In the Exalting Sanctum, Tingyun docked the Starskiff. With the navigation system unable to pinpoint the Divination Commission, they couldn't fly directly there.
Fortunately, from Exalting Sanctum, there was a path that led straight to the Divination Commission, making it the ideal stopping point.
Upon arrival, Fu Xuan cast another divination. The reading confirmed the dire situation. Meanwhile, the team in Exalting Sanctum started unloading the mara-struck soldiers.
Kafka would be transported to the Commission alone, while Fu Xuan's trusted followers would handle the mara-struck soldiers. Thanks to the coffee and Bailu's medicinal concoctions, many of the afflicted had already started reverting to human form.
Typically, such cases would be handed over to the Alchemy Commission, but her divination hinted at issues there. She preferred to rely on her people for this task.
While the mara-struck soldiers were being carried away, Fu Xuan sighed.
March 7th noticed and asked, "Is something bothering you? Need any help?"
Fu Xuan shook her head, "No need for now. You all just rest and regain your strength here. I'll take her to the Divination Commission first. Once we're ready, I'll have someone come get you."
Hearing this, Stelle leaned in, "Really? No need at all? We're experts when it comes to causing some mayhem."
Fu Xuan: "…"
After interacting with them since waking up, she had a pretty clear grasp of this group's nature. How to describe it? A bunch of genuinely good people, just… slightly unconventional in their thinking. Honestly, she didn't have the heart to take advantage of them—they were the kind of "fools" who'd jump at a task with just a small reward.
Fu Xuan took a deep breath and turned to Pei Guang beside her, "I've assigned a disciple to wait for you in Exalting Sanctum. Once everything is in order, I'll have someone bring you to the Divination Commission. In the meantime, any reasonable expenses you incur here will be covered by the Divination Commission, so please be patient. When the time comes, we'll interrogate Kafka together and help you complete your mission from the General."
With that, Fu Xuan prepared to leave, but as she turned, a thought struck her, and she looked back at Pei Guang, "There's one thing… could I take one of those special trash cans with me?"
Pei Guang was busy organizing his backpack—something he'd been doing since they landed here. On the other side, Dan Heng, Seele, and Silver Wolf had seemingly caused a ruckus, filling the shared storage with all sorts of random items, useful or otherwise.
Previously, trash was just trash, and Pei Guang would dispose of it or give it away, but now, with this synthesis pot, he planned to try combining unwanted items and see if anything useful emerged.
So, when Fu Xuan asked if she could take a trash can, Pei Guang simply nodded, "Sure, we've got plenty of those. If we run out, we can always restock."
There wasn't much left of the day, and Pei Guang planned to spend his last few minutes of free time in Belobog, grabbing a few more supplies. Perhaps he'd even see if those half-filled trash cans could yield anything valuable.
But that plan would clearly go unfulfilled. Due to Pei Guang's influence, Belobog's trash cans were now pristinely maintained.
Belobog's honor and pride would never be sullied by garbage!
What? Trash cans are supposed to hold trash? Serval, recently returned to the Architects, was now researching waste recycling techniques. With some technological help from Pei Guang's notes, it wouldn't be long before she developed a waste recycling system that would render trash cans obsolete in Belobog.
And why was she doing all this? Thank Bronya, who had ordered the Builders to take on this project right after Pei Guang and his team had left. The technology wasn't difficult on a cosmic scale, and with prior knowledge, Serval happily took on the challenge.
With Pei Guang's approval, Fu Xuan felt a sense of relief. Having spent some time in the trash can, she was genuinely intrigued by its mysteries and wanted to study how it blocked her divination abilities.
No, she didn't want it for the "comfort" it provided but rather for the strange phenomenon she observed while inside. When she tried to divine the contents of Bailu's can, all she got was an odd question: "Do you think there's anyone inside?"
Such an unusual response piqued her curiosity. If she could decipher it, her team's abilities might improve significantly.
Fu Xuan left, knowing there was plenty of work awaiting her at the Divination Commission. Thanks to Pei Guang's help, even though she'd been captured, she felt as if she'd rested for centuries and was ready to tackle her responsibilities with renewed vigor.
Shortly after Fu Xuan's departure, Tingyun, who'd been keeping an eye on the group, spoke up, "I'll go report the situation to Madam Yukong. Shopping together can wait for next time. When I'm done, I'll be waiting in the plaza, honored guests~"
Pei Guang replied, "Alright, go ahead. Stay safe, and don't get swapped out mid-journey."
Tingyun smiled, "That's impossible~ I'm just a humble official. Who would be interested in me?"
As Fu Xuan and Tingyun left, March 7th turned to Pei Guang, "Does that mean our mission is on pause? Is it break time?"
Pei Guang nodded, "Absolutely. But, from my experience, as players, our rest breaks during main quests are rarely restful."
March 7th sighed, "Sounds like fate…"
Pei Guang smiled, "Who knows? Maybe it's destiny. But it doesn't matter whether it's real or just a game. What matters is to enjoy the journey and avoid regrets. No matter what fate has in store, meeting you and everyone else has been one of the best parts of it."
March 7th paused, then turned slightly, "Alright, that was unexpectedly touching. Ahem~ Meeting you and everyone else has been the best for me too! But, by the way, where's Stelle? Usually, she'd jump in here with a comment."
Welt, who'd been watching the exchange, pointed toward a nearby baozi stand, "She went over there with that little girl as soon as the Divination Commission members left."
Following Welt's gesture, Pei Guang and March 7th saw Stelle and a small pair of hands reaching out from a trash can, grabbing steamed buns from a bamboo steamer.
Note: I started posting a new fic about Nikke, go check it out if you're interested!