FATE: Target of Grand Master

Diao Yunshang and Lü Bu did not refuse Xia Yan's suggestion.

After recalling Zhang Liao and Red Hare, the group, aided by Morgan's magic, flew swiftly towards the temple in Uruk.

"Whoosh~ I never thought that one day I would be able to fly. Now I'm not just a Pegasus, but a real 'Flying General'."

Lu Bu wanted to slap the beast Red Hare for its provocation, but remembering Zhang Liao's words earlier, he suppressed his displeasure.

Seeing this, Chen Gong took out a carrot and stuffed it into the mouth of the incessantly chattering Red Hare, finally silencing the fellow.

"Lu Bu, what do you think?"

Diao Yunshang responded to Lü Bu's question through telepathy.

"What do you mean, how do you see it?"

"Of course, it's the invitation Xia Yan just extended to us."

Diao Yunshang always felt that Lü Bu was pretending to be stupid.

"Little Mink, what do you think?"

"Didn't I ask you? Why are you asking me again?"

Diao Yunshang replied irritably.

"Because you are the Master, your opinion should be respected."

"Your so-called respect means asking me for my opinion, then ignoring it and making decisions according to your own ideas. That's fake democracy!"

Diao Yunshang had twice tried to join the large master group, but Lu Bu rejected her both times.

"That's not how it works. After all, I have more experience than you. Joining a large Master group isn't necessarily a good thing."

Lu Bu didn't think he had done anything wrong.

"But if you keep going as a lone wolf, the road ahead will become increasingly difficult."

Diao Yunshang was also very certain of her judgment.

"Yes, I agree with that. So, you're thinking of accepting that kid's invitation?"

"Yes, this is a good opportunity. Although their Master group is small, the fact that Xia Yan was willing to lend Morgan to Feng Yan shows that their level of trust in each other is extraordinary, which is something I have never seen in any other Master group I have encountered before. Since a large Master group is not a long-term solution, why not choose a small but elite Master group like Xia Yan's?"

"Hmm, are those the reasons?"

"Yeah, what else?"

"That kid is actually not bad looking."

Lu Bu turned to Diao Yunshang and curled the corners of his mouth.

"Hey, Lu Bu, what are you thinking? Although Xia Yan is indeed good-looking and intelligent, I dare not have any extra feelings for him. See Morgan next to him? Judging from my woman's intuition, this great witch has definitely taken a fancy to her Master. I don't want to get involved in this mess."

"It's not that I don't dare, but that I don't want to."

"Lu Bu, are you deliberately picking a fight?"

Lu Bu's pedantic language immediately enraged Diao Yunshang.

"Haha, just kidding. I'd love for you to stay single forever, Little Mink."

"Thank you so much. I don't want to be a spinster forever!"

If they weren't still flying in the sky, Diao Yunshang would definitely have grabbed Lu Bu's arm and bitten him.

"Look, you're in such a hurry again. You look so much like Diao Chan, how come your personalities are so different?"

"Enough with the nonsense. So, what's your opinion?"

Diao Yunshang was too lazy to chat with Lü Bu and steered the conversation back on track.

Lu Bu was silent for a moment, then said, "I still think it would be better if we could persuade Xia Yan to become our subordinate."

"You're dreaming. Not to mention that Xia Yan is already the leader, why should he give up? Even if he were willing, Morgan by his side would definitely not agree! Besides, their Master group already has three people. It would be unethical for me, as a newcomer, to usurp their position."

Lu Bu shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Diao Yunshang's words.

"Alright, Morgan is indeed a big problem. We can put the matter of him becoming the captain on hold for now, but there's one thing I need to make clear first. I acknowledge that kid's individual strength, but we still need to observe the other two in his group. They don't have to be incredibly strong, but they certainly can't be a hindrance. Otherwise, no matter how strong Xia Yan is, he can't keep acting as a babysitter for others. It's like leading an army into battle; even if the general is strong, he still needs to train a group of elite soldiers."

"Yes, I understand what you mean. So, as long as the other two are also reasonably capable, you'll agree to let me join, right?"

"I suppose so. I hope our addition will be a boost, not a necessity. Only when strong individuals are paired with other strong individuals can they achieve the best results."

Just as Diao Yunshang and Lü Bu were having a heated discussion, the group had already arrived at the gates of Uruk.

"Let's land first, and I'll introduce you to the last member of our Master Group."

Xia Yan signaled everyone to land together, because Lan Muyan, the last master of "Lighthouse", was currently guarding the city gate.

Shortly after Feng Yan led Morgan to the North Wall to check the situation, Lan Muyan volunteered to go to the city gate to replace Xia Yan's remaining followers.

Xia Yan had no reason to refuse such a team-oriented gesture.

"Diao Yunshang!"

Just as Xia Yan and the others' feet touched the stone pavement on the city gate, Lan Muyan's shocked voice reached their ears.

Diao Yunshang turned her head, saw that it was Lan Muyan, and revealed a perfect smile.

"Oh my, isn't this Mr. Lan? What a coincidence, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Xia Yan asked with some curiosity, "You know each other too?"

Lan Muyan sighed and said, "Didn't I say that I lost in the final round of the last trial? She was the one who defeated me."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. After all, this is a rare opportunity to obtain a Servant. Besides, I kept our promise and didn't kill you, did I?"

That's true.

Although Diao Yunshang lost the final match, she and Lan Muyan had made a prior agreement that the final match would only determine the winner and loser, not their life or death. Diao Yunshang, who won, kept her promise, and Lan Muyan had nothing to criticize her for.

"So you two became friends after a fight."

Xia Yan smoothed things over, effectively turning the subject away from the topic.

"Now that all four of us are here, and Siduri isn't here either, let's sort out the current situation and then plan our next move."

Xia Yan's words were affirmed by the other three.

"First, I estimate that we are currently in the early stages of the Absolute Demonic Front. The evidence is that it was a horde of demonic beasts, not Lahem, that attacked Uruk, but the situation is much worse than in the original work. Not only are all of Gilgamesh's summoned Servants gone, but he himself has also died from overwork. In addition, the previous demonic beast invasion of Uruk caused the deaths of a large number of Uruk civilians, and now Uruk's overall productivity has severely declined. Therefore, we have three things to do next."

1. Defend Uruk and advance the defensive line to the northern wall defense line.

Second, accelerate the recovery of Uruk's productivity, ideally by providing it with some advanced technology or scientific products.

Thirdly, and most importantly, go down to the Underworld and retrieve Gilgamesh. If possible, you can also raise Ereshkigal's affection level while you're at it.