"Ahem!"
Fu Xuan cleared her throat, preparing to speak, but Pei Guang immediately interrupted, "Let me guess—you've got a mission for us? And that you feel a bit awkward to ask us for help? No problem! Why hesitate with us? We're practically best friends by now. Feel free to assign us the task. If we can't do it now, we'll make sure to get it done perfectly in the future!"
Fu Xuan tried again, "Actually—"
Pei Guang extended his hand, cutting her off, "I get it, it's a favor quest. Just make sure the rewards are meaningful, alright? I'll check out the mission details later. Right now, we've finally regrouped, so it's time to divide the loot."
Fu Xuan, slightly exasperated, replied, "Then…"
Pei Guang interrupted again with a smile, "Great! Settled, then. Hey, why do you look like you still have something to say? Spit it out."
Fu Xuan closed her mouth, stared at him for a moment, and finally said, "Are you done? You talk so much I didn't even get a chance to start. But fine, you guessed right—I do have an important matter only you can handle. It's something we Xianzhou natives just can't manage. But since you're busy now, finish your task first. I'll wait over there."
Though her thoughts had been derailed by Pei Guang's rambling, Fu Xuan surprisingly felt more at ease talking to him. She nodded and left, leaving Pei Guang to turn his attention to the group.
He pulled out a small stool and sat down. "Alright, folks, listen up! You know the rule—big fights are always preceded by major preparations. We stocked up a ton of supplies earlier, and it sounds like you all did the same. That can only mean one thing: tough enemies ahead!"
March 7th groaned, "Last time Ah Guang said that, the 'tough enemy' got… ugh, it was pitiful."
Bailu popped her head out of her trash can, munching on a snack. "You say pitiful, but you've eaten more of that stuff than me!"
March 7th threw her hands up, "Can you blame me? That cauldron of his makes food better than anything else! I'm officially declaring it—Ah Guang's synthesis cauldron is even stronger than the Omni-Synthesizer!"
Silver Wolf, intrigued, asked, "synthesis cauldron? What cauldron?"
Stelle grinned, "The one I looted off Kafka. It's a super-rare item!"
Silver Wolf, hearing this, suddenly looked as if she had stumbled upon a golden opportunity.
"Huh? You guys managed to loot something off Kafka?" She fell into a thoughtful silence, her mind spinning with possibilities. After a moment of deliberation, she glanced around, making sure Kafka wasn't nearby, then leaned closer to Stelle and whispered, "Tell me more—that Kafka can drop loot?"
As Silver Wolf emerged, she noticed Bailu also sitting in a trash can nearby. Spotting her, she glanced left, then right, before casually introducing herself. "Hi, I'm Silver Wolf, a Stellaron Hunter. Did Pei Guang trick you into this too?"
Noticing Silver Wolf's curiosity, Bailu chimed in, "Hi, I'm Bailu. I'm not lootable. And no, Ah Guang didn't trick me into this—I followed him willingly! He's got food, fun, games and no rules to follow. What's there not to like?"
Stelle nodded in agreement, "Rules? Rules are meant to be broken!"
Pei Guang raised a hand to interrupt, "Rules later. First, let's divide the spoils and consolidate our resources. A big fight's coming, I guarantee it."
At that moment, Tingyun approached with a curious expression. "Benefactors, is there anything I can do to help?"
Tingyun had grown increasingly fascinated with the strange things Pei Guang managed to create. She was also eager to see what he would pull out of his bag when they finally faced the Lord Ravager.
Pei Guang, ever cautious, first checked his inventory. He didn't want to accidentally give away anything critical in case Tingyun turned out to have ties to the final boss. But then he thought about it again—if Tingyun were truly connected to the Lord Ravager, that was above his pay grade. That was a job for Jing Yuan or even the golden colossus he'd spotted upon arriving in Xianzhou.
Shrugging, Pei Guang decided it didn't matter. "Alright, Tingyun! Perfect timing—I've got some experiments I need help with."
Tingyun tilted her head in confusion. "Me? But I'm not a warrior, nor do I have the unique powers of the Vidyadhara. I'm just an ordinary woman. How could I possibly help you?"
Pei Guang smiled slyly. "Oh, there's plenty you can help with. Tingyun, as a guide, I bet you're skilled at singing and dancing, right?"
Hearing this, Tingyun felt a foreboding sense of doom. And as Pei Guang's grin widened, her instincts proved correct.
Pei Guang pulled out a speaker. "Come on, Miss Tingyun! Before we head out, how about a song and dance to cheer us on?"
Tingyun's expression froze. "Huh? Benefactor, singing and dancing…"
She wanted to ask how singing and dancing could possibly help their mission, but then she remembered: Pei Guang's strange powers allowed dancing to grant a 10% boost to all attributes without any restrictions. Her awkward expression deepened.
For this peculiar group of Trailblazers, it really did help.
Seeing Tingyun's frozen expression, Pei Guang frowned. "As an NPC, you refuse to join us as a combatant to help Xianzhou defeat its enemies. Now you're unwilling to sing and dance to boost our morale and stamina? And you don't even want to buff us? Are you really a Xianzhou native? Or could it be… you're the enemy!!"
At these words, Dan Heng had already stepped up beside Tingyun, his Pink Fluffy Bunny weapon pointed squarely at her. Despite its fixed cheerful expression, Tingyun could almost swear she saw mockery and a hint of anticipation for violence in the plushie's face.
Why had Dan Heng moved so quickly? Because he had learned from his experiences in Belobog and Xianzhou that while his equipment wasn't particularly effective in combat, it worked wonders for intimidation. In both the Alchemy Commission and the Artisanship Commission, he'd avoided unnecessary battles just by looking like someone not to be trifled with. Even the Cloud Knights avoided checking his identity because, as of now, Xianzhou's wanted list didn't feature a Pink Bunny Wielding Psycho.
Ordinarily, singing and dancing during wartime was ridiculous and easy to refuse. But against Pei Guang, with his mysterious powers, refusing wasn't an option.
Tingyun now faced two choices: refuse and miss out on what promised to be an amusing scene, or comply and utterly embarrass herself in front of these people.
Pei Guang encouraged her. "What's there to hesitate about? Look at the Cloud Knights over there—they're practicing their dance moves too! Your performance will be way better than theirs. Trust me, this won't be blackmail material. Instead, it'll become a positive case for Xianzhou's diplomatic PR efforts."
After thinking it through, Tingyun realized he wasn't wrong. She was Tingyun, Xianzhou's public face to the universe, and she could handle a little embarrassment.
Taking a deep breath, Tingyun said, "Very well, allow me to perform." She closed her eyes and began dancing gracefully to the rhythm, singing a tune from her memory.