Because of Stelle's blunt remark, Pei Guang and March 7th made a special trip to her room for a thorough discussion.
After a bit of playful roughhousing, the three gathered to brainstorm.
March 7th: "So, what do you think General Jing Yuan's gift will be?"
Pei Guang pondered, "If I had to guess… it's probably a symbol. Something that proves our friendly relations with the Luofu."
March 7th: "Hiss! That's kinda stingy, don't you think?"
Pei Guang reached out and flicked her forehead. "No! That's the best kind of gift! I'd bet that, after everything we did during this whole mission, we've maxed out our favorability with the Luofu. Next up is probably an alliance or something along those lines—so the gift will have more symbolic meaning than practical use."
Stelle: "Exactly, exactly! Ah Guang's pulls have been way more useful than anything else anyway. Tomorrow, ah! I can't wait~ I'm so excited!"
March 7th: "Hehe~ I should go tell Himeko and Uncle Yang about this good news. Oh, right! There were a lot of us when we first arrived on the Luofu—should we invite everyone? This is a gift for the whole Express crew, after all. Gotta make sure we bring the right level of ceremony! Should I dress up a little too? Ah! No, no, no! The Luofu just went through a major disaster, it's not like we're attending a festival…"
Pei Guang: "No worries, our festival is coming up soon. When the time comes, you can dress up as much as you like~ Ah, speaking of which, that reminds me of something. Something nice to look at~~"
March 7th sucked in a sharp breath. She glanced at Stelle, then at Pei Guang. "Hey! You're saying that right in front of her?"
Pei Guang: "Huh?"
And then, he understood. He understood everything.
He grabbed Stelle's face and turned it away before continuing, "I want to see something nice! Now I'm not saying it in front of her anymore!"
March 7th: "I give up on you."
Stelle: "Hmph~ What's so special about that? It's just some pretty clothes, or maybe~ eh-heh~"
She flashed a mischievous grin, while March 7th reached out to flick her forehead. "It's definitely not what you're thinking. If it was, I'd just drag Ah Guang into my room already—no need for all this chatter."
She said it so casually at first, but the moment the words left her mouth, her face turned bright red.
"Wait, what did I just say?! Ahem, I didn't say anything. Nope! What I meant to say was—I wanted to show Ah Guang my carefully chosen festival outfit first! Hmph! I was planning to give him a sneak peek!"
Hearing this, Pei Guang took her hand and declared, "March, no need to be sneaky about it—be open and honest! Boldly show it to me alone! That way, Stelle will be so mad she'll cry and whine about it!"
Stelle loudly protested, "I do not whine and cry!"
Pei Guang turned to her. "Oh? So you're saying you'd just cry and throw a tantrum instead?"
Stelle puffed out her chest proudly. "That's right!"
March 7th: "Wait… what exactly are you proud of here?"
Stelle: "I'm proud of it, that's what!"
Since it was just the three of them, they were completely at ease—bantering, joking, and goofing off without restraint. And somewhere in the midst of all the teasing and laughter, something subtle yet meaningful shifted between them.
After their fun, they shared the news with the entire Express crew.
The next day, Pei Guang, Stelle, March 7th, Welt, Dan Heng, Seele, and Silver Wolf all arrived at the Seat of Divine Foresight. After all, they had caused quite a stir during their time on the Luofu—so naturally, they had to be there.
As the seven of them reached the entrance, they were greeted by Fu Xuan, who had been waiting for a while.
"You're here? Didn't expect you to be this early."
Pei Guang: "How's it going?"
Fu Xuan glanced at him. "You mean as the Acting General? It's exhausting. But it's fine—I've come to understand my shortcomings this time, and now I know what I should do moving forward."
Mid-sentence, she seemed to remember something and turned to them. "Eh? Why am I chatting about this here? Hurry up and head inside! The General is already waiting for you."
Pei Guang: "Alright, we're going in."
As they entered the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan smiled upon seeing them. Once everyone had gathered, he spoke:
"Everyone! I have called you here today to once again express the gratitude of the Xianzhou Luofu for the heroic deeds of the Astral Express crew."
He reflected on all that had transpired—the Stellaron crisis, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the fight against Phantylia… And beyond these major threats, there had also been the restructuring of the Vidyadhara, the revival of the Aurum Alley, the Echoes of War Project… So many matters, great and small, had been handled by those standing before him.
From the grand scale of the Xianzhou's fate to the personal lives of its people—too many had benefited from these Trailblazers.
Because of this, Jing Yuan's gaze held a trace of warmth. If possible, he would have loved to board the Express himself and become a Nameless explorer of the cosmos. But he had too many responsibilities…
With that thought, he looked back at them and continued:
"I believe that the Luofu can never truly repay all that you have done for us. Therefore, on behalf of the Cloud Knights, I present to you a jade token—a symbol of our alliance."
Pei Guang's eyes lit up as he turned to Jing Yuan excitedly.
"Wait… Is this the friendship reward from the Luofu?!"
Jing Yuan nodded with a smile. "That's right! But this jade token is no ordinary item. Thousands of years ago, when the Alliance was formed, the Xianzhou vessels swore an oath together, and that oath was inscribed onto jade tokens as proof. Even if the heavens and earth fall into chaos, this oath remains unbroken.
This jade token follows the same principle: it records the Cloud Knights' commitment to the Astral Express crew. At the same time, it also functions as a beacon. If you grasp it tightly, it will send a message to the paired token in my possession. No matter how vast the galaxy or how arduous the journey, the Cloud Knights of the Luofu will answer your call and fulfill your request."
Hearing the weight behind this gift, everyone widened their eyes—especially March 7th, who couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, they really went all out for this!"
Pei Guang, on the other hand, looked at Jing Yuan curiously. "Huh? So that means if you ever run into trouble, you can use this to contact me too, right?"
Jing Yuan: "Hmm~ Yes, you could say that."
Pei Guang: "Excellent! General Jing Yuan, rest assured, if you ever find yourself in danger, just call me. Even if it's not an emergency, even if it's just some trivial little issue—no matter where I am in the universe, I'll take on the task~"
Jing Yuan: "?"
Why did it feel like Pei Guang had just stolen his lines? But remembering everything Pei Guang had done so far, Jing Yuan chuckled. "No problem! And if you ever need help, don't hesitate to contact me. Even if we have to face an Aeon head-on, the Cloud Knights of the Luofu will be there at your call!"
Pei Guang: "No worries, we won't treat this thing like a toy."
With that, he turned to Stelle and explained, "Listen, this item seems amazing, but based on my experience, it's definitely got a usage limit."
Silver Wolf, standing nearby, nodded. "Exactly! Based on traditional mechanics, items like this are best used at critical moments for maximum effect."
Jing Yuan couldn't help but feel gratified listening to their exchange—it only reinforced what he had already observed about them.
Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Pei Guang. "In addition to this gift from the entire Luofu to the Astral Express crew, I also have something specifically for you."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and a projection appeared in front of Pei Guang.
"This is a cargo starskiff. The Luofu has packed every single usable bottle, jar and vase we could gather for you—three hundred and fifty in total. I must apologize, though. Due to the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus incident, some were damaged during transport, so this is all we could recover. These items may not be worth much, but they represent the appreciation of every single person on the Luofu."
If Jing Yuan had said nothing, Pei Guang might have kept his cool. But the moment those words left his mouth, Pei Guang's breathing grew rapid.
"Good people! Such good people! You Luofu folks are just amazing! I've never seen such generosity in all my years!"
Stelle and March 7th didn't quite understand Pei Guang's excitement, but Silver Wolf did. "Ever since I started roaming the galaxy, this is the first time I've met someone this generous. Ah Guang! You're definitely the better choice to follow. Once I'm done with the Stellaron Hunter missions, I'm teaming up with you."
Welt also sighed in admiration. "In any game, no one would ever dare to hand out this many rewards—three hundred and fifty pulls…"
Stelle: "That's at least two five-stars!!!"
Pei Guang: "Don't jinx it! I've made up my mind: I'll draw these rewards only after I've bathed and changed into fresh clothes!"
Stelle: "Superstition won't change your luck!"
Silver Wolf: "Whales can't escape bad pulls!"
March 7th: "Why not just roll now? I'm curious to see if you'll get anything good!"
Pei Guang shook his head firmly. "No! Absolutely not! I have to wait for the luckiest moment to draw! I refuse to touch it now!"
Seeing Pei Guang's excited expression, Jing Yuan knew he had chosen the right gift. For Pei Guang, even the most precious treasures of the Luofu probably couldn't compare to these bottles and jars.
After all, when it comes to gifts, it's not about giving something expensive—it's about giving something the other person truly wants. In fact, even Jing Yuan himself was a little curious about what Pei Guang would pull from them.
Watching everyone chatting away, Jing Yuan let out a sigh of relief. "Hahaha! No need to rush, everyone. There will be plenty more rewards in the future. The other Xianzhou ships are also gathering the materials you need, Pei Guang. Once they arrive, I'll notify you, and you can come pick them up anytime."
Pei Guang: "Say no more! From now on, the Luofu is my home. If anyone dares to cause trouble in my home, I'll take them down! Want me to hunt down a few Abundance Emanators for you as entertainment? Otherwise, this gift is way too big—I'd feel bad just accepting it for nothing!"