Inside the milk tea shop, looking at Ye Yan in front of her, Tingyun found it difficult to speak for a moment.
"Don't worry. Even if you change your appearance, [ Eternity ] will still recognize you."
Ye Yan accepted the tea offered by Blake, unusually refusing to drink the milk tea. "Why are you being so reserved? There are no listening devices here, our conversation won't be overheard. Relax and chat."
"Or... did you sense an imbalance in status?"
Tingyun nodded. In the end, she was just a ferryman from a merchant group, while one of the people she was talking to was the [ Eternity ] Emanator, and the other was even more outrageous: the Aeon.
Even a general like him wouldn't be so calm. Who would have thought that the Aeon, whom ordinary people rarely get to see in their entire lives... is now sitting right in front of her, looking all languid.
Looking across the universe, perhaps only the [ Eternity ] Aeon would do this.
" Lord Yite..."
"Just call me Ye Yan." Now that all my disguises have been revealed, it's a bit inappropriate to still call me by my Aeon name. I guess even Tingyun thinks it's a bit awkward to pronounce.
To ease the tense atmosphere, Ye Yan specially retrieved a cup of milk tea from a distance and placed it in front of Tingyun.
"Don't be nervous." Ye Yan didn't forget to hand Blake a glass.
Tingyun looked at the milk tea in her hand, thinking that this must be Ye Yan's test for her, and without hesitation, she tilted her head back and gulped it down.
Ye Yan:???
How thirsty is this child?
Looking at the completely empty milk tea, he turned to look at Blake was equally bewildered.
"Is there something wrong with the Church's food?" Ye Yan reasonably suspected that Tingyun hadn't been eating much while resting at the Church these past few days.
"I swear on my life that, with the exception of Screwllum, who is an inorganic being, every customer who has visited the Church has given rave reviews of the food and has had absolutely no complaints!"
"Is that so...?"
Tingyun was also confused. Had the two of them misunderstood something?
Palace of Astrum, Yukong saw the fake Tingyun leading the Astral Express towards them, and changed his tone:
"Greetings, guests of the Astral Express. Tingyun has already informed me of your purpose for coming. My duties do not include receiving passengers."
"But since you know about the Stellaron and have stated your intention to help [ Luofu ], then both morally and logically, I must give you a chance to meet face-to-face..."
I personally declined your invitation.
The conversation shifted abruptly, and this move successfully stunned Xing and March 7th.
"Refuse?! Why?"
"It's just a mere Stellaron. The Alliance has long been aware of it and has its own ways of dealing with it. Our Xianzhou has sailed for eight thousand years and is accustomed to crises and annihilation."
"Although the current disaster is overwhelming, the Xianzhou is capable of handling it, and besides... you all witnessed the Church's assistance on your journey here."
Yukong offered a plausible reason: the Church's enthusiasm was simply too much to handle. "Please don't overthink it. The Alliance will not favor any side. The Church has already sent multiple alliance requests to Luofu, and repeatedly refusing would be beneath the Immortal Xianzhou's hospitality."
"Therefore, the Xianzhou no longer needs to rely on outsiders to quell the trouble. You are all guests from afar, and there is absolutely no reason for you to get involved in this matter... Do you understand what I mean?"
"Judging from the current situation, the influence of the Stellaron has not yet fully penetrated."
"If we can locate the source and contain it in time, both the eroded space and the infected people have a chance to recover," Welt replied. He understood that the Xianzhou's affairs were its own and did not require outside interference.
The Church is an exception. According to Yukong, the general of Luofu seems to have a good relationship with the Church Chair and can receive assistance from the Church.
Seeing that a Stellaron was erupting on the Xianzhou, the Chair character couldn't possibly sit idly by. In Jarilo-VI, his purpose was simply to find Ye Yan, so he wouldn't take action to eliminate the blizzard caused by the Fragmentum and the Stellaron.
"We once averted a catastrophe at the Stellaron, and we've come here this time simply to lend you all a helping hand."
"I have made it very clear: this is an internal matter of the Xianzhou Alliance, and the Astral Express has no right to interfere. Out of respect, I have specially met with you all to convey the final decision, which is non-negotiable."
The Xianzhou had some dealings with the Church of Eternity, but the Train had no dealings with the Xianzhou, so naturally they wouldn't easily trust outsiders.
Seeing that Yukong was so adamant, March 7th advised from the side, "Come on, Uncle Yang, the Alliance can handle this themselves. Why bother? Let's just call Teacher Ye Yan and go."
Upon hearing Ye Yan's name, Yukong's ears twitched, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
Do these people know Ye Yan? Didn't Qingque say he went on a trip to outer space?
Wait a minute... so the Interstellar Tour Group Ye Yan mentioned is actually the Astral Express?!
"No, you can't leave." Yukong said, successfully provoking March 7th.
"... Hey, that's a bit much."
Aside from Himeko, whom she knew, why are all these mature older women so mean!
First there was Cocolia, who was bewitched by the Stellaron and relentlessly pursued them; then there was the wicked woman Kafka, who demanded they change their destination; and now there's the Helmsman Yukong won't let them leave.
" The Stellaron was discovered on [ Luofu ] only a few days ago, Starskiff Haven has been completely sealed off, with no one leaving... How could you all have foreseen this, and how did you determine that all of this is related to the Stellaron?"
Xing turned to look at Welt. He had guessed right! No wonder he was so famous!
For some reason, Xing had a premonition that he was about to be wanted again.
"I retrieved the entry and exit records for the Starskiff Haven. Not long ago, someone hacked into the system, opened the Jade Gate, and guided a ship into port. That was you: the Astral Express."
"The hacker was highly skilled, even deliberately leaving a graffiti mark, as if to provoke... [ Silver Wolf ], a member of the Stellaron Hunters."
"What is your explanation for this?"
Xing tried his best to explain, "This is a scheme to use one tiger to devour another, so don't let it cloud your judgment, Helmsman!"
Yukong hadn't expected Xing's answer to be so abstract, but remained serious. "Besides, Ye Yan, whom you just mentioned... how could someone as Emanator of [ Eternity ] be associated with the [ Trailblaze ] Astral Express?"
" Helmsman, don't you know that Eternity Trailblaze are one family?" Xing took out her phone and found Ye Yan's contact information. How dare he question her relationship with Milk Tea Aeon?
Welt was stumped. How could he explain why Ye Yan boarded the train? He was once [ the Worst Nameless ], nearly causing serious damage... the implications were quite broad...
"In conclusion, you are not permitted to leave the Sky-Faring Commission until the aforementioned doubts are resolved."
" Yukong, don't be so fierce. If word gets out, won't the Galaxy laugh at the Xianzhou Alliance for not knowing how to treat guests? Don't create a contradiction."
Jing Yuan's holographic image suddenly appeared, interrupting his Yukong.
" General Jing Yuan..."
"How could the Astral Express possibly be allied with the Stellaron Hunters? They're mortal enemies."
Upon hearing this, March 7th looked at the disguised Kafka and nervously swallowed.
Hopefully, General Luofu won't misunderstand this.