Baiheng counted on her fingers.
"First, I was the one who escorted them through entry. If I keep being their overly enthusiastic guide, it's perfectly natural—no suspicion."
"Second, I'm a foxian, okay? My sense of smell and intuition are top-tier! If anything even slightly off happens, I'll be the first to notice!"
Teng Xiao watched her brimming with confidence and pondered for a moment.
He trusted Baiheng's ability. And she really was the least suspicious choice.
After all—who could refuse a foxian guide who was too friendly and looked like she had zero ulterior motives?
"Fine," Teng Xiao finally nodded. "This is yours. Remember: your job is observation only. Do not act on your own. Don't spook them."
"And if they truly are agents from some other faction, be careful. Extremely careful."
"Got it, got it." Baiheng grinned and saluted with the most unprofessional military salute imaginable. "Tianbo Division pilot Baiheng, reporting! Mission guaranteed! I'll make them feel Luofu's blazing hospitality!"
With that, she spun around and charged out like a gust of wind.
Teng Xiao watched her go, sighed, and could only hope he'd made the right call.
Meanwhile, Wei Qing and Firefly spent the entire day after leaving the museum strolling around Changletian. When night finally settled in, the two returned—still not quite satisfied—to their lodging.
It was a quiet little courtyard near the edge of Star Skiff Harbor, operated by the Tianbo Division. It was designed specifically to host guests with "special circumstances" or long-term stays. Elegant, discreet, and impressively private.
Of course, the price tag was equally impressive.
"Whew… we really did end up traveling like actual tourists," Firefly said as she shut the courtyard gate and let out a long breath. "Luofu's pretty fun—just… way too many people…"
As she spoke, she began checking the room layout out of habit. That cautious, methodical sweep was something years of missions had carved into her bones.
Wei Qing, on the other hand, looked entirely relaxed. He strolled to the table, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and watched Firefly prowl around like a vigilant little animal.
"Relax, A-Xing. We're innocent tourist siblings right now—not infiltrators," he said, sipping his tea and teasing her. "The more you act like you're on a job, the more you look like you've got something to hide."
Firefly froze mid-step and stopped, a little embarrassed. "I-I'm just used to it…"
"And besides, Senpai… aren't we literally on a job?"
"Wrong." Wei Qing corrected her with total seriousness. "We're on a profound field study of pure beauty."
Firefly burst out laughing. "You're way too in-character!"
"That's called professionalism." Wei Qing wagged a finger, then walked to the window and cracked the curtain slightly to glance outside.
The street was softly lit, calm and peaceful.
But his senses immediately caught a familiar presence.
His old friend Baiheng was in a room nearby, not far away at all.
"Hah. Baiheng's really dedicated," Wei Qing said as he let the curtain fall back into place.
Firefly instantly lowered her voice. "She's still monitoring us? Did we slip up somewhere today?"
"Probably not." Wei Qing shook his head. "More likely it's routine—or she's just unbearably curious. We are a pair of rainbow-haired siblings with glassy eyes. Hard to miss."
He wasn't worried Baiheng could discover anything.
If even the Divination Commission's grand array hadn't uncovered them, Baiheng certainly wouldn't do it with casual observation. This kind of "tailing" was simply Luofu playing it safe.
Firefly blinked, then leaned closer, curiosity taking over. "Senpai… what did you even do back when you lived on Luofu? Everyone here feels kind of… triggered. You've never really told me."
"Oh? Want to hear stories?" Wei Qing asked.
Firefly nodded vigorously, eyes shining. "Yeah! I want to know everything about your Luofu days!"
She'd tried looking him up online before, but most of it was rumor and nonsense. Ironically, the stray "local gossip" she'd overheard after just one day on Luofu sounded more believable than anything on the net.
Wei Qing met her bright, eager gaze and couldn't help himself—he reached out and ruffled her hair again.
His old stories were… honestly, kind of embarrassing.
After all, deep down he was still a boy whose mental age stubbornly refused to climb past eighteen.
Even now, even after defecting, three centuries of life didn't vanish just because he wanted them to. He still had feelings for this place.
But he was also an Emanator-level calamity—an Annihilation Gang Lord, and even a Heir Apparent of Abundance.
Back then, there had been several reasons he chose to break from Luofu.
First and foremost: the "death notice" from Finality. He could admit it—he'd reacted hard. He'd thought about using that "conversation with the neighbor" ability to demand an explanation for why he was going to die, but the more he considered it, the less he wanted to burn such a trump card recklessly.
Then there was the main quest: maximize his name's impact across the entire universe.
At the time he needed power—fast—to deal with Finality. And a stage that perfect wouldn't come around again anytime soon.
And then… there was Lan.
Wei Qing still remembered the way Lan had looked at him back then.
The killing intent hadn't been blatant, but Lan had absolutely considered it—whether to erase him or not.
If he'd stayed on Luofu, who knew when Lan might suddenly change their mind?
And if Lan ever actually got their act together—if they managed to kill Yaoshi—then Wei Qing's future probably held one of two outcomes:
Lan would either come straight for him in a "royal capital duel," or simply delete him before Yaoshi ever did.
Who exactly would he complain to then?
Wei Qing was sinking into that swirl of reflection when—
A cold, familiar voice echoed in his head.
[Ding! Detected: the host has entered a critical "reminiscing about glorious days" moment, with a high-potential junior—Firefly—present.]
[If Jingliu could wash, then I, Firefly, wouldn't be against it either!]
[Emergency Side Quest issued: As an outstanding senior who cares for juniors and understands proper work-life balance, please immediately provide today's exhausted Firefly with a humane, considerate foot-care service.]
Wei Qing: "???"
He froze so hard he nearly choked on his own saliva.
Foot-care service?
System—what are you doing?
He wasn't even into feet. If anything, the system was the foot freak.
No, seriously—what is your obsession with making the kid wash someone's feet?!
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
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