Chapter 79 - 75 - An Awkward Accident

"So, we're going to crash, is that right?" Wende looked at the floor of the Starskiff, then raised his head to address Tingyun, who was slumped limply in her seat. "Mm... that's right, Benefactor Wende. It has been this little lady's honor to be rescued by you." Tingyun looked as if her final moments were upon her, making Wende break out in a cold sweat. Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep... BANG! The sound of alarms blared from above the Starskiff. The crew felt a sudden jolt, followed by the sound of an explosion. A feeling of weightlessness instantly washed over them. "WAAAAAHHH! We're falling!!!" March wailed, gripping the armrests like a martyr about to meet her heroic end. "Hmm... it should be alright now," Welt said calmly, pushing up his glasses. "Or perhaps, our troubles have only just begun," Wende added with a wry smile. "Huh? What are you two talking about?! We're crashing!" March cried in despair, looking at the two who still had the leisure to speak in riddles. "Er, but it looks like we're fine now?" Stelle said, pointing at the large net outside the window to the still-melodramatic Little March. "Besides, even if we did crash, we wouldn't have been seriously hurt, right?" Wende calmly analyzed. With shields from Little March and Stelle, they should have been fine even if the Starskiff had disintegrated in mid-air... probably? "Eh? We're okay? Yay! We're saved!" March cheered. "No... the trouble just got bigger," Wende said, shaking his head as he watched the changing scenery outside. "General... that divine doctor who can supposedly cure the Mara..." Inside the Divine Foresight Residence, behind a large desk, an official in a long blue robe was reporting his findings to Jing Yuan. "Mm, I understand. I will personally make a trip to the Sky-Faring Commission later. As for the Ten-Lords Commission, it's best not to inform them of this matter," the white-haired general said, writing a document with his brush as he spoke. "General... about the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus..." "I have my own plans for them. First, go and tell Fu Xuan to keep a close watch on those Stellaron Hunters..." General Jing Yuan waved a hand at the man beside him. Seeing the gesture, the official respectfully withdrew. "A nameless divine doctor... capable of dispelling both the Mara-sickness and the effects of long life... The Astral Express, the Stellaron Hunters, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus..." On the surface, Jing Yuan rubbed his forehead as if deeply troubled, but the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile. "What chaos. To think my Luofu would welcome so many distinguished guests at once..." "However... if you wish to take something from the Luofu, then you must forgive my discourtesy!" Sky-Faring Commission – Palace of the Dawn Herald At this moment, Yukong was looking at the group seated before her with an even more troubled expression, her gaze falling particularly on Tingyun, who was standing to the side, wringing her hands in embarrassment. As an Amicassador of the Sky-Faring Commission, she had personally shattered the Xianzhou's all-time speeding record... And to think, she, Yukong, was the one who had set that record all those years ago... After glancing at Tingyun, who had lowered her head and was now intently counting her toes, Yukong turned her gaze back to the members of the Astral Express. "Speeding, breaking through a restricted airspace checkpoint, high-altitude littering, resisting arrest, attempting to attack arresting officers... For you to rack up such a criminal record on your first day on the Xianzhou is truly astounding." Yukong's tone was cold as she addressed the group. "Oh, right... there's one more. Holding a Xianzhou public official hostage. With all these crimes combined, your offenses are severe enough to land you in the Shackled Prison." Facing Yukong, who had her aura and all her buffs cranked to the max, even March felt her courage falter for a moment. "Uhm... ahem... Lord Yukong~" Tingyun, seeing the imposing Yukong, meekly raised her hand. "Hm? Speak." Yukong glanced at Tingyun with a puzzled look. The girl hadn't seemed right ever since she was escorted in. Could she have been frightened by this group of miscreants? "Er... Lord Yukong, it's like this..." Tingyun explained the entire reason for their speeding. As she spoke, she watched Yukong's face grow darker and darker, and her own voice grew smaller and smaller... "So that's what happened..." Yukong's gaze shifted to the group, who were all zoning out, and the corner of her eye twitched involuntarily. "But..." "Lord Yukong, our communications have been restored. A message came in from the Cloud Knights. They're asking if we've seen Miss Tingyun and four other outworlders. They are very important guests of the Xianzhou and are not to be slighted." The communications officer, seeing Yukong's icy glare, instinctively shrank back but still relayed the rest of the message. "Also, the Cloud Knights at Starskiff Haven discovered two suspicious individuals. It seems they had a modified Starskiff that was stolen by persons unknown. That cargo skiff is extremely dangerous. They also provided the skiff's serial number... it matches..." The officer glanced at the group below. "It's identical to the serial number of the Starskiff they were piloting..." "Huuuh..." Yukong pressed a hand to her forehead, looking like she had a splitting headache. Anyone who had this whole basket of troubles dumped on them would have a head about to explode! "So that's how it was..." Letting out a long sigh, Yukong once again looked at the members of the Astral Express. "My apologies, everyone... I have wronged you. But as you have all seen, the Xianzhou is currently in a state of great turmoil, and the recent communications failure has caused many inconveniences for our work. I hope you can all understand." Yukong apologized, but her tone was more formulaic than anything, professional and leaving no openings. "Lord Yukong, we have no intention of blaming your commission. On the contrary, if not for your assistance, I'm afraid we would have perished in a crash..." Welt took a step forward, smoothly playing along and giving Yukong an out to save face. "No, this was our discourtesy as well," Yukong said, shaking her head slightly. "You have all endured a whole day of hardship and must be exhausted. I will arrange for your accommodations at once and have a banquet prepared to console you. Please, allow me to escort you to a place of rest for now." As she spoke, Yukong looked towards Tingyun and gave her a slight nod. After years of working together, a single glance was all it took. Tingyun naturally understood Yukong's meaning. "My dear benefactors, please allow Tingyun to lead you to a place where you can rest for a while." Welt nodded silently. Being well-versed in the ways of officialdom, he knew this was a polite way of asking them to leave the scene so the authorities could get to work without interference. "Let's go." Wende was the first to grasp Welt's meaning and spoke to the bewildered Little March and the still-daydreaming Stelle behind him. The quick-witted Little March naturally sensed the shift in the atmosphere. "Uh... Oh! Can we eat the food you cook..." Snapping back to reality, Little March immediately walked to Wende's side, looking pitiful. Stelle, on the other hand, indicated she didn't care. She could eat anything! "March, don't be a picky eater."