Darkened Forehead

At the sound, she turned around. The newcomer let out a soft laugh, her eyes bright and dazzling.

"I actually ran into the 'wild card' at Starcruiser Sea? Trailblazer, it's been a long time."

It was Fu Xuan, head of the Divination Commission.

Fortunately, before Fu Xuan could see just how improper the two of them had looked tugging at each other in the street, Dan Heng had already let go of Stelle.

"Fu Xuan, it really has been a long time."

Stelle had just been wondering how to change the subject when the perfect opportunity practically fell into her lap.

Fu Xuan pulled Stelle to her side as they walked. The pink-haired girl subtly put some distance between the Express Crew; as a true Xianzhou local, she led the way from the middle, while the two members of the Express Crew followed on either side of her.

Dan Heng felt that what Stelle had not managed to finish saying earlier was important, but this was completely the wrong time to ask. He could only take a deep breath and decide to set it aside for now.

Eager to steer the conversation elsewhere, Stelle chatted and laughed with Fu Xuan, drifting further and further off topic.

"Ah, why did we come to the Luofu? We just wanted to look around. The Express Crew will be busy again before long, so while there's nothing much to do, we planned to go eat and drink at Aurum Alley. I've been craving Immortal's Delight and Granny Chen's Tofu, hahaha..."

"Are you preparing to warp to another planet?"

Fu Xuan stopped and turned around, tilting her head up slightly to look at Stelle.

The girl's gaze was exceptionally focused. Under such an earnest, scrutinizing stare, Stelle could not help swallowing nervously.

"W-What is it? Why are you looking at me like that...?"

Before she had finished speaking, Fu Xuan looked back at Dan Heng.

"The space between both your brows is dark. I'm afraid it's an effect brought on by this warp. Can't you postpone the warp for a while, or choose another destination?"

The moment she heard the words "dark between the brows," Stelle shuddered in alarm and began trembling.

Although Aha had given her a warning beforehand, and she had already prepared herself to die, she still held onto a tiny sliver of hope deep down.

Maybe Aha had only been joking with her. Maybe the Aeon of Elation had merely been messing around with her. Right? Right?

Yet even Fu Xuan, head of the Divination Commission, said the same thing.

Having darkened brows was definitely not a good omen in Xianzhou culture.

More importantly, it was not just the Trailblazer being warned.

Even Dan Heng at her side had received the same warning.

Stelle could not help wondering whether every single person making this warp—Uncle Welt, Himeko, Sunday, Black Swan, March 7th, herself and Dan Heng, and even conductor Pom-Pom—

Could they all have darkened brows? Was Amphoreus really that ominous?

Sure enough, it would be better to suggest changing their warp destination to Car Wash Planet as soon as possible.

Right, speaking of which, in the future she had seen through Aha: March 7th had been frozen on a bed, while Dan Heng lay gravely injured beside a train car split in two, his fate unknown.

Stelle's expression suddenly turned tense.

She had always thought that if she listened to Aha, conquered the characters, and secured the script, she could change the Express Crew's future.

But how much of Aha's words could really be trusted?

The Trailblazer silently pressed her lips together, her expression no longer carrying the ease and relaxation she had worn when she first arrived on the Xianzhou Luofu.

Noticing the change, Dan Heng stepped forward and blocked Fu Xuan's gaze from Stelle. With his hand behind his back, his fingertips lightly squeezed Stelle's fingers, signaling for her to relax.

"Thank you for the warning, Master Diviner Fu. We'll consider it."

Fu Xuan also realized that the subject had become a little too heavy. She gave an awkward laugh and smiled.

"Right, and it may not necessarily amount to anything. The stars are changing every moment. Maybe after you sleep tonight—no, maybe after just one system hour—your faces will look completely different."

Stelle knew Fu Xuan was only trying to comfort her and Dan Heng. Just as she was about to say something, Fu Xuan continued on her own, seemingly trying to change the subject.

"Speaking of which, weren't you planning to eat at Aurum Alley? It happens to be mealtime, so why not come with me to Cloud Knight Headquarters and see the General?"

"Cloud Knight Headquarters provides meals?"

At the mention of food, Stelle's eyes lit up.

"No. Why do you think I'm here right now? I calculated that you would come to the Luofu today. The General said long ago: if the Trailblazer and Dan Heng came to the Xianzhou, he would naturally host a banquet in your honor. So I came specifically to Starcruiser Sea to pick you up."

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Stelle nodded, doing her best to put on a relaxed expression. "It's been a long time since we last saw Jing Yuan. Then let's go now."

Stelle clasped Dan Heng's fingers in return, worried that he might not know how best to face Jing Yuan.

The young man lowered his head to look at the fingertips Stelle held, and the corners of his lips curled gently upward.

He had meant to comfort her, so how had she ended up comforting him instead...?

Cloud Knight Headquarters.

"General, I've brought them."

The moment they stepped inside, Fu Xuan's clear voice rang out.

Wait, wasn't that wrong?

What was with that tone of "the prisoners have been brought in"?!

The Trailblazer scratched her head, and a sentence instinctively slipped out of her mouth.

"General, your secret weapon has arrived."

"Hahaha, good."

The white-haired general closed the official documents before him. Smiling, he rose to his feet, stepped down from his desk, and walked toward the Trailblazer.

Jing Yuan's gaze was as gentle and tranquil as ever, as unfathomably deep as the ocean. No one could read what the Divine Foresight General was truly thinking.

"My secret weapon, it really has been a long time."

The man's gaze passed over Stelle before settling on Dan Heng's face. The two merely nodded lightly, exchanging greetings just like that.

They tacitly avoided speaking of the past.

But the instant Stelle heard Jing Yuan's voice, Aha's words suddenly echoed in her mind.

Aha: He's the one, Stelle. Go on, win him over!

Stelle felt like her head had grown twice as big. Wait, this target wasn't just anyone—this was Jing Yuan!

One of the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou Alliance, the Divine Foresight General who commanded the Luofu Cloud Knights—Jing Yuan!

And besides...

Stelle looked around, her gaze sweeping over Fu Xuan and Dan Heng.

She might not even have had the courage to make a move on Jing Yuan if the two of them were alone face-to-face, let alone with other people sitting beside them during lunch.

With that thought, Stelle swallowed hard.

"Come on, stop spacing out. I booked a very good Xianzhou restaurant in Chang'le Region. Whether it's catching up or reminiscing, we can talk while we eat."

With a smile, Jing Yuan placed a hand on the Trailblazer's shoulder and gently guided her out of Cloud Knight Headquarters.

Creak.

The gates of Cloud Knight Headquarters shut heavily behind them.

Chang'le Region bustled with people, and many stared curiously at the four standing outside Cloud Knight Headquarters: the Divine Foresight General, the head of the Divination Commission, the reincarnation of Imbibitor Lunae, and one little gray-haired girl.

Their destination seemed to be... a meal?

What had this little gray-haired girl done to deserve eating with so many important figures?

Stelle: No, how could ordinary passersby possibly know that Dan Heng is the reincarnation of Imbibitor Lunae?! Could you stop contradicting the story already?!

Aha: But that makes for a bigger gimmick. Don't you think introducing the four of you like that sounds very impressive?

Stelle: Can impressive be eaten? Can it be drunk as Immortal's Delight, or eaten as a Tuskpir Wrap?

Can't find the book title? Try searching for the author instead—maybe it was just renamed!