The Incense Proving

Hi! We're here to sign up for the Incense Proving! Whew... we aren't too late, are we?

Don't worry. You've still got an hour before registration closes. Please sign here and fill in your team name.

Team name? Oh no... I totally forgot! We've got to come up with one right now.

How about Team "Huge Tentacles"? Sounds awesome, right?

Your taste is just as dreadful as ever... Let's call ourselves "The Artificer's Masterpiece".

Pfft, that's so lame! Your name isn't any better!

...Vita, you decide.

Little Minion... doesn't this feel familiar somehow?

Maybe humans are just wired to do the same thing over and over... Right, let's see. How about...

Minions? No way. Demon Tabethe the Red Hand isn't anyone's minion!

Hmph! The Lunos of Huaxu line up to serve under me. Just don't come crawling back when all the spots are filled!

Ahem... how about we pick something else?

Mm. That's a good one. Let's go with it.

Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's our registration form.

Let me check... Ms Su Yi, Ms Tabethe, and... Vita. Wait, am I seeing this right?

...Are you the young hero who helped put the Nine Chapters of Dafeng back on track during the turmoil in Haojing?

As you Huaxu folk would put it... "Indeed, this unworthy one."

So you're a big deal around here? Who'd have guessed that!

Heh. Since you were there yourself, that saves me having to explain the whole backstory.

Thanks to the reforms you helped set in motion, people are starting to rethink what ordinary folk are capable of.

That's why this year's Proving encourages contestants to take up arms and deal with the Bi'an still running rampant.

So... it's a contest to see who takes down the most monsters, yeah?

Not quite. Most Huaxu folk have never so much as held a weapon, so a pure test of martial skill would be too much.

This year's theme is "Rivalry". Think of it as a treasure hunt: the arena is dotted with caches, each hiding valuables inside. Different treasures grant different Civil Tokens, while defeating Bi'an earns Martial Tokens.

There are five rounds in total. At the end of each round, we tally up each team's total tokens. Teams that place high enough advance.

To win, you'll need to hold off the Sable Bi'an while gathering enough treasure.

Any questions about the rules?

Wow! I was just trying to help someone out, and I've lucked into something this fun!

Bury treasure and let people dig it up? You Huaxu lot must be loaded. Seriously... you just throw money around, don't you? Hee-hee... time to get rich!

Ahem... I think there's been a misunderstanding. The "treasures" are provided by an anonymous Starweaver for scoring purposes only, and must be returned afterwards.

Yeah, yeah. Borrow it, then "return it". No need to explain, I get it. Wink wink~

...Are you quite sure you've understood the rules?

Don't worry. I'll keep her in line.

Tch. Boring.

Good. That's reassuring.

The event will begin shortly. Let me know when you're ready. Best of luck to you and your team.

Ready to enter the arena?

There you are! I saw the whole thing from the stands, you did great! Keep that up and first place is in the bag!

Hmph. That was easy! Told you this kind of treasure-snatching game is right up my alley!

It's a treasure hunt. I can't believe you're still calling it stealing... I guess a leopard can't change its spots.

Hee-hee... so, how about we go out and celebrate, teammates? I've only ever heard people talk about it, but never actually done it. Come on! Let's hit the street stalls and eat our way down the line!

Perfect. That was a great warm-up, I've worked up an appetite.

Seriously, you two. That was just the qualifiers. The Proving's packed with strong teams. This is no time to get full of ourselves.

Our teamwork still needs polishing, so I had Qingluan Type Ⅱ record that round.

They say looking back brings fresh insight, if we review the footage between rounds, we'll spot what we missed and stay a step ahead.

Ugh...! Studying's the worst! Even the matron at the orphanage didn't nag this much. Nope! Not listening! La-la-la!

Hopeless! Vita, back me up, talk some sense into her!

...Vita, seriously? You're taking her side?

Su Yi, you're wound up too tight. A little downtime does us good, right?

... You two are unbelievable.

Come on, then. My treat today, since I'm the one who dragged you into this.

Your treat? So I can order whatever I want? Yes! You said it, you're stuck with me. You'd better make sure all eight of my tentacles are fed... And I'll just hold on to this for now~

...My purse! When did you get your hands on that!? Get back here!

Huh? Where'd they go? They just vanished! Little Minion, come on, we'd better catch up!

Trust me, put your money on Team "The Xuanheng Ascendancy".

Team "The Incensehunters" looks like it's got real potential.

So many teams... and the whole city's talking about it. Huaxu folk really get into the Grand Incense Rite, huh?

It's the biggest event of the year. Naturally, everyone's excited~

Oi, stop dragging your feet, you two! Get over here and queue up!

Yeah! Hurry up! Don't you know street food tastes best when it's fresh and hot?

Those two are weirdly on the same wavelength when food's involved...

It's stacked with the Xuanheng Sect's rising stars. They're the ones to beat this year.

With that white-haired, one-eyed foreigner with them, they're the dark horse this year.

What is wrong with Huaxu people!? They're grilling octopus tentacles on a hotplate!

Mhm~ I know this one! Lunocarp told me Huaxu can turn anything into food. If you can name it, someone here can cook it!

No way... their stomachs must be made of iron. That's kind of impressive, actually.

Hey, I've got money today. One serving, please... no, make it ten!

Hey, don't blow it all at once!

Woah, look at him! A few quick twists of his wrists, and he's made a massive loong! He's so fast you can barely follow it!

That's Mr Zhang, the sugar-figure maker. He's been a favourite with kids in Haojing since I was little. His stall's been here as long as I can remember.

That's incredible...

Shame these won't keep... If only I could take some back to Hyperborea, so the other kids could have a taste...

I've got an idea, let's take some photos. That way, we can hold on to it.

You've got a camera? Ooh, fancy.

So what are we waiting for? Quick, start with the food over there!

Let me see...

Huh!? Someone told me you're meant to look like this in photos... aren't you?

Good. That's the point, I'm the star!

Heh-heh~ C'mon, let's move it! We've barely made a dent in this street yet!

Little Minion! While we're at it, let's take a group photo!