"But when I came back recently to check on them, I found they'd all vanished!" Bena's gaze darted between Adrian and Stelle, hinting at something.
"Sigh! If only two experts skilled in uncovering the truth could suddenly appear right now... Experts who are magnanimous at heart, even willing to help us do-gooders for free..."
Stelle beat him to it: "Simple—pay us, and we'll help."
"Straight to money? That's way too mercenary. When I shelled out a fortune to release those little lambs, I didn't charge them for it."
Bena hadn't expected Stelle to be so blunt—she didn't seem like the type to be money-grubbing...
"Ahem! You know, helping me means helping those missing little lambs."
"Do that, and you'll rack up merits and blessings with the Lord of Abundance... From then on, your lives will be filled with health and endless good fortune!"
At those words, a short huff escaped Stelle's nostrils, her lips curling in undisguised scorn.
"Merits? Can you eat those? The blessings I want are cold, hard Credit Points."
"Then... what about this one?" Bena turned to Adrian. She couldn't afford to pay double, could she?
"Miss Bena, you seem to have misunderstood something. We always act without expecting reward. This time, it's because your spat with that shop owner disrupted the quality of life for the folks around..."
Bena cut Adrian off just in time. "Alright, alright. I get it. Lambs eat grass, people eat well... Since someone's willing to trade merits for something more direct and tangible—like those icy Credit Point numbers—then I'll make it happen for you."
"Let's swap contact info. I've got other business to handle... The Faunus red-haired sheep matter is in your hands now."
"If the investigation turns up anything, we'll meet at the Cauldron Division."
Stelle, as the representative, exchanged contacts with Bena, who then hurried off.
"Next up... Target: Scale Abyss Realm! Teacher Adrian, hurry and pull out that move!"
"Call out its name loudly." Adrian played along with Stelle, performing some mysterious and grand ritual.
"Come forth! Gate of Many Paths!"
...
Meanwhile, in the Exalting Sanctum.
March 7th found Qingque, who was slacking off with a game of cards.
"Yo, you're here. Been bored lately? Got time to wander around the Xianzhou?"
On the Luofu Xianzhou... March 7th didn't know many people in the Exalting Sanctum district—aside from Drug Lord's Secret Teachings members, it was more of the same. In that murky pool, Qingque was a breath of fresh air.
Her intuition told her Qingque definitely knew all the best eateries. With over ten billion Credit Points still sitting in her phone, before their next trip, March 7th planned to treat herself to a few proper feasts on the Luofu.
"Heh heh~" She rubbed her hands together, sidling up to Qingque. "Recommend a spot with rave reviews?"
"[Supreme Savors], the go-to haunt for foodies in the Aurum Alley's Exalting Sanctum. Planning to treat me to a big meal?"
Qingque mimicked March 7th's gesture perfectly, only to see her blank face. "Aurum Alley?"
"It's the commercial street in the Exalting Sanctum~ Though foot traffic's thinned out lately because of the Stellaron crisis."
"As newcomers, you've probably just been strolling Starskiff Haven's Dim Haven Street. It's famous and lively, sure, but for the best eats and fun spots, Aurum Alley's where it's at."
"Here, I've marked it on the map for you." Qingque pulled out a map she carried everywhere and handed it to March 7th.
"Whenever I'm beat from slacking and playing cards, I head to one of those snack shops for a bowl of Old Lady Chen's Tofu... Wait, no—now that you mention it, I don't wanna work anymore. Your fault."
"Ah... Let's go grab a bite there, then."
"Agreed!"
...
In the Scale Abyss Realm, Stelle set off on her own sheep-hunting adventure alongside Adrian.
"Bena said she released the sheep right here, and that's where they went missing... Teacher Adrian, any leads?"
"Nope." Adrian boredly sipped his milk tea. HE'd just wanted to tag along for the fun—how'd it turn into doing someone else's quest?
Got it—this was the virtue of the Trailblaze Path!
"Sigh~ This is when we should've brought March along. With Detective March 7th absent, the Galactic Baseballer herself has to step up!" Stelle donned a monocle and began scouring the sandy sea for traces of the Faunus red-haired sheep.
"Bunches of red fur... still flecked with bloodstains... Looks like those little lambs met with an unsurprising mishap. Oh~ How tragic."
Stelle crouched to collect relics from the slain sheep, only to spot wolf-like creature tracks by accident.
"Hm..."
Stelle looked up to find herself surrounded by several Abundance beasts—Quimu and Loujin wolves—not just eyeing her hungrily, but sizing her up as a stealthy lunch.
After some deliberation, the brave and fearless Galactic Baseballer first drew her weapon for defense, then, to be safe, called in backup: Adrian.
"Aren't these Abundance abominations? What do they have to do with wolves?"
Adrian naturally recognized the creatures: mist-shrouded swift wolves, their movements elusive and unpredictable.
Back when the Ambrosial Arbor last stood tall, the Xianzhou folk had used strange arts to breed myriad exotic beasts and birds. The Quimu wolves were one such—war beasts that accompanied the marching legions.
"The world's full of wonders; treating these exotic beasts like hunting hounds isn't wrong."
Mid-conversation, Stelle dispatched a few starving wolves with three punches and two kicks. As she prepared to inspect their corpses, an elegant yet oddly accented male voice drifted from behind.
"Eh? You went and killed them... Whatever shall we do now?"
Staring at the face before her, a flicker of confusion crossed Stelle's eyes. Who was this guy?
"Brutally slaying Abundance beasts—time to pay the fine."
Stelle was utterly baffled by Adrian's words, while the glasses-wearing woman in front of her burst out laughing.
"No, no—I'm not the releaser herself, nor do I speak for the Luofu authorities. I don't have that authority."
"Allow me to introduce myself. Friends on the Luofu call me [Zhongshan]; those close to me say [Zhongshanshan]. And you two?"
"Hello, I'm the Galactic Baseballer, and this is the Galactic Milk Tea Hero."
"Pfft hahaha... Those names are hilarious. Hm?"
As Zhongshan's gaze swept over Adrian, her expression froze in an instant.
The intel was off—didn't that Sampo kid say the Astral Express only had five members? How was there an extra one she didn't recognize?
Zhongshan didn't forget the matter at hand, feigning a tone of [dire straits]: "You two might not know this, but what you just killed were little animals released by [Releasers Inc.] members."
"They take joy in freeing lives from peril, letting them roam wild and free. But your little stunt just now... not only squandered merits but turned one releaser's good deed to dust..."
"You might not grasp [Releasers Inc.]'s ideals yet—just get that [these wolves have owners]."
"See? You offed someone else's pet... Bottom line, you still gotta pay the fine."