『 [ Yes, the reason I brought you all to the Seat of Divine Foresight is that the General has important matters to discuss. How could… ]
[ How could it be that in the blink of an eye, Yunli and I became Miss March's swordplay instructors? ]
Yanqing scratched his head, feeling somewhat bewildered as well.
[ Because… Elder Huaiyan hopes we will stay on the Luofu for a period of time. ]
Dan Heng said after a moment of thought.
[ But aren't we just here to attend the ceremony? ]
Stelle couldn't quite understand.
[ But in his eyes, we are no different from tourists who could leave at any moment. ]
[ Since the Luofu's report to the Alliance included the Express's action records, he must want to see it with his own eyes to confirm if we truly possess the capabilities mentioned in the report, rather than it being just an excuse to gloss over things. ]
[ The Wardance is his touchstone. ]
[ To this end, he even dragged Yunli into it. ]
[ What was originally just a competitive bet between two young people… has now become the two of you teaming up to teach March 7th. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "The older, the wiser indeed!"
Stelle: "With just a few words, General Huaiyan has kept us here to do free labor at any time."
Stelle: "He can even investigate the truth of the matter along the way. Talk about killing multiple birds with one stone!"
Huaiyan: "Hahaha, how can you call it free labor?"
Huaiyan: "After all, Miss March 7th is also very willing to stay on the Luofu to learn swordplay, isn't she?"
Huaiyan: "But to be honest, after watching the Express crew's journey to Penacony earlier, this old man already knew your capabilities. There is no longer any need to doubt."
Huaiyan: "The Lord Ravager Phantylia is indeed powerful, but with your assistance, Jing Yuan indeed had the ability to turn the Luofu's crisis into safety."
Zhongli: "But unfortunately, the Huaiyan in the video could not witness the actual performance of the Express crew with his own eyes."
Zhongli: "Therefore, for the sake of prudence, a test was ultimately still required."
March 7th: "I understand the logic, but isn't this test a bit too much of a joke?"
March 7th: "Does it mean that if I learn well, it proves the Express crew is capable, and if I don't learn well, it means the Express crew is just living off a hollow reputation?!"
Stelle: "Exactly, March! You have now become the face of our Astral Express!"
Stelle: "For the illustrious reputation of our Astral Express, you absolutely must not lose face for us!!"
Stelle: "Otherwise, I won't have the face to see anyone… sob sob!!"
Qingque: "Hahaha, how is it?"
Qingque: "Do you feel the pressure is completely maxed out?"
March 7th: "Uh… I'm not taking the blame for this!"
March 7th: "My personal performance cannot represent the entire Express crew!"
....
『 [ Elder Huaiyan is still the same Elder Huaiyan who gives everyone a headache. ]
Jing Yuan shook his head helplessly, then he said solemnly:
[ I must apologize. ]
[ I invited you all to return for the ceremony with the intention of presenting witnesses to the two Generals. But failing to inform you frankly was my mistake. ]
[ Aside from Elder Huaiyan, in the coming weeks, I will also invite you all to meet with General Feixiao to answer her questions and resolve her doubts. I hope you will be prepared by then. ]
Jing Yuan looked at the three of them with a face full of sincerity.
[ Uh… is it too late for us to pack up and leave overnight? ]
Hearing that there was a questioning process afterward, Stelle couldn't help but complain.
[ Did we do something wrong? We genuinely saved the Luofu. Why should we leave like fugitives? ]
March 7th felt there was something wrong with what Stelle said.
They were open and aboveboard, so why should they run away?
[ Stelle, no need to worry. ]
[ In any case, I will stay behind as a witness for the Express to accept the questioning. ]
Dan Heng nodded, essentially agreeing to Jing Yuan's request.
[ Thank you. ]
Jing Yuan expressed his gratitude. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Uh… why does this inexplicably feel like we're about to undergo an interrogation?"
Stelle: "But just as March said, we are genuine heroes who saved the Luofu!"
Fu Xuan: "Apologies. It is mainly because the revival of the Ambrosial Arbor is involved."
Fu Xuan: "The Alliance attaches unprecedentedly high importance to this matter."
Fu Xuan: "That is why we have to be so cautious."
Jing Yuan: "Sigh, in the end, it was still I who implicated you all."
Jing Yuan: "I really must apologize to everyone."
March 7th: "You're too polite, General. Haven't you also helped us quite a lot?"
Jing Yuan: "My little help is not worth mentioning compared to the kindness you all have shown to the Luofu."
Stelle: "Alright, alright. Since we've helped, we might as well see it through. Who told our Express crew to be such nice guys!"
Stelle: "The question is, when the questioning comes, General Feixiao won't hit us in a fit of anger, will she?"
Feixiao: "Huh?"
Feixiao: "Do I look like some kind of violent maniac?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Not at all. I think General Feixiao is a very nice person."
Furina de Fontaine: "She probably won't make things difficult on purpose."
Stelle: "Alright then, no problem!"
Stelle: "Of course, even if we get beaten up, Dan Heng will be the one taking the hits!"
Silver Wolf: "Lmao, talk about saying one thing but meaning another."
Silver Wolf: "I see that every time there's a fight, you're always the one rushing in the fastest!"
Hu Tao: "Hahaha, this is probably what they call duplicity, right?"
....
『 [ General! There isn't much Yanqing can do to share your burdens, but Yanqing… ]
Yanqing looked at Jing Yuan with a slight look of worry, hesitating to speak.
[ Hmm? ]
Jing Yuan was somewhat puzzled by Yanqing's expression.
[ Yanqing will definitely defend the arena of the Wardance for the Luofu! ]
As if having made up his mind, Yanqing said with a determined face.
[ I know. ]
Regarding Yanqing's resolve, Jing Yuan didn't say much.
Those two words expressed everything. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Venti: "I know!"
Venti: "With just two simple words, I can hear General Jing Yuan's extraordinary trust in his disciple!"
Venti: "It's truly touching."
Stelle: "Actually, Yanqing, there's no need for you to prove anything to General Jing Yuan."
Stelle: "Because he has always understood you."
Yanqing: "But Yanqing received the General's teachings; this is a great kindness!"
Yanqing: "Yanqing cannot share too much of the General's heavy burdens, so Yanqing can only do his best to perform his own duties well!"
Yanqing: "This naturally includes defending the arena in this Wardance!"
Yunli: "Oh, you are indeed a filial disciple who values affection and loyalty."
Yunli: "Alright, I acknowledge your resolve."
Yunli: "When the Wardance begins, to show my respect for you, I will give it my all!"
Yanqing: "Haha, I would expect nothing less!"
....
『 The scene shifted, coming to Aurum Alley. At this moment, Feixiao was meeting with her old comrade-in-arms.
[ To have the famous Merlin's Claw wait for me for so long is quite a boost to my reputation. ]
[ It's been a long time, General Feixiao. ]
Yukong walked over from a distance, arriving in front of Feixiao.
[ It's been thirty years since we last saw each other, right, Sister Yukong? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Ah???"
March 7th: "General Feixiao's old comrade-in-arms is actually Madam Yukong, the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission?"
March 7th: "I really couldn't imagine how the two of you could be connected!"
Stelle: "It's not too surprising, is it?"
Stelle: "After all, Helm Master Yukong was once an ace pilot as well!"
Stelle: "Maybe when they fought outside in the past, they happened to be comrades-in-arms?"
Feixiao: "Haha, indeed. Sister Yukong was indeed an ace pilot."
Feixiao: "Her heroic posture of driving a starskiff to slay enemies on the battlefield is still fresh in my memory even now!"
Feixiao: "I just didn't expect that after so many years, Sister Yukong is no longer piloting starskiffs to slay enemies, but has instead started to command from the rear."
Yukong: "Sigh, time makes people old."
Yukong: "Now, I have long since given up on flying."
Yukong: "To be able to contribute to the Luofu again is already very satisfying."
Stelle: "That's not quite right. You didn't give up on flying."
Stelle: "You just changed to another sky to continue spreading your wings and flying high."
Stelle: "Without you, the Luofu's Sky-Faring Commission wouldn't have the orderly development it has today!"
Jing Yuan: "Tsk, Stelle's words really strike a chord with me..."
Jing Yuan: "Indeed, Helm Master Yukong has worked tirelessly over the years, managing my Luofu's Sky-Faring Commission in an orderly and thriving manner!"
Jing Yuan: "These various achievements are no less than the great merit of slaying enemies on the battlefield!"
Jing Yuan: "Speaking of which, I should thank you for sharing so many of my worries…"
Yukong: "You are too polite, General. Strictly speaking, this is not my credit alone."
Yukong: "But the credit of everyone in the Sky-Faring Commission, and the result of the concerted efforts of the Luofu's Six Charioteers!"
Qingque: "Mhm, mhm, that's right. It's the result of everyone's concerted efforts. Hehe, I also had a part in it!"
Fu Xuan: "..."
....
『 [ Yes, thirty years ago, you were the vanguard of the Yaoqing's Verdant Knights, and I was a pilot of the Luofu's Rainbow Orbit Fleet. ]
[ I didn't expect that upon meeting again, you have become a General, while I have given up on flying… Thinking about it this way, it really feels like a lifetime ago. ]
Meeting Feixiao again made Yukong feel somewhat sentimental.
[ Actually, we can't say we haven't met for thirty years. After all, the Yellowbell Resonance system broadcasts your victorious battle reports every day, so I can be considered to see your invincible posture daily. ]
[ ….How is your health? ]
Yukong changed the subject, beginning to ask about Feixiao's health condition in a concerned tone.
[ My condition is fairly stable. ]
[ I wonder if you still remember the military doctor who rescued me in the battle back then? ]
Feixiao smiled, mentioning Jiaoqiu to Yukong.
[ That doctor with a strange name and a very strange temper… ]
[ What was it called again? I only remember his name had something to do with green onions, ginger, or garlic… ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Jiaoqiu: "Cough cough…"
Jiaoqiu: "Does my name really have anything to do with green onions, ginger, or garlic?"
Yukong: "Apologies. It has been too long, and I really couldn't remember your name…"
Guinaifen: "Hahaha, this memory doesn't seem entirely wrong either."
Guinaifen: "Although there are no green onions, ginger, or garlic, there is pepper!"
Guinaifen: "They are all the same category of ingredients!"
Moze: "Yes, indeed. I agree."
Jiaoqiu: "What the hell do you agree with!"
Furina de Fontaine: "By the way, so General Feixiao wasn't a General thirty years ago?"
Furina de Fontaine: "In other words, General Feixiao hasn't been a General for very long?"
Hu Tao: "Uh… even if she has only been one for ten or twenty years, that's long enough, right?"
Lumine: "The problem is that they are long-life species."
Lumine: "Thirty years is really not considered long."
March 7th: "General Jing Yuan has been sitting in the General's seat for six or seven hundred years!"
March 7th: "Compared to General Jing Yuan, General Feixiao is practically like a newly hired employee!"
Amber: "Still unable to retire after six or seven hundred years… that really is hard enough…"
Zhongli: "Yes, based on universal rationality, indeed!"
Jing Yuan: "Sigh… actually, I also want to retire early…"
....
『 [ Jiaoqiu. Dispatched by the Yaoqing's Alchemy Commission, he is already my counselor and personal physician. ]
[ Over the years, he has been trying to find ways to control my condition. ]
[ After so many years, I am still alive and well, and he deserves a lot of credit. ]
[ With my background, to be able to walk to where I am today, I am very satisfied. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Wait, I suddenly thought of a question!"
Stelle: "Shouldn't our Express crew also be equipped with a professional onboard physician?"
Stelle: "Otherwise, if we get injured one day, won't there be no one to treat us?"
March 7th: "Uh… what you said seems to make sense."
March 7th: "But why do I feel that with the average superhuman constitution of our Express crew, we don't seem to need one?"
March 7th: "Especially you, with your physical fitness, how could you get injured?"
Stelle: "I'm not made of iron and steel. Why wouldn't I get injured?"
Himeko: "Haha, no need to worry about minor injuries, because Pam can handle them."
Himeko: "As for major injuries…"
Himeko: "Then we must go to a professional medical institution."
Himeko: "Because the medical equipment there is complete and available for various surgeries."
Himeko: "So equipping the Express crew with a physician doesn't actually make much sense."
Welt Yang: "However, if we can have a new passenger who is proficient in medicine in the future, it would indeed be of great help to us."
Stelle: "Let's just poach Bailu!"
Stelle: "With the miraculous Healer Lady around, I will definitely be healthy and strong every day!"
Bailu: "Hehe, this lady thanks you for the compliment!"
Li Sushang: "You really dare to say that. Aren't you afraid that those Vidyadhara Preceptors will fight you to the death?"
Stelle: "Lmao, mere Vidyadhara Preceptors. Watch me unleash Dan Heng to beat them up!"
Dan Heng: "…."
....
『 [ Knowing that you are safe and sound, I am relieved. ]
[ So, since you and Elder Huaiyan came this time, you must have received the Marshal's orders, right? ]
[ Feixiao, for the sake of our friendship, can you tell me how the Alliance plans to punish the General of the Luofu? ]
After chatting for a moment, Yukong still couldn't help but want to get some information from Feixiao.
[ The revival of the Ambrosial Arbor has made those old guys who are used to hiding in the rear feel afraid… ]
[ They are afraid that the Abominations of Abundance will make a comeback again, just like thirty years ago. ]
[ Although the Luofu submitted a report explaining the ins and outs. ]
[ But whether the invasion of the Antimatter Legion really existed, and how the Stellaron Hunters and the Astral Express intervened in this matter, many details are missing. ]
[ Presumably you also know that Jingliu, the fugitive who disappeared for many years, has appeared again. ]
[ This time she brought an outworlder and a coffin, claiming to offer the Marshal a way to contend with the Aeons. ]
[ The Luofu's High Elders also accused Jing Yuan of disregarding the alliance's friendship, saying that he allowed the exiled Imbibitor Lunae to return to the Luofu, opening the ancient sea of Scalegorge Waterscape, and interfering with the Vidyadhara's duty to watch over the Ambrosial Arbor. ]
[ These are all the reasons why I had to step onto the Luofu Xianzhou today. ]
[ Duty-bound, I didn't have to explain so much to outsiders. ]
[ But you and I once fought side by side. I don't plan to hide it from you, and I also hope you will forget these words as soon as you hear them, alright? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Silver Wolf: "Oh, I almost forgot."
Silver Wolf: "When we were on the Luofu, we also participated."
Lumine: "Ah? So the Stellaron Hunters were also involved?"
Paimon: "That… what did the Stellaron Hunters go there for?"
Hotaru: "To execute Elio's script, so that the trajectory of the Astral Express could intersect with the Xianzhou Alliance."
Qingque: "Is this what they call driving the plot forward?"
Qingque: "Your guidance work is indeed dedicated enough."
Silver Wolf: "Sigh, just like the Express crew, we're just working stiffs…"
....