"I'm heading out!"
"Bye, A-Li!"
"Bye, Big Bro."
Early in the morning, after finishing breakfast, Fuli bid farewell to the girls gathered around the table and set off toward the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Before leaving, he made a quick detour to the Massive Electric Corp lab. Fortunately, Mei understood the principle of pacing. Despite her strict demands, she had only made Anna study until 2:00 AM the previous night before sending her off to the guest room to sleep.
However, thinking about how Anna would be trapped in that lab, forced to diligently grind through those impenetrable theoretical textbooks for the entirety of the Wardance—provided she wasn't out on a mission—made Fuli secretly rejoice that he wasn't an intelligence-based character.
It wasn't that Mei's "teacher skin"—complete with a white button-up shirt, a tight black skirt, and black pantyhose—wasn't incredibly alluring. It was just that Fuli hadn't inherited a single drop of his deadbeat parents' ultra-high IQ.
Math was math. If you couldn't learn it, you just couldn't learn it.
Of course, it was entirely possible a genetic mutation had occurred, converting all of his intelligence stats into pure cultivation and combat talent. Otherwise, how else could you explain his ability to casually flip through a few secret manuals, practice casually in his spare time, and smoothly reach the Planet-Buster tier within eight short years?
Riding his beloved, heavily-modded Type 59 tank, he blasted off into the sky, merging into the stream of star-skiffs. About forty minutes later, Fuli arrived at the Seat of Divine Foresight, located in the northwest corner of Exalting Sanctum.
Bathed in the morning light, the solemn, majestic Tang Dynasty-style architecture looked exceptionally grand, like a sleeping giant slowly waking up to silently watch over the Luofu.
After Fuli stated his business to the Cloud Knights guarding the entrance, the two young soldiers audibly gasped. The way they looked at him was filled with indescribable awe—as if they were witnessing a legendary hero marching to his death.
The art of ear-cleaning originated as a folk remedy, historically enjoyed by royalty and nobles in ancient times. It held particularly deep cultural roots in the Sichuan and Shu regions of Shenzhou.
It required specialized tools—ear scoops, picks, goose-feather sticks, horsetail whisks, and tuning forks. The process involved relaxing the ear, cleaning with tools, extracting earwax, gently sweeping with feathers, and using the tuning fork's vibrations. By stimulating the nerves in the ear, it provided profound physical and mental relaxation and stress relief.
Simply put, it was standard ear-cleaning combined with a variety of luxurious, highly comforting service techniques.
The problem lay right there.
Where are the ears located?
They are attached to the sides of the brain—the largest, most critical vital point of the human body—sitting mere inches away from the fatal temples!
This kind of service was perfectly fine in a civilian therapy parlor. After all, bounded by law, a normal person wouldn't just randomly violently attack someone.
But the client receiving the service this time was the General! It was Fu Xuan!
There was absolutely no way she would ever allow a total stranger to get that close to her vital points. It was practically equivalent to handing her life over to them.
Yet, this time, their General had actually approved this boy's mission request instead of instantly rejecting it like she usually did. What did that imply?
Sensing the hidden, massive implications behind this, the Cloud Knights silently stepped aside, opening the path for him. As Fuli walked past, they instinctively flashed a synchronized thumbs-up at his back.
I deeply respect the first man to ever drink cow's milk. What if it had been a bull?
As the youngest General in the Alliance, the youthful and beautiful Fu Xuan naturally didn't lack suitors. Unfortunately, whether it was her domineering personality or her terrifying divination arts—where she could pinch her fingers and instantly calculate the exact color of underwear her suitor was wearing that day—it was more than enough to terrify 99% of men away.
But now, judging purely by the fact that she hadn't rejected his application, it was clear she held a massive amount of trust and affection for Fuli.
What else could the Cloud Knight brothers say?
They could only silently wish them the best of luck!
---||---
Passing through the quiet, elegant courtyard of the Seat of Divine Foresight, Fuli arrived in front of the heavy double doors of the General's office.
He raised his hand and knocked gently.
Truthfully, he was feeling a bit nervous himself.
After the Jigui City incident, Fuli had asked Yunli if she knew any true master of the ear-cleaning arts. The girl had immediately recommended Lingsha.
According to Yunli, when she was little, her absolute favorite thing was curling up on Big Sis Lingsha's soft lap and letting her clean her ears. Lingsha would softly hum ancient folk songs, and every single time, it felt so incredibly good!
So, Fuli had gotten her phone number and called her. Tragically, due to the massive number of injuries occurring during the Wardance, the Alchemy Commission's healers—led by Bailu—were working around the clock, their feet barely touching the ground.
As the former Cauldron Master, Lingsha had been temporarily drafted back to help treat the wounded. She simply couldn't spare a single second to teach anyone.
Fuli hung up the phone in disappointment. After hesitating for a moment, he called his Great-Aunt Elysia, who was currently in her child form.
In his memory, she was also an absolute grandmaster in this field. Back when they were celebrating Mei's birthday, the girl had easily made Fuli curl up into a comfortable, trembling shrimp with her techniques.
Elysia picked up almost instantly. Upon hearing the situation, she became overwhelmingly excited.
She provided him with a mountain of plans and suggestions. Among them, the most critical was Roleplay.
Technique was something that couldn't be drastically improved through last-minute cramming. Since that was the case, he had to use external factors—like carefully crafted scenarios and atmosphere—to compensate for his lack of mechanical skill.
"Come in," a crisp, girlish voice called from behind the door, carrying the dignified authority of a high-ranking official.
Fuli steadied his nerves and pushed the door open.
The faint, soothing scent of sandalwood drifted into the air. Fuli, who knew absolutely nothing about incense, couldn't identify the specific blend, but he thought it smelled really nice.
He looked toward Fu Xuan, who was sitting upright behind her desk. The General was as dignified and elegant as ever. Her smooth, flowing pink hair was meticulously styled into a 'flying sky' updo, and a delicate Dharma Eye rested on her forehead.
Rarely, the girl wasn't wearing her signature white pantyhose embroidered with auspicious clouds. Under the soft indoor lighting, her perfectly proportioned, bony-yet-voluptuous legs practically glowed with a mesmerizing, pale pink luster, looking like the finest, warm jade.
What? Her chest?
Pads. Next question.
"Fuli? Take a seat. Remember to close the door," Fu Xuan said without even looking up, continuing to flip through the documents in her hands.
This seemingly rude gesture was actually a massive display of trust. Beyond that, perhaps it also contained a tiny, almost imperceptible trace of shyness?
As the Luofu's General, she frequently enjoyed Bailu's unique, lightning-infused massages; the Vidyadhara healer was an absolute master in that regard. But to have a male get this close and provide a service? For the young girl, this was a historical first.
"Alright."
Fuli closed the door and sat down on the guest sofa positioned across from her desk. He glanced around the scholar-like office before his eyes inevitably settled back on Fu Xuan's exquisite, porcelain-doll-like face.
"Wondering where Qingque is?" she asked, preemptively answering his unspoken question. "That lazybones refused the service this time. Because of that, she actually worked overtime late into the night yesterday—a rare occurrence. Right now, she's sound asleep at her desk in the Divination Commission."
Why didn't she go back to her own apartment on the Luofu?
Because she'd have to keep working the second she woke up, obviously.
As for why she refused the service? Naturally, it was because our dear Qingque just wanted to live a quiet life like a plant. She was absolutely determined to keep her distance from a certain guy whose red strings of fate were so densely tangled they were practically weaving a cocoon.
"I wasn't wondering about Diviner Qingque," Fuli shook his head. "Is there something wrong with the General's body?"
"You noticed?"
Hearing this, Fu Xuan finally looked up, clearly surprised. She quickly did a self-check, confirming her aura-concealment technique was flawless. She could only attribute it to the boy's terrifyingly sharp perception.
"I won't lie to you. Yes, there is an issue," she nodded, making no attempt to hide it. "Have you ever heard of the Inner Landscape?"
Fuli had indeed heard of this Daoist divine art.
Stripping away all the mystical, profound classical Chinese jargon, it could be explained in simple terms: the spell essentially allowed the caster to project their consciousness into the Akashic Records of their current world, allowing them to search, extract, and utilize the massive streams of information within.
While the spell was active, the caster's consciousness would be pulled into a virtual library, which was a materialized collection of all the information in the world.
By selecting specific keywords, the caster could filter through the infinite ocean of data, eventually narrowing it down to the exact information they needed.
However, there was a catch. The higher the tier of information and the more powerful the individuals involved, the longer it took to search, and the exponentially harder it became to extract. Even if you found it, you might be completely "unable to open the book" to read the actual contents.
Furthermore, using this spell violently drained the caster's mental energy and placed a hard requirement on their processing power. If they lacked the mental capacity to handle the sheer volume of data, their brain would instantly overload. They would be reduced to a vegetable, or their soul would simply shatter.
"Relying solely on the Bai Ze system isn't enough to handle multiple simultaneous external interferences," Fu Xuan stretched gracefully, her elegant curves on full display. "To assist her in maintaining the Matrix of Prescience and ensure this Wardance proceeds smoothly, I, as the General, naturally have to put in some effort."
"Fortunately, we have General Feixiao and General Huaiyan holding the fort when it comes to combat power. So even if I sustain some backlash, it won't be a major issue. And that is also one of the reasons why General Huaiyan was the one who received you."
With that, she stood up, her expression turning solemn. "It might be a bit late to say this, but truly, thank you for protecting the people of Jigui City."
"Well then, the hero who saved Jigui City is about to provide our General with an ear-cleaning fanservice!"
Seeing the atmosphere growing heavy again, Fuli quickly tossed out a cheeky joke to lighten the mood.
Predictably, hearing his words, a captivating blush instantly bloomed across the young General's pale cheeks. She bit her soft lower lip, hesitating for a moment before finally asking in a voice as quiet as a mosquito, "What exactly... do I need to do?"
"First, lie down on the sofa over there. Then turn on your side and rest your head on my lap," Fuli instructed, perfectly reciting the steps his Great-Aunt had taught him. Suddenly remembering something, he added, "Also, you need to drop your disguised form and use your true body. The effects will be much better."
"There's no need. I am already in my true body."
As mentioned previously, Fu Xuan's situation was unique—she was essentially a reverse Tianshan Child Master. Most of the time, she was forced to maintain the appearance of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. She could only temporarily regain her mature, voluptuous adult figure during certain specific periods, relying on a disguise to get through her daily life.
The fact that she had specifically chosen a day when she could maintain her mature form to have Fuli come over... was her way of protecting her own tiny sliver of pride as a General.
"Oh, I see."
Fuli nodded in realization. His gaze accidentally drifted down to the delicate, petite high heels encasing the General's feet.
"You also need to take your shoes off!" he pointed out with utmost seriousness, acting as if this was a matter of life and death.
"A-Alright."
At this point, Fu Xuan was practically in a state of resigned surrender. She did as she was told, lying down on the soft sofa and kicking off the high heels that highlighted her mature charm.
A pair of delicate, snow-white bare feet were completely exposed to the air. Her ankles were slender and soft, her arches curved perfectly, and her ten pink, shell-like toes curled slightly inward due to her nervous shyness, exuding an incredibly potent, unconscious allure.
"Hm?"
As Fu Xuan turned on her side and rested her head on Fuli's lap, she suddenly felt a strange, throbbing sensation from the "pillow" beneath her head. She let out a confused hum.
"It's nothing!"
Fuli rapidly averted his eyes, frantically chanting See no evil, see no evil in his head as he desperately suppressed the awakening Neo Armstrong Cyclone Jet Armstrong Cannon. "Please close your eyes and relax your mind and body."
The girl didn't respond, merely closing her magnificent golden eyes. Her thick, star-like eyelashes fluttered gently, like a butterfly stretching its wings in the morning light.
Fuli adjusted his breathing, recalling the specific roleplay techniques his Great-Aunt had drilled into his head.
Ding—
He leaned down. While gently massaging and cleaning her ear with the goose-feather stick and tuning fork, he brought his lips close to Fu Xuan's ear, using a deep, magnetic voice to begin his performance:
"Today is a gloomy, rainy day. General, you change into a perfectly tailored black suit and take a car to attend the funeral of your subordinate, XX."
Subordinate XX?
Subconsciously, Fu Xuan immediately visualized Qingque's face in her mind.
The ultimate, mind-melting comfort brought on by the ear-cleaning was making the young General's consciousness slightly hazy, allowing her to easily sink into the atmosphere of the story.
"Qingque, your deeply trusted confidant, has passed away. Because of this, a faint trace of sorrow lingers in your heart. After all, she was the capable subordinate you single-handedly promoted from an ordinary Diviner. Even if you were just raising a dog, you would have developed feelings for it after so many years."
"Soon, you arrive at your destination."
"You step out of the car and enter the solemn, heavy atmosphere of the funeral. You place a pre-prepared bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of Qingque's memorial shrine, and then stand quietly off to the side."
"At first glance, with your head bowed, it looks as though you are silently mourning your subordinate. Even the deceased's friends and family cast admiring glances your way, deeply moved that Qingque was lucky enough to have such a loyal, compassionate boss."
"However, only you know the truth. While you appear to be mourning in silence, your gaze is actually locked firmly onto the handsome, delicate man kneeling beside the shrine, wearing a set of traditional black mourning clothes."
"Yes. He is Qingque's... husband."
Qingque's husband? Isn't that Fuli right now?!
Fu Xuan's hazy mind instantly filled in the blanks.
"As the saying goes: If you want to look pretty, wear mourning clothes."
"Today, Fuli is undoubtedly the most breathtaking person in the room. Dressed entirely in black, the sheer black veil draped over his head partially obscures his face, perfectly contrasting with his slightly pale complexion. It gives him a fragile, soul-shaking beauty."
"His soft black hair hangs slightly messily over his forehead, covering his eyes. But it fails to hide the misty, tear-filled gaze that looks as though a dam of sorrow is about to break at any second."
"His tightly pressed lips convey a suppressed, agonizing grief. He looks like a white porcelain statue caught in the freezing rain—exquisite, fragile, radiating a heartbreaking vulnerability that makes you desperately want to pull him close and protect him."
"What a truly beautiful, grieving widower."
"But only you and your deceased subordinate know exactly what kind of scorching, wondrous body is hidden beneath those conservative, mournful clothes~"
"Time flows agonizingly slowly. Finally..."
Bzzzz—
"As the final toll of the farewell bell fades away, the massive funeral hall is left entirely empty. The only people remaining are the fragile husband who just lost his beloved wife... and you, hiding behind the heavy curtains."
"Fuli doesn't seem to notice your presence. He just silently bends down, wordlessly cleaning up the mess left behind by the massive crowd of mourners."
"Until you greedily step out from behind the curtain, wrapping your arms tightly around this pitiful, beautiful widower from behind."
"'Did you miss me, baby?'"
"You smile wickedly, gently blowing hot air into Fuli's sensitive ear."
"'Who?!'"
"Fuli's entire body stiffens, but he quickly recognizes your terrifyingly hot breath."
"He raises a hand, slapping you weakly in a scolding manner. 'I knew you'd come bully me, you bastard! Can't you be a little more careful?! We're... we're right in front of Qingque's memorial shrine!'"
"'That's exactly why it feels so good!'"
"You laugh out loud, forcefully pulling this incredibly alluring widower into your embrace. Without giving him a chance to object, you aggressively bite down on his soft lips, which are slightly parted in shock. It takes a long time before you finally, reluctantly pull away."
"Fuli pants softly, complaining, 'You absolute villain... you always take advantage of the times she's not around to bully me. Whether it was at her promotion party, or when she got dead drunk on her birthday...'"
"Yes. Out of all the Diviners in the Divination Commission, why did you specifically favor Qingque and heavily promote her?"
"The root cause, of course, was because she possessed such a breathtakingly beautiful husband."
"You still vividly remember the very first time. It started purely by accident. Out of the goodness of your heart, you escorted a dead-drunk Qingque back home, only to be greeted at the door by her house-husband."
"Perhaps he had been planning to give his beloved wife a late-night surprise, because his outfit that night was absolutely soul-stealing."
"He was wearing nothing but a loose, sheer, light-purple silk bathrobe. The belt was tied incredibly loosely, exposing a large expanse of his delicate, pale collarbones and firm chest. His damp black hair clung to his forehead, and a few drops of water slid down the elegant curve of his neck, disappearing into the collar of his robe."
"The hem of the robe barely reached his upper thighs, leaving his long, perfectly straight legs almost entirely exposed to the air. Looking as though he had just stepped out of a hot bath, radiating a misty, damp heat and a lazy allure, he stood beneath the dim hallway light, looking as breathtaking as an unreal dream."
"With just one glance, you couldn't look away."
"And he, just as shyly, hid behind the hallway wall. Peeking out with a heavily flushed face, he spoke in a soft, soul-snaring voice: 'A-Are you Qingque's colleague? Please, come in...'"
"Ever since that night, you began explicitly and implicitly digging for information about Qingque's husband. You quietly mobilized your resources, ensuring she constantly received promotions and pay raises."
"During this time, Fuli's trust in you rapidly accumulated, reaching the point where he considered you an incredibly close, completely platonic best friend he could tell anything to."
"Until, finally!"
Ding—
"One day, while Qingque was away on a business trip, you used the excuse of 'helping her find an important document she accidentally left behind' to step into the house you had been dreaming about."
"Fuli warmly welcomed you inside, just like always, and even invited you to stay for dinner."
"Thanks to your meticulous planning, similar 'friendly visits' had occurred many times before without incident. Because of this, her pure, innocent husband had long since completely dropped his guard around you."
"He never could have imagined that this time, you had secretly slipped sleeping pills and a high concentration of Computer Accessories into his juice!"
(T/N: "Computer Accessories" is a euphemism from the anime "A Certain Scientific Railgun" referring to aphrodisiacs).
"A few hours flashed by."
"In the middle of the night, Fuli woke up in bed to find you lying right beside him. His first instinct was to reach for the phone on the nightstand to call the police."
"'Mr. Fuli, you wouldn't want Qingque to lose her job, would you?'"
"Having fully anticipated this, you leaned in close to his ear, whispering softly like a demon's absolute temptation. 'I happen to know that your new car and your house were both bought on loans. If she gets fired right now, given the current economy, the two of you will probably be out on the streets in no time, won't you?'"
"His hand froze over the phone. And you pressed your absolute advantage."
"'There's no need to expose our relationship to anyone~ On the surface, Sir, you can continue being the perfect husband who loves Qingque with all his heart. You just have to use... another method to make some tiny, insignificant contributions to your family whenever she goes on business trips~'"
"With that, you pulled out a bank card and handed it to him. It contained exactly enough money to pay off an entire year of their loans."
"In the end, Fuli's raised hand fell weakly back to the bed. His empty, completely defeated eyes stared up at the ornate ceiling, as if all his strength had been drained away."
"You were overjoyed. Right under the gaze of Qingque and Fuli's bright, smiling wedding portrait on the nightstand, you tore into your prey like a starving wild dog."
"In the days that followed, Qingque 'occasionally' worked overtime. And by 'occasionally,' I mean she was frequently only home for a few days a month."
"The traces of your battles with Fuli covered every single inch of the house. The kitchen, the living room, the study, the attic... eventually, you two even started frequenting high-end luxury venues."
"You constantly showered Fuli with wildly expensive gifts and meticulous care. His stubborn resistance slowly crumbled under your overwhelming, 'sincere' offensive."
"Unfortunately, before you could completely turn this absolute stunner into your personal, exclusive toy... Qingque suffered a fatal accident on her business trip."
"Arriving at the memorial shrine, right under the gaze of Qingque's brightly smiling funeral portrait, you once again forcefully pulled her beloved husband into your embrace, intimately nuzzling his neck."
"After a long while, he gently pushed you away. While fixing his messy mourning clothes, he spoke in a bitter, resentful tone. 'I know you just have a fetish for married men because you don't have to take responsibility after riding them. Now that she's gone, you're probably just going to throw me away and look for a new toy, aren't you...'"
"With that, Fuli stood up, turning to leave this heartbreaking place."
"He never expected that, in the very next second, you would grab him from behind and hug him tighter than ever."
"'Who said that?'"
"You let out a low chuckle, once again sealing his lips, which were parted in pure shock. After a long, breathless kiss, you panted, 'I don't have a fetish. From the very beginning, it has always only been you... I just didn't dare bring it up because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to accept such an immoral relationship.'"
"Fuli froze. Covering his freshly kissed lips, he stumbled backward in shock."
"But no matter how many steps he took back, you took the exact same number forward without hesitation, until you aggressively slammed your hand against the cold wall, pinning him in place."
"'Be with me.'"
"In Qingque's memorial shrine, you stared deeply into her man's eyes, speaking those world-shattering words. 'I will make you happy.'"
"Fuli's vision completely blurred. He remained silent for a long, long time—so long that a trace of actual panic began to surface in your eyes. Finally, he slowly lowered the metaphorical knife from his throat, and forcefully wrapped his arms around you."
"His voice was choked with sobs, yet absolutely, undeniably resolute as he answered."
"'Okay!'"
"OKAY YOUR HEAD!!!"
Lying on the boy's lap, Fu Xuan's eyes violently snapped open. Her beautiful face was so impossibly red it looked like it was bleeding, the alluring crimson blush spreading all the way down her neck and behind her ears.
"This—this—this development is just too... too—!"
She pointed furiously at Fuli's face just inches away, her delicate mouth opening and closing rapidly, completely unable to force out a coherent sentence. Her chest heaved violently with pure agitation.
"You didn't like this one?"
Completely unaware of who exactly she had subconsciously cast as the characters in his story, Fuli stopped twirling the goose-feather stick, blinking his crimson eyes in pure, unadulterated innocence.
"It's not a question of whether I liked it or not! The main problem is—the main problem is—!"
IT'S WAY TOO DAMN STIMULATING, ALRIGHT?!
Who the hell could relax and fall asleep listening to a plot like that?!
Furthermore, Fu Xuan had literally previously used the Matrix to simulate a timeline where Fuli was an ordinary human. In that exact simulation, the person who NTR'd the subordinate's spouse was also the boss!
Rounding it up, listening to this was practically the exact same as if she herself was doing that and this with Fuli right in front of Qingque's memorial shrine! How was she supposed to stay calm?!
"Alright, I get it. You weren't satisfied with this one."
The customer is always right. Fuli had no intention of becoming a God-slayer to prove that gods could bleed.
He smoothly shifted gears. "Then how about we switch to a different one? A different simulation setting? Like an office casting-couch scenario? Or hospital ward play? Teacher-student romance?"
"No! NO MORE SIMULATIONS!"
Fu Xuan, who had just lain back down, nearly exploded like an angry cat all over again. "Just—just give me a normal ear-cleaning! Absolutely no more acting!"
"Fair enough."
The boy felt a bit disappointed. Great-Aunt Elysia had prepared so many amazing stories!
I guess I'll just try them out on Kiana and the others when I get back, he thought to himself.
He recentered his focus, continuing to provide a perfectly normal, highly professional ear-cleaning service for the deeply flustered and embarrassed young General.
The rest of the session went off without a hitch. After a full day of service, he easily secured 2,000 points.
Adding up his previous scores, his total had finally gone from negative to positive.
Now, he could boldly and confidently go meet the third member of his squad, who had messaged him earlier saying she had just arrived at the location—the Healer of the Twilight Courtyard, "Hyacine."