Inside the milk tea shop, looking at Adrian before her, Tingyun for a moment finds it somewhat difficult to speak.
"Rest assured. Even if you've changed your appearance, [Eternity] will recognize you."
Adrian enjoys receiving the tea water handed over by Blake, rarely not drinking milk tea: "Why make it so formal? There's no surveillance here. Our conversation between us won't be monitored. Speak freely."
"Or perhaps... you feel the inequality in status?"
Tingyun nods. To put it bluntly, she's just a mere Sky-Faring Commission ferry envoy. Among those speaking to her, one is an [Eternity] Emanator, and the other is even more outrageous: an Aeon.
Even if it were the general, he probably wouldn't remain so calm. Who could have thought that an Aeon, which ordinary people struggle to glimpse in a lifetime... is now sitting right in front of her, looking all lazy and indolent.
Looking across the universe, perhaps only the [Eternity] Aeon would be like this.
"Ite, Your Excellency..."
"Just call me Adrian." With the vest completely dropped, calling herself by her Aeon name feels a bit inappropriate now. Tingyun probably finds that name a mouthful to pronounce anyway.
To ease the tense atmosphere, Adrian specially fetches a cup of milk tea from afar and places it before Tingyun.
"No need to be nervous." Adrian doesn't forget to get one for Blake as well.
Tingyun examines the milk tea in her hand. This must surely be Adrian's test for her. Without the slightest hesitation, she receives it and tilts her head back to gulp it down in one go.
Adrian: ? ? ?
This child... how thirsty is she?
Looking at the milk tea with not a drop left, he turns his head to look at Blake, who has the exact same dumbfounded expression.
"Has there been a problem with the church's meals?" Adrian reasonably suspects that Tingyun hasn't eaten much these past few days while recuperating at the church, leading to this.
"I swear on my life to you: aside from Screw the inorganic lifeform, all customers who come to visit have given rave reviews to the church's meals—absolutely no dissatisfaction whatsoever!"
"Is that so..."
Tingyun is also dumbfounded. Have these two misunderstood something?
...
Seat of Divine Foresight. Yukong watches as the fake Tingyun leads the Astral Express crew over, switching to a different tone:
"Guests of the [Astral Express], hello. Your intentions, Tingyun has already reported to me in full. Now, my duties do not include receiving travelers."
"But since you know about the Stellaron Core and claim to want to help [Luofu]. Then, out of courtesy and reason, I must give you all a face-to-face opportunity..."
"To personally refuse you all."
With a sharp turn in the conversation, this act successfully stuns Stelle and March 7th.
"Refuse?! Why?"
"A mere Stellaron Core is nothing more. The Alliance has long been aware of such things and has ways to deal with them. The Xianzhou has soared for eight thousand years, accustomed to crises of survival."
"The current disaster, though fierce in its approach, the Xianzhou still has the capacity to handle it on its own. What's more... you all saw the church's aid on the way here."
Yukong finds a reasonable excuse. The church's enthusiasm is truly hard to rebuff: "Please don't overthink it. The Alliance will not favor any one side. Previously, the church has sent multiple alliance messages to Luofu. Repeated refusals would damage the Xianzhou's hospitality."
"Therefore, the Xianzhou does not need to borrow external forces to quell the calamity. You all are guests from afar; there's no reason to involve yourselves in this matter... Is that clear enough for you?"
"From the current situation, the Stellaron Core's influence has not yet fully permeated."
"If we can timely locate its position and carry out suppression, whether it's the eroded spaces or the people afflicted by corruption, there's a chance for recovery." Welt answers. He can understand—the Xianzhou handling its own affairs without outsiders meddling.
The church is the exception. From Yukong's words, Luofu's general seems to have a rather good relationship with the church's Pontiff and can accept aid from the church.
Upon seeing a Stellaron Core erupt on the Xianzhou, with the Pontiff's personality, it's impossible for him to sit idly by. On Jarilo-VI, the purpose was simply to find Adrian, yet he still took action to clear the rift realms and the blizzards brought by the Stellaron Core.
"We have once stopped a Stellaron Core disaster. This time coming here is merely to lend a hand in assistance."
"I've said it quite clearly: this is an internal affair of the Xianzhou Alliance. No need for the Astral Express to intervene. Out of respect, I've specially received you all to convey the final decision, which cannot be changed."
The Xianzhou and the Eternity Church do have past dealings, but the Express and the Xianzhou have no such ties, so naturally, they won't easily trust outsiders.
Seeing Yukong's attitude so firm, March 7th beside her tries to persuade: "Forget it, Uncle Yang. If the Alliance can handle it themselves, why bother us? Let's just go find Teacher Adrian and be off."
After hearing Adrian's name, Yukong's ears twitch, a flash of surprise in her brows and eyes.
These people know Adrian? Didn't Qingque say he went off on an interstellar tour?
Wait... so the interstellar tour group Adrian mentioned is the Astral Express?!
"No, you cannot leave." Yukong seizes the moment to say, successfully provoking March 7th's anger.
"...Hey, that's going a bit too far now."
Aside from Himeko whom she knows, why are all these familiar big sisters so mean!
Up front, there's Cocolia bewitched by the Stellaron Core, blindly issuing warrants for their arrest. Behind, there's the bad woman Kafka demanding they change their destination. And now, there's Helmswoman Yukong who won't let them leave.
"[Luofu] discovered the Stellaron Core just a few days ago. The Star-raft Sea is fully sealed; no one leaves... How did you all foresee this, and how do you determine that this incident is related to the Stellaron Core?"
Stelle turns her head to Welt. It really was as he guessed—not for nothing!
For some reason, Stelle always has a premonition that they're about to be wanted again.
"I've accessed the Star-raft Sea's entry and exit records. Just recently, someone hacked into the system, opened the Jade Abyssal Gate, and guided a starship into port—that's you all: the Astral Express."
"And the one who hacked the system has such high skill, even deliberately leaving a graffiti stamp, as if provoking... [Silver Wolf], a member of the Stellaron Hunters."
"For this, what explanation do you have?"
Stelle tries hard to explain: "This is a scheme of driving the tiger to swallow the wolf. Pray do not be deluded, Helmswoman!"
Yukong didn't expect Stelle's answer to be so abstract and remains serious: "Beyond that, the Adrian you just mentioned... as an [Eternity] Emanator, how could he possibly have ties to the [Trailblaze] Astral Express?"
"Helmswoman sister, don't you know that Eternity and Trailblaze are one family?" Stelle pulls out her phone and finds Adrian's contact. How dare she question her relationship with the milk tea Aeon.
Welt is stumped by the question. How should he explain the reason Adrian boarded the train? Once the [worst Nameless guest], nearly causing serious damage to the Express... the scope involved is a bit broad...
"In any case, until the above doubts are cleared, you all cannot leave the Sky-Faring Commission."
"Yukong, don't be so fierce. If word gets out, wouldn't it make the galaxy mock the Xianzhou Alliance for lacking hospitality? Don't create such a contrast."
Jing Yuan's holographic image suddenly appears, interrupting Yukong.
"General Jing Yuan..."
"How could the Astral Express possibly ally with the Stellaron Hunters? They're mortal enemies."
Upon hearing this, March 7th glances at the disguised Kafka, nervously swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
This... surely won't be misunderstood by Luofu's general, right?