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[Rewards being distributed—Congratulations! Your mental energy has been increased by 100%.]
A refreshing sensation spread from Bochang's mind throughout his entire body.
He felt as though undergoing a profound transformation.
Xueyi did not linger further, exchanging a few more casual words before the Judge from the Ten-Lords Commission departed.
Outside Bailu's room, Sushang suddenly emerged and tapped Bochang on the shoulder. "Oh ho, never realized your relationship with the Ten-Lords Commission folks... is quite close?"
"No, Xueyi just came to deliver some clothes," Bochang shrugged.
The matter concerning Luocha was yet unspoken between them. If Sushang learned that the person she had been helping all along had smuggled a Stellaron onto Xianzhou Luofu, it would undoubtedly break her heart.
"Hmm... I'm quite curious too, why were your clothes with the Judge of Juggernauts? And if you were looking for Bailu, why did you give Xiao Yu to me... Wasn't that unnecessary?" Sushang's curiosity bubbled like a child's.
"Ending up at the Alchemy Commission was purely coincidental, and..." Bochang paused, uncertain whether he should reveal the truth about Luocha. After some thought, he decided it would be better to inform Sushang. The warrant for Luocha's arrest would likely be issued soon anyway. Even if Sushang couldn't read, she could still recognize him from the image.
To prevent Luocha's smooth talk from leading Sushang astray, Bochang felt it prudent to prepare her beforehand. He reached out and said, "Here's the thing, Sushang, do you remember that outlander named Luocha?"
"Luocha... I remember him; it was even I who rescued him from Cloudford..." Sushang placed her hands on her hips. "How... does this incident involve him?"
"It does indeed, and quite significantly so," Bochang sighed.
This response piqued Sushang's curiosity.
"What exactly happened? Don't keep me in suspense—you're making me itch with anticipation."
"Luocha... is the one who brought the Stellaron onto Xianzhou Luofu," Bochang stated bluntly.
These words...
left Sushang utterly bewildered, confusion filling her brown eyes.
"Huh? Are you joking with me?" She scratched her head, her long ponytails swaying gently beside her ears. With her soft, lustrous hair framing her pure and uncorrupted demeanor, there was an inexplicable urge to tease her just a bit.
Of course...
Bochang had no intention of teasing Sushang. It merely crossed his mind for a fleeting moment.
"I'm not joking at all." Bochang shook his head. "I fought Luocha at the Exalting Sanctum, and by this afternoon, you should see his wanted poster lining the streets."
"This...could there be some misunderstanding?" Sushang still found it hard to believe Bochang's words.
During their time together, she had always considered Luocha as quite intriguing and unlikely to engage in malicious acts.
"You'll know the truth once you see the arrest warrant, so...when you encounter Luocha again, don't fall for his lies. It could lead to serious trouble." Bochang stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Sushang appeared naive and easily deceived, making it difficult not to worry about her.
"If what you say is true...I will apprehend Luocha." Sushang clenched her fist determinedly.
Bochang shook his head repeatedly. "No...the next time you see Luocha, I strongly advise keeping your distance. Sushang, if I hadn't run fast this time, he might have gotten the better of me."
"In Luocha's coffin...there resides a terrifying creature."
Recalling their earlier confrontation, Luocha had claimed it was a grand gift intended for Yaoshi. However...
From Bochang's perspective, that entity fell far short when compared to Yaoshi.
It seemed that the creature within the coffin was still growing.
"Ah? Really? In his coffin... there's another monster?" Sushang felt her mind struggling to comprehend this information. What is going on here...
After vividly describing the horror of the creature inside the coffin, Bochang finally let Sushang off.
At that moment...
Bochang's phone rang. Picking it up, he saw three messages from the conductor:
Pom-Pom: Are you there? Pom-Pom: Hello? Pom-Pom: Are you available?
Bochang replied: What's wrong?
Pom-Pom: Something strange is happening on the train; feels like there's an invisible presence... Pom-Pom: Please come back when you can! Aaaah!!
«Hiss...» Bochang sucked in a sharp breath. "What's going on? The conductor getting spooked?"
Thinking for a moment, Bochang responded: I'll rest a bit longer and return soon.
Pom-Pom: Alright Pom, try to be quick. We absolutely cannot depart until this issue is resolved, Pom!
Everyone says... Pom-Pom effortlessly keeps track of everyone's movements on the train. How could something infiltrate the Astral Express unnoticed? This situation seems peculiar. First, I should contact Stelle and March, Bochang pondered.
He wondered where those two might have gone off to.
Sushang tilted her head slightly and asked, "What are you looking at?"
"The conductor has called me back to the train. Our journey on Xianzhou Luofu is temporarily over, and I should be heading off now." Bochang put away his phone.
Sushang said, "Oh... Whenever you visit the Xianzhou again, remember to look for me, okay? We can enjoy tea together and listen to storytelling."
Bochang nodded.
Having completed his task of escorting Xiao Yu to the Alchemy Commission, Bochang's next goal was to investigate the situation with Luocha.
Thus...
Sushang hastily departed from the Alchemy Commission.
Bochang stayed behind to spend some time with Bailu before leaving.
During this period, he also contacted March 7th and Stelle via his phone; they had received messages from the conductor as well.
It seemed Pom-Pom was genuinely urgent about something.
Bochang arranged a meeting with March 7th and Stelle accordingly.
Before long, the group of five gathered at Central Starskiff Haven.
March 7th, Stelle, Serval, and Qingque were all present—these four girls had often been seen together during their previous endeavors.
Upon reuniting, March 7th immediately asked, "Bochang, I heard you got into a fight with Luocha?"
"That's correct, but how did you know?" Bochang hadn't yet shared this incident with anyone on the Astral Express.
Qingque pointed to her own face. "Master Diviner just sent me a message about it."
"Oh... so that's how," Bochang realized.
As a member of the Divination Commission and currently serving as the special envoy from Xianzhou to the Astral Express—a role akin to a diplomat—it made sense that she would be informed promptly of any developments involving Bochang on Xianzhou Luofu.
It was only natural for Fu Xuan to inform Qingque first about what Bochang had been up to on Xianzhou Luofu.
"Hey...do you have some innate talent for causing trouble?" March 7th couldn't help but tease lightly. "How do you manage to get into fights everywhere you go?"
"It's not my fault," Bochang defended himself. "Heavens know how I inadvertently stumbled upon Luocha's plot! That guy hid his true intentions too deeply; if it weren't for Sophia's animal friend discovering it, I'd still be completely clueless..."