Pei Guang was annoyed by her interference. Originally, he intended to capture Kafka and let Fu Xuan make the final arrest—a win-win scenario where both sides benefited.
But Fu Xuan showed no leniency. And if she didn't show any, why should he?
The coffee seemed to resonate with Pei Guang's annoyance, making Fu Xuan sleep even more soundly. In her dreams, she saw Xuan Yao chasing after a bizarre creature with a comical mask, while a purple-clad figure with a smiling face mask watched from afar, as if none of it concerned him.
In reality, Pei Guang looked at the sleeping girl with a smirk. "Master Diviner, sleep well~"
He reached out to search Fu Xuan's pockets, skirting around her body. After checking her skirt and shirt pockets, he pulled out a small, unimpressive party favor effect. His expression darkened, and the smile vanished, replaced by disdain.
"You drop items like a Mara-struck soldier? Some Master Diviner you are. Might as well be a common enemy. In you go!" He tossed Fu Xuan into the trash can.
A moment ago, he called her 'Master Diviner,' but now only disdain remained.
Pei Guang pulled out an IV bag and placed the nipple of the feeder in Fu Xuan's mouth. Even in her sleep, her lips instinctively latched onto it, nursing as a biological reflex, deepening her slumber.
Pei Guang, seeing that she was in no condition to wake up anytime soon, felt unsatisfied. A high-ranking official dropping common items? Unbelievable. He scribbled on a piece of paper, 'Just a common enemy,' and stuck it on the trash can containing Fu Xuan.
He didn't stop there. He affixed a hooked stick inside the can, hung the IV bag, and packed everything up to take along.
What? Leave her here? With enemies gathering due to his taunts, if any monster harmed Fu Xuan, the main mission would shift from saving half of Xianzhou's population to eradicating the Mara-struck on seven ships.
It wouldn't matter if he were alone, but now he had companions he cared for.
With Fu Xuan in tow, Pei Guang could no longer twirl, leap, or move with his carefree abandon.
The encounter with Fu Xuan also reminded him not to be reckless, even when alone. While he was a player and could revive, this world was not just a game—there was no reset.
Though Pei Guang lost time dealing with Fu Xuan, Stelle wasn't delayed. As soon as she landed, she sprinted toward Kafka.
In the plaza of Aurum Alley, Kafka smiled at Stelle, who stood before her alone. "You're here, and early too."
Stelle, with her flaming lance in her left hand and bat in her right, glared at Kafka, ready for battle. "Yes! Without Pei Guang, the plot can't unfold. But… was all of this part of your plan?"
Kafka shook her head, eyes softening as she looked at Stelle. "Not a plan—a future. Are you here to capture me? With your current strength… it's not enough, you know~"
At this moment, Kafka had already drawn her weapons. According to the prophecy, she wasn't meant to be captured by Stelle but by the Master Diviner, Fu Xuan. Only by being caught by Fu Xuan could she or Xianzhou achieve the desired outcome. However, Pei Guang's unexpected presence had thrown the future into chaos. With Pei Guang absent for now, she decided to play her part as planned.
Based on her estimation, Fu Xuan should be arriving soon. Until then, sparring with Stelle seemed like a good way to pass the time. She was curious to see how far Stelle had come.
Seeing Kafka's battle-ready stance, Stelle glanced at her mini-map and noticed that Pei Guang had stopped moving. March 7th and Welt were still on the move, but they were too far away and likely wouldn't make it before the fight was over.
Should she let Kafka go? Though Stelle had an inexplicable fondness for Kafka and even recalled things she had said back at the space station, she knew that since she had taken on the mission to capture Kafka, she had to see it through. After all, capturing Kafka meant potential loot.
With this thought, Stelle's eyes sparkled.
But then a doubt crept in—could she really defeat Kafka? Looking at Kafka, who was fully armed and now eyeing Stelle's bat and war-flaming lance, Stelle felt her chances weren't great.
Suddenly, Stelle's expression turned serious as she produced two black garbage bags.
Seeing the bags, Kafka raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you planning to use disgusting trash to make me back down? Such tactics might work on ordinary enemies, but on me~"
Kafka had prepared for these types of tricks.
However, what Stelle said next caught Kafka off guard.
"These aren't dry trash. They're wet trash—my vomit, fermented for a while. Even I'm afraid to open these bags," Stelle declared. These were remnants from a food-eating contest in Belobog where Pei Guang had helped her. After acquiring storage space, Pei Guang had handed them to Stelle, who had further 'cultivated' them. Now, even Stelle found them intimidating.
Kafka's confident expression froze as she stared at the two ominous black bags in Stelle's hands.
She couldn't help but wonder what kind of training Stelle had undergone with Pei Guang, but Kafka still had countermeasures. "Oh? And if I break those bags, the only one disgusted will be you."
Stelle remained calm, waving the bags threateningly. "You know my abilities, don't you? What if I smear this on myself, then teleport next to you and rub against you?"
Kafka's body went rigid. After a long pause, she raised her hands. "Alright~ you win."
When Kafka admitted defeat, she was genuinely impressed. She admired Pei Guang for shaping Stelle into such an unpredictable fighter. With surrender as her only option, and knowing Elio's words about adapting plans when Pei Guang was involved, Kafka decided it was best not to push things too far.
Elio had said that while the original plan was to proceed as envisioned, unforeseen changes, like Pei Guang's influence, called for improvisation. As long as Pei Guang wasn't antagonized, he would lead them all to the foreseen conclusion—perhaps even a better one than he could predict.
Stelle didn't quite believe Kafka's surrender. Kafka, seeing this, approached with a gentle smile. "Relax~ there's no need for us to fight, is there? Let me guess—you're waiting for your companions, right? Why don't we wait together? How have things been?"
As Kafka drew closer, Stelle admitted to herself that she was slightly captivated. Kafka was breathtakingly beautiful, and her warm demeanor stirred a sense of familiarity in Stelle.
Taking a deep breath, Stelle decided to go with her gut. She looked at Kafka and said, "It's been great. With Pei Guang, March, and Dan Heng, we completed a huge mission in Belobog. Let me tell you, at the start, we…"
Kafka listened intently as Stelle recounted her adventures. While considering whether to reveal some truths to Stelle, Kafka chose to hold back. Despite Pei Guang's unpredictability, she wanted to steer the 'story' toward the future she knew. For now, many things were still under her control.
What Kafka didn't know was that while she hoped to guide events, the future she envisioned and what was about to unfold had slight differences—soon, she would join Bailu and Fu Xuan in the Xianzhou "family bucket."