"Welcome, Mr. Su Ran, and... Master..."
Jing Yuan initially greeted Su Ran with a smile.
Then his expression turned complicated as he looked toward Jingliu.
His connection with Kafka had been one thing. Since the Stellaron Hunters weren't the masterminds behind the current crisis, he'd chosen not to pursue the matter.
But having ties to the former Sword Champion was a completely different issue.
After all, the Stellaron Hunters were merely wanted criminals from beyond the Luofu.
They weren't particularly important to the Luofu itself.
Jingliu, however...
She was a mara-struck criminal.
Someone who should be under arrest.
Yet here she was, arriving alongside Su Ran to see him.
The name of the Luofu's former Sword Champion, Jingliu, had long been erased from public records. To the point that even if she walked down the street openly, few people would recognize her.
"Looks like I won't need to make introductions. Do you know why I've come?"
Su Ran smiled at Jing Yuan.
"...Mr. Su Ran intends to turn in a wanted criminal and collect the bounty?"
Jing Yuan glanced at Jingliu.
If that were the case, he could have someone bring over a sizeable reward immediately.
"..."
Jingliu looked over upon hearing that.
She had indeed planned to surrender herself upon returning to the Luofu.
But if someone earned bounty money off her in the process...
That would feel strangely irritating.
"Ahem. General Jing Yuan, are you genuinely not getting it, or are you pretending?"
The battle between Jingliu and Phantylia had caused a disturbance large enough to shake the entire Luofu.
Had they seriously done nothing about it?
As far as Su Ran was concerned, Jing Yuan's intelligence was beyond question.
There was a reason he was known as the Divine Foresight General.
His intellect more than justified the title.
But joking about his teacher the moment they met?
That was a bit much.
"Then perhaps Mr. Su Ran would care to explain?"
A trace of confusion appeared on Jing Yuan's face.
His schemes ran deep, and he had many plans in motion.
But the fish hadn't taken the bait yet.
How could he possibly know Su Ran's intentions in advance?
He was called the Divine Foresight General, but that didn't mean he was truly omniscient.
"The fluctuations from a battle between Emanators affected the entire Luofu. Don't tell me you didn't notice."
Su Ran suspected Jing Yuan was still playing dumb.
Maybe he was hoping Su Ran would do all the work while he sat back and enjoyed the results.
Hadn't Su Ran already said he was only here to watch the show?
Surely Jing Yuan hadn't entrusted everything to the Astral Express crew?
They couldn't beat Phantylia on their own.
"Please speak plainly, Mr. Su Ran. This room is secure."
Even Jing Yuan, a man fond of speaking in riddles, was starting to lose patience.
Compared to truths that required endless layers of deduction, he preferred straightforward answers.
After all, he wasn't young anymore.
If he kept burning through brainpower like this, he might develop mara before long.
"Send troops to Scalegorge Waterscape. Phantylia is weakened—finish her off while she's vulnerable. Don't worry. Dan Heng is already on his way. As long as the Astral Express crew goes, he'll definitely show up too."
"See? That was much simpler."
Now Jing Yuan finally understood.
He truly didn't understand why Su Ran insisted on dancing around the topic first.
Did the man genuinely think the two of them shared some mystical mutual understanding?
"Rest assured, Mr. Su Ran. I'll dispatch forces immediately to apprehend Phantylia."
There was no concrete proof as to who had won that earlier battle.
But one thing was certain:
Phantylia had not emerged unscathed.
She had definitely paid a price.
This was unquestionably the best opportunity.
Strike while she's down.
If he missed this chance, even Jing Yuan would regret it.
He had already suspected that Phantylia might have been injured, perhaps even severely.
Unfortunately, locating a hidden Emanator somewhere on the vast Luofu was no easy task.
Even the Ten-Lords Commission had mobilized experts skilled in hunting heliobi, yet no progress had been made.
But now that he had reliable intelligence...
He understood perfectly well that missing such an opportunity would carry consequences.
If Phantylia escaped this time, then when she returned in the future, the Luofu might not be so fortunate.
"Jingliuuuu, want to join the fun too?"
"I'm merely a wanted criminal. Why should I?"
Compared to an Emanator of Destruction, killing the Reignbow's ancient enemy—the Aeon of Abundance—was far more important to her.
Jingliu had returned to the Luofu for one reason:
To completely slay Yaoshi.
The Stellaron incident had merely provided a convenient excuse to enter the Luofu.
"Dan Feng is also a wanted criminal. In fact, his crimes are worse than yours. He's going. If you don't, wouldn't that make you inferior to him?"
"Hmph!"
Jingliu turned and walked away.
Not because she'd fallen for the provocation.
Rather, because Su Ran's intention was painfully obvious.
Phantylia was already a defeated opponent.
Previously, Jingliu had been capable of defeating her even when accompanied by a Swarm Emanator.
Now their side had overwhelming numbers.
How could they possibly lose?
Granted, it sounded suspiciously like raising a death flag.
But Jingliu also knew that a large portion of Phantylia's flames had been erased by Su Ran the previous night.
Phantylia was undoubtedly badly weakened.
Her strength had been significantly reduced.
Perhaps Jingliu could defeat her alone now.
With Dan Feng and Jing Yuan joining the battle as well...
There was no reason to fear defeat.
Watching Jingliu leave, Jing Yuan's expression grew increasingly complicated.
"There is something I'd like to ask, Mr. Su Ran."
"Go ahead."
"What exactly is your relationship with my teacher?"
Yanqing, who had been about to leave and join the hunt for the Emanator, immediately stopped.
He was curious too.
According to rumors, Su Ran wasn't even thirty years old.
But his grandmaster was over a thousand.
There was no way Su Ran could actually be his grandmaster, right?
Yanqing was curious.
Naturally, Jing Yuan wanted to know as well.
He had no desire to suddenly acquire a grandmaster without warning.
"Oh, her?"
Su Ran smiled.
"She's my ex-girlfriend."
"..."
Can I pretend I never asked?
This answer was absolutely not what Jing Yuan had wanted.
He could have accepted "grandmaster."
But ex-girlfriend?
What was that supposed to mean?
Were you trying to become his grandmaster-in-law?
Yanqing was equally stunned.
What was he supposed to call Su Ran now?
Grandmaster's ex-boyfriend?
Grandmaster-in-law?
His brain completely froze.
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