[Luocha: Let's meet.]
As Jingliu was still reflecting on her great luck in meeting Lucian, she suddenly received a message from Luocha—along with a location, probably about discussing that 'plan.'
However, she now hesitated.
Originally, the plan was to eliminate the Aeon of Abundance, Yaoshi, but the one she loved was actually an Emanator of Abundance.
In the end, after pondering for a while, she decided that she had to put Luocha's plan on hold first, to see what Lucian thought, or what he intended to do.
However...
'No, I need to grab Luocha first and let Master handle him. If he goes looking for someone else for help, that'll be a problem.'
As this thought crossed her mind, Jingliu's expression turned cold, and she quickly got dressed.
"Hm? Why are you in such a hurry? Where are you going?"
Baiheng, who was writing something in her small note while humming softly, stopped what she was doing and asked Jingliu curiously.
"Stay here and wait for me. I'll be back soon."
Jingliu instructed calmly, then climbed straight out the window, leapt into the air, and vanished without a trace.
Baiheng quickly leaned against the windowsill to see Jingliu's figure, but she was already gone.
===
Xianzhou Luofu, Aurum Alley.
As Jingliu followed the location Luocha had told her, she soon saw him standing alone at the corner of Aurum Alley.
"Congratulations." Luocha said with a smile as soon as he saw Jingliu approaching. "Just now, the Xianzhou officials released an announcement pardoning your crimes and restoring your freedom. Was it Lucian's doing?"
"Yes." Jingliu nodded, replying calmly.
"Oh, that's great." Luocha nodded in relief. "If he could get your charges cleared, then he must have a lot of influence in the Alliance. Maybe he can even get us a direct meeting with the Marshal?"
"He can't." Jingliu said flatly.
"Can't?" Luocha frowned, then shook his head. "Well, that's fine. At least we gained another ally. As long as you trust him, then he's our partner."
"Of course I trust him." Jingliu nodded calmly.
"Good, then our next plan is—"
Before Luocha could finish, Jingliu suddenly interrupted.
"My next plan is to slay whoever he wants slain, and save whoever he wants saved."
Luocha paused, puzzled by Jingliu's sudden, absurd words.
What did she mean by that?
From the sound of it, everything had suddenly revolved around Lucian.
"What do you mean by that?" Luocha asked seriously.
"It means you're coming with me to meet him." Jingliu replied coldly, looking him straight in the eyes. "He will decide whether or not to kill the Plagues Author."
"No, seriously, what do you mean?" Luocha's frown deepened. "Do you mean if he chooses not to kill THEM, then we just abandon all the preparations and efforts we made?"
"Yes." Jingliu nodded.
At this, Luocha's body stiffened as he could hardly believe the woman in front of him was Jingliu.
"Were you brainwashed? Or possessed?" Luocha asked cautiously, his body tense. "Or maybe... you're not Jingliu at all..."
Just a couple of days ago, Jingliu had sworn to destroy Yaoshi without rest until death—her obsession cutting that deep—yet now she had suddenly obsessed over a man and said she wouldn't kill THEM if he didn't want THEM to be killed?
More importantly, if she wanted to back out, he didn't mind and wouldn't force her, but why sell him out along with it?
Luocha quietly pondered how to respond, but judging by Jingliu's stance, she was clearly not going to let him refuse.
In other words, she would make him meet Lucian no matter what.
'Hahhh... women really are fickle. Just how did that man make you this devoted all of a sudden?'
Luocha couldn't help but lament in his heart.
Fight Jingliu?
Forget it.
If it came to a fight, he would only waste his energy and gain nothing.
"You don't need to know all that. You only need to understand one thing: I am his sword." Jingliu's tone was icy, laced with an undeniable threat. "Whoever he wants killed, I will kill. Whoever he doesn't want killed, no one is allowed to touch."
Upon hearing this, Luocha realized he had truly been betrayed by the teammate he trusted, someone who had worked with him for years.
"Hahh, so the clown… was me all along..." Luocha sighed resignedly. "Fine then, I'll follow you to meet the man who changed you so completely."
Needless to say, he had no choice but to go with Jingliu to meet Lucian now.
Normally, as an Arbiter-General, there was no reason Lucian wouldn't want Yaoshi dead—unless he was aligned with the Abundance.
'No, impossible.'
Luocha immediately shook his head as that possibility crossed his mind.
'If he were with the Abundance, there's no way a proud woman like Jingliu would be so unwaveringly loyal to him, right? I mean, Jingliu hates the Abundance...'
He quickly dismissed the possibility and began planning countermeasures.
===
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Divination Commission, Lucian was waiting for Fu Xuan to come out, standing alone while gazing at the sky.
Soon after handling Jingliu's matter, Jing Yuan released an announcement about her being pardoned and how her victims got resurrected.
When Fu Xuan heard the announcement, she became very interested in Lucian's miraculous bandage and wanted to talk in person, so she invited him to dinner.
Lucian thought that since Fu Xuan was treating him, he, as a gentleman, ought to pick her up after work, so he came to wait for her at the entrance of her workplace.
However, as the diviners passing by noticed him standing there, they couldn't stop stealing glances at him and began gossiping.
It couldn't be helped.
Lucian was simply too handsome, to the point that just standing by the roadside felt like a crime in itself.
"Hey, that's General Lucian, the one who's been trending lately—the Acting General of the Xianzhou Cangcheng."
"Oh, now that you mention it, the officials even posted a video of the Cangcheng's interior. Once the Cangcheng opens its route, I'm definitely gonna visit."
"I'll tell you a secret. My teacher said our Master Diviner is totally smitten by his looks."
"No fucking way! Dude, Master Diviner Fu Xuan is dedicated only to divination and has never been into men. I don't buy it!"
"Hey, I wanna believe that too, but facts are facts, dude. My teacher saw it with her own eyes—Master Diviner smiled like a lovestruck girl. Tell me, have you ever seen her smile?"
"N-No... but I still don't buy it—"
Just as the diviner was about to retort to his friend, a small pink-haired girl appeared before them.
Seeing her, the group of diviners hurriedly bowed.
""Greetings, Master Diviner.""
Fu Xuan glanced at them and nodded slightly.
"Mm, tidy up and head home."
Leaving these words behind, Fu Xuan walked straight out the entrance, and upon seeing Lucian standing beside it, her footsteps paused, her face mildly surprised.
"Why are you standing here?" Fu Xuan asked in wonder.
Lucian, already noticing her, smiled upon hearing the question.
"Well, since you're treating me to dinner, of course, I had to come early and wait—just in case you ran off." Lucian joked while shrugging casually.
Surprisingly, his joke actually made Fu Xuan giggle.
"Fufu, relax, I wouldn't back out." Fu Xuan flipped one of her ponytails with a small chuckle. "So, where are we going?"
Lucian, looking serious, pondered for a moment before speaking up.
"Let's just buy some groceries and go to my place. I'll cook." Lucian said with a smile. "Tonight we'll get Jing Yuan drunk and make him step down, so you can be the next general."
Hearing this, Fu Xuan giggled again, covering her mouth as her eyes curved in amusement, making her look unexpectedly adorable.
Just like that, the two walked side by side, strolling along the main street.
At the same time, at the entrance of the Divination Commission, four heads poked out, watching Fu Xuan and Lucian leave.
"Look, look, wasn't that a smile? Just two sentences in and she's already smiling—no, even giggling! If that's not love, what else could it be?!"
"I... Uhh... Dammit..."
"Seems our Master Diviner is finally in bloom."
"And that gut talk about overthrowing General Jing Yuan for Master Diviner? Tch, the General's in danger now."
"Hey, what are you guys looking at?"
A female diviner of short stature, with medium-length beige hair and green eyes, asked the group, peeking her head out as well.
"Qingque? You skipped out of work to play Celestial Jade again?"
"No way, Master Diviner's been keeping her eyes on me—no chance." Qingque quickly waved her hands. "Anyway, what's going on?"
"Well, there's a rumor saying that the Arbiter-General of the Cangcheng, the one who's gone viral, is Master Diviner's beloved."
Upon hearing this, Qingque's eyes sparkled instantly.
"Quick, tell me everything!" Qingque grabbed the shoulders of the diviner who told her the rumor, her face lit with excitement. "If Master Diviner falls in love, then she won't have time to keep watching me anymore!"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, but don't you dare spread it. If Master Diviner traces it back to me, I'm done for."
"Alright, relax, relax." Qingque smiled and lightly waved her hand. "Everyone knows Qingque is famous for keeping secrets!"
Even though she said this, that very night at the games parlor, she casually mentioned it to her play buddies.
And from there, the story twisted more and more, until a new rumor spread like wildfire—Fu Xuan actually loved Lucian.
Some even claimed Fu Xuan planned to unite with the Xianzhou Cangcheng to force Jing Yuan to abdicate.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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