When Pei Guang and his group arrived, the Cloud Knight shouted in a crazed tone, "I've mastered a new move, and next, I'll use it to take your life!"
The trash can just stood silently, awaiting the Cloud Knight's attack.
Seeing the trash can remain silent, the Cloud Knight felt disrespected: he wanted to show the trash can what cruelty truly meant!
He prepared to swing his weapon, and the surrounding Cloud Knights wanted to stop him but couldn't. After all, it was already quite impressive to have him attacking a trash can instead of people.
This somewhat deranged Cloud Knight didn't know why his strength had suddenly increased, and he was too reckless to realize it.
Regardless, he felt no danger from the trash can, so everyone stood around waiting for him to finish. Once the trash can was exhausted, they'd capture him.
However, just as he was about to strike, Pei Guang shouted, "Hold back the bucket!"
His shout immediately drew everyone's attention. Sushang gasped, "Why does that sound so wrong?"
Seeing Pei Guang's appearance, the surrounding Cloud Knights were excited. "Benefactor? Why are you here? And... why are you with the Ten-Lords Commission?"
Huohuo said, "Big Brother Knight, the Ten-Lords Commission has taken over here. Please cooperate."
The Cloud Knight said, "I understand, but please show mercy. He..."
The Cloud Knight turned his head to look at his troubled comrade. With Pei Guang's shout, the crazed Cloud Knight shifted his focus from the trash can to Pei Guang.
He felt the presence of a powerful being.
Yes! In his eyes, Pei Guang was an incredibly terrifying force.
Although Pei Guang looked full of flaws, his instincts told him that just like the trash can, his attack wouldn't be able to break Pei Guang's defense.
At this moment, he refused to back down. He wanted Pei Guang to see his strength.
So, he charged at Pei Guang.
Looking at the charging Cloud Knight, Pei Guang turned to the others and said, "Move aside."
Sushang asked, "Are you sure you're fine on your own?"
Pei Guang replied, "It's fine, just a small fry..."
Huohuo looked at Pei Guang with concern, "Please don't hurt him..."
Pei Guang turned to Huohuo and said, "Do I look like someone who enjoys hurting others?"
This statement made Tail comment, "Really? Want to take a look at how you look when you fight? And look at how Huohuo turned out because of you?"
Pei Guang ignored the remark from the tail.
While Tail was speaking, the crazed Cloud Knight leaped at Pei Guang with an overhead slash.
Pei Guang simply took out his wooden sword.
Just as the Cloud Knight's weapon was about to strike, Pei Guang raised his weapon and deflected the attack. When the crazed Cloud Knight felt the impact of the deflection, he experienced a tingling in his palm and found that his body refused to follow his commands.
Pei Guang calmly took out a bottle of coffee and remarked, "See? One deflection and he's stunned. This is what I call a basic small fry. Here! Have a cup of coffee and calm down."
Pei Guang expertly squeezed the Cloud Knight's mouth shut, opened the bottle, and shoved it towards him.
There we go.
"A cup of coffee into my stomach, my fate is in the heavens, not in my hands!"
These were the last thoughts of the crazed Cloud Knight.
But as the coffee entered his stomach, he calmed down. In that moment, he realized that what he had thought was the strongest was just a fleeting illusion.
All those notions of being dull, like rotting wood, no longer mattered. Now, all he wanted was to sleep. As for the future?
He would leave that to his future self.
At that moment, he felt his mind become incredibly clear, so clear that he just wanted to sleep. But before he could drift off, he faintly sensed a call.
Responding to the summons, his body moved a few steps before collapsing beside the trash can and lying at its feet.
Seeing Pei Guang subdue the Cloud Knight with one move, the surrounding people cheered. However, Pei Guang knew that he wasn't here to bask in their praise: he was here to find the Heliobus.
To find out if it was related to Heliobi, Pei Guang and his group waited for the Cloud Knight to wake up.
When the Cloud Knight woke up, he felt his mind was exceptionally clear, but his body was unbearably weak.
Seeing him awake, Huohuo walked over and asked, "Big Brother Cloud Knight, are you okay? Can I ask you a few questions? Do you remember what happened to you?"
Hearing her, the Cloud Knight took a deep breath. "I... remember. Let me think. Today, we received a report that there were abominations appearing near the Alchemy Commission. But everything after that... it was like a dream."
The Cloud Knight began recounting his experience.
After arriving, he found his weapon speaking to him, claiming it wanted to guide him in martial arts. During this process, he saw a local specialty from Belobog that had been temporarily placed there.
Then something even more dreamlike happened: the trash can actually spoke to him. It told him he was trash, and that trash belonged with trash.
That made him furious, incredibly furious, as if his dignity had been insulted, and he began madly attacking the trash can.
The weapon that had been speaking to him started blaming him after realizing it couldn't break the trash can, saying he lacked talent. At that moment, Yanqing happened to pass by, and the weapon locked onto him and followed him away.
After hearing the Cloud Knight's account, Sushang couldn't help but comment, "Does this count as a tragic incident caused by a trash can?"
Pei Guang replied, "Probably not. This Cloud Knight isn't trash—how could he be affected by the trash's call? But that Heliobus... breaking down over a trash can? He definitely qualifies as trash!"
Pei Guang was now certain that this was all a Heliobus's doing.
How could a trash can have any malicious intent? It just holds garbage, maybe spits out some treasures occasionally.
There's no way it would randomly call someone trash.
Sushang looked at Pei Guang seriously. "So what now? That Heliobus seems to have his eyes on…"
Guinaifen added, "Exactly! Where do we go to find him?"
Pei Guang said, "Simple. We'll look for clues nearby. In these find-the-person quests, there are always clues around."
As everyone began moving, the Cloud Knight nearby said, "Go ahead and chase after him. I'll take care of this one."
The group began their search, but after just a few steps, Pei Guang saw a sword floating in the air not far away.
Seeing the sword, Sushang commented, "There really is a clue?"
Pei Guang replied, "Of course. How are you supposed to find someone without clues? How do you expect to complete the mission? Come on, let's check it out."
The group approached the flying sword: it was Yanqing's sword.
Today, the sword was in pain because its wielder had been controlled. It wanted to help its wielder, but it was just a sword.
It couldn't even offer a damn thing.
At that moment, it felt like it had failed as a sword.
Fortunately, it hadn't seen the trash can—if it had, it might have ended up next to the Cloud Knight hammering away at the trash can, while it quietly lamented its useless life as a piece of junk inside the bin.
While it was immersed in sorrow, it suddenly noticed Pei Guang's presence.
It let out a hum.
This sword, having spiritual awareness, felt that Yanqing could finally be saved.
It wouldn't have to end up in the trash can!
Before Pei Guang could even approach, it excitedly flew toward him.