"Wow, so smart! Aha wants to pick a flower for Onii-chan~. Brother, brother, look, a flower~~~"
"Done with your fun? Scram already!"
"o(╥﹏╥)o Waaah… waaah… I just wanted to show you this pretty flower…"
Can't stand it!
Leon had no choice but to reward Aha.
Grabbing the mask, he threw it to the ground and stomped on it several times.
There, much better.
Judging by Aha vanishing right after being stomped, it must've felt good too.
Finally, some peace to analyze the intel from Zigui.
"The Abundance Secret Teachings… somewhat familiar…"
"An organization from past memories? My vague impression suggests it wasn't like this before…"
"Zigui's no small fry, but he's not core to the Abundance Secret Teachings either. His intel is limited."
"For now, aside from hunting internal traitors, the Abundance Secret Teachings are secretly brewing a plan."
"Heading to a cavern? Hmm—"
"The Xianzhou has countless caverns. Even knowing a specific name, outsiders might not find it quickly."
"Especially since that guy doesn't even know the details."
"I hope sparing Zigui today brings useful returns later…"
"With the Luofu facing internal and external threats, meeting Jing Yuan won't be easy and might draw the attention of the Abundance Secret Teachings' gardeners."
"The gardeners dared to assassinate Jing Yuan, so traitors are likely involved. Just don't know if any hold high positions."
"General Jing Yuan, oh, General Jing Yuan. Have you made too many enemies, or are you blocking someone's path?"
Leon pondered as he walked.
Unknowingly, he entered the next area.
"Hm? Sounds of fighting."
Not far away.
Reaching the coordinates of the commotion, only one figure remained standing.
A woman in a black-and-blue dress, her eyes covered by a black veil.
Her skin was as pale and translucent as ice, exuding a chilling coldness.
Her white-blue hair was loosely tied with a ribbon, her demeanor aloof.
At her feet lay several Mara-struck corpses.
At first, Leon didn't think she was anything special.
Until she turned, her gaze under the veil casting an emotionless glance.
So she wasn't visually impaired.
The moment the thought arose, Leon sensed something odd.
Her aura…
It was almost indistinguishable from the Mara-struck.
"…You're not from the Luofu."
"So?"
"It's not safe here. You should leave quickly."
"What if I said I came precisely for this unrest?" Leon said meaningfully.
She didn't seem like an enemy of the Xianzhou.
Nor a friend, though.
"…A sense of justice?" the woman said coldly.
"Yes and no."
"You'll die if you get deeply involved."
"Death's nothing to fear. You've experienced it yourself, haven't you?"
"…"
The woman fell silent for a moment, then looked at Leon again, speaking calmly.
"Who are you?"
"Just a wandering doctor with some medical knowledge. Sadly, I can't cure your condition."
Leon smiled slightly.
Her standoffish aura didn't faze him; instead, he stepped closer.
"I'm new here and didn't expect the port to be so empty. It feels quite unsafe."
"You seem familiar with this place. May I travel with you for a bit? In exchange, I'll give you a free diagnosis."
"What do you say?"
"I'm Jingliu."
Jingliu nodded her pale chin lightly and turned to walk away.
"Leon."
Receiving her tacit approval, Leon followed with a smile.
Along the way, neither spoke further.
Their footsteps gradually synced, unclear who was matching whom.
When Mara-struck blocked their path, Jingliu dealt with them casually.
No flair—each sword strike aimed for a lethal blow.
Her aura was fully restrained, making it hard for ordinary people to discern much.
Leon could tell Jingliu wasn't ordinary but had reached a state of returning to simplicity.
Even her sword was conjured at will.
It was clear that if Jingliu wished, anything could be her blade.
After walking further, both stopped simultaneously.
"Does the Luofu usually have so many Mara-struck left unhandled?"
"…"
Jingliu didn't respond, or rather, she sensed the odd tone in Leon's voice and chose not to.
A horde of Mara-struck surged from all directions.
Not a massive number, but enough to block the main path, closing in on them.
"No need to act. Someone's coming—human."
Several flying swords shot from afar, piercing the Mara-struck's vital dantians.
A slightly youthful voice descended from above.
"Don't panic, you two. Cloud Knight Lieutenant here. I'll get you out!"
"Sword like a swallow's leap—"
The flying swords moved as if sentient, weaving and striking. In a few breaths, no Mara-struck remained standing.
Yanqing beckoned, and the swords returned to their sheaths.
"Thank you for saving us, little brother," Jingliu said softly.
Leon showed an intrigued expression.
Since meeting Jingliu, this was the first time he heard emotional fluctuation in her voice.
He wasn't naive enough to think it came from being rescued.
Likely, the sudden appearance of this boy held some significance.
Yanqing approached them quickly, looking puzzled.
"It's my duty. The Luofu's port is under lockdown. You haven't left—didn't you encounter Cloud Knights assisting evacuation?"
Jingliu: "I came on a merchant ship. Lately, shadows of old friends have been circling in my mind."
"I wanted to meet them, relive old times. Didn't expect the Luofu to be so dangerous now."
Hearing this, Yanqing turned to Leon.
Leon kept it brief: "Same here."
Yanqing didn't overthink it and nodded slightly.
"You came at a bad time. The Luofu's had an incident, but soon, the General will resolve everything."
"You can't stay here. I'll escort you to the nearest Cloud Knight post."
"By the way, have you seen—" He paused, noticing Jingliu's veiled eyes. "Sorry, I thought… you can't see?"
"I'm Yanqing, an officially registered Cloud Knight. May I have your names?"
"I'm Jingliu."
"Such a young Cloud Knight? You're a prodigy, little brother Yanqing. Just call me Leon."
Seeing Yanqing's face light up with a mix of pride and warmth, a subtle smile flashed in Leon's eyes.
Impressive skills, but his personality needs some maturing.
"Uh… Sister Jingliu, Brother Leon, I'll lead you for a bit. It might be a detour, but I promise to get you to the Cloud Knights safely."
"Little brother, where are we headed?"
"To the dock. Don't worry, you'll be safe. I'm strong."