Chapter 194: Obsequies Performed, A Long Road Ahead 『 Part One 』
「 Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight, Qingzu explained that the position of General was currently being held by Fu Xuan in an acting capacity. As they spoke, Fu Xuan approached the group. Forcing herself to perk up, she offered a faint smile. "Sigh, it's a pleasure to see you all here today."
"Collating casualties and losses, dispatching forces to round up the remnants of the Disciples, submitting battle reports to the Six Charioteers... Now I know what Jing Yuan meant when he said 'the highest throne faces the strongest winds.'"
Fu Xuan let out a soft sigh, then looked up at Welt and the others behind him. "Since I am acting as General, it is only natural that I thank you all for your righteous assistance on behalf of the Luofu authorities. Now that matters have concluded, it is time for us to be open and honest."
March 7th's eyes suddenly widened, and she clenched her fists in excitement. "Oooo! All those benefits that the general promised, they're finally here! Yippee!"
"Yes, the Astral Express has braved great evil for the Luofu. Your devotion is evident. After discussions with the Six Charioteers, you are henceforth sworn allies of the Luofu. Within the Luofu's jurisdiction, you are to be treated with the highest standard of diplomatic protocol."
The group looked at one another, and finally, Welt spoke up. "On behalf of the Astral Express, I thank Master Diviner." 」
「 .....」
〜Zenless Zone Zero World〜
New Eridu—
"Huh? That's it?"
Nicole slammed her hand on the table with a loud thwack, her ample chest swaying with her exaggerated movements. She narrowed her eyes, looking at Fu Xuan's smiling expression on the light screen, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Are those really the only rewards? Just a few words like 'sworn allies' and 'highest standard of diplomatic protocol,' and that's it? Aren't they even shelling out any Credit Points? Isn't Xianzhou being a bit too stingy?"
"Doesn't Stelle like those shiny, sparkling gems? What were they called… Stellar Jades? Shouldn't they give Stelle more of those? Like eighty or a hundred thousand? The Luofu Xianzhou is so vast and wealthy, it's not like they can't afford it!"
Billy shrank back a bit, reminding her in a small voice,
"Uh… Boss Nicole, I think there's a possibility that… the Xianzhou people believe a promise is more valuable than material goods. In their eyes, the help from Stelle and the others can't be measured by material value. Settling it with Credits or Stellar Jades would actually belittle their contribution."
"Hmph, I get the logic, but they should at least… show a little something, right?"
Nicole huffed dissatisfiedly.
"Promises alone… are like empty checks. Although eating and drinking for free on the Xianzhou these past few days has been great, it still feels like something's missing."
She then muttered under her breath,
"If only I could eat, drink, and take things for free on the Xianzhou for the rest of my life…"
A drop of machine oil seeped from Billy's forehead.
"Hey now, Boss Nicole, eating and drinking for free is one thing, but taking things for free is going too far! Even Phantylia never dreamed of such a thing!"
—
「 "Wow, even though they didn't give us anything tangible, it sounds pretty cool…" March 7th was still somewhat chirpy.
"Now that the thanks are out of the way, I have one more matter to consult with you all. Please, come this way." Fu Xuan's expression suddenly turned serious as she led the group to a nearby archive shelf.
"The disaster of the Stellaron, the rebirth of the Ambrosial Arbor, the uprising of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus… I must submit a formal document detailing the beginning and end of all this to the Alliance high-level for investigation. However, as I was personally involved, I may have been more or less influenced by external forces, and my knowledge may be biased."
Fu Xuan intended to hoped they could help piece together the details of the narrative. This wasn't difficult; after the group recounted what they had seen and heard, Fu Xuan handed an item to them, hoping they would deliver it to Yukong.
"Tingyun's things?"
"Yes." Fu Xuan nodded. "The scene was in chaos at the time. After Phantylia revealed her form, Tingyun's body seemed to evaporate into thin air. The Cloud Knights only found the fan she carried with her."
As she spoke, Fu Xuan handed a broken folding fan to the group. The ribs of the fan were charred black, and the edges seemed to have been licked by fire; one could only faintly glimpse its former elegance through the remaining patterns on the silk surface.
"Whether the Tingyun who traveled with us was a puppet controlled by Phantylia or some kind of obscuring illusion, none of it can be investigated for now."
Fu Xuan shook her head with a sigh. "I have prepared for the worst. Given the Legion's style, the Sky-Faring Commission's Amicassador herself is likely… in grave danger." 」
「 .....」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
Inside the Butterfly Mansion, the large infirmary fell into an eerie silence. Zenitsu sat blankly on the hospital bed, his lips trembling slightly, as a tiny crack snapped across the teacup in his hand.
"It's a lie… it must be a lie…"
His voice sounded as if it were being squeezed out of his throat.
"That kind and cute Miss Tingyun… her fate is unknown…"
As if his sanity had completely snapped, Zenitsu suddenly grabbed his head and began rolling frantically on the floor.
"AAAAHHH! Something must be wrong! Miss Tingyun won't die! That Phantylia person would make mistakes, too, right? Right?!"
Tanjiro, standing nearby, tried to comfort him.
"Zenitsu, calm down…"
"How can I be calm!"
Zenitsu jumped up abruptly, tears streaming from his eyes.
"That was the first girl I liked on the Xianzhou! My pure feelings! And now you're telling me they were all wasted on a villain?! We don't even know if the real Miss Tingyun is alive or dead… WAAAAAH!"
Inosuke interrupted impatiently,
"Shut up! Isn't she just a woman?! Isn't Yukong a Foxian too? Why don't you just go like Yukong instead?"
"What do you know?! Although Lady Yukong is also great, her style is that of a mature, sexy, and intellectual big sister! Miss Tingyun is the cute, playful, and charming type! Their styles are worlds apart!"
"Besides, how do you know I don't already like Lady Yukong?!"
Aoi walked past Zenitsu with a look of pure disgust, her cold gaze as if she were looking at a buzzing fly.
"To be able to say you're unfaithful with such self-righteousness… You really are scum."
—
「 As for how to handle the matter regarding Tingyun, Fu Xuan decided to leave it to her fellow Foxians, so she had already reported the situation to the Sky-Faring Commission.
Having said all this, Fu Xuan went back to her work. However, Stelle noticed that March 7th was staring at Fu Xuan's retreating back, looking a bit distracted.
"March, what are you thinking about?" Stelle waved her hand in front of March 7th's eyes.
"Oh... Actually, I was wondering if Diviner Fu could do me a favor." March 7th is recalled. "The Matrix of Prescience has amazing powers, and can iterate and reiterate Kafka's past... So it got me thinking — if I turned the Matrix on me, could it calculate my past?"
"You really are a little genius."
"Hee-hee, yup! When you're free, let's head over to the Divination Commission together and ask them for a favor." At the thought of uncovering her past, March 7th was filled with excitement. 」
「 .....」