3 Chapter 3: Performer

"Quickly! She turned that way!"

"Stop!"

On the way to the Exalting Sanctum of the Luofu, two Cloud Knights can be seen chasing after someone.

That certain someone, who, despite being chased, however, looked rather relaxed. In fact, she had an amused face.

"Sorry, you two! But I really need to go now!" The young lady with the orange-pink long hair looked back at her pursuers with a smile. "But hey— the next time I perform, I'll definitely invite you two!"

This young lady wore a red strapless short crop top that has golden outlines and is attached to a choker by two black straps, with unattached red sleeves that have a dark teal ruffle from the top, and a white fabric from the bottom that is the same style as her skirt.

She also wears black high tights, a black thigh garter on her right thigh with a golden ornament in the middle, and black heeled boots that have golden tips and a white outsole.

After she said this, the young lady saw a bunch of crates stacked near a wall and smiled mischievously. Without looking at the two Cloud Knights, she leaped to the crates and onto the wall.

"See you, you two! I hope you enjoyed my performance!"

Waving at the two Cloud Knights, she smiled proudly before leaping off the wall. But not before dropping a smoke bomb to further confuse the Cloud Knights.

Her agility, coupled with her seemingly endless energy, greatly exhausted the two Cloud Knights who were chasing her. With the addition of the smoke bomb, it greatly infuriated them.

"Got away again... Dang it, this is already the second time this month..." One of the Cloud Knights sighed with a heavy voice.

"I actually liked her performances... A pity that she likes doing them in public spaces..." The other Cloud Knight relaxed his body and clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Moreover, we were just going to bring her over to the station to give her a warning..."

"How should we tell this to the Captain?" The Cloud Knight added.

"Well, we can just—" The former was just about to speak when suddenly, he noticed something. "Hm? Wait a minute..."

The Cloud Knight then looked at their surroundings as if trying to remember something. "Hold on..."

"I think I know of a way to still catch her."

With those words, the Cloud Knight gestured with his hand as he led the way. The other Cloud Knight trusted his comrade's words and followed him.

---

"Huff— finally lost them!" After landing on the other side of the wall, the young lady ran a bit further before resting. "Haha, Lil' Gui scored another against those Cloud Knights!"

"I can't wait to brag about this to Sushang later..." She snickered to herself as she took out her phone.

"Let's... Meet up... At... The usual place... Later. See you there!" Typing on her phone, she sent a letter to her close friend.

After sending a message to her friend, the young lady was just about to walk away again when suddenly, she ran into a wall.

Normally, this would have been nothing for her. However, coincidentally, a series of footsteps approached her.

"You— we finally managed to catch up to you!" The two Cloud Knights from earlier appeared and blocked off her path.

"Please, just surrender quietly. It would make it easier for all of us." The other Cloud Knight said with a heavy voice.

"Uh oh," Seeing the two, the young lady thought of a way to escape this scenario. She then decided to buy some time. "Hey, what's up, you two? How'd you been?"

"Gosh, I didn't make things hard you know, did I? Oh— how about I treat you two to a food stall I know? My treat!"

"...I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just try to bribe us..." The stern Cloud Knight with the heavy voice sighed. "Come with us now. Quit wasting everyone's time."

"Ehhh? But officer! I was just doing it for content! For the views! I'm sure something like that isn't so severe for you to bring me back with you, right?" She laughed wryly, though, a hint of sarcasm was present.

"Come on now, let's stop with the excuses." The other Cloud Knight said as he approached her. "Let's go—"

"Hehe."

However, before he could reach her, the young lady suddenly reached out for her pockets and took out two balls. Afterward, she quickly threw them into the ground.

Once more, thick black smoke erupted from the smoke bombs she threw.

"You— this again?!" Seeing the same trick twice, the Cloud Knight yelled angrily. "That won't work again!"

Eagerly looking through the smoke, the Cloud Knight was intently looking for the young lady, when suddenly, he caught her silhouette. "Got you!"

He reached out his hand to the silhouette he saw through the smoke, but instead of grabbing the young lady, he grabbed his comrade.

"Argh— it's me!" His comrade with a heavy voice yelled as his shoulder got grabbed.

"Oh— uh, sorry." Realizing that it wasn't the young lady, the Cloud Knight retracted his hand. He then looked at the thick black smoke again. "Where could she be?"

"Gah— that darn performer!" The Cloud Knight with a heavy voice shouted. "With her agility, she must have already slipped past us!"

"What?!"

"Hehe." True to their speculation, the young lady giggled to herself as she quietly escaped the predicament.

---

"Whew, I'm exhausted." After running away and finding another spot where she knew she could rest, the young lady huffed. "What's with those guys? Suddenly turning so tenacious all of a sudden..."

"Don't tell me they'll pursue me until here?" She added as she sat down on a stone ladder.

"Isn't that right?" However, she then raised her voice. "Mr. Stalker?"

"You can come out, I've already sensed you since earlier." The young lady said with a loud voice. Though she said this, she actually didn't know where the person stalking her was.

No one answered her for a while, however, that quickly changed.

"..."

"...quite perceptive."

The young lady heard the voice, and, instantly, she figured out where he was. She raised her head and looked above her.

Not far from her, on a rooftop, a man with blond hair, a pair of bronze-colored eyes, and elongated ears appeared.

He wore a long-sleeved white dress shirt, with a beige-colored waistcoat on top. Paired with it were long gray pants and black leather loafers. Finally, on his waist, a gun holster was present.

Everything about the man, from his clothing to his stern face, radiated a sense of someone of authority. Other than this, he also carries a scholarly air.

Seeing the man who had been quietly stalking her, the young lady smirked. "Are you also part of the Cloud Knights? If so, I'm sorry for the trouble officer~ So can we stop the chase here? Don't tell me you're not exhausted too?"

"You've seen me get chased from Starskiff Haven to Exalting Sanctum already— let's call it a truce for today, eh?"

Hearing all her words, the man closed his eyes and sighed. He then crossed his arms. "Don't worry, I'm not with them."

"Hm? Then who are you?" Surprised by the man's answer, the young lady stood up again and looked at him.

"Just a newly arrived traveler," The man answered with the same monotone stern voice.

"Oh~ so you're an Outworlder?" Hearing the man's words, something clicked in the young lady's mind. She then smiled, "Why didn't you say so?"

"I'm Guinaifen— a certified street performer and live streamer!" She introduced herself with a peace sign. "If you have the time, why not check out my stuff? Leave a like, comment, and—"

"There she is!"

Just as she was about to promote her channel, she was suddenly cut off when the Cloud Knights from earlier arrived.

But this time, they brought two more reinforcements.

"Get her!"

"What?!" Seeing the amount of people suddenly appear, Guinaifen was momentarily baffled. "Hey, come on now on now! Can't we all just talk this out?"

"Enough's enough!" The Cloud Knight with the heavy voice from earlier shouted. "Quit toying with us and come with us right now!"

"Uh oh," Sensing that it would be a difficult situation, Guinaifen was preparing to escape once more. 'Where should I go? Should I jump to the roofs—'

Her eyes then looked over to the rooftops and saw the man from earlier. 'Huh? Why is he still here? It's about to get dangerous!'

"Hey—!"

Guinaifen was just about to warn the man when suddenly, he leaped down from the rooftops and in front of the Cloud Knights.

He did it gracefully and landed perfectly without any trouble.

"Who are you?" Seeing the unfamiliar person appear, the Cloud Knights became suspicious. "Please do not impede our work."

The man's bronze eyes shifted over to the Cloud Knights and scanned them each.

The Cloud Knights, who saw his bronze eyes directly, felt as if they were looking at their superior. It was the gaze of someone of higher authority!

The man then opened his mouth. What then came out were mystifying words. "Let's stop this conflict here now, shall we?"

"What? But—" Hearing the man's words, the Cloud Knights retorted. "Who are you to order us?"

"Who I am is not the main point here," The man spoke softly as his gaze lingered upon them. "The main point here is that you're arresting someone who has not violated any serious crimes."

"Is this how you Cloud Knights operate here at the Luofu? Aren't you ashamed of doing such a thing because of petty reasons?" Suddenly, the man's tone became heavy. For reasons unknown, the Cloud Knights felt a repressive feeling.

"No— but..." The Cloud Knights tried to retort the man, but they couldn't utter a word. They felt as if they had returned to their training camps when they were still recruits.

"I won't hear any more excuses," The man's bronze eyes looked at them directly. "If you have any complaints, state them here right now."

Hearing this, the Cloud Knights hesitated for a moment, when suddenly, one of them spoke up.

"Wh-Who even are you?!" Spoke the Cloud Knight. He then stepped out of the group. "Who are you to give us orders?!"

"We are the protectors of the Luofu!" The Cloud Knight retorted as he approached the man. "We— who are part of the Vanguards of the Hunt— protect the peace you know right now!"

"And if you think..." The Cloud Knight then stood In front of the man and looked at him. "That an unknown person like you can just—"

However, before he could speak, the man in front of him suddenly moved. The man, with remarkable speed, quickly located his neck— and within a second, he attacked.

"Y-You...!" Unable to even see the blond man's actions, the Cloud Knight who was retorting suddenly fell unconscious.

Tud—*

He was knocked out.

Looking at the armored Cloud Knight lying unconscious on his feet, the blond man's bronze eyes looked back at the other Cloud Knights. "Are we clear here? If so, take him and reflect upon your actions."

"This is not something the Honorable Cloud Knights should do." He reminded them with his stern voice. "Go."

"...Yes sir..." The other Cloud Knights, now under the impression of the authority and might of the person in front of them, complied and took their comrade back with them.

Seeing the Cloud Knights retreat with one unconscious person, the blond man looked at them with a blank face and became silent for a second as if pondering something. "Hm."

He then turned around and looked back at the street performer he met. However, what he saw next was almost baffling.

"That was amazing!" Guinaifen, who was about to escape earlier, was not looking at him in gratitude, real close. "You said you weren't with the Cloud Knights, right?"

"As if!" She said with an amused face. "You owned them like you were their boss! How did you do that?"

The man looked at her for a moment and softly sighed. It seems like he just lampooned inwardly. "A little gratitude is always welcomed..."

"Oh yeah! Sorry about that!" Realizing that she still hadn't thanked him, she laughed. "Thanks for saving me there! Those guys were really persistent this time."

Hearing the thanks, the man nodded his head.

"By the way," Finding the chance to ask, Guinaifen spoke up. "I still haven't gotten your name. It would be really bad on my end to not know my new friend's name!"

"I'm William Ceres." The blond man spoke honestly. However, he soon added more, "But you can call me..."

When visiting one of the Xianzhou Alliance's ships, it was a normal occurrence for Outworlders to adopt a Xianzhou name that fits them.

Although it was optional and not essential, it gave the travelers a sense of belonging in the foreign ships.

These names often range from direct translation or the Outworlders themselves picking their own name.

As for William, he planned to create an identity to separate his work from his life— so that he could organize his plans properly.

As such, he decided on a Xianzhou name.

"...Hou Yi."