Chapter 364: Return to the Wasteland, The Imminent Garden Festival

Passing through the void.

The scene outside the train window returned once more to that familiar wasteland.

"Huh? Two and a half days have passed? The time dilation ratio of the last station was that low?"

"So, could it be that the weaker the advanced station, the lower its time dilation ratio?"

The answer seemed to be just that, yet it also didn't seem to be the whole story.

Ye Qiyan shook his head and habitually opened the Public Chat Room and his Friends List after returning.

On it, someone really had sent him messages.

Zhao Lin: ["Brother Qiyan, are you coming to participate in this Public Trading Station?"]

The first message was from two days ago.

["Brother Qiyan, the Hanging Gardens actually disintegrated before! Wow, do you know what happened there?"]

["...You, are you okay? Are you hurt?"]

This one was from three hours ago.

"Public Trading Station? If she hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about that place."

"Come to think of it, it's true. Besides the Forward Station, I really haven't been to any other Public Trading Stations."

That being said, he actually knew the reason.

His current train level was far higher compared to the Train Conductors from the same batch. The items that could be bought in the Public Trading Stations they entered were at most Level 5 or 6.

For him now, it wasn't as profitable as just entering the next station.

["Been a bit busy, just saw the messages. What's up?"]

A reply quickly came from the other side of the chat box.

["I knew Brother Qiyan, being so awesome, would be fine, heh. About the Hanging Gardens disintegrating, Brother Qiyan, do you know about it?"]

Of course he knew. In fact, he was a frontline participant who experienced it firsthand.

["A little bit, I've heard about it."]

["These past few days, all those scattered regions on the planet have ascended back into the sky. The Hanging Gardens are almost done reassembling."]

["So?"]

["So, in a few days, the Hanging Gardens are holding a grand Ascension Ceremony. On that day, it's also the Hanging Gardens' Garden Festival. I heard there will be lots of interesting activities to participate in. Brother Qiyan, you... are you coming?"]

A festival? Activities?

That Hanging Gardens?

It seemed like not much time had passed since he left.

To have already reassembled and re-ascended this quickly, it looked like the city's administrators had some capability.

"The day after tomorrow, huh..."

He pondered briefly.

Come to think of it, he had already entered several station worlds continuously.

Going to a city occasionally wouldn't be bad.

Just...

"Although I'd like to say I'd go just to rest and do nothing, I always feel like every time I go to those cities, things more troublesome than in station worlds end up happening."

This wasn't a misconception, but a fact.

Whether it was the City of a Thousand Stars, Suoluo City, or now the Hanging Gardens...

It seemed the cities he visited didn't end up well.

But none of this could be blamed on him, Ye Qiyan.

Tracing it back to the root cause.

It was all trouble stirred up by that charlatan, Zhu Xingshu. He, Ye Qiyan, was completely the victim!

["Let me think about it, I might have time."]

It wasn't just thinking.

Ye Qiyan did want to go to the Hanging Gardens for their festival.

But the prerequisite was that Zhu Xingshu wasn't there.

So he opened the private chat box with Zhu Xingshu.

["Charlatan Boss, are you causing trouble in the Hanging Gardens lately?"]

He was about to press send after typing the message, but a prompt suddenly popped up on the system interface.

[Your time stream is not synchronized with this Train Conductor. Please acquire a Time Stream Synchronization Module before attempting communication.]

Time streams not synchronized?

In other words.

Zhu Xingshu, entered a station world?

"Right, ever since I met her, she always seemed to be staying in various cities. No matter what, she should be entering a new station by now."

He was just about to close the interface, but on it, Zhu Xingshu suddenly sent a message.

["Hehe, Little Brother Ye~ What's up, missing your big sister? Although I'm not as strong as Shaya, I can still look out for you."]

["So..."]

["Looking for me for something?"]

Such a lively, jumping tone clearly indicated she wasn't in her charlatan mode right now.

["Wanted to ask if you were in the Hanging Gardens. Looks like you're not now. Nothing else, you can go about your business. That's all, bye."]

If she was in an advanced station, then the Hanging Gardens probably wouldn't...

["Mhm, I'm not in the Hanging Gardens, but... fate tells me that for a period of time starting soon, that place will be somewhat dangerous."]

A certain Level 11 station world.

Zhu Xingshu knelt before the Astrological Platform.

All around her.

Countless bizarre, humanoid magical beasts were attacking a starry-colored protective barrier with various spells.

The stellar cores in Zhu Xingshu's eyes shone brilliantly.

Her face held not a trace of expression.

The Astrolabe spun at her fingertips. In the sky, meteors continuously fell towards the ground.

["I do not recommend you go to the Hanging Gardens."]

["Something not very good will happen there."]

["Although you won't die from it, placing yourself in danger holds no meaning."]

Such a serious Zhu Xingshu.

So serious it felt weird.

["...Thanks for the warning."]

["So, you're still going to go, right?"]

["Just going to look around a bit. If I encounter danger, I'll just leave immediately."]

Zhu Xingshu withdrew from her charlatan state.

She propped her chin up with both hands and chuckled a few times, humming.

["Then, can I ask you for a favor?"]

Ye Qiyan chose to refuse without hesitation.

["No."]

["Aww, don't be so cold~ It won't be troublesome at all. I just want you to help me get something from the Hanging Gardens. Don't worry, it's not a Card Sequence, and it's not stealing either. Just, simply obtaining it. I can even give you an advance payment~"]

Zhu Xingshu sent over a screenshot.

[Time Stream Synchronization Chat Permission (Tradable)]

["You probably need this, right? Hehe, in advanced station worlds, this kind of thing is very useful~ I haven't even given one to Shaya."]

["Then you should give it to Shaya."]

["Can't do that~ Shaya's wanted posters are plastered all over the streets. She'd get discovered just going out to look for something. In the organization right now, the only one who has time to go to the Hanging Gardens and won't be easily discovered is you, Little Brother Ye~"]

["Oh right, speaking of Shaya, you might actually run into her there. So~"]

Zhu Xingshu's tone suddenly changed.

["That item is a guiding oil lamp. It exists in the Second District of the Hanging Gardens. Obtain it. Ye Qiyan, believe me this once. This is not about obeying fate's whispers. It is about playing the symphony that changes fate. The only one who can do this is you."]