Chapter 123: Fu Xuan: Qingque
"Hmph. I can understand."
Fu Xuan's projection materialized with her arms crossed, her tone dripping with an 'I-saw-through-this-long-ago' sort of knowingness.
"The affairs of the Xianzhou are as tangled as a ball of twine; it's only natural that your energy would flag… If I weren't down here holding everything together, who knows how chaotic this situation would have become."
She paused, lifting her chin as if to press her advantage. "Speaking of which, at the next Six Charioteers council, you should fulfill your promise and formally recommend me to succeed the Position of General, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes, alright, I know," Jing Yuan nodded repeatedly, his voice carrying the weary patience of a parent placating a child desperate for candy. "I still have important matters at hand… I'll leave all of this to the exceptionally gifted Master Diviner Fu."
"Hmph…" Fu Xuan's projection let out a soft, dissatisfied snort before reluctantly dissipating into motes of light.
"Troubles on the Xianzhou, documents on the desk, weeds in the garden beds…" Jing Yuan mused to the empty space where the projection had been. He shook his head, a helpless sigh escaping his lips. "It seems these three things can never be truly cleared away, no matter how hard one tries."
"General…" Yanqing, who had been standing silently by his side, couldn't help but speak up. "The fact that the Lord Diviner desires your position is common knowledge by now."
"Her ability is more than sufficient, but her temperament still needs tempering," Jing Yuan replied with a gentle smile, his gaze fond. "When she finally polishes away that impatient, fiery temper of hers… only then will I truly consider retiring."
"Hah, this Stellaron matter is only as troublesome as you make it out to be!" Yanqing puffed out his chest, his youthful spirit flaring in his voice. "If they've run away, we just need to catch them again! At your command, General, I, Yanqing, will immediately solve this problem for you! And as for those lowlifes spreading rumors, I'll take them down as well!"
His eyes were bright, brimming with an unshakeable confidence.
In Yanqing's own estimation, those on the Luofu who could best him in a duel could be counted on one hand. Of course, this was merely what he thought. On the current Xianzhou Luofu, there were far more people stronger than Yanqing than there were in the original game.
"I know you are anxious to prove yourself, to achieve something," Jing Yuan looked at him, his tone a careful blend of an elder's tolerance and a stern warning. "But now is not the time. If you wish to one day earn the title of 'Sword Champion,' you must not act rashly, and you especially must not engage in private duels with high-profile criminals."
He knew with perfect clarity: Blade was most certainly not someone the current Yanqing could handle. And the mastermind orchestrating the rumors being spread so brazenly across the Luofu was likely just as troublesome.
As for how to investigate… the method was simple enough: screen all suspicious individuals who lacked official entry records.
However, the Xianzhou was vast, its population immense. If their quarry intended to hide, finding them would be like searching for a single drop of water in the ocean. Their traces would be almost impossible to find.
After all, the group spreading rumors on the Xianzhou Luofu couldn't possibly be walking down the streets in a grand, blatant manner, right?
Hmm? Right?
"Does the General truly believe… I would lose to that 'Blade'?" Yanqing's brow furrowed, his voice tight with defiance.
"I want you to be patient, Yanqing," Jing Yuan said warmly. "Governing the Xianzhou is different from practicing swordsmanship; one must plan slowly to succeed. also, the hidden hand in this game of chess… has not yet revealed itself."
He turned to look out the window, his voice deepening with thought.
"There is one mystery, and as long as it remains unsolved, this game can only remain in a stalemate…"
"And that is the Stellaron."
"How exactly did it deceive everyone, bypassing the Sky-Faring Commission's inspections and the Divination Commission's calculations? And where was it quietly placed?"
"In my opinion, catching both Stellaron Hunters and sending them to Master Diviner Fu for interrogation would be the fastest way," Yanqing insisted, holding firm to his view.
"I have already entrusted this matter to our guests from the Astral Express," Jing Yuan shook his head. "There is no rush. When the overall situation becomes clear, there will be a place for you to use your skills. You are the person I trust most; some things… I only feel at ease if I hand them to you."
He turned back, his expression serious. "Yanqing, there is a task right now…"
Before he could finish, he found the space beside him empty. Yanqing had already vanished at some unknown point. Clearly, the young swordsman had made up his mind to personally seek out those two Stellaron Hunters.
"Sigh, this child…" Jing Yuan looked at the empty air beside him and smiled helplessly. "It's my own fault. When a young man stays cooped up in this square world for too long, it's inevitable he'll develop an itch to test himself."
He murmured softly, his tone tinged with a faint sense of emotion and foresight.
"The dragon's cry in the sheath has long been silent; on what day will the green blade test the world's affairs… Heh."
"I'm afraid the setback he will suffer this time will be even greater than that overflowing spirit of his."
...
Divination Commission.
Fu Xuan had just cut off the communication with the Seat of Divine Foresight and was about to bury herself in her work when she suddenly noticed an unfamiliar portable projector on the corner of her desk.
She pressed the switch in confusion.
"It's fine!" Qingque's self-righteous and energetic voice immediately jumped out, the projected image startlingly clear. "Before I came, I secretly cast a divination for myself; the Lord Diviner definitely won't have time to catch me right now!"
The girl in the image was briskly packing up her jade tiles while speaking with an irrefutable logic of her own.
"Working hard during office hours means I'm just getting the wages I deserve, that doesn't count as making money. But slipping out to slack off and play tiles during work hours—now the wages I receive are pure profit! Plus the income from winning… that's a direct double gain! I'm winning big!"
A vein instantly popped on Fu Xuan's forehead.
"Qing—Que—!!!"
An angry roar, powerful enough to shake dust from the ceiling, echoed through the Divination Commission.
In the next second, Fu Xuan's figure had already stormed out the door, her path set straight for the Exalting Sanctum.
...
Exalting Sanctum · Ruomu Pavilion.
"Come, come, since you're here, do you want to play a few rounds of jade tiles?"
Qingque greeted them enthusiastically, but her gaze swept curiously toward the several companions behind Leon, each of whom had a vastly different 'art style'—
A silent young man dressed in black, his aura as cold and sharp as an unsheathed blade.
A man in a yellow suit wearing a pure white smiley-face mask, his every movement carrying a joyful yet unsettling energy.
A burly man who looked as if he were carved from a mountain, standing as still and immovable as a natural fortress.
A mechanical scholar with the faint glimmer of data flowing in his eyes.
And a girl standing quietly in the morning light, her pink hair the soft color of dawn clouds.
Qingque had never seen these faces in the images of Leon she had seen before; they were likely not members of the Astral Express crew.
"Oh, they're my friends, just coming along for a stroll on the Luofu," Leon explained with a relaxed smile, then looked back at Aha, Fuli, and the others. "How about it, does anyone want to try a game of jade tiles?"
"No, I've never played…" Aha's voice, muffled from behind the mask, carried an eager, novel curiosity. "But… can I play too?"
In order not to scare away this rare and amusing 'entertainment material,' He consciously restrained His usual manic tone.
"Hah! It's even better if you haven't played!" Qingque's eyes lit up. Instead of being disappointed, she became even more spirited. "The rules of jade tiles are simple! I'll teach you for two rounds and you'll get it! Come, come, sit, sit…"
For Qingque, being able to pull more people into the pit of Celestial Jade was a joy unto itself.
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