"The Luofu's general, you sure took your sweet time getting here. I've been waiting for ages."
Despite having been chopped to pieces and reduced to nothing but a flickering flame, Huanlong still maintained a trace of... pride before outsiders, trying to talk her way out of her terrible predicament, caught between a wolf and a tiger.
"Huanlong." Jing Yuan raised a hand to stop the people behind him, frowning at the "flame" across from him. "Who are they?"
"They..." Huanlong pondered for a moment before saying, "They're naturally the helpers I found! They came specifically to deal with you!"
"Oh my! There's such a thing? Huanlong, Huanlong, turn around and explain this to me properly. Since when did my lovely girls become your accomplices~?!"
Suddenly, a soft female voice, seemingly laced with an eerie echo, reverberated from every direction. But if one thought carefully, one would realize that the voice did not exist in reality—it was acting directly upon one's consciousness.
"It seems you aren't allies." Jing Yuan shot Huanlong a meaningful sidelong glance, then stepped forward to shield everyone behind him. "I am Jing Yuan, General of the Cloud Cavalry of the Xianzhou Luofu. Might you show yourself and speak with us?"
"Oh dear, General Jing Yuan truly forgets things easily. We had a meal together only moments ago, yet now you're acting as though we've never met. That truly breaks my heart~?!"
"It's you." Jing Yuan's expression remained calm as he slowly said, "Since you are an old acquaintance, please accompany me outside the Scalegorge Waterscape. I will naturally receive you with due courtesy."
"The general has a fine plan, but unfortunately, I have always believed that one reaps what one sows. Since I helped you deal with the trouble Huanlong brought, it is only natural that I