Meanwhile, Tingyun had removed Fu Xuan's pacifier. She wasn't sure what Fu Xuan had done to end up in Pei Guang's grasp, but she couldn't just leave her under his control.
After releasing her, Tingyun approached Pei Guang's group. "Dear benefactors~ I've freed the master Diviner. As one of the Six Charioteers, it's not fitting for her to be held like this."
Hearing her, Pei Guang turned to Tingyun. "Oh? You let her go? Fine, no problem. But you saw, right? We're the ones who captured Kafka, so our mission is complete. If she acts up when she wakes, we'll just put her back to sleep."
Tingyun's heart skipped a beat as she took in Pei Guang's helmet with its silver eyes and exaggeratedly breathing nose. The words she'd prepared vanished from her mind.
In all the worlds she'd encountered, from Abominations of Abundance to typical life forms, appearances were generally within reason. But now, looking at Pei Guang's helmet, she felt thoroughly unsettled.
With a strained smile, Tingyun managed to say, "Dear benefactor, what… what's with this look? It's quite unsettling~"
Pei Guang put away the trash can lid. "Just trying something new. If it's scary, I'll put it away."
As Pei Guang's appearance returned to normal, Tingyun sighed in relief. That look from before had really unsettled her; now he looked much more approachable.
However, Tingyun suddenly froze, realizing she had completely forgotten why she'd approached Pei Guang in the first place. "Honored one~ I must be so tired that I forgot what I was going to say just now~"
Pei Guang: "You said you were letting that pink-haired one out, and I said fine, we're done with our mission anyway. Wait, you're not trying to pull a fast one and pretend we didn't complete it, right?"
Tingyun didn't quite understand why Pei Guang would think that, but she kept her smile and reassured him. "How could that be? Honored one, your abilities are beyond compare. You not only captured a Stellaron Hunter but even subdued the Master Diviner! Your skill and wisdom are undeniable—I wouldn't question that~"
Pei Guang nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, go ahead and let her out. If she tries to take our mission rewards, I'll catch her again. Honestly, she's so stingy, it's barely worth catching her twice."
March 7th, curious, asked, "I've been wondering since earlier—why did you label that pink-haired girl's barrel as 'Common Enemy'?"
Pei Guang scoffed. "Because she didn't drop anything good! After I knocked her out, all she gave me was a basic effect, unlike Kafka, who was way more generous. She surrendered willingly and gave us some real treasures."
March 7th nodded. "True, it's really something. With this, I'll never worry about getting scolded again~"
The universal synthesizer was powerful, but it didn't hold up to overuse. March 7th had tried tossing all sorts of odd items into it, and the results were… interesting, to say the least.
Stelle chimed in, "Only a basic effect? So she's not even as good as the blue-haired guy?"
Pei Guang: "Exactly! At least the blue-haired one was a hidden boss in the starting village. And this one? She's got this flashy title and yet… nothing."
Stelle: "Speaking of which… Pei Guang, there are still plenty of enemies around here. Want to check their loot?"
March 7th grinned eagerly. "Sounds good! With our new team members, it'll be a breeze to clean up."
Pei Guang: "I'm all for it. Let's gather enough of those effects and make one of these headpieces for each of us. How about it?"
March 7th had initially been reluctant, but seeing Pei Guang wearing one made her imagine how much fun it would be if they all had one. "Yes, let's do it! We'll all wear one, and even if we can't defeat an enemy, we'll make sure they're disgusted by the sight!"
Stelle: "Let's go!"
Pei Guang: "You two go on ahead. I'll stay here and wait for the Master Diviner to wake up. If she decides not to steal our mission, we can have a nice chat. Who knows, maybe we'll even get a new mission."
With that, March 7th and Stelle set out to capture the remaining mara-struck soldiers in Starskiff Haven.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan, who had stopped receiving the IV drip, began to regain consciousness as the coffee's effects wore off.
"Where am I…?"
Fu Xuan rubbed her forehead, recalling the events she had experienced. She felt an unusual sense of lightness in her body, almost like being cradled in her mother's arms. As she started to get up, she realized she was in some kind of strange container.
"What is this thing?"
As she muttered to herself, Bailu, who was in a nearby trash can examining the coffee, responded, "It's a trash can!"
Fu Xuan: "Huh?"
Her mind still groggy, Fu Xuan looked around, noticing the closed barrel next to her and another one with Kafka inside. Kafka, with a pacifier in her mouth, was drinking a strange dark-brown liquid.
The sight of that liquid made Fu Xuan's body shudder instinctively. Just one taste, and her body had memorized it.
Bailu spoke quietly. "Master Diviner, did you drink that dark-brown liquid Pei Guang gave you?"
Fu Xuan: "Hmph! He tricked me into drinking it. I won't make that mistake again. Attacking a Master Diviner carries consequences…"
Before she could finish, Bailu peeked out from the gap in her barrel, noting that Pei Guang's attention was still on the pot and that Tingyun was also focused on it, leaving them unnoticed. Bailu whispered.
"It's me, Bailu!" She popped her head out.
Fu Xuan gasped upon seeing her. "What? They captured you too? Hang on, I'll get you out!"
Bailu quickly motioned for silence and began her playful persuasion. "I came willingly! And listen, here's a secret: that coffee Pei Guang gave you, it's not harmful—it's actually helpful. It stops the mara-struck transformation, and it might even heal it! Pei Guang's no criminal: you should be grateful to him."
Fu Xuan: "Huh?"
Bailu had been thinking about how to help Pei Guang ever since she heard Fu Xuan declare her intent to prosecute him. She genuinely felt attached to Pei Guang and his group.
They had given her so much good food, drinks, fun things to play with, and even protected her. They'd also supplied her with this miraculous medicine capable of suppressing the mara-struck condition and even "healing" it to some extent!
No matter what, she wouldn't let Fu Xuan punish Pei Guang. She wasn't entirely sure what happened between those two that led to her capture, but she could certainly sweet-talk her way through this.
Bailu began her persuasion: "If Pei Guang gave you that drink, he was helping you live longer! Just look at those mara-struck soldiers over there—they're being saved! Many who took the medicine are even beginning to reverse their condition!"
Fu Xuan: "Huh?"
Bailu: "And look at this barrel! It's blessed. Hiding inside it, even General Jing Yuan couldn't find me—it's a treasure. He's giving you miraculous health benefits and a divine blessing. You really ought to be grateful."
Fu Xuan: "Huh?"
Bailu continued, "Pei Guang has treated you in such a special way, and yet you want to punish him?"
Fu Xuan: "Huh?"
Fu Xuan felt her mind racing, almost as if her very fate was overloaded. Not only had she been captured, but now the future clan leader of the Vidyadhara was telling her that the one who kidnapped her actually saved her? And that she should be thanking him?
Meanwhile, Bailu kept going: "So he's no criminal! I think, Master Diviner, you should have a proper talk with Pei Guang. There must be some misunderstanding between you two. Good luck~"
With that, Bailu ducked back into the barrel and whispered, "I'm here on a special mission, not just for fun. Don't give away my identity, okay?"