Chapter 123: Star Boy

Bailu flinched, his wide eyes going even wider. His mouth fell open in a perfect ‘o’ of shock, as if Chen had just revealed a secret that could shake the very foundations of the Xianzhou.

“H-how did you know?!”

Chen straightened his back, a smug, all-knowing expression settling on his face. He jabbed a thumb at his own chest with unearned confidence.

“Because I am Captain Hook’s most trusted right-hand man, the Vice-Captain of the Moles Adventure Team—Star Boy!”

“The Captain mentioned you to me,” he continued, spinning the lie with the ease of a seasoned storyteller. “She said she recruited a super-talented little divine doctor who can bring people back from the brink of death!”

He delivered the fabrication without a single flicker of doubt, his face a mask of sincerity and the practiced familiarity of an insider.

The shock in Bailu’s eyes melted away, replaced by a wave of delightful surprise. He had indeed been rescued by Captain Hook once and had even joined that rambunctious adventure team. The whole thing had sounded like a world of fun, and he’d been wondering when he’d see Hook again.

And now, to suddenly run into the Vice-Captain… it was like he’d found his long-lost family!

“R-really? You’re Vice-Captain Star Boy?” Bailu leaned forward, practically vibrating with excitement. “Where’s Captain Hook? Where did she go? We went our separate ways last time, and I haven’t seen her since! The sisters at the Alchemy Commission watch me so closely; it took everything I had just to sneak out again…”

“Ah, the Captain,” Chen said, his expression perfectly grave as he spouted absolute nonsense. “She’s began a top-secret, super-duper important mission! It concerns the peace of the entire universe, so she has to lay low for a while.”

He leaned in conspiratorially. “But she gave me specific instructions before she left. She said if I happened to meet a little team member on the Luofu named Bailu—one who was exceptionally skilled in medicine and especially cute—I absolutely had to greet you on her behalf. And tell you that she’s really, really looking forward to your next adventure together!”

A blush crept up Bailu’s cheeks at the thought of Captain Hook thinking of him. He was a whirlwind of happiness and shyness, mixed with a deep longing to be part of that “super mission for universal peace.”

“The Captain… she still remembers me. I really want to go on another adventure with her…”

“Don’t you worry, she’ll definitely come back for you after the mission is complete!” Chen patted his chest as if making a solemn vow, then gave the boy a conspiratorial wink. “But before that, we can still meet up in secret! Just like now!”

Bailu nodded vigorously, his gaze now shining with the pure, unadulterated trust one only gives to a fellow comrade.

March 7th and Ciel, standing nearby with the Cloud Knights, were utterly dumbfounded.

March 7th scratched his head, leaning in to whisper to Ciel, “Hey, Ciel… this ‘adventure team’ Chen is talking about… you ever heard of it?”

Ciel, his features hidden behind the fox mask, simply gave a slow shake of his head, his gaze fixed on Chen and Bailu with an air of deep confusion.

The Cloud Knights exchanged glances. The older of the two stepped forward, first offering a deep bow to both Ciel and Bailu. Then, he carefully hoisted his unconscious comrade over his shoulder.

“Lord Dragon Venerable, thank you for your timely rescue,” he said respectfully to Bailu. “And thank you, young lady, for subduing him,” he added with a nod to Chen. “We will take our comrade back for treatment. The events of tonight will be reported truthfully.”

Bailu nodded, slipping back into his composed, mature persona. “Mm. Go on, then.”

The Cloud Knights offered their thanks once more before hurrying away, leaving only the three Astral Express members and Bailu.

March 7th finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer and bounced over to Bailu. “Um… Little Brother Bailu, that healing technique you used was amazing! Even a wound that deep healed in a flash! How long have you been studying medicine?”

Now that he knew March was a companion of the Vice-Captain, Bailu was exceptionally polite. “I’ve been learning since I was little. The Alchemy Commission has countless medical texts and case studies. You just have to read a lot and practice a lot, and you’ll get the hang of it.”

“That’s incredible…” March 7th marveled, before another thought struck him. “Oh, right, you said you snuck out? The Alchemy Commission doesn’t let you leave?”

At this, Bailu’s little face fell, and he grumbled, “They’re always saying it’s too dangerous outside and that I should just stay in the Alchemy Commission memorizing books and identifying herbs… but I can clearly help save people.” His eyes lit up again as he looked at Chen. “I’m still waiting for Captain Hook to come back so we can go on adventures together!”

Chen cleared his throat, deciding it was time to change the subject. “Ahem. Well, Team Member Bailu, are you… planning to sneak back now? Or would you like to wander around with us for a bit longer? We were just about to find something delicious to eat.”

Bailu’s eyes sparkled, clearly torn between the allure of delicious food and the chance to hang out with his Vice-Captain. But he hesitated, glancing nervously in the direction of the Alchemy Commission. “I… I’ve been out for a while. Sister Yun Yin and the others might be looking for me soon…”

“Understood, understood!” Chen clapped him on the shoulder with an air of great importance. “The first rule of a secret team member is to never reveal your whereabouts! You’d better head back quickly. The next secret code is… um… ‘Milk Cake with double sugar!’ If you hear that, it means we’re on the same side!”

Bailu’s expression turned deadly serious as he committed the code to memory. He nodded vigorously. “Mm! Milk Cake with double sugar! I’ll remember! Vice-Captain, I’ll be going now!”

He waved goodbye to Chen, and then to March 7th and Ciel, before turning and darting into a nearby alley. In a few quick flashes, he was gone.

“Wow, he runs fast…” March 7th stared at the empty alley entrance for a moment before turning back to Chen, his eyes practically glowing with questions. “Chen, you have to tell me the truth. What in the world is this Hook Adventure Team? And since when were you a Vice-Captain?”

Chen stretched lazily, a deep and mysterious look on his face. “Little March, there are many secrets in this vast universe. As for the Adventure Team… that, my friend, is a legend of courage, friendship, and treasure hunting~”

He deliberately drew out his words, and before March 7th could press him for any more details, he slung an arm around his shoulder, physically turning him and pushing him forward.

“Let’s go, let’s go! We’ve had our fill of Milk Cake; it’s time to find something savory to cleanse the palate! I think Tingyun mentioned a place up ahead that sells roasted Qiongshi Bird skewers. She said they’re especially fragrant!”

Holding his baseball bat, Ciel watched Chen’s retreating back, then glanced at the alley where Bailu had vanished, a thoughtful expression hidden behind his mask.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]