Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across Shadowcloud's face as he said, "Imagine the faces of the Dawn Sect if they found out their noble, pure, and beautiful saintess had been bedded by a newly awakened youngster. I'd really love to see their reactions."
Victor's expression also turned somewhat awkward.
If this matter were to get out, it's likely that quite a few people from the Dawn Sect would seek out John for a duel to the death.
At this moment, aboard the floating train, John was blissfully unaware of the significant trouble he had stirred up.
The train sped through the sky, the view outside shrouded in a grey haze, obscuring everything as though it were already night.
Inside, the train was well-lit, with John enjoying a first-class seat thanks to his Hidden Stars identity.
The first-class compartment was a luxurious room all to itself, bathed in warm lighting.
It was equipped with a bed, bedding, and an ensuite bathroom, resembling a deluxe suite in a high-end hotel.
Sitting on the soft bed and eyeing the fruit tray in front of him, John couldn't help but marvel at the perks of wealth, which seemed to grant special treatment everywhere.
Considering he now had one hundred million federal coins to his name, he felt quite affluent indeed.
As he was reveling in these thoughts, a colorful shimmer suddenly appeared in front of him.
Following this, Yina, fluttering her wings listlessly, drifted out from the Contract Space.
The usually adorable Yina now looked somewhat haggard, with large dark circles under her eyes and a hint of redness in her eye sockets.
She yawned, flapped her wings a couple of times in the air, and then landed on John's shoulder, looking ready to fall asleep at any moment.
John was taken aback by her appearance and asked, "What happened to you?"
Yina rolled her eyes at him, huffily turned her head away, and couldn't be bothered to engage with John.
The night before, Yina was sleeping peacefully in the Contract Space when she sensed an unusual fluctuation of energy.
A sweep of her mind power revealed John and Scarlett in an intimate embrace.
As a being of high and pure stature, a Stellar God, Yina had never encountered such a scene, and her psyche was greatly shocked.
Even though she managed to sever the mental link promptly, the vivid images kept flashing through her mind, resulting in a sleepless night.
She felt her spirit had been sullied by John's actions, tarnished.
This thought turned her eyes red again.
Her tiny fists pummeled John's cheeks as she cried out, "You jerk, how dare you defile me! Once I regain my divine power, I'll turn you into a worm!"
Yina's strength was nearly negligible, so her blows did no harm to John, leaving him utterly baffled.
He lifted Yina from his shoulder, frowning, "When the hell did I 'defile' you? Make yourself clear."
This tiny creature wasn't even as big as his fist; even if John were a brute, he wouldn't lay a hand on her.
Suspended in mid-air by John, Yina struggled as she cried, "You still deny it? It was last night!"
"Last night?" John paused, realization dawning on him, his face immediately turning awkward.
His mouth twitched, "You saw that?"
Yina didn't respond, only cried louder, confirming John's suspicion.
This was indeed an awkward revelation.
He coughed, swiftly shifting the blame, "How can you fault me for this? You were the one who came out on your own. Moreover, if we're to speak frankly, it should be considered an invasion of my personal privacy on your part. To think you'd then turn around and accuse me of defiling you—do all deities engage in such shamelessness?"
Yina's crying abruptly stopped.
She widened her gem-like eyes, staring blankly at John, her thin lips moving silently as her mind scrambled, unable to formulate a rebuttal.
Seizing the opportunity, John quickly changed the subject.
He stated with gravity, "Alright, I'm a rather magnanimous person, so I'll forgive you this time. But if there's a next time, don't blame me for...uh, cutting your snacks."
After pondering for a while, John realized that the most effective threat to Yina seemed to be this one indeed.
Sure enough, at the mention of snacks, Yina's expression immediately tightened.
She clasped her hands together, ready to bow in apology.
However, halfway through her bow, Yina suddenly caught herself, her brows shooting up in anger, "You big liar, it's clearly your fault! If I hadn't sensed the aura of the Dawn Goddess on that woman beside you, I wouldn't have seen..."
At this point, Yina's face turned as red as an apple, seemingly recalling the scene, unable to continue her sentence.
Upon hearing Yina's words, John froze in place.
"The aura of the Dawn Goddess?" he murmured, disbelief filling his eyes.
How could Scarlett possibly have the aura of the Dawn Goddess?
In John's understanding, only members of the Dawn Sect within the Federal could possibly carry the aura of the Dawn Goddess.
But Scarlett couldn't be one of the Dawn Sect...
We've known each other for so many...
His thoughts abruptly halted there.
The reality was, he and Scarlett had only been acquainted for a few years.
Beyond what Scarlett had shared about being orphaned and raised by a couple, John realized he knew virtually nothing else about her.
Silence enveloped him as it dawned on him how little they truly knew about each other.
Sensing the shift in mood, Yina quieted down.
Observing John's expression, she pursed her lips, then said, "The aura of Dawn on her is strong; she must be a God's Chosen of the Dawn Goddess. Among all the people you've met, she is the strongest. Although she didn't harm you, she left a subtle aura on you. Its exact purpose is beyond my current understanding, but it appears harmless."
Pausing briefly, Yina added, "Rumor has it, the Dawn Goddess has some beef with the entity at the end of the stellar ocean, but that's all I know."
With that, her figure vanished into thin air, likely returning to the Contract Space.
Left alone in the luxurious room, John stared out at the gray, murky sky, lost in thought.
The Dawn Goddess and the entity at the end of the stellar ocean had some unsettled scores.
And he was the chosen one of that entity, while Scarlett was the God's Chosen of the Dawn Goddess.
Perhaps Scarlett's initial approach had motives far less simple than he had imagined...
What puzzled John the most was why Scarlett, having had numerous opportunities, hadn't killed him.
His gaze grew complex as he pondered this.
It was hard for him to imagine what their next meeting would be like—would it be hostile, or as if nothing had happened?
Either way, it seemed unlikely that things could ever return to how they once were.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
As John was lost in thought, a sudden knocking at the door brought him back to reality.
He let out a long sigh, casting aside his tumultuous thoughts, and said, "Come in."
Expecting the door to reveal a train attendant delivering a meal, John initially didn't pay much attention.
However, the person who entered made him jump to his feet, his eyes immediately wary.
Standing in the doorway was Robert, dressed in a striking red suit, smiling.
John's expression turned serious.
He had thought the House Carter would wait until he reached the Imperial Capital before making a move, yet here they were, hardly having left Stellarburg, and they had already eagerly sought him out.
Robert politely closed the door behind him and greeted in a gentlemanly manner, "Mr. John, it's been a while."
"The young master of House Carter, what brings you to me?" John replied with a smile, though his hand discreetly moved towards his storage ring.
Ready to draw his weapon at any sign of trouble, the feud between him and House Carter wasn't something that could be easily resolved.
Unless he actually joined House Carter.
But that was out of the question.
No matter how attractive the conditions offered by House Carter might be, John would never place his life in the hands of others.
Robert, noticing John's vigilance, remained unbothered, his face sporting its usual smile.
He spread his hands, saying, "Mr. John, no need to be on edge. I come with no ill intent, merely wishing to inquire how you've considered my offer from last time."
Before John could respond, Robert's narrow eyes suddenly squinted, implying deeper meaning, "Mr. John, there's no rush to answer. My men are guarding outside, and we are alone here. No one will disturb us, so you can take your time to think it over before answering."
John's expression darkened instantly.
Threat! This was an unequivocal threat!
John clenched his fists, astounded that Robert would dare to confront him on the floating train.
Neither Victor nor anyone from Hidden Stars was here to help him now.
Unless he jumped from the sky-high altitude of the train...
No, that wouldn't work either.
If Robert dared to trouble him aboard the floating train, he must have prepared thoroughly, ensuring that even a leap from the train wouldn't grant John escape.