Chapter 86 - 82 - Foxian Favorability MAX

"Wende! You're awake~" In the early morning, March, who was watering the inn's flowers with a small watering can, greeted Wende, who looked positively radiant. "Mm, morning, Little March." Wende, having obtained new power, responded to Little March with a smile. "Mmm... Morning..." Stelle looked extremely sleepy and said listlessly. Her drowsy eyes still glistened with tears. After being massed by Wende, her sleep had been simply divine... she didn't want to get out of bed at all! Zzzt. "Mm! Suddenly I don't feel sleepy anymore!" Stelle looked full of vigor, hands on her hips, and spoke with high spirits, while simultaneously glancing guiltily at Wende. Could it be that he found out about me rummaging through someone else's delivery box yesterday? But when Stelle's gaze fell upon Wende, the familiar lightning needle didn't prick her. She didn't even see a shadow of lightning... Zzzt zzzzt... Hearing the "zzzt" sound coming from March watering the plants nearby, Stelle began to suspect she had developed "Wende PTSD." "Mm, it seems everyone is full of energy today." Welt, who had been waiting in the lobby, nodded as he watched the three of them looking full of vitality. He had just communicated with the Express, reporting on the current situation on the Xianzhou and some of the upcoming collaborations between the Xianzhou and the Express. "Wende, you went to rest yesterday. Let me fill you in on what happened after that." Placing the Xianzhou Morning Post in his hand on the coffee table, Welt recounted to Wende the events that occurred after he went to rest yesterday. "That Xianzhou general seems to be hiding a lot. He wants us to capture Kafka, who is hidden on the Xianzhou, but he didn't mention a word about the already-captured Stellaron Hunter, Blade." "From my deduction, that Stellaron Hunter should have already escaped the Xianzhou's control by now. Otherwise, the Xianzhou wouldn't be asking us for help." Frowning, Wende's fingers tapped lightly on the coffee table as he thought. "This chess game on the Xianzhou seems to be getting bigger and bigger. The Stellaron Hunters definitely didn't lure us here just to have us capture them..." Wende voiced his speculation. "Indeed. But their true purpose is still unknown," Welt said, shaking his head. "For now, we can only follow the Xianzhou's lead. Jing Yuan said the Sky-Faring Commission will provide us with intelligence regarding the Stellaron Hunters. Let's go find Lord Yukong later." "Mm." "Er... Lord Yukong... you're late today??" Looking at the person's incredulous expression, Yukong nodded with a hint of helplessness. "My apologies, it's my fault. Please exclude me from this month's attendance evaluation," Yukong said apologetically to the staff member on duty. "No, no, no, since Lord Yukong is late, she must have had some important business to attend to. How could I do such a thing!" the staff member said frantically, their eyes filled with reverence as they looked at Yukong. "Er... important business..." Remembering those warm, large hands roaming and pressing on her body yesterday, Yukong's face turned red. This... probably doesn't count as important business... does it? Under the gaze of the staff member, Yukong walked into the Palace of the Dawn Herald with a faint blush on her face. "Lord Yukong..." "Good morning, Lord Yukong." Seeing Yukong arrive late, the numerous staff members in the Palace of the Dawn Herald greeted her one after another, and then noticed her obviously unusual state. "Mr. Yanming, what's wrong with Lord Yukong?" a curious young foxian lady from the Sky-Faring Commission asked Mr. Yanming, who was working nearby. "Shh... don't ask about things you're not supposed to know. Did you forget about getting your pay docked last month?" Looking at the desk before her, Yukong suddenly felt a wave of fatigue. She had felt quite relaxed after the massage, but seeing this desk full of official documents... why couldn't she muster up any energy at all? Could it be that I've been working too much overtime recently? Yukong began to doubt her own work schedule. Perhaps... I should let Qingni get more practice in the future. It would be a way to pave the path for her, Yukong had a sudden thought while listlessly processing her documents. "Lord Yukong, the guests from the Astral Express request an audience," the reception staff member informed Yukong via communicator. "Let them in. And call Tingyun over as well," Yukong instructed the staff member, arms crossed. "Yes, Lord Yukong." A few minutes later, the Trailblaze team entered the Palace of the Dawn Herald and came before Yukong. "Everyone, since General Jing Yuan ordered me to assist you yesterday, my Sky-Faring Commission will certainly share all intelligence related to the Stellaron Hunters with you," Yukong said to the Trailblaze team with a calm smile. "I will issue all necessary clearance passes for the Starskiff Sea. I'll be counting on you for the investigation of the Stellaron Hunters." "Thank you, Lord Yukong," Welt said respectfully to Yukong. "There's no need to be so polite," Yukong said, shaking her head. "I have already notified Tingyun. During this time, she will be your most reliable guide. Moreover, she shares a bond of life and death with all of you. I'm sure your time together will be very... uplifting." For some reason, when she said "bond of life and death," the corners of Yukong's mouth lifted several degrees. "Hey... she's smiling, right?" March poked Stelle, who was beside her, and whispered. Stelle nodded in strong agreement. "My dear benefactors, it seems we will be working together for a while longer." Tingyun walked slowly towards the group, her large tail swaying. She first gave an elegant bow to Yukong, then smiled at the others. "Miss Tingyun, we'll be in your care during this time," Wende said to Tingyun with a smile. "Ah... but of course, Benefactor Wende." Looking at Wende, Tingyun's face couldn't help but turn slightly red... Dammit, yesterday's massage was just too comfortable! I didn't even wake up to my alarm this morning... If the Sky-Faring Commission staff hadn't called her, she'd probably still be in dreamland... "Mmm, I didn't even groom my tail properly. How impolite of me." Feeling her rough, unkempt tail behind her, Tingyun couldn't help but let her gaze drift back to Wende. I wonder... if I could ask this benefactor to give me a full tail-grooming spa treatment? "Ahem..." Seeing the strange expression on Tingyun's face, Yukong, who had worked with her for many years, naturally understood what she was thinking. This little minx had better not actually start treating him like a masseur... although, she herself kind of hoped he would open a massage parlor on the Xianzhou... At that point, all the foxians on the Xianzhou would probably worship Wende as a god, wouldn't they? Wende never would have dreamed that simply because of his massage technique, he would be able to obtain MAX favorability with all the foxians on the Xianzhou!