"This is an internal matter of the Alliance, and we don't need the Astral Express to interfere."
"You've personally met with us to show respect and sincerity, but please leave. Is that it?"
Yukong glanced at her with slight surprise but didn't refute, nodding lightly.
Welt frowned: "But—"
March 7th: "Forget it, Uncle Yang. If the Alliance says they can handle it, why should we bother? Let's just go."
But she didn't expect Yukong's next words to be so shocking.
"You cannot leave."
"???"
March 7th's eyelid twitched, instantly recalling some very bad memories, her tone collapsing.
"Look, that's a bit much, don't you think? Are you seriously suspecting we're up to no good with the Xianzhou?"
Yukong calmly replied: "The Stellaron was discovered on the Luofu only a few days ago, and Central Starskiff Haven has been completely sealed off. No one has left."
"Tell me, how did you know in advance, and how did you determine this is related to a Stellaron?"
"I checked the Jade Gate's entry and exit records. Not long ago, someone hacked the system to guide a landing ship into port—that was you."
"The hacker's methods were sophisticated, and they even deliberately left a signature, as if taunting us."
"Silver Wolf, a member of the Stellaron Hunters. How do you explain this?"
At this point in the story, countless players were stunned.
Good grief, is this the unavoidable tradition of getting detained in every world?
Stelle: "We didn't know we were guided into port by a Stellaron Hunter, but—"
"It's true that the Stellaron Hunters commissioned us to come to the Luofu. They said if we didn't, the Luofu… well, the consequences would be dire."
Yukong narrowed her eyes slightly: "Words are meaningless. Until these suspicions are cleared, you are not to leave the Skysplitter."
Stelle rolled her eyes.
No wonder that big-tailed fox Tingyun didn't come inside—she was up to no good from the start.
Oh, wait, Yukong's tail is pretty big too.
None of them had good intentions!
The Express crew's goodwill was being treated like dirt. Frustrating.
But Stelle knew this was largely the fault of that Silver Wolf, who not only impersonated Luofu staff but deliberately left traces to provoke them.
She must've wanted the Trailblaze team to end up in jail. How infuriating.
Or perhaps, she was counting on the Trailblaze team to go to jail to find Blade?
So annoying. A day of missing Leon.
If he were here, he might've noticed these twists and turns early and prepared countermeasures.
Though it was just a hypothesis, based on his performance on Jarilo-VI, it wasn't unreasonable.
But at the end of the day—
I'm just too naive. I need long, deep learning.
Stelle quietly reflected.
For example, right now, how could they find a dignified way to leave the Skysplitter?
Just as Stelle was about to speak, a hearty laugh came from behind Yukong.
"Don't be so harsh, Yukong. If word gets out, won't the galaxy mock the Xianzhou Alliance's hospitality?"
"General Jing Yuan." Yukong bowed in respect.
Jing Yuan's figure was illusory, clearly not his physical presence.
"How could the Astral Express possibly be allied with the Stellaron Hunters? They're sworn enemies."
"Pardon my interruption. I am the Luofu's Cloud Knight General: Jing Yuan."
"Straight to the point—I fully agree with Yukong's stance. My apologies, members of the Express crew."
"There is indeed a Stellaron on the Luofu, but I must decline your kind offer. The Xianzhou's problems can only be solved by the Xianzhou itself."
"However—"
"Since you've come all this way, how could we let you leave empty-handed?"
"While we cannot accept the Express crew's help with the Stellaron, I have another matter I must ask of you."
"Could you please step aside for a private conversation? Jing Yuan would be most grateful."
…
Ten minutes later, the trio walked out of the Skysplitter's headquarters, the Palace of Astrum.
Stelle and Welt both looked pensive.
March 7th: "What do you think of that General Jing Yuan?"
Stelle, distracted: "He's pretty good-looking."
March 7th nearly choked.
"I'm not asking about his looks! I think he's much easier to talk to than that Yukong."
"No wonder he's the Xianzhou General while she's just a Helm Master. Look at the difference in how they handle people."
"You're way more naive than I am, March," Stelle said with a serious expression.
"What do you mean?"
"I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, but I think Jing Yuan and Yukong are playing a good-cop, bad-cop routine."
Stelle speculated suspiciously.
"Huh? For real?"
"Let me break it down, true or false, and Mr. Welt can help analyze."
Stelle organized her thoughts and began slowly.
"I suspect Jing Yuan was there all along, waiting for the tension to build before stepping in to ease things, winning our favor."
"Then he had us step aside, praising the Astral Express's reputation."
"By taking an opposing stance, saying he didn't trust the Divination Commission's predictions, he made us drop our guard a second time."
"Sure, his point about the Stellaron Hunters leading trouble to the Luofu holds water, but have you considered the real key lies in what came next?"
March 7th's curiosity was piqued: "What?"
"He said Blade, who was captured, has a partner, Kafka, currently hiding in the Luofu."
"Jing Yuan wants us to lure Kafka out and catch her, to clear the 'taint' the Stellaron Hunters cast on us."
"Taint, taint—why call baseless accusations 'taint'? Why use the word 'clear' at all?"
March 7th stared at her in shock: "You actually thought of all that? I'm seeing you in a new light again."
"That's because Leon left me a note in the landing pod."
Stelle pulled out a small piece of paper.
March 7th leaned in, softly reading the words aloud.
"When you're out in the world, don't hesitate to assume the worst of others."
"Language is an art. People often reveal their weaknesses when they speak. Always listen carefully and keep an extra eye out."
"You can always trust the Express crew, but outsiders? Not so much."
After reading, March 7th's face was filled with emotion.
"…Even though Leon often brags about being reliable or dependable, I have to admit, he really is."
"I was wondering—did he leave his wings with you again?"
Stelle paused, then shook her head.
"Not this time. I tried instinctively when you mentioned it, but I can't summon them."
"Back to the point, I wasn't done yet."
"Leon's note said we can trust each other completely, but outsiders are another story."
"So why is the Luofu's General Jing Yuan so certain, bypassing his own Divination Commission's predictions, that we outsiders are trustworthy?"