Stelle and Pei Guang exchanged serious glances. Originally, Pei Guang hadn't considered such an idea, but since Stelle brought it up, as a teammate, he had to support her curiosity.
And, honestly, he was a little curious too—what would happen if they cut the strings holding Fu Xuan's clothes together?
March 7th, observing their expressions, nervously asked, "Wait, are you two seriously thinking about this?"
Pei Guang answered confidently, "If Stelle wants to try, let her try! It's just a little hit to her favorability. We can grind it back later."
March 7th was horrified. "Are you going to do it yourself?"
Pei Guang shook his head. "Of course not! Losing favorability is on Stelle. Stelle, have you thought this through? If you cut it, Fu Xuan might seriously start to dislike you."
Stelle hesitated briefly before determination set in. She was curious—really curious. She absolutely had to know what would happen if the strings holding Fu Xuan's outfit together were cut.
With an intense look of resolve, Stelle turned to Pei Guang. "I have to see this through! What if she doesn't realize they snapped and her outfit falls apart during battle? That would be bad, right?"
Pei Guang nodded solemnly. "True. But we can't be perverts about it. If we do this, it has to be honest and upfront. Sneaking around would just make us look bad."
March 7th rolled her eyes. "And you actually believe her reasoning?"
Pei Guang looked genuinely puzzled. "Does she have any bad intentions?"
Stelle added quickly, "None! I just want to test it and maybe give Fu Xuan a heads-up about the risk."
Pei Guang smiled. "Exactly! No bad intentions—just go for it! We're a team. Whatever you want to do, I've got your back. But remember, this is your first run. Don't overdo it. Save the crazy stuff for a second run. If there isn't one, at least you'll have no regrets from playing it seriously."
Stelle nodded, her resolve growing. "You're right, Ah Guang! We need to be straightforward and honest. No sneaking around—just cut them in plain sight. Besides, you can't do it. Even if your intentions are pure, you'd get labeled a pervert. I'm a girl, like Fu Xuan, so she won't think of me that way. If I see a potential danger, I have to address it. I can't just ignore it."
With unwavering determination, Stelle marched toward Fu Xuan.
March 7th turned to Pei Guang. "I feel like she hasn't understood anything you said."
Pei Guang shook his head. "No, she gets it. If you want to do something, you should. We're players—why should we be bound by conventional logic? But we must respect humanity. Sneaking around violates our code of honor."
March 7th sighed. "You've corrupted her completely, but… I guess conventional wisdom doesn't matter anymore. Since meeting you, normal has flown out the window."
Pei Guang shrugged. "How is this corruption? It's following your heart! As long as the game rules don't explicitly ban asking to cut someone's ribbon, why not test it? How else will we know if the strings snap or not?"
March 7th nodded reluctantly. "Fine, whatever. Sneaking around is bad, I get it. But wow… Stelle's really gone full Pei Guang mode."
Meanwhile, Stelle reached Fu Xuan, who was busy assigning Qingque to assist Pei Guang's group with the matrix. Qingque looked completely defeated as she accepted her task.
Seeing Stelle approach, Fu Xuan crossed her arms and asked, "What is it? Do you need something from me?"
Standing directly behind, Stelle declared loudly, "I'm going to cut your ribbon—honestly and openly!"
Fu Xuan froze. Qingque froze. Even Jing Yuan, overhearing from a distance, turned his head to look.
Without hesitation, Stelle pulled out a pair of scissors, grabbed the strings at the back of Fu Xuan's outfit, and snipped. The ribbon snapped instantly, and with a quick tug, Stelle pulled it free entirely.
At that moment, Fu Xuan's outfit loosened, partially falling apart. It didn't fall completely, but it hung precariously in a half-secure, half-loose state.
"You! You! You! What are you doing, you scoundrel?!" Fu Xuan shouted, her face red with a mix of anger and shock.
Stelle waved the two pieces of ribbon in her hand. "I wanted to see if cutting this would make your outfit fall apart!"
Fu Xuan gritted her teeth. "And then?"
Stelle grinned. "I discovered that, yep, cutting it makes your outfit fall apart! I learned something useful again today!"
With a completely earnest expression, Stelle handed the strings back to Fu Xuan. "After thorough testing, I can confirm: if this ribbon breaks, your outfit will fall apart. Please take care, Master Diviner, and don't let any troublemakers cut it again—it could really mess with your work and daily life. Alright, off to complete our mission now!"
Fu Xuan blinked, utterly baffled. "What?"
Stelle, however, felt like she had accomplished something monumental. She truly believed she had done Fu Xuan a great service, helping her identify a potential weakness in her attire. After all, what if a rascal cut the ribbon during battle? It would be a catastrophe!
By testing it herself, Stelle had ensured she would never face such embarrassment unprepared.
She felt she'd made the most righteous decision in the universe!
Standing taller, Stelle was filled with a sense of pride. As if the cosmos itself acknowledged her nobility, she felt an invisible weight lift from her soul.
Pei Guang, watching her from the side, smiled. "How's it feel?"
Stelle puffed up her chest. "I feel like I need to test more things like this to help people. I feel virtuous!"
March 7th snorted. "Oh, sure. Virtuous. You and Ah Guang are redefining morality across the entire universe!"
Pei Guang waved dismissively. "Alright, let's head out. The general here is a generous host! I thought we'd have to explore the whole map to open chests after completing the mission, but no—he's got everything neatly gathered for us. We'd better earn that loot."
Stelle nodded sagely. "Exactly! This diviner is his subordinate, so I helped her test the ribbon. Results? Clothes fall apart. Truly, the universe is lucky to have someone like me who willingly tests such things for others!"
March 7th sighed. "If you're happy, I'm happy. But, Ah Guang…"
Pei Guang held up a hand. "Don't worry. My gaming experience is top-tier. I know how to avoid all the options that lower favorability."
Stelle beamed. "I'm not worried! Ehe~ I'll do anything I want!"
March 7th deadpanned. "Proud of that, are you?"
Stelle crossed her arms smugly. "Of course! Very proud!"
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan stood frozen in shock. She had been livid just moments ago, but upon hearing their conversation, she noticed something odd about Stelle.
A faint glow seemed to emanate from Stelle's body, and for a brief moment, Fu Xuan saw a spectral scale floating above her, giving a thumbs-up in approval before vanishing.
"Is that… a praise of high morals?!"
In the vast, diverse universe, individuals who performed acts deemed truly virtuous sometimes received an extraordinary acknowledgment—a cosmic seal of approval for their moral behavior. Rare as this phenomenon was, it served as a universal enigma.
Yet here stood Stelle, who had just cut her ribbon, glowing with divine approval.
Fu Xuan stared at the trail of light Stelle left behind as she and her companions walked away, far enough now that even shouting her name wouldn't bring her back.
Watching their retreating figures, Fu Xuan muttered bitterly, "These scoundrels—they got moral approval? Am I the one who's lost it, or is this world insane? You call them virtuous? If anyone's a troublemaker, it's them! Come back here if you dare!"
Qingque, having witnessed the entire scene, coughed awkwardly. "Uh… Master Diviner, maybe—just maybe—you won't be able to deal with these guys, no matter how powerful you are. They're… uh… special."
Fu Xuan glared at Qingque. "What do you mean, 'special'?"
Qingque hesitated before pointing to her temple. "Well, their skills are one thing, but here…"
She gestured to her head.
Though Qingque hadn't known Pei Guang's group long, she had already realized they were far from normal. She had never seen anyone roast mara-struck corpses over weapons imbued with Aeon-like power before… nor had she ever seen someone modify a war-flaming spear to do such a thing.
Fu Xuan turned her steely gaze on her. "Qingque!"
"Ah! Master Diviner! I'm going to work now—wait for me! I'll help with the matrix activation!" Qingque yelped as she scurried after the group.
As Qingque fled, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She had always wondered about that ribbon for years, but would never have dared to test it since they were Fu Xuan's. Stelle, however, did what Qingque could only dream of.
Now Qingque had one more reason to admire Stelle.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan clutched the severed ribbons in her hand, nearly on the verge of tears. She wanted to yell, but she didn't even know where to begin. She considered scolding Stelle, but when she saw the girl's proud expression—clearly thinking she'd done Fu Xuan a great favor—she hesitated.
Recalling their bizarre exchange, Fu Xuan couldn't help but activate her Divination Art, deducing Stelle's intentions. The result came back as "not a prank."
Not a prank meant that Stelle genuinely thought she was helping. What kind of person thinks like that? A fool, clearly.
She couldn't stoop to a fool's level. At least to Stelle, this act was a genuine gesture of help.
"No! This won't do!"
Fu Xuan clenched her fists but eventually relaxed. The reason was simple—she couldn't handle Pei Guang. That mysterious trash can alone had left a lasting impression.
After a few moments of silent frustration, Fu Xuan retreated back into her trash can, muttering bitterly as she adjusted her attire. "Cutting it is easy, but fixing it is a hassle. Stupid brat! Fool! Scoundrel! Jerk!"
Despite her high position, Fu Xuan found herself at a loss for words, resorting to the simplest insults.
Poor Master Diviner, huddled in her trash can, grumbling while she fixed her clothes…
Several minutes later, she emerged from the bucket, her attire now reinforced to prevent further wardrobe malfunctions while still maintaining its elegance. But as she stepped out, she froze at the sight of Jing Yuan's projection nearby.
"General! Did you… see all that?"
Jing Yuan, barely suppressing a chuckle, replied, "Hmm… saw a little. Very amusing! Ah, someone's reporting in—I'll check in later. Let me know what you "uncover" from Kafka."
With that, his projection disappeared. Fu Xuan was left fuming, realizing Jing Yuan had clearly been enjoying the spectacle.
"Scoundrel! Scoundrel! You're all scoundrels!!!"
Muttering the harshest insults she could muster, Fu Xuan finally calmed herself with a deep breath. She turned her gaze toward the direction Pei Guang's group had gone.
"Fine. Since you're here to help the Divination Commission, I'll tolerate this level of mischief. But next time, I'll make sure they regret it!"