Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Freya and her group's goal is to find the "Tower" sage, Malphite, rather than to save a country or the world; although Xia Mi said that the sage would appear at the end of the competition and present the prize to the winner, Himegami still said that she and Serafina would go to other places to look for him.

After all, how could a king of a country act like a jester, telling jokes and making others laugh on the field?

Seraphine and the sage Malphite are both messengers of the Amber God, so they naturally have connections and know where the other lives in seclusion—although they haven't seen each other for nearly five hundred years, it's definitely the right thing to do to go to their old home.

Freya was, after all, a queen of a nation, and it was not appropriate for her to tell jokes. So, in the end, Cheng Cheng chose to switch roles and participate as Sylvia.

"Before we summoned you here, Nata of the Land of Fire and Mondstadt of the Land of Wind had already lost. Now, only Fontaine of the Land of Water remains on the field," Xia Mi explained to Cheng Cheng. "This time, Fontaine summoned a powerful figure from another world, and no one was able to defeat her... This is why we in Liyue summoned you here in time to challenge her."

"Miss Sylvia, are you confident?"

Just as Cheng Cheng was about to agree, a cold and arrogant voice rang out from behind him:

"Hmph, what kind of hero from another world? How could someone so good-looking be funny?"

Oh? You dare to question me?

Are you kidding me? You dare question whether I'm funny enough? I play "Ghost God"!

Cheng Cheng turned around with a cold smile. A girl wearing a cloak and a mask was staring coldly at him. Just as he was about to retort, Xia Mi introduced her softly, "This is your teammate. Together, we will face and defeat the reigning champion of Mondstadt. She is a martial arts fighter."

"The militant faction?"

"Yes, her name is Kyoko, another hero from another world that I summoned. She possesses the Noble Phantasm 'Zabaniya,' which allows her to extend her arms and pluck the hearts of her enemies."

Huh? Removing the heart?

"Isn't your national team supposed to be holding back during the big competition, telling jokes? How did it turn into a bloodbath? Are only the survivors allowed to be funny?"

"Her goal wasn't to kill the opponent, but to rush over and tickle them after the match started," Xia Mi explained.

So this is how it was solved?

“But in the process of rushing over, I’m sure I’ll hear the first joke from the other side.” Kyoko rolled her eyes dismissively. “Xia Mi, you’ve been worried about this all along, haven’t you… Don’t worry, I’ve never laughed since I was little. I’m as calm as ice. I’m a well-known person who doesn’t laugh.”

"Therefore, I alone am enough for this match!"

Xia Mi was about to speak when she heard the announcement coming from the arena:

"The national competition is about to begin. The first side to make the opponent laugh will win the competition."

"Next match: Liyue vs. Fontaine!"

"Alright," Xia Mi clapped her hands, "the competition has begun, get ready, you two!"

Cheng Cheng and Kuang Xinzi exchanged a glance. Kuang Xinzi snorted and stepped onto the arena first, with Cheng Cheng following closely behind.

Several bright white spotlights suddenly slammed down from the dome, blinding everyone and enveloping the large expanse of emerald green grass in the center of the stadium in a white haze. The circular stands stretched to the horizon, and the clamor of voices rose and fell like waves.

"I can't hold back! The contestant sent by Fontaine is too strong. Who would have thought that a wolf would turn into an ice wolf (betel nut) after arriving in the Arctic!"

"Faced with an opponent of this caliber, Liyue is doomed!"

"I heard that Liyue sent two contestants and a newcomer this time. Look! They're going on stage!"

"Why did they send a beautiful girl? How could such a cute girl be funny?"

Meanwhile, in the special seats belonging to the Four Dragon Kings, these four Dragon Kings, who symbolize the four elements of alchemy and whose status is equivalent to the legendary rank, are also paying close attention to this competition that will determine the fate of the Dragon Realm.

After seeing the two off to the battlefield, Xia Mi rushed over. She had barely sat down when she heard the Ocean King's mocking words: "You Liyue people are truly insane. Do you think you can make me laugh with just anyone? Hahaha, hahahahaha..."

Xia Mi: "..."

Aren't you already laughing?

"Alright, you are indeed quite powerful." The King of Ocean and Water's smile faded. "But unfortunately, you are destined to be no match for us, because this time, Fontaine's reinforcements are—"

…………

"Why you?"

Cheng Cheng raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring lights, looking at his opponent on the field, and slightly lost his composure.

She had short, grey hair, fluffy cat ears perked up on her head, and a pair of languidly half-closed, light blue eyes. She wore a loose linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing a section of her fair forearm. The shirt hem was casually tucked into her trousers, outlining her slender waist and full curves.

She sat on the ground in the middle of the lawn, a green grass stem between her teeth, her limbs outstretched, her posture as leisurely as if she were sunbathing.

"The Lover" Felix.

No wonder all the legends were active during the previous war, but she was the only one who wasn't seen... It turns out she ran away to hide in the Theocracy's dungeon!

"Haha, it's Sylvia, meow..."

Upon seeing his old friend, Felix was a little embarrassed and awkwardly rubbed his paws together. "I saw there's been a war going on outside lately, and I'm a bit afraid of death, so I escaped here, meow... Don't tell Serafina and the others about this. When I win the prize money, I'll give you ten percent... no, half a percent, meow!"

Why are they getting less and less each time...?

“No need. We came here with Serafina anyway,” Cheng Cheng sighed. “Felix, the war is over.”

"what?"

Oh no, oh no, oh no! Serafina is definitely coming to get us, oh no!

Felix froze instantly, leaping up as if his tail had been stepped on. His paws instinctively reached for his waist, intending to toss out some gold coins to escape, but he abruptly stopped, tilting his cat ears in confusion as he asked, "...Wait, it's no use catching us after we've already fought them all. What exactly did you guys do in the Theocracy's dungeon, meow?"

“Something happened outside, and death disappeared.”

Cheng Cheng briefly recounted what had happened after the war, then stated his purpose: "We've come to find the sage Murphy from the 'Tower.' Have you met him?"

"No, meow. We went to his house, but nobody was there, meow." Felix shook his head slightly. "I only accepted Fontaine's invitation to participate because I heard he would show up after the National Games! Although it was mainly for the money, meow!"

That's quite outspoken...

“But now that death has disappeared from the outside world, it’s safer for us to go back.” Felix thought for a moment. “After all, this little world is relatively independent, and death is still there! Staying here will still lead to death, meow.”

"Wait, you mean... you can still die here?"

Cheng Cheng blinked, feeling he had found a breakthrough: "So... all we have to do is bring the dead people in here and that's it?"

Oh my god, why didn't you say so earlier!

Felix shook his head: "It's not entirely safe, after all, this place..."

"Hey you two, the match is about to start, are you still going to keep catching up?"

Kyoko interrupted their conversation, and the entire hall erupted in discussion, with many suspecting that the two rivals were plotting to fix the match. Even the King of the Ocean and the King of Water asked Felix a question mark.

On the national stage, there are only enemies, no friends.

With a sigh, Felix's expression gradually turned serious: "But we still want to collect this bounty before we leave... Sylvia, excuse me!"

"The match begins!"

The moment the broadcast ended, Kyoko suddenly lunged forward, a long, swollen, and stretching arm extending from behind her, pointing directly at Felix!

"Delusion Heart Sound (Zabaniya)!"

Felix stood firmly on the lawn, not moving an inch, gently closed his eyes, and slowly began to speak: "One should read more books when young, and what should one do when old?"

Ignoring the deaf voices, Kyoko gritted her teeth, activated her Noble Phantasm, and charged towards Felix!

"Hold on!"

Xia Mi closed her eyes, unable to bear watching Li Yue's defeat.

"Hold on!"

In the audience, countless spectators craned their necks in anticipation, while only the Liyue audience clasped their hands together in silent prayer.

"The expectations of everyone are placed upon me. At this moment, I bear the fate of all of Liyue on my shoulders. I must hold on!!!"

Kyoko let out a furious roar, and "Delusional Heartbeat" was only ten centimeters away from Felix's armpit!

Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, and she was about to tickle Felix's itch and make her completely lose her temper—Liyue's fate, everyone's expectations, whether she lives or dies, all depend on this moment!

But then Felix smiled slyly and slowly revealed the answer: "The eagle catches the chicks."

"puff--!"

Kyoko's pupils dilated suddenly, her extended fleshy arms fell limply to her sides, and the flesh on her entire face trembled uncontrollably. She desperately tightened her facial muscles, trying to suppress the laughter surging up from her face!

"Hahahahaha—!"

However, the next moment, a burst of laughter erupted from the audience, flooding the venue and amplifying the humor of the joke, almost causing her to lose her composure!

"Of course it's hard to hold back."

On the stage, the comedy analysis master and competition commentator from Fontainebleau muttered to himself: "This joke uses traditional motivational platitudes to create a sense of profound life philosophy to mislead people, and then breaks the rational narrative structure with exaggerated puns... No wonder he is the messenger of the god who can make the hungry demon laugh, his joke-telling skills are really high."

"Fontaine has won."

"Waaaaah, it's over, our Liyue is going to be wiped out by the Kingdom..."

The Liyue stands erupted in wailing, with countless people covering their faces and weeping, convinced that their nation's honor was about to be erased. Xia Mi, in the VIP seats, buried her face in her hands, unable to bear watching the referee declare Liyue the loser.

Is this truly the fate of Liyue?!

"Wait! Look! She's still holding on, Li Yue hasn't lost yet!"

A gasp pierced the sorrow, and all eyes turned to the center of the arena.

Kyoko knelt on the ground, her cheeks bulging like a taut bun, her muscles trembling with tension, but she was still tense!

"Stop pretending, just laugh it off." Felix walked over to her, squatted down, and gently tugged at her hair. His tone was teasing. "Why force yourself, meow? Enjoy life while you can, laugh it off, and then accept the consequences of having your national dignity erased, okay, you little punk?"

Kyoko: "Ugh..."

"Heh, still tense."

Felix snorted coldly and reached for Kyoko's armpit...

"Hey, let's stop here."

A cold female voice suddenly interrupted her actions, causing an uproar in the entire arena. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound—the white-haired girl who was least favored before the competition and had an exceptionally beautiful appearance was still standing on the field!

The murmurs from the stands surged like waves, the clamor rising and falling in layers:

"Wait a minute, why isn't this Liyue player smiling at all?"

"Hahaha, you probably didn't even understand the joke, did you?"

"Run! You're lucky you've held on this long!"

However, only Xia Mi's eyes rekindled with hope—although she didn't know why she hadn't been amused yet, things had come to this point, and this girl named Sylvia was Liyue's last hope!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Felix exclaimed, slightly surprised. "This is a lame joke I've been thinking about for days. There's no way anyone wouldn't laugh! Did you somehow block your hearing so you didn't hear my joke?"

"She didn't." The referee shook his head and looked at Cheng Cheng. "It's your turn."