"Fu Xuan didn't understand why she was asked to lead troops, and she said the Alchemy Commission's grotto-heaven is in an unlocatable state."
"Jing Yuan's answer was: with the help of an extraordinary soldier, the coordinates have already been found."
"So, the coordinates were secretly provided by Leon, this extraordinary soldier!"
"In the previous version I was wondering if there was still an expert—could it be Dan Heng? I didn't expect the expert to be our Express's old father."
"It really was guessed by the stream friends: the expert isn't Dan Heng, it's Leon."
"I was preconceived, thinking Leon stayed on the Express to recuperate, so the Xianzhou plot had nothing to do with him."
"But I overlooked one thing—"
"Leon is a heavy male! He cares deeply about his companions' safety, though it's still unclear why he's so heavy…"
"He guessed early on that, with the Luofu's scale, only an Emanator would pose a threat."
"Having just fought a certain Destruction Emanator and been seriously injured, how could he not know the scale of the crisis lurking on the Luofu?"
"This explains that from the very beginning, he would get off the Express and head to the Luofu."
"Why not go together? The reason is obvious."
"First, definitely didn't want everyone to worry. Second, acting alone like now makes it convenient to enter another plot line."
"The effect is clear to everyone—not mentioning before or after, just now—"
"Providing Jing Yuan with the Alchemy Commission coordinates, allowing Fu Xuan to lead troops in attack and reclaim this out-of-control grotto-heaven."
"At the same time clearing his own suspicion, fully pinning the blame on Cheng Zhizi."
"Why does Dan Shu trust him? Because he's not a local and has taken Dragon Coiling Leap… oh wait!"
"Oh right, right, no no… right, right!"
[???]
[What riddle are you playing?]
"Emmm…"
Old Toby scratched his head, not entirely sure:
"Mainly, I'm not sure if Leon really took Dragon Coiling Leap."
"The mara-struck state is definitely fake, no question about that. Whether fooling Dan Shu requires taking the drug is unknown."
"Anyway, the result is: because in-books of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus he has fallen mara-struck, he's less likely to be suspected."
[Don't understand, ask: why is falling mara-struck trustworthy?]
Old Toby wasn't surprised by such questions.
There are millions of players; not everyone watches the plot seriously, let alone digs into in-game texts.
Many settings and world lore are hidden in these texts.
If you don't actively look, you might never know certain settings until you quit.
That bullet comment was probably like that.
He patiently explained.
"The Xianzhou Alliance prohibits seeking immortality; everyone knows this to some extent."
"However, most people probably don't know that falling mara-struck attracts Ten-Lords Commission judges, almost equivalent to announcing death."
"Normally, fully falling mara-struck means incurable. Does that make sense?"
"Fall mara-struck, Ten-Lords Commission judges take you to extinction—roughly meaning into the coffin."
"Remember Xueyi? Her job duties involve this."
"Therefore, absolutely no normal person would voluntarily fall mara-struck."
"And this also means inducing mara-struck in others is no different from murder—an absolute taboo, capital crime."
"So, hunting dogs infiltrating the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—that is, inner ghosts—mara-struck must be fake."
"As long as Leon makes Dan Shu believe his mara-struck is real, he can completely clear suspicion."
"Why cruelly chop Cheng Zhizi into a dozen pieces? To leave no witness, smoothly pin the blame on a dead man."
"Dead men are more useful than live ones; the gold content of 'let the bullets fly' keeps rising."
"Assist the Cloud Knights, kill inner ghosts, and incidentally gain the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' trust."
"Three gains in one move."
"If in the next version, Leon's undercover work brings more benefits and convenience, who knows how many gains in one move."
"And the cost?"
"Apart from the destroyed Matrix of Prescience Ultima, there seems to be none. If Leon took Dragon Coiling Leap, that's one cost too."
"But I think even if he did, it wouldn't affect him."
"That line might not be a joke."
"The one said to Green Furong: he dares to taste poison personally, let alone Dragon Coiling Leap."
"What amazes me most is that while achieving all this, Leon can still find fun…"
"Not only playing the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus guys in circles, but also several locals."
"Right, the two little Divination Commission sisters, one pink one cyan?"
"Proper performance for an intellectual character—not relying on others' words to boast, but proving with actions."
"Leon's performance also sets off Jing Yuan's well-deserved 'Divine Foresight.'"
"As the saying goes, those in the game are confused, bystanders see clearly."
"Jing Yuan, as the one in the game with the most concerns and most easily influenced by various factors."
"Yet can follow Leon's train of thought in a few words, understand what he wants to do, and know—how to cooperate correctly with this extraordinary soldier."
"The coordination between Leon and Jing Yuan so far isn't invincible, but flawless."
"Telling a good story doesn't need to be grand or riddler; just handle the setup-fitting beginning, development, turn, and conclusion well."
"Even if the story itself is clichéd, the experience won't be bad."
"Clichéd means high mass acceptance, no big comprehension barrier."
"Especially for two-dimensional games, avoiding mysticism and telling a simple, understandable, exciting story is enough."
"With the 1.1 version main story segment, Leon's character is more distinct, Jing Yuan's character is fully established."
"Isn't this telling a good story?"
"Next is the turn or conclusion of this story."
"Really looking forward to the follow-up plot, what task Dan Shu will assign Leon."
Leon caught the pill bottle: "Please give your orders, Leader…"
As soon as he finished, the screen went black.
[At this time, on the other side…]
"???"
"I'm really done with miHoYo, selling suspense at this point! Eh? Kafka and Blade?"
High-popularity characters appeared, energizing many players.
"The two seem to be by the sea."
Kafka flicked her hair.
"This place is nice. Let's wait here for our script, Blade."
"…"
Blade held his shattered sword, silent with eyes closed, resting.
Kafka was used to his demeanor and didn't mind.
She looked into the distance.
"It won't be long before all the actors in the script arrive."
"Now, just wait…"