"Whose phoenix looks like a female phoenix?!"
The creature that Su Chang called the Great Phoenix was lying on the ground, looking fat and bloated, with a big belly like a free-range chicken. It looked utterly hopeless.
"This...is a phoenix!"
Su Chang, who was on her deathbed, sat up in shock and heard the wanted criminal in front of her complaining about her phoenix. She silently raised her hand and used her last bit of strength to correct him.
“...”
Even Rakshasa, standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim in amazement: "This is a medical miracle!"
"I told you not to go, you can't beat him." Dan Heng finally spoke up.
He first glanced at Su Chang and shook his head, then turned his gaze to Zhou Xiao in the distance:
"Long time no see, Zhou Xiao."
"Hmm...it doesn't seem like it's been that long, right?" Zhou Xiao said, stroking his chin after hearing Dan Heng's greeting.
"??!!"
Their natural greeting shocked both Rakshasa and the half-dead Su Chang.
"You two...know each other?" Rakshasa asked while treating Su Chang.
"Hmm..." Dan Heng nodded.
"Why didn't you say so earlier..." Su Chang spat out a mouthful of blood and looked at Dan Heng.
"I wanted to say it... but you were too brave and didn't give me a chance."
Su Shang: "..."
“Indeed…the young men and women of the Immortal Boat these days are all too arrogant…they all insist on challenging me.” Zhou Xiao also agreed with Dan Heng’s assessment of Su Chang as “brave.”
"But... I can understand. What kind of young people aren't spirited? They're not young, are they?"
Dan Heng: "..."
It feels so familiar.
Dan Heng felt that Zhou Xiao hadn't changed at all in his way of speaking; he was still the same... the same, astonishingly eloquent man.
“Everyone…misses you and has been looking for you. We came to Xianzhou this time to bring you back to the train.” Dan Heng, the first person in the train crew to see Zhou Xiao, said, trying to persuade him to stay.
"Take me back to the train?" Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, then asked:
"Why? Didn't I leave you a letter...? When you went to Yalilo VI later, didn't Clara give it to you?"
"That little brat..."
“She gave it to me,” Danheng interrupted. “However… Star Core Hunters aren’t good people. Neither Himeko, Mr. Welt, March 7th, nor I… want you to join the Star Core Hunters and become a wanted criminal in the universe…”
"Come back with me, Zhou Xiao. You're an indispensable part of this train."
Tsk tsk tsk!
The phrase "an indispensable part of the train" completely shocked Zhou Xiao. He couldn't believe these words came from the icy-faced Dan Heng...
There's a strange sense of incongruity.
"I'll be back on the train someday, but not now..." Zhou Xiao paused for two seconds before continuing, "Regarding the trip to Yalilo, and the matter of the Great Lord of Annihilation, you should know about it later..."
"I killed that Great Lord of Annihilation..."
"???"
ah?
When Rakshasa, who was listening in, heard Zhou Xiao utter such chilling words so casually, his expression froze slightly. He had previously heard from interstellar broadcasts that a Great Lord of Annihilation had perished in the star system near Yalilo VI...
At the time, he speculated that it must have been done by other Star God messengers or Star Gods themselves...
I never expected this...
The Venerable One is right before my eyes!
Goodness...
Luocha didn't think Zhou Xiao was bragging... At the same time, he was also very happy for Su Chang.
Thankfully, the other party was just playing around with Su Chang...
If you use your full strength...
I reckon Su Chang's ashes have been scattered by now, so even if he could heal her, he definitely couldn't bring her back.
...
While Luosha was feeling relieved, Zhou Xiao and Dan Heng continued their conversation.
“The Destroyer Star God Nanuk has his eye on me, and there seems to be something terrifying inside me…” Zhou Xiao said slowly, his scarlet eyes looking at his right hand.
The crimson power swirled around the palm of his right hand and his fingertips, a scene reminiscent of a gentleman count who had received some forbidden power... elegant yet tinged with a hint of terror.
The instant this power appeared... Dan Heng sensed extreme danger.
He had seen Zhou Xiao use this power before... but there was no doubt that it was never as powerful as it was now.
"Illusion and reality... truth and falsehood, I am in danger, for the train... and even more so for you."
Zhou Xiao had no intention of hiding this matter, nor did he have anything to hide.
By choosing to leave a letter for the train, he meant that he wouldn't suffer any greater estrangement or pain due to misunderstandings, as depicted in some melodramatic novels.
“So… I need to leave for a while. I need to understand the secrets I hold and the destiny I bear…” Zhou Xiao’s eyes returned to Dan Heng, and seeing him pause, he asked:
"Danheng, you should understand, right?"
“...”
Dan Heng, who was called out by Zhou Xiao, remained silent for a few seconds.
He understood that Zhou Xiao chose to leave to protect them... Just like now, if Ren were to attack his companions on the Immortal Ship because of him, he would choose to stay and fight Ren, letting his companions leave.
He understood Zhou Xiao's feelings.
Of course.
As someone who understands Zhou Xiao, he naturally wouldn't say things like March 7th, Himeko, and Xingmei, such as, "We are your partners, we are the Starry Sky Train family, we can face this together with you."
“Yes, I understand.” Dan Heng nodded, then asked another question: “But…why did you choose to join the Star Core Hunters?”
"This..." Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this and answered:
"Because the Star Core Hunters are all talented individuals, and they're also very pleasant to talk to..."
Dan Heng: "..."
There is a kind of silence called Danheng's silence.
"Are you... serious?"
"Just saying," Zhou Xiao cleared his throat and continued, "Actually, there's no particular reason. It's just that the Star Core Hunter contacted me first... and invited me."
"When I saw that they all had hefty bounties and were all big bad guys, I decided to join. Besides... the conditions they offered me were quite good... although I don't know if I can actually fulfill them."
Dan Heng: "..."
How should I put it?
This reason seems more plausible than what Zhou Xiao just gave.
But it's not exactly reliable either!
"Alright..." Dan Heng could only accept Zhou Xiao's explanation in the end, but then he suddenly remembered something and reminded Zhou Xiao:
"By the way, there's a guy named Blade among the Star Core Hunters. He's dangerous; you'd better stay away from him..."
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