Chapter 146: Welt: He Not Only Doesn't Avoid Me, He Provokes Me?
"What's wrong?"
Noticing that Leon, who had been walking beside her, had suddenly stopped, Jingliu turned her head to ask.
"I sense that something quite interesting is about to happen over where Luocha is," Leon said, his lips curling into a faint smile. He extended a hand towards her in a formal invitation. "Would you care to go and take a look together?"
Welt was currently rushing toward Dan Heng's location, and Dan Heng's group was escorting Herta to the Ten-Lords Commission. Calculating the timing, the moment the two parties would converge was just seconds away.
How could he, Leon, possibly miss out on such an "iconic scene"? He had even brought his camera.
"You know Luocha?" Jingliu's brows furrowed slightly. Luocha was her collaborator; the two were working together toward a singular, ultimate goal: the Aeon of Abundance, Yaoshi, who sat enthroned in the heavens.
"Oh? I know a little. Did I not mention it to you?" Leon's tone was light, as if he were discussing some trivial matter. "Hurry up. If we're any slower, we'll miss the opening act."
Before his voice had even faded, he had already stepped forward, naturally grasping Jingliu's wrist and preparing to pull her in the direction he sensed.
"You...!"
Her wrist was suddenly seized. Jingliu's pupils constricted, and she instinctively tried to break free.
"None of that 'you this, you that' business," Leon said, not loosening his grip in the slightest as he started walking. "Isn't the purpose of your little trip to find a way into the Shackling Prison and attract enough attention from the Xianzhou Alliance's top brass?"
He tilted his head and smiled at her. "Oh, and of course, the ultimate goal must be to lead the charge against the Aeon of Abundance."
"I can help you, can't I?"
Upon hearing those last words, Jingliu's struggle paused almost imperceptibly.
She looked deeply at Leon. Beneath the black silk covering her eyes, her emotions were impossible to discern.
'Have you also walked so far down this path of finality?'
Jingliu felt as if this man had seen through her completely.
In the end, she did not shake off his hand, allowing him to lead her away at a brisk pace.
On the other side, on the way to the Ten-Lords Commission.
"Hey, Luocha, you only told half the story about the Aeon of Propagation earlier. Keep going, it's getting interesting," Sushang said, her curiosity piqued as they walked. "It's so strange. Can Aeons actually die? Shouldn't they be invincible?"
"There is no absolute invincibility in this world, nor is there true eternal life. So-called 'invincibility' is perhaps just an exaggeration born from a mortal perspective," Luocha responded with a smile, his tone as gentle as ever. "However, the fall of Tayzzyronth, the Propagation, is indeed a matter far beyond mortal comprehension. It fell at the hands of... other Aeons."
"Huh?" Sushang blinked in confusion. "I don't get it. They're all Aeons, so why would they fight and kill each other?"
As soon as she spoke, Luocha, Dan Heng, and even Herta, who had been walking in silence, all paused subtly.
"...You," Luocha said, a rare trace of helpless amusement coloring his voice as he looked at Sushang. "Are you truly a Xianzhou native?"
"Setting aside the other Aeons, you should at least know the story between Lan of the Hunt and Yaoshi of Abundance," he stated slowly. "The long-cherished wish and crusade of the Xianzhou Alliance, spanning thousands of years... isn't its ultimate goal for the Aeon of the Hunt to finally eliminate the Aeon of Abundance?"
"O-Of course I know that!" A flash of panic crossed Sushang's face before she scratched her head in embarrassment. "Hmm... I know a little. It's just that my mother makes me practice my swordplay all day, so I haven't really... attended school properly."
Luocha was speechless.
He sighed softly. "In that case, let's change the subject. If you aren't even clear on the eternal enmity between the Hunt and the Abundance, explaining anything more would be quite exhausting."
Just then, two figures suddenly appeared at the intersection ahead, blocking their path.
"Eh?! You're that Leon, right?" Sushang recognized him at a glance, her eyes widening in surprise. "Why are you back? And... you brought such a beautiful older sister with you?"
Luocha's gaze fell immediately on the woman beside Leon, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
'Our plan... has it been exposed? Could this be the person who just fought Jingliu?'
Dan Heng simply nodded slightly to Leon in acknowledgment.
"Jingliu," the woman's cold voice rang out, a simple and direct self-introduction. Her gaze met Luocha's for a brief moment, but they both tacitly showed no sign of recognition.
The corners of Leon's mouth curled.
The main event was about to begin.
Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a steady and sharp aura approached from the distance. The figure of Welt Yang appeared at the other end of the street.
'It's a pity there are so many people here,' Leon thought with no small amount of regret. Otherwise, he might have been able to witness the classic scene of Welt calmly approaching before suddenly smacking Luocha on the back of the head with the Star of Eden.
"Welt, you've arrived just in time," Leon said, smiling first and waving a greeting.
"Leon..." Welt saw that Leon was also present, and the corner of his eye twitched.
This guy... didn't he say he had separated from Dan Heng earlier? How did they end up back together in the blink of an eye?
Could it be... he specifically ran over to watch him make a fool of himself?
Thinking of this possibility, Welt took a slow, deep breath, forcibly suppressing the storm of emotions churning within him. His face smoothed over, returning to its usual composure.
"And who are you?" Sushang asked, curiously examining the newly arrived, composed, bespectacled man.
"Welt Yang." Welt pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally lingering on Luocha for a moment longer than necessary. "A Trailblazer of the Astral Express."
"Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Sushang!" the young girl chirped, stating her name cheerfully. "Oh, you're also a Trailblazer? Does that mean you're with Dan Heng and Leon?"
"Su... Sushang?" Welt was stunned for a moment. That face, that name...
"Yes, she's 'Big Pillow Li'," Leon added with a giggle from the side.
"W-What 'Big Pillow Li'!?" Sushang's face instantly flushed a brilliant red. "H-How do you know that?! Did I meet someone from the Xianzhou Yaoqing?"
That nickname was something her teachers had "affectionately" called her back on the Yaoqing because she was always dozing off in class.
"Heh..." A soft chuckle escaped Welt's lips. "Your mother... her name wouldn't happen to be Qin Suyi, would it?"
"Ah?!" Sushang was utterly shocked. "Y-You know my mother?!"
"Miss Sushang, meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land is always a joyous occasion," Luocha interjected gently at the perfect moment, his gaze shifting thoughtfully between Welt and Sushang.
Welt's gaze was like a physical weight, locking tightly onto Luocha. Even though he had prepared himself mentally, seeing this face again still filled him with a deep sense of disgust.
"Could it be..." Luocha naturally noticed Welt's intense stare and seemed a bit confused himself. He met Welt's gaze, his face still wearing that impeccable, gentle smile, his tone carrying just the right amount of polite curiosity. "Your Excellency... do you know me as well?"
Welt's expression remained unchanged.
'He not only doesn't avoid my gaze,'he thought, a cold fury simmering beneath his calm exterior,'he's actively provoking me?'
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