On a small planet far from the Xianzhou.
Aether sat atop the Abundance stone and removed the mask from his face, revealing his calm yet handsome features.
"In the end, we still fell out…"
He put the mask away, his expression dark and heavy.
"Xianzhou expletive. It's all because of that damned Lord Ravager. Now that things have turned out like this, how am I supposed to clean up this mess?" Aether clutched his hair, a throbbing headache setting in.
"My lord, what should we do next?"
An Abundance soldier saluted respectfully and asked.
"Tsk. If you ask me, who am I supposed to ask?" Aether snapped irritably, kicking the soldier aside. "Go rest. I'm in a terrible mood."
"Compared to that, it's better to think of a way to smooth things over first."
Aether stroked his chin, deep in thought. Now that he had left the Xianzhou, Fei Xiao would surely be frantic trying to find him.
He could send her a message to explain, but Jing Yuan would be far harder to deceive. That man was a seasoned general, sharp and cautious. His hastily improvised escape was riddled with flaws, and Jing Yuan would likely see through most of it.
"Tiger , you and Sunglasses Kid go guard my courtyard. If Fei Xiao comes looking for me, just say…"
…
Xianzhou.
"Fei Xiao, are you alright?" Jing Yuan brushed the branches off his body and stepped forward with concern.
"I'm fine." Fei Xiao's face was dark. She stood up and walked away without another word.
"Fei Xiao, wait. Are you hurt?" Yukong, who had just settled down, hurried over when she saw her. "Your hand is injured."
"I'm fine, Sister Yukong. I need to leave immediately." Fei Xiao shook her head.
"You say that, but look at your hand. Where are you going? At least let me bandage it first." Yukong grabbed her arm firmly.
"I'm sorry, Sister Yukong. I can't wait." Fei Xiao gently pulled her hand free, apologized, and vanished from the spot.
"Honestly… she's just like before. Always rushing ahead without thinking," Yukong muttered helplessly.
Worried nonetheless, she quickly followed.
The two moved at great speed. In only a short time, they arrived one after the other at Aether's courtyard.
"Aether!"
Fei Xiao shouted toward the entrance.
"Uh, Lady Fei Xiao, the boss isn't here," Sunglasses Kid stepped forward awkwardly.
"Where did he go? Where is he now?" Fei Xiao asked urgently.
"We… don't know either." Ah Fu and Sunglasses Kid exchanged glances and shook their heads. "He just said he had an urgent matter and had to leave."
Fei Xiao's anger flared. She pulled out her phone and sent Aether message after message, calling repeatedly, but there was no response.
"Damn it! Aether, if you dare lay a hand on him, I'll fight you to the death!"
"Fei Xiao, calm down." Yukong gently patted her back. "What's your relationship with this Aether? Why are you so worried about him?"
"He… he's my… lover," Fei Xiao whispered.
"Your lover?" Yukong blinked, startled. "Oh. No wonder…"
She had never expected Fei Xiao to be in a relationship. In her heart, she had even thought that if given the chance, she would like to meet this Aether herself and see what kind of man could capture Fei Xiao's heart.
"Given how anxious you are, something must have happened to him," Yukong said after a moment of thought.
"He's being controlled by Emanator Aether." Fei Xiao grabbed her head and explained everything.
After listening, Yukong grew contemplative.
"Fei Xiao, you don't actually need to panic this much," she said slowly. "From my perspective, he's most likely safe. Someone possessing such strong power of Abundance is extremely difficult to kill."
"Second, if I were Aether, and someone like him were your weakness, I wouldn't kill him easily. On the contrary, I'd keep him alive as leverage."
Yukong's words gradually calmed Fei Xiao. They made sense. If her weakness was in the enemy's hands, then that enemy would continue to exploit it. At the very least, they would not kill him until their goal was achieved.
"I'm sorry, Sister Yukong. I was too impulsive." Fei Xiao wiped the cold sweat from her brow, finally regaining her composure.
"I understand how you feel," Yukong said gently. "But there's something I want to say. I hope you won't think I'm being unreasonable."
"Sister Yukong, please speak freely," Fei Xiao replied with a faint smile.
"What I'm wondering is this. Is it possible that Emanator Aether and Aether are not simply in a relationship of being used and using?" Yukong asked cautiously.
Fei Xiao's expression subtly changed. "You mean…"
"Both share the same name. Both walk the Path of Abundance. Is it possible that this Aether approached you intentionally? Perhaps he was sent by the Emanator, or… perhaps he is Aether himself."
…
Fei Xiao fell silent.
After a long time, she finally spoke. "No. I know him well. He's just an honest, law-abiding small merchant. There are many people with the surname Lu. It can't be him."
"Fei Xiao, I know this is hard to accept, but—"
Yukong was about to continue when she noticed Fei Xiao staring blankly ahead, her usual confidence and vitality completely gone.
"Sister Yukong… he isn't. And he wouldn't be."
Seeing this, Yukong swallowed the rest of her words. She understood Fei Xiao's heart and did not press further.
Fei Xiao was not foolish. When Aether had thrown out the small medicine bottle, the thought that "Aether is Aether" had already crossed her mind. During the battle, she had felt a familiar rhythm, the same feeling she experienced when sparring with Aether.
But she refused to believe it.
As long as there was no absolute proof, she would not believe that Aether was an Emanator of Abundance.
During the time she spent with him, Fei Xiao had already given Aether a place in her heart. If he truly was an Emanator of Abundance, what should she do?
Kill him with her own hands? Or allow him to bring calamity upon the Xianzhou?
She would rather not know.
She was afraid to face such a future.
…
Divination Commission.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aether, Aether…"
Jing Yuan clicked his tongue as he examined the files laid out before him.
Unlike Fei Xiao, Jing Yuan had immediately ordered an investigation. In a short time, all available information on the Emanator of Abundance Aether and the merchant Aether had been collected.
Strangely enough, both records were astonishingly sparse.
However, the Emanator's information was slightly more complete, as newly ascended Emanators naturally attracted followers eager to spread their deeds.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aether, oh Aether," Jing Yuan murmured. "Your disguise was indeed flawless, but unfortunately, not flawless enough."
"Or perhaps… I should call you Emanator Aether."