Stelle's good mood evaporated instantly. After everything she'd experienced in Xianzhou—arriving at this beautiful ship and even preparing for a big raid—this was the last thing she wanted to see.
Her mind reminded her repeatedly, They're just kids; don't stoop to their level. But watching the blind girl cry helplessly by the water, Stelle couldn't hold back. She pulled out her phone and messaged Pei Guang.
Stelle: "Ah Guang, I've run into a really tough situation."
Pei Guang: "You can't handle it? I'm on my way!"
At this point, Pei Guang's group had just arrived at the Artisanship Commission. Tingyun was about to start introducing the area when Pei Guang turned to March 7th and Welt.
"March, Uncle Yang, Ms. Tingyun, hold on a moment. Stelle needs my help."
March 7th asked worriedly, "Do you need us to come with you?"
Pei Guang shook his head. "No need. From the map, she's still in Exalting Sanctum, and there aren't any hostile signals nearby. I'll handle it."
March 7th nodded. "Alright, go ahead. We'll wait here."
Welt added, "If you need anything from us, just say the word."
Pei Guang smiled. "I will if it comes to that. My guess is she's run into one of those 'only-a-player-would-encounter-this' problems. I'll check it out... and leave Bailu under your care for now."
Pei Guang set down the trash can he was carrying, then pulled out a garbage bin. Climbing into the bin, he closed the lid and instantly teleported to Stelle's side.
Watching his actions, Tingyun blinked in surprise and asked curiously, "Is this the teleportation ability you mentioned?"
March 7th nodded. "That's right! By using the trash bins, he can teleport between them! It's got limitations, but it's super handy."
Welt agreed, "Though restricted, it's undeniably a convenient way to travel."
Tingyun mused, "I see. So that's the teleportation ability you've mentioned before. Fascinating~ I wonder if I'll ever get to try it myself?"
March 7th grinned. "Of course you can~ As long as you become a Trailblazer, you'll get to use it too. It's way better than the space anchor points!"
March 7th and Welt had mastered the art of lying with a straight face. As for Bailu, who knew the truth? She couldn't be bothered to intervene. Instead, she was lounging inside the trash can, gaming, sipping on a drink and snacking—utterly carefree.
Reflecting on her indulgence, Bailu thought, "I've followed the rules for so many years. What's wrong with relaxing today? As for whatever nonsense March 7th and Welt are spouting, what does that have to do with me?"
Welt glanced around the area. "They might take a while to return. March, you rest here while I ask around for information."
March 7th replied cheerily, "Sure thing~"
While they waited for Pei Guang and Stelle to return, on the other side of Exalting Sanctum, Pei Guang appeared beside Stelle and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is there something particularly tricky about this task?"
Pei Guang assumed she might struggle with especially complex tasks, given her lack of experience with extreme scenarios. As for the use of teleportation charges, his philosophy was simple: save them when possible, but use them when necessary.
In his view, if Stelle was stuck, holding back would only ruin their shared experience of this world. Besides, one teleportation there and back still left them each with one charge to spare—no big deal.
Hearing Pei Guang's voice, Stelle felt as if a savior had arrived. She pointed to three kids stuffed into a trash can not far away.
"Those little brats. Not only were they bullying a girl, but they started picking on me too…"
Stelle had executed a flawless act of deflection. When she had called for backup, the three boys had been glaring at her with expressions that clearly said they were about to throw punches.
In all honesty, Stelle knew she could've just chased the kids away, but that would've left her unsatisfied. The mere thought of letting them off the hook gnawed at her. She knew it would haunt her later, the kind of regret that might even make her smack herself awake in the middle of the night.
Pei Guang glanced at the crying girl and then at the three cocky boys. The brashest of them smirked at Pei Guang.
"So, you outworlders need reinforcements now? Let me teach you both a lesson! Take this!"
Pei Guang HP -1.
Pei Guang stared at the system prompt, then at the kids, deep in thought. "Stelle, have you ever played a certain game?"
Stelle tilted her head. "What game?"
Pei Guang sighed. "The fact that you're asking means you haven't. Let me enlighten you—it's called Whack the Little Brats."
At this, the three boys froze, their cockiness replaced with panic.
The brash boy shouted, "Do you know who I am? I'm not even 60 yet! I'm a minor!"
The mean-spirited boy sneered, "Hmph! You outworlders dare lay a hand on us? Prepare to be exiled!"
But before the boy could finish his sentence, the whacking began.
Technically speaking, it wasn't whacking so much as a "lesson in discipline." While these boys looked like children, the youngest of them was at least 30 years old—fully grown by Xianzhou standards, where one year equates to a year on Earth.
Pei Guang had no qualms about this. Beating up individuals technically older than himself, despite their youthful appearance, was fair game.
"See that?" Pei Guang said to Stelle. "They bully the weak without fear, but the moment we fight back, they panic. This is exactly why we can't hold back. Let's teach them what real bullying looks like!"
The annoying boy wailed, "Don't you have any shame?!"
Pei Guang smirked. "Sorry, I've decided to abandon shame. I enjoy bullying the bullies."
Stelle clapped her hands in delight. "Bullying the bullies—I love it!"
Pei Guang grinned. "Alright, let's go! If they like pushing the weak around, then we'll push them back with greater strength! Remember this, kids—the one teaching you this lesson is the Trailblazer Pei Guang!"
And so began the "discipline session." Although it was described as a beating, Pei Guang and Stelle merely grabbed the three boys and gave them a thorough spanking. While their strength vastly exceeded the boys', they showed some restraint—not too much, but enough to ensure the boys felt pain without leaving any visible injuries.
Why such precise control? They had Sampo to thank for that!
Back in Belobog, Sampo's antics had prompted the group to develop methods for subduing people effectively without causing harm. They never thought they'd need those techniques again, but here they were, putting them to use.
The sting of the spanking would undoubtedly keep the boys in line for a while. However, his real concern lay with the blind girl: now he understood why Stelle had called for help.
In Pei Guang's judgment, the presence of a blind girl in this side quest suggested she was likely an important NPC in the future. Then again, there was a chance she was just a regular one...
Still, without a walkthrough or guide, Pei Guang wasn't about to gamble on the latter. He firmly believed this girl was destined to play a significant role.
It was clear that Pei Guang and Stelle had slightly different takes on the task at hand. But there was no helping it—Stelle hadn't explained the situation clearly, only that she'd encountered a problem. Pei Guang, knowing Stelle's capabilities, had immediately assumed it must be something serious.
Pei Guang, however, had just thought of a path that might work for the blind girl. After thoroughly teaching the misbehaving boys a lesson they wouldn't soon forget, he turned to the little girl with a twinkle of mischief in his eye.
"Hey, little one," Pei Guang said, crouching down to meet her at eye level. "I think you've got the makings of a great Great Dark Sky Asura. How about giving it a shot? You could transform into an Asura and awaken your Great Dark Sky abilities! If that's too much, maybe a blind monk? Or awaken a Mind's Eye skill? Want to give it a try?"
The Asura Pei Guang was referring to was a character from a certain Dungeon Fighter Online game though he casually mixed it up with something from BabyBus. Pei Guang figured that since his online friends told him this universe was about combining everything, throwing in a few abilities from BabyBus wasn't too far-fetched.
After all, plenty of games had blind characters, and skills like Mind's Eye were a dime a dozen. Since everything was already being mashed together, it wouldn't be over the top to let this little girl learn something similar, right?