"Hello, you two. I'm back." Yan Bai stood before them, naturally unaware of the conversation between Hanxing and Firefly.
"If I'm not mistaken, Han Chuan has already told you everything," Yan Bai continued. Hanxing spoke up. "We understand most of it, but there's one thing I'd like to ask you."
"Ask away." Yan Bai laughed, and Hanxing put the question to him. "According to the data bank and what you told us before, the Aeon of 'Destruction' was born long after the fall of the Aeon of 'Order.' If Fansha Star is completely cut off from the outside world, as you say, how did you learn about the Path of 'Destruction'?"
"Did you have some other way, or are you an outsider too? Or perhaps... have you been deceiving us all along?" Hanxing stated his deductions coldly. Yan Bai's expression shifted slightly without betraying his emotions, then returned to normal. "There's something you don't know. The blessing of 'Harmony' lets me see through another person's Path, so I could tell what Paths you follow. But as for 'Destruction,' I know nothing about it."
"I've also been wondering about this Path of 'Destruction' that suddenly appeared. It just wouldn't have been convenient to ask you about it directly."
It had to be said that Yan Bai's explanation was quite reasonable, with no apparent holes in it. Hanxing had no choice but to change the subject. "Did taking Wind Erosion Town go smoothly?"
"We didn't encounter much resistance. Our troops occupied the town quickly." Yan Bai then took out a map covered in complicated parameters. "Our next target is Night Return Port. Before the curse of 'Order' descended, it was the largest spaceport on Fansha Star. After the curse fell, it was abandoned too."
"Taking it will not only serve as propaganda for the Kangbu Revolutionary Army, but also give you a way back to the stars." Yan Bai looked up at the sky. "We have some ways to break the curse for a short time, but as for whether there are any usable ships, you'll have to hope for the best."
With that, Yan Bai extended an invitation. "Why don't we go have a look around Wind Erosion Town together?" Hanxing and Firefly nodded, then followed Yan Bai outside.
Before long, the three saw the enormous sign bearing the words "Wind Erosion Town." Without further hesitation, they entered the town together.
The once lifeless streets had visibly come alive, and many people had begun setting up stalls to do business. Soon, Hanxing and Firefly spotted a Kangbu Revolutionary Army soldier standing beside a civilian in a nearby field, holding a pole.
"What are they doing?" Firefly asked Yan Bai. "They're dividing up the land. In places under the North Wind Government's rule, the gap between rich and poor is severe, with a small number of landlords holding vast amounts of land. Whenever we capture a place, we carry out similar land reforms and divide the land equally among all the people."
"Addressing the gap between rich and poor? Your ideas really are admirable," Hanxing said with heartfelt praise. "Conditions in the command room aren't very good. Why don't you find an inn to stay at here? I'll pay," Yan Bai said, looking at the two of them. Hanxing nodded. "Let's get going."
Meanwhile, aboard the Astral Express
"Everyone aboard the Express, long time no see. It's Kafka." A woman's voice rang out through the carriage as she raised the black umbrella in her hand over her head. "Good timing. Everyone's here-or so it seems. Sorry to interrupt your meeting." Her tone then changed. "But you'll forgive my intrusion-I'm asking you to change your destination."
"Stellaron Hunter. I've seen you on a wanted poster. What is it? One of your members just snatched a Stellaron from us, and now you've come to ask us to change our destination. And do you know how much your bounty is? They don't even care whether you're dead or alive." The woman's voice was full of hostility. It was the navigator, Himeko.
"I don't really care. The company's bounties are less a mark of infamy than high praise. The bigger the number, the greater the praise. As for snatching the Stellaron, Elio told us to do it, so I had no choice." Although Kafka didn't know how Hanxing had gotten his hands on the Stellaron, it didn't surprise her. Silver Wolf had proposed a similar idea long ago, and at least for now, the cost seemed smaller than expected.
"You wanted criminals sure know how to look on the bright side..." March 7th watched her coldly from the side. "...In that case, Herta has also had high praise for you: 'A man who claims to see fate, and a bunch of reckless lunatics, chasing after the most dangerous things in the universe.'" Himeko spoke sarcastically from the side. "And Herta rarely praises anyone."
"You've come to the wrong place, Kafka. We have no intention of accepting your request, or of getting involved with the Stellaron Hunters." Himeko then changed tack. "Unless you hand that guy Hanxing over to us."
Kafka naturally knew they were itching to skin Hanxing alive, but even if she'd wanted to hand him over, she couldn't. "In that case, I'm sorry. First, we wouldn't betray a companion like that. Second, we don't know where Hanxing is ourselves. He may already have vanished into the turbulent currents of spacetime."
"Is that so..." Himeko fell silent for a moment, then spoke again. "If you want us to find him, that's not out of the question. You just need to hand him over to us to stand trial."
"Of course, this has nothing to do with that." Kafka smiled and shook her head. She had considerable faith in Hanxing's abilities, at least as far as Elio's "script" was concerned. "Have you heard of the Luofu?"