After separating from Pei Guang, Stelle, March 7th, and the others had arrived at Exalting Sanctum's plaza, where they encountered mara-struck Cloud Knights.
Armed with coffee, Bailu had been treating these knights using a recipe she'd come across, which was proving highly effective. Side effects and resistance were minor, and it had been relatively straightforward to cure those who had accidentally turned mara-struck.
Because of this, Bailu stayed behind to assist, and though the others weren't sure what concoction she was using, it was clearly working, so they committed to supporting the Healer Lady.
Seeing Bailu so busy, March 7th and Welt pitched in, while Stelle was summoned by the Realm-Keeping Commission for a task.
So, while Bailu was engrossed in her work in the ward, her eyes widened in shock as she read Pei Guang's question about 'Vidyadhara bone marrow' and the requirement for live extraction.
"Hey, little dragon, what's up?"
March 7th noticed Bailu's stunned expression. She knew Bailu's true identity, which only made her even fonder of the girl. Given the Realm-Keeping Commission's request to both assist and guard her, March 7th and Welt were discreetly ensuring her safety.
From what they had learned, there were people with ill intentions toward Bailu, and anyone attempting to take her away—especially members of the Alchemy Commission—would be met with firm resistance.
Bailu stared at the message on her phone, feeling utterly flustered. She never imagined that Pei Guang would ask something like this.
Extracting Vidyadhara bone marrow alive? What could Pei Guang possibly be planning?
Just as she pondered, March 7th came over and ruffled her cheeks playfully. "Hey, what's on your mind, little one?"
Bailu snapped out of it and glanced at her phone, asking in a small voice, "You don't think Pei Guang will… eat me, right?"
March 7th: "Huh? Eat you? Why would he eat you? Didn't I tell you about the things he's done? That dummy is the type to avoid killing unless there's no other way. So far, he's only captured people, never killed them. When he's feeling mischievous, he might mess with someone a bit—like giving them a little whack or force-feeding them coffee. Unless someone's truly wicked, Pei Guang always goes easy on them. But, with his personality, if there's an actual threat, he'll pull out his sword, go shink-shink, and take down the enemy in no time!"
As March 7th animatedly described it, with sound effects that made Bailu shiver.
Welt joined in, "If it's Pei Guang, you have nothing to worry about. He thinks of himself as a single-player hero in his first playthrough. Although his mental state might be a bit odd, at his core, he's a decent person. Just as March said, from what I've seen, he's hardly harmed anyone… let alone taken lives."
Bailu: "Really?"
She felt a bit conflicted but recalled everything Pei Guang had done on this journey—bringing her tasty treats, interesting toys, and taking great care to protect her from harm.
Though young in appearance, Bailu could sense people's true intentions. She believed Pei Guang wasn't a bad person. Taking a deep breath, she looked at March 7th and Welt. "Thank you both! I'll reply to him now. Guess I was overthinking!"
Meanwhile, Pei Guang received Bailu's long-awaited message, explaining the purpose of the extraction in detail, as well as its repercussions, without any filter.
After reading it, Pei Guang grew silent, then posted a message in the family chat for the Astral Express crew:
Pei Guang: "This is bad. Really bad. There are people on this ship planning to harm our precious healer!!!!!"
The five exclamation marks immediately got Stelle's attention. She sent a furious emoji: "⁽⁽(੭ꐦ •̀Д•́ )੭*⁾⁾"
"Who is it? Tell me where! I'll knock them out!"
March 7th: "No wonder Bailu was so spaced out. What did you find out, Pei Guang?"
Pei Guang: "Long story short, there's an organization called the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus on the ship. They're using the bone marrow of Bailu's people to make an immortality elixir. And yes, the recipe requires a live extraction."
He detailed the ingredients and the horrifying costs involved. For a moment, the chat went silent.
After a pause, Dan Heng replied first, "The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus… I'll remember that."
Stelle replied, "Got it. I've just accepted a mission to infiltrate the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Once I'm in, I'll take them down."
Pei Guang: "Sounds good. I've already captured a few informants. Once you're in, go all out—no need to hold back. Silver Wolf is tracking their data trails, so we'll catch any others connected to them."
Silver Wolf: "Fair warning: if they aren't using wireless data channels, even I can't find the mastermind."
Pei Guang: "Don't worry. You've already done a lot for us. By the way, Dan Heng, how's your side?"
Dan Heng: "Some complications…"
Seele: "No biggie. I've broken everything that can drop loot, and every enemy is down. Anything I can't break, Dan Heng's Pink Fluffy Bunny handled~"
Dan Heng: "…"
Himeko then joined the chat, "Looks like this adventure is keeping everyone busy. Be sure to tell me all about it when you're back~"
March 7th: "Got it! I'll fill you in—this place is full of wild stuff!"
As the chat continued, Pei Guang shared the formula he'd obtained with Bailu. She was his comrade, after all, and he kept nothing from her.
At first, Bailu was stunned, but then she clenched her phone in anger. She finally understood why Pei Guang had asked about extracting bone barrow. Seeing the recipe, her anger surged to its peak.
As the head of her people and High Ealder of the Vidyadhara, Bailu was furious, both for her kin and the Xianzhou.
Glaring at the recipe, she hissed, "Who? Who came up with this monstrosity?"
Pei Guang: "I don't know for sure, but I suspect it's tied to the unrest on the ship…"
Bailu: "I get it. From now on, I'm staying by your side. I want to… personally deal with this fiend."
Pei Guang: "Once we find out who's behind it, you'll have the first shot. And once you're done, I'll make sure they're… fully recycled."
Somehow, the term sounded chilling coming from Pei Guang.
Curious, Bailu then asked him, "Pei Guang, don't you have any desire for immortality? Most people would jump at a chance like this."
Pei Guang: "What's there to envy? Humans do their best to live their short lives, leaving behind a legacy for the next generation. Isn't that amazing? And immortality is just a trap for those who aren't meant to live forever. How many creatures tried to eat Tang Sanzang for eternal life, only to get smashed by a monkey's staff?"
Bailu: "You really make a lot of sense…"
Pei Guang: "I owe it all to the light of humanity for teaching me these things. If you're interested, once things calm down here, I'll show you Ultraman. You'll love it~"
Bailu: "Alright! Once this is all over, let's watch Ultraman! But wait… if you're thanking the Light, aren't you 'Light' yourself?"
Pei Guang: "Who knows? When I was a kid, I was pretty proud of the 'Light' in my name. But… turns out it can also mean losing everything when you gamble. 'Pei Guang,' the one who loses it all!"
Bailu: "Hahaha~"
She didn't know what Ultraman was, but after talking with Pei Guang, Bailu saw him in a new light. Initially, she thought he was just a wild card, but now she could see he had profound wisdom under the surface.