After trapping Dan Shu in the boat, Fu Zhu put away his Godfall Sword, clapped his hands, and turned to ask Jing Yuan.
"You guys are going to interrogate Dan Shu, right? Should I lend you my Sheep Grinder? It'll double your interrogation efficiency, you know?"
"Sheep Grinder?"
Jing Yuan was intrigued. Judging from the name alone, it was definitely not some proper machine!
Upon hearing Fu Zhu utter the words "Sheep Grinder," both Xing and Dan Heng instinctively turned to look at Dan Shu and couldn't help but shiver.
The two of them were crystal clear on how that high-frequency machine operated. If it were used on Dan Shu, she probably wouldn't even have a chance to speak before being played to death!
Seeing Jing Yuan's apparent curiosity about the Sheep Grinder, Fu Zhu was immediately filled with the desire to share his knowledge. He was more than happy to share the various miraculous technologies of MC with others.
"The Sheep Grinder is…"
"Shut up!"
Dan Heng quickly shouted, stopping Fu Zhu from explaining what the Sheep Grinder was and how it worked. It would tarnish the reputation of the Nameless!
Seeing Dan Heng's strong opposition, Fu Zhu could only shrug and close his mouth, no longer speaking of the Sheep Grinder. Besides, the Xianzhou Alliance was so vast, there must be plenty of talented people. Who knows, maybe their interrogation techniques were even more advanced than those in MC.
Jing Yuan, on the other hand, felt a bit left hanging. First, his curiosity was piqued, and now Dan Heng wouldn't let Fu Zhu speak, leaving him feeling rather uncomfortable. But it wasn't appropriate to press the issue, so he could only change the subject.
"Since the matter of the Disciples of the Medicine King has been temporarily settled, it's time we talked about you… Stellaron Hunters."
Everyone turned their gazes to Blade and Kafka. Ever since Dan Heng had been forced into his Dragon Sovereign form, Blade hadn't attacked again. In the end, he simply stood beside Kafka, watching Fu Zhu's antics with the Disciples of the Medicine King.
Facing the gazes of Jing Yuan and Fu Zhu, Kafka maintained her smile.
"General of the Luofu, and all of you from the Astral Express, is there anything else you'd like to say? If not, please forgive us for taking our leave now."
Fu Zhu raised an eyebrow and threw an Ender Pearl, teleporting behind Kafka and Blade. The move was so fast that Blade only had time to swing his sword backward. Halfway through, the attack was blocked by Fu Zhu's shield. His other hand held the Godfall Sword, pointing it at the back of Kafka's head.
Fu Zhu didn't even glance at Blade. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Kafka and let out a long sigh.
"Ah, much better. It just feels right pointing this at the back of someone's head. It's a pity I don't have a gun. But back to the topic at hand, do you think this is a public restroom? You can come and go as you please?"
Jing Yuan raised a finger, and the Divine Lord surged forward, blocking Kafka and Blade's other escape route. Welt, Dan Heng, and Xing also moved to surround the pair.
Kafka thought about trying something, but the memory of Fu Zhu's various bizarre abilities made her dismiss the idea. Besides, among the futures Elio had seen, the worst-case scenario was simply her and Blade getting captured by the Luofu again. Compared to dealing with Fu Zhu and Jing Yuan, the Luofu's Shackling Prison was much easier to escape from.
With that thought, Kafka obediently raised her hands and asked with a light laugh, "It seems you haven't yet heard from the Grand Astrologer of the Divination Commission about our purpose for coming to the Luofu."
Fu Zhu gently poked the back of Kafka's head with the Godfall Sword. "Then why don't you enlighten us, Ms. Kafka?"
A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Kafka's mouth. It had been just a light touch from Fu Zhu's sword on the back of her head, yet she felt a pain that originated from her entire body.
She really had no idea how bizarre this man's attacks were.
"Since Mr. Fu Zhu has said as much, if I don't offer a few words of explanation, I'm afraid I won't be able to walk out of here today, hmm?"
Fu Zhu smiled and tilted his head. "Even if you do talk, you're not walking out of here. No, you'll probably be tied up and carried out."
Kafka chuckled lightly, not responding to Fu Zhu's remark. Instead, she began to explain the Stellaron Hunters' purpose.
"Our appearance on Jarilo-VI, and our informing the Astral Express about the impending Stellaron eruption on the Luofu, had only one purpose: to make the Luofu owe the Astral Express a massive favor. That is all. It's just that… ever since you, Mr. Fu Zhu, appeared, the script prepared by Elio was torn to shreds. But the ending is still acceptable. At least our goal was achieved."
"It's that simple?"
Fu Zhu and the others couldn't help but show surprised expressions after hearing Kafka's words. It was unbelievable. The Stellaron Hunters' goal was something none of them had expected, and there was no reason for her to lie at this point.
After all, they could contact Fu Xuan at any time to verify the truth. But it was precisely because Kafka's explanation was very likely true that everyone found it so incredible.
Welt adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose in confusion and then asked, "Why?"
"Because in the future Elio has foreseen, the assistance of the Luofu, and by extension the Xianzhou Alliance, is essential. Otherwise, none of us can reach that most ideal future. However…"
Ignoring the threat of the Godfall Sword in Fu Zhu's hand, Kafka turned around. Her eyes, filled with an inscrutable emotion, met Fu Zhu's.
"With your appearance, the future may have once again become a swirl of chaos."
Fu Zhu raised an eyebrow in displeasure and retorted, "Don't pin the blame on me. Besides, why must we act according to your script?"
Kafka put down her raised hands and smiled faintly, covering her mouth.
"Is that so? The next time we meet, I will absolutely not let you freely tamper with the script again, Mr. Fu Zhu."
After saying this, Kafka turned back to face Jing Yuan and held out her hands towards him.
"Alright, I've said my piece. General of the Luofu, you may now lock us in the Shackling Prison."
Blade glanced at Kafka. Seeing her choice, he had no option but to lower his longsword and obediently hold out his hands. But before that, he didn't forget to turn his head to look at Dan Heng.
"Imbibitor Lunae, even if you've changed your appearance and forgotten your past, the sins you carry will not be erased just like that!"
Dan Heng frowned, staring intently at Blade's sneering face, and said, word by word.
"I am not him. I am Dan Heng, a guard of the Astral Express."
Blade just grunted. "If you say so."
Jing Yuan, watching this scene, sighed helplessly in his heart. He then sent a message to Yanqing on his phone, telling him to bring the Cloud Knights over to escort Dan Shu, Kafka, and Blade to the Shackling Prison.
After the Cloud Knights had escorted the three away, Jing Yuan finally turned his gaze to Dan Heng.
"Now, it's time we had a chat about you, Dan Heng. A sinner sentenced to permanent exile by the Luofu, who violated the terms of your punishment by secretly sneaking back in…"
Hearing Jing Yuan's words, Dan Heng's eyes dimmed slightly. Just as he was about to explain, three figures stepped in front of him.
"Hey, Jing Yuan, that's not very nice of you."
Fu Zhu, holding his Godfall Sword in one hand and his shield in the other, glared at Jing Yuan with displeasure.
"We just helped you with such a huge favor, and now you're going to discard the donkey once the grinding is done?"
He held a rather favorable impression of Jing Yuan, but if Jing Yuan was determined to act against Dan Heng, then he would have to test just what kind of nice equipment this big guy, the Divine Lord, would drop after being killed.
Xing and Welt remained silent, but they each gripped their baseball bat and cane, respectively.
Seeing the three react so strongly, Jing Yuan was briefly stunned before breaking into a laugh.
"Please, calm yourselves. I, Jing Yuan, am naturally not the type to discard someone after they've served their purpose. Just as the Stellaron Hunter said, the Luofu owes all of you a great debt. Destroying the Ambrosial Arbor, sealing Phantylia, and capturing the Disciples of the Medicine King hidden within the Luofu—any one of these deeds is a favor that the Luofu would find difficult to repay the Astral Express for."
Jing Yuan's answer made Fu Zhu and the others breathe a sigh of relief.
Jing Yuan shifted his gaze from the three of them back to Dan Heng.
"I ask you now, who are you?"
Hearing Jing Yuan ask this, Dan Heng's expression became resolute.
"My answer is the same as before. I am Dan Heng, a Nameless, a guard of the Astral Express."
After hearing this, Jing Yuan took a deep breath, and then his shoulders slumped as if a great weight had been lifted.
"Good. From this day forward, in my name as the General of the Luofu, I hereby lift the sentence of exile on Dan Heng. However, you must be careful. Walking around the Luofu in this form of yours, you will inevitably attract the attention of some people."
Dan Heng nodded solemnly, committing Jing Yuan's warning to heart.
"Thank you."
Once the matter with Dan Heng was settled, a smile returned to Jing Yuan's face, instantly relaxing the tense atmosphere.
"Alright, the business here is concluded for now. These old bones of mine are getting a bit sore from standing for so long. Why don't you all accompany me to another place, where we can sit down and chat slowly over some tea?"
"A sound suggestion, General."
"I want a celebration feast!"
As Fu Zhu's group followed Jing Yuan back to the Seat of Divine Foresight, before they even reached the entrance, they saw two pink figures rushing towards them.
"Fu Zhu!" ×2
Fu Xuan, who was slightly shorter, was beaten to the punch by March 7th. March 7th spread her arms and dove straight into Fu Zhu's embrace. Overjoyed to see Fu Zhu having "risen from the dead," her happiness was beyond words. Ignoring everyone's gazes, she threw her arms around him and held him tightly.
She even wrapped her legs around his waist without a care, clinging to his body like a sloth, completely oblivious to the fact she was wearing a short skirt.
Suddenly ambushed by March 7th, Fu Zhu quickly reached out a hand to support her bottom to prevent her from falling off. At the same time, he didn't forget to turn off the display for his cosmetic armor MOD, to prevent March 7th from hurting her hands while hugging him.
Xing, standing behind Fu Zhu, frowned at the sight. After a moment's thought, she let out a "hey!" and copied March 7th's actions, clinging to Fu Zhu's back.
Fu Zhu had no choice but to use his other hand to support Xing's bottom as well. He asked, a bit exasperated, "Little March can do this, but why are you doing it too?"
"Hehe, this is a reunion hug!"