Unconsciously, by the time Caelus came back to his senses, Dabai's figure had already vanished, leaving him stunned on the spot. Everything had happened too suddenly, leaving him unsure how to even react.
He didn't know what exactly had happened to Dabai, but she seemed dead set on becoming a terrorist... Perhaps reporting her intentions to the Xianzhou was the more rational choice now, but Caelus worried this might endanger Dabai. After much thought, he decided to put other matters aside first and go back to discuss this with Himeko and Welt.
As for Twilight, better not tell her for now. After all, Dabai and Twilight didn't get along; the former had even tried to kill the latter. Besides, Twilight's condition was extremely poor right now; telling her would only make her worry...
---||---
"Twilight, we're going to meet the Luofu's General first. We'll be back soon. Stay here at the inn for now, don't move around."
Before departing to meet General Jing Yuan of the Divine Foresight, Himeko carefully instructed the sickly Twilight lying in bed. "If anything happens, message us immediately, and we'll rush back. March and Dan Heng are also on the Xianzhou; you can contact them if necessary."
"Mm... I'm fine, don't worry..."
Seeing Twilight's tired smile, Himeko still felt uneasy about leaving her alone at the inn. But they were about to meet the highest leader of the Xianzhou Luofu. Twilight's physical condition truly didn't permit her to travel. Leaving her temporarily at the inn was understandable, but having the others skip the meeting too would be somewhat impolite, especially when they had requests to make.
March 7th and Dan Heng had snuck onto the Xianzhou, so they could tell the General they were staying behind on the Express. After all, the Xianzhou couldn't possibly board the train to verify...
Just have to come back as soon as possible. Hopefully, nothing unexpected happens.
...
The Luofu's General, Jing Yuan, looked surprisingly young. If Caelus hadn't learned a bit about his situation before the meeting, knowing he was actually several hundred years old, he might have mistaken him for a young man around Dan Heng's age. And in the foreseeable future, he would likely maintain this appearance.
The blessing of longevity granted by the Aeon of Abundance made Caelus even more envious. If only even a tiny fraction of this power could be shared with Twilight, how wonderful would that be?
Unfortunately, while the Xianzhou people enjoyed the long years brought by longevity, they also scorned it, even deeming it a curse, and forbade others from seeking it... But this Jing Yuan seemed rather easygoing; perhaps he could make an exception?
There was no initial attempt to have subordinates play bad cop and intimidate the Astral Express. Jing Yuan showed considerable goodwill and respect towards their arrival. After exchanging pleasantries, the atmosphere was quite amicable.
However, no matter how harmonious things appeared on the surface, they eventually had to discuss business. And in this aspect, Jing Yuan, having lived several hundred years longer, was clearly much more composed than them. In the end, it was Himeko who couldn't help but speak first.
"General Jing Yuan, to be frank... besides accepting the invitation to the Luminary Wardance, we came to the Xianzhou this time with another request. There's another member in our crew named Twilight, but she's seriously ill and can only rest temporarily at the inn, unable to come meet you. We've long heard of the Xianzhou's superb medical skills, so we hoped to seek a cure here."
"Oh, is that so?" Jing Yuan looked surprised and concerned, seemingly worried about the condition of Twilight, whom he had never met. But the Express crew didn't take his reaction too seriously. After all, their recent travels across the galaxy seeking famous doctors were never concealed. How could the Xianzhou's intelligence network be unaware? It was likely just a formality.
"The Astral Express are esteemed guests; the Xianzhou should naturally offer full assistance..."
Jing Yuan sighed deeply, and Himeko waited patiently for the answer. After all, everyone knows the important part of a sentence comes after the 'but'.
"But frankly speaking, the current situation on the Xianzhou is complex, and we truly lack the resources to help..."
There it is. Himeko felt settled. It wasn't fearing the other party making exorbitant demands that was scary, but them not making demands. As long as they could talk, there was still a possibility of getting things done.
Besides, she had some idea what Jing Yuan might say – likely wanting to use the Express as tools again. But that was fine; the Astral Express being used as tools wasn't exactly new; they were used to it. To put it nicely, this could even be called upholding justice and aiding those in distress.
"The Xianzhou has always acted to help the weak and uphold righteousness, openly and honorably. The Express has always held deep admiration for this. Since the Xianzhou is facing difficulties now, the Astral Express cannot simply stand by. Please speak plainly, General."
"Haha, if the Astral Express is willing to lend a hand, that would naturally be best," Jing Yuan smiled, then his expression turned serious. Since he was asking for help, a little acting was necessary. "You all should have heard about the Stellaron disaster that erupted here previously... To be honest, although the Stellaron's influence has indeed been temporarily suppressed, it has yet to be sealed."
"Not sealed?" Caelus's eyes widened in disbelief. "But didn't they say the Martial Arcana Ceremony was being held because the Stellaron disaster was resolved?"
"It's shameful to admit, but quite the opposite. It's precisely because it hasn't been resolved that we must hold the Martial Arcana Ceremony to calm the public," Jing Yuan shook his head. "The Stellaron is temporarily quiescent now, but we haven't been able to seal it completely. The people of the Xianzhou are restless, and some hidden elements are starting to surface... If this continues, the Xianzhou might descend into internal strife. Left with no choice, I can only suppress the Stellaron while outwardly announcing it has been completely resolved."
"So the Xianzhou wants the Express to help find and seal the Stellaron?" Welt asked quizzically. "We certainly have experience dealing with Stellarons, but the Xianzhou should have its own methods too... Could there be some other circumstances?"
"Precisely. The Xianzhou has actually already located the Stellaron and has the means to deal with it. But the problem now is... we cannot approach it," Jing Yuan's gaze swept across the three crew members. "Is your companion named Dan Heng not here?"
"Mm, indeed," Himeko nodded, lying smoothly without batting an eye. "He said he received an expulsion order and is forbidden from ever setting foot on Xianzhou territory again."
"...Mm, I am aware of this matter," Jing Yuan fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "However, I hope you can send him a letter, requesting his presence. I will grant him special passage permission. To approach the Stellaron's location, his help is indispensable."
Thinking about having to meet that old friend again, Jing Yuan found it hard to describe his own feelings.
But the Stellaron was located within the remnants of the Ambrosial Arbor in the Scalegorge Waterscape. Without the power of the Vidyadhara High Elder, approaching it was impossible... Whether he wanted to see him or not, he had to reunite with his old friend this time.