Chapter 236: Tingyun Didn't Call You Benefactor, but Phantylia Shouted It All the Way
Hearing Leon's words, a quiet glimmer of realization flickered in Ruan Mei's eyes. Beside her, Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan exchanged subtle, knowing nods—the situation had unfolded exactly as they anticipated.
"How cunning..." Stelle slumped her shoulders, her face scrunching up in exaggerated misery. "Tingyun doesn't even know who we are, yet she called you 'Benefactor'."
It was a tough pill to swallow. The Tingyun they had traveled with—the one secretly impersonated by the Lord Ravager Phantylia—had tossed the word 'Benefactor' left and right, her voice dripping with honeyed affection at every turn. But now that the genuine Foxian beauty had finally awakened from her deep slumber, her eyes held zero recognition when she looked at the Express Crew.
It was a downright tragedy.
"Ah, my heart! It's broken, completely shattered into tiny little pieces!" Caelus clutched his chest, mimicking Stelle's dramatic despair to perfection.
"Look on the bright side." Leon reached out, patting Stelle's drooping shoulder with a thoroughly amused grin. "Although the real Tingyun doesn't know you, Phantylia did call you 'Benefactor' for quite a while. That's a pretty massive flex, isn't it?"
"You know what? That's true." Caelus paused his theatrics, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Having a literal Lord Ravager call us 'Benefactor' so sweetly could definitely be considered a monumental achievement for the Nameless."
"What kind of monumental achievement is that?!" March 7th threw her hands in the air, her pink hair bouncing with her exasperation. "Maybe Phantylia has her eyes on us now! What if she holds a grudge because of this?"
Just the thought of an Emanator of Destruction nursing a personal vendetta against them made the temperature in the room feel a few degrees colder.
"But I still want to hear Tingyun call me 'Benefactor' with her own voice..." Stelle muttered, kicking at the floorboards, clearly still brooding over the missed opportunity.
"Don't worry. When she's fully recovered and wide awake, I'll have her call you that all day long," Leon chuckled, his tone light and teasing.
"Brother! I knew you were the absolute best!" Stelle's gloomy expression vanished in a millisecond, replaced by a grin so wide it showed all her teeth.
As the Express Crew bantered, Yukong stepped forward. The Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission bowed deeply toward Leon, her usual strict demeanor melting into deep gratitude.
"Yukong is here to formally thank Mr. Leon..." she murmured, her voice trembling slightly. If it hadn't been for his timely intervention, she truly couldn't fathom how Tingyun could have survived the sadistic machinations of a Lord Ravager.
"There's no need for such formalities." Leon smiled gently, waving off the praise. "Even if I hadn't stepped in, Ruan Mei would have found a way to wake Tingyun up."
"I was indeed confident in my methods, but confidence does not equate to absolute certainty," Ruan Mei replied, shaking her head slightly as she refused to take undue credit. She possessed the means to reconstruct and retrieve Tingyun's consciousness, but that entire process depended on Tingyun's physical body and mind holding out until the procedure began. Just as she had diagnosed earlier, the Foxian girl had truly scraped her way back from the very jaws of death.
Yukong's eyes grew slightly red. She offered another deep, respectful salute to both Leon and Ruan Mei, her fluffy fox tail drooping submissively behind her.
"Mr. Leon, Ms. Ruan Mei, mere words cannot express the depths of my gratitude." Yukong took a steadying breath. "But I implore you all to grace us with your presence. Please allow the Sky-Faring Commission to prepare a modest banquet as a token of my personal appreciation."
Jing Yuan stepped forward, a warm smile gracing his features. "Yukong speaks the truth. This time, you've not only saved Tingyun's life but also done the entire Xianzhou Luofu a monumental favor. Whether for public diplomacy or private gratitude, this meal is well-deserved."
Fu Xuan crossed her arms and nodded in agreement, her twin tails swaying slightly.
"Food! Yay!" March 7th's attention snapped toward the conversation, her eyes sparkling like polished gemstones. "I definitely haven't had enough of the Xianzhou's local delicacies yet!"
Leon chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Since Madam Yukong has extended such a gracious invitation, we would be fools to refuse. We accept with pleasure."
"Mr. Leon, Ms. Ruan Mei..." Yukong glanced nervously toward the humming nutrient pod where Tingyun rested. "Although she has awakened for a brief moment, as for her subsequent recovery... I am truly at a loss. With her body in its current fragile state, how exactly should she be cared for?"
"Since Tingyun has successfully awakened, the critical danger has passed." Ruan Mei stepped closer to the pod, her tone shifting into a professional, clinical cadence as she began detailing the strict follow-up precautions and nutritional requirements.
Off to the side, Yanqing leaned in close to Jing Yuan, his voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "General, the Consolation Ceremony has concluded. You are still injured. You really should rest now."
"Wait just a bit longer." Jing Yuan waved the young lieutenant off with a dismissive flick of his wrist. He turned back to the Astral Express Crew, his smile softening. "My apologies. Yanqing has been relentlessly urging me to return to my sickbed, so I couldn't come to see you all sooner. But before you depart from the Luofu, I have two specific items I wish to bestow upon the Astral Express."
"Gifts?!" Stelle and Caelus snapped to attention, their eyes practically turning into glowing stars.
"Has his conscience finally kicked in? Does he want to compensate us for doing all the heavy lifting on this journey?" March 7th quipped, flashing a cheeky grin.
"If everyone would please follow me to the Seat of Divine Foresight," Jing Yuan signaled, gesturing toward the exit.
The group made their way through the winding, majestic corridors of the Exalting Sanctum, the ambient sounds of the Luofu fading as they entered the grand halls of the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Jing Yuan stood before his massive desk, folding his hands behind his back. "I have gathered you all here to reiterate the Xianzhou Luofu's deep gratitude for the heroic actions of the Express Crew."
"Master Diviner Fu should have already conveyed our stance, but I personally believe that what you have accomplished here far exceeds anything the Luofu could ever hope to repay."
"Therefore, on behalf of the Luofu Cloud Knights, I present to you an alliance token as a symbol of our eternal friendship."
Jing Yuan reached into his robes and produced a beautifully carved jade token. It emanated a warm, soothing luster under the palace lights. He extended his hand, offering it directly to Welt.
"An alliance token?" Caelus leaned in, squinting at the complex carvings on the jade surface.
"Thousands of years ago, when the Xianzhou Alliance was first forged, the various Xianzhou ships swore a blood oath together. They carved that promise into jade tokens as proof for all of heaven and earth to witness," Jing Yuan explained, his voice echoing with historical weight.
"This jade piece functions on that exact same principle. It permanently records the promise of the Luofu Cloud Knights to the Express Crew."
Jing Yuan's finger lightly brushed the smooth surface of the token. "It also serves as a beacon. Hold it tight, channel your intent, and you will be able to send an immediate distress signal to the paired jade token currently in my possession."
"Even if the galaxy is vast and your journey takes you to the very edge of the cosmos, the Luofu Cloud Knights will surely tear through the stars to rendezvous with the Astral Express and answer your call."
Leon observed the jade piece, instantly recognizing its significance. In the original storyline's Penacony dreamscape, Dan Heng had used this exact alliance token. During the desperate struggle against 'Sunday'and the suffocating'Order's Dream', Dan Heng had called upon the Xianzhou Alliance for aid. That single action had summoned a massive Xianzhou starship fleet led by Jing Yuan himself, providing the crucial firepower needed to shatter the dream.
Well... that was how the plot played out in the dreamscape, anyway. In reality, Dan Heng had never actually used the token.
"Wow, this gift is really going all out," March 7th breathed, her eyes wide with awe.
The Luofu was, after all, a colossal military power that dominated a massive sector of the cosmos. A blank-check promise of military aid from them carried extraordinary, galaxy-shifting weight.
Jing Yuan merely smiled, keeping his thoughts hidden behind his calm exterior. If his strategic calculations were correct... considering the terrifying potential of the current Astral Express, the Xianzhou Luofu might actually be the party that needed this alliance more. By giving away this token, he was likely securing a massive profit for his people in the long run.
"Ahem. Naturally, given the immense importance of such an item, I must ask that you do not use it for trivial matters or requests that violate the righteous spirit of our alliance."
Seeing Stelle and Caelus practically vibrating with the urge to test the beacon right then and there, Jing Yuan quickly added his disclaimer. "I trust you all understand the gravity of this, correct?"
"Oh, we understand! Loud and clear!" March 7th chirped, immediately reaching out to chop both Stelle and Caelus on the tops of their heads before they could do anything stupid.
The two Trailblazers rubbed their bruised scalps, offering Jing Yuan sheepish, innocent smiles.
"Thank you for your deep kindness, General." Welt adjusted his glasses, solemnly accepting the jade token and securing it within his coat.
"Dan Heng." Jing Yuan shifted his gaze to the quiet, dark-haired young man standing near the back of the group.
"General," Dan Heng replied, giving a polite nod.
"I have officially received a decree from the Ten-Lords Commission regarding your status. Your exile order has been fully pardoned," Jing Yuan announced, his voice steady and clear, ringing through the quiet hall. "From this moment onward, you are free to come and go as you please on the Luofu. You are no longer a criminal of the Xianzhou."
Jing Yuan had already strong-armed the Ten-Lords Commission into settling the matter days ago, but the bureaucratic red tape meant it was only officially finalized today.
"Yay! Finally!" March 7th cheered, pumping her fists in the air.
"Ah... after handing out those gifts, my mood has lightened considerably. Even my aching bones seem to have settled down." Jing Yuan's smile broadened, a genuine warmth reaching his eyes. "At a momentous occasion like this, I initially wanted to recite a few lines of poetry to liven the atmosphere... but alas, I am not nearly as learned as Master Diviner Fu, so I believe I will spare you the attempt."
He looked over the assembled Express Crew, his gaze lingering on each of them with sincere respect.
"The path ahead for the Nameless is still long and fraught with unknown dangers. I wish the Astral Express... a smooth, open, and glorious journey."
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