Chapter 23: Right on Time
Upon hearing the researchers, the higher-ups hesitated. They had done a quick scan of the Rising Sun Theater Group’s info.
“But those are Ultra Star Eclipses! Can we really take them down?”
“Don’t worry! I heard that audience performer is just a human and there’s only five Ultra Star Eclipses. We should manage! Plus, there are two artificial ultras and a bunch of star holders on site, not to mention our tech support. We have a chance!”
“Well then, let’s give it a shot!”
The scene shifts back on location.
Night Star followed the group leader and others into the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District. They intended to perform here but found the streets deserted.
After walking for a while, Night Star finally spotted some people.
Well, not a lot, but enough.
After all, the theater group wasn’t too fixated on the number of spectators—just having fresh eyes on the performance was enough to kick things off!
However…
Night Star couldn’t shake the feeling that some of the folks here looked a bit familiar.
Ah, wait a second! It’s the Night Watchers!
But hold on!
The people on site seemed to be mostly star holders!
And there were quite a few Night Watchers too!
Where are the regular folks?
They’re totally MIA!
Night Star gasped dramatically, cutely of course.
Could it be that they predicted the Rising Sun Theater Group’s location and evacuated civilians to fish for trouble?
“Oh no! Those pesky Night Watchers!”
But as Night Star continued to observe, it appeared things weren’t quite as she imagined.
The atmosphere was incredibly tense, clearly divided between two factions.
One was made up of Night Watchers, while the other was an unknown organization.
There were even two guys radiating the aura of star eclipses, making the situation seem rather complicated.
Night Star was stunned.
“Uh-oh, we seem to have arrived at the wrong time. How about you guys… just keep going?”
With everyone’s eyes on her, Night Star couldn’t help but sound adorably clueless.
“No, you’re just on time.”
The head of the research institute looked over to where Hei Yang was standing and said, “Lord Hei Yang, with star eclipses appearing, this isn’t the time for humans to squabble. The priority now should be to subdue the star eclipses, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m suggesting we team up and take down the Rising Sun Theater Group. After all, isn’t it your job as Night Watchers to hunt down the star eclipses? The enemy is right in front of us; we can’t pass up this opportunity, can we?”
Upon hearing this, Hei Yang finally understood.
The Sunset Research Institute had its sights set on the star eclipses from the Rising Sun Theater Group.
Those obsessive researchers had a huge fascination with any star eclipse—they were prime experimental material for uncovering more secrets.
And Ultra Star Eclipses were even rarer subjects.
These kinds of eclipses are not just strong, they’re especially pesky. Trying to capture them alive isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
But indeed, the Sunset Research Institute had experience with capturing Ultra Star Eclipses.
They’d successfully caught a few with the help of star holders and star tech. They had some tricks up their sleeves.
What Hei Yang didn’t expect was for this institute to target the Rising Sun Theater Group.
No way!
When he figured this out, he almost laughed out loud.
They probably had no clue about the real strength of the Rising Sun Theater Group; the rumors online were more or less exaggerated to some degree. Only those who’ve faced them know how terrifying they really are.
At least during the last incident in Yun Chang City, nearly ten Sunlight Night Watchers showed up, and even that felt unstable.
And now?
This research institute actually wants to take down this theater group? That’s a real knee-slapper!
“Subdue? No, no, no! You seem to have misunderstood something. We Night Watchers only target dangerous star eclipses. As long as a star eclipse doesn’t do anything we deem disorderly, we hang back. The Rising Sun Theater Group hasn’t reached the level at which we need to intervene. If you guys want to take action, go right ahead; we won’t get in your way.”
“In that case, please have your Night Watchers return my subordinates.”
“Sure.”
Hei Yang muttered something into his communicator and then ambled back over to Ice Lixie and Mo Qianmeng, taking on the role of an amused spectator.
“How sly!”
Mo Qianmeng figured it out.
Hei Yang was eager to use someone else’s kn*fe to do the dirty work.
If the Night Watchers decided to tango with the researchers, it would create unnecessary trouble and a whole lot of extra work.
But if another faction took action, it wouldn’t be their mess!
The adult world is so devious!
Mo Qianmeng suddenly thought of someone.
If he were here, he’d definitely do the same—using others to do his bidding.
Very sneaky!
Meanwhile, hearing Hei Yang’s response, the leader of the research team felt a bit disappointed.
But one thing was confirmed: the Night Watchers wouldn’t interfere with their upcoming operation.
With that established, they could go all out to capture these star eclipses!
The institute received word that tech support was on the way.
During this lengthy wait, they developed quite a bit of star tech that targeted star eclipses.
With this, their chances of success were over eighty percent!
“Alright, gather up! Let’s kick some b*tt!”
Immediately, the researchers scattered throughout the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District began to converge in this area, gearing up for battle.
The tension in the air thickened once again.
Seeing this, Night Star turned to the group leader beside her.
“Group Leader, those folks seem really unfriendly towards us.”
The group leader slightly lowered his tall top hat, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
“If it’s spectators, we welcome them! But if they’re troublemakers, we won’t go easy. Anyone daring to mess with my theater better be ready for a lesson!”
“Oh, then I’m cheering you on! Let’s defeat all those bad guys!”
Night Star put two and two together.
Those weirdos plotting against the theater were probably also a faction that the Night Watchers despised.
In that case, she knew exactly what needed to be done.
Mediation? Not in this life. It’s time to strike hard!
Night Star cuddled Guqiu and hid behind the singer, ready to watch the chaos unfold.
The next second, the researchers initiated their attack.
Various star effects kicked in, and strong star waves erupted in the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District, signaling the start of the battle between stars and eclipses.
Seeing this, Mo Qianmeng muttered, “If you’re gonna fight, do it somewhere else! I do not want my artwork in the art museum ruined!”
With that, she produced a brush that swiftly drew a landscape painting in midair.
In the blink of an eye, everyone present was sucked into her painting.
“Ugh…”
Night Star felt dazed for a moment before realizing she had transported to another place.
It looked like a forest, with surroundings resembling a piece of ink wash art—a dreamy, ink-like ambiance all around.
“How magical!”
Night Star gasped in wonder.
She’d just seen that black-haired girl make her move.
Could this be her star power?
To have the ability to create an entire world!
Wowza!
But this kind of space-creating skill was also something Mo Tu could pull off.
After all, he built the Rising Sun Theater. She wondered what made this ink wash world so special.
Hmm, it sure would make for a lovely viewing spot!
