Chapter 168: Thinking About a Young Lady's Matters

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"But... wouldn't this put Mr. Welt at risk?" Dan Heng still seemed concerned.

Welt Yang reassured him, "No worries, I'm accustomed to handling such situations. Moreover... the Stellaron Hunters might not target me specifically; their aim could be you or perhaps they won't take the bait at all."

"Regardless, you must remain cautious," Welt Yang cautioned them.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Bochang finally asked, "Dan Heng, there's something I've been wondering about - what exactly is your relationship with Blade?"

"It's quite a long story," Dan Heng murmured.

"Just give us the short version," suggested Bochang.

And so...

under their watchful gazes, Dan Heng briefly outlined his history with Blade.

After concluding their discussion with Welt Yang,

the others' conversations also neared an end.

They ultimately decided to visit the teahouse for refreshments, stopping along the way to shop and purchase snacks, while ensuring they carried a set of Imperial Jade Tokens.

This was the result of mutual compromise among all parties.

The casual chatter came to a close.

As a new cloud knight, Sushang didn't plan to join the group outing. Upon hearing someone needed assistance, she promptly left in a flurry of activity.

Sushang was genuinely kind-hearted; people could rely on her help for any issue, earning her the reputation as the "Star" version of Noelle.

Meanwhile...

Bochang, accompanied by Dan Heng, robot Pascal, and familiar Sophia, headed straight for the Exalting Sanctum.

In Welt Yang's upcoming mission, the intelligence gathered by Sophia would be crucial. To ensure seamless communication between both sides, Bochang...

While Bochang brought along his pets and familiar, it was only to deliver them to the Exalting Sanctum; he wouldn't continue the mission with them.

Perhaps it was fate. Just as Bochang's group arrived at the Exalting Sanctum, they encountered Deacon Dahao from the Realm-Keeping Commission.

Seeing their arrival, Dahao's eyes lit up, and he eagerly approached them once more.

At that moment, March 7th suddenly recalled, "Right... we've already taken care of the matter involving the Divination Commission. Now, shouldn't we address the troubles at the Exalting Sanctum?"

"Hmm... indeed," Bochang said, turning to Dahao. "Could you please tell us what issues the Exalting Sanctum is currently facing?"

Looking around cautiously to ensure no outsiders were nearby, Grandiose Shen whispered mysteriously, "The primary trouble for the Exalting Sanctum right now is...the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus..."

Bochang was taken aback, not expecting the Realm-Keeping Commission's concern to stem from this source.

Welt Yang stroked his chin, gaze lowered as if deep in thought. "Gentlemen, you may not have heard of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus before. In truth...this organization had been extinct on Xianzhou for over a thousand years. Now, it seems their embers have reignited, causing chaos once again."

"According to intelligence from the Realm-Keeping Commission, amidst the current chaos, someone at the Exalting Sanctum appears to be inciting outcasts. They are likely members of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Therefore... I hope you all can assist with investigating this matter."

The grand elder spoke extensively.

Tingyun's enchanting eyes narrowed slightly; she gently swayed her bone-gathering fan without uttering a word.

"Hasn't the Realm-Keeping Commission already started their investigation?" Dan Heng asked, spreading his hands questioningly.

Grand Elder Hao sighed softly, his gaze reflecting a hint of helplessness. "Yesterday, the Realm-Keeping Commission sent agents, but... so far, there has been no news from them."

"I understand. Leave this matter to me."

Welt Yang accepted Da Hao's commission, seizing this opportunity to intervene. It conveniently eliminated the need for an excuse to leave later.

Under the guise of the Realm-Keeping Commission's mandate, he could now boldly investigate the disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

Qingque scratched his head and began hesitantly, "But Master Diviner said..."

"Go ahead and enjoy yourselves," Welt Yang interrupted, not giving Qingque a chance to finish.

Da Hao felt immensely relieved, thinking that finally someone had come to assist.

As for whether they would succeed in their task? He harbored no doubts.

After all, this group were esteemed guests of the General.

Moreover, Da Hao had witnessed their prowess firsthand when they subdued the Mara-stricken soldier at Exalting Sanctum Square yesterday. Their capabilities were clear to him.

Although only one person volunteered to help, Da Hao felt slightly disappointed yet satisfied nonetheless. After all...

Among this group, Welt Yang appeared to be the most mature and instilled a strong sense of security.

With him taking charge, there was no doubt that the mission would succeed.

Having accepted the commission, Welt Yang began his solo investigation.

Pascal and Sophia served as intelligence coordinators, relaying all gathered information directly to Welt Yang, assisting him in probing deeper into the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

Meanwhile, Bochang and his friends indulged themselves, heading towards a teahouse in Exalting Sanctum for leisure.

Since the task of investigating the Disciples had been entrusted to Welt Yang, Bochang could relax without worry. He just needed to remain vigilant against potential ambushes by the Stellaron Hunters.

"Uncle Yang is at the Exalting Sanctum, and I have Bailu with me who can transform into a dragon. With them around, unless we encounter an Aeon Emanator, no one... should be able to capture me, right?"

That was Bochang's initial thought.

However, upon realizing that Blade hadn't even unleashed his full power earlier, doubts began to creep in.

"Wait... Is Dan Heng exaggerating? Did Blade truly hold back during our encounter?" Bochang reconsidered, starting to question the stoic little azure dragon's account.

It wasn't that he suspected Dan Heng of intentionally lying, but rather, he wondered if Blade might have found a way to exert his full strength without losing control, even for a brief moment.

In other words...

Dan Heng's information could be outdated.

Based on what the stoic little azure dragon had shared, it had been quite some time since he last encountered Blade after joining the Astral Express Crew.

Moreover, he wasn't even aware that Blade had joined the Stellaron Hunters.

Outdated intelligence was certainly plausible, and it's possible that Dan Heng had developed a psychological fear due to Blade's relentless pursuit.

Bochang pondered briefly before dismissing these thoughts. Worrying wouldn't change anything. It was better to relax first and address any real issues if they arose later.

After enjoying some leisure time at the Exalting Sanctum...

Bochang, along with his friends guided by Tingyun, arrived at a teahouse. They settled down, sipping tea while listening to storytelling.

Qingque produced the Imperial Jade Game Set and quietly began instructing them on how to play.

Dan Heng remained tense, feeling suffocated under the weight of Blade's presence, like a massive mountain pressing upon him.

As Bochang savored his tea, he suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. Upon reflection, during their last encounter with Blade, Bochang had been at a teahouse as well.

However, this time they were indoors, and there was no storyteller captivating them with tales.

With nothing else to occupy his mind, Bochang began fiddling with the Dog's Medal.

If he had possessed this item back then, he could have recorded Blade's scent, ensuring that any approach by the assailant would be immediately detected.

Unfortunately...

He had given the medal to Stelle at that moment.

"Wait, I should've entrusted the Dog's Medal to Stelle, instructing her to keep watch for Kafka. If the Stellaron Hunters plan another attack, they'll definitely come together; it's unlikely they'd act alone again."

Feeling like a genius, Bochang handed over the Dog's Medal and said, "Stelle, wear this and stay alert for Kafka's scent."

"Alright." Stelle nodded in agreement.

After a moment of thought, March 7th asked, "Bochang, is there something wrong with your equipment? You mentioned it can precisely locate targets within ten kilometers, but yesterday, it couldn't even find Tingyun."

Bochang blinked, puzzled.

Couldn't find Tingyun... What could this mean?

The "Dating Option" clearly stated that the Dog's Medal allows precise tracking within a ten-kilometer radius. This couldn't be wrong.

Unless Tingyun had the ability to instantly teleport ten kilometers away,

Or was confined in a completely sealed space, preventing her scent from dispersing into the air.

Otherwise, such a situation should not occur.

"When I learned that Divine Listener struggled due to the strong winds at the port, making scent tracking difficult...I thought your Dog's Medal might come in handy. Yet, it seems equally useless..." March 7th shrugged helplessly.

Confused, Bochang sought further details.

March 7th explained how she and the star general had previously played hide-and-seek with Tingyun.

Bochang glanced at Tingyun ordering tea at the counter and pondered, No...how is this possible? If Tingyun wanted to test the capabilities of Divine Listener, there would be no need for her to hide in a sealed space or instantaneously teleport ten kilometers away. Besides, I doubt she possesses the ability to teleport such distances.

"Furthermore, on the inevitable path they took, those two stand-up comedians surprisingly didn't spot Tingyun."

"But later individuals did notice her..."

As a beautiful foxfolk maiden,

in the crowd,

she was undoubtedly the most eye-catching presence. Just one glance would ensure she's memorable.

Why wouldn't they have seen her?

"Strange... this is truly peculiar." Bochang felt an inexplicable sense of oddity permeating everything.

On March 7th, dissatisfied, he exclaimed, "Hey... Bochang, why are you still lost in thought?!"

At that moment...

Having finished ordering, Tingyun returned with graceful steps, carrying several cups of bubble tea.

Don't be puzzled.

Bubble tea counts as tea too.

In Xianzhou, it's actually quite popular. Many locals enjoy drinking bubble tea.

Of course, what Bochang was currently sipping wasn't bubble tea but traditional tea brewed from leaves.

This is the customary beverage of Xianzhou.

Many older residents of Xianzhou

prefer to drink this traditional tea.

The milk teas were ordered by March 7th, Qingque, Bailu, and Tingyun.

"Here you go... March, your Star Taro Bubble Tea." Tingyun smiled as she handed out each cup of milk tea.

Qingque and Bailu received theirs as well.

"Thank you," replied March 7th, holding her drink while continuing to gaze intently at Bochang, oblivious to Tingyun's earlier distracted stare.

When the fox maiden returned, Bochang discreetly shifted his attention away.

After Tingyun sat down...

Bochang looked up at March 7th and said, "Um... there might be some issues with that equipment, but don't worry about it."

Despite these words...

Bochang still handed Stelle the Dog Medal.

"Benefactor, were you pondering something about me just now?" Tingyun's eyes fixed on Bochang, causing her heart to flutter nervously and a sense of unease to creep in.