As Zhang Xiu and the others walked out of the Palace of Astrum, Stelle's phone received another message. It was from Phantylia.
She was strolling around the harbor, waiting for them to arrive.
"Ah, Lady Yukong has assigned me to look after you all again." Phantylia faced the enormous machinery floating in the distance, then turned to look at the group slowly approaching behind her. "It seems this humble lady shares quite a bond with her benefactors."
"The Sky-Faring Commission has booked superior rooms at the Dust-Cleansing Inn. Once you've finished your business here, please come with me to the inn for some tea and a little rest."
Since Zhang Xiu had already openly confronted Cocolia earlier, Stelle and March 7th no longer had a knee-jerk reaction at the sight of an inn.
"Do you have anything else to do? My wife and I are planning to rest at the inn first. Ahh~ today was exhausting. Even wearing this mask has worn me out."
"How long has it even been? Aren't you a little too lazy?" March 7th scratched her head innocently. By her estimate, only about four hours had passed.
"Though now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little tired myself..."
Welt, who had long since been there himself, understood at once when he saw Zhang Xiu's chest visibly rising and falling. He pushed up his glasses.
"Then sorry for the trouble, Miss Tingyun, but could you take Zhang Xiu and his wife to the inn first? I'm planning to look around. What about you, Stelle, March 7th?"
"No, we finally got to visit the Xianzhou, so of course we have to look around properly! You go ahead. We'll come over later."
"I'm planning to look for trash cans and things, too..." Stelle's expression was calm.
"You just can't leave trash cans alone, can you? You were like this in Belobog, too. I really don't understand what's so interesting about rummaging through them..." March 7th looked at Stelle helplessly.
As a Lord Ravager who was also adept at reading people and knew Yaoshi's true identity, Phantylia sensed the restless intentions stirring within Zhang Xiu.
No, surely not...? Are he and Yaoshi really, really going to...?
She stood frozen, her eyes wide, unsure what to do. Only when Zhang Xiu spoke to remind her did she snap out of it.
"Th-then, p-please, you two, follow me... Haha, hahaha."
And so, with a storm raging in her heart, Phantylia numbly led the pair toward the Dust-Cleansing Inn.
The Dust-Cleansing Inn was clean and orderly throughout, standing on one side of the street like a historic landmark, with an endless stream of people coming and going.
"Th-this is the Dust-Cleansing Inn... Please, you two, g-go inside. You only need to show your train tickets at the front desk to check into your superior rooms. Hehe..."
Seeing Phantylia force a smile, Zhang Xiu felt delighted in both body and mind and walked straight through the entrance.
The moment he entered the inn's lobby, he swept his gaze around and discovered two familiar faces: Chen Chang'an and Li Ge.
The two were dressed in casual clothes, drinking at a table.
Zhang Xiu's gaze caught their attention, and once they saw Yaoshi in his arms, they instantly lost their composure.
Li Ge rose first, intending to hurry over to Zhang Xiu, but realized he could not make too much of a scene and forced himself to slow his steps.
Chen Chang'an, meanwhile, walked over at an unhurried pace right from the start.
"Lord of Longevity... Have you come here on some business?"
"We just resolved the crisis caused by the Stellaron, so we thought we'd come here for a few drinks..."
Seeing this, Yaoshi extended a hand and pressed it down through the air, reassuring the two. "My husband and I are somewhat weary, so we thought to rest here awhile."
"Yes, we got tired from looking around, after all. The Luofu is so hospitable that they booked superior rooms for each of us Nameless."
"Oh, oh, then we won't disturb you. Come on, Chen." Li Ge tugged Chen Chang'an's sleeve, pulling him away just as he was about to say something, and returned to their original seats.
The moment he sat down, Chen Chang'an whispered anxiously, "Brother Li, that scoundrel Zhang Xiu's intentions are uncertain. He might be about to... about to commit a great act of blasphemy against a god...!"
As he spoke, he kept glancing at Zhang Xiu, who was showing his ticket while asking the proprietor how well soundproofed the rooms were.
"Relax, Chen. No matter what a beast Zhang Xiu is, how could he possibly do something like that? Would he dare?"
Li Ge's expression was solemn. "Think back to when we first met the Lord of Longevity. Zhang Xiu only said those outrageously disrespectful things because he'd lost his head."
When they first had an audience with Yaoshi, who among them had not prostrated himself, awestruck by her majestic form?
"Now that he's calmed down, do you think he has the guts to lay a hand on the Lord of Longevity? Hmm?" Li Ge's voice was full of conviction, though a trace of unease lurked in his eyes.
"Well... true. A person can't-or at least shouldn't. Yes, Zhang Xiu probably wouldn't do it." Chen Chang'an nodded firmly.
Would he really not do it?
Stepping into the antique, incense-scented room, Zhang Xiu slowly lowered Yaoshi from his arms to the floor.
"Did you bring me here to discuss something, husband?" She tilted her head up, her black eyes twinkling.
"Um... honey, when you talk about having a child, do you mean taking a piece of my flesh and combining it with yours to create one directly?"
"If that is the method you desire, husband, it is certainly possible. Yet... could you truly bear to abandon your original choice?" A playful look hid in Yaoshi's black eyes, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled into a teasing smile.
Poor Zhang Xiu was being played right in the palm of Yaoshi's hand.
"How could I bear to! It's just... well, I'm not quite ready to be a father, but I'd be very happy to!" His face flushed with excitement, and for a moment he had no idea what to do.
"Our journey through the Xianzhou is long. You may take your time to consider it, husband. If you are unwilling, I will not force you."
Those words helped Zhang Xiu calm down a little.
Without a doubt, having a child would bring many complications on the perilous Trailblaze journey ahead. Zhang Xiu also worried that he would not leave his child with a good impression of him.
Of course, with Yaoshi's abilities, it was entirely possible to make their child grow straight into adulthood, but Zhang Xiu's morals would not let him accept such an approach.
He wanted his child to grow up peacefully and experience childhood with him and Yaoshi by their side. Yet Zhang Xiu still wanted to adventure outside, and he could not have the best of both worlds.
After thinking it over, he sighed. "No, let's not, honey. I'm not ready to be a father. I'm afraid I won't be a good role model for our child."
As Zhang Xiu spoke, he could not help feeling guilty. Unexpectedly, Yaoshi tugged at the hem of his clothes and said softly, "I understand your concerns, husband. Yet, at this very moment, is there truly not the slightest desire in your heart?"
Zhang Xiu's eyes widened, and then he heard Yaoshi continue, "Pray to me, just as you did at the beginning."
She guided Zhang Xiu into a crouch so he could meet her petite self eye to eye, and everything around them fell silent in that moment.
How should the events that followed be described...? In two words: magnetic levitation.
Squatting by the roadside, Phantylia took a deep breath and let it out again. She could distinctly sense the activity upstairs, so she pressed her thumbs against her temples and began rubbing them.
But the more she rubbed, the worse her headache became. After all, who could have imagined that the exalted Aeon of Abundance...
Would actually be making a recruitment animation with someone.
Before you continue