When Stelle and March 7th arrived at the scene, Himeko had already single-handedly cleared the area, with the scattered remains of Abundant Ebon Deer at her feet serving as proof of her prowess.
"This… this young lady, who are you people?" Guinaifen swallowed hard, peeking out from behind Jing Yuan. "Killing Abundant Creatures with your bare hands? That's even more impressive than the Cloud Knights!"
Jing Yuan shot Guinaifen a look, signaling her to calm down, before cupping his hands in gratitude. "Honored benefactors, my name is Jing Yuan, and this is Miss Guinaifen. We're just ordinary citizens of the Xianzhou. Unfortunately, our luck wasn't great, and we were attacked by these creatures. Thanks to your timely assistance, we are deeply grateful."
Stelle silently covered her face, never imagining in her lifetime that Jing Yuan would call her a benefactor.
"It was no trouble at all," Himeko said with a wave of her hand. "My name is Himeko, and these two are Stelle and March 7th. We're Nameless who just arrived at the Xianzhou Luofu. It seems there might've been an issue with the docking procedure, which led us here."
"If you'd like to thank us, how about pointing us in the right direction? We can also escort you back to a safe area."
Guinaifen eagerly raised her hand. "I know the way! I'll take you three benefactors there right now!"
"Then we'll trouble you," Himeko said with a slight nod.
Guinaifen patted her chest confidently. "Don't worry! I may be a streamer, but I'm also a part-time tour guide. I know the Luofu like the back of my hand!"
"A streamer? Then why'd you come to a place like this?" Stelle asked.
"An adventure streamer's gotta find exciting spots for content, right?" Guinaifen sighed, her face falling. "These days, making money is tough, and, well, you know what's even tougher to swallow. In every industry, you're competing with everyone else. If you don't pick eye-catching topics, who's gonna watch?"
"This trip nearly cost me my life, and I probably only made about a hundred credits. That's not even enough to cover Old Jing's meal!"
Jing Yuan reminded her, "Don't forget, you still have some handling fees and interest from your recent repayment. That's a total of a hundred and fifty credits."
Guinaifen: "…Haha, hahahahaha, this world… hahahaha, sob sob sob—"
Seeing Guinaifen's mental state teetering on the edge of collapse, Stelle quickly comforted her. "Hey, life goes on! It's just a hundred and fifty credits. Who knows, maybe one of your videos will blow up tomorrow, and you'll make it all back!"
Jing Yuan nodded in agreement. "Miss Stelle is right, Little Gui. Why don't we head to Goldentree Lane later? We survived a great ordeal today, so we should celebrate."
Guinaifen gave a bitter smile. "Why don't you just eat my flesh instead?"
…
Before long, the group left the Flowing Cloud Crossing and arrived at the Stargazer Navalia. Compared to the desolate and quiet atmosphere of the previous area, this place was bustling with activity. The streets were packed with people—Xianzhou natives, Foxians, and Vidyadhara, all mingling harmoniously in a vibrant, thriving scene.
"Honored benefactors, you're basically safe here," Guinaifen said, pointing to a building at the highest point of the Stargazer Navalia. "That's the Palace of Astrum, where the Sky-Faring Commission is located. Since you've just arrived at the Luofu, any issues you have can be resolved there."
She patted her chest again. "Oh, by the way, I may not be some rich bigshot, but you all saved my life. Next time we meet, I'll treat you to a feast at Goldentree Lane to properly show my hospitality as a local."
Stelle grinned. "Sounds good! When's the next time? I'll make a note so I don't forget."
Guinaifen: … (•‿•) (forcing a smile).
As they watched the group leave, the smile on Guinaifen's face finally crumbled. Tears welled up in her eyes as she grabbed Jing Yuan's collar ˚‧º·(˃̣̣̥∩˂̣̣̥)‧º·˚ (who looked helpless).
"That's at least two hundred credits to start! This month, I'm really gonna have to eat dirt. Sushang said if you're malnourished, it seriously affects brain development, waaah…"
"No need to rush. Take it slow. Things will work out when the time comes," Jing Yuan said leisurely.
Guinaifen gritted her teeth. "Old Jing, don't act like it's no big deal when you're not the one suffering! I don't have a pension or retirement fund. If I don't make money, I'll really be eating dirt!"
Jing Yuan: "…My pension and retirement fund only add up to eight hundred credits. What's that good for?"
"You're deliberately trying to rile me up, aren't you?!"
Jing Yuan raised a hand to calm Guinaifen down, then pulled out his phone and opened the streaming platform to show her. "But it's not like you didn't make any money. When we were surrounded by those Abundant creatures, the stream was still running. Guess how much traffic it pulled in?"
Guinaifen leaned in for a look, and a hint of shock appeared on her face. The stream's earnings clearly showed five hundred and sixty-eight credits.
"Five hundred sixty-eight…" Guinaifen murmured. "Minus the extra one hundred fifty in expenses, that means I made four hundred eighteen today? Ha, hahaha, this… this happiness came too suddenly. Give me a moment to process."
"Right, right, we should celebrate today. Let's go! I'm getting a big boxed meal—two meats, one veggie, and a cup of sour plum juice!"
Jing Yuan's face maintained a faint smile. At that moment, his phone rang. After answering and hearing a crisp voice on the other end, his expression subtly shifted.
"Little Gui, we've had a long day, so I'll take a break for now," Jing Yuan said with a smile. "I won't be joining you for dinner. There's something I need to take care of at home."
Guinaifen blinked, her lips curving upward. "You're not coming to eat with me (so I don't have to cover your bill)?"
"Nope, don't worry about me. Just eat well, Little Gui," Jing Yuan said with a slight smile before turning to leave.
…
Palace of Astrum.
"Wow, this place is huge and so crowded!"
Upon entering, Stelle voiced what the other two were thinking.
The Xianzhou's ancient aesthetic blended with cybernetic technology created a unique sense of beauty—something that struck a deeper chord with certain people, like Stelle.
However, something major seemed to be happening inside the Palace of Astrum. Everyone was rushing about, heads down, brows furrowed, and a faintly serious atmosphere hung in the air.
"From the outside, this looks like an important place, but it doesn't seem that strict. We just walked right in, and no one even asked for ID or anything," Stelle said, glancing around. "Should we find a staff member to ask?"
"Hmm, under normal procedures, we'd probably need to take a number, meet with a low-level public official, then report to a higher-up for approval. After a few business days, we'd have another meeting… In short, the whole process takes a lot of time. Today's not going to be easy," Himeko said.
Bang.
Just then, a staff member walking with their head down accidentally bumped into Stelle. He quickly stepped back, apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you! Really, my apologies…"
Mid-sentence, the staff member froze, then abruptly tossed the documents in his hands into the air. "How… how is it you again?!"
Stelle: ???
"Help! It's bad! The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus's lunatic is back! She's making a comeback!"
"The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus is attacking the Palace of Astrum!!"
With that shout, the entire room fell silent in an instant. Stelle, facing countless gazes directed at her, pointed to her own face in utter confusion: "Me?"