Jing Yuan: Got her wrapped around his finger

"What a loser. I let you look, and you still couldn't hold out."

Because she had let it, the Heliobus had managed to escape. If she hadn't, it would have been driven out as soon as it went in.

But this guy couldn't have already been assimilated, could it?

It had only been a few seconds, and she had even let it happen. How could it have been assimilated?

Shouldn't it have lasted a minute before being assimilated, with her letting it have its way? If it was driven out early, it should have been fine.

If it had lasted a full minute and been assimilated before coming out, Bai Tang might have thought a little better of it. Instead, not only had it been driven out in a few seconds, it had also been assimilated.

That was... hard to comment on.

"I have to protect the Luofu! Protect the Yaoqing!"

The Heliobus fragment let out a feeble howl of lofty ambition.

Bai Tang: "..."

That settled it. It had been assimilated in a few seconds, and driven out to boot.

What a loser.

"I'll let Jing Yuanyuan and the others play with it."

Clutching the Heliobus, Bai Tang hurried toward Fyxestroll Garden, a little like a child eager to show her favorite toy to her parents.

Just as she had expected, when Bai Tang reached Fyxestroll Garden, she saw that Jing Yuan and Cirrus had just finished a brief negotiation.

At the sight, Bai Tang's heart sank, and a strong sense of unease welled up within her.

Her premonition grew stronger and stronger, as though something important was about to happen, and she seemed to have been caught up in the vortex of this conflict.

"That's right. Within the bounds of this platform, you must defeat the five friends behind me."

Sure enough, Bai Tang bristled.

"Jing Yuan! Don't make more work for me!"

"How about a cup of hot fluffy goat milk?"

Bai Tang planted her hands on her hips. "At least three cups!"

Jing Yuan smiled. "Deal."

As soon as Stelle learned that Bai Tang had agreed to help, she slung an arm around her shoulders. "Now that Bai Tang's here, we're sure to win."

Bai Tang: "...How did I sell myself out again?"

The fight was over in a flash. Bai Tang didn't even need to fight; Stelle led Huohuo, Guinaifen and Sushang in taking down the enemy in an instant.

After Jing Yuan finished speaking with Cirrus, Huohuo began asking Cirrus questions. Standing beside Jing Yuan, Bai Tang said quietly:

"See? I didn't even need to lift a finger. Jing Yuan, you can't withhold my hot fluffy goat milk."

Bai Tang loved the Luofu's drinks, whether it was blazing strong tea or Immortal's Joy Tea! Except for the trash that drained her HP.

She hadn't helped this time, but Jing Yuan had still included her, making Cirrus defeat her too before she could fight him.

"Of course. I'll have it sent to you in a little while."

In a little while, he would stroll over to Aurum Alley and buy some Luofu goat milk. Aurum Alley had originally been on the verge of closing down, but Stelle had brought the place back to life.

"Bai Tang, what's that in your hand?"

A faint green glow shone from Bai Tang's clenched hand. Stelle glanced at it several times before finally giving in and asking.

"Oh, it's a Heliobus."

Bai Tang opened her hand. The tiny fragment lay obediently in her palm, its words full of lofty ambition, though its voice was so weak that it seemed on the verge of death:

"Protect the Astral Express! Save Amphoreus! Guard the Yaoqing! Defend the Luofu!"

It was Sushang's first time seeing a Heliobus like this. She asked in disbelief, "What happened to it?"

"Oh, she possessed me and took a trip through my memories, and this is how she ended up."

It had been assimilated in seconds and driven out even though Bai Tang had gone easy on it. It was really weak.

Bai Tang casually tossed the Heliobus to Huohuo, who scrambled to catch it and put it in her gourd. "Here, it's yours. With it around, the fragments probably won't be able to fuse together anymore."

It was just like Cirrus. The fragments had been fusing perfectly well, but then Tail had charged in and blown them apart. Afterward, when a Heliobus wanted to take charge and fuse them to attack the Xianzhou, this fragment had joined in and broken them apart from within.

Now its head was full of thoughts about protecting the Xianzhou and the Express.

Stelle: "What's its name?"

Heliobus fragment: "My name is Preservation-Destruction."

Cirrus froze. "You're Preservation-Destruction? How did you end up like this? I remember you always saying that the world was falling apart, and that to protect everything beautiful, you had to destroy it first so it could attain eternity."

How had it turned into a fanatic for Preservation now?

Stelle sucked in a sharp breath. Such a dangerous Heliobus had actually come after Bai Tang. If Bai Tang had really been controlled, they would have had to prepare for the ship to sink. "Hiss—that was close."

It was a good thing Bai Tang was the one it had possessed first, and a good thing the one it had first possessed was Bai Tang.

The three of them weren't quite sure why Stelle was reacting so strongly. Back when they fought Phantylia, only those at the top had known how powerful Bai Tang was.

Bai Tang hadn't gone around showing off, so of course they didn't know the details, or that the phantom image of the Xianzhou Luofu had been summoned by her.

Seeing that they didn't know why, Bai Tang offered a brief explanation:

"If it had possessed someone else, the Luofu would probably have fallen into chaos again. If it possessed me, chaos wouldn't be the problem."

Under the belief that destruction alone was eternal, what one loved most would instead be what one most frantically wanted to destroy. It was fairly close to Nanook's philosophy.

Bai Tang liked Jing Yuan, so wouldn't she have used all her strength? The Xianzhou Luofu sinking would have been the least of it. The Yaoqing would have sunk next, and the Astral Express would have been destroyed along with it. After all that, Nanook would have whisked her away to become a Lord Ravager, and she would have met her KPI on the spot.

Ugh, no way. Even if they beat me to death, I wouldn't become a Lord Ravager. I don't even want to be one like Little Bai! She basically didn't want to see anyone from Destruction, except Phainon.

Jing Yuan now understood the potential danger this Heliobus posed, but he was the same as ever and didn't truly take the threat to heart.

That wasn't because he underestimated the enemy, but because he had absolute faith in Bai Tang's abilities. Look, the Heliobus's final outcome had already shown it.

Not only had she resisted it, but her views had also successfully assimilated the Heliobus.

"Don't worry. They still can't shake my will."

See? Her memories had overwhelmed it and left it addled.

"You all carry on with your business. I'm going to wander around somewhere else."

Bai Tang had only come to deliver the Heliobus, not to get involved. The next second, Jing Yuan and Cirrus joined forces to stop her.

"You, little pawn, aren't allowed to leave."

Cirrus was a Heliobus who intended to fight the general. How could she possibly let Bai Tang leave?

As for Jing Yuan, he simply wanted Bai Tang to keep him company. He could be said to have a duty to attend to, while Bai Tang was running off to have fun. How could that be allowed?

In short, she was going to keep him company while he worked.

"Junior sister, there's so much to deal with on the Luofu that it's given me something of a headache lately. I wonder if you could keep me company while I rest for a bit? Sigh, if not, I can manage on my own."

Bai Tang: "Jing Yuan, you bastard!"

Jing Yuan's golden eyes were like brilliant stars, but now they were cast slightly downward, his long lashes casting small shadows beneath them and making him look particularly innocent.

His usually adorable catlike mouth turned down into an unnatural, aggrieved curve, as though he had suffered a terrible injustice, his whole person radiating a pitiful air.

Looking at Jing Yuanyuan acting coquettish and playing weak, Bai Tang ultimately couldn't keep mocking him.

Jing Yuan kitty is just too tired and wants me to keep him company. What has he done wrong?

Jing Yuan: Got her wrapped around my finger.