『 [ Why didn't you send your subordinates? What kind of trick are you trying to play? ]
Jiaoqiu couldn't help but question Hoolay.
[ This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't you want to escape, Jiaoqiu? ]
[ You will come back. ]
[ Because you Foxians always return obediently to your masters' side… no matter how far you run. ]
Hoolay gave Jiaoqiu a meaningful smile, then ignored him. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "What on earth is this Hoolay planning?"
March 7th: "Why is it so hard to understand?"
Yanqing: "Calling himself the master… Hoolay's tone is truly disgusting."
Paimon: "Is it possible that Hoolay is just playing with Mr. Jiaoqiu?"
Paimon: "As soon as Mr. Jiaoqiu actually dares to step out of this courtyard, Hoolay will suddenly open his giant mouth from behind and eat him up?!"
Hu Tao: "Uh… doesn't look like it."
Hu Tao: "He seems to genuinely want Mr. Jiaoqiu to go out and take a look around."
Jiaoqiu: "It doesn't matter. No matter what he has in mind, I will face it as it comes."
Jiaoqiu: "He has his calculations, and I have my schemes."
Jiaoqiu: "We'll just have to see who is more skilled!"
....
『 Seeing that Hoolay really didn't intend to pay him any attention, Jiaoqiu pondered for a moment and decided to take action and try things out.
He looked around. Instead of immediately walking out of the courtyard, he first approached the two nearby Foxian fugitives to test the waters.
[ Water… I want a sip of water. ]
[ I must have been possessed by a ghost for a moment… If I knew I was going to die here, I would have rather stayed in the Shackling Prison… A bad life is better than a good death. ]
One of the fugitives was injured and looked quite weak at the moment.
[ Do you know where we are right now? ]
Jiaoqiu lowered his voice and asked the fugitive.
[ I don't know. Just like you, my head was covered when I was brought here. ]
The fugitive shook his head, indicating he was clueless.
[ Even though Hoolay and his group can hide in the bustling market for now, it's only a matter of time before they are discovered. ]
[ He dares to let me leave. What on earth is he planning? ]
Failing to get the information he wanted, Jiaoqiu fell into deep thought again. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Are there other hostages here besides Jiaoqiu?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Based on what was just said, those two are fugitives who escaped from the Shackling Prison during the chaos!"
Furina de Fontaine: "It's just that these two fugitives happened to be captured by Hoolay?"
Hu Tao: "Why capture these two?"
Hu Tao: "Could they be food?"
Lumine: "They got what they deserved, right?"
Lumine: "Escaping prison comes with a price."
Lumine: "Though, being eaten alive by Borisin is a way of dying that even I find hard to accept."
Aventurine: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, two unlucky bastards."
Aventurine: "They thought they could regain their freedom by escaping from the Shackling Prison."
Aventurine: "Who would have thought that instead of freedom, they ended up falling right into the wolves' mouths?"
Paimon: "Just like that guy said, if they knew it would turn out like this, they really would have been better off staying in prison!"
Paimon: "Staying in prison is a bit rough, but it's still better than being eaten!"
....
『 Jiaoqiu couldn't figure it out, so he looked at Mok Tok by the door, wanting to test the waters.
[ Though I don't understand Lord Hoolay's intention. ]
[ Don't think you can escape, understand? ]
Seeing Jiaoqiu approach, Mok Tok only left him with one sentence before ignoring him.
Seeing this, Jiaoqiu steeled his heart and walked out the door.
Then, he saw a Foxian sentry standing at the entrance.
[ What are you wandering around in front of me for? ]
This Foxian looked a bit displeased when he saw Jiaoqiu staring at him.
[ You are a Borisin. ]
Jiaoqiu saw through the Foxian disguise.
[ Indeed. ]
The Foxian nodded and admitted it.
[ You look too much like a Foxian… ]
[ This is how you managed to sneak into the Xianzhou. ]
[ If I weren't familiar enough with the scent of the Borisin… I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. ]
This Foxian was so hard to distinguish from the real thing, which left Jiaoqiu highly suspicious.
[ Never seen such a miraculous elixir, have you? ]
Jiaoqiu's surprised expression made the disguised Foxian feel quite pleased.
[ Changing form by taking medicine? I heard that during the Ambrosial Arbor crisis, a rebellion broke out within the Alchemy Commission… ]
[ It seems these infiltrators have inside help on the Luofu. ]
Listening to the words of the disguised Foxian, Jiaoqiu fell into deep thought.
[ The Lord told you to go check out the port. You lowly beast, what are you still lingering here for? ]
Seeing Jiaoqiu standing there in a daze, the disguised Foxian immediately shouted at him.
Seeing this, Jiaoqiu had no choice but to distance himself.
[ He actually let me move around freely… What kind of trick is he playing? ]
[ Maybe I can try to secretly send a warning to the outside… ]
[ No, maybe I have a chance to just leave this place directly… ]
After walking some distance, Jiaoqiu realized that indeed no one was following him, and the thought of escaping crossed his mind.
But just then, a sharp gaze swept over from not far away, causing Jiaoqiu to dismiss the idea.
[ I knew it… This guy is testing me. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Xingqiu: "No wonder they dared to let Mr. Jiaoqiu go out."
Xingqiu: "It turns out many eyes are watching secretly in the shadows outside!"
Paimon: "You can't tell at all, not at all!"
Paimon: "These Borisin disguises are way too realistic!"
Yanqing: "Once these Borisin suddenly attack the people next to them, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
March 7th: "We must find a way to destroy or counter this kind of elixir. Otherwise, if the Borisin can just disguise themselves as Foxians whenever they want, that would be terrible!"
Lingsha: "Yes, well said. I will keep this matter in mind."
Furina de Fontaine: "So is Mr. Jiaoqiu going to escape now, or not?"
Li Sushang: "I think Mr. Jiaoqiu should find the patrolling Cloud Knights and ask for help!"
Lumine: "I don't think that's wise, because we don't know how many disguised Borisin are lurking around Mr. Jiaoqiu right now."
Lumine: "If Mr. Jiaoqiu does that, the Cloud Knights he asks for help will definitely be harmed."
Hu Tao: "But if he doesn't ask for help, Mr. Jiaoqiu won't be able to escape from Hoolay's side."
Hu Tao: "Sigh, even though Mr. Jiaoqiu can move freely, escaping is actually harder."
Hu Tao: "Hoolay probably realized this a long time ago, right?"
Hu Tao: "That's why he let Mr. Jiaoqiu go out so confidently. How despicable!"
....
『 [ The Cloud Knights should have noticed the situation in the Shackling Prison by now. ]
[ Will Feixiao personally lead the team to capture Hoolay? ]
[ For now, I'll just do as this guy says. ]
Jiaoqiu couldn't figure out what Hoolay was planning, so he could only take it one step at a time.
He began to head toward the port.
While passing the starskiff lane on the way, he stopped, planning to gather some information.
[ Excuse me, are you looking to ride a starskiff? ]
Seeing Jiaoqiu approach, a starskiff driver stepped forward and asked warmly.
At the same time, not far from the driver, a Foxian's gaze locked onto Jiaoqiu.
This made Jiaoqiu's heart shudder, realizing that this was a Borisin monitoring his movements.
[ Yes, but I'm not alone… ]
[ How many guests can you accommodate? ]
After deliberating for a moment, Jiaoqiu answered the driver.
[ Oh, my small starskiff can't hold that many people… ]
[ But I have a larger starskiff. If you need it, it can reach the port in less than fifteen minutes. Where do you plan to go? ]
[ Wherever you're going, you need to hurry. ]
[ The Wardance is about to begin. ]
[ The Sky-Faring Commission is managing the airspace, giving priority to starskiffs heading to the Skysplitter. ]
The driver smiled and urged him.
[ Is it convenient to go outside the Jade Gate? ]
Jiaoqiu glanced at the person monitoring him and asked the driver again.
[ Ah? Are you joking? How could this tiny starskiff fly out of the Jade Gate? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Damn, why are Hoolay's people everywhere?"
Stelle: "They have completely blended into all sorts of places!"
Mualani: "I have absolutely no doubt that if Mr. Jiaoqiu asked this driver for help, this person would lose their life."
Jiaoqiu: "Of course I wouldn't do that."
Jiaoqiu: "This is clearly a trap Hoolay set for me."
Jiaoqiu: "He wants to use this to warn me."
Jiaoqiu: "He wants to tell me that if I don't behave, innocent people will die miserable deaths."
Jiaoqiu: "Heh, beastly behavior."
March 7th: "So despicable!"
March 7th: "It makes my teeth itch with anger!"
Furina de Fontaine: "When will General Feixiao find Hoolay's trail?"
Furina de Fontaine: "I really want to see Hoolay get hunted down."
Paimon: "That probably has to wait… until little Yanqing eats his fill?"
Yanqing: "Uh…"
Yanqing: "I really didn't want to eat this meal…"
....
『 Jiaoqiu didn't continue talking to the driver but kept walking toward the port.
On the way, he met people from the Commission of Divine Foresight and wanted to ask for help, but he also noticed someone monitoring him nearby, so he had to dismiss the idea.
Later, he met patrolling Cloud Knights, but there were still people watching.
In the end, he could only obediently arrive at the port.
[ Don't ask, we're not leaving, find someone else. ]
As soon as he arrived at the port, before Jiaoqiu could even speak, the ferryman here rejected him with an impatient look.
[ What if the Warhead says we are leaving? ]
Jiaoqiu had already seen through it; this person was also a disguised Borisin.
[ ….. ]
[ You are not one of us, but you have a familiar scent on you. ]
Hearing Jiaoqiu mention the Warhead, the ferryman began to look at Jiaoqiu with suspicion.
[ The Warhead sent me to check on the situation. ]
[ The Warhead asks if we can leave now? ]
Jiaoqiu inquired.
[ Not yet. There's no way for this tiny ship to escape from the Xianzhou. Only the starships at Stargazer Navalia can break through the Jade Gate. Mok Tok said there would be insiders to pick us up, but I haven't heard anything yet. ]
The ferryman shook his head, looking anxious. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Yunli: "It would be a miracle if you got a reply!"
Yunli: "Those insiders at Stargazer Navalia have already become research specimens by now!"
March 7th: "Fortunately, the three of us accidentally uncovered their conspiracy. Otherwise, now that the ship is in place, Hoolay would have already escaped by boat, right?"
Qingque: "Without a ship, they can only be trapped here obediently."
Qingque: "The question is, how can we capture Hoolay without any civilian casualties?"
Stelle: "Unless we can lure Hoolay to an uninhabited place."
Stelle: "But that is obviously very unrealistic."
Stelle: "Hoolay won't be foolish enough to fall for it."
Furina de Fontaine: "If only the former Luofu Sword Champion Jingliu appeared again."
Furina de Fontaine: "In that case, I think Hoolay would be drawn out."
Dan Heng: "But Jingliu is not on the Luofu right now. Even if she were, given her state, letting her fight Hoolay might not be a good strategy."
Stelle: "Indeed…"
Stelle: "We wouldn't want Hoolay to escape while Jingliu goes mad, enters Mara-struck status, and starts a mindless slaughter. That would be a joke."
....
『 [ The port is not locked down… what on earth is going on?It seems delaying time is pointless. It's time to face Hoolay.Let me see what kind of trick he's playing… ]
Seeing that the port was still completely open, Jiaoqiu was thoroughly puzzled, but now was not the time to think about this.
Jiaoqiu thought about it and decided to go back to find Hoolay first to see what he was up to.
[ You're back, Jiaoqiu. ]
A moment later, Jiaoqiu returned to the courtyard, and Hoolay walked up.
[ You have been monitoring me. If I asked anyone for help, your people would kill them… ]
[ Am I right, Hoolay? ]
Jiaoqiu looked at Hoolay and said with a cold smile.
[ You are correct. ]
[ So, did you wait for the Cloud Knights to lock down the port? ]
Hoolay asked back.
[ …No. ]
Jiaoqiu remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.
[ It seems they don't want to make my escape public. ]
[ This is not surprising. Fear is more fatal than claws… ]
[ Especially during a festive time like the Wardance. ]
[ Right now, what is here is not a group of hiding prisoners, but wolves that have walked into a flock of sheep. ]
[ My wolf pups are starving. They long to drink blood and eat flesh, using your fear as a side dish. ]
[ Jiaoqiu, your facade of forced calmness looks incredibly fragile to me, just like how I can tear open your flesh to reveal the pathetic bones underneath at any moment. In front of me, you have nowhere to run. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Boothill: "Son of a nice lady, why does this thing talk so much crap?"
Boothill: "He's just a stray dog; what is he barking about here?"
Boothill: "Hey, it's a good thing I'm not in front of him; otherwise I'd definitely show him what's what!"
Stelle: "Buddy, you need to think before you boast."
Stelle: "Although your body is indeed tough, Hoolay's teeth are so sharp, I think biting through your steel plate would be more than enough."
Boothill: "Tsk, then I'd at least knock out one of his teeth!"
Boothill: "To suppress his arrogance!"
Hu Tao: "I have to say, listening to Hoolay talk is indeed infuriating."
Hu Tao: "He is clearly running away like a dog, yet he puts on the high-and-mighty look of a hunter here."
Silver Wolf: "The tables have turned, indeed."
Silver Wolf: "He probably hasn't woken up from his prison nap yet."
Lumine: "He's just bullying the captured Mr. Jiaoqiu."
Lumine: "If Hoolay were really as brave as he says, wouldn't he have fought his way out long ago?"
Lumine: "Would he still need to disguise himself as a Foxian, whom he despises, and hide so cautiously?"
Jiaoqiu: "The so-called proud Borisin Warhead is now resorting to using his mouth to attack others."
Jiaoqiu: "This actually makes me breathe a sigh of relief."
Jiaoqiu: "This shows that even he himself believes he has reached a dead end."
....
『 [ Of course, you can still harbor illusions, thinking you can escape the current situation with your quick wit. ]
[ But remember, in the middle of a bustling market, you are not our only hostage. ]
[ Any unusual move from you will cause innocent people to die because of you. ] 』
『 ....』