Feixiao wasn't the least bit worried about the coming battle. Or rather, when facing an invading enemy, the Xianzhou never retreats , they charge head-on!
Their stellar reputation wasn't built on diplomacy , it was forged with blood, blade, and fire across many Amber Era's.
-------------------------------------
"Hmm?"
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow and turned to look in the direction the sound came from.
"What is it?" Fu Xuan followed his gaze. Aside from three little ones whispering to each other, there was nothing unusual. She asked in confusion.
Jing Yuan smiled slightly: "The guest has arrived."
Turning back to Godzilla, Jing Yuan said, "I suddenly have something to attend to, let's chat next time."
Godzilla ignored him, raised its head slightly, and continued eating.
In that direction, specifically outside Luofu, a massive object was approaching.
Judging by the aura... Foxian, Xianzhou people, Vidyadhara... Hmm, another Xianzhou ship.
Flicking its tail, Godzilla signaled that if they wanted to leave, they should hurry.
As for taking a stroll on the other ship... he had no such desire for now. Maybe when a cute little one with energy like Phantylia appeared on it, he'd consider it.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Astral Express.
"The representatives from Xianzhou Yaoqing have arrived. Let's go meet them later and pass along Miss Topaz's proposal."
Himeko took a sip of coffee brewed by Pom-Pom, feeling it suited her taste.
The IPC trades with Luofu, and has an even better relationship with Yaoqing. This time passing the message should go smoothly.
...
The Merlin's Claw, The Vanquishing General, the Lacking General, compared to the first two titles, the last one, which was self-given, was known only to close acquaintances.
After all, Yaoqing's transmissions always proclaimed great victories, so "The Merlin's Claw" seemed more appealing to the public.
"Luofu, huh... When was the last time I was here?"
At the Cloudford, just disembarking from the ship, Feixiao looked at the disciplined Cloud Knights and slightly nodded with a soft chuckle.
"Looks like The Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan hasn't slacked off. The discipline here is on par with Yaoqing's army."
"Haha, thank you for the compliment, General Feixiao. We dare not compare ourselves to your Yaoqing army, which has swept across the stars unbeaten."
Just then, laughter rang out. Looking over, they saw Jing Yuan with Fu Xuan on his left, Yukong on his right, and Yanqing standing guard at his side, walking over together.
"Long time no see, Sister Yukong." Seeing Yukong, Feixiao's expression softened.
"Indeed, it's been a while. General Feixiao, you look much healthier now." Yukong responded with a smile.
She and Feixiao had known each other for some time.
Thirty years ago, Feixiao was the vanguard of Yaoqing's army from Yaoqing. Yukong was the logistics commander for Luofu's corps.
They had fought side by side in that brutal battle.
After a brief reunion, Jing Yuan spoke.
"According to the route and speed General Feixiao provided, you weren't supposed to arrive for a few more days. Arriving this early really caught us off guard."
Jing Yuan hadn't expected Feixiao to arrive so soon.
Based on calculations, they should've still had at least a few hundred system cycles left. This kind of speed gave him a sense of unease.
Feixiao put one hand on her hip and said,
"Luofu's been drawing quite a bit of attention within the Alliance lately. Can't blame us for hurrying over."
"Oh? Looks like the Alliance is planning a celebration for me. I'll look forward to it."
At the time, the port was full of smiles, exuding a sense of peaceful times.
"This isn't the place to talk. Would all of you from Yaoqing please follow us to the Seat of Divine Foresight?"
Since the port wasn't a good place for conversation, after a few words, Jing Yuan led everyone to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
...
"Not bad, not bad. This place is decorated even better than mine. Hey, when I leave, arrange someone to design mine too. I want my residence to look nicer."
"If General Feixiao likes it, I'll have someone design it for you later."
Jing Yuan replied with a light smile.
Once everyone was seated, the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
"..."
"..."
"Ahem. Luofu faces a great crisis this time. I, Jing Yuan, thank the The Vanquishing General for leading reinforcements. If there's ever anything I can do in return, don't hesitate to ask."
"The Xianzhou Alliance should help each other. Where the enemy is, there Yaoqing will be. The Antimatter Legion? We've fought them before."
Feixiao waved her hand and then said: "It's just a pity the others couldn't make it. Such a shame."
Among the six Xianzhou ships, aside from Yaoqing, the others all had their own reasons and weren't exactly being responsible.
The Xianzhou Fanghu lost one-fifth of its structure in the third war against the Abundance faction. It's now resting in a secluded place.
The Xianzhou Zhuming harbors the Flint Emperor, leader of the Heliobi's, who is sealed within it, along with many other Heliobi. Unless there's an exceptional situation, that ship is unlikely to move.
Especially since the enemy this time is a Doomsday Emanator, if they break in and release the Flint Emperor, it'll be a disaster.
The Xianzhou Xuling... all seems normal, but no one knows where it's drifting.
The Xianzhou Yuque is currently deep in the study of ancient civilizations and can't spare any personnel.
In short...
Only Xianzhou Yaoqing, where the bow-born Feixiao comes from, has faithfully carried on the tradition of bow-bearers and fate-determiners: chasing down the Abundance aberrations across the galaxy. The rest... well, everyone's busy with their own issues.
Luofu?
It also suffered heavy damage thirty years ago and is now slowly recovering and doing business along trade routes.
If it weren't for this major disturbance caused by Zephyro, who explicitly declared war on the Xianzhou, it would've continued its peaceful commercial ventures.
But Feixiao didn't mind.
The Xianzhou Alliance's standard practice was just to check in occasionally. As long as they were still alive, it was fine.
When it came to fighting the Abundance aberrations, Yaoqing alone could handle it.
Back to the main topic, Feixiao's expression turned serious.
"There are quite a few people within the Alliance trying to impeach you. Those guys have never stopped speculating about you, for example, the resurrection of the Ambrosial Arbor is a matter the upper echelons of the Alliance take extremely seriously. Their hurrying me over this time is essentially a form of interrogation."
"And then there's the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus, how could they have taken such deep root in Luofu without any of the Six Charioteers knowing? That's dereliction of duty. Do none of you have an explanation?"
Before Jing Yuan could speak, Fu Xuan struck first.
"The resurrection of the Ambrosial Arbor and the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus both truly occurred. On these two points, we admit our negligence. But if the Alliance doesn't understand the current state of Luofu, they would do best not to speculate wildly. Luofu has never strayed from the path of The Hunt."
Fu Xuan admitted that they were responsible for the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus' being so deeply hidden in Luofu. But the Alliance higher-ups barely even understand Luofu's situation, yet still blindly speculate? They really underestimated Luofu's defensive front!
Thirty years ago, Luofu lost hundreds of thousands of star skiff soldiers alone. The casualties among the Cloud Knights were even more countless. Among the High-Cloud Quintet, aside from Jing Yuan who is still holding on, the other four each met their own fate.
It's no exaggeration to say that Luofu was gravely wounded back then. A single misstep could have led to its fall.
That Jing Yuan managed to govern Luofu so orderly and restore it to its current state in just thirty years is an achievement obvious to all.
She would never allow those fools to slander a meritorious official!
Feixiao nodded slightly.
As a fellow Arbiter-General, she trusted Jing Yuan. Moreover, she knew exactly what the upper echelons of the Alliance were like.
In any large organization, those at the top inevitably include people unworthy of their positions.
That's something no bureaucracy can avoid.
"Now that's done, let's talk about something else." Skipping past the topic, Feixiao said seriously.
"The issue of the Phantylia has been resolved. But according to the Alliance's intel, General Shenze, you allowed a powerful individual of Emanator level to roam freely on the Xianzhou. How do you explain that?"
An Emanator-level powerhouse?
The Luofu representatives present began to ponder.
After a moment of thought, Yukong spoke: "Is Sister Fei referring to Godzilla?"
"Correct." Feixiao nodded.
Jing Yuan had not hidden Godzilla's existence for long, after all, the Phantylia incident was too massive to cover up indefinitely. What he had actually kept secret was Godzilla's suppression of the Mara.
Lately, he had been frequently visiting the Scalegorge Waterscape.
Based on physical feedback, he could at least hold out for a while longer.
As for Fu Xuan's ambitions for the position of general, those were doomed to remain unfulfilled.
"Brother Godzilla has done much for Luofu, helping us through difficult times. He merely walks through Luofu, that's all. Luofu welcomes friends from all sides. No matter who they are, as long as they come in goodwill, Luofu shall extend the warmest hospitality."
Feixiao nodded in satisfaction.
She was only here to get a statement that could be used to pacify those Alliance higher-ups. Now that she had it, and with her old acquaintance Yukong and colleague Jing Yuan here, Alliance higher-ups? What Alliance higher-ups?
Just then, a Cloud Knight reported urgently.
"General, Ms. Himeko of the Astral Express, along with Mr. Welt and Mr. Dan Heng, are here to see you."
"Oh? Please let them in quickly."
The moment Dan Heng stepped in, he regretted it.
Had he known there were so many people here, he would've stayed on the Express no matter what.
The Luofu personnel were manageable, but the Yaoqing's presence was a problem. There was no way to explain that to Luofu.
Especially the foxian leading the other side, her presence was overwhelming.
"May I ask who you all are?" Fu Xuan asked in confusion.
"Apologies for interrupting your discussions," Himeko said with a gentle smile, "I'm here on behalf of a friend, also regarding a matter related to Luofu."
"Ms. Topaz of the Interastral Peace Corporation asked me to inform you that the IPC is willing to provide support should the Xianzhou go to war with the Antimatter Legion. What is your decision?"
"The IPC?" Feixiao raised an eyebrow. Yaoqing had a decent relationship with the IPC.
On one occasion when her campaign started poorly, it was their aid that led to victory, so she did have some goodwill toward The IPC.
Still, even with that goodwill, she couldn't forget the fact that the IPC's people were just capitalists.
They never move without profit, yet now they're offering help voluntarily?
"That's something you'll need to negotiate with the IPC directly. The Astral Express won't be involved," Himeko said with a soft shake of her head and a smile.
"Heh, thank you to the three from the Astral Express for informing us. We will deliberate on the matter," Jing Yuan replied.
Feixiao sat silently to the side, staring at the quiet Dan Heng, feeling an oppressive atmosphere.
...
After conveying their message, the three left.
"General Feixiao is truly a remarkable woman."
"Indeed. At first, I thought she'd be the burly warrior type, or at least someone like Jing Yuan. Turns out she's a stunning foxian."
March 7th nodded repeatedly, visibly excited.
This was excellent gossip material. Once they returned to the Express, she had to brag about it.
...
With Yaoqing's Xianzhou now docking with Luofu, the atmosphere on Luofu grew increasingly tense.
Fully armed Cloud Knights troops were everywhere, and were patrolling constantly, maintaining control of the situation.
Even the most unruly folks didn't dare act out under this suffocating tension.
Did they really think the Cloud Knights's blades wouldn't fall?
But none of this had anything to do with Godzilla.
The only thing Godzilla cared about was...
"I wonder how much food Zephyro will bring this time."
Godzilla let his thoughts wander. Right now, he just hoped Zephyro would bring lots of Doomsday Beasts, those made for great snacks.
Zephyro wasn't like the Phantylia.
If it wasn't an energy-based lifeform, he really had no interest in it.
...
The next day, Central Starskiff Haven.
Feixiao was casually strolling down the street, with Jiaoqiu and Mo Ze accompanying her.
"Since we rarely have time, why don't we go meet the Vidyadhara's Healer Lady first?"
"Hm? Just let things happen naturally. If we're meant to meet, we'll meet sooner or later. Besides, the current situation is so serious, what if the Scorching Flare attacks while we're in the middle of treatment?" Feixiao waved her hand nonchalantly.
Seeing her like this, Jiaoqiu couldn't help but shake his head.
"I'm more worried about your illness acting up during battle."
Jiaoqiu stared intently at Feixiao.
He had already retired, and if not for treating Feixiao, he would've been at home right now, not out here in Luofu looking for the Vidyadhara's Healer Lady, the current Vidyadhara High Elder of Luofu.
"It's said the Vidyadhara's Healer Lady's medical skills are exceptional, she can even temporarily suppress the onset of Mara. She should be able to stabilize your condition, General."
Jiaoqiu still insisted on Feixiao seeing a doctor.
Mo Ze nodded slightly. "Indeed."
If you're sick, you see a doctor. Even a general is no exception.
Their visit to the Luofu was not only to assist in the battle against the Antimatter Legion, but also to treat Feixiao's Moon Rage affliction.
It was a rare opportunity, not something to be taken lightly.
"Fine, fine. Can't argue with you two."
Shaking her head, Feixiao spoke helplessly.
"But where do we find her? The Alchemy Division? I heard she's a physician there."
"You're looking for the Healer Lady? You don't look like you're from Luofu. Here for medical help?"
foxian overheard the trio's conversation and stopped to ask.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. A minor issue, we're hoping to consult the Vidyadhara's Healer Lady. Do you know where she is?"
Feixiao smiled slightly and asked.
"There, see that tail?"
The Vidyadhara's Healer Lady was quite famous, it was said that an appointment to see her was booked thirty years out.
But since they were fellow foxian, the passerby didn't mind pointing the way.
Following the direction she pointed, the three looked over and saw a crowd not far away, gathered in a circle and occasionally cheering.
Within the crowd, a blue-and-white scaled tail stood out strikingly.
Relying on her battle-honed eyesight, Feixiao could just barely make out a well-toned figure.
With a swish, the tail vanished.
Someone on either side staggered, nearly falling, and looked around in anger and confusion, but saw nothing.
...
"Hehe, folks, take a look, next up is smashing stone with the chest!"
Carrying a sledgehammer, Guinaifen stepped in front of Sushang and gave a thumbs-up.
"Sis, don't panic. See? Bailu is right over there watching, she'll make sure everything's fine and rescue you if needed!"
Did you just say "rescue"?
Why did you say "rescue"?!
Sushang nervously gripped the edge of the stone slab with both hands, swallowed hard, and closed her eyes as the hammer was raised high.
"Here we go!"
"Owww, "
"Boom!"
That one swing, meant to instill humility.
The stone slab shattered into pieces, and Sushang almost became sworn siblings with Heliobi.
"Nice, very nice!"
Clap clap clap.
The thrilling and clearly authentic performance drew rounds of applause and cheers from the onlookers.
The three spectators were silent. After a while, Feixiao finally spoke with suspicion.
"Has entertainment in the Luofu gotten this wild? Jiaoqiu, you're a doctor, check if that girl's okay."
"Uh, she seems fine?"
...
After the show ended and the crowd dispersed, Bailu trotted over on her little legs.
She touched Sushang's chest and nodded slightly.
"Mm, well-executed technique. Other than some discomfort, there shouldn't be any other issues."
"Uhh, I think it's more than a little discomfort," Sushang muttered, grimacing and raising her right hand stubbornly, gently rubbing her chest with the left.
"Hehe, I knew Sushang, you could handle it! Look, the fan count in the area's spiking!"
Guinaifen excitedly held up her phone to show the two.
Thanks to Sushang's painful sacrifice, Guinaifen's follower count shot up, where it would stop was anyone's guess.
"Ahem." Just then, a light cough interrupted the conversation.
The three turned to look toward the source of the voice, three facing three.
Except the heights didn't match.
"You must be the Vidyadhara's Healer Lady. I've long heard of your great name. We'd like to ask for your help examining my friend's condition, might you be available now?"
Jiaoqiu asked with a cheerful smile.
Bailu looked up, her gaze shifting among Jiaoqiu, Mo Ze, and Feixiao, leaving them confused by her scrutiny. After a while, she finally spoke.
"You're the important guests the general mentioned yesterday? General Feixiao of Yaoqing?"
"You know me?"
Feixiao raised an eyebrow, curiously looking at Bailu.
She figured her reputation had surely preceded her, just as she had heard of Bailu. But to be recognized face-to-face so easily...
Bailu nodded and replied matter-of-factly, "The general told me yesterday, if you run into any trouble in Luofu and see these three, just go straight up and get help."