blogombal Chapter 872 Heading to the Desert (2)
Chapter 872 Heading to the Desert (2)
Ying and her companions cautiously approached the imposing gates of the Order of the Church. However, what they saw before them left them speechless—
Dozens, even hundreds, of residents of Sumeru City gathered here and stood neatly at the bottom of the steps.
Their faces beamed with radiant smiles, their eyes brimming with almost fanatical joy. Applause rose and fell like waves, and cheers echoed between the towering stone pillars, as if welcoming the return of a triumphant king.
The smiles were too uniform, the enthusiasm too deliberate.
Like a meticulously rehearsed drama, every expression seemed to have been sculpted by an invisible hand, exuding an indescribable eeriness.
Whether it was Ying and her two companions standing in front, or Naxida who remained hidden in the shadows, silently observing everything, a chill ran through them.
This is what you call "the streets are deserted."
[A photo taken at the main character's fan club event.]
[The entire army is lined up in formation, the ceremony is absolutely spectacular!]
Judging from the details in the PV, this spectacle is probably inseparable from the 'Doctor'... His perverse sense of humor is becoming increasingly difficult to judge.
To be honest, this scene sends chills down my spine.
Paimon shrank back, his voice trembling slightly: "At this time... why is everyone gathered here? And... why are they all smiling like puppets?"
The crowd continued clapping, shouting, and repeating the same celebratory gestures, but no one stepped forward to greet them, and no one showed any genuine desire to communicate.
They are like puppets with pre-programmed routines, existing only for this moment's "performance".
Amidst this deathly silence and clamor, a figure slowly strolled out from the center of the crowd.
He was a blue-haired young man, wearing a dark cloak over a pure white scholar's robe, with a dark inner garment faintly visible beneath the cloak. He had a cold and aloof demeanor.
His face was half-hidden behind a metal mask, with only a faint smile appearing on his lips.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his steps unhurried, slowly descending the long stone steps in front of the church, each step seemingly treading on the string of fate.
As he approached, Ying's pupils suddenly contracted, and her breath caught in her throat.
Paimon's eyes widened in astonishment, his fingertips trembling as he pointed at the man: "You...you are...an executor of the Fatui?!"
At the same time, Nasita's deep and solemn voice swept past everyone's ears like the wind, carrying the unique pressure and vigilance of a deity:
“Those were… exiles from the Church.”
In an instant, all the clues converged like sparks, forming a powerful connection in Ying's mind.
The "return of the exile" that Setale mentioned yesterday was actually referring to this person—the "Doctor" who was once expelled from the Temple of Wisdom but has now returned to his homeland as an executor of the Fools.
He was once the sharpest blade of thought in the Order of the Church, but now he is the mastermind behind the manipulation of the entire Sumeru Order.
He returned as a former scholar, secretly colluding with the royalists in the Church who had long been dissatisfied with Nasita's rule. Using their help, he orchestrated the "Cycle of the Flower Goddess's Birthday," a recurring festival that engulfed the entire city.
All the mysteries are revealed at this moment: the seemingly celebratory cycle is actually a mockery of divine authority; the carnival in which everyone participates is actually a cage of mental manipulation.
And the one who started all of this is the man with the cold smile in front of us.
The doctor seemed oblivious to the turmoil within Ying's heart. He stopped, his tone calm, as if he were merely catching up with an old friend:
"Like a triumphant hero, is this welcoming ceremony... grand enough?"
Upon hearing Paimon's question, he chuckled and added:
"That's right, people usually call me—'Doctor'."
The sense of oppression was overwhelming.
As expected of the second seat of the Fools, just his mere presence freezes the air.
[Doctor, you're really diligent; you're always there whenever there's a problem.]
From Liyue to Inazuma, and from Inazuma to Sumeru... Whenever the Fatui make a move, the Doctor is sure to be there.
[I just want to ask, are the other executives of the Fools on vacation? Oh, and the rich are still in labor camp, I remember now.]
Compared to the slice that appeared on Inazuma, this doctor's 'thickness' is indeed a bit... solid.
[Got it, Inazuma's is the youth version, this is the mature version, slightly overweight.]
The doctor's tone was familiar and light, as if he were exchanging pleasantries with an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time. His gaze swept over Ying and her group as he spoke leisurely:
"Long time no see... no, wait."
He paused slightly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "The one I met with you all last time in Inazuma was another 'slice' of me. So strictly speaking—"
"This is our first meeting."
However, Ying responded to this seemingly gentle greeting without hesitation.
The crimson sword, Shadow Crimson Sky, was instantly drawn, its blade slicing through the air with a sharp, resounding clang.
She shouted sharply, "Iya! Prepare for battle!"
There was really no need for further words—Iya and she had already reached a mutual understanding.
Before she finished speaking, her longsword was already drawn, her scarlet eyes were fixed on the doctor's figure, and her aura was as taut as a bowstring, with a murderous aura permeating the surroundings.
The doctor looked at the scene with a feigned troubled expression and sighed, "They're really not very friendly... I prepared such a grand welcome ceremony for you."
He shrugged, his tone slightly mocking: "Is it because you haven't seen that female researcher? She's in solitary confinement right now, reflecting on her actions. If you want to see her, I don't mind leading the way myself."
As he spoke, he shook his head slightly, his tone shifting to a scholarly, stern judgment: "He was completely unaware that a listening device had been installed on him... This is not the rigorous style a qualified scholar should have."
Ying was not surprised at all by this.
From the moment they saw the doctor appear, they already knew that Setare's operation had ultimately failed.
What was truly unexpected was how easily the other party was able to implant listening devices into her body.
It seems that Nasita wasn't the only one who sensed Setare's wavering stance. The tentacles of the royalists had already quietly reached into her inner circle…
[Review: A freebie.]
I knew the plan wouldn't go this smoothly.
[Completely inhuman.]
Klee: The solitary confinement cell is full!
Who checks themselves every day to see if they've been bugged? To say someone isn't thorough enough just because they didn't find one is utterly absurd logic...
Iya's gaze swept coldly over the crowd around the doctor who were still cheering and clapping—their faces were filled with fanatical and fake smiles, their eyes were empty, like puppets being controlled by invisible threads.
He asked in a deep voice, "You manipulated these people?"
The doctor remained calm, as if recounting some ordinary experimental data: "It's just a matter of slightly modifying the Void Terminal so that it can project information directly into a person's subconscious."
He smiled slightly, his voice revealing the calm and self-confidence characteristic of a scientist: "Now, these enthusiastic citizens firmly believe that the three of you are the heroes who have just saved the world."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hypnotized people began to slowly approach Ying and her group, their steps in unison, their smiles stiff, surging forward like a tide.
The doctor gazed at the scene, a pleased smile curving his lips as he chuckled softly, "Heh...it seems the experiment was a great success."
“And now—” he watched with interest as the three of them showed signs of surprise and panic, and said softly, “they seem to be unable to contain their ‘enthusiasm’.”
An eerie tension filled the air; a silent storm was quietly approaching.
To the Doctor's surprise, the three figures, trapped in the encirclement and unable to fight at full strength, showed no sign of panic as the citizens of Sumeru City gradually surrounded them.
On the contrary, as the crowd drew closer, their expressions became increasingly calm, even revealing a hint of certainty.
Ying slowly lowered her hand, the tip of her sword lightly touching the ground. Then she turned her head and asked in a clear voice, "Is this distance alright?"
"That's enough." A familiar and steady voice sounded from behind.
In an instant, a slight chill quietly spread, as if the air itself had frozen.
Caesar slowly emerged from behind the three, his black trench coat swaying gently in the night breeze. He raised his hand and lightly pressed the virtual terminal beside his ear.
Invisible data ripples spread rapidly, covering the entire area.
The residents of Sumeru City, who were being controlled by the Doctor using the Void Terminal, almost simultaneously lost focus and collapsed to the ground, like puppets whose senses had been severed.
The crisis was thus resolved.
However, when the doctor saw who it was, the calm smile on his face suddenly froze, turning into a sinister coldness.
He stared at Caesar, his voice low and iron-like: "...I never expected that even you would come."
Paimon, arms crossed, floated in the air and replied with a grin:
"Hehe~ Doctor, you don't really think we'd be foolish enough to rush in without any preparation, knowing there might be an ambush, do you?"
……
Just before the defection operation officially began, a meticulous discussion had just concluded inside the Jingshan Palace.
After deciding to use Setare as the breakthrough point to gather intelligence, Iya suddenly spoke, his tone tinged with hesitation and wariness:
"Sister, I have a question to ask."
Nasita nodded gently: "Speak."
Iya frowned and said, "You said you were confident you could persuade Setare to join us... but what if she isn't convinced?"
"What if she becomes bait used by the royalists to lure us into a trap?"
His gaze sharpened as he pressed, "Furthermore, what makes us so certain that this defection plan won't be leaked to the enemy beforehand?"
"They could very well turn the tables on us, lay a trap, and just wait for us to walk right into it."
Upon hearing this, Naxi Da's expression hardened slightly, and she fell into deep thought for a moment.
Seeing this, Yiya couldn't help but ask with a hint of doubt, "Sister...you didn't actually think about these consequences at all, did you?"
Nasita paused for a moment, then gave a slightly embarrassed smile and shook her head gently: "...Indeed, I was careless for a moment. Fortunately, you reminded me in time. It seems that we do need to take some thorough precautions."
She stood up, her gaze fixed firmly on the distance. "I'll contact Caesar later."