Thinking of certain impolite possibilities, Stelle quietly shook off her jumbled thoughts.
Leon had once advised her to fearlessly assume the worst of others when out in the world.
But speculating about others' relationships was unnecessary… and rude.
The Astral Express trio bid farewell to Qingque and left the Divination Commission with Tingyun.
"I never expected the General to hold you all in such high regard. Looks like this little lady has no choice but to keep tagging along. Fate is truly unpredictable," Tingyun said, strolling unhurriedly toward the Starskiff Haven.
Stelle: "Unpredictable? Are you afraid of the danger?"
Tingyun: "Would you like the truth or a polite lie?"
"Both… no, just the truth."
"The truth is: the trouble I've encountered traveling with you exceeds all the trouble I've faced in ten years of sailing with the trade guild."
Tingyun's large tail drooped, her tone full of worry.
"This little lady hopes the road ahead is smooth. You'll protect me, won't you, benefactor?"
Stelle silently stared at Tingyun's back.
She'd protect her, of course, but—
Was this smooth-talking, big-tailed fox really as helpless as she seemed?
Unlike Qingque, in Stelle's mind, Tingyun perfectly fit the criteria for assuming the worst…
…
As the Trailblaze team headed toward the Artisanship Commission,
Meanwhile, at the Alchemy Commission, Leon was staring intently at the Ambrosial Arbor, which had pierced the sky and was reborn anew.
The force behind the Ambrosial Arbor's revival was undoubtedly the Stellaron.
Not long ago, he'd taken advantage of the commotion caused by the Ambrosial Arbor's resurgence to discreetly send positioning coordinates to Jing Yuan.
If Jing Yuan understood his intent, it wouldn't be long before the Cloud Knights stormed in, throwing the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus into disarray.
"White Owl, you're awake?"
Leon switched to an appropriate expression and turned to look behind him.
"Green Hibiscus? Weren't you the one I chopped up?"
"???"
Green Hibiscus's face turned as green as his name, nearly dyeing the question marks above his head green too.
"When did you chop me up?"
"Could I have remembered wrong? After I sabotaged the Matrix of Prescience Ultima at the Divination Commission, it was you who brought me to the Alchemy Commission, right?"
"…" Green Hibiscus's face twitched.
Before he could respond, Leon continued his act, speaking to himself:
"At that time, I noticed my body sprouting branches, and my joints were forming powerful thorn blades."
"I was thrilled, but then I realized my mind couldn't control my body."
"In a moment of carelessness… I hacked you into seventeen or eighteen pieces."
Hearing this, Green Hibiscus swallowed hard, a trace of lingering fear in his eyes.
Damn…
Thank goodness he wasn't the one who guided White Owl to the Alchemy Commission, or he'd have died for nothing.
The Leader would never punish White Owl for killing a fellow member over something like that.
Everyone in the organization knew that most initiates who first manifest the Verdant Aspect lose their sanity and become extremely volatile.
Attacking everyone around them without a word? That's just another day at the office.
The guide was just plain unlucky, running into White Owl, who was far stronger than him.
No, not just unlucky—running into a madman!
Even Xianzhou natives wouldn't dare down three Dragoncoil Elixirs at once.
But this lunatic White Owl did.
"The one you chopped up was someone else. Oh, White Owl, White Owl—should I say you've got guts, or that you're a reckless calf unafraid of tigers?"
"What do you mean?" Leon feigned confusion.
"Who taught you to take three Dragoncoil Elixirs at once?"
Green Hibiscus eyed him like he was some kind of freak.
"If your physique wasn't so strong and you didn't have a martial arts foundation, you'd probably have exploded within a minute of taking them."
"And the death would've been gruesome—being torn to pieces would be the light version."
Leon put on a look of sudden realization, then licked his lips.
"I've even dared to personally taste newly developed poisons to test their effects. What's a mere Dragoncoil Elixir?"
Green Hibiscus's face twitched wildly: "???"
What a guy!
A mere Dragoncoil Elixir?
If it were anyone else, he'd mock them for bragging.
But this guy actually took three!
The organization's alchemist cultivators personally checked, and as Purple Moonflower predicted, the results were spot-on.
An outsider, a short-life species.
Two buffs stacked together, maxed out.
Truly a ruthless man who tests poisons himself.
Setting aside their differing allegiances, Green Hibiscus gave Leon a big thumbs-up.
"Brother, you're something else."
"I sure am," Leon replied, accepting the praise without hesitation, all to maintain the persona he'd crafted for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
"By the way, I won't face any consequences for killing the guide, right?"
Speaking of which, though they had no personal grudge, he hadn't hesitated in the slightest.
Leon felt no guilt whatsoever.
How does a follower of the Path of Mercy know if someone qualifies for redemption?
Simple.
Check if they exude the aura of malevolent karma.
Those who've committed unforgivable sins carry a unique karmic taint, unworthy of Mercy's grace.
Some might even draw the purging wrath of a Mercy follower.
So far, every Disciple of Sanctus Medicus cultivator he'd met was far from innocent.
When humans slaughter livestock, they might feel a pang of compassion.
But slaughtering those worse than livestock? No psychological burden at all.
"You made a great contribution by sabotaging the Matrix of Prescience Ultima. Your merit outweighs any fault—no one will trouble you over this," Green Hibiscus said honestly.
"The Leader should be back soon. If you rise high in the future, don't forget to give me a hand."
"Don't forget the one who dug the well when you drink its water. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had this opportunity, right?"
Leon's eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into a strange arc.
"Of course I won't forget Brother Green Hibiscus. If that day comes, I'll be sure to properly thank you for your kindness…"
If this guy isn't caught and killed by the Cloud Knights, when he's locked up, he'll get some "extra" attention.
What a grateful guy I am.
Leon thought with nine parts, no, ten parts Elation.
In the shadows, Aha laughed smugly.
Isn't this cunning Forgetful One of a brother charming?
Hehe~
I tuned him~~
It wasn't easy—took a good few hundred Amber Eras.
Green Hibiscus nodded with satisfaction.
"Good brother, it wasn't in vain that I recommended you to Lord Purple Moonflower."
"How did I regain my original form? Do you know?" Leon casually probed for information.
In truth, the Verdant Aspect he displayed in the eyes of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus was just an Elation trick to deceive them.
To be precise, it was the mask of a Masked Fool.
Not every Fool's mask has this function, but since Aha stole one that does, why not use it?
Don't ask—ask, and it's Aha forcing him to mooch off someone else's props.
"Darling, you're so devious. Aha's gonna like you more and more. Hug hug~~~~~"
"Stay away from me."