Kafka crossed her legs elegantly and casually grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from the table, then quietly cracked them open one after another while watching the drama unfold before her without interrupting the conversation.
As she ate them, the sunflower seeds were surprisingly good, and for the moment, she seemed perfectly content to remain nothing more than an amused spectator, quietly enjoying both the snack and the entertainment unfolding before her.
Jing Yuan slowly set down the wine jar in his hand and glanced at the matching bracers and jade pendants worn by Dan Feng and Yingxing before instinctively looking down at himself.
He didn't have one.
Jingliu didn't have one.
Baiheng didn't have one either.
Only then did the realization slowly dawn on him.
'So that's how you paired everyone up?'
Jingliu and Baiheng had become a pair, both ultimately ending up as Lucian's wives.
Yingxing and Dan Feng had somehow been matched together as well, their complicated bond now taking on an entirely different meaning, leaving only him standing awkwardly by himself.
"Haha... five people, and the only single dog is me..."
Just as those helpless, self-deprecating words left Jing Yuan's mouth, Dan Heng quietly walked over and gently patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay."
Jing Yuan slowly turned toward him with an indescribably complicated expression.
"Dan Heng..."
Gazing at Blade and Dan Feng, Baiheng blinked innocently before awkwardly scratching her cheek in embarrassment.
"Sorry. You two really made such a great pair... and I'm the one who tore you apart."
"Who's a pair with him?! I..."
Blade's face alternated between red and pale as he instinctively shot back, but the words suddenly caught in his throat before he could finish speaking.
He wanted to curse.
He wanted to deny everything outright.
He wanted to reject every ridiculous word Lucian had just said.
Yet Dan Feng's confession exploded through his mind like a deafening thunderclap, shaking loose the hazy fragments of memories from his days as Yingxing that he had spent centuries desperately trying to bury.
Those memories surged back one after another—the countless nights they had spent forging weapons shoulder to shoulder in perfect understanding, the conversations that had sounded like arguments but had always concealed genuine concern, and the strange sense of familiarity and natural compatibility he always felt whenever he wore those armguards.
The flood of memories crashed into his consciousness like an unstoppable tide, throwing his thoughts into complete disarray and leaving him utterly unable to sort through what he was truly feeling.
Seeing Blade like that, Dan Heng quietly let out a long breath of relief.
"I'll say it one more time. Whatever love, hatred, or grudges existed between you two have nothing to do with me. I am Dan Heng, not Dan Feng."
As those words left his mouth, Dan Heng felt the invisible shackles that had weighed upon him for so many years suddenly loosen, as though the heavy burden that had followed him ever since his rebirth had finally begun to lift from his shoulders.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he truly felt that he could leave the past behind.
"See? The misunderstanding's all cleared up."
Lucian nodded with the satisfied expression of someone who had successfully completed an exceptionally difficult task.
"This is why fighting and killing are such a bad idea. Just sit down, have a heart-to-heart, and you can work anything out."
"Yingxing, Dan Feng was totally devoted to you. Sure, the way he went about it was stupid, and the consequences were serious, but he meant well."
He deliberately twisted Dan Feng's deep friendship with the High-Cloud Quintet into something far more romantic than it had ever been.
Before Dan Feng could explain himself, Lucian continued speaking without giving him even the slightest opportunity to interrupt.
One sentence after another steadily reinforced the misunderstanding, layer upon layer, until Dan Feng found himself in a position where no explanation, no matter how sincere, could possibly clear his name.
Blade held everything in until his face turned bright red before finally shouting at Dan Feng.
"You fool!"
Although his tone remained as harsh as ever, the murderous hatred that had once filled every word had faded considerably. In its place was something much closer to embarrassment, frustrated indignation, and a trace of helplessness.
Dan Feng looked at Blade with an unusually complicated expression, and after a long silence, he simply lowered his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.
"Yes... I was a fool."
He accepted the accusation without the slightest intention of protesting or defending himself.
"Hmph. Even so, the sins you've committed won't simply disappear. You'll spend your next lifetime repaying them."
Blade's words carried the unmistakable weight of a solemn warning.
Dan Feng merely smiled faintly before giving a slow nod.
"As it should be. Regarding Baiheng... I'm sorry. Regarding you... I'm sorry as well. I'll do my best to atone—"
"You don't need to atone to Baiheng."
Lucian immediately interjected before the atmosphere could once again become sentimental.
"I forgive you on her behalf, and I'll take care of her. You just gotta focus on making it up to Yingxing. If it wasn't for helping you, Yingxing never would've been contaminated by Shuhu's flesh and blood, so spend the rest of your life treating Yingxing right."
Naturally, Lucian's true reason for helping them reconcile was entirely different.
'It took me so much work to get you two together. Don't go thinking about Baiheng anymore.'
None of those present noticed the subtle change that had quietly taken place.
After Lucian's relentless persuasion and shameless reinterpretation of the past, the entire great incident known as Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae somehow came to carry an unmistakable air of bromance.
Even Baiheng no longer dared to interrupt.
She had clearly been the one who sacrificed herself to save the world, yet somehow, after everything Lucian had said, she now felt like the villain who had heartlessly separated two inseparable best friends.
The more she thought about it, the stranger the situation became.
'When the hell did this world start going this insane?'
At the same time, on the opposite side of the courtyard, Silver Wolf was lying comfortably across a cushioned couch with an utterly relaxed expression, while Phantylia knelt beside her with an unmistakably sour expression, dutifully and unwillingly massaging her calves.
"Mmm~ Not bad. Didn't think you'd be this good. Left side. Yeah, right there. A little harder."
Enjoying the personal service of a Lord Ravager, Silver Wolf happily swung her feet back and forth while leisurely crunching on a lollipop, looking completely at ease.
Phantylia desperately suppressed the overwhelming urge to snap the little brat's legs in half.
"As long as Miss Silver Wolf is satisfied."
Maintaining a graceful smile that never reached her eyes, Phantylia replied with flawless politeness, but beneath that elegant exterior, she was seething with barely restrained fury.
'You little runt... Once Master's interest in you fades, just you wait!'
Silver Wolf lazily rolled over until she was facing Phantylia, then casually raised her phone with a mischievous grin.
"C'mon, look at the camera. Smile~ Let's show the folks on the Interastral Network what a Lord Ravager's customer service is like."
As soon as those words reached her ears, a vein immediately bulged on Phantylia's forehead.
"Miss... Silver... Wolf. Please do not test this one's limits."
Phantylia swiftly covered her face with one hand, her voice becoming noticeably colder than before as she spoke.
Serving her was one thing.
Being photographed as a souvenir was another matter entirely.
A warrior could be killed, but not humiliated.
Only Lucian possessed the privilege of humiliating her.
No one else.
Silver Wolf merely pouted in disappointment.
"Tch, so stingy... Fine, then massage my shoulders. Walking around earlier made them sore."
Naturally, she was only acting tough. Even she understood that there was no point in provoking Phantylia beyond a certain limit.
Phantylia slowly inhaled before silently repeating, 'For Master's sake,' over and over inside her mind.
Suppressing every ounce of humiliation and resentment, Phantylia reached out and gently began kneading Silver Wolf's shoulders with slow, practiced movements.
Silver Wolf suddenly blinked.
"Huh? Why do I feel like someone's out to kill me? You're not actually planning to murder me, are you?"
Phantylia's hands froze for only the briefest instant before she immediately concealed every trace of hostility, her serene smile returning as though nothing had happened.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Please relax and enjoy the service."
Silver Wolf narrowed her eyes suspiciously and carefully studied Phantylia for several long seconds before finally shrugging it off, although a tiny question mark still lingered in the back of her mind.
"Fine, fine... Hey, go a little easier! Believe it or not, I'm gonna tell Lucian on you."
Phantylia nearly choked on her own anger.
Needless to say, this was exactly what it meant to have someone powerful backing you up.
Unfortunately, that someone happened to be Lucian's friend, leaving Phantylia with no choice but to swallow every grievance and every ounce of resentment in silence.
Such was the service industry.
Meanwhile, now that everything had finally been laid out in the open, the grudges that had plagued the High-Cloud Quintet for centuries were, at least for the time being, finally put to rest.
After all, Baiheng had returned to life.
Dan Feng had also returned to atone for his sins.
Jingliu had completely recovered from being mara-struck.
Everyone was finally here once again.
Only the relationships between them had become far more complicated than they had ever been before.
Jingliu and Baiheng had both become Lucian's wives.
Yingxing and Dan Feng now shared an indescribably tangled and awkward bond.
As for Jing Yuan, he simply remained everyone's friend without truly belonging to either side.
"To celebrate us finally getting back together, Dan Heng's fresh start, and all of us being together again, let's throw a party!"
Baiheng had always loved lively gatherings, so the moment the heavy atmosphere finally disappeared, she enthusiastically clapped her hands together and immediately tried to pull everyone into celebrating.
Lucian watched her with an affectionate smile.
He had always indulged Baiheng.
If she wanted to have fun, then he would naturally let her enjoy herself.
Besides, the reunion of the High-Cloud Quintet truly was an occasion worthy of celebration.
Of course, the most important outcome was something else entirely.
Neither Blade nor Dan Feng would continue dwelling on Baiheng anymore.
"Since this is a gathering for family and close friends, Silver Wolf and I won't intrude."
Kafka gracefully rose from her seat, preparing to leave. She intended to leave Blade here while she wandered around gathering intelligence elsewhere.
Before she could take another step, however, Baiheng smiled warmly and waved her over.
"Come with us. Yeah, you're Stellaron Hunters and wanted criminals, but if Lucian's letting you stay here, there's gotta be a reason."
Her invitation genuinely caught Kafka by surprise.
At this moment, Kafka became even more convinced that this foxian really was an irresistibly lovable young woman.
No wonder Lucian had chosen to marry her.
'If I had to share a man with someone like her... I probably wouldn't refuse either.'
For reasons even Kafka herself couldn't explain, the strange thought quietly surfaced in her mind before she could stop it.
===
Meanwhile, while everyone here was immersed in the warmth and joy of their long-awaited reunion, far away on Penacony, within Dewlight Pavilion, Sunday found himself facing two people who always managed to give him a headache whenever they appeared.
One was Sparkle of the Masked Fools, while the other was Black Swan, a Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection.
"Chicken Wing Boy, when's your deadbeat dad coming back?"
===
[A bonus chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]