Chapter 185: The Wrong Kind of Reunion
"Pfft..."
Hearing Fu Xuan's confident judgment, Leon couldn't suppress a soft chuckle.
With that level of deduction, it was no wonder Jing Yuan was so reluctant to step down. He was probably terrified that if he handed over power on the first day, the entire Luofu would descend into chaos by the second.
"You're laughing... Heh. Does Mr. Zixuan perhaps have a better opinion?"
The sound of laughter sparked a flash of annoyance in Fu Xuan, but the moment she realized it was Leon, her sharp tone immediately softened.
The members of the Astral Express crew exchanged subtle, knowing glances. This esteemed Lady Grand Diviner was being just a little too obvious about her favoritism.
The tips of Fu Xuan's ears warmed under their collective gaze, and she fumed internally. 'If I wasn't half-convinced you were Akivili reborn, I'd show you what this Grand Diviner can really do!'
"A better opinion? Not necessarily," Leon spoke in a leisurely drawl. "It's just that, logically speaking, shouldn't our first suspicion be that the real Tingyun has already met with misfortune?"
He tilted his head. "Does the Grand Diviner truly believe Tingyun is the type of person who would turn traitor so easily?"
"I certainly didn't mean that," Fu Xuan pursed her lips. "But we cannot entirely rule out the possibility..."
If it were Yukong standing here, she would have vouched for Tingyun's loyalty without a second thought. But while Fu Xuan and Tingyun were acquaintances, they weren't particularly close.
"Phantylia is obsessed with the dual destruction of spirit and matter. She is accustomed to leading the flesh to its demise through the collapse of the soul," Leon explained with a faint, analytical smile. "But the 'Tingyun' who accompanied us showed no signs of being bewitched or manipulated. Her words and actions were her own. If she wasn't her true self, then the most likely scenario is... she was Phantylia in disguise from the very beginning."
As for the real Tingyun... she was still a guest over at Ruan Mei's place. Leon mentally calculated the time; she should be waking up soon. Much faster than in the game, at least.
He smirked to himself. He wondered if she would make it back before her 'home' was metaphorically torn down. If the timing was just right, and Tingyun returned after Phantylia's plot was exposed but before the Lord Ravager's true form was revealed... what kind of creative excuse would Yukong invent to settle that particular score?
Leon was very much looking forward to finding out.
"So Tingyun..." Fu Xuan's voice dropped, the implications sinking in. "She has already sacrificed herself?"
Leon only smiled and said nothing, letting her draw her own conclusions. He certainly hadn't said that; she had inferred it all on her own.
A somber mood settled over the group. The memory of the Foxian girl with the charming, ever-present smile now felt heavy and tragic.
"...My apologies," Fu Xuan said softly. She was never one to shy away from admitting a mistake.
"But was Tingyun really killed?" Welt suddenly spoke up, his sharp gaze cutting through the gloom. "If she had already met a grisly end, why would Phantylia bother to destroy the evidence? Wouldn't leaving the remains for her old friends to find better suit her twisted aesthetics of destruction?"
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I believe this is Phantylia's true goal—to make us lose our footing through suspicion and confusion, to make us fall completely into her schemes."
"Is that so?!" March 7th's eyes lit up, and she and the others immediately turned to Leon for confirmation.
Leon merely offered a slight, enigmatic smile, neither confirming nor denying anything.
But strangely, that non-answer was all the reassurance the Astral Express crew needed.
"No wonder the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus dared to revolt... so they were in league with a Lord Ravager all along." Fu Xuan quickly organized her thoughts, her mind snapping back to the crisis at hand. "Phantylia used Tingyun's appearance to bring the Stellaron into the Luofu, intending for us to destroy ourselves from within."
"Her target must be the Ambrosial Arbor. Tampering with the Arbor is no different from shaking the very foundations of the Luofu."
"Once she succeeds, the collapse of the Xianzhou will happen in an instant..."
"There is no time to lose. We must stop her."
With the crisis far from over, Fu Xuan had no time to wallow in sadness. Even if she were to mourn, it would have to wait until the dust had settled. She swiftly led the Astral Express crew toward a waiting starskiff.
"Ahead is the explore where the Ambrosial Arbor is sealed—Scalegorge Waterscape. We depart immediately."
"Phantylia lurked among us, acting under the guise of a Xianzhou native, making fools of us all... Truly hateful," Fu Xuan said, gritting her teeth.
"What's more worrying is just how many pawns of the Antimatter Legion are still hiding in the shadows of the Xianzhou..." she sighed softly.
"Everything happened so suddenly... but Mr. Yang is right," March 7th couldn't help but mutter. "Thinking back now, Miss Tingyun did have many oddities, especially her excessive enthusiasm for the Abominations of Abundance."
"Since the Sky-Faring Commission once sent out an Amicassador, it proves that a person named Tingyun does exist. The Cloud Knights will do their utmost to investigate her whereabouts," Fu Xuan declared solemnly. "As for the 'Tingyun' who was by our side... just as Mr. Welt said, the malice and cruelty she displayed were all meant to disturb our minds. We must not fall into her trap."
"I have already reported the current situation to the Seat of Divine Foresight. The General hasn't been heard from since our communication via the Matrix of Prescience, only saying there was an urgent matter he had to attend to in person..."
She looked toward the distant, swirling clouds and mist. "Right now, the situation is as precarious as a pile of eggs... We can only trust the General."
...
Not long ago, Yanqing, having rested for a full day, felt his condition completely restored. The regenerative power of the Xianzhou's long-lived species was truly staggering, a proof of the highest blessings of Abundance.
[Yanqing: General, Yanqing has recovered and requests to return to the unit.]
He sent the message to Jing Yuan while already running toward the Seat of Divine Foresight. But the General was slow to reply.
"Did you hear? Fighting broke out over at the Alchemy Commission. The Cloud Knights are battling the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus!"
"The commotion is huge this time. They say the fighting spilled all the way from the IPC Engineering Department to the Alchemy Commission..."
While passing through the streets, the conversation of several Cloud Knights reached Yanqing's ears.
"Excuse me, what happened?" Yanqing immediately stepped forward to ask.
"Lieutenant Yanqing! It's like this..." The Cloud Knight hurried to inform him of the recent developments, one by one.
"I see..." Yanqing's expression hardened, his youthful features taking on a sharp, determined edge. He turned on his heel and began rushing toward the Alchemy Commission.
It was then that his jade abacus chimed.
[Jing Yuan: Yanqing, have you recovered?]
[Jing Yuan: Since you're fine, go to Scalegorge Waterscape first. I'll be there shortly.]
When he received Yanqing's message, Jing Yuan was just walking out of the Shackling Prison, letting out a soft sigh. It was truly a season of many troubles. Since Aha had already left, there was no point in him remaining there any longer. Before leaving, he had ordered the Cloud Knights to bring Jingliu and Luocha along.
According to what Fu Xuan had seen in the Matrix of Prescience, Blade and Dan Heng... would meet again in Scalegorge Waterscape. Since that was the case, he might as well let Jingliu go too. Let old friends reunite and finally settle a debt of karma.
The only pity was... Bai Heng was no longer here.
He hadn't expected a transmission from Yanqing at that very moment. 'Yanqing, oh Yanqing...' Jing Yuan knew very well that it was impossible to expect the fiery young man to stay quietly in his room. He might as well let him go to Scalegorge Waterscape first.
[Yanqing: Yes, General!]
Receiving the reply, Yanqing's spirits lifted. He immediately changed direction and sped toward the nearest starskiff dock, his destination now Scalegorge Waterscape.
...
Deep within the misty, moonlit expanse of Scalegorge Waterscape.
"He's here." Blade heard the approaching footsteps, his lips curling into a near-maniacal arc. "Those emotions... they've appeared again. Kafka, I feel it... that taste again!"
"Hmm... although it's a bit later than expected, no matter." Kafka turned, her gloved finger lifting slightly. "Then release..."
Before she could finish her command, her movements suddenly froze.
The newcomer wasn't Dan Heng.
Instead, it was Yanqing, who had arrived with his sword drawn and a face full of righteous determination.
Kafka: "..."
Blade: "..."
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