.

This faction is dealt with; time for the next target.

When a leader dies, the faction automatically disbands, and its territory merges into the victor's faction.

Players outside the territory are unaffected, but those inside are doomed; the system instantly flags them as "prisoners", marks them as "restricted", awaiting the victor's faction to claim them.

Thus, until Cheng Shuili and Su Rui finish dealing with all the belligerent factions, the regional channel still speculates about what Black Feather's secret weapon actually is.

When Cheng Shuili's figure appears in Black Feather's territory, she is greeted by deafening cheers.

"Lao Da is back!"

"It's over! No troops spent, easily capturing several factions!"

"We're truly too strong!"

"We won! We won!"

"Long live Black Feather! Long live Wuya Lao Da!"

The remaining defenders surged forward, faces radiating joy of victory and adoration for Cheng Shuili.

Xinxue pushes through the crowd and enters; though it's a bit cramped, a relaxed smile graces her face.

After meeting Cheng Shuili's gaze, she reports, "The situation on the regional channel is under control, and the number of applicants to join us is truly overwhelming; the notification sound from my private messages never stopped."

Qi Wan Yi and a few others standing nearby heard this and couldn't help but nod.

Everyone knows they follow Wu Ya, so they can enter Black Feather; who wouldn't be granted it?

Cheng Shuili nods, lifts the heavy rocket launcher from her shoulder, hands it casually to a nearby member eyeing it eagerly, then says, "Thanks everyone for guarding the home. None of our people are missing, right?"

"None!"

The crowd replies in unison, their voices full of pride.

This Q&A feels a bit like a kindergarten teacher instructing elementary pupils…

She suppresses the untimely association in her mind, clears her throat: "Very well, everyone has worked hard. Tonight the communal mess hall's food won't require contribution points; eat as much as you like. Consider it a victory banquet!"

As soon as Cheng Shuili finishes speaking, the venue erupts into even louder cheers.

"Long live Lao Da!"

"Extra dinner tonight!"

"Victory banquet! Victory banquet!"

"I've been craving Sister Wan Yi's cooking for a long time!"

"Hahaha, awesome!"

Watching the excited crowd, Cheng Shuili's face also shows a hint of a smile.

She raises her hand in a feigned press, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Alright, stop crowding. Do what you need to do. Su Rui, come with me."

After speaking, she takes two steps then suddenly turns back and calls Ailin.

The battle is indeed over, but she still hasn't figured out its cause.

Summoning Su Rui and the other, of course they're going to interrogate the captives of each faction!

The two split up, each questioning a circle before returning to cross‑check information with Cheng Shuili.

The three sit on a table and stool in the warehouse, guarding the supplies; discussing these matters feels especially secure.

"The person with the sharp cat claw says Ling Yun approached their leader, which is why they joined the alliance."

"The person from Chu Tian Kuo says the same."

I asked the remaining few factions, and they all said the same.

I guess Lingyun is the one who led this.

After saying that, Ailin let out a Qing Qing sigh, sounding a bit regretful, "young Qing Qing, really can't see the point. Picking a fight with someone, they end up picking on our Lao Da."

Su Rui, standing nearby, also strongly agreed.

The two then shared their thoughts on the matter, and only then, as if they had just noticed Cheng Shuili, asked, "Lao Da, is there anything else to ask?"

Cheng Shuili: "…"

They really are utterly arrogant.

But…

Cheng Shuili raised her hand to her lips; she felt something was off about this.

Earlier, when the two went to interrogate the prisoners, she also had 001 review Lingyun's statements on the regional channel.

He may be a bit clever and good at stirring people's hearts.

But judging from his past remarks and conduct, he doesn't seem like the kind of person with the resolve to organize an alliance of this scale and willingly be the first to stand out as a target.

Cheng Shuili pondered briefly, then said, "Lingyun doesn't seem like the mastermind. He looks more like a pawn pushed forward."

She was silent for a moment, then asked, "During your interrogation, did anyone mention other factions? Especially those ranked lower than us?"

Su Rui and Ailin exchanged glances and both shook their heads.

Ailin thought for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "Lao Da… there aren't any factions ranked higher than us, right?"

That is indeed true, but what Cheng Shuili meant was the obscure, minor factions.

She didn't answer. After Ailin finished that sentence, she added, "The prisoners' accounts are consistent; they all say Lingyun initiated contact. When asked about cooperation details or anything else, they all claim ignorance."

Su Rui continued, "They probably truly don't know. Chen Tian's a junior executive also told me their alliance appeared suddenly, almost ready last night, and they declared war early this morning."

"That makes it even stranger, doesn't it?" Cheng Shuili mused. "Cooperation never comes together that easily. If they're willing to do this, they must believe it can succeed. Since they think it can succeed, they would naturally discuss in advance how to split the spoils after success."

Cheng Shuili looked up at the two, "They didn't even discuss those?"

Su Rui and Ailin's faces grew solemn at the words.

Su Rui carefully recalled the interrogation, shook her head firmly: "No. I asked about loot distribution, and a prisoner from Chu Tiankuo said Lingyun only promised that nobody would be shortchanged, saying it would be allocated according to contribution and loss, but gave no concrete plan."

Ailin also nodded in agreement: "The few factions I asked gave similar answers; their leaders all seem to trust Lingyun a lot."

At this point, Cheng Shuili could no longer sit still.

She stood up, looked at the two, and said, "Let's go ask the Yunfield prisoners and see what's really going on."

Cheng Shuili led Su Rui and Ailin straight to the Yunfield territory.

These former core members were utterly despondent, some still bearing burns and abrasions from rocket‑launcher explosions.

Their eyes were hollow, clearly not yet recovered from the shock of their leader's sudden death and the instant collapse of their faction.

Cheng Shuili wasted no words, her gaze fixed on a minor leader that Su Rui pointed out, and asked, "What benefits did Lingyun promise other factions? What is the specific allocation plan?"

The minor leader lifted his head, his face a mix of fear and a hint of numbness, already tormented, now answering everything he knew: "…Lao Da Lingyun said, as long as we capture Black Feather, resources… will be allocated according to contribution; he… he won't shortchange anyone…"

"To be honest."

Cheng Shuili cut in coldly, "Who would believe such empty promises? And they didn't even ask how or what to divide. Do you think I'm easy to fool?"

The minor leader's lips twitched, he said nothing, but his eyes instinctively glanced at a nearby prisoner wearing glasses, who looked like a clerical staff.

That subtle movement didn't escape Cheng Shuili's notice.

She immediately turned to the "glasses man", her tone leaving no room for doubt: "Speak."

The glasses man trembled all over, his voice wavering: "I… I don't know…"

"Don't know?" Ailin stepped forward, her finger casually brushing the dagger hanging at her waist, "Is it that you don't know, or you don't want to say? Think of Lingyun's fate—do you think your life is tougher than his?"

The glasses man's face turned ashen, cold sweat pouring down, his mental defenses collapsing completely under the absolute force intimidation and death threat.

"I… I say! Lao Da Lingyun… Lingyun… he also! He is only a participant, not the initiator at all! Because I'm the clerk beside the Lao Da, handling accounts, so some of the Lao Da's transactions…"

"Only this transaction, the Lao Da keeps it shrouded, saying it was… pulled by a big figure!"

He also said there was concrete information: the next regional merger wouldn't be a ten‑thousand‑person sub‑zone anymore, but a one‑million‑person, even an entire large region merged directly! That big figure promised him that once the merger is done, they would pour all their support into our Yunfield!

He stammered through the rest, then couldn't hold back his sobbing, "I really don't know the specifics! The Lao Da didn't say much either; I just know the Lao Da was being used too!"

"Regional merger? Large‑region merger?"

Cheng Shuili keenly caught this key information.

If this news is true, it would be a major shift affecting the entire power structure!

No wonder Lingyun dares such risk; behind it lies such a future plan.

"Who is that big figure?"

Su Rui followed up immediately.

"I… I really don't know!"

The glasses man sobbed, "The Lao Da only said that although the other party is obscure now, once the merger happens, they will become a pivotal figure, far beyond what we can imagine now. It's because they're down now that we have this chance!"

A pivotal figure, now down and out…

And they must wait until after the merger to reveal the nobility of their status.

Cheng Shuili furrowed her brows slightly, then suddenly relaxed; among those criteria, there really is one person.

But the glasses man's words were vague; Cheng Shuili only has speculation, and to judge whether her guess is correct, she still needs to…

"Arrange someone to keep an eye on them."

Cheng Shuili gave Ailin a brief instruction, her tone already calm again, as if the shocking news hadn't stirred her much.

She turned, motioned Su Rui to follow, and the two left the prisoner holding area.

After walking a short distance and ensuring no one was around, Su Rui lowered her voice and asked, "Lao Da, do you think the merger news is true?"

"Eight or nine times out of ten, it's true."

Cheng Shuili interrupted her, "The other side threw out such a long-term and specific bait; it's not baseless. Just looking at the alliance Ling Yun put together, and their remarks on the regional channel, you can tell this person isn't stupid."

Saying this, Cheng Shuili felt a bit emotional, "If we didn't have rocket launchers, such big killers, the public opinion turmoil on the regional channel probably wouldn't be so easily resolved. I estimate even if we win, I'll still have to wear the hat of mistreating my subordinates in the future."

Su Rui, however, disagreed, "Even without rocket launchers, we Black Feather members can still cut them down."

Cheng Shuili shook her head and continued, "Someone like Ling Yun won't be moved to act for himself unless that big figure produces some concrete evidence. So this matter must be true."

Su Rui nodded, deeply agreeing with Cheng Shuili's words, but didn't ask anything further.

This person usually doesn't like to talk, yet today they're willing to ask so much; Cheng Shuili already found it quite surprising.

The two returned to Black Feather's territory; Cheng Shuili waved her hand and told Su Rui to go fetch Xinxue.

To stir things up on the regional channel, we still can't do without Xinxue's navy.