Wende watched as the Xianzhou civilian gradually regained his senses, but his physical body was aging at a rate visible to the naked eye. Wende had intended to step forward and ask what had happened, but the moment the aging man saw him, his face contorted in terror, and he lost his breath.
"What in the world... is going on?"
Looking at the man who had already turned to withered bones, Wende began to realize that the problem was not as simple as it seemed.
"March, tell Uncle Yang what happened here. I'm going to contact that Cloud Knight captain. They should have a way to reach the unit stationed here."
Wende turned and spoke decisively to March while pulling out his phone.
It was then that he saw several messages sent to him alone from Dan Heng.
[Dan Heng]
"Wende, I saw that person's silhouette. He is extremely dangerous. I can't let him run loose inside the Xianzhou. This isn't just for the sake of the Xianzhou, but for all of you as well..."
"..."
Wende silently shook his head.
"This guy is still so indirect..."
He forwarded the information about the situation in the Cloudford to the Cloud Knight captain. After confirming the message was received, Wende turned his attention back to March and Stelle.
"Dan Heng said he has to take care of something and will be back later."
Wende didn't tell March and Stelle the full truth. While they had a right to know, he believed Dan Heng wouldn't want them to worry over his departure.
"What? He just left like that... He could have at least said something before going! We almost fainted from shock just now!"
Recalling the moment she had turned around to see an Abomination right behind her, March patted her chest, a wave of fear washing over her after the fact.
"Oh, right, Uncle Yang said he got the message and will report this to Miss Qingzu at the Seat of Divine Foresight. He suspects the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus might be behind this! Hmph! Those guys from the Sanctus Medicus are truly rotten to the core! To turn so many people into..."
Looking at the "people" lying on the ground, a look of pity flashed in March's eyes.
"March..."
Wende shook his head, looking at the indignant girl.
"Let's go... The Cloud Knights will be here soon to investigate. As for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus..."
Thinking back to Danshu, the one who had tricked Stelle into taking that elixir, a sliver of coldness flashed in Wende's deep violet eyes.
If he ever got the chance to confront those disciples, he would make damn sure they understood the "price" one had to pay for so-called "immortality."
"Let's go. The matter with the little Diting..." Wende reminded March, glancing at the creature by her feet.
"Right..."
Seeing Wende's silent headshake, March knew there was nothing they could do right now. The issue with the Sanctus Medicus wasn't something they could solve. The final decision had to be made by the Xianzhou itself.
"Let's go. Someone will come to clean this up."
"Mmm... okay."
March was clearly in low spirits. Seeing this, Stelle glanced over at Wende.
In response, Wende just shook his head again with a helpless sigh.
March was a kind and good-hearted girl; it was normal for her to feel down when she cared about others. As for him... he had seen too much to be so affected anymore. And as for Stelle... that depended on what the chaotic hivemind was thinking.
Following the path the Diting led them on, the three of them found a video recording left by a Cloud Knight named Yanqing near the Cloudford's starskiff mooring point.
Looking at the recording device, Wende suddenly felt a familiar chill wash over him. But this wasn't the same chill from the Express; this was a deeper... more lasting memory.
After some tinkering from "Detective" Little March, the "Xianzhou-specialty projection" finally activated.
In the recording, the child-like Cloud Knight asked them to deliver this record to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Watching the small boy in the video, Wende couldn't help but feel a sense of déjá vu. This kid looked quite a bit like how he was described in his own backstory...
Wende continued to watch the video with interest. Then, when a silver-white figure, ethereal as a celestial maiden, appeared on screen, his expression instantly became grave.
"Huh? What's wrong, Wende? Why are you making that face?" March asked with concern, noticing him looking as if he were facing a great enemy.
"It's... it's nothing..."
Wende shook his head, his eyes glued to the woman in the projection.
"Stare..."
Seeing Wende's transfixed gaze, Stelle suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of crisis. She walked over to his side and adopted the exact same expression, staring intently at the woman in the projection.
"Hey... what are you getting involved for?" March put her hands on her hips, sighing helplessly at Stelle.
"But speaking of which... Wende, is your type also these mature-looking big sisters? No, that's not right... why didn't you react to Sister Himeko or Lady Yukong? Oh~ you... you don't happen to have a white hair fetish, do you!"
March wore an expression that screamed, "I've discovered the truth!"
"March, stop messing around."
Looking at her triumphant face, Wende suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion.
It wasn't that he liked white hair and big sisters... okay, he did, but he would absolutely never like this woman!
This woman... This woman!!!
Wende's expression was complicated as he watched the elegant figure.
For a moment, he didn't even know what to call her...
Should he call her "Bad Person" like in his memories, or should he, out of respect, call her "Master"... or perhaps...
Watching the woman pretend to be blind to verbally scam the young, naive Cloud Knight boy, Wende felt that calling her a "shotacon" wouldn't be going too far, would it?
After this woman left all those years ago, just how many ignorant little boys had she lured away! Why was she so damn skilled at it!
Remembering the scenes from his memories where this woman had touched him all over and tricked him into giving her massages... he truly didn't know if he should be grateful for her teachings... or if he should call the Cloud Knights and have them arrest her and execute her in the Ten-Lords Commission's prison!!
So she took advantage of him when he was young and naive, huh? Fine, fine! Just great!
Wende secretly made a resolution. If he ever truly met this "beloved teacher," he... he probably couldn't do anything to her anyway...
Wende instantly deflated.