As soon as Kafka disappeared, March 7th, clearly dissatisfied, turned to Pei Guang and complained: "That woman is bad news! Pei Guang! If we go to Xianzhou, you better make sure to deal with her."
Pei Guang, his eyes twinkling with a clever grin, replied, "Don't worry. If we meet her and she hasn't prepared a decent reward for me, I'll make sure to 'deal' with her."
March 7th nodded in agreement but paused. "Wait, what if she does give you a reward?"
Pei Guang responded seriously, "Then she's just a friendly NPC!"
Meanwhile, Himeko called out to Pei Guang: "Pei Guang, what do you think?"
Himeko was well aware that Pei Guang's decision could influence their next steps. Seele didn't seem to understand much of what was going on, and it was clear that she would follow Pei Guang's lead.
Himeko had already made up her mind. Even without discussing it with Welt, she knew they shared the same outlook. As Nameless, they couldn't ignore someone in trouble. Besides, if Kafka and Pei Guang's theories were correct, then Xianzhou Luofu's Stellaron crisis could spread!
From both a moral and practical standpoint, Himeko and Welt were ready to step in and help.
But Pei Guang's stance would determine the final direction. If he didn't want to go, the Astral Express wouldn't head that way…
Feeling Himeko's gaze, Pei Guang pondered. "Me? If it were up for a vote, I'd say we should go. Dan Heng's fate is tied to Xianzhou. If we don't resolve that, he'll never feel at ease, and Dan Heng is one of us. We've all come together for different reasons, but we should finish each journey together, happily. And besides, there are countless people suffering. You know what that means? It's a mission! Completing the mission will not only save countless innocent lives but also get us in good standing with powerful NPCs. My stance is that we should give it a shot. If we succeed, it's a win for everyone. And if we fail, well, Xianzhou is big—we can always scavenge the loot with tears in our eyes."
March 7th laughed. "Really? You're already thinking about looting?"
Stelle grinned. "I'm in. If we fail, we can cry and loot later. I'm curious to see what treasures we can find in a place like Xianzhou."
Pei Guang nodded. "I'd say we're at least going to score another battleship, but don't focus too much on the looting. In a world this open-ended, if there's a big boss, it's bound to drop…"
March 7th and Stelle's eyes lit up: "A legendary item!"
Pei Guang beamed. "Exactly! Just for the chance at legendary loot, we have to take down the boss. After all, we're Trailblazers!"
Stelle pulled out her spear, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I'm going to give that final boss something powerful!"
Pei Guang also brandished his wooden sword. "Right! I'm going to stab it right through its core!"
Seele, glancing at Pei Guang's wooden sword, couldn't help but tease: "And what if the boss is too big for you to stab through its core?"
Pei Guang chuckled, "You sure talk a lot! Your scythe wouldn't do much better against a big boss either, would it?"
Seele spread her hands nonchalantly. "I don't mind. Like I said, I'll use all my strength to hunt down Stellarons, to hunt those who destroy other people's worlds!"
Her words caught Welt's attention, prompting him to comment, "Seele, if we go to Xianzhou, you might be quite welcome there. And your power…"
The fact that Seele had caught the attention of the Aeon of The Hunt spoke volumes about her uniqueness. With her joining them, the mission would likely be much easier.
Pei Guang then turned to Welt, grinning. "Old Yang! You're the hidden powerhouse: you're going to join us this time, right?"
Welt nodded. "This mission is dangerous. If we are really heading to Xianzhou Luofu, I will definitely accompany you."
Pei Guang's eyes gleamed with confidence. "That settles it then! With Old Yang backing us up, we're as solid as a rock. Don't worry, if we do encounter a giant boss, it'll be easier to handle. Big enemies with lots of fur and weak spots are always easier to target."
Welt gave Pei Guang a knowing glance. Though the suggestion intrigued him, he knew from experience that not every big boss would have an obvious weakness.
Himeko interrupted, "Hmm, that's hard to say for sure. March, could you go get Dan Heng? We'll need his input on this decision…"
Before she could finish, Dan Heng approached them, his expression serious. "I don't know many details, but I saw him. That guy… is he on Xianzhou too?"
Himeko nodded, and Dan Heng continued, "Even though there's a ban, if he's there, then there are things I have to settle personally. If you're asking whether I want to go to Xianzhou Luofu, my answer is 'yes.'"
Himeko smiled, "Looks like our next destination is indeed Xianzhou Luofu."
The result wasn't unexpected for Himeko. The Trailblazers were always willing to help those in need. Even though Pei Guang often sounded like he was in it for himself, Himeko could see through him. His words were often just an excuse to mask his true intentions. She wasn't sure what Pei Guang was avoiding, but she wouldn't pry into his wounds. She trusted that when Pei Guang was ready, he would open up, and until then, she'd protect his sincerity.
Though he had the power to face Xianzhou head-on, he joked about waiting until it was destroyed before scavenging for loot. Anyone with common sense knew he wasn't serious. After all, his battleship had multiple sources of energy at the level of Emanators, enough to make even the combined forces of Xianzhou cautious.
What surprised Himeko was how quickly Dan Heng agreed to the mission.
Dan Heng, of course, had his own reasons. He looked at Pei Guang and said, "I have a personal request. If you encounter that man, Blade, please inform me immediately. Until we meet him, I'll stay aboard the train—getting involved before that will just cause trouble. As for a reward…"
Before Dan Heng could finish, Pei Guang cut him off. "The only reward I need is a boost in affection! If your side quest doesn't raise your affection meter high enough, I'll poke you with this wooden sword!"
Dan Heng replied, unfazed, "No problem."
His casual acceptance almost made Welt and Himeko laugh. Dan Heng, usually so serious, was now agreeing to something so casually—what on earth had Pei Guang done to him?
Still, both of them understood Dan Heng's background. If this mission could help him move past his troubled history, it would be a great thing.
Himeko clapped her hands together. "Since everyone's in agreement, we'll adjust our course for Xianzhou. I'll work with Pom-Pom to arrange the warp, so get yourselves ready in the meantime."
Pei Guang immediately pulled out his signature gear: the trash can lid. "I'm already prepared! My wooden sword is itching for action!"
Stelle brandished her flaming spear. "I'm going to use my Aeon-blessed spear to stab the boss right in the… uh, well, if it doesn't have a butt, I'll bash its head in with the bat."
March 7th grinned. "Good! When the time comes, I'll show the boss what I'm made of."
Pei Guang chimed in, "Good! Let me call in some outside help!"
He pulled out his phone and quickly sent a message to Silver Wolf. Just after helping Kafka hack the Astral Express, Silver Wolf had teleported aboard with a load of supplies Pei Guang had commissioned from Asta.
The moment Pei Guang finished speaking, Silver Wolf appeared inside the train, unloading a massive pile of supplies from her inventory. "You really know how to boss people around, huh? But seriously, is it fine for me to stay here?"
Silver Wolf noticed Welt's odd look but didn't think too much of it. She assumed he was suspicious because she had just hacked into the Express and now was back delivering goods—probably making her seem untrustworthy.
But Welt wasn't suspicious. In fact, seeing Silver Wolf and comparing her to the little Seele that used to be by Bronya's side, then looking at Seele next to Pei Guang, and finally glancing over at Himeko, he couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. It felt like he had returned to a time long past.
Things had changed, yet they hadn't. And Welt wondered—if Pei Guang had been there back then, would his world have been any easier to protect?