After a sweeping restructuring, the Starlight Feather Squad suffered a crushing Waterloo in their very first match!
“The former brilliance of Starlight has dimmed. Will it ever shine brightly again?”
“Starlight may fade, but it will never vanish. Give the Starlight Feather Squad your support! After some adjustment, they won’t let us down!”
...
Ye Thirteen’s face darkened. After skimming the intel, he clicked open today’s match footage of the Starlight Feather Squad.
The squad had been streamlined from ten members to five—a move that genuinely expanded their breathing room.
Most ten-member squads were veteran teams packed with old rivals who’d fought Ye Thirteen tooth and nail.
Five-member squads, by contrast, were mostly newcomers. Given Starlight Feather’s situation, dropping to this division was a viable path.
After all, all five current members held General Rank—a top-tier lineup even among five-member squads.
Logically, they should’ve shone brightly here.
Then, recruit a few key players, rebuild a powerful ten-member squad, and make a triumphant return to the main league.
Yet despite Ye Thirteen’s Monarch Rank status and overwhelming strength, his position within the squad was awkward.
First: he insisted on wearing a mask during appearances and refused false product endorsements.
This displeased the capital now controlling Starlight Feather. “If you won’t ‘hype’ the product, what’s the point of you endorsing it?”
His commercial value was simply too low.
Second: Ye Thirteen’s philosophy clashed with most current members.
He sought only to explore new possibilities for Demonhunters.
They craved spotlight—to attract fans, secure higher standing, and gain influence.
But Ye Thirteen’s combat orders deliberately downplayed their “spotlight moments,” making them believe he feared being upstaged.
With backing from higher-ups, his orders were ignored long before he left—even his captaincy was stripped away.
This was the core reason behind Starlight Feather’s decline.
Ye Thirteen was strong, but those behind him distrusted him—and would stab him in the back.
Other squads fought 10 versus 10. He fought 1 versus 19. How could he win?
Frankly, keeping Starlight Feather from disqualification was already an incredible feat...
Cigarette in hand, Ye Thirteen watched the footage intently. A faint smirk slowly crept onto his lips.
A squad’s essence lies not in individual brilliance, but in unity—even if it means concealing one’s own edge.
This defeat happened because every member was too eager to “perform.”
Charging alone, picked off one by one.
Formation scattered like stars—utterly chaotic.
Their opponents weren’t strong; two were merely Sixth-Tier Soldier Rank.
Yet Starlight Feather was humiliated, becoming today’s laughingstock.
“A bunch of assholes!”
Furious, Ye Thirteen shut off the screen and stormed to the balcony, smoking in the cold night air.
No snow fell tonight.
Exhaling smoke, he gazed at the moon—and a graceful figure flashed in his mind.
If only he’d firmly rejected that person’s advances back then... perhaps Xiao Xi and the others wouldn’t have left.
Then Starlight Feather might still be the squad it once was.
But Ye Thirteen knew: this world has everything except “what ifs.”
One must always look forward.
...
“A bunch of assholes!”
Not long after Ye Thirteen’s curse, Starlight Feather’s higher-ups were swearing too.
They’d rigged the draw to avoid strong opponents for the squad’s debut.
And this was the result?!
Damn it! Five elites of General Rank—defeated by a squad of three Generals and two Soldiers?!
Worse, trolls flooded comments: “If Marshal Night were still here, how could they play so poorly?” Their faces turned pitch black.
Yet sorrow isn’t shared by all. Qu Xuelin was grinning ear to ear.
“Hah! Serves you right! Starlight Feather Squad—good riddance! Hahaha! After how brutally you beat me up back then, never thought you’d see this day!”
Though none of his old tormentors remained, the petty old man gloated freely.
But seeing endless “Marshal Night” comments, Qu Xuelin’s expression grew solemn.
The man Old Zhao mentioned days ago was none other than the former captain—who’d quit.
If it was *him*? More than qualified. Downright overpowered.
His honors were legendary:
Pioneer of Demonhunters in the Dragon Realm!
First to achieve a grand slam of Alliance championships!
Founder of the close-combat mage style!
Universally acknowledged top Monarch Rank!
Revered by millions as Marshal Night—a man of blazing legend.
Even Qu Xuelin, who fancied himself “heaven’s number one, earth’s number two, and me number three,” bowed respectfully to him.
And he felt no shame—only honor.
Those once defeated by him now stood as titans.
To face Marshal Night was once a badge of pride.
Not just anyone could stand before him as an opponent.
Though he’d slipped slightly from the top tier, his past glory remained undeniable.
To think such a man was cast aside by those bloodsuckers... truly lamentable.
Yet after leaving, he joined no other Alliance squad.
No one knew where the hell he’d vanished to.
Qu Xuelin had no leads.
Truth was, countless factions hunted Ye Thirteen.
Worthless to capitalists—but a god to major powers.
But as they say: Marshal Night remains Marshal Night.
Every connection, every intelligence channel deployed—still no trace of where he’d wandered.
And everyone found it perfectly normal.
First: Ye Thirteen’s records were national secrets in the Dragon Realm.
Only a handful of top figures could access them.
Network tracking? Impossible. State agencies guarded it fiercely to protect him.
Second: his personal power was simply too overwhelming. Physical tracking? Also impossible.
So yes—no one finding Ye Thirteen? Entirely normal.
