Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

"He set the rules: a mech versus your three-foot sword, and you agreed. He talked about what would happen if you won, and what would happen if you lost, and you agreed again… It was basically a Scott-organized sports meet; winning wasn't even that exciting!"

"Rules are meant to be broken!" Xing, hands on hips, wholeheartedly agreed. "What insightful opinion does Grandpa Tail have?"

Tail was just waiting for her to say this: "Hmph, you've come to the right person."

"I am Suiyang. If you trust me, I have some of Suiyang's skills! Huo Huo, break the seal..."

Star's eyes darted around, and it guessed its plan: "You want to possess Scott?"

Tail gave a wicked smile: "Hehehe, just possessing him isn't enough, I need to delve into his heart."

"Just you wait and see..." he boasted, guaranteeing, "I'll make Scott repent and sincerely admit defeat. Wouldn't that be satisfying?"

"Wow!" March 7's eyes lit up; she couldn't agree more: "No wonder he's called Grandpa Tail!"

Following Grandpa Tail's advice, Huo Huo made some preparations and then headed to Jinren Lane as scheduled to keep her appointment...

"Look, isn't this our heroine, March 7th?"

[Star: I think I've heard that before. But his tone is different this time?]

[March 7: Why does this cycle of reincarnation—let's call it reincarnation for now—feel less like it's about protecting Scott, and more like...]

[Fireworks: Is this more like a way to torture Scott?]

Scott: Impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could Star God do something so pointless!

March 7th said in a sweet voice, "Hmph, this young lady is not hiding or dodging. You have issued a challenge, so I will come and accept it."

Scott said angrily, "Are you guys out of your minds? Fine, let's have a fight, but why send me threatening letters? Who are you trying to scare?"

"A threatening letter?" March 7th looked confused. "What threatening letter?"

"Stop playing dumb," Scott said, pulling out a piece of paper glowing with a bluish-green light and holding it up in front of the group.

March 7th craned his neck and read: "Mr. Scott, a great sinner who bullies the weak and is arrogant and rude."

"You have inflicted your twisted lust for power on innocent shopkeepers and spoken disrespectfully of the ancient and inherited Immortal Boat Sword Technique."

"We have decided to make you confess all your crimes in person, and we will take away your twisted desires."

Scott frowned, then suddenly realized, "This handwriting is awful... If you hadn't read it to me, I wouldn't have recognized what it said."

The tail instantly flew into a rage, forcing out a low growl through clenched teeth: "Aaaaah, you're asking for it!"

Scott looked around blankly: "Huh? Who just spoke?"

Huo Huo said timidly, "No...nobody said anything! You must have misheard!"

[March 7th: Is Suiyang really this meticulous in handling affairs? There's even a crime involved, um... a work announcement?]

[Tail: If he can issue a challenge, so can I, Tail-sama! And I'll write one that's even more righteous and eloquent!]

[Huo Huo: Where does this inexplicable competitive spirit come from?]

[Star: So, did you really write those words?]

[Tail: Anyone who asks this question is doomed!]

Scott couldn't be bothered with these trivial matters. He was already impatient, and could almost see it in the reflection of his sunglasses. His day of triumph was just around the corner!

"Alright, enough chit-chat, March 7th, get ready to learn how to be a dog..."

Before he could finish speaking, Scott's eyes glazed over, and he suddenly stood at attention.

The screen went dark, leaving only Scott's poignant monologue. For some reason, he used a hoarse yet magnetic voice to explain his impending doom.

"I didn't even see her draw her sword; time seemed to stand still, and all I saw was a flash of green fire."

"In that instant, I recalled that when I was a child, I had gazed into the distance at the beach and seen a green light faintly visible behind the thick fog. Later I realized that it was the house of that girl—Lakshmi."

"Who would give their family the green light?" Scott's voice suddenly became lively: "Their family is really quite abnormal."

He was horrified and screamed, "Ah... why am I suddenly remembering all this? Is this a replay in my mind? Am I... already dead...?"

[Star: He's unlikely to be dead; he was probably just subjected to a soul search. Besides, do you have the right to call others abnormal?!]

[March 7th: Seriously, is this tactic really reliable? Can you really find something important to break down Scott's psychological defenses? He seems pretty resilient. After all, he can imitate dog and pig barks so easily.]

[Tail: Hehe, don't worry. If it were that lazy little girl Tabos on the other side, that would be a real headache, but Scott... hehe, the more extreme someone's personality is, the more likely they are to have an inescapable weakness! Tail, I'm a professional at this, just watch!]

"Looks like this is Scott's inner world. I need to find out where his most twisted desires lie." Tail sniffed the air and gradually went deeper, soon finding a father and son with blond hair.

Old Scott was furious and roared roughly, "Scott! You get over here right now!!!"

"Ah, this looks like his father." Tail mused. "Humans seem to often spend a lifetime healing from their childhood traumas. Scott might be no exception?"

He stopped there. This could very well be the scar in Scott's heart!

Scott opened his sleepy eyes and said impatiently, "Dad, what are you yelling about on the weekend? I'm sleeping in!"

Old Scott said with exasperation, "Lazybones, still sleeping in... How many times have I told you? Do credit points sleep in? Do free markets sleep in? Do the invisible hand sleep in? Never mind, we'll talk about that later."

"Pefana's parents came to our house just now. They heard that Pefana broke his leg while playing hockey, and you were the one who carried him to the hospital... They really wanted to come and visit [the father of their son's best friend]."

"Oh my~" Tail sighed softly, feeling rather refreshed: "So Scott was so kind-hearted when he was a child."

[March 7th: Really! I was just thinking the same thing. A child that small must be very weak, right? Carrying someone all the way to the hospital must have been incredibly tiring. He was such a model student when he was little, a model child! How did he turn out like that?]

[Su Chang: He must have become psychologically disturbed from being bullied by his dad. Seriously, who ever hears of parents who, after their child performs an act of bravery, not only don't comfort or praise them, but instead act like they're going to slap them in the face? That's just too weird.]

[Star: Fortunately, I not only don't have a father like that, but I also have many mothers with strong moral principles, which is why I am so wise and intelligent.]