Stardust

This is indeed the best time to run away. How about it? Interested in being a pair of wandering lovers with me, drifting across the pugilist world and never bothering with worldly affairs again? Standing at the crossroads, Moumou was in no hurry to return to that old house. Instead, she stopped, put on a leering smile, crooked her finger, and began to tease Huanluo.

"Sounds great." Huanluo was already used to Moumou's occasional episodes. With a calm expression, she lowered her posture and leaned completely against Moumou from behind. The moment she leaned in, Huanluo distinctly felt Moumou's normally fluid body instantly tense up like a startled animal due to her sudden action. Smiling secretly in a blind spot where Moumou couldn't see, she had always thought that her classmate Moumou was thick-skinned to the point of being bulletproof and unbreakable, only to realize that she was actually just a pure-hearted type who loved verbal teasing but dared not take it any further. Having inexplicably grasped Moumou's fatal weakness, Huanluo's mood suddenly improved. She simply leaned right up to Moumou's ear, breathed hot air against it, and said in a lazy, improper tone, "You're willing to ditch Liangyin and be with me? I'm overjoyed."

"...W-w-w-what-what? Are you kidding me... Ha-ha-ha-he-he." Moumou was caught completely off guard by Huanluo's sudden reversal. She stood frozen in place, stiff all over, completely unable to move for a moment. Her face and neck turned beet red; if anyone were to crack an egg on her right now, it would probably cook instantly.

"..." The purpose of counter-teasing had been achieved. Judging by this, Moumou would likely keep a low profile around her for quite a long time. Highly satisfied, Huanluo silently gave herself a mental thumbs-up. Then, she slowly pulled away from Moumou to let the child, who was practically baked through, cool down. "No, I was just learning from you."

Why on earth would you learn from me out of nowhere? Holding her scorching ear where Huanluo had just breathed, tears welling in her eyes, Moumou wanted to retort, but she had no idea how to talk back. She could only swallow all the trouble she had brought upon herself, keep her mouth shut, and walk forward in silence.

Huanluo followed closely behind Moumou with a light smile. At that moment, her mind was still replaying the massive pile of information she had just gathered from the uncle and Junyan. All those messy pieces of information and clues crowded into her head, and her brain, which had been dormant for so long, simply could not sort them out into any logical order for the moment. Yet, deep down in her heart, she did not feel a shred of worry. Looking at Moumou striding ahead toward the old house, Huanluo unconsciously stepped forward to keep pace.

That person must have known why she came here, and she must have known that she also possessed such a selfish side. Yet, she had never once brought it up, simply taking all the burdens Huanluo had cast off and silently carrying them on her own shoulders. Those seemingly fragile shoulders had somehow grown into a shelter capable of blocking the wind and rain for her companions, a place that offered reliance and warmth. Clenching the Dragon Fang in her hand, Huanluo took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision. Then, she wiped away the forced, playful, and ambiguous smile from the corners of her lips, quickened her pace, and walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Moumou.

"What is it?" Sensing Huanluo's sudden change, Moumou shrank back by reflex, startled. However, Huanluo did not counter-tease her as she had expected; she just walked quietly beside her. To say it was quiet wasn't entirely accurate. For some reason, Moumou simply felt that the Huanluo of right now was different from the Huanluo of a moment ago. If the Huanluo since the death of her parents had been like a young girl who had lost her backbone, drifting with the wind in search of a place to relax and catch her breath, then the Huanluo right now was much like the sharp and unyielding Huanluo from back when Li易 and Xia Kui were still alive, completely unhidden in her brilliance.

This subtle change was hard for Moumou to describe in words. But as a best friend who had always been by Huanluo's side, Moumou could clearly sense it. Letting out a quiet smile, she realized she had waited far too long for this moment. Fortunately, Huanluo hadn't let her down in the end, finally waking up at the right time.

"How is it?" Unable to hold back the smile at the corners of her mouth, Moumou asked, "Suddenly decided to get down to business?"

"I decided that long ago." Huanluo didn't mind Moumou's question and answered frankly, "I was just too lazy to move, wanting to try living without the heavy burden, wanting to reclaim my power and my friends without putting in any effort. I've just rested enough now and can get back to work. Otherwise, if things kept going like this, what would happen if someone's shoulders got crushed by me and Liangyin?"

"Thanks for your concern." Seeing that Huanluo had finally returned to normal, Moumou finally snapped out of her startled, stiff state. "So, do you have any ideas about the current mess?"

"None." Huanluo spread her hands frankly, her tone still deadpan, though the words she uttered were hardly helpful. "To be honest, whether it's you, me, or Junyan and that uncle from Carenia who look so confident, we are all in a passive position. Even though that uncle was evasive and vague, he still couldn't avoid revealing some crucial words and information to us. Our hometowns were attacked by magical beasts, and Icasia has fallen. White-Rim City managed to hold on, but just looking at that uncle's expression tells you defending the city wasn't easy; otherwise, there would have been no reason for him and Junyan to appear here. But even after coming here, we still haven't been able to seize the initiative. Xi seems to know our every move, yet so far we haven't the foggiest idea what Xi is thinking. Other than Xi, we have no way to communicate with any of the Night Ghost clan, and the Night Ghosts don't want to talk to us either. That is the most troublesome situation right now."

"That's right." Moumou lowered her gaze slightly. "I've thought of these problems too. Right now, the initiative rests entirely in Xi's hands. Both Liangyin and the reinforcements are our soft spots; wherever she pinches, it hurts us. But don't forget, we and the Night Ghosts must reach a consensus on one matter. That is precisely one of the reasons I chose to stay here. We still hold the most important bargaining chip in our hands."

"What is it?" Huanluo asked, puzzled.

"Me—the four-element mage who is both the most crucial and the hardest to control when opening the stardust array." Before she knew it, Moumou had stopped walking and was gazing ahead. Huanluo followed her line of sight and looked forward, only to see Xi, whom they hadn't seen for days, sitting on a nearby tree. The brilliant morning glow cast a multicolored sheen over her green hair. As a gentle breeze blew, Xi narrowed her eyes in comfort, swinging her legs back and forth, looking not at all like a mastermind waiting here for Moumou and Huanluo's answer, but simply like a woodland elf who had come out to bask in the sun.