Sushang's face showed a flicker of concern.
This person, though a bit reckless, was still a responsible senior Cloud Knight…
If her appearance caused his undercover mission to fail, Sushang would never forgive herself!
Faced with refusal, Green Hibiscus showed no room for compromise. "No choice. The rules aren't mine to set. If you can't complete the trial—"
"Wait, hold on—! We came here seeking immortality, not death! Suddenly forcing us to duel is just unfair!" protested the Cloud Knight.
"It's not mandatory. You don't have to fight. But if you refuse, none of you will be allowed to leave."
"Alright, alright… Just give me a moment to prepare, okay? I've never done anything like this before…"
"Time's precious. Don't take too long."
Seeing this, Sushang took several deep breaths.
What do I do?!
With the protagonist's strength, they should be able to fight their way out with this Cloud Knight, right?
We're not far from the Divination Commission—it should be fine…
However, this Cloud Knight's plan was a bit smarter than Sushang's.
"Here's an idea. A way for you to join the Sanctus Medicus while letting me escape unscathed…"
"You duel me. I'll lose, pretend you killed me. Then, under the guise of disposing of my body, you take me away from the scene."
"That way, both our goals are achieved."
"Listen… I've seen your skills. Just—please don't actually kill me…"
[I'll be careful.]
[No guarantees…]
Sushang hesitated.
Then chose the second option.
Thud!
With nearby Sanctus Medicus members watching, controlling her strength was no easy task!
"No, no—go easy on me! Ugh, fine… This mess is my own fault. Life or death, it's fate—just try not to kill me!"
[Battle Start]
Sushang muttered, "Cloud Knight, you did help me copy those texts…"
When it was Dan Heng's turn in the party, though his ultimate was ready, Sushang hesitated to use it.
Instead, she opted for a skill attack.
"I seek no conflict…"
A flurry of strikes later—
Sushang froze.
She never expected this Cloud Knight to be so fragile! And with a Wind weakness, no less.
With the weakness break effect, the damage was lethal—his HP bar emptied instantly.
"NOOO! Did I actually kill him?!"
[Battle End]
Green Hibiscus approached, impressed. "Such skill. A lively Cloud Knight, taken down in one strike."
"Good riddance. Showing up in uniform, babbling about joining us—if he'd won, I'd have doubted his loyalty."
[I'll handle the cleanup.]
"You? Do you even know how?"
[I have a… collection hobby.]
Sushang recalled a man carrying a coffin. Maybe this was his interest.
Green Hibiscus blinked. "A… collection? Well, fine."
"Good. Our group's been preaching here for days. The hounds might've caught wind. You handling it is safer."
"Regardless… welcome as an Elixir Seeker. Your codename: Gray Peony."
"For now, we'll disperse. Regroup elsewhere later."
Sushang, feigning grief, carried the "corpse" to safety.
Suddenly—
The Cloud Knight sprang up, gasping.
"Hah… hahh… How's my acting?"
"Those people are insane. Be careful dealing with them."
"I'll report back to the Divination Commission. That was way too close…"
Sushang exhaled in relief, patting her chest.
"Thank goodness! He's alive!"
Meanwhile…
At the scripture-copying hideout, the Sanctus Medicus members—including overseer—held a secret meeting.
Green Hibiscus bowed before a man. "Lord Violet Rose…"
"Not just locals—even outsiders are hooked on that Star Rail game!"
"After all that effort, this is all we recruited?"
She gestured behind her—two dazed outsiders and one Cloud Knight.
Violet Rose sighed. "The situation's tense. The leader's gone silent."
"Once the Cloud Knights lose our scent, they'll back off."
Green Hibiscus nodded. "If you say so."
She turned to the recruits.
"These are dire times. We'll skip the usual tests."
"Since you seek immortality… take this."
She handed each a pill.
The outsiders swallowed eagerly—
But the Cloud Knight hesitated.
"Huh? Having second thoughts? Are you a spy?!"
Green Hibiscus signaled her men. Blades neared the knight.
"W-Wait! Just… gimme a sec—"
He knew—taking this meant disaster.
But refusal meant death.
Forced, he swallowed.
Green Hibiscus smiled. "Good. From now on, you're one of us."
Then—
BANG!
The door burst open.
A dozen Cloud Knight squads stormed in, surrounding everyone!
Green Hibiscus and Violet Rose paled.
How?!
The two outsiders collapsed, screaming—flesh twisting into root-like growths.
The Cloud Knight spat out the pill, hands raised in surrender.
Among the knights, two in civilian clothes stood:
One recording the raid on a jade device.
The other livestreaming Star Rail.
The squad leader approached the undercover knight, saluting.
"You've endured much."
"This pill will be key evidence—"
The knight removed his helmet—revealing a young, sweat-drenched face.
Tears streamed down.
"You came just in time! I was this close to turning!"
The leader patted his back.
"Thank Lady Fu Xuan and Star Rail's developers."
"Without them, we couldn't have moved this fast."
The knight sobbed.
"I'm buying ten 648 packs when I get back!"
To be continued…
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