"Here, this is my place. Come on in."
"So this is Miss Qingque's home? It looks quite nice." Yun Fan carefully examined the two-story wooden house before him. Unlike the concrete buildings common on Earth, Qingque's residence was entirely constructed from mahogany.
Mahogany was rare and relatively expensive—typically used for furniture—but building an entire house from it was truly extravagant.
"Hehe, like it? My grandmother left it to me. She was also a diviner in the Divination Commission, the right hand of the Diviner back then. It's just that she... Ah, never mind, let's not talk about it."
Qingque gently stroked the wooden carvings on the door, her eyes filled with nostalgia. When she mentioned her grandmother, she shook her head sorrowfully and sighed.
"My condolences." Seeing Qingque's sorrowful expression, Yun Fan couldn't help but reach out and gently pat her head.
Qingque: ???
"Hey! I never said Grandma passed away! And don't pat my head—it'll make me dumb!" Qingque huffed, swatting at Yun Fan's hand. But the comforting warmth from his touch made her reluctant to push him away entirely.
Ugh, why is this guy so smooth?!
"Haha, my bad, my bad." As Qingque hesitated, Yun Fan awkwardly withdrew his hand, muttering to himself, Well, you made it sound so misleading!
"Hmph! Since you apologized sincerely, I'll forgive you. Also, just call me Qingque from now on. 'Miss Qingque' sounds too formal for me."
"Got it, Qingque."
...
Exalting Sanctum...
Mahjong Parlor...
"You're saying Qingque isn't here? Are you certain you're not lying to me?" Fu Xuan glanced at the trembling parlor owner, then frowned at the divination compass in her hand.
"D-Diviner Fu Xuan, h-how could I dare lie to you? Miss Qingque left two hours ago."
Hearing this, Fu Xuan's frown deepened.
How strange... The compass clearly shows Qingque is in this parlor... Could my divination skills have regressed?
"Let me ask you again—are you absolutely sure Qingque left?" Unwilling to accept that her divination might be flawed, Fu Xuan pressed the owner once more.
"Diviner Fu Xuan, I swear I'm telling the truth! Miss Qingque left two hours ago with a young gentleman." The owner was on the verge of tears. Why is this happening to me?
"A young gentleman? What did he look like?" Fu Xuan seized the key detail.
"Uh, I don't know him, but judging by his clothes, he was probably an outworlder. Oh, and one more thing—he was extremely handsome, like a celestial being descended to earth, with an incredibly masculine aura."
"An outworlder with heavenly looks? Did that little rascal Qingque secretly get herself a boyfriend? But if he's an outworlder, his lifespan would be far shorter than hers. Their relationship would be... ill-fated." Fu Xuan shook her head with a sigh, her delicate fingers lightly adjusting the divination compass to probe the stranger's identity.
After all, as the Diviner of the Divination Commission, she had a duty to oversee her subordinates' futures.
Definitely not because I'm curious.
"Let's see who you really are..." As Fu Xuan turned the final gear, the compass suddenly flickered with an ominous glow, as if warning her to stop.
"Oh? Interesting." This was the first time Fu Xuan had seen the compass react this way. Her curiosity surged like a broken dam.
"Third Eye—open!"
——————————
Tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap, tap~... Hm? While tidying the guest room, Yun Fan's brows twitched slightly, and he paused.
A faint starlight flickered in his eyes as he gazed into the distance.
"Someone's trying to spy on me? How amusing. Let's see who you are."
Muttering to himself, Yun Fan closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Fu Xuan—who had just activated her Third Eye to decipher the compass—suddenly felt the world spin. When she regained her senses, she found herself floating in an endless starry expanse.
"Where is this...?"
Faced with the unfamiliar sight, Fu Xuan's guard shot up. She remained hyper-vigilant, scanning for the slightest movement.
"Hello there, Miss Fu Xuan." Just as she tensed, a hand materialized out of nowhere and lightly rested on her shoulder.
"Who goes there?!" Fu Xuan whirled around—but there was no one behind her. Only the vast cosmos stretched endlessly.
Haaah... She took a deep breath, steadying herself before calling out firmly:
"Esteemed senior, if you are jesting with this junior, might you reveal yourself? I would be honored to receive you properly."
Despite her polite words, Fu Xuan remained on high alert. Whoever could effortlessly pull her consciousness into this space was no ordinary being—their mastery over spiritual arts likely far surpassed hers. Could they be a follower of the Aeon of Remembrance?
"What a lovely design~"
"Eek?!" Fu Xuan jolted, her face burning crimson as she frantically reached behind her back to retie the loosened sash of her robes before they slipped off entirely.
"Y-Y-You... shameless pervert!!" Clutching her chest, Fu Xuan glared furiously at the black-haired youth who had appeared out of nowhere, her petite body radiating dense Path energy.
"Now, now, Miss Fu Xuan, no need to get angry. It was just a little joke." Yun Fan waved his hand dismissively, his tone light.
"You call that a little joke?!" Fu Xuan gritted her teeth so hard they ached. If she hadn't reacted in time, they might have been standing there completely exposed—well, at least she would have been.
"You...! Y-YOU...! PREPARE TO DIE!"