Chapter 76: The Concert Begins
Thanks to Qing Liao’s friendly demeanor toward Night Star, Tifureka and Mi Lei You weren’t overly suspicious of Night Star’s true identity. That harmlessly adorable look of Night Star certainly did a better job of lowering guards than many a seasoned trickster.
For Tifureka and the gang, as long as Night Star didn’t harm the precious Qing Liao they were protecting, they were good to go. If Night Star even thought about hurting Qing Liao, even the fact that Night Star was a friend of Qing Liao would not save them from Tifureka’s wrath.
There was still some time before the concert would kick off — neither too long nor too short — just enough for Night Star and Qing Liao to engage in a bit of chit-chat.
While Tifureka played the role of the silent guardian, sitting off to the side, Mi Lei You was all about the social vibes. This nun seemed quite eager to chat and exuded an incredible warmth — far from the typical saintly distance you’d expect.
Of course, that was nothing compared to Night Star.
Their conversation was pretty mundane, just the common topics to pass the time since both Night Star and Qing Liao had to keep things light with outsiders around. During this little tête-à-tête, Night Star gradually got to know Mi Lei You better — she looked like one of those genuinely sweet and enthusiastic people, a total ray of sunshine.
If the Order of Sequence had individuals like Mi Lei You, that was a major upgrade from the now-extinct Holy Church.
In the meantime, Tifureka was deep in thought a little ways off, clearly uninterested in the trio’s chit-chat. Her mind was still stuck on yesterday’s happenings.
The Rising Sun Theater Group from Huaxia was a refreshingly innocent performance-oriented Star Eclipse organization. As long as no one poked the bear, they were unlikely to go on a rampage — basically a stable group! That was some reassuring information she snagged from Huaxia.
Tifureka was glad the Rising Sun Theater Group was that kind of organization. Sure, she didn’t mind risking her life to fight, but battling that type of group would only result in one-sided slaughter. There’s no sense in mindlessly maintaining order when the hope of success is as bleak as a rain cloud.
Currently, the headquarters of the Order of Sequence was preparing to send people to Huaxia to seek advice from the experienced Night Watchers. They’d probably be getting some intel soon.
If the Rising Sun Theater Group wasn’t causing any cataclysmic disasters back in Huaxia, then there was no reason they’d go berserk in the Free Country. Of course, that hinged on nobody doing anything stupid to provoke them.
Meanwhile, other Star Factions were still unaware of this little tidbit about the Rising Sun Theater Group, caught up in a state of shock — the downside of being a tiny organization: the info department lagged terribly behind the Order of Sequence.
If they knew the truth, they’d realize Qing Liao’s concert had already ended ages ago, meaning the Rising Sun Theater Group’s appearance had indirectly helped mitigate the concert’s risks.
Several Star Factions likely scrapped their plans targeting Qing Liao because of this. Well, not all of them, but better than when it first began!
And that’s how things stood.
Time ticked away, and the concert was preparing to start. The countdown had begun!
Qing Liao said her goodbyes to Night Star and sneaked through a secret passage to take the stage. Night Star took the shortcut back to the audience seats via the system’s commands, plopping back down in their spot.
“Wow~ Qing Liao looks gorgeous! Absolutely shining today!”
Kong Yu Bai couldn’t help but grin at this compliment.
“You want to be just like her?”
“Nope.”
Night Star immediately figured out Kong Yu Bai was hoping she’d transform into a world-renowned songstress. One day of that would be fine, but if it went on longer, Night Star was certain she’d lose her marbles.
Just then, a loud cheer erupted from the fangirls in the crowd.
“Woo!!”
Qing Liao had taken the stage.
Night Star proudly waved her pre-purchased light stick, getting into the spirit of the concert.
“Qing Liao! Qing Liao! I love you!”
Night Star tried to blend in with the frenzied crowd, drawing a few curious glances from some theater members. Especially the female ones—Night Star had never even told them “I love you!”
Qing Liao really was the envy of all.
As the concert officially kicked off, thousands of fans unleashed their excitement, sending the atmosphere soaring to new heights.
Today’s revelry was on!
Meanwhile, in the shadows, a dark and sinister current flowed.
Figures glided through the backstage like phantoms, their immense power dismantling one hired Star Holder after another. With their speed, they could climb up to the stage in no time and execute a shocking assassination of Qing Liao, achieving the most jaw-dropping k*ll possible.
Sure, the odds of success were slim — they might run into the Holy Knights of the Order of Sequence — but whatever, right?
Because there were also allies mingled in the crowd, some even in the front rows, ready to strike at Qing Liao at close range. They just might score a direct hit.
And their antics backstage were merely to attract the Holy Knights’ attention, reducing Qing Liao’s defensive coverage.
A little later, nearly ten Star Assassins took down the scattered Star Holders patrolling the backstage, getting closer to the stage entrance.
Then, they encountered an obstacle.
Naturally, Tifureka appeared at the entrance with a broad grin.
“One, two, three… nine little mice. Are you all ready to give up your lives here? If you kneel and surrender, I’m sure the merciful god will forgive you.”
The nine Assassins fell silent, their bodies tense and ready for battle.
Tifureka’s smile vanished, her aura intensifying.
“However, forgiving you is God’s job. I’m here to send you to meet Him. Ready?”
What she didn’t expect was their instantaneous full-throttle offense.
“Heh.”
Tifureka’s expression turned cold, her bloodlust surging like a tidal wave, flooding the air around her.
Her Star was 【Heart’s Desire】, which turned desires into tangible forms, creating all sorts of imagined weaponry.
The stronger the desire, the stronger her power.
Currently, her desire to k*ll was unprecedentedly fierce, surpassing the collective strength of those nine assassins put together!
“Time to go to hell.”
…
Back on stage.
Qing Liao was passionately singing, delivering the best sounds to the audience.
The fans in the audience waved their light sticks, eyes glued on the mesmerizing figure on stage.
But somewhere in the crowd, a certain individual was fidgeting, holding a tiny device stealthily brought in with the aid of Star Powers — and nobody noticed a thing.
Don’t let the size fool you; this thing was an advanced piece of Star tech. Just place it on the ground, and it would merge into the earth as an energy entity, scouring for targets, moving right underneath them for a spectacular blast k*ll.
Its major flaw? It needed to be within close range of the target, and not too far away.
Plus, it was easily intercepted; if the target had guards nearby, it was as good as done for.
Right now, the stage only had Qing Liao alone, making it the perfect moment.
What he didn’t know, however, was that some rather extraordinary audience members were sitting right behind him.
Mo Rabbit’s eyes sparkled as she watched his bald head, like she was enjoying a circus act.
