"Let's not worry about that anymore. Shall I take you all to the inn?" Yanqing shook her head to clear her mind, then turned to the group. "Let's go," Hanxing agreed, and the group quickly left the main hall.
"Oh no, I forgot to ask Yunli to return my sword..." Yanqing slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing. "It's alright, I still owe her a match, I'll get the sword back then." Hanxing said with a smile.
"No need for that." Yanqing's words were somewhat urgent. " Zhuming's men won't be back in Luofu anytime soon. We can ask for it when we meet later." Then she changed the subject. "Speaking of which, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel that the general was a bit... um, a bit reserved today? Is it because of the visit of that old gentleman Huaiyan?"
"Restrained? Was I?" March 7th carefully recalled the events of the past few days. "Perhaps Yanqing is overthinking it." Yanqing thought for a while, then shook her head. "You weren't overthinking it." Dan Heng agreed, "From the moment I entered the Palace of Astrum, I realized that the envoy of the Zhuming Xianzhou you mentioned was actually the Zhuming general himself. Then, the envoy of the Yaoqing Xianzhou must be that Merlin's Claw?"
"That's right," Yanqing agreed. "That's what's unusual about this whole thing." Firefly also spoke up as if she had suddenly realized something. "What's so unusual about it? Didn't they just receive an invitation from Jing Yuan like the Astral Express Crew?" March 7th was still completely confused.
" The Wardance is just a small celebration, so the fact that two celestial Arbiter-Generals from other Xianzhou have come here at the same time suggests there's more to it than meets the eye," Dan Heng explained. "They've come to question us about the strange occurrence at the Ambrosial Arbor in Luofu, haven't they?"
"Accountability? Surely not. The scoundrels from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus Teachings and the Antimatter Legion invaded Luofu and caused chaos. Wasn't Luofu the victim? How can the victim be held accountable?" March 7th asked curiously.
" Dan Feng's rebellion, Phantylia's plan... in the eyes of the other Arbiter-Generals in the Xianzhou Alliance, it's just one side of the story. Only one piece of irrefutable evidence has been left behind, with endless consequences," Dan Heng continued. " Ambrosial Arbor." Yanqing suddenly realized something as well.
"It is an undeniable fact that the plague that Xianzhou Luofu has suppressed for so long has resurfaced. But is it a conspiracy orchestrated by the Antimatter Legion, or is there internal strife within Luofu, with even Jing Yuan himself involved?" After another analysis, Dan Heng now understood: "Once the fire of suspicion is ignited, it is very difficult to extinguish." "No wonder we were called back to attend the ceremony." Qiong also realized this.
"I was so stupid, really." March 7th finally realized: "I thought I was going to have a carefree and spontaneous trip. Now it seems that no matter where I go, the Astral Express will be embroiled in trouble." "Damn it, I actually thought the Arbiter-Generals were just here to observe the ceremony, and I was so happy..." Yanqing's face turned serious:
"Thinking about it, I heard that a Danshi (a type of alchemist) accompanied the Zhuming Ming envoy ship this time, and is said to be the new Cauldron Master of the Luofu Alchemy Commission." "A person sent by the Zhuming to serve as the Cauldron Master of the Luofu Danding Bureau? There is precedent, but the timing is..." Dan Heng pondered for a while, his meaning left unsaid.
"Only after hearing what Mr. Dan Heng said did Yanqing realize the undercurrents surging beneath the surface." A hint of worry appeared on Yanqing's face. "The General is currently under immense pressure. Yet I was completely oblivious to the General's troubles... How naive of me."
"You've already done a great job." Hanxing sighed softly. "At your age, I couldn't even study on my own, let alone help our elders. Having this intention is enough. Doing our own work well is the greatest comfort we can give them."
"That's right." A glint of light flashed in Yanqing's eyes. "I can do my best to complete every task the general assigns. Let's go. After arranging accommodations for the five of you, I still need to go to the Artisanship Commission to deal with the company's protest."
"Seeing how preoccupied he is, I'm really worried... Let's go to the Artisanship Commission with you!" March 7th suggested. "This... isn't appropriate. I'm grateful for your help, but the company staff are notoriously difficult... I'm worried it might cause trouble for the train..."
"Don't worry! Our Astral Express Crew is quite experienced in dealing with company people! You've heard of the ' Ten Stonehearts, ' right? We've dealt with several of them! Right, Qiong?" March 7th said confidently. "Don't drag me into your bragging," Qiong said helplessly. "Who's bragging! A few company employees, are they more powerful than Aventurine? Impossible!" March 7th retorted.
"Alright, since the teachers are willing to help, I won't refuse anymore. Let's go to the Artisanship Commission and meet them." Yanqing finally accepted everyone's enthusiasm. "Hmm, leave the travel to me." Hanxing smiled, tearing open a doorway about a meter wide with her finger. "Everyone, let's set off."
"Wow, what amazing skills! You must be on par with Uncle Yang, right?" March 7th exclaimed in amazement. "Just showing off my limited skills, I wouldn't dare," Hanxing declined, but Firefly patted her head. "Alright, my husband doesn't need to be so modest in public~"
"Alright, now that everyone's ready, let's set off." Seeing that they couldn't move their legs without chatting for at least ten minutes, Dan Heng quickly stopped their conversation. The group stepped out of the spatial portal and returned to the Starskiff Haven.
"Do you Xianzhou native have any sense of reason at all?" A familiar, disgruntled voice came from afar. "Heh, I get it now~ In your words, this is called 'profiteering from someone's misfortune,' right?"
"I'm trying to reason with you," a woman's voice replied, sounding somewhat helpless. "It's not like I haven't dealt with Sky-Faring Commission before; I'm used to your difficult practices. But now you're openly robbing the company's goods—isn't that a bit too much?" The figure finally came into view, prompting Hanxing to tease her.
"This guy's clothes make him look like the kind of opportunist, especially those glasses. I have no doubt he'll lie on the ground and try to scam us." "Don't be so hasty. Don't judge a book by its cover. What if he just looks like that?" Firefly said with a smile.
"We've said it so many times, as long as the box is opened and the security check is completed, we'll let it through. Are you deaf or just not thinking straight?" one of the staff members said, barely containing his anger.
"I heard it very clearly, and I understand it very well! What I said was even more blunt: It's hopeless!"