Finishing her work as a ferryman, Tingyun was lucky enough to run into Daichi on his way home.
"Benefactor, you seem to be going out quite often lately?"
"Mm. I've been saying goodbye to everyone."
Daichi touched the X Devizer and said, "In a few days, I'll be leaving the Luofu."
Tingyun froze for a moment. "Benefactor is leaving?"
"Yes. To search for Greeza whereabouts."
[And to protect life and civilization from its destruction!]
"...I suppose that makes sense. Someone like Benefactor was never going to stay on the Luofu forever."
Remembering what Daichi and X once told her, Tingyun nodded knowingly.
Protecting civilization, safeguarding life. He was even the Emanator of Preservation. Someone like that wouldn't spend the rest of his life living peacefully on the Luofu.
Tingyun tapped her smooth chin with her folded fan, thinking.
At that moment, a tall figure approached them.
"...Found you."
The low, deep voice came from behind, making Daichi turn instinctively.
Before him stood a black-haired man in dark clothing, holding a long sword in his arms.
"You… you're one of the Stellaron Hunters?"
Tingyun ducked behind Daichi, peeking out with her long ears trembling.
"You're that… Blade, right?"
As a merchant traveling through many worlds, Tingyun naturally remembered every criminal listed by the IPC, and this man before her had a bounty in the billions.
Blade didn't respond to her. He only looked at Daichi.
"Elio says… you can follow in the footsteps of 'Trailblaze'."
"You want me to go find 'Trailblaze'… the Astral Express?"
Daichi pointed at himself, confused.
Blade nodded.
Delivering the message was his only task. Whether Daichi accepted it had nothing to do with him. After all, Elio had only given him this much script.
[Your body… looks like it's about to have a mara-struck.]
X voice appeared on the Devizer screen, his pixel image flickering.
"..."
Blade said nothing. His body was special, mara-struck came unpredictably. Before leaving for this mission, Kafka had provide him with an extra layer of insurance, so he wasn't worried about rampaging here.
"Eh?"
X words puzzled Tingyun.
Mara?
Wasn't that something only the Xianzhou people had?
Was this Stellaron Hunter… a Xianzhou native?
"It's fine even if he has an mara-struck right here."
A voice came from around the corner. Two figures stepped into view.
Jingliu and Jing Yuan.
Jingliu held an long ice sword as she walked toward Blade.
"All these years, you still keep that sword?"
"..."
Blade didn't answer. He only glancing at his two former close friends before him and gripped the hilt of his Shattered Blade.
"Sigh… a long-awaited reunion, no need for such tension."
Jing Yuan raised a hand to stop both sides, trying to ease the tension.
Blade closed his eyes, loosening his grip.
"We will meet again."
He looked at Jingliu and Jing Yuan.
"When the last one arrives as well."
Jing Yuan's mouth twitched. He knew exactly who Blade meant. If all four of them gathered again… he didn't even want to imagine what would happen.
His head already began to throb.
"That's perfect. When that time comes, I'll settle accounts with you two again."
Jingliu snorted and dispelled her ice sword.
"Five people…" Blade murmured.
He didn't finish as Jingliu cut him off.
"...Three prices. But if you two idiots hadn't made those mistakes, none of that would've happened."
With a suddenly dark expression, Jingliu stepped forward and before anyone reacted, raised her foot.
Blade flew quite far.
"Wow…"
Daichi watched Blade crash into the ground and couldn't help gasping.
Jingliu casually picked up the fallen Shattered Blade, fingers brushing the cracks on its surface.
"You're leaving the Luofu. I don't have much to give you," she said with a faint smile.
"For the past few days, I taught you Cloud Knights' swordsmanship."
She raised the cracked sword slightly.
"Now let me teach you, my swordsmanship."
As for who she would demonstrate it on?
Naturally, Blade.
Five people, three prices—how ironic that one of the culprits dared to speak that line.
She had long come to terms with Baiheng's death. For a Cloud Knight to die in battle was an honor.
But those two fools had pushed her into the position of slaying the abomination formed from Baiheng's flesh with her own hands.
Step by step, she approached Blade. Sword light flashed through the small residential area.
[Uwah… is—is this really okay!?]
X trembled as the Shattered Blade repeatedly stabbed in and out of Blade's body.
"Don't worry. He can't die."
After piercing Blade's heart again and withdrawing the sword, Jingliu said calmly.
"He's already become a long-lifespan species, one of the immortal kind. He won't die no matter what. Give him a while and he'll stand right back up."
[T-That's… a bit much…]
As Jingliu said, Blade soon rose again.
The bleeding stopped, and he pulled the sword from his body, looked at Jingliu, then at Daichi.
"Follow 'Trailblaze.' You'll find the answers you seek."
Dragging his battered body, he left.
As he passed Jing Yuan, the general only sighed and patted his shoulder.
Why provoke the master?
Ever since Jingliu's mara had been cured, she no longer restrained her strength. Jing Yuan himself was often dragged into the training hall and used as a spinning top.
Without the Lightning-Lord, he wasn't even her match.
Yanqing… when will you return to share the suffering?
Jing Yuan truly missed the boy he'd sent away on a mission.
"Well? Have you learn it?"
Jingliu clapped her hands clean and turned to Daichi.
"Y-Yes… I learned it…"
Daichi nodded vigorously.
If he dared say no… would she drag Blade back and repeat everything?
"Good. Your talent is the highest I've seen."
Jingliu looked toward Jing Yuan.
"Next is your part."