Pei Guang's eyes lit up. "You know me?"
Fu Xuan adjusted her disheveled clothes and snorted. "First time meeting you. I am Fu Xuan, one of the Six Charioteers, head of the Divination Commission. I'm perfectly fine. But you—"
Pei Guang interrupted, "What about me? If you're fine, I'll be on my way. I have a mission from Jing Yuan to capture Kafka."
Fu Xuan's eyes narrowed with a smile. "Oh? You know where Kafka is?"
Pei Guang glanced at the mini-map. "Of course I do. If you hadn't blocked me, I could've found her with my eyes closed. But if you keep delaying me, that might change."
Fu Xuan muttered, "If it weren't for you, I would have captured Kafka by now!"
Pei Guang's expression shifted, a smile forming on his face. "I see. We both have the same target—Kafka. Want to team up?"
Fu Xuan scoffed. "Kafka has committed grave crimes in Luofu. When did we need outsiders to help apprehend her? Not to mention—"
Before she could finish, Pei Guang cut in. "Got it, I understand. You're trying to compete with me for the mission."
Fu Xuan's eyes flashed with suspicion. "Why do you sound so smug?"
Pei Guang chuckled. "Not at all. I was just asking if you're going to fight me for Kafka. Besides, do you really think you can catch her on your own?"
Fu Xuan's tone turned slightly disdainful. "Why not? I've already pinpointed her location. Capturing a mere Stellaron Hunter should be easy. I can't fathom why the General wanted your help."
Despite her words, Fu Xuan, like Yukong, always followed Jing Yuan's orders. His years of leadership had earned the respect and trust of everyone in Xianzhou. But that didn't stop them from expressing doubts or complaints. Questions were fine,but following orders was paramount. The entire crew, from top-ranking officials to the lowest clerks, would align to execute his commands.
Pei Guang pondered aloud. "So, you don't need us to catch Kafka? You can do it alone?"
Fu Xuan huffed. "Naturally. Don't underestimate my abilities."
Pei Guang asked with a playful grin, "Not even a little chance?"
Fu Xuan snapped, "Why do you talk so much? Kafka is as good as caught."
Pei Guang leaned in conspiratorially. "Actually, I have an idea—"
Fu Xuan's brows furrowed. "Where do you get all these words?"
Cut off again, Pei Guang sighed. He hadn't expected her to be so inflexible. If she was going to be this unreasonable, he might as well be, too.
Fu Xuan adjusted her attire once more and prepared to trace Kafka's position. After a moment, she confirmed the location and was about to move when a table suddenly appeared in front of her, topped with a cup of coffee.
"Huh? Coffee? Where did this come from?"
Normally, Fu Xuan would be on high alert when something appeared out of nowhere. But when she saw the cup of coffee handed over by Pei Guang, she couldn't help but take it.
Lifting the cup and gazing at the ripples in the dark brown liquid, she wore a puzzled expression.
I want to drink it!
This was the simplest, most genuine emotion from Fu Xuan's instincts. She brought the cup to her nose and took a whiff. "Hmm~ the aroma is rich and fragrant. Not bad, not bad~"
At that moment, her mind was instinctively blank. She took a small sip, a mere third of the cup.
As the coffee flowed down her throat, Fu Xuan felt as if she could see mountains and streams, hear the chirping of birds, and smell the earthy scent of the land. Taking a deep breath, the rich flavor made even someone as experienced as Fu Xuan, who had tasted countless delicacies, feel a sense of wonder.
"This is really good. Let me have another sip~"
With another small sip, Fu Xuan felt as if her entire body was singing. The exhaustion seemed to melt away, and the rich, slightly bitter taste danced on her tongue, calming her restless mind.
With only one small sip left, Fu Xuan raised the cup to her lips again. But just as she was about to drink, her 'Third Eye' sent a warning.
"Hmm? Something's wrong! Where did this come from? Was it you who gave this to me?"
Fu Xuan's expression turned serious as she looked at Pei Guang, who quickly grabbed her hand and pushed the remaining coffee into her mouth.
Fu Xuan's body was already in a relaxed state. While her awareness was on alert, her body lagged behind. Given a few more seconds, she could have recovered.
Would Pei Guang give her that chance? Of course not. Seeing her suspicion, he acted swiftly. Fu Xuan tried to resist, but Pei Guang's grip felt like a hydraulic press, rendering her helpless.
"Mmm! No, no…" Fu Xuan struggled, but Pei Guang's strength was beyond her expectation. He pried her mouth open and forced the last bit of coffee down her throat.
Fu Xuan wanted to spit it out, but Pei Guang acted even faster, holding her mouth shut until she swallowed.
Once it was all down, Pei Guang released her. Fu Xuan, gasping, tried to cough it out, but only managed to dribble saliva. Her body betrayed her, welcoming the last bit of coffee with open arms. The moment it hit her stomach, Fu Xuan felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her.
"Damn it… why… you…"
Her consciousness resisted, but it was futile. The life within her could not withstand the coffee's overwhelming power. Before succumbing to sleep, one thought haunted her: Why did Pei Guang do this? Was he working with Kafka?
Seeing her confusion, Pei Guang's smile faded. "Master Diviner, you were trying to take my mission reward? I was planning on letting us handle the capture and hand her over to you, but since you're so insistent… don't blame me for not playing nice. Master Diviner, please rest~"
"You…"
But before she could finish, Fu Xuan fell into a deep sleep.