Jing Yuan: He Couldn't Take It Either

After the Nameless boarded the Astral Express and started the train, heading into the stars and away from the Xianzhou Luofu.

Jing Yuan finally took out the liquid shaker charm and handed it to Fu Xuan, smiling as he asked her to activate the Matrix of Prescience.

Bai Tang could be said to have left the charm on the ground without putting it away, and he had taken it. As far as she was concerned, it was lost, yet she had never thought to look for it.

Given Bai Tang's intelligence, she had to know the charm she had made herself was gone. If she didn't look for it, either she didn't care or she had tacitly accepted it.

The Nameless aboard the train surely knew about Bai Tang's handicraft. If they saw it, they would probably ask her about it, bringing what had been left unspoken out into the open.

That was why Jing Yuan chose to hand it to Fu Xuan to examine with the Matrix of Prescience after all the Nameless had left.

There was no doubting Fu Xuan's abilities. New footage soon appeared, but she wasn't in it this time. The viewing angle was strange too, as though looking down on the whole scene from far away.

It showed the fate of every member of the High-Cloud Quintet, along with Bai Tang's breakdown and commentary, and a hellish account.

Baiheng appeared first. She piloted a Starskiff into Shuhu and became a white sun.

["Big sis｜Sister Baiheng｜couldn't you have had Yingxing build a mecha to help you deliver it｜why did you have to go yourself"

"Only one member of the High-Cloud Quintet never fought Yanqing｜guess who｜you had an easy death｜the others are going to break down｜but｜it wasn't your fault｜you did nothing wrong"

"Everyone in the High-Cloud Quintet has a problem except you, who had already died, and Jing Yuan, who had to clean up the mess"

"So this is what the High-Cloud Quintet would have become without me joining｜falling apart｜big sis｜I still want to be your little sister"]

Jing Yuan: "?"

That wasn't the right way to express it. Where was the punctuation?

Had Bai Tang said it all in one breath?

So how had Bai Tang gone from saying it all in one breath to stammering?

But Bai Tang really did like Baiheng. Before Baiheng died, she had said she wanted to continue being sisters with Bai Tang, and Bai Tang had answered, "I still want to be your little sister."

Next was Yingxing. He lay on the ground in a state of collapse, covered in sword wounds, with the shattered Shard Sword beside him.

["Brother Yingxing｜Yingxing｜there was no need, there really was no need｜sob"

"Why｜why｜why did the High-Cloud Quintet end up like this｜give me back my proud Brother Yingxing｜he was a star in the heavens｜he shouldn't have become like this"

"Forget it｜there's nothing to be done｜let it be｜I'm numb｜I can understand why Yingxing did this anyway"

"Brother Yingxing｜goodbye｜I'll beat Blade up a few more times｜it'd be best if he could wake up｜but he'll never be Yingxing again"]

Yingxing.

Back then, he and the High Elder had been equally proud.

And no wonder. With Yingxing's talent, it would have been strange if he hadn't held his head high and done as he pleased in the Artisanship Commission. Ordinary people didn't have talent like his, much less as a Short-Life Species.

Just look at Yanqing. With that kind of talent, he ought to be full of pride. As long as he didn't take it too far, that was normal. What genius didn't have a temper?

As an Outsider, Yingxing had often been ostracized by Long-Life Species, so he would never have become too arrogant.

After Yingxing came Dan Feng, locked in a cell and about to undergo rebirth. There wasn't a trace of repentance in his eyes, only frustration at the failure of the Dragon Transformation.

["Brother Feng｜the Dragon Transformation is really useful｜I love using it｜I like it so much｜but I'm better than you"]

"Ahem."

Jing Yuan choked. What the hell?

No, what was Bai Tang trying to do?! You High Elders needed to stay away from the Dragon Transformation!

["Brother Feng｜I understand you so well｜but｜I still want to beat you up"

"The arrogant Dan Feng was someone who kept all those Dragon Preceptors pinned down｜I won't ask why you did it｜just as I didn't ask Yingxing why｜it doesn't matter"

"Brother Feng｜next time, don't be so hasty using the Dragon Transformation｜take it steady｜at least talk it over properly with your companions"]

Jing Yuan couldn't take it either.

Thankfully, Dan Feng was already gone. Put Bai Tang and Dan Feng together, and they'd practically be improving the Dragon Transformation on the spot!

Why was Bai Tang's assessment of Dan Feng like that?

Still, Jing Yuan silently recorded the footage and sent everything in it to the other three.

After Dan Feng came Jingliu.

His master.

Jingliu's footage showed her slaying the monstrous dragon with her sword, her gaze changing from sharp to broken and frenzied.

["Master｜you'll always be my master｜unless you do that"]

Jing Yuan had a pretty good idea what that was: the memory in which everyone had turned into insects. Bai Tang had nearly gone mad from the breakdown.

["Master｜I know you were a victim｜why did you do that｜my friends｜my comrades｜they all turned into insects｜do you know that｜wasn't what you did exactly the same as what Dan Feng did｜oh｜you don't know"

"So｜you went from victim to perpetrator｜forget it｜it's mainly because you went mad"

"Goodbye, Master｜as long as you don't get the Lightning-Lord and use 'Propagation'｜you'll still be my master"]

Jing Yuan felt awful too.

If Jingliu really obtained the Lightning-Lord and used "Propagation" to turn her companions into insects, wouldn't that be much the same as Dan Feng using the Dragon Transformation to turn Baiheng into a monstrous dragon?

Going from victim to perpetrator.

Jing Yuan declared that as long as he was alive, he would never let Jingliu get the Lightning-Lord.

Jing Yuan's footage was the same frozen image on the charm, with only one person left.

Everyone else's had movement, but Jing Yuan's was frozen.

["General Jing Yuan｜thank you for your hard work｜having companions who leave you a mess to clean up must be hard｜looks like I'm one of them too"

"But｜the days with them were happy too, weren't they｜they were all wonderful companions"

"Jing Yuan｜as your junior sister｜ah, no｜I'm not anymore｜I suppose I never counted｜I wanted to give you a surprise｜though it would probably be more of a shock｜I probably can't do it now｜but I'll definitely help you in the future"

"If you're tired, take a rest｜I can wish you health and smooth sailing from here on｜and｜that your dream comes true"]

Jing Yuan was taken aback.

His dream now seemed to be for Yanqing to grow up happy.

His old dream of becoming a Galaxy Ranger could no longer come true, but he believed this one for Yanqing would.

Jing Yuan sent the videos to Blade, Dan Heng, and Jingliu in order. They received his messages and opened their phones.

[That day, the High-Cloud Quintet met a fortune-teller.]

[He said: Of you five,]

[One will not live much longer. Yingxing smiled bitterly.]

Blade listened silently to Bai Tang's screams, missing the past he could never return to.

[One will live on (in endless reincarnation). Dan Feng fell silent.]

Dan Heng said nothing and put down his phone, declaring that it wasn't him and sending it to him was pointless.

[One will leave the Alliance (to hunt across the stars). Jing Yuan looked forward to it.]

Jing Yuan's Jade Abacus kept ringing. He turned off the messages and pretended not to know.

[One will rise to become a heavenly general (and protect the Xianzhou). Everyone congratulated Jingliu.]

Jingliu put on her blindfold, declaring that she could no longer turn back.

[One will board the train (and travel far and wide). Baiheng was delighted.]

Bai Tang passed the data room and poked her head in, spotting Dan Heng on his phone.

[In the end, the one protecting the Xianzhou was Jing Yuan.]

General Jing Yuan returned to the Divination Commission.

[The one who boarded the train was Dan Feng's reincarnation.]

Dan Heng arrived in the train's parlor car.

[The one who lived on was the abomination Yingxing.]

Blade put down his phone and closed his eyes, holding his sword.

[The one who left the Alliance was the sinner Jingliu.]

Jingliu was being held prisoner. Being allowed to look at a phone this once was already the limit.

[And the one who did not live much longer was Baiheng.]