Chapter 247: I’m Just a Common Enemy?! (Part 1)

At first, Tingyun felt a bit awkward singing and dancing, but after a while, she got used to it and even found it somewhat enjoyable. Of course, her primary motivation was to see just how far Pei Guang could go; otherwise, she would have walked away long ago.

Pei Guang, meanwhile, moved quickly. After dividing the spoils and explaining the battle strategy, he stood up, ready to lead the group.

Pei Guang: "Miss Tingyun, no need to dance anymore. We've received your buff, so now it's time to move out. We're not too familiar with the routes in the Alchemy Commission, so we'll rely on you to guide us."

Tingyun stopped singing and dancing, smiled, and stepped closer to him. "It's my pleasure to assist you, Trailblazers. Leave the navigation to me. However, if I recall correctly, Master Diviner Fu Xuan does have a task she needs your help with."

Pei Guang gestured toward where Fu Xuan was waiting. "Not a problem; she's right over there. Honestly, I can pretty much guess what her task is—it's either traps or mechanisms blocking the army's progress, and she needs us to clear the way. Who knows, we might even run into one of those fun 'fuse' puzzles I love so much."

After three maps without a single fuse puzzle, Pei Guang felt an itch of disappointment. He had prepared various types of fuses and even gathered materials to craft more, yet not one had been used. A shame, really.

March 7th, crossing her arms, pouted. "It's funny how the guy in the Seat of Divine Foresight kept saying this was internal Xianzhou business and outsiders couldn't interfere. Now look at us—stuck in the middle of everything!"

Pei Guang patted her shoulder. "This kind of thing is par for the course. Honestly, this has been one of the smoothest journeys I've had in all my years of gaming. Sure, that little boss at the beginning had a bad attitude, but overall, we've been treated like VIPs. Every major NPC, from Jing Yuan to the Cloud Knights, has shown us respect. Compare that to other places—this is a breeze."

March 7th thought about it and nodded. "You're right. Aside from Yukong at the start, everyone's been super polite. This might actually be my favorite Trailblazing trip so far—fun and almost no doubters!"

Meanwhile, Stelle pulled out her bat, hopping in place with excitement. "I can't wait! But Ah Guang, do you think we'll get any loot this time?"

Her words drew the attention of the other seven members of the group. Pei Guang estimated thoughtfully. "Based on prior experience, if Kafka—just a mid-level elite enemy—dropped loot, then a pre-boss elite one should too, right? If this map doesn't give us good stuff for defeating an elite before the boss, I'm giving it a low rating for poor design."

Stelle grinned at March 7th. "Hear that? With Ah Guang's guarantee, we're getting loot for sure!"

March 7th added, "Let's make guesses—who'll get the best drop this time?"

From her trash can, Bailu poked her head out. "I'm guessing Ah Guang! Winning or losing doesn't matter; I just have faith in him."

March 7th turned to Bailu. "Hey! That was my line!"

Bailu shrugged. "First come, first served. Want to say it again?"

Pei Guang interjected, "Let's not jinx ourselves, okay? If we curse the loot drop, we'll regret it. But if we do run into an elite enemy, everyone, go easy on it. If it has a pouch, try to capture it alive."

Stelle frowned. "Alive? Didn't you say we're wiping out all of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?"

Pei Guang nodded seriously. "Of course, we're wiping them out. But for masterminds who've caused suffering and chaos, death is too merciful. If we can capture them alive and hand them over to Fu Xuan or Jing Yuan, they'll face justice far harsher than death."

March 7th pondered this. "What if Fu Xuan or Jing Yuan let them off easy? What then?"

Dan Heng, silent until now, spoke up. "If it's the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the only fate awaiting them is judgment by the Ten-Lords Commission. Their methods may not be as brutal as Ah Guang's, but they're far more severe than a quick death."

Pei Guang nodded. "It's your homeland, so we'll follow your lead. If there's loot, we'll take them alive. But no pressure—if they resist too much, we'll kill them. Rewards come and go, but all of you matter a million times more to me."

Stelle tilted her head and asked with a teasing grin, "But what if the loot is even more valuable than us?"

Pei Guang mused, "Honestly, I can't think of any reward more important than you guys. The power of the Aeons? If I max out my level, I doubt I'd lose to any of these background decorations. Weapons, equipment, and items? As long as they're functional, they're fine. Plus, I'm planning that by the late game, every teammate will be fully decked out with top-tier gear, maxed skills, and levels. By then, when we face a Lord Ravager, I can just shout, 'Galactic Lancer, step forward!' and Dan Heng will stab them into oblivion with a single strike."

Pei Guang wasn't naive. Many games had scenarios where players could kill a kind NPC or an important ally for legendary items or gear. Maybe in a second or third playthrough, some might consider it. But on the first playthrough? Aside from those who thrived in "chaos", no one wanted to sacrifice companions or morally rich NPCs for some loot. If that principle held even in games, how much harder would it be in a setting like this?

As a player, Pei Guang always followed his instincts. If he didn't want to do something or couldn't bring himself to, he simply didn't. No need for overthinking—just do what feels right.

March 7th nodded approvingly. "Not bad, Ah Guang. I like what I'm hearing! Say more, come on."

Pei Guang waved her off. "What's there to say? Let's head out. Fu Xuan is probably tired of waiting for us. Let's go, let's go!"

With their resources fully stocked, Pei Guang was eager to dive into the next challenge, anticipating elite mobs or even a boss battle that might drop valuable loot. The thought alone filled him with energy.

But as they took their first step, they saw Fu Xuan at their meeting point… holding her breath.

"What are you doing?" Pei Guang asked.

Startled by his question, Fu Xuan choked and coughed. "Ahem… I was practicing holding my breath."

March 7th, ever considerate, rushed to pat Fu Xuan's back. "Take it easy, no one's going to eat you."

Seele smirked. "I feel like if she could drop good loot, Ah Guang might do something even scarier than eating her."

Her comment made everyone recall poor Sampo. Ever since Pei Guang marked him as a "lootable" NPC, Sampo had been hunted so relentlessly that he fled beyond the Jarilo-VI system. According to Pei Guang, Sampo still showed up on the minimap, but he avoided Belobog like the plague, knowing Pei Guang was waiting to farm him for gear.

Sampo's drops were exceptional, especially for Dan Heng, and Pei Guang felt like he was losing out on a fortune by not farming him hundreds of times.

"Seele, maybe don't speak such harsh truths," Stelle whispered. "She might actually run away. And if she does, it'll be bad."

Seele shrugged. "I'm just being honest. If she can't handle that, maybe she's not cut out to join us. Besides, no one pities Sampo. For all the shady things he's done, letting Ah Guang farm him for loot a few more times is a fair trade."

Fu Xuan, having caught her breath, responded with surprising calm. "If I can drop things you need, then by all means, farm me. Just promise me that when Xianzhou faces danger, you'll lend us a hand."

Fu Xuan had a pragmatic view. To her, Pei Guang's actions, while unconventional, were ultimately beneficial for Xianzhou. Being "farmed" wasn't even a bad deal—drink some coffee, have a nice nap, and maybe get to see an Aeon cameo. 

Not bad at all. She rested, Pei Guang got loot, and Xianzhou benefitted—a win-win-win!

But when Fu Xuan finished speaking, Pei Guang's face visibly contorted in disdain.