The series of outrageous maneuvers performed by the "simulated self" left Solon utterly dumbfounded.
Just to keep the game entertaining, "he" had deliberately gone easy—no, given the resources available to an emperor of the Stepwolf Empire, this wasn't just going easy, it was practically draining the ocean!
The "simulated self" had completely cut loose.
[Salan's luck was neither good nor bad. You found and captured her by the fifth search party—this time, she hadn't even gotten as far as last time.]
[As if refusing to learn her lesson, Salan began plotting another escape the moment she recovered.]
[The fox girls in the harem seemed to have figured it out—this was clearly just a flirtatious game between you and Salan. Ruining the emperor's fun would lead to a gruesome death, so no one dared to snitch anymore.]
[Your favoritism toward Salan made them seethe with jealousy, nearly bursting on the spot. Some even tried imitating Salan's rebelliousness to catch your attention.]
[And then you killed them.]
[Obviously, you could tell who was faking and who was genuine. Attempting to deceive you? That alone was a capital offense—treason against the throne.]
Solon was completely numb at this point.
Salan schemed and deceived to escape, while "he" indulged her, playing along with gusto.
Meanwhile, the random fox girls in the harem who merely pretended to rebel were instantly executed.
All they wanted was a bit of attention—what had they done wrong?
But then again, double standards were an emperor's privilege. The final say belonged to "him." If they didn't like it, they shouldn't have played the game.
[Sometimes, you wondered why Salan kept trying to escape despite being recaptured over and over without success.]
[When you posed this question to her, Salan glared at you and answered bluntly:]
[Who the hell wants to be your slave?! If you've got the guts, just kill me! If you don't, I'll keep running—sooner or later, I'll get away!]
[You burst into laughter.]
[Yes! That was the spirit!]
[A hunt was no fun if the prey didn't fight back!]
[There really was no comparison between a fake act and the real thing!]
[After that exchange, you threw yourself even deeper into the game of chase with Salan.]
[The hunt continued…]
[Salan's escape plans grew increasingly sophisticated and professional.]
[The 4th time, she exploited a greedy interstellar corporation, hiding in one of their cargo ships.]
[The 5th time, she faked her escape, leaving false trails to lure you away before slipping off quietly.]
[The 6th time, she somehow contacted the Xianzhou Alliance, convincing them to dispatch an elite unit to escort her to safety.]
[The 6th attempt was especially dangerous. Following her clues, you nearly chased her all the way to the Luofu Xianzhou, even clashing with the Cloud Knights before dragging Salan back by force.]
[Tensions between the Xianzhou Alliance and the Canglang Empire, which had been cooling, flared up again thanks to this incident.]
Watching Feixiao escape six times and get recaptured six times, Solon was at a loss for words.
There was no need to ask—there would definitely be a seventh time.
Solon had thought "he" was playing out some domineering CEO-style "chase and capture" trope. But no—this was a full-blown Seven Captures of Meng Huo[1] strategy!
[Before long, Salan plotted her 7th escape.]
[This time, however, it was different.]
[Before fleeing, she secretly reached out to the Xianzhou Alliance, begging for their aid.]
[Since you had founded the Canglang Empire and elevated the status of the foxians, very few had defected to the Xianzhou—let alone someone of Salan's rank. She was practically unique.]
As Solon's most favored consort, Salan was the closest to "him."
"His" existence was a thorn in the Xianzhou Alliance's side—they dreamed of eliminating this supreme Abundance abomination.
Now, with a chance to obtain classified intel on "him" and possibly even uncover his weakness, the Xianzhou Alliance would never let such an opportunity slip.
[The Xianzhou Alliance treated this as a godsend. After deliberation by the Seven Arbiter-Generals, the cunning Divine Foresight Jing Yuan and the divination-savvy Rongtao General Yaoguang, assisted by the Divination Commission, devised an elaborate plan to help Salan escape.]
[This time, Salan went all out, preparing multiple contingencies.]
[Soon, her earth-shaking great escape began.]
[First, she had multiple decoys disguised as herself and Ningli flee in different directions—this "shedding the cicada's shell" was just the first step.]
[Once you took the bait and chased the decoys, Salan and Ningli immediately hid aboard a corporation's cargo ship, slipping away from the capital planet—step two, "crossing the sea under camouflage," complete.]
[But Jing Yuan, mastermind of the plan, knew full well that a cargo ship's speed was no match for yours. And corporations, ever profit-driven, wouldn't risk offending either side.]
[Hitching a ride was one thing—relying on them for the entire escape was impossible. They might even sell the two out.]
[So, following Jing Yuan's plan, the two disembarked at a transit station.]
[Then, a high-speed train cruising through the stars docked at the station platform.]
[This was Jing Yuan's true rescue plan—a group of warm-hearted, justice-driven Nameless!]
[Salan and Ningli swiftly boarded the Astral Express and left the station behind.]
[The Astral Express then delivered them to the most militarily formidable of the Xianzhou—the Yaoqing.]
[The Express's speed was indeed beyond any cargo ship's. By the time it reached Yaoqing, you had only just dealt with Salan's contingencies, arriving belatedly.]
[By then, the Yaoqing was fully prepared. Warships of the Cloud Knights blotted out the sky, their cannons charged and ready. At the fleet's forefront, Marshal Hua and three generals stood in silent confrontation against your lone figure.]
[Seeing this, you knew retrieving the two was impossible today.]
[After a brief skirmish with Marshal Hua and the others, finding no advantage, you turned and left without hesitation.]
[Watching your retreating back, Salan finally exhaled in relief before hugging Ningli and shouting:]
[Ningli! We're free of that demon! We've finally escaped!!]
[She laughed and cried, her emotions in complete disarray—proof of just how much pressure you'd inflicted on her.]
[Afterward, the two settled permanently on the Yaoqing.]
[The Yuèyù General, recognizing Salan's exceptional talent, took her as a disciple. To sever ties with her past, Salan gave herself a new name—Feixiao.]
The wheel of fate had turned, and it seemed things had returned to their proper course.
Seven Captures of Meng Huo: A reference to Zhuge Liang capturing and releasing the southern chieftain Meng Huo seven times to earn his genuine submission during the Three Kingdoms era.
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[1] A reference to Zhuge Liang capturing and releasing the southern chieftain Meng Huo seven times to earn his genuine submission during the Three Kingdoms era.