"Not at all. In business, it's best not to show one's emotions. Besides, the Alliance has weathered many storms—today's chaos is hardly a major event."
Tingyun's tone shifted in the next moment.
"Let me say this upfront—if you do encounter Kafka, please go ahead and act, Benefactors. There's little I can do to help. At most, I'll just shiver in fear and cheer you on from the sidelines~"
As she spoke, she struck a playful, coquettish pose.
[Tingyun Is My Wife—I'll handle the 'shivering,' you handle the 'fearing,' hehehe!]
[Announcement: User 9257 has been muted for 30 minutes due to inappropriate remarks.]
[Hahaha, I was about to post that too, but my typing wasn't fast enough.]
[Tingyun's acting cute is just too unfair.]
[Tingyun's wife gets so much screentime—I love it, give us more!]
——
While the audience off-screen applauded Tingyun's playful "666" antics, Caelus—ever the blunt straight man—responded without a hint of charm: "But Lady Yukong ordered you to—"
"Aiya~" Tingyun blinked at Caelus a few times. "Benefactor, must you really use Lady Yukong to pressure little ol' me? The Helm-Master merely tasked me with guiding you through the Sky-Faring Commission. It's no different from my usual diplomatic missions or dealings with merchants.
When it comes to combat, I'm neither skilled nor willing to risk my life. Borrowing Di Ting for you is already the extent of my goodwill."
March 7th muttered under her breath, "Next time I see Yukong, I'm definitely filing a report."
However, Welt Yang stepped in. "Don't worry, we won't force Miss Tingyun's hand. If we encounter Kafka, we'll handle the pursuit and combat. Thank you for guiding us."
[Mr. Yang is so composed—is this the confidence that comes with strength?]
[Must be. Did you know? 'Welt' means 'world' in German, and his Light Cone is 'In the Name of the World.' There's a lot of depth to it.]
[Can't wait to see Mr. Yang show off his skills.]
——
Tingyun summoned Di Ting, which scouted the area for possible clues related to Kafka before getting to work.
"These should be the suspicious leads… but are they all left by Kafka? Or are they just decoys?"
The suspiciously smooth progress made Welt Yang wary.
March 7th pouted. "I can just imagine that woman putting on a smug face and saying, 'Come~ and~ get~ me~' one word at a time."
"As expected of a Stellaron Hunter!" Caelus, in contrast, sounded almost admiring.
"Why do you sound so impressed?!"
Given Kafka's cunning nature, the trio found it hard to believe the clues weren't deliberately planted misdirection—yet they had no choice but to follow them.
Once activated, Di Ting immediately sprang into action, leading the group until they reached a chest.
Caelus picked up the note on it and read aloud: "'Cheese for the little mice scurrying through the maze~'"
"She's toying with us! How infuriating!"
Then, Di Ting abruptly changed direction—only to lose the trail midway.
Tingyun crouched down to inspect. "The scent… it's gone?"
At that moment—
Kafka's voice echoed.
"When the prey's trail suddenly vanishes, the hunter should beware—for that's often the sign of a reversal in the chase."
The four turned toward the source of the voice—
The camera panned up, and after so long, Kafka herself finally reappeared in the series.
"Kafka!"
The barrage of comments inevitably peaked—proof of Kafka's overwhelming popularity.
[Mom, I found you.]
[Mom, I've waited so long for you!]
[Mom, you've lost weight.]
[Kafka's looking right at me—she loves me, hahaha, she still loves me!]
[Mom! Mom!]
[Everyone, look at me! I have an announcement: I'm Kafka's dog.]
[Scram, I'm the real one!]
[Sniff… after all this time, she's finally here, finally here! I'm so excited! I thought you'd have tons of screentime after the first season's opening, but you disappeared. Now, in the third season, you're back!]
——
Kafka strolled leisurely toward two Cloud Knights.
Tingyun's pupils constricted. "These Cloud Knights haven't succumbed to mara… What did you do to them?"
"Just a little suggestion—to make them listen to me. Isn't that right, Trailblazer?" Kafka's gaze shifted to Caelus as she spoke.
"This place isn't ideal—the Diviner would have to walk too far, and it offers me no advantage. Let's meet up ahead."
With that, Kafka walked deeper inside. Just as the group moved to follow, the Cloud Knights blocked their path.
Welt Yang adjusted his glasses. "They're likely hypnotized by Kafka's ability. Try not to hit them too hard."
...
Soon after,
The Cloud Knights were enjoying a baby-like slumber. After confirming they were unharmed, the group pressed onward.
March 7th led the charge, raising her bow. "Charge! Don't let her escape!"
"March, slow down!"
Just as they were about to catch up, Kafka smiled and shut the door behind her.
"Almost there, everyone… but haste makes waste."
"Damn it! The path's blocked!" March stomped her foot in frustration.
"Benefactors, a closed door isn't a problem—we can just go around the conveyor belt." Tingyun flashed a faint smile.
After navigating a winding path, they found Kafka standing in an open area—wide and spacious.
Kafka clapped her hands. "Welcome, Astral Express crew. You've caught me."
Seeing Kafka standing there so obediently, Caelus knew something was off.
"This is part of your plan too."
Kafka smirked. "Is it?"
Welt Yang stepped forward. "Show your hand, Kafka. Our arrival must be within your calculations."
Kafka shook her head. "Not calculations—'the future.' We intervene among countless possibilities to shape the best 'future' into reality.
Don't overestimate us, Welt. The Stellaron Hunters are merely 'slaves to destiny.'"
March 7th scoffed. "'Best future'? Best for who? I don't believe you'd ever act for others' sake."
"For the entire universe—do you believe that? Of course not. For me."
Caelus: "I still have so many questions for you…"
Welt Yang: "We'll take you to meet the Luofu's Arbiter-General. If you truly believe you're innocent, explain yourself to him—he'll decide."
Kafka crossed her arms. "No can do. I hate playing by others' rules.
Time's running out. Hurry up and act—or it'll be too late."
Kafka whistled, and five or six more Cloud Knights emerged, clearly under the control of her Spirit Whisper.
This signaled one thing: negotiation was impossible. A battle was inevitable.