Chapter 95: A Dangerous New Idea

Meanwhile, as they walked the streets of the Luofu, trailing behind Tingyun and Ms. Welt, Chen’s thoughts began to drift uncontrollably.

‘Let’s see… calculating the time… Professor Dan Heng should have disembarked from the Express by now and slipped onto the Luofu, right?’Chen rubbed his chin, a glint of entrepreneurial mischief sparkling in his eyes.’Professor Dan Heng’s solo mission is a veritable gold mine of resources! Li Big-Pillow, Luocha… these are all high-quality, unlit icons just waiting to be collected!’His mind lingered on one in particular.’Especially Luocha. That face. That whole vibe… After a gender-swap, she might be even more… ahem. I mean, the collection value is simply off the charts!’The more he pondered it, the more he felt he couldn’t let such a prime opportunity to pick up some easy gains pass him by. Besides, he could frame it as a noble endeavor.’And think about it,’he reasoned with himself,’Dan Heng is facing all those heavy burdens from her past and potential dangers all by herself. She must be under immense pressure. As her teammate and companion, it’s only right that I go and provide some backup.’And while he was at it, he could see if there was a chance to “help out.”‘For example,’a sly thought wormed its way into his brain,’I could use some… special methods to help her relieve all that stress.’An audacious idea, one that made his heart race, suddenly burst forth:’What if… what if I manage to meet Jingliu… unlock her icon, and then… transform into the female version of Jingliu to go find Dan Heng?’

The moment the thought surfaced, even Chen himself was taken aback by its sheer audacity. But then… a thrill shot through him. It sounded… exciting.

He pictured it perfectly: wearing Jingliu’s face—ethereally beautiful, chillingly cool, and tinged with a captivating madness. He would walk right up to the heavily stressed Professor Dan Heng. Without a single word, he’d just pat her on the shoulder, or better yet… press down on her head and give her hair a good, thorough ruffling.

Pfft.

Chen nearly choked, forcing a quick cough to cover up a laugh that threatened to escape. The mental image was just too perfect; he didn’t dare imagine in detail what kind of expression Dan Heng would make.

Would it be terror? Utter confusion? Or would she just draw her spear and attack on sight?

But then, a practical problem reared its head, dousing his enthusiasm with a splash of cold reality.

‘Wait… calm down, calm down.’Chen’s feverish brain cooled slightly.’I haven’t even seen Jingliu’s face yet. Her icon is nowhere near becoming a reality.’He rubbed his chin again, his mind immediately pivoting to a new, even more dangerous tangent.’What if I turned into Dan Heng’s male form instead?’His thoughts drifted in a perilous direction.’How would Sister Blade and Jingliu react if he suddenly appeared before them?’

Would Sister Blade’s eyes instantly turn crimson as she roared, “Of five people, three must pay a price!” before lunging at him with her sword?

Would Jingliu be even more direct, skipping the dialogue entirely and simply raising her hand for a decisive sword strike?

Or… would they just think he was a familiar face?

‘No, that’s not right either,’he mused.’For experts at their level, they probably recognize people by their aura, not just their appearance. Maybe they really could mistake me for the real deal… especially Jingliu. She wears that black blindfold, which makes a visual misidentification even more likely.’A new, deep question popped into his head.’By the way… does Vidyadhara reincarnation even allow for a change in gender? Now that is a question worth pondering!’

Inside Chen’s head, a frantic battle was raging. All sorts of dangerous yet tempting schemes kept bubbling up, only to be shot down by a sliver of self-preservation. The expression on his face was a chaotic slideshow—shifting from excited to solemn, from a suppressed giggle to a flicker of genuine fear.

Caelus, who was walking beside him, couldn’t help but notice the intense fluctuations in his friend’s emotional state. He tilted his head in confusion and gave Chen’s sleeve a gentle tug.

“Chen?”

“Ah? Oh! It’s nothing, nothing!” Chen snapped back to reality. He patted Caelus’s hand reassuringly and forcibly suppressed the siren call of his transformation-fueled, death-wish adventure. A nonchalant smile returned to his face as if nothing had happened.

“I was just thinking… the Luofu is so big, there must be tons of delicious food. Maybe when we get a break in our mission?” he said, his voice smooth. “How about we have Mr. Tingyun lead the way to try that Milk Cake he mentioned earlier?”

Caelus blinked. He had a strong feeling that food was the absolute last thing on Chen’s mind just a moment ago, but he still nodded obediently.

“Mm.”

Up ahead, March 7th’s ears perked up. At the mere mention of food, he immediately spun around, his eyes glowing with excitement.

“Yes, yes! Mr. Tingyun, you promised! We’ll go eat as soon as the mission’s done!”

Hearing his name, Tingyun smiled graciously.

“Leave it to me! I guarantee all you Benefactors will be thoroughly satisfied!”

Ms. Welt shook her head, a hint of helpless amusement on her face. She was already used to these young people’s uncanny ability to switch from a serious mission to a gourmet exploration at a moment’s notice.

She only offered a gentle reminder, “Focus on the task at hand first. Tracking the Stellaron Hunters is no small matter.”

“Yes, yes, Auntie Welt is right!” March 7th and Chen replied in perfect, solemn unison.

However, that little spark in Chen’s heart—the one that yearned to back up Dan Heng, unlock new icons, and dance on the knife’s edge of courting death—wasn’t completely extinguished. It was merely suppressed, shoved into a corner by his own reason.

Waiting. Waiting for the right opportunity to ignite once more.

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]