"Yes, back when General Jing Yuan was young, they were evenly matched, like kindred spirits who met too late!"
"But alas, fate is cruel. Between long-life and short-life species, the passage of time inevitably brings separation…"
"My friend's ancestor made a promise to General Jing Yuan, one they could never fulfill in their lifetime… Sigh…"
Leon spun a tale with utmost seriousness.
His mournful tone, as if on the verge of tears, made Yanqing's nose quietly sting.
Instinctively, he wanted to agree to take Leon to see Jing Yuan.
But he forcibly held back the words on the tip of his tongue, quickly changing his response.
"Well… protecting the General is one of the Cloud Knights' duties. I have to be responsible for his safety."
"Though you're indeed a doctor, I can't be sure if you really know the General."
"Even if you showed a photo of your friend's ancestor with the General, that person's long gone, so it wouldn't prove anything."
"So, can you accept the standard procedure for meeting the General?"
Leon, intrigued, played along: "What's the process?"
"Just make an appointment. After that, someone will verify your identity, and then you wait in line to see the General."
"How long's the wait?"
"Not long, not long. I can take you through the VIP channel—just a short three years."
Leon inwardly rolled his eyes.
This kid.
Not even considering the perspective of a short-life species.
Sure, he wasn't a short-life species, but what if one asked the same question?
That'd be pretty hurtful.
It might even be mistaken as being mocked, causing misunderstandings.
"I'm a short-life species. I don't have many three-year spans in my life."
"Young brother, at such a young age, you're already a Cloud Knight Lieutenant, clearly an exceptional prodigy. Your achievements outshine countless Cloud Knights, earning the General's high regard and trust."
"I believe, besides you, few on the Luofu could take me directly to see the General…"
"How about a little leniency?"
Yanqing froze, meeting Leon's sincere gaze.
He's praising me so much, I'm kinda embarrassed…
Does the General really value me that much?
Indeed, before leaving the Seat of Divine Foresight today, the General was earnestly advising me to stay patient.
He wouldn't say so much to just anyone.
And it proved true—if Jingliu had meant to kill, he might've lost his life here.
Coming back to his senses, he realized he'd been thinking from a long-life species' perspective.
Seeing Yanqing's sparkling eyes and delighted expression, Leon couldn't help but chuckle.
Hooked that easily?
He could already imagine how much Jing Yuan must worry about this kid daily.
Born on the Luofu, backed by a powerful force, starting from a high point.
But if he ventured out alone, this temperament would definitely lead to heavy losses.
The galaxy wasn't full of kind souls.
Yanqing struggled, as if searching for reasons to convince himself, staring at Leon:
"You're not an assassin sent by the Stellaron Hunters, are you? Probably not, right?"
"Little brother Yanqing, you're overlooking something."
"Huh?"
"I'm a doctor, nowhere near as strong as you. Even if I were an assassin, there's no way I could beat you."
"If I can't even beat you, how could I pose a threat to the mighty Xianzhou General?"
"Oh, right…"
Yanqing seemed to have an epiphany, his eyes widening, his entire demeanor brightening.
"Ahem, I'll take you to see the General, but on the way, you need to tell me why you want to meet him."
"No problem."
Inwardly, Leon thought: He bought it, he bought it.
Tch, so easy to fool.
It'd been a while since he'd seen such an amusing kid.
"Let's go, hop on the starskiff."
Yanqing took the lead and climbed in.
The Xianzhou's starskiff vehicles looked small but contained wonders within.
They were equipped with delve technology, commonly known as spatial folding.
It wasn't anything fancy—any interstellar civilization with some capability used it.
For example, the Express's tickets had storage spaces tied to this technology.
The difference lay in the extent of its application. The Xianzhou Alliance's level was relatively rare.
Leon entered the starskiff and found Yanqing standing by the pilot's seat, patting himself down.
"What's wrong, little brother?"
Yanqing's expression froze, tinged with embarrassment.
"…I forgot my pilot's license…"
The starskiff pilot's license was both a permit for Xianzhou citizens to operate private starskiffs and the activation card for the manual starskiff engine, the "Jue Wheel."
"I thought Xianzhou starskiffs had autopilot."
"The Luofu's in a special period right now. All starskiffs with autopilot functions have been disabled…" Yanqing said weakly.
"Don't the Cloud Knights have privileges?"
"They do, but I'm not of age, so everything has to follow regulations."
Leon gave Yanqing an unreadable look.
Good thing the kid's young with room to grow. As long as he doesn't die halfway, there's hope.
If it were someone over a hundred, he'd have to praise the Luofu's bright future.
"Onii~~ I have a great idea~~"
Aha popped out.
"No, you don't."
"Yes, I do, brother, yes! I've already sent the good stuff to your ticket space, e-hey~"
"And then?"
"Let's have a thrilling… starskiff race!"
Inside a certain Xianzhou starskiff themed with flames.
A delicate, jade-like girl piloting the starskiff suddenly noticed the engine stalling, rapidly losing power.
Her puzzled gaze swept to the dashboard, and she froze.
Huh? Where's the pilot's license I put right here?
A ghost in broad daylight, or some prankster Aurumaton?
Leon, unaware of Aha's antics, was contemplating the odds of the starskiff exploding mid-journey.
"Brother, coaxing the kid just now was a little bit of fun. I care about you and want to contribute. Is that so wrong?"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, not wrong."
Leon couldn't be bothered to deal with Aha and laid out the terms of their deal.
"I'll push the speed to the max, but you'd better not play any tricks on me."
"Ugh, does Aha seem so untrustworthy to darling? My heart hurts, I need some soothing~~"
Leon felt like gagging.
Any tone would've been fine, but Aha chose tea.
"Little brother, I should be able to pilot this starskiff."
Leon pulled out the license Aha had given him.
"Huh?"
Yanqing stared at the official Skysplitter pilot's license in Leon's hand, unable to hide his suspicion.
"Your starskiff license… why does it look like it's from the Zhu Ming?"
"Before coming to the Luofu, I lived on the Zhu Ming for three years, exchanging medical knowledge. For convenience, I got a civilian pilot's license."
Leon said with a convincing smile.
"A civilian starskiff license is valid across all Xianzhou ships, except the Xuling, right?"
"That's true."
The doubt in Yanqing's eyes gradually faded.
The General had mentioned that the Zhu Ming Xianzhou wasn't just renowned for its craftsmanship but also for its unique medical expertise.
Many galactic medical institutions regularly sent people there for exchanges.
"Then, Mr. Leon, sorry for the trouble. Making a guest from afar pilot a starskiff…"
"No worries, no worries."
Leon took the pilot's seat and fastened the safety belt.
"Countless routes, safety first. Little brother, buckle up—we're taking off."
Yanqing didn't think much of it.
Thus, the experience that followed would remain unforgettable for the rest of his life.