FVN Chapter 40 Tokens
Chapter 40 Tokens
On the desolate planet, there is only wind and rocks.
Keisha sat back in the depths of the cave, gazing towards the entrance. There, a campfire emitted a steady warmth, dispelling the chill of this desolate planet.
She has been here for three hours.
Zhao Chen said he would be back soon, but three hours have passed and he still hasn't appeared.
Keisha closed her eyes and tried to mobilize the divine power within her body. The recovery of her divine body was slower than expected; although the sealing runes had been broken, their residual effects remained. She could now exert less than one-tenth of her peak strength.
Faint footsteps could be heard outside the cave entrance.
She opened her eyes, and Zhao Chen's figure appeared in the moonlight.
"The area has been cleared." He walked in and sat down next to her. "There's no trace of angels or void creatures around."
Keisha nodded.
"Thanks."
Zhao Chen glanced at her, took out a piece of dried meat from his storage ring, and handed it to her.
"Have something to eat."
Keisha took it and took a bite. It didn't taste very good, but she was used to it.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly spoke.
"He Xi and Liang Bing..."
"I know."
Keisha looked up at him.
Zhao Chen gazed at the starry sky outside the cave, his golden pupils reflecting the starlight.
"They are still on Tiancheng Star."
Keisha's fingers tightened slightly.
"That girl He Xi is definitely trying to figure something out," she said softly. "Liang Bing is too. The two of them... are both incredibly stubborn."
Zhao Chen turned to look at her.
"You want me to pick them up?"
Keisha was stunned.
She hadn't considered that. This man had already taken a tremendous risk to rescue her from prison; to ask him to go back now—
"you……"
"I can go," Zhao Chen interrupted her, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather, "but I need a token. Otherwise, they won't believe me."
Keisha stared at him for a long time.
There was no hesitation, nor any hint of self-aggrandizement, in those golden eyes. It was as if they were stating something perfectly natural.
"Why?" she asked.
"Why? Why?"
"Why would you take this risk for me?" Keisha stared at him. "You've already rescued me. They are my sisters, not your responsibility."
Zhao Chen remained silent for a moment.
"Because you are my woman now, and they are your sisters," he said. "You care about them."
Keisha was stunned.
Moonlight slanted in through the cave entrance, falling on his face. His cold, stern face was expressionless, but the light in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.
She lowered her head and took off a pendant from her neck.
It was a thumb-sized golden pendant, completely translucent, with a faint golden light flowing inside, as if sealing a miniature divine light. It was a token of the Tianren family, and also her identity mark that she had worn since childhood.
"This is my keepsake," she handed it to him. "Both He Xi and Liang Bing recognize it."
Zhao Chen took the pendant and put it into his storage ring.
"Wait here." Zhao Chen stood up. "Don't wander off."
Keisha looked at him.
Are you sure you can come back?
Zhao Chen looked down at her, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"If it were certain, it wouldn't be considered a risk."
Keisha froze, then couldn't help but laugh.
It was a very light and faint smile, but it was the first time she had truly smiled since being imprisoned.
"madman."
Zhao Chen did not refute, and turned to walk out of the cave.
With a flash of golden light, the figure disappeared into the night sky.
Keisha leaned against the rock wall, gazing towards the cave entrance. Her delicate hand unconsciously reached for her neck, but the pendant was no longer there, only a trace of warmth remaining.
She suddenly remembered the flames burning in his eyes when he forcefully kissed her.
The calmness in those eyes when he said, "Because they are your sisters."
They are the same pair of eyes, yet they hold so many different things within them.
She closed her eyes, a slight smile curving her lips.
"Crazy," she whispered.
This time, there was no sarcasm in her tone, only a gentleness that she herself was unaware of.
-
Tiancheng Star, the territory of the Tianji family.
Zhao Chen transformed into an inconspicuous night bird, circling above the manor. His keen eyes pierced through layers of buildings, and he quickly located his target in a secluded study.
He Xi was sitting at her desk, holding a crystal plate in her hand, her brows furrowed. She was wearing a light purple loungewear outfit, her long golden hair casually draped over her shoulders, a stark contrast to her usual cold and aloof combat demeanor.
There were guards outside the study, but not many. After all, she hadn't yet let Keisha go.
Zhao Chen squeezed through the window crack, landed in the corner, and returned to human form.
He Xi suddenly looked up, her hand already on the short sword on the table.
"Don't move," Zhao Chen whispered. "Keisha sent me."
Zhao Chen took the golden pendant out of his storage ring and placed it on the table.
He Xi stared at the pendant, her pupils slightly contracting. She picked it up and examined it carefully, only turning her gaze back to Zhao Chen after confirming it was genuine.
"How is she?"
"It's very safe," Zhao Chen said. "I'm recuperating on a secluded planet."
He Xi was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Who are you? Why would she give you this token?"
Zhao Chen looked at her but did not answer the question.
"She asked me to pick you up. Where's Liang Bing?"
He Xi stared at him, her gaze full of scrutiny. The man before her possessed an elusive aura, unpredictable methods, and an unknown origin. But Keisha's token was indeed in his hands—she knew Keisha's character; she would never hand it over unless she had absolute trust.
"Liang Bing is still with the Tianqi family." She stood up. "I'll take you there."
"No need," Zhao Chen said. "Just give me the address, I'll go myself. Get ready, leave the planet first and wait for us to meet up, then we'll leave together."
He Xi hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.
"The Apocalypse Family is in the East District, at the end of Third Avenue. She should be under house arrest in her villa right now."
"Household confinement?"
"She's too flamboyant, openly saying she's going to rescue Keisha. The Apocalypse Family locked her up and won't let her leave." He Xi sneered. "That girl, everything is written all over her face."
Zhao Chen nodded and put the pendant away.
"Wait for my news."
Zhao Chen transformed into a night bird once more and flew out of the window.
-
The Tianqi Family, a separate residence.
Liang Bing sat on the windowsill, staring blankly at the night sky. She wore a simple, plain-colored long dress, her long hair was loose, and her face lacked its usual liveliness, only showing a suppressed anxiety.
The door was locked, and guards stood watch outside. Her grandfather had made it very clear: she was not to step out of the courtyard until she calmed down.
Calm? How could she be calm? Keisha has been imprisoned in the dungeon, her fate unknown. How could she possibly be calm?
As she was thinking, she suddenly sensed a presence behind her.
She turned around abruptly and saw a man in black standing in the middle of the room, looking at her.
Liang Bing's pupils contracted, and she almost cried out. But she held back—anyone who could infiltrate this place silently was definitely not an ordinary person.
"Who are you?"
Zhao Chen took out the pendant and tossed it to her.
Liang Bing caught it and was stunned for a moment.
"This belongs to my sister..."
"She's safe," Zhao Chen interrupted her. "I've come to pick you up."
Liang Bing stared at him, then at the pendant, then back at him, her expression incredibly complex.
"You...you were sent by her? No, who are you? How can she have a man? When did my sister...?"
"Ask your questions later," Zhao Chen said. "Come with me now. He Xi is already preparing."
Liang Bing took a deep breath, suppressed her many questions, and jumped down from the windowsill.
"Walk."
Zhao Chen walked to the door and pointed. The immobilization spell landed on the two guards outside, and they froze instantly.
Zhao Chen pushed open the door and turned to look at her.
"Stay close."
Liang Bing looked at the two guards who were frozen in place, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
This man... he's got something.
-
Two hours later, the three figures met on a small satellite on the outer edge of Tiancheng Star.
He Xi had changed back into her combat uniform and was carrying a small backpack. Liang Bing, on the other hand, was still wearing her plain-colored long dress and carrying nothing, which made her look somewhat out of place.
The two women stared at Zhao Chen, their eyes full of scrutiny.
"Where is my sister?" He Xi asked.
"Come with me."
Zhao Chen turned around, activated the Golden Crow Escape Light, and disappeared into the starry sky as a golden light.
He Xi and Liang Bing exchanged a glance, spread their wings, and followed.
-
On a desolate planet, at the entrance of a cave.
Keisha leaned against the rock wall, gazing blankly at the starry sky.
Suddenly, three golden rays descended from the sky.
She stood up abruptly, looking at the three figures—He Xi, Liang Bing, and the madman.
"sister!"
Liang Bing was the first to rush over and hug her tightly.
He Xi followed behind, and although she didn't rush up, the light in her eyes betrayed her emotions.
Keisha was struggling to breathe due to the cold ice, but she couldn't help but smile.
"It's alright," she said softly. "I'm alright."
Liang Bing released her, took a step back, stared at the wounds on her body that had already healed, and her eyes reddened.
What did they do to you?
"It's all in the past."
He Xi stepped forward, looked at her, and then looked at Zhao Chen standing not far away.
"Sis, who is he?"
Keisha followed her gaze and met those golden eyes.
She paused for a moment.
"His name is Zhao Chen," Keisha said. "He saved me."
He Xi and Liang Bing exchanged a glance.
Liang Bing lowered her voice and deliberately leaned close to Keisha's ear: "Sister, he told us that he is your husband..."
Keisha's body stiffened.
She suddenly looked at Zhao Chen, who was leaning against the rock wall with a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, looking as if it were none of his business.
"..."
He Xi looked at her, her eyes full of questions.
Keisha took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"We'll talk about this later."
Liang Bing blinked, then looked at Zhao Chen, then at Keisha, and a meaningful smile appeared on her face.
"Oh~ We'll talk about it later~"
"Shut up."
He Xi didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly in a tiny arc.
Moonlight shone on the cave entrance, casting long shadows of the four people.
In the distance, the starry sky remains vast.