Chapter 116: Unlocking Fu Xuan

Still plummeting through the open air, Chen relied on the Herta puppet’s exceptional eyesight to scan the ground below. His gaze immediately locked onto two familiar figures on the street: March 7th and Ms. Welt.

And beside them… stood a handsome man clad in the formal robes of the Divination Commission, his long, dark hair partially bound by an elegant jade hairpin.

‘A male Fu Xuan!’

Chen’s eyes lit up, his breath catching in his throat. A grin stretched across his face, wide and unrestrained.

‘This is my first time seeing him in person!’

Caught in a wave of pure excitement, he instantly dispelled the Herta transformation, reverting to his original form as a black-haired youth. With a decisive click, he unfastened the safety buckle tethering him to the parachute, casting the useless fabric aside.

Then, he simply let himself fall.

“Precious Qiong—!!!”

As his descent accelerated, Chen waved frantically at the gray-haired girl staring up at the sky, his voice a desperate, gleeful roar that echoed through the night.

“Catch me!!!”

“Chen?!”

Qiong, who had still been admiring the lingering glow of the fireworks, snapped her head around at the familiar shout. Her eyes widened as she spotted the tiny figure hurtling toward her.

With barely a flicker of hesitation, she bent her knees and launched herself from the pavement. A small shockwave rippled from her feet as she soared into the sky, her trajectory perfectly calculated to intercept the falling boy.

Mid-air, Qiong spread her arms wide.

The next moment—

THUMP!

The impact was solid and muffled, the force of it absorbed entirely by Qiong’s powerful frame. She landed with a grace that defied gravity, her knees bending deep to bleed off the momentum before she straightened up, perfectly steady.

She looked down.

Chen was sprawled comfortably in her arms, his black hair a chaotic mess from the high-altitude winds. Despite the reckless stunt, a grin that was familiar beyond measure was plastered on his face. He even managed to give her a weak thumbs-up.

“Perfect! Precious Qiong, you nailed it!”

Qiong stared at him, stunned for a moment. Then, a hint of a question colored her voice. “…Really?”

Chen blinked, his expression utterly sincere. “Of course it’s real! My Precious Qiong is the most reliable catcher in the universe! Ten-thousand percent recommended!”

A slow smile finally broke through Qiong’s stunned expression, blooming into a foolish, happy chuckle. “Oh… that’s good. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to catch you.”

After catching his breath nestled in Qiong’s embrace, Chen was gently set down on his own two feet. Only when his shoes touched the solid ground did he realize his legs were trembling, a delayed reaction to the adrenaline of his rather ill-advised leap.

He didn’t dwell on it. His attention was already captured. He immediately turned his gaze toward the young man in the Divination Commission uniform.

Fu Xuan was watching him quietly, his handsome face a mask of calm neutrality. He was tall and slender, a bit taller than Chen had anticipated. A portion of his long hair was neatly tied up with a jade hairpin, while the rest cascaded over his shoulders, framing a face that exuded a serene intelligence. The complex official robes only accentuated his scholarly and composed demeanor.

‘Thank goodness,’ Chen sighed in relief. ‘He looks like a refined young master, not some crusty old uncle. His looks definitely live up to the hype.’

“You are Chen,” Fu Xuan stated, his voice as calm and unruffled as his expression. “The member of the Astral Express who disappeared shortly after arriving on the Luofu.”

He glanced up, his eyes briefly tracking the faint, fading glow in the night sky. “Was that fireworks display just now also your doing?”

Chen grinned, completely unfazed by the scrutiny. He even cupped his hands in a mock-formal gesture, a hint of smug pride in his posture. “As expected of the Master Diviner! Your insight is truly brilliant. It was just a little commotion I caused. Please, excuse the mess.”

As he spoke, he took two casual steps forward, closing the distance between them. He stopped directly in front of Fu Xuan, his smile now warm and disarmingly genuine as he extended his hand.

“Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I am Chen, a Trailblazer of the Astral Express. Having just arrived in this esteemed land, I hope I can rely on your kind guidance in the future, Master Diviner Fu Xuan!”

Fu Xuan’s gaze dropped to Chen’s outstretched hand, then flickered back up to his smiling face. He paused for a long moment, his analytical eyes seeming to weigh just how much sincerity could possibly lie behind the friendly handshake offered by a man who had just set off explosives and jumped out of the sky.

But out of courtesy—or perhaps, out of basic respect for the Astral Express—Fu Xuan finally raised his right hand.

He accepted the handshake. The grip was firm but not crushing, the contact brief before he immediately pulled away.

And deep within Chen’s consciousness, a notification chimed. The icon for Fu Xuan, previously grayed out, instantly lit up in full color.

Success!

Chen was ecstatic, but he allowed none of it to show on his face. He politely withdrew his hand, his bright smile never wavering. His gaze then quickly swept toward the spot beside Fu Xuan, only to find that the place where Kafka had been standing was now empty.

In the distance, he could just make out two Cloud Knights walking away, a familiar purple-clad figure escorted between them.

“What a pity…” Chen muttered under his breath, a pang of genuine regret hitting him.

He had missed his chance to unlock Kafka’s icon, but he’d secured Fu Xuan’s. All in all, it wasn’t a loss.

Fu Xuan retracted his hand, clasping it behind his back once more. His tone remained perfectly level. “Since everyone is now assembled, I will not pursue the matter of your prior whereabouts. The most important task is the interrogation of the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka.”

His gaze swept over Ms. Welt and March 7th before finally settling back on Chen.

“I must return to the Divination Commission to make the necessary arrangements. Once preparations are complete, I will send someone to notify you.”

With that, Fu Xuan gave a slight, formal nod to the group, turned on his heel, and walked away. He quickly vanished around the corner of the street, his movements efficient and purposeful.

He left the crew of the Astral Express standing alone on the quiet, slightly deserted street.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]