Ata was very close—so close Mushiyu could reach out and touch her. She must have rushed to Mushiyu’s side the moment the incident began. The crowd split into two groups. One group was the original passengers, now mostly bewildered and terrified, clearly clueless about what happened. The other group looked like bandits but wore matching uniforms, each brandishing weapons to threaten the passengers.

These people… were they already on the airship? Mushiyu frowned. Weapons were confiscated upon boarding. How did they get theirs back?

Then she glanced at the boy standing beside her. He calmly adjusted his collar, ignoring the chaos completely.

“Where’s Vida?” the boy asked. His voice was young but unnaturally steady, radiating cold indifference.

An old soul in a young body? The thought flashed through Mushiyu’s mind.

“Reporting to Lord Jie, Lord Vida encountered trouble in the main cabin and is handling it,” a masked man stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

“Trouble?” Lord Jie blinked. He strode toward the main cabin but suddenly turned back. He grabbed a bulging pouch from his waist and dropped the ten silver coins from the table into it. Coins clinked crisply inside.

Mushiyu grumbled inwardly: Hey, I won that game! That money’s mine… no, Ata’s! Seriously?

The boy weighed the pouch, then tossed it into Mushiyu’s lap. She fumbled to catch it, staring up at him blankly.

“This is your reward for beating me,” he said flatly.

“Huh? Oh…” The heavy pouch held far more than twenty coins. (She’d bet ten and won ten—he owed her twenty.)

“Your name?” he asked.

“Mu… Mu!” Mushiyu stammered, almost slipping.

“Mumu? Noted.” He nodded and left.

Mushiyu’s face flushed. She wanted to correct him—*Mu*, not Mumu—but the fierce masked men nearby silenced her.

As Lord Jie left, some masked men followed. The rest formed a circle, shouting for passengers to crouch in corners with hands on heads. Gleaming blades waved, forcing obedience.

Ata pulled Mushiyu down against the wall. Mushiyu clutched the coin pouch, lost.

“Sister Ata, this—”

Ata pressed a finger to Mushiyu’s lips, leaning close. “Keep it. Stay quiet,” she whispered.

Mushiyu shifted back slightly, nodding with a soft “Mm.”

Meanwhile, the main cabin felt eerie. Most passengers crouched with hands up, surrounded by masked thugs. But a few stood apart—unmasked, in different clothes, weapons sheathed. Some watched the scene; others wandered casually.

Leading them was a silver-haired woman with an elegant bun. Her sleek black dress hugged perfect curves. A hint of amused smile played on her lips as she watched a black-haired woman leisurely sip green fruit wine.

The black-haired woman seemed oblivious to the chaos. She lounged back, glass in hand, azure eyes hazy and distant. The scene looked serene, her delicate beauty captivating any passerby—

—Of course, “passerby” didn’t mean being tightly encircled by armed masked men.

Shattered tables, chairs, and floorboards littered the area. Groaning masked men lay tended by companions. One message was clear: *Do not mess with this woman.*

Vida was fascinated. His intel had zero on her—as if she’d materialized from nowhere. Facing her felt like staring into a bottomless abyss. Her power was utterly unfathomable, even to him.

At his level, he could usually gauge stronger opponents by instinct. But this? She dwarfed him by miles.

Terrible timing for such an anomaly. Yet she seemed indifferent to everything but herself—no sign of interfering. A small mercy.

Still, where did she come from? Across the Heavenly Wonder Continent, few matched her strength. None fit her description.

Vida waved the masked men away from her. Smiling, he bowed slightly. “Elder, my intrusion disturbed your rest. Forgive my blindness. Any offense, I’ll amend later. What follows concerns only us. I beg your indulgence—please don’t intervene.”

Seeing no reaction, he took it as consent. Turning, he spotted Jie approaching. Vida stepped close, whispering the situation.

Jie nodded. He glanced at the black-haired woman—surprise flickered in his eyes. She turned as if sensing it. Their gazes met. Her indifferent eyes stayed calm, depthless, before she looked away, drifting back into thought.

Vida moved toward the passenger cabin but paused. Jie stood frozen. Vida touched his arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jie pulled out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and turned calmly. “Let’s go. ‘She’ is inside.”

Vida eyed him strangely but followed silently toward their target.

In a corner, Grace and Bak exchanged a glance. Both saw a trace of unease in the other’s eyes.