Who is being conquered?

The reason is simple...

Because Potio had long wanted to visit the homeland of The Hunt, but the entry procedures for Xianzhou were too complicated. As a wandering ranger with no affiliations, it was difficult for him to enter directly. Now that an opportunity has arisen, he thought he'd come to Luofu for a visit.

Chapter 70: On How Quickly Men Become Familiar (4k2)

After the misunderstanding was cleared up, the three walked into the villa. In the living room, there was a table made of precious wood, with a luxurious chair of the same wood placed beside it.

After Guinaifen sat down, Helen gracefully brought three cups of brewed black tea and respectfully handed them over one by one. However, when she caught the faint scent of alcohol on Potio, a hint of disgust couldn't help but show on her usually well-mannered face.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Potio, where were you just now?"

Guinaifen keenly noticed Helen's unusual reaction and quickly spoke up to divert Potio's attention.

"Oh! I was so bored at Shence Mansion earlier that I just went to find a bar to try the local liquor. Although the taste was a bit bland, they actually had 'Bater 17 Year' from the Kavalan Star Sector, and it was a sherry cask!"

When the topic turned to alcohol, Potio excitedly began to talk about the wonderful qualities of 'Bater 17 Year', especially after adding the honest Phosphor Fire Agent, saying the taste was as good as pop rocks.

Guinaifen didn't understand these things, but she felt it was very impressive and clapped her hands. Bai Jun next to her, however, frowned in surprise, as if he had heard that someone in the world would dip dumplings in ketchup, a truly bizarre notion.

"Hey, that taste is truly amazing! Brother, I'll take you to try it if you have a chance?"

"I don't drink, please allow me to refuse."

Potio excitedly threw his arm around Bai Jun's neck, wanting to share the wonderful taste of 'Bater 17 Year' with him. Upon hearing this, Bai Jun immediately shook his head with a troubled expression.

"Really? You don't drink, brother... But life is missing a lot of fun without alcohol. The first time for everything needs to be tried, brother, why don't you reconsider?"

"I really can't... I have a terrible tolerance for alcohol, and things will get bad if I drink too much."

Seeing Bai Jun's strong resistance, Potio didn't press the invitation any further. After all, drinking is about mutual consent, and he would never do something as low as forcing others to drink.

"Miss, it's getting late. For tomorrow's schedule, you should rest." Helen, who had been silently standing by Guinaifen's side, glanced at the time and reminded her softly.

"It's already 9:35 PM? I'm sorry, I should go rest..."

Seeing the pocket watch in Helen's hand, Guinaifen's eyes widened in surprise. She then smiled gently at Bai Jun, "Mr. Bai Jun's room is right next to Mr. Potio's room. You've both worked hard today, so please rest early as well."

So cute, she's really so cute. Truly a cosmic-level idol.

After Bai Jun nodded in agreement, Guinaifen got up and left with Helen. The living room was suddenly left with only Potio and Bai Jun, two grown men.

With no one else around, Potio no longer felt constrained. He took off his cowboy hat, leisurely sipped his steaming hot black tea, and casually slung an arm around Bai Jun's shoulder: "Speaking of which, brother, your skills are truly amazing. Especially the speed of that punch, it would definitely rank among the best of us wandering rangers. So skilled, perhaps you're a Vanguard from Shence Mansion?"

"And what was that big, hot, and hard gun you pressed against my face just now? It felt much more powerful than mine."

"Please don't use such misleading adjectives, especially when you stack them like that..."

Bai Jun couldn't help but retort, also worried about his straightforwardness and carelessness. After all, being in a foreign land, he dared to question the background of someone he'd met for less than an hour. If it were a Shadow Guard from Yaoqing, his bed would surely be filled with daggers tonight.

But for some reason, he couldn't feel any resistance or wariness towards Potio. Perhaps it was because this person's behavior was completely free of pretense or lies; his pure and cheerful smile always made those around him let down their guard.

However, in a way, this guy was comparable to Xu Chu's nickname.

"...Its name is Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire."

Bai Jun didn't answer his question but summoned the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire again and generously handed it to Potio as compensation for having accidentally hit him earlier.

However, Bai Jun didn't know that his action also caused a storm in Potio's heart.

Potio looked at the black and white handgun with its gilded barrel in front of him, frozen in place, his hand hovering in the air, unsure of what to do. He hadn't expected Bai Jun to be so unguarded as to hand his weapon to someone else. Such foolish behavior was unheard of in his past travels.

There could only be two types of people who would do such a thing: one is someone who has absolute confidence in their own strength, a powerhouse who is unfazed even without a weapon; the other is someone who has absolute trust in the person in front of them, genuinely believing that the other person would never harm them... perhaps both?

But no matter what, the risk of doing such a thing was too high. Although he already had a good impression of this Xianzhou person, he hadn't expected him to trust him so much!

Having wandered the universe for many years, Potio believed he had seen all the good and evil in human hearts and was accustomed to the indifference of human relationships. Although wandering rangers were connected, the people who could truly be called friends seemed few and far between. And now, an inexplicable sense of emotion welled up in his heart.

Since someone had shown him trust, he had to repay this friendship a hundredfold. Potio then slipped his revolver into Bai Jun's embrace, tears streaming down his face: "Brother, I, Potio, will always remember this kindness..."

"What nonsense are you spouting... Are you going to look at the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire or not? If you don't, I'm taking it back."

Bai Jun was disgusted by his tearful state and instinctively wanted to take back the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, but Potio was faster. He carefully took one of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire guns with both hands.

What an amazing gun...

The moment Potio took the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, he couldn't help but think this, but before he could observe it more closely, his mechanical arm began to make crackling sounds. At the same time, his nerve center erupted with intense pain. If he were to describe it using his past experiences, it would be like lava.

"Whoa—! So hot, so hot, so hot!!!! Brother, does this gun recognize people?"

Flames ignited on the barrel of the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, and the rapidly rising temperature even made the air in the living room feel scorching. Potio quickly handed it back. The moment it returned to Bai Jun's hand, the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire, which had been strongly resisting, immediately retracted its flames like a docile lamb.

"I don't know..."

Bai Jun was also a bit bewildered by this situation. He hadn't expected the Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire to have a master-recognition function, and this situation seemed far more intelligent than the arrogant Suiyang Demon Sword, which only recognized strength and not people.

"I hope you two will also rest early and not linger in the living room, causing a disturbance that might disturb Miss Guinaifen's rest. I cannot bear the responsibility for that."

A sigh came from the stairs. Helen, who had settled Guinaifen, slowly walked back, staring intently at the two who were causing a commotion with her icy gaze. While her words were polite, her tone certainly didn't sound friendly.

It was one thing for Xianzhou to send someone to accompany the Miss, but what right did this cowboy hat-wearing ruffian have to mingle among them? Utterly disgusting. Mr. Sunday was right; the radiance the Miss emanated indeed attracted all sorts of dirty and disgusting insects...

Under their gaze, Helen sighed, burying all her constant criticism and resentment in her heart, and left, exhausted.

"Just get used to it. Let's go, brother, back to sleep. Tomorrow will probably be the busiest day, so get a good rest."

Bai Jun and Potio exchanged glances. The latter shrugged indifferently, seeming to be long accustomed to the woman's temperamental behavior.

After a peaceful first night, around five o'clock the next morning, the sky outside was still dim, but Guinaifen had already woken up. After washing up, she sat at her vanity table, having her hair styled by a maid.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Guinaifen remembered dreams of the past. Her etiquette teacher stood beside her, tirelessly imparting every detail of etiquette and posture management, and telling her to always take the service of others for granted.

She was actually very tired of these things. She didn't want to be a noble who stood high above and arbitrarily ordered others around. After her past journey, she understood even more clearly that her singing was not meant to please those in power, but to convey a faint glimmer of hope to the weak who were trapped in the mire.

It's just that her brother... seemed to not approve of her ideals...

Lost in her memories, Guinaifen suddenly heard faint sounds of fighting from outside the window. She blinked her eyes and asked the maid beside her, puzzled, "What's happening outside?"

"Ah, it's Lord Bai Jun and Lord Potio. Those two were already sparring outside around four in the morning. Did they disturb your rest?" The maid carefully tidied her light blue hair. Upon hearing her voice, she immediately responded nervously.

"Sparring... Those two really have boundless energy. Let's get ready quickly. I'm a bit curious to go out and see."

"Y-Yes!"

By the time Guinaifen was dressed, the sky was already faintly showing the pale white of dawn, and the sparring match between the two was nearing its end.

They dropped their weapons. Bai Jun, catching his breath, leaned against the wall, his breathing slightly ragged. Potio, on the other hand, collapsed on the ground as if his whole body had fallen apart, gasping for fresh air.

"Hoo... Brother, your treasures are too exaggerated, a hexagonal warrior? You're ridiculously strong..."

Potio, who hadn't stretched his muscles for a while, suddenly had an impulse at four in the morning. He leaped out of bed, intending to invite Bai Jun to spar and warm up his limbs. However, he found that Bai Jun was even earlier than him, and in the end, it was he who was invited by Bai Jun to spar.

Although Potio knew Bai Jun was very strong, he had been careless last night. If they had a fair match again, he shouldn't have lost so miserably like last night.

But the reality was that he encountered a hexagonal warrior during the spar. His spear and sword skills were monstrously strong, and he couldn't win even with all his might!

Whether it was his hand-to-hand combat, spear skills, sword skills, or even his underhanded tricks, he was no match for him. It was terrifying, which made him even more convinced that Bai Jun was no ordinary guard. If the average strength of the Xianzhou was this high, then the remnants of Yaoshi would have been wiped out long ago.

"You're not bad either. Your underhanded tricks were so proficient I thought you were one of those special groups among the Vagrants."

As a self-organized group walking the same Path as the Xianzhou Alliance, they advocated for Lan's use of violence to counter violence and praised Lan's decisive killing. They believed that the goodness and justice of the universe must be upheld through individual actions, and they were widely spread throughout the universe, spontaneously hunting down evil. The Cloud-Navigating Vagrants were one such group.

Although this was romantic, their intentions were noble, and the results were correct.

However, everything had two sides. Among the Vagrants who pursued consequential justice, there were many who would stop at nothing to achieve victory. All sorts of insidious tricks were endless. Moreover, the personalities of the vast majority of Cloud-Navigating Vagrants were rather eccentric, belonging to the category of deviants who insisted on carrying out their own ideals.

This led to a minority of fanatical Vagrants, relying on their individual strength, dragging down the reputation of all Cloud-Navigating Vagrants.

Bai Jun had encountered many such fanatical individuals in the past and sincerely did not wish to have any further dealings with them. Fortunately, the Potio in front of him was not one of those fanatics, and his personality was much easier to get along with.

"You two are so energetic first thing in the morning."

Hearing a familiar voice, Bai Jun turned his head and saw Guinaifen approaching.

She had already changed into the formal attire prepared specifically for this concert. Her fair and delicate shoulders were exposed on the upper body, and the light-colored skirt reached about knee-length, revealing her slender, well-proportioned legs, which were very eye-catching. A light ribbon was tied around her shapely, slender waist, and she wore high heels that perfectly complemented her beautiful legs.

A pair of earrings could be faintly seen beneath her light blue hair that swayed with her movements.

Although she wasn't wearing makeup, she looked both elegant and beautiful.

"Good morning, Miss Guinaifen."

"Oh, you're up as early as ever, superstar!"

Bai Jun gave her a slight nod. Potio leaped up from the cold ground, picked up his fallen cowboy hat, calmly brushed off the dust, and put it back on his head.

"The concert will probably start around nine-thirty in the morning. Let's have breakfast together, and then we'll head to the concert venue to start preparations. There will likely be a lot to do today, so I'll have to trouble you two."

"No problem, no problem. This is my and brother's job anyway... Uh, brother, help me brush the dust off my back, I can't reach it." Potio waved his hand, realizing he couldn't reach his back no matter what, and asked Bai Jun for help.

"Got it... Tsk, don't move around!"

"It's all your fault for hitting me so carelessly. Your treasures have made my whole body ache as if it's falling apart... Whoa—!"

Seeing that the two had become so familiar that they could tease and joke with each other, Guinaifen's eyes widened slightly in surprise, wondering if she had accidentally slept through two days.

Could this be what the ancient Xianzhou saying meant by "acquaintance through fighting"? Otherwise, why did their relationship become so familiar so quickly?

Chapter 71: Settling Old and New Scores Together (4k6)

The long-awaited concert tour had finally arrived.

The circular stadium, located in a bustling area of the Starcruiser Sea Hub, was already adorned with enormous promotional posters of Guinaifen's personal merchandise.

The streets were bustling with activity, and the number of passersby was far greater than usual, all gathered in the plaza in front of the stadium.

The floor of the plaza was made of variously colored stone slabs, adorned with seasonal flowers, adding to the festive atmosphere. Looking around, although the place was more boisterous than usual, it didn't feel chaotic. The happy footsteps of pedestrians on the road seemed like praise for the musical celebration.

A band, appearing from nowhere, played trumpets and clear flutes on the street in front of the stadium. Penacony people in tight suits could also be seen singing along to the lively drumbeat. Listening to their clear singing, which was contrary to their appearance, the audience applauded enthusiastically and laughed happily.

Under this vast expanse of blue sky, everyone had the right to enjoy the celebration on this day.

The concert tour, which lasted for a full three days, did not feature only one or two singers. However, the current setup suggested that everyone was there for Guinaifen's name. The organizers were well aware of this, and the promotions spread across the plaza were all Guinaifen's personal posters.

The cheers echoing from all over the plaza, which could be heard even without straining one's ears, and the sight of almost everyone holding a Guinaifen-themed light stick, made Bai Jun exclaim in admiration, while also feeling annoyed by the surrounding noise.

This was actually his first time attending such a concert. He, who had always disliked noise, was not fond of such overly lively occasions. If it weren't for the escort mission he was on, no matter how much he liked Guinaifen's songs, Bai Jun still wouldn't have come to such a place.

"It's truly spectacular. I didn't expect Guinaifen to be so popular on Luofu."

Bai Jun, annoyed by the noisy atmosphere around him, tried to suppress his unease and looked at Potio, who was standing with him backstage in the venue.

"Is Guinaifen preparing backstage?"

Potio didn't respond but pointed to a spot backstage with a somewhat helpless expression. Bai Jun followed his gaze and saw the makeup artists surrounding Guinaifen again.

"Why are they doing makeup again? Didn't they already spend nearly half an hour on makeup after breakfast?"

While their cautious and prepared attitude was respectable, the sheer number of bottles and jars seemed excessive. Especially since many of the liquids in the jars had almost no discernible difference in color. Even though Bai Jun could understand, he couldn't see any change in Guinaifen after her makeup was done.

"Who knows, I've never seen a big star prepare backstage before. What's the point of all this makeup? I can't see any difference at all!"

Ignoring the displeased looks from the costume and makeup artists backstage, the cowboy lowered the brim of his hat. Always straightforward, he could always say offensive things with a straight face. Bai Jun admired this about him, but couldn't help but want to poke fun at his verbal tic.

"I've always been curious, why do you always add certain words into your sentences that make people unable to hold back?"

"Words... oh, let's put it this way, my synesthesia beacon has been modified. Anyway, you can only hear me and those little darlings who owe me talk like this now... Little darling, little darling, little darling! Here, look."

Potio blinked in surprise. It was only after a moment that he explained that it was all the fault of the short doctor who replaced his mechanical prosthetics. He was definitely getting revenge for Potio holding a gun to his head back then.

"So, you've replaced certain words specifically?" Bai Jun nodded, still finding it a bit difficult to process, but he signaled his understanding.

As the two chatted, many security personnel were moving around the backstage area, checking the stage for tampering, and ensuring that no equipment or building materials on the ceiling were loose. They were determined to nip any risks in the bud and absolutely prevent any danger from occurring during Guinaifen's performance.

Meanwhile, Helen stood expressionlessly in the center of the stage, estimating which section of the audience posed the greatest risk to the stage and where security forces would be concentrated during the performance.

Although her attitude towards Bai Jun and Potio was not great, her professionalism was far superior to theirs.

Potio gazed at the woman from afar, then unhappily shifted his gaze. "I'm used to being lazy. Every time I see that woman, I'm reminded of a cage submerged in dark water. The big star lives in this kind of environment every day. I feel so suffocated for her."

It wasn't that Potio had any issues with Helen. On the contrary, he had personally witnessed Helen use her own body to block several bullets and blades from members of the Annihilation Gang for Guinaifen, and he admired her loyalty and conviction.

However, after some time together, Potio realized that her positioning of herself was less of a loyal bodyguard and more of a suicide operative ready to sacrifice her life for Guinaifen at any moment.

She denied anything that could pose a threat to Guinaifen. To Potio, her actions towards Guinaifen seemed less like loyalty and more like a form of pathological possessiveness, a possessiveness that imposed her personal beliefs on others without their consent...

Potio acknowledged Helen's loyalty, but he absolutely did not agree with her ideology. No matter how noble Guinaifen's status was, she should always be treated as an independent and free individual, not merely doted upon like a caged bird—that's how you treat a pet!

But the crux of the problem was that Guinaifen had long grown accustomed to this. Even if she was unwilling, she would still silently bury her thoughts and put on a calm smile as if nothing was wrong.

Who knew why. Perhaps it was influenced by her brother.

Whenever this happened, Potio couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. But he and Guinaifen were not on the same path. Once this journey on the Xianzhou Luofu ended, they would only be acquaintances with some shared history, not even friends. How could he possibly have the right to interfere in someone else's family matters?

Bai Jun remained silent, simply rubbing his lips with his thumb. His cornflower-blue eyes, like those of a cornflower, remained half-closed and lifeless.