After escorting Master Gongshu to the gate, he planned to part ways with everyone. Although the Artisanship Commission was dangerous, this was not a reason for him to abandon his duty.

Su Shang was about to say a few more words to persuade her, but Xue Yi raised her hand and interrupted, "Everyone has their own duties, let's go."

Outside the gate of the Artisanship Commission was the ferry terminal. After successfully completing the escort, Xue Yi once again expressed her gratitude to everyone, "Thank you all for protecting me along the way. For this good deed, I will report it to the Ten Lords. If there is an opportunity, I will definitely repay you."

After Xue Yi left, Su Shang also planned to return to the Alchemy Commission to rejoin her team and asked about the whereabouts of the other two.

Luocha, being a merchant, naturally followed Su Shang, while Dan Heng, considering the Star's current location, decided to travel together for the rest of the journey.

—

Meanwhile, in the Starcruiser Sea not long ago.

Yanqing was tracking Blade's whereabouts; the records about him stopped here.

He found two Cloud Knight soldiers to inquire about the situation. When Blade was mentioned, both soldiers looked troubled, "That Blade, after breaking free from the restrictions in the The Shackling Prison, seemed to have evaporated. Perhaps he is no longer on the Immortal Boat now?"

"...Or perhaps, Blade never intended to escape at all." Yanqing's gaze lowered slightly as he voiced this bolder conjecture.

"Ah, what kind of evil star has the Xianzhou Loufu provoked? Demons and monsters are causing trouble all at once."

Looking at their worried expressions, Yanqing straightened his back confidently, "I am here to eliminate demons for the General."

"You?" The leading Cloud Knight soldier sized him up again, raising an eyebrow slightly, "But I haven't received General Jing Yuan's order..."

"Uh... this is a secret operation."

"Then should we send a few more people to assist the Captain of the Guard?" The Cloud Knight's tone seemed to look down on the young master before him, deliberately emphasizing the words "send a few more".

"I appreciate the Captain's kindness. The meaning of secret is that the fewer people who know, the better." Yanqing let out a subtle cold snort.

Attack on Titan——

Survey Corps Office.

"...Yanqing is being underestimated, huh?" Captain Levi sneered, "In terms of swordsmanship alone, no one in the Cloud Knights can look down on Yanqing, right?"

"To be qualified as the General's guard, the Cloud Knight soldiers must be aware of Yanqing's strength," Eren's voice was a little low, "But investigating cases is different from fighting; criminals won't obediently stand out and duel with you. Yanqing's swordsmanship is good, but he may not have experience in investigation."

"To apprehend a highly dangerous criminal like Blade, the most reasonable choice is to form a search team where members can complement each other's weaknesses. Yanqing is alone; he clearly wants to prove something to the General... Heh, a young man's temperament, it's understandable."

"Listening to your tone... Eren, are you hoping Yanqing finds nothing?" Levi narrowed his eyes.

"...I might not be as interested in the content of the screen as you imagine. There are too many things for the Corps right now."

Eren withdrew his gaze from the screen and rubbed his temples tiredly, "Currently, the higher-ups are secretly conducting research on Chang Sheng, which has brought a lot of trouble to the Corps. Compared to what is about to happen on the screen, I am more concerned about the Titans outside the walls and reclaiming Wall Maria."

"New instructions from the higher-ups again?"

"Yes, the latest mission is: add the spinal fluid of twelve Pure Titans."

"Tsk... these lunatics." Levi cursed under his breath, "Do they even know what they are researching?"

"All research on Chang Sheng is secret, and the Corps has no authority to inquire, but there are rumors leaking out. There are two specific directions, including religion and research."

"Religion?" Levi frowned, "Is it the Wall Cult? Are those people getting involved too?"

"No, it is said that someone proposed imitating the ancestors of the Immortal Boat and seeking the blessing of Chang Sheng from the Aeon of Abundance beyond the sky. However, considering the limited resources within the walls, it is impossible to build a spaceship the size of a planet, so the plan is currently stranded and is seeking a shift in a new direction."

"???"

Levi wore a bewildered expression.

"As for the second kind... you can guess without me saying."

As things stood, it was rare for Eren's tone to remain calm, "I have a premonition that they are touching some kind of taboo... but there is too little specific information, and I know nothing. I can only do my best to protect Eren and prevent those nobles from reaching out to him."

—

"'Hmph, sending more people... who are they looking down on?' Yanqing snorted coldly in his heart, then came to the Starcruiser Sea to begin his independent investigation."

But after searching for a long time, he couldn't find any more valuable clues, so he had to go to the dock first to investigate the Star-skiff he had hijacked.

Along the way, Yanqing found Mara-Struck corpses everywhere, piled up to the point of almost blocking the path. However, upon closer inspection of the wounds on their bodies, they were clearly not the work of the Cloud Knights.

At present, the only person with such strength that Yanqing could think of was Blade. With traces left by the prey, he felt a little relieved.

Following the traces upwards, Yanqing found a group of Mara-Struck surrounding a white-haired woman.

"How are there still trapped civilians? The Cloud Knights here are inefficient!" Yanqing was burning with anxiety. He leaped forward, and instantly, six flying swords behind him flew out in unison, "Hey, big sister, don't panic, I'll get you out now!"

Baki World——

"Oh? Flying swords? So swords can be used like this?" Miyamoto Musashi looked at the six precious swords hovering beside Yanqing with great interest.

Hundreds of years ago, he single-handedly created Niten Ichi-ryū, pioneering the battle technique of wielding one long and one short sword, which caused quite a stir among the samurai of that time. In his understanding, two swords were the limit for a human body, but how could six flying swords be wielded?

"Miyamoto Musashi, look closely at the hilts of these flying swords." Kaku Kaioh, who was beside him, suddenly spoke up to remind him.

Following the direction indicated by the Sea Emperor, Miyamoto Musashi then discovered that there seemed to be some kind of mechanical device hidden in the hilts of the flying swords that he couldn't understand. It was through this that the young man could smoothly manipulate the flying swords.

Those six flying swords were like six completely different peerless swordsmen. The techniques they used were different, yet they complemented each other, moving freely and easily. In just an instant, they killed three Mara-Struck on the spot.

Retsu Kaioh, who was standing beside him, was already trembling with shock. His lips quivered for a long time, but he couldn't even utter a single word.

"Are these six swords all controlled by Yanqing alone?" Although Hanayama Kaoru couldn't understand the specific sword techniques, as a fighting expert, he could sense the killing intent contained within the swords.

This killing intent clearly originated from one person.

"...This is impossible." Retsu Kaioh wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes wide, "Controlling six flying swords to kill enemies simultaneously in a moment of distraction, and using six completely different sword techniques... How is that possible? At this age?"

Only when he saw Yanqing's flying swords return to their sheaths did Miyamoto Musashi reluctantly move his gaze away from the screen.

"Splendid, splendid."

Adopting a more respectful posture, Miyamoto Musashi gently applauded.