"I believe the Stellaron Hunters went to such great lengths to bring you here because they're trying to accomplish something significant. I doubt the Astral Express Crew is willing to be manipulated as the Stellaron Hunters' pawn, either."
"Given all that, we have an almost perfect foundation for cooperation. The only issue is trust, and just now, even that was settled to everyone's satisfaction, wouldn't you say?"
"So I'd like to ask Miss Xiao Xi to represent the Mutual Hope Association and bear witness to our cooperation on this matter between the Luofu Xianzhou and the Astral Express. What do you all think?" General Jing Yuan asked solemnly.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Xi left the decision to Welt. After all, she couldn't be both the witness and the decision-maker.
"Agreed. The Astral Express Crew trusts the Luofu's reputation. And with a third party there to verify the agreement, we can avoid a potential crisis of trust to the greatest extent possible. The Astral Express Crew has no reason to turn down this offer of cooperation," Welt said seriously after a moment's thought.
"Good. Then it's settled. I'll grant you the authority to act as you see fit aboard the Xianzhou, and I'll tell the Cloud Knights to assist you as much as possible. If there's anything else you need help with, just let me know." Once the agreement was reached, Jing Yuan acted swiftly. As for what other help they needed...
"Do you have any detailed information about the Stellaron Hunters? For example, what they've done, where they've been, and what they're after..." Stelle asked.
"We do have some information on them... but a lot of it is highly confidential Xianzhou material. How about this: you can ask whatever you like, and I'll answer at my discretion. Does that work for you?" Jing Yuan suggested.
"That's a good solution. We agree."
...After learning a good deal about the Stellaron Hunters from Jing Yuan, the group finally left the Palace of Astrum.
They'd only come to meet the Shipmaster, but in the end even the Luofu's general had shown up. It looked like the Luofu had come prepared this time.
"Phew, it's finally over. While you were all discussing things, I didn't dare say a word. I was scared I'd say something wrong." Once they were outside, March 7th stretched and let out a long breath.
"But at least we didn't lose any ground this time, and the result was pretty good. Speaking of which, Xiao Xi, how strong do you think General Jing Yuan is?"
"Every Xianzhou general is unquestionably an Emanator. I can wield all the power of the Path of Hope, but how much I can bring to bear depends on the situation. After all, everyone knows how much Lan of the Hunt favors the Xianzhou."
"I see. So what do we do next? What exactly does General Jing Yuan have in mind?"
Welt analyzed the situation calmly. "Jing Yuan's initial aim was most likely to keep us here and stop us from leaving, then use both threats and incentives to bring the Astral Express Crew over to the Xianzhou's side. But things didn't go as he expected."
"Then Xiao Xi's position as the association's chairwoman came into play, so the general decided on cooperation instead. But no matter how the plan changed, his goal always included steering us toward a meeting with the Stellaron Hunters."
Xiao Xi nodded in agreement. "Jing Yuan doesn't fully trust us. This operation was also a test."