"General, do you know what you are doing?"
"You're throwing such a dangerous outsider into that chaotic mess of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus? Are you trying to say the Xianzhou isn't chaotic enough?"
Fu Xuan vehemently condemned the General's act of secretly meeting with an outsider. This would clearly bring more uncontrollable trouble to the Xianzhou.
Jing Yuan couldn't very well tell her that the problem with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus wasn't that troublesome; the troublesome part was within the Alchemy Commission. And the reason he dared to do this was precisely because this was a time when Fu Xuan was needed.
"You can follow him and infiltrate the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. I believe there should be many interesting things inside. And you can also keep an eye on him. The current situation on the Xianzhou may seem chaotic, but the signs have long been there. Just go and see for yourself."
"Besides... Fu Qing, it wouldn't work even if I listened to you."
Jing Yuan's attitude immediately enraged Fu Xuan.
When had she ever been treated like this? She asked with dissatisfaction, "Are you saying that if I were in charge, the Xianzhou would be doomed?"
Jing Yuan hesitated for a long time before blurting out a single phrase.
"Hard to say."
"I...!" Fu Xuan was choked speechless. "Fine. Then I'll see what kind of result this will produce."
The petite Master Diviner stormed off in a huff.
---||---
Qingque had done her best within the scope of her duties.
The mere thought of being able to return to work at the Divination Commission made her heart leap with joy.
Qingque secretly vowed to slack off and idle around the Divination Commission as little as possible in the future.
She absolutely could not let down the Master Diviner's favor.
After parting ways with Bamboo Hat Bro, Qingque immediately turned around and made a call to 'report' him. She had no idea if her call would be of any use.
Qingque felt she had completed her work for the day very well. At the very least, she had satisfied the outsider's eccentricities while also successfully maintaining the Xianzhou's image in their eyes.
It was just that she would inevitably leak some things when she spoke. She never would have thought Noldrei could master the use of the Synesthesia Beacon so quickly.
"I didn't realize you were so famous on the Xianzhou, Qingque. This place is so vast, and there are even many people who have been away for a long time and haven't returned. Yet you can run into people who know you just by going out? They even know you like to slack off and play tiles. Qingque... do you have a bad reputation on the Xianzhou?"
Noldrei's question stumped Qingque.
What bad reputation could she have? She had met a lot of people while slacking off and playing tiles. Many people knew of her tile-playing skills, and it was normal for some of them to know she worked at the Divination Commission.
Who knew when she might have been seen by someone while being caught by Fu Xuan.
"Maybe?"
The thought that so many people behind her back were jealous of her carefree slacking made Qingque feel a little uneasy.
She would have to be more careful when slacking off in the future. Who knew who might snitch on her.
"You've had your fun. Let me be clear... you can't believe what that person said. If you really get involved with some strange people and get arrested by the Cloud Knights, you can't blame me."
Qingque didn't want the outsider to be so foolishly unlucky. She could see that these people didn't care about any secrets of long life, so she didn't want Noldrei to get involved with those Abundance heretics.
Most of the time, that was how it was. It wasn't that you couldn't believe in Abundance; it was that you couldn't believe in the wrong people.
"Will I die if I believe in the wrong thing?"
Noldrei asked curiously. He had heard Qingque talk about the history of the Xianzhou; for the most part, the Hunt would proactively help clear out some of the abominations of Abundance.
"As long as you don't turn into an abomination of Abundance, at worst you'll be disciplined after being caught. If you do something excessive, or harm someone, we'll follow normal legal procedures. However you harmed them is how you'll be sentenced. Yup, that's it!"
Qingque was surprised to find that the Xianzhou wasn't particularly harsh on the common folk who believed in Abundance, even showing an attitude of letting them be.
She said teasingly, "But for outsiders like you, it's hard to say. I have seen quite a few outsiders cause trouble and be dealt with as abominations of Abundance."
It seemed there was no specific crime of espionage among the various cosmic civilizations. Most of the time, friend-or-foe relationships were more direct and simple, with Paths and beliefs as the direct dividing lines.
"That probably won't happen. I'm not interested in beliefs or Paths or anything like that. By the way, the Divination Commission should be repaired in the next two days, right? We still have to discuss the matter of compensation."
Qingque had a feeling this guy was changing the subject.
'Could he really be planning to go find some place to have fun?'
At this moment, she felt it was her duty to report this.
"Probably... I guess..."
Qingque wasn't sure. She wanted to slack off for a couple more days.
Just as she was considering this, Master Diviner Fu appeared before her right on cue.
"Qingque! Your temporary job is over."
"Master Diviner! You don't have to use divination to find me every time, do you?! And this temporary job wasn't something I wanted myself."
This temporary job with Noldrei was a huge hassle, especially when her favorite recreational activity became her work.
"You should go back and give the Matrix of Prescience a thorough check for me. If there are any oversights, I'll come find you again later."
Qingque's face immediately fell into a bitter expression. She had only been out 'strolling' for a short while. Why was she suddenly being thrown back?
Fu Xuan couldn't stand to see Qingque like this. Hadn't Qingque had it comfortable enough these past two days while the Matrix of Prescience was broken?
"Alright, alright, Master Diviner. You'd better keep a close eye on this guy. Although he's not exactly a bad person, he might come up with some things you find unacceptable. If you have any orders, just contact me via communicator."
Fu Xuan nodded. "Then forget it. I know I can usually never reach you by communicator. I'll just come find you in person when the time comes."
'Wow, you really know me well.'
Qingque didn't dare to talk back to her leader this time, afraid she would never again find a leader who would allow her to slack off so much.
"So, do I still need to follow him today?"
"No need. The work of the Divination Commission for the near future will be temporarily handed over to you."
Fu Xuan's instructions gave Qingque a bad feeling.
This "near future"—how long was that? A month? A year or two? Or just a few days?
Qingque hesitated for a long time but didn't dare to ask.
She was afraid of getting an answer she didn't want.
Fu Xuan said in a low voice, "I have other important matters to attend to. The temporary dispatching of the Divination Commission after it's repaired will be up to you. You've followed me for so long. Managing the Divination Commission for a while shouldn't be a problem, right? If you don't have enough authority for something, just have those people contact me directly."
"Wait, me? I understand..."
Qingque understood now. The Master Diviner had her eye on her cushy job and wanted to switch places with her.