343: Chapter 343 Once a guest of honor, now a prisoner in the latrine!

Lin Xiao leaned back into his chair.

He withdrew his gaze from Sikong Xuanye's translucent face and swept it over Minister Sikong Heng's still-quivering lips.

Finally, his eyes landed on the bowls of cold, green mush on the table.

The situation was clear enough.

There was no need to dig deeper into the affairs of the Silver-White Train.

Where Train Captain Baili Wuchen and his group had been, what Calamity Creatures they had fought, or how many Astral Expresses they had plundered—none of that concerned him.

The most crucial Living Mechanism Core was already in his hands, and all the loot that could be stripped from the soldiers had been taken.

It was a profitable deal, no matter how you looked at it.

As for this group of Heze royalty...

They didn't look like they would behave. He would lock them up and starve them for a few days first.

Lin Xiao stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a short, sharp sound.

"Xu Shan, Zhou Jun. Lock them up."

"Lock us up?"

Minister Sikong Heng was the first to cry out, his fleshy face trembling as if he completely failed to understand Lin Xiao's decision.

Meanwhile, the Second Prince, who had maintained a proper sitting posture the entire time, finally showed a clear ripple of emotion in his eyes.

He looked up, his tone for the first time carrying undisguised astonishment: "What do you mean by this, sir? If you can escort me to the Royal Court, I can share with you all kinds of techniques and legacies of the Heze Kingdom, peerless treasures, and even more secretive spell arrays, all to help your Astral Express grow even stronger."

He spoke very sincerely—or at least, it sounded very sincere.

Every promise was packaged perfectly, showcasing the weight of his bargaining chips while leaving enough room for negotiation.

Lin Xiao listened quietly, then gave a faint smile.

The smile did not reach his eyes, and his tone was as flat as the rhythm of his fingers tapping on the table earlier.

"I can obtain the legacy without taking you there, can't I?"

Sikong Xuanye's gaze faltered.

The face that had always maintained composure and a smile turned cold in an instant, his gentle gaze shifting to something frigid.

But he did not lash out.

This emotion was forcibly suppressed the very next second.

Because Lin Xiao was telling the truth.

The Imperial Palace was hanging right above them.

This person who could defeat even Train Captain Baili Wuchen head-on had absolutely no need for anyone to lead the way.

Conversely, they, the Heze royal nobles, were already fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.

If the other party swung his axe down, they wouldn't be able to hide anything, whether they should say it or not.

Sikong Xuanye cast a wary glance at the giant axe by Lin Xiao's side.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and simply stopped speaking.

The two captains brought their passengers over and roughly dragged these people up from their seats.

"We are the Heze royalty! How dare a mere train captain be so rude to us!"

Minister Sikong Heng finally tore off his mask of flattery, his voice becoming shrill and sharp, like a rat whose Tail had been stepped on.

"Even that madman, Train Captain Baili Wuchen, wouldn't dare to be so insolent to us! Who do you think you are!"

As everyone knew, Xu Shan had a very explosive temper.

Before Minister Sikong Heng could finish his sentence, a rough, calloused hand slapped him across the face.

Slap!

The sound was loud, the force solid.

It caused many passengers nearby to turn their heads, their expressions filled with surprise.

As for Minister Sikong Heng, his entire body tilted to the side.

If he hadn't been secured by a vine that Zhou Jun had whipped over in advance, he would have already flown onto the floor nearby.

"I don't care about all that—Heze is gone, so you're just a piece-of-shit royal!"

Xu Shan withdrew his hand and cracked his knuckles with a loud pop.

Minister Sikong Heng was stunned; half his face swelled up, and a trickle of dark blue liquid seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He tremblingly raised a hand to cover his face, leaning against the vine, unable to speak for a long time.

Xu Shan's slap had been measured.

He hadn't used his full strength, just a simple lesson.

However, his Constitution stat was considered high among the captains.

The fact that Minister Sikong Heng could take such a hit at his age showed that the physical constitution of the Heze people was quite good.

"Brother Lin, where should we lock these people up?"

Zhou Jun asked while tightening the vines.

He had already tied up all the old ministers and Sikong Xuanye, and was dragging them outside.

Lin Xiao tilted his head toward the back of the carriage.

"Isn't the toilet pretty empty? Just throw them in there!"

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

The gaunt-faced minister's lips trembled for a long time, and he squeezed a protest that was almost a scream from his throat: "The toilet? How dare you... how dare you lock the Heze royal family in..."

He couldn't catch his breath halfway through his sentence, not knowing if it was out of rage or fear.

"What are you yelling about!"

Xu Shan grabbed the gaunt minister by the back of his collar, lifting him like an undernourished chicken.

"That feudal poison from a hundred years ago—that doesn't fly here anymore. Save your energy; you'll have plenty of time to cry later."

With that, he grabbed them one by one and led the group of old ministers toward the restroom at the back of the carriage.

Sikong Xuanye was pushed away.

As he passed by Lin Xiao, he paused slightly and turned his head to look.

Lin Xiao ignored him, his gaze shifting to the three adjutants from the Silver-White Train nearby.

These three were sensible; they had sat quietly at the table the whole time, not saying a single unnecessary word.

Now, they also obediently stood up to follow the escort group.

However, as she passed the bar, Adjutant Li Yitong suddenly paused.

"Xiao Tian?"

Tian Xiwei, who was standing behind the bar sorting the newly captured equipment, subconsciously looked up upon hearing the call.

She saw Lin Xiao's figure first, and then saw Adjutant Li Yitong being escorted.

The movement of her hands stopped instantly.

Lin Xiao turned around.

He saw that after a moment of confusion, Tian Xiwei's expression gradually turned to astonishment.

It was clear that she knew this woman.

"Sister Tong?"

Sure enough, after a moment of shock, Tian Xiwei immediately called out her nickname.

Lin Xiao walked over, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Adjutant Li Yitong and Tian Xiwei.

"You know each other?"

Tian Xiwei put down the work in her hands, whispered an apology to the passengers in line, and trotted to Lin Xiao's side.

"Brother Xiao, she is also a celebrity; we've worked together."

She had absolutely no idea how to introduce a captured friend in such a situation.

She could only lower her voice, weighing her words carefully, afraid of displeasing Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao looked into Tian Xiwei's eyes and understood.

However, after so many cycles of reincarnation, how could he possibly remember those celebrities and such?

He thought for a moment and asked a question that probably only he would ask: "Then... is she as famous as you?"

Tian Xiwei was caught off guard by this overly blunt question and froze on the spot.

Her cheeks began to flush red from the roots of her ears, her lips moved, and she emitted a few indistinct syllables.

But in the end, she couldn't manage to form a single sentence.

Adjutant Li Yitong's reaction was faster than Xiao Tian's.

"She is! She is! Xiao Tian is incredibly famous!"

She answered repeatedly while shuffling half a step forward.

But because she was being escorted by the people behind her, half a step was the limit.

Adjutant Li Yitong did not try to break free from her captors' control; she didn't cry, nor did she beg.

Her gaze bounced back and forth between Tian Xiwei and Lin Xiao.

The casual way the two were standing already explained everything.

Adjutant Li Yitong knew she had grasped the only straw available!

"Xiao Tian and I are very close; we recorded several seasons of variety shows together and became best friends afterward—the kind of friends who are really close! People online even came up with a CP name for us, something like 'Tongxin Weimin'..."

"Sister Tong!"

Tian Xiwei finally spoke up, her cheeks completely flushed, but she didn't deny it.

"No one can interfere with Brother Xiao's decisions, but as long as you are sincere enough, he will deal with you leniently."

As she said this, she reached out and tugged at Lin Xiao's sleeve.

"Brother Xiao..."