Each word pierced like a sharp thorn into Robin's heart, delivering a heavy blow to the innocent Halovian girl.
Hearing Yun Fan's words, Miss Robin lowered her head in a sense of helplessness.
Indeed, he wasn't wrong. Why would he risk being erased by a Star God to help her revive her mother?
Or rather, what price could she possibly offer to persuade him?
In the past, setting aside all dignity, she herself might have been a valuable bargaining chip. But now…
"I'm sorry, I…"
Just as Robin was about to apologize, Yun Fan's words reignited a spark of hope in the dejected girl.
"However, it's not impossible for me to help you."
"R-Really?" Her heart leaped to her throat. Reinvigorated with hope, Robin was terrified that he might suddenly say it was just a joke.
"Of course it's true. But before that, I have a condition. Would you agree to it, Miss Robin?"
"I agree. No matter the condition, I agree," Robin said firmly, clenching her fists.
"Very well." Yun Fan nodded with satisfaction, then, as before, took Robin's small hand.
This time, the girl didn't resist as she had earlier.
"Let's find another place to talk. I assume you wouldn't want tomorrow's Interstellar Peace Broadcast to be filled with gossip about you, right?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Yun Fan's words, Robin finally snapped to attention. Glancing around, she noticed that a crowd of curious onlookers had gathered around them at some point.
Among them were off-world tourists—mechanical beings, Xianzhou natives, and the like—as well as some local Penacony residents, the Pepeshi.
There were even a few journalist tourists, already instinctively pulling out their cameras, ready to snap photos of the two.
"Let's go! Hurry!"
Robin, somewhat flustered, nudged Yun Fan's arm. Her emotions had been so turbulent that this usually cautious girl had forgotten they were standing on a street in the Golden Hour. Though it was a less conspicuous path, tourists still passed by.
"Alright, alright. Hold onto my arm—warp begins now!"
Signaling for Robin to cling tightly to his arm, Yun Fan activated the power of his Path, preparing to make their escape.
Feeling the girl's warm arms wrap around his, in an instant, the two vanished from the spot.
This left the onlookers and journalists dumbfounded. They had only looked away for a moment to grab their cameras, and now the two were gone?
"Huh? Where's Miss Robin? Wasn't she just here? How did she disappear?"
A journalist with a Penacony Daily badge stared in confusion at the now-empty street.
"No idea. She was right here. Did Miss Robin get scared and run off when she saw us?" another journalist, sporting an Interstellar Peace Broadcast badge, replied.
"Ugh, what a shame! I zoned out for a second and missed such a huge scoop. That was Miss Robin!"
"She's a galaxy-famous superstar. If we could've reported on her love life, we journalists would've shot to fame across the galaxy!"
"Ugh, such a golden opportunity, and I couldn't seize it!"
After Robin's departure, the journalists and tourists, realizing there was no point in lingering, sighed and dispersed.
Among them, however, one unassuming Pepeshi remained.
Once the crowd had left, the short Pepeshi pulled a small camera from their pocket.
Opening the camera, the first image in the gallery was none other than the moment when Miss Robin had her arms wrapped around Yun Fan's.
Clearly, this Pepeshi had been fortunate enough to capture that scene.
"Heh heh heh, as the old Xianzhou saying goes…" the short Pepeshi muttered to themselves, their voice, contrary to their youthful appearance, old and hoarse.
"'You wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, yet what you seek comes effortlessly.'"
This individual was none other than Penacony's Dreammaster, the great Gopher Wood. With his consciousness linked to the entire Oak Family, he had eyes all over Penacony.
Or rather, every member of the Oak Family was his eyes.
"If this photo were made public, along with the identity of this Emissary of Causality, it would surely create the illusion that 'Causality' has allied with the Family…"
— — — —
"Uncle Yang, is Uncle Yang really okay?"
After escaping the giant true sting bug's body, the train crew felt no joy in their victory. Instead, everyone present fell into a prolonged silence.
"Little March, Old Yang will be fine. Trust in your companions," Miss Himeko said comfortingly, hearing March 7th's worried words.
"He'll be okay, March. Believe in Uncle Yang." Seeing March 7th's gloomy demeanor, even the usually reserved Dan Heng spoke up to reassure her.
"I'm sorry, everyone. This plan was my idea, and I was supposed to carry it out. Now… I'm deeply ashamed!"
Beside the train crew, the bandaged and cast-covered Knight of Beauty, Argenti, spoke with deep remorse.
As he said, the plan was his proposal. Originally, he was supposed to use his lance to pierce the giant true sting bug's stomach wall, forcing it to expel the Astral Express.
However, while clearing the bug eggs from the train earlier, the Knight of Beauty had fallen into an illusion. Mistaking a true sting bug for an old friend, he was attacked and injured as a result.
"Mr. Argenti, you don't need to feel this way. You were injured for the sake of the Astral Express. You've lived up to the will of 'Beauty,'" Stelle said, firmly patting Argenti's shoulder, causing him to wince in pain.
After doing so, Stelle turned around, only to pause.
"Uh, why are you all looking at me like that?"