As Leon extended his hand, Yanqing stared intently at his movements.
Soon, seven or eight silver needles pierced the back of his hand.
"…"
Yanqing froze entirely.
These points—he was very familiar with them!
As Leon slowly twisted the needles, Yanqing felt a warm current flowing along his meridians.
Not only did it refresh his mind, but his arm felt noticeably lighter.
The minor issues accumulated from days of wielding his sword while rushing about faded quickly.
Before he could fully process the sensation, Leon's fluid, almost artistic needle-removal technique caught his attention.
The Alchemy Commission of the Luofu had physicians skilled in acupuncture, and he had seen it many times.
But he had never witnessed anyone whose movements were as deft as Leon's.
"Hegu, Zhongzhu, Yangchi, Waiguan, Baxie…"
"Oh? Does Miss Jingliu have some knowledge of human acupuncture points?" Leon asked knowingly.
"…When I was young, whenever I trained with my Master until my arms were numb and my fingers stiff and sore…"
Jingliu's tone carried a nostalgic longing for a distant past, deep and ethereal.
"She would call for a physician skilled in acupuncture to relieve my discomfort…"
Later, when she became a master herself, she would do the same for her disciple.
"Little brother, whether you believe it or not, and whether your Master ever told you—"
"No need to say more, I trust Mr. Leon!"
Yanqing interrupted Jingliu, bowing apologetically to Leon.
"As a Cloud Knight, I must live up to the responsibilities I bear. For all my previous doubts, I sincerely apologize, Yanqing."
That said, Yanqing didn't fully trust Leon yet.
It was always wise to stay cautious, as the General had reminded him many times.
Jingliu: "Now that you have no lingering concerns and don't need to worry about Leon escaping, shall we begin the spar?"
"How do we determine the winner?"
"Head east all the way to the end, dealing with the mara-struck and abominations along the way. No stragglers allowed. The first to arrive wins."
"Agreed."
"You go first, little brother."
"What about Mr. Leon? He can't keep up with us."
Yanqing hadn't forgotten the physician, unversed in martial arts.
"I have a deal with him and promised to ensure his safety during our journey. I cannot break my word, so you go ahead," Jingliu said calmly.
"Don't worry, I won't slow down just because I'm distracted. If you can't beat me even without any concerns, it means your swordsmanship isn't up to par."
Yanqing's expression soured, but he said nothing, swallowing his frustration and setting off immediately.
Once Yanqing's figure disappeared into the distance, Jingliu prepared to move.
"You're just unfamiliar with the route, right?"
"That's one way to put it."
Leon understood the implication behind Jingliu's words and gave a slight smile.
"Actually, I'm more curious about why you're seeking a Stellaron Hunter."
"Stellaron Hunter… Has he become a Stellaron Hunter now…?"
Jingliu murmured, her figure transforming into a blue afterimage, swift as lightning.
She left only one reply:
"Matters of the past are not easily explained."
Leon spread his wings, gliding low and silently trailing behind the two, lost in thought.
Another coincidence?
As expected of the grand machinations of the Slave of Fate, the effects were beginning to show.
What role did Jingliu play, then? Could she be another far-reaching, hidden thread of influence?
She knew Blade but seemed unaware of his current alias.
This suggested they had interacted in the past.
If Dan Heng was avoiding something or someone—say, Blade—he likely knew Jingliu as well.
If Dan Heng and Jingliu were enemies and he was pursuing her, it would form a peculiar closed loop.
Leon couldn't help but entertain this whimsical thought.
Then, from Jingliu and Yanqing's conversation, it seemed Jingliu was once Jing Yuan's Master.
This implied Jing Yuan likely knew both Dan Heng and Blade.
Yanqing had also mentioned the Moon Rage Rebellion.
A bold guess: Dan Heng was once the Vidyadhara High Elder, Imbibitor Lunae. Perhaps due to that unknown rebellion, he was banned from setting foot on the Luofu.
The fragmented clues were connecting more deeply.
Blade's appearance on the Luofu likely caused a stir, leading to his predictable arrest.
When the Stellaron erupted, Kafka brought intelligence to the Astral Express, guiding the crew to change course for the Luofu.
Besides helping the Luofu overcome the crisis, she mentioned aiding Blade's escape.
The excuse was flimsy, clearly a pretext. The real goal was to ensure Dan Heng knew Blade was on the Luofu.
If correct, Dan Heng, worried for his companions, would likely change his mind and disembark.
He might already be on the Luofu.
However, with the Luofu's many delve areas and the Stellaron Hunters jamming signals, cutting off communication with the Express crew, reuniting would be difficult.
Verifying this guess wasn't hard—just see if Dan Heng could be contacted in the next couple of days.
If not, it was likely the work of that hacker Hunter.
Splitting those who entered the Luofu into three groups was roughly one open Hegemony, two Shadow.
The mastermind behind the Stellaron crisis could see the overt side but might not know the covert one.
That covert side—Dan Heng or himself—was likely the key backup plan.
In other words, Dan Heng's side would surely encounter a "guide" like Jingliu.
Piecing together the intelligence gathered since arriving on the Luofu, Leon knew what he had to do.
In the words of some Masked Fools: he was an actor drifting between the script's lines, his role highly unstable.
Whether he stood at the forefront or behind the scenes was entirely up to his freedom.
In Elio's script, he was the greatest variable.
His role in this drama was not unlike Sampo's in Jarilo, guiding the way.
Seemingly insignificant on the surface but critical in the clutch.
He was familiar with this.
Whether he was being manipulated didn't matter.
The Stellaron Hunters' schemes likely aimed to protect the Express crew—or rather, Stelle.
Their goals aligned.
The Hunters would get what they wanted, and he would get what he desired.
This confirmed the saying:
Everyone has a bright future.
As the broader picture became clear, Leon's brow relaxed completely.
The plan remained unchanged.
He would follow his will to the final act of this script.
As a member of the Sky Haven Clan walking the Path of Mercy, he was protected by the Mercy Authority.
He couldn't be harmed or betrayed by those of equal standing.
The only thing that could hurt them was the sacrifice that burned body and soul.
He hoped that hidden Emanator had the ability to make him give everything, ultimately forming a dagger that pierced his body.
A dagger that stabbed not just him but countless players in parallel worlds.
A free actor performed as if in a play, yet it wasn't mere acting.
Life was a play, and the play was life.
True or false, there was no distinction between right and wrong.
When all sacrifices paid were real, the play became reality—how could there be anything false about it?
Leon reined in his thoughts, his gaze falling to the ground.
The spar between Jingliu and Yanqing had only one possible outcome from the start.
Their strengths were on different levels, and now it was nearing its end.
However, an unexpected turn arose.
"Jingliu's emotions are growing agitated, almost touching the edge of mara…"
Leon took out an incense burner, using a gust of wind to carry the fragrance downward.
As the scented breeze brushed past her cheek, the glowing red eyes beneath Jingliu's black veil gradually calmed.
The tranquility startled her, and she turned to look behind her.
The man, somehow keeping pace, leaned against the railing of a nearby walkway, smiling at her.
His eyes were like a deep, unfathomable lake.
It seemed this was his diagnostic gaze, part of their exchange.