Chapter 169: Aha Finds This Truly Amusing
High above the Ambrosial Arbor, a strange gathering was underway.
When Leon arrived, he found Nanook, Nous, Qlipoth the Amber Lord, and Aha seated around a table. That's right—they were playing divination stones again. They were, after all, just idling away the time.
Not long ago, Aha had proposed they "break out of prison," an idea to which they had all readily agreed. Of course, the so-called prison break was little more than them showing their faces in the Shackling Prison before walking out in plain sight. If Aha had truly wanted to escape, He would have hardly needed help from others.
On this little excursion, even Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, hadn't harmed a single soul on the Xianzhou.
"Hahaha! Zixuan, you should have seen Jing Yuan's face... it was absolutely priceless!" Aha slapped the table and roared with laughter, the eyes under his mask curving into gleeful crescents.
Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, nodded with a faint smile. With a delicate tap of his fingertip, a phantom Light Cone materialized before them. At the center of the image, General Jing Yuan stood frozen, holding a wanted poster. His expression was utterly vacant, his fingers trembling almost imperceptibly.
Leon chuckled. "So, what are your plans now? This little play on the Xianzhou can't last much longer."
The gathering of Aeons on the Luofu had been a spontaneous whim—like a few friends agreeing to hang out. The most important part was simply getting together; what they did afterward was entirely improvised. Now that the spectacle was mostly over, Leon posed the question casually.
"Back. Building walls," Qlipoth stated, as concise as ever.
Nanook and Nous remained silent, while Fuli merely offered another enigmatic smile.
"Tch, you guys are so boring..." Aha swayed his head from side to side. "Aha is different. Aha plans to spread these Light Cones from the Luofu across the entire universe, so everyone knows that five Aeons once visited the Xianzhou as guests!"
Just imagining the scene sent Aha into another fit of laughter.
"Interesting," Leon's lips curled into a slight smirk. "You don't mind if I include these in the game, too, do you?"
He had already finished the content for the Belobog arc and was planning its release. As for the Luofu... coordinating its debut with Aha's "promotional campaign" would surely yield even better results. Whether the other factions in the universe would believe it was another matter, but since the Light Cones were already made...
"Of course! But Aha plans to use this Light Cone to 'set some bait'—you don't mind, right?" Aha grinned, pulling out another Light Cone.
In the center of this new image, Cocolia stood before a massive crowd, her expression solemn as she appeared to be shouting something with great conviction. The title of the Light Cone was strikingly provocative: Cocolia: When Has Preservation Ever Spared Us a Single Glance?
Leon's eyelid twitched. Belobog had only just established diplomatic relations with the Interstellar Peace Corporation. If this Light Cone were to spread... putting all else aside, the Corporation might turn hostile on the spot, and Jarilo-VI would find itself in a world of trouble.
Of course, it wasn't that much trouble.
After all... Qlipoth Himself was sitting right here.
"Qlipoth..." Leon turned his head, his lips pulling into a handsome, calculating arc. "When the time comes, please give that little girl on Jarilo-VI a 'glance.' It would be best to coordinate with Aha so the whole universe can see it."
He paused for a moment, a glint of mischief in his eyes, before adding, "The timing has to be precise. Wait until after those people from the IPC's Market Development Department turn hostile, then let everyone witness you looking toward Jarilo-VI."
"And by the way," Leon continued, a sly smile now playing on his face, "remember to give her enough power to shut the Corporation up for good."
The Interstellar Peace Corporation was a mixed bag. It had its fair share of reasonable people like Topaz, Aventurine, and Jade, but it was also crawling with detestable opportunists. Striking back just as the latter revealed their true colors... now that would be a truly interesting scene to watch.
"Yes, yes, yes! Exactly!" Aha was instantly overjoyed, practically bouncing in his seat. "Aha can already imagine it! I can see their faces now!"
Qlipoth considered this for a moment. "...Okay."
The Amber Lord nodded. Had this suggestion come from Aha, Qlipoth would have certainly ignored it. But since it was Leon's idea... it was worth considering. As for the Interstellar Peace Corporation, Qlipoth couldn't care less about them.
---
On another part of the Luofu, the Astral Express crew met up with "Tingyun" once more.
"I had thought that once the matter with the Divination Commission was settled, my duties as a guide would be concluded," Tingyun began, her smile sweet and her tone as soft as silk. "I didn't expect the General to hold you all in such high regard. It seems I must continue to accompany you. Fate is truly unpredictable."
"We've been through life and death together!" Stelle declared, patting her shoulder with friendly enthusiasm.
"Benefactor, you must be joking," Tingyun chuckled, covering her mouth as her eyes gleamed. "The trouble I've encountered traveling with you is more than I've faced in ten years with the merchant caravans. I only hope the road ahead is smooth—you must protect me."
"Leave it to us!" Caelus puffed out his chest confidently.
"This is a great opportunity to earn some merit for the Sky-Faring Commission," March 7th added with a smile.
"I understand. The Luofu is in peril, and the Six Charioteers should stand united," Tingyun sighed softly, her smile a picture of grace. "Alas, you saved my life at Cloudford, Benefactors, so this time... consider it my way of repaying you all."
"Is Miss Tingyun afraid of danger?" Welt asked, his gaze fixed on her. He felt something was subtly off. With five Aeons currently on the Xianzhou Luofu, there could be no situation more dangerous than the one they were already in. It was probably better not to tell her that, though. Seeing Tingyun's timid appearance, he assumed she was simply worried for her safety.
'Phantylia must be so grateful for their concern,' a hidden thought echoed.
"The General also mentioned there's a traitor within the Xianzhou," Tingyun said softly, as if it were a casual remark. "But to be able to bring a Stellaron onto the Luofu, bypass all surveillance, and plant it in the Ambrosial Arbor... such means could likely only be achieved by someone from the Six Charioteers."
In truth, she was the very person who had secretly brought the Stellaron to the Xianzhou Luofu.
"The Six Charioteers? It couldn't possibly be the General, right?" Stelle touched her chin, her expression dead serious.
Everyone fell silent.
"How is that possible!" March 7th slapped her own forehead in exasperation.
"Makes sense," Caelus followed the impeccable logic. "Then... it wouldn't be the Grand Diviner, would it?"
Again, silence.
"The Grand Diviner is even more impossible!"
"Since it's neither of them, it must be Yukong," Stelle and Caelus said in unison, a look of sudden, shared realization dawning on their faces.
"I didn't say anything. I'm just... raising the doubts in my heart," Tingyun lowered her eyes, hiding a fleeting smile as her tone remained gentle and helpless. "Benefactors... please be careful along the way."
"It totally feels like you and Yukong don't get along, Tingyun," March 7th couldn't help but mutter. "Isn't she your direct superior?"
She couldn't shake the feeling that Tingyun's words were meant to point the finger directly at the Helm Master. Although March herself had some minor complaints about Yukong's strictness, she wouldn't hold a grudge over it.
Behind his glasses, Welt's gaze flickered. He felt the exact same way.
"Oh, my..." Tingyun chuckled, covering her mouth again. Her eyes conveyed a perfect measure of helplessness. "My relationship with the Helm Master is perfectly fine, of course... Those words just now were merely a passing thought, mentioned casually."
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