For some reason, the previous second, the Medicine King's Secret Teachings traitors were still strutting arrogantly, utterly invincible.
The next second, they were all clutching their heads and wailing, even rolling vigorously on the ground.
Even those Abundance spirit beasts were no exception.
Without needing Fu Xuan's order, in just a dozen or so breaths, the Cloud Knights completely controlled the situation.
Two minutes later—
Looking at the captives who had lost the ability to resist, everyone looked at each other, and finally all turned to Fu Xuan.
"Master Diviner, several leader-like figures escaped. Currently, the seventh and tenth squads are in good condition and are pursuing them."
The expression on Fu Xuan's small face was similar to many Cloud Knights, carrying a trace of unreality.
Hearing the scout's battle report, she nodded slightly.
"Maintain contact, do not pursue deeply. Those thieves dare not leave the Alchemy Commission's grotto-heaven; they will be caught sooner or later."
"Yes!"
"What about the battle losses?"
"Reporting to Master Diviner, the count is not yet complete. Estimated 370 fallen, with data fluctuation not exceeding 40."
"Understood."
This battle loss result, she could still endure.
Compared to the campaign when they first arrived at the Alchemy Commission, this number was nearly ten times smaller.
But being able to endure did not mean she could accept it.
If not for the constraints, she really wanted to return to the Divination Commission and properly divine about the current state of the Alchemy Commission.
With the existing intelligence, to find the reason why the Cloud Knights fell into Mara-struck, and to find a countermeasure, relying only on those left guarding the commission, who knew how long it would take.
Time waits for no one.
Shaking off the thoughts in her mind, Fu Xuan turned to ponder the recent anomaly.
She scanned the mid-air, sniffing the scent again.
"It's gone…"
"Where exactly did that fragrance come from earlier? Just relying on the fragrance, it could suppress the internal agitation of people's spirits."
Fu Xuan pressed the back of her finger against her chin, falling into thought.
Seeing the plot here, if previously just the wind alone couldn't confirm it.
Then hearing the word "fragrance" from Fu Xuan's mouth, players were 100%... well, conservatively—
Eighty percent probability could confirm that it was Leon secretly helping.
"Remember the 1.1 plot? Before Jingliu left after guiding Yanqing, Leon gave her an incense burner."
"Jingliu thanked him for his pulse diagnosis; the meaning was obvious."
"She has Mara-struck body, what Leon gave her, do we still need to guess?"
"Most likely to heal Mara-struck... no, it should be to alleviate Mara-struck symptoms."
"Leon said he couldn't cure Jingliu's longevity disease; after all, he's just a doctor, not Yaoshi himself."
"Now Fu Xuan mentions fragrance, plus the fragrance appeared with a gust of wind; the answer is already obvious."
"One alone might be coincidence, but two factors maxed out make it unlikely."
Ah Xian analyzed thus, and most players in the live stream agreed.
In the next scene of the plot, the agreeing players became all.
A hairpin broke through the air, precisely stabbing toward Fu Xuan whose face changed drastically.
Fu Xuan wanted to dodge but found it was too late; in urgency, she instinctively raised her hand and closed her eyes.
She felt a brief tugging sensation on her scalp.
As if someone was pulling her hair.
From the player's perspective, the screen that darkened as Fu Xuan closed her eyes brightened again.
Only to see the hairpin precisely inserted into the tips of Fu Xuan's hair, with the tail of the hairpin carrying a pierced folded paper.
Fu Xuan touched her head, removed the hairpin, took out the folded paper, and unfolded it.
"Awakening bell rouses dreams within dreams, mist and clouds gather and scatter bodies beyond bodies."
"Secret medicine sinks into the furnace, igniting the root of calamity; clouds and haze in the purple mansion turn into evil fleeing."
"Mist locks ten thousand souls in Mara dance; only when the cauldron is silent does the plague smoke cease."
After reading, Fu Xuan's gaze turned toward the direction the hairpin flew from, thoughtful.
"So that's how it is…"
"Indeed, someone is helping us; it must be the extraordinary soldier the General mentioned arranging in the Alchemy Commission."
"Rarely, the General finally did something reliable."
Seeing this, everyone understood it was Leon who acted.
"Husband is awesome~~!"
"Here, this is the benefit of being undercover; he figured out the enemy's conspiracy early."
"You all can understand the intelligence poem, right?"
[I have elementary school education, don't understand.]
[I junior high also don't understand.]
[High school... how about Ah Xian explain?]
"Don't play dumb, elementary I understand not knowing, junior high maybe, high school not knowing, how bad must your language scores be?"
"Rough meaning is the Cloud Knights fell into Mara-struck because the Medicine King's Secret Teachings put the drug that induces Mara into the furnace making the smoke."
"As long as the furnace is destroyed, the smoke can be stopped."
[Since Leon knows the cause, why not destroy it himself?]
"Are you an idiot?"
"Acting would expose him; besides, such an important device, the Medicine King's Secret Teachings would definitely guard it heavily."
"Wanting to destroy it silently, the difficulty isn't just flipping a palm."
"What if even the Medicine King's Secret Teachings leader is there, how to destroy?"
"He secretly informs Fu Xuan of all this, definitely to coordinate, like feint east strike west, lure away the guards."
"But I think there's another reason."
[Details.]
"That is, the task to destroy the cauldron furnace will most likely fall on us players."
"Why? Because we are outsiders, not affected by Mara!"
"What do I do? Draw doujinshi."
"Doujinshi may not need plot, but you have to admit plot is part of excellent doujin works."
"From the perspective of game plot creator, that is, the scriptwriter, you definitely need to find something for the protagonist to do, right?"
"Right now, crushing the Medicine King's Secret Teachings conspiracy against the Cloud Knights is a perfect entry point."
"First, it helps; second, possibly rendezvous with Leon."
"Besides, Dan Heng also came to the Alchemy Commission with Luocha and Sushang; maybe related plot in between."
"Luocha's appearance attacks people, big medicine package."
"My guess is flawless, right?"
[Unfamiliar.]
[Indeed flawless, but Ah Xian, you indeed make everyone feel unfamiliar.]
[Seems in the future, not drawing doujin, becoming a secondary game plot Reaction streamer also has prospects.]
"Ah~~ ah~~ I can't wait to reunite with Leon husband, very urgent!"
"You know, Leon's photography skills are very good…"
[? What, what does photography have to do with it?]
"Alchemy Commission has strong wind, photography inconvenient; after finding him, pull him into the room with me, then he can freely photograph me…"
[When I realized what I heard, it was too late.]
[Heaven-defying!]
[Brothers, how does she have no creation bottleneck, generating electricity without repeats.]
Live stream friends had complex expressions, some following to generate electricity.
[Here? Photograph yours.]
[CCB bros starting to exert.]
Next second, Ah Xian suddenly made the sound of a boiling kettle.
The screen shifted to Leon's perspective.
However—
When clearly seeing what Leon was doing, many players couldn't help twitching their eye corners.
Worthy of being a fun person, at this time still so... relaxed.